The Highlands Cluster is a collection of eight star systems settled primarily by colonists of Scottish, Irish, and Welsh descent. Fiercely independent, they have never joined the Confederacy despite extensive trade ties—and they're not shy about telling you why.
| System | Heritage | Primary Industry | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaelia | Pan-Celtic | Government, culture | Hosts the Gathering, cultural center |
| Aberdeen | Scottish | Shipbuilding | Home to Talbot Yards, capital |
| Cardiff | Welsh | Shipbuilding | Home to Emory Shipwrights |
| Edinburgh | Scottish | Education, finance | Universities, legal scholarship |
| Dundee | Scottish | Custom shipbuilding | Boutique yards, precision engineering |
| Galway | Irish | Trade, maritime | Commercial hub, Claddagh Station |
| Cork | Irish | Brewing, distilling | Whiskey, hospitality, tourism |
| Suffolk | English | Agriculture, textiles | Food production, fabrics |
The Highlands Cluster was settled in waves during the early 24th century, primarily by colonists fleeing both Terran authoritarian expansion and League corporate influence. Many were descendants of Celtic cultures who had maintained distinct identities through centuries of political upheaval on Earth and its colonies.
They chose systems far from the main colonial routes—harsh worlds that required determination to survive. The early colonists reasoned that anyone willing to chase them that far probably wasn't worth running from anyway.
The eight systems developed largely independently for their first century, connected by family ties, shared culture, and mutual trade. Each system maintains its own government, traditions, and fierce local pride. What unified them was simple: they'd come too far to bow to anyone.
The Cluster's shipbuilding tradition began early. With limited resources and long distances between systems, the colonists learned to build their own vessels—and build them well. By the 2400s, Talbot Yards in the Aberdeen system had become one of the premier shipwrights in Freelance space.
When the Confederacy was founded, the Highlands Cluster was invited to join. They declined.
The Cluster's representatives attended the signing at Constitution Station, observed the proceedings, and went home. Their reasoning was straightforward: they hadn't fled one government to join another. The Confederacy's promises of autonomy were nice words, but nice words have a way of becoming binding obligations.
The Cluster has maintained this position for over two centuries. They trade with the Confederacy, cooperate on matters of mutual defense, and generally maintain friendly relations—but they will not sign the Articles of Confederation, will not send delegates to the Assembly, and will not accept Confederate law.
The Highlands Cluster has no central government. Each of the eight systems maintains its own political structure, ranging from parliamentary democracies to clan-based councils. What coordination exists happens through:
The Gathering - An annual meeting of representatives from all eight systems, held on a rotating basis. The Gathering has no legal authority; it simply provides a forum for discussion and negotiation.
Clan Networks - Extended family structures that cross system boundaries, providing informal channels for diplomacy and trade.
Trade Agreements - A web of bilateral treaties between systems covering everything from tariffs to mutual defense.
This decentralized structure is inefficient and sometimes maddening, but it's survived for two centuries. Every proposal to create a unified Cluster government has been voted down—usually by margins that suggest the proposer should find a new career.
The Highlands Cluster's reputation rests primarily on its shipyards. Talbot Yards in Aberdeen produces vessels renowned for durability and reliability—"Highlands-built" is a selling point across Freelance space.
Talbot isn't the only yard; smaller operations in Cardiff, Dundee, and Galway systems produce everything from patrol boats to mining vessels. The Cluster's ships may not be the fastest or the most elegant, but they're built to last.
The Cluster's harsh worlds are rich in heavy metals and rare elements. Mining operations supply both local shipyards and export markets. The manufacturing sector focuses on practical goods—ship components, industrial equipment, survival gear.
A surprising specialty: the Highlands Cluster produces some of the finest textiles in Freelance space. Traditional weaving techniques, adapted for modern materials, create fabrics prized for both durability and beauty. Highland tartan remains a marker of clan identity, now rendered in smart-fabrics that can stop a blade.
Highlands culture is defined by three overlapping identities: system, clan, and Cluster.
System identity comes first. An Aberdonian is an Aberdonian before anything else, with fierce pride in local traditions, sports teams, and whisky distilleries.
Clan identity crosses system boundaries. Extended family networks—some claiming lineage back to Earth—provide social structure, mutual aid, and occasionally blood feuds that everyone else wishes they'd get over.
Cluster identity emerges when dealing with outsiders. Whatever their internal differences, Highlanders present a united front to the rest of the galaxy. Insult one Highlander and you've insulted them all.
The culture values:
English remains the primary language, but Gaelic languages have experienced a revival in the Cluster. Many Highlanders are bilingual, switching to Scots Gaelic, Irish, or Welsh in family settings or to exclude outsiders from conversations.
The Highlands Cluster maintains no unified military. Each system has its own defense forces, typically a mix of professional navy and armed merchantmen. In times of crisis, the systems cooperate through ad-hoc arrangements—but there's no standing alliance or unified command.
What the Cluster does have is ships—lots of them. With one of the highest ship-ownership rates in Freelance space, the Cluster can mobilize a substantial privateering force if threatened. The same shipyards that build merchantmen can build warships, and Talbot Yards maintains contracts with several governments for military vessels.
The Cluster's informal defense posture has one other advantage: no one can decapitate it. There's no capital to capture, no central command to destroy, no single leader whose death would cause collapse. Conquering the Highlands Cluster would mean conquering eight separate systems, each prepared to fight to the last.
Friendly but distant. The Cluster trades extensively with Confederate worlds, cooperates on anti-piracy operations, and maintains diplomatic relations. But they won't join, and they get tired of being asked.
The Confederacy has learned to accept this. Highlands representatives attend Confederate functions as observers, and the two powers generally coordinate on matters affecting Freelance space as a whole.
Cool. The two Clusters represent opposite philosophies—Highlands values tradition, family, and independence; the Empire Cluster values profit, efficiency, and corporate structure. Trade occurs, but there's little warmth.
The League purchases ships from Talbot Yards and maintains cordial relations. The [Terrans][] are viewed with ancestral suspicion, though practical trade occurs.
The Highlands Cluster's independence serves both great powers' interests—a unified Freelance space would be more threatening than a fragmented one. Neither has pushed hard for the Cluster to join the Confederacy.