Planet Curacao

DIAMETER: 19,443 km.

MASS: 6.98 x 10e25 kg.

TERRAIN: Terrestrial

TEMPERATURE: -56°C to 53°C

ESCAPE VELOCITY: 13.27 km/sec

Unfettered by colony law, Curacao is run by Orbital Spa and Cruise Lines as a pleasure planet where every whim and decadent urge is fulfilled. Many goods that are illegal in the neighbouring houses (such as Alien Artifacts, drugs like Synthetic Marijuana and even Cardamine) are available on Curacao - for a price.

The planet is largely tropical. There are no large landmasses, but several beautiful archipelagos exist with some native palm-like forests growing on the larger islands. The waters of Curacao were unsuitable for any Earth fish species, or even algae, and the planet was initially ignored as one being unable to support human life. The Boorman Treaty forbade either Liberty or Bretonia from laying claim to the planet, so any expensive terraforming operations were out of the question.

It wasn't until 375 AS that Curacao became a place of renown. The planet was used as a midpoint for the trade lanes leading through Cortez. Realising the inherent advantage of a lawless tropical world, an upstart Liberty luxury cruises company called Orbital Spa and Cruise made a gamble and established a resort planetside. It was an instant success. Free of any taxations on gambling, royalties on trade and regulations on conduct, the company could cater to every whim of those select few who could afford their services. The company was the first private entity to be able to afford a Valhalla Research (which later became Ageira) docking ring in 432 AS, without needing to take out a loan from Interspace.

Before Gallia's push into Cortez, Curacao was a very exclusive resort planet, with less than 100.000 guests, 300.000 employees and in rare cases their families. When Battlegroup Carcassonne was sighted in Cortez the first time in 825 AS, Orbital Spa and Cruise both initiated an evacuation protocol and established a crisis management team which remained planet-side to the point of no return. With the Gallic battlegroup blockading the docking ring and the trade lanes of Cortez, almost nothing can enter or leave the planet. The people trapped on Curacao have prepared themselves for the worst case for a long time and maintain what is left in the resorts, including the city shields and point-defense-arrays, the latter frequently in use to eliminate the debris falling from the sky.

It is only thanks to Orbital's unique diplomatically standing that the planet itself is not targeted by Gallia, as the few landmasses could be easily marked for planetary bombardement. Until the war in Cortez is over, the state of the art casinos, gigantic ocean liners, racetracks and tourist villages remain abandoned.

## Bribes & Missions Offered

* Bounty Hunters Guild
* Orbital Spa and Cruise
* Universal Shipping
* Gateway Shipping

* Bounty Hunters Guild

## News

Ageira disputed this finding in their own press release, calling EFL 'fantasists' and countering that their own scientists had narrowed the cause to a rare 'hypernova' stellar event that originated outside the Sirius sector. Both corporations claim that network-wide hardware safeguards have been implemented that would prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Independent researchers have sharply criticized the corporate announcements, accusing both of self-interested misdirection.
Professor Sophia Nagel from Heisenberg Research Station called EFL's accusation 'incoherent' and the hypernova explanation 'nonsense' that did not explain the characteristics of the 'Blackout Pulse'. Despite multiple different Pulse recordings being widely disseminated across the neural net, public efforts have so far failed to triangulate its source.

Over the last few days, Archer-class siege cruisers have been deploying their massive coaxial cannons to suppress military infrastructure on the planet, systematically targeting the very last bastions of the Insurgency. First to be destroyed were the planet's few remaining ground to space weapons installations, quickly crippled by bomber strikes from the Ohio herself, before the remaining desolate ground defences and deserted infrastructure were reduced to rubble, their populations having already long fled the world.
A small service was held on the Ohio as the bombardment drew to a close in memory of Rear Admiral Dylan Brandt and those thousands of sailors and marines who had given their lives in the name of Liberty; fought their own lost brothers-in-arms so that others may not live under their misguided yoke, and many more who had their lives irrevocably changed as a result of the evils the campaign sought to end.
The announcement also confirmed identical monuments to the Insurgency campaign would be erected on every world in Liberty, from Planet Houston to Planet Erie, each monument an obelisk carrying the names of every serviceman lost in the conflict and serving as a reminder that Liberty is stronger when it stands together.

