Transcendence

Transcendance, often referred to New France,, is the second planet orbiting the yellow dwarf star Ro in the Ro Etinus system, which is 107 lightyears away from the Sol system. For much of its history, the planet has been one of the leading agricultural colonies in the human shpere. It was the fifteenth planet colonized by humans was colonized in 2448 by the colony ship UNSC Coeur. It was the first predominantly French colony from the start and remains the largest in the category, the next largest barely reaching a population of one million by 2590. The colony is also a major agricultural colony as well as maintaining a small mining industry. Transcendance is also known for its role in the economical and commercial world of the human sphere and was fourth in colonial GDP in 2590, behind only Earth, Mars, and the restored Harvest. The planet is also known for its high oxygen concentration in the atmosphere which more than compensates for the heavier gravity once one has adjusted to the higher weight.
The planet is maintained by seven AI at any one time. These control and perform numerous complex tasks in a number of industries. In 2584, the first "super smart" AI, those which are like smart AI but can last an average of forty years instead of seven at the cost of a small decrease in mental capacity. These AI are traditionally named Bret, Lorraine, Loire, Al, Norman, Rho, and Vence.
==History==
===Colonization===
In 2440, the planet known as Transcendance was finally recorded as habitable with the help of a UNSC scout craft. It was quickly added to the "queue line" for colonization. However, a lack of available colony ships would prolong colonization. Finally in 2447, the smaller colony ship UNSC Coeur was fitted and ready to colonize the planet of Transcendance with its capacity of 33,000 passengers. After a long twelve months of travel, the Coeur landed on the planet and was dismantled to establish the city of Jet Taem. These colonists, all of whom were French, settled in the most fertile area of the planet as its soil is 130% as efficent as that of North America's Great Plains. A massive farming community began along with the local fauna and flora being utilized for new tastes. Three years later, a number of freighters and a "ferry ship" (a converted colony ship meant to transport colonists to planets) arrived at Transcendance, increasing the capital city's population to 87,000. With the help of a growing agriculture industry, the city would be the only on the planet for years more, yet this would not stop it. With the help of continual immigrants, the city would flourish into a small metropolis.
===Setbacks===
In 2461, a ferry ship carrying forty thousand passengers was en route to Transcendance. Approximately halfway through its trip, the vessel's translight drive failed, leaving it stranded in space. Fortunately for the craft, it was only a few lightyears from a colony and was rescued soon after. Unfortunately for Transendance, the craft also carried a number of much needed supplies such as the planet's first wheat plants, massive water purifiers, vehicles, and oil which is used to make various products ranging from diesel fuel for heavy vehicles to a number of plastics. The ship also carried parts for a new, much needed reactor. In order to protect from overloading the colony's current power plants, numerous cutbacks were put into action. Without the purifiers, thousands were forced to continue to boil water for cleanliness. Later that year, the fertile valley that Jet Taem fell into a rare, unorthodox drought. Failing crops led to the deaths of approximately 1,100 people and nearly twenty thousand were left starving. Within six months, the famine had ended when an emergency supply convoy arrived with plenty of goods. The actual drought ended ten weeks later and the colony would temporarily return to a safe, secure place.
Two years after the end of the drought, another smaller ferry ship, the UNSC Caravel, arrived with more colonists and supplies. This time, however, the ship landed in the largest mountain range of Transcendance which is commonly known as the Sarti Mountains. The colony, which only maintained a population of three thousand but had a larger amount of supplies to temporarily make up for the lack of fertile plains. The colony established a number of mining operations and aimed at generating the colony's second export: Titanium. The new town, known as Cecilia, began to slowly grow into its role. However, a rebel group originating on Mars known as the French Liberal Confederation began to influence a small amount of people of Cecilia, eventually leading to strikes and riots. This brought new troubles to the city and would eventually spread to Jet Taem which lies over 400 miles away. Within a month, one thousand UNSC Army soldiers were deployed to the colony along with one company of Marines. The rebellions were quelled and a number of rebels escaped into unexplored territory.
