Rihlah system

Rihlah, a Xi’An word meaning “source of strength,” is a former military bastion located one jump beyond the Perry Line. The Xi’An establish their solar presences with singular goals, and Rihlah’s initial industrial focus is no exception. With the rise of the Human threat, Rihlah was converted into a major staging area for Xi’An military forces, and the system’s two worlds were initially terraformed with only this purpose in mind. Massive barracks facilities, training yards and munitions plants initially populated the system. If the Xi’An Empire had ever gone into all-out war with Earth, Rihlah would have been a key strategic launch point.

Today, however, Rihlah is a star example of the thawing of relations between the Xi’An and Human Empires. With the increase in trade and other relations between the powers, the ready-made invasion force has been withdrawn and Rihlah has been formally redistricted into its original purpose as an industrial zone. The conversion, and the integration of Humans on the system’s planets, have had an interesting effect and resulted in a particularly unique place for Human visitors to explore (within some very specific limits).

Cosmologically, Rihlah is an A4 main sequence star with a thick green band capable of supporting a pair of large ecosystems. Jump points lead to both Human and Xi’An worlds, although the latter are kept uncharted on all official maps. While the bulk of the fighting force has been withdrawn from Rihlah, a well-trained border defense force remains, making it an inopportune point for smugglers hoping to break into Xi’An space.

Rihlah I
A rocky protoplanet that lacks an atmosphere.

Rihlah II
A gas giant whose close proximity to the system's star results in high surface temperatures. Classified as a puffy planet, its atmosphere has a large radius and very low density.

Rihlah III
A terrestrial world unlikely to be terraformed due to its surface of dense, jagged rocks. The planet also has a thin atmosphere and very rapid rotation.

Shorvu : Rihlah IV
This terraformed terrestrial world is covered in former military barracks and factories. When the cold war ended the Xi'An began converting Shorvu into an industrial hub. Human businesses are encouraged to establish offices here among the many business parks. Making the planet an interesting mixture of Human and Xi'An cultures.

Xi : Rihlah V
Xi is a heavily populated super-Earth that is home to an estimated 50-100 billion Xi'An. Visitors and traders are welcome, but restricted to a landing zone in the city of Corilla. Foreigners are forbidden from leaving the landing zone as the surrounding area is filled with dense tropical vegetation. A community of UEE expatriates and political refugees has been growing ever since the Messer days.

Rihlah VI
This dwarf planet has no atmosphere. Its orbit is so distant that light from the system's star is barely visible.