Genetic slavery
From Honorverse
Genetic slavery was a form of slavery common on certain human-settled worlds, but outlawed by most star nations. Its basis was the genetic engineering and trade of subservient human beings.
[edit] Genetic Slavers
Genetic slavery was the backbone of the planet Mesa's economy. The Mesans, mainly their most powerful company, Manpower Inc., bred genetic slaves for all purposes, including hard labor, dangerous labor and sex labor. Sex slaves like Manpower's C-line were bred to be attractive and then forced into sexual training at the age of nine. (HHA3.3: FtH)
[edit] Fight against genetic slavery
Some star nations, notably the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the Republic of Haven, had implemented a zero-tolerance policy when it came to genetic slavery. Both were signatories of the Cherwell Convention, a mutli-lateral Solarian League accord which equated slavery with piracy, which in the SKM netted the death penalty.
The Manticoran and Havenite Navies had long stringently enforced anti-slavery agreements, and even a few Solarian Navy commanders did turn captured slave transports over to Manticore's or the Republic's navy. As a result, Mesa was in a long term cold war with at least these two star nations. (HH6)
The Audubon Ballroom was another powerful adversary of the genetic slavers, kidnapping and assassinating them whenever possible. (HHA3.3: FtH) In the 1920s PD, the newly founded Kingdom of Torch, an entire star nation mostly made up of former genetic slaves, stepped into the open and formally declared war on the planet Mesa. (WS1)
Unknown to most, the Beowulfans, considering themselves responsible for Mesa's existence in the first place, fought genetic slavery through the Biological Survey Corps. It officially conducted civilian survey missions, but was in fact a para-military force created to fight slavers. (SI2)
