Penumbra
In the shadows of the Iron Spires, migrating along the terminator, walks Penumbra. Soldiers, mercenaries, and civilians alike warily watch the sky, always prepared for another solar assault. Penumbra is the front line of defence against Solar Pulses, the death throes of the Chained Sun.
Penumbra was established during the Scorching of Mercury as a base for the Martian Military. It has since expanded in a sustained interplanetary collaborative effort to prevent a new Solar Invasion.
Host to soldiers of all stripes and colours, mercenaries, and crew, Penumbra is also tailed by civilians seeking protection and profit. The settlement is migratory, travelling ahead of the slowly creeping dawn to avoid the extremes of night and day. Penumbra never stays put for longer than a fortnight. Once the temperatures begin to rise, Flightbase Crawlers and other vehicles are roused to bring Penumbra yet again to the edge of the night.
Penumbra is today the largest settlement on Mercury, and the seat of the Mercurian Triumvirate. Despite the presence of the Triumvirate, Penumbra itself is run by the Interplanetary Solar Defence Council.
Putting up a Fight
Penumbra has reinforcements from all over the Solar System. The majority of the ground forces are Outer World mercenaries payrolled by the Merchant Princes of Saturn, while Martians are prevalent in ISDC and the communications and tech departments. Venus is responsible for much of the logistics and supply of Penumbra, but Fei are rare due to their unique biochemistry.
Neptune and Uranus remain focused on the defence of the Solar System from outside threats, primarily contributing technology. They have, however, each contributed a Sentinel to Project Ikarus, alongside the necessary staffage and life support for these soldiers.
Interplanetary Solar Defense Council
Penumbra, like the other branches of the Defenders of Mercury, is run by the Interplanetary Solar Defence Council. The council was started by the Alliance of Nations in responce to the Scorching of Mercury.Project Ikarus
When the command centre Cadaceus first detects a Solar Pulse, the initial response is to attempt to barrage it from orbit and with ground artillery. When this is insufficient, Project Ikarus is deployed.Project Ikarus utilizes smaller squads or even lone ace fighters against solar invasions. These teams and individuals are highly capable and are given free rein to use their powers as they see fit against the enemies.
Life on Mercury
The initial plan for Penumbra was to build a standard Martian ground base. The Martian Military began excavations and preparations for a permanent base outside of Hokusai. During this construction they had arranged a viewing of the atmodome of one of the Iron Spires, but before it could be viewed, the atmodome was destroyed by a Solar Pulse. The Martian Military began looking into other solutions.
While most Mercurians were fleeing en masse, the Martian delegation noticed that the local nomadic cultures chose to remain. These modern nomads would travel along the terminator of the planet, staying in the twilight to avoid the intense heat of day and cold of night.
A migratory military base, while unconventional, was deemed far more sustainable. Military Officials, accompanied by engineers and crew of Penumbra, met with the local nomads to learn more about the specific challenges of Mercurian migration. These lessons were then used to adapt Martian camp protocols for migration.
Penumbra is able to set up shelters, the aid tent, and basic sanitation in an hour or two, provided there are no more than average delay factors.
Larger and lower-priority shelters like the mess hall can take a few more hours, and it is usually about half a day until the power grid is fully online.
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What a lovely, well made Article, on a intriguing topic, nnie! Good job, I hope I get to see more in this World
Thank you so much!
Solaris -— a sapphic space opera
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