Ukobach

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Heavenly Body of Ukobach
Edenite Standard[1] Seal[2]
Ukobach.png

c.4005 photograph

Heavenly Body
Capital: Forneus
Official languages: Edenite
Currency: Eden Flower (✿ or E)
Demonym: Ukoback
Politics
Government: Heavenly Body of the Godly Republic of Eden
- Governor: Sela Reiner
Religion(s): Edenite Baptist Church
Settled: 3620
Demographics
Population: 6 million
Ethnic groups: Edenite Baptists
National minorities: Orthodox Baptists, Zhu Que
Geography
System: Teegarden's Star System
Avg. distance from Earth: 12 ly
Moon(s): 0
[Source]

The Heavenly Body of Ukobach (Teegarden English: Ukoback) is the official political designation of the dwarf planet Ukobach, which is governed by the Godly Republic of Eden. Named after a "demon of an inferior order", Ukobach is located between Tartarus and the Outer Belt. Ukobach is the third largest object within the system known to the Edenites, and they covet it greatly as an asset for for its mineral wealth. Recently, Ukobach has also become important for its value as a conduit between the Godly Republic and Zhu Que.

History[edit | edit source]

Ukobach and Tartarus were known to the initial colonists of Eden, but none were fit for colonisation like Eden was. Ukobach in particular was explored on a few occasions by Edenite explorers, but there was even less interest in the dwarf planet than there was in Tartarus.

Things took a radical turn with the arrival of the Commonwealth of Earth. The Commonwealth was much more observant than the Edenites, and they knew the potential of small planetoids like Ukobach. So after the occupation of Eden began, the Commonwealth sent explorers to Ukobach who found the planet rich in minerals such as titanium, manganese, and rhodium. With that, the occupation on Eden decided that Ukobach would be the perfect site for mining facilities. So, they sent a few Earthers and a lot of Edenites to set up a mining operation on Ukobach.

Ukobach was colonised by this mixed contingent in 3620, and the colonists struggled to cooperate and set up mining facilities. The Edenites resented the "Cainites" for being forcibly relocated from their homeworld and being Serpent Seed while the Earthers resented the Edenites for their superstitious ways and seemingly lax work ethic. However as time went on, the hatred between Earthers and Edenites on Ukobach would lessen somewhat, and the two groups would have shared struggles that would bring them closer together. This forged something of a unified Ukoback identity over the next fifty years.

During the Second Edenite Rebellion, Ukobach was spared much of the violence since there were no Edenite Brotherhood chapters on the planetoid at the time. The Edenite miners on Ukobach had hard lives, but most did not blame their Earther neighbors for their grievances. Most just wanted to live their lives and raise their families in peace. However, there was still an undercurrent of discontent among Edenites on Ukobach, especially among the youth. The younger generation of Edenite Ukobacks felt a sort of identity crisis between their placid elders and the grim reality of inequality on Ukobach. How could one be a friend with one of the Serpent Seed? Why be satisfied with being a second class citizen? When would the Earthers seem them as equals, even if they spoke English and abandoned their own beliefs?

Things became even more complicated after the Second Edenite Rebellion when Ukobach's population started to mix, to the horror of many Edenites. Unlike on Eden or Tartarus, there was no significant segregation between the Earther and Edenite population. So after a couple of generations of living alongside one another, the Edenites on Ukobach began to lose their taboo against outbreeding with "Cainites". Mixed Ukoback children created something of a scandal back on Eden, and these children were used extensively in the Edenite Brotherhood's propaganda campaigns. The Edenite Brotherhood called these children "broken branches" and "little snakes".

As the situation on Eden worsened, the Edenites on Ukobach found themselves split into several camps. The smallest most radical group threw in their lot with their brethren on Eden and the Edenite Brotherhood and wanted full independence for Edenites from the Commonwealth. This group would form a chapter of the Edenite Brotherhood on Ukobach around 3690. The second and the largest group was more integrated, and they just wanted expanded civil rights and population control laws. This group would go on to form the Ukobach People's Congress to petition the Commonwealth for further rights. The Ukobach People's Congress was not effective in bringing about its endgoal, but the group did siphon off a significant amount of steam from the Edenite Brotherhood and even recruit some idealist Earthers to their cause. The last group were those xenophiles and mixedbreeds who threw themselves at the feet on the Commonwealth. Many of this group saw collaborating as the only alternative to a return to superstition and constant war.

