"...at the opposite end of Terra's domain, twinned Alpha and bachelor Beta of the Southern Cross."
-CHAPTER TWO, p. 386.
In what sense is Beta Crucis a bachelor?
The red giant star, Betelgeuse, with its large inhabited planetary system, lies between the Terran Empire and the Merseian Roidhunate. Sector Alpha Crucis is at the opposite end of the Empire. Beyond that Sector, there are only barbarians with spaceships and atomic weapons acquired from civilization.
Vice Admiral Sir Ilya Kheraskov orders Lieutenant Commander Flandry to report to Rear Admiral Yamaguchi. Later in his career, Flandry will be a Fleet Admiral. What are all these kinds of Admirals? A Wikipedia article explains all, here. Somewhere in there, I found the explanation that a Rear Admiral is indeed to be found at the rear of a fleet.
Kheraskov explains to Flandry that, while the Merseians are pushing at Jihannath, there is repression and potential rebellion in Sector Alpha Crucis. The sense of troubled times is palpable. Flandry's career accelerates.
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
My guess is Beta Crucis is a "bachelor" because it was both a solitary star and had no planets orbiting it.
I agree, we get a strong sense of troubled times in THE REBEL WORLDS. Ad I recall the Empire being referred to somewhere as "the great troubled realm."
Ad astra! Sean
I just looked up Alpha & Beta Crucis.
I guess some discoveries were made after Anderson wrote "The Rebel Worlds".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrux
"To the naked eye Acrux appears as a single star, but it is actually a multiple star system containing six components."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa_(star)
"...Beta Crucis and abbreviated Beta Cru or β Cru. Mimosa forms part of the prominent asterism called the Southern Cross. It is a binary star or a possible triple star system."
Thank you, Anonymous.
Kaor, Anonymous!
I should have looked up Alpha and Beta Crucis myself. I believe Anderson would welcome corrections like this.
Ad astra! Sean
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