Kai'pua system

“The greater the thought, the greater the action.”

So states one of the main tenets of the Li’Tova, a moral and spiritual belief system popular among the Xi’An which guides its adherents’ view of the universe. In no place is that more apparent than the Kayfa System, which is wholly dedicated to the Li’Tova thanks to the existence of one astronomically special planet, Tovaroh.

Kayfa’s role as the focus of Xi’An spirituality was unknown by Humans during the cold war. After Humanity learned of the system’s existence in 2617, rumors swirled that Kayfa was the main staging ground for invasion or even the location of the Xi’An homeworld. The true nature of the system was so guarded that for two hundred years, all Humanity knew about Kayfa was that any UEE ship found in the system would be immediately attacked — a message made abundantly clear to the UEE by way of the two Navy pilots who found the system.

In 2617, UEEN Lieutenants Ahmad Harar and Carl Dyson discovered a gravitational anomaly while patrolling the Horus System. Harar and Dyson should have contacted their commander and reported the coordinates so a military pathfinder could be deployed, but, they later explained, doing so would have thwarted their chance at history. Without a word to anyone, they entered the jump point and became the first Humans to visit the Kayfa System. The decision to keep their excursion a secret was foolish but, in retrospect, might have averted an all-out interspecies war.

Unbeknownst to Harar and Dyson, their arrival in Kayfa triggered long range sensors that mobilized a nearby Xi’An squadron. Meanwhile, Harar and Dyson’s return trip was delayed because Dyson’s ship sustained damage from navigating the uncharted jump. While Dyson was running a diagnostic check to see if his ship was still jump-capable, an EMP blast neutralized both spacecraft. The Xi’An squadron swarmed and captured Harar and Dyson. For years, official UEE documents listed the two as on “medical leave” during this period. The full truth, however, was exposed after the Historical Truth Act of 2941.

Declassified UEE military records list Harar and Dyson as missing in action for three days. The two claim to have been held on a large Xi’An military vessel where they were interrogated while their ships were studied and stripped of weapons. After three anxious days, the Xi’An began to believe the pilots’ story that the rest of the UEE military didn’t know about the jump. The two were returned to their ships, escorted to the jump point, and given the message that any further UEE vessels would be attacked on sight.

It was only after the fall of the Messers and the normalizing of relations between the two species, that the Xi’An revealed the secrets of Kayfa. Imperator Toi’s first official visit to the Xi’An Empire occurred in the Kayfa System. Emperor Kray led her on a personal tour of Tovaroh and clipped a branch of a Centennial Bloom plant for her to take home.

Emperor Kray also elucidated a core doctrine of Li’Tova; that one small action can affect the entire universe. Harar and Dyson were shown leniency because the Xi’An knew the UEE would eventually rediscover the jump. The Xi’An wanted to avoid a similar situation, and another chance at aggression, when the UEE came through the jump for the second time. So it was with great thought that the Xi’An determined the right action was compassion because it provided the clearest path to peace.

In a surprise move during the summit, Emperor Kray amended Xi’An law to permit the Kayfa System to remain open to all Human visitors in the hopes that it would promote interest in Xi’An culture, customs and, ultimately, long-lasting peace between the two species.

The Kayfa System has gained religious significance in Xi'An culture as it is often the destination for religious tourists and their pilgrims. During the days of the Messer Era, Kayfa was one of the more heavily fortified and protected systems, indicating its cultural significance to the Xi'An. Finally, Kayfa's best known export is the Centennial Bloom, a plant famous for blossoming for only one night every hundred years.

Kayfa I
A terrestrial world with an atmosphere that's rich in carbon compounds and limited in oxygen, making it look like a mix of black, brown and red hues from space.

Kayfa II
A terraformed terrestrial world with an unbelievably long daily rotation. One day on Kayfa II is 100 Xi'An years (approximately 128 Standard Earth Years). The 100 year day has attained religious significance and led monks to believe there is nothing holier than spending an entire day here meditating. Not all Xi'An tourists are that dedicated, but many still visit the planet's beautifully cultivated gardens, which are famous for growing the Centennial Bloom plants that blossom one night every hundred years.

Kayfa III
A gas dwarf that was once considered then passed over as a candidate for platform-based colonization.

Kayfa IV
A gas dwarf orbiting the system's outer reaches.