Cadt

Cadt was one of the most populated and diverse planets in the known galaxy, leading many to name it the most important world as well. By the modern era it supported a huge population of nearly 135 billion, making it the most densely populated planet in the galaxy.

Astrographical
Cadt was the only planet in the Cadti system and orbited at 3 AU from its parent star, Cadti. It was separated from a huge asteroid field by roughly 5 AU.

History
It was colonised in the 15,000s BTA by Humans. Quickly becoming a focal point for workers and wanderers, it occupied a prominent position on the newly-mapped hyperlane known as 'the Loop'. This route would become a leading factor in the eventual establishment of new colonies. Once the colonies in the Mombb, Gotal and Zidane sectors were founded, Cadt became the main terminal for the Core-Colonies trade cycle. Offering vast quantities of landmass, Cadt gradually converted its temporary worker homes into permanant labour camps, as various corporations realised the more lucrative option of relocating their offices to the centre of trade itself. Cadt became a Founding Member of the Darinna Republic in 13,003 BTA. With the wealth pouring in the Bank of Cadt was founded in 6024 BTA to regulate the vast flow of currency. Almost every politician, businessman and socialite became a member of the bank. The Bank itself was a huge grey block of a building in the centre of Cadt's commercial zone. Yet despite this surface monolith most of the actual vaults were held underground.

The planetary government of Cadt was the Cadtian Commonwealth, which was headed by the Consul of Cadt. The Consul as of 100 ATA was the Ralician Noh Fahk.

Cadt also had extensive governmental facilities and two of its most famous landmarks, Grand Plaza and Grand Hall, were in the heart of Metropolis, Cadt's main urban district. With its status as a sector capital Cadt was the seat of a provincial congress, which met in the Grand Hall. The Grand Plaza was just in front of the government district and connected that area to the economic zone. The Plaza itself was never quiet or empty. To the west of the Plaza was the economic quarter and the Bank of Cadt whilst to the east was the Grand Hall.

Rune Wars
By 5500 BTA the vibrant world had become covered in metal, making it the galaxy's first and foremost ecumenopolis. With the onset of the Rune Wars in the 2400s BTA the Republic turned to the abundant workforce on Cadt to construct a fleet capable of standing up to the threat of Zeltros Hie. The nascent Cadt Shipping Company (CSC) utilized the Cadti system's asteroids (numbering in the billions) to create a huge fleet called Vengeance to drive the Rune Lords into retreat. Its success convinced the Darinna Senate to grant a charter to the CSC to build all future vessels of war for the Republic. This caused an influx of millions more labourers.

Rise of the Corporations
With the passing centuries two great corporations, the first of their kind, evolved to consolidate the ever expanding galactic economy. They were the bitter rivals Datum Repo and Pri-Souro. Datum Repo ('Making Profit' in Precian) was born on Cadt and the planet would serve as its corporate headquarters for centuries. The corporation became famed, sometimes controversially, for its multispecies identity. In 1341 BTA Datum Repo sealed a historic pact when it persuaded the entire Darth species to work for it, at cheap cost. The Darth were a garguantuan race, well-muscled and virtually immune to dissent. The Senate was initially concerned at this seeming slave labour, but relented when the Darth themselves assured the Senate that they were committed to their new way of life.

Cadt's Home Fleet consisted of over 200 vessels, which could be used as an auxiliary for the Darinna Defence Force in times of need.

As well as CSC and Datum Repo, a host of many smaller businesses held Cadt as their main base, inluding the agricultural conglomerate UrsunCorp. By the last centuries of the Darinna Republic economic power was increasing rapidly, and reached a height when the Senate passed the Corporate Legislative Rights Act in 262 BTA, granting each of the 'Big Five' commercial giants seat in the Senate. Individual planetary rights were forgotten or marginalised as many lost their delegates to the five new Commerce Senators. This gave the corporations huge political power, making Cadt (as the planet with the highest concentration of commerce) seem like the true centre of the Republic, as opposed to Darinn. The caption Whoever controls Cadt, controls the galaxy first sprung up in this time. Corruption inevitably set in and laws were being changed or introduced solely for the benefit of the corporations. With seven representatives in the Senate Cadt itself carried powerful political weight and these delegates were almost always members of the Big Five. Even the Chancellors of the Republic were wary of challenging corporate interests. In 171 BTA Chancellor Lowan Brachis granted the Big Five minimum tax rates and immunity from trial.

Secessionist Crisis
By the time of Kile Lamorra's time in office the Darinna Senate was utterly controlled by the corporations, but the new, young chancellor was to prove a sworn enemy of big business and capitalism. With a huge majority in the Senate Lamorra was able to reverse much of the legislation that appeased the capitalist giants. His first move, in 119 BTA, was to restore Republic sovereignty in the outlying sectors, prieviously controlled by big business or separatist groups like Nova Fronta. The Provincial Congresses were also created, with one based on Cadt. It was Lamorra's decision to impose heavy taxation on the corporations with his Corporate Taxation and Delegation Act in 116 BTA that really outraged the commerce guilds. It also abolished the five offices of Commerce Senator, effectively ending corporate power in the Senate. The corporations began to plot the demise of Lamorra. They succeeded in assassinating the Chancellor in 113 BTA, but his successor Amor Dipru vowed to continue Lamorra's vision.

