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Name: Neue Jaspis
Type of System: Solitary Star System
Star(s):
Planet(s):
Other Celestial Bodies:
Background:
One of four solar systems discovered by the four Kretor Scouts launched from Jaspis in early YE 30, Neue Jaspis was named by the Captain of the HMS Kretor in honor of the home system. Though not exactly like the home system at all, Neue Jaspis was mainly named because of the large ring of asteroids found in system.
This system is also a home to, and completely run by a single rogue SI known as Invalid, which has thoroughly dug itself in one of the gas giants' moons. The Relay Moon as it is called, is saturated with subterranean complexes and nonvolitional units, and is hidden from scrying scanners by an array of powerful ECM systems, backed up by a number of surface-to-orbit defenses. Invalid is notoriously private, and will often open fire on anyone that enters the moon's orbit, with only a few seconds warning in advance.
Most of the asteroid belts and moons in the system are also infected with a rogue strain of Junker Drones, supposedly introduced by Invalid. These drones grow in colonies (drone factory and controller facilities) upon many of the system's spaceborne and surface metal rich regions, but have an insatiable taste for stripping down technology for component parts to recycle – which poses a considerable risk to any interstellar visitors.
Name: Neue Jaspis I
Type: Terrestrial Water Planet
Stellar Radius: 1 AUs
Circumference: 76,517 Km.
Surface Gravity: 2.324 G
Rotation Duration: 16 hours
Revolution Duration: 435 days
Land/Water Ratio: 10%/90%
Axial Tilt: 10 degrees
Seasons: 2
Atmospheric Pressure: 1.5 BAR
Atmospheric Composition:
Moon(s):
Name: Neue Jaspis II
Type: Gas Giant
Stellar Radius: 4 AUs
Circumference: 396,795 Km.
Surface Gravity: 67 G
Rotation Duration: 120 hours
Revolution Duration: 234 days
Moon(s):
See Relay Moon for more information on Invalid and its fledgling nation.
The moons of the system are persistently ravaged by fully autonomous refinery trawlers that strip-mine available deposits on the planet. These trawlers are usually accompanied by a pair of mobile orbital defense lasers and a small NU-Automaton detachment to fend off potential scavengers. These tracked convoys generally move to a new deposit every few weeks, carving a jagged path of ecological destruction as they make their way across the surface.
Once sufficient raw ore has been smelted the trawlers will then mold the ores into a 250-ton round composed of inter-locking 5-ton pieces, which is all encased it in a ferrous-alloy heat resistant casing. These rounds are launched into orbit using the trawler's dorsal mass driver system, on such a trajectory as to be impact specific maria on the surface of the Relay Moon. The inter-locking pieces of the round are designed to break apart and scatter upon entry so as to create a large number of smaller impacts rather than a potentially destructive combined shockwave. Once the material has landed it can then be dug up and retrieved by autonomous drones, then re-smelted and put to use.
The system is thoroughly saturated by an aggressive rogue strain of Junker Drones. This strain is different from traditional Junkers in that their colonies have learned to process and refine raw ores, so their growth isn't limited merely to scrap fields; they have spread to just about every moon and asteroid belt in the solar system. The origin of this strain is unknown, but it seems likely the cause is either corrupted code due to Invalid's negligence for its fledgling nation, or an older experiment simply released into the wilds of space.
At first glance these drones appear to be a means of defending the system against unwanted intrusion, but careful observation reveals they will sometimes attack Relay Moon vessels as well. For the most-part they leave the Relay Moon's operations alone, as colony drone controllers have quickly learned that Invalid will not hesitate to retaliate for raids on Relay Moon assets; in addition to defenses destroying most of the raiding force, the damage costs will be returned tenfold using interplanetary missile artillery and orbital defenses.
Since Invalid has no interest in large-scale expansion it hasn’t deemed it worthwhile to undertake systematic drone extermination efforts. Just the opposite; the drones not only deter potential intruders, their raids make it cost-ineffective for any outsiders to exploit the system's resources.