Starsight (station)

Starsight (station)
by Isaac Stewart
Region	C4
Nation	Superiority
Universe	Cytoverse

This article is about the space station. For the second book in the Skyward series, see Starsight.

“A million different goals. A million different jobs. A million creatures who saw me as one of the most dangerous things in the galaxy. ”

—Spensa

Starsight is a Superiority space station that acts as a major trade hub and houses the regional government. It uses a distinctive design known as a platform.

Location and Layout

Starsight lies in deep space, some forty-odd light years from Detritus, in the C4 region of the Superiority. The whole station is a vast, flat disc many kilometres long, larger than any Detritus city. Numerous skyscrapers and other buildings are constructed on both its sides. A glowing blue bubble envelopes the entire structure, keeping the air and heat in, and allowing the inhabitants to live on the surface. There's also a field suppressing cytonic abilities, as well as a protective shield, which can stop both physical objects and delvers from attacking. It's possible that rather than being a separate entity, the protective shield is the same as the atmospheric shield, recalibrated as necessary.

The city is divided into several -- at least seven -- sectors, and dotted with over a thousand berths for ships to dock in. Unlike the rest of the city, the docks are typically austere, comprised of large, unadorned metal platforms. Connecting the various sectors is a public transport network in the form of round platforms that float using acclivity rings.

Parks

The station proper is rich and lavishly decorated with greenery, with numerous parks full of tall trees and lawns of moss, and gardens at every corner. Other than plant gardens, the city is also houses more exotic sites, like water gardens - stone plazas where gravity is manipulated to create shimmering spheres of water that float through the air. Notably, Starsight has the technology to make this change in gravity affect only water, and not any living beings or objects.

Buildings

Most buildings within Starsight seem to be skyscrapers, constructed in various styles, with rows of colored blocks standing side by side with corkscrewing towers. Peppered among them are shorter structures, down to three-stories high, and on ground level, there are numerous shops and bars, selling everything from clothing to food. Some buildings are constructed out of metal, then painted to mimic the look of a more decorative material, such as bricks. In fact, nearly every civillian space, and most military ones, are adorned in some manner, mostly by painting them in various vivid colors.

History

“This platform and dozens like it have existed for hundreds of years in peace. ”

—Morriumur

Starsight was built a few hundred years before the Third Human War, as one of several dozen similar stations. It's unknown who built it, or what its purpose was originally; however, at some point after Superiority's formation, it was important enough to make it one of the regional governments. During that time, the station came to house several of Superiority's departments, adding to its importance.

When the Delver Resistance Project was proposed, the applicants were assembled at Starsight. The initial test likewise took place near the station, and the would-be pilots were housed in various locales there. However, training itself took place in a different system.

When the Department of Protective Services attacked Detritus, one of its operatives, Brade, managed to summon a delver, which Spensa accidentally redirected to Starsight. Spensa, alongside Vapor, Morriumur and the kitsen warship Swims Upstream set out to rescue them, while on Starsight, a mass evacuation began, with citizens taking ships out of the station as the delver closed in on it. The fighters eventually succeeded, and the delver was banished.

In the aftermath, Starsight began negotiations with Detritus, hoping to attain some form of peace. However, Brade, under orders from Winzik, the Minister of Protective Services, attacked the city with the intent to assassinate the Minister Cuna and pin the blame on the humans of Detritus, hoping to torpedo the attempts at peace.

Politics

Government

Starsight is home to both the Department of Species Integration and the Department of Protective Services, the diplomatic and military branches of Superiority government. As a result, the station also winds up housing members of the Delver Resistance Project, although their training is done in a different system.

For civillians, carrying personal weapons is forbidden while on the station, though this ban might not apply to foreign officials.

Transportation

Locally, all vehicles travelling to and from the station are subject to Platform Docking Authority, whose ships can be recognized by their white coat of paint. Regular PDA ships are unarmed and do not adhere to military protocols, suggesting they don't expect trouble from their visitors under regular circumstances.

Local atmospheric vehicles have a set of altitudes high above the "ground" level for their own use. Emergency vehicles, however, are allowed to travel much further down.

Information

Starsight has a public information archive, accessible through the local datanet, with information even on topics such as humans. There are also several news networks, both text and TV, which aren't afraid to criticize the government. However, it's uncertain just how free they are; though they can and will report on events such as civil uprisings and leaked information, they also seem to be easily manipulated by the Department of Protective Services.

Inhabitants

Starsight is home to millions of people, belonging to uncountable different species. Of the five Superiority leader races, the diones and the varvax can be found in abundance, while the other three are few and far between. Other than that, lesser species, like burl and solquis, are also present. As a result, Starsight's docking crews are equipped to accomodate many different kinds of beings, with gear such as steps, ramps, slides and more. The city also provides its inhabitants with care centers, which appear to be equivalents of schools or kindergardens for children of various species.

Apart from spacefaring vessels, Starsight possesses many atmospheric vehicles for local transport. Nonetheless, most people seem to prefer moving under their own power, and there are many roads and paths throughout the station to enable this. The city is bustling with activity at all hours, even in the "night" period.

Notable citizens

• Cuna
• Morriumur
• Winzik
• Brade
• Vapor
• Mrs. Chamwit

Notes

This page is probably complete!

This page contains most of the knowledge we have on the subject at this time.
It has yet to be reviewed.