Centaurus

Centaurus
General Information
System	Epsilon Eridani, type-K main sequence. Approx 10.5 ly from Sol
Radius	5930 miles/diameter
Atmosphere	moderate oxygen/nitrogen
Moon(s)	2 small moons
Age	850 million years old (est.)
Day/Year
Alias
Civilisation
Races	Centaurian (near-human), Chtorr (aggressively hostile alien species)
Population	775 million+ Centaurians
Places of Interest	Mineral-Rich Civilized World
Sovereignty	Van Saar Federation (member), Humankind Empire Abh (ally)
Sailor Senshi	Sailor Centaurus (deceased, killed in 2008 (Terran-relative) during one of the Chtorr plagues
Language(s)	Federation "Common"

Description

The planet Centaurus is a place that would be considered slightly chilly by many Terrans. With an axial tilt greater than Earth’s its seasons tend to be more pronounced, but temperature extremes are balanced out by the world’s shorter revolution period around its local sun. Its surface is covered by a series of interlocked huge lakes and small shallow seas as well as several large continents and numerous smaller sub-continents. With less than half of its surface covered by water, Centaurus is a somewhat arid place covered by large expanses of hills and mountains, grasslands, and forests. The weather on Centaurus is roughly similar to that of Earth, but hurricanes are less common due to the cooler overall ocean temperatures.

Because Centaurus is a high-iron world, its lithosphere is more active and energetic than Earth’s. Volcanic activity isn’t uncommon and the planet’s magnetic field is significantly more powerful. As a result two notable traits of the world would be its aurora activity and spectacular sunsets due to the trace amounts of volcanic ash in its atmosphere (which also contributes to its cool overall climate).

However, due to the Chtorr invasion wide expanses of Centaurus’ surface has drastically changed. Millions of square miles of the surface are being infested or have been completely overrun by pink or red Chtorr plant and animal life. Many animal species have gone extinct and the oceans have suffered huge die-offs in the last few years.

The Centaurians themselves are a near-human race very similar to Terrans. In fact, they’re so similar on a biochemical level that interbreeding would be possible. At first glance Centaurians look almost identical to Terrans except that they tend to be several inches taller and slimmer. Blond hair and blue eyes are unknown among them, and most Centaurians tend towards fair complexions. Their DNA is virtually identical to that of the Eradenians (since they’re both actually the same species) but unlike the Eradenians albinism is rare. Overall, Centaurians are a very intelligent species, with IQ’s on average 30% higher than that of Terrans. However, due to their world’s lower gravity they tend to be slightly weaker physically.

Planetary Statistics

Local biochemistry: nearly identical to Terran standard. Due to that all offworld visitors are required to wear hostile environment suits and observe full biohazard protocols to avoid exposure to Chtorr microbes.

Minerals: Plentiful gemstones/industrial crystals, Ample rare/special minerals, Scarce heavy metals, Extremely plentiful industrial metals, Plentiful light metals, Ample petrochemicals. Many heavy metal deposits depleted by extreme demand, but most other mineral resources remain abundant.

Distance from local star: 0.6 AUs

Density: 6.2 (High-Iron world)

Gravity: 0.84 G's

Climate: Cool

Surface water: 44% coverage

Cultural Statistics

World Government: Previously none. The Centaurian species was until recently fragmented into several nations divided by political and cultural ideologies. The dominant nation is the Commonwealth, which used to be a Representative Democracy but due to the Chtorr infestation has declared martial law and complete militarization. Other nations include the Free Economic Consortium, Elraland, Daas, Ardak, and the Idskajfan Confederation. There used to be more nations, but all others have either been destroyed by the Chtorr or been absorbed into the remaining nations.

Following the Federation’s involvement, the Centaurians are currently under colonial/martial law due to the necessity of all-out war against the Chtorr. A long-term analysis completed by the Administratum has indicated that democratic elections might be possible within ten years after significant efforts to restabilize the Centaurian’s society have been accomplished.

Technological Development

Physical Science: TL8 Unified field theory understood, as well as the basics of gravity manipulation. The ability to produce practical applications was lost over 200 years ago.

