Kawdl-Kit is the only habitable planet in the K'tsa Kar system. It is a lightly populated world inhabited mostly by Vrusk. The planet is heavily oriented towards education. The gravity is 0.7 and the day is 30 standard hours long. A UPF Armed Space Station and a Rest and Relax Station orbit the planet.
Gravity: .7105 g
Day: 30 hours
Year: 347 GST days (231.33 local days)
Diameter: 13,050 km
Inclination: 21°
Orbit:
Atmosphere: 72% nitrogen, 22% oxygen, 6% other
Climate Range: Hot, Humid
Average Surface Temperature: 30°C (86°F)
% Water: 73%
Trade: Mining, Agriculture, (Education)
Moons: (3) Skakis, Kubichev-Tik, Colos-Tik
General Notes[]
Kawdl-Kit is a lush tropical world supporting a myriad of non-sentient life forms and has been charged by the UPF to scan for Sathar in the direction of the White Light Nebula. It is rich in minerals and is ideal for agricultural development. It is also a prime candidate for a large tourism industry.
Kawdl-Kit is the object of a political struggle between the on world KUT conglomerate and Streel Corporation. The dispute concerns rightful claim to the territory and the right to exploit the planet's resources as well as determining the lifestyle of the people living there. However, a far more pressing problem has occurred recently; the mineral rich planet has been literally shaken by a disaster of global proportions.
Terrain/Climate[]
Kawdl-Kit's upper crust is still highly active, with large occurrences of volcanoes on the continent and several volcanic islands in the ocean ridges. It has small polar ice caps due to the planet's hot and humid climate.
Disaster[]
On FY128.11.18 a stray asteroid travelling at an extraordinary speed passed within 150,000km of the planet's surface. Scientists are still only guessing at the reasons why the asteroid's speed was unusually high, at nearly 3000km/s (.01c). None of the collected data suggests an artificial cause, but researchers cannot determine why the asteroid was not detected and its course plotted until moments before impact.
The asteroid, about 1,100m in diameter, collided with the planet's smallest and closest moon Skakis (8,000km dia.). Both were destroyed on impact, but several large fragments remained. Nine of these shards, each 500-1,000m wide, plunged into the atmosphere and onto the planet's surface.
The unpredicted results of the asteroid/moon collision gave the citizens of Kawdl-Kit virtually no warning of the impending disaster. Three fragments impacted on the continents, while six others plunged into the oceans. The fragments struck the planet with a force equal to a 200-250 Megaton nuclear explosion each.
A huge cloud of dust was thrown into the atmosphere, temporarily blocking out much of the planet's light. The fragments that hit the oceans caused massive shock waves in the water which resulted in waves exceeding 40m in height. Finally, one of the fragments struck an unstable fault line on the continent's southern coast, triggering a devastating earthquake felt across the entire continent.
Nearly all of the planet's communities were laid waste, and none escaped unscathed. By the time the last large fragment struck the planet, KUT operations around the Frontier were informed of the disaster and rescue preparations were under way.
An accurate count of casualties is still unknown, but the death toll is rising. Many experts estimate that about 45% of Kawdl-Kit's inhabitants were killed or critically injured in the disaster (nearly 630,000 beings). KUT has asked for the assistance of anyone in the area who may be able to help with disaster relief and rescue operations. The UPF has sent its own rescue teams and offered funds for the payment and outfitting of others. The shifted weather patterns have not been helping; rescue attempts will be difficult in the dim sunlight that pierces the dust clouds.
Life[]
Kawdl-Kit is a lush tropical world that supports myriad non-sentient life forms. The land as well as the seas is full of various flora and fauna.
Native Species[]
Cephalopod
History[]
Kawdl-Kit is a contested world between the Vrusk Kttl'Ul'Tik Conglomerate and Streel Corportion. The claims to the planet go back to before either company existed. The corporation which later became the Streel mega-corp sent many unmanned probes to star systems near the expanding homeworlds of the Frontier Races.
One such probe traveled to the K'tsa-Kar system during 88 pf and determined the planet inhabitable. Later (25 pf), the GVMPI sent a manned expedition to the system and placed a claim beacon in orbit around the planet. When they returned, colonists were immediately sent to the system, as it was determined to be especially suited to Vrusk.
