Helios system

The Helios system is the rare place in the settled galaxy where natural beauty can stand directly beside junkyards and military fortifications, with seemingly no overlap.

The star itself is partly to blame for this unusual variety of purposes. Helios is a Helium Strong type B star that produces an unusual astrophysical phenomenon: long bands of non-ionized helium. These bands result in strong magnetic fields in the photosphere, which in turn wreak a peculiar type of havoc with ship sensors: even large capital ships are capable of 'hiding' in the star's EM wake.

Helios' unusual photosphere also attracts countless scientists from around the Empire who have built a series of platforms close to the star as labs and observation posts. These platforms, moved in by barge and designed for short-duration use, are typically discarded into the sun itself and replaced with new stations as particular project needs change.

History

Helios' discovery certainly ranks as one of the livelier origin stories for a system, as it is the only one ever discovered by the Advocacy. An outlaw pack colorfully known as Daybreak Marauders had been prowling the Ellis System, knocking over convoys from the local mining companies. As quickly and efficiently as the Marauders would attack and rob their prey, they would disappear without a trace. This went on for months. One business, Orion Mining Corporation, lost so much of their cargo that they went into debt hiring merc groups to safely escort their ships out of the system — a debt that would ultimately drive the company into bankruptcy.

The Advocacy finally got involved. They assigned Special Agents Avon Dorville and Gia Trask to hunt down this elusive pack. However, time and time again they would pursue the pirates into the adjoining Taranis system, only to lose them. When the Advocacy agents finally found their quarry, they were stunned to realize that the Daybreak Marauders hadn't discovered a particularly effective route through the remnants of Taranis' asteroid belts: they had discovered a jump point, and were hiding out in the system that would come to be known as Helios.^[1]

The UEE military takes advantage of the star's solar wind phenomenon to shield their exact activities at Hephaestus Station and Helios IV. Recently, the beautiful, oceanic planet of Tangaroa (Helios II) has become a popular tourist destination.

Gravitational governors

Helios

Helios is a B-type main sequence star.

Planets

Helios I

A barren, coreless world whose proximity to the sun makes its limited resources difficult to access.

Tangaroa : Helios II

Frequent volcanic activity on this large ocean world results in the creation of temporary land masses that are often used as brief recreational sites by visiting watersport enthusiasts. The planet's more permanent residents traditionally live in underwater habitats near the sparse landmasses located at the poles.

Helios III

A large hydrogen-rich gas giant.

Helios IV

Helios IV has been completely reserved for military use by the UEE and houses numerous bases and classified facilities.

Known jump points

Jump gate	Direction	Size	Destination
Helios - Charon	Bidirectional	Medium	Charon - Helios, in Charon system
Helios - Goss	Bidirectional	Medium	Goss - Helios, in Goss system
Helios - Taranis	Bidirectional	Medium	Taranis - Helios, in Taranis system
Helios - Tyrol	Bidirectional	Small	Tyrol - Helios, in Tyrol system

Development

In earlier versions of the Helios Galactic Guide, the system was described as having been discovered via the Odin system.^[2] When the Odin system was given a later discovery date, this was retconned, and the story amended to have the discovery come via the Taranis system.^[1]