Star Sector 2: The Mercantile League

The Mercantile League

The Foundation Of The Mercantile League

The origins of the Mercantile League of Planets are bound up in the Exodus period of human colonization of the galaxy (c. 2065-2190). The early phase of Mankind's settlement of worlds beyond the Solarian StarSystem was not the happiest period in the race's history. What might have been a glorious era in humanity's evolution was made mor¬bid and cruel by the oppressive policies of the infamous Pure Earth movement on Terra.

The first interstellar colonies were established by the United Planets government of Terra as little more than 'Botany Bay' penal settlements. The OutWorlds were used as places of exile for social and political un¬desirables whom the Pure Earth regime felt were expendable or even enemies of their misguided plan to create a paradise on Terre. The transpOrtees were driven like slaves to produce food and raw materials for the insatiable, ever-growing billions of Terra. Their rights and free¬doms as sentient beings were denied, Even the safety of the colonists was utterly ignored; production and more production was all that counted.

The free colonists of the Terran L-5 colonies, Luna, Mars, and the other Home Worlds were gradually but inexorably reduced to the same level as the transportees. The Pure Earthian colonial administra¬tors ground everyone down equally with spiralling taxes. Impossible production quotas were imposed, with savage penalties for failure to meet those quotas. Ridiculously low prices were paid for colonial prod¬ucts, while correspondingly exorbitant prices were charged for imported manufactured goods from Terra. Since imports were generally vital items needed for the very survival of the colonies, the bitterness of the colonials could only reach explosive levels. Philosophically unable to admit the importance of space travel and the OutWorlds, the Pure Earth regime on Terra finally made a fatal error. The responsibility for construction and manning of the spacecraft linking Terra and the Out-worlds was placed in the hands of the L-5 colonists. In 2136, the Solarian OutPlanets revolted against Terran tyranny and established the High Republic. In their contempt for all things not of the Earth, the Pure Earthian fanatics had allowed Terran space tech-nology and production capacity to lapse, leaving such 'frivolous' mat¬ters to the L-5 colonies. Thus Terra found itself unable to enforce its will beyond the atmosphere when the revolt occurred. Rather than ris¬ing to the challenge, the Pure Earthers abandoned space entirely. It was argued that development of an armed Space Force would bleed Terra of vital resources and production needed to support its burdgeoning pop¬ulation, (For a detailed treatment of this period of Terran history, refer to the 'SociaTechnic History of the United Federation of Planets' by Tel Maleena, Ac.Em., summarized in Star Sector 1: The Terran Union.

Though the insane policies of the Pure Earth government denied direct access to space, Terra was far from cut off from the OutWorlds until much later. Trade had to continue with the OutWorlds if Terra was to survive at all. In the decades after 2136, many Terrans were also able to emigrate to the stars. The Pure Earth regime did not discourage the practice at first, as the OutWorlds were attracting the most troublesome elements in the developed regions of North America, Japan, WestEu¬rope, and the SovWorld. Resentment against Pure Earth policies was deepest in these regions, upon which the greatest sacrifices had been imposed to support the exploding populations in the less developed areas. Many intelligent and skilled Terrans saw the proverbial handwriting on the wall and fled Terra before its entire socioeconomic structure col¬lapsed in 2175_ As one North American immigrant quipped upon land¬ing at Tycho City, Luna, 'Just another bunch of rats off the sinking ship, chums!' These immigrants were to form the mass of the colonials scattering across a volume of space over 1500 light-years across. There were colonies in the Deneb Cluster by 2088, forming the nucleus of the Azuriach Imperium. Immigrants from the SovWorld headed for colonies in NCG 1039, the future heart of the Galactic Peoples' Republic. Many from North America, Britain, and the old Commonwealth, and Japan, settled either in the High Republic or one of its Out World colonies.

But there were also a number of latecomers who arrived in the final years of the Pure Earthian debacle. They were perhaps the most rootless of all. For they knew only the hated culture of Pure Earthian Terra. Their historic cultural roots had been vigorously suppressed by the Pure Earth regime as it struggled desperately to impose regimented uniform¬ity on scores of billions during the last 40 years of its existence. Rejecting everything they knew of life on earth, these new colonials were un¬able to adjust to the life-styles of the High Republic and the other co¬lonial groupings. For these cultures were simply too alien for people brought up on latter day Pure Earthist Terra, Indeed, many found themselves reacting little less hostilely to their new environments than they did towards the mindless conformism and regimentation of life on Terra. Many of the colonists were highly intelligent specialists- - scientists, en-gineers, and skilled technocrats- - who had been forbidden to emigrate because they were essential to Terra's failing industries, hydroponic farms, and transportation net. Courageously escaping alone or with their families on ships of the High Republic, they longed for the free¬dom to turn their skills to personal profit. These young men and wo¬men were prime candidates for the new and massive colonizing projects being planned by the entrepeneurs of the OutWorlds to open up the planets of the Antares StarSector.

The economic potential of the OutWorlds was obvious to anyone with imagination and intelligence. Blocs of companies and wealthy entrepen¬eurs pooled their resources to colonize new worlds, sometimes charging stiff settlement premiums to immigrants seeking a better life. Others with still more imagination acted to establish extensive mining, agricul¬tural, and. manufacturing complexes on worlds rich in natural resources and fertile soils to provide the products so urgently needed on Terra. Thus began the Mercantilist Dispersion 12140-2190I.

The first Mercantilist expedition to the Antares OutWorlds was launched by a conglomerate of 11 companies in 2140. It was the first of a series of superbly planned, financed, and equipped private com¬mercial ventures on a major scale. Almost 700,000 colonists were trans¬ported in nine waves to establish a completely self-sustaining colony on the worlds of the Augusta system in the Antares sector. The backers of the project selected the majority of the colonists from the latest exiles from Terra. These were engaged as employees of the founding corpora¬tions. The exiles had great difficulty adjusting to the largely unregu¬lated life of the High Republic and, while loathing totalitarian govern¬ment, they found the disciplined life of vibrant corporations congenial and promising.

The corporations found that, with proper treatment, their new employees transferred intense loyalty to their employers. To the last man and woman, the exiles from Terra hated all 'statist' governments that fenced in people with a treacherous morass of unending laws, regulations, and taxes, the whole administered by self-important bureaucrats who delighted in mountains of red tape. They simply wanted to get on with the job, unfettered by authority. Since their desire for freedom to work and prosper exactly suited the aims of the entrepeneurs, the Terran exiles were prime candidates for the Antares colonies.

The Free Colonies prospered. The products of the finest minds in human entrepeneurial circles, the colonies boasted operational mines and factories within ten years. A growing stream of food-stuffs, manufac-tured goods, and raw resources moved from the Antares Worlds to Ter¬ra, the High Republic, and a number of the other colonial OutWorlds. In 2176, the first StarShip was launched by Tetragammetron Shipyards on Augusta, and the beginning of what would become a huge interstellar merchant fleet came to pass. By 2180, eleven worlds had been set¬tled in the Antares sector, and almost eight million colonists had been attracted by the unlimited opportunities for advancement and profit. The general collapse of Terran society by 2175 did not put a lasting brake on Free Colony markets and development, The worlds of the High Republic and more than a hundred known outworld colonies took up the slack. New races were also being discovered- - entire planets and groupings of planets full of potential customers. Often less advanced than Humanity and eager to purchase high-technology goods, these worlds proved to be a rich source of profit.

During this period, Free Colony culture was drifting aimlessly, gripped by a series of Faddish Crazes which point out the true desperation with which the Free Colonists were attempting to find some unique identity as a people and as a nation. This urge finally found expression in the Neo-Romanism which now pervades Mercantile civilization. It was inevitable that the Free Colonies would run afoul of the High Republic, the inheritor of Terran power after the disasters and upheav¬als that had collapsed Terran society. The Free Traders cut deeper and deeper into Republican markets in the star colonies. Career opportun¬ities in the Free Colonies also produced a brain drain that quickly reached serious proportions in the somewhat less economically buoyant High Republic. By 2200, a sinister element gained power in the Repub¬lican government. Perverting the democratic ideals upon which the High Republic was founded, unscrupulous demagogues saw the opportunity to gain immense personal power by incorporating the far-flung star co¬lonies into a grand Empire of Humanity. Their imperialist policies were finally turned around in the later part of the 23rd century by the emer¬gence of Terran socio-technic morality, when that world again entered the mainstream of galactic life. But until the advent of the Covenanters, the High Republic exhibited a warlike imperialism perhaps surpassed only by the Azuriach Imperium, the Hissss'ist, and the Bugs.

Under the Imperial Party, the Galactic Union of the High Republic (often referred to as the Terran Union, though it bears little resem¬blance to the actual Union of later years) embarked on an ambitious course of economic and military expansion. Republican commercial interests bitterly resented the vigorous competition of the Free Traders. They pressed the imperialist regime to establish a mercantilist colonial system. Thus the leadership of the Terran Union evolved an unbalanced system of tariffs to favor Solarian products and to restrict trade in the colonies. These policies were enunciated in the infamous Bluykher¬Stans Initiative of 2193, and the much-hated Interstellar Trade Control Act was passed the following year.

The Trade Control Act of 2194 struck at the very survival of the Ant-areas Free Colonies. It imposed ruinously high import duties on all Free Trader goods landed on the Solarian OutPlanets and the colony worlds of the Terran Union. It required that all goods traded in Union space be carried in vessels of Solarian registry. Finally, to encourage colonial compliance, the Trade Control Act granted preferential tariffs and subsidized shipping rates to all colonies trading exclusively with the Solarian Worlds.

The response of the Free Colonies to this restriction of trade was to convene a Congress on Augusta II in 2195. Representatives from Augusta II, Rhodes II, Traianus (Trajan V), Latium VI, Volcan (Scipio IV), Martha V, and Valerian V attended the conference. On September 5, 2195, the delegates declared the independence of the Antares Out-Worlds from all statist regimes, resolving to defend their freedoms with their lives and fortunes against all tyrants and oppressors everywhere. The First Congress also drafted the famous Mercantile Articles of Trade and Commerce, the body of the laws and the Constitution by which the new League of Free Mercantile Planets would be governed. The Articles were then presented for general ratification by the sovereign citizens of the League in a plebiscite, passing with a 98.73% approval on December 11, 2195.

The leadership of the Terran Union were mildly amused by these pro¬ceedings. With a powerful BattleFleet and a dominion encompassing almost 125 colonies and growing, they saw little to fear from a tiny, if defiant, competitor like the League. But the League struck back in its own way. Free Traders entered into blatant smuggling operations in the colonies, expending funds to bribe corruptible customs officials to look the other way while contraband was landed by the shipload.

Johannes Bluykher, the chief architect of the Trade Control Act, became President of the High Republic of the Terran Union in 2198.

As his first act in office, he issued orders to the Union High Guard to fire upon all Mercantile vessels discovered in Union space. Their very presence was to be construed as evidence of criminal violation of the Trade Control Act. Running battles between League craft and High Guard patrol vessels began occurring with disturbing frequency.

It was at this point that friction between the League and the Union reached the explosive point. However, the League found that it did not have to move overtly because the Union and the Galactic Peoples' Re¬public suddenly and dramatically became engaged in the First Interstel¬lar War (2198-2215). The G. P. R., founded in 2159 and comprising 27 colony worlds in NCG 1039, espoused an expansionist policy in keep¬ing with its historical SovWorld roots on Terra. Thus it could not help but collide head-on with Union ambitions. For its part, the League remained neutral for the first few years, con¬tent with massive smuggling activity throughout the Terran Union and trading strategic materials, armaments, and military equipment to the hard-pressed G. P. R. At the same time, the League embarked on a na¬val building program to upgun its best merchantmen so that they could function as armed merchant cruisers and commerce raiders. It also launched a small but powerful BattleFleet to defend the home planets in the Antares sector.

Bluykher and the Imperial Party were angered by League actions, and a full battlefleet was withdrawn from the G. P. R. campaign and dis¬patched toward the Antares worlds in 2205. Under the command of Fleet Admiral 'Bloody' John Vincent, the Union task force knifed into the League and conducted a campaign of punitive terror raids against outpost colonies and League protectorates unparalleled to that point in human spacefaring history. Altogether, some 16 League colony worlds and trading partners were devastated by Admiral Vincent's scorched planet tactics, with almost 9 billion casualties- - most suffered by friendly aliens whose only crime was that they traded with the League.

