Esposi-2

Esposi-2 is a member world of the Emissariate of Bolusca.

Planetary Characteristics

Esposi-2 is a class B world, the second planet of the G3 star Esposi, approximately 320 parsecs spinward of Bolusca. Its orbital distance is 1.2 Boluscanomical Units (BU), giving it a year of 1.3 cycles. Gravity is Boluscan standard. The climate is temperate, with a small axial tilt of 7° giving little seasonal variation and small polar ice caps. Oceans cover 70% of the surface, concentrated in the equatorial regions.

The population of Esposi-2 is a little over two billion, predominantly of Boluscan descent. The planet is heavily industrialized, with most of the population in large cities separated by extensive grasslands and curated wilderness parks.

The planet has extensive orbital spaceport facilities, handling the loading of bulk freighters from across the Emissariate. A small fleet of System Gunboats are operated by the planetary government for the purposes of anti-piracy operations.

Esposi-1

Esposi-1 is a second inhabited world in the Esposi system. It orbits 0.75 BU from Esposi, with a year of 0.65 cycles. Esposi-1 has a dense atmosphere with a surface pressure of 50 standard atmospheres. The atmospheric composition is mainly carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulphur dioxide and water vapour. Consequently, though only 10% of the star's radiation reaches the planet's surface, the surface has a mean temperature of 700K. In addition to the inhospitable pressure and temperature, the surface is subject to 300km/h winds and frequent sulphuric acid rain.

Despite these conditions, Esposi-1 has a permanent population of approximately 10 million, living in a cluster of domed cities. The atmosphere has high percentages of noble gases, especially radiogenic argon, very important in many industrial processes. The Esposi-1 colony is therefore nothing but a gas mining operation owned by Esposi-2, whose factories it feeds.

History

Esposi-2 was colonized in the first wave of Boluscan expansion, and is therefore considered one of the original 15 Core Worlds. Its benign climate and vast prairies made it the key agricultural world, but this changed with the identification of the gas wealth of Esposi-1, around Cy. 400. Mining colonies were established on Esposi-1, and Esposi-2 became increasingly industrialised, with factories consuming the raw gas flowing from Esposi-1, and exporting a wide range of products across the Emissariate. The population, or at least the upper echelons, grew extremely wealthy from the profits of these operations. Intensive farming continues in some areas, but only for consumption by the planetary population; export of food produce has virtually halted.

In Cy. 1602, a growing political movement on Esposi-2 began agitating for secession from the Emisariate. This mirrored similar activity on several Core Worlds, though there was no definite evidence to link this scattered activity into a wider conspiracy. Protests often broke into open violence, in which the super-powered villain Silver Quick was often involved as a ringleader. Silver Quick was eventually captured by a Star Guard team led by Captain Sureshot, and was revealed to be the Esposian tech billionaire Me-Lon Usk.

Simultaneously, the disgruntled population of Esposi-1 were organising into a movement to lobby for greater political rights and a greater share of the wealth they produced. There is no evidence that this movement was linked to the secession movement on Esposi-2.

Notable Individuals

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