Kobolese Confederation.	Kobolese Confederation (n'ee Kobolese Royal Empire).		Kobolese Confederation.
100,000 years ago, the people of the planet Kobol abandoned their homeworld. Exactly why is remembered only in the ancient text of their religion, known only as the "Sacred Scrolls," which only alludes that they fled their homeworld when the "Jealous Kobolese General URSUS. A Kobolese Warrior. 3 Kobolese Marines. 3 Kobolese Citizens. God" created chaos on Kobol: "...(A)nd the Jealous God1 began to desire that he be elevated above all the other gods, and the chaos began." According to the Sacred Scrolls, the survivors of Kobol divided up into 13 groups. 12 settled the nearest systems, while the 13th struck off for parts unknown (outside of the Baltarians, it's generally believed their colony failed or that they never existed to begin with). The flight from Kobol was conducted in such haste that much of the Kobolese technology and society was lost; The few FTL drives that they had could not be replicated. The name of their religion (if there was one) was forgotten, and even much of the Sacred Scrolls clearly was lost (since even the reconstructed portions that do exist refer to sections that are still lost). The Kobolese found themselves in a dark age of incredible proportions. Over the course of the next 10,000 years, the Kobolese rebuilt their societies, eventually clawing out of this sorry state, and their homeworld became a distant social memory- A much mythosed place that few people (outside of Geminon) believe actually (literally) existed. Each system began to think of themselves as a separate state; They began to trade, form alliances, and even warred amongst themselves. When the workings of the "Trans-warp Space Fold System" (TWSFS) or simply FTL system was figured out, the colonies began once again to flourish and expand. Then Kobol was discovered, and in the least likely of places- it turned out that "Kobol" was actually a minor planet in the Scorpian System, itself a colony of the larger system. This discovery was in fact made by accident, when a minor temple to the Gods was being built on a stone outcropping that seemed perfect- When the builders realized that it had been a temple, and the "outcropping" was in fact the foundation, it led to more excavation. That led to more. This led to the bombshell revelation that the planet WAS Kobol, based mostly on the surviving descriptions of Kobol (distances between key sites) and radiocarbon dating. The Scorpian people were NOT happy to discover this; Being the birthplace of the Kobolese people meant invasion by the other factions seeking to control the planet, and thus dominion of the other 11 factions. And right they were, but worse; The other 11 Colonies had made a secret deal to unify under ONE leader; A series of pre-arranged marriages to unify the Aristocracy of the various member worlds, then to unify the Aristocracy into a Royal Family. The Royal First, given the name G'er'emie, was bestowed the new surname KOBOL. She then became Empress The First; The Scorpians were frozen out. The Scorpians rebelled in a way that had not been seen before; 100% of the people rose up to oppose the occupation, using tactics ranging from simple boobytraps to soldiering to piracy- Even suicide bombings. FTL-capable ships were not supposed to be targeted for attack (a tradition harkening back to the days when the colonies only had around 6 dozen FTL-capable ships, and the technology to build the drives was lost; At very least, the FLT drives were not supposed to be touched (the drives themselves 'could' be rebuilt if necessary around a new hull). The Scorpians began targeting the drives specifically (even though the technology had been recovered, it was still customary and traditional to treat them as sacrosanct- at very least, they are expensive and difficult to build). The other systems eventually were forced to sue for peace, but demanded "Peace With Terms." They got terms, but not the kind they wanted- The Scorpains demanded the Empress to marry with the then reigning Scorpian Aristocracy (the NOYALL clan's leader, Hanvise), that the 11 Colonies depart Scorpio and abandon Kobol, and that ONLY the Royal Families and those needful for their survival inhabit Kobol. The other Colonies were forced to accept, no matter how little they wanted to; Already one whole Aristocratic Family (the GEVESE) were wiped out (that is, ever single person who had or had every carried that name, or their children and grandchildren were murdered), and two other Families had been were substantially so. The Royals were ensconced on Kobol as Living Gods; Their word was Immutable Law. In fact, their "word" is called just that- "Immutable Law," as in "Emperor (Name) gave Immutable Law today, ordering that every Loyal Citizen (fill in the blank)." Peace then fell upon the Kobolese people, This peace reigned for 50,000 years. The Lords Of Kobol ruled with a velvet glove over an iron fist from Kobol, a planet declared off-limits to all non-Lords (there is one little space station they are allowed to dock with to speak to the Lords, and the Lords do go off-world quite a bit- most in fact join the militry as enlisted members, rather than officers). The rulership of the reigning God is secretive- They rarely speak, and usually only after several days of "contemplation." Then the UGC came. The Gods attempted to resist for a time, but the UGC simply was too big, too powerful; Spacy 5TH Fleet had as many cruisers alone as the entire Kobolese Navy, and each carried nearly as many unmanned fighters as the entire Kobolese Defense Forces. The Koboloese simply had no chance. (It didn't help the Lords Of Kobol that the Robotech Expeditionary Forces had no compunctions about targeting FTL Drives to disable the BATTLESTAR-Class warships, which violated the normal conduct of war in the Kobolese Empire.) And this was just the Strike Force- The Task Force was yet to come. Throughout the Empire, Army units continued to resist for a while after the God Of Kobol order his forces to surrender, and in so doing earned HIGH PRAISE from the REF commanders and other UGC officials, high and low; Common infantry Privates who engaged Kobolese soldiers in hand-to-hand combat (which was rare) described them as "insanely strong, like a T'sentraedi or Uruk-hai, but smart, too, maybe smarter than even a Chinith." Unfortunately, brave and strong doesn't generally overcome light infantry support weapons (mortars, etc.) that have generally the same range and much more power than heavy artillery; Even in the ground war, the REF simply had the Kobolese utterly outmatched. The Kobolese Gods surrendered when the last starship was disabled; The Kobolese captured in the war were repatriated in short order (occasionally too short an order, and the REF didn't even have a record of their capture). But they demanded terms, and they got what they mostly wanted- The Royals would remain in power it the newly-formed Kobolese Confederation, pay a little to the UGC, and receive protection, including protection from their own subjects, free of charge.