===Modernization===
In 2466, a new class of ship known as the Griffin-class Transport was introduced into the UNSC fleet. At 2200 meters, the class is able to carry as many as 65,000 soon-to-be colonists to growing colonies. Within months of their introduction, one with three freighter escorts arrived at Transcendance with thousands of more colonists and supplies for long distance transportation routes, specifically magnetic levitation trains, a.k.a. MagLev. This began the Transcendance Railway, which originally spanned between Jet Taem and Cecilia. After another few months passed, the AI known as Santon was designed and assigned to maintaining the planet. This allowed for larger numbers of automated farming machines,including the Goodwin Model 77 farming bot, to ease work in the farms of Jet Taem. With the help of continuous space activity (at least one freighter per week) from this time through the rest of its existence. Transcendance, which now maintained a population of over 1,000,000, was the fourth largest colony and maintained the largest agricultural output excluding Earth. Two new cities and five suburbs had also formed within three hundred miles of Jet Taem or Cecilia, one of which was the first German settlement on the planet and was fittingly named New Hamburg. In 2471, construction on seven space elevators and one spaceports began over Jet Taem while an additional two elevators, a smaller station, and a small shipyard began to form over Cecilia. In addition, three non-geosynchronous mass driver platforms were constructed for defense from the growing threat of the Insurrectionist forces which would not begin their full-fledged war for yet another decade.
In 2573, a group of surveyors travelling west of the Sarti Mountains lost contact with their agency. The UNSC responded by sending an ODST strike force via dropship to their last known coordinates. To no surprise, they came across a French Liberal Confederation stronghold encompassing over 3,000 people. Using two of the mass driver platforms, the stronghold was bombarded for thirteen hours after attempted negotiations resulted in the death of one of two ambassadors. Once the bombardment ceased, the remaining survivors of the stronghold were detained by Transcendance's Colonial Militia. The growing threat of rebel activity brought the UNSC to establish a larger military force on the planet: an additional MDP, one to three garrison frigates, and two bases, one containing 14,000 Army and Air Force personnel and the other 4,500 Marines in addition to the 2,000-strong Colonial Militia.
In 2477, work was completed on all of the first wave of orbital structures, including the shipyard capable of production of medium-sized freighters as well as fighters and private craft. This shipyard, which could produce up to three medium tonnage ships at once, utilized alloys collected the mines of the Sarti Mountains to produce ships that would ship excess alloys along with harvested crops and livestock. The Tran's Bear, an eight hundred pound bear-like beast native to the planet, began to pop up through out the human shpere as a type of low cost livestock and valued for its ivory-like claws. With these combined boost to the income, Senator Suddhaara issued what he called the Great Challenge. He wanted for the planet to develop twenty-one new cities, eight new space elevators, numerous expansions to Jet Taem's spaceport, two new shipyards, two advanced Magnetic Accelerator Cannon orbital platforms, and a number of renovations to existing cities. This was all to be completed in ten years and would be a major feat for the colony's future. As millions happily worked to establish higher standard of living, Transcendance continued to grow and compete
In March of 2478, a volunteer group of eight hundred citizens of Transcendance were transported to the moon Petit Terre (French: Little Earth) to begin terraforming the satellite which, though its atmosphere was of poor quality and all known water was no less than one thousand meters underground, held large amounts of ore and much potential for farms. Weeks after the arrival of the colonists, dozens of pre-fabricated buildings and massive machines were brought in to begin terraforming, which was predicted to be complete by 2527 though it would be habitable by 2510.
===First Human Civil War===
When the Insurrectionist Party began attacking UNSC colonies in December 2479, the four frigates orbiting Transcendance left the system to support other colonies under Insurrectionist attack. However, within one week of their leaving, over eight hundred Insurrectionist rebels, many with vehicles, raided the city of New Paris, eighteen miles north of the greater Cecilian area. The small city was captured and pillaged though some buildings were spared for the rebels themselves. Little did they know that these attackers were the bait for an even larger plan. When 1,100 UNSC soldiers were deployed to attack the surfaced Insurrectionist force, the Innies coordinated two more attacks on the towns of Nice Nouvelle and Port Rallens, 285 miles northeast of Jet Taem and eighteen miles east-northeast of Fort Harreton, an armory for the Colonial Militia. With the helpf of these additional attacks, the Insurrectionists smuggled a small five kiloton fusion warhead into the Jet Taem Spaceport, detonating it at the metal detector station. Once the explosion was exposed to the vacuum of space, the blast quickly weakened, but the damage had already been done. Connections with all space elevators had been broken so the only escape was the two remaining operational escape pods, which fifteen survivors used to depart. Hours later, two would die of internal bleeding and eight more in the next two weeks would die of similar causes. The UNSC responded by sending eight warships, including two landing ships, to the planet with a complement of 11,000 soldiers. Using two dozen STARS, the UNSC attempted to locate the Insurrectionist stronghold. After just one day of scanning, a small, rickety encampent of eight buildings seventy kilometers west of Cecilia.
