Concordance: A Terran Empire concordance

by Ann Wilson

  S

  SALVIS: (Traiti) A Homeworld plant that bears a strong resemblance topoison oak. Its tuber-like roots are edible and highly nutritious,though the taste is bland.

  SANDEMAN, Subsector 5-D: No. systems: 98 Sector: Pegasus with 3 inhabited planets: 2 Ruled by: Klaes family, since with 2 inhabited planets: 14 2542 with 1 inhabited planet: 25 Arms: On a gold field, a gem-type diamond within a ring, both blue.

  SANDEMAN: Sector: 5, Pegasus Year: 348 days Subsector: D, Sandeman Day: 23 hr 47 min System: Cassell Gravity: 1029 cm/sec2 Settled/established: 2130 CE Axial tilt: 4.75 deg. By: Genetic engineers Oxygen: 20.2% Satellites: 1 (Signet) % water: 72 Ident code prefix: SND Continents: 8; names below Ruled by: See below General: The main differences from Terra are the higher average temperature and its concomitant, no real arctic areas. Sandeman has eight continents, six of which have been explored fairly thoroughly; the northern one, Erewhon, and about two-thirds of the southerly shield-shaped one, Quivira, are too cold for Sandeman comfort. The others are Camelot, Shangri-La, Arcadia, Eden, Canaan, and Eldorado. Under the Shapers, these were divided into districts, but since Overthrow Day (7 Oct 2316), subdivision has been by clan areas instead; the districts no longer exist.

  Another difference is Sandeman time. Both day and year are somewhatshorter than Terra's, but they use the Terran Standard system forrecord-keeping, which leads to some interesting anomalies, such as thelast of the twenty-four hours being only forty-seven minutes long.This means they have approximately 103 hours per Standard yeardifference, relative to Terra. Their year is also linked to Terra's ina way different from most Imperial worlds', a way permitted by theirminimal axial tilt and accompanying barely-noticeable seasons: whiletheir physical year is 348 days, their calendar year is 368 1/4.Because of the shorter day, they add four days (February 29-31 andSeptember 31; April 31 in leap years) so their calendar year ends upquite close to the Standard one.

  SANDEMANS: A genetically engineered race considered human-variant dueto the number and extent of changes made. In dealings with Sandemans,especially the warrior caste, it is essential to keep those changes,and the fact of a culture designed in large part to enhance them, inmind. Sandemans are motivated primarily by honor, are intensely proudand ethnocentric, and have an extreme privacy drive. Courtesy isdeeply ingrained and they do not expect non-Sandemans to live up toSandeman standards even when visiting Sandeman worlds. In most cases,that means they will ignore even deliberate insults fromnon-Sandemans--but not in all cases. Touching one without permissionwill get at least a verbal rebuke; attacking one will in allprobability result in the attacker's death. In Subsector Sandeman, theoffender is at fault; elsewhere in the Empire, that is less automaticbut still the presumption. To paraphrase then-Baron Klaes of Mjolnir,the first Imperial world to have Sandemans as guests and protectorsinstead of conquerors: These people are used to protecting themselves,rather than relying on police. Their reflexes are exceptionally fastand strong, particularly if they are under attack; anyone assaulting aSandeman may expect to have @'s cause of death listed as suicide.

  Sandemans are short and slender, the men averaging 160-165 cm and 62-67kilos, the women 2-3 cm and kilos less. Skin tones range from dark tanto dark olive, hair from almost white to not quite light brown, mostlystraight though a few have wavy hair, even fewer curly. Eyes arepale-to-medium blue, green, or hazel. Children are born covered in furresembling a kitten's; it is usually gone by three months of age.

  Despite their small stature, Sandemans are stronger and faster thantheir creators, with greater endurance and higher average intelligence.Between twenty and fifty percent (up from about ten percent under theShapers) of the males, depending on the clan, are further modifiedwarriors, whose speed, strength and endurance are increased stillfurther. (See also Warriors, Sandeman, and Need, Sandeman Warriors'.)

  The basic Sandeman social structure is a two-caste clan, with the upperwarrior caste composed of the warriors and warriors'-women, the Othercaste being everyone else. Caste may be determined by the clan-prefix(warriors are Dar, w'women Dru, Others Den) and often by clothing; thewarrior caste usually wears subdued coveralls, the Others brighterclothing.

