Astrography of the Interstellar Union

""Meadowlands, wide meadowlands, Heroes cross the fields, Heroes of the Red Army""

- Meadowlands, traditional Antillian song

The Interstellar Union of Revolutionary States is the third-largest hyperpower in the Human Sphere, controlling six inhabitable star systems with holdings in a seventh. Constitutionally, the Union is a federation of constituent Revolutionary States, which are either unitary states or federations that directly govern the planetary territories.

Unificado System

 * Star: Irawan-42/Unificado
 * Planets: 8 (, Unificado, )
 * Settled Bodies: 32
 * Total population: 6.9 billion

Libertad

 * Satellites: Garcia, Cortez, Rojas
 * Local Day: 10 standard hours (locals compensate by following a 20-hour "day")
 * Local Year: 826 local days (266.5 standard days)
 * Population: 6.4 billion
 * Continents:
 * Oceans:
 * States:

Libertad is a terrestrial planet in the Perspektiva System, the fourth from the sun.

Libertad is the heart of the Union, and was historically the first planet to wrest itself free from the corrupt Federation. Discovered as a Class 3 world slightly larger than Ordis, terraforming during the early age of colonisation has changed the planet to near-Ordis-like. Libertad's atmosphere is thick with water, and humid heat and tropical rainfall in the fertile equatorial zones are matched with fierce blizzards and snowfall in the tundra regions towards the poles. The political and financial capital of the Union, the gleaming super-metropolis of Gran Fortaleza stands as a testament to the success of Socialism with Enlightened Characteristics, home to the Hall of the People's Assembly, the Grand People's Study House, and other iconic landmarks that house the government apparatus of the Union. Libertad is administratively divided in control between the United Free States and the Greater People's Collective, two of the unofficial triumvirate of states that dominates Union politics, with another five minor states falling in line behind them.

Bombed during First Hyperpower War

Some Station

 * Planet:
 * Population: 1.4 million
 * XX Station grew from a mining colony into an independent state, which it is today.

de Canepa System

 * Star: de Canepa
 * Planets: 5 (Aira, Anhuib, Antillia, Ansalli, Ansesseli
 * Settled Bodies: 28 (Including Ansalli's moons, Ansodi and Ansolli, and Ansesseli's moon, Con)
 * Total population: 6.2 billion

Antillia

 * Satellites: Roillo
 * Local Day: 30 standard hours
 * Local Year: 436 local days (421.9 standard days)
 * Population: 4.9 billion
 * Continents: Esperito; two large islands - Isla Santuario and Isla del León
 * Oceans: Zamok Ocean, Santiago Ocean, New Crosswind Ocean
 * States: Revolutionary State of United Antillia (Provincia: Esperanza, Madrugada, Valle de los Patriotas, El Sur, Isla Santuario, Isla del León)

Antillia is the inhabitable third planet in the de Canepa System, with a population of around 4.9 billion people. It has a single moon, Roillo. Antillia has one main continent, Esperito, and two large islands, with more than two-thirds of the planet dominated by the Zamok Ocean. Small island chains and atolls dot the Zamok Ocean, though it is mostly uninhabited. Antillia is fully under the control of the Revolutionary State of United Antillia, one of the most powerful and influential members of the Union, and the capital of United Antillia is the city of Esperanza, located in Esperanza Province. Esperanza is the third-largest city in the Union.

Antillia was one of the first planets to be colonised in the Southern Sphere, and includes some of the oldest settlements in the Union and the Southern Sphere as a whole. Invaded during First Hyperpower War. Some operations took place here during the Second Hyperpower War.

The main continent of Esperito is located along the equator and extends into both the northern and southern hemispheres, featuring a wide range of climates and biomes. The continent is divided into four Provinces, Esperanza, Madrugada, Valle de los Patriotas, and El Sur.

Located on the northern coast of Esperito, Esperanza is the capital and largest city of Antillia, with a population of around 25 million people.

Madrugada is located in the western part of Esperito and features wide plains and river valleys, allowing for large-scale agriculture. Massive farms provide enough food for Antillia's population and for export. Other farming operations in the region also produce genetically-engineered maize for the production of Energico, and other crops like Revivo, a local plant species with medicinal properties beneficial for humans.