Outrage and fear reached crisis levels in the League, and total mobiliza¬tion was ordered by the Congress. Individuals and corporations raised volunteer militia battalions at their own expense, and hundreds of mer¬chant craft were released for long-range commerce raiding operations in Union space. While the small League BattleFleet struggled to slow down and contain the powerful Union armada, League privateersmen fell upon Union shipping with elan and ferocity. Union losses to the League privateering actions began to mount alarmingly, and owners and mer¬chants began clamoring for escorts foe their vessels. Then, on April 22, 2206, the League armed merchant cruiser LSS Blackstone's Folly drop¬ped out of hyperspace at the fringe of the Solarian System itself to cap¬ture the 50,000t cruise ship Sirius Star!

It is perhaps ironic that an economic weapon was responsible for the survival of the League. The incredibly stupid decision on the part of the Union leadership to recall Admiral Vincent's task force when it was on the verge of destroying League power forever must stand as a great blunder in the annals of human military history. For it removed at a stroke the only real threat to the League. Dispersed as a fighting force to be employed piecemeal as convoy escorts, Vincent's fleet was denied its victory literally days before a decisive assault on Augusta itself was to begin.

The League itself was crippled by its losses and the damage to its facto¬ries and resource planets. Commerce raiding was curtailed after the re¬call of Vincent's fleet in order to avoid provoking the return of another punitive expedition. Just enough pressure was maintained to encourage the Union to continue its close escort policies instead of massing its power against the League. The smuggling continued unabated, as did material support of the embattled G. P. R.

Just as incredible, the G. P. R. survived repeated hammer blows against it by the superbly trained and equipped Union Forces as they ripped a swath across NCG 1039. Once again, Union politicians hamstrung their military command with ill-informed directives which repeatedly snatched away final victory from the grasp of the Union Guard. What should have been stunningly decisive battles were turned into savage, prolonged campaigns on over 20 worlds. Again, Union forces were dis-persed and diverted to a multiplicity of objectives rather than being concentrated for massive local superiority.

As it was, the G. P. R. lost almost a quarter of its outlying colony worlds outside the NCG 1039 sector, and five of its major colonies in the StarCluster were solidly in Union control when the Bug Raid of 2215-2218 brought an abrupt end to the fratricidal insanity.

Lesser differences were set aside as the Terran Union, the G. P. R., and the League joined to repell the alien invasion of insectoids. Only much later was it discovered that the invasion was only an armed reconnais¬sance probe preparatory to the great Bug Raids of 2254-2269, 2281-2310, 2345-2360, and 2423-2450. The absence of support from the Deneb Worlds (the home of what would become the Azuriach fmper¬ium) went unexplained for a time, despite repeated requests for aid against the avalanche of insectoids that had fallen upon the weakened interstellar nations of Humanity. Then it was learned that the humans of the Azuriach Cluster were themselves locked in mortal struggle withanother wing of the Bug forces, which it finally repulsed with the assist¬tance of one of the Rauwoof Republics also centered on the Deneb sector.

Exhausted by several decades of warfare, Humanity finally settled down to a period of peace and reconstruction. Then, in 2229, the Sec¬ond Interstellar War broke out between the newly formed Azuriach Imperium and the G. P. R. The preferred point of contention was an in¬significant lost colony which both claimed in StarSector 14,NIM+600, but in reality it was an inevitable clash between mutually exclusive eco¬nomic, political, and philosophical systems. Both the League and the Terran Union stayed out of the conflict, although League Free Traders carried on commerce with both combatants, without prejudice. The war ended in 2234, with a nominal Azuriach victory. The armed forces of that new interstellar nation surprised everyone with the quality of its arms and the excellence of its troops and tactics. Several years later, the Imperium attacked the Rauwoof Republic in the Deneb sector, claiming that the canines had betrayed humanity during the Bug Raid and deserved total extermination.

The Azuriach annihilation of the generally peaceful and friendly ca¬nines in the Deneb sector began the Third Interstellar War (2236-2255). The Third Interstellar War marks the beginning of the Imperial Period in the history of the Terran Quadrant. Over 20 major conflicts and in¬numerable skirmishes and frontier wars have been fought since that time. The Mercantile League managed to avoid direct involvement in many of the wars, growing and prospering in the process as it came to comprise almost 400 clients (trading partners and protectorates). How¬ver, its very dispersal across a vast volume of space has left the League vulnerable. Unlike many of its neighbors, the League has not been able to concentrate its strength outside of the Antares sector, and a good portion of its prosperity is dependent upon trade with the OutWorlds far beyond the League Home Planets.

Inexorably, the League has been drawn closer and closer into co-opera¬tion and alliance with the Terran Union and its successor, the Federa¬tion of Planets. With the fall of the imperialist regime in the First Union, and the rise of the Covenanters to establish the second Terran Union (2275), animosity between the two nations has lessened. The overwhelming naval and military power of the Union/Federation has, on several occasions, been essential to the preservation of the League's scattered possessions from its planet-hungry neighbors. Also, the 2000 planets which now comprise the Federation have too attractive a lure as markets, and the League is inevitably drifting toward close associa-tion with the Terrans. Skylar Curves predict that the current loose mutual defense pact will have a 93.8% probability of converting to full political union and the entrance of the League into the Federation within the century.

League Interstellar Policy

The League has always recognized that it was militarily weak. As a fun¬damental League policy, the Mercantile Worlds have adopted the princ¬iple of co-ordinated tangental pressure. That is, all League Members were encouraged to adopt a complex system of political and economic sanctions against potential and current enemies, using every non-mili¬tary means at their disposal to avoid outright war. War is inherently dis¬astrous to trade, especially if it involves League Members and depend-encies. At the same time, wars between potential enemies of the League can be both a source of profit through trade with one or all of the bel¬ligerents and a means of weakening them without expending League resources.

In short, League survival has been based upon the premise that it is cheaper to have someone else fight the League's battles for it. The lynchpin of League defense is an intricate system of trade and military alliances that ensures the League of at least one powerful ally, no mat¬ter who the potential enemy is. It is clear that the League, for all of its wealth, would not be able to win a major war if it stood alone; for of all the interstellar powers, it is the League which has spent the least upon its armed forces. Upon reflection, it is easy to see why League diplomacy has been so successful in the past. Each of the major interstellar powers has been in¬tensely jealous of its territories and often openly covetous of its neigh¬bors' possessions. Rivalries between them have been bitter and intense- - encouraged by the League, wherever possible, to maintain the precar¬ious balance of power upon which the League's very survival depends.

For its part, the League is quick to expend hard currency in bribes to buy the leaders and officials of potentially hostile nations, or even to politically destabilize nations by financially backing opposition to re¬gimes hostile to the League.

The League itself tries hard to maintain good relations with everyone, making itself as indispensible as possible to each of the major powers. As a neutral power interested in trade rather than territory, it has rarely appeared to be a major threat to the expansionist regimes like the G. P. R. and the Azuriach Imperium. Even the Hissss'ist maintain re¬markably good relations with the League, and a profitable trade has sprung up between them in the last century. Of course, the interstellar credit system itself is a major factor in the League's continued survival in what has become an increasingly hostile environment. For it is the League banks, along with Interstellar Bank of Terra, which maintains the whole structure of interstellar credit and finance upon which so much of the local galactic trade and commerce depends.

Another factor in the League s favor is that the Merchant Princes have no prejudices against the hard currency of any interstellar nation. As the universal axiom of the League has it, 'Profit is profit, and credits make the universe revolve', So deeply implanted is this belief that there have been many instances when war has not interfered seriously with League merchants trading with enemies of the Leaguel This often cyn¬ically expedient practice has, paradoxically enough, predisposed many imperialist interstellar nations to regard the League as only a minor threat to their ambitions. They can be bought', Richard Ower, the First Leader of the Azuriach Imperium, once remarked, 'but as for fighting- - they have little real stomach for it'

In reality, the League is a very serious threat to any and all imperialists. The vast majority of League citizens are firmly opposed to statism- -the belief in strong centralist government and the imperial system. To even imply that a League citizen harbors statist sympathies is a mortal insult to be wiped out by blood, in accord with the Code Duello. For statism is' a capital offense in the League, treason most base and foul against the whole concept of League society.

League anti-statist sentiments color its actual intentions towards its neighbors. For example, any political refugee from a statist regime is granted immediate political asylum. At the same time, terrorists are treated with the same care as one handles a fatally infectious disease: 'Such fanatics must be blotted out, as Drusillius Publius Norton noted, 'lest they bring their foul statist practices into the commercial order of the League'. But League alliances do reflect a profound reluctance to enter into any form of lasting arrangement with statist powers, like the G. P. R. or the Imperium. Rather, they seek to balance the overweening ambitions of such nations wherever possible. This has thrown the League increasingly into the Terran sphere of in¬fluence. Under the guidance of socio-technic ethics, the Second Union and now the Federation have a way of life and general policies that ap-proach the League's own love of freedom more than in other interstel¬lar nations.

The old, bitter memories of Terran repression and violence from the days of the Pure Earthers and the imperialist First Union are now large¬ly forgotten. The Second Terran Union, founded on the socio-technic ethics of the Covenanters, has proved to be a true ally and a most prof-itable and reasonable trading partner. It is, in fact, in the area of trade and commerce that the League and the Terran Union (now, the Federa¬tion) found a common ground. Piracy, always the scourge of interstellar commerce, was of deep concern to both powers. For Terra no less than the League has depended upon interstellar commerce to maintain its wide colonial domain. Close co-operation between the Terran IPA and the League's own Patrol in the suppression of galactic piracy has forged strong bonds between the nations. So has very extensive trade and the evolution of an interstellar credit system jointly maintained and admin-istered by Terran and League banking interests.

In actual fact, the League now regards Terra and her Federation as a de facto protector of its own interests and territory. Without intending it, the League has slipped into a client role with Terra as its patron-guard-ian. For its part, the Federation has made no attempt to limit League freedom, which has only served to confirm and strengthen a growing League resolve to enter into permanent alliance with Terra and her as-sociates.

The Articles Of Trade & Commerce

No known interstellar culture is more committed to the pursuit of com¬mercial activities than is the League. At the heart of League society is the belief that all intelligent social beings must inevitably enter into contractual arrangements with one another. To be blunt, the pursuit of profit through free and knowing exchange of goods and services is re¬garded as the highest form of self-expression and creative endeavor. Re¬maining true to one's business arrangements is the ultimate expression of morality.

There is an ancient saying in the League: 'Tanstaafl, Citizen. One al¬ways stands to make a profit!' (Tanstaafl is an anacronym for 'there ain't no such thing as a free lunch'(. By this is meant that no one really does anything without thought of some benefit returning to him. No one is a self-sacrificing altruist. Anyone who does something without apparent thought of what might be a benefit to him is, to League think¬ing, either insane or moronic. Thus it is held that an intelligent being cannot have any kind of relationship with another person without the whale commercial motive being present and operative. All parties in all relationships stand to gain something. It cannot be otherwise; and so one is advised to read the fine print in the contract before committing himself to any association with others.

The fine print is contained in the Articles of Trade and Commerce. The Articles form the Charter of Association of the League. It sets out the terms of the universal social contract which binds all citizens- - indivi-dual or corporate. Everyone doing business in any way is assumed to have fully agreed to the Articles without reservation. The Articles estab¬lish the nature of a vast range of contractual relationships, the condi¬tions under which all valid and enforceable contracts exist. It sets out the lawful terms that can be contained in contracts of all types, and also the remedies available to injured parties when someone has failed to live up to the spirit and/or the exact letter of the agreements. The Articles are all-encompassing, This point cannot be over-stressed. All business relationships, marriages, alliances, friendships, even one's personal honor, are governed by the Articles. In any social interaction, one stands to gain. Thus everyone who claims intelligence is held to ac¬cept the performance of certain contractual duties and obligations in consideration for whatever benefits he receives from the other parties concerned.

In the League, it is assumed that all formal contracts are prefaced by the standard preamble: 'In accordance with the Articles by which this Mercantile Society stands and by which all sentient commercial beings live. , . • ' No citizen of the League can claim exemption from the pro¬visions of the Articles. Moreover, any non-citizen entering into any agreement with a League citizen must subscribe to the Articles as well before a contract can be said to be in force. This has far-reaching consequences.

