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Helia

Hours passed as he recounted bits of his past, from a childhood spent exploring the urban jungle to his recent efforts to spread political messages -- by analog means rediscovered and reinvented through sheer ingenuity. Anything digital was being recorded around the clock. And encryption was prohibited, naturally.

"Is anything permitted on Helia?" asked Mel while Doran dusted ceramic vases and statues on the top shelves.

"Sure," he said distractedly. "Working. Celebrating National Day. Cheering on your favorite curveball team."

"How about shopping?"

"That too. But there's not much to see. They shuffle merchandise all over the planet, you know, to make it look like you have a wide choice of products, but it's all the same inside the packaging."
— Vryheid

Not nearly as populated, or quite as friendly as New Antaea (though few visitors are allowed to see for themselves), this planet is home to a federation of totalitarian regimes with centralized economies known as the Democratic Republics of Helia. The sizable if obsolete war fleet they operate puts them in a position to bully their smaller neighbors, but any expansionist tendencies are kept in check by the other two major powers in the region. Helians trade with the Baselmann Conglomerate, but are paranoid and suspicious toward any military that's not their own, refusing to ally with others even against common threats. They're also known to pursue defectors aggressively, even deep into foreign territories. Most kinds of augments are banned on Helia, except for the ruling elite.