Aleph Alpha System

Part of the Aleph chain of systems before 'The Old War', Aleph Alpha was a residential space for many of the cluster's inhabitants. During the course of the Old War, Aleph Alpha was caught in the crossfire between the Tyrants and Null, forcibly occupied and militarised in order to get a foothold against Null, with its population subjugated and oppressed.

When the war wrapped up with the Tyrants' defeat and the establishment of Aleph Null's independence, the Tyrants left most of their assets behind, torched the rest and fled. Fearing the inhabitants of Aleph Alpha would follow suit and attempt their own rebellion as the war broke down, they finalised their retreat in PA 3. Today, the ruins of their garrisons and space gates are left to the elements, their alien geometries dotted about the planets of Aleph Alpha, and hiding in space.

Aleph Alpha is Aleph Null's gateway to the 'southern' portions of the universe, and it is accessible by conventional and direct FTL navigation and propulsion, in addition to using the local Space Gate.

• To Aleph Null System - 8.4 LY
• To Aleph Gamma System - 5.3 LY
• To aleph_delta - 7.1 LY

The following planets, satellites, and other notable sectors of local space are present:

Somerset is the primary hub of Aleph Alpha. It has a population of four (and three quarters) billion residents, spread out in cities upon the planet's surface, on orbiting colony stations, and its space gate Lighthouse Gate. Many of the local residents are wary of alien travellers, and place more trust upon humans - particularly their neighbours in Aleph Null System - who trade supplies from places like Acala.

Nearly three hundred years on, Somerset's bloody history and occupation remains fresh in many minds, as many statues and monuments to the end of the Old War are dotted throughout city centres in Somerset, in addition to the removal of Tyrant installations near populous areas. Unlike Albion's boisterous celebration of the end of the Old War, Aleph Alpha got a first-hand look at the Tyrant's empire in their death throes, attempting to glass the system as they retreated to their homeworld.

The local Space Gate for Aleph Alpha, Lighthouse Gate is a cylindrical megastructure responsible for moderating a majority of the system's space traffic. It is modelled off the Acala Space Gate, rotating in place as an O'Neill Cylinder does. During the Old War, Lighthouse Gate was occupied by the Tyrants and transformed into a military port. While evidence of their past has been well and truly scrubbed away from history, a sense of unease fills the shadows of Lighthouse Gate.

A rocky dustball planet, which gets its name from the colouration of the dusty soil. There is little to no breathable atmosphere on Copperstone, and it is unfit for habitation as it lacks water. However, it was previously used during the Old War by the Tyrants as a staging zone, and the ruins of numerous Tyrant installations dot the planet's surface - with persistent rumours that the Tyrants left something there for their eventual return.

A thick belt of asteroids which separates the outer planets of Aleph Alpha from the inner. Amongst the rocks, there are sporadic reports from the mining companies entrenched in the belt, that they have found and uncovered Tyrant technology.

A husk of a gas giant planet of a green colouration, with its rocky core visible in some places. Curiously, it is devoid of moons, a ring, or any other natural satellites - During the Old War, the Tyrants mass-mined the planet's liquid and solid resources to fuel the war effort.

Aleph Alpha skirts the border of The Red Tide, coming from its 'northern' edge. The intrusion of Red Tide which was the end of 'The Old War' was responsible for an outer planet being knocked out of orbit and fragmented into thousands of pieces.

Aleph Alpha hasn't forgiven Aleph Null for the damage, even if the former planet was only a ball useless of stone. Albion's official position on the matter was that said planet was a Tyrant stronghold and a necessary sacrifice, and they're sticking to it.

Another feature of the Crimson Shore and mingled amidst the hostile Red Tide, are the hulks and wrecks of many Tyrant-owned battleships, carriers, and cruisers. It isn't uncommon for scroungers and scavengers to venture in, trying to reclaim Tyrant technology - but few return from the trip, owing to the hazardous and invasive nature of their technology, and the hazards of space.