Bretonian Ministry of Information - Factbook, 836 A.S. (FT)

[-Bretonia-]

The Constitutional Monarchy of Bretonia

The Constitutional Monarchy of Bretonia, also known as the Bretonian Royal Empire or, less formally, simply Bretonia, is a large and economically powerful nationstate 23,000 lightyears from the Sol system. An industrial powerhouse, Bretonia is also home to several galaxy-renowned universities and research and development centres, and is commonly known for its high - if somewhat rigid - society. The nation has a rich and cultured history stretching back more than 800 years, though its exact origins are somewhat uncertain as records beyond that time are incomplete or unreadable. Bretonia's claimed territorial borders encompass several dozen star systems; eleven of which are under their direct jurisdiction, eight with permanent populations and three with large populations. Nine of these star systems are contained within the navigational anomaly known colloquially as the Great Barrier, through which access which is exclusively gained via Bretonia's private-owned Jump Gate network.



| Contents |

• People
  
  • Society
  • Criminal Organisations
• Economy
  
  • Corporations
• Bretonian Space
  
  • Cambridge System
  • Dublin System
  • Edinburgh System
  • Leeds System
  • Manchester System
  • New London System
  • Omicron Alpha System
  • Omicron Beta System
  • Omicron Gamma System
  • Alpha-Epsilon System
  • Beta-Epsilon System
• Bretonian Royal Armed Forces - General Data
  
  • Bretonian Royal Navy
  • Bretonian Royal Marines
  • Bretonian Royal Army
  • Bretonian Royal Precison Strike Forces
  • Bretonian Small Arms
• Bretonian Royal Navy - Ship Data
  
  • Bretonian Battleships
  • Bretonian Warships
  • Bretonian Support Craft

| People |

The Constitutional Monarchy of Bretonia supports an ever-growing population of 10.181 billion people, the bulk of which live on the heavily populated 'core worlds' of New London and Leeds. Bretonian law recognises no different castes or races amongst this population, with the only racial tag known to exist simply being 'Bretonian'. The population is entirely human, which for obvious reasons has led historians and biologists to assume that despite the lack of historical evidence, Bretonians are descended from Earth.

5.9 billion people live in somewhat cramped conditions on Planet New London, in the New London system. 3.056 billion people live on Planet Leeds, in the nearby Leeds system. There is a sociological rivalry between these two main population centres, with Leeds residents being thought of as rather grubby and uncivilised, and New London residents being thought of as snobby and spoiled, incapable of hard work. While neither generalisation is entirely accurate, it does lead to some hostility. Of the remaining population, most live on Planet Cambridge, with the rest choosing less habitable planets and space installations.

The average age of the Bretonian citizen is 35, with the average maximum lifespan being 93. This 'average' obviously varies between worlds however, and the fact that Leeds in particular has much lower averages than New London is a point of contention in society and political debates. The vast majority of people are between the ages of fifteen and sixty-five, with a slightly larger number of people being under fifteen than over sixty-five. With a birthrate of 18.28 per 1,000 people and a death rate of 11.24 per 1,000 people the population is climbing extremely rapidly.

In terms of gender ratios, males have a 0.1% advantage of numbers. Rarely is this a topic of discussion however - gender relations in Bretonia are highly equalised, with the only real distinctions being of a cultural nature rather than political or social. Indeed, at present a larger number of females are in employment than males, and on average they tend to earn more as well.

In terms of health, most known illnesses can be dealt with in private hospitals. A very small fraction of the population (under 0.0012%) suffer from an incurable terminal disease. Sexually transmitted diseases are the most prevalent form of major illness, despite the fact that all of them are curable with modern Bretonian medical science - most analysts put this down to embarrassment preventing people from receiving treatment. Genetic disorders are the second-largest form of major illness, with various genetic mental disorders taking the lead. However, a growing number of people are reporting health problems caused by extensive industrial pollution, a point which the money-centric government is keen to avoid dealing with in public.

Religion find support in a large minority of the Bretonian people, though it is a gradually dying force in modern society. Roughly 22% of the population follow any number of imported religions, the majority being some denomination of Christianity, and a significant minority subscribing to the Buddhist faith. 34% of the population describe themselves as agnostic, with no strong belief in any particular faith. The remainder describe themselves as strict atheists.

People from Bretonia are referred to as 'Bretonians' or 'Bretons'. The adjective is 'Bretonian'. Some sectors of the population prefer to use more localised terms, such as New Londonians for people from New London and Leedites for people from Leeds.



| Society |

Bretonian society is a complex one, spread across multiple star systems and between multiple classes. While there is some commonality, most notably in that all Bretonians speak Bretonian English, all Bretonians use the credit, and many forms of entertainment and literature transcend borders and backgrounds, it can nevertheless be difficult to quantify the 'culture' of the nation.

In terms of class divides, these are largely based upon financial status and familial standing. Upper classes, as a rule with exceptions, tend to live on Planet New London in one of the more opulent city-districts such as Trafalgar. They are characterised as being cold-hearted, tight-fisted but well-mannered and well-educated people, with a keen interest in higher arts such as opera and theatre, but having a largely unrealistic outlook on the world surrounding them. Nobility is often an important aspect of their life, and any upperclassmen with noble blood make a point to demonstrate that fact.

As a more vague genre, the middle classes can range from those who are financially successful, but not sufficiently so to enter into the exclusive realms of the aristocracy, to average families just scraping above an average household income. These are perhaps the most 'average' of Bretonians; they are either nine-to-five office workers or middle management, or perhaps moderately successful sole traders. Their entertainment tastes are as varied as their standard of living, and this particular class represents the highest proportion of holonet users.

Crushed beneath the boot of capitalist Bretonia, however, are the working classes. Typically employed in unskilled or manual labour, if employed at all, some may be scraping by well enough, while others are below the poverty belt. The stereotype suggests that they are all employed as miners by BMM, that they all live on Leeds, and that they all prefer to spend their time drinking in a bar or pub. While this isn't an accurate stereotype, at least one of those criteria can be applied to many of the less fortunate citizens of Bretonia. Although still somewhat conservative by the standards of many cultures, the working (or 'lower' as they are sometimes pejoratively referred to) classes are certainly less stiff-lipped than the snobs at the top of the food chain.

Popular forms of entertainment within Bretonia include mediums which are common to many societies, such as the Bretonian version of television, subspace radio, browsing the holonet, and attending sporting events such as football, hockey and starflier racing. Most average people do not attend live theatres particularly often, but the so-called 'higher arts' do flourish within Bretonian society, particularly on New London and Cambridge, where the majority of the educational elite tend to reside.

In terms of education, Bretonian children are required by law to attend school from the age of four until the age of sixteen, and public education facilities are widely available. Further education at colleges, technical colleges and university is available, though it is not provided for free - even so, large numbers of secondary school graduates do tend to take further education courses, taking out student loans to fund the expense. This trend has seen a subsequent rise in the number of people entering into technical professions upon leaving the educational system, and as such, has slightly increased the average wage.

This is virtually the only form of significant social welfare in the country, however. Healthcare is privatised, unemployment benefits are based on past National Insurance contributions, and the entire transportation network is also private.

Travel around Bretonia, for a civilian, is usually accomplished by the use of interplanetary tradelane rings, and interstellar jump gate systems, as civilian mobile FTL systems are expensive and often too cumbersome to fit onto smaller civilian ships. Besides which, it is also illegal for civilian ships which are equipped with FTL drives to engage these systems while inside the Great Barrier, due to concerns over safety - as such, it is legally required for citizens to utilise the tradelane and jump gate networks. These two networks, commercially owned and operated, form the backbone of internal transportation, whether travelling by personal starflier, mass transit ships, or freighters.

Tradelane rings, developed by Ageira Technologies, take the appearance of a 'figure of eight', and they are located near most planets and space stations of importance, creating a vast, criss-crossing network. Whenever a ship passes through a tradelane, it automatically deducts a fee from that licence holder's account, and then sends the ship off to the other end of the lane at the speed of light. While slow by interstellar standards, lightspeed is more than sufficient for interplanetary travel. Each 'ring' on the figure of eight is unidirectional and send ships in the opposite direction, effectively creating two-way traffic. The systems have proven to be extremely reliable, and have been a cornerstone of Bretonian society in the same way that modern roads are to us.

Jump gates, also developed by Ageira Technologies, allow for near-instantaneous travel from one star system to another. They are much larger than tradelanes, and more complex in their operations. Bretonian transpatial slipstream technology is somewhat unique and uncommon, though essentially it has the same effect as a wormhole. A jump gate is unidirectional, and another jump gate must exist on the other side in order for it to function - each jump gate is part of a matching pair, and cannot link up to any other gates. The 'floating doughnuts', as they have come to be known, have similarly found a firm place in Bretonian society, particularly since the construction of the Edinburgh <-> Alpha Epsilon Jump Gate.



| Criminal Organisations |

Though peaking and troughing over the years, crime is generally regarded as a problem within Bretonia. Organised crime in particular is of a size and scale not often seen in other nations, and may perhaps be partially attributed to the civilian tradelane and jump gate networks, which can be exploited for piratical purposes.

In addition to piracy, there are several organisations with political objectives foremost in their minds, and violent methods of putting their point across. These terrorists will often use piracy as a means of funding, or they will aid larger piracy syndicates in exchange for remuneration.

The four main criminal organisations operating in Bretonia are (amongst others):

Name: Corsairs
Organisational structure: 'Monarchy'
Leader: Unknown
Known activities: Piracy (with violence), smuggling, cybercrime
Equipment: Legionnaire Light Fighters, Centurion Medium Fighters, Titan Heavy Fighters, Marauder-class Capital Ships. Neutron weaponry confirmed
Size of membership: Between 5 - 10 million
Estimated annual income: Unknown; estimates vary between $10 billion to $100 billion

The Corsairs are by far the largest criminal organisation operating in Bretonian space; with millions of members and a hereditary 'monarch' of sorts, they function almost as a small, rogue nation. Despite their vast size, however, almost nothing is known about the internal workings of this 'micronation' - even the name, 'Corsairs', is a nickname attached to them in lieu of anything else to call them. From various hearsay and rumour it has been determined that they have a sort of hereditary monarchy at the head of their organisation, known as the 'Inner Sanctum', which consists of the 'monarch' and a council of advisors, but next to nothing is known about the workings of this clandestine government.

They are believed to be based within one of the three uninhabited star systems within the Bretonian Great Barrier; most of these systems hold environments which are ideally suited to camouflaging their operations, thanks to the presence of nebulae, dense asteroid fields, radiation and the like. It is within one of these systems they are thought to have a constructed their own shipyard facility, from which they are able to produce their various custom-designed fighters and even, more recently, ships approaching the size and capabilities of small capital ships. Most of these ships are well-armed and pose a significant challenge to military forces, indicating a skilled workforce and decent training regime.

The only thing known for sure is that the Corsairs have posed a significant threat to civilian traffic throughout Bretonian territory for over five centuries. Their swift, well-orchestrated attacks are usually limited to specific trade lanes, typically lanes which lie adjacent to environments that will allow them to retreat without being detected, such as asteroid fields and nebulae. They have even been known to mount attacks deep into Bretonian space against fortified ships and installations - even assaulting military battleships on occasions. Despite continued military vigilance and extensive information gathering operations, the Corsairs continue to plague trade and elude detection. Their highly organised, highly secretive society is very difficult to break into or quell with any significant success, while their own ability to hack into data-servers and even the Trade Lane network allows them to consistently choose their targets depending on the particular type of resources they require and to stay one step ahead of the police and military. They are also considered to be the largest supplier of illegal drugs in Bretonia, and they often use smaller criminal organisations - such as the New London Rogues and the Mollys - to distribute their wares.

Evidence has recently arisen to suggest that the Corsairs may have managed to smuggle some of their numbers and ships outside of the Great Barrier, presumably with the intention of expanding their criminal network into foreign territories.

As no Corsair warrior has ever been captured alive, partially due to their tendency to commit suicide when such an eventuality seems likely, much of what is known about them (outside of the obvious) comes from third-party sources or simple rumour.



Name: Mollys
Organisational structure: Terrorist cells united beneath a single banner
Leader: Patrick Kennedy (suspected)
Known activities: Terrorism, smuggling, piracy (with violence)
Equipment: Bloodhound light fighters, Wolfhound heavy fighters
Size of membership: Estimated to be 100,000 to 150,000
Estimated annual income: Unknown; piracy and gold smuggling are their primary sources of revenue, though these operations are limited

The Mollys are a terrorist organisation which originated in the Dublin star system, initially the result of an armed conflict which occured between BMM and several worker's unions which was waged over poor working conditions and low salaries. With the Dublin system filled with asteroids rich in gold, workers felt underpaid compared to the profits BMM was reaping from their hard work, and demanded pay increases. When their demands went unheeded, they solidified their unions and went on strike. Being a Royal Charter company, however, BMM was able to fire virtually all of the key members of the unions and hire new workers from the core worlds. In retaliation, the union representatives planted a bomb aboard one of BMM's key facilities in the system at the time. BMM immediately began stationing armed ships in the system, which started to engage union vessels in combat.