Sakharov System

 * Star: Sakharov
 * Planets:
 * Settled Bodies:
 * Total population:

Kesempatan

 * Satellites:
 * Local Day:
 * Local Year:
 * Population:
 * Continents: 3 (
 * Oceans:
 * States:

Kesempatan, also commonly known informally as Kesem or Sakharov, is the inhabitable terrestrial planet in the Sakharov System, fifth from the star Sakharov. It has one moon, Pembela, and has three main continents. This far from its sun, Kesempatan is generally cool with a subtropical equatorial zone, large temperate bands, thick subarctic zones, and large polar ice caps. Politically, Kesempatan is controlled by the United Collective Republics (UCR), a federal union of 29 states and one of the major powers of the Interstellar Union. The largest city on Kesempatan is Zverograd, while the capital of the UCR is located at Pulau Penjala, the second-largest city on the planet.

Kesempatan's largest city is Zverograd, once the site of the biggest battles of the War of Independence and today the symbol of the Union's determination and rebirth. Since the days of the revolution, Kesempatan's peoples have had a strong military tradition, and the planet is the homeworld of many of the Union's greatest soldiers. Kesempatan's harsh environments are also often used by the United Front Ground Forces as training grounds for cold-environment warfare.

(Invaded during First Hyperpower War)

Monumento System

 * Star: Monumento (aka la Rubí)
 * Planets: 2
 * Settled Bodies: 14
 * Total population: 626 million

The Monumento System was the first system colonised by the Union after its independence from the Federation in 57 AT. One of the smallest systems with an inhabitable planet in the Human Sphere, the Monumento System only has two planets and an asteroid belt orbiting the star Monumento, a red dwarf that is also colloquially known as la Rubí. It is believed that the Monumento asteroid belt was caused by the destruction of a third planet in the system by unknown means. Closest to Monumento is El Punto, an uninhabitable planet without an atmosphere. Between El Punto and Éxito is the Monumento asteroid belt, which is rich in metals and is host to various small-scale mining endeavours.

Beyond the asteroid belt is Éxito, the inhabitable planet of the system. When first discovered in 67 AT, the planet was uninhabitable, though the presence of large quantities of water showed promise. The Union thus carried out a major terraforming project to make the atmosphere breathable, which was only completed in 238.

El Punto
El Punto is a largely unremarkable rocky planet that is too close to Monumento to support life or an atmosphere. Experiments by private groups have been carried out to establish mining operations on the planet, though the sheer expense compared to the ongoing lucrative mines in the asteroid belt led investors to largely abandon the planet. Only scientific research operations continue to monitor the planet.

Monumento asteroid belt
The Monumento asteroid belt is located between El Punto and Éxito, and comprises of over 900,000 asteroids. Scientific testing have determined that the asteroid belt was previously a planetoid that was destroyed due to unknown means, with a major theory holding that there were once two planets along similar orbits that eventually collided about 1.2 to 2.6 billion years ago. The Monumento asteroid belt is a lucrative source of deep-space mining resources, with a variety of metals and lanthanides found in the various asteroids. Both state-owned and private mining enterprises operate in the asteroid belt.

The largest space station is the Monumento Alfa Platform, which is built into a large asteroid, has a population of abut 130,000, and is also the location of the Primary System Beacon.

Éxito

 * Satellites: N/A
 * Local Day: 3,408 standard hours (109.9 standard days)
 * Local Year: 4 local days (439.7 standard days)
 * Population: 625 million
 * Continents: N/A
 * Oceans: El Oasis Sea, Lukomorye Sea
 * States: Republic of Podemos, Revolutionary State of Lukomorye

Éxito is the inhabitable terrestrial world of the Podemos System, the second planet from the sun. Rarely for a planet that supports life, Éxito has no moon. Originally uninhabitable, Éxito was discovered with its atmosphere found to be close to breathable. The Union thus decided to terraform Éxito to enable habitation, colonising the planet in 80 AT partly as a symbol of the Union's capabilities and beginning the multi-generational Avivar Project. The Avivar Project reached a milestone on 6 Ihaeng 238, when the planet's atmosphere was rendered breathable, though the majority of the planet is still a vast and inhospitable desert. Besides the polar ice caps, the only large water bodies are two man-made seas and canals that stretch outwards, around which the bulk of settlements are located.