'According to the Articles' is a phrase that opens the legal door for any aggrieved party to seek redress for any breach or non-performance of a contract. The Articles of Trade set out the remedies, irrespective of the laws of any other interstellar nation which might attempt to set aside the terms of the contract- - or even the Articles themselves, This is the ultimate in League rejection of statism and national sovereignty. Such notions have no weight in the League. All law is commercial law. The Articles represent the final word on the way in which intelligent com¬mercial beings must conduct their affairs.

To deny the wisdom and validity of the Articles is, in League thinking, to disqualify oneself as an intelligent being! In short, it reduces one to the status of animal, and one can deal with an animal in whatever way one wishes! This aspect of League philosophy has led to many abuses of aboriginal peoples who practice primitive communalism and have no operant notions of private property and commercial activity.

Any interstellar nation rejecting the precepts of the Articles or any society which does not live by trade and commerce between free trad¬ing members is regarded as outlaw and without protection or rights under the articles. That is, they are fair game to anyone who can turn a profit at their expense, But if a society is based on the concepts of exchange of goods and services at fair value, even if many of the procedures are alien to League practice, all League citizens are bound to observe the Articles of Trade in their dealings with such beings. No proper businessman can deny the rights possessed by any other com¬mercial being to enter into a proper contract. To do otherwise is funda¬mental breach of the Articles, punishable by penalties ranging from heavy fines, imprisonment, confiscation of goods, banishment from the League, and even death. Such fundamental breaches of the terms of the Articles amounts to outright treason.

League Law: The Codes Duello

Under the Articles of the League, there is no law save the Articles of Trade, and all other laws (such as Planetary Ordinances and Regulations, corporate regulations, etc.) must be in accord with the Articles. Breach of the law is actually breach of contract. In the case of minor offenses, a wide range of options are open. These range from a warning to fines and/or imprisonment or workforce duty for a short period of time. Serious offenses are regarded as open treason against the corpor¬ate body of sentient commercial beings. Treason can bring heavy fines, long terms of imprisonment, exile, and- - in extreme cases- - the death penalty. Treason is often referred to by the Latin term 'maiestas'. It must be understood that there is no such thing as The State in the League. The courts do not, therefore, have any real power in matters not directly involving the peace, order, and security of the League. The courts are effectively referees in most legal matters. Any party to a legal matter has the option of ignoring the court procedure. Parties to any dispute, including criminal matters, can agree upon any third party to act as an arbitrator or judge. However, once they do so, they are contractually bound to accept his decision. At any time before the judge hands down his 'consultio', the parties can agree upon a set¬tlement between themselves. Even criminal cases can be resolved in this manner.

If the loser in a legal matter refuses to accept a judicial consultio, whether the justice is a League Tribune of the Law or just a private arbitrator, the 'denier' is held to be caught in maiestas because he has repudiated the most solemn of all contracts- - the bond between sen¬tient commercial beings which is the basis of the Articles of Trade. If an alleged offender refuses to go to court, the aggrieved party has the right to invoke the Code Duello before any magistrate. The Code Duel-lo is a declaration of personal war. The Code binds the party to the dis¬pute to a carefully delineated pattern of behavior. Notice must be given to all third parties that a state of armed conflict exists between the op-ponents, so that innocent parties may stand clear. No injury to the per¬sons or property or innocent parties may take place. If it does, full restitution plus heavy penalties are assessed.

Code Duello Mano A Mano

When personal offense is given, the offender may be challenged to a personal duel of honor in the arena. In many cases, champions are engaged from the lists of professional glad¬iators. But some duels are fought between the principals when the bit¬terness is particularly deep and mutually felt. The duels may be a morte (to the death) or a sangre (to first blood).

Code Duello Ultimo Corporatis

When formal business mat¬ters are involved, corporate war can be declared. In effect, armed con¬flict involves actual battle between the private troops of the contending parties. The sides are precisely matched and armed- - in anything from platoon to regimental strength- - and the whole event is conducted ac¬cording to the Mercenaries' Code. TriVee coverage is a usual feature of such events. If a private citizen (whose legal status is that of a personal service corporation) has a dispute with a much larger organization, he may find that his costs of prosecuting the war might be picked up by a patron-sponsor if the dispute is exciting enough to warrant TriVee cov¬erage and public interest. In effect, the sponsor exchanges the service for advertising rights.

Code Duello Ultimo Galactica

In truly grievous matters- - typically involving non-citizens of the League (individuals, corpora¬tions, or even entire nations), the offended party may appeal to the Senate and People of the League for a Writ of War. The Tribunals of Law of the Senate will issue a consultio granting the Writ if cause is clearly shown (the offender won't negotiate and settle up in a civilized fashion). The Writ of War is effectively a Letter of Marque granting the offended party the right to collect whatever is owed him from the prop¬erty of the offender and his associates, plus double damages, plus the cost of collection, plus interest. The League itself invokes the selfsame Code to declare war against another nation. In this instance, there is a subtle difference in the preamble. In private wars, the Writ begins, 'The Senate and Poeple of the Mercantile League of Worlds having found, followed by the declaration of cause and the grant of right of redress and compensation to be collected. In a formal League declaration of war, the Writ begins, 'In the name of the dignity of the Senate and the People of the Mercantile Worlds and the Articles by which they live and do commerce. • . followed by the statement of cause and the decree of general war.

It should be noted that the vast majority of cases are heard before a League tribune of law or a private justice. Few League citizens are prepared for the disruptions, costs, and risks, of the Codes Duello to in¬voke them lightly.

The Government Of The League

The very nature of the Articles of Trade precludes the notion of a sov¬ereign state. Thus, in a very real sense, there is no form of government at any level in the League! Sovereignty is vested directly and entirely in each corporate citizen, whether a private individual or a corporation.

The League is notorious for its anti-statist attitudes. Statism is defined as giving support to any political system or philosophy which sets up a mythical entity called The State against the individual or corporation. Statism is considered to be immoral and intolerable, Men and corpora-tions live and deal with each other by freely and knowingly entering into relationships governed by a universal social/commercial contract- -the Articles of Trade. No government can alter the terms of their lawful and honorable agreements without the consent of every sentient com¬mercial being involved in the matter. Otherwise, interference is grounds for indictment for fundamental breach of the Articles. That is outright malestas or treason against all sentient commercial beings everywhere and of every race, whether citizens of the League or not!

Let it be clear: the League does not recognize the right of any govern¬ment to make and enforce laws without the consent of those who are affected. It does not recognize the right of government to 'confiscate' (read 'tax') individuals or their property and profits or to expend such monies without the personal consent of the individual. It does not rec¬ognize the right of government to regulate what an individual may do or not do with his property. (Property here is interpreted to include the person of each individual, not just what he owns). In short, unless a per-son personally agrees, government is poWerless to act legally in any mat¬ter affecting him personally.

The League thus has no government. What it does have is a national corporation which co-ordinates and directs the broad affairs of the League and its members. The powers of the government are strictly lim¬ited. It can make laws in a narrow range of areas, carefully set out in the Articles of Trade. But these laws are subject to ratification by the Planetary Directorates of each member planet of the League before they go into effect.

It is charged with maintenance of the League Bat¬tleFleet, a modest sized naval force which forms the nucleus of the League's defense and otherwise acts as an anti-piracy patrol. It may conclude treaties of trade and commerce or mutual defense with other interstellar nations. It can maintain embassies in the territory of foreign powers to assist League nationals. It has a judicial function- - perhaps its most important single role- - and can arbitrate any legal matter brought before the tribunals of law. This arbitration function is applied not only in private matters, but also in all disputes between member planets. Finally, it has the power to administer all League colonies and protectorates. The government of the League is the Congress, which sits in Nova Roma Antares on Augusta. The Congress is composed of two Houses, the Senate and the Assembly, two Consuls or chief executives, the Tri-bunes of the People, the Tribunes of Law, the Delatores, and- - in per¬iods of extreme emergency- - and Imperator or Supreme Commander.

The Senate

The Upper House has 200 Senators selected by a com¬plex proxy system based upon the economic worth of all shares in League corporations on registration day, and also upon the donations voluntarily made by League citizens to the maintenance and support of the nation. In short, each citizen's voting weight is directly related to the value of the shares he holds in various companies and also his wil¬lingness to contribute to the running of the League. Great Patrons also hold the proxies of their Clients as a matter of course. In the case of corporate citizens, the Board of Directors of each company can vote proxies according to the shares the company controls in itself or in other companies. Clearly, the wealthier a citizen is, the more political power he possesses. Senatorial campaigns thus closely resemble the proxy fights which characterize the struggles inside any corporation for seats on the Board of Directors. Each candidate must scramble to amass the support needed to win his seat. Elections are held every year, with 20% of the seats up for re-election each year.

The Assembly

The Lower House has 300 representatives or Assemblymen elected by the population at large on a regional constituency basis. The Assembly has no legislative powers, as all legislation is initi¬ated by the Senate. It can advise the Senate, however, and it serves as a sounding board for public opinion which most Senators take very seriously.

The Tribunes Of The People

The Assembly has, as its most im¬portant function, the power to elect 10 Tribunes from its membership. The Tribunes sit in attendance at all Senate meetings. Any Tribune can rise and say 'Veto!' ('I forbid it!') to any measure passed in the Senate. The Tribunes represent the general fear in the League that laws can be easily passed which infringe on the sovereign freedom of individuals. Thus the Tribunes are exorted by all- - even the Senators- - to be Watch¬dogs on the Conscience of the Senate and People of the League. Since great pains are taken to see that the most honorable and wisest heads are appointed to the Tribuneship, it is rare that a veto is arbitrary or foolish. In effect, the job of the Tribunes is to say 'think again', and the system works well in practice. The Tribunes serve for six months, then step down and cannot serve again until re-elected in a general election for another term in the Assembly.

The Consuls Of The League

In a republic, the Consuls would be equivalent to Presidents. Only this is the League, and they serve es¬sentially as co-chairmen of the board. The Consuls are elected by pop¬ular vote of the citizenry-at-large from a list of candidates submitted annually by the Senate. The two Consuls thus elected serve for one year. During their terms, they alternate monthly, one chairing Senate meetings and the other administering the small but efficient bureau¬cracy of the League organization. Upon completion of their term of office, the Pro-Consuls are granted a Governorship in one of the major colonies for a period of 3 to 5 years, where they share in 5% of all bus¬iness carried on in the colony during their administration.

The Tribunes Of Law

The Senators and Assemblymen appoint a number of their membe-s to the various judicial committees of the League after they have served a term or two in office and wish to retire from public life. A freat many functions of League government are judicial in nature. Disputes between contracting parties are submitted to the Tribunals for a legal consultio or opinion. The disputing parties, though not bound to accept the opinion of the Tribunals, are well ad¬vised to do so. The justices are amongst the foremost experts on League law, as embodied in the Articles, and their consultios have very strong moral force. The justices are also very powerful figures in their own right, and they sometimes take personal offense when their decisions are not respected.

The Tribunes are selected by the Senate and serve for ten-year terms, which may be renewed every three years thereafter by Senatorial de¬cree. (The Assembly has the right to nominate one-third of the justices, subject to Senate approval). The selection of the justices is a most serious matter, and the Senators and Assemblymen set aside personal and corporate rivalries to make the best possible choices. Interpretation of contracts in the light of the Articles of Trade is basic to the contin-ued existence and prosperity of the League. Only the best minds and the most incorruptable consciences belong in the Tribunals. Repeated¬ly, the example of Maximus Drusillius Drexler is cited as the model of judicial impartiality. When his own company, Sampson Consolidated, was indicted by a client-employee for wrongful dismissal and endorse¬ment of his Personal Contract with prejudice, M. Drexler refused to stand down from the case. After hearing the evidence, he found for the complainant and levied quintuple damages against Sampson Consoli¬dated, ordered the endorsement to be stricken, and himself indicted the manager who had acted out of personal spite for fundamental breach of the Articles. This lead ultimately to a CR 25,000,000 fine against the very corporation in which he held a 45% interest. M. Drexler was voted the Laurel Crown of Service at the end of his fifth term as Tribune and the title of Augustus Magnus by a unanimous consultio of both Houses of Congress.

