Relka
Overview
Relka is the third planet of the Tethra System and its official astronomical designation is Tethra-3. It is a sparsely populated mining planet belonging to the Liberal Alliance of Planets. The planet contains large mineral deposits and is one of the most important suppliers of raw materials to the LAP. All officially recorded mining activity is restricted to the northern hemisphere. Its recorded permanent residents are mine workers, engineers, maintenance technicians, employees of corporate facilities and soldiers of the LAP. The economic and strategic importance of Relka made it the subject of conflict between the LAP and the Syndarion Union of Nations.
Tethra System
The Tethra System was named after its star, Tethra. The Explorers named the planets of the system according to the order of their orbits around the star. Relka is Tethra-3. The common name of the planet became established in commercial, military and everyday use, while its astronomical designation is primarily used in official records and navigation data. Tethra appears from the surface as a pale sun. Its light passes through the suspended sand and rust particles in the atmosphere, creating a hazy veil over the horizon.
Northern Hemisphere
The northern hemisphere is covered by steppes, rocky plains, low hills and extensive dry canyons. There are no high mountains. The ground forms great undulations of stone and sand, interrupted by rocky islands. All known major mines, processing facilities, minehabs and LAP military fortifications are located in this region. The Elmar plain is one of the most important mining regions on the planet. Large mineral deposits and Falren Bastion are located within its territory.
Southern Hemisphere
There are some steppes on the continents of the southern hemisphere, but most of the land is covered by vast deserts. The deserts consist of immense seas of sand, rocky plateaus and isolated hills. The winds constantly move the dunes and can alter the shape of large areas. There is no official mining activity in the southern hemisphere. The region has been explored far less extensively than the northern continents and contains no permanent LAP facilities.
Seas
The surface seas of Relka are few, shallow and extremely saline. Their shores are covered with mineral deposits and fossilized forms of ancient plant life. Their water cannot be used without extensive processing. For this reason, they are not the primary source of water for the mining facilities.
Climate
The surface temperature of Relka varies greatly between day and night. During the day, Tethra heats the plains and deserts intensely. Temperatures in the northern hemisphere can rise to levels that make it dangerous for humans to remain on the surface without protection. After Tethra sets, the ground rapidly loses its heat and the temperature falls sharply. The nights are cold, and in some regions ice can form on exposed metal surfaces and in water left behind by storms. The large daily temperature variation causes damage to machinery, structures and external pipes. Materials used in the facilities must withstand constant expansion and contraction.
Storms
The atmosphere of Relka contains fine sand and rust particles that can remain suspended for long periods. Powerful storms are common and can last for several days. Winds carry large quantities of sand from the deserts toward the steppes, covering machinery, mine entrances and facilities. Sandstorms are often accompanied by intense electrical activity. Continuous lightning crosses the atmosphere and creates hazards for aerial vehicles, communication systems and exposed machinery. When the winds weaken, heavy rainfall may follow. The hard and dry ground does not absorb water quickly, causing temporary lakes and powerful streams to form and flow toward the dry canyons. Wind, sand and rain may alternate many times before a storm finally subsides.
Underground Freshwater Seas
Much of the water from the storms gathers in the canyons and passes through cracks and porous rock. Beneath the surface are extensive natural cavities where the water accumulates and forms large underground freshwater seas. The rock acts as a natural filter and removes much of the sand and surface residue. LAP facilities pump water from these underground seas. The water is purified and stored in the minehabs, mines and military fortifications. Access to a stable supply of freshwater is essential to the operation of every permanent facility. Pumping stations and underground pipelines are considered critical infrastructure and are protected by LAP military forces.
Mining
The subsurface of the northern hemisphere contains large deposits of velith, karveth, talmor, selkar, norvium and other industrial minerals. Many companies of the LAP have established operations on the planet. The largest mines are located on the plains of the northern hemisphere and include extensive underground tunnels, extraction stations and separation and processing facilities. Large mining machines remove the surface layers of the ground and open entrances to deeper deposits. The extracted material is transported to processing facilities, where waste rock is removed and the different minerals are separated. The processed material is temporarily stored in protected stations and then loaded onto transport spacecraft. From Relka, it is carried to industrial planets, military bases and planetary shipyards of the LAP.
Minehabs
Mine workers live in underground complexes known as minehabs. Their official designation is subsurface habitation complexes, but this term is rarely used by the inhabitants of Relka. Minehabs are built near mine entrances and are often connected to the tunnels and processing facilities through protected corridors. Their underground location provides protection from the heat of the day, the cold of the night, sandstorms and lightning. The layers of ground maintain a more stable temperature inside them than on the surface. A large minehab includes sleeping quarters, dining areas, communal rooms, a medical facility, storage areas and maintenance workshops. It contains autonomous water recycling, air purification and energy production systems, allowing its residents to remain inside for many days. Minehabs are connected to pumping stations that carry water from the underground seas into reservoirs. Each complex maintains emergency supplies in case of pipeline damage or isolation during a major storm. The inhabitants of the minehabs follow the operating rhythm of the machines rather than the natural cycle of the day. Work shifts continue for as long as conditions allow, and production stops when storms, equipment failures or military threats make work impossible.
Fauna
The surface of Relka supports limited recorded animal life. The most common animals in the mining regions are small rodents that live in underground nests. The rodents of Relka dig extensive networks of narrow tunnels and can survive with small quantities of food and water. During storms, they hide deeper underground and can sense vibrations caused by lightning, machinery and collapses. Some have established themselves near mines and minehabs, where they search for food in storage areas and shelter inside abandoned tunnels.
Military Presence
The mining production of Relka is protected by permanent LAP military forces. Fortifications, surveillance systems and aerial unit bases were constructed near the most important mines. The Aerial Surveillance Grid monitored the movement of spacecraft and vehicles across the surface. Its data was transmitted to the fortifications, allowing LAP forces to control the mining regions and the routes used by transport spacecraft. The largest fortification on the planet is Falren Bastion. It is constructed from a white grey composite alloy and stands on a rocky island in the Elmar plain. Its shape resembles a large spacecraft that made a violent landing in the middle of the desert. Falren Bastion controlled military operations, mineral shipments and the routes of the spacecraft connecting the mines with the other worlds of the LAP.
Relka Battle
The Battle of Relka was one of the fiercest conflicts between the Liberal Alliance of Planets and the Syndarion Union of Nations.
SUN forces attacked the fortifications of the planet with aerial and armored units. They used a new generation of flux arrays, whose blue beams cut through the dust and struck the defenses with tremendous force.
Most LAP fortifications were destroyed or abandoned. Falren Bastion remained the last major stronghold still resisting.
The fighting caused extensive damage to the walls of the Bastion, the mines, the mining machinery and the Aerial Surveillance Grid. Many minehabs were destroyed or isolated when their corridors and entrances collapsed.
Falren Bastion became a symbol of resistance and sacrifice for the LAP.
Armistice and Reconstruction
The conflict ended after the armistice between the LAP and the SUN. Relka remained under the control of the Liberal Alliance of Planets, but much of its mining and military infrastructure had been destroyed. Most soldiers and workers were evacuated from the planet. The damaged mines ceased operating and the facilities that remained standing were placed into temporary inactivity. The LAP decided to restore mining production and rebuild the military installations. Falren Bastion was selected as the first major fortification to be repaired. The reconstruction plan includes restoring the minehabs, repairing tunnels that can still be used, installing new mining machinery and replacing the destroyed Aerial Surveillance Grid. Until reconstruction is completed, large regions of the northern hemisphere remain almost deserted. Damaged machines, abandoned mines and the ruins of fortifications are gradually being covered by the sand of the storms.