Imprint of Blood
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Pontus Axeinos
The Pontus Axeinos is a large ocean covering most of the Western Hemisphere of the planet Aeolis. Covering an area of 71,288,103 square kilometers, it is slightly larger than the Pacific Ocean of Earth. Its name is identical to the ancient Greek term for the Black Sea of Earth, which further reinforces a commonly held theory that the Amazons of Aeolis originated on the northern shores of what is now Turkey in approximately 750 B.C. before their abduction to Aeolis.
QE Box
A QE Box is a deep-space communications device used primarily by the RDF for military transmissions. Although it has a low bit rate, it has unlimited range and cannot be hacked. Due to the low bit rate, it cannot transmit video, but can send low quality audio and text messages instantaneously across any distance.
Rim Defense Force (RDF)
The RDF (Rim Defense Force) is the military arm of the Rim Federation (RimFed). Originating in 2121 on Earth, the RDF was moved to Mars in 2123 and later to Kamilaroi in 2136 as the number of off-Earth colonies grew, and Earth became more recalcitrant in its objections to meeting the Basic Rules. The RDF is best known for its ongoing preparations to meet the genocidal Bat Empire, in order to secure the future survival of the Rim Federation.
Rim Federation
The Rim Federation (generally known as RimFed) is the central government of the Orion Spur of the Milky Way galaxy. As of 2180 it encompasses 28 states (planets, colonies and territories). RimFed is a parliamentary system of government originally developed on the planet Earth; when the RDF began colonizing planets in 2121, such government was adopted as the only permissible form of government for human colonies. In 2136, the Rim Federation was established on the same model to act as a top-level government for all systems and colonies defended by the RDF.
Constitution
The constitution of the Rim Federation is founded upon the Basic Rules, which guarantee individual freedoms and protect the basic rights of the individual.
Distributed Government
In the Rim Federation, individual solar systems and colonies retain their own local government and have the right to control their own territories, within the scope of the Basic Rules. They may raise, train and control local militias and police forces to defend themselves and their systems. However, local governments are restricted from creating professional FTL navies, as that role is reserved for the RDF. They are also prohibited from warfare against other members of the Rim, and this is strictly enforced by the RDF.
Rim Model of Responsible Government
The Rim Model of Responsible Government (Westminster system) is a parliamentary system of government based on the Westminster system originally developed in the old Earth United Kingdom, coupled with the Bill of Rights from the United States, currently used by all planets or colonies in the Rim Federation. The term “Westminster system” comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Earth-based British Parliament. The system is a set of procedures for operating a government. This system was implemented by the RDF in 2122 for all new Human colonies; RimFed continues to require this form of government for any planet or colony in the Federation, else the entity will be ostracized from all further contact with other Rim members.
tDrive
The tDrive is a technology provided to the original RDF (Rim Defense Force) by the Machine Ship Pandora in 2121, shortly after her arrival on Earth. A tDrive allows faster-than-light (FTL) travel for starships. An AI interface built into the tDrive is used to control it. tDrives which are limited to non-FTL travel for use inside a solar system are called system drives.
Thermodon River (Aeolis)
The Thermodon River is the chief river on Aeolis, the central planet of the Aeolian Empire. The capital city, Aronte, is located at the mouth of the river. The river flows generally west for 3,650 km from the Olympus mountains to the Pontus Axeinos, with a drainage basin of 2,866,000 km2. The estuary of the river forms a prime fishing area and excellent harbor for shipping.
