Astrogation holograph
Key Information:
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OverviewAldava was an Imperial Combine colony planet, but is now entirely dead. It is located near the rim-ward fringes of the Orion arm at the border with the Deep Shadows.
Seen from space, Aldava was described as being "a murky orb... scant strips of dirty green the only indications of habitability". From the ground or at low altitude, in a wide band around the equator, the skies were moisture-heavy and had a grey, dismal appearance. The meteorological activity in the atmosphere can be violent at high altitudes, making orbital descents perilous. Aldava is a terrestrial planet. It has a magnetic field, liquid water (both fresh and saline), and a hydrological cycle, all similar to those found on Earth. As a result there was native life prior to the surface being glassed. The equatorial band of the planet is wide enough to touch the land of all four continental masses. There were once lush tropical zones above and below the equator, with three large deserts all of which are visible from space. Neither pole has any significant land mass, and there are vast quantities of seasonal sea ice at each of them. The variation of environment from equator to poles was highly striated before all life was burned from the surface. The dominant sentient species was humanity. Representatives of other species did live and work on Aldava, however there were almost no permanent ethnic settlements. The human population in the 38th Century was approximately seven million, making it one of the most populous fringe planets prior to its extinction. Much of Aldava's native life was plant-based, with a highly diverse and aggressively competitive ecosystem in the oceans. Some marine plants on Aldava were more dangerous than the animal predators of Earth, and visitors were advised not to enter the seas. Plants also dominated on land, where they ranged from the lush trees, bromeliads, and vines of the tropics to the hardy, waxy xerophytes of the scrub-lands and deserts. Animal life was present but primitive. Invertebrates similar to insects and crabs thrived both on land and in the marine environments. Classes resembling Reptilia and Aves existed only on land. There was no known native sentient life. On 21st March 3745 ELC the planet was bombarded from orbit by ships of the Imperial Navy. It is presumed that the entire biosphere was destroyed as a result, and it remains unknown whether any plant or animal life survived the devastation of the planet's surface (→LOTD). Notable Residents:
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Cities
Barrabas Fled
The capital city of Aldava was a combination of frontier town, transit hub, and trading centre. It was a fairly typical Imperial conurbation, with a mixture of residential and commercial zones. There was no heavy industry within the city limits, as per Imperial regulations.
The city lay on the floor of a valley which was itself in a vast shallow basin. It was regularly wreathed in a hazy blanket of morning mist, and dust tended to collect in the streets.
When Elm Caden visited the city in 3745 his first impressions were that it was "pale, drab, and seemed almost totally colourless", with clusters of low buildings hunched together (→SFTD).
The city lay on the floor of a valley which was itself in a vast shallow basin. It was regularly wreathed in a hazy blanket of morning mist, and dust tended to collect in the streets.
When Elm Caden visited the city in 3745 his first impressions were that it was "pale, drab, and seemed almost totally colourless", with clusters of low buildings hunched together (→SFTD).
Mestivar
Mestivar was the closest neighbouring city to Barrabas Fled, and had approximately half the population. In March 3745, its destruction by orbital bombardment was witnessed by Joarn Kages, Occre Brant, and Peras Tirrano (→LOTD).
Facilities
The gate in the Breig Eta system supported simultaneous communications channels, as well as a system-wide nexus. The nexus is now shut down and the gate has been capped by Fleet Command, making the system difficult to reach for all but the most determined of travellers.
The planet's main starport once lay outside the capital, Barrabas Fled.
The planet's main starport once lay outside the capital, Barrabas Fled.
Recorded Events
In March 3745 ELC, Shard Elm Caden visited Aldava as part of his investigation into the events at Gemen Station on Herros. While in the capital he sought out Joarn Kages, an information broker whom Caden believed had had dealings with some of the people involved in the attack on the station (→SFTD).
Despite serious misgivings, Joarn Kages later contacted Caden to request his help in escaping Aldava. He was aware that a quarantine network was being erected around the planet by the Imperial Navy (→LOTD).
Occre Brant and Peras Tirrano arrived in the hauler Spring Eternal and were able to evacuate Kages from the surface. While they were present on the surface a planetary bombardment was commenced from orbit, and as they left they witnessed the destruction of the city of Mestivar (→LOTD).
Despite serious misgivings, Joarn Kages later contacted Caden to request his help in escaping Aldava. He was aware that a quarantine network was being erected around the planet by the Imperial Navy (→LOTD).
Occre Brant and Peras Tirrano arrived in the hauler Spring Eternal and were able to evacuate Kages from the surface. While they were present on the surface a planetary bombardment was commenced from orbit, and as they left they witnessed the destruction of the city of Mestivar (→LOTD).
Tap to reveal spoilers (TRD)
It is now known that the people of Barrabas Fled were infected with a virus, which was in the process of turning them into Rasas when Elm Caden visited the planet. It is believed that this infection was spreading slowly — but accelerating — having been introduced in a conventional fashion rather than with the use of an Atmospheric Dispersal Warhead. Eyes and Ears, fearful that infected citizens would carry the virus through the system's gate, colluded with the Navy to glass the entire planet. This was based on their historical experiences with containment on Woe Tantalum (→TRD).