Delatores

There are no lawyers in the League, such officers of the courts in statist regimes being universally suspect as elitist types who attempt to confuse and twist what should be stated in plain language for all to understand. The Delatores take the place of lawyers. They act as both prosecutors and defense counsels. To qualify as a Delatore, one must have served at least one term in either of the Houses of Congress, or else in the Planetary Congress of a member of the League. In practice, most Delatores are representatives of powerful corporations or are successful entrepeneurs. It is universally believed that justice should be in the hands of the group that stands to lose the most if the Articles of Trade were to be perverted and abused. The upper echelons of League society are clearly interested in ensuring that sensible justice prevails.

Since the Delatores are not officially recognized and take on both pros¬ecutions and defense actions for the welfare of the League and its sentient corporate citizens, there are no set fees for the service. Indeed, most Delatores are exceedingly rich and money is no inducement in itself to move them, Rather, payment is typically in the form of a debt of honor, which may oblige a client to render the Delatore a service in the future if his case is won, (It should be noted that only a Delatore can bring an action before a Tribunal of Law on behalf of a person. Also, the Delatore himself may not necessarily appear in person. He may delegate one of his staff to represent him. Thus, to all intents and purposes, the Delatore functions as a Solicitor in practice, with his staffers acting as barristers in lesser cases).

Imperator

The office of Imperator does not normally exist in the League. It is activated only when the League, as a corporate body, is declared by the Senate to be in a state of war. By emergency decree, the Senate can declare the existence of a clear and present danger of the gravest magnitude which threatens the very existence of the League of Mercantile Planets, The Imperator is appointed for a six-month term, which can be renewed by the Senate until the emergency has passed. The Imperator holds absolute power over all citizens and resources of the League, military and civil, without right of appeal. Only fourteen Imperators have been appointed in the entire history of the League.

The League Colonial Service

All protected planets and colonies under League Patronage fall directly to the administration of the League Colonial Service. Most of the revenues available to the League, outside of personal donations (which are made in lieu of taxes), come from the colonial administrations. Each planet has a Governor drawn from the Pro•Consuls or from other high government officials retiring from office, The Governor has powers equivalent to those of a Planetary Directorate. All activities of League citizens on a colonial world are subject to review and regulation by the Governor and his staffers, who represent the League as sole Patron-Major of the planet. To aid the colonial Governors, there are military, naval, and police units to enforce League ordinances, as well as other civil authority personnel, League citizens and corporations operating on a protected planet are under strict Client relationship and must accept, as terms of the contract licensing their activities on League territory, all regulations governing their activities.

League Planetary Governments

The government of a full member planet of the League closely resembles the League Congressional organization. There is an Upper house of the Equites (Merchant Princes), elected by proxy system by citizens of the planet who hold shares in planetary-based corporations. The number varies, but there are usually from 50 to 200 Equites. Of these, ten are elected to the Planetary Directorate, and one becomes Chairman of the Board. The Assembly Populares is elected by the plebian classes and has a purely advisory capacity. There are no Tribunes of the People.

The Planetary Directorate is charged with maintaining system defense forces and essential services which cannot be entrusted to purely private interests because of their vital necessity to all. The Directorate has no taxing powers, but it does have the ability to enforce a purely contrac¬tual user-pay tariff for any services purchased directly by any consum¬er. Defense charges are usually covered by landing fees at the planetary starports and by personal donations by citizens.

The Directorate also serves as a lower court to hear disputes which in¬volve individuals and corporations before they are referred to the higher authority of the Tribunes of Law, The Equites usually pick about 10% of ,r number to sit on such tribunals and, in most instances, settle all serious cases. Disputes which are internal to a company, as in the case of a problem between two employee-clients or between an employee-client and his employer-patron, are typically settled in the company. Only if serious breaches of the Articles of Trade, major disputes be¬tween companies, or criminal acts have occurred will a Delatore consent to bring an action to the Directorate judicial committees and/or to the Tribunes of Law. As for disputes involving clients of different patrons, matters are usually decided by the patrons themselves- - dispensing with the courts entirely. In such instances, the clients accept the decisions of their patrons without question; for to fail to do so would be to reject the desires of one's patron, a very serious breach of League ettiquette. Most general services are available on the open market and are provided by companies specializing in that kind of service. A common example would be garbage collection/disposal, or perhaps light and power or water and sewage. Public transport, medical and hospital care, educa¬tion and vocational training, even fire and police services can often be obtained privately. Large corporations often maintain their own self-contained communities, adjacent to industrial and office complexes. Thus most services which are associated with government in statist nations are available from one's own employer. The Directorate does maintain a planetary police force and a security agency to work with the private corporate police and security units. Whenever jurisdictions have to be crossed (from one company's prop-erty to another's), the Directorate Law Enforcement Office will provide an officer to make the incursion lawful. For no private corporate po¬liceman can enter the property of another corporate or private citizen not a client of the corporation without committing trespass. Of course, in public areas, private corporate police may engage in their duties and pursue or arrest anyone breaching the rights of a client or any innocent citizen clearly requiring assistance (as in the case of a mugging). Reasonable force- - meaning stunners and tangleguns• - is called for, unless the lawbreaker is clearly armed and seems prepared to open fire. If engaged in hot pursuit, private police may enter on property other than that of their own company and clients, and the corporate police of the other company are obliged to co-operate in apprehending the suspect. At that point, the legalities of the intrusion are debated at the local pre¬cinct of the Directorate Police. On the surface, it might seem that League governmental arrangements are chaotic and haphazard. In practice, they work out quite well, In the League, everyone takes care of his own. The effectiveness of the system will become clearer when the patronage system is explained.

Defense Establishment Of The League

In some respects, the Mercantile League is perhaps the weakest of the human star nations in that it maintains a relatively small, if very professional and well equipped BattleFleet, But the League measures its strength in its huge merchant fleet and the intimate knowledge of her captains of a substantial portion of the Terran Quadrant. Further, the League possesses a surprisingly effective security and intelligence net¬work because virtually every private corporation has internal security arrangements which can be coordinated with those of Planetary govern¬ments and League agencies.

The security and defense of the League is one of the most important responsibilities of the League government on August 11. Yet security and defense are maintained, not through taxation, but rather by the personal donations from public minded individuals and corporations! Being a corporation in its own right (there is no other legal entity in the League, except for personal citizenship), the League hires out the services of some of its military establishment to help defray its ex¬penses. It also enjoys the benefits of being a Patron-Major of all colo¬nies and protectorates directly under League administration.

This may appear to the outsider to be a risky and haphazard way to provide for the security and defense of a major interstellar power. In practice, it works quite well. The average citizen contributes about 10% of his income to League institutions, and often more in times of grave emergency. In the League, public responsibility is a virtue, and many willingly give generously of their wealth to support a strong naval and military posture. Indeed, much public honor and prestige is gained by performing one's public duty in this way. Also, each member planet of the League maintains its own defense and security forces, while indivi¬dual companies often have at their disposal significant military and naval capacities because of the nature of both their trade and the legal risk of private war between them.

The Central Directorate

The Central Directorate of League Defense and Corporate Security is one of the most powerful agencies of the League government. It coor¬dinates all naval and military operations in peace and war. During times of emergency and war, the Directorate has sweeping powers under the League Articles and can mobilize and requisition whatever resources and personnel required to counter the threat to League survival. When the crisis is extreme, the Directorate may be headed by an Imperator, appointed by Senatorial decree, who replaces the Consuls normally in charge of the Directorate.

Star Fleet High Command

The regular naval forces of the League and, in time of war, the reserve forces as well, are under the direction of the Bureau of StarFleet High Command. The Bureau is divided into:

League Battlefleet

The heavy units of the League of StarFleet are contained in the Battle-Fleet- - actually composed of a number of Fleets with warships capable of standing in line of battle' and slugging it out with the best in oppos¬ing navies. The BattleFleet is maintained in reserve during peacetime, usually stationed in the heart of the Antares Sector. In wartime, it is deployed to counter the thrusts of major units of the enemy into sensi¬tive regions of League space and to mount major counter-offensives. However, the BattleFleet is not so numerous and powerful as equivalent forces of many neighboring interstellar groupings, and therefore it will not be risked in operations having only a limited chance of success. First and foremost, in League naval doctrine is that the BattleFleet must always remain a fleet-in-being, a constant threat to the enemy because it can, at the same time, cover the Home Planets and deliver savage blows at will to vulnerable regions in the enemy's defenses. Loss of the BattleFleet or the incurring of heavy casualties and battle damage are regarded as disasters of the worst kind.

Starfleet Marine Corps

The Fleet Marines are highly professional regular troops attached to StarFleet Command. They are superbly trained and equipped for ship¬board action, planetary assault, deep-penetration commando raids, and sustained ground action. Every naval unit carries a Marine Commando as part of its basic crew complement (a commando here means any unit from a platoon to a full regiment, and large vessels may carry support artillery and service units as well). In addition, regiment, brigade, and division-sized units are available for major operations, convoyed to bat¬tle areas in fast naval assault transports.

Starfleet Logistics & Supply

This Department of the StarFleet is charged with maintenance of the fleet and thus manages starbase installations, supply vessels, and general procurement. In wartime it may mobilize elements of the merchant fleet for supply duties.

Bureau Of Naval Intelligence

The B. N. I. has the task of assessing the big picture for the StarFleet and the Central Directorate. All naval, military, and other intelligence gleaned from all sources, including the Bureau of League Security and the Foreign Bureau will ultimately be forwarded to this very influential arm of the government defense services. Recommendations of the B. N. 1. are taken very seriously, and all League foreign policy and strategic planning are based on the advice given by the B. N. I. The Special Branch of the Bureau is concerned with active espionage and sabotage operations in foreign and enemy territory and might be con¬sidered a pocket-sized version of B. R. I. N. T. in the Terran Federation.

League Patrol Forces

The Patrol is actually the largest single branch of the StarFleet and is divided into three components: the Patrol proper; the defense space-forces of Member StarSystems; and the commerce raiders and private¬ersmen of the Naval Reserve Strike Forces. Each of these groups is dealt with separately below:

The League Patrol

In many ways the equivalent of the Federation's famous Interstellar Police Agency, the Patrol consists of light units of the fleet-fast assault corvettes, destroyers, light cruisers, and starfighter cruisers. It also pos¬sesses a number of 0-ships employed specifically to attract space pirates and enemy commerce raiders into range of their heavy-calibre cruiser guns and torpedos. In peacetime, the Patrol is largely occupied with the tasks of policing the spacelanes and suppressing piracy. In this duty the Q-ships, disguised as slow and helpless freighters, play a most effective role. Also, anti-piracy operations are closely coordinated with the B. N. I., which attempts to plant agents in areas frequented by pirates on R&R or even to penetrate pirate organizations with agents posing as pirates, so as to obtain intelligence on locations of pirate bases, ship and crew strengths, and planned raids. The Patrol also has the duty of show¬ing the flag in the far-flung colonial possessions and trade protectorates of the League. In wartime, the Patrol functions as a fast reaction force (nicknamed The Fire Brigade) to reinforce threatened areas quickly. It also provides support for the BattleFleet, conducts scouting sweeps, and guards naval lines of communication. Units of the Patrol are also used to mount commando-style raids with StarFleet Marines or to land agents of the B. N. I. on enemy-held planets.

Starsystem Defense Forces

Under the Articles of Trade, each full Member Planet of the League is obliged to provide for the defense of its StarSystem. Depending upon the wealth of the Member, a force of largely light warships will be maintained to oppose enemy action in the area and to provide reinforcements for the StarFleet, if required. As economy measures, many Members provide for large numbers of Star-Fighters, reasoning that the craft can adequately patrol the system perimeter, react speedily to piratical activity or commerce raiding, and do significant damage with torpedo fire. Or, again, larger vessels are often built without FTL drives to reduce overall costs, the reasoning being that they are essentially system defense vessels anyway and do not need to go anywhere else. As a consequence, rarely more than 1/3 of the StarSystem Defense vessels have FTL capability. The Member must also provide for adequate militia Marine forces to fight anywhere in the StarSystem. StarPort defenses and orbital forts are optional, but rarely will a planet be found without fairly heavy close-in anti-ship batteries and torpedo launchers. Xenon defense screens, of course, are never neglected.

