This Galactic Guide originally appeared in Jump Point 5.5.

Gliese System

A bustling hub of interspecies trade, with several asteroid belts and six planets orbiting the blue-white star at its center, the resource-rich Banu system of Gliese has been a popular destination for Human travelers for well over two centuries. Though Humanity has a well established place in the system today, with several burgeoning settlements of their own, it took hundreds of years of bargaining before any of that could come to pass. For while most Banu are eager to pursue commerce with other species, their trade routes are carefully guarded commodities.

After first contact in 2438, the U.N.E. quickly learned how complex negotiations with the Banu could be. Striking a trade agreement with the Protectorate was not enough — to get access to individual systems required diplomatic delegates to strike separate bargains with everyone from a variety of planetary governing bodies, all the way down to navigational souli for map data. In addition, there was the problem that controlling bodies would dissolve only to be replaced by a new souli who had acquired the rights to bargain, starting the whole process over again. Even then, many systems were not eager to welcome Humans, wanting to limit the competition and control the flow of goods through their system and demanding extremely high recompense for the privilege. Persevering through all those complications and over several decades, the U.N.E. eventually achieved visiting rights to several systems such as Bacchus, Geddon and Kins. However, this was not to be a continuing trend.

With the unfortunate circumstances related to first contact with the Xi’an and the terrible violence that came with the first Tevarin War, Humanity’s outlook towards other species shifted. While existing Banu trade was tolerated, and even relied upon during resource-taxing wartime, the Empire’s willingness to increase our xeno-relations dwindled to nonexistence with the start of the Messer Regime. It wasn’t until the severe economic recession of the early 28th century that this new status quo changed.

With rampant military spending at an all-time high in the wake of the first Vanduul incursions, along with the highest tax rate the UEE has ever had, the economy of the Empire had become stagnant at the turn of the 28th century. After trying numerous other tactics to spur market growth, Imperator Messer VIII decided to take a different, more drastic approach. His theory was that if the UEE could further expand their trade markets, it would bring a new influx of credits that would act as a reset button for several important sectors. For the first time in two centuries, Humanity sent a delegation to negotiate access rights to a new Banu system, Gliese.

It is rumored that the UEE had to strong arm several companies into handing over valuable blueprints and tech schematics to the Banu to make the deal happen, but in the end, many economists believe the 2712 opening of trade relations with Gliese prolonged the life of the Messer regime for another eighty years. A vibrant trading center with an abundant variety of resources, Gliese was a boon to the Empire’s industry, as Humanity embraced the brisk trade of its valuable raw materials and manufactured goods. Of course, beyond its economic appeal, Gliese also contains one additional feature that some claim is its biggest draw of all — a mysteriously deserted terraformed world.

Gliese I & Gliese II The two innermost planets of the system are relatively quiet compared to the hustle and bustle found in the central trade lanes farther out. With a superheated ferromagnetic iron core, Gliese I has some regular traffic from Humans who claim that orbiting around the planet helps ease symptoms associated with cybernetic limbs (a claim that has yet to be supported by the mainstream medical community).

Gliese II Gliese II is noteworthy for its retrograde rotation which sees this smog planet spinning in the opposite direction of its sibling worlds.

Gliese Belt Alpha An “active” mining belt in every sense of the world, this orbital area is notorious for the frequent violence that breaks out between rival soulis during claim disputes over the valuable ore that is still being pulled from asteroids here. While typically Banu prefer peaceful negotiations, it seems the wealth available here has spurred many of the soulis to turn to violent solutions.