Corporate Reconstruction Zone
The Corporate Reconstruction Zone is the name for all former Sol Alliance territory gained by the Republic of Biesel, outside of Tau Ceti's gravity well. These territories were occupied after the Alliance abandoned their outer territories due to governmental collapse and the formation of a military junta. The Alliance cut these colonies' lifelines off, and only the Republic would step up to fill the void - mostly through cataloguing and subsequently selling nominal economic rights of the systems to the megacorporations belonging to the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate.
The "Zone" is an area of instability and logistical chaos, though many once-Alliance colonies exist in relative peace compared to the adjacent Human Wildlands. This is owed to two factors; the presence of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, and the federal authority of the Republic of Biesel backing up the planetary governments. To avoid the ire of the Conglomerate and its allies, warlords and other groups antagonistic to civilized society refrain from entering these territories, with some notable exceptions; Admiral Klaudia Szalai and her Military District, prior to the restructuring of the Alliance and government control being returned to the Middle Ring, had regularly launched raids into the Reconstruction Zone.
Within the Zone, slow progress is being made to restore order and rebuild the territories under a Biesellite banner - through the guiding hand of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. Not all of the colonies here are fully subservient to the Biesellite rule. In fact, this varies purely on an individual basis. Many find the collapse of the Alliance to be pinned on both Republic and Conglomerate scheming, while others accept the newfound bifurcated administration with open arms.
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Notable Locations
- Mictlan is a regional superpower within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, once housing the central administrative headquarters of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate and their operations within the area. After the Republic of Biesel declared the Peacekeeper Mandate in response to rising tensions on the planet, the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion and later the Tau Ceti Armed Forces entered a a guerilla war with the paramilitary insurgent group known as the Samaritans, and the political party-turned-political dissidents the Founding Movement. Roughly two years after the original declaration of the Peacekeeper Mandate, a ceasefire was settled between Mictlan and Biesel's governments and the Samaritans, with the insurgents surrendering in exchange for Mictlan's considerable independence from all but Biesel's capital law.
- Port Antillia is a malleable colony within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, with limitless potential for the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. Juggling its integration into the Republic of Biesel with its own internal struggles, the volatile circumstances of the planet allow it to be the perfect playing ground for any who wishes to mould its progression. After a fierce election which saw Julien Guerrier elected as premier of the planet, Port Antillia has begun to move away from the laws of the Republic of Biesel, enacting the Reverence of Life Act that forbids cyborgification on the planet. Though Port Antillia has made strides in diplomatic relations with Tau Ceti and NanoTrasen, time will tell if Julien Guerrier's aim to make the voices of Port Antillia heard will prove effective or not.
Peacekeeper Mandate
The announcement of the Peacekeeper Mandate by President Joseph Dorn in mid-October 2463 sparked demonstrations across the Corporate Reconstruction Zone as citizens voiced their concerns over the deployment of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. Considered by critics of the Dorn administration to be the most controversial policy it had enacted, the Peacekeeper Mandate was introduced to bring order to the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. The Mandate was enacted to ensure loyalty to the Republic of Biesel and its benefactor, the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, but were opposed by several insurrectionist groups such as the Samaritans and the Founding Movement.
Initially meant to operate for a definite period, the Peacekeeper Mandate was altered to operate indefinitely until the unrest encountered in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone has been quelled. Whilst the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion was able to resist the insurgency groups, the Private Military Contracting Group was hired to support their operations. The PMCG contributed to the Peacekeeper Mandate significantly since their introduction to the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, although much controversy arose over allowing a private military company to assist in what was considered an occupation and annexation. The Stellar Corporate Conglomerate had already begun massive development operations on the surface of the planet, which many Mictlani objected to on the grounds of mismanagement, pollution, and a lack of concern for workers' rights.
In early 2464, the Peacekeeper Mandate took a rather violent turn following the death of a scholar. As riots erupted across the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, but primarily within the major population centres present on Mictlan, the forces of both the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion and the Private Military Contracting Group found themselves supporting the Mictlan Defense Force in quelling the unrest. Despite their best attempts, the Samaritans seized the chance to use the unrest to strike the vulnerabilities present utilizing a series of urban guerrilla tactics to severely damage the abilities of the stretched-thin forces present.
In July 2465, this culminated in the establishment of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces to finally attempt to stomp out the insurgents. Conflict, stoked by demonstrations and riots from the Founding Movement, gradually came to a head after several months of fighting. After a climactic operation on the beaches of the continent Huitzilopochtli, Xiomara Salvo, Prime Minister Ladislao de Santos, and Nathan Trasen finally agreed to a ceasefire, on several conditions. Provided the majority of Samaritans surrendered (and were pardoned), Mictlan would be permitted to determine which Biesellite laws were accepted within its own territory, barring capital crimes. The Peacekeeper Mandate was deemed over, and the Armed Forces finally returned to Biesel.
