Muskegon
(References to Muskegon)
Note: X and Y are coordinates (light years on XY plane) relative to Terra at (0, 0)
X: 164.42 Y: -99.95 [e]
Contents
Planetary Data
When first settled, Muskegon was described as a harsh, marginably habitable planet on which survival depended on equally harsh measures.[1]
Plantary History
Colonization
The colonists who settled on Muskegon never planned on settling there; their original destination was the nearby system of McHenry, but soon after their departure from Terra in 2163 their JumpShip malfunctioned in the Muskegon system, leaving them with little choice. The Captain and crew of the colony JumpShip used the fact that they controlled systems vital to the colony's survival to install themselves as the ruling class, with absolute power over the colonists. Stern measures were set in place immediately that ensured that knowledge was retained even if it wasn't of immediate use, and this enabled the colony JumpShip to be repaired in 2177, allowing exploration of the systems around Muskegon, laying the groundwork for further colonies ruled from Muskegon. Within a few generations the society on Muskegon had polarised, with the bulk of the colonists consigned to the Colonist Class of workers, while the descendants of the officers and crew of the JumpShip made up a Crew Class of aristocrats, headed up by an individual with the title of Expedition Commander. The office of Expedition Commander became hereditary, with the individual holding the office known as the Commander of Muskegon and invested with near-dictatorial levels of power.[1]
Brief Moments of Empire
Despite the inhospitability of their world, the population of Muskegon prospered; the colony JumpShip was sent out to look for a more habitable home for the colony, but instead discovered the worlds of Beten Kaitos and Emerson, only marginally more habitable than the Muskegon system but rich in resources. The decision was made to allow a group of volunteer colonists to attempt to settle Beten Kaitos, while a group of criminals and politial prisoners were summarily deported to Emerson. Both groups managed to survive and grow, with their colonies ruled directly from Muskegon; the raw materials extracted from both new colonies was then used by the rulers of Muskegon to found colonies on other worlds, allowing the Muskegon Empire to expand to a total of seven planets including Muskegon itself. Each of these planets were ruled by Governors chosen from amongst the Crew Class, each subject to the absolute rule of the Commander of Muskegon[1]
When ships from the Chesterton Trade League made contact with the population of Emerson in 2195, Emerson became a member of the Trade League, with the tacit approval of the Governor. Emerson's ties to Muskegon were weak because of the manner in which the world had been settled, but the Commander of Muskegon viewed membership of the Trade League as an opportunity for Emerson to become a port of entry for trade between the Empire and the Trade League, with high tarrifs on that trade bringing in enough revenue to make the endeavour worthwhile.[1]
The Federated Suns
Despite the stagnation of the class system and the greed displayed by the ruling class, the various worlds of the Empire prospered, particularly after the Demarcation Declaration saw the Terran Alliance withdraw from most of the colony worlds. After the Terran Hegemony came into being in 2314 Lucien Davion visited Muskegon along with the other worlds of the Crucis Reach as he constructed the Crucis Pact. The current ruler of Muskegon, Commander Jehan Achmeed, opted not to sign the Pact and join the Federated Suns when it formed in 2317 as he had yet to decide if the Pact would dilute his power base or enhance it. However, in 2318 he elected to have the Muskegon Empire join the Federated Suns. In doing so, he set the stage for the first border war between the Federated Suns and the various nations of the Capellan Zone, as years of discontent over the harsh rule of the Commanders led to the two vassal worlds of Emerson and Beten Kaitos refusing to join the Federated Suns and instead petitioning to join the Chesterton Trade Federation.[2]
Garrisoning Military Force
3025
Owner History
- 2163 - Terran Alliance [1]
- 2240 - Muskegon Empire [2]
- 2317 - Muskegon Empire [2]
- 2318 - Federated Suns [2]
- 2596 - Federated Suns [4]
- 2750 - Federated Suns
- 3025 - Federated Suns [3]
- 3030 - Federated Suns
- 3040 - Federated Commonwealth
- 3052 - Federated Commonwealth
- 3057 - Federated Commonwealth
- 3062 - Federated Commonwealth
- 3067 - Federated Suns
- 3130 - Federated Suns [5]
Nearby Planets
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 23, "Muskegon"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 24, "Muskegon"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 135 - "Unit Deployment Table"
- ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 159, "Inner Sphere - 2596"
- ↑ Map of the Inner Sphere 3130