YORK

System: Tetsu Raiden

Sector: Primus

York is the second planet in the Tetsu Raiden Star System and home to the largest shipyards of the Terran Protectorate, and is its most important industrial center. As such, it is one of the most heavily defended systems in local space. It was the third planet settled by mankind after the invention of FTL travel.

The planet is the heart of the Protectorate’s military industrial complex. New vehicles and technologies tested on New Washington are sent here once they’ve been approved for mass production, and then the factories of York go into high gear. Massive robotic assembly lines capable of putting World War II tank and bomber factories to shame can churn out a flood of products. In peace time, these factories provide the building material that make the Protectorate grow. Ships, pre-fab buildings, computers, mecha and anything else technological can be produced here, and probably is.

York population centers are almost always built around a central factory or processing center, and there are a number or massive space port cities here as well. The cities of Detroit, Tokyo Ni, and New Ypsi are both massive star ports and industrial centers.

Architecture is a blend of the industrial and Japanese suburban styling. Weather is strictly controlled, as is pollution. Air scrubbers constantly pull pollutants from the air generated by countless factories. The planet itself is temperate, and covered by about 65% water.

The planet is controlled by the Yoarashi and is the seat of the clan’s power, with the Azure Sept and Clan Ares-Draconis having strong political influences as well, but the population is divided fairly evenly through all the clans, as anyone in any profession can find a job and need on York. It is truly a melting pot of the Protectorate.

Because of its diverse population, York is also a kettle of inter-clan intrigue and politics. Yoarashi has been using its control of York to leverage more and more power in the Protectorate, and as the war intensifies, the planet will become increasingly more important, both as a manufacturing world and as a mustering point for the Stellar Navy, which can make use of the dozen shipyards in orbit. With the Yoarashi having very strong influence over the navy, some in the clan see an opportunity to gradually wrest control of the Protectorate from the Azure Sept. Others in the clan, however, caution that such machinations could be exceedingly dangerous at this time, particularly if politics interferes with the military’s ability to fight the war.

There are no life forms native to York. Though its atmosphere was close to Earth’s, and it had water, life had never developed there.

Population: 400 million, with about 15 million in orbit at any time

Controlling Clan: Yoarashi

Diameter: 9,500 miles

Atmosphere: Earth duplicate (terraformed from the original earth-like atmosphere)

Average Temperature Range: 37°F – 95°F (2.7°C – 35°C)

Gravity: 1 G (same as Earth)

Calendar: A day on York is 19 hours, and a year is 295 days.

Satellites: York has one moon, Gabriel, which houses a major mining and construction facility, as well as the Stellar Navy’s Advanced Space Fighter Combat and Tactics School (their version of Top Gun) and two underground cities. Total population is two million. York also has several Sky Cities, twelve Type One Anchorages, which make up the bulk of it’s shipyards, another two dozen single-vessel ship yards for private industry and several other small space stations of various types. It has the most major assets in orbit of any Terran Protectorate world.

Defense Assets: York and the Tetsu Raiden system are stuffed with starships and military personnel. There are marine training bases on two other planets in the system, and at any given time there’s at least a wing of fighters manned by the best of the best on Gabriel…led by a dozen teachers whose dogfighting skills are legendary. Just in the normal course of business on York, there are more than 100 warships in the star system. The shipyards are capable of tending to 144 ships of cruiser class or larger, and double that number of sub-capital class vessels. These vessels are in addition to a fleet assigned specifically to defend and patrol the system that consists of the Emancipation battle group. It includes the Liberty-Class carrier and flagship, Emancipation, the battleships Hector and Saladin, six heavy cruisers, 3 escort carriers, 18 frigates and 12 destroyers, as well as 30 pinnaces. The fleet is generally spread across the star system, but the flagship, one battleship, three cruisers and several frigates and destroyers are always in orbit near Gabriel. The Emancipation’s fighter pilots are considered the best in the fleet, mainly due to its proximity and frequent dealings with the Top Gun school on Gabriel.