Paal

Paal (B-564679-6) - Ag, Ni, Ri

Paal is a habitable world thanks to an unusually dense planetary core. This means that the planet has a surprisingly high surface gravity (0.72G) for a world that is only 8000km in diameter and the combination of high surface gravity, an unusually strong magnetic field and orbiting fairly far out means that the planet has retained a standard atmosphere despite the fierce solar wind from its F3 V primary. 

The dense, hot, planetary core means that the planet is also extremely active tectonically and although in the modern era the planet has been relatively quiescent, the atmosphere is heavily loaded with CO₂ from previous volcanic epochs. The resulting greenhouse effect has kept the planet warm enough to be viable for humans despite Paal orbiting at 2.82 AU (423 million km) which is otherwise beyond the outer edge of the star’s habitable zone.

There was a minimal biosphere on Paal when Solomani colonists arrived during the 2^nd Imperium and so they were able to introduce terrestrial bioforming packages with great success. Over the course of the subsequent three millennia the volcanic soils of Paal have proven to be remarkably fertile and the world developed into an agricultural colony that fed the high population worlds of the Dragon Emperors of Sindal and, subsequently, the Star Kings of Drinax.

Paal suffered very little direct damage during the Fall of Drinax. The agricultural Factors who ran the estates on the planet for Drinaxi absentee owners disarmed the local Star Guard garrison and negotiated a swift surrender to the invading Aslan. This perceived betrayal by the Factors combined with the fact that as part of the terms of surrender the Paalians agreed to supply the Aslan fleet during the Siege of Drinax means that the Drinaxi still regard Paal as a planet of traitors and untrustworthy turncoats (this partly explains why King Oleb sanctioned the invasion of Asim twenty years ago rather than go cap-in-hand to Paal for food assistance). 

In the century since the Fall the population of Paal has boomed, tripling to approximately six million sophonts and the estate Factors have evolved into an oligarchic class of landlords who jockey for pre-eminence amongst themselves and have adopted aristocratic forms of their former overlords (much to the disgust of said overlords). This constant competition among the various ‘Subahdars’ of the world means that offworld trade is extensive and the agricultural surpluses of the planet have been parlayed into substantial imports of high technology (far beyond what can be produced locally). 

The Paalian Factors have judged, perhaps optimistically, that their food exports – they are the source for regular food shipments to the nearby high population worlds of Tyokh and Vorito as well as to numerous outposts across the Reach – make them ‘too big to fail’; by remaining open for business for all they aim to make themselves too valuable to the various power players of the Outrim Void to be worth annexing. So far this judgement has proven sound.

The high law level of Paal (9 – no weapons can be carried outside of your dwelling) reflects the general level of scrutiny that offworlders and the landless class are subject to in most Factorial estates. Members of the oligarchic elite and officials of their household staff are afforded much more liberty of course.

There are many spaceports scattered across the surface of Paal (at least one for each significant Factorial estate) but the B starport of the UPP refers to the orbital facility that is operated by GeDeCo under a contract with the Factorial Council of Paal (an otherwise toothless talking shop that hardly ever meets). This orbital platform is neutral territory and serves as a de facto meeting space where the Factors can negotiate with offworlders (or amongst themselves sub rosa).

Paal System

Paal Prime is an F3 V main sequence star that casts a jump shadow out to 1.18 AU (~177 million km). Because the main world orbits relatively far out the planet is only masked by the star’s jump-shadow about 10% of the time for any given destination – however when jump-masked by the star, ships must generally travel around 2 AU (~300 million km) to reach an unmasked jump point – at 1G this takes 96 hours (or 4 days), falling to 68 hours at 2G and to a little under 40 hours for a ship capable of 6G (assuming a standard accelerate-flip-decelerate flight plan to ensure that the ship has a manageable vector relative to the local frame to simplify the navigator's jump plot).

Paalian control of the local system is hampered by their poor local tech level and other than a dozen small  customs cutters who operate in the immediate space around the mainworld there is no deep space patrol. This means that the periods where ships must transit significant distances before they can jump safely are marked by an increased risk of piracy and merchants plan their routes either to avoid these times entirely or to ensure that they can convoy together for mutual protection (for example the J2 megafreighters which carry manufactured goods from Vorito and foodstuffs back are escorted by a brace of GeDeCo gunboats on these transits). Periodically someone proposes that a mercenary contract for a Deep Space patrol should be offered but thus far such proposals have never made it out of committee at the Factorial Council and it is widely surmised that several Factorial estates have collaborated with the pirate fleets when they have been operating here.

System Parameters

Minimum Orbit	Inner LZ	Outer LZ	Snow Line	Max Orbit
0.28 AU	1.9 AU	2.5 AU	10.3 AU	56.8 AU

Planetary Orbits

Orbit	Distance	Name	Type	Size
1	0.42 AU	Natkoi	Terrestrial	6400 km
2	0.72 AU	Pelliemiaa	Terrestrial	8000 km
3	1.02 AU	Krodass	Terrestrial	6400 km
4	1.62 AU	Jerlisei	Terrestrial	9600 km
5	2.82 AU	Paal	Terrestrial	8000 km
6	5.22 AU	Kordrifaa	Terrestrial	8000 km
7	10.02 AU	Jertusi	Gas Giant	40000 km
8	19.62 AU	Leoschaa	Gas Giant	96000 km
9	38.82 AU	Freedriks	Gas Giant	104000 km

There are three gas giants that permit wilderness refuelling in the outer system –however the best case transit, when Jertusi is in opposition relative to Paal, requires a 7.2 AU voyage which takes over a week (~182 hours) at 1G - this transit time rises to ~244 hours when Jertusi is in conjunction - so most ship masters who are visiting the main world opt for the safer and quicker option of refuelling at Paal Highport (where berthing costs are a fairly extortionate Cr3000 per week).

Of course the lack of deep space patrols means that the system is an attractive refuelling point for those vessels that wish to make an unobserved stopover and who aren't worried about the threat from pirates in the outer system.