Jack of Harts

Mississippi’s navy has always been an extremely light affair, primarily built around large numbers of corvettes and frigates. Their mission was to secure the approaches to their casinos on Earth and beyond, and to keep peace and order in the regions they controlled. Their mission was never to fight other warships. That changed during The War when Mississippi was called on to provide security for larger fleet bases and fleet trains. They refitted their corvettes and frigates with new electronic warfare and deflection systems, and sufficient smaller gravitic cannons to make them a threat against even the largest of warships when deployed in squadron strength. They became the primary security force for the fleet buildup at Sunnydale, and helped to secure hundreds of liberated colonies in the Hyades after the main fleets moved on. They have not forgotten this.

Mississippi has a professional military as most nations measure it. Most of their equipment is primarily geared towards providing fast and responsive security for their various gaming districts on Earth and beyond. The majority of the senior enlisted and officers are well-paid volunteers who spend decades in service. The casinos encourage these career soldiers to leave after their second or third decade to avoid stagnation in the ranks, though the best of them often return after a decade or two in the civilian sector. This keeps the military small while providing them with a large pool of well-trained leaders capable of being rotated back into service at a moment’s notice. This proved invaluable when The War came upon us all, and they rapidly expanded to meet the new alien threat.

The casino-led government of Mississippi leads a State with one of the highest standards of living in America. The people are friendly and masters of bleeding foreigners of all the money they can afford to lose. The State is peaceful and safe for visitors and locals alike. The reason for this is simple. The casinos do not believe in imprisoning those who break the peace or hurt others. Prisons cost money to maintain. It is much better to put such people to better use, or be rid of them altogether. Those convicted of minor offenses are granted the option of serving their terms in the Mississippi Defense Forces. Those who commit less minor crimes are required to spend their sentences in exile, where they can see how people outside Mississippi live. The worst dangers to peaceful society are executed after a scrupulously fair and swift trial.