DISTANCE: 4.3 light years from Sol
NEIGHBORING SYSTEMS: Sirius 9.5 lys Epsilon Eridani 12.6 lys Procyon 13 lys
ALPHA CENTAURI is a trinary star system made up of a yellow primary, an orange secondary star, and a very cool and dim red dwarf. The AB binary pair have a highly elliptical orbit around a common center of gravity with the furthest distance between each other at 35.6 AUs and the closest at 11.2 AUs. Metallicity levels are over twice that of Sol and the entire region is rich in Neronium ore.
Alpha Centauri A has a total of six rocky planets with a thick dust disc located in the outer regions.
Alpha Centauri B has a total of five rocky planets with a dense asteroid field located at the distant edge which is believed to be the remnants of worlds that were ripped apart by gravitational forces early in their development.
Proxima Centauri has a total of seven planets and is located roughly a fifth of a light year from the AB binary pair.
KENTAURUS PRIME is the fourth planet in orbit around the yellow primary star, Alpha Centauri A. This world has an abundance of water which covers approximately 75 percent of the planet’s surface; including vast oceans and seas, numerous lakes and rivers, and two large ice caps at the poles. The three major continents consist primarily of dense perennial forests, snow-covered mountain ranges, and fertile grasslands. Seasonal changes are relatively similar to Earth’s, yet the overall surface temperature is slightly cooler. This planet also has two small moons named Dionysus and Ariadne.
Although there is no evidence that any sentient life has ever evolved here, there are a wide variety of mammals, birds, and aquatic species as well.
Colonized in 2153 by Bourne Industries, Kentaurus Prime became the first planet outside of the Sol system to be permanently settled by Humans. The colonists who were chosen for this mission were considered to be among the very best that humanity had to offer. Selected for their intelligence, physical health, and psychological stability; these individuals were at the top of their fields and included scientists, doctors, teachers, engineers, contractors, and agriculturalists.
Over the next few decades, thousands of new colonists immigrated to this world each year; increasing exponentially as interstellar travel became more accessible. By the early 23rd century, the population of Kentaurus Prime had reached over 9 million people with most individuals living in the large metropolitan areas. The city of Knossos, located south of the Delphinus mountain range, was the first settlement of the original colonists and continues to be the thriving epicenter for government, culture, and the arts.
The inhabitants of Kentaurus Prime are often described as aristocratic, arrogant, and extremely self-confident. This confidence is not entirely undeserved due to the fact that the original colonists were selected from an elite list of candidates and were the first to colonize another star system. Their cities are highly recognized for their classically designed architecture and their scientists have developed advanced genetic engineering which has made many physical ailments and disorders a thing of the past. However, much of their success and achievements has led to an almost obsessive desire for perfection.
TOLIMAN GAMMA is the third planet in orbit around the orange secondary star, Alpha Centauri B. Approximately 45 percent of its surface is covered by water with large oceans, lakes, and interconnecting rivers as well. The major continents exhibit a variety of habitats that range from subtropical jungles along the coastlines to semi-arid grasslands; with extensive rocky mountain ranges scattered in between. Due to the planet having only a minor axial tilt, seasonal changes are relatively moderate and overall temperatures are slightly warmer than Earth. This world also has one large moon named Grendel.
As the second planet in this trinary system to support life; a wide-range of flora and fauna has evolved here including reptiles, birds, and a variety of mammals and insects.
Established in 2136 as Bourne Industries’ second interstellar colony, Toliman Gamma was initially founded as a base of operations for the corporation’s private security forces. Strict new policies were implemented that designated this world as a mandatory checkpoint for the entire trinary system. Any vessels entering or leaving the system were now subject to random inspections. In addition, they became responsible for overseeing immigration procedures, imports and exports, ship construction, and even ore processing. After the completion of the Ithaca orbiting shipyard in 2160, Bourne Industries became the leading corporation in the construction of large interstellar transports. The Centauri Research Institute was established here as well, along with The Citadel; the official headquarters and training center for The Sentinels. However, the majority of the individuals who eventually colonized this world were civilians who were vital in creating a working community with independently run businesses in an otherwise militarized environment.
According to the official census in 2233, over 11 million people were listed as inhabitants of Toliman Gamma. The majority of the population resides within the borders of three urbanized city-states. New Sparta, situated on the southeastern coastline of the Leonidas Sea, is the location of their chief military installation with local businesses run by civilians. Carthage, located on the subtropical coastline of the Agora Ocean, has become the commercial center for visiting merchants and supply ships. Scattered across the eastern plains are nearly a dozen interconnected industrial communities. Referred to as the Fortuna Collective, these settlements host the primary ore processing refineries for this adjacent planetary system.
Most of the visitors to this world are merchants and freighter crews who only remain long enough to complete their business transactions. Because of this, the colonists are typically hesitant to develop close bonds with off-worlders. Added to the already heightened level of system-wide security, the inhabitants of Toliman Gamma are generally very suspicious of strangers and are often described as brash and uncompromising.
In less than a century, the colonies of Alpha Centauri have become the most wealthy and influential of all the Human settlements outside of Sol. Founded by Bourne Industries, which was one of the original members of the United Earth Conglomerate (UEC), the first group of colonists was well-accustomed to operating under an administrative Corporatocracy. Yet, as growing numbers of individuals immigrated to this trinary system, a variety of social and economic changes began to develop.
The Centaurans, as the colonists eventually came to call themselves, had initially instituted a socialistic caste structure in an attempt to maintain some level of hierarchy among its people. Determined to remain true to their original vision of creating a society comprised of the best that humanity had to offer, strict requirements were established for individuals to gain full citizenship. Registered “citizens” were given priority to obtain high-level jobs, vote in public forums, and even serve on the colonial council. In the beginning, this status was only granted to the original colonists and their descendants, as well as to ranking officers of their security forces. However, these restrictive conditions eventually became nearly detrimental to their overall society as the non-citizen immigrants quickly began to outnumber the citizens themselves.
Following the revolt of the Synthoids in 2157, the colonial council amended its previous conditions by offering guaranteed citizenship to any individual who served in the Centauri Military for a minimum of four years. This decision proved to be advantageous for the Centaurans as their navy and armed forces were only second to Earth by the time the war with the Zendathu began. Yet even with the additional security provided by the highly-trained Sentinels, their colonies suffered far more losses than any other system.
After the war, many of Earth’s colonies became increasingly frustrated with the UEC’s blatant abuse of authority. Having cultivated a long-standing business relationship with the colonists in the Sirius system, the colonial council of Alpha Centauri, along with their sister colonies of Procyon and Groombridge 1618, officially announced their independence from Earth in 2197 and merged together to form the Centauri Union. This new union of systems, not only combined each of their executive functions, but also made widespread policy changes to reduce the restrictions for gaining full citizenship.
The Centaurans have developed a very amicable rapport with the people of 61 Cygni. From the beginning, they implemented an open trade agreement with them and were eager to offer their advice and experiences on colonizing a new world. They also have a great fondness for the colonists in the Tau Ceti system and generally view them as their “unrefined” younger siblings. They often refer to them in an amused manner as the “cowboys of the galaxy”, but are genuinely fascinated by their resilience and determination. To this day, most Centaurans maintain an air of superiority when dealing with others, but this is normally tempered by their compassion, sense of honor, and their desire for justice.