Constantinople is the last great non-aligned power. The City stretches from the Mediterranean to the Black Seas, and has been a major center of trade for thousands of years. When humanity went to the stars, The City sent scouts to find stars they judged to be in good locations for future trade. They colonized very few, but those few are the richest trading centers in all of Terran space. Any trader that ever lived has been to at least one of those worlds.
Jessie James was my second wingman in the early months of The War. And yes, that is the name he was born with. We called him Cards at first because he’s always shuffling them, but after he somehow managed to get ejected into space during training he got the name Dutchman. He’s one of those real good friends that you can meet after five years and pick up the last conversation where it ended. The Peloran named him Fox. He is Cowboy Seven.
The first planet orbiting Alcyone’s fifth star is a hot little world, drier than Earth on average, but with a lot of natural resources. The Republic of Texas colonized Odessa and turned it into a major manufacturing center, even before The War. Odessa has expanded to become one of the foremost American colonies, a strident voice for colonial rights in modern America, pushing to grant Statehood to more colonies. Odessa is not always popular in the Core Worlds.
The Republic of India is one of four powerful non-aligned nations. Bordering Persia in the west and China to the northeast, they began practicing neutrality after finishing their part of the Islamic Jihad. They have colonized a small number of systems, maintain a small navy, and keep to themselves as much as possible. They do not ignore the outside universe. They simply see no need to compete with us. They feel secure. It makes them interesting to deal with.
Ken was my wingman back when we first started. He was Free Japanese. His great grandparents made it out before the fall, and he grew up surfing the California coasts. We called him Buckaroo Banno. But you probably know this already if you read our diaries. He was a good man, a good friend, and I will always miss him. He will forever be known as Crane, as Cowboy Six, and to me as one of the many friends I owe my life to.