Ashington
Founded as the personal fief of an exiled Terran prince, Ashington has risen to become one of the most important cities in the UMF. The road to membership in the UMF, however, was long and tortuous. A succession of princes refused invitations to join the league, fearing the loss of their social privileges and power. Long, arduous negotiations followed until eventually, in TN 1620, the economic and security benefits of the relationship won the incumbent prince over and Ashington become the UMF's eleventh and final member state.
The principal reason the UMF sought to bring Ashington into the fold was for its power generation facilities. Today the extensive banks of solar panels and aerogenerators (highly efficient wind-mills) which surround the city provide much of the Federation's energy, making Prince Hans William Ash VI (head of both the Ashington Power Corporation and the city) one of the most influential people in the UMF. Indeed, APC has the sixth-largest turnover of any Mercantile corporation. In addition to its role in power generation, the Federation desired Ashington for its location. It dominated trade along the Badlands border and was the starting point of trade routes across the Western Desert. From Ashington, goods could be transshipped to the Southern Republic, circumventing the Humanist Alliance and Western Frontier Protectorate, through whom any goods transported by Maglev would have to flow.
Located on the rolling plains that border the Badlands, Ashington is the most heavily defended city in the UMF. It sits within two Layers of defensive fortifications: a series of low walls and ditches surrounding the city and power generation complex, and the massive walls of the city proper. The lower outlying walls provide the entire complex with a degree of protection while having little impact on the flow of air and thus power generation. During the War of the Alliance this outer area of the city was the site of several pitched battles, causing extensive damage to the power complexes. CEF forces also assaulted the city itself but while they succeeded in breaching the defenses during the Second Battle of Ashington, they were beaten back in bitter street-to-street fighting by Northern Guard troops under the command of Victoria Edden-Smythe. Since then, both the inner and outer walls have been rebuilt and extended.
Ashington was bombed repeatedly by the CEF, and much of the city's once-famous architecture was destroyed during the War of the Alliance. This is especially true of the neighborhoods that sat close to the various defense systems. The city has since been the site of a major rebuilding program, which is still going on - albeit much more slowly - today. Thanks to the dedication of the inhabitants, Ashington now contains some of the most modern architecture in the League. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, many claim much of the city's pre-war charm has been lost.
Demographics
The Sun Crown
Life in Ashington has always been hard, its people eking out ativing on the fringe of the Badlands, though since joining the UMF the social standards within the city have improved considerably. Until the Emancipation Proclamations of TN 1624 most of the city's population were serfs, holding land from the prince and obliged to work his holdings without pay for three days out of ten. This prompted a strong work ethic that has carried over into 'free' Ashington, with the city's commoners willingly working iong hours.
Respect for the city-state's nobility has slowly been eroded since TN 1624, increasing freedoms among the commoners leading some to question the status of the Estates and the Monarchy. The large majority of the population still favor the royal family, however, regarding it as part of their heritage and traditions that set them apart from the rest of the UMF. Indeed, most Ashington-born citizens regard an insult to the Prince as an insult to them and will willingly fight to defend royal honor.
Many of Ashington's citizens recall the devastation of the War of the Alliance and fear a repeat during the current Interpolar War. Having commanded the defense of the city during the Second and Third Battles of Ashington in the War of the Alliance, the citizens of Ashington look on Grand Marshal Victoria Edden-Smythe as a living legend. Many believe that with the "Heroine of Ashington" at the helm of the CNCS war machine, the North must surely be victorious and unlike many Mercantile citizens, have thrown their weight solidly behind the war effort.
A tough local police force and large contingents of UMFA and Northern Guard troops maintain order in the city. This has not stopped the Wounded Knee from establishing the city as a major base for operations into and across the Western Desert. The Forzi Cartel dominate the city's black market and smuggling operations, though this has not prevented the Granis Cartel from strengthening its operations in the city while the Kolson-Forzi war rages. The formidable security presence has curtailed the open gang warfare that continues to rage across the CNCS and instead of the gun battles and bombings of elsewhere in the league, the war in Ashington has been limited to sabotage and assassinations
Government
Power Politics
Despite the freedoms they gained in TN 1624, the commoners remain second class citizens. Authority remains in the hands of Prince Ash, and many senior positions are resewed for members of the city-state's nobility. The nobility promote this as the 'natural order' and many in the city acquiesce to the situation, but a growing minority advocate further change, sweeping away the monarchy - or at least curtailing its powers - and establishing the city as a true democracy. This group, alternatively known as republicans or anti-monarchists, has become increasingly vocal in i t s opposition, though to date it has had little success gaining representation in the Privy Council
The same cannot be said for the Order of the Chain, a semi-secret group of Estates members who advocate Ashington's withdrawal from the UMF. Led by Count Mykel Galen-Ash, who also chairs the Privy Council, the Order believe that outside the UMF and CNCS the city-state would be regarded as a neutral power and thus spared the attacks it has suffered in every war since joining the Federation. The city-state could still export its power to the UMF, thanks to the absence of border tariffs, but without federal and CNCS interference in its internal affairs. The Order's ideas have spread beyond the nobility and have begun to take root in the city's corporate employees.
