Note that there are several other worlds and stars also named Rome or a variation thereon, Ras Elased is however the most notable of these. The proverb 'All roads lead to Rome' originally referred to the city of Rome on Terra, but in modern usage often refers to the Rome system instead.
Fact list
System name: Rome
Traditional names: Ras Elased, Epsilon Leonis, Algenubi, رأس الأسد الجنوبي
Region: Terran Sphere, Core
Distance from Sol: 250 ly
Allegiance: Roman Trade Coalition (RTC)
Stellar class: G1 II
Secondary components: None
Planetary system:
- Rome I / Aventine: Cyrinean Hepheastian, major heavy element and energy extraction operations.
- Rome II / Caelian: Carbonean Chlorogaian
- Rome III / Capitoline: Silician CiGaian, population center.
- Rome IV / Esquiline: Ferinean Arean-xeric, currently being terraformed.
- Rome V / Palatine: Jovian, he3 extraction operations.
- Rome DR1 / Tiber Asteroid Belt, minor population center, volatile and metal extraction site, and major starship production center.
- Rome VI / Quirinal: Europan Arean, minor population center of Homo Europanus, volatile extraction operation.
- Rome VII / Viminal: Cryojovian
Wormholes:
Description
The Rome system was one of the first major independant colonies in the Terran Sphere due to its relative proximity to Sol (250 ly) and the presence of as many as 5 wormholes within 5 ly. It's influence was further increased due to a decade of isolation from the rest of the jump gate network early in its history, resulting in formal independance of the system.
Today Rome is one of the last truly independant protectorates of the Solar Union, having colonised the regions beyond the wormholes they form an important link between the Core of the Terran Sphere and the middle regions, resulting in an enormous amount of trade passing through the system, giving it a large amount of influence in both core and trans-wormhole politics. It is also the only SU protectorate to have independant membership of the TAIC.
Rome is almost entirely governed by the RTC with a mercantilist focus.
History
2931 CE: First scouts enter the system, system marked as colonisation candidate.
3048 CE: Independant colony fleet arrives in system, the renamed Rome to reflect the high ambitions of the colonists. The third planet is renamed Capitoline and selected as the main terraforming candidate.
3118 CE: Roman civilisation established enough to begin mapping nearby space.
3122 CE: First wormhole discovered. RTC formally established.
3125 CE: Contact with the rest of the Terran Sphere re-established, trade booms.
3144 CE: Rome III / Capitoline declared baseline-habitable. Colonists flock to the system
3186 CE: Project began to expand into the regions beyond the three wormholes discovered thus far, linelayer and jump gate construction begins.
3205 CE: Terraforming efforts begin beyond the wormholes
3212 CE: First jump gate link established to neighboring nation. Trade flow increases explosively and additional mapping projects begin for additional links
3216 CE: all five wormholes can now be traversed by jump gate
3288 CE: Migration flow through the wormholes begins to increase as the frontier moves ever farther away and empty worlds in the core start to run out. Would-be pioneers look to Rome as a quick route to unclaimed riches. Minor colonisation spheres appear beyond the wormholes. The RTC explicitly encourage independance of trans-wormhole colonies as a response to the core politics of the time. Rome becomes a more mercantile culture.
3293 CE: Several million Homo Europanus arrive in the system and settle Rome VI. Development of the outer system begins to pick up speed.
3598 CE: Solar Union expands to within 50 ly of the RTC.
3714 CE: Rome completely surrounded by Solar Union. All five wormholes remain within RTC territory.
3750 CE: The RTC officially becomes a protectorate of the Solar Union, carefully establishing the extent of its independance.
3768 CE: Eager to benifit from the ongoing Frontier Revolution the RTC managed to re-negotiate the terms of its protectorateship in its own favour, granting it exclusive control and toll rights over the wormholes.
3967 CE: Terraforming begun on Rome IV, a world previously considered unterraformable.