Colony Common Name: Harroule IV
Colony Local Name: Duureanta
Government Type: Republic
Population: 120 million
Principal exports: Electronic components, narcotic medicines and illicit drugs
History: One of the last colonies established by the Intaki prior to the founding of the Gallente Federation, Harroule IV has had a difficult history. The original planetary surveys showed that both silicon and naturally occurring ferrites were present in large quantities, making it an ideal location for the production of the small electronic subcomponents necessary for the construction of most technological devices.
What those surveys did not show was that the planet’s dominant vegetation was an indigenous variant of the plant the Intaki call khuska. Traditional Intaki cuisine makes use of the khuska seeds, which are smashed into a paste known for having a sweet, nutty flavor. Oil extracted from the paste can also be used in the preparation of pain-relieving medicines.
One of the colony’s early distinguishing features was its large non-Intaki population. Of its initial 2 million settlers, 500,000 were not Intaki. In fact, several of colony’s governors in the early years were of Gallente descent, including Pierre Montblanc, who is credited by many as setting off what is known as the Khuska Conflict.
It was during Montblanc’s first term in office that a debate on the khuska plant so common to the planet began to take shape. For years, a small amount of the plant had been harvested for use in making medicines. When the volume of industrial production began to rapidly skyrocket, however, some began to surmise (correctly) that the plant was actually being used to fuel illicit drug operations in the nearby regions lawless space.
Montblanc initially requested a panel of experts explore options to address the situation, but he became frustrated by what he called the “endless debate of the Intaki Intelligentsia.” To quickly stem the production of khuska oil, Montblanc ordered that millions of acres of khuska fields be burned.
Several groups, including not only khuska producers, but also environmentalists who feared what would happen when so much ground was cleared of vegetation by fire, immediately opposed the order. Montblanc’s comment also incited an anti-Gallente backlash that was promoted by agent provocateurs hired by the illicit drug producers.
The final breaking point came when Montblanc was re-elected governor of the colony. Almost immediately accusations of election fraud began to circulate and a series of riots caused several deaths. Montblanc declared martial law and ordered planetary defense forces to enforce a mandatory 24-hour curfew, effectively placing the entire colony under house arrest.
The order proved to be too much for Commander Bhagat Jinnah, leader of the defense forces. Jinnah, and those troops loyal to him, declared Montblanc’s administration invalid and moved to seize control. The resultant civil war lasted nine years and, when it threatened to bring the Ostingele colony into the fray, brought the Intaki Assembly’s policy on colonial self-rule into question.
The Khuska Conflict came to an end with an armistice agreement brokered by Idama Adhrit Vaakpati. A plaque at the entry of a war memorial in the capital city of Vaashnapoor includes a quote from the Idama reading “Peace is not something you wish for; It is something you make, Something you do, Something you are, And something you give away.”
In the years since the war, the colony has generally prospered, although the illicit drug trade of the neighboring Intaki Syndicate is still a cause of some strife. Today, the locals call the colony Duureanta, a word in the Intaki language that translates loosely as “without end” and alludes to the popular belief that the peace agreement will last in perpetuity.
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Topic: [Planet] Harroule IV (Read 2208 times)