Kalium

Kalium is a former colony world of mankind.

## Geography

Little is known of Kalium's geography, though it almost assuredly has Earth-normal gravity and is rich in resources, as befits a colony world. The planet possesses massive industrial centers and extensive shipyards that are only beaten by Olympus Prime and Niccolum, respectively. These facilities are some of the only places in the galaxy where pre-war vehicles and warships are still manufactured new.

Kalium supports over three billion individuals, most of whom live austere lives dominated by the ruling government, known as the Kabal. Conscription is a way of life on Kalium, with over 18% of the population in uniform as of 2673. Despite this, Kalium's population is said to be supportive of the government, and believes very strongly in an eventual homecoming to Earth (though this information was given to the UCM by high-ranking Kabal officials, and may not be true).

## History

Kalium was colonized during the Golden Age of mankind, likely due to its profusion of natural resources. Presumably, the majority of the planet's industrial centers and orbital installations were built during this time to facilitate the exploitation of these resources.

Kalium received the White Sphere's warning in 2506, along with all other human worlds. Though Grand Admiral of Battlefleet Kalium took the Sphere's warning seriously, he was loathe to follow an alien AI into the unknown and thus ordered his forces to remain in port, defying orders from Earth to form up and head for Vega IV. This, in conjunction with the Scourge ignoring colony worlds during their invasion, has preserved Kalium's fleet throughout the intervening 160 years.

Always a fiercely independent world, Kalium's provisional government staunchly rejected the premise of the United Colonies of Mankind, seeing it as little more than submitting to centralized rule from Aurum. To prevent any possibility of interference from the nascent UCM, Kalium chose to deliberately reconfigure its foldspace nodes, plunging the colony into isolation while paving a path for other colonies that rejected the UCM to do the same. As as result, the UCM expunged all mention of Kalium from the public record, making the colony's existence classified knowledge.

Kalium's history over the next 160 years is poorly known, but the planet appears to have gone through several civil wars and power struggles. At the end of these troubles, the Kabal rose to power - a deeply troubling totalitarian regime that maintains an alarming amount of control over the lives of its citizens. The Kabal appears to have prioritized the construction of additional military assets during this period, to defend the colony should it come under attack, and even began dispatching covert operatives to spy on the UCM.

On July 25th, 2672, the Kabal publicly revealed the existence of Kalium when it sent a taskforce to Aurum. This delegation had one purpose - to propose a joint assault on Earth, taking advantage of the reduced Scourge presence and the disruption that local Resistance forces had created. The UCM High Council debated for days over whether or not to accept this offer, but the offer of further support by the Post-Human Republic would eventually win them over. As a result, Kalium became a member of the Triumvirate - a military alliance formed to combat the Scourge and reclaim Earth.

Kalium's fleet formed the vanguard during the first battle of Sol, suffering horrendous losses in the process, and was almost wiped out during the second battle. However, Kabal forces were able to make planetfall in between the two conflicts, and some Kalium warships are still operational.

## Kalium Kabal

Kalium's ruling body, the Kabal, is synonymous with both its army and navy. Though government officials have claimed that they have a "mutual, intimate" relationship with their people, the Kabal is totalitarian state that has stripped away the vast majority of freedoms from its populace. Conscription and brutal discipline are part and parcel of the Kabal's government, and they have made it clear that human lives mean very little to them.

As a result of their rejection of the UCM, the Kabal has been categorised as an Independent Resistance group, though obviously it is significantly larger than most. Though the Kabal has not openly involved itself in Colonial politics, it has at least been monitoring the UCM government. Evidence was found of a Kalium spy ring operating in Colonial territory, though the UCM has chosen a "live and let live" policy thus far.

### Military

By the start of the Battle for Earth, Kalium maintained 13 full Legions of ground troops, numbering one million soldiers apiece. Unlike other Resistance groups, Kalium's forces are kitted uniformly, giving them a regimented appearance that stands in stark contrast to their ragged kin. Despite maintaining an impressive number of troops for a single colony, Kalium lacks the technological progress made by the UCM, forcing it to rely on pre-war technology. As a result, its army fields many vehicles formerly used by the EAA.

### Navy

Kalium is the largest operator of pre-war naval designs in the galaxy, outstripping even the Vega Scrapfleet. As the Kabal favors reliable, proven equipment, it continued producing warships that were standard to the EAA, vastly expanding the size of its battlefleet by the time of the Battle for Earth. Though Kalium's fleet has since been mauled, it still maintains enough of a void presence to launch its own surface assaults.

The Kabal, with its disregard for human life, has always been a large proponent of vent cannon technology. Though the old Earth Administration Authority ceased research on the subject centuries ago, Kalium has continued to experiment, frequently fielding vent cannon-armed vessels in combat. Rumors also persist that Kalium is building Senator-class battlecruisers, though these have yet to be confirmed. Close action weaponry is also favored by the Kabal - they produce 400% more of ship classes with potent close action capabilities than the EAA did at its height.