+++++ 1 This persona of the Kobolese faith is variously written as the "Jealous God" and the "jealous god." Neither appears to be preferred. This figure may be "the one's whose name cannot be spoken," whose temple was discovered in "The Eye of Judion" site on Kobol. The Kobolese Gods. The Kobolese Gods speak through one God, but on most matters they actually vote as a collective; The "reigning" God actually has very little power except in emergency situations (The Tauron Mining Accident, the arrival of the REF, called The Advent by the Kobolese, etc.). As one Royal Retires, all Royals may compete to become the NEXT Emperor/Empress; The Royals try to select a young replacement for the stability (one new empress was in fact Elected three weeks BEFORE she was born, due to being unexpectedly and significantly post-term). Though the Emperor SPEAKS for the Royals, they vote on what is to be said. To the People of the Kobolese Confederation, it appears the God spoke on their own accord. This is a system the Lords Of Kobol developed themselves to ensure the People remain happily ignorant of the way the system 'really' works (they are, however, well aware that the Gods speak to their advisers before speaking). In the event that grave emergency forces the Emperor to speak before consensus can be reached, the Lords Of Kobol never directly countermand the Emperor; They simply 'adjust' the response after the fact until they reach the point where they meet the consensus. Kobolese Biologic Evolution. The Kobolese have one terrible, dark secret, and of the entire species, only 6 members know; They evolved from robots. Machines, much like the Centurion and Raider, many eons ago, settled Kobol. They had been the property of the "Kobolese People," who died off. The machines were left, abandoned, forced to fend for themselves. Fortunately, the Kobolese knew their fate was coming, and gave their creations everything needed to survive, though to what purpose no one knows; They had intelligence, strength, courage, and an innate drive, much like the T'sentraedi Imperative, but rather than to kill and destroy, simply to survive. The machines were war machines, but the Ancestors gave them sufficient curiosity and drive to ascend beyond their martial background. They evolved over a thousand years, eventually shedding their machine bodies, into fully biological ones- They became living, breathing organisms. Very few Kobolese know this; In fact only 6, The Chamber Of The Most High Elders, do. (The God Of Kobol is one of the Most High Elders.) These six are aware that the last time the Kobolese people became aware of their true history, a vicious sectarian war erupted, which almost wiped out the species (and was why Kobol had to be evacuated; this was in fact the "war of the Gods" that the Sacred Scrolls talks of, using neutron bombs, a technology the Kobolese lost after the war ended). The Advent has led to renewed discussions amongst The Chamber Of The Most High Elders, as they consider that possibility that the REF could enforce a peace within the Kobolese people if the UGC authorizes them to do so; for the moment, all six are in agreement that the secret should continue to be kept and reviewed in a generation or so. A few outside The Chamber Of The Most High Elders have learned the secret, but have eventually been either persuaded to keep it- Or been killed. The secret is important enough to kill over... And the UGC, for one, will let them get away with it, if not actively assist them in some fashion... Without. The least. Hesitation... "The United Galaxies do not care overmuch about peace, and justice is a concern, but never the first. Our first concern is and must be stability." ~UGC Ambassador JHONS, reprehensive to the Kobolese empire as it became part of the UGC. Annexation. As is so often the case, the annexation of the Kobolese was with some force; Due to the biology of the Kobolese (specifically that the UGC couldn't find anyone than might "pass" for one) and the fact that they had zero experience in the larger universe, the Council decided that some stark, naked force was needed; A show of such overwhelming force that resistance wasn't futile- It would be suicidal. They added a deft touch in instructing REF commanders to target FTL drives, and to avoid collateral damage to the best of their ability; The Council wanted the Kobolese's noses bloodied, not broken. REF Task Force Kobol One by itself almost handled the matter themselves; They made VERY short work of the Colonial Defense Force Fleet, and of Vipers and Raiders they took "some" degree of pity, attempting, wherever possible, to destroy only the machine (though they were not aware of the organic brain in the Raiders, so many of them died). The Task Force Commander, Rear Admiral (lh) Micheal JAMISON, also took great pains to make it very clear that he could tell the difference from rescue operations (such as Battlestars racing to the aid of other Battlestars that had been stricken, towing them to relative safety) and militry operations. In fact, he had each rescue operation intercepted by Veritechs or frigates firing across the bows of the rescuers, then break contact, demonstrating that he knew they were there and would be allowed to continue. This did not go unnoticed by the Kobolese. Early on, the relative survival of the Battlestars was chalked up to poor skill as fighters, but after the first week of the contest with over a dozen Battlestars disabled but not destroyed, it began to quickly dawn upon them that poor fighting ability was not the case. At about this same time, Task Force Kobol Two arrived, but they held position as Kobol One reported no significant depletion of forces (in other words, no need to be relieved). 