Thallaxad City

Adian Stammler and Rachel Wraith were chatting under the awning of a building, awaiting being let in.

"Mist. Is there no other weather in this depressing place?"
"How do the Thallaxu endure this?"
"I have no idea. I've been here a dozen times, and it's always been drizzling."
"Ugh, but I know this planet has nice sunshines."
"Sunsets too, I've seen some of those, from this city, sometimes the setting sun just seems to burn off the drizzle and you get a light show, a rainbow between parted clouds and the sun setting in its pink-gold splendor."
"Oh, there's hope then."
"You're pre-occupied."
"Of course I'm preoccupied, your father, my predecessor, got recalled to defend against accusations of treason! I'm not as politically saavy as he is, nor am I as well-connected. If they do the same to me, they'll just run the shuttle from the landing pad to the execution squad."
"You're worrying too much, and there's more law than you know, protecting you from that happening."
"So your dad isn't worried?"
"My dad planned this, this is a smokescreen, to protect someone back on birthsphere. Some contact of his he can't talk to publicly."
"Oh, so you're not worried?"
"Of course I'm worried, treason is the most serious possible charge. But Dad sounded not worried, so I'm trying to tough it out."
"Why is this awning folded like this? It's like it's trying to retain water..."
"Oh, I saw that on my tour, those are water-reclamation awnings. They filter the water, for drinking."

---

A few hours later, as they were walking out.

"What's that?"

"Oh, that's Thallax III iota, you don't usually see it this clearly though. It's on an geo-synchronous orbit, so quite far up."

"I thought the station was overhead?"

"It is, but it's something like 20 kloms up."

"Oh, and it's big enough to be visible unaugmented?"

"Yeah, half as big as Kappa, maybe."

"And you've been here before, often enough that it doesn't make you flinch, seeing that massive murder-asteroid over our heads?"

"Hmm, yeah, you getting nervous on me, Exopilot?"

"It is unnerving. Things that big shouldn't exist."

"It's even bigger than it looks from here."

"Already looks plenty big to me."

"Kappa's a training ground.... For exoframes, in regimental strength. Six regiment exercises happen."

"Fling me to the dark!"

"Dad always says you're the best swearer he knows."

"And this Kappa, is artificial?"

"They covered a planetoid with 75% artificial modules, buildings, you name it. The 25% remaining is added water, forests and other natural locales, even a desert."

"And this Iota?"

"Hush-hush, no Solian has ever set foot. We got escorted away, with a big stick. Literally, they enumerated the weapon systems they were going to use, and the size of the pieces that'd remain if we didn't veer off. Was rather graphic."

---

Parent Location:

Tharkad III

Founders:

Council of Original Geneparents

Elected leader:

Mayor of Thallax

Demonym:

Thallaxu, Thallaxians