Preface

Broder History and Evolution:

In the far reaches of the known galaxy, three giant planets revolve around an enormous sun. These three planets, each with four moons, peacefully co-exist with each other. These planets have been settled by a race known as the Broder. The Broder are a humanoid like race, bipedal and upright, looking much like a human.

Once they developed space flight in their fourth century of technological enlightenment, they reached out and established colonies on the other planets. Soon, these colonies flourished and became known for their exports and rich mineral deposits. A thriving shipping system grew from a fledgling meager fleet of experimental cargo lifters and upper atmospheric lifting bodies to the interstellar conglomerate it is now.

The capital planet, Broder Prime, the largest of the three, and most heavily populated, contained the regal senate and the executive leadership. This planet, diverse in environments, yet mostly agrarian, also housed the military academies and the majority of the armed forces. Each of the planets had an equal number of representatives in the senate and all decisions were made in a democratic forum, with the executive leader, a chancellor, making the final decision. The military advisors to the senate were all highly decorated; combat experienced general officers that took their work very seriously. They knew that any decision to deploy their forces, no matter how small or what type of deployment, required thorough planning and investigation.

Broder Prime was also the preferred retirement planet for former soldiers, as they would be given a suitable tract of land, a position in one of the many academies, teaching or instructing, or gainfully employed in one of the numerous military development companies.

Over the centuries, the Border not only became focused on technology, exploration and minerals, their well trained, armed and disciplined military became a part of legend. Many neighboring races and planets had called upon the Broder to assist them with security or skirmishes with other races. Many times the Broder would provide a cadre to train the native forces or just their presence within the system would put a stop to hostilities.

On Broder Gamma, this world was home to all the high tech academies, colleges, trade schools and manufacturing facilities for the nano technology that permeated the planets. All computerization and robotics are done on this world. Not as heavily populated as the capital planet, yet still rich in resources, whereas most citizens are scientists, professors, engineers or factory workers.

On Haven's Folly, named after the founding astronaut who thought of the idea of mining and exporting the rich mineral deposit, the population is smaller and mostly miners, bioremediation specialists and geo-engineers. Sparsely populated, it is mostly rocky and in some places, still volcanic.

Broder Gamma has a facility there that is developing a new robotic mining system, although still in the test stage. They have only just recently sent probes to the vast asteroid and debris belt on the edge of their system, which forms a natural barrier. The small military presence on Broder Gamma has been upgraded, due to the increasing problems that have been occurring.

The source of these problems is a band of unknown raiders that have attacked several cargo haulers and then retreat to the relative safety of the belt. Broder forces have patrolled the area, but cannot find this outpost.

Broder patrol ships and heavy cruisers sweep the area looking for any sign. What has been recovered from the raids, points to an unknown race and older technology.

The Broder senate has agreed to send four Dreadnought class heavy cruisers with six Puma class frigates in support and a complement of four troop transports, each containing fifty thousand soldiers to the edge of that system. Traveling with this flotilla is a diplomatic envoy to officially convey greetings, solicit a closure to the raids and, a possible trade agreement.

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