Material Science: TL7 Light composite materials and advanced ceramics. Most common armor materials are the equivalent of 1990's grade Kevlar and high-grade steel alloys.

Energy Production: TL8 Advanced nuclear power units and practical orbital-based solar power.

Information: TL9 Computers feature realistic verbal interfaces and "natural language" linguistic interpretation. Lethetic Intelligence computers have the ability to learn from experience and make deductive leaps, but lack the capacity for true imagination.

Vehicles: TL9 Ultra-fast rail lines, fully electric automobiles that run on hydrogen cells. Internal combustion engines completely obsolete. Fusion rockets possible for interplanetary travel.

Weapons: TL8 Caseless automatic weapons. Particle beam cannons are used, but can only be mounted on large vehicles like tanks and ocean-sailing warships.

Biological Science: TL9 Full understanding of genetic morphology. Practical cybernetic limbs and interfaces possible. Cybernetic tele-operation of military vehicles frequently used.

Medical Tech: TL8 Lasers and microprobes make surgery fast and minimally invasive. Full genetic screening. Previously unknown infectious diseases can be analyzed and cured quickly.

Environment: TL9 Orbital and deep-space settlements possible. High-density arcologies currently in use. Gradual changes in planetary environments possible through terraforming. Most of the advances in this particular field came from studying the Chtorr and reverse-analyzing it all.

History

Centaurus is the original homeworld of the people of Eradenia. At one time the Centaurians had interstellar travel and had established colonies on several worlds outside their home star system, but a combination of political and ideological conflicts and the depletion of several elements crucial to their society (dilithium, for example) led to economic collapse. Technological decline and open warfare occurred soon afterwards, which led to their offworld colonies being cut off from each other once the capacity to use FTL travel was lost. Unlike its colonies, the Centaurian homeworld escaped devastation and the Centaurians themselves eventually stabilized.

Collapse(?) of the Commonwealth

Twenty years ago (Terran-relative), a series of international conflicts broke out in which the Commonwealth featured prominently, usually as an instigator (such as invading a region of the planet in order to take custody of dilithium deposits), arbitrator (regulating access to those same dilithium deposits so that only the most developed and industrialized nations got majority access), or retaliator (counterattacking against other less-developed nations that attempted to take their fair share of the dilithium by military force). In order to avoid all-out global warfare, the Commonwealth backed down and agreed to several compromises that the rest of the world viewed as overt displays of weakness. All of the less-developed nations and factions, now known collectively as the Free Economic Consortium, used their influence within the Centaurian planetary council (an organization not dissimilar to the United Nations) to force the Commonwealth to acquiesce to a series of punishing punitive actions for being the cause of the global collapse, rampant aggression, hoarding of resources, and other crimes. Some of their claims were real, but others were merely perceived slights.

Regardless, the Commonwealth was forced to disband 90% of its military forces and pay enormous amounts of reparations. It was no longer allowed to manufacture weapons of any kind, and its existence as a country was permitted only so long as it didn’t pose a threat to ANY other faction (however small).

The devious leaders of the Commonwealth only pretended to agree and enacted a plan to ensure not only their existence, but their conquest of the entire planet through subtle means.

Heavy weapon systems were disposed of by sinking them into the sea, but heavily encased so they could be retrieved. The Teamwork Army, a national militia that employed volunteers for construction projects, was structured in such a way that its members could be reconfigured into a full military force in less than four months. Reparations were paid using food and machinery, making the recipient nations and factions dependent on them. Commonwealth technology had to improve in order to meet internal and external demands which led to the Commonwealth achieving global technological dominance. They then built orbital solar power arrays which provided new sources of energy. The Free Economic Consortium quickly became dependent on the Commonwealth’s microwave power transmitters as well as on the Commonwealth engineers to maintained those facilities (who were all educated in Commonwealth universities). The rest of the world developed a vested interest in the Commonwealth’s space capacity and poured vast amounts off resources into it. Commonwealth automated manufacturing became so efficient and widespread that they were allowed to construct weapon components for other nations, namely computerized control systems all calibrated by Commonwealth technicians.

