Hot Spot: The Terran Province

(The Keystar Province)

The first worlds of mankind including the very Cradle of Humanity make up this core Province of the New Republic. At the center of the known universe these almost sacred planets hold great significance to nearly every person in the Human Sphere till this day. Their importance only seems to grow with time increasing in stature with each passing year. After all this is were man first developed civilization and initially went to the stars with the revolutionary KF Jump Drive. Most of these worlds have remained Terran even through the Outer Reaches Rebellion and the subsequent disintegration of the Terran Alliance. Of course these star systems became the hub of the Hegemony and helped make Terra the galactic mediator of the Inner Sphere. Untouched by war they developed a level of sophistication unrivaled by any other region of known space. This undisputed fact was recognized by the Great Houses of the Inner Sphere when these worlds became the very heart of the Star League and home to the new unified capital of man. Driving the Golden Age of Humanity forward with its industry and innovations these planets became the very pinnacle of civilized society. The barbarous Usurper bought an end to this region’s long held safety and for the first time exposed it to the horrors of war. While the Earth and her neighbors experienced some turmoil when the Terran Alliance collapsed (2314-2315) it paled in comparison to the suffering experienced during the Amaris Coup. Brutalizing the populace for more than a decade the great deceiver took pleasure in this hardship committing unspeakable atrocities against these worlds closest to Earth and the Cameron dynasty. Unfortunately this region endured the longest under this madman’s reign of terror before the SLDF could successfully liberate it from the evil grip of Amaris. This occupation touched off a migration of people from Sol not seen since the time of the original Exodus. A full third of its native populace left Terra to begin their lives anew elsewhere. Since General Kerensky freed the area it has slowly begun to recovery from the deep scars of the Usurper. While great progress has been made it remains to be seen if this Province will ever reach its pre-Coup stature.

While it was the last Province of the New Republic to be rebuilt by Project Phoenix the Terran worlds still eclipse all other planets in the Outer Provinces by several important factors. It has already achieved great heights in social and economic development as Terra is home to some of the earliest interstellar settlements. Its value in terms of historical and religious significance makes the region almost holy to all of mankind. Despite the tremendous damage caused by the Amaris Coup this area is still one of the most productive in the known universe. As a result reconstruction efforts progressed and continue to exceed the restoration efforts of all other Provinces. In fact the Terran Province has relied more on native manufacturing than foreign salvage to rebuild due to its own industrial strength. The only impediment to this colossal industry is a lack of natural resources. Once rich with raw materials many Terran worlds have seen their native mineral supplies dwindle to almost nothing. The Outer Provinces are stretched to their limits now trying to fill the void left by foreign imports used extensively during the Star League era and are currently unable to meet the needs of the Terran Province. In spite of recycling efforts if new deposits aren’t located within a generation untold problems could face the nation. One benefit to its location at the center of the Human Sphere is that trade has always been strong in this region. Recent circumstances have changed this former strength to a weakness. Security concerns, political isolation, and rising hostilities have all conspired to strip this region’s interstellar trade. Unlike the resource crisis this stance could one day change, but this remains doubtful judging by the current atmosphere. Science and agriculture both remain strong, again primarily due to the areas vast industrial might. Despite the loss of personnel this Province has rebuilt its places of learning and scientific infrastructure at a greatly accelerated pace enabling a strong revival in this sector. The restoration of the agricultural capabilities of the province received high priority in the early days after the liberation of Terra. These efforts were vital to ensure sufficient food supplies to feed the large Terran population. Recently the agricultural output of the province has approached its pre-war levels, which opens the possibility of exporting surplus food supplies to other provinces or nations.

The Terran Province has popularly become known as the Keystar Province because of its shape on the map but it is also known as the Central or Home Province of the New Republic. The entire region is the very heart of the Terran nation as shown by the constitutional requirement that the heir to the Regency must serve as Premier of this Province for five years before he or she can assume the position of Regent. The Keystar Province is considerably less static than the Outer Provinces of the nation when it comes to politics. Its citizens can best be described as pragmatists often making the best of a bad situation. Currently they solidly support a conservative agenda that promotes isolationism and strict neutrality. Given the current state of affairs with the Great Houses this seems to be a wise decision. Many Terrans are baffled by the House Lords greedy moves to secure the throne of an officially defunct organization. While some sympathize with certain nations of the Inner Sphere there seems to be no love lost for the Draconis Combine. Their actions during and after the Coup have earned House Kurita almost universal contempt within the Province. Many believe that any negotiations with that realm are now and forever doomed to failure. In stark contrast is the people’s view of the Free Worlds League, which they believe is just going through a temporary lapse in competent leadership. Only the Lyran Commonwealth’s image has recovered slightly thanks to its new Archon and its free travel allowance for Terran ships involved with Project Phoenix. Citizens of the Keystar Province don’t fully trust the Federated Suns or the Capellan Confederation despite their endorsement of the Centuran Accords because of their inaction during the Amaris Coup.

Thanks in large part to the early colonization practices of the Terran Alliance the worlds in this Province are inhabited overwhelmingly by peoples of Western cultures. These North American and European roots have come to embody what the Inner Sphere views as a traditional Terran. Ironically Terra itself is the most ethnically diverse planet in the Human Sphere even after the recent Diaspora that followed the Amaris Coup. What has changed is the almost wholesale disappearance from the region of any Inner Sphere nationality. Many who had connections or sympathized with the Great Houses left after Operation Liberation and that suits many just fine. Many Spheroids still believe Terrans are an arrogant bunch who talks about being an opened society but falls short of listening to any opinions but its own. English is the only universal vernacular of the Province but nearly any other spoken tongue can be heard here. Romance languages such as Spanish, French, and Italian are popular second dialects while the Sol System itself has an enormous variety of verbal communications. While Christianity, led by the Catholic and Protestant faiths, is the dominate religion of the Province all other major religions (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism) are also widely practiced here. Recently the New Avalon Schism has tested the influence of the Catholic Church on Terra. As new age faiths are looked down on as pseudo-religions or cults by the people of Terra the actions of the Cardinal of New Avalon are viewed as highly dubious. Followers of the “one true church” have informally dubbed their faith, the Terran Catholic Church. Even though political authorities have so far managed to stay clear of this religious issue it has further strained relations between the New Republic and the Federated Suns.