Discovered early in Humankind’s extrasolar expansion, Davien was charted in 2430 by Wendell Dopse and named after his father-in-law. Although it is best known as the site of first contact between Humans and the Banu, the most unusual facet of Davien’s discovery was what it represented to the broader astrophysics community: contemporary science had predicted that no additional jump points would exist in the Sol System. When Dopse charted the jump to Davien, it meant that textbooks had to be rewritten and it ultimately lead to a flurry of advancements in jump scanning technology.
The public lost interest in Davien itself as the excitement over its discovery waned. Four planets orbiting a slight, orange Type-K main sequence star, the system held no exotic resource caches or strategic military chokeholds. It seemed destined to become a lightly-populated backwater star system adjacent to more developed areas of the Empire.
That all changed quickly in 2438. Vernon Tar, an independent navjumper running scans in the outer sector, encountered an alien vessel for the first time in Human history. The ship in question turned out to be Humanity’s first introduction to the Banu Protectorate. The UNE quickly established a military-led watch station to take control of the situation and the first interstellar treaty with a delegation from the Protectorate slowly took shape. (The ultimate irony for all parties involved was that the ship originally engaged by Tar was a fugitive fleeing civilization.)
Now, poised to become the jumping off point to trade with the Banu, interest in the system skyrocketed. With the potential for exotic materials, alien technology and more, the system was flooded with all forms of Humanity, and the terraforming of Davien II became a priority. Within decades, it had developed into one of the more populated Human worlds.
Davien I A large, battered and gray rock that is visually similar to Earth’s moon, Davien I makes a reasonable poster child for the concept of a “fly-over” world. Coreless and without many interesting minerals, few find reason to set foot on the planet.
Davien II (Cestulus) Davien II, named Cestulus after terraforming was completed in the second-half of the 25th century, is the system’s only habitable world. The end result is a less than ideal, thin atmosphere. Because of this, the majority of Human habitation is beneath elaborate biodomes that pump oxygen into the air to help people breath. While its title as the “gateway to the Eastern Empire” may have been taken by Corel, dozens of major cargo runs still criss-cross the system and shipping still makes up a significant portion of the world’s economy. To that end, the planet is dotted in spaceports with facilities to entertain and supply long-haul transport crews.
Jata is Cestulus’ most emblematic city. Located underneath an ever expanding warren of air production facilities, the city is most famously home to Aegis Dynamics’ corporate headquarters and initial production facilities. The base primarily produces components rather than a particular ship design. More exotic resources are imported and the need is consistent. Beyond Aegis’ footprint in the city, the unique biodomed cityscape has become symbolic of the Davien system as a whole.
For reasons not completely understood by sociologists, Cestulus became a flashpoint for political upheaval. In 2529, the feared economic collapse that accompanied the introduction of the Empire’s unified currency, UEC, lead to a bloody, two-week riot in the city of Jata. Only military intervention stopped the protest. In 2546, the planet was the site of terrorist bombings that left thousands dead, with bombs being planted specifically to collapse one of the planet’s most populated biodomes. This violent act kicked off a series of similar attacks across the UPE that lead to the adoption of Ivar Messer’s Prime Citizen plan. In recent years, Cestulus has become the adopted podium of everyone from Terran secessionists to xenophobic groups.
Davien III Davien III is a smog planet with an acid-based atmosphere. With the resources present deemed not worth the risk of establishing a protective enclosure colony, the planet remains uninhabited. Rumors do persist that Davien III is a dumping ground for troublemakers and others who find themselves on the wrong side of the region’s organized criminal syndicates.
Davien IV Davien IV is a beautiful but inhospitable ice giant. Owing to its proximity to the system’s jump point out to Cathcart and its atmospheric stability, a Naval station was established in Davien IV’s orbit. Retired in the 29th Century on the heels of military cutbacks and strengthening xeno-relations, today the base is the Banu Friendship Museum, where visitors can learn an overly-simplified story of Humankind’s interactions with the Protectorate. Few tourists are interested enough to make the trek to the system’s outer reaches, however, and the museum is constantly in danger of losing its funding.
Travel Warning Travelers are well-warned that due to the system’s long history of political upheaval, the Advocacy forces and local militia units in Davien are no-nonsense elites. Waystations and well-equipped militia spacecraft are the rule here, and only the most advanced smuggler compartments can possibly move contraband through Davien’s “galactic truckstop.” There is no humor for smugglers, even the most harmless varieties.