After the Bretonian Royal Navy began taking charge of security in the system, the unions merged to form the Mollys - their original goals long-since evaporated in favour of the much more lofty aim of gaining independence for Dublin from Bretonian rule. Establishing hidden bases deep within the vast asteroid fields of Dublin, they began launching terrorist attacks on any BMM property in the Dublin system, as well as the Bretonian people in general - their daring attacks have included placing nuclear devices within populated areas of New London. Their status has gradually risen from 'pesky annoyance in an isolated system' to 'serious threat' over the years, although recently their attacks have been less frequent and less severe.

It is known for a fact by the Bretonian government that the Mollys actively engage in piracy to fund their operations, and it is believed that they continue to mine gold from asteroids deeper in the Dublin field, for gold smuggling has become an issue. It is also thought that they cooperate to some degree with the Corsairs, who have been sighted using their bases as stop-off points, however any alliance between the two is almost certainly dominated by the vastly stronger Corsairs. Given that captured Molly members have consistently been unable to offer much information about the Corsairs, it appears that the Corsairs are tight-lipped even with their friends. It is known, however, that the Corsairs provide the Mollys with their Bloodhound and Wolfhound fighters; though inferior to Corsair ships, these fighters are sufficiently powerful to assault military fighter patrols and civilian convoys.

Their organisational structure is much easier to grasp than that of their elusive allies, however; each Molly facility operates as a 'cell', and only the leaders of each cell know the names and locations of the other leaders. At regular intervals these leaders will congregate to discuss the latest goals and status of their group as a whole. On multiple occasions the Bretonian military has learned of the locations and dates of these meetings, however the Mollys anticipate the Bretonian strike each time and fail to arrive - how they accomplish this feat of counter-intelligence is unknown, but most suspect that the Corsairs, once again, play a part in it.

What is most threatening about the Mollys, however, is that they command some degree of popular support. The Dublin Independence Party, an officially recognised political party with a handful of seats in the House of Commons, was originally founded by ex-Molly members, and debate continues amongst the populace as to whether their cry for independence is a reasonable one. Some Bretonian citizens are even accused of funding the organisation, particularly executives of the IMG, BMM's biggest competitor. The Bretonian government, however, has always refused to bow to the whims of terrorists, and continues a zero-tolerance approach - the Battleship Hood is permanently stationed in the Dublin system, with a specific mandate to hunt down and destroy any Molly ships or bases it can locate.



Name: Green Gaians
Organisational structure: Democratic
Leader: Gwyneth Jones (suspected)
Known activities: Terrorism, piracy
Equipment: Civilian starfliers and equipment only
Size of membership: 10,000 - 15,000
Estimated annual income: Unknown; thought to be quite low

The Green Gaians are a group of radical environmentalists with somewhat obsolete views. While they were originally formed to protest government intentions to colonise Planet Gaia in the Edinburgh system, plans which were cancelled anyway, they have since claimed to 'defend the natural world of all Bretonian planets'. They are particularly zealous about plans to restore the environments of New London and Leeds, though their ultimate wishes would involve returning these highly industrialised, densely populated planets to agrarian societies - wishes which are clearly infeasible.

Gaians are perhaps one of the least threatening criminal groups operating in Bretonia. They fly in conventional civilian ships, equipped only with civilian weaponry, and lack the organised structure of either the Corsairs or even the Mollys. While these ships are not threatening, they are difficult to identify, for unlike the ships utilised by the two largest criminal organisations in Bretonian, millions of these vessels exist in regular ownership. This can allow them to engage in some limited piracy against lone freighters, which they do only occasionally, presumably when they require more funding. Most of their activity is focused on the distribution of propaganda, however they will periodically commit acts of terrorism against industrial targets when they feel that their words are being ignored.

Where the Gaians are based is unknown, however. It is possible that they are not 'based' anywhere, and merely co-exist with the rest of the population until such a time as they are prepared to strike. It is known that they function democratically, with members choosing their own leaders, and even holding referendums over major decisions to be made by the group. Due to their decentralised and 'ordinary' nature it has proven difficult to track them down, though as they are not as sophisticated (nor as determined) as some other criminal organisations, the Bretonian government does have a much higher arrest rate amongst this much smaller group.



Name: New London Rogues
Organisational structure: Somewhat oligarchical
Leader: Unknown
Known activities: Piracy (with violence), smuggling
Equipment: Various stolen ships, even including Molly Bloodhounds and Wolfhounds
Size of membership: Roughly 20,000
Estimated annual income: Roughly $30 million

The New London Rogues are the result of the biased, class-based society of the New London system, though a large proportion of their number are also from Leeds. Unemployed, usually convicted of petty crimes, and generally down-trodden by the rest of society, the Rogues take heed of the phrase "honest work is hard". Why work fifty hours a week to buy a loaf of bread when they can just steal the bread?

Rogues are well-known to the Bretonia Police Authority, with a large proportion of their numbers generally being repeat offenders and well-known faces in prisons. Almost as soon as they are released from prison, they tend to head straight back into the arms of their gang and recommence their criminal activities, before being caught and sent back to prison. They are the ultimate class of thugs, thieves and good-for-nothing, work-shy crooks - but their organisation is like a family to them, and they care for each other as though they were blood.

Primarily these days the Rogues act as pawns for the Corsairs, selling their drugs throughout Bretonia in exchange for a share of the profits. As with the Mollys, captured Rogues have never been able to yield any useful information about the Corsairs, and given that almost all of their ships are stolen, it is reasonable to assume that the Corsairs do not regard them as highly as they do the Mollys, for they do not provide them with equipment. When not pushing drugs into the various population centres of Bretonia, the Rogues engage in piracy of their own - however, they lack the finesse of the experienced, well-trained and well-equipped Corsairs, typically engaging in a brute-force assault, often destroying the very cargo they intended to steal and frequently being arrested afterwards. Despite their overall incompetence, their numbers and casual disregard for human life have seen them rise in fame over the years.

[-Bretonia-]

| Bretonian Threat Level System |

The Bretonian Threat Level system is largely typical of those in use across the galaxy, and they are regularly broadcast to commercial news networks to help raise civilian awareness levels. It is a unified system, dealing with both domestic and foreign threats, of both a civilian (i.e. terrorism, piracy) and martial (i.e. aggressive foreign governments) nature. Citizens are advised to keep up-to-date with the present Threat Level.

• Threat Level 1 - Low: There are no significant threats against Bretonian interests, and security levels are nominal.
• Threat Level 2 - Moderate: The Bretonian government is aware of a potential threat against Bretonia, but the risk of an attack is considered to be low. Security levels are heightened, but otherwise normal.
• Threat Level 3 - Substantial: The risk of attack is considered to be moderate to high. Security checks will be in effect at all jump gates - particularly the Alpha-Epsilon Jump Gate.
• Threat Level 4 - Severe: Risk of attack is considered to be extremely likely. Military assets will be mobilised, at least on a limited scale, and the jump gate and tradelane networks will be either locked down to civilian traffic entirely or subjected to extremely heavy security. BRAF patrols may become significant around key strategic interests.
• Threat Level 5 - Critical: An attack upon Bretonia is imminent. Civilians will be advised to take shelter and/or other precautions as the government engages the emergency subspace broadcast system. All jump gates and trade lanes will be locked down and reserved for military use, and special dispensation will be needed in order for a civilian to use them. Naval forces shall be mobilised ready for engagement, individual warships shall sound general quarters, and planetary defences shall be active.

At present, the Bretonian Threat Level is pegged at Level 4 - Severe, as a direct result of the devastating terrorist attack against the Alpha-Epsilon Jump Gate. The risk of further attacks is deemed to be extremely likely, and the chances of a near-future military retaliation are severe.

[-Bretonia-]

(INCOMPLETE)

| Economy |

The economy of Bretonia is a powerful and largely stable one, gifting the nation with a high gross domestic product of $294,676,365,996,203.12, as well as a reasonably high GDP per capita of $28,943.75. Although the majority of the population is employed in the tertiary sector, thanks to high degrees of automation the economy actually derives a great deal of its size from the industrial sector. The Bretonian government has traditionally adopted a policy of laissez-faire towards the economy in general, believing that corporations are the lifeline of the Bretonian people. Corporate tax remains low, legislation in such fields as environmental law or labour law is lax, and virtually no industry has been nationalised - even transportation links such as the Trade Lane and Jump Gate networks remain privately-owned and operated, if somewhat more regulated by the government than the majority of industries. Certain companies with Royal Charters, most notably Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing, are exempt even from these minimal laws, which has caused significant controversy in recent years.

Unfortunately, the result of this attitude is extensive environmental destruction, to the point where at least two habitable planets in Bretonian space have had their environments significantly and irreparably damaged, particularly in the Leeds system, and reports of worker mistreatment are increasingly common. After numerous controversies in recent years, the government has been under pressure to implement more stringent legislation, to control corporations which the media suggests are 'running amok'. Rather than legislate, however, the government has instead enacted a series of glowing incentives to companies which 'clean up their act', and has offered a list of government-penned guidelines which will see a company qualify for these incentives. Meanwhile the government has contracted numerous companies such as ALG Waste Disposal, and Planetform, to embark upon cleanup operations that should yield results in the next couple of decades.

Though Bretonia does have a system of welfare, in the form of unemployment benefits, disability benefits, state pensions, and subsidised healthcare for such groups of people, these programs are all based on contributions - which basically means, if you've never paid taxes, unless you're a recent university graduate or disabled from birth you don't get anything. And it is not in the nature of the Bretonian government to 'bail out' struggling companies, nor nationalise failing ones - however, many argue that high levels of defence spending functions as a form of 'stealth subsidisation', as numerous large Bretonian companies have exclusive rights with the BRAF, and is often the subject of various conspiracy theories.

The Bretonian Credit (the currency symbol for which is simply 'Bc', applied as a prefix to any numeric value e.g. 'Bc-100.00') is a fiat currency which openly traded on the galactic market, and traditionally remains strong with credit being worth USD $1.34. A single credit is divided into one hundred cents. The credit is regulated by the Royal Bank of Bretonia, who also have exclusive minting rights, although in the technologically advanced society of Bretonia virtually all transactions are completed electronically, and few people use 'hard cash' anymore.



| Commodities |

Bretonia is a highly industrial nation, as typified by the variety of industrial goods it tends to export. Contrariwise there is a large market for foods and luxuries, as well as a few materials which are in high demand for various reasons. As a free market economy, Bretonia trades with similarly liberal countries freely, and foreign companies are welcome to attempt to establish themselves in any perceived market vacuums.

The list below indicates common products and their levels of production within Bretonia. Products with high levels of production are likely to command low prices within Bretonia and are often exported abroad, therefore presenting few opportunities for foreign companies to establish themselves. On the other hand, products which fail to meet domestic demand might command high prices and multiple opportunities for importation. All of these products are produced at some level within Bretonia, however, so under-production should not be misinterpreted as a complete absence.

Bright green indicates extensive over-production, and therefore high levels of exportation.
Green suggests that domestic demand is satisfied, though exportation is common.
Orange indicates demand for a certain commodity, with reasonable levels of importation.
Red indicates an urgent need for imports, therefore, a potentially lucrative market.