For some time, it had been alleged that Insurgent and Xeno-backed cells had been stirring trouble on Erie, inciting violence in the population and seeking to turn the planet into a second Veracruz. Never, however, had such open acts of terror been visited upon the governing Libertonian forces.
The response was quick and decisive. In coordination with the LSF, Vice Admiral Hamish aboard the Battleship Alma lead a Liberty Navy task force directly into the system in Operation Pesticide, escorted primarily by Siege Cruisers, Gunboats and fightercraft, with many of the Navy's capital warships tied in the Vespucci campaign or ever watchful at Liberty's borders. They were met by Zoner Q-ships based from Bethlehem, with many coming from as far as Galileo or even the Sigmas, accompanied by a motley assortment of freelancers and other anarchist elements. Leading the Zoner line was a Aquilon-class carrier, the Pinnacle.
While the Pinnacle came under heavy bombardment from the Alma and her task force, supplies quickly gathered onto Zoner transports from Erie attempted to run the Navy blockade. While some transports were lost to Navy bombers, others yet escaped to parts as of yet unknown. This 'victory', however, came at a heavy price. The Pinnacle was lost with most of her hands still on board and the rest captured, while the Liberty Marines landed virtually unopposed, quickly securing population centers for both the safety of Libertonian assets and the civilians on Erie itself. The Alma is settled now into the low orbit of Erie, a constant reminder to those below that they are under the protection of the Liberty Navy. A comfort to some, a dire warning to many more.

Admiral Brandt was heard to give the order to abandon ship right as the ship's hull could take no more and began to be torn asunder, with hull breaches on multiple decks. Tragically, the armored engines of the Delaware had suffered a great deal of damage, and as the armor and shielding was whittled away, vast quantities of radiation and superheated gas began to flood into the crew compartments of the vessel.
In an emotional announcement, the Liberty Navy officially stated that they consider the Delaware to be lost with all hands, including Admiral Brandt himself. No life pods could be secured in the heat of battle, with the remainder of the Delaware's escort making a fighting retreat back to the LNS Ohio which had herself been caught lagging behind the Delaware's doomed thrust into the heart of the Insurgency. The Ohio now remains with her own escort, augmented by survivors of the Delaware's battlegroup, and will continue as the Liberty Navy's bastion in the Vespucci system, ready to ensure that the Insurgents pay dearly for the toll they have extracted upon one of Liberty's finest Admirals.

Leading a fearsome line of some of Liberty's most advanced warships, the Delaware bore down on the Insurgency's remaining, cobbled-together fleet in the Vespucci system, out of position from dealing with a Bretonian thrust from Magellan. Immediately caught was the Battleship Vanquisher, one of the scant few Arbiter-class Battleships available to the Insurgents. Caught by itself, the Vanquisher put up a fearsome fight but was ultimately unable to stand against the Delaware and its escort, despite its fighter component dealing severe damage to much of the Delaware's own, smaller fighter contingent, as well as the Delaware herself.
With the great Arbiter all but vanquished, the Interdictor-class Battlecruiser Triton stared down the guns of the damaged Delaware and her escort. Outnumbered two-to-one, and outgunned to an even greater degree by the Libertonian heavyweight, Triton and her escorts launched their one and only advantage, their fighter and bomber superiority gained at the Vanquisher's expense.

## Rumors

* We export our pure Tea to Cambridge, which always needs more than it can get.

* Curacao wasn't discovered until 465 because of its obscured position in the heart of the Barrier. The Tantulus, a Liberty survey ship, accidentally stumbled into the system while researching a new Jump Gate route between Liberty and Bretonia.

* There is no appreciable landmass on this planet. Outside of the hotel platform there is a vast, shallow sea covering the planet. Various water sports are the preferred activity. We also offer submersible expeditions for more adventurous travelers who want to experience the exotic undersea life.

* We ship Luxury Food from Cambridge. It's perishable, so we have to be fast. Only the finest Cambridge organic produce for our discriminating customers.

* We bring in Luxury Goods from Manhattan so that our clients can shop in addition to their daily regime of water sports and gambling. The armored transports tend to get attacked quite a bit in the Paloma Cloud.

* Orbital will normally accept any guest that can pay their way, even a Bounty Hunter. On our Hawaiian ship you can spot Hogosha and even the odd Corsair or two. The Lane Hackers have expressed interest in staying here, but we feel their piracy against our ships is too severe to ignore.

* We send patrols out into the eastern fields to keep the considerable criminal population in check. Fortunately, there is a substantial Bounty Hunter contingent based here to provide some sense of security. Unfortunately, their rather crude behavior and offensive odor has been a problem with our regular guests.

* This is the original home of Orbital Spa and Cruise, founded in 475 by Tony Cortez. This was the first planet in the Sirius Sector devoted solely to the pursuit of pleasure. There is now a second in Stuttgart, and several cruise ships in the far reaches of civilized space.

