MOD:WCU:WC0:PrivRF
(Pasted in from a forum post, but later edited)
Has Gemini been explored/conquered yet? WCrevival's timeline says:
2639 The central metropolis of New Detroit begins to spread over the entire planet. Over the next 30 years the entire planet will become one huge city. --Privateer Manual--
Which means that at the beginning of our time period New Det ought to have been established, already.
Also from WCrevival, after the loss of the Tiger's Claw:
2657.016 "Treacherous Hero" is released. --KS Calendar--
2658 The Particle Cannon enters service. --KS Manual-- The last great confict between Confederation and Kilrathi forces in Gemini Sector takes place. --Privateer Manual--
2664 Mordecai Jones joins the Church of Men. --Righteous Fire-- Finally, by late 2664, only a handful of troops remain on either side on Repleetah. The sole surviving Terran officer, Lieutenant Miles D'Arby, leads his men in a last-ditch effort to overrun the Kilrathi position. No one lives through this last action. The Battle of Repleetah has finally come to an end. --KS Manual--
Perhaps we could add a set of missions in Gemini:
One might suppose that those systems north-east of Perry, the ones with Kilrathi names, were taken from the Kilrathi, militarily, around this period?
I'm thinking, if Mordecai Jones joins the Church of Man in 2664, probably the Church of Man already existed before WC1, and we could learn something about its origins. Perhaps it was some small group of 'spiritual luddite' lunatics that got coopted by mandarins.
What I was really hoping was to make them a distorted fork of a more philosophical, less fanatical movement of Steltek believers, who aim to limit destructive technologies --rather than the erradication of all technology.
Unfortunately, there's nothing about Steltek before 2667, when...
2667 The Anti-Matter Gun enters service. --KS Manual-- Dr. Lemuel A. Monkhouse discovers relics, dated at 2.4 billion years of age, of the ancient Steltek race on his Mars site. This find shakes the scientific community and calls into question previous estimates of the age of the universe. --Privateer--
Although...
This is also the first evidence found which supports the "Steltek Hypothesis", the postulation that an advanced, galaxy-spanning civilisation existed before the so-called "Dawn of Intelligence". That evidence is confiscated by the Confederation. --Privateer--
...which implies that the "Steltek Hypothesis" predates Mars Sita... So, not all hope is lost.
Also, at around this time, we might suppose there's some system somewhere around Gemini where Menesch is becoming governor...
Monte said:
The man is a menace. Years ago, Menesch was governor of a base in a more populated system. As his influence grew, so did his lust for money. He had used his connections to sell Confederation ships, mostly Talons, to outlaw groups such as the pirates and the Retros. It’s been years since his administration collapsed, and now, he’s come out of hiding to do business in Gemini. It seems more than coincidence that your gun should disappear with Menesch around. I wouldn’t put anything past him. If he can stoop to becoming the Retros' main supplier, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had connections with the Kilrathi.
Let's see: Menesch will eventually get kicked out of office for corruption. But for now, if his thing is selling Talons to pirates and retros, it means he has contacts deep within Confed Decomissionings. Or, could it be that he had military rank before he went into politics?
Where are the retros at this time? We know that, before the start of Privateer, Burrows gets attacked by retros at Sheol station in Callisto System, Avalon Sector. That's a couple of jumps West of Fariss quadrant. And Menesch was governor somewhere near, but not in, Gemini; so probably Avalon. The Scarab's run was from Baroda.
I'm googling around to find out if there are any references in WC lore as to where Decomissionings is based. If nothing comes up, we could have Decomissionings being moved to Avalon. There might be a small retro base in Avalon somewhere, as well. Maybe several. Come to think of it, the Retros, at this time, are divided, if we consider what Monte says:
"Let me try to pacify you. I know that the Retros have recently been united. ... [by Jones]".
That implies they used to be divided.
"Years ago, Menesch was governor of a base in a more populated system.."
Probably means "more populated sector". Governor of a base... Could be a base in a system in Avalon which is also home to Confed Decomissionings... Decomissionings ought to be connected to a shipyard, as much of the material recovered from scuttled ships would be recycled. Do we know of any shipyards in Avalon?
And when Menesch gets deposed and goes into hiding, he then gains contact with the Kilrathi. Where is that?
Allow me to suppose that could be in the Grovsner Colonies...
Not sure who (probably the CIC Encyclopaedia) said:
The Grovsner Colonies did not participate in negotiations between the Kilrathi and the Confederation that lead to the False Peace. Nothing else is known about the Grovsner Colonies.
But we do know where they are; right between Gemini and Kilrathi space.
And how on Earth do the tiny Grovsner Colonies manage to exist right next to Kilrathi space?
I'd say because their government allows people like Menesch and the Mandarins a hiding safe-haven, and so the kats leave them alone.
Not that I'd have missions that go into Avalon, or the Grovsner Colonies; I'm just thinking for the purposes of forming a big picture about what's going on everywhere. Perhaps some facts, such as Menesch getting elected governor could come up as a news item or bartender rumor.
From a post of mine at the Privateer Remake forum:
By 2629, New Detroit has been settled already, but hasn't yet grown to a planet-wide metropoli. Perry is probably a small military outpost. By about 2639, Menesch will become governor of a planet in a system in Avalon (West of Gemini). Not sure which system yet, perhaps Baroda, in the Challenger quadrant; but it would probably better be a system that includes a planet base with a large population, as well as a Confed shipyard. This shipyard will later be expanded to include ship disassembly, scuttling and recycling; and it eventually comes under the control of Confed Decommissionings. By about 2649 (after Cluster's Carnival), Menesch is kicked out of office and faces corruption charges. He escapes direction South-East. Crosses all of Gemini, and ends up at the Grovsner Colonies, right on the Kilrathi border. The Grovsner Colonies are a very independent bunch who refused to participate in the signing of the armistice or Torgo. How can they manage so much independence right next to katland? My theory is that they are a safehaven for criminals like Menesch, and to Mandarins; so the kats leave them alone. Menesch gets to meet mandarins there, who eventually introduce him to important Kilrathi characters. There may be an unofficial jump line connecting Grovsner with 44P-1M.