5ᵀᴴ Fleet Arrived several days later; The Colonial Defense Forces went into full blown panic with the arrival of SDF-005, a ship moving faster than any warship they could have had at that point (if they HAD any significant warships left) yet being as big as some of their larger space stations. What was left of the Ministry Of Defense' fleet was ordered to scatter, as were whatever civilian ships could make FTL on their own (most of them). The ground campaign proved somewhat more daunting, as the REF continued to operate under the "limited collateral damage" rules- The Kobolese did NOT, and though Kobolese Body Armor wasn't as tough and their weapons slightly inferior, they DID make "an excellent accounting of themselves." Many Kobolese Warriors would receive both the MOD Pennant (literally, a pennant that would fly in perpetuity over MOD Headquarters, the Kobolese' highest militry award) AND the Medal Of Valor With Cluster, the UGC's highest militry award for the battle they waged. (Awarding enemy combatants who distinguish themselves is not unknown in the UGC, but is not the rule either.) By the end of the third month, the REF was not only on Kobol (and every other Kobolese planet), they had secured the Royal City (along with all of the other major cities, and most of the minor ones as well). REF Marines were literally positioned outside the Royal Halls, and in fact had secured some parts of the building. It was here where the then reigning emperor, Dantius the Twelfth, came out himself and confronted the invaders. He was intercepted by Marine Corporal JAHKS Vein; Their discussion went as follows: "You are the invaders that my people fear so much?" "Yes sir. Who are you?" "I am the Kobolese Emperor." "Ok. We're not leaving." "I am here to negotiate for my people's survival." "Oh. Good, wait here a moment, I'll get the ambassador." Within 30 minutes, the Kobolese surrender was secured, under terms not terribly unusual for the UGC but unheard of for the Kobolese; The Emperor wasn't even asked to renounce his title- Dantius had to bring the subject up himself, and then was informed it wouldn't been necessary. They were folded into the UGC like nothing had ever happened; This is due, in no small part, to Kobolese religion. In Kobolese religious tradition, there is a prophesy of "one who will deliver the Kobolese." The Emperor, knowing this prophecy fully well (the Emperors are part of The Chamber Of The Most High Elders), took the UGC to be the one, a claim the Council steadfastly refuses to publicly endorse (though they don't fight it very hard, either, since it made the transition much smoother than it 'might' have been). With that, life returned to normal, with the exception of about 1/3 of the armed forces choosing "early retirement" to service "with" the REF (under the Kobolese Robotech Defense Forces banner) in about 6 months, most of that time being spent rebuilding the ships damaged during the war. All in all, an average successful contested annexation. The only "surprise" was Sagittaron refusal to and Tauron's choice to enter the UGC (in Sagittaron's case, "at all"), and Virgon's choice to enter the UGC unaffiliated with the Kobolese march. Kobolese Contributions. The Kobolese have contributes some to the overall UGC; Of peculiar interest is the small but very interesting contribution of putting holes in cash. The Kobolese did this with their coinage (they used flexible plastic bills and metal coinage), which the UGC adopted due to the fact that it did help keep them handy.
ASF-14 Viper Fighter ASS-14 Laura Reconnaissance/Fighter ASB-601 Cylon Aero-Space Bomber Colonial MkIIa Fighter CSS-228 Raptor Combat Shuttle Kobolese Power Armor The "Sacred Scrolls" (literature; discussed above) Holes In Cash (discussed above)		Valley Forge-Class Agricultural Ship Traveler-Class Liner Galactica-Class Exploration Ship EMSTAR-Class SAR/LE Ship BATTLESTAR-Class Spyship PEGASUS-Class Surveillance Ship KC-200 CAPRICA-Class Fleet Refueler (AO) Zypher-Class Space Colony
Other Kobolese Technology. This technology either hasn't been shared with(*) or has been rejected by(+) the UGC.
ASF-600 Raider Aero-Spacefighter+ ASF-602 Vaider Aero-Spacefighter*		Cylon Centurion Robot+ BASESTAR-Class Space Fortress+
Derivative Technology. More so than any other major faction, the Kobolese are EXCITED to enter the larger galactic community (despite the means of entry) because it gave them access to other ideas, ideas they then put into practical terms by working with other parts of the larger empire.
Olympic-Class Colony Ships (with the High Nenomause Commonwealth and Freng Mercantile Republic) ADAMA-Class Heavy Cruiser (with the Federate)
Aerilon		Aquaria
Often called the breadbasket of the Twelve Colonies, Aerilon is an agricultural world with little in the way of heavy industry or large cities. It's also one of the poorest worlds in the Colonies, and as a result its people are stereotyped (often unfairly) as low-class uneducated bumpkins. Unsurprisingly, Aerilonians tend to describe themselves in slightly different terms: In their minds, they are an honest and hard-working people with simple needs and frugal character, unafraid to get their hands dirty in cities or fields. They are highly represented in the Colonial Fleet, particularly among the Marine enlisted personnel, in large part because the militry offers enterprising young Aerilonians an easy way to get off the farmstead and see new things.		The world of Aquaria is aptly named: Eighty-seven percent of the planet's surface is covered by oceans, making it a popular destination for tourists from Colonies with less-than-pleasant climates. Unsurprisingly, its two most abundant resources are fish and algae, which sustained its population until advanced hydroponic farming techniques were pioneered by scientists tired of eating sardines-and-seaweed six out of seven days of the week. Although its population is relatively small, its proximity to Caprica and Virgon has allowed it to prosper, and these days it is considered a center of culture, innovation, and trade. The colony is known for producing uncommonly gifted thinkers, and the "Moody Aquarian" archetype has become a staple of modern films and literature despite repeated attempts by Aquarian actors and authors to reclaim their national image.
