doesn’t have a March 17, either—with an orbital period of 379 days, they can’t use the same calendar as their cousins on Old Earth. But the original colonists were from Ireland and insisted on continuing to celebrate the patron saint of their Earthly nativity. So they arbitrarily designated every 365th day as March 17, or Saint Patrick’s Day. Complete with quadrennial allowance for leap year. The second wave of immigration to Saint Brendan’s consisted of Americans of Irish ancestry. They were the ones who brought in the green beer. The green beer caught on, so once every 365 days everyone on Saint Brendan’s guzzles down a pint or two of green beer—it’s traditional.
Saint Brendan’s has been on the metric system from the beginning. Green beer on Saint Patrick’s Day is the only time they use the archaic measure of the pint. That’s a tradition too.
Everybody faces east to kneel and pray on Alhambra. Alhambra was originally settled by Moslems from North Africa. Like all good Muslims on Old Earth, they face Mecca when they kneel five times a day to pray. In North Africa, Mecca is to the east, so Alhambrans face east to pray. If they really wanted to face Mecca, though, they’d face in a more-or-less northerly direction, because that’s where old Earth is relative to Alhambra. But it’s traditional to face east, so five times a day all Alhambrans face the direction of the planetary rotation to kneel and pray.
On the dozens of worlds where their brotherhood spread, Masons still say arcane things to each other about squares, levels, and planes. It doesn’t matter that few of them have ever seen any of those ancient tools, or that fewer of them are stoneworkers or carpenters. It’s traditional that Masons speak in arcane terms about objects they’re unfamiliar with. Don’t mock them for their obscure, often unintelligible vocabulary, though. No Mason who can so identify himself is ever lost and alone on a world where he can find a brother Mason. That’s another of their traditions.
Le Loi’s victory over the Chinese in Old Earth year 1427 is annually celebrated on Chochet Viet, which was first colonized by a Vietnam-based mining consortium. None of the succeeding waves of immigrants were Vietnamese, and, due to intermarriage, none of the population today is of pure Vietnamese stock. Not only is there relatively little Vietnamese in their blood, the largest portion of later immigrants was Chinese, and the planetary language is mainly a derivative of Cantonese. Still, Chochet Viet maintains the tradition of celebrating Le Loi’s victory over the Chinese.
Of all the worlds and all the organizations of Human Space, none are more tradition-bound than the Confederation Marine Corps.
One of their traditions has to do with making planetfall. It doesn’t matter why they’re making planetfall: an assault against a hostile defense to kick open a door for the regular army to invade through; making a liberty port of call; a ceremonial landing in escort of a new ambassador; or for any other reason. Marines always make planetfall the traditional way—over the beach.
Klaxons rang and blared throughout the Confederation Navy SAT—Starship Assault Troop— Lance Corporal Keith Lopez . A voice intoned over the ship’s speakers, “Commander, Landing Force, prepare the landing force for landing.”
The navy has its traditions too. Klaxons are one of them.
On the ship’s bridge the captain and the dozen officers and men of the bridge watch went through the ages-old routine of preparing to disembark the landing force.
Another navy tradition is the layout of a ship’s bridge. The bridge on the Lopez would have looked familiar to Chester Nimitz. At first glance, that is.
“Is the string-of-pearls deployed?” Captain Bhofi asked, not that the ship was going to deploy the geosynchronous satellites around a Confederation member planet that already wore its necklace. He sat in a high chair bolted to the deck
Saint Brendan’s has been on the metric system from the beginning. Green beer on Saint Patrick’s Day is the only time they use the archaic measure of the pint. That’s a tradition too.
Everybody faces east to kneel and pray on Alhambra. Alhambra was originally settled by Moslems from North Africa. Like all good Muslims on Old Earth, they face Mecca when they kneel five times a day to pray. In North Africa, Mecca is to the east, so Alhambrans face east to pray. If they really wanted to face Mecca, though, they’d face in a more-or-less northerly direction, because that’s where old Earth is relative to Alhambra. But it’s traditional to face east, so five times a day all Alhambrans face the direction of the planetary rotation to kneel and pray.
On the dozens of worlds where their brotherhood spread, Masons still say arcane things to each other about squares, levels, and planes. It doesn’t matter that few of them have ever seen any of those ancient tools, or that fewer of them are stoneworkers or carpenters. It’s traditional that Masons speak in arcane terms about objects they’re unfamiliar with. Don’t mock them for their obscure, often unintelligible vocabulary, though. No Mason who can so identify himself is ever lost and alone on a world where he can find a brother Mason. That’s another of their traditions.
Le Loi’s victory over the Chinese in Old Earth year 1427 is annually celebrated on Chochet Viet, which was first colonized by a Vietnam-based mining consortium. None of the succeeding waves of immigrants were Vietnamese, and, due to intermarriage, none of the population today is of pure Vietnamese stock. Not only is there relatively little Vietnamese in their blood, the largest portion of later immigrants was Chinese, and the planetary language is mainly a derivative of Cantonese. Still, Chochet Viet maintains the tradition of celebrating Le Loi’s victory over the Chinese.
Of all the worlds and all the organizations of Human Space, none are more tradition-bound than the Confederation Marine Corps.
One of their traditions has to do with making planetfall. It doesn’t matter why they’re making planetfall: an assault against a hostile defense to kick open a door for the regular army to invade through; making a liberty port of call; a ceremonial landing in escort of a new ambassador; or for any other reason. Marines always make planetfall the traditional way—over the beach.
Klaxons rang and blared throughout the Confederation Navy SAT—Starship Assault Troop— Lance Corporal Keith Lopez . A voice intoned over the ship’s speakers, “Commander, Landing Force, prepare the landing force for landing.”
The navy has its traditions too. Klaxons are one of them.
On the ship’s bridge the captain and the dozen officers and men of the bridge watch went through the ages-old routine of preparing to disembark the landing force.
Another navy tradition is the layout of a ship’s bridge. The bridge on the Lopez would have looked familiar to Chester Nimitz. At first glance, that is.
“Is the string-of-pearls deployed?” Captain Bhofi asked, not that the ship was going to deploy the geosynchronous satellites around a Confederation member planet that already wore its necklace. He sat in a high chair bolted to the deck
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