The Sung

[BMonnery]

The Slaver War is described on 1st ed PM pgs 16-7. It had three major phases.

Firstly, the Manchurian Navy shot down the entire Akcheektoon fleet with little loss. Then military ground forces from several nations (although the largest contingents were Manchurian and Canadian) landed on Mother and reduced the Akcheektoon bases by siege. Finally, the Terrans cut deals with the other nations on Stark, gave them technological aid and they took down Akcheektoon as proxies.

Manchuria and Canada acquired territory in Akcheektoon as part of the peace settlement, and Akcheektoon had to pay reparations. Mother has effectively passed to Manchu-Canadian control.

However, the PM also states the other Sung nations (assumidly lead by Sokeeha, as per Randy's stuff) indeed have acquired stardrive technology and have built stutterwarp ships. However Akcheektoon is forbidden the technology. I'm assuming the Sung on Doris are Akcheektoon, is that a reasonable assumption?

NARL (Challenge mag) notes that Xiang slavery continues, so assumidly, the Akcheektoon's were shipping them back to Stark and selling them as labour, where there are still populations of Xiang slaves in the other nations.

This brings me too a question, the Sokeeha etc., are now operating Starships and plan to colonise several worlds on the Chinese Arm (as of 2300), any guesses on which ones?

 

[rfmcdpei]

My article is "Notes on the Sung-Xiang Encounter (DM+4 123)" is here.

However, the PM also states the other Sung nations (assumidly lead by Sokeeha, as per Randy's stuff) indeed have acquired stardrive technology and have built stutterwarp ships. However Akcheektoon is forbidden the technology. I'm assuming the Sung on Doris are Akcheektoon, is that a reasonable assumption?

To throw in another possibility, it seems that by 2320 Akcheektoon might well have recovered its previous position. It was the dominant power in the DM+4 123 system for a century, and while battered it seems to have been able to recover. Compare France after the Central Asian War and the War of German Reunification, say.

NARL (Challenge mag) notes that Xiang slavery continues, so assumidly, the Akcheektoon's were shipping them back to Stark and selling them as labour, where there are still populations of Xiang slaves in the other nations.

I read that more as some Xiang slaves in facilities located away from Home of the Mother and Stark being quietly kept, shuttled about as useful slave workers.

This brings me too a question, the Sokeeha etc., are now operating Starships and plan to colonise several worlds on the Chinese Arm (as of 2300), any guesses on which ones?

The Sung were going to establish a colony on Chengdu's Anyou continent, I think. The failure of that settlement, if it was a Sokeeha-led mission, might well have been one of the things that pushed the Akcheektoon back to the top.

 

[BMonnery]

True, but Akcheektoon is still effectively occupied, even if not actually occupied. They need to overthrow their Human (Canadian?) oppressor first.

The existing slavery issue is interesting. The Slaver War was 2 Xiang lifetimes ago, and they "need" Dirt-Mothers to survive. Either the slave trade continued post-2255 (which implicates Humans (Manchus?) in a new slave trade), or breeding Xiang and Dirt-Mothers were moved to Stark. I find the former darker.

Then of course, the Xiang have "agreed" to continue strip mining Mother, they're just getting paid instead (with Manchuria extorting their pay from Akcheektoon as "reparations"?).

Personally, I see no reason why a Sung colonial effort should fail, especially if they can piggyback Manchurian facilities. I followed up and checked the CA, and indeed, the Sung placed a Manchu backed colony on Xi'an (not Wuqi [sic Anyou]) in 2305.

 

[rfmcdpei]

The existing slavery issue is interesting. The Slaver War was 2 Xiang lifetimes ago, and they "need" Dirt-Mothers to survive. Either the slave trade continued post-2255 (which implicates Humans (Manchus?) in a new slave trade), or breeding Xiang and Dirt-Mothers were moved to Stark. I find the former darker.

I actually hadn't taken account of the Xiang life cycle. You're right: If the Xiang life cycle is that short, and if there remain Xiang in custody, then you have to have the one or the other.

Personally, I see no reason why a Sung colonial effort should fail, especially if they can piggyback Manchurian facilities. I followed up and checked the CA, and indeed, the Sung placed a Manchu backed colony on Xi'an (not Wuqi [sic Anyou]) in 2305.

But it failed, ostensibly because the gravity was too high, and has since become a community for resettled German refugees. That's a bit odd, since Ericsson has greater-than-normal gravity but it has managed to retain a considerable and growing Sung population.

My take on the situation is that while Akcheektoon was taken down a notch by the Manchurian-Canadian forces, its overall standing in the Sung community wasn't necessarily harmed. Akcheektoon played a dominant role in the DM+4 123 system because it was the most advanced of the Sung nation-states. The intrusion of space aliens with invincible FTL drives made it a second-ranking power, but it doesn't seem obvious to me that a less-advanced Sokeeha would be able to benefit from Terran hegemony.

Ranger says that the Manchurians were upset that the Slaver War wrecked the potential for normal trade with Akcheektoon. Maybe they've been trying to cultivate it as a favourite partner. "It's a pity that the Sokeeha colony failed and took that country to second place, but it's so nice that Akcheektoon is leading the Sung in establishing a growing presence on the Canadian Finger"?

 

[BMonnery]

I actually hadn't taken account of the Xiang life cycle. You're right: If the Xiang life cycle is that short, and if there remain Xiang in custody, then you have to have the one or the other.

Or both, which would be really dark.

But it failed, ostensibly because the gravity was too high, and has since become a community for resettled German refugees. That's a bit odd, since Ericsson has greater-than-normal gravity but it has managed to retain a considerable and growing Sung population.

My take on the situation is that while Akcheektoon was taken down a notch by the Manchurian-Canadian forces, its overall standing in the Sung community wasn't necessarily harmed. Akcheektoon played a dominant role in the DM+4 123 system because it was the most advanced of the Sung nation-states. The intrusion of space aliens with invincible FTL drives made it a second-ranking power, but it doesn't seem obvious to me that a less-advanced Sokeeha would be able to benefit from Terran hegemony.

Ranger says that the Manchurians were upset that the Slaver War wrecked the potential for normal trade with Akcheektoon. Maybe they've been trying to cultivate it as a favourite partner. "It's a pity that the Sokeeha colony failed and took that country to second place, but it's so nice that Akcheektoon is leading the Sung in establishing a growing presence on the Canadian Finger"?

It's a possibility. Of course, I pretty much reject a lot of 2320, so to me the colony failing in that isn't a given IMC.

The Sung social system is set up that the Humans would immediately be recognised as top dog in the new order. However, something I hadn't considered was how different starfaring nations could play the old "India" game with the Sung, although maybe Manchuria is powerful enough to try and keep the other nations out?

I will have to check whether both enclaves are in Akcheektoon, otherwise I can imagine the Canadians putting their enclave in Akcheektoon, while Manchuria puts one down in Sokeeha and conducts normal trade.