Well the empire is usually at war with someone, and wars tend to provide slaves. There are supposed to be some big farms worked by slaves in the Heartlands but what percentage are imported and what percentage are breed locally is anyone's guess. There are also some crimes where the punishment is slavery.
>Additionally would any of the borderlands do anything about freeing these
>slaves? If anybody freed them what would they do, run back home (could be a
>long journey) or seek the nearest safe haven?
There is a manumission movement, supported by Tageniki according to ILH1. So there should be a group which helps escaped slaves, probably getting them to places like The Redlands where few questions are asked about immigrants. Of course if they are legally freed they can do as they choose - some will return home, some continue working for their old owner while others will find employment locally.
It's even possible to be legally a slave in one part of the empire and free in another as local laws determine the basis of slavery. About the only overall rule is that a lunar citizen cannot be enslaved except by order of a lunar court and that order also removes their citizenship.
YGWV however.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/ --__--__--
Powered by hypermail