Canceron		Caprica
The closest planet to the system's central star, much of Canceron is inhospitably warm- Even unlivable. For this reason, its major cities are either coastal or polar. The former are famous for their blazing summers, sunny beaches, and yacht-owning Capricans with popped collars and spray-on tans; The latter, for housing sprawling complexes of underground tylium mines staffed by convicted felons until the human rights lobby forced the Quorum to intervene some twenty centuries ago. (The mines were re-staffed with convicts after the rise of the Lords Of Kobol, but under far less repressive conditions than had existed before.) Their proximity to Cyrannus gives Cancerans a somewhat darker complexion than their Colonial compatriots. They have no particular affinity or aversion to militry service, and are represented to the extent their population supports.		This temperate, blue-green gem of a world is commonly depicted as the middle planet in the Kobolese charts, for indeed, Caprica truly is the center of the Colonies: The focal point of commerce, politics, law, culture, and faith. Its capital, Caprica City, houses the two of the three branches of the Colonial government in addition to a veritable horde of corporate headquarters, merchant banks, and institutions of higher learning. Delphi is more religious in nature: Not only is it home to painstaking recreations of Kobol's Pantheon, Forum, and Opera House (which predate that rediscovery of Kobol by at least a full eon), it possessed the Colonies' largest collection of artifacts from Kobol (until they were "transferred" home and replaced with excellent, but slightly flawed, replicas). The Caprican people are a diverse lot, but on the whole they're perceived as urbane and cosmopolitan, spoiled by the privileges of luxury and wealth. They have relatively little representation in the ranks of the enlisted but are disproportionately represented in the higher ranks of the officer corps (the traditional proving ground for the sons and daughters of elite Caprican families).
Gemenon		Leonis
Gemenon is a poor colony by choice as well as by circumstance. Blessed with very little in the way of natural resources, this mountainous world's primary export is its faith- And that it basically gives away for free. Home to a fundamentalist tradition that promotes a literal reading of the Sacred Scrolls, Gemenon has earned its reputation as the most conservative of the Colonies, but to say that all Gemenese are Scrolls-thumping fanatics is a gross exaggeration. Indeed, the Kobol Colleges are some of the Colonies' most prestigious institutions of higher learning, having expanded their original mission of providing religious education to encompass secular subjects of all kinds. The most prestigious of these are the Oranu Medical College and Engineering College.		A large world notable for its fertile plains and its remarkable concentrations of uranium, Leonis sought to exploit both of those natural advantages by initiating a war of conquest against its neighboring Colonies. After its defeat at the hands of the Triple Alliance (between Picon, Scorpia, and Caprica), its new government voluntarily slashed its militry budget, eliminated most of its nuclear arsenal, and focused on keeping as aloof as possible from internecine Colonial disputes. Not until the First Global War did Leonisian forces fight on another Colony's territory, redeeming themselves spectacularly by spearheading the campaign to retake Caprica City. Since then, Leonis has tentatively expanded its role in Colonial politics, culminating in its successful bid to construct the second of the Fleet's two major shipyards. While not as large as its Scorpian counterpart, Spacedock Leonis is at the cutting edge of militry technology, and the BATTLESTAR-Class are its pride and joy.
Libran		Picon
Libran is known as the Colony that wars the least. Devoid of an abundance of any one natural resource that might have attracted untoward attention before Unification, Libran was such a strategically insignificant world that its neighbors permitted it to pursue its policy of studied neutrality in peace. That neutrality also made Libran the perfect place to keep money, since its financial institutions were in no danger of being glassed whenever a war broke out. Unsurprisingly, Libran's current prosperity is founded on banks with several centuries of history- Banks that defend their clients' identity with a formidable array of lawyers who see themselves as heritors of an even longer tradition of jurisprudential excellence.		An ocean planet, Picon is to the Fleet what Caprica is to politics. Unlike the Aquarians, who were content to remain fishermen, Picans preferred to sell their militry expertise to the highest bidder, and the professionalism of their renowned mercenry companies was only matched by their mendacity. The colony took full advantage of its victory over Leonis, riding a wave of rapid industrialization to become only the second world to deploy a majority robotic force. Picon has retained its role as backbone of the Colonial Fleet, and in fact many have joined the REF. Picon is home to Colonial Fleet HQ, the Colonial Fleet Academy, and a host of important militry research laboratories. Its citizens boast a strong militry tradition and are highly represented at every level of the Fleet.
