Primary Antares, Life on the Fringe

Content
Galactic Map
Overview
Coalition's Reach

The Core Worlds
The Outer Edge
The Skirt
The Fringe [Our Location]
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Galactic Map
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Overview
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Current Year, 2416
Universal standard time, EST
Universal standard calendar, Gregorian

The Ophelia & Virgo cluster. The two neighbouring sectors (each spanning several light-years in diameter) have long since been the home to political contestation. The establishment of the Coalition of Ophelia & Virgo (The COV) in 2346 brought ease to the diplomatic unrest running rampant throughout the century, and ushered in a new era of potential growth and prosperity.

Treaties and legislation paved the way for an expansive intergalactic trade network centralized among the once small cities spread across the planetary systems nested deep in the core of Ophelia & Virgo. Colonial development grew exponentially, hoping to keep up with the thriving traffic from political bodies, commercial & industrial businesses, and potential residents. The COV’s governing responsibility grew; they were no longer just a political arbiter. The COV claimed authority and responsibility for Ophelia & Virgo, and labelled their new nation ‘Coalition's Reach’.


Coalition's Reach
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323 light-year diameter

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The Core Worlds
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12.5 light-year diameter

The Coalition Reach was congested primarily at it’s core; The Core Worlds, as many inhabitants of the COV sectors call them. The Core Worlds are home to nearly 80% of the Coalition Reach’s entire registered populous. They are booming with light, skyscraping infrastructure and billions of orbital stations. The Core Worlds are not renowned for their flora or fauna; every inch of their surfaces crawling with densely developed civilization. Neon signs and marketing adverts fill the skies and billboards; a genuine commercial paradise. Despite possible preconceptions, the Core World air is clean and vibrant, and the architecture phenomenal. Gilded tapestries & banners, several story statues dedicated to community pillars & science, intricate fountains and beautiful brick walkways. The Core Worlds almost boast an air of superiority; a feeling many outsiders distaste. Fashion, visual arts, literature, gourmet cuisine and drama play a large part throughout Core World culture. On top of it all, however, sit the politics and bureaucracy. Everyone has an agenda, and everyone is kicking down the ladder. Political corruption is far from uncommon, and frequently covered up. Members of elected parliament seem to stay that way for a lifetime. Some might say the system is rigged; without powerful connections or status, it’s next to impossible to get involved and make a difference yourself.

The Core Worlds are not without their problems; but they could be worse. The COV is far from an authoritative dictatorship; democracy, although possibly fixed and abused, is still fundamental to their culture. Many whom inhabit the Core Worlds are happy enough with their lives not to complain. Media, bountiful occupations & material gain keep the public satisfied, while the COV’s generous charitable acts toward the people and cities bring hopeful admiration.

The Outer Edge
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26.4 light-year belt width
0 - 26.4 light-years from The Core Worlds

Along the rim of The Core Worlds, development is scarce.The Outer Edge is mostly comprised of smaller populous villa colonies, military outposts, and resource operations. The COV oversee The Outer Edge with intense scrutiny. Permits for development are so difficult to obtain that they usually end up in the hands of lobbyists, stifling smaller businesses in the process. Inhabitants of The Outer Edge are less fond of the COV than those in the Core; protests are commonplace.

The Skirt
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45.6 light-year belt width
26.4 - 72 light-years from The Core Worlds

Beyond The Outer Edge, untouched planetoids are more common. In The Skirt, COV influence begins to weaken; whether they lack the manpower to oversee it or simply don’t care is up for debate. What The Skirt lacks in grand colonial development, it makes up for in security. One might call it the Core Border; watchpoints, radar stations, and patrolling fleets monitor The Skirt like a prison, keeping a watchful eye open for potential hostility, smugglers, and criminal activity. Point defence systems scattered across the edges of The Skirt are also responsible for denying high velocity asteroids & debris from reaching The Outer Edge.

The Fringe [Our Location]
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83.25 light-year belt width
72 - 155.25 light-years from The Core Worlds

Finally, at the edge of it all, lays The Fringe. It runs along the exterior of Coalition’s Reach, and is neglected by COV authority & supervision almost entirely. Apart from the odd COV trading fleet or perimeter patrol, COV influence is a rarity. Occasionally, COV representatives may venture into The Fringe upon resident request, or to deal with reported criminal / terrorist activity that may pose a threat to inner layer civilization. Media coverage is usually done through political funding to suit their benefactors biased narrative.

The lack of COV presence has left The Fringe in a perpetual power struggle. Nations, States and Warbands compete for dominance and their personal slice of freespace. Raiders and Pirates roam the empty void like scavengers, holding free reign to take what they like without much fear for consequence. Despite how volatile and dangerous it sounds, one simple factor soothes the minds of many who inhabit it; size. The Fringe, while home to plenty of crime and border skirmishing, is a vastly empty plane. Roughly 60% of Fringe space is empty and unchartered, providing plenty of cushion between potential threats.

Many refer to The Fringe as ‘The New World’. With the danger and risk comes potential for prosperity. While COV law & legislature is still widely recognized, it’s very loosely enforced and usually restricted to high populous areas. Lucrative business ventures are littered everywhere, profiting heavily from the lack of regulation. Planet and asteroid cracking operations contribute to the majority of raw material shipped into The Core Worlds. Private militaries and mercenaries (both independent and licensed) never seem to be out of work, and consider The Fringe a gold mine. Others simply enjoy the freedom and ‘peace’ found so far away from the bureaucracy and politics.

Development in The Fringe is usually congested; it’s less beneficial for retail business to drift too far from the general populous. Basic functional amenities such as fueling stations, motels, convenience stores, etc. are easily accessible within populated pockets.​