Muskegon Empire

The Muskegon Empire - A pre-Age of War interstellar nation that existed between 2177 to 2318. The nation consisted of a group of seven worlds colonized by dictatorial leadership from the world of Muskegon.

Accidental Colonization of Muskegon
The empire's roots came from its founding on what became Muskegon. In 2163, a JumpShip carrying a large colony expedition to the world of McHenry experienced a misjump. The ship was displaced into Muskegon's solar system. The planet's surface environment was shown to be barely habitable. The command crew of the disabled Jumpship realized it needed to take harsh measures in order for anyone to survive their situation. The ship's crew would establish a colony on what would become Muskegon by using a strict leadership model to govern the colony, which they thought was the best course of action for them to survive brutal conditions in such a place. Since they were in control of the Jumpship's vital systems, they succeeded in taking the control of the situation, later landing one million colonists on the forbidding planet.

Within a generation of restrictive if not dictatorial rule, the society of the planet developed two classes of people. The JumpShip's company became the aristocrats known as Crew Class, where the passengers became workers of the Colonist Class. The supreme leadership of the colony itself became known as the Office of the Expedition Commander, which given holder the title of Commander of Muskegon.

The colony survived and prospered under the restrictive rule of leadership and harshness of the planet. These allowed for its technological knowledge to be retained, waiting for the day the planet's industries came online.

The Empire is born
In 2177, the technicians managed to repair the colony's JumpShip. The group of volunteers are brought together to use the ship seek a better world for the colony to be moved to. The JumpShip discovered two nearby worlds, Beten Kaitos and Emerson. These worlds were found to be rich in resources, but environmentally as bad as Muskegon itself.

Muskegon's leadership sent political prisoners and deportees to colonize Emerson, while volunteers from the population left to settle on Beten Kaitos. From the efforts of these colonies, raw materials were used to create additional JumpShips, and other support craft to colonize other worlds. Members of the Crew Class were selected to be governors on these Crew Class dominated worlds.

By 2190, the Muskegon Empire encompassed six planets, all under the direct leadership of the Commander of Muskegon.

However, Emerson's ties with Muskegon were not strong, due to Muskegon's policy of sending exiled criminals and political prisoners to Emerson. Despite this, Emerson became an important world to the Empire. This happened when a Chesterton Trade vessel arrived at world in 2195 and this helped to establish the planet as a trade world with Chesterton.

Used as a port of entry for the Empire, the high tariffs attempted to make money from the joint effort between the two interstellar governments. The Muskegon Empire's trade greatly improved due in part because of the outcome of the Outer Reaches Rebellion. With the withdrawal of the Terran Alliance's armed forces in 2237, trade surged. However, while it should have been the beginning of a Golden Age for the Empire, it was not. Due to the class caste system and its ruling power's greed, the empire was stagnant in growth.

Birth of the Federated Suns, break up of the Empire
In the mid-2310s, the Prime Minister of New Avalon, Lucien Davion, visited Muskegon as part of his tour to rally support for his new proposal to unite surrounding worlds into a new nation. The Commander of Muskegon, Commander Jehan Achmeed, was interested in the proposal but did not attend the Crucis Pact conference in 2317. He was concerned at the time of what the outcome would be of joining the new nation on his power and influence. After a year of consideration, he decided the best course to take was to sign up and merge his nation with the nascent Federated Suns.

The Empire formally in 2318, joined Federated Suns, year after its formation hoping to strengthen their position. Five of the seven worlds became part of the FedSuns.

However, due to its harsh leadership and the original treatment of its first colony worlds. Emerson and Beten Kaitos whom had stronger ties with Empire's trade partner in Chesterton Trade League. So the two worlds announced they were joining them.

This triggered a conflict between Chesterton Trade League and FedSuns and led to the end of the Empire. Which after three years of conflict, two renegade worlds remained part of Chesterton's member worlds.