Re: A new power to deal with, (Stranger Than Fiction)

>With perhaps ONE exception... the OU. You see, there's precedent.

(snip)

>I can see the OU being a very heterogenous group of island- and
>asteroidal- states, only united by foreign policy and a common
currency.

Hey, that's MY concept!  : )   see the Alarishi Empire at
www.geocities.com/Area51/Dreamworld/7643/index.html --> FT --> Alarishi
Empire.

>Maybe all those completely useless, planetless M-type stars that are
all
>over our neighbourhood are "claimed" by the OU, as no-one else wants
>them, and no-one else is silly enough to place 30-200 colonists in a
>system to call it home.

Likewise, we love M stars (or anywhere else that has a rock to call
home).
Thrity colonists?  Hey, if there's one guy and he wants to claim it, why
not?  Of course, he's responsible for defending his claim if needed.