Jack of Harts

The Republic of Texas did not have a strong navy when they came into being. They did have some very rich ports, but the major United States Navy bases had been on the East or West Coasts over the last century. So Texas had a very few ships in their small navy. But they had large Army, Marine, Air Force, and Space Force bases all over. It is perhaps no surprise that it was the Texas Space Force that forged their path into space when the time came. The Texas stereotype of rugged individualism was certainly more at home with the fighter-jock mentality the Space Force had inherited from the parent it rarely recognized. So while other nations sent up teams to explore space, Texas sent their very best individuals to see what was up there. And while some sent teams on one-way trips to planets or moons, with no plans to ever bring them back, the Texans brought their intrepid explorers home to smile at the crowds, shake hands with the politicians, and give candy to babies. It was not the most efficient way to explore space, but Texas had the natural resources to do it, and an ego to match. Which explains why the Texas Space Force and Navy developed the way they did in the centuries that followed.

The Republic of Texas’ greatest threats in the early years included those who did not recognize its legitimacy. Large cities like Dallas or Austin claimed every level of its government was fraudulent, and continued to send their own “legitimate” representatives to the old Federal government. Rather than fight them, the Republic declared them to be “In Anarchy,” pulled its resources out of the cities, and simply waited for them to wise up and join the future. But many agency headquarters were in those cities. Many of the agency heads followed the cities’ leads and ordered their own people not to recognize the Republic. This created a large number of moles in the Republic bureaucracy, people willing and able to use their positions to sabotage Republic operations at any time or place. They were an active threat for decades, and numerous “public servants” went to prison after their leaks or other operations endangered or cost Texan lives. Many believe some of these moles still exist today, working for whatever is left of the old government as it continues to hide and scheme.