This list is by no means definitive, and may be altered or expanded. It should also be noted that, as a free market economy, even those products which are in high domestic demand might be exported regardless, though given the high prices these items command it is unlikely for this to be the case. Industrious enterprises are encouraged to check the current affairs section at the end of this document for potential contracts.



| Bretonian Commodities |

Alien Organisms -- 19% of requirements
Aluminium -- 232% of requirements
Basic Alloys -- 323% of requirements
Beryllium -- 125% of requirements
Boron -- 197% of requirements
Cobalt -- 81% of requirements
Construction Machinery -- 118% of requirements
Consumer Goods -- 47% of requirements
Copper -- 178% of requirements
Daranium -- 142% of requirements
Diamonds -- 198% of requirements
Deuterium Slush -- 89% of requirements
Engine Components -- 227% of requirements
Fertilizer -- 77% of requirements
Financial Services -- 150% of requirements (est.)
Food (Basic) -- 101% of requirements
Food (Luxury) -- 73% of requirements
Gate / Lane Parts - 500% of requirements
Gold -- 774% of requirements
H-Fuel (hydrogen, deuterium, and helium-3) -- 79% of requirements
High Temperature Alloys -- 185% of requirements
Hydrocarbons -- 111% of requirements
Iron -- 167% of requirements
Light Arms -- 271% of requirements
Luxury Consumer Goods -- 23% of requirements
Mining Machinery -- 178% of requirements
MOX (Mixed OXides) -- 562% of requirements
Nickel -- 102% of requirements
Niobium -- 83% of requirements
Optical Chips -- 89% of requirements
Optronic Equipment -- 48% of requirements
Oxygen -- 100% of requirements
Pharmaceuticals -- 95% of requirements
Platinum -- 87% of requirements
Polymers -- 113% of requirements
Rhodium -- 109% of requirements
Scrap Metals -- 472% of requirements
Ship Hull Panels -- 359% of requirements
Silver -- 213% of requirements
Super Alloys -- 187% of requirements
Superconductors -- 192% of requirements
Terraforming Gases -- 69% of requirements
Toxic Waste -- 214% of requirements
Titanium -- 123% of requirements
Tungsten -- 145% of requirements
Uranium -- 100% of requirements
Water -- 66% of requirements
Zinc -- 78% of requirements



| Current Import/Export Affairs |

Wednesday, September 09th 836 A.S. -- The Bretonian government is presently offering premium contracts to waste haulers willing to remove industrial by-products from Bretonia! Contact your local Bretonian embassy, or the Bretonian Ministry for Trade & Commerce directly, for more information on this lucrative opportunity!



| Corporations |

While there are hundreds of thousands of companies operating within Bretonian space, perhaps the two largest and most significant are Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing and Ageira Technologies. These two are the largest in terms of profits, holdings and employees, and the most significant in terms of their effect on the Bretonian economy and even culture.

BMM is a large company headquartered on New London. As a Royal Charter company, it is exempt from many laws and regulations which govern the operation of other companies in Bretonia, which although allowing for massive expansion in its early days, has also been a source of controversy of late as the company abuses labour and environmental laws consistently. Primarily, BMM is concerned with mining and manufacturing raw metals and other mineral resources, as well as producing a large range of manufactured goods, spanning from mining lasers and civilian starfliers right through to Royal Army weapons and Royal Navy capital warships. The controversial company has extensive holdings around the New London system, including the massive Southampton Shipyards, virtually owns the entire Leeds system, and hold exclusive contracts for various products with several government departments, including the BRAF. In Bretonia, it is virtually impossible to go through life without having come into extensive contact with any BMM products - be they manufactured at one of BMM's many factories, or simply constructed using materials provided by them.

Ageira Technologies is an advanced technologies company, based on Cambridge and owning the orbiting Cambridge Research and Development Station. Aside from being responsible for the advancement of numerous technologies in the fields of weaponry, computers, space propulsion and home appliances, AT was the company which developed the Trade Lane and Jump Gate systems, which revolutionised civilian travel and gave Bretonia the only safe means to leave or enter Bretonian space through the Great Barrier. Interplanetary Trade Lanes and interstellar Jump Gates now form the backbone of civilian transportation, removing the need for most people to install expensive FTL equipment on their vehicles, and allowing starfliers - too small to be equipped with bulky civilian FTL systems - to travel between star systems quickly. Most of the equipment, ships and ground armour employed by the BRAF employs Ageira products in at least some part of their operation, and the vast majority of computer hardware in Bretonia is manufactured by, or under licence from, Ageira.

Other important companies in Bretonian space include:

• Borderworld Exports (Bowex) - hundreds of years ago, before travel outside the Great Barrier was possible, this small company was the first willing to export products to and from the distant colonies. Bowex is now the premier interstellar shipping corporation in Bretonia, responsible for almost 45% of all foreign exports and imports. Universal Shipping is the second-largest such company, though it fares better in domestic shipping.
• Interspace Commerce - the largest private insurance company in Bretonia, and one of the few which will insure civilian traffic in the Dublin system as well as ships travelling beyond the Great Barrier.
• Deep Space Engineering (DSE) - the construction firm originally contracted exclusively by Ageira Technologies to construct and maintain the Jump Gate and Trade Lade networks, technologies which Ageira continues to keep secret from all other parties. DSE maintains this exclusive and lucrative right to the TL and JG networks to this day, as well as a number of unrelated space-based construction projects; a large number of space bases and even military battlestations were constructed by DSE in some capacity.
• SynthFoods Inc. - early in Bretonia's massive industrial and interstellar expansion, SynthFoods developed a method of producing food through artificial means, allowing starving colonists on distant worlds access to a reliable and cheap source of food. Even now that Bretonia's conventional agriculture industry has now stabilised, the various products on offer by SynthFoods remain popular, and the BRAF purchases warship and infantry rations exclusively from the company.
• ALG Waste Disposal - now more than ever, this company specialising in the transportation and disposal of hazardous waste materials is an essential component of Bretonia's heavy industry.
• Independent Miner's Guild (IMG) - originally developed as a loose alliance of independent miners and small mining corporations as protection from the overarching influence of BMM, the IMG has since risen to become the second-largest mining organisation in Bretonian space.
• Gas Mining Guild (GMG) - an offshoot of IMG, the GMG is primarily concerned with the extraction of useful gases from gas giants and nebulae, which it then refines into useful products. It is the largest supplier of commercial H-fuel in Bretonia.
• Planetform Ltd - the only company in Bretonia specialising in complete planetary terraforming operations, making it essentially a monopoly in its market. Planetform is often contracted by the Bretonian government as well as other companies which have commercial interests in creating habitable environments.
• Cryer Pharmaceuticals - the principle manufacturer of drugs in Bretonia, both commercial and restricted.

[-Bretonia-]

| Bretonian Space |

The majority of Bretonian space is surrounded by an unusual spatial anomaly named the Great Barrier. The Great Barrier is a vast, spherical nebula packed so densely with asteroids and ice boulders that for the purposes of sublight travel, it is literally a 'barrier'. Although sublight travel through the Barrier is time consuming and unbelievably dangerous, it is possible, whereas faster than light travel of any known type is impossible. Scientists attempting to chart the Great Barrier had discovered small gravitational singularities in large quantities dotted all around, with even greater numbers of subspace anomalies and temporal distortions. To make matters worse, probes attempting to travel through the Barrier have detected literally thousands of natural hyperspace gateways in close quarters, opening and closing at random. These would almost certainly cause ships travelling in hyperspace to be torn back into realspace at a moment's notice, probably into the path of an asteroid or gravitational anomaly. Naturally-occurring 'jump holes' also interfere with Bretonian FTL technology. Interdimensional tears have also been detected, usually in close proximity to gravitational anomalies, tears which have been known to interfere with some experimental Bretonian dimensional technology.

Travel through the Great Barrier can only be accomplished through the dedicated Bretonian Alpha-Epsilon-based Jump Gate. The static nature of the system as opposed to mobile platforms, as well as some extensive modifications designed specifically for the unusual conditions of the environment, allows it to dynamically detect and adapt to changes within the Great Barrier each time it is opened, which mobile FTL platforms are unable to accomplish. Even so, it is not 100% safe, and most domestic and foreign insurance companies do not cover travel through the gate.

From a military point of view, the Alpha-Epsilon Jump Gate has been identified as a key weakness to Bretonian infrastructure - a determined enemy could simply destroy the outer end of the gate system, effectively trapping the entire Bretonian Navy within the Great Barrier indefinitely. Work on a second Jump Gate, based at Beta-Epsilon, has been under way for some time now but was recently postponed for financial reasons. In the meantime, the Bretonian Military maintains an extremely heavy vanguard of warships at the Alpha-Epsilon Jump Gate to protect it against attack. Ironically, it is also a strategic strength, for any enemy attempting to invade Bretonia could be stopped in their tracks by simply shutting down the external gate, or even destroying it completely.

The Great Barrier is unusual in that it is almost perfectly spherical in shape, aside from the occasional wisp of cloud extruding from its outer and inner borders. Gravity between the stars within and the Great Barrier itself is perfectly harmonious, preventing either the stars from drifting into the Barrier, or the Barrier engulfing the stars, while the gravitational anomalies within keep its contents contained. These peculiarities have lead to extensive speculation in the scientific community about the prospect of the Great Barrier being artificial in nature, though the technology required for such a monumental construct is beyond present understanding. The discovery of decidedly alien ruins and artefacts on Bretonian worlds has revived interest in the idea, however.

Contained within the Great Barrier are nine star systems. Three of these are unused by Bretonia, and do not even have names aside from their astronomical designations. Click here for a map of Bretonian space.



| Cambridge System |

The Cambridge System is the technological and agricultural home of the Bretonian Empire. With a white dwarf star at the centre, it is orbited by one rocky planet and one gas giant further out. A smaller planetoid also orbits the star, though it is not technically a planet. Two large ice nebulae and several asteroid fields are present in the Cambridge system, which can present significant navigational hazards to civilian shipping as well as being plentiful sources of various materials such as beryllium.

Ageira Technologies Cambridge Research and Development Station is one of the most important facilities in this system, in close orbit of Planet Cambridge. Home to some of the most technologically sophisticated developments in Bretonia, the station is most famous for producing the Jump Gate and Tradelane networks respectively, as well as fitting much of the technology on Bretonian warships. Due to the sensitive nature of the research carried out at this vast station, an extensive network of sensor arrays and automated weapons turrets are deployed right across the system. These protect not only the station and Planet Cambridge, but also sensitive transport shipments moving throughout the system. The HMS Nelson is stationed permanently in this system, not far from Planet Cambridge.

Cardiff Mining Facility is a medium-sized mining station owned and operated by the Independent Mining Guild. Sitting adjacent to the planet Sarum, Cardiff Mining Facility gathers and processes moderate quantities of beryllium from the nearby asteroid fields. The Independent Mining Guild has also begun looking into harvesting the rare and valuable gasses found deep within Sarum's atmosphere. Additionally, Cardiff Mining Facility is responsible for processing water from the surrounding ice nebulae, which is then sent to planets, ships and facilities for drinking and washing.

Planet Cambridge

Planet Cambridge is a largely temperate world, roughly the same size and density as Earth. The northern and southern hemispheres are mild all year round, and booming agricultural industries have been operating there for centuries, supplying all of Bretonia with large quantities of food. Indeed, aside from Ageira Technologies' biodomes and Synth Foods' SynthPaste, Cambridge is responsible for feeding most of Bretonia. As a result of this, the most powerful trade union on the planet is the Farmer's Alliance, who have significant influence over local government matters. The population of the planet is just over one billion, and the vast majority of these people reside in Cambridge City itself, the only real city of note. Around the equator jungles dominate, which aside from being used by the military for training are rich in resources and medical supplies, and Cryer Pharmaceuticals have set up numerous outposts in this hot and dangerous environment.

Cambridge City is the only large city on the planet. With a population of almost 80 million it is home to Cambridge University, a highly respected educational institution with some of the most highly funded public R&D facilities in Bretonia. Like Aegira Technologies' base in orbit, Cambridge University is responsible for a great many technological innovations, and it is essentially the only reason anybody visits the planet.

Planet Sarum

Planet Sarum is a massive gas giant, whose upper atmosphere consists primarily of simple ice crystals. Deeper within the atmosphere numerous more valuable gasses have been discovered, including traces of beryllium, ammonia, deuterium, helium-3 and of particular interest to nearby Planet Cambridge, nitrogen and various other elements useful in manufacturing fertilisers. The powerful gravity well of Sarum has thus far prevented intrusive attempts to collect these gasses, but modern technology has allowed for limited exploration by the nearby Cardiff Mining Facility.



| Dublin System |

The heart of the Dublin system glows with the light of a dim yellow dwarf, in its infancy. There are no planets in the Dublin system, though much of the inner system is populated by dense asteroid fields which are rich in gold. Some asteroids are large enough to be hollowed out and used as colonies. It is thought that the system is not yet old enough to have developed planets, either that or the planets that did form in the past have failed, resulting in the vast asteroid fields that dominate the landscape today.

The enormous gold deposits have attracted the attentions of numerous mining companies over the years, being as it is one of the largest sources of the metal known to exist. Aside from its aesthetic qualities gold has a great number of practical qualities which make it highly valuable in the modern world. BMM is, of course one of the biggest players in the system.

The system is also the home of some of the biggest problems in Bretonia, however, partially due to the gold deposits. Several centuries ago, several trade unions started up in the system to represented disallusioned BMM workers. They claimed that the work was dangerous and that BMM was not paying them enough, despite the vast profits they were making from the gold mined by them. When the unions demanded more money, BMM fired numerous key individuals and kept pay rates at their previous levels. The unions took to arms, and BMM responded in kind, until it escalated into open conflict. The unions formed an organisation known as the Mollys, who wanted to keep the gold revenues to themselves.

