Star System: KELTERRE

Katriel · August 28, 2019, 12:00am

KELTERRE II
M-CLASS TERRESTRIAL PLANET
Inhabited

CLIMATE

Temperate, Boreal

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PLANETSIDE CONCERNS

Kelterre II is an ocean planet with a nickel-iron inner core. There is very little that exists in terms of terrain. Instead the planet is spotted with underwater tunnel and cave systems and rock pinnacles that spire as high as the ocean's surface. There are three moons in orbit, which creates a very prominent tidal influence on the planet's oceans below. There is no evidence of sentient life, though there is a modest marine ecosystem of flora and fauna that has yet to be documented in full.

While Kelterre II's atmosphere is breathable, it does contain contaminates that cause a significant scattering effect on communication signals and transporter sequences, an issue that has delayed a thorough exploration of the planet's surface. Usage of custom augmented-comms satellites to account for the atmospheric scatter has enabled reliable communication with visitors to the planet's surface, but transporters remain an unsolved complication. Scanning the planet's surface from space remains generally unaffected.

Kelterre II is a prominent source of picoverbium, which can make underground traversal somewhat hazardous. Explosives are currently strictly forbidden when personnel are working in the caves.

Planet view from orbit.
art credit: ocean planet with clouds, nurkie, deviantart

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HISTORY

The system was first charted in late 2360, along with numerous other systems of interest in the sector. The system was mostly left alone until 2410, when a Federation science team petitioned for access due to their interest in variations of evolutionary progression on ocean-based planets. The expedition was greenlit and the research team set up a barebones research outpost which they occupied on a regular basis.

In early 2415, Task Force Argo investigated an incident where the expedition team was attacked by mercenary looters. After the rescue effort, research was paused for a few months while improvements were made to the outpost's security.

Up until 2418, the outpost was visited periodically by the same expedition team for varying lengths of time as they monitor conditions and run long-term experiments on the planet's surface.

UNKNOWN ALIEN COLONIZERS

In late 2418, a mass of tiny UFOs landed on the planet as part of a colonization effort by a previously unknown alien species. The initial structures of the colony were built via automatons that were programmed to harvest raw materials from the planet and utilize them in synthesizing construction materials and habitats, as well as an enormous gate in orbit through which an alien ship eventually arrived. Starfleet's First Contact Division was able to deposit an observation team on the planet's surface before the arrival of Species 2515.

Floating colony structure

Relevant report/communication history:

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FIRST CONTACT

In Jun 2419, 38th Fleet made first contact with the Tidehollow species after they (non-violently) captured members of the observation team to force a Starfleet response. During negotiations, the Tidehollow explained that their homeworld had been made uninhabitable by ecological catastrophe and theirs was one of four colonial ventures to seek out a new home. On behalf of Starfleet, Captain Bahieh negotiated the release of the observation team members in exchange for agreeing to seek out and transport the Tidehollow’s three other colonial ventures to their successful colony on Kelterre.

See: AAR: The Tidehollow