* The drinks are really cheap here, not like back home where they're highly taxed. I'm not particularly fond of Liberty ale, though. I think I'll try jet sailing tomorrow; it's supposed to be a great way to see the planet.

* I won a sweepstakes, that's why I'm here -- it's not something I could afford on a navy pilot's salary. I'm originally from Leeds, so oxygen-rich air like they have on Curacao is a definite pleasure. My mood is improving already.

* I'm not supposed to tell anyone this, but I've had a few. There are some Jump Holes I know of in this system. One is in the southeastern quadrant in the Paloma Cloud, and it leads to California. The other is in the Corcovado Field. That one goes to Magellan.

* I'm thinking of starting a side business. Take out some of those soft rich folks from the inner House worlds that have never seen true Indie-world danger. Cruise the clouds, look for some trouble, then hightail it out of there before it gets too hot. What do ya think?

* I just came back from a tough battle in the Roatan Cloud. I was ambushing some Lane Hackers when some Outcasts showed up out of nowhere. Barely got out. My wingman didn't. I think I'll need a couple of those Curacao shooters from the bar tonight.

* We do a lot of patrols in this system. There's a Rogue base somewhere out in the Corcovado Field. Good luck getting close to it. It's swarming with Rogues, Hackers, and Outcasts.

* The Charles Kane and its escorts were ambushed in the Roatan Ice Crystal Cloud several weeks ago, probably by Rogues or Lane Hackers. They commandeered the ship and flew it further into the cloud. Several Bounty Hunters happened upon the hijacked ship, and a fierce firefight ensued. Only one limped back to tell the tale. She said the ship was still out there in the cloud, abandoned and drifting with the field.

* This is one nice place to be based, although those snooty, rich Manhattan types don't seem to like us much. Lots of work around here. Rogues, Lane Hackers, Outcasts. We've got our hands full in Cortez.

* Bowex is holding its company executive retreat here for the fourth consecutive year. It's a little dicey getting here, but great once you've arrived. They should convert one of those crazy Bretonian terraforming projects into a pleasure planet like this.

* The reefs here are stupendous. We took the five-day sail and sea package. They dive for all sorts of strange creatures and prepare absolutely amazing meals every night. The night sky is just incredible here. You can see the Barrier in all of its glory stretching off into space.

* I've come here every year for the past decade; I love this place. You have to try the undersea trip. If you're lucky, you might see one of the giant norfins. They're scary at first, but the sub is well equipped to defend itself.

* I work on the Cambridge Research Station -- a long ways from Liberty and this place. It gets kind of crazy in there after a couple of months of zero-g. Cambridge is nice to visit, but it ain't like good 'ole Liberty, folks. Much better food here.

* My ship broke down in the Paloma Cloud yesterday. They're still working on it, so I've got at least another night here to burn on company time. I think I'll head down to the casino and roll the dice tonight.

* This is the only safe stop in this neck of the woods. Pretty rough on both sides in the clouds. I was stuck here once when the Trade Lane got taken down for a few days. I liked it so much that I try to come back at least once every few years with the missus. The sun's pretty hot though -- I always get burned.

* I'm taking a well deserved R&R, compliments of Orbital Spa and Cruise. My patrol saved Orbital's butt last week on the east Trade Lane to the California Gate. A crew of Rogues was about to make off with a Luxury Goods shipment. We saved the day.

* It gets a little pricey here, especially if you've just lost last month's salary in the casino. Oh well, there are always the cheap buffets of Luxury Foods like lettuce and potatoes, none of that Synth Paste crap. Now I know how the rich people of Sirius live. The seafood is pretty weird though. They can keep that.

* These Independent Worlds are the roughest areas that Universal has to traverse. At least we don't have to deal with the Border Worlds. Just last week we lost a shipment to Hackers in the Roatan Cloud.

* The only time it gets scary here is when there's a big storm. We were caught in one five years ago -- we thought the platform wouldn't make it. But it's still standing, so I guess I shouldn't worry too much.

* Our main business on the Bretonian-Libertonian Line is Bretonian Luxury Food, New York Luxury Goods, and Trade Lane Parts bound for Waterloo.

* We occasionally ship in Luxury Goods from Newark to supplement those from Orbital Spa.

* I heard that some visiting dignitaries were kidnapped en route by Rogues in the Paloma Cloud. That's unsettling.

*NOTE: Page generated on the 28/10/2023 at 17:59:46 UTC*