Since those days the Mollys have changed their ultimate goals to include the independence of the Dublin system from Bretonian rule. The idea itself has support in some quarters, and the Dublin Independence Party stands in elections each term. However, the Mollys use violent methods to terrorise the government into capitulating. Molly attacks frequently include attacks on civilian shipping, and they have even been known to attack settlements and planets. The HMS Hood is permanently stationed in the system, as per a government mandate to maintain a battleship presence there, and numerous military vessels are often sighted in the system on various anti-terrorism missions. BMM has also had to step up protection of their convoys and installations. Interspace Commerce is now the only company offering insurance to ships operating in Dublin due to the extreme risks. All in all, the costs of mining the gold there have driven most companies out, except for BMM, IMG and a few others.




| Edinburgh System |

The Edinburgh system has traditionally been an unimportant one, with only a single planet in orbit of an ordinary yellow dwarf star, and no materials of value that cannot be extracted more easily elsewhere. The only reason a jump gate to the system was even built in the first place was due to the tourist industry that existed on Planet Gaia, a planet that was originally scheduled for colonisation until the government declared such developments of the world illegal.

After HMS Dunkirk penetrated the Great Barrier, however, the Edinburgh <-> Alpha-Epsilon Jump Gate was constructed, transforming the backwater system into a commercial hub and a military stronghold overnight. Construction of Scarborough Station was commenced by Deep Space Engineering almost immediately, which was purchased by Bowex for use as a staging area for foreign imports and exports, while Gateshead Station was built near the main Alpha-Epsilon Jumpgate by BMM as a 'factory shop' aimed at introducing foreigners to their products. Both of these stations have become highly profitable commercial hubs, used by Bretonian citizens and foreign visitors alike, and have become second only to Trafalgar Station as some of the most heavily frequented stations of all the Barrier systems.

HMCS Hawaii, the luxury liner owned and operated by Orbital Spa and Cruise Ltd, has always been a popular tourist destination. Its position in permanent orbit of Planet Gaia makes it an ideal platform for visits to the lush jungle world, as well as being a relaxing and exciting destination on its own merits, thanks to the opulence of its accommodations and the beautiful vistas afforded to it by the proximity of the Great Barrier. With the establishment of the Alpha-Epsilon Jump Gate in the system, however, OSA Ltd found themselves inundated by tourists both from home and abroad, and they have since had to commission a second cruise ship, HMCS Barbados, to accommodate the extra business.

Placed nearby the Alpha-Epsilon Jump Gate is Battlestation Cardiff. Originally a small border station placed near the Edinburgh <-> New London Jump Gate, when the Alpha-Epsilon Jump Gate was constructed it was decided that an adjacent military presence was urgently required, in case of foreign threats somehow getting through. So the border station was appropriated by the BRAF, and physically towed across the system to its present location. It has since been virtually rebuilt, modified beyond recognition, into the vast battlestation it is now. Able to accommodate up to three battleships within its cavernous hangars, the heavily-armed, virtually indestructible station stands vigil over the jump gate, and represents one of the largest and most well-defended facilities in all of Bretonian space.

Planet Gaia

The lone planet in the Edinburgh system is one of the most beautiful, teeming with native plant and animal life. The planet is slightly closer to its sun than Earth is to Sol, and as such is slightly warmer, though not too warm - virtually the entire planet is a gargantuan jungle, home to more types of fauna than any other planet known to exist.

Shortly after its original discovery, Cryer Pharmaceuticals and other drugs companies immediately wanted to establish outposts on the planet to perform an invasive study of the plants and animals, hoping to find any medicinal uses they may have to produce miracle cures for all manner of ailments. The Bretonian government initially wanted to colonise the planet, and as more and more authorities and organisations clamored for a piece of the untouched paradise, the terrorist organisation known as the Green Gaians arose to defend it against development. Ultimately the government decided to ban any further development of the planet anyway, for reasons beyond that of the Gaian problem, and granted exclusive study rights to Cambridge University. The Gaians have persisted to this day, however, and claim to stand not just for Gaia, but for all environmental issues in the heavily industrialised nations.

It was only fifty years ago that the Bretonian government passed a law allowing for tourist expeditions and the construction of hotels on the surface of Gaia. Small areas of the planet have been designated as 'resort zones', allowing companies like Orbital Spa and Cruise to develop hotels and entertainment facilities. No permanent residents aside from hotel staff are permitted on the world, and the tourist season of the world lasts only five months, with the rest of the year requiring the hotels to be abandoned, aside from periodic maintenance visits.



| Leeds System |

The Leeds system is a heavily polluted system of extreme value to Bretonian interests, not only because of its extensive and heavily mined mineral deposits, but also because of the vast industrial sector which has dominated the Leeds economy for centuries. The Leeds star itself is a yellow dwarf star approaching the end of its main sequence life. Two average sized rocky worlds orbit it, one inhabited and one uninhabitable. The system is also home to vast asteroid fields of untold economical value. Due to the extreme presence of heavy elements in the asteroid fields it is presumed that they are the remnants of a destroyed world, thought to have been enormous. The Dunkirk-class Battleship HMS York is permanently stationed in the Leeds system.

The asteroid fields themselves are heavily mined. Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing has an extensive hold on the mining rights to this system, but the Independent Mining Guild also stakes a claim to several fruitful areas. Uranium is mined extensively in these asteroid fields, as well as a long list of other staple resources such as tungsten, iron, daranium, aluminium, copper, cobalt, niobium, and a great many other key resources. Unfortunately, Leeds is the most polluted system in Bretonian space. Uncontrolled industry and mining has seen vast smog clouds form right across the system, which aside from posing serious health risks also assures cover to pirates and smugglers moving through the system - their radioactive nature hides most ships from sensors.

Refinery Station LD-14 was set up at the heart of one of the largest asteroid belts by BMM for exactly this reason. LD-14 specifically deals with the enormous quantities of uranium mined in the surrounding asteroid fields. It is used by BMM to process and refine the uranium ore, and LD-14 has a number of dedicated breeder reactors for producing plutonium. Thus it is of no surprise that one of the main products manufactured on LD-14 by BMM are MOX ceramic pellets. This makes LD-14 one of BMM's most profitable ventures, as nowhere else in Bretonia has authorisation for producing MOX pellets, which are used by reactors aboard many ships and civilian facilities due to the transport-friendly nature of the fuel. Combined with the highly refined uranium and plutonium exports, LD-14 accounts for a sizable share of the Leeds system economy. The station is fitted with a large number of weapons platforms and a dedicated military patrol from HMS York frequently passes by - it is a popular terrorist and pirate target, with the Gaian's frequently attacking it for political reasons, and the Corsairs attacking it in attempts to secure sources of weapons-grade plutonium.

Glasgow Outpost orbits Planet Leeds, and is the headquarters of leading shipping firm Bowex. The station sees heavy traffic, much of it from BMM, as it is a key trading outpost. Due to the heavy industrial and mining presence in the Leeds system, most Bretonian transports found outside of Bretonian space will have typically started their journey at Glasgow Outpost.

BPA Border Station Durham is a heavily armed Bretonia Police Authority base located near the Leeds to Edinburgh Jump Gate. Although administrated by the Police Authority, the BRAF also have a sizable garrison there, and the station liaises with HMS York frequently. The primary duties of Durham include stemming the increasingly high piracy in the system, as well as finding ways to put a stop to drug smugglers using the Leeds smog clouds for cover. As the nearby Edinburgh system is the only access point into Bretonian space from outside the Great Barrier, the threat of alien incursions is also high on their list.

Between Planet Leeds and Planet Waterford lies Stokes Mining Station, sitting directly in the middle of the tradelane between the two planets. Owned by BMM, Stokes Mining Station is one of the largest such stations known to exist, and deals heavily with the metals mined from the surrounding asteroid fields. The station is also home to a massive series of refineries and blast furnaces, allowing the station to process much of the ore that passes through it into usable materials before shipping them away. Stokes Mining Station is moderately armed, to deal with the numerous pirate attacks it suffers from.

Planet Leeds

Planet Leeds is a heavily populated industrial planet, slightly larger and much hotter than Earth. The average surface temperature of Leeds is 43 degrees celcius, with temperatures nearer the equator being much warmer. Additionally, Leeds lacks sources of fresh water, which means that the entire population is essentially reliant on the enormous quantities of fresh water shipped there from the Cambridge ice nebulas.

Much of the usable land mass of Leeds is either covered with factories, processing plants or landfills and waste dumps. Leeds City itself is a highly centralised city, originally born out of a mining settlement that was started there and spreading rapidly as the population expanded to its present size of 3.056 billion. The city covers several hundred miles, and is beset with problems such as inefficient transportation and dangerous levels of pollution and crime. Most of the population is employed by the various industrial corporations working on the planet, with BMM being one of the largest employers with 13.2% of the total planet's population on their books. Indeed, most of the housing on the planet was originally built by these companies for new employees to live in, and many of the houses are still owned by these companies.

Numerous health scares have occured on the planet over the years. The most recent one involved BMM building new housing on top of a toxic waste dump and then allowing several of their newer employees to live there. No fatalities occured, but there were detrimental health effects and the company lost several million credits in compensation and legal fees. Leeds has traditionally been a haven of unrestrained capitalism, with the government turning a blind eye to activities across the entire system in view of the economical value of the industries there. However the number of health scares in recent years have forced the government to enact some clean up legislation and to enforce stricter policies on environmental issues. Even BMM, with their historical royal mandate, have had to conform to the new laws.

| Manchester System |

The Manchester system is perhaps the least important of all Bretonian star systems. With a single rocky planet of negligible use, and little commercial traffic, it is considered to be one of the only star systems that Bretonia could 'cut off' without noticing any significant economic impact. Nevertheless, the system does have some permanent residents and a number of facilities which can attract traders and scientists.

In orbit of Planet Birmingham is the somewhat large Birmingham Station, a government facility dedicated to advanced research. It is a restricted station, with only the hangar bay and a few adjacent rooms open to visiting civilians, and is known to be the home to various scientific pursuits, usually of a dangerous nature. Anti-matter research is one of the most commonly-known activities to occur, and although it is officially denied by the government, unidentified sources have pointed out that it is the primary production centre for the anti-matter used in naval warheads. Research in the fields of quantum mechanics, genetic research, gravitics and other potentially dangerous disciplines is thought to occur in the station, which is home to numerous highly specialised facilities (including zero-gravity labs, large supercolliders, and other technologies).

At a distance of 3 A.U.s from Planet Birmingham, away from the only tradelane route in the system, is BPA Newgate, a high-security prison station operated by Bretonia Police Authority. Newgate is an enormous station of unremarkable design, essentially nothing more than a giant metal cube in space, officially capable of holding over 700,000 inmates. It is also home to several large metal reprocessing plants and manufacturing facilities, which are manned by the prisoners and used for commercial production - traders are permitted to dock at the station once a month, to deliver needed supplies and to purchase anything produced by the station.

BPA Liverpool Border Station and BPA Kingston Border Station are two mid-sized police facilities which lie beside the New London and Leeds jump gates respectively. Due to the presence of Newgate in the system, the government deems the need for extensive border protection to be high, which is the reason for such an extensive police presence in an otherwise unimportant system. Police patrols launch from both of these stations regularly, constantly on the lookout for any ships from criminal organisations such as the Corsairs or the New London Rogues who might be in the system with designs on freeing their incarcerated comrades.

Planet Birmingham

Located some 32 A.U.s from the red dwarf star at the heart of Edinburgh, Birmingham is a small, rocky planet with no atmosphere. The entire surface of the world is covered in thick sheets of methane ice, making it difficult for mining expeditions to reach the rocky crust and conduct mineral studies. Most companies have determined that the world holds insufficient material value to justify the expense, and it will probably remain this way until other, more easily accessible, sources are expended.

Nevertheless there is an underground facility located on the northern hemisphere of the planet, housing a population of some three million people. IMG has a sizeable stake there, and it represents the only mining effort on Birmingham. The settlement is also home to some scientists from Birmingham Station, seeking better accommodation than that offered on the orbiting facility. The only access to the underground town is via a long shaft leading to the surface, through which only small ships can enter.



| New London System |

The New London system is the capital system, home to Planet New London as well as Planet Dover. It is a white dwarf, putting out roughly the same amount of heat and slightly more light than Sol. The two large asteroid fields mentioned above used to be plentiful sources of various key metal ores, until they were mined to exhaustion almost 400 years ago. Nowadays they are only of note for posing navigational hazards along some key tradelanes.

