The constellation of Serthoulde remains a black sheep of the colonization of Placid. While adjacent to the highly populated worlds of the Beyt constellation, and the industrialized colonies of Amevync, Serthoulde is an infrastructurally anaemic pocket of space; whether its location in a far-flung corner of the Federation, particularly being adjacent to Pure Blind, or whether its the central government's lack of enthuse to invest in the area has been debated for time immemorial. With virtually no stations to contribute to the local economy, or encourage interstellar traffic, the constellation is left as a remote frontier, though this contributes somewhat to local patriotism.
Regardless, colonists from the south and elsewhere in the Federation have nonetheless braved the depths of space and settled down all across the Serthoulde area, mostly establishing agricultural settlements with no real ambition other than to carve out an area of land to call their new home. However, it remains under threat from Serpentis elements that carve out deadspace areas for their various drug manufacturing projects, and Guristas that occassionally roam into the area for easy pickings. Unlike elsewhere in the Federation, where worlds are either protected by the military or the corporation that settled that particular planet, the need to protect Serthoulde was always on the agenda of the local district parliament. Advisors to the Senate were unsuccessful in their bid, the central legislature stating that no more Federal military resources could be deployed beyond the current detachments.
Instead, a colonial militia was formed, similar to many other independent colonies in the Federation. With no Caldari megacorporate security force, no Amarrian Holder's own private army, and no Matari clan to protect them, the Serthouldeans finally decided that the safest bet for their future security and prosperity was to just defend themselves. Several, hand-picked individuals were sent to the Federal Navy Academy in Alparena (the only station in the constellation) for training as officers in this newly-formed militia, dubbed the 'Serthoulde Frontiersmen'. Afterwards, the FNA sent instructors to the various colonies in the local area, along with the freshly trained militia officers, to begin tutoring men and women who had voluntarily signed up, juggling their current occupations along with their new roles.
As such, Serthoulde became fiercely proud of its independence, with the ability to both sustain and defend itself. The self-determination coin, however, was two-sided. On one hand, it was used by Intaki secessionists to promote their cause, on the other, it was used by ethnic Gallenteans (that had settled in the area alongside the Intakis by coming up through Orvolle from Essence) to demonstrate the might of the Federation's virtues in conquering the frontier with no help from anyone (especially the government) other than from your fellow spirit.
The Serthoulde Frontiersmen were one of the more highly trained colonial militias of the Federation, since they had minimal reliance on the Navy or Army, or any megacorporate security force. However, when the Caldari occupation came, the Frontiersmen career in defending their homes from pirate raids seemed to be coming to an end. Even if they had proved adequate beforehand, they stood no chance against the landing forces of the State Protectorate, Caldari Navy and, later, Home Guard. They simply held up their arms and accepted their new status as Kaalakiota subjects.
When the State occupation was ejected, however, a detachment from the local Federal Defence Union station in Mercomesier assisted in the reformation of the Serthoulde Frontiersmen with re-equipping and re-training. Though, in May 112, with the CONCORD Planetary Development Treaty, the role of the Frontiersmen looked increasingly in doubt. The small population boom, with fresh colonists moving to staff the new capsuleer facilities, along with the minor migrations of those from the original settlements to the more dangerous outposts with promises of increased richs than what they already have caused the local district parliament to begin debating whether the need for the local militia is now superflous, especially given the near-immunity and protection provided by the new capsuleer colonies.
Even with their future unclear, the Serthoulde Frontiersmen will nonetheless remain a proud testament to the fierce self-determination and virtue of the people there, remaining a benchmark example across the rest of the nation of what it means to be a true Federation hinterlander, whether Gallente or Intaki.
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Topic: Serthoulde Frontiersmen (Federal colonial militia) (Read 1845 times)