In 110 BTA UrsunCorp (one of the main businesses on Cadt and one of the Big Five) was purchased by the trillionaire Tuvei businessman Bellot Snevv, a former bounty hunter.

In 107 BTA Chancellor Dipru oversaw the passage of the limited Judicial Powers Act, which enabled the Senate to keep an eye on the placement, movements and expansion of corporate security forces and also gave the Judicaries to have the power of observation on all major commercial worlds, including Cadt. Further taxes were planned in 102 BTA (which, if passed, would almost have certainly crippled the major companies), but provoked the outlying sectors, most notably Dlak, into revolt. Chancellor Dipru postponed the vote, but by then it was too late to prevent the birth of the Secessionist Movement. Two years later Dipru was himself murdered and a few months later secessionist leader Dirak Harbruun urged Dlak to declare its secession from the Republic. Following months of failed negotiations the strategic sector finally seceded, causing outrage across the Republic. All eyes then turned to Cadt, headquarters of the largest galactic corporation Datum Repo, but to the Senate's relief Cadt remained firmly loyal to the Republic. If the planet had declared for the secessionists the collapse of the millenia old Republic might have followed. The Darinna Defence Force quickly secured Cadt's shipyards and in 96 BTA 200 CSC troop transports entered Dlak.

Great War
But Cadt's political allegiance was still unsteady. In 95 BTA Oka, a fellow ecumenopolis, was occupied by ArTech, which urged Datum Repo to take control of Cadt. Datum Repo refused to do so, although UrsunCorp gave its support. Without Datum Repo's backing the secession of Cadt failed to materialize. Later the same year CSC, still the Republic's primary shipbuilder, deployed the impressive Akroi class battlecruiser, giving the Darinna fleet a fighting edge.

Throughout the first half of the Great War other corporations announced their allegiance to the Confederacy, but Cadt remained in the fold of the Republic. The Confederates instead turned towards military action and buoyed by recent gains in the Core the Confederate navy blockaded the Cadti system, but this served only to break their erstwhile successful offensive and allow the Republic to recover. The Confederate siege lasted three weeks before they were forced to withdraw, having lost half of their original attack force. The soon to be famous Coi class cruiser was used to devastating effect by the Republic in this battle, which was the cruiser's first. From 86 BTA however CSC obtained the rights to construct warships for anyone, although it promised only to sell to the Republic and its allies.

The war returned to Cadt on a more shadowy front in 84 BTA when the Samurai Dreps Lin dueled the Ninja Da'Rinda in the depths of the cityplanet. The battle was inconclusive.

The Great War saw Cadt's shipyards increased to their modern size, as CSC worked exhaustively to produce the finest capital ships to rival those of the Confederacy. These included the Elloi, Fidoi and Goi classes. The Taear starfighter was also developed in the Cadti system at this time. Following the Republic's final defeat of the Confederacy in 77 BTA Datum Repo was rewarded for its loyalty by being restored a seat in the Senate. One of Cadt's representatives was to be the Datum Repo Chairman from now on. This was all part of the larger Ninja vision however...

Collapse of the Republic
Slowly but surely Datum Repo, the most powerful and influential galactic corporation, returned the clog of corruption to the Senate, even more so now that many of its former rivals were now nationalized. The Constitutional Reform Act of 69 BTA transferred more power to the Senate, which by now was again under corporate sway, if less obviously than before.

The twilight years of the Republic saw Cadt modernize with ever taller skycrapers and efforts to improve its water supply and sanitation. A proposed Cadt Assembly was vetoed however in 51 BTA by Datum Repo. Present day evidence points to the fact that Datum Repo was under the guidance, if not control, of the secretive Ninja. Thus in 39 BTA Taral Gristax, actually the Ninja apprentice Tar Ulto, was commanded by his master Tar Scion to join Datum Repo's great rival, Pri-Souro Corporation, so that both could could serve to fulfill the Ninja goal of eradicating the Republic. Gristax would come to learn and appreciate the intricacies of commerce during these years.

In 15 BTA Datum Repo caused a crisis in the Senate by occupying the Pri-Souro protectorate of Adisere. Taral Gristax, now leader of the Republic Nationalist Party, manipulated the situation so that Adisere was ceded to Datum Repo. Datum Repo was at this time chaired by the devious Daraius Rimm, who was in league with the Ninja. Lord Ulto ensured Rimm escaped senatorial scrutiny.

In 5 BTA the now Chancellor Gristax 'negotiated' the Corporate Treaty of Vendes between Datum Repo and Pri-Souro. He expertly worked both sides: Pri-Souro was left outwitted, whilst Datum Repo became owner of several profitable foundries. Pri-Souro's stock shares and profits plummeted in the following years, leaving Datum Repo as the undisputed leader of the commercial zone. This would aid Ulto's rapid militarization following his accession as Emperor in 1 BTA.

