Azure Phoenix: A Handy Guide
#11 of The Azure Phoenix
I'm about to go on vacation in a few days, so I probably won't have Chapter 9 finished as soon as I would like. However, in lieu of that, I wanted to give you all a look at the Azure Phoenix universe through more than just context clues and exposition. The blue spheres represent major systems, and the purple lines represent available jump routes to and from said systems.
Government
Currently, the ruling government is the Terran Confederation of Colonies, also known as the Confederation or TCC. It is a parliamentary system, with the legislative bodies being comprised of the Senate, with one Senator per 100,000 citizens on a single planet and the Assembly of Governors, comprised of every elected Planetary Governor in the Confederation. The only two planets who do not have either Senators nor Governors are the Delta Serpentis and Gamma Draconis systems, due to both having no permanent residents.
Travel
On-planet, all forms of conventional travel are available, from electric-powered groundcars to VTOLs to watercraft to planet-based aircraft.
Interstellar travel relies on jump drives, which propel the vessel at faster than light speeds in a straight line, effectively "jumping" from one point in space to another. During the jump, the craft is cut off from all outside contact until it returns to normal space. Intrasystem jumps, short range hops between bodies in a solar system, are relatively easy and can be done from any point within said system. All spacecraft have this small "hopper drive" Travel time depends on the size of the solar system, but typically runs between fifteen minutes to two hours. The second is a longer jump between systems using a larger, more powerful jump drive. Because long distance jumps cannot be altered mid-course, and to avoid the risk of collision with a planetary body, these jumps can only be performed from the L5, L4, and L3 LaGrange point. While it is possible to make inter-system jumps to any point in another solar system, that sort of traffic is monitored and if one is apprehended while making an illegal jump, the punishment is the immediate and permanent revocation of one's pilot's license(barring extenuating circumstances). Travel times between systems runs between four and eighteen hours.
Notable Systems Sol/Earth- While the birthplace of humanity, it has fallen relatively out of favor due to its limited jump points, serving mainly as the political center of the Concordat. .Aside from those tasked with running the interstellar government and those who support them, trade is limited and infrequent. The First Fleet operates permanently here, although the position is mainly ceremonial.
Terra Nova-With the most jump points of any system, Terra Nova quickly became the de facto capital and major hub world. Its exports range from foodstuffs to luxury goods, and it's robust economy allows many Terra Novans to enjoy a quality of life that few others can. The Second Fleet is stationed here, as well.
Delta Serpentis- A strange system, with only one jump point connecting it to the military hub of Deneb, it nevertheless has a robust deposit of many minerals and ores needed for starship construction, making it a critical world to the Concordat. While the planet is capable of supporting life in the form of vegetation, it never evolved past that to any sort of animal life, and most attempts to raise crops or livestock failed. As a result, it is only ever inhabited by the mining crews and the minimal staff to support them. Travel to and from Delta Serpentis is highly restricted, and anyone caught trespassing face serious fines and jail time...assuming they survive the arrest.
Gamma Draconis-The last discovered "inhabitable" system, found only twenty years ago, Gamma Draconis is home to one technically habitable world, which is nearly constantly wracked by storms and high winds, making it nearly impossible to live there. Multiple science stations and labs were set up both on-planet and throughout the system to determine what exactly causes these storms, but funding ran out and many of these stations sit abandoned, waiting for use by squatters and other, less savory, elements.
Epsilon Eridani-A smaller hub world on the other side of the galactic map, it is seen as a "discount Terra Nova".
Alpha Centauri-While its economy isn't as diverse as Terra Nova's, it is renowned throughout the Concordat as masters of shipbuilding. Both military vessels and private civilian craft are manufactured here, with Atronach Industries representing the lion's share of military contracts, while Amaka Shipyards has a near-stranglehold on the civilian markets.
Deneb-Primarily a military hub, it serves as both a training center, as well as the home of the Fifth Fleet. With jump points to both Delta Serpentis and Gamma Draconis, the Fifth Fleet tends to see the most action, although they tend to be minor skirmishes easily handled by fighter and attack craft rather than full on fleet battles.
Regulus, Capella, and Ross 128 are all relatively new colonies, founded in the past fifty years or so following the Reclamation Wars.