• Anlave is a small, compact system, with a long and distinguished history in the
records of the Federation navy. It was originally colonised by a team of experimental
horticulturists, eager to try and develop new citrus crops in a different stellar system than
Old Earth. In this regard, the colony was a failure and the three new strains developed in the
early years, the plum-lemon, ground-fruit and the mugwach were engineering disasters. Vast
tracts of land had been given over to the new crops and when the market failed to materialise,
the colonists sought new income.
• Luckily, at the same time, the emerging Federation navy were looking for cheap land
to establish dockyards and supply depots and accepted the offer made by the colonists of
Anderton. One continent was sold to the military for their sole use. This was sufficient to
provide the scientists with capital to fund their next series of crops - the potato-grape, harricot-
marrow, carrot-banana and lentil-quince. These new arrivals also failed to excite the gourmet
palates of the Federation, and the scientific entrepreneurs left Anderton, run out by irate
farmers. Ironically, thirty four years later the potato-grape was revived, when it was found to
provide a perfect feed for the newly discovered Verrix beast of Phiagre.
• The Anlave system was a focus for the third birthright wars, and many of the early
settlements were destroyed by bombardment. The Federation navy took great losses during the
surprise attack, but rallied round the flagship of Admiral Ghenkis B' nami and in a flourish of
innovative surprise manoeuvres, recaptured the planet and drove the invaders away. After the
raid, the defences of the naval base were strengthened and additional bases were established
on Anderton's mine and Denver. Military influence on the re-established farming community
on Anderton remains strong.
• With three planets having substantial military presence, and a wide variety of
environments to hand, Anlave was a natural choice for the first military training academy
outside the Sol system. It is also conveniently situated at the heart of a moderately dense group
of stars, and has several times been a local administrative centre. This pivotal role in local
space has led to it being the focus of attention for nearby wars. The population of the planet
has varied considerably during its history, and the number of settlements has in the past been
far greater than at present. Although the Academy has now moved to the custom world of
Navy Central in the nearby Eta Cassiopeia system, most of the naval administration remains,
including some of the naval repair facilities.
• Fraser is an interesting city to visit, but the bustle of constant naval activity, coupled
with the taciturn nature of the native farmers and miners means that it can be hard to get to
know the people of the colony. The museums of the planet are very well laid out, especially
the Memory of Gildur building in honour of the planets only truly great musician. A more
depressing, but equally impressive display is the Folly of mankind exhibition, which
graphically displays the desolation suffered in the wars for the planet.
Entry by David Massey
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