Rich in iron, Éxito is covered with a reddish oxidised iron sand. Weather on Éxito remains highly unpredictable and major sandstorms often occur, though within the last century major rainstorms are also increasingly common due to the atmosphere exchange. Though the atmosphere has become breathable, it still has a lower oxygen content than most inhabitable planets and the atmosphere exchange towers are projected to remain in operation for two more centuries. A side effect of the increased rainfall due to atmosphere exchange has been the creation of some oases in the middle of the deserts, though these are still very rare. The tallest mountain on Éxito is Mount Berapi, an active volcano that is over 18,000 metres high.

The planet is divided between the Republic of Podemos and the Revolutionary State of Lukomorye along the Éxito Meridian, with both states centred on the man-made seas which are roughly directly opposite each other on the equator. The capital of Podemos and the largest city on Éxito is Nuevo Oasis, located on the shore of the El Oasis man-made sea. The capital of Lukomorye and the second-largest city on Éxito is Rekagrad, located on the banks of the Pham Canal. Settlements on Éxito were originally located underground with some hermetically-sealed domes on the surface, with most major settlements in the modern day still incorporating the underground elements, though some settlements have opted to demolish their domes. The day that the atmosphere was considered breathable on 6 Ihaeng 238 is celebrated as a local holiday, Avivar Day. The planet has two orbital elevators at the two national capitals, with Lukomorye also having begun construction on a third elevator at the city of Kotch.

A single day on Éxito lasts over 109 standard days. While this was not a major issue when most of the inhabitants lived underground, since the population has begun living on the surface they have had to adapt to the extended day-night cycle, with the population largely living according to Serenia Standard Time. A particular challenge is the sustainability of agriculture in such conditions, with large orbital mirrors providing sunlight for crops during the 40 or so days when particular sides of the planet are experiencing night. Éxito still imports the vast majority of its food and fuel needs. The vast deserts of Éxito also serve as gruelling training grounds for the United Front Ground Forces.

Tiantang System

 * Star: Shanxing
 * Planets: 4 (Geming, Cuibao, Zhushan, Lengdi)
 * Settled Bodies: 18+
 * Total population: 13.9 billion

The Zhushan System is a five-planet system orbiting the yellow subgiant star Shanxing. The system is notable in the Human Sphere for being the only star system discovered so far with not one, but two inhabitable bodies, previously considered a massive statistical impossibility. Evidence suggests that an ancient non-human race have had a hand in this, though any information related to this has been heavily suppressed first by the Interstellar Union and then the Chunmin Republic - it is, after all, the hard work of the People that have enabled such a discovery.

In 122, the Zhushan System was colonised by the Revolutionary State of Yazhou, an Interstellar Union member state at the time. Initially kept a complete secret from the rest of the Human Sphere by the Interstellar Union, it was only after the first settlements were fully established that the colonisation of the system was announced to the rest of the Human Sphere in 175, sparking international scientific interest and boosting the Interstellar Union's prestige for a short time.

Besides the scientific wonder of having two inhabitable bodies in one star system, the Zhushan system is also high rich in resources, including high levels of lanthanides and neomaterials. The most important of these neomaterials, of course, is Gongium mined on Cuilin. A stable room-temperature ultraconductor with a powerful magnetic field, access to Gongium enables the Chunmin Republic to break the Empire's monopoly on ultraconductors in the Human Sphere. Some outside the People's Republic say that Gongium is merely a less refined variant of Imperial Haruhium - though one can only speculate, as of course the molecular details of Gongium remain a state secret within the People's Republic.

From the star Shanxing and radiating outwards, the planets of the Zhushan System are Geming, an uninhabitable, rocky lava planet, Cuibao, a green gas giant, Zhushan, the capital of the Chunmin Republic, and Lengdi, a cold and uninhabitable rocky planet. The system features two resource-rich asteroid belts, with the Inner Ring (内圈) located between Geming and Cuibao, and the Outer Ring (外圈) located between Zhushan and Lengdi. The asteroid belts are heavily mined by local industry.

