Navepico, Detura System
| Planet Name | Navepico, Detura System |
|---|---|
| Stellar Classification | Yellow Main-Sequence |
| Habitability Grade | A4 |
| Satellites | 0 |
| Orbital period | 312 Days |
| Rotational Period | 20 Hours |
| Capital | Piarquae |
| Population | 2 million (circa 31145), 18 million [est.] (circa 31154) |
A tropical paradise amongst the stars, Navepico was a smaller terrestrial world located in the heart of the Frontier. First surveyed in 31083, the planet's first visitors sent back reports of strange blue beaches and lush vegetation scattered across its hundreds of archipelagos. It would not take long for more detailed expeditions to descend on the planet, confirming initial findings and beginning the process of documenting a fantastic variety of life.
By the turn of the century, a small colony had been founded on Navepico's largest continent. Those early settlers would find the planet remarkably comfortable. Its slight axial tilt and lack of a natural satellite would render its seas calm and seasons mild. It also boasted a slightly lighter gravity than Umbria itself, though the variance was not sufficient to cause health issues.
While intensely pleasant, Navepico proved to be devoid of mineral wealth or other assets of great commercial worth. While this proved to be a detriment to the colony's initial growth, as the star lanes to the Frontier continued to expand ever outward, Navepico came to be seen as an ideal spot for offworld getaways.
The tourism industry boomed, aided by a unique species of tiny crustaceans with brilliant blue iridescent shells. These creatures inhabited the planet's vast seas, serving as the ocean's natural cleaning system, processing waste from aquatic life while providing a nearly endless food source for the same. Theses shells would prove hard to digest, and over the centuries, the shells became the primary sediment composing both the planet's beaches and sea floor. This is what gave its oceans their trademark 'Navepico Blue' look.
Most remarkably of all, as Navepico's sun set, the shell-sand would catch the fading rays of the sun's light, changing color and refracting amongst the grains, causing both beach and ocean to softly glow for a few minutes before darkness finally took hold.
While the planet's popularity expanded, its dependence on tourism would ensure that the local government placed an emphasis on protecting its natural beauty. Given the limited amount of landmass above sea level, the people of Navepico were able to avoid the development of any large scale urban centers, instead preferring a more spread-out existence rarely seen in the Republic.
The Ascomanni invasion would ruin all of that.
As colonies in the Frontier began to be destroyed, the colonists of those planets seemingly next to be attacked desperately sought out safety further from the front. Given its placement in the astrographical center of the Frontier and comfortable habitability gradient, Navepico would become a key location for refugee resettlement.
The planet's population quickly grew by over 900%, taxing the world's ability to support its growing population. The Colonial Affairs Commission invested heavily in the planet, sending vast quantities of food, building supplies, and aquacultural equipment to its people.
The people of Navepico were grateful for this assistance. While they were generally unhappy about the impact the refugees had on the planet's once pristine natural environment, they were more than willing to do their part to help their fellow Umbrians.
That changed at a stroke following the dissolution of the CAC.
Aid to the planet began to dry up, and the people of Navepico grew more and more desperate to support a ballooning population. Tensions began to grow, as the public felt abandoned and betrayed by the Republic's central government.
Although they do not turn away the desperate masses who continue to flock to their planet, the people of Navepico have been vocal in their displeasure with the course of the war. They've found a voice in their senator, Saul Numerius, who frequently takes to the floor of the Senate to argue for their needs, and those of the Frontier more generally.