Southampton Shipyards is located in the New London System, midway along the Tradelane between Planet New London and the Leeds Jump Gate. The shipyards have a key place in Bretonian culture, having been built originally over 600 years ago and producing some of the first Bretonian ships in history. Today, the shipyards are owned by Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing, who have spent considerable sums of money upgrading and expanding them. At full capacity, the shipyards can work on building fifteen battleships, thirty-five frigates or large cargo trains, twenty-five cruisers, thirty gunships and seventy fighters or personal craft at the same time, making it the most productive shipyard facility in Bretonian space. Its modular nature means that it can be expanded as far as the laws of physics allow, and it is accompanied by several smaller sister yards in close proximity, also owned by BMM. Many Bretonian civilian and military ships are produced at Southampton, and BMM has also begun exporting civilian ships beyond the Great Barrier.

In orbit of Planet New London, aside from the various civilian planetary landing and capital ship docking facilities, is Trafalgar Station. This extravagant station is home to Interspace Commerce, the largest insurance firm in Bretonia. Aside from housing extensive office facilities, it also has one of the largest space-based shopping malls known to exist. It is often the first port of call for most visitors to Planet New London.

Thames Outpost is a BMM facility in orbit of Planet New London. As well as maintaining a ship servicing department for civilian visitors, it is used as the primary drop-off point for BMM transports delivering supplies to Planet New London from their mining operations in Leeds. For this reason, the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces maintains a small garrison of marines and Navy fighters there, to deter pirate attacks.

Kensington Shipping Platform is a Gateway Shipping station. For many traders this is the best place to deliver products destined for Planet New London. Goods are offloaded from transport trains and then distributed down to the planet to facilitate efficient movement of products. Although Kensington Shipping Platform is not fortunate enough to have a BRAF presence, they have been granted a licence to install civilian weapons turrets on their station, making it the most heavily armed civilian installation in Bretonia.

Canterbury Station is in orbit of Planet Dover, and is the home base of Planetform Incorporated, a plantary terraforming company which uses Canterbury as its main base of operations for its various projects in and around Bretonia. Although it receives regular shipments of resources from contracted suppliers, it is of little interest to civilian or military ships.

Planet New London

Home of Westminster city, seat of power for the Bretonian Empire, Planet New London is roughly 93% of the size of Earth with comparable gravity and surface temperatures. It has roughly 45% less landmass than Earth however, with much of the land it does have been mountainous or otherwise unusable. As a result its population of 5.9 billion people live in cramped cities which must be built up to astonishing heights in order to provide adequate housing and facilities. It is a planet characterised by heavy rain all year around.

Planet New London suffers from high levels of industrial pollution. Rain is quite acidic, and can discolour and damage clothing and even cause skin irritation to those who remain exposed to it for too long. This acidic rain has all but destroyed the small amounts of agriculture that remained on the planet, as well as causing various health concerns. Despite government reform and attempts to clean up the land and the atmosphere, thick smog can still be found lingering at ground level where few people go in some of the taller cities.

There are six main administrative districts on New London, referred to as city boroughs or just cities. Westminster City is the largest, most influential and most heavily populated city borough, as well as having the strongest economy of the planet. A great mix of people live in Westminster, from the rich and famous to the poor and underprivileged. Parliament is located near the centre of the city along with the Royal Palace of the Monarchy, both of which enjoy protection from the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces and also a healthy amount of tourism. Major shopping centres and commercial headquarters are sited in Westminster, such as the Mall of Bretonia and the Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing Building, and even the armed forces maintain their headquarters there.

West London is the second-largest city borough geographically speaking and in terms of population, though its economical impact comes mostly in the form of taxation. West End London is almost entirely a residential district with a few commercial areas for small malls and retail parks. Housing here is mostly in the form of tall high-rise apartment blocks, with entire streets being suspended miles above the ground.

Trafalgar District is the third-largest district geographically speaking, though it is considered a more exclusive area of Bretonia and does not have as high a population as East End London. Like most Bretonian cities it is high-rise in nature, though its apartments are much more spacious, technologically sophisticated, and usually have access to balconies - even those below the 'canopy', which have artificial sunlight generators to compensate for the duller conditions. Many of Bretonia's celebrities live in Trafalgar, along with much of the middle classes and several influential politicians from past and present governments. Trafalgar is also home to several well-known and exclusive fashion designers and artists, which earns it the unofficial title of 'snootiest city in Bretonia'. Festivals, parades and the like regularly take place on the suave suspended streets of Trafalgar, drawing tourists from lightyears around.

East London is considered by many to be the least sophisticated city on New London, with cheap high-rise flats dominating the landscape. With an ever-growing population, additional housing space was urgently required, and East End London is the result of a rapid and largely under-funded housing program. Accommodations are tightly packed and most of the flats are small and inexpensive, as well as being poorly maintained more often than not. Crime and pollution are key problems in this city.

North London is home to some of the heaviest industry in Bretonia, and is the borough held responsible for the vast majority of pollution that the planet suffers from. Small to mid sized ships are constructed here, as well as various consumer durables and construction materials. Much of the mining equipment used by BMM is made here by various companies, and even Aegira Technologies maintains a mid-sized manufacturing plant here. There are small residential areas here, but those who live there suffer from some of the most serious health problems in Bretonia.

South London is a mix of residential areas, mid-sized commercial ventures and industrial sectors. It has been identified as one of the oldest cities of New London, and has never been rebuilt from scratch like the other boroughs. For this reason it is a very old-fashioned and quaint district, with small local traders being found here more than anywhere else. The population here is quite low, but nevertheless it has a fair economy. Although its people value South London as being one of the only city boroughs with any sort of open space, let alone flora or fauna, the government has recently begun developing a kind of suburban district on unused land.

Planet Dover

The second planet in the New London system is only 3.5 A.U.s from the sun, making it somewhat close to the orbital path of New London itself, as well as a prime candidate for terraforming now that the capital world has become so cramped.

Planetform Incorporated has Canterbury Station orbiting above the world, using it not only as a base for its general operations but also as a facility for terraforming the world below. Although cold, the planet is home to numerous underground carbon dioxide pockets, which the company intends on releasing into the atmosphere to begin a global warming reaction. Simultaneously Planetform specialists will insert numerous oxygen-producing plants, taken from Planet Gaia, in order to make the atmosphere breathable and to kick-start an ecology.

The process is currently only in the planning stages, but when it goes ahead it is estimated to take one hundred and fifty years to complete. In the meantime, BMM and IMG are using the opportunity to mine valuable metals from the world before any environmental laws come into effect.



| Omicron Alpha System |

Omicron Alpha is one of the three uninhabited worlds contained within the Great Barrier, which are not connected to the civilian jump gate network nor inhabited by anybody - legally, anyway.

At its heart is a blue giant star, which puts out vast amounts of radiation and heat into the system. Due to the relatively short lifespan of such hot-burning stars, and the vast gravity well they command, no planets have yet formed in its orbit, though a vast nebula encompasses most of the area, and it is filled with numerous asteroids, representing the early building blocks of potential worlds.

It is this nebula, combined with the intense radiation flooding the system, which has led to the authorities considering the possibility that this system is possibly the home of the Corsairs, a clandestine, organised and numerous crime syndicate.



| Omicron Beta System |

Omicron Beta is one of the three uninhabited worlds contained within the Great Barrier, which are not connected to the civilian jump gate network nor inhabited by anybody - legally, anyway.

It is unique in that the white dwarf star is locked in binary orbit with a black hole. The medium-sized singularity is roughly possesses roughly the same gravitational force as the star, and as such they orbit in a perfect circle around a common central mass. The orbit appears stable, though it is considered to be a beautiful sight as a bright stream of stellar material spirals away from the main star and into the accretion disk of the singularity. A narrow, but dense, asteroid field is in close orbit of the binary system, thought to be the remains of a planet which was destroyed when the black hole first drifted into the system.

The black hole has the effect of creating significant sensor and temporal disturbances when in a ship enters its proximity - one unfortunate civilian ship which ventured too close to the singularity still remains trapped within the accretion disk, almost a century after entering, and rescue efforts have been unsuccessful. With some of the asteroids being large enough to possibly be used as shielded bases, authorities considering the prospect that this system is possibly the home of the Corsairs, a clandestine, organised and numerous crime syndicate.



| Omicron Gamma System |

Omicron Gamma is one of the three uninhabited worlds contained within the Great Barrier, which are not connected to the civilian jump gate network nor inhabited by anybody - legally, anyway.

On first glance at the vital statistics of the system, it appears fairly ordinary - a main sequence yellow dwarf with no planets in orbit. However, one look at the system through a window demonstrates that Omicron Gamma is anything but ordinary; a bright green nebula covers the entire system evenly, for a distance of roughly 40 A.U.s around the star. Only the immediate space around the star itself is empty, a hollow section where the nebula doesn't intrude due to the heat. This nebula, termed simply the 'Gamma Nebula', is completely full of organic, single-celled organisms capable of surviving in space.

These organisms have been repeatedly harvested by scientific teams over the years, though it became quite clear that the cells hold little scientific value for they perished almost immediately after being removed from their home. It has been hypothesised that due to the extensive electrical activity within the nebula the organisms might form part of a collective intelligence, which would mean that rather than being a vast collection of single-celled life, the nebula might actually be the largest and most complex form of life ever discovered. The cells appear to sustain themselves using solar radiation, communicate through the use of rapid electric discharges, reproduce via simple cell division, and have been witnessed consuming other cells. The green gas is their collected excrement, a prospect which makes ship captains somewhat unwilling to fly through it.

It is also extremely difficult to fly through, as the peculiar form of EM radiation given off by the organisms makes it difficult to navigate and can interfere with certain systems. For this reason, the authorities are considering the possibility that this system is possibly the home of the Corsairs, a clandestine, organised and numerous crime syndicate.



| Alpha-Epsilon System |

The first star system outside of the Great Barrier to be discovered by Bretonians, the Alpha-Epsilon system was originally an uninhabited place with an enormous, aging red giant star at its core and four Jovian planets in orbit.

It was at this system that the HMS Dunkirk first arrived, heavily damaged by its long journey, and it was here where she planted a temporary jump gate to get home through. For this reason the government contracted DSE to construct a permanent jump gate linked to the Edinburgh system, in orbit of the third planet, thus forming the first reliable means of entering and exiting the Barrier.

Since that time, Alpha-Epsilon has become one of the busiest, and most heavily fortified, star systems under Bretonian control. No less than two large BRAF battlestations, Battlestation Harlech and Battlestation Conway, are located on either side of the jump gate to Edinburgh, and the Alpha-Epsilon Defence Fleet is on permanent assignment there, consisting of more battleships and heavy cruisers than any other fleet aside from the Home Defence Fleet.

Also orbiting Alpha-Epsilon III is BPA Border Station Cornwall, a police facility that monitors all incoming and outgoing traffic with the intent of catching possible foreign terrorists as well as smugglers of contraband. Due to the inordinately heavy military presence in the system, this is the only border station in Bretonia that does not dispatch patrols of the system; instead they work closely with BRAF for local intelligence purposes.

Civilians have also established two large and highly profitable space stations in the area too, with Wolverhampton Station being the larger of the two. Operated by Universal Shipping, it was initially constructed in reaction to the Bowex's purchase of Scarborough Station in the Edinburgh System, and US intended to use Wolverhampton for similar purposes. Quickly finding that they were unable to muscle in on any significant share of Bowex's foreign trade, however, the station was repurposed as an entertainment centre and franchised to Orbital Spa and Cruise, and entertains millions of foreign and domestic visitors each year.

Interspace Commerce operates the other civilian facility, which is also reasonably close to the jump gate. Wessex Station is primarily used as a means of providing insurance to Bretonian ships planning to leave Bretonian space, for they are the only insurance company willing to do so. They also attempt to market various insurance policies to foreign visitors, such as insurance for jump gate travel, health insurance, as well as insurance against legal costs should an unwitting foreigner end up fined for breaking any travel legislation. Its secondary mission, however, and by far its most profitable one, involves renting out retail space to any company willing to pay for it, forming a space-based shopping centre that is eclipsed in size only by the one on Interspace Commerce's other station, Trafalgar.

Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming use of the jump gate, traffic jams are a common occurrence as Ageira's automated traffic control station, AT-JGCS-EAE-09, struggles to hurry the vast flow of traffic through in a timely fashion.



| Beta-Epsilon System |

A red dwarf star with no planets, Beta-Epsilon is only particularly significant in that it is planned to be the location for a second jump gate into Bretonian space, due to the Alpha-Epsilon Jump Gate having been identified as a significant bottle-neck to extra-Bretonian transportation. Beta-Epsilon was chosen primarily due to its location on the opposite side of the Great Barrier; at present, ships approaching (or headed) in that direction are forced to fly around the entire Barrier in order to reach Alpha-Epsilon.

