Sirius IV

**Sirius IV** is a planet in the Core Systems Region of the Galaxy. the fourth planet in the Sirius System, it is home to Captain Latrigg, who commands the planet's Defense Base.

## Physical Description

The general appearance of Sirius IV resembles that of the
Lake District, with scattered aspects of North America in places, as a result
of the joint-settling of the planet. The weather on the planet is characterized
by its long spells of rainfall in the spring and summer months, or snowfall
during the winter.

Sirius IV is home to one major continent, which spans
half the planet. This half is dominated by wild grasslands, verdant valleys,
and vast mountain ranges (known locally as *Fells*).
The other half of the planet is a vast ocean, with only several tiny islands
present. A few of these islands are inhabited, and many hold military
installations of various kinds and factions.

The planet's capital, Northmoor, lies on an isthmus on
the east coast of the continent. Other major settlements include the port towns
of Kirbury and Preshaven, the island conurbation of Blacklea, the military town
of Hazelworth Bridge (associated with the Sirius IV Defence HQ), and the
mountain town of Blackwich.

Sirius IV has one single moon, which has gone under
rudimentary terraforming to make it habitable at the least. However, the moon
remains a mere rocky desert, and no major settlements are located here.

## History

Sirius IV was one of
the earliest worlds to be colonised, and as such it's got one of the best known
histories of any of the Core Worlds.

When the earliest forms of faster-than-light travel were
successfully perfected in the early 2060s, there was a sudden rush for mankind
to go and make his mark out in space. However, the technology still wasn't such
that one could travel quickly to the edge of the Galaxy if he so wanted, so the
space colonists decided to begin on a smaller scale, and aimed for systems less
than 25 light years away from Earth. The Sirius System was one of these
systems.

However, this foray into space was not as a united force,
but as the separate countries of Earth. Each of the major countries had their
own space programs, and it was these that set out to colonize individual
planets. In the case of the Sirius System, it was the English program, aided by
the United States program.

This joint settlement was part of an experiment carried
out on the stars making up the *Winter*
Triangle*. Each star was claimed by a British country, who was then aided in*
the colonization of that star by an American country. Canada aided Scotland
with the Procyon System; The United States aided England with the Sirius
System, and Mexico aided Wales with the Betelgeuse System. The exact aim of
this experiment is unclear, but as a result, each system's respective cultures
were a mix of those of their two parent countries.

Going back to the Sirius Systems, it was colonized along
with various others over the course of the late 21st Century. Progress was sped
up with the advent of the Stellar Exodus in 2100, and by the time of the Winter Hexagon Order's formation in 2398, Sirius IV had already become a major
population centre of the Galaxy.

The Winter Hexagon Order had come about as a result of
numerous regional civil wars during the latter half of the 24th Century, and
with many planets being devastated by the conflict, the systems comprising the
Winter Hexagon (Rigel, Aldebaran, Capella, Pollux, Procyon and Sirius) joined
forces to defend themselves and each other from enemy combatants.

This alliance ensured the safety of Sirius IV, and life
carried on in peace for a number of centuries, during which time the system
started to lead the way in the fields of research, development, and
technological advancement. Second only to the Hinode Cluster in respect to its
contributions to the technological scene, the Sirius System acted as a Mecca
for many bright young minds from around the Galaxy.

All this changed when the then newly formed Stellar Federation began to take control of the Galaxy in 2600. Sirius' allied systems
were among the first to be invaded, but Sirius herself stood firm, and refused
to give in to the Federation. This resulted in what became known as the *Sirius Wars*, which raged on for well
over a century. At the end of it all, a reluctant compromise was made between
the two factions, which granted the Sirius System neutrality to any future
conflicts the Federation would engage in.

After spending the next few decades rebuilding their
society after the Wars, the people of Sirius IV carried on their lives as
normal, with only occasional interruptions or breaches of the agreement. The
most recent of these, and the best known to outsiders, was in 3009, when the
infamous *Jaws* MacTaggart's cruiser,
the *Stellar Typhoon* was shot down and
forced to land on the moon of the planet. Her pursuer, Commander Barratt of the
*Oshan Akuma*, was determined to
capture the space pirate, but had to obtain permission from the planetary
government, to be allowed to actually do the deed.

By
some strange twist of fate, the person in charge of giving such permission was an
old friend of Jaws', Captain Latrigg. Thus Barratt's mission was easier said
than done. Latrigg was a strong woman, and refused to give in to Barratt's
demands and betray her friend, even as her defences were blown up around her.
Thanks to some additional trickery by Jaws, Barratt was driven out of the
Sirius System, and has rarely interfered with local matters since.

## Inhabitants

Sirius IV, as with the
other planets in the Sirius System, is inhabited by a wide variety of species
from both England and the United States, the system's parent countries. Because
of the planet's ostensible neutrality, the population is generally given to a
peaceful way of life, which eroded considerably during the Sirius Wars, but is
now back in full swing.

Employment on the planet can be easily divided into three
main groups: farming, mining and military. Farming and mining provide the
planet's main exports, while there is a substantial military scene in the
Hazelworth Bridge area.

The people of Sirius IV can be best described as a tough
bunch. Decades of conflict in the past have hardened the present population,
and taught them never to back down from a good fight. While this does sometimes
come at great personal cost, more often it allows them to rise victorious,
however many odds are against them.