A Firestorm-Class Frigate leaves the morning traffic pattern over Butte Starport on the farm planet Bounty, in the Hadrian System. One of the most rigorous requirements for entry in the Terran Protectorate is that every member planet must have at least one Class-A Starport and quantum communications center. Since most new colonies are on the dangerous edges of known space, having the protection of the Protectorate can be essential for survival. Thus some new colonies have bankrupted themselves trying to construct a starport that meets muster. The Protectorate knows that some colonies will fail in their efforts to meet entry requirements. In fact, they count on it as a means of ensuring that humanity remains strong as it expands across known space. They see the starport entry requirement as one that separates the wheat from the chaff. Strong and well-run colonies will either grow quickly and powerfully and meet the requirement, or will tough it out on their own until they are truly able to afford the extremely expensive infrastructure projects required for membership. Either way, the strong shall stand and those colonies that are weak will wither and be absorbed by the stronger. Besides, the Protectorate has no intention of allowing a threat to destroy a human colony, even ones that are not officially Protectorate members...they just don't tell the colonies that. This is my second serious attempt at using Carrara. The Firestorm (big ship in the middle) is my design and was created through DOGA-L3. My biggest stumbling block with Carrara was textures. But I think I've just about got the hang of it. Thanks for viewing and commenting.