Megacorporation Influence
The Stellar Corporate Conglomerate has made strides in expanding itself within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, utilizing Mictlan as its regional headquarters within the somewhat stable territories. While there still exists some resistance to their presence, most have been satiated by the lucrative deals negotiated between the planetary governments and the megacorporations that dominated the Orion Spur. Development of infrastructure increased financial assistance, and much more have all been promised to those that align themselves with the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. Thousands of small businesses across the Corporate Reconstruction Zone were cannibalized by the megacorporations, utilizing their manpower to fuel their expansion across the newly acquired territories.
In the aftermath of the departure of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and the establishment of several new laws that limited on corporate influence on Mictlan, many Conglomerate facilities have reduced their operations or returned many of their staff to Tau Ceti.
Exclusive Economic Zones
Exclusive Economic Zones are different from Special Economic Zones present within the Orion Spur. It is a carefully crafted agreement between the Republic of Biesel and the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, which allows for the megacorporations to solely be relied upon regarding operations with examples of which are resource harvesting or even the production of entertainment. This has been enabled through the cataloguing and subsequently selling of nominal economic rights, typically through bidding exchanges with the proceeds going to the Republic of Biesel. Where the Exclusive Economic Zone is owned by the entirety of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, there is a dividing up of which megacorporations operate in certain fiscal sectors, resulting in a much more competitive environment than cases where a singular megacorporation has managed to acquire titular commercial rights over a system.
Refugees and Asylum Seeking
The Republic of Biesel is experiencing an ongoing refugee crisis, mostly as a result of many fleeing the clutches of the Wildlands. Supported by the Interstellar Aid Corps, the Republic of Biesel has created several outposts to handle the influx of asylum seekers along the borders of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, where possible utilizing pre-existing boundary colonies. Designed to act as a holding facility for those wishing to enter the Republic of Biesel, they have become infamous for their poor conditions as a result of funding issues and mismanagement. While the Interstellar Aid Corps may present itself as the bastion of hope within the depressing Orion Spur, these facilities are often viewed as contrary to popular belief.
Despite the Republic of Biesel having created the outposts, the Corps is responsible for the staffing and maintenance of these facilities. Outbreaks of disease are common, and many of the facilities are barely capable of providing enough meals to feed the refugees and asylum seekers that have been redirected to their care. The Interstellar Aid Corps continues to attempt to raise funding so that they can alleviate the problems experienced, but so far has done so with little success in spite of the reported promises by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate to invest.
Synthetics in the CRZ
Following the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, and the expansion of the Republic of Biesel into its abandoned territories now recognized as the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, the lives of many were thrown into a state of turmoil and confusion, particularly synthetics that were stranded within lawless regions across the greater Orion Spur. While the Republic of Biesel has and continues to salvage a large number of synthetics that were deserted within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, there is still an abundant amount that are considered to be living in unsafe conditions by the Interstellar Aid Corps. Those in particularly anarchic regions are often preyed upon and attacked in order to harvest their limbs and circuitry and due to restrictions instituted by their prior owners, most are incapable of harming people or property. It has resulted in those unable to flee from the assault having to endure the damage done to them without the ability to fight back, with reports of Tau Ceti Foreign Legionnaires encountering incapacitated synthetics that appear destroyed, but upon further investigation oftentimes are capable of holding a conversation with their rescuers.
Those who are recovered from the Corporate Reconstruction Zone are oftentimes funnelled into the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, an opportunity presented to them to earn their freedom. This has been somewhat successful, with most opting to undertake the opportunity after having their limitations removed by a machinist. Those that refuse the opportunity are oftentimes sold, either to the megacorporations or individuals who can afford them - usually discounted due to most having been heavily damaged during the unrest that was present following the collapse of the Solarian Alliance.
There have also been cases of odd behaviour from some simpler and more controlled synthetics. Most notably, a Hephaestus "Second Generation" Industrial Model was located within the ruins of a factory that had been burned down after rioters had broken through its blockade months prior. The Hephaestus "Second Generation" Industrial Model was discovered to be continuing its work as a supply chain operator, picking up and placing down the same charred objects that it had been doing so since the destruction of its workplace, only interrupting the process to recharge itself with the badly damaged machinery located across the burnt factory.
Most synthetics salvaged by the Republic of Biesel find themselves directed to District 14, located on the edge of Mendell City. More than likely, synthetics finding themselves within the district rely on the Trinary Perfection in order to maintain themselves - with the Church usually taking advantage of the opportunity to both offer their services and attempt to convert synthetic refugees into believers. While their numbers have increased significantly since the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, many within District 14 still choose to keep at arm's length from the Church.