A Tour of the League

Sol System

Mercury

The innermost of all the planets, is a searing mass of basaltic rock and grantic rubble. Being in such close proximity to the star, Mercury has had most of it’s ores and metals boiled out by the aeons of relentless exposure to the high radiation. What Mercury does have is energy, almost limitless amounts of energy. BETA has established a massive solar energy farm in forced orbit around Mercury. The term ‘forced orbit’means that the structures around the small planet are not in orbit, but are actually static. The only thing holding them in place is the light-pressure from Sol. The primary control centre is held in place by a solar ring, the station is safely shielded by being within the shadow-cone of the planet, while the ring encircles the cone, and it’s size and area keeps the station suspended against Mercury’s gravity pull.

From this solar farm, lasers are transmitted carrying high energy to the receiving stations all over the system. Some of these lass hit huge mirrors, which focus the already intense light into massive smelting beams to process ore, others get converted into microwave energy to power electrical equipment and so on.

Venus

The second-closest planet to the sun, Venus has not been exploited and has in fact become a dumping ground for refuse and highly hazardous waste products. The term ‘venusbound’ delineates a one-way trip to death.

Mars

Mars has been both colonised and partially terraformed. It is possible to walk around on the surface without wearing protective clothing or breathing apparatus - but Mars is still prone to huge dust storms which can cover the entire planet in only a few days and keep blowing for months.

Jupiter

‘Big Jove’ as it is called by the rockhoppers, is the military’s home. almost every moon has a military base of some kind on it, and the region between the moons is the military’s wargames testing ground.

Saturn

Long-time romantic target, Saturn is mostly untouched by man’s expansion. Only Tethys has been colonised, and that is simply a refuelling depot for incoming or outgoing starships.

Uranus, Neptune

These two gas giants are untouched by man, except for refuelling and small technical depots on some of the moons.

Pluto/Charon

The twin plant of Pluto-Charon is an important research facility manned by both human and Andorian scientists who use it’;s remoteness from the Sol gravity well to experiement with the hyperdrives and the region through which the ships travel during a jump. It is possible, at Pluto or beyond, the induce a hyperdrive engine and keep it stationary, simply producing the drive effect with no motive force, enabling scientists to study and improve the design as they see areas which need adjusting.

The Belt

The Sol Asteroid belt, aside from the Centaurii system, is the primary shipyards for the League of Planets. Is is here that starships such as the Larado were commissioned and launched, and it is here that the next generation of battleships will be constructed, to patrol the crumbling shards of the Crown Empire since the death of the Queen.

Earth

The USCS has become the most powerful single nation on Earth, eclipsing all others, and it was this nation that formed the first true world government during recolinisation in 2023.

Within the heirarchy of the USCS, it is BETA; the Bureau of Extra-Terrestrial Affairs, that is the most heavily funded. This has become both the military and exploration arm of the USCS and the entire League of Planets. BETA’s HQ is located in Cheyenne Mountain, now called BETA Mountain.

BETA’s research and development laboratories, codenamed ‘Longshot’, are located with in the walls of the Grand Canyon, and are among the most heavily defended locations on the planet.

The Sol colonies and other notable planetary systems within 150 lightyears of Earth are:

System Name Distance (ly) Major Race Primary Activity
Ozark 76 Mixed Agriculture
Andor 109 Andorian Science & Development
Kirwyn 90 Kiwi / Gherkin Agriculture
Tortuna 105 Mixed Outlaw Planet
Tarkon 86 Tarkonian Manufacturing
Daibar 48 Daibari N/A
Xanadu ?? Xanadii N/A
Prairie 53 Human Agriculture/Meat
Mesa 64 Human Mining/Weapons Production
C-44 21 Mixed Mining
Frontier 66 Human Agriculture/Mining
Texton Moon 16 Human Science Research
Blackwater 103 mixed Outlaw World
Nebraska 24 Human Agriculture

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