Ail'ka system

The Ail'ka system, historically known to the UEE as Ayr'ka and given the military designation Beehive, is a gravitationally bound system composed of five planets in orbit around its governing star. The system falls under the sovereignty of the Xi'an Empire. It is primarily a military system focused on supporting, housing and training Xi'an troops. Its close proximity to the Perry Line made it strategically important during the Human/Xi'an Cold War. Once relations normalized, Xi'an forces from the Perry Line systems withdrew to here. As the Xi'an Service Dialect is widely spoken in this system, names are provided with their Service pronunciations in addition to their Proper Dialect pronunciation.

"With the flow of carriers observed in to and out of the sector, Lt. Golightly is positive that there must be a jump point somewhere in the vicinity. It is the only way that the beehive of Xi'an activity swarming there can be logically explained."

- Unclassified Hadur Field Report, 2698

History
It has been little more than three decades since Humans were first invited to Ail'ka, and while we have learned much in those years since, many secrets remain. A closely guarded military system, the Xi'an have been extremely protective about allowing other species access. However, thanks to diplomatic efforts like the Human-Xi'an Trade Initiative, the relationship between our two great Empires continues to improve. The hope is that in the coming years, we will see a further loosening of travel restrictions allowing Humans to experience even more of the system's five worlds.

Out of the Cold
UEE military intelligence first learned of the Ail'ka system late in the 27th century. A scattered combination of Xi'an datacores salvaged from wrecks, extra-stellar remote drone scans, and questionable second-hand Banu accounts were used to infer the existence of a previously unknown jump point in Yā'mon (then known as the Hadur system, part of the Perry Line). Rumors of this new system were further substantiated during the 28th century when Navy reconnaissance ships began tracking heavy transport movement in the sector, leading the unknown system to be given the military designation "Beehive." Plans were even drawn up in 2788 for "Operation Bait Hive," where a small squadron would sneak into Hadur and construct an antimatter-minefield near the suspected jump point, but before the mission was launched, the Kr.ē – Akari Peace Accord was brokered putting an effective stop to hostilities.

Not long after, in 2793, the Perry Line Pact was ratified granting control of Hadur to the Xi'an and effectively cutting off Humanity's access to both it and its connecting systems. At first, with formal spying efforts significantly curtailed in the name of peace, the flow of information all but dried up, but over the next century, as relations continued to improve and more Human and Xi'an traders had dealings with each other, additional facts emerged – the Xi'an called the system Ail'ka, it had served as their military command center during the cold war connecting not only to Hadur but also to Indra, it continued to host a significant martial force, and it had a blue class-B star at its heart. While this helped to provide a broad overview of Ail'ka, it would not be until 2915 when the Xi'an formally invited Humans to visit the system that the full picture began to come into focus.

Testing the Waters
The first Humans to visit the system were brought there on the behest of Xi'an ship manufacturer Aopoa. After receiving special dispensation from Emperor Kr.ē, the manufacturer recruited ten pilots to assist in testing their Human-modified Khartu-al. For two years, the pilots lived and worked from Aopoa's headquarters on Ail'ka IV helping to refine the first spacecraft the Xi'an would produce specifically for sale in the UEE.

As told by one pilot, Magnolia Lizardo, in her book, Blue Dawn, they were constantly guarded the whole time they were there, and outside of strict test flight conditions, were only allowed to travel the system on sanctioned tours and under close escort. Even so, their first-hand accounts of living on a military Xi'an world would provide a deeper understanding of what the day to day life of Xi'an soldiers is like.

For the Xi'an, military service is compulsory with every young adult required to temporarily forgo their house name and dedicate themselves to serving the Emperor. Teeming with youth away from their family-lines for the first time, Ail'ka has been described by some as a cross between the universities in Rhetor and the training facilities in Kilian. The entire system, from the training grounds and manufacturing plants on Ail'ka IV all the way out to the harvesters on Ail'ka V, is designated for empiratic use. In fact, it should come as no surprise that the unofficial language of the system is the Xi'an's military dialect.

In addition, Ail'ka is home to the largest Xi'an fleet that the UEE is currently aware of. It is believed that all the forces that had been deployed along the Perry Line were withdrawn here and since that time, manufacturing plants have been steadily growing the number of ships present. Strategists continue to debate what percentage of the Xi'an overall fighting capability does this sizeable force represent. Whatever the answer, the strength shown here is definitely enough to give any Legatus serious pause about what would have happened if Human/Xi'an tensions ever erupted into a full-blown war. Which some say was part of the reason the Xi'an granted Humans access in the first place.

"To this day, I will never forget my first steps onto a Xi'an world. Beyond the organization of the cities themselves, the very planet seemed to be driven by purpose. Each river or tree specifically designed for some greater good."

- Magnolia Lizardo, Blue Dawn, 2926

Travel warning
The military will stop all ships entering the system to see if they have approved clearance. It is strongly recommended that travellers apply for clearance in Yā'mon or Kyuk'ya before traversing the jump point or else risk being detained.

Ail'ka
A class-B main-sequence star, with an average temperature of 17,000 K.

Xyeping : Ail'ka I
A protoplanet separated from the rest of the system by an asteroid belt.

K'ya.k'uing : Ail'ka II
A rocky terrestrial world believed to be used for Xi'an military exercises.

Ye'ten : Ail'ka III
A terrestrial planet the Xi'an terraformed for the express purpose of agricultural production. Xi'an precision has turned almost every landmass into arable land. To reduce the chance of travelers bringing contaminants or invasive species onto the planet the landing zone is a hermetically-sealed enclosure separated from the rest of the world.

M.iiy'ong : Ail'ka IV
Many parts of Ail'ka IV are highly restricted as the planet serves as the system's central military world. It is believed that certain sectors house and train soldiers while others are dedicated to building ships and weapons. Xi'an military ship manufacturer AopoA have their headquarters here.

Ye'ton : Ail'ka V
A gas dwarf with a thick atmosphere of hydrogen and helium used almost exclusively to refuel military ships.

Huichuai'yath : Belt Alpha
Located between the planets Xyeping and K'ya.k'uing. The Xi'an name is an abbreviated form of the literal name 'First Asteroid Belt'.

Huichuai'syen : Belt Beta
Located between Ye'ten and M.iiy'ong. The Xi'an name is an abbreviated form of the literal name 'Second Asteroid Belt'.

Names
Ail'ka is the current official spelling. The previous name Ayr'ka represents an earlier bastardised transliteration of this name. It may have been influenced by Service Dialect pronunciation, as a terminal 'L' is replaced by a terminal 'R' in that dialect, which is the unofficial language in the system. The Cold War military designation 'Beehive' does not seem to have entered common usage.