Ownership: UEE
Planets: 5
Planetary Orbital Periods: 385 SED (Persei), 315 SED (Reisse), 510 SED (Mentor)
Import: Food, Electronics
Export: Labor, Research
Crime Status: Low
Black Market: Stims, Artwork
UEE Strategic Value: Grey
Rhetor is home to the centerpiece of the United Empire of Earth’s private university system. With three separate inhabitable planets each boasting galaxy-class institutions, Rhetor is the destination of choice for future starship engineers and Xi’an romantic lit interpreters alike. An advanced degree from a school in the Rhetor system, even a secondary university, almost assures a job on Earth or Terra.
Persei, Rhetor II, is a haven for thinktanks and theoretical research. It is home to the elite government-sponsored UPARQ campus, home to the brain trust that has overseen much of the UEE’s technological advancement in recent years. As a result, access to Persie is extremely limited: undergraduates without security clearances need not apply. An elite naval guard garrison is stationed here on constant assignment.
Rhetor III, Reisse, is a stark contrast: it is the heart of the UEE’s youth movement. For six generations, Reisse has found itself on the opposing side of whatever political group happened to hold sway over the Empire. The fourth planet, Mentor, claims a similar number of students as Reisse, though the significantly colder climate seems to keep them focused on more practical studies.
Rhetor V is a beautful multicolored gas giant: you can often find local students and pilots dosing up on Color and staring at the planet. Rhetor has been preserved by the Earth Sights Trust as a national park; refueling here is strictly forbidden.