The Swarm

The Swarm: Life in the Hochbaden Belt

Background:

In 23, Kafer forces ruthlessly attacked the German Colonies at Hochbaden (DM +2296). Other than a few survivors who managed to escape during the early hours of the attack, no one survived the destruction of the orbital habitats and surface installations. The German people were initially stunned, but in a short amount of time, rage replaced their astonishment. Despite warning from the German government and Coalition Military forces not to return to the system, civilian salvage operations soon began working in close orbit around Hochbaden. The ever present threat of Kafer attack and the barrenness of the Hochbaden system worked against the salvagers, but German nation pride would not let them leave the system uninhabited.

In 2305 the development of the ZERO G DNAM led an new era of colonization in the DM +2296 system. Money was raised to buy large doses of this new genetic treatment, and slowly, but surely, civilians returned to Hochbaden. This time they were inoculated against the long term effects of living in Zero Gravity and spurned living in orbit around defenseless and arid world. One by one, despite continued government warnings, habitats were hollowed out of large asteroids in the Hochbaden belt. First were several military stations for servicing passing Coalition warships were built, then the salvage operations moved their headquarters deep into the Asteroid belt. By 2310 the Asteroid belt became known as The Swarm and was home to over 50 separate asteroid habitats.

Raw Materials are mined and shipped to Aurore to help the growing war machine and military bases being used to fight the Kafers. Other habitats are building weapons and electronic components to supply the Coalition forces as they push forward into Trans-Auroran Space.

The Swarm

Located at approximately 1 AU from DM +2296, the swarm is a large belt of rocky debris that forms the boundary between the rocky body of Stein and the gas giant Sturmwelt. Over the last decade the population of this region has grown from several hundred military personnel to several thousand military and civilian colonists. Despite the reservations of the German government and the Coalition military forces, the inhabitants of the Swarm have resolved to rebuild the industrial prowess that was the mainstay of prewar Hochbaden's economy.

Haven

The original post-invasion habitat was tunneled into the rock of a carbonaceous asteroid near the outer edge of the asteroid belt. With a diameter of approximately 111 miles, Haven is a maze of tunnels and rooms which house nearly 300 military personnel. Originally envisioned as a refueling point for ships headed further down the arm, Haven became the main monitoring station for the DM +2296 system. Drones are used to patrol and scan likely discharge points on a constant basis. They are controlled and monitored by the personnel living in Haven.