Naval Reserve Strike Forces

About 20% of the merchant shipping in the League is fast and modern enough to be fitted out for commerce raiding. At League expense, such vessels will be armed with out-sized NovaGun batteries and torpedoes and naval drives. The bene¬fit to the owners in added defense against pirate attack cannot be un¬derstated. However, in time of war, all such vessels are liable to mobili¬zation in the Strike Forces for the duration of the conflict. The com¬merce raiders then operate independently in assigned regions of enemy space, or else in concert with support/command units of the Patrol to conduct 'wolf-pack' tactics. These raider Task Forces are used partic-ularly to attack convoys, and starfighter-cruisers and destroyers of the Patrol typically are present to provide the punch needed to decoy or take out the escorts. It should be noted that the commerce raiders are all naval reserve vessels and therefore are totally under naval discipline and command. In addition, private shipowners may obtain Letters of Marque which legally entitle them to raid enemy commerce and take prizes. Privateersmen are not naval vessels, however, and all operations must be supported by the owners, who stand to make considerable profits from the sale of prizes taken.

Mercenary Armed Forces

There are a fairly large number of corporate mercenary units in the League. In peacetime, the Mercenary Companies hire out their services to corporations or just about anyone else who requires 'muscle', regardless of nationality. The Mercenaries form a body of trained troops who can be engaged by StarFleet or Planetary Directorates to augment their forces. It should be noted that the quality of equipment and reliability of such troops is exceedingly spotty, varying from excellent to very poor indeed. Some are little more than bands of thugs and freebooters.

Bureau Of League Security Services

The internal security and intelligence-gathering requirements of the League are coordinated and directed by the B. L. S. S, or the Bureau, for short. The Bureau has a close relationship with two private compa-nies specializing in security operations as well as with the security or¬ganizations of Planetary Directorates and private corporations. In war¬time, the Bureau has extensive powers and can issue directives to sub¬ordinate agencies. In peacetime, its powers are relatively curtailed, but it may indict any planetary or corporate officer for withholding essen¬tial intelligence bearing on the general security or survival of the Mer¬cantile League. Thus a fair bit of information filters up, as no one wishes to face a charge of 'treason' if it later comes out that he knew something and kept quiet.

The Department Of Security Coordination

The D. S. C. (laughingly referred to by wags as the Department of Sanitation Con-troll is no joke to enemies of the League, for its agents occupy much the same bosition as those of B. 0. S. S, in the Federation. The eternal bogey of the D. S. C. or Security is statist plots against the League, and it maintains an assassination team to secretly and quietly deal with real or imagined threats to the internal security of the League. The team directs its attention largely to the elimination of foreign agents on League territory or that of League allies and trading partners. However, the Security Commando occasionally becomes overzealous and removes suspected League citizens from time to time. On several occasions, the Bureau has been subjected to purges of members who themselves have exhibited a statist involvement with politics and the support of certain political leaders in the League by eliminating rivals. The B. N. I. keeps a close watch on the Bureau, and rivalries between them equal those be¬tween the Federation's B. R. I. N. T. and B. 0. S. Si. The main function of the Bureau, however, is to coordinate the activities of the security services of the various Planetary Directorates and private corporations in time of war or national emergency, and to gather and assess intelligence forwarded by them on internal threats to League institutions and installations. It is, in effect, a counter-espionage organization.

League Culture: Neo-Romanism

Perhaps one of the truly unusual features of the League is its pre-oc¬cupation with the ancient Roman Empire of Terra. In their beginnings, the Free Colonies had a formless culture. Most of the Free Colonists had immigrated during the final years of the Pure Earth regime on Terra. Pure Earthian repression had all but stamped out many of the local sub-cultures on Terra. The Free Colonists had, in consequence, little knowledge of previous cultural traditions to replace the hated Pure Earthian values and lifestyles they so totally rejected. In effect, they were rootless and had little sense of a group identity.

The pressures of establishing self-sustaining colonies occupied the first generations so fully that they evolved little in the way of a working culture. Indeed, the culture of the Free Colonies went scarcely beyond the corporate structures of the companies that came to dominate daily life. The cultural vacuum led especially the young to seek some form of group self-expression beyond essentially work roles.

In 2187, the first of the Faddish Cults arose. A musicon M. C, on a lo¬cal Fabian TriVee station discovered a late 20th century Tartan music form known as 'Rawk n' Rawling'. Airing several very old selections discoverd in the colonial archives, he was startled to find that the youths in his audience identified totally with the primitive rhythms of the music. (Refer to 'Tribalism in the Free Colonies: A Treatise on the 'Rawk n' Rawler' Movement and Its Effects upon Cultural Evolution in the Mercantile League' by Acadamarian Gaius Rufinius Rogers, Ency-clopedia Galactica, LC.117.V338,79a). The Rawk Faddish swept through Fabius and quickly spread to other colonies, with youths af¬fecting the outlandish dress and mannerisms of two centuries earlier. The Rawkers were soon challenged by a myriad of other Fadds, each more preposterous and extreme than the last. Perhaps the two most noticeable Fadds to emerge were Mob Faddish and WildWest Faddish. These two Fadds were quite suited to the needs of the corporations, then engaged in almost constant and often violent competition for markets and political dominance in the colonies.

Mob Faddish was first adopted by the Sampson Corporation in 2208 during its inter-corporate wars with Gamma Developments and Detron, Inc. Sampson personnel were organized into Big Wheels (management), Enforcers, Gunsels, Molls, and a host of other role-models based upon TriVee depictions of early 20th century history in Amerikan Terra. The Sampson Mob conducted such a stylish campaign of terror and intimi¬dation against its competitors and their clients that Mob Faddish was soon adopted by many other League corporations. Not to be outdone, Gamma Developments retaliated with WildWest Faddish. Reaching back to 19th century Terra, Gamma resurrected the costumes, accents, and traditions of the Amerikan West, all carefully researched from such historical documents as the antique TriVee records entitled High Noon, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. These superbly detailed documentries, undoubtedly made under dang¬erous conditions by intrepid 19th century TriVee news teams, were no less useful than early 20th century documentaries like The Untouch¬ables, Scarface, etc., were for the re-creation of Mob Faddish. Armed with automatic recoiless weapons cunningly disguised as early Terran Thompson machineguns, Sampson Mobsters regularly shot it out with Gamma Hired Guns packing Peacemaker Hoglegs (machine pistols) and autofire Winchester carbines- - much to the delight of millions of Tri¬Vee viewers who eagerly gathered before their 150cm screens each night to watch the newscasts.

This began the Camp Faddish, so called because it was devoted to fol¬lowing the corporate war campaigns, or Camps for short. By 2236, the corporations had learned that there was big money in the Camp Fad¬dish, and they co-operated even in the middle of bitter corporate strug¬gles to jointly produce elaborate TriVee coverage of the battles, This greatly boosted their sales in the process because of the spot com¬mercials slipped in between action sequences. When TriVee directors began complaining that they didn't have sufficient control over the pro¬ductions to do justice to them, elaborate rules were evolved to govern the combats and permit proper TriVee coverage of every gory detail. In time, the conflicts were nothing more than superbly contrived, stylized duels under pre-agreed conditions.

The rise of the League as a major interstellar power by 2250 then intro¬duced a new element into the chaotic patterns of dozens of competing Faddish cults. The League was a force to be reckoned with, but the majesty of its power and prosperity was lost on its neighbors. Indeed, they reacted to the whole Faddish phenomenon with undisguised mirth and scorn. As Boss Trigvie MackeIston observed to his lieutenants at a fateful meeting of Tetragammetron Syndicate's board meeting in 2258, 'Boys, we got no respectl Them High Republicans laugh at us and call us clowns. An' those Azzie bums are slappin' some pretty hard labels on us, like 'degenerates' and 'racial inferiors'. Boys, I'm tellin' you, we got a bad image problem. Sales are down out there. How can they take our products seriously, with this thing hanging over us? We need something with real class'.

Tetragammetron's Director of Marketing Research just happened to be a fanatic on classical Terran civilizations. For some time, David Thomas (Decius Maximus Thomas) had longed to return to Ancient Rome. {He had even foolishly invested CR 100,000 in a silly scam to build a time machine when approached by a trio of fast-talking con men. They were eliminated when the fraud was discovered by the angry Director). Thomas reviewed the whole history of League development and came to startling and far-reaching conclusions:

First, the League required a solid identity to pull it together. The League was fragmented by the innumerable Faddish cults. Rivalries be¬tween competing firms were fuelled and fanned into excessive violence by the very differences between F adds, not genuine problems in compe¬tition or unresolved breaches of contract. It was violence for its own sake, social war which was tearing the heart out of the League from within.

Second, the League had to be larger than the individual corporations themselves. Having spurned statism and its restrictive laws and bureau¬cracies, the League could not turn back to statist institutions to bring social order. There had to be some way for social order- - for law and peaceful negotiation- - to prevail. There also had to be some way to en¬courage individual and corporate citizens to perform acts for the good of the entire League, while avoiding disgusting statist practices like ex¬cessive taxation and socialist public ownership of industry.

Third, the Roman model paralled in some ways the prevailing senti¬ments in the League. For in the early Roman Republic, power was a very personal affair between those who led and those who followed and obeyed. It was a Patron/Client relationship rather similar to the rela¬tionships existing in the League Worlds. Such personal ties of loyalty bound Patron and Client in the business world, but they could be strengthened and made still more meaningful and satisfying with a clear tradition backing them. If one also introduced the Greek concept of service to the nation as increasing one's personal stature and reputation, it could be possible to encourage the wealthy to make voluntary con¬tributions to beautify and strengthen League life. In so far as some government was necessary, Roman governmental practices had a host of checks and balances, with numerous opportunities to introduce veto powers to prevent undesirable statist action.

Fourth, corporate leaders were much like Roman patricians, anyway, and the workers and other employees were the rank-and-file plebians. The changes would be largely outward, for show rather than substance. The Boss wanted respect; and if there was one thing that the old Ro¬mans had, it was a sense of dignity by the bucketful.

Thus the suggestion was tentatively introduced. To Thomas's surprise, the delighted Directorate of Tetragammetron instantly saw the untold vistas of possibility in his plan. The Romanization of Tetragammetron was carefully engineered down to the last detail, all in utter secrecy. Unlike the other Fadds, which were usually based upon poor research and the silliest misunderstandings of the past, the Eagle Project was the product of Thomas's serious and loving scholarship. Some of the most prestigeous Terran archeologists were consulted on a myriad of ques¬tions. The best R&D personnel in the company were placed on the detail work. Everything was conducted in utmost secrecy to prevent other corporations from learning what Tetragammetron was about to do. Hopefully, only Tetragammetron would be ready with a full line of 'Roman' products for sale when the Roman Fadd was released upon the public. Such a coup could net billions when the Fadd Groupies scram¬bled to join the new Craze.

On August 1, 2259, the Eagle and Thunderbolt of Tetragammetron Victrix, Inc., was broken out on all company buildings, vehicles, ships, and letterheads. Every employeee appeared clad in appropriate and fully authentic costume. Management wore formal togas, with coded edging to denote departments and ranks. Security was clad in full leg¬ionary panoply- - Romanized LBA, red-plumed combat helmet with HUD and comlinks, silvered automatic conerifles with fixed forcebay-onets, and vibro-shortswords. The rank-and-file Plebs were clad in tun¬ics again color-coded for department and rank, with attractive jewellery that also doubled for badges of grade-rank in the organization.

In the middle of Faddish frivolousness, the solemn spectacle of Domini Trajanus Caius Mackelston (even Romanized names were adopted) was a study in contrast. Arriving at the House of Congress for the fall ses-sion, he was dressed in a meticulously pressed and folded toga of state, edged in Directorate purple. Flanking him was a squad of Tetragammet¬ron Praetorians, personal guards in gilded armor. Following was a verit¬able platoon of aides in white togas edged in the black of Legal Section and carrying trim black attache cases. Behind trouped some hundreds of personal clients, also in Roman costume.

The opening of Congress was seen by millions on TriVee that night. Tetragammetron was a classic study in corporate solidity, seriousness, and power. Representatives of the other great corporations paled into insignificance. The Mob Fadders in their wide-lapelled pinstripe suits were seen as two-bit gunsels. The Cowboys were mere hicks from the sticks. The Rawkers were a sick joke. And so on through the list. There was something imperial about the Tetragammetron contingent. Thus there should be no surprise that T. Carus Mackeiston's flawless oratory on the virtues of Romanization had a deep and profound on the entire League. So did Tetragammetron's massive ad campaign.