Teresa Tolleson
Teresa Tolleson was the first head of the Rim Defense Force (RDF) Operations Group, leading them for the initial 15 years of their existence. Born February 19th, 2088 in Los Angeles, California, Tolleson grew up in LA and attended Los Angeles High School, graduating in 2106. Appointed to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she graduated in 2110 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. She completed flight training at Sheppard AFB, Texas, and was assigned to the 47th "Hawg" squadron at San Francisco, California, in 2112, flying the F-84 Thunderbolt III. In the Brush War of 2115, Tolleson, by then a Captain, shot down five Chinese J-48 fighters and six Chinese H-42 bombers over the course of six weeks, becoming the first female double ace of the war. Shot down on 27 May 2115, Tolleson was tortured by the Chinese for several days before the cease-fire was announced. Remaining in the USAF after the war, Tolleson rose rapidly to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, serving as both a test pilot and training commander; but in 2120, while stationed at Travis AFB near San Francisco, California, she filed sexual harassment charges against the base Commanding Officer. The charges were dismissed by a court of inquiry due to lack of evidence. As a result of these events, however, Lt. Colonel Tolleson was notified she would not be retained in the Air Force. Tolleson made plans to retire in mid-2121.
Tolleson initially planned to accept a job as a pilot for North American Airlines, but after the dramatic arrival of the Machine Ship Pandora in June of 2121, Tolleson became part of the fledgling RDF. Working first out of Geneva, Switzerland, and later out of MarsBase, Tolleson was the driving force in establishing the Operations and Logistic Command of the RDF, arm-twisting corporate and government leaders into supporting the planning and execution of the early ship designs, kick-starting the manufacturing of starships, and recruiting and training crews for the first missions. Tolleson was highly effective in her role, leaving CNO Jake Hammett to concentrate on the development of the long-term strategy for dealing with the Bat Empire.
With Dr. Kirsten Monk and Hammett, Tolleson formed the first triplex marriage in the RDF in 2123, setting a precedent that endures to the current day in the RDF and many Rim colonies.
Tolleson had two children by Jake Hammett:
Granada Tolleson, b. 2127, an actress and author, resides in London, England, and wrote the historical novel "The Princess Takes a Barbarian" published in 2160, as well as dozens of plays and short works.
Scipio (Skip) Tolleson, b. 2130, an Episcopalian priest of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Geneva, Switzerland, Earth;
Teresa Tolleson was abducted in Geneva on 2 December 2136 and tortured to death by Covenant of God terrorists in Frankfurt, Germany. She is buried in the Hammett Family Plot near Oakwood, Texas.
Tolleson Base
Tolleson Base is the headquarters of the Rim Defense Force (RDF). It is located on the planet Kamilaroi in the 36 Ophiuchi system. RDF Headquarters was originally located at MarsBase in the Sol System. Due to the recalcitrance of Earth to adopt the Rim Federation Basic Rules and the increasing hostility of the religion-backed governments of some Earth countries, the RDF relocated their Headquarters to Kamilaroi in 2136. Tolleson Base is located next to Terminator Bay, where a moist but mild climate prevails. The new base has grown rapidly since establishment. The city next to the base, Tolleson City, has a reputation as a rough frontier town.
United Kingdom (Earth)
The United Kingdom was an Earth government which existed until 2164 as an independent country in Europe. It was subsumed into the Eurasian Commonwealth in 2164.
Zeno
Zeno was an alternate identity used by Jake Hammett during his extended stay in the Aeolian Empire during the period February 2140 to April 2141. Hammett used this identity to infiltrate the Empire and research methods of enabling an alliance with the Aeolians. The nature of this visit was shrouded in secrecy and few details were ever revealed by the RDF, but it is well-established that Hammett fathered the second daughter (Deinomache) of Princess Antiope (late
r Empress). Some historians attribute Pandora’s cryptic selection of Jake Hammett as the initial head of the RDF to her ability to predict this event, but nearly all mathematicians discount this as an impossible feat of statistical prediction.
NOTES
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About the Author
Phil Huddleston grew up barefoot and outdoors like Huckleberry Finn until he discovered books. Thereafter, he read everything he could get his hands on, including reading the Encyclopedia Britannica and Funk & Wagnalls from A to Z multiple times. He served in the U.S. Marines for four years, returned to college and completed his degree on the GI Bill. Since that time, he attempted to assist his wife in raising two daughters, built computer systems, worked in cybersecurity, played in a band, flew a bush plane from Alaska to Texas, rode a motorcycle around a good bit of America and would like to do it all again. Except without the mistakes.