Geming

 * Satellites: None
 * Local Day: 1813 Standard Hours
 * Local Year: 1.5 Local Days (88 Standard Days)
 * Population: Unknown

Geming (革命), the planet closest to Shanxing, is the smallest in the system. It is a rocky planet in constant geological turmoil, covered in molten lava, ash, and a high-pressure, toxic atmosphere with general temperatures ranging around 450 degrees. Though the planet has been thoroughly geologically examined through the use of robotic probes and been found to be rich in raw materials, few attempts have been made to exploit them due to the abundance of similar and more easily-obtained materials in the Rings. The planet is uninhabited, except for a series of secretive orbital scientific stations as well as the Houkang Penal Station.

Cuibao

 * Satellites: 23, including Cuilin
 * Local Day: 17.4 Standard Hours
 * Local Year: 400.8 Local Days (225 Standard Days)
 * Population: 800,750~

Cuibao (翠暴) is a green-tinged gas giant, rich in ammonia and methane. More well-known for its inhabitable moon, Cuilin, Cuibao itself is unremarkable and is a fairly typical gas giant, with most orbital colonies involved in the gas harvesting industry and the support thereof, as well as rest-stops and supply stations for mining operations working in the Inner Ring. As is typical for gas giants in the Human Sphere, various aerostats, both manned and unmammed, skim the upper atmosphere for gasses for fuel as well as trace amounts of vaporised metals. Cuibao has 23 moons, with 14 of them colonised primarily by military, mining and scientific colonies.

"Storm Fighting" is an extreme sport carried out on Cuibao involving racing unpowered gliders through the treacherous and unpredictable winds of Cuibao's upper atmosphere, moving between one aerostat to the next. Countless racers have lost their lives in the epic storms, and as there is no surface to crash-land on, racers who fly too low are crushed to death by the immense pressures beneath the "safe layer".

Cuilin

 * Satellites: None
 * Local Day: 18 Standard Hours
 * Local Year: 692.3 Local Days (402 Standard Days)
 * Population: 2.37 billion
 * Continents: Hengsha, Benshen
 * Islands: Renying Archipelago, Huangye Archipelago
 * Oceans: Chengqi Ocean, Yinjiao Ocean, Langhai Sea
 * Collectives: 7 (North Hengsha, South Hengsha, Zhubin, Haibin, Lanchang, Renying, Huangye)

TO BE REMOVED/REWORKED

Cuilin (翠林) is an inhabitable moon of Cuibao, the seventh in Cuibao's 23 moons. Generally warm, Cuilin has a thick tropical equatorial band, which tapers to cool subtropics and tundra-like conditions near the poles, which feature small glacial ice caps. The moon has a population of roughly 2.37 billion, spread across the planet in large cities.

The life-filled moon was discovered with an atmosphere with a carbon dioxide content just slightly above human tolerance. Decades of atmosphere exchange have enabled humans to breathe, while remaining within tolerance for the vast majority of local species. In an effort to prevent any further unforeseen damage to the local life, the terraforming towers have been shut off for years and stand silent by their communities, though offworld people unaccustomed to the Cuilin atmosphere often get winded easily. Exotic creatures of all types live on Cuilin, from aerial lizards that roost on the sky-mountains to immense octopedal, hammerheaded herd animals that dominate the steppes.

In a manner similar to the floating Haruhium-rich mountains of Hourai in the Empire, but in an even more spectacular fashion, Gongium-rich mountains across Cuilin tear themselves from the surface following the weakening of the soil due to tectonic activity. In an ethereal sight, entire mountains can be suspended in the air by the powerful magnetic fields of the Gongium within the rocks and beneath the surface, sustaining unique airborne ecosystems. The most beautiful of these sky-mountains are located in the Dragon's Pass region of Haibin, where waterfalls cascade from mountain to mountain before feeding into the Lanchang River in one of the strangest river sources in the Human Sphere.

Cuilin is also home to technological marvels. Lanchang is home to the Lanchang Dam, the largest dam in the Chunmin Republic and the fourth-largest in the Human Sphere, which dams up the Lanchang River to produce hydroelectricity for the entire Benshen Continent. In orbit, Tiantan Station (天坛), a massive shipping complex that serves as the most important hub for the Gongium trade, orbits at the end of the Langgang Orbital Elevator located in the planetary capital Langgang.