The Free Economic Consortium’s “Victory of Righteousness” had openly humbled and crippled the Commonwealth, but secretly permitted them to monopolize the global economy and devastate their militaries with a single “kill signal” transmitted to their most sophisticated weapons if they chose to.

The Chtorr Invasion

It started six Terran years ago. For the first two years of the alien invasion no one even realized that they were being attacked in the first place.

A series of worldwide pandemics struck, one after the other. Researchers later identified seven major plagues, all of which were extremely infectious and possessed mortality rates of nearly 100%. Some diseases were so swift that entire planeloads of people showing no symptoms would be sick and dying by the time they reached their destination a few hours later. Vaccines were developed, but then new plagues would appear.

After two years two-thirds of the Centaurian species had been killed. Many nations had become so depopulated that they’d effectively ceased to exist. The orbital stations and moon bases quarantined themselves in order to prevent any chance of contamination. New plague outbreaks continued, but the massive death tolls had dropped off not because of advanced vaccines, but because the huge concentrations of people needed to sustain a mass pandemic no longer existed.

The survivors soon looked for the cause and almost everyone within the Free Economic Consortium blamed the Commonwealth. Then new reports began to come in from across the planet: entirely new plant species were appearing and spreading at an unbelievable rate. The new plants were all highly toxic to Centaurian-native life and were overwhelming and destroying the original ecology wherever it grew. New animals were appearing as well: mostly voracious worm-based creatures that were highly resistant to damage and inimical to all other lifeforms.

The chaos caused by the worldwide pandemics had prevented the Centaurians from even recognizing the danger. Later analysis determined that initial sightings of the worms had occurred during the first plague outbreak but been ignored. The worms were ravenous, each consuming huge amounts of protein in ratios that seemed unsustainable naturally. A completely alien ecosystem had somehow been transplanted to their world and was growing out of control, but vital links were missing in its food chain.

Then the cunning and highly intelligent Centaurians of the Commonwealth made the realization – the Centaurian species ITSELF was the missing element. THEY were the intended prey. The plagues had been a biological first-strike intended to weaken them and the aliens (dubbed the “Chtorr”) had entrenched themselves into Centaurus’ environment. The planet itself was being rapidly transformed by an ecology far more ancient and successful than its own. If they couldn’t stop it then the entire Centaurian species would be exterminated in as little as ten years.

Total War

International bickering and blame-throwing delayed any consolidated defense for months. Many factions minimized the importance of the Chtorr and tried to focus on recovery from the plagues. The Free Economic Consortium attempted to enforce a global reconstruction plan that amounted to sending in massive numbers of volunteer Consortium soldiers into Commonwealth territories to pillage every piece of unclaimed machinery and vehicle they could find for “redistribution”.

The Commonwealth responded to the Army of Economic Liberation by activating the “kill-switch”. Fully half of the AEL’s equipment and weaponry malfunctioned, sometimes explosively. The survivors were met on the ground by another unpleasant surprise: the Commonwealth unleashed a massive army of robotically-controlled drones and battle-droids that no one had ever suspected they’d developed. The invasion was quickly repulsed. After that the Teamwork Army “civilian volunteers” were quickly converted into a fully equipped military while the other nations and factions could only look on in shock. Not only had the Commonwealth never completely disarmed, but they had the capacity to destroy most of the world’s weaponry, but they were also the only faction advanced enough to have any hope of effectively opposing the Chtorr.

Over the course of the next four years the Centaurians have desperately tried to fight back against the Chtorr, but the battle has not gone well. At first the Commonwealth managed to push back and reclaim some of the less-heavily infested “pink zones” while the other nations concentrated on their own problems, largely reluctant to trust the duplicitous Commonwealth. Casualties continued to rise as more and more Chtorr organisms appeared, first in swarms of thousands, then hundreds of thousands, then millions. Areas of the planet originally believed to be free from infestation began to show signs of change. Huge patches of “red sludge” began to appear within the oceans as Chtorr flora began to spread there, poisoning the food chain and causing widespread die-offs. “Pink storms”, vast clouds of Chtorr spores, began to appear as well, with spores falling like snow to depths of several inches, smothering plant-life and causing emphysema-like symptoms in animals that breathed it. Meanwhile, far larger and more sophisticated Chtorr creatures began to appear (especially the Gastropedes, capable of killing and devouring dozens of people per minute), first in small numbers, then progressively greater frequency. Massive, fast, intelligent, and impossible to kill without anti-tank weaponry, the Gastropedes reversed the Centaurian’s initial successes and began to progressively eat away at the zones still held by the Centaurians (figuratively and literally).

