The Bifrost Solar SystemLocated 273 LY “South East” of the Hunter system. The Solar system of Bifrost contains 6 planetary bodies orbiting a binary star system. Bifrost Alpha is a red-dwarf star orbited by Bifrost Beta; a blue dwarf. Though the red dwarf stellar type has low luminosity in comparison to most “life giving stars” the blue dwarfs’ out-put combined with the red is more than adequate for supporting carbon-based life worlds.
Two planets in the 3rd. and 4th. orbits are capable of sustaining life. Fourth out from the solar primaries is ‘Freya’; the capital world of Bifrost. Listed below are brief descriptions of each planetary body in the Bifrost system.
Ragnaroks’ End: The first orbital track of the Bifrost system is a ring of asteroids from an exploded planet. It is theorized that during the planetary formation period, the first world was struck by a stray piece of anti-matter or a sort-lived mini-singularity. Regardless, the asteroid belt is populated with ferrous rock and strong magnetic fields (most probably from the high iron content).
Loki's Blessing: This second world is an anomaly; a “dwarf “gas-giant, with 1/10th. the gravity expected, located in the inner orbital plane, where no gas-giant should exist. As the first settlers into Bifrost exclaimed; “This surely is a sign Loki was here. Or the All-father was drunk on too much mead.” Feeling that ‘Wöden’s Hangover’ would have lacked a certain respect, they decided on ‘Loki’s Blessing’ as the name for this odd green-coloured gas planet.
One other oddity; there is a usable free-floating gravity-well in mirror orbit to Loki’s Blessing. As such, several satellites circle the hypergravitic jump-point. All incoming traffic through the gravity well is monitored and the information sent back to
Valhalla Station (see later).
Hügen: The third planet of Bifrost is the arid dust ball ‘Hügen’; the only thing going for this planet of lichen, sand, rock and rolling hills is that it makes for some of the best race-tracks in the whole quadrant. Anti-Gravity hyper thrusters, motorcycles, off-road 4x4, and Kinetica Kinetic Suit racing all find their home on Hügen. Small cities are built near the main racing circuits, drilling deep into the ground to get at the underground streams for water, and using wind-traps and condensers for any residual moisture in the air.
Gravity is only 85% Terra standard, and the temperatures fluctuate from day and night by almost 60 degrees; going from 47c in the morning to -13 at night.
Freya: Number four in the Bifrost solar system is the planet named after the Norse goddess ‘Freya’. This planet is Terra-like with 2 small moons (Halgeth & Jäerleth), and has a clean nitrogen / oxygen atmosphere. Due to having two lunar bodies, the terrain is mountainous, and has many valleys and canyons. Small landlocked seas and lakes dot the planet, with temperate climate only at the equator. The rest of the planet is rather cold (though not bitterly so) with short summer months interspersed with long but mild winter periods. Only the polar regions are truly hellishl: -35c during the day season, with -60 to -70c during ‘night season’. More details on Freya later on (See below).
Thor: The fifth planet is an unremarkable blue-white, medium gas-giant with 5 moons and no rings. A boring place really…
Wödens Eye: This 6th. planet is a Super-Jovian gas-giant (four times Jupiter's volume), and might have been a proto-star that had failed to reach critical mass. Whatever the case, this dark red gas-planet is encircled by over 11 small moons, has an axial tilt of 75 degrees off centre and two major rings. When seen from telescopes on Freya, the gas-giant looks like a massive red eye, watching the observer.
Freya & Mnt. Tyr Starporthttp://fc02.deviantart.com/fs5/f/2006/3 ... rimdar.jpgFreya is an earth-like planet with 5 main land-locked seas and several hundred fresh water lakes rivers and glaciers. With two moons the planet has soaring mountain ranges on 50% of the land mass; the terrain is diverse and very dynamic. Weather is also very active; frequent storms lash the surface for several weeks every year, making planetary landings and low altitude flight difficult (-10% to piloting rolls). Fortunately the atmosphere is almost Terran norm with slightly higher concentrations of oxygen and is remarkably clear.
What made Freya (and by extension, the entire Bifrost system) appealing to the Dwarven / Human colony expedition was the untainted atmosphere and mineral rich mountain ranges. This held true particularly for the Dwarves. Agrarian and mining towns dot the landscape near the lakes & rivers, with a few dug into mountain sides. Nothing can compete with the central focus of commerce on the planet for sheer scale and grandeur; Mnt. Tyr Starport.
Freya’s main colony and starport facility is Mnt. Tyr; Over 60 square km in size (if not larger). The outer landing field near the peak of Mount Tyr offers the services of a full system megaport. On the Eastern part of the facility is a massive domed city (to protect from the cold and winds) with a trade-market place within. The facilities don’t end there; support, manufacturing and further living quarters have been built in the mountain its self, interconnecting via a system of tunnelled subways and walkways.
Though a Freeport and ‘loose customs enforcement’ facility, Mnt. Tyr is far from helpless. Moderate variable shielding, point defences and even surface to orbit batteries ensure that the Port can defend its self. Also having 2 fighter squadrons on stand by doesn’t hurt.
Being a fringe member of the CCW and a major interstellar hub (due to the gravity-well), there is a small naval base in geosynchronous orbit around Freya (
Valhalla; medium sized), and the Dwarven clans have built a small colony and starbase on the moon Halgeth. With the Hunter system so close, quarantine on live stock and flora / fauna is quite strict. For other materials and merchandise, customs is not as iron clad, and a healthy ‘grey-market’ exists. Government is a democratic senate, with representatives from each town and the moon-base answering and overseeing a single elected official. The last 10 years has seen Gramdah Hammerjaw, a retired Dwarven rock-jack (asteroid miner) as governor elect of Freya. In the next election, he could see his position taken by an up-and-coming firebrand of a Wolfen, Maximus Septemus; director of the spacing and shipping guild and 2nd generation colonist.
Stats for Tyr Station (using 3-Galaxies).
~City sized Starport with repair facilities for small to large sized ships and building facilities for small to medium sized vessels. 60 Landing berths with 6 heavy freighter sized landing pits at the base of the mountain.
~Population of 10 million with +/- 3 million. Largest population is Human (45%) and Dwarven (20%) with the rest being other races. 20% transient population w/ temporary jobs and employment opportunities.
~20 million MDC total for entire facility (minus mountain its self).
~Owned and operated by Freya government, with licensed franchises doing business in the free-market area.
~4 fusion reactors (installed in heavily shielded chambers within the mountain), with wind & solar generators as back-ups.
~1200 MDC per facing (5 facings) variable shields. 70 point defence emplacements (35 laser, 35 Gravity Railgun). 24 aerospace fighters. 2 heavy surface to orbit laser cannons & 2 surface to orbit ballistic missile launchers.
~Local Law enforcement with a squad of psionic specialists. City and port facilities have medium security systems.
~Enhanced sensors and advanced communications.
~High priority to station / city maintenance. Semi-self-sufficient infrastructure (requires shipments from agricultural towns and star freighters for certain items & food).
~Basic environmental systems and full hospital facilities.
~Market place and small to large business concerns present (office building / sales).
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Picture from 'Deviantart' by *Grimdar