The Twin Systems

History   The Twin Systems project was supposed to be a collaborative acheivement: two star systems close to each other, intended to be settled at the same time in a joint effort. Both Wolf and Lalende were close to Earth, but neither represented a good terraforming prospect with the terraforming technology at the time. But with advances in terraforming pioneered on other, easier worlds and the addition of FTL to make external support easier, the Twin Systems project was born, allowing these two stars to support each other and create an interconnected economy that elevated both. It was an ambitious project even under the best of circumstances, and one that was sadly doomed to fail.   The Twin Systems depended on external support from patron nations on Earth for funds and supplies during their initial setup at minimul, and probably longer. Before their arcology construction projects could be completed, much less become operational and self-sustaining, the Terran Blockage happened. Without resupply, the Twin Systems suddenly had very limited food and water with no way to get more, and only a couple of ships capable of bringing in more from out-system. Order quickly broke down, and the arcology projects collapsed, in one case literally.   It was over a decade before the newly-formed UCH stepped in to stabilize the volume, but by then it was too late. The Twin Systems remain a lawless place, with a strong distrust and resentment of the other colonies and considering the UCH to be little more than a Colonial lapdog. Investment from nearby Proceka has lead to the recent revitalization of true colonization efforts, but many Twins consider this to be backhanded charity from a world that just doesn't want a mess so close to its borders.   The UCH continues to dump resources into Lalande and Wolf to try and make them a real colony system, but a lack of central authority in the Twin Systems (and little desire among the natives for one to be imposed upon them by an outside power) has made this a largely futile effort. Only the recent construction of an Aperture on the Wolfside rim of Lalende has done anything to improve matters in the Twin Systems, mostly in the form of increased trade with other systems and opening things up for the many ships in the Twin Systems that lack Smartfold capability.  

Peridot

  The current 'best hope' for getting the Twin Systems back on its feet, Peridot is an arcology project on a world with a hazy green atmosphere that gives the planet its name. The arcology is, thusfar, inhabitable but nears minimum completion for habitation. It actually would have been faster to settle by starting over from scratch, but great efforts have been made to restore the previous archology project, as well as its partially completed space elevator, both of which had been abandoned to the elements after the Succession. Currently Peridot is only meaningfully inhabited in the form of its Webb station, which had been mostly completed and was habitable in time for the collapse of the project, and which has evolved into being a larger habitat far exceeding its original scope of design due to lack of other options in the system.  

Lalende Interstellar

  A space station on the edge of Lalende, near the Twin Systems Aperture. It was built by the UCH to act as a trade hub and spaceport for Lalende, and the locals use it begrudingly. Its mostly used by out of system travelers as a safe zone in the lawless wild west that are the Twin Systems.  

The Frontier

An enormous colony ship sent to Wolf early on in the development of the Twin Systems, the Frontier remains in service as a travelling hub and impromptu spaceport within Wolf. Originally equipped with a Smartfold system, during the chaos afterwards the Smartfold equipment was tampered with and subsequently self-destructed. WIthout it, the Frontier remained stuck in Wolf, and for many remained the largest sustainable habitat in the system. Those that could find berth on Frontier survived, and most of those that could not did not. To this day the Frontier still drifts through the system as effectively a wandering space station. The UCH was quick to reclaim the invalid smartfold system, but neglected to issue the Frontier a new one for fear that the valuable equipment would be tampered with a second time. This only worsened relations between the UCH and the Twin Systems.