  As a rule, Others marry; warriors and w'women do not, fostering theirchildren with Other families to provide a stable home life. Childrenmingle freely regardless of caste, until at puberty the young studentwarriors and w'women move into their rooms in the main clanhome, whileOther children remain with their parents until they marry or establishtheir own homes. Warriors and w'women maintain ties, often close ones,with the families who raised them and will, in many cases, raise theirchildren.

  Most traditional Sandeman names are Gaelic, Gaelic-flavored, orNorse-Germanic. There is no naming distinction between the castesother than the clan-prefixes, or between the sexes except that namesending in -a are female; anything else can be either. Nicknames may beproper names shortened to first or last syllable, or an occasionalpositive-attributive descriptive nickname. Full first names are alwaysproper usage, with 'the warrior' or 'the lady' added when speakingabout a warrior or w'woman, and 'warrior' or 'lady' may be used insteadof one's name when addressing @.

  SATYR PLAGUE: (Kingdom Systems) A mutant plague strain that appearedon St. Thomas in 2542. Its "victims" (few of whom consider themselvesas such) develop an increased sexual drive and capacity, as well asother minor enhancements. Once its effects became known, it spreadrapidly throughout the Systems, and has caused a number of societalchanges, including the Families. It is not contagious in normalcontact; the risk (or chance) of contagion otherwise depends onintimacy of contact.

  SCANLON, David Mark: (2541- ) Captured during the Nemran Rebellion(2555) shortly after his fourteenth birthday, he was helped to escapeby one of his captors who did not wish to be involved further whenRanger Esteban Tarlac was taken prisoner. He then rescued the Ranger,who had been seriously injured, from the rebel camp, nursing andguarding him until Imperial Marines landed with medical help. For hisactions, he was created a Life Duke.

  SCORPIO, Sector 6: Ruled by: No. systems: 710 Subsectors: 7 Inhabited planets: 365 A. Shiva E. Selket B. Odin F. Kore C. Osiris G. Tarlac D. Mithra

  SCULPTOR, Sector 3: Ruled by: No. systems: 104 Subsectors: 2 Inhabited planets: 101 A. Asgard B. Olympus

  SEAL, IMPERIAL: A stylized planet with a sun emerging above and a moonbelow. It appears on the Imperial Arms in color, and is sometimesused, in the form of platinum pins or a badge, as the Sovereign's rankinsignia.

  SECUDIV: The ITMC Security Division. This major specialty division isresponsible for the security of Imperial ships, installations, andpersonnel.

  SECTORS: The largest subdivisions of the Empire, ruled by dukes.

  SELKET, Subsector 6-E: No. systems: 68 Sector: Scorpio with 3 inhabited planets: 5 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 11 with 1 inhabited planet: 19

  SEPOL: (Of Clan D'gameh) One of the Traiti Circle of Lords, known asLord of the Ordeal.

  SEPOL, Subsector 21-F: No. systems: 64 Sector: Traiti with 3 inhabited planets: 4 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 10 with 1 inhabited planet: 24

  SHADOW FLEET: A secret Imperial fleet which, under normalcircumstances, exists only as a cadre. Its existence, however, is amatter of perpetual rumor, and is the standard explanation for amilitary person who drops out of sight for an extended time, especiallyif @ reappears at a higher rank. When it is activated for militaryemergencies (under another designation, of course), it operates, ifnecessary, withou
t regard for the Laws of War; its Fleet Admiral issubsequently courtmartialled, then given another identity and set up ona world of @'s choice.

  Home port is Shonnar, where its cover mission (and, most of the time,real one) is to interdict that world from contact.

  SHAMASH, Subsector 1-F: No. systems: 51 Sector: Orion with 3 inhabited planets: 2 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 10 with 1 inhabited planet: 15

  SHAMU, Subsector 14-F: No. systems: 133 Sector: Phoenix with 3 inhabited planets: 1 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 9 with 1 inhabited planet: 22

  SHAPERS: The genetic engineers, led by Sandoval "Sandy" Cassell, whocreated the Sandeman race and much of its culture. They wereoverthrown and killed by their creations in 2316.

  SHIP CLASSES, CIVILIAN: Civilian ships are so varied it is impossibleto summarize them, except to say that they vary from hundred-meterneedles (the smallest size able to carry hyperdrive engines) tofive-hundred-meter spheres (the largest able to land in near-standardgravity fields).