The Edenite Brotherhood made itself known on Ukobach with an attack on the dwarf planet's central power station in 3692. This caused a blackout that lasted over a week. The attack galvanized the population with the majority condemning the violence at least on principle. However, the success of the terrorist attack would embolden further actions by the Edenite Brotherhood. This led to increasing violence until all out war began in 3711.

The Third Edenite Rebellion began on Ukobach with a larger than ordinary gathering of Edenite Brotherhood soldiers in the outskirts of the dome city of Forneus. Unlike in other places within the Teegarden's Star System, Commonwealth forces on Ukobach attempted to mediate the situation instead of immediately attacking. This only proved useful as a stalling effort however as the higher-ups eventually ordered Ukobach's Commonwealth forces to attack and wipe out the rebels. The Commonwealth forces complied with this, and they handily crushed the Edenite Brotherhood across Ukobach. Overall, it was a smashing victory for the Commonwealth as not enough of the population backed the Edenite Brotherhood. The miners just did not really care all that much.

Things however were not going so well on Eden for the Commonwealth of Earth. Commonwealth forces were on the backslide after numerous defeats at the hands of the Edenite Brotherhood, and things really fell apart for the Commonwealth after the fall of Ham. Simultaneously, there was war afoot in the Solar System so it was unlikely that Ukobach would get any reinforcements soon.

The Commonwealth officer in charge of the defense of Ukobach, General Konstantin Vagin, knew that his situation was near hopeless, especially after the complete fall of Eden to rebel forces. This situation became even more grim after the surrender of Commonwealth forces on Tartarus. Nevertheless, General Vagin was determined to hold out against the Edenites, whatever the cost. He had the backing of the Earthers and many of the Edenites there in his fight.

In 3712, the Edenite Brotherhood arrived over Ukobach in ships taken from the Commonwealth on Eden. The Edenite Brotherhood would demand the surrender of the Commonwealth forces on Ukobach, offering safe passage back to Earth, and they would be met with a refusal. From there, the battle began for Ukobach began in earnest. The Edenite Brotherhood would first strike Ukobach's infrastructure to damage the Commonwealth forces' ability to survive a long siege. This would also affect the civilian population, but the Edenite Brotherhood cared little for them, regarding them as Cainites, traitors, and failures.

By the third month of the battle, the Edenite Brotherhood had eliminated much of Ukobach's power grid, transportation network, and anti-air defenses, but General Vagin managed to hold out using ingenious methods. The civilian population suffered greatly, but there was luckily no massive loss of life as some predicted.

The situation worsened considerably when the Edenite Brotherhood started landing soldiers on Ukobach to seize the dome cities and mines by force. This led to bloody confrontation, and the Edenite Brotherhood failed to make any inroads into Ukobach for the first few months after landing. General Vagin proved to be a sly tactician and would use the narrowness of the mines to his advantage especially. It was also noted the lengths General Vagin went to in order to protect Ukobach's civilian population.

It was eventually because of Ukobach's civilian population that the Commonwealth forces there surrendered in 3713. General Vagin and his forces were unable to continue their fight without a significant loss of life, and there was no sign of reinforcements in sight. So, General Vagin surrendered his entire army and the last Commonwealth stronghold left in the Teegarden's Star System.

The post-war era for Ukobach was a great deal more complicated than for Eden and Tartarus. The line between Edenite and Cainite was a great deal more blurred on Ukobach, and the Edenite Brotherhood was fully aware that the Edenite population there would resist a mass deportation effort like in other parts of the Teegarden's Star System. So, the Edenite Brotherhood, on the recommendation of the Zhu Que, allowed the Ukoback Edenites to deal with their Cainites as they saw fit. The Ukoback Edenites dealt with this problem in their own unique way: deporting the active collaborators and allowing most Ukoback Earthers to simply "become Edenite". This arrangement was done quietly and is rarely talked about in polite society.

After the war, some of Ukobach's dense population was transferred to Eden to ease the planetoid's population density. Ukobach's mines, valuable to the new Godly Republic, were also nationalised after war and seized from their former corporate owners. From then on, the mines of Ukobach have been operating just fine for the last two hundred years or so.