Not ready to underestimate the rebels, the UNSC sent two companies of Marines to the small rebel outpost, killing the twenty men in the buildings. Upon a search, however, a trapdoor revealed a ladder to an underground facility. In the tunnels below, another 150 rebel soldiers attacked the UNSC company, ultimately leading to their defeat. Meanwhile, on the surface, the company that remained above ground was attacked by a guerilla convoy and with the use of IED's disabled two warthogs and an armored personel carrier. With the conflict finished, UNSC command on the planet was notified of the growing Insurrectionist presence. This led to a series of battles against insurgents all over the planet. A reconnaissance satellite then revealed that Insurrectionist beligerrents had reinforced their base at Lake Michel at the far east area of the continent.
After the crucial Battle of Lake Michel, Transcendance had finally been scorched of rebels and was once again safe. Reconstruction began on a larger, more secure spaceport to replace the one destroyed. A small garrison along with a frigate would be assigned to protect the planet for much of the Insurrecion.
====Peace in War====
Once again, the planet entered a time of peace and prosperity, and for the next twenty-five years would go without burden to grow exponentially, explore the possiblities of the planet itself, and further contribute to other colonies. It was during this period of time that Transcendance began to grow more and more secure and would abandon all defenses save for a small Marine regiment. In 2493 the experimental city named Watercrest was established. The small, prefabricated city was designed to float in a small sea protected by an inlet to the ocean which kept most waves out. A number of massive tethers, with the longest nearly a mile in length, were attached to the sea floor. Watercrest was designed to harvest power from a deepsea current and would lead to breakthroughs in such fields.
==Geography==
==Climate==
==Fauna and Flora==
==Culture==
The culture of Transcendance is unique from any other in the Human sphere. It is greatly influenced by modern French culture and trends, though it soon developed its own styles and traditions. Transcendance is also infludenced by the German, Hispanic, Greek, American, Russian, and Chinese cultures.
===Food===
Due to the large amounts of available farmland coating the planet, vegetables and fruits are in abundance for most of the year. Many non-native livestock and other delicacies are quite popular. Bovine and poultry have proven to be the most popular types of meat. Cheese also plays a huge part in Transcendance cuisine, as does the colony's unique, sweet wine often having additional sweeteners added after the fermentation process. Other powerful influences in local diets include American, oriental, Greek, and Hispanic. A popular dish on Transcendance is Albucki, a spicy, creamy soup containing corn, tomatoes, goat, and goat's milk. Greek-style cuisine is particularly popular in Jet Taem and surrounding suburbs.
Rice, which is often imported from the nearby colony of Shei, also plays a large role in Transcendian foods. Creamy sauces or meat-based broths are often put on rice to make elaborate meals. Chocolate also plays a large role in desserts. Rice balls dipped in a milk chocolate paste is a favorite planetwide.
===Sports===
Sports are extremely popular on Transcendance. One of the more popular sports are animal racing (involving a rider). The local league is known as the International Association of Racing. Though the most popular type is thoroughbred racing, other ridden animals include the Tran's Bear, the Nellouk of Reach, and the Peolo of Eradinus II. One particular thoroughbred race, the Darianus International, is known throughout the Human sphere for its elite competitors which often travel from such planets as Earth, Mars, Harvest, and Reach, among others. 
Another popular sport on Transcendance is Lacro, a cross between lacrosse and polo; and freeball, a fast-paced form of American football. Jet Taem itself maintains three large stadiums for different leagues of various sports. Transcendance also participates in the Interplanetary Olympiad, the successor to the Olympics of the 21st century.