In 3 BTA Datum Repo became the official sponsor of the Army bill. The Armed Forces Act was successfully passed.

Imperial era
The effects of imperialization were felt almost immediatly on Cadt when the state-controlled Darinna Bank was founded in 1 ATA in opposition to the millenia old Bank of Cadt. This showed that the new Emperor would encourage corporate power only to curb it elsewhere to keep his own authority absolute. With the arrival of the National Labour Service (NLS) in 2 ATA Datum Repo lent its own vast workforce to the needs of the Republic. Despite this loyalty the Emperor thought Daraius Rimm was far too powerful and ambitious, something he would not tolerate. In the end Rimm was found dead by an unknown assassin. Matthias Ereglis, a cultured native of Eerora, was chosen to succeed Rimm as Chairman and Chief Executive of Datum Repo. Ereglis would engineer the merger with the Orb Trade Society in 5 ATA. The implementation of the Radical Drive in 18 ATA almost destroyed Cadt as a commercial centre. All consumer goods became sidelined in favour of increasing military buildup. The related Imperial Food Program severely damaged UrsunCorp's monopoly in the foodstuff and agricultural industry. In 21 ATA Datum Repo donated 19 billion tagars to aid the devastated planet Goenda, recently attacked by Imperial forces for speaking out against the Emperor. The aid is officially declared as originating from the Imperial treasury to avoid the Emperor's wrath. By the Imperial era Cadt's shipyards were producing at their highest ever, fueled by the Empire's demand for warships and other military vessels. The heavy concentration of semi-finished state of the art warships tempted the resource poor Rebellion into launching a hit and run operation in 31 ATA. Much of the assault force was lost, but several ships were destroyed thanks to the tactics of Amis Crime.

In 34 ATA Datum Repo, now expanding into medicine manufacturing, completed the hugely expensive Millenia Tower just south of the Grand Hall on Cadt. It was the largest and tallest skyscraper ever constructed and was designed by Qosn Qask. It became the new headquarters of Datum Repo.

Six years later, shortly after the Battle of Langa, Datum Repo and CSC combined forces to oust the Imperial Vosi Jal Demarcos, finally ridding themselves of the Empire's draconian policies. The most heavily defended planet in the galaxy was handed over to the Rebellion, giving it more credentials to justify its challenge to the Empire.

The Bank of Cadt would soon regain its position as the galaxy's pre-eminent bank and once more Cadt became a bright, if somewhat greyer, aura for those seeking to make themselves wealthy. The Restored Republic was keen to protect Cadt against any possible Tarali attempt to retake it, despite the slim odds. It commissioned new Automated Droid Defence Systems (ADDS) in Cadt's orbit. These numbered in the thousands and were built to have a lifetime of 240 operational years. The new Olondrin V93 battleship Ai'renku was also stationed in the Cadti system. Cadt became the base of the Republic Fourth Fleet, which complimented the Home Fleet.

The return to capitalism and the world of the stock exchange may have revived the corporations, but for Datum Repo the time had come to fall. Despite being the largest and most powerful of the big companies Imperial restrictions had made an irreparable blow to the incorporation's profits and others such as Pri-Souro (which had moved farther out into the Outer Colonies and Frontier) and the independent Durastex Federation had eagerly grasped the opportunity to make money during and after the Emperor's rule and subsequent demise. Datum Repo had to make do with a paltry 41% of its former businesses, mainly those dealing in law or medicine. By 70 ATA the ancient consortium had become bust, leaving a sea of independent small companies in its wake, mostly owned by shareholders. One of the most successful of these was Rymore Industries. Datum Repo's erstwhile headquarters of Millenia Tower became the new seat of Cadt's planetary government.

At this point in Cadt's history, 100 years after Taral Gristax declared himself Emperor, the planet is prosperous and as important as ever in its long presence on the galactic stage. It is currently represented in the Senate by mainly the Socialist Party, with a few NPD and Democrat delegates.

List of representatives:

Alee Sariahe         10s BTA          Neadi Bradas Bosill         Independent          circa 7 BTA          male Human Incano Laeasor         10s BTA          male Human Daraius Rimm         Independent          10s BTA          male Human Brume Annod         male Human Gres Leahy         Human Carbre Dinov         TSR          to 90 ATA Sosti Dunn          Democrat           circa 90 ATA Ermonik Desray         Democrat          circa 90 ATA Ronu Zotoraa         Socialist          circa 100 ATA          male Neadi

Addendum:

Cadt still possessed the foremost shipyards of the galaxy by the time of the Galactic Federation, some 600 years after the era of Taral Gristax. It was the headquarters of the Federal Second Fleet, which was tasked with the defence of the Core.

Cadt inevitably became the site of the first major engagement of the Chande Invasion in 611 ATA. Near enough the entire Chande war armada gathered to attack the heavily defended planet, which was reinforced by its ADDS and the sheer size of its population. The Chande were repulsed on their initial assault, but the Battle of Cadt lasted for several months, with the planet kept sustained via secret hyperlanes. In the end Lord Tschiivinga, the Chande warmaster, was forced to withdraw his demoralized forces after 3 months of bitter fighting.