Aurae, Safe Haven
| Planet Name | Aurae, Safe Haven |
|---|---|
| Stellar Classification | Blue Supergiant |
| Habitability Grade | D4 |
| Satellites | 23 |
| Orbital Period | 14 Years |
| Rotational Period | 47 Hours |
| Capital | N/a |
| Population | 2 million (circa 31154) |
In a relatively empty corner of space just beyond Tratirne, the Umbrian Republic Navy happened across a system with tremendous value: a blue supergiant, almost magenta to the naked eye, with a single planet and an expansive debris belt. The planet, named Aurae, contained rich quantities of helium three, while its moons had properties that made them conductive to Umbrian settlement.
Realizing the system's potential, the URN would enforce a strict quarantine. They sectioned off several parsecs in all directions and warned the inquisitive away with automated beacons which spoke of odd magnetic and gravitational anomalies which rendered the system deadly.
Eventually, the system was forgotten, a tiny footnote on the Republic's star charts, one of many systems considered unnavigable, too out of the way and too dangerous to be bothered with.
The URN was satisfied that they had succeeded in obtaining the unobtainable; a secret base from which the URN could stage from, should they ever be called to action in the Frontier, a safe haven far from the public's gaze.
The first infrastructure projects began in the 31100's, and focused on establishing a refinery in Aurae's orbit. With the ability to refuel starships, development picked up pace.
The development of the gas giant's moons proceeded next.
Eurus was the largest of almost two dozen satellites, and its elliptical orbit around the large gas giant heated it sufficiently to comfortably support Umbrian life. While its atmosphere was not breathable, the air pressure on the world was sufficient to require early engineering teams to wear facemasks and dress warmly.
Running out of oxygen or losing one's mask would still be deadly, but casualties were few and far between as the URN set up its first settlements. They would quickly be followed by expansive greenhouses, which used abundant geothermal energy to power the hydroponic operations.
The next target would be Notus, an icy ball containing a miraculous secret: an internal salt water sea teaming with life. Slowly and steadily, over the course of several decades, the URN's engineers bored a tunnel deep through the crust, small at first, but growing ever larger over time, reinforcing the entry with each expansion to avoid destabilizing the moon.
Inside the moon's crust, they would construct a marvel of engineering. A whole city, Caurus, would be suspended upside down at the entry point into the moon's internal cavity.
An artificial gravity well would change the natural orientation of the city's workers, allowing them to move freely upside down on the inner surface of the moon's crust. Caurus would grow to house massive desalination plants which would pump water to waiting containers, which were then accelerated into orbit by a giant coilgun.
Equipped with water, food, and fuel, Safe Haven had everything it needed to accelerate its growth.
By the 31140's, the first shipyards had appeared in the asteroid belt caught between Aurae and the system's star. Contractors mined the raw materials on site, while foundries and smaller factory stations produced the raw materials and finished goods required to manufacture ships without outside inputs.
The works were intentionally oversized, to address the perceived lack of facilities capable of building the URN's large warships.
However, nothing the size or scope of Safe Haven could remain secret forever. Eventually workers would have to be rotated home, and while the system was largely self-sufficient, URN warships and the odd specialized shipment would still need to find their way to the hidden anchorage.
The URN developed an elaborate means of hiding the system’s location. Coordinates were never given. Instead, a navigational algorithm would plot between four and twelve random jumps, culminating with the arrival at Safe Haven. Once complete, the program would erase the nav data, obscuring the system's location.
The war with the Ascomanni would dramatically increase the importance of the system. Magistrate Julia Flavia would be assigned to manage the system's operations, where she would oversee a massive expansion in its shipbuilding capacity.
Other changes included the construction of a fleet anchorage in Aurae's atmosphere, where twenty four city sized platforms were established to support whole army groups and their attendant fleets at once.
Safe Haven quickly became the nexus of the Republic's military campaign in the Frontier, and the system's continued secrecy is of vital importance to its security.