===Ethnic Groups===
Since the turn of the 26th century, Transcendance's ethnical diversity has changed drastically. Before this turning point, French colonists dominated the planet and in many cities save for Jet Taem French was the most popularly spoken language. However, a need for more and more colonists brought in large amounts of colonists of all backgrounds. One particular private colony ship, the Asaud, transported nearly one hundred thousand people from Arabic-speaking countries to Transcendance, where they formed the small coastal city of Hussein and/or added to already existing settlements. By 2502, the most common language in many cities was English, though many unique accents were prominent. Years later, Jet Taem's many inhabitants began to develop their own dialogue that was often considered to be a mix between a French accent with a New England accent. Soon after, many other regional accents began to show up, giving each area its uniqueness.
==Industry==
===Agriculture===
By far, the most crucial component to the industry of Transcendance is agriculture. A study in 2566 revealed that the planet exported the most food of any colony. These exports are sold to over fifty-seven colonies. Lord Terrence once referred to the agricultural industry of Transcendance as "the single most influential aspect of the interplanetary economy." In fact, from 2584 through 2586, Transcendance transported tens of millions of dollars' worth of food to the Sangheili Empire, which at the time was struck by a massive economical depression. Even when war reached the planet in 2712, Transcendance's farms were still able to export food when possible to nearby planets which were suffering heavily.
===Mining===
Mining, next to agriculture, is the most powerful, profitable, and successful industry on Transcendance. Especially near mountainous cities and villages like Cecillia, mining seems to replace farming as the primary source of income. The New Bretagne Mountains, from which Cecillia and thirty-eight other settlements are based, is particularly rich in near-surface iron while titanium lies deep in the planet's crust yet is quite abundant. Deep in the planet's oceans, gemstone mining operations are quite typical and bring in diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and many other precious stones.
===Shipbuilding===
Since the 2530's a growing shipbuilding industry has sprouted on Transcendance and its moons, especially Petit Terre. Companies including Reyes-McLees Shipyards, NaTech Industries, and the Tradesmen's Alliance. By the height of the Second Great War in 2605, Transcendance's shipyards were able to produce a warship every three days, though production of all civilian ships ceased three years earlier. Normally, however, dozens of freighters are built each year to help support local trading, especially with the other six colonies in the Ro Etinus system.
==Military==
Being a major stronghold in UNSC territory, Transcendance has been assigned a hefty garrison. The planet's Colonial Militia averages at about 15,000 men and women. Since the 2520's, two mass driver platforms have been in orbit, which was increased to seven multipurpose defense stations in 2538, eleven in 2574, then again in 2587 to sixteen alongside five Heavy Magnetic Accelerator Cannon platforms. Since not long after the end of the Human-Covenant War, no less than ten ships, often cruisers or carriers, orbited the planet at any one time.
In 2592, the resurrected 218th Marine Division established all of its five bases in various locations on Transcendance. The once revered division fought valiantly during the Human-Covenant War in locations such as Reach, Harvest, and Earth, amongst others. The 218th was decommisioned in 2562 though was brought back to aid in the war efforts]].
==Politics==
===Separation Controversy===
In early 2509, a number of French colonists began to petition for the independence of Transcendance because of its diversity from much of the Human sphere. Despite great efforts from the leaders of the movement, the Colonial Administraition harshly declined the planet's independence. In response, the once peaceful movement turned gradually more and more violent in hopes of gaining independence. The group went as far as hijacking a docked freighter in 2511 and taking four hostages. In response to the act of piracy six elite special forces operatives, the leader being Avery Johnson, boarded the ship from the destroyer UNSC New York and captured four pirates while killing three others. This defeat temporarily shut down the fight for independence on Transcendance.
==Notable Natives==
*Lord Terrence Hood - famous UNSC senior officer.
*Colt Williams - infamous Insurrectionist starship captain.
*Lee Carlton - commanding officer of UNSC Golden Raven 2608-2622.
==Trivia==
*Lord Hood accidentally and repeatedly called Transcendance "Transition" during a press conference in 2555 without actually noticing.
*Many people which dislike the people of Transcendance refer to them as "Trannies." This has been looked down upon by many, however, for its obvious discrimination connotations.
Category:Halo: Infinity
Category:UEG Inner Colonies