Imprint of War

by Phil Huddleston

  Pestilence Port

  Pestilence Port is a mining colony in the Eremos system, an A5 class star 125 lights from Aeolis, situated on the large rocky moon Apollymi of the gas giant Epidamos. It is believed by astronomers that Apollymi was once an independent planet of the system which was captured by Epidamos at some time in the past.

  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 2137 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 the Bat War, in which it secured the future survival of the Rim Federation by defeating the Bat Empire and interdicting the Bat home planet (Nest) for 100 years (later reduced for good behavior to 63 years during the second tenure of Ligeia Antiope Satra as Prime Minister of RimFed 2268-2270).

  Rim Federation

  The Rim Federation (generally known as RimFed) is the central government of the Orion Spur of the Milky Way galaxy. As of 2675 it encompassed 1,049 states (star nations, colonies and territories). RimFed is a parliamentary system of government originally developed on the planet Earth; when the original 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. Since that time, RimFed has been joined by the Daneki and Romish species as well as the Bat Commonwealth and the Burin Alliance.

  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 star nations, colonies and territories retain their own local government, and have the right to control their own territories and peoples, 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. Certain aspects of the Basic Rules have created conflict (e.g. the Rule War) but in general the approach has maintained stability in government for five centuries (the Pax Orion).

  Rim Model of Responsible Government

  The Rim Model of Responsible Government 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 old United States, used by all planets or colonies in the Rim Federation. The term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Old Earth 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 and was subsequently adopted by the Aeolians and Daneki upon their entry into the Rim Federation. 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.

  Selene

  Selene is a city on the planet Eudora, founded by the Aeolians initially as a location of exile for the deposed Empress Hippolyta in 2185, but later growing to become a substantial outpost of the Rim Federation. It is located next to RDF Base Eudora. Due to a long history of providing Marines for the RDF, Selene is sometimes called “Marine City”. This tradition originated in the late 22nd century. Due to the pending war with the Bat Empire, members of the Imperial Palace Guard assigned to duty guarding the deposed Empress Hippolyta frequently transferred to the RDF when their tour of duty expired, rather than rotating back to the Empire. This process expanded over the years until substantial numbers of former Aeolian Empire Guardsmen, Imperial Marines and mercenaries had joined the RDF. Over the years, most of these returned back to Selene when they retired, in order to be near the RDF base. This became the foundation of a long tradition.

  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. The external case of a tDrive is considered indestructible, and there is no record of any tDrive case being breached by external means. An AI interface built into the tDrive is used to control it.

  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, just weeks before the armistice, 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 August 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, d. 2217, an actress and author, lived in London, England, and wrote
the historical novel "The Princess Takes a Barbarian" published in 2175, as well as dozens of plays and short works. Upon her death, Granada’s ashes were scattered at her mother’s gravesite near Oakwood, Texas.

  Scipio (Skip) Tolleson, b. 2130, d. 2234, an Episcopalian priest of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Geneva, Switzerland, Earth; his son Scipio II, performed the marriage ceremony for his grandfather (Jake Hammett) and Andrea Iona Satra in 2205, two years before the Battle of Orinoco. Scipio is buried at the Holy Trinity Anglican Cemetery 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 government of the North American Alliance, the RDF relocated their Headquarters to Kamilaroi in 2137. Choosing a location next to Terminator Bay, where a moist but mild climate prevailed, the new base grew rapidly throughout the last decades of the 22nd century. The city next to the base, Tolleson City, once known as a rough frontier town, is now considered one of the finer cities in the Rim.

  United Kingdom (Old Earth)

  The United Kingdom was an Old Earth government which existed until 2316 as an independent country in Europe. For a description of the original government, see the historical entry Old Earth United Kingdom. It was subsumed into the European Commonwealth in 2316, which was itself subsumed into the Earth Commonwealth in 2540.

  Wicked (A40 Attack Fighter)

  The A40 (‘Wicked’ in RDF jargon) was the Rim Defense Force (RDF) fast attack craft used at the Battle of Orinoco in 2207 to decimate the Bat Empire Navy (BEN) fleet. It is uncertain where the nickname ‘Wicked’ originated, but it is attributed to Admiral Rob Walker, who reported he accidentally created the nickname due to the A40’s speed, stealth and hitting power when he mentioned to his XO that it was a “wicked machine”. It is most famous for disabling the BEN Flagship Pride of Nest in the first minutes of the Battle of Orinoco, contributing to confusion and delay in the re-grouping of BEN forces. The A40 that disabled the Pride of Nest in a suicide attack was piloted by Captain Cassian of the Daneki, a survivor of the planet Danek destroyed by the Bats in 2185. Another A40, piloted by Lt. Commander Vitus of the Daneki, subsequently destroyed the Warmonger II, which had taken command of the Bat Fleet upon the loss of the Pride of Nest. This second destruction of their flagship demoralized the Bat Fleet and effectively ended the battle.

  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 (later Empress), thus becoming the grandfather of Empress Hecate. This chain of events ultimately led to a military alliance with the Empire. 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.

  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.