D S wrote:

> Nice... Silly question, where's Cathay in relation to this map?

South, almost straight south, 2 or 3 parsecs. In fact, most of the 
CSA and Zeristu Empire are off the map to the south. The Zeristu are 
southwest the CSA are southeast. South of both is a very, very, wide 
rift that neither can cross, which is why they are fighting over 
access to and control over the northern main. Seeing as Jump 2 is 
the standard for both sides they are funneled through Skypr, 
Osbeorth and Mark on the western side and Muan Gwi, Leuet and Gaston 
on the eastern side.

The recent war won the Zeristu Wozohoski from the CSA, which put a 
great deal of pressure on Mark as now there is only on e J2 route 
from the CSA to Mark. If the Zeristu were to take Kurzu, it would 
cut the CSA off from Mark and just about cut the CSA off from the 
whole Quental Main up that way. From a strategic POV this is why 
there has been stepped up cloak and dagger stuff aimed at Mark/Sequi 
and sooner or later Mark is going to have to choose to form an 
alliance with the CSA, join it, or fall under Zeristu rule.

Eris