Zhushan

 * Satellites: Houyi, Jiayou
 * Local Day: 37 Standard Hours
 * Local Year: 236 Local Days (282.01 Standard Days)
 * Population: 4.27 billion
 * Continents: Penglai
 * Oceans: Yuanye, Qihai, Zhaohai, Shizhukong, Hai Lu Sea
 * Collectives: 5 (Zhitu, Beitu, Yunmen, Weiquan, Xuanzhong)

Zhushan (朱山) is a terrestrial planet dominated by the Penglai supercontinent. Capital of the Chunmin Revolutionary People's Republic, Zhushan is the administrative, industrial, and economic heart of the rising power, with a population of 4.27 billion people. First discovered by Interstellar Union explorers in 95, just as the Federation became involved in the Xeno War Continuation, the planet was found to be almost unbelievably livable, with a generally mild climate, fertile lands, and an ecosystem highly similar to Ordic biology and ready to accept human colonisation. Subtropical equatorial zones, large temperate areas, and an atmosphere almost perfectly mixed for Ordic species meant that little terraforming was required, with the only major issues being the immense supercell storms that come off the vast Yuanye and Zhaohai Oceans. Considered the Zhushan Miracle, science continues attempting to delve into this mystery, compounded by the discovery of alien artifacts on the world, though the Chunmin Republic has monopolised all study of this matter.

The capital of the Chunmin Republic is the megapolis of Yujing (玉京), located in the collective of Zhitu.

In the collective of Zhaohai, the Dandong Special Region is a region where foreign corporations can openly operate, generating much foreign income for the Chunmin Republic while remaining easily controllable by the Party. The heart of Dandong is the city of Chengde, home to the Mountain Palace, one of the largest megacities in the modern Human Sphere.

Tiantang

 * Satellites: Moon of the Hero of the Chunmin Republic, Admiral Chang Jianbao (typically called Chang Yue)
 * Local Day: 23 Standard Hours
 * Local Year: 172 Local Days (127.6 Standard Days)
 * Population: ~212 million
 * Continents:
 * Oceans:
 * Collectives: 2 (

Tiantang (天堂) is the Chunmin Republic's newest colony world. The planet is inhabitable by Ordic life, and is a 'post-ocean world' with receding saltwater oceans that are filled with vast numbers of sea life. The most remarkable feature of the planet is the colossal Planetary Reef, a coral reef that stretches across the entire planet. In areas where the oceans have receded, vast coral continents are exposed, consisting of dry limestone. Tiantang is nonetheless rich in natural resources and minerals, most of which are located beneath the seabed and around dormant volcanoes across the planet.

Tiantang was colonised in 238, with the first settlement being Shanhuwan. The colonisation of Tiantang was in violation of the Union-Zhushan Treaty of Non-Aggression, which stipulated that the newly-independent Zhushan Revolutionary State could not colonise new systems for 50 years, almost leading to a military confrontation. After the official colonisation of Tiantang and thus a foray beyond the Zhushan System, the ZRS officially changed its name to the Greater Zhushan Revolutionary State.

Lengdi
""The constant stream of cargo and passenger ships moving to and from Lengdi is a testament to the stellar economic transformation and openness of the modern Chunmin Republic, having embraced their ideology of Iota-Socialism and having left their old cousins the Interstellar Union far behind.""

- Oda Yuriko, Inside the Jade Republic, 205


 * Satellites: Hanshan
 * Local Day: 54 Standard Hours
 * Local Year: 1,203 Local Days (2095.5 Standard Days)
 * Population: ~800 million

Lengdi (冷地) is the outermost planet in the Zhushan System, and is a cold, uninhabitable terrestrial planet with little atmosphere. Except for a few minor solar farming and industrial settlements that feed the orbitals, the surface of the planet is largely off-limits to the general public, and is home to several secret government and military installations. Buried somewhere deep beneath the frozen crust is the Diyu Prison, an ultimate-security prison for the most dangerous and most subversive of dissidents captured by the Ministry of State Security.

