Crux Major

Crux Major is a planet chunk created by Brickman6851 mainly for Crux Speed Trap. During the Maelstrom War it is on the front lines of the conflict, similar to Crux Prime. Unlike Crux Prime however, it is much larger, made up mostly of vast sandy plains and towering cliffs. After the war ends and the Maelstrom infection is cleaned up, it becomes known as a mining chunk due to its vast liquid imaginite reserves.

## History

### Prewar

Like most chunks, not much is known about Crux major from before the Crux Explosion. It is theorized that it was a desert on Crux, and its rocky, flat terrain is what helped it stay together during the explosion to form an unusually large planet chunk.

### War

Crux Major's larger mass means that it wasn't propelled as far during the Crux explosion. This makes it closer to the Maelstrom black hole, in an area where it is dangerous to explore. For this reason, Crux Major isn't discovered until fairly late in the conflict, when the Nexus Force starts to push further into Maelstrom territory.

The chunk is quickly identified as a strategic location. This decision leads to many costly battles to gain control over Crux Major, though control would remain undecided for almost the entirety of the war.

### Postwar

After the end of the war, Maelstrom cleanup began. Crux major was one of the most difficult and resource-intensive worlds to clean completely due to its large size and inhospitable climate and terrain.

However, it was deemed necessary due to the possibility of any remaining Maelstrom using its imaginite reserves to recover and start multiplying again. The Crux Major cleanup effort was a large part of what necessitated the creation of vehicles like the Puma Mk. 1.

## Industry

After the cleanup was over, rebuilding efforts started to come into full swing and created a booming demand for imaginite fuel. While many world chunks have liquid and mineral imaginite reserves, they are inhabited or protected and unsuitable for drilling. Crux Major, with its vast empty deserts, and inhospitable climate, presented no such difficulties.

The challenges of imaginite drilling on Crux Major are mainly in transportation. Starships are sometimes used for high priority cargo in and out of drilling outposts, but this can be cost prohibitive for a low margin product like fuel. Semi truck convoys are a much more cost-effective option, and trucking is Crux Major's second largest industry.

## Climate and Terrain

As mentioned before, Crux Major is a barren and hot world chunk with little habitable land. Most of the terrain is flat, hard dirt with next to no potential for farming. It has many large rock formations and is home to some of the tallest mountains in the Universe.

The chunk is not totally uninhabitable, however; there are a few oases, the largest of which is around the banks of a saltwater lake several kilobricks in diameter. This lake is home to Ocean City, a rural and remote town popular with retiring millionaires.

Due to its size, Crux Major has a relatively thick atmosphere. This creates a greenhouse effect that warms it considerably more than other chunks, especially when combined with its proximity to the sun. In spite of this, the chunk still cools down considerably at night.

Despite the arid climate, rain is not uncommon in the most open parts of the chunk. Storms usually last for 1-2 days, and leave difficult-to-traverse mud patches in their paths.

## Miscellaneous trivia

Every year, a car show called The Major League takes place on the chunk. Usually sponsored by one or more of the fuel companies there. It is a popular venue with the Universe's car community because the large, flat planes are perfect for racing and speed record attempts.

As one of the largest chunks in the Universe, Crux Major has become synonymous with hiding from law enforcement over the years. Several urban legends about escaped criminals, alive or otherwise, have cropped up around the chunk.