Loralynn Kennakris 2: The Morning Which Breaks (63 page)

A poor and sparsely populated
League
Homeworld
located in the Pleiades Cluster, along with
Galatea
and
Nedaema
. Famous for its spectacular landscape, the economy is based almost entirely on tourism. Also noted for scrupulously protecting privacy, a rarity on League Homeworlds.

A subunit of a
cloud
, defined by its virtual, not physical, relationship to the cloud.

A generic name for the main naval formation(s) attached to a planetary or system government. More specially used for the navies of the
League’s
Homeworlds
.

The 13 original charter worlds of the
Nereidian League
. Homeworlds have rights not extended to colonies, such as veto in the
Grand Senate
, being represented by two grand senators instead of one, and unique privileges with respect to
establishing colonies
. The League uses the term as a proper noun.

The League Homeworlds are:

Sol:
Terra
,
Mars
,
Venus
, the
Belt

Meridies Cluster
:
Hesperia
,
Messier
,
New Meridies

Fomalhaut:
Antigua
,
Phaedra

Pleiades Cluster
:
Nedaema
,
Galatea
,
Hestia

Procyon:
New California
.

Other polities (e.g.
Halith
, the
Bannerman Confederacy
, the
Sultanate
of Andaman and Nicobar, and the
New United Kingdom
of Friesia & New Caledonia) have their own proper nouns for their principal worlds or star systems. Compare
core systems
.

Headquarters

Heads-Up Display. A display that shows information to an operator on a screen so that they do not need to take their eyes what they are otherwise doing. Mostly used in vehicles and air- and spacecraft of all kinds, but also in combat helmets.

Intelligence derived from any human sources, not just spies.

A transit route between Illyria, in
Halith
space, and the major
League
nexus at
Regulus
. The Gap is a ‘thin’ route, owing to passing between two major
gravitational exclusion zones
created by Rigel and Betelgeuse. This restricts the mass that can be moved through it and causes unpredictable delays. For this reason, the Gap is little used, except by small fast ships, such as diplomatic couriers and packet ships.

A vast region roughly bounded by
Halith
space,
Bannerman
and
Tyrsenian
space, and the outlying parts of the
League
. Once heavily populated, it was the major zone of conflict during the
Formation Wars
, and was almost completely devastated. After the nominal end of that conflict, it continued to be fought over by the
slave federations
that formed in the latter stages of the war, and slavers still flock there to prey on the surviving settlements, many of which remain in an early industrial or preindustrial state, and are thus defenseless.

The region is inhospitable to modern
FTL
technology; this has prevented its resettlement and relegated it to a lawless backwater. Lost settlements continue to be discovered there.

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Indications & Warning. Means and methods to detect an impending attack.

Integrated Area-Defense System.

Identification, Friend or Foe. Systems or procedures used to determine if an entity is friendly or hostile, usually by means of an active challenge. (Verbal phrases and special calls are the earliest form of IIF, used since prehistoric times.)

Modern IFF systems are based on coded electronic signals, passive signature recognition, and special procedures (such as adhering to particular flight path). They are implemented on all military systems from major installations to individual soldier’s combat armor.

Civil
OTC
systems, air-traffic control systems, and port authorities use IFF systems as well.

Imperial Halith Ship.

The first company founded by the
Huron
family. Initially a small habitat builder, it became a major terraforming company by leveraging
immunocyte technology
, the development of which it heavily supported.

Nanotech
implants that work with their host’s immune system to prevent disease. Immunocytes function as a hive-mind controlled by the liver. Based on the work of
Dr. Ivan Osorio
, which was heavily supported by
Ilmatar Neoforming
. Compare
proactive vaccines
.

The region of space outside a star system’s sovereign control, somewhat analogous to the
high seas
of old Earth. This is a politically defined boundary. (Heliopause is usually taken as the
physical
boundary between a star system and the interstellar medium.) For example, the
STO
, before it expanded—and later Sol—considered
Rigel Kent
to be within its sovereign territory and thus not interstellar space, although it is 4.37 light years away. (Currently, the
SCO
considers its sovereign space to end at Proxima Centauri, 4.24 light years from Sol.)
Halith
takes an even more expansive view.

(
Note:
In star systems where multiple governments do not cooperate to control their home system, the legal definitions of interstellar space have been applied within the system, though not the name.)

Information Operations. The full-spectrum of operations that can be conducted against an adversary’s information infrastructure, decision-making process and factors that affect it (e.g. public opinion, etc.). Also includes all measures to defend against such operations. Includes
IW
, but is broader by virtue of including methods that are used absent hostilities.

Halith
does not embrace the term
IO
, considering it all to be warfare, thus
IW
.

A rich and increasingly powerful former
League
colony between Antares and the Crucis Sector. Fiercely independent and violently anti-slavery, it is antagonistic toward the
Sultanate
, with whom it shares a border zone.

This antagonism has led to increased friction between Iona and the League, which is abetted by some League merchant houses who suffer from Ionian competition.

Ionian
Planetary Security. Iona’s state police force and investigative agency. A civil organization, in contrast to
ISS
.