The 3750 Vermilion Pact between the Godly Republic and Zhu Que promised the opening of Ukobach for trade and the future establishment of a naval base on the dwarf planet as well. It took while before the first trading ships from Zhu Que arrived on Ukobach, but when they started, they did not stop. The naval base would follow, and soon enough, Ukobach was seeing frequent visitors from Zhu Que. Some of these visitors settled down Ukobach and were allowed to by the Godly Republic. The small Zhu Que diaspora on Ukobach was allowed to live comfortably, but they were not given full rights, such as the right to vote in the Godly Republic's elections and the right to own their own weapons. This does not trouble most Zhu Que on Ukobach, and they seem content enough with their peculiar existence.

Ukobach currently is a booming center for trade and mining within the Godly Republic. The dwarf planet has retained a surprising population density for what amounts to a lifeless rock. However, there are signs that change is on the horizon. After centuries of extraction, Ukobach's mines are bringing in declining yields. Some Ukobacks worry about their future, and the future of their people.

Geography[edit | edit source]

Habitability[edit | edit source]

Ukobach is not a particularly inhabitable planetoid, and it is something of a lifeless rock with an almost non-existent atmosphere. However, the mineral wealth of Ukobach drew a substantial population of miners during the Commonwealth occupation of Eden. Currently, miners and other Ukobacks live in inside the dwarf planet in extensive tunnel systems, similar to those on Ceres.

Government[edit | edit source]

Ukobach is classified as a heavenly body under the Godly Republic of Eden, and it is governed directly from Eden. There is some degree of self-government in the form of a local Congress elected by residents, but the Congress is subject to the governor appointed by Eden's president. Luckily for the Ukobacks, Eden usually appoints one of their own to be the governor, and the current governor is an Ukoback named Sela Reiner who is focused on attracting further growth to develop Ukobach as Eden's close second.

Economy[edit | edit source]

The economy of Ukobach is mostly based upon mining though trade with Zhu Que has also become a large factor over the years. Ukobach contains a vast abundance of rare minerals including titanium, manganese, and rhodium. The mines of Ukobach have not run out yet, but the Godly Republic has become worried about the planetoid's somewhat diminished yields.

Unlike the rest of the Godly Republic, Ukobach accepts Zhu Que Dollars along with Eden Flowers. This is because of the Zhu Que naval base, the significant Zhu Que minority, and trade with the Zhu Que Directorate.

Culture[edit | edit source]

Ethnicity[edit | edit source]

Called Ukobacks, the natives of Ukobach are a hardy folk who survived an especially hard regime during the era of Commonwealth occupation. What is notable about Edenite Ukobacks is that there is a mix with the Cainites that once lived on Ukobach. The overwhelming majority of Ukobacks are Edenites while five percent of Ukobacks are Zhu Que. Ukobacks are known as a hardworking industrious people who are pious but have less regard for the dogma of their religion than those on Eden.

Language[edit | edit source]

Ukobach is significantly more diverse in terms of language than other place in the Godly Republic. The Edenites on Ukobach mostly speak Teegarden English while the Zhu Que speak a variety of languages. The Edenites on Ukobach speak Teegarden English mostly because the original Edenite colonists sent there by the Commonwealth spoke Teegarden English and have retained their language after the establishment of the Godly Republic. Zhu Que Chinese is the most prominent minority language with Commonwealth English being next in line with a few others smaller languages following that. There is some degree of overlap between cultures, but most speak their ethnicity's language.

Religion[edit | edit source]

The Edenite Baptist Church, as the official state church of the Godly Republic, has a strong presence on Ukobach. Because of the removal of the Cainites and a strict colonisation policy, Ukobach has no religious minorities, at least among its Edenite population. The Edenite Ukobackers are less religiously dogmatic than their compatriots on Eden, but they are devout nonetheless. Meanwhile, the Zhu Que on Ukobach are less religious but are allowed to have their own beliefs such as Buddhism under the auspices of the Godly Republic. Some Ukoback Zhu Que have converted to the Edenite Baptist Church in recent years, and these converts have become some of the religion's most staunch advocates to the confusion of many.


  1. A tricolour of green, purple and blue with a canton of white decorated in a red variant of the triple-circle seal. Officially, the colours are symbolic of the grass of greener pastures, the purple sovereignty of The Lord, and blue air and water, the gifts of life.
  2. De-facto, symbolizing a seraph protecting Ukobach from disaster incurred by enemies.