House Rettaan

House Rettaan: Rulers of Rettaan Province in the Par'tha Expanse

Values: Situated on the edge of Senali space and the greater galaxy, House Rettaan has always had a more open and mercantile bent than the other houses. It has only recently emerged as a major player in the Sector and is eager to prove itself. Rettaani find spying and underhanded tactics distasteful, and only resort to them when absolutely necessary - killing one's political opponents is not considered good form.

High Lady: Lady Maylin was born into one of the lower noble families of House Rettaan. She has maintained her position through her ability to forge strong alliances with key factions and individuals, such as the titled commoners and the house's officer corps. She is not universally loved, however; there are several lords and ladies who see themselves as more legitimate and capable house leaders.

Lady Maylin maintains a sprawling island garden paradise on Oscion, where she lavishly entertains both her allies and enemies. Her soirees are considered the best in the Expanse and everyone who is or means to be somebody endeavors to be seen on her grounds during capital season.

Description: The worlds of House Rettaan were settled in the Par'thian Dynastic Era by Kerraroni colonists. Eventually, the colonies seceded to form an independent house, but Kerraron and Rettaan have always had a close and friendly relationship.

With the establishment of the Kaen'anti Bypass, little Rettaan found itself sitting on some of the most valuable real estate in the sector. When its guardian Kerraron fell, Rettaan realized it had to rapidly build up its economy and military to prevent being absorbed by either the Romulans or one of the other houses.

Rettaan opened its doors to wealthy investors operating in the sector (many of them Freeworlds merchants and Mining Guild officials). While the other houses continue to restrict membership and powerful positions to those in the bloodline, Rettaan has allowed wealthy and powerful commoners to buy titles and contribute to its fortunes. So far, the bloodline has been careful to admit only a select few outsiders to its number.

As a result, Rettaan has emerged as a major player in the Sector. The huge influx of business has super-charged its economy, and its military has begun expanding at a great rate. Of the houses, it has the most pull in industrial and trade quarters.

Allies: Rettaan openly supports House Kerraron, even though doing so is not encouraged by many of its high lords and ladies. The solid support for this policy is largely because Kerraron and Rettaan share many common cultural bonds, but is also due in part to the iron leadership of Lady Maylin. Rettaan also has strong ties with Nanaria.

Enemies: House Rettaan's enthusiastic support for Kerraron has drawn the wrath of House Larokon. Over the years, Rettaan agents have detected the hand of Larokon in numerous plots designed to weaken Rettaan.

Following the lead of Larokon, Barahn and Beruna also oppose Rettaan. Fortunately for Rettaan, its rival houses are not in a position to do much more than oppose it politically and engage in occasional sabotage.

Assets: The economy of Rettaan is booming, thanks to the bustling trade it does with the rest of the galaxy. Its import/export tariffs are lower than those in the Freeworlds (except for House Barahn), which draws in a lot of business. Its policy of selling titles to megacorp tycoons has also brought in a lot of investment.

Rettaan has invested a lot of its capital into upgrading and expanding its defense forces. It also has a comprehensive sensor net which allows it to detect most craft passing through its space.