Trade Codes: Ag, GA, Ri

Karin is a large, rich, garden world as close to the middle of the Five Sisters as is possible. It has large oceans covering two thirds of its surface, with all of the climate zones one expects from an Earth-like planet. It was a perfect world for settlement.

The original settlers of Karin hailed from the Solomoni sphere of influence along with a not insignificant number of Aslan and Vargr seeking new lives. Several colonies were formed by various groups around the world. While all the nations had some form of representative rule, as they expanded, these new nations eventually began to have friction and conflict and frequent wars, not unlike Europe in the second half of the second millennia AD on Earth. As was normal for Imperial doctrine, this was tolerated as the internal affairs of the planet. The Imperium set up its naval base, and kept the fighting on the planet, not letting it spill out into the greater Karin solar system, lest it disrupt supplies. For years, this kept things contained.

Tensions were building with the Zhodani towards what would become the Third Frontier War. The fighting between nations on Karin, though not particularly destructive to the planet were seen as a potential threat. In 970 Admerial Arnend Ustinov, the commander of the local Imperial Navy base petitioned the Imperium for direct intervention. He called in the Imperial Marines to pacify the warring nation-states (three wars were, in fact, ongoing at that time) and quell the violence. The moved proved prescient, as Zhodani infiltrators were found during the campaign.

Placed under outside military control, and stripped of local armies (disdainfully referred to as “militias” by the Imperial forces, the various nation-states of Karin found themselves forced to compete in non-military ways. Planetary economics became the new battle ground. The Navy administration mostly ignored these actions, while putting down the occasional liberation movement, such as the brutal destruction of the Karin Liberation Army at the hands of the Marines. Ironically, these economic fights resulted in strong economic practices and robust economies. Two large power blocks emerged, led by Roosevelt, a Federal Republic, and Sommerland, a Parliamentary Democracy. Other nations generally sided with one or the other.

Various consortiums formed from national companies, trading with the Imperium at large. The largest customer was always the Navy, and the most successful was Thunderbird. The company originally was owned an operated by the nation of Lakota for their own military, but it retooled for the Imperial Marines and then Navy, absorbing other defense contractors as it grew. Today, it is one of two large suppliers of military hardware and support with in the Five Sisters (the other being Tyrndi Dumakair based on the planet Iderati).

Karin’s income is a mixture of fine agricultural goods

In the 1080’s, an independence political movement began to gain traction with people across several nations. It started in Roosevelt but spread to Sommerland and other nations. This movement gained the interest of several lessor Imperial Nobility, strengthening its cause. In 1093, the first Planetary Congress was formed, with representatives from all the largest nations. The Congress established much of how the various nations could work together with a common voice. The Second Congress was formed in 1097, this time with the explicit intention for seeking independence. Five years later in 1102, the Navy agreed to end its administration of the world, and the nations of Karin were free. While the Navy expected them to fall back into war, that is not what happened.

The nations of Karin formed the United Karin Confederation, based largely on ideas from the previous two Congresses. While not every single nation joined, the majority did, including those aligned with the Roosevelt and Sommerland blocks. This planetary government, often called “The Connies” deals with the outside world and settles national disputes.

Law Level is in flux with new planetary government. It varies in the different states, from open carry of weapons to significant restrictions. Roosevelt is known for its lax weapons laws, but harsh penalties for assault and murder. Sommerland, is quite restrictive. The least restrictive is Apocalypto, a nation of majority Aslan and Vargr living together. Visitors should note however, that aggressive use of weapons will be met in kind by citizens, making the nation one that is quite polite.

Karin’s naval base is one of several forming a ring around the Droyne worlds of Andor and Candory. Due to the extremely strict nature of the Red Zones around those worlds, the nearest Imperial systems all have naval bases and forces there are on high alert. Caution is advised, as the Imperial Navy is more than ready to fire on vessels attempting to slip through or sneak something past the blockade.

As a result, like at Mirriam, extremely thorough inspections and customs checks are undertaken and any irregularity can result in a ship being impounded and stripped down to the hull braces, while the crew get pretty much the same treatment. Vessels capable of making the three-parsec transit are viewed with more suspicion than those that obviously could not reach Candoy.

Naval Assets at Karin: BLOCKADE SQUADRON CANDORY 1 Escort Destroyer 4 Escorts HEAVY SUPPORT SQUADRON 4 Escorts KARIN FLOTILLA 2 Fleet Destroyer 2 Escort Destroyer

Karin’s scout base is a full way station, serving as a repository for communications vessels plying the long route back into the Imperium as well as between Imperial base worlds in the subsector. Karin is along an X-Boat Line. The Scout Service has recently acquired several ex-Navy tankers and Dromedaries (ships that carry both fuel and dry stores), some of which support scout missions in their original capacity, i.e. as resupply vessels. This is rapidly becoming known as the most boring job in the Scout Service apart from x-boat-pilot duty. As x-boat pilots joke; at least aboard an x-boat you’ve always got someone interesting to talk to.