Sagittaron		Scorpia
Having endured centuries of political and economic exploitation at the hands of its peers, Sagittaron is without a doubt the poorest of all the Twelve Colonies. Birthplace of a controversial reading of the Sacred Scrolls counseling asceticism, non-violence, and faith-based healing, Sagittaron has suffered from social turmoil long before the Articles Of Colonization were signed. But it wasn't until Unification that long-simmering tensions erupted into all-out violence, as a new breed of radicals sought to win with force what their predecessors had failed to achieve. When Sagittaron's Colonial Guard proved unable to contain the insurgency sweeping across the southern continent, its planetary government summoned the Marines for aid. Boots hit ground centuries ago- And though the violence subsided, pockets of violent resistance remained until the rise of the Lords Of Kobol, who ruled "(L)et all People worship as they will until theirs harms another." With that, the wars ended, with the caveat that "faith based healing" was to be reserved for adults- Children were still to be taken to a hospital as needed. Sagittaron's overwheming vote in favor of entry into the UGC was an upset victory of the first order; It was expected that the vote would be overwhelmingly against, but the pro-annexation movement was able to make their case that the UGC could force the Kobolese to treat the Sagittaron's better- An implied promise the UGC has delivered in in large part.		Scorpia is small and unbearably warm, thanks to its dense atmosphere and sprawling jungles. Those who live there have understandably gravitated towards massive isolated cities, though a sizeable contingent of tree-huggers have moved to the planet's less developed regions to get closer to nature. The local flora and fauna have ensured that such experiments generally do not last very long at all. Far more important than what's on Scorpia, however, is what's above it: The Scorpian Fleet Shipyards, the largest manufacturing yards in all the Twelve Colonies and the primary driver of the Scorpian economy. (The Scorpian Fleet Shipyards was able to secure another contract for the construction of the BATTLESTAR- and PEGASUS-Class Spy ships and the Galactica-Class Exploration Ships, though they did lose some of these hulls to Spacedock Leonis.) Scorpians themselves are reputed to be an opinionated and hot-tempered lot, and among them can be counted many of the Colonies' foremost satirists, essayists, and all-around gadflies. This reputation hasn't abated with The Advent; They've taken to mocking the UGC and the "collaborationist" Emperor Dantius the Twelfth, despite the overwhelming evidence (much of it as shell craters) on their own world.If you ask a Scorion why they insistently are so stubborn, they will answer "It's what we are." An unusually large number of Scorpians left the CMOD after annexation, only to turn around and join the REF afterwards.
Tauron		Kobol
Before the Sagittaron Insurgency got off the ground, Tauron was famous for being the most troublesome Colony in the years after Unification. Though it was originally reliant on agriculture, the war against Leonis gave Taurian entrepreneurs the perfect excuse to capitalize upon their world's manpower advantage. The resulting industrial revolution catapulted this planet to the forefront of Colonial politics, though it came with the attendant labor unrest that the government's policy of de-unionization only exacerbated. Though the quality of Taurian goods has markedly increased, "Taurian manufacturing" is still considered something of a slur. That reputation is hardly deserved; Indeed, the colony is home to several major corporations and research labs, many of which were integral in the development of early Cylon technology. The stereotypical Taurian is poor, stubborn, backwards, and dedicated to her large extended family- But this image is more a product of crime dramas than anything else. Tauron's decision to enter the UGC almost didn't come; In fact, it was expected that the vote would be to oppose entry into the UGC, even if that meant separating from the Kobolese empire (or perhaps especially if it did). The narrow victory of Annexation caught many by surprise, and they've been rather restive since.		As previously discussed, Kobol is the homeworld of the Lords Of Kobol; The hereditary Rulers of the Royal Kobolese Empire. Kobol is restricted to the Lords Of Kobol itself, with the exception (now) of the United Galaxies Embassy and it's staff (most of whom are weapons inspectors- to ensure the Lords Of Kobol don't try anything). Kobol itself is a fairly dry world, with a combination of loose (and poor) soil and sand and bedrock. Scrub vegetation grows where it can find purchase, and only insects and smaller reptiles fill the native fauna niche. There are the remains of thousands of settlements world-wide, the most important being what is called The City Of The Gods (currently the capital of Kobol) and Eden. The site currently called "The City Of The Gods" in fact has no surviving name- It's referred to ONCE in the Sacred Scrolls, and only as "the capital". It was identified only because of the description of the city given in the Sacred Scrolls, in which it describes the Forum, Opera House, and "The Temple" (in the Sacred Scrolls, The Temple covered the Tombs Of The Gods; if these tombs are there, the Lords Of Kobol aren't talking about it, even to the UGC).
Zephyr Station.		The Planet Kobol Itself.