Deep Space Engineering and Ageira Technologies both maintain a presence in the system, in close proximity to the jump gate construction site. Unfortunately the contract was put on hold by the Bretonian government several years ago due to financial reasons; had the project continued it was estimated to have been completed by 829 A.S. Upon completion, the jump gate would have linked to an identical platform in the Manchester system, which the government had hoped would become more productive in the same way that the Edinburgh system did when the Alpha-Epsilon Jump Gate was opened.

The new jump gate, still unfinished, is unique in that it is 50% larger in radius than all other jump gates in the network. It is the Version 6 Jump Gate, designed for future-proofing purposes to accommodate larger ships that might be in use in the future - present jump gates will not fit any vessel much larger than the Carina-class Battleship. It is planned to ultimately upgrade all of the jump gates in the entire network to the new Version 6 specifications, though that plan is also on hold.

[-Bretonia-]

(Reserved for historical information.)

[-Bretonia-]

| Bretonian Royal Armed Forces - General |

One organisation maintains all areas of the military; the Bretonia Royal Armed Forces. They operate a space fleet (including fighters capable of navigating in a planetary atmosphere, albeit at lower-than-max speeds) and a moderate ground force. Ground forces typically find themselves joining forces with the local police on planets where pirates and terrorists make their homes, whereas space vessels are usually put on patrol or stationed near particularly dangerous areas.

18,162,400 active personnel serving in the BRAF currently.

9,950,000 of these are not combat personnel. Engineers, cargo ship pilots, science officers, administrators and other assorted logistical and administrative personnel are all required to keep the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces functioning smoothly and efficiently. Although these people work for the Armed Forces, they are not technically combat personnel, although some of them (such as Techs, for example) can be sent into battle situations. Robots can be used to augment or replace personnel in some cases.



| Bretonian Royal Armed Forces Navy |

The Navy is the most important and highly funded department of the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces. It is a strong aspect of Bretonian culture, with a rich and honourable history, and is respected by all. The Bretonian Navy maintains a fleet of powerful warships and battlestations, as well as a number of border stations, and are involved in constant patrols of Bretonian territory, protecting Bretonian citizens from threats within and without. The Navy is increasingly becoming involved in exploration missions beyond Bretonian borders.

At present, 4,689,961 people are serving in the Bretonian Royal Navy.

First phase of training for Navy applicants is basic space training, which lasts up to 15 weeks. During the second phase, applicants will be stationed aboard an active warship for on-the-job training for a further 15 weeks. Officers must undergo additional officer training, which lasts 50 weeks. Specialised training exists for anyone in the Navy. This makes Bretonian Royal Navy officers amongst the most highly trained in the galaxy, which is worth the expense.

The rank structure of the Royal Navy is as follows:

Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral
Vice Admiral
Rear Admiral
Commodore
Captain
Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Sub Lieutenant
Midshipman
Cadet
Warrant Officer
Chief Petty Officer
Petty Officer
Leading Seaman
Able Seaman
Ordinary Rating
Junior Seaman



| Bretonia Royal Marines |

The Royal Marines serve as the light infantry of the Bretonian Royal Navy. Royal Marines are renowned throughout the galaxy as being highly skilled and capable of functioning independently in all terrains, as well as being a highly trained commando force. Serving aboard Bretonian warships, Royal Marines provide ship security and emergency support, as well as taking part in boarding operations and planetary assaults.

At present, 597,872 Marines are in active service.

Their training includes 40 weeks of basic training, plus an additional week of commando training, both of which are mandatory for all Royal Marines. Many Marines also take part in further specialist training programmes afterwards, which include courses in zero-gravity assaults, advanced demolitions, sniper training and even vehicle operations.

The rank structure of the Royal Marines is as follows:

General
Lieutenant General
Major General
Brigadier
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Acting Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Cadet
Warrant Officer Class 1
Warrant Officer Class 2
Colour Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Marine 1st Class
Marine 2nd Class
Junior Marine



| Bretonia Royal Armed Forces Army |

The Royal Army are the ground forces of the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces. Amongst the most technologically advanced forces in the galaxy, the Royal Army utilises heavy armour, long-range artillery, various airbourne vehicles and potent light arms to form a flexible, highly mobile force. Although not stationed on ships like the Royal Marines, the Royal Army must be deployed by ship if attacking or defending another world, and it is for this reason that they utilise Scorpion Armed Forces Carriers, ships dedicated to transporting troops and equipment from one world to another. The Royal Army also contributes troops to the Precision Strike Forces, of whom 75% are ex-Army soldiers.

The Royal Army is the second-largest force in the BRAF, with 3,719,271 people currently in active service.

Basic training lasts 12 weeks, during which time recruits are trained in weapons handling and shooting, survival (including NBC survival), physical fitness, low atmosphere and zero-gravity deployment, drills, cartography, field tactics and other vital skills. Additional specialist training can be taken, which can last up to 24 weeks and covers various advanced subjects.

The rank structure of the Royal Army is as follows:

Field Marshal
General
Lieutenant General
Major General
Brigadier
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Officer Cadet
Warrant Officer Class 1
Warrant Officer Class 2
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Lance Corporal
Private



| Bretonia Royal Armed Forces Precision Strike Forces |

The Precision Strike Force is the Special Operations unit of the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces. The PSF deal with unconventional warfare, counter-terrorism, reconnaissance, direct action and foreign internal defense. Trained in stealth, self-sufficiently, close teamwork and advanced tactics, the PSF typically work in small, covert groups to accomplish very specific objectives, preferably without being detected. As well as training in the use of most weapons and the operation of most vehicles (ground or space), they are also adept at hand-to-hand combat techniques.

At present there are roughly 205,296 people serving the PSF in various capabilities.

The PSF has a rigorous training regime which reportedly only has a pass rate of 10%, and the selection process scrutinises all applicants. The training courses are split into multiple phases.

The fitness and navigation training phase lasts for 5 weeks, where recruits are placed in remote areas of Planet Cambridge and placed under a series of endurance, navigation and fitness tests. Due to the cold conditions of the northern hemisphere of Planet Cambridge, many recruits have died while out on training.

Further Training lasts for 4 weeks, and consists of advanced weapons handling, advanced combat tactics, demolitions, and small patrol tactics.

Low Atmopshere Training is a grueling test whereby recruits are left for 2 weeks on Planet Birmingham, a barely habitable rocky world with a thin atmpsphere and a low temperature in the Manchester system. Many recruits die on this expedition, which involves them being forced to stand guard for several hours and run for several kilometres without fainting, all whilst carrying their equipment.

Zero Gravity Training lasts for a further week, and sees recruits being left on a purpose-built spacecraft without artificial gravity and made to complete specific mission objectives (similar to boarding operations) in a zero-gravity environment. A further 2 day course is added on dealing with spacewalking.

Jungle Training, lasting for 6 weeks, sees recruits being left in the jungles of Planet Cambridge in groups of four. Similar to Low Atmosphere Training, troops must stand guard for several hours and run several kilometres in the excessive heat and humidity without fainting and whilst carrying their equipment. Additionally, jungle navigation, camp building, boat handling and self-reliance training form core parts of this phase. Recruit must learn to live in and off the jungle, using available plants and materials to tend to wounds on their own before they get infected, and finding safe food and water sources. They must also learn to fight in the jungle, taking advantage of camoflage and cover and being able to cope with low visibility in combat situations.

Combat Survival training lasts for one month, and once more sees recruits deposited in the temperate northern areas of Planet Cambridge. Recruits learn escape and evasion techniques, learn to live off the land even further, are given lectures on interrogation techniques, and further advanced weapons and tactics training. The final part of this phase involves experienced PSF troopers hunting down the recruits, and the recruits must try to escape and survive with minimal kit and a heavy longcoat to slow them down. When/if captured, they must withstand an interrogation session.

Upon completion of the training course, the recruit will lose any previous rank held in another division of the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces and become a trooper, and must work their way up the ranks once again. They may also take additional specialist training if they wish, in such areas as sniping, languages, VIP protection, further zero-gravity and spacewalking training, and other subjects.

The rank structure of the Precision Strike Force is as follows:

Colonel
Major
Captain
Regimental Sergeant Major
Squadron Sergeant Major
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Lance Corporal
Trooper



| Bretonian Royal Armed Forces - Small Arms |

| BR-62 'Repulsor' Assault Rifle |



Type: Assault Rifle
Weight (empty): 3.9kg
Weight (loaded, with grenade launcher): 4.9kg
Length: 712mm
Barrel length: 395mm
Calibre: Fin-stabilised carbon-tungsten 6.2x45mm RBSA
Muzzle velocity: 3,700m/s
Rate of fire: 1,200 rounds per minute
Action: Electromagnetic solenoids
Effective range: 1,500 metres
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds

Designed by Royal Arms Limited and constructed under licence by BMM, the Bretonian Rifle 62 is an extremely powerful and modular coilgun rifle. It is used as the standard-issue assault rifle by the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces.

The BR-62 rifle is a twenty-two micro-solenoid, selective fire electromagnetic coilgun utilising 6.2x45mm tungsten-carbide, fin-stabilised rods in bullpup configuration. It is capable of piercing most known forms of body armour (including all Bretonian body armours) with ease as well as most forms of light vehicle armour, with only the heaviest ground armour or capital ship plating having been shown to have significant resistance. Unfortunately this has the side-effect of making stray bullets a major problem, and so in urban combat scenarios the muzzle velocity of the weapon is reduced to its lowest settings. Although still dangerous, this low setting reduces the armour piercing qualities of the weapon immensely.

The weapon has a high rate of fire (not needing to eject spent shells) and a high muzzle velocity of up to 3,700m/s, which in turn offers it a long effective range and superior penetration power. The barrel and the guiding rail are made from a sophisticated series of room temperature superconducting alloys manufactured by BMM, and utilise a combination of self-contained water cooling and air cooling heat expulsion systems, giving them a lifespan of roughly 9,000 rounds. Vents and small radiators are visible on the sides of the barrel. Reliability is rated at excellent, and aside from the battery and the solenoid arrays most aspects of the rifle can be maintained in the field. As with all magazine-fed firearms it is susceptible to jamming, but in practice this is a rare occurrence, and when it does occur can easily be rectified by the soldier.

Solenoid failures can occur, but because the weapon utilises numerous independent solenoids in a parallel circuit it can continue to fire at reduced performance without incident. Overheating can occur after long periods of continuous fire, although the weapon's internal computer forcibly shuts down the solenoids to allow the internal components a chance to cool. Given the lack of recoil, the use of stabilised ammunition, the particularly long barrel and guiding rail and the versatile tactical scope, accuracy of the weapon is extremely high, with a cited rating of 90% at a range of 350 metres when firing from crouched position. When fired from a static holding clamp in zero-atmosphere testing ranges, the weapon is almost 100% accurate.

The BRAF specified that the rifle must be a modular personal combat system, and for that reason its configuration can vary on the battlefield. The forward hand grip can be replaced with a 40mm grenade launcher, a utility flashlight, a variety of less-lethal assault systems, or a low-powered 15mj laser cutting beam emitter system (powered by the rifle's own battery). Its tactical scope offers a zoom level between 1x to 5x, allowing the operator to make use of its long range, and this tactical scope can be replaced with either a red dot, laser pointer or a standard iron sight. Although the standard muzzle velocity produces an audible sonic boom, this setting can be adjusted in the field to subsonic muzzle velocities. This has the effect of rendering the weapon practically silent, and combined with the absence of any kind of muzzle flash, the BR-62 can become a highly stealthy rifle.

The tactical scope offers the user full control over projectile speeds and rate of fire, as well as offering detailed information such as a short-range personal radar screen, ballistics details such as wind speeds, and target acquisition abilities. The scope has both a night and day view mode, and offers a thermal imaging option. All of these functions are controlled by the small control panel on either side. Semi- and fully-automatic firing modes are available, as well as a safety option (set the control switch to 'nothing').

The optional 40mm grenade launcher accepts all standard calibre impact-detonated Bretonian grenades, giving it access to stun grenades, sting grenades, fragmentation grenades, plasma grenades, smoke grenades, incendiary grenades or anti-tank grenades - all either impact detonated or set to a timer, as set by the user during loading. Specialist self-guided, heat-seeking 'missile grenades' are also available, though rarely used. The less-lethal attachment looks similar, but is only capable of firing gas canisters.

The internal battery offers enough charge for an average 5 hours of continuous fire, and can be easily recharged from any standard Bretonian ground vehicle, ship power point, mobile power generators or portable power packs. Charge can be extended by scaling down the muzzle velocity, which can reduce the solenoid power consumption by almost three quarters. These batteries use advanced chemical storage technologies which are capable of powering both the tactical scope, internal computer and sensor equipment, and the electromagnetic solenoid systems.

