Kanon
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Kanon (pronounced /'Kænɔn/) is a major state of the Expanse and a founding member of the Zodiac Outworld Colonies Union. Its official name is the Principality of Kanon if its Supreme Elector is a Great Prince or Princess as has been true for most of its history, and is the Duchy of Kanon if a Great Duke holds the position. It is a constitutional elective monarchy with a stratified social system favouring an institutionalised class of transgene nobility. There are no political parties in the ordinary sense nor an effective Separation of Powers. Instead, the noble transgene lineages able to participate in governance negotiate in the interest of their dynasties, assets, supporters, and initiatives. Major decisions are made by the consensus of the Electoral Council with the Supreme Elector as a figurehead position and to represent Kanon legally in the capacity of Head of State and Government.
Since the end of the ZOCU War, from which it emerged with a generally positive record, the Principality of Kanon has emerged as a guiding star amongst ZOCU worlds, often seen as bridging the differences between the "hawk" and "dove" factions within the Union. Although thought of as a stronghold of "transgene conservatism" (or even "genetic fascism") many pan-ZOCU political movements have in fact found credence among the transgene nobility and has therefore made Kanon a political arena that wields considerable influence. Despite frequent accusations by the UN for lack of democracy and violation of human rights, Kanon is also widely regarded as stable, secure, developed, and relatively open. The economy is highly diverse, advanced and powerful, with high tech research, Theta dust resources, transgenics, and pharmaceuticals being among the key areas. Kanon is also a cultural and education leader, having the largest value of media exports in the Expanse and several renowned institutions of learning attracting transgene students from throughout the region.
Climate and Geography
Kanon and its sister world Saki are the second planets from Nitori 130, a G6V star somewhat smaller, cooler and older than Sol. The barycenter of this system ranges from approximately 0.85 to 0.87 AU distant, or approximately halfway between Venus and Earth. Being less massive, Kanon's surface gravity is noticeably lighter whereas the atmosphere is noticeably more dense. Visitors from most other worlds, including Earth, tend to find Kanon much more pleasant. Stays on Kanon are associated with improved short term health, especially for those already with ongoing health problems.
Presently, the climate is in a hothouse state and most likely has been for the past five hundred million years. Snow and glaciers are rare, being restricted to only a few areas; no ice caps form over the ocean at either pole. Most places experience a moist temperate to subtropical climate, with tropics along the equatorial coasts. The year is about ten months long and seasons are regarded as wet or dry rather than warm or cold through much of the planet. There are relatively few deserts or mountains, while wetlands and rainforest are dominant. The large mass and proximity of Saki causes tides of nearly a hundred meters in some areas. Tidal wetlands (of a very different sort than on Earth) are a distinct biome of Kanon, as are tidal forests, flying reefs and a variety of other ways in which life has adapted to large, regular changes in coastline and high levels of erosion.
Overall, Kanon has over 111 million square km of surface land area - a little over twice the area of Eurasia - with additional areas exposed intermittently. There are three continents: Chrysanthemum Europe, Lotus Asia, and Rose Oceania. Only Chrysanthemum Europe, a northern hemisphere continent roughly the size of Africa, is developed. The primary settlements of Kanon are located in various areas near the west coast. Lotus Asia is by far the largest continent and extends across the southern hemisphere. Rose Oceania is a remote, mostly northern hemisphere archipelago with the vast majority of its shelf below sea level.
System Astrography
Nitori 130 is a G6V yellow dwarf somewhat smaller, cooler and older than Sol. It is located along the PACT arm of the Sphere; the interstellar catapult path reached it in 2180. It is a fairly stable and inactive star, not prone to sudden outbursts or violent phenomena.
Shana (I) is the innermost planet, a hazy, reddish-gold terrestrial world. It orbits at 0.43 AU and masses about 0.285 Earths. Shana has a thick atmosphere with a surface pressure of about an MPa and a runaway greenhouse effect that renders the world quite similar to Venus. This hostile environment makes it a comparatively uninteresting object. Its vicinity is occupied by autonomous scientific and military satellites only.
Saki (IIb) is Kanon's enormous water moon (more accurately sister planet) whose presence causes dramatic tides and a very well lit natural night sky compared to Earth's. Although surface conditions are unpleasant to unprotected humans, Saki has an atmosphere, liquid surface water, and a biosphere dominated by primordial microbes whose colorful cycles give the ocean moon repute as a natural wonder of galactic standing.
0 Teru is a co-orbital quasi moon of the Kanon-Saki system, an oblong rock roughly 6km long. It appears from Kanon's perspective to follow a very erratic path around it in a 1:1 resonance with the annual orbit. The entirety of space around it was designated the eleventh S-Class Security Area following the war.
