Jack of Harts

The Hope Mission was a Western Alliance project to colonize three giant stars beyond The Wall on a direct route to The Taurus Gateway in the Alcyone system. Constantinople was already colonizing three systems further out, to act as a bridge to Alcyone, but they had no interest in the three closer stars. They were dimmer and less powerful, but they were needed if the Western Alliance was going to have a secure route to the Gateway. So the Alliance invited Alliance members to bid for the naming rights, the proceeds of which would go into the colonization program. English names were banned from the process, since they wished to diversify the system naming conventions. A consortium of Spanish and American interests won the bidding for one system, which became Espera. The New Japanese and Nigerians won the bidding for the other two stars, and so became Kibo and Ireti. Each name was based on the Spanish, Japanese or Yoruban word for Hope, a central theme that the Alliance hoped would unite the three colonies that would be so far beyond the borders of civilization. They have never been developed as heavily as many other Alliance Core Systems, but they are a safe place for any Alliance ship in need of repairs, refueling, or merely time to rest and relax.