The Great Recede

By the sixth year of the war the situation on Centaurus had become dire. Significant portions of the planet had taken over by the Chtorran ecology: no part of the planet could be considered completely untouched by the infestation. Centaurian population levels had dropped to barely 25% of what they were prior to the plagues. The survivors were, on the most part, traumatized and exhausted. The Commonwealth enacted universal conscription and the Emergency Euthanasia Bill allowed for hardened criminals and the hopelessly insane to be executed: there simply wasn’t enough supplies to be spared for anyone or anything that did not directly contribute to the war effort. Scientists theorized that defeating the Chtorr would take at least 50 to 300 years to accomplish, but only if every nation united and fought as one. Plans calling for complete global unification were laid out. Some nations joined the Commonwealth, but the majority of the remainder sided with the Free Economic Consortium in opposition.

Finally, in an act of desperation, the Commonwealth authorized widespread saturation nuclear bombardment of the most heavily infested areas, incinerating and sterilizing huge swathes of the planet’s surface. The largest Chtorr nests were destroyed. At first it seemed to work, but over the course of the next few months the Chtorr’s numbers were restored. The bombed-out areas, originally stripped of all life, began to teem once again as the Chtorr ecology grew back faster than ever: there wasn’t any existing Centaurian-native organisms to compete against it!

The Chtorr were replenishing their numbers faster than the Centaurians could replace their own.

Then, in July of 2013 (Terran-relative) an electro-optical telescope on one of the few remaining orbital stations discovered something quite by accident that offered a hope of survival. The leaders of the Commonwealth quickly devised a plan to act upon that discovery.

They then transmitted a message towards the Van Saar Federation starship Magos Wilheim Ghates as it observed Centaurus from afar and requested any and all assistance that could be provided. The “Edict of Planetary Distress” had been sent.

The Federation Responds

For over a year the Federation hesitated to become directly involved. In the beginning it was almost believed that Centaurus had been invaded by Tyranids but that was soon dismissed. Further investigation indicated that a Death World ecology had been deliberately (but covertly) transplanted to the planet through a series of meteor impacts that had gone relatively unnoticed years before. The transplanted material had then taken root and begun germinating into organic factories to produce the hyper-aggressive plants and animals needed to replace all of the existing life on Centaurus.

Time was needed to research and produce effective countermeasures to the Chtorr plagues. More research was needed to determine the best forms of weapons and tactics to combat the Chtorr in an ecological war (which bore some similarities to early stage Tyranid infestation). So much of Centaurus’ biosphere had been thoroughly infested that wiping out the Chtorr might ultimately exterminate ALL life on the planet: every extinct plant or animal species had been replaced by a Chtorran equivalent that was vital to the continued functioning of the environment. The original ecology might have been damaged past the point of being able to sustain itself.

Van Saar efficiency came through. Repeated tests determined that while kinetic weapons like gauss rifles were barely effective, laser weapons worked very well against Chtorr organisms. Plasma weapons and meltaguns were just as deadly. Medical arcanotech offered a real chance of recovery for so many of the “walking wounded”. The Fleet itself could provide orbital support in far greater volumes than anything the Centaurians had on their own.

The Commonwealth agreed to the Federation’s terms, including rescinding the Emergency Euthanasia Bill. However, diplomatic negotiations stalled as the Free Economic Consortium used its influence to disrupt and undermine all efforts at global consensus. Meanwhile, the Chtorr continued to devour everything in their path.