In the ensuing rush to join the new Fadd, Tetragammetron's profits were at record level as millions bought everything required to appear a proper Roman. Tetragammetron's TriVee series, 'Fields of Glory', was also an instant hit, commanding 89% of the total viewing audience twice a week. A public clamor soon arose on half a dozen planets for the construction of proper arenas so that fans could view gladatorial combats live, By the spring of 2260, the Romanization of the Mercan¬tile League was well underway. Ten years later, the Fadd had solidified into a permanent cultural pattern, and the other Faddish cults all but disappeared.

In 2283, the Congress of the League voted unanimously to model League government along the lines of the Roman Republic. Thus they instituted the offices and titles of Senator for the patrician members of the Upper House, established an Assembly of the People or Lower House- - from which 10 Tribunes with veto powers would be appointed to oversee and act as a check on Senatorial power- - and created an ex-ecutive on the Roman model. The Charmanship of Congress was altered to a pair of Consuls-Mercantile (presidential-equivalent), and other of¬fices were given titles like Praetor, Praefect, Aedile, and the like. To match the actions of the Congress, which declared Augusta the capital world of the League, the Planetary Directorate of Augusta decreed that the capital, Newton, would henceforth be known as Nova Roma An¬tares. Adoption of Roman place names soon spread to the other worlds.

League 'Roman' Customs & Traditions

League culture is outwardly Roman. Close inspection reveals, however, that League customs and lifestyles are uniquely original. Dress is, of course, Roman. Yet it is only worn on formal occasions and/or where it is appropriate. The familiar jump-suit is usually found in the workplace, especially where protective clothing is essential. The military wear Romanized uniforms for dress occasions, but combat uni¬forms and kit are strictly modern and highly functional.

Latin has been adopted as the formal language of the League, but the standard tongue commonly spoken is Basic Anglic- - the universal hu¬man tongue in the League, Azuriach Imperium, the Federation, and even in the G. P. R. Class consciousness has developed to a significant degree. The toga is restricted to members of the patrician entrepeneurial and management classes (CR 100,000 per year or CR 1,000,000 in property), but a mod¬ified form can be worn by plebian citizens. Senators are permitted a purple strip 7.5cm wide. Entrepeneurs have a 5cm strip of gold. Other colors distinguish the various professions and management areas. A plebian may wear a plain toga on ceremonial occasions only. The toga is always of the purest white, and togas woven from the wool of the rare Terran sheep are the most highly prized.

Roman formalism dominates ceremonial occasions, with everyone decked out in his best Roman clothes. Especially popular are the Tri¬umphs, which are handled in the ancient manner to greet a victorious commander and his troops on Augusta, where they are paraded in honor through the streets of Roma Antares.

By 2550, the appearance of a League settlement has become almost entirely Roman. But appearances mask the ultra-modern facilities of the architecture. Every modern convenience is present, but these are concealed to present the almost austere simplicity of Roman prototypes.

Also, where efficiency dictates it, the structure can be utterly modern in every respect- - as in the case of a factory complex or a mili¬tary base. Yet the most modern of installations will also have ceremo¬nial areas on the Roman style. The domus or home is modelled after the original- - the general layout with rooms built around a central courtyard (atrium) with a reflecting pool or ornamental garden in the center. The domus is usually fully cybernetized, with full environmental control, cyber-kitchens, and a host of other modern features, but these are all carefully disguised under a facade of marble and decorative wall hangings. The furniture is Roman in appearance, usually of rich woods inlaid with other woods, ivory, or even mother-of-pearl, semi-precious stones, or precious metals. Statuary and fine pottery abounds. The banquet area is meticulously styled on the Roman model, and is lavishly furnished and decorated. For here the owner may entertain his friends, business associates, and important Patrons, and a show of wealth and success is essential to create the right impression_ During such banquets, rich and expensive delicacies and beverages from the far-flung reaches of the League trad¬ing regions will be served with the same gusto and attention to culinary perfection as in the ancient Roman state.

The insulae or apartment complexes are the homes of the plebians and lesser patricians starting their way up the corporate ladder. The build¬ings are never more than 5 stories high (about 20 meters), as only pub¬lic buildings are allowed to be of higher and more imposing stature in the urbs (city). Suburban structures may be taller, but they must be out of sight of the urbs. The average apartment compares in size to the typ¬ical apartment found throughout Terran history, but it is again decor¬ated in the Roman style to the extent that the occupant can afford.

The capital of the League, Roma Antares, deserves special mention, for it is here that the most visible manifestation of League passion for all things Roman has reached its peak. The city is a full scale model of the ancient city which is its namesake- - painstakingly constructed over a period of two centuries. No expense was spared to reproduce every feature of the original Rome which modern scholarship could uncover. Changes are made only when a structure needs modernization of inter¬nal systems or replacement because of age. Roma Antares was the brainchild of Lucius Flaminius Clio (formerly Larry Cliente of the great Flaminius Armaments & Munitions empire). He argued in 2319 that 'while the statist regimes all have impressive capital cities in which the pagentry of their cultures is proudly dis¬played, we have but a few miserable and dingy colonial settlements with resounding names but lacking the character of our great and proud heritage as Romans of the League. Thus I say, my fellow Senators, let us build this city, this New Rome. Build it on the planet which our forefathers first claimed in freedom, and let it bear the indelible mark that says to all who come after we are dead and forgotten that this was the City of the Mercantile League!'

Roma Antares never ceases to astound people, citizens and visitors alike, for the capital is a living museum. Though private dwellings are modelled according to individual tastes in Roman architecture, all the great public buildings and centers are precisely as they would have been a score of centuries past, and more. It should be noted in this regard that, while exact replicas of Roman art can be produced in the League, the originals are much sought after for both public and private display, and fabulous prices have been obtained for them. Unfortunately, the 'troubles' on Terra during the collapse of Pure Earthian society and the current reluctance of the Terran government to allow the heritage of the Human Race to leave its control have made legal acquisition of such treasures impossible.

Patronage In The League

In the final analysis, all relationships in League society, commerce, and government are based upon the concepts of Patron and Client. Put sim¬ply, a Patron is an individual/corporation able to bestow some signifi¬cant benefits upon another individual/corporation. A Client is the recip¬ients of the benefits given by a Patron. In practice, the Patron/Client relationships are many, and often they are complex in nature, with each party assuming extensive and binding duties and responsibilities of a contractual nature.

Personal Patronage

A Personal Patron is literally an influential friend in the position to pro¬tect, advise, and assist his Personal Clients in their advancement. Clients are effectively sworn vassals, individuals whom the Patron has singled out for his special favor because they are promising and trustworthy men who will do him whatever services he requires in return for his sup¬port. Of all relationships in the League, Personal Patronage is the most intense and honor-bound, It is not offered nor accepted lightly, for both Patron and Client enter into a complex arrangement in which vir¬tually all of the terms of the contract are understood. It is a relation-ship based upon personal trust and guaranteed by the honor of the parties. Betrayal of that trust is regarded as the most despicable and treacherous of social offenses, worthy of being redressed in blood. Thus a betrayed Patron or Client will almost invariably resort to the Code Duello to revenge himself on a betrayer.

The Patron expects his Clients to serve him personally, giving their absolute loyalty to him and using their skills and talents when needed to increase his wealth and prestige in the League. For his part, he rewards this loyalty and personal service with preference in matters of business, career promotions, and outright protection against enemies. In the League, men of wealth and influence attempt to gain as large a follow¬ing of Personal Clients as possible, for the size and talents of his per¬sonal entourage reflects his awn power and importance, impressing all who see him or deal with him. As he rises in his personal fortunes, he is expected to share his successes with his Personal Clients. For they have hooked their stars to his and were, in part, responsible for his growth in power and importance because of the efforts expended on his behalf and at his direction. Not all Personal Clients are known to be the supporters of a Patron. Some remain inconspicuous, their task to infiltrate the organizations of rivals and so to provide information and services which will further their Patron's interests. Such Clients often run grave risks because they often have to assume other contractual relationships which may come into conflict with the Personal Patron/Client obligations, But the re¬wards for loyal service are correspondingly great and, if the Patron can bring about a notable coup because of such clandestine service, the Client can expect significant rewards, honors, and promotion in the Patron's organization.

Personal Contract Patronage

Little less binding than Personal Patronage is Personal Contract Patron¬age. This is a formal relationship between a Patron and an individual contracted to render him personal service and loyalty. Such contracts are entered into to ensure the Patron of the near-absolute loyalty of those closest to him- - personal staff such as bodyguards, aides, execu¬tive secretaries, residential staff, etc., for these people can do him great injury if treacherous. Thus a Personal Service Contract is not granted lightly. The credentials and background of a prospective PC Client will be intensively investigated before an offer is made by the Patron, who must be assured that the Client will have no divided loyal¬ties. The term of the contract is usually for the life of the Patron, and the salary levels are often several times the standard rates for the ser¬vices performed. The Patron reserves the right to terminate a Personal Service Contract if he becomes dissatisfied with the PC Client's performance, suspects his loyalties are wavering, or merely no longer requires the service. Termin¬ation generally requires a payment of 6-12 months' severence pay, al-though a loyal Client who is simply no longer needed may receive sig¬nificantly more as a token of the Patron's satisfaction. The Patron will also endorse the contract as being terminated with or without preju¬dice. In the former instance, the Patron is clearly dissatisfied with some aspect of the Client's performance and is issuing a warning to other prospective employers. A bad endorsement can seriously prejudice the employment prospects of the Client and bar him from the holding of sensitive positions, A good endorsement may have a positive effect in subsequent job-applications, constituting a letter of recommendation.

For his part, a Client can terminate his Personal Service Contract by giving notice and paying a penalty which could be from 1 to 10 years' of his salary, depending on the terms of the contract. He effectively buys his own contract and becomes his own Patron. But, until released from a Personal Service Contract, he cannot enter into any other em¬ployment contract because he still belongs to his Patron and owes him service first and foremost.

Personal Service Contracts are most sought after by Clients, for they signify long-term security and also are a mark of importance and trust in the organization of a Patron. The more influential the Patron, the more a PC Client basks in his own personal importance as a trusted man of a personage of prestige and wealth. Social status amongst Clients directly reflects the positions of their Patrons and the degree of trust placed in them by such Patrons.

General Employment Patronage

When a man owns his own Personal Service Contract, he may enter the employment of an individual/corporate Patron, General Employment relationships closely parallel Master and Indentured Servant arrange-ments. The Patron contracts to employ the GE Client for a period of time (usually 1-5 years) and demands exclusive service from the Client/ Employee during the term of employment, The GE Client agrees to submit all internal disputes with the Patron/Employer, its officers, or other GE Client/Employees of the firm or its associates to a company tribunal for final decision. He also agrees to support his Patron/Employ¬er by showing public enthusiasm for his Patron and corporate policies and accomplishments, by keeping company secrets to himself, and by obeying the orders of corporate officers placed over him. In short, a reasonable degree of company loyalty is mandatory, and failure is grounds for instant dismissal with prejudice.

In return for performance of certain tasks according to job specifica¬tions, the Patron/Employer bestows significant benefits upon the Client/Employee. A comprehensive medical and psychological care plan is usually in place. Subsidized company residences may also be avail-able. Discounts will be given on all company-produced goods and ser¬vices, and discounts may be arranged with associated companies as well. Even low-interest loans may be available, as well as stock-options on corporate share issues. Educational and recreational programs and facil¬ities are often commonplace offerings. Company security and police services almost invariably will be provided to protect GE Clients and their property, and the Patron/Employer will rarely shirk from stand¬ing as jealous guardian of its GE Clients from external enemies, whether personal or corporate. 'The Company takes care of its own' is the uni¬versal motto or League Patrons, and if one of its GE Clients does com¬mit an offense against an outsider, the Company Tribunal will collabor¬ate with the representatives of the offended party to see the extent of the guilt. If unpersuaded that its GE Client has done anything contrary to the Articles of Trade and local ordinances, the Patron will defend his rights- - even if it means corporate war. if convinced of its GE Clierlf s guilt, it will make appropriate reparations in his name, and then take disciplinary action against the offender itself. Corporate honor demands that the Company deal with its own- - in all matters.