Virgon		13th Colony
A temperate world like its neighbors, forested Virgon emerged relatively unscathed from the First Global War. It's known far and wide for its "gentrified countryside" chic, and tourists flock to the planet to enjoy its fabulous slopes, tranquil meadows, and sparkling lakes- Cookie-cutter perfection for the happening Colonial elite. What poverty exists on Virgon has mostly been swept under the rug, though recent journalistic expos'es have started to explore the plight of the Virgan worker. Many Virgan celebrities have tried to jump on that boat with varying degrees of success, and some would argue that their boneheaded advocacy has actually reduced the legitimacy of the cause. Virgans are generally perceived as vapid and superficial, concerned more with outward appearances than with substance of any sort: An image hardly helped by the Colony's overexposed glitterati. For reasons known only unto the Virgons, when the referendum on entering the UGC under the Kobolese March was held the Virgonese voted overwhelmingly to enter the UGC- But not with the confederation. In fact, membership in the Kobolese Confederation crashed and burned- Less than .1% of the votes carried an "Aye" (and non-Virgonese natives made up a significant portion of the Virgonese people- about 5% overall). Instead, Virgon is now the semi-autonomous Virgon System. And the other colonies aren't currently on speaking terms with the Virgonese. Having left the Kobolese march, Virgon is no longer able to carry the Kobolese Colonial Emblem on their banner; To see the "old style" (Pre-Advent) banner, click here.		The so-called "13th Colony" only officially exists in the Sacred Scrolls of the Kobolese faith, which is by no means extant (fully intact); Even part of the scrolls reference other parts that, in its own time, were commonly known and written down, yet are now lost to antiquity. The UGC intends to continue searching for this "lost" colony, but not much hope is currently being held out to find them. Most Kobolese don't even believe there is a 13th Colony (of course, most Kobolese didn't believe there was an actual Kobol for a very long time as well; some had even scientifically proven there was no such world). The issue the 13th Colony presents to the religious order (currently ruled by the Kobolese) a threat they can not answer; It's thought that before the exodus that brought them to the colonies themselves, some of the people "struck off" on their own, social outcasts who departed to escape "justice" (whatever that means). Should they still exist, they 'might' know the truth of Kobolese history- This would damn the Kobolese into another sectarian war, killing millions. GM's; There was in fact a 13th Colony, once inhabited by the biological life forms the Cylons developed into, who died out centuries ago; In fact, that's not "a colony" but "the home world," from whence the Kobolese and Cylons came. (Neo-)Kobol was the first colony, and not by choice but by need: They crash landed there, built a robotic civilization, which developed into a biological civilization based on their creators genetic makeup. The First Cylon Civil war began, forcing the survivors to flee Kobol (which they'd come to mistake for their own home world), settling the other planets. Ten thousand years later, memories of (Neo-)Kobol had faded as well, until it was rediscovered; In the intervening years, there had been TWELVE major wars, which threatened to wipe out the Kobolese people (1 with the Cylons, leading them to flee the planets, which in turn made the people think they'd "fled" the Kobolese and then came back- that war was started by the Cylons for reasons that can not be clearly understood). The 13th Colony is now an uninhabited rock three systems widdershins over and 4 discwise (due course of Caprica, 313 degrees mark 012 degrees range 18 light years).
Noteworthy Kobolese Militry Units:
The presence of the FBX 21555320 Award indicates this command, or part thereof, was involved in the FBX matter.
CENTURION FBX 21555320 Award. Combat Action Award For Tine Lagrange 4. Red Wings Combat Action And FBX 21555320 Awards. BaseStar CENTURION (BS-75): "First Class." CENTURION is technically the Emperor's personal starship, and the oldest in the Kobolese Confederation; If her ship's logs are correct (and there's very little reason to believe they aren't), she is the sole surviving member of the fleet that brought the Kobolese to the colonies, and possibly she existed when the Kobolese were still a species of androids. If so, she would have been a contemporary of the Traveler on Scorpia. (GM's: Yes, she is, Traveler being only 20 years older, but CENTURION is actually a collection of about 12 such ships that were cannibalized to build this one, after arrival; also, CENTURION was never even attempted to be landed, which is why Traveler is the way she is, while CENTURION is the way she is.) CENTURION'S only forward deployment in the last 5,000 years was to FBX 21555320 with her squadron The Red Wings; There, Red Wings provided close-support for UGC Marines and La Legion, especially towards the end of the evacuation (a Red Wing Vaider was the last official UGC craft to exist the planet, about 60 feet astern of the pilot's Raider flight), and CENTUION actually intercepted a T'sentraedi Force attempting to come to the aid Ascension Supremacy at Tine Lagrange 4. (though not terribly large, the T'sentraedi force did fire upon CENTURION, killing a few crew members and doing some damage, winning her both the FBX Award and her first and to date only UGC Battle Star award.) The Red Wings: Also called the Red Herrings; "People keep trying to find them but every lead is a dead end." Actually a full Aero-Space Force (10 squadrons of 10 wings of 10 flights of 10 Vaiders and Raiders, arranged 2 Vaiders to 8 Raiders). This is the Royal Escort Fighter Wing, stationed aboard BaseStar CENTURION. All the fighters of the Red Wings are painted entirely red, harkening back to an era when the Kobolese people had to fight for their survival by fighting for their freedom, though when this happened and who they were fighting has been lost (part of the "lost scrolls"). Colonial One (Caprica Heavy 798): The Emperors personal shuttle, capable of up to 5 FTL jumps independently and of landing on the surface of a given planet; It's said that in another era, she was the capital as well, though this is lost to antiquity, and in reality it was a predecessor in any case (though the she is an exact duplicate, and used that forbearer's FTL Drive Core, so it's not inconceivable that with enough digging the Kobolese' migration could be back traced). Colonial One can float, and is rigged to serve as an auxiliary Presidential Estate in emergency. (She routinely takes the Emperor to CENTURION to ensure such a transit is possible, and routinely makes a tour of the colonies by FTL jump, but no Emperor has left Kobol in centuries, for security reasons.) She is capable of docking in any BATTLESTAR-, BASESTAR-, or even Galactica-Class flight bay (though to the latter certain preparations in advance must be made).