Note
: IPS can also refer to
Interplanetary Security
forces: non-hypercapable police forces, synonymous with
In-System Security
forces (ISS).

Imperial Research & Intelligence Service. Halith’s foreign intelligence service. Compare the League’s
CID
.

Ionian
System Security. Primarily an intelligence agency despite the name, responsible for foreign intelligence (collection and analysis) and counter-espionage. ISS is also responsible for anti-smuggling operations. Although autonomous, it is legally considered a branch of the military. It’s cooperation with
IPS
is heavily constrained by Iona’s constitution.

Note
: ISS can also refer to
In-System Security
forces: non-hypercapable police forces, synonymous with
Interplanetary Security
forces (IPS).

Information Technology.

Information Warfare. Operations to deny, degrade, or deceive the enemy’s decision-making process in wartime, to include everything from cloud, hive, and network attack to active deception, info interdiction, and psychological operations, along with measures to defend against these.

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Located in
Tau Verde
, it is the home port of the Halith Imperial Navy’s Kerberos Fleet. The second-largest free structure ever built, after Kazanian Station (which orbits the
Halith
prime world of Halith Evandor).

Joint Chiefs of Staff. This a
League
body, consisting of the
CinCs
of the all the
Homeworld’s
militaries (or their designated representative) and the
CNO
of the
CEF
. Intended to facilitate cooperation among all the militaries within the League, it is primarily a political, not operational, body. The chairman of the JCS is appointed by the
Speaker
of the
Grand Senate
.

An informal (slang) term in most
League
militaries (as well as the
CEF
) for a lieutenant junior grade, usually written lieutenant-jg.

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The Karelian Republic, a
star civilization
in the Perseid Region. It consists of Karelia, Pohjola, Ilmatar, and Tuonela. Extremely antagonistic toward
Halith
, going back to before the
Formation Wars
. An important
League
ally.

The original settlers of Karelia were mainly of Finnish, Polish, Avar, and Scandinavian origin. They have retained much of their distinctive culture. Among themselves, they continue to speak a language that is primarily Finnish but includes many Polish words and phrases, and some Avar. They are (along with
Antigua
) one of the few societies to have retained a distinctive language.

Karelia is vulnerable to isolation because there are only four main transit lanes into the region: one is effectively controlled by Halith, one by
Maxor
; one by
Miranda
, and the last by the major League nexus at
Regulus
. The Miranda junction controls Karelia’s access to
Kepler
, making it particularly important.

Karelia has fought a number of wars with Halith and one of its related states, Syrdar. Halith has always coveted Karelia, for although the republic is not especially rich, it produces some excellent technology and occupies a favorable position from Halith’s point of view. It also presents a constant threat to Halith, having a small but extremely capable military. Halith has suffered a number of military embarrassments at the hands of the Karelians and although they have managed to occupy the republic at one time or another, they have never been able to hold it. Conquering Karelia is thus a point of pride, and it is spurred by the fact that most Karelians have Polish or Finnish roots, as do many of the people of Halith. There is therefore a degree of cultural affinity and a general feeling among Halith aristocrats that Karelia ‘belongs’ with Halith.

For their part, many Karelians hate Halith with a religious intensity and seek nothing less than its total destruction, while others wish for a more reasonable accommodation. This causes significant tension in Karelia society, which erupted in civil war during the aftermath of the Formation Wars.

The most recent Halith invasion of Karelia was the proximate cause of
LH-1
.

One of the most important transit junctions in
charted space
. It is a key nexus connecting
Cygnus
,
Deneb
, the
Cepheus region
, and the
Perseid region
. It is especially important to the
New UK
, the
Terebellum Empire
,
Karelia
,
Halith
, and the
Rho Ceti Principate
, but the
League
and the
Sultanate
also depend on it to a large extent.

1,000 kilometers. Also megameters (1 million). The
CEF
uses the term
Megs
.

Kilometers per second; used for relative velocity.

An interstellar conglomerate controlled by the
Huron family
, who own a full 55% of the corporation’s stock. One of the largest business enterprises, it was formed by the amalgamation of Ilmatar Neoforming, Prometheus Development Corp, Q3MM and Millennium Industries and now controls over 50 companies.

Kilometers.

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The first war between the
League
and
Halith
(LH-1) began in ‘05. The proximate cause was tension arising from the Halith invasion of
Karelia
, which occurred 16 years earlier. It ended 15 years later, after the
Battle of Anson’s Deep
, a signal League victory, destroyed much the Halith combined fleet. However, the debacle at
Novaya Zemlya
ten months later forced the League to abandon its demands for an unconditional surrender and accept a negotiated settlement.

A license granted by a government to a private party that allows them to make war on an enemy. A Letter of Marque stipulates how, when, where and under what circumstances the licensee can attack an enemy (most often enemy shipping), and specifically who are considered enemies. Holding a Letter of Marque prevents the bearer from being tried as a pirate in the event of capture. See
privateer
.

Attendants to royalty or high officials in the
Larate
. The terms originated in Ancient Rome.

Military officers in the chain (line) of command. Compare
staff officers
.