NO HIGHLY ESTEEMED DEED IS COMMEMORATED HERE

NOTHING IS VALUED HERE

Few truly permanent stations remain in the galaxy, and fewer under stable Protectorate care. Many smaller or more remote stations were abandoned after the failed revolution, leaving them vulnerable to scavengers. The remaining structures mainly occupy orbits around hub gates, ensuring a safe environment for the citizens passing through. Though the great majority of stations fall under Protectorate military jurisdiction, a few stations exist under the operation of the University or individual corporations. Most stations are functional on a skeleton crew of 50 personnel, but several house populations numbering in the hundreds.

Due to the impossibility of simulated gravity on such a large scale, centrifugal force systems are almost ubiquitous across the galaxy. Stations that allow direct train docking have a central access shaft with several bridges that extend to facilitate the flow of passengers out into the station. Many stations house a central power disc, an inner ring of maintenance hubs, and an outer ring of permanent habitation and systems requiring consistently manned operation. This outer ring also hosts businesses, offices, and markets to serve both the passing and permanent inhabitants. With all systems running smoothly, a station can be a self-sustaining environment and require no outside resources, though realistically catastrophic breakdowns would occur within a few standard years.

STATIONS OF INTEREST

PARAPH

Originally a scouting post, it maintains an important strategic position at the edge of Protectorate territory. Agents from both the University and the military's research division take advantage of the station's location, using it as a base camp for expeditions out to more remote Antecedent sites. To support the high level of traffic, a permanent settlement of crew members inhabits the station, along with their families.

SILCROW

In its current state the station exists outside the control of the Protectorate, a casualty of the attempted insurrection. The governing body consists of representatives from several planets within the stretch of the Third Claw not yet under Protectorate jurisdiction, but its well defended position near an established colony makes it a poor target for military action. This governmental body seems largely symbolic, and does not frequently interfere directly with its constituent planets, instead only stepping in to mediate disputes between them. Though the volume of traffic through the station is not as high as others of its size, it still represents a large proportion of interstellar economic activity.

EPSILON

Positioned near a major hub gate in the Second Claw, this train station provides major support for the high volume of passengers and goods traveling through its doors. Many of the major corporations operate offices and storefronts directly on the station, in order to respond more adeptly to fluctuations in trade.Protectorate forces maintain a steady presence on this station, ensuring economic as well as social security. The military keeps a watchful eye on both passing travelers and permanent residents to prevent any attempt at sabotage or corporate interference.

OBELUS

A converted corporate station, Obelus houses a trading hub outside the Protectorate's jurisdiction and allows goods normally illegal in Protectorate space to flow through the market stalls taking up a majority of the outer ring's real estate. The rowdy environment tends to attract the attention of thrill seekers, but few ever integrate into the culture of the station. The governing body is made up of representatives from the major founding families and corporate entities, presiding over a station with an overt culture of criminal activity. Their infighting prevents them from becoming a threat to galactic security on the same scale as some other factions, but they have influence over several major shipping lines through the Second and Third Claws.