Pre-Advent Militry Uniforms:
The Kobolese Uniforms are also the Kobolese Powered Armor. From the next down, other than color, they are entirely identical; The most significant difference between the two is the ceremonial weapons: Officers carry swords and spears, harkening back to the days when the spear could in fact beat out the rifle, whereas enlisted carry the current model of assault weapons (bother as sub-machine pistols and assault rifles) with a short-sword bayonet. The bayonet doubles as a baton when sheathed for civil disturbance action (a fairly common event). Officers do use rifles "as needed" during field operations, leaving their spears behind, but carry their swords as well.
Officer:		Enlisted:
Kobolese General URSUS. Stylistically and mechanically, the Officer's Uniform is exactly the same as the Enlisted uniform except that it is gold-electroplated. Also used by the Gods Of Kobol when needed. General URSUS (depicted) is a Goddess who served with GREAT distinction during The Advent; So much so that the REF tried very hard to recruit her. (She is a rare Kobolese God who went Officer, rather than enlisted.) Unless they are a pilot, Kobolese officers never use the full helmet kit, but rather just the helm, leaving their face exposed. Chemical weapons were unknown to the Kobolese, and as such there was no need for the facemask.		A Kobolese Warrior. The Enlisted Uniform is basic steel. Camouflage schemes are not unknown. The Kobolese Marine Sergeant depicted here, Shamous, served during The Advent, manning a machinegun emplacement as REF Marines march on the Royal Palace on Kobol, receiving praise for courage and skill from REF Marines after his capture. The full kit includes a helmet with a facemask, not coincidentally stylistically similar to the Mk II Cylons. When Kobolese Defense Forces deploy with the REF, they use this type (officer or enlisted), full kit, with theater-appropriate camouflage scheme. Also used by police units.
Breakaway/Rogue Factions:
The Guardians: A legend of a breakaway faction from the first colonization; For reasons that are lost to antiquity, The Guardians took 2 ships and left the fleet shortly before it arrived at the colonies. They may still exist, somewhere, who's to say for certain, but they haven't been heard from in several millennia. The UGC in particular doesn't like the idea of there being another society out there that they don't know about, can't judge the intentions of, can't find, can't reason with, can't even verify the existence of; They may be extinct, or they may be as strong as the UGC itself. It was in fact fear of this very scenario that led to the UGC's law "banning" other empires that drove the ridiculously expansionist policies the UWA embraced, leading to the Kobolese (as well as so many others). The Children Of Zoe: Some Guardians came out of the nether about a millenia after their disappearance; They called themselves "The Children Of Zoe," claiming they'd seen a new leadership advocating a genocidal war arise in the Guardians and wanted nothing to do with it; However, the Children Of Zoe also brought with them a belief in mono-theism, which the colonies attempted to ban. Despite wide-spread vilification, the Children have managed to get their message out, with an estimated 1 million adherents around the colonies. (GM's; The COZ is roughly equivalent to the Jews of the Roman empire era, who claim a savior's arrival is "coming" to free the down-trodden, oppressed, sick, lame, etc.; The Advent has brought much to the Kobolese, but the UGC has steadfastly insisted they are NOT the "messianic figure" in any way, shape, or form, despite bringing with them exactly what the savior was supposed to bring. Nevertheless, COZ ranks are rising from a steady 0.00003% percent of the population at large to a 0.00005%, whereas before it was very steady.) The COZ are most defiantly an underground faction, and publicly announcing one's adherence to it can result in ostracization, loss of employment, eviction, even arrest. Few outside the militry admit to being COZ (since the militry is the one part of society where one can not be officially abused for ideological differences, though even then promotions and favorable transfers are often given to others if one's higher authorities do not look kindly to such things). The UGC has put an official "stamp" of acceptability on The Children Of Zoe after a fashion, by allowing and facilitating COZ evacuations for the Kobolese Confederation; Most join the REF in the hopes of assignment "abroad" (where the Kobolese religious orders can't touch them), others simply try to get onto a ship, any ship, headed out of the Confederation, leaving behind an email on delayed delivery explaining why they'd left. The UGC's ambassadors have been asked many times to bring these "outlaws" to justice; The ambassadors have on occasion not so politely said "No." (SHIVOTH Jornus caused a bit of a scandal when she informed the Kobolese that they could have "the Children" back over her very cold, very dead body- if, that is, she didn't take the Colonial Defense Ministry troopers sent to collect them with her. It wasn't an empty threat, either...) The Followers Of Adama: "ADAMA" is a not particularly uncommon surname in the colonies, but the Followers Of Adama are hypra-militant advocates of the belief that a fall is coming, and always "soon," Some Followers Of Adama members are Acolytes Of Roslin members at the same time; The ideologies aren't wholly mutually exclusive. The spiritual heads of the two factions were in fact married, which accounts for some of this. Many in both are also Children Of Zoe adherents. and that one must be ready. They are considered a rogue faction because they do not accept the mainstream belief in a single, unified, steady universe, and that disorder is inevitable and advocate readiness for a violent period. They STRICTLY dispute an armed uprising against the Quorum or the Emperor, even going so far as to "ban" it to the best of their abilities (including informing on fellow Followers who are planning violence). The Acolytes Of Roslin: Like the Followers Of Adama, the Acolytes Of Roslin believe that things are happening, but not a violent fall so much as a great change. They profess they don't know what the change is, but dispute that it's going to be