Federation Holdings

The Federation does not have as many developed worlds as the Coalition does, but it covers a much larger territory size. After the Succession War, the Federation was granted ownership of almost all of the Coalition's fringe worlds, which now make up the backbone of Federation space. Unlike the galaxies close to Sol, these star systems are more recent discoveries, and despite the Federation's lack of intense development it has still invested heavily into upgrading its colonies, industry, and core worlds. Much like the Coalition, the size of their territory makes policing it difficult, but the brutal methods of the Federation navy help deter piracy and smuggling because the sentence for being caught is much more severe.

Major Holdings

Lalande

Lalande was the first system in Federation space that was colonized by humanity, even before the capital system of Voltker. As such, it is home to the oldest colonies in Federation space and some of the most technologically advanced. Where Voltker is a breadbasket system geared towards feeding the empire, Lalande is a commercial system with a heavy focus on trade and exporting to the nearby White Belt administration which it borders. Quite a few billion colonists exist across the many planets in Lalande's system, but the Federation has chosen to focus on upgrading existing colonies instead of expanding to other worlds in the star's orbit. Lalande is widely known for its Class B blue supergiant star, making it highly visible from the night sky across most close Federation systems.

Isphi

As an earth-like water world, Isphi is the only planet in Lalande's habitable zone; its surface is comprised of 88% ocean, leaving precious little land for development. It has become a destination for the political elite of the Federation's empire, an exclusive resort world frequented only by the uber rich. Sometimes, one may even brush shoulders with high-ranking army officials or even the Supreme Commander himself, as he is said to enjoy frequenting the serene, picturesque shores of Isphi's surface. As one of the few water worlds in the galaxy, Isphi is also home to a large contingent of Poliesu; in some cases, the Federation tries to encourage the Poliesu immigrants it gets to settle there, as their aquatic nature makes them perfect workers for underwater mines or maintenance duties. Some are even retained as servants, tour guides or masseuses by the resorts on Isphi's surface.

The Bazaar

A hastily-constructed station that has been sloppily expanded over the years, the Bazaar is the largest station in Lalande and the main source of commerce and trade for the Federation. Many vessels from all over the galaxy dock with the Bazaar to sell, buy, trade, and peddle illegal goods without much interference from the Federation. Taxes are paid back to the government and it leaves an out for the Federation to acquire tech that may be restricted or outlawed on a galactic scale, so they do not interfere insofar as these trades do not threaten them. Greasing the palms of Federation officers is a good way to get access to the thriving criminal underworld on the Bazaar.

Khoph

Khoph is a gas giant almost twice the size of Jupiter. It is known for its collection of 132 moons or other satellites, including small comets or asteroids caught in its gravitational pull. Khoph is also surrounded by several rings made of rocks, small particulates, dust, and debris collected over the years and is known as a graveyard of ships. Many vessels from the Succession War that were disabled in the Lalande system were pulled into Khoph's orbit - it has such a strong pull that vessels without significant thrusting power are warned to give it a wide berth lest they get caught in its pull and not have the power to leave its orbit. Thus, salvaging these derelict ships is dangerous, and many an intrepid scavenger has gotten themselves caught amidst the graveyard of forgotten ships.

Modo'ir

The last planet in the Lalande system, Modo'ir is a gas dwarf that is only slightly larger than Venus. It is known for the vibrant orange, blue and purple stripes that make up its upper atmosphere and the constant raging storms that make the construction of any atmospheric stations impossible. It has fourteen moons, with only one holding a research outpost designed to study Modo'ir's extreme storms. It has a very fast rotational speed, making a single Earth day last only two hours on Modo'ir. Beyond the single research outpost that monitors its weather patterns, the hostility of Modo'ir's atmosphere and the amount of pressure in its upper levels has prevented any kind of development.

The Matron's Arms

Near the edge of the Lalande system is a large planetary nebula that is mainly red-pink in color. This effeminate shade, coupled with the suggestion that its shape resembles a woman with her arms outstretched has lead to its unofficial name as the Matron's Arms, or the Lover's Cloud. Ships entering and leaving Lalande must navigate around this obstacle, but it is a spot that tours from Isphi end their rounds on. Local superstition in the Federation says that visiting the Matron's Arms as newlyweds will lead to a long and successful relationship. As such, some travel agencies both inside and outside Federation space charge top premium for ferrying newlyweds to the Nebula so that they may have a romantic moment or take their most poignant wedding photo.

Frontier and Transitory Systems

Owing to the large amount of territory under Federation control, some star systems exist on their map merely because their hyperlane routes are important to connect key systems. Others are frontier systems that have seen very little serious development and are home to only a few hundred thousand colonists. While these parts of space may contain the odd refueling platform, orbital hotel or recuperation center, they are systems one does not typically linger in and have seen little in the way of attention or investment from the Federation government. People move through these star systems because they have to, not because they want to. The secondary systems of the Federation consist of:

• SCR 1064-4967, frontier system. Recently discovered. The Federation has only just started constructing its first colony in the system.
• FS-145, frontier station. This installation is designed to monitor the Federation's border with the unknown regions.