Interplanetary relay station

An interplanetary relay station is a station, generally constructed in a vacuum environement, like the surface of a moon or asteroid, which serves as ports for interplanetary relay ships. These stations also harbour smaller system dwelling ships and therefore, relay stations not only serve as gateways between different systems, but also as intermediary points between interstellar travel and interplanetary travel. in the early 28th century, the technology that allowed travel between systems was still relatively new, and generally available for usage in very large freight vessels and passenger vessels. Although they did exist for smaller vessels, they weren't all that common. Installations needed to dock, fuel, load or unload and send off relay ships were extremely expensive to build and maintain, and only a select few existed. The usage of relay stations is politicized: relay stations charge docking tarrifs, which are imposed according to the origin and the cargo of the ships in question as a form of state control over interstellar transit. As relay station are for the most part under the jurisdiction of key states, they will sometimes charge reduced tariffs to ships flying under the flag of their own respective states, or that of designated allies. Because of that, different peoples will tend to stick to specific relay stations.

### In the Sulsang system

#### Venusia relay station

By far the largest and most active Relay station, with 23 docks, the Venusian relay station was mostly funded by the various governments of Earth. Unlike most relay stations, Venusia has no tax or tariffs, being located in the mostly stateless Free Venusian Space. The station only charges a somewhat expensive fee for unloading and fueling, but otherwise does not tax exports and imports, regardless of the origins and the cargo of the ships. This makes it by far the most popular relay station, used mostly by the Terrans and also by the Martians ever since the fall of Ceres.

#### Ceres relay station

The smallest of the three major relay stations, with 8 docks by the fall of the station to the Lunaregnum Empire. Ceres relay station was funded and built by the collaboration of the Chinese and Martians, and was therefore mostly used by these two people until the Lunaregnum empire took control of it. At this point, it was exclusively used by the Lunars, and believed by many to be held by pirates.

#### Triton relay station

The Triton relay station was built, funded, managed and owned by the Gas Giant Federation. It had 11 docks. The station was of course almost exclusively used by the Gasan people.

#### Minor stations in the Sulsang:

* Argerive has a single dock relay station in its downtown, near the main dome. It was partially rebuilt after the nuking of Argerive to a condition barely sufficient to allow a single ship to leave. It was more seriously rebuilt after the Lunars rebuilt their civilization. At the height of the Lunaregnum Empire's reign, the Lunars considered expanding the station to meet the ever growing logistic needs of the Empire, but instead opted to invade Ceres station instead.
* Lunae also had a single dock Relay Station, used by the United States Space Force. It was considered the weakest of the Relay Stations, built solely as a replacement to the one the Americans had lost in Argerive
* The Chinese were attempting to build a Relay Station on Earth, as a replacement for the one they lost on Ceres.
* The Martian built a small relay station on Olympus, meant for small and medium sized vessels.
* The Gasan government was attempting to build a grand relay station on Ganymede, with a planned 5 docks. 2 docks were under construction before the Colds seized control of Ganymede. Although the large scale goal was to have a newer relay station closer to the more habitated worlds of Jupiter and Saturn, the project was launched to replace the Triton Station then controlled by the Colds.