Streel Corp sought to gain Kawdl-Kit when it was buying out GVMPI in FY13, and it very well could have been the first mega-corp system. But, GVMPI sold off all of its holdings on the planet during the final hours of autonomy to spare the inhabitants the heavy hand it was witnessing from Streel.
The resulting holdings and other companies on the planet grouped together forming the Vrusk conglomerate KUT to further protect itself from further manipulations via Streel. After acquiring GVMPI, Streel sent a task force to the system to attempt to regain it in the usual Streel fashion. KUT took Streel to the UPF and development was halted until a decision was reached.
Six months later, the courts ruled in favor of KUT. Naturally, Streel appealed the decision. Construction continued while the court reviewed the Streel case, again the court ruled in favor of KUT. Streel reluctantly agreed to the terms of the ruling, removed its task force, and tensions between the two corporations subsided.
Some thirty-five years later(FY125), after Hilo Headow took control at Streel and the rediscovery of logs of the original probe to Kawdl-Kit, Streel is once again focusing upon Kawdl-Kit. Headow is looking for a focus to strengthen his own power and reunite Streel under his administration, and Kawdl-Kit is the perfect target.
The devastation on Kawdl-Kit was widespread, and the rescue operation would take a great deal of money, people, and equipment. In a "move of friendship," Streel has sent several rescue teams to the K'tsa-Kar system to help with the rescue effort. Streel may have found the opportunity it was looking for.
Government[]
The current government on Kawdl-Kit is a plutocracy: a government run by those with the most wealth. This is done somewhat 'democratically' with each being allowed a vote for every credit claimed on a yearly revenue report. A vote is allocated for solvent credits as well as property and holdings. Voting takes place approximately a month after the yearly reports are due and the validity of the claims are confirmed.
Because of this system, the populace is usually very willing to make such reports on time and stiff penalties for fraud such as losing all voting rights keep the reports honest. While corporations do not get voting rights, because of the overwhelming employment of the citizens of Kawdl-Kit by the KUT conglomerate, it is generally seen with favor by the government. Due to the voting methods, public attitude is very important on Kawdl-Kit.
Law[]
Weapons up to- and including rifles are allowed on Kawdl-Kit due to the low population and diverse life forms on the planet. In civilized areas only laser pistols and non-heavy PGS weapons are generally allowed.
Population[]
Vrusk Light. 1,395,900; roughly 1,000,000 Vrusk, 350,000 Humans, and the rest divided amongst Dralasites who find the world too wet and Yazirians who find it too hot and distant from their homeworlds.
Society/Culture[]
Zerich Atoll[]
This is the location of a large (100-150 person) sea-bed farm/home of the Zerich Commune. More than 2,000km from the planet's main continent, the Zerich Farm was built in the tropics. The station was constructed on an atoll (the remains of a volcanically formed island which has been worn down by weather over a long period of time). This forms a large shallow area in the sea around a much smaller island. The Zerich atoll can be considered in the last stages of decay, for only a very small strip of land is present above water, ranging from as little as 8m above water at the island, to as deep as 50m or more at the southern tip.
The Zerich farm was built at the center of the atoll to gain as much protection as possible, and keep a central location to monitor the agricultural activities. The central tower was built in a level area that is (or rather was), 35 meters under water. The central tower is 70m in diameter, and 50m in height, 15m of which actually did remain above water.
From the tower's base, three tunnels extended 300 meters from the center of the station out to smaller monitoring posts, where the robotic maintenance work was controlled. From these, a web of metal posts for supporting the sea-crop extended out in a radius of 750 meters. The sea-drones would monitor food levels and harvest each crop as it ripened.
After the disaster, though much of this has changed. Both the earthquake and the wave that hit the station have drastically altered the shape of the atoll. the earthquake caused the ground below the station to collapse, lowering the station 4 meters and tearing a gaping hole in the bottom of the structure itself. The quake weakened the station structurally as well, leaving it in a defenseless position when the wave struck. The station shifted five degrees, and the large communications tower toppled over. About 55% of the station has been flooded, and all survivors are trapped under sea level.
§ Skakis: 8000km in diameter, this moon is dust.
§ Kubichev-Tik: Second moon.
ª§ Kooistra Station: ASS This satellite is placed in the L5 position of the orbit of Kubichev-Tik
§ Colos-Tik: Third moon.