Hadrian system

The Hadrian system is famously known as the No Man's Land where the bulk of the warships of the United Empire of Earth (UEE) and Xi'an Empire fleet maintained their stalemate, Hadrian is now one of the most famous checkpoint systems for pilots traveling between UEE territory to Xi'an proper.

Anyone traveling through Hadrian can expect to be scanned at least three times: by an initial human patrol, by a combined customs patrol near the inner system and then by a Xi'an force holding station at the other side's jump point. Smugglers interested in bringing anything illegal into Xi'an controlled space would be advised to avoid Hadrian… or at least invest in some heavy duty electronic countermeasures.

Pilots are advised not to wander off the buoy-marked space lanes; unexploded anti-ship space mines are commonly discovered in the system.

Known as "No Man's Land", Hadrian's location near Xi'an space made it a military strategic system during the Cold War. At that time is was called Nivelin. Now it is famous for being a main shipping checkpoint between the UEE and Xi'an Empire.

"I dare them to come."

- Attributed to Navy Admiral Les Holstein, in supposed response to a Senator asking if the forces of Hadrian were prepared for a Xi'an incursion, 27th Century.

A rocky beginning
No place may be a stronger reminder of just how much the Empire has changed since the fall of the Messer regime than the Hadrian System. Once commonly referred to as a 'No Man's Land' for its role in the cold war, today the rapidly changing system has become a bastion of trade between the Empire and our Xi'an neighbors.

Anchored by a red giant, the three-planet system was first discovered in 2510 through its connection with Pyro. Although the jump point was uncovered by a Pyrotechnic Amalgamated scan crew, the company, already stretched thin by its recent investments in Pyro, decided to forgo any claims on the nearly uninhabitable solar system in exchange for the influx of capital that the sale of the discovery would bring. Likewise, with its focus mainly on finding worlds to terraform for settlement, the UNE showed little interest in pursuing an active role in the new system. Instead, the first wave of inhabitants would be those drawn by the resources waiting to be harvested from the asteroid belt circling between the second and third worlds. As the mining population slowly grew, small stations were built to cater to their needs and provide housing for the new influx of support workers that came as well. However, the system's growth was to be short lived.

A dangerous connection
While the discovery of a jump point in 2539 to what would become known as Gurzil opened up more economic opportunities, the arrival of a Xi'an scout ship in 2542 would lead the UPE military to cordon off both systems from civilian use. Shortly after, the Perry Line was formally created and the system began its transition into a militarized zone.

Note that though it was originally named the Nivelin System, after Pyrotechnic Amalgamated founder Tromo Nivelin, the UPE switched to the military designation Hadrian in reference to the legendary defensive wall used by the Ancient Earth civilization of Rome. This was fitting since military strategists concluded that if Gurzil was to be the front line in a Xi'an war with Humanity, Hadrian would become a barrier system to stop any Xi'an incursions from penetrating further into UPE-controlled space. Fortifications began to be constructed near known jump points, and additional resources were poured into discovering any possible unknown connections with other Xi'an systems. While no direct connection with Xi'an space has yet been found, Hadrian was revealed to be connected to other border systems such as Oya, Castra and Kiel, which increased its strategic importance. In addition, Hadrian received a huge influx of resources once a direct jump to Terra was discovered. Eager to protect this rapidly growing system, the military decided that more drastic defenses were needed and considerable efforts were put into creating a vast minefield throughout the system as an additional deterrent.

For the next two hundred and fifty years, Hadrian system would remain a labyrinthine maze of mines and fortified outposts bristling with rapid-launch defenses, all in preparation for a Xi'an attack that would never come. In 2793 the Perry Line Treaty was signed and with the cold war officially at an end, Hadrian was rapidly demilitarized and civilians were once again permitted access to the system. Despite that, the original mining boom that had first sparked interest in Hadrian was no longer an option for economic development. While large swaths of mines were removed as the military pulled back resources, other areas, such as the asteroid belt, were deemed too dangerous to clear and instead were marked with warning beacons. Yet though its primary industry was ended because of Hadrian's proximity to Xi'an space, it would also receive a fresh start because of it.

A fresh start
As the 29th century drew to a close, relations with the Xi'an had finally thawed enough that trade was beginning to blossom between our two species. Hadrian became a natural stop for goods and commodities moving from Terra and the rest of the Empire into Xi'an space. It had good infrastructure in place for refueling, restocking and repairs, thanks to the former military installations built into the system, and even though they made travel difficult, the mines throughout the system also made it hard for outlaws to gain purchase, since ships had to take very specific, well-guarded routes through the system. These clear travel lanes also created an ideal situation for the UEE to establish customs scan stations to help control the flow of goods from the Xi'an. They can easily monitor ships arriving from the border since most prefer to pay the import taxes owed than risk flying along unmarked routes.

As trade increased, so too did the stations that catered to the haulers that were moving goods through the system. The largest of these stations, the flotilla known as Kedsu Reef, has grown in the last decade to become one of the busier xeno-trade hubs in the Empire. Now, with the proposed Human-Xi'an Trade Initiative being decided upon by the Senate and the growing industrialized Xi'an system of Rihlah only a jump from neighboring Gurzil, Hadrian is primed to grow even more.

Travel warning
Despite the abundance of beacons warning about the hazards of mines, dozen of ships are still lost every year when they leave the safety of the designated flight lanes.

Hadrian
Hadrian is a Giants Giant-M star.

Hadrian I
A gas planet with a rocky core, Hadrian I's atmosphere is too volatile to terraform.

Hadrian II
A Class III gas giant, Hadrian II is a featureless blue globe.

Hadrian III
Nicknamed "the Watcher" thanks to the large dark spot in the planet's otherwise pale color, Hadrian III is a massive ice giant on the fringe of the system.

Kedsu Reef
On the lagrange point of Hadrian II, there's a mini-mall cluster of former military stations that have been converted into a massive bazaar. Some newer trade stations have opened in recent years as the site has become a mecca of trade to the Xi'an.

Belt Alpha
Though still abundant with resources, the majority of this asteroid belt remains untouched thanks to the undetonated anti-ship mines that remain from the cold war era. It is true that there are some brave souls willing to take the risk for the chance to earn the credits that harvesting the ore would bring, but most will only visit the belt as they traverse along one of the designated safe flight lanes.

Trivia

 * It's named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian, and the Hadrian wall that separated Britain as its original position was as a border system between Humans and Xi'an.