Batteries which are in regular use tend to lose 10% of their charge capacity per year, and according to operating guidelines must be replaced by technical staff every two years and tested every 6 months. Batteries which are in storage must be tested biannually and replaced every ten years. The battery cannot be replaced in the field, although most dedicated infantry personnel carry a small, portable power pack which can recharge the battery fully one time. Generally speaking, the supply of ammunition will be expended before two battery charges are expired.

Not requiring any form of explosive propellant, the weapon is fully capable of operating in a vacuum or oxygen deficient environment without any impact on performance, although the weapon will overheat more rapidly when used in such conditions. As there is no explosive propellant, only magnetic force, no electrical discharge as present in directed energy weapons, and because all of the electronics are guaranteed to be waterproofed down to 50 meters, the weapon can technically be fired underwater, although this is not advised when using higher muzzle velocity settings due to potential barrel damage.

The BR-62 was commissioned just under seven years ago, and has now fully replaced all of the older BR-35 predecessors as the standard issue assault rifle for the BRAF. As standard the weapon is dark grey in colour, although it can be recoloured with jungle, desert, tundra, temperate, oceanic, or various customised camouflaged colour schemes as requested. Royal Arms Limited freely markets the BR-62 for $7,500 per unit, or $4,000 for a civilian version (semi-automatic only, restricted to a 1,000m/s muzzle velocity). Modules sold separately.

[-Bretonia-]

| Bretonian Royal Navy |

The Bretonian Royal Armed Forces is the primary defensive organisation of the Constitutional Monarchy of Bretonia. The BRAF is responsible for both the navy and the army, as well as operating and defending various space stations throughout Bretonian Space. The most important, and continuous, duty of the BRAF is operating the Border Stations. These stations stand vigil over the jump gates, repelling attempts by terrorists and pirates to use the network to get around.

The BRAF primarily contracts Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing to construct its ships, with Aegira Technologies being contracted to design the small arms and vehicles of the infantry as well as some of the more advanced ship technologies. BMM is the most prominent ship building company in Bretonia, as well as operating extensive uranium, gold, copper, beryllium and boron mining operations. Aegira Technologies work closely with Cambridge University to produce high-tech equipment for various uses.

The BRAF's primary line of defence is the Royal Navy. They operate a large force of various classes of ships for various uses, the most prominent of which is defence. Lacking any significant enemies elsewhere in the galaxy, BRAF's usual targets are terrorists, with large pirate organisations also featuring.

All Bretonian vessels are equipped with transpatial slipstream drive systems, which allows for ships to practically travel faster than light. These drives are somewhat similar in effect to wormholes, in that they force the ship outside of normal space-time and effectively reduce the distance that the ship must traverse to reach its destination. Most Bretonian capital ships are also equipped with energy sheaths for defensive purposes, and numerous types of highly destructive offensive weapons.



Current BRAF Fleet Strength

This list keeps track of all ships currently commissioned in the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces. Ships that are damaged beyond repair, decommissioned and mothballed, or not yet completed will not appear in this list. Ships undergoing practical repairs or maintenance are still accounted for here, however, as they are still considered to be in active duty.
Current ships registered to the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces:

1 x Carina-class Battleship
154 x Victoria-class Battleships
37 x Dunkirk-class Battleships
1,467 x Coventry-class Cruisers
591 x Warwick-class Frigates

3,350x Mark 7 Bretonian Gunboats

47,000x Cavalier-class Light Fighters
42,000x Crusader-class Heavy Fighters
3,000x Clydesdale-B class Heavy Troop Carriers
4,500x Stafford-class Mobile Torpedo Bombers

(Additionally, 43,000x modified Cavalier-class LFs in service with Bretonia Police Authority; Emergency Conscription Act of 624 A.S. allows for use of these fighters by BRAF in times of emergency)



| Bretonian Battleships |

- Victoria-class Bretonian Battleship


[The HMS Victoria on patrol in the Cambridge System]


[The HMS Victoria on her initial posting in the Dublin System]

Length: 2,360 metres
Torpedo launchers: 64x 1,200mm torpedo tubes (24x starboard, 24x port, 8x fore, 8x aft)
Torpedo inventory: 500x Daranium-enhanced nuclear fusion torpedoes; 90x antimatter torpedoes; 50 zero-point energy torpedoes
Primary weapons: 2x 700mm mass driver guns
Secondary weapons: 60x particle beam turrets, 45x tachyon turrets
Additional weapons: 1x experimental meson accelerator cannon
Propulsion: Ion glide drive (Mark 6), transpatial slipstream drive.
Sheath: Mark 1 energy sheath, 250 external microemitters
Construction: Standard capital ship superalloy endo-exo structure with 2600mm Southampton-class adaptive hull armour plating
Fighter compliment: 50x Fighters (up to level 8 class), 10x Clydesdale-B troop deployment vessels
Estimated crew requirement: 200 officer grade, 2500 enlisted crew
Power: Type 2 fusion reactor core
Computer: Mark 10 primary core, mark 1 redundant core, A13 AI compatible, holo-interface available, Class B internal ecology support
Estimated Refit Interval: 25 years
Estimated Hull Lifespan: 100 years
Planned Production Run: Ongoing
Misc.: 440x emergency lifepods (mark 3), active protection system (700x emergency forcefield generators, structural support bulkheads, point defence lasers, electronic countermeasure system, emergency decompression protocol), Class 55 Power Distribution Network

Second in size and power only to the ceremonial Carina-class, the Victoria-class Battleship represents the pinnacle of Bretonian technological achievement and military design. The HMS Victoria, first of her class and flagship of Bretonia, was launched in 802 A.S. from Southampton Shipyards, closely followed by her sister ship the HMS Norfolk, and has gone on to become one of the most successful navy designs in history. She was laid down in 798 A.S. in direct response to newly-discovered alien warship designs, which were demonstrated to outclass the much older Dunkirk line of battleships.

Her design brief called for a flexible, heavily armed and highly durable capital ship capable of engaging and defeating numerous enemy capital ships, as well as taking on static installations and conducting coordinated assaults on planetary surfaces. Victoria is a fortress, city and command centre combined. Her hull is specifically constructed from complicated, layered super-alloys to withstand significant punishment, and her multi-tier energy shielding systems are amongst the most powerful available. Simulations suggest that two Victoria-class battleships would require numerous hours to successfully penetrate both the shielding and armour of each other.

She is equipped with one of the most destructive arsenals of weapons in Bretonian history, including advanced tachyon blasters and more conventional particle guns, which alone are capable of laying waste to the surface of a planet. Her two enormous mass drivers can fire large, 700mm depleted uranium slugs encased in superheated plasma at relativistic speeds, and they are deadly most opponents. To top off her impressive array of death-dealing instruments, she also carries numerous daranium-enhanced nuclear warheads; daranium being a rare heavy metal which is capable of significantly amplifying the effective yield of a typical nuclear reaction upon detonation. Additionally, the Victoria line has served as a testbed for the enormous, experimental meson accelerator cannon, a weapon capable of disrupting the atomic bonds of virtually any material it is fired upon. This colossally powerful weapon has yet to be fired in anger.

Victoria-class Battleships can often be seen acting as mobile command centres, taking control of entire sectors of Bretonian space and coordinating large scale military operations, such as the HMS Hood which is permanently deployed to the Dublin system. Flag officers will typically place their command aboard a Victoria battleship to take charge of fleet operations. In order to fulfil this role, her sensor suites and communication systems are extensive, and she is able to deploy numerous varieties of light craft ranging from fighters to troop transport ships. All Victoria-class Battleships carry large complements of Royal Marines and their assorted equipment.



- Dunkirk-class Bretonian Battleship


[The HMS Dunkirk on manoeuvres at the edge of the Great Barrier]

Length: 1,840 metres
Torpedo launchers: 50x 1,200mm torpedo tube (16x starboard, 16x port, 10x fore, 10x aft)
Torpedo inventory: 350x Daranium-enhanced nuclear fusion torpedoes; 60x antimatter torpedoes
Primary weapons: 2x 700mm mass driver guns
Secondary weapons: 45x particle beam turrets
Propulsion: Ion glide drive (Mark 2) (4x emitter plates), transpatial slipstream drive
Sheath: Mark 1 energy sheath, 100 external microemitters
Construction: Standard capital ship super-alloy endo-exo structure with 2000mm Devonshire-class adaptive hull armour plating
Fighter compliment: 30x Fighters (up to level 6 class), 10x Clydesdale-B troop deployment vessels
Crew Compliment: 200 officer grade, 2100 enlisted crew
Power: Type 1 fusion reactor core
Computer: Mark 5 primary core, mark 1 redundant core, A7 AI compatible, holo-interface available, Class B internal ecology support
Estimated Refit Interval: 10 years
Estimated Hull Lifespan: 80 years
Planned Production Run: 191x originally contsructed, 132x remain in service. Production ended.
Misc.: 440x emergency lifepods (mark 3), active protection system (650x emergency forcefield generators, structural support bulkheads, point defence lasers, electronic countermeasure system, emergency decompression protocol), Class 4 Power Distribution Network

The previous heavyweight of the Bretonian Royal Armed Forces, the Dunkirk-class is still considered to be a formidable class in its own right, fully capable of engaging all but the latest capital ships and emerging victorious. Although no longer in production, BRAF takes great effort in keeping the remaining Dunkirks operational due to their value to the fleet.

Once the most heavily armed and armoured ship in Bretonian history, it has since been usurped by the Victoria-class. Although lacking some of the more exotic weapons of her successor, such as tachyon blasters, zero-point torpedoes or an experimental meson accelerator, her extant armaments are sufficient to deal significant damage to any target she so chooses - particularly her two 700mm mass driver guns. Her greatest weakness compared to the newer vessels is in her protection; her energy shields are almost 40% weaker than those of a Victoria, and her armour is of an older, and slightly thinner, design, utilising obsolete super-alloys which are almost 10% less durable than those on the newer ship. Nevertheless, Dunkirk-class ships represent a significant threat whether they are alone or part of a fleet, and can still serve as command vessels.

Having served in the fleet for almost a century, there are fewer than forty Dunkirks left in operation. The namesake ship, HMS Dunkirk, was decommissioned five years ago and now functions purely as a museum ship in orbit of New London, though she is subject to a re-activation clause.



- Carina-class Bretonian Battleship


[The HMS Carina, on display for the first time near the Leeds star]

Length: 2,732 metres.
Torpedoes: 70x 1,200mm torpedo tubes (25x starboard, 25x port, 10x fore, 10x aft)
Torpedo inventory: 550x Daranium-enhanced nuclear fusion torpedoes; 150x antimatter torpedoes; 75 zero-point energy torpedoes
Primary weapons: 4x 800mm mass driver guns
Secondary weapons: 125x particle turrets, 60x tachyon turrets
Additional weapons: 1x experimental meson blaster gun (forward turret)
Propulsion: Ion pulse drive (Mark 1) (8x emitter plates), transpatial slipstream drive
Sheath: Mark 1 energy sheath, 600 external microemitters
Construction: Standard capital ship superalloy endo-exo structure with 3500mm Southampton-class adaptive hull armour plating
Fighter compliment: 80x Fighters (up to level 10 class), 15x Clydesdale-B troop deployment vessels
Estimated crew requirement: 290 officer grade, 3,000 enlisted crew
Power: Type 2 fusion reactor core
Computer: Mark 10 primary core, mark 1 redundant core, A13 AI compatible, holo-interface available, Class B internal ecology support.
Estimated Refit Interval: 30 years
Estimated Hull Lifespan: 110 years
Misc.: 660x emergency lifepods (mark 3), active protection system (1000x emergency forcefield generators, structural support bulkheads, point defence lasers, electronic countermeasure system, emergency decompression protocol), Class 55b Power Distribution Network

Commissioned to commemorate Queen Carina I's twenty-first birthday, the HMS Carina is the largest vessel ever to have been built by Bretonian shipyard engineers. She was built as a 'one-off' vessel in what was dubbed the 'Carina-class Battleship' line, though she does serve as a potent mobile refuge for the royal family and Parliament in the event of an emergency.

Sufficiently armed to lay waste to any capital ship thus far encountered by the Bretonian Military, the Carina line sports a huge number of powerful particle and advanced tachyon turrets, no less than four 800mm mass drivers, an experimental meson accelerator, and she is equipped with a large complement of zero-point energy warheads. Combined with her supremely powerful shielding and thick, advanced armour, simulations suggest that she can stand up to four or five typical battleships and emerge victorious - a suitable moving bunker for royalty, in other words.

Despite all this, she serves an entirely defensive role in the fleet - during an attack on New London, procedure dictates that the royal family and the ministers of the government must retreat to HMS Carina, and once aboard the ship joins up with the Home World Defence Fleet for added protection. Her innards bely her significant offensive capabilities; numerous luxury suites and banquet halls can be found deep in the heavily armoured heart of the vessel, all of which are surrounded by additional internal shield generators and possess their own power generation facilities. Even if Carina is crippled and much of her external mass is destroyed beyond repair, these self-sustaining suites can still survive independently.

