Laconia System

The silent heart of the empire, where ancient tech rules a conquered humanity.

Laconia is the planet beyond the ring gates where Winston Duarte's splinter Martian fleet settled and built its navy. It serves as the seat of power for the Laconian Empire, ruled by High Consul Winston Duarte. Unlike other colonies that evolved from mining outposts or terraforming projects, Laconia is defined by its connection to a highly defended alien space station located in the center of the 'slow zone' hub. Settlers such as Cara Bisset's family live there; the planet's repair drones resurrected Cara after she died. The presence of this alien infrastructure allows Laconia to enforce instantaneous speed limits on objects inside the hub, establishing a realm where ancient alien tech dictates the fate of humanity.

Quick Facts

Ruler: High Consul Winston Duarte

Lore & Background

Laconia is not a typical colony world but a unique node in the ring network, situated within a starless hub approximately one million kilometers across that connects over 1,300 other systems. At its center lies a highly defended alien space station that controls the gates and can set instantaneous speed limits on objects entering the hub as a means of defense. The human population here traces back to descendants of a lost colony ship, now led by High Consul Winston Duarte, a former Martian navy officer who defected with his daughter, Teresa.

The society is characterized by its reliance on reverse-engineered alien technology; for instance, repair drones on Laconia are capable of resurrecting the dead, as demonstrated when ten-year-old Cara Bisset died and was brought back to life. This technological supremacy allows the Laconian Empire to project power across the rings, with figures like Paolo Cortázar leading research into nanoinformatics derived from Protogen's earlier work.

Reader's Guide

It is the political and technological center where the Laconian Empire enforces its will upon the known galaxy. Access to this system requires passage through the Ring Gate network, specifically entering the 'slow zone' hub where the central alien station dictates terms. Visitors must be aware that the station can impose instantaneous speed limits on any object within the hub for defense purposes. The population includes unique figures such as High Consul Duarte and his heir Teresa, alongside military leaders like Trejo and Singh.