Day 27
Back on course, you spend another six days in metaspace before reaching the edge of the Mardis system's gravity well, allowing you to step back down into realspace. The Makkuro jolts once more as it emerges in the rim of the system and you feel the effects metaspace had been having on you lift immediately.
The Makkuro's scanners immediately are able to identify the new star you now orbit as Mardis, and the systems begin pulling up all the data the ship contains on the system. Normally arriving in a civilised system such as this, you would expect to be able to see most of the system's traffic, with ships broadcasting their location to all via their transponders, however the scopes are empty. With the war on there are, without a doubt, a large number of ships currently in system, but everyone appears to be running dark, not wanting to announce their positions to the enemy.
"Let's maybe keep our transponder off too," Leena says, noticing the lack of any signals.
0201 - Mardis
Mardis - Mardis is a red giant, having left the main sequence and grown significantly after exhausting its supply of hydrogen in its core. It is estimated to have 300 million years left in its lifespan at which point it will turn into a white dwarf creating a large nebula.
The Shattered Halls
The Shattered Halls are a large, dense asteroid belt. The objects that make up the belt have the closest orbits to Mardis of any in the system. It is believed that this belt is made up of two or more planets that orbited far enough out to avoid being engulfed by Mardis when it became a Red Giant, however something then caused the planets to break apart, forming the belt.
Damari
Atmosphere - Thin
Temperature - Burning
Orbital Period - 4.3 Years
Day Length - 56.2 hours
Atm. Pressure - 0.05 atm
Surface Gravity - 0.41 g
Biosphere - No native biosphere
Population - None
Description - Damari may have once been temperate and perhaps could have even sustained life, with a thicker atmosphere and water. However, while it was the closest planet to Mardis to survive the star’s transition to a red giant, it was not spared. The increased stellar radiation has stripped Damari of any water and much of its atmosphere turning it into a scorching barren rock.
Antheus
Atmosphere - Breathable mix
Temperature - Warm
Orbital Period - 5.9 Years
Day Length - 16.1 hours
Atm. Pressure - 0.97 atm
Surface Gravity - 1.04 g
Biosphere - Immiscible
Population - 792.3 million inhabitants
Tech Level - TL4
Description - The world where relations between the Diktat and the League finely have spilled over into all out war after the Diktat invaded and some of the locals appealed to the League for help. The League came to their aid, inducting the world formally into the League, although the ruling noble class were forced to relinquish some power, transitioning the planetary government from a feudal monarchy system to a parliamentary system. This invasion follows a smaller failed attempt in 3188 by the Diktat to replace some of the world’s powerful houses with others of its choosing in what was known as the Bronze Rebellion.
Much of the world is a desert, with the population centred around the temperate Mediterranean polar regions which are livable year round thanks to the planet's low axial tilt. These polar regions are known for their large vineyards and olive groves. Currently either side mostly occupies a single pole meaning much of the fighting is happening in the equatorial desert, leading to harsh conditions for troops on both sides fighting with no end in sight for nothing more than sand.
Post scream fusion technology was lost to the system. Much of Antheus' power is provided by large solar farms to this day despite having since been reconnected to the rest of the sector and the knowledge of fusion power.
It was highlighted on the star chart discovered in the Verilia Belt.
Arhun’s Rest - The largest of Antheus’ twin moons. It is a barren rock, its surface pocked with craters. It is home to several mining and military outposts, both abandoned and inhabited. However much of the surface is extremely dangerous, due to mine fields left over from the Bronze Rebellion.
Maeck’s Watch - The smaller of Antheus’ twin moons. It is non-spherical in shape, its mass not being large enough to force the moon into a sphere through gravity.
Kylen’s Hold
Gravity - 0.5 g
Population - 18,421
Tech Level - TL4
Description - The largest and most important of Antheus’ space stations. It is owned by the prominent Kylen family and serves as the planet’s main spaceport and shipyard. Several other stations exist, owned by other families, but their populations number in the hundreds rather than the thousands.
Phenix
Orbital Period - 31.2 Years
Day Length - 14.7 Days
Description - A Class III gas giant, Phenix is cloudless, appearing as a featureless azure-blue globe. It also lacks any major moons, although it has a ring system and a number of smaller satellites.
Calhun’s Redoubt
Gravity - 0.4 g
Population - 5,824
Tech Level - TL4
Description - Calhun’s Redoubt serves as the main anchorage for the fleets of Antheus. Since the outbreak of hostilities between the Diktat and the League, it has been the site of several skirmishes although it has remained in League aligned Anthean hands.
Vaals
Orbital Period - 67.2 Years
Day Length - 14.7 Days
Description - Vaals is a large ice giant. It is a pale blue flecked with streaks of dark blue. Like Phenix it too lacks any major moons, however it has an extensive ring system made up of several major bands which were likely once small planetoids that were torn apart by gravitational forces.
Sarina’s Keep
Gravity - 0.5 g
Population - 1,891
Tech Level - TL4
Description - Sarina’s Keep is a space station that sits between the two largest bands of the rings of Vaals. It serves as an important refueling station, mining the ice giant and its rings to create the fuel required for both intra-system flight and interstellar spike drills.
