House Hasek

'House Hasek are the noble rulers of New Syrtis and by default the commanders of the wider Cappellan March.

Origins

First Prince Paul Davion moved his field headquarters to New Syrtis on the 7th of July 2829 after the death of Chancellor Ilsa Liao of the Capellan Confederation as a part of concentrating his attentions against the Capellans. One of Paul's first acts was to appoint a hero of the Federated Suns defense on Demeter earlier as Duke of New Syrtis. That hero was Colonel Damian Hasek, the first of the Hasek family to rule New Syrtis; Damian was invested with all of the powers that had previously been enjoyed by the Princes of the Capellan March when it had been a Principality, centuries before. Hasek was accepting a difficult legacy; the First Succession War alone had claimed four Lords of the Capellan March in battle alone, with two more suffering injuries severe enough that they couldn't continue to rule as March Lord. While Prince Paul's appointment of Damien Hasek was a purely political one, it was also an inspired choice, and Damian established a legacy of capable and loyal service to the Federated Suns.

By this time the easily mined veins were exhausted and large mining companies were beginning to arrive with the intention of strip-mining the rest of the world. Whether the Haseks acted out of concern for their world or a desire to control all the wealth it produced is uncertain, but rather than see the delicate arctic ecosystem disrupted, the Hasek's arranged for the mining trade to be heavily monitored and regulated, and for the equatorial belt to be converted into agricultural land that could be used to sustain the planetary population. The result was the sustained long-term financial solvency of the Hasek family and the long-term viability of New Syrtis.

Bibliography

• Handbook: House Davion
• House Davion (The Federated Suns)
• Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers