Castra system

The **Castra system** is a trading hub containing two planets which orbit a blue-white star.

## Discovery

UPE military pathfinders looking for new jump points on the Perry Line were the first to discover the Castra system, but quickly dismissed it as being 'unremarkable' from an astronomical perspective. However, it's military importance in the brewing Xi'An conflict was understood almost immediately, and as such work began on terraforming its second planet.

The system was named Castra in reference to the Ancient Roman word for land being used as a defensive military position.

## Xi'An Conflict

As expected, the Castra system became a major setting for the Xi'An conflict. Decades after the system's discovery, a nearby jump point was found that would allow forces to travel directly into Xi'An territory. A massive increase in government funding allowed for major work to be done on the system's military infrastructure, including the construction of a large orbital platform intended to support capital ships and long-range bombers.

After the fall of the Messer regime, however, this military presence was massively diminished as a show of good will towards the Xi'An people — a decision that would prove to be controversial among many UEE citizens. Businesses flocked to the system to take advantage of cheap real estate and excellent infrastructure. More recently, tourism has proved to be something of a boon for the fortunes of the Castra system.

## Castra I

The first planet in the Castra system was quickly understood as having little worth in terms of materials, and unsuitable for habitation thanks to its lack of any atmosphere. However, the military presence in the system soon found a use for it.

Navy forces would use Castra I for target practice, and evidence of the many test bombing runs carried out can still be seen via its pock-marked surface to this day. A popular colloquial name for the planet among troops was 'Bulls-Eye'.

## Castra II

The UEE military designate Castra II as Castra Command, the shortened version of which — 'CasCom' — has since taken hold as a colloquial name for the planet. The world was terraformed with some haste upon its discovery, which some suggest is the reason for its pronounced cloud coverage.

In search of a defensive military position, UEE forces constructed the city of Sherman at the top of Mount Ulysses. The fortress city has come to be known as the 'Island in the Sky', and was described by Admiral Kumasi Klein as 'the city of my dreams — picturesque and protected by big guns.”

The architectural style of Sherman is broadly Monumentalist, owing a lot to its roots as a military installation. For the early part of its history, residents were deployed there, rather than choosing to live inside its walls. When the system dropped its militaristic focus, companies like Kruger Intergalactic began to change all that, but this was only the first step in a longer process.

In 2833, the planet elected Andre Novoselov as president, who sought to do more to make the world a place citizens would want to live. As president, Novoselov had two aims; to broaden the UEE's view of Castra II to more than just a military installation, and to see the planet earn senate representation in his lifetime. The latter is yet to occur, but he certainly achieved the former.

Resurrecting the 'Island in the Sky' motif for very different reasons, Novoselov helped to pitch Sherman as a modern city — and, given its mountaintop location, a rather beautiful place to live. The city became a prosperous and diverse location.

More recently, that diversity has grown even broader. Retirees have begun to flock to the planet thanks to its cheap real estate, but at the same time it has become a hub for extreme sports thanks to its unusual landscape.

## The Observist on Castra

*The following is an excerpt from a column of The Observist published on 2014-04-23.*

**The Observist: Sherman, Castra II, Castra**

The system of Castra has been vital to the UEE, but not in many of the normal ways. When UPE military pathfinders discovered the system in 2544, they found a pair of planets circling a large blue-white star. It was described as ‘unremarkable’ in its initial assessment.

Regardless, the UPE began to process the second planet to act as a training facility and back-up resource cache for Hadrian system, then the point system along what would become known as the Perry Line that borders the Xi’An Empire. To mirror these military designs for the planet, the system was called Castra, using the ancient Roman name for land designated specifically for military use.

**Castra II**

When Castra II was finally terraformed, Ivar Messer had already ascended to the newly created position of Prime Citizen. He wasted no time allocating resources to build up Castra II as a source of reinforcements for the military at Hadrian as well as a staging area for an invasion into Xi’An territory, should the opportunity ever present itself.

When the jump point to Oya system was discovered near the end of the 26th century, Castra ceased being a secondary base; it was now on the front line. Long-range bombers would circle the jump point toward Oya, waiting for a signal to push into Xi’An territory and blast their targets. When Castra’s jump to Tohil was discovered, it was another way into the UEE from Xi’An space. The Imperator whipped this fear of attack up to cut off civilian traffic into Castra entirely.

When the Messers fell, military tensions turned to diplomatic relations. Tohil and Oya became part of the Empire when the Perry Line was divided into the Transitional Systems. Very quickly, the military on Castra discovered that they weren’t the front line anymore. In 2789, the military scaled back their presence to reopen the system for civilians, even repurposing most of the military structures for public use.

**Introducing Sherman**

Built atop Ulysses Peak, Sherman served as the primary launch point for the heavy bombers that would maintain a constant vigil near the jump points into Xi’An territory. A majority of the base has now been demilitarized for civilian use, transforming the Navy’s landing pads and mechanic bays into the primary landing zone for traffic entering and leaving the planet.

Depending on the time of year, you may see what appears to be a landscape of clouds shrouding the surface of the planet. Poking up through that canopy will be Sherman, a virtual island in the sky.

Quick note: you enthusiasts will also probably notice a lot of firepower on your approach: anti-ship batteries as well as a pair of AOV-9 anti-orbital cannons. They may look old, but don’t try to be funny. They still work.

The military sold off the landing zone. It changed hands several times over the years until it became a PARKING LOT franchise owned by REEZUS THORN, who also handles the site’s minimal ship repairs.

As one of Sherman’s new primary functions is a quick stopover point for travelers, they cluster a lot of their stores near the Parking Lot, allowing pilots to quickly hit up the local TDD office as well as familiar names like FUEL PUMP, HARDPOINT GUYS, APOCALYPSE ARMS and ELEMENT AUTHORITY and be on their way. But there’s a lot more to Sherman than that.

Walking among the unmistakable Hennowistic military prefabs of the 27th century, you can’t help but feel a sense of history. Small reminders of the men and women who served here can be found throughout the zone, but none more prominent than in the EDGE OF OBLIVION. The Edge is a small pub filled with actual memorabilia from the era, offering patrons a brief glimpse into the daily lives of the bomber pilots who ran those dangerous missions.

Before you leave, you should go to the OUTLOOK. During the day, if the weather’s right, you will find a tumultuous sea of clouds stretching as far as the eye can see. At night, you can see the glow from distant cities seeping up through the clouds, creating diffused pools of light. It’s one of the most magnificent sights to behold on a planet whose history is steeped in fear and aggression. But don’t just take my word for it; it’s really something you need to observe for yourself.

## External links

* The Observist: Sherman, Castra II, Castra
* Galactic Guide: Castra system