In late February of 2014 (Terran-relative) the Commonwealth announced its acceptance into the Federation along with most of the other remaining nations. The Free Economic Consortium immediately declared war on the Commonwealth for inviting unwarranted offworld imperialism (and blamed the Federation for the Chtorr infestation in the first place) and attempted to use nuclear weapons against several Commonwealth cities.

All of the missiles were shot down except two. The damage caused was extensive and the death toll was in the tens of thousands.

The FEC then received a request for communication from the flagship of the Federation fleet. Expecting this, the leadership of the FEC prepared to state their demands to the person identified as Governor-Militant Solarchos Langister. He listened without comment as the FEC’s representatives made a thirty minute monologue of demands, threats, and accusations, ending it all with a demand to depart from Centaurus permanently.

“No. I summarily reject your demands in total and declare Imperial Intervention against the Free Economic Consortium and any organization that supports it. The Commonwealth, as well as the entire Centaurian species, have voluntarily become part of the Van Saar Federation. Therefore, that nuclear strike was an attack on the Federation itself. Your threats are empty, your accusations are bullshit, and your continued ignorance in the face of reality is nothing short of heretical. You are an obstacle to the survival of your species and will be neutralized as a threat. We are not the Commonwealth. You should have remembered that fact before you decided to try and push us around like you’ve done with them.”

Current Situation

As of March 1, 2014 (Terran relative) the Federation began the coordinated invasion of Centaurus. The vast majority of Centaurians are in support of the Federation’s arrival, viewing it as their best chance of reclaiming their world from the Chtorr. Scores of transports have begun delivering millions of tons of food, medical supplies, and laser weaponry for distribution throughout Centaurus. The Fleet’s orbital bombardment with lance cannons and low-yield antimatter torpedoes has already devastated the Chtorr “red zones”. Medical arcanotech treatments quickly began to show high success rates in treating the numerous lesser Chtorr plagues that continue to circulate and morale amongst the general populace has started to improve. Planetary engineering companies contracted from the Humankind Empire Abh have begun using bioweapons tailored to Chtorr physiology to weaken their hold on the ecology while simultaneously working to preserve and restore what's left of Centaurus’ original ecology.

A full one hundred Imperial Guard regiments have been delivered onto the planet’s surface, with the majority of them dropped into territories held by the Free Economic Consortium, focusing on the FEC’s nexuses of energy generation, communications, government, and transportation. Most international outcry was silenced when the FEC attempted to counterattack using Chtorr organisms specifically bred for use as organic weapons (with varying degrees of success). At that point most of the FEC’s external support vanished in light of what the Centaurians viewed as a disgusting betrayal of their species.

It’s estimated that pacification of the FEC will take four to six months. The elimination of the Chtorr, however, is estimated to take at least fifty to sixty Terran-standard years to accomplish; so much of the environment has been subverted and infested. The Centaurians have no objections – without the Federation’s involvement, the Chtorr would have most likely exterminated them all within twenty years.

To further assist the Centaurians, the Dictator-class cruiser Rebellious Command has been permanently assigned to the star system. The Centaurians have already begun transferring genetic samples of their homeworld’s flora and fauna onto the carrier-cruiser to help protect what remains of their ecosystem: they estimate they can preserve roughly 30% of the planet’s biodiversity in this manner. There has also been discussion of moving the Centaurian’s planetary government up onto the Command in order to take advantage of its unassailable location and advanced technology in order to coordinate world affairs.

Future Plans

With its high-iron composition, high population and relatively high tech levels, Centaurus could easily become an important manufacturing world for the Federation. However, in just a few years the Chtorr have critically damaged the world’s environment. Restoring the planet to its original status will be the work of generations, but the Federation Assembly views the Centaurians as worth the considerable effort.

Another future goal is to locate the Chtorr homeworld. Centaurian researchers have theorized that “Chtorr Prime” is a high-gravity world orbiting a red giant star somewhere within a distance 30 to 40 light-years. Once the Federation identifies the Chtorr’s homeworld an Exterminatus will be performed, annihilating the entire Chtorr species forever. The Centaurians themselves have respectfully requested to be present to witness that glorious event.