Saint's Ring is a tight debris ring located at around 1.3 AU from the sun. It was a militarily significant feature of the system during the ZOCU War although the Kanonian Spatial Militia generally considered too close to the PACT fleet presence around Kanon.
Sola (III) is a terrestrial planet that appears white-blue-violet due to its thick atmosphere - like Shana, it is also about an mPa at the surface and so is something of a cool Venus. It is almost exactly an Earth mass and orbits at about 2.14 AU. Although the mineral and chemical resources of Sola are believed to be economically significant if exploited, the vast untapped potential still on Kanon has left commercial interest in Sola to the future.
Air(IV) is a light pink to rose gas giant. It is about 80 Earth masses, making it somewhat smaller than Saturn, and orbits at 3.86 AU. Its proximity and significant gravitational presence keeps the inner system mostly safe from what would otherwise be catastrophic bombardment from the Robe. Although not a "hot jupiter" type world, Air is fairly close to its sun and has comparatively benign magnetic and radiation fields, making it a good source of Helium-3.
The Robe is a huge debris disk with an inner edge at around 7.3 AU and extends way out. Its collective mass is up to three orders of magnitude greater than that of the Kuiper Belt and has a density sufficient to be nearly visible from Kanon itself. There are many objects of significant mass and large potential mineral reserves. During the PACT invasion, much of the KSM hid within the Robe to await their chance for action.
History
The Principality of Kanon is a ZOCU power founded in the 2080's by an alliance of corporate foundations ruled and owned by a newly established class of enormously powerful and wealthy transgene dynasties. Although initially guised as an economic venture, the Kanon mission's true nature became increasingly obvious as repeated appeals for immigration rights, improved baseline employee relations (and participation) and accelerated development of the highly desireable world were vetoed one after another by the executive council: - Kanon was first and foremost a jointly owned private resort. As Norio Saitama, CEO of Saitama Industrial Zaibatsu the future first Supreme Elector of Kanon, remarked with unusual political bellicosity that "...baselines will be as welcome on Kanon as transgenes are on Earth." To this day, Kanon's immigration policies remain stringent and are widely regarded as being purely an economical convenience. In the Core, Kanon is frequently criticized for its lack of support to its baseline minority and its openly discriminatory policies institutionalised in its transgene grading and peerage system. The UN Human Rights commission frequently issues reports to the effect that "...it is impossible for a human being to flourish and prosper with dignity without engaging in gross genetic change." ZOCU of course point to Kanon's very high rate of first generation adoption of transgenic enhancement and the fact that the false assumptions underlying the concept of nobility from a thousand years before were now proven scientific facts.
Despite outcries by everyone from the scientific community, to legislators, to international activist groups, the transgene-run conglomerates had simply amassed too much power and successfully mired political and legal proceedings for the better part of a century. Meanwhile they proceeded with a gradual campaign of divestment for its high level operations and capital from Earth, transplanting them along with some key industrial potential to the heavily privatised colony. The much greater isolation of outer space made interference a difficult prospect in the early years and establishment of a virtually autonomous haven for the rich and enhanced was clearly already in mind.
The Breakdown represented a massive loss by the relocated elite as they lost touch with their assets on Earth, especially the vast bulk of the physical production infrastructure as well as a pair of completely unexpected opportunities. Kanon's large Theta dust reserves suddenly became a priceless resource, giving Kanon a vast strategic advantage while conventional D Drive ships wallowed uselessly in the grip of the virus. Given Kanon's already independent minded population however, the loss of contact with the Core was a even greater boon and the executive council immediately elevated their ambitions to full statehood. With indigenous Theta dust supplies, significant high tech sectors already in place, and self-sufficiency already part of the long term plan, Kanon was better equipped than most worlds to stand alone. Once the immediate gremlins were shaken off and vital heavy infrastructure established, Kanon asserted independence and joined Londenium and other states of the Expanse to form the Zodiac Outworld Colonies Union. A constitution was established, detailing the grades of transgene nobility and the system of intergenerational social mobility was put into place. Although initially a much smaller world than Londenium, Kanon grew rapidly in importance over the decades, involving itself in the defense of Nidaros and eventually formed a part of the expeditionary forces to the League to assist in their own fight against the Magnates.
In the immediate aftermath of the reconnect, the Core engaged with Kanon with unease but not necessarily hostility. Indeed, there were signs in the first year of normalisation, including the completion of the Kanon cut of the PACT catapult arm and the pragmatic recognition of Kanon's success during the Breakdown years. A small wave of immigrants even managed to acquire settlement visas in exchange for small political and economic nods in the reconvening United Nations. All this of course, came to nothing - tensions rose through the 2180's culiminating in the ZOCU War which tore through the Sphere in the latter half of the decade. Kanon was an early major terrestrial front, the Kanon campaign in which pan-PACT forces attempted without success to knock the key ZOCU world out of the war early. The world continued to be a central pillar of the Union throughout the conflict.