There is one Carina-class Battleship in service, and no more will be constructed in the foreseeable future.



| Bretonian Warships |

- Warwick-class Bretonian Battlecruiser


[The HMS Warwick, in orbit of Planet Gaia with a civilian ship]

Length: 1280 metres.
Torpedoes: 24x 1,200mm torpedo tubes (8x starboard, 8x port, 4x fore, 4x aft)
Primary Weapons: 1x 500mm mass driver gun
Secondary Weapons: 90x laser gattling turrets
Propulsion: Ion glide drive (Mark 2) (2x emitter plates), advanced cruise drive
Sheath: Mark 1 energy sheath, 90 external microemitters
Construction: Standard capital ship superalloy endo-exo structure with 1600mm Devonshire-class adaptive hull armour plating
Fighter compliment: 30x Fighters (up to level 6 class), 10x Clydesdale-B troop deployment vessels
Crew Compliment: 70 officer grade, 1,130 enlisted crew
Power: Class 45 MOX-based nuclear reactor core
Computer: Mark 4 primary core, mark 1 redundant core, A6 AI compatible, Class B internal ecology support
Estimated Refit Interval: 10 years
Estimated Hull Lifespan: 80 years
Misc.: 170x emergency lifepods (mark 3), active protection system (350x emergency forcefield generators, structural support bulkheads, point defence lasers, electronic countermeasure system, emergency decompression protocol), Class 4 Power Distribution Network

An ancient, but reliable, design, the Warwick-class Battlecruiser was originally the ship-of-the-line for the Bretonian fleet, until she was replaced by the larger and more advanced Dunkirk-class. Much of the technology used in her construction is obsolete, and although some has been upgraded and added during regular refits, other technologies (noteably, particle weapons) are incompatible with the older ship and cannot be replaced without significant and unwarranted expenditures. Despite approaching her 200th birthday, however, Warwick is still considered to be a highly valuable member of the fleet, and although production ended long ago, hundreds of these ships remain in active service.

Her age pre-dates the invention of the transpatial slipstream drive FTL system, and her older cruise drive systems are slow and unreliable. For this reason, she is typically reserved for home defence with a mandate for fleet support. Although her obsolete laser gattling turrets are not ideal for engaging modern capital ships, their fast tracking time is extremely useful for long and close-range point defence work against not only missiles and torpedoes, but also fighters and bombers. These weapons are more useful for engaging smaller, less heavily armed warships in the cruiser or frigate range. Despite all this, Warwick was one of the first capital ships to be equipped with a high-calibre mass driver gun, and although her 500mm turret is smaller and has a lower muzzle velocity than newer designs, it can still pack a relativistic punch. Her main power systems, still based upon nuclear fission, are insufficient to power newer technologies such as the slipstream FTL or particle guns.

The Coventry-class Cruiser was originally intended to replace the Warwick, however changes in Coventry's design brief meant that there is still no replacement for the ageing Warwick, and the venerable line will probably continue to serve the Armed Forces for as long as ships from the class survive - and the Admiralty is taking care of the remaining ships to ensure that they do.



- Coventry-class Bretonian Cruiser

Length: 860 metres.
Torpedoes: 30x 1,200mm torpedo tubes (10x starboard, 10x port, 5x fore, 5x aft)
Primary Weapons: 1x 500mm mass driver gun
Secondary Weapons: 30x particle beam turrets
Additional: 1x experimental meson blaster gun
Propulsion: Ion glide drive (Mark 4) (2x emitter plates), transpatial slipstream drive
Sheath: Mark 1 energy sheath, 120 external microemitters
Construction: Standard capital ship superalloy endo-exo structure with 1500mm Southampton-class adaptive hull armour plating
Fighter compliment: 10x Fighters (up to level 8 class), 2x Clydesdale-B troop deployment vessels
Estimated crew requirement: 50 officer grade, 610 enlisted crew
Power: Type 2 fusion reactor core
Computer: Mark 7 primary core, mark 1 redundant core, A13 AI compatible, holo-interface available, Class B internal ecology support
Estimated Refit Interval: 15 years
Estimated Hull Lifespan: 90 years
Misc.: 120 emergency lifepods (mark 3), active protection system (450 emergency forcefield generators, structural support bulkheads, point defence lasers, electronic countermeasure system, emergency decompression protocol), Class 22 Power Distribution Network

The production brief presented to BMM workers at Southampton Shipyards called for a 'fast attack capital ship, easily produced in large numbers yet powerful enough to deal with large and small threats, and be deployed in numerous locations to protect Bretonian interests'. The Coventry-class is result of that brief; the most recent addition to the Bretonian fleet is designed to fill a vacuum between the Victoria-class Battleship and the Mark 7 Gunboat.

The HMS Coventry, launched in 804 A.S., borrows heavily from the design and technology of the Victoria-class Battleship, to the point where many have nicknamed her 'Little Vicki'. Most obvious traits carried over include the same powerful shielding technology and the sophisticated Southampton-class adaptive hull armour plating. It barely qualifies as a large vessel, with an overall length of 860 metres, but she is heavily armed for her size, with a 500mm mass driver gun, thirty particle turrets, and most surprisingly an experimental meson accelerator, along with the torpedo complement typical of a ship this size.

She also shares the same ion drive technology as the Victoria line, and the same power plant (though on a smaller scale), which combined with her comparatively smaller size and mass allows for significantly greater agility and sublight speed.



| Bretonian Support Craft |

- Mark 7 Bretonian Gunboat

Length: 130 metres.
Torpedoes: 1x Daranium-enhanced nuclear torpedo launcher (1x turret)
Secondary: 5x particle turrets, 5x laser gattling turrets, 1x auto-locking missile turret
Propulsion: Ion glide drive (Mark 1) (1x emitter plate)
Construction: Standard ship super-alloy endo-exo structure with 150mm Staffordshire-class adaptive hull armour plating.
Crew Compliment: 5 officer grade, 35 enlisted crew
Power: 1x Class 2 H-fuel based nuclear fusion micro-core
Computer: Mark 2 primary core, Class B internal ecology support
Estimated Refit Interval: 10 years
Estimated Hull Lifespan: 50 years
Planned Production Run: Ongoing.
Misc.: 3x emergency lifepods (mark 3), active protection system (50x emergency forcefield generators, emergency decompression protocol), Class 10 Power Distribution Network

Designed to provide capital ship capabilities on a small, cheap platform, the Mark 7 is the latest in a long line of Bretonian gunboats. This small vessel can be produced in large quantities at high speed, but it is a highly capable vessel equipped with particle turrets and a small complement of capital-scale torpedoes.

Due to its surprisingly powerful weaponry, the Gunboat is frequently used when larger ships are not available, or on occasions when the resources expended on deploying a larger ship to an area are deemed unnecessary. Its torpedoes and energy weapons allow it to successfully destroy a typical pirate facility, though sometimes fighter escorts and bomber support may be needed.

These vessels are employed across Bretonian space by both the BRAF and the BPA as patrol ships, and are frequently sighted by visitors to the area. Though rarely deployed beyond Bretonian borders due to their lack of any integrated FTL systems, they can travel with larger ships by 'piggybacking' on their slipstreams to engage in offensive fleet support roles.



- Cavalier-class Bretonian Light Fighter


[A Cavalier-class fighter in battle-drills]

Length: 15 metres.
Missile Hardpoints: 2x class 4 missile hardpoints.
Secondary: 2x 'Ripper' forward tachyon guns, 2x forward particle guns.
Propulsion: Ion pulse drive (Mark 2) (1x emitter plate)
Construction: Standard ship superalloy endo-exo structure with 20mm fighter-grade hull armour plating
Crew Compliment: 1 pilot, 1 co-pilot (optional)
Power: 1x Class 1 H-fuel based nuclear reactor micro-core
Computer: Mark 1 primary core
Estimated Refit Interval: 5 years
Estimated Hull Lifespan: 30 years
Misc.: 2x emergency ejection mechanisms, active protection system, Class 2 Power Distribution Network, Mark 7 ECM system, Mark 2 ESS

Only moderately armed, but highly manoeuvrable, the Cavalier is based on a much older design, but has been totally refit with modern technologies. The Cavalier lacks weaponry, but makes significant gains in agility thanks to the reduced mass afforded to it. The Cavalier is used by both the Armed Forces and the Police as a space-superiority dogfighter.



- Crusader-class Bretonian Heavy Fighter


[A Crusader-class fighter, docking for repairs]

Length: 15 metres
Missile Hardpoints: 2x class 4 hardpoints
Secondary: 4x 'Ripper' forward tachyon guns, 6x forward particle guns, 1x rotary missile turret
Propulsion: Ion pulse drive (Mark 2) (1x emitter plate)
Construction: Standard ship superalloy endo-exo structure with 22mm fighter-grade hull armour plating
Crew Compliment: 1 pilot, 2 co-pilots (optional)
Power: 1x Class 1 H-fuel based nuclear reactor micro-core
Computer: Mark 1 primary core
Estimated Refit Interval: 5 years
Estimated Hull Lifespan: 30 years
Misc.: 3x emergency ejection mechanisms, active protection system, Class 2 Power Distribution Network, Mark 8 ECM, Mark 3 ESS

A much larger, less agile, but more heavily armed fighter than the Cavalier, exclusively used by the Armed Forces, the Crusader dominates small ships and fighters in head-on contact with its significant forward firepower, and rotary ventral missile turret. Ownership of Crusaders by civilians is considered illegal, due to the high level of firepower they possess.



- Clydesdale-B class Heavy Troop Carrier


[A Clydesdale-B landing troops on a pirate base in Manchester]

Length: 50 metres
Secondary: 2x tachyon turrets
Propulsion: Ion pulse drive (Mark 2) (1x emitter plate)
Construction: Standard ship superalloy endo-exo structure with 90mm fighter-grade hull armour plating
Crew Compliment: 2 pilots, 2 techs (optional)
Power: 1x Class 1 H-fuel based nuclear reactor micro-core
Computer: Mark 1 primary core
Estimated Refit Interval: 5 years
Estimated Hull Lifespan: 30 years
Misc.: Detachable rear section for escape, active protection system, Class 2 Power Distribution Network, Mark 8 ECM, Mark 3 ESS

The Clydesdale-B Heavy Troop Carrier is a fully independent, cruise-capable vessel capable of holding nearly 150 troops inside its relatively small hull. Its cruise engines allow the small vessel to engage in short, slow FTL jumps, allowing a capital ship to deploy marines to troubled areas without necessitating her own presence.

Lightly armed and possessing no substantial armour of its own, the Clydesdale must either approach a disarmed enemy or be escorted by fighters to stand any chance at survival. Its rear section holds the troops, and can be quickly detached and reattached, allowing the Clydesdale to deploy and recall its cargo as swiftly as possible without having to wait for the troops to file in or out, putting both the crew and the troops in as little danger as possible.



- Stafford-class Mobile Torpedo Bombers


[Image of the Stafford-class, taken from BRAF archives]

Length: 30 metres
Missile Hardpoints: 4x 1200mm torpedo hardpoints
Propulsion: Ion pulse drive (Mark 2) (1x emitter plate), advanced cruise drive
Construction: Standard ship superalloy endo-exo structure with 100mm fighter-grade hull armour plating
Crew Compliment: 2 pilots, 1 tech (optional)
Power: 1x Class 1 H-fuel based nuclear reactor micro-core
Computer: Mark 1 primary core
Estimated Refit Interval: 5 years
Estimated Hull Lifespan: 30 years
Misc.: 1x emergency ejection mechanism, active protection system, Class 2 Power Distribution Network, Mark 8 ECM, Mark 3 ESS

The Stafford-class Torpedo Bomber is designed for covert missions against large targets, or for simply projecting the destructive force of a battleship without the cost.

The Stafford-class has four torpedo hardpoints mounted around its hull on the port and starboard sides. Although it can only hold four torpedoes, these torpedoes are of capital ship grade and capable of inflicting massive damage on a stationary target. Once the Stafford-class has delivered its payload, it must return to a base or ship for a re-supply.

Due to its lack of close-range weapons and relative vulnerability whilst firing, the Stafford-class must be escorted by fighters to be effective. Standard offensive procedure involves the fighters flying ahead and softening the enemy's defences (destroying weapons turrets, occupying/destroying nearby enemy fighters or gunships). Once the fighter squadron reports the defences have been sufficiently weakened, the bombers cruise in and launch their torpedoes at their targets. Typically, a single squadron of torp bombers will be present on all capital ships, fondly referred to as 'Gamma squad' by their fighter pilot colleagues.