  SHIP CLASSES, ITN: In order of size, Imperial Navy ships are:

  Battle Cruisers (IBCs), equatorial diameter 1000 meters, mass 8 x 10 tothe eighth tons, crew 2000, carrying capacity over a million, named forSovereigns or Rangers. Flagships of Imperial Fleets when such must beassembled, and the ship-type most commonly used by Rangers. They arevery well armed, used for things like colony setup, deep-space patrol,large-scale rescue, and similar missions, as well as combat.

  Heavy Cruisers (IHCs), equatorial diameter 800 meters, mass 1.75 x 10to the eighth tons, crew 1800, named for famous sea ships. Flagshipsof Sector-level fleets.

  Light Cruisers (ILCs), equatorial diameter 700 meters, mass 1.2 x 10 tothe eighth tons, crew 1500, named for stars or given guardian-typenames (e.g., Guardian or Protector).

  Heavy Destroyers (IHDs), equatorial diameter 500 meters, crew 1000,named for military commanders. Massing 4.28 x 10 to the seventh tons,this is the largest class of ship capable of landing in a near-standardgrav field.

  Light Destroyers (ILDs), equatorial diameter 400 meters, crew 750,named for military commanders.

  Armed Scouts (IASs), equatorial diameter 200 meters, crew of 500, namedfor scouts or explorers.

  Couriers (ICs), length 100 meters, crew 5-50 (some automated to requireonly a pilot), named at pilot's option.

  (For comparison, the largest U. S. aircraft, the C-5B, is 75.5 meterslong, with a wingspan of 67.9 meters, and maximum mass of 418.5 tons.)

  SHIP-COMP: Ship-computer, an artificial intelligence installed on allImperial ships of Scout class or higher.

  SHIVA, Subsector 6-A: No. systems: 120 Sector: Scorpio with 3 inhabited planets: 2 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 13 with 1 inhabited planet: 25

  SHONNAR: Sector: 3, Sculptor Year: Subsector: A, Asgard Day: System: Bifrost Gravity: Settled/established: 2153 Axial tilt: By: Terran mystics Oxygen: Satellites: % Water: Ident code prefix: SHO Continents: Ruled by: Chief Monitor

  General: Called Retreat by its inhabitants, this world was rediscoveredby Crown Princess Halona Strider in 2321, while she was looking for apermanent home base for the Shadow Fleet. The mystics who had settledit were developing powers she thought might be useful in the future, ifthey were left alone to do so. That was precisely what they wanted, aswell, so they agreed to provide the base she needed. She establishedan interdiction zone, with the cover story that it was there to allowShonnar's "lizard-like, subsapient inhabitants" to develop sapiencewithout exploitation.

  SIB: Arriani extended family, usually having 20-50 members.

  SIREN, Subsector 14-E: No. systems: 105 Sector: Phoenix with 3 inhabited planets: 1 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 9 with 1 inhabited planet: 17 Arms: On a black field, a silver lozenge on which is a mermaid with black hair and green tail, looking into a crystal ball held in her right hand, holding a sword point-down in her left.

  SKYWALKER, Subsector 7-B: No. systems: 189 Sector: Cygnus with 3 inhabited planets: 4 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 10 with 1 inhabited planet: 17

  SLEIPNIR, Subsector 5-B: No. systems: 103 Sector: Pegasus with 3 inhabited planets: 2 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 12 with 1 inhabited planet: 22

  SOH TREE: (Traiti) A moderate-climate Homeworld tree with broadsilvery-green leaves and sticky sap.

  SOL, Subsector 1-A: No. systems: 63 Sector: Orion with 3 inhabited planets: 3 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 11 with 1 inhabited planet: 20

  SOLAR FEDERATION: (2091-2128) Established when enough Terrans hadmoved off-planet to justify a System-wide government, the Federationwas a loose democracy. It was superseded when hyperdrive allowedhumanity to travel faster than light, rapidly spreading to the pointwhere sheer scale made democracy impossible. At that point theFederation Congress amended the constitution, dissolving the Federationand creating the Terran Empire.

  SOUL-BLADE: (Irschchan) A dagger carried by all Irschchans frompre-adolescence. It has the owner's personality impressed on it by aspecialized form of darlas, and is supposed to remain with its ownerfor the rest of @'s life. The owner becomes uncomfortable if it is notwithin reach, more so if it is handled by another, and sufferspermanent psychic shock if it is destroyed.

  After the owner's death, the soul-blade is preserved in the family'sHall of Memories, where the survivors are able to feel the presence oftheir deceased relatives.

  SPECIAL LIAISON: An individual with special knowledge of a culture orsociety, usually because @ was born or raised in it, appointed to workwith the officer in charge of a mission to that culture.