It should be noted that the Prince's succession has not always been smooth - the heir is nominated by the Prince, not by any established rules of primogeniture - leading to volatile dynastic politics within the Ash family and the Estates. Historically, assassination has played a major role in the process, though full-scale rebellions are rare, with only two occurrences (TN 1787 and TN 1814) since the city joined the UMF. Though technically an internal matter and thus of no concern to the UMF, both these cases involved secessionist forces, prompting the UMFA to put on a show of force to convince the city's new leadership to stay within the UMF.
Defences
2nd Ashington Royal Heavy Gear Regiment: The Prince's Troop
The lead regiment of the Sixth Heavy Gear Brigade (the Ashington Brigade, part of the 1st Border Division), the Ashington Royals have a long and prestigious history. Formerly the 2nd Mobile Cavalry Regiment, the unit was renamed the Second Ashington Royal Regiment when the city-state joined the UMF in TN 1620. Like the other four Ashington Royal units, the structure of the unit and the ranks used by the Second diverge from those of the UMFA and Northern Guard. They add a fifth company, composed entirely of 'glamour' units who use the best equipment in the unit and whose role is largely ceremonial. Membership of the regiment (and the other Ashington Royal units) is tightly controlled: only those born in Ashington are eligible to join and Prince Hans William Ash's advisors must approve any recruits.
The current commander of the Second Royals is Colonel Hannah Ash, daughter of Prince Hans. Her appointment to command barely five cycles after graduating officer college demonstrates the nepotism inherent in the Ashington system, although she has proved herself an able commander. The Regiment's Duelist, Ethan Lords, has earned considerable notoriety for his hatred of AST forces. In TN 1921 his actions at the Baja Memorial prompted Deeana Earnshaw of the 42nd Northern Guard Gear Regiment to challenge him to a duel. He lost and has nursed a feud with her ever since
The Second is notable for its use of heavier Gears, especially the Grizzly and its Crossbow Grizzly variant, and also deploy an unusually high number of Brawler Mammoth assault striders. The Ashington Royals use a deep-blue color scheme highlighted with gold when on parade or ceremonial duties. Manipulator-held weapons are painted black while hardpointmounted systems utilize blue and gold to match the rest of the Gear. I n the field they favor tan desert camouflage. The eggshell blue dress uniforms of the Royals make them stand out in gatherings of Federation officers. Senior officers and members of the nobility wear a gold sash across their right shoulder to further distinguish them from other ranks.
Industry & Trade
Come Rain or Shine
The industrial base of the United Mercantile Federation requires a massive amount of energy to function, and while many cities and industrial complexes have their own power generation facilities, these are usually small-scale backup systems. Power generation and the establishment of the necessary infrastructure is a very expensive business and vital to the league, but most city-states and corporations would rather avoid the expense, buying what they need from specialized conglomerates. The Ashington Power Corporation is the largest such company in the Federation, established and still controlled by the Ash family.
Founded in TN 1327 while Terra Nova was still under Earth control, the company is one of the oldest in the UMF. A locally controlled company, APC fared well when Earth government collapsed and with a strong military (the Ashington Royals) to ensure its neutrality, the corporation and by extension the city-state remained on good terms with its neighbors. Since joining the UMF in TN 1620 the boundaries between APC and the city-state have become more defined but both remain under the steady hand of the Ash family.
Unlike many of the industrialized city-states within the UMF, Ashington is almost entirely self sufficient for food. The area's climate is hot and dry as would be expected near to the Badlands. but wells driven down to the MacAllen Network allow extensive irrigation, creating a verdant garden amidst the dusty plains. Crops of johar, wheat and even low-grade cawfee are grown among the aerogenerators and solar collectors, both for consumption by citizens and for export.
Maps
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Ashington
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