Lengdi's orbit is a different story, however, with no less than 36 major orbitals jostling for the crowded orbital space. This is because Lengdi is the location of the Zhushan Jump Beacon, housed in the Port Hanshan (寒山) Orbital Complex, which acts as the main gateway to the system for all visitors. The largest of the orbitals are the immense trade cargo ports which transfer goods and materials from long-distance bulk transports to in-system cargo ships, as well as the fuel depots and supply docks that service these ships. Huge commercial space stations provide the similar functions for the thousands of people moving in and out of the Chunmin Republic for business, leisure, and all other matters. Immense mega-liners and cruise liners alike dock with stations filled with all manner of commercial shops and services, as well as extensive immigration facilities operated by the Ministry of State Security.

One oddity is Kobota Station, an extravagant symbol of the Empire sponsored by its largest conglomerates, a special economic zone in a similar vein to the Dandong region on Zhushan. Both a home-away-from-home for Imperial travellers as well as a showcase of the best of Imperial culture to entice Chunmin citizens to visit and do business, Kobota Station is viewed with suspicion by the Ministry of State Security and is believed to occasionally host secret subversive gatherings.

Iluminación System

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Iluminación

 * Satellites: 2; Cristobal and Delgado
 * Local Day: 16 standard hours
 * Local Year: 538 local days (277.68 standard days)
 * Population: 422.5 million
 * Continents: 2; Santuario and Castillo
 * Oceans: 4
 * States: 4; Santuario, Madrugada, El Este, Valle De Oro

Iluminación is the third planet from its sun and features two moons, Cristobal and Delgado. The planet is warm and humid with large saltwater oceans and seas dotted with island chains, encircling a large continent that covers 42% of the planet's surface. The interior of this continent is dominated by mountain ranges and thick rainforests, as well as a high-altitude freshwater sea that feeds a myriad of rivers. Most of the settlements on the planet are along the coastlines, as well as on the island chains. Early settlers on Iluminación noted the similarity of the local flora and fauna to Ordis - a similarity that local evolution also took advantage of. Local viruses caused epidemics that killed thousands of early settlers, earning the planet the nickname of Plague World for a time, though over time the settlers were able to fight back. The scientific knowledge gained from inoculating the population against the local diseases made the planet's scientific establishments renowned across the Sphere for its medical advances. Besides this, Legazpi is also one of the main agricultural producers of the Union, and exports millions of tons of fruit, vegetables, fish, and grains a year.

Vanguardia System

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Vanguardia

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Located at the very edge of the Human Sphere, Vanguardia is a frigid pot-world undergoing the very beginning stages of terraforming. Valiente represents the Union's dedication to expansion, to pushing the boundaries of human civilisation and to defending its position as one of the four human hyperpowers. The almost 900 million people living on Valiente live in insulated underground settlements, as well as orbital platforms, where orbital mirrors continuously reflect the distant sun's light to warm up the planet. Almost all of the local industry surrounds the terraforming efforts.

Amanecer System

 * Star: Dorado-2
 * Planets:
 * Settled Bodies: 15 (by the Union)
 * Total population:

The Amanecer System was discovered by Union scouts in

Amanecer Territories

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Amanecer was supposed to be the next Yudi of the Union, a new unclaimed garden world discovered on the border with the Empire. The Union was the first to colonise it, coming into conflict with the primitive pre-industrial native aliens, the antipodes, and discovering a new xenomaterial, Polkovnium. The United Free States sought to use Amanecer to oppose Yudi's influence and keep their rival in line, and began heavy development. However, the increased activity in the rush to colonisation led the Empire to investigate the region, and the fascists quickly landed and laid claim to the planet as "Shiroyama", arguing that the planet was located on the Imperial side of the space border, though such a concept as a space border was laughably unfeasible and was rejected by the Union. Following several skirmishes between the Union and Imperial ground forces, a compromise was reached between both governments to divide the planet between themselves. The genius diplomat behind the aversion of all-out war with the fascists was none other than Brother Tavo, the current Supreme Leader of the Union, whose name became a household icon across Amanecer and the entire Union for this feat. Today, however, Amanecer is the frontline in the ongoing war with the fascists, and in addition to war damage has also suffered great damage to its agriculture from the Red Blight.