  STILDYNE, Subsector 7-F: No. systems: 96 Sector: Cygnus with 3 inhabited planets: 6 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 8 with 1 inhabited planet: 26

  STINGWEED: Nemran plant. A low-growing shrub with silvery-greenthree-lobed leaves and milky sap. The sap contains something generallydescribed as a cross between a fungus and a bacterium, which isharmless to intact skin, but is poisonous if introduced into a wound.The first indication of poisoning, usually in less than an hour, isthat the wound begins to ooze a thick, greenish-yellow, foul-smellingmatter. If the victim does not receive prompt treatment, a feverdevelops, followed by delirium, coma, and death, the speed of progressdetermined by the amount of poison absorbed. It is dangerous foranyone except a medic or physician with life support available toattempt medicating a stingweed victim, since even something as normallysafe as quidine may at times intensify the poison's effect.

  STUNNER, NEURAL: A blaster setting or special-purpose handgun thatstuns rather than injuring the one shot. Although it causes no actualdamage, the victim does wake with a severe, migraine-like headache.

  STYX, Subsector 17-B: No. systems: 115 Sector: Indus with 3 inhabited planets: 3 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 10 with 1 inhabited planet: 21

  SUBSECTORS: The second subdivision of the Empire, ruled by earls.There are 106 Subsectors, having an average of 53 planets in 36 systems.

  SUCCESSION, IMPERIAL: After considerable study of possiblealternatives, Emperor Chang decided that the Imperial succession shouldbe based, with one modification, on the Roman Catholic method ofselecting Popes. That difference was timing; rather than wait untilthe Sovereign died to elect a new one, thus risking a period without aruler, the Conclave would elect a Successor as soon as the newSovereign ascended the Throne. Acting on that, a Conclave to elect hisSuccessor was held a month later; that was Ranger Susan Lindner, whofollowed his example, as has been done ever since. See below for alist
of the first twenty-five Sovereigns and the dates of their reigns.

  Cheong Chang, 19 Jan 2128 - 1 Jan 2149 Susan M. Lindner, 1 Jan 2149 - 9 Nov 2182 Bjorn Bengtsson, 9 Nov 2182 - 7 Jul 2230 Juana Mendez, 7 Jul 2230 - 10 Feb 2249 Christopher J. Kyle, 10 Feb 2249 - 19 Apr 2256 Mohammed Gamayel, 19 Apr 2256 - 10 Dec 2280 Corwin M. Jacobs, 10 Dec 2280 - 20 Aug 2315 Brandy P. Lansky, 20 Aug 2315 - 17 May 2333 (female) Halona Strider, 17 May 2333 - 18 Aug 2366 Nicholas C. Browder, 18 Aug 2366 - 23 Sep 2382 Eileen P. Holt, 23 Sep 2382 - 4 Aug 2395 Grant L. Barton, 4 Aug 2395 - 26 Jan 2420 Leonard M. Frey, 26 Jan 2420 - 7 Nov 2488 Joyce G. Kingsley, 7 Nov 2488 - 25 Jan 2508 (male) Adli Yasunon, 25 Jan 2508 - 28 Mar 2553 Charles Davis, 28 Mar 2553 - 20 Sep 2577 Rick Forrest, 20 Sep 2577 - 11 Apr 2603 Corina Losinj, 11 Apr 2603 - 19 Feb 2624 (female, Irschchan) Jasmine Wang, 19 Feb 2624 - 29 Nov 2630 Ray Kennard, 29 Nov 2630 - 29 Dec 2678 Anna A. Peterson, 29 Dec 2678 - 14 Sep 2700 Konstantin J. Gagarin, 14 Sep 2700 - 8 Jun 2753 Sharon T. Windsor, 8 Jun 2753 - 6 Mar 2804 Prae Ofyn, 6 Mar 2804 - 21 Feb 2862 (male, Irschchan) Einar J. Lang, 21 Feb 2862 - 26 Dec 2893

  SURYA, Subsector 1-B: No. systems: 193 Sector: Orion with 3 inhabited planets: 2 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 10 with 1 inhabited planet: 24

  SUSANOWO, Subsector 12-E: No. systems: 193 Sector: Eridanus with 3 inhabited planets: 1 Ruled by: with 2 inhabited planets: 10 with 1 inhabited planet: 20

  SYSTEMS: The third subdivision of the Empire; the 1,431 with more thanone inhabited planet are ruled by counts.