the worlds-destroying catastrophe the Followers believe in; They do believe many will die, and that preparation is necessary, but that violence will not accomplish anything, and most fundamentally, "That this, too, shall pass." They are considered a rogue faction because they do not accept the mainstream belief in a single, unified, steady universe, and that disorder is inevitable, but are "tolerated in moderation" by the authorities because they do not advocate preparation for the violence the FOA believe in. Baltarians: 8,000 years ago, one Gaius BALTAR, recorded to have been a scientist of great repute, claimed to have found the 13th Colony. He did not claim to have traveled there, but that he had determined from the Sacred Scrolls the way to determine where the colony was- Like a written set of directions, using reference points that existed in the era, some of which had become lost to antiquity. He was tried for heresy (which is the same word for treason in Kobolese), but exonerated because he very clearly stated he'd never travelled there, and in fact never tried to, and the prosecution failed to prove that he had claimed or attempted otherwise (in fact, the case mostly fell apart because of that; it was very clear he hadn't tried, since his movements could be proven otherwise, a fact entered into evidence by the prosecution themselves to prove he hadn't done so). His trial, and the verdict, proved HIGHLY controversial, since BALTAR'S claims was such a divisive issue; His rather mysterious death some 40 years later no less so, as conspiracy theorists claim members of his own cult murdered him, or that the religious order had him assassinated, or any number of other theories that can't be proven nor disproven. Being "outed" as a Baltarian isn't a major life crisis; Most Kobolese look into the cult at least once in their life, usually during their earliest adulthood period, since Baltarians have quite interesting views of sexual relations and intercourse- They embrace all forms, within some reason, as heterosexuality is considered "as normal as" homosexuality, and therefore is not frowned upon (Baltarians being the only major faction that openly supports homosexuality, as opposed to the Zarekites, who openly condemn it and the others who quietly disapprove, but don't advocate violence or abuse). Zarekite Banner, from the Kobolese letter "Z." "Heavenly Father, grant us the strength, the wisdom, and, above all, a measure of acceptance, however small." ~ Cylon Death Prayer. Cathedral. Zarekites: Adherents of Thom ZAREK, a convicted terrorist who managed, briefly, to take control of a APOLLO-Class Cruiser (no longer in service) with the unwilling help of the ship's commander, Major Feilegs GAETA. ZAREK sought full autonomy for Sagittaron, his homeworld, which had endured utter humiliation by the other colonies, including de facto slavery as a world. Zarekites continue to simmer under the hatred of the other colonies, though since the last civil war they've kept their militancy limited to riots and other violent public demonstrations, rather than bombings and assignations (the founder was in fact convicted of bombing a Caprican tax agency). Since The Advent, these hostilities have declined, mainly because the UGC is forcing the Kobolese Gods to treat with the Sagittarons, and will eventually be granted their full standing- Provided the bombings, assassinations, etc. of the Zarekites "continue" to be a thing of the PAST. Zarekites are extreme right-wing in the main, ultra-right wing in the exception. They publicly "frown" upon homosexuality, welfare type programs, dislike the UGC (but won't actively oppose the REF), utterly HATE the Lords Of Kobol (and refer to the God Of Kobol as "the usurper") and Cylons, seek utter independence for Saggitaron, etc. The only reason they choose the UGC over the Lords is because the UGC IS willing to hear their case- The Lords were not. The Cylons: The Cylons are to the Kobolese what Kitsune are to Garudans, or Chimpanzees to Terrans; Their closest living relatives before evolution. For nearly 5,000 years, the Cylons went "away" (the "Cylon Republic"), then returned. They hadn't actually gone far at all, they'd simply stopped being present on Kobolese worlds, having gone away to the various space stations, ships, etc., where their existence was ignored and forgotten. They were "forced" to return to the larger community by civil war within the colonies, ending the war in what Terrans might have called "a police action." In the intervening millennia, they'd evolved within their own ranks significantly, and bifurcated; "Males" went into the Centurion body, while "females" went into the Raider bodies. Only 6 Kobolese know this secret, and not a whole damned lot of non-Kobolese know it; Such knowledge touched off the civil war that forced the abandonment of Kobol, and the Kobolese society worked VERY hard to forget about this. The UGC VERY MUCH likes stability, and has hushed the secret whenever it threatens to get out- So much so that blatantly vicious murders aren't addressed by the UGC if there's even a whiff of the possibility that the murder was to keep the secret (this has only happened twice, though). The Council would "like" the Kobolese to know about the truth, but they're more than happy to keep the secret for the time being to preserve the peace. (The Raider and Centurions actually do know, but they can't and WON'T tell.) Cylons are STRICT monotheists, rejecting all the normal Kobolese 'gods,' and believe in "absolute" reincarnation. The do however obey The Lords Of Kobol the same way a member of the militry would obey chain of command. The Cylon "capital" is Cathedral, a 6,000 foot long glass-and-metal ship that hangs in constant orbit over Zues, held in one of Hebe's Lagrange points. This place is sacred to the Cylons, and NONE may enter. To avoid the crisis, the UGC elected to allow Cathedral to remain unboarded, but maintain an observation of the ship at all times. The other major Cylon-only facility is Colony, an asteroid converted to a space station, which to date has only allowed REF Marines aboard- They have never even allowed the UGC Ambassadors near the station, but the Marines, in one of the very few (less than 1,000 in over 500 times that many years) messages initiated by the Cylons, were invited.