Trade Route: 1 month off the Long Path, Secret Imperium
Route.
Sector: Yaeger Sector.
Strategic Location: Toward the outer edge of the Yaeger
Imperium's Sphere of influence, as the fragment it is in extends
into the Imperium's sphere at this point.
Temperature: 118% standard.
Atmosphere: Breathable, though somewhat thick.
Depressurization required before exposure to ordinary atmosphere.
Hydrosphere: 76% of the surface of Karbakul.
Gravity: 155% standard.
Terrain: A large number of igneous upthrusts, creating
vast broken highland regions. These regions are heavily forested,
and split apart by rivers, canyons, and sinkholes.
Mineral Resources: Some reserves of diamonds and other
precious stones, as well as deposits of crystal atterium, heronium
A20, and other mineral reserves. These reserves have not been
developed at all, and some of them are located quite close to the
surface, making them ideal targets for mining.
Capital City: The Imperial fragment in control of
Karbakul, the Trent Systems, has a small compound on the planet,
attached to a garrison and TIE launching field. In addition, the
planet is monitored by seven rather outdated surveillance
satellites, and an IR-3F patrol craft in constant orbit.
Other Cities: None.
Starport: The Trent Systems outpost has a planetary
class port.
Population (within +/- 1%): 35,000 Trent System's
personnel attached to the outpost and TIE field, 9,445,273,000
Karaban Swarm creatures.
Government: Trent Systems outpost under the control of
Base Commander Tovar Gir, who holds the rank of Lt. General in the
Trent Systems armed forces.
Estemier: A scalding hot world, Estemier is home to a variety
of sand shark that is even deadlier than the Karaban swarm
creatures.
Karbakul: See below
Istirka: Far from the center of the system, Istirka's caustic
atmosphere makes construction on this world a tentative business at
best.
Planetary Capsule:
Flora and fauna: Karbakul is covered with a thick layer
of twining scrublike forest. This growth is exceedingly tenacious,
and has regrown after the Trent Systems attempted use of Imperial
defoliants, firebombs, and groundwater contamination. The scrub
forest is inhabited by a wide variety of life forms, from the
silver ringed skysnakes, to the Esquilian Renders. This forest
covers the entire planet, making some adjustment for the colder
regions. The oceans of the planet contain large amount of various
impurities, making it uninhabitable, and the sea water is the only
limiting factor in the forests growth.
Sentient Species: The semi-sentient Karaban swarm
creatures are the only intelligent native life. Coccooned by day
in chitinous shells, the insectoid swarm creatures hunt by night,
denuding the forest of all warm blooded life. Their numbers are
kept in check only by the abilities of the local wildlife to hide
during the nighttime hours.
History: One of the outlying worlds of the Empire's
holdings in the Sector under Doran, Karbakul fell under the control
of Rear Admiral Fallon Trent, the commander of a flotilla of four
Star Destroyers stationed far from the front lines. Trent assumed
control of six systems, which the now self styled Grand Moff named
the Trent Systems, in a burst of creativity. Trent proved to be a
competent, if not particularly brilliant leader, and managed to
retain control of his fleet and his empire during the splintering
of the Imperial sphere after the battle of Oth'Lenar, and when the
Imperium rose, Trent has fought to maintain control through
diplomatic methods, allowing Rulduk to
take control of two of the systems he claimed, and reducing his
territory to a tongue extending into Imperium space.
Trent has friends among the other unincorporated Imperial
fragments, and Rulduk does not want to move against them just yet,
so he has held off a military take over of the Trent systems. In
addition, the Trent systems are located far to the Imperium's rear,
and he would have to pull ships away from the front, in order to
move in.
Despite the hostility of the local wildlife, Karbakul is the
least hostile planet of the Sheiran system, and thus became the
logical site for the Trent System base. Furthermore, the swarm
creatures would discourage ground assaults, though an assault by
the Imperium would probably involve a space attack that would
overwhelm the local defenses without resorting to a ground attack.
In order to ward off the swarm creatures, the garrison is protected
by a larger than average minefield, and a large defoliated area
protected by gun emplacements, highly alkaline soil, and massive
floodlights, which keep most of the swarm creatures away, or dead.