General Employment Contracts can be terminated by a Patron at any time, usually with provision for payment of from 1 to 6 month's pay, depending upon the length of time remaining before the term of their employment is concluded. GE Clients may also buy out their contracts by paying the salary remaining before the term runs out, plus penalties if they are 'key personnel'. (These can amount to as much as several years' pay in some instances). StarShip personnel often have a Home Port clause attached to their contracts, meaning that they cannot de¬part a vessel until it returns to its home port or until a suitable replace¬ment is found, whichever comes first, The Home Port clause also ap¬plies to dismissal of StarShip personnel, who must either be deeded home or else be left at a starport at which passage home is arranged. Marooning is not allowed except for capital offenses against the Articles of Trade).

Business Patronage

Whenever a corporation enters into a contract by which it agrees to supply goods and/or services, it becomes the Client of the Patron/Cust¬omer contracting for delivery of the goods/services. This is a standard business relationship, in which each party is obligated to perform ac-cording to the terms of the agreement. The contract sets out the nature and quality of the goods/services, the price, the terms of delivery and payment, penalty clauses, and method of settlement of disputes. Such contracts are rigorously interpreted according to the Articles of Trade, and serious and deliberate breaches are considered to be evidence of treason against the fundamental precepts of the League itself, In short, a party to any business contract who fails to perform, refuses to settle the matter amicably, and shows bad faith is liable to indictment before the Courts of Commerce. A decision against such an offender can en¬able the injured party to declare the Code Duello and challenge the felon to Trial by Corporate War. (See 'The Right to Private War').

Corporate Patronage

Corporate patronage is the relationship which develops between a major company or individual entrepeneur and smaller, associated companies or entrepeneurs depending upon the major or Patron Corporation for a good portion of their business. It is largely a dependency relationship, for the Client Corporation profit greatly from the business thrown their way and are eager to maintain and improve the relationship. The result is something akin to a mixture of General Employment and Business Patronage combined. In addition to formal business contracts, the Patron Corporation undertakes to assist its Client Companies with their own projects through granting loans and joint-ventures under mutually profitable terms, sharing important industrial processes, and even pro¬viding protection in the form of corporate armed forces, security exper¬tise, and full Patronage influence with other large corporations and in the halls of League government. In return, the 'public' (read 'political') support of the Client Companies is required; and if the Patron Corporation becomes embroiled in Corporate War, the active assistance and sup¬port of closely associated Client Companies is clearly demanded as a condition of business preference.

Public Patronage

To acquire 'public' influence and power (in the League, one never speaks of political power), one must have great wealth and an organiza¬tion- - invariably corporate- - to efficiently use that wealth to gain pub¬lic ends. In order to ensure the maximum amount of public leverage nossible, the ambitious man will attempt to attract as many Personal Clients as possible within his corporate organization. When he has suf¬ficient support, he can make a bid for high office within his own corpo¬ration. Then; using his corporation's influence as a Patron, he will mar¬shal as many Corporate Clients as he can to win public office in the planetary administration or in the League Congress. The whole process is comparable to the proxy votes in any corporation to determine the members of the Boards of Directors. In such public matters, one's Clients- - and Patrons- - can be of paramount importance to success or failure.

Outworlder Patronage

The Business and Corporate Patronage relationships extend to all outworlders not having League citizenship- - whether they are individuals, corporations, or even entire star nations and their governments. The Articles of Trade provide strict and savage penalties for any League citi¬zen, individual or corporate, who breaches his contracts with out¬woriders. Trade and commerce are the life-blood of the Mercantile League, and the League regards any serious negligence and especially deliberate breach of contract as evidence of treason against the funda¬mental precepts of the League. The Courts of Commerce will hear any outworlder complaints, or those of another League citizen making com¬plaint either on behalf of the outworlders or himself (if he wants to make it a personal matter of his honor as a League citizen outraged by such conduct). A decision against the offender enables the injured party to invoke the Code Duello and challenge the felon to Trial by Corporate War.

League Corporations and entrepeneurs may therefore enter into stand¬ard contracts under the Articles to become Business Clients of Patron/ Customers having outworlder status- - including governments as well as individuals and companies outside the League. They may also enjoy the position of a Corporate Patron or Corporate Client of an outworlder. In effect, this could embroil a League company in the internal affairs of an outworlder planetary government, for by terms of the contract, a League company might be obligated to support the contracting faction in its public ambitions in return for trade concessions.

League Patronage

The Mercantile League itself can be a Patron of an outworlder- - usually a governmental body or even an entire planet. There are several classes of League Patronage:

Corporate Alliance

Essentially, the League enters into a posi¬tion of equality with a contracting government, according to a treaty of alliance which sets out trade and possibly defense commitments. The effect is comparable to the business alliance which two fairly equal cor¬porations would make when they combine for a joint venture or other common project. Each is simultaneously the Patron and Client of the other, using League legal concepts.

Friend And Ally

The League is actually in a position of consider¬able superiority but, to create good will, it enters into a fiction that it has joined in an equal alliance with an outworld government. In fact, the League is the Patron and protector of the outworld. Internal gov¬ernment of the planet is largely left to the locals, with League assist¬ance and advice extended as required by the League Proconsular Gov-ernor in command of the StarPort(s), League Enclaves, and System Defense Forces. All external affairs in the StarSystem are under full League administration. League citizens enjoy extra-territoriality on the planetary surface, which means that local authorities cannot do more than arrest offenders against local laws and turn them over to League justice for disposition of the case. Typically, such planets are techno¬logically far inferior to the League and the local government has either been bribed or overawed into accepting League direction on vital mat-ters. Local politicians accepting this Client status are thus personally responsible to the Patron League for their actions, and unresponsive Clients can be legally disposed of, according to the Articles of Trade. This is almost invariably done by internal revolution, led by other League Clients held in reserve against just such a need. Only rarely is direct armed intervention resorted to by League ProConsuls, although they can arrange for League Mercenaries to be hired.

League Protectorate

An outworld with an indigenous population but under the direct rule of the League authorities is a Protector¬ate. The League assumes the position of a full Patron and demands Client loyalty from the inhabitants in return for the benefits of associa¬tion and trade with the League. A Proconsular Governor is in complete charge of the planet, though he may delegate limited authority to locals who collaborate with him to administer planetary affairs. League citi¬zens have extra-territoriality. Such planets are often quite primitive or else have been conquered by force of arms and are occupied by League security forces supported by native auxilaries collaborating with them.

Charter Colony

An outworld developed by one or a number of League corporations without assistance of the League authority itself. A Charter Colony with a number of competing companies resembles a League Protectorate, with the companies controlling the internal af¬fairs, and a League Governor administering the StarPort(s) and System Defense Forces. A Company Planet is an outworld developed by one corporation, which enjoys exclusive trading rights into the planet for a period of 90 years after discovery (a virtual monopoly), after which it may sell licenses for trade and settlement/development to other indivi¬duals and corporations. In that 90-year period before the Company Planet becomes a Charter Colony, the exploiting company may do whatever it wants with its property- - including the native inhabitants (who are part of the property), Other League businesses may acquire rights to do business on the planet during the 90-year monoply period by paying for the privilege and entering into a form of Client relation¬ship with the monopoly holder. The significant features of Company Planets is that the monoply holder has the sole right to set out 'ordin¬ances and regulations governing conduct on the planet, and that the Company enjoys a share of all business done by others (usually a 20% cut of profits). Only when its term is up do other League corporate and private citizens gain the chance to become involved in the government of the planet.

Economic Competition & Industrial Espionage

Every League citizen and corporation holds the belief that competition in the open marketplace is the essence of a vital and healthy economy. Everyone has the right to make a profit if he can, and no one is guaran¬teed a proprietary interest in any product design or process such that no other individual or company can use it without permission. There¬fore, no laws exist granting patent rights, although trademarks are pro¬tected because they constitute part of the name of a business.

If a competitor can duplicate a product or industrial process, he is ab¬solutely free to do so. The individual or corporation performing the basic research and development is entitled, however, to a modest roy¬alty to compensate for the effort and expense of producing the item or process in the first place. But there is no way that a competitor can be ordered not to produce an identical product or to refrain from employ¬ing a secret process which it has managed to acquire from another company.

It must also be noted that many products and industrial processes are very complicated, multi-step, high-technology items that cannot be duplicated easily by mere scientific analysis. Knowing this, the original developers often attempt to make highly profitable products and pro¬cesses top secret to deny them to competitors. This is true especially in the early stages, when a new product is being introduced and the com¬pany is attempting to build a strong lead in the marketplace. This en-sures a handsome profit and consumer loyalty before competitors can duplicate the item. Sooner or later, all secrets will become common knowledge. The idea is to protect that secret as long as possible to delay the time when the competition can also take advantage of it.

Industrial espionage and counter-espionage thus become major features of corporate struggles for a share of the market. There are no laws pre¬venting use of any secret once it is in the hands of a competitor. How¬ever, there are laws against the act of industrial espionage itself. Any spy caught by a company's security force is literally at the mercy of the offended corporation. Being on corporate property, the spy can be tried before the corporatiorf s Legal Tribunal, which has the power to mete out justice as it sees fit. On the other hand, if an industrial spy manages to evade detection and passes on the information to his em¬ployer at a rival firm, the offense no longer exists! Only so long as the originating firm has the information on its property or in its potential control does it have proprietary interest. The moment a rival possesses the same information, all parties to the theft are no longer indictable. The loss of the secret is regarded as a coup de fait. It should also be noted that there will be two corporations now who have property rights in the secret process, and other firms desiring it will have to resort to espionage to gain it.

It should be noted that copyright law operates rather differently. Authors and computer programmers are entitled to royalties for their work. A publisher of a work is entitled to 5 years of monopoly in marketing the work so that he can realize a fair profit. After that time, anyone may reproduce a work so long as the originator is paid a royalty. No changes or revisions may be made without permission to ensure the originator's reputation is not injured.

Corporate Security Service Directorates

Virtually all corporations have a security division, with the various branches under the Directorate of Security Administration. Even in peacetime, security is a constant problem in most companies because League law permits industrial espionage- - if the other side can success¬fully steal the secret. In wartime, such security does double duty, be¬cause it can be used to ensure plant and office security against spying and sabotage.

The head of corporate security operations is a Director of the Board of the company, The Director of Security Administration controls the budget of the company's security forces, sets out general security strategy, and coordinates all branches of his organization. The D. S. A. is also responsible for cooperating with the security forces of the Plan¬etary and League administrations. In peacetime, this function is largely limited to cooperation with the Planetary law enforcement agencies to maintain the peace, order, and rights of citizens and visitors on the planet. In wartime, it is a comprehensive duty and may require extra¬ordinary efforts. The D. S. A. will almost always pass on information to the appropriate authorities about the activities of statist regimes which company representatives have gleaned in the course of doing business with foreigners.

Finally, the D. S. A. acts as the corporation's equivalent of an Attorney General and his office prosecutes all suspected security offenders who are apprehended by his security forces. In this role, he is personally responsible for bringing all major breaches of the Articles of Trade to the Tribunals of Law, where convictions could implicate rival firms or even foreign powers and so give rise to cause for armed conflict (either corporate war or a League declaration of war against a foreign power).

Corporate Intelligence Services

Second in rank to the D. S. A. is the Assistant Director of Corporate Intelligence. His office is in charge of all company espionage and coun-ter-espionage operations, and the Company Police report directly to him, as well as his own operatives. His Division maintains general sur¬veillance over all company personnel, visitors, and installations. His agents are greatly assisted in these tasks by the workforce itself, often referred to in the Division as Internal Security Operatives. Most of the employee-clients have a good rapport with the security establishment and are highly security conscious. Out of personal loyalty to the Patron Company which employs them, the workers are perhaps the best secur¬ity measure the company has.

Though each corporation is, ultimately, master of its own dominions, the security arrangements tend to conform closely to the guidelines laid down by Licinius Jerrard McMann in the Senatorial Ordinances of 2376. In McMann's words, 'While it is in the interests of each Patron to determine his own security needs and methods of protecting property and clients, much criminal activity may come from sources outside the League and may be beyond the capacities of individual security organ¬izations to combat. Therefore, cooperative efforts by each corporation, Planetary Directorate, and the League Administration must be made possible on an efficient and adequate scale', The McMann Ordinances are the foundation of the entire intelligence gathering system currently used in the League.