Thanks to the ideals of its founders, Kanon's economy is primarily high-tech and its population is overwhelmingly transgene to at least some degree. By the legal standards of the EU, the rate of "significant" genetic modification in the general population is about 91%. Above and beyond even most ZOCU members, Kanon has become known for tis stringent immigration policies - a product of the ruling class's desire to keep the planet to themselves, balanced only by the necessity. With plenty of room still for settlement on the planet, the principality essentially operates a pyramid scheme, allowing generations of immigrants and making sure they earn enough to move their descendents up the ladder.
Politics, Genetics, Economy
On the surface, Kanon's system of heritable nobility is backwards by a thousand years. Although unpopular in the democratic Core however, Kanonians consider it to make sense. The ancient assumptions of nobility running in the blood are now scientific facts, and a natural pathway of intergenerational social mobility. Kanon imports immigrants to operate in the lower strata of society and in turn these immigrants fund the genetic upgrades of their children who move upwards generation by generation.
Paramount Leader
Kanon is non-democratic (obviously). At its highest level is an oligarchy which rules partly by consensus and partly by competitive politick. A paramount leader is selected by the electorate to represent Kanon legally as a head of state and government. This selection is usually on the basis of charisma, political acceptability, and ability function as a face or initiator of circle discussion rather than personal political assets. The paramount leader is elected for only a single Kanonian year, which is shorter than a standard Earth year. By custom however, an incumbent leader can expect to serve multiple terms. The paramount leader is generally a junior Prince or Princess from a ducal lineage - it is generally thought of as non-beneficial to the career of an established politician or administrator.
Ducal Lineages
A Class A or B lineage is considered a ducal lineage. The Duke or Duchess of a lineage is generally tied for its least genetically advanced member at any given time but would normally be in control of the family's considerable assets. Ducal lineages have deeply entrenched power and financial depth and generally direct political policy to keep it that way. Notably, even with the disruption of the ZOCU War, no ducal lineage has lost its status, though some have risen or fallen significantly in fortunes.
Comital Lineages
A Class C or D lineage is considered a comital lineage.
Lord
Non-lineage noble class transgenes.
Knight
A knight is a military transgene. This is generally not a popular upgrade as it does not provide the financial and, eventually, political advantages of having more balanced transgene offspring who eventually almost match knight class upgrades in their specialties anyhow. Moreover, the brightest commanders and officers are, obviously, mainstream nobility. However, it does have the advantage of government subsidy. Knights have their own classifications ranking from Level 1 through 4 in ascending order of potency. The title is heritable within the military career - the genetically pure descendent of a knight is also a knight if he or she enlists.
Branch Families
Breaking new ground in transgenics is expensive and difficult and generally pay-by-the-child but once a transgene line is established, further members of the same template on the next generation is (with some odd exceptions) as simple as having children. Family branching is a controverisal strategy that is sometimes formalised among upper class families - the designated leaders are enhanced or updated concurrently with supporting family members who are "mass produced" on the same generational template as their parents. This practice reared its ugly head in the media in 2190 when Kanako Kuga Reizei, branch member of the Kuga family took the lives of four half siblings of the main family in a mass murder believed to stem from intra-clan conflict. The Kuga lineage stated it would cease the practice.
