Modern History -------------- Modern Tavonni history covers a very short space of time, encompassing 1111 to 1201. Caradoc LIC, a Ling Standard Products company, purchased the system in 1117. Menelvagor Ltd, originally a Sword World company, built the starport. The background on both companies provided below explains how this seemingly unlikely fusion came about. Caradoc LIC Caradoc began when a retired Fleet Admiral (Count Leto Khaanraarshuinki) and a retired Army general (Gukushriiken) created a trading company in the Outrim Void (Egryn subsector, Trojan Reach). In 1099, the pair teamed up with two ex-scouts and a merchant. By using their retirement benefits and Leto's family fortune, they created a subsector-wide interface line by 1101. Trading, a lanthanum strike, and the salvage of missing frontier cruiser Bright Light built Caradoc's capital to TCr 1 by 1117. When Leto learned of the Strephon's death, he foresaw trouble in the Outrim Void. Guessing at the probable response of the ihatei (with knowledge gained from trading), he decided to abandon their trading bases and retreat to the Marches. While scouring the sector for a new base, Leto cut a deal with LSP to become a subsidiary company. This gave Caradoc access to much-needed contacts within the Marches, and provided a large capital base to draw upon. When his scouts returned, Leto decided that Tavonni was the best choice for a base: it provided land, it was in an under-developed subsector, and it was in a central location in the Marches. Menelvagor Ltd Menelvagor Ltd traded throughout the Marches for nearly ten years, after being incorporated on Beater/Sword Worlds in 1101. Growing from a single free trader to a fledgling company, it received a severe setback when pirates destroyed its flagship Mithril Wanderer in 1110. The company lost its founder, Beowulf Heyerdahl, at the same time. Baroness Heidi Maria Heyerdahl took over the company and steered it through the remainder of the Fifth Frontier War. Two years later, the shipyards at Pixie/Regina completed the company's new flagship Bonaventure, a 12,810-ton armed merchant cruiser. The Tavonni Purchase Leto travelled to Regina personally to petition Archduke Norris for the Tavonni system. While attending a function, he met Heidi, and they discussed the purchase. Heidi realised the potential of the concept and offered to build the starport. Together, they approached Norris with a detailed proposal. It included the establishment of a Scout base and xboat link between Vilis and Lanth, the creation of a starport, and the provision of a small planetary defence fleet (partly to be comprised of surplus Imperial Navy craft). Norris approved the Tavonni Purchase on 261-1117. An extensive system survey began as Caradoc's Darrian Aslan company Ftai evacuated its holdings in the Outrim Void. Caradoc immediately constructed a basic D-class starport, while Menelvagor raised a MCr 2,000 loan from Hortalez et Cie and began building the "real" starport of Beowulf Down. Caradoc also recruited refugees from the ihatei invasions as colonists. In a joint refuel/repair deal with Al Morai, Caradoc ensured that the refugees were transported to Tavonni at a discount rate. In turn, Al Morai's dead-end route from Regina to Garda-Vilis turned into a circular route to Lanth, connected via Tavonni. By the completion of Beowulf Down on 100-1121, Tavonni's population had reached 117,200. A population boost occurred later that year, when a lanthanum strike in the Peanuts belt brought miners flocking to the system. A further boost occurred when the Domain learned of the AI Virus and forced Tavonni to destroy all its robots. The government had to re-start colonist recruiting to replace the lost workforce. The Sword Worlds Land-Grab and the Abandonment The Imperial Navy supplied a surplus Kokirrak-class dreadnought to the Tavonni Planetary Navy (TPN) on extended loan. Together with the Bright Light and Bonaventure, the Khtai provided the core of the planetary fleet. The TPN increased in size by loaning and purchasing numerous smaller ships. The ground forces grew from Caradoc's original Aslan company through to regiment size by 1130. In 1130, the Navy reclaimed most of the ships loaned to the TPN (including the Khtai). They also nationalised many of the military ships owned by the TPN. The Navy re-directed all these vessels to assist the Quarantine. This almost proved the undoing of Tavonni when the Sword Worlds attempted their land-grab in 1132. The TPN desperately pressed into service every ship it could find, even using private vessels as couriers where necessary. The Tavonni forces fought a rear-guard and somewhat guerilla-like campaign against the invaders. The Sword Worlders managed to gain a foothold on the surface, but sustained heavy casualties as the Ashsiimkir-Ftai, now an Imperial-Aslan planetary regiment equipped to TL 15 standards, inflicted losses far greater than their numbers would suggest. The Sword World ground forces could not crack the four tank companies of the regiment, having to rely on ortillery that was then vulnerable both to the tanks and to some well-placed deep-site meson guns. When elements of the 18th Fleet finally relieved Tavonni, they drove the Sword Worlders out of the system. After this, the RQS returned a number of ships to the TPN, including the Khtai, Bright Light, and Bonaventure. The Tavonni defence forces had their revenge, accompanying the regular Regency forces when they annexed the Sword Worlds, supported by the 151st Fleet from Sacnoth/Sword Worlds. Baroness Heidi personally claimed her homeworld of Tizon in the name of the Regency. The Abandonment (1133) was something of a lifesaver for Tavonni. Deprived of its robotic workforce three years earlier, and having to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by the Sword World invasion, the planet needed more people. With a history of recruiting refugees for resettlement, the Tavonni government had an edge over other Regency worlds that opened for colonists. Tavonni was almost able to pick and choose whomever it wanted to bring, welcoming them into its society while cleverly avoiding the "Refugee World" tag (some Regency citizens view this label with distaste). The young Tavonni society thus succeeded in incorporating the refugees, much as it had the original (and on-going) colonists for 15 years. However, the citizens of Tavonni - normally friendly and accepting - voted recently against allowing Zhodani refugees to settle in the system. Observers believe that this result derives from the antipathy shown to all members of the former Outworld Coalition by the families of Count Leto and Baroness Heidi.