With regard to the role to be played by the employees of each com¬pany, McMann had in mind the ability to serve both the interests of the company and those of the League at the same time: 'Each corporate department shall be organized into clans, both for the forging of an identity which will foster pride and the competitive spirit to outper¬form other clans within the company- - to the profit of the Patron- -and also to keep watch on others in the clan so that the clan is not disgraced by the treachery of someone caught in a moment of weak- ness and treason against his Patron's benevolence and trust... Further, it should be the highest dishonor for one clan to have a member caught in the act of treason against his Patron and be apprehended by another clan'. After almost two centuries of such organization and encourage¬ment to watch for theft of company property by other workers, slack-ness and inattention to duties of employment, and industrial espionage, the workforce proves to be about 90% reliable in the internal security role. Any sort of crime or spying or sabotage on corporate premises re¬quires a good bit of planning, care, and plain skill.

The Intelligence Division also has the job of maintaining secret agents in rival firms, as might be expected. It also provides the 'muscle' to eliminate particularly dangerous individuals at the order of the Board of Directors. This last function is utterly against the Articles of Trade, but an Enforcement squad is nevertheless essential to any efficient cor¬poration. In this regard, the Division is little different from the Depart-ment of Security Coordination in the League Administration.

The men in Enforcement are generally unknown to anyone except the D. S. A., the head of Intelligence, a few of their most trusted lieuten¬ants, and perhaps only a few or even none of the other Directors on the Corporate Board. They are carefully screened and hand-picked special-lists, usually under the Personal Patronage of the D, S. A, and his dep¬uty. Operations of Enforcement are strictly unofficial, and the corpora- tion will disclaim any knowledge or assent to the actions of any mem¬ber so unfortunate as to be taken alive, (Under the Articles of Trade, any slaying for the profit motive is murder, and anyone implicated could face a charge of treason and savage penalties, even death, A com¬pany so implicated in the death of an employee or manager of another firm would surely have to engage in corporate war if the Board of Di¬rectors wanted to save their skins and the crippling fines and damage assessments that would be levied against them).

Corporate Police

The Company police are headed by an Assist¬ant Director of Security (affectionately known as The Chief by his men). The police are uniformed guards employed for general protection of all corporate property and clients. A number are fully trained in criminal investigation work, and all are trained in the use of incapacita-tion arms and close combat with a variety of offensive weapons. Their functions are typical of plant security guards and private police every¬where. They also have official status as deputies in the Planetary Police.

Corporate Armed Forces

Not all companies maintain armed forces all the time, the function usually being carried out by the corpor¬ate police, corporate Intelligence personnel, and the private bodyguards in the personal service of the management and Directors. However, a small cadre of veterans from the regular or planetary services or else long-term mercenaries will form the command nucleus for any formal armed organizations. The body of men is usually provided by a Mercen¬ary Company engaged for service in a corporate war or action on a Company Planet.

If the corporation is a StarLine, it may maintain a security and intelligence service reflecting the needs of a spacefaring organization, and a strong link will likely be maintained between the D. S. A. and the Bureau of Naval Intelligence and the League Patrol because of the threat of piracy and hijacking. The armed forces of such an organization, of course, would include the vessels themselves and the crews- -especially if they are fitted as commerce raiders.

Planetary Security Services

Each Planetary Directorate of a Member of the League is charged under the Articles of Trade to maintain a Directorate of Planetary and System Security and Defense. The Directorate is divided into four Divisions:

Planetary Intelligence Service

The Intelligence Division is essentially a coordinating agency which manages the information on criminal and espionage activity on the planet and keeps all affected corporations informed. It also coordinates planetary security operations with those of the League Department of Security and maintains a small but efficient intelligence agency to keep all aliens under surveillance, as well as known or suspected criminals considered especially skilled or dangerous. If extra manpower is required, the Deputy Director is empowered to hire an outside firm (a private security company) to take up the slack.

Planetary Police Forces

The Planetary Police provide routine law enforcement in all public areas of the planet and also coordinate ef¬forts and arbitrate disputes between the various private police forces. The Division is not overly large, but it is usually superbly trained, armed, and equipped on the best level of professionalism to provide good coverage when aided by the deputies of the private companies.

Planetary Defense Forces

The P. D. F, is a quasi-regular mili¬tary establishment charged with the ground and air defenses of the planet. About 20% of the troops are trained regulars, often long-term mercenaries, and the remainder of the army is comprised of militia units drawn from the general population on a draft basis from each of the corporations. The corporations are assessed a number of men ac¬cording to their total personnel complements, and they must provide for the training and equipping of their draft. Company militia units are almost always below the standard of the regulars in most respects be¬cause of corporate economies. The regulars come with their own equip¬ment and usually are fairly competent- - unless, of course, the Planetary Administration is also practising economies and has engaged mercen¬aries of doubtful quality. A few planets have spared no pains, however, and maintain regulars equal to those of the StarForce Marines.

Starsystem Defense Forces

The StarSystem Defense Forces have already been dealt with under the StarFleet, but it should be noted that, in addition to the regulars, private corporations with com-merce raiders in the system might also provide units for the protection of the planet from attack or from piratical raids. And it is often the case that the regulars are composed in part or entirely of Mercenary naval units- • professional privateersmen with craft that might be full fleet units of destroyer or light cruiser class, as well as the usual com¬merce raiders.

Traveling In The Mercantile League

According to Palmer's Tour Guide to the Galaxy, a visitor to the Mer¬cantile League will find REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION IN LEAGUE TERRITORY: In ad¬dition to one's own passport, the League requires that all visitors ob¬tain a League !dent Disk (Seven Sciences problem at difficulty level/13 to falsify) upon landing at the first League port of call. The procedure is fairly routine if one has a valid passport and costs CR 750. The (dent Disk must be worn in plain view at all times and ensures that the visitor is protected by League Article 36,05, which provides that League citi¬zens not take unfair advantage of 'guests of the League' in any business dealings. The Went also ensures that League and local police and secur¬ity forces will assist the visitor when he is lost or having any difficulty with others during his stay. Loss of the ldent should he reported in¬stantly to obtain a replacement from any League or Planetary security headquarters. But the visitor should not fear that others might use the identity in his name; the Disk is aura-coded to the person authorized to wear it and blanks when not on his person. It easy to avoid difficulties if he observes a few reasonable percautions.

When Traveling Aboard A League Starship

Once aboard, a traveller is inside League territory and is under the sole juris¬diction and the full protection of the League. Since the League has no treaties of extradition with any statist star nation, only internally between League members, any fugitive from the authorities of a non-League planet will be granted asylum by the ship's Captain, who is obliged under the Articles of Trade to defend his passengers with all force at his disposal. Only space pirates are exempted from this protection and will be dealt with by the Captain himself- - usually to the full satisfaction of any pursuer, as League law calls for immediate spacing of pirates through an open airlock, without life support. The Captain has absolute authority aboard ship and must be obeyed without question in all matters involving the safe operation of his vessel, as must all other officers and crewmen. League Articles provide for a range of penalties, varying from fines and confinement to execution, for any breaches of Ship's Ordinances. Ship's Ordinances can be obtained by consulting the Ship’s Library Program and should be done the moment the passenger is settled in his stateroom. Generally, League crewmen show a great tolerance for the customs and foibles of passengers and give superb service at all times. Fares tend to be quite standard, but vessels can be chartered for detours out of ordinary routes. Also, since many Free Traders follow a very circuitous trading route, fares may be direct-line, meaning the shortest distance between the port of embarkation and final destination is used to compute fare schedules, plus a modest serv¬ice fee to cover cost of cuisine, etc.: CR 30/day for Hi Passage; CR 20/ day for Mid Passage; CR 10/day for La Passage. Freightage fees are ful¬ly negotiable with the Cargo Officer, and can vary from 50% to 100% of standard rates per ton-light year carried, depending upon the amount, value, and bulk of the cargo.

Arranging Credit

League banking establishments are present almost everywhere a visitor might go. A visitor can readily convert a letter of credit from his bank to hard currency upon proving his iden¬tity and validating the draft. Loans are more difficult to arrange, unless the visitor has collateral or is known to the banking establishment from previous dealings.

Suffering Theft Of Luggage Or Currency

Crimes against property are regarded as most serious offenses in the League, and a visitor who suffers theft of his luggage or money can, upon presenting reasonable proof under mind-probe that the loss did occur and amounted to the claimed value, receive immediate compensation from the League or Planetary authorities. The League assumes the liability for not protecting its guests upon receipt of unquestionable proof of its negligence. As for the thief, the League authorities will collect with interest when he is caught.

Dealing With League Merchants

Under the Articles of Trade, the principle of Caveat Emptor (Let the buyer beware) applies between League citizens, who are expected to know the Articles fully, make canny contracts, and inspect samples of the goods offered for sale. In the case of 'guests of the League,' this principle is modified to take the visitor's ignorance of League customs and practices into ac¬count. The lifeblood of the League is its reputation for honest dealings, and it is a major offense for any League citizen to cheat an OutWorlder at any time by misrepresenting the quality of goods, charging more than 150% of fair market value if negotiated by a League citizen under reasonable circumstances), or failing to deliver the goods as contracted. Put bluntly, any breach of contract or of League Articles will see prompt and efficient action taken by League authorities on behalf of the victimized visitor.

Bearing Arms

Outside of League vessels, which require the check¬ing of all weapons upon boarding as an anti-hijacking measure, there are usually few restrictions on the bearing of defensive arms in most parts of the League. Melee weapons (knives, swords, etc.), stunners, and other essentially defensive arms are virtually unrestricted. Offensive armaments such as slugthrowers, recoiless arms, energy projectors, and explosives usually require a permit, with fees and qualifying requirements varying from planet to planet, Provided weapons are used in self-defense, or else according to the Code Duello, one has little to fear from prosecution. However, any slaying in which it can be demon¬strated that the manslayer had committed the act to gain some form of economic advantage is a major offense. For, under League Articles, no one has the right or justification to take the life of a sentierit com¬mercial being and so deprive him of the opportunity to win honorable profit, except under the Code Duello or in defense of life and property from unlawful incursion.

Engaging A Bodyguard

The visitor requiring personal protec¬tion is advised to engage any of the excellent companies specializing in security services. Such personnel are bonded under the Articles as of¬ficial deputies of the law enforcement agency and may use reasonable force in the defense of their Patron-Employers in the sure knowledge of the League Articles and ordinances governing lawful violence. If a large force of armed men is required, one of the Mercenary Companies may be contacted, and units of squad, platoon, company, battalion, or even full regiment level can be engaged.

Observed Rights Of Property Owners

In the League, the rights of property owners or establishment owners are clearly set out in League Articles and ordinances. A man has the right to use his prop¬erty in any manner he sees fit, so long as he does not infringe upon the rights of another under the Articles, nor in any way cause damage or loss to another. Given these rather specific qualifiers, the proprietor can impose standards of general conduct upon anyone entering his prop¬erty- - such as checking weapons at the door, etc.- - and may require anyone adjudged offensive to leave. Failure to comply could lead to charges of trespass and restriction of rightful use of one's property through obstruction- - serious offenses in the League. Owners and pro¬prietors also have the right of reasonable defense of their property in the face of unlawful intrusion, including the protection of the persons and the personal property of their guests and customer-patrons. Final¬ly, if there is any damage done to property, whether by complete ac¬cident, negligence, or deliberate design, the owner is entitled to full compensation plus punitive damages if the offender was in flagrant negligence or had deliberately set out to destroy the property. This rule applies even if a person damaged the property in the course of lawfully defending himself and his property (although the unlawful attacker would bear the brunt of the damages assessed). This rule of law was established to protect innocent bystanders and property owners from the ravages of corporate wars end impromptu duels under the Code Duello.

Private (Corporate) Police And Security Agents

Under the Articles of Trade, the right to use ones property includes the right to protect it Thus most corporations employ private police and secur¬ity forces to protect their property, employee-clients, and also the property and employees of companies associated with them as Clients of the Patron corporation, Smaller companies and private citizens may also engage the services of a security company to obtain similar protec¬tion. In all cases, such law enforcement officers should be treated as having the same authority as those of the Planetary Directorate or the League government, for they are fully deputized and sworn to uphold the Articles of Trade and planetary ordinances. Their powers are great¬est on the property of their employers, but they also have the right of hot pursuit and can also intervene anytime they see the commission of an offense in a public place. Incapacitation weapons will likely be em¬ployed by them, but they also bear deadlier arms and will use them if given cause.