Commoner [32]
Physical: +1 [3]
Reactions: +1 [3]
- Research Education: +1 [1]
- Appearance: +1 [1]
Population: 90% (x4)
Nobility [47]
Physical: +2 [7]
- Matchless Grace: +1 [1]
Reactions: +2 [7]
- Preternatural Perception: +1 [2]
Intelligence: +2 [7]
- Power to Operate Shinkirou: +1 [1]
Social: +2 [7]
- Byzantine Conspiracy: +1 [1]
- Stunning Appearance: +1 [1]
- Miscellaneous Moe: +1 [1]
Integration: 19-7 [12]
Population: 10%
1 unused point
Stats
A1) Early National (+100 CIP)
A2) Dominantly Transgene (+2 Transgene)
A3) Garden World (A8)
A8) Cash Crops (+100 Wealth)
B1) Artifact Find (+100 Dust -> B4)
B4) Active Machinery (+300 Theta, -200 Dust)
C1) Artifact Find (+100 Dust -> B4)
B4) Reverse-Engineerable (+1 Tech)
D1) Broken Down (+100 PIP -> D3)
D3) Theta Hub (+200 Theta, +100 Wealth, -100 Dust)
E1) Solidarity! (+100 Dust, -Debt, Treaty of Sirius)
G1) Guiding Star (+1 Transgene, +1 ZOCU Relations, +1 Morale, +1 Tech)
G2) Center for Research (+2 Techlevel, +1 Tech, +100 CIP, -100 PIP)
G3) Midseason Uglies (+250 Theta, +1 Thetatech, +100 CIP, -50 Dust)
N1) Space Monarchy (+2500 Military, +100 PIP, +1 Transgene)
Z1) Development Hell (+1 Techlevel, -1 Tech)
Total: +4 Transgene, +2500 Military, +200 Wealth, +100 PIP, +300 CIP, +750 Theta, +3 Techlevel, +2 Tech, +1 Thetatech, +1 Morale, +1 ZOCU Relations, -Debt, -50 Dust
Applications
+1 Mega-Particle Application, +1 Power Application, +3 Hangarize Application, +4 Shipbuilding Application, Cruiser Construction
+1 Mecha Application, +1 Shield Application
Tech Levels
Global: 22
- +6 Transgenics
- +32 Hangarize
- +7 Mecha
- +7 Power Systems
- +32 Megaparticle Weapons
- +42 Basic Theotech
- +877 Advanced Theotech
- -3 Shipbuilding
Military
Warships
Impossible Request class battleship
The Impossible Request is the aptly named, rumored Pallada replacement battleship project being undertaken by Kanon. Its pan-ZOCU designation is Lydia class.
Recollection class cruiser
Mobile Weapons
One of the problems ZOCU had was that they had a zillion variants of everything. No one was ultimately guiltier than Kanon itself.
KMF-132 Virago
Even before smuggling the OMF-06 prototypes offworld and certainly long before the any space combat models even began assembly on Kanon, the Hoplite had to be turned to another task. The PACT invasion on Kanonian soil was a severe and immediate danger; even if they failed to interdict the plans they might still knock Kanon out of the war. Thus, the first mass production versions of ZOCU's new mobile suit were ground attack variants under the Kanonian designation KMF-132 Virago. The Virago reached the lowland defense lines in a slow but steady trickle. where they were provided ample opportunities to field test. From April through the end of the year, the suit received monthly minor updates. The design was eventually adopted for the strike oriented Hoplite Gamma.
KMF-133 Knightress
The Knightress was Kanon's local variant of its own flagship mobile suit.
The Knightress shared over 80% parts commonality with the standard Hoplite Alpha but had uprated electronics, homegrown systems and a dizzying surfeit of gadgetry that made it a difficult but ultimately rewarding variant to pilot.
Origin: Ginte Group
Primary Operator: Principality of Kanon; exports to ZOCU and friendly Rim/Expanse governments
Alternate Names: Hoplite Kappa, Hoplite 2k, Hoplite 2000, Hoplite Knightress
Date Of Introduction: 2185
Role: 3rd generation mass production mobile suit; local variant
Control System: linear frame; pilot only
Height: 16.0 meters
Weight: 53.2 tons (standard combat loadout)
Powerplant: 2 x K-0N forced fusion
Main Thrusters: 4
Apogee Motors: 14
Fixed Armament:
Options:
Defensive Systems: laminate armour
OMF-06KT Hoplite Tau/KMF-168
OMF-13
OMF-21/KMF-219 Valkyria
Origin: -
Primary Operator: Principality of Kanon
Date Of Introduction: 2190
Role: 4th generation mass production mobile suit
Control System: 1080 panoramic/linear-seat; pilot only
Height: 16.0 meters
Weight: 55.0 tons (standard combat loadout)
Powerplant: 2 x dc reactor
Main Thrusters: Mercurion furnace
Apogee Motors: 18
Fixed Armament:
Options:
Defensive Systems:
KMF-225 Nanoha
Historic Mobile Weapons
KMF-042 Huntress
The Kanonian designation of the standard OMF-04 Peltast. Widely produced in an initial version and a homeworld defence version optimised for Kanon's wet climate and forested terrain. One test type eventually became the KMF-055 Marin.
KMF-055 Marin
KMF-111 Acgal
KMF-180 Urin
Key Locations
Hourai Island is a site within the upper tidal area of Syene harbor, being an island during high tide. Its bedrock is lined with tidal bore caves, some of which have been sealed over the past century. The island lies well within Syene's anti-aerospace umbrella and was heavily refortified during the PACT invasion of the world. It is presently one of Kanon's eleven designated S Class Security Areas. Although the Kanonian regime never acknowledges or denies the site, it is now widely believed to be the site of sensitive research and production facilities. Kanon is ZOCU's largest producer of Theta dust within ZOCU, accounting for over half the Union's reserves in this strategic resource and fluctuations in this supply correlate well with observations of activity on Hourai island.