Barycenter Shipyards
Originally a civilian storage depot balanced on the gravitational lagrange point between the planet Ithaca and its double-planet moon, Priam, it found itself conscripted as a drydock repair facility during the Unification War on the side of the Independent Faction.
The location was an ideal place for a shipyard and repair facility due to its location and to the large populations of the planets on either side of it. The gravity pull balanced between the planets at that point, making it a stable and gentle place for major structural work. In addition, having to large astronomical bodies on either side of it helped to keep the ships in dock there safer from flying debris and sometimes from the harsh radiation of the 'Verse's many suns. This advantage proved valuable during the war where the combined firepower of the two planetary defense grids provided extra cover.
History
The stability of the barycenter between the double planet system of Ithaca and Priam was well-known before these worlds were fully terraformed in 2348. At first, the location was little more than just a depot for materials and storage structures used during the terraforming process. After the official declaration in 2348 that both Ithaca and Priam were well within the colonization limits and declared opened, a small private business bought out the Terraforming Authority structures and continued to operate as a waypoint between the two worlds.
As the population of the two planets grew to be the largest in the Georgia system, Barycenter Depot expanded its capabilities from a convenient storage facility to a capable shipyard, and renamed Barycenter Shipyards. Local Georgians claimed that its capabilities were on par with that of any in the 'Verse, but when compared to the heavily invested shipyards of the Core, this was never the case. Regardless, it remained a popular repair and upgrade facility for those who had purchased their craft in the Core and wanted specific (and sometimes questionable) modifications.
As the Unification War drew near, the reputation of Barycenter Shipyards also became more dubious in the eyes of Allied factions. And it was no secret that ships belonging to Independent sympathizing private and local militia groups were frequenting the Shipyards and installing weapons "for personal defense reasons". Still, Barycenter Shipyards operated just with barely enough legality (and enough local protection) to avoid seizure by the Allied government.
When war finally broke in 2506, however, it became a significant asset to the Independents. Its proximity to Ithaca and Priam, which served as constant natural vanguards, kept it safe from Alliance cruisers attempting to navigate in between the worlds and seize control.
After the terrible crippling of the Independent fleet after the Battle of Sturges in the Murphy system, the remnants limped to the docks for emergency repairs. While about 85% of the fleet was saved, several catastrophic failures caused further casualties as dozens of inexperienced women and men were thrown into soft-shell EVA suits in an attempt to save what and who they could. A few explosions of ruptured fusion cores decimated one of the facility's repair wings.
The docks were able to remain in Independent hands during the entirety of the war. But when the Independents surrendered after the Battle of Serenity Valley, Alliance forces swarmed in to take immediate control.
Eventually, the repair yards were returned to civilian usage. But the Alliance now keeps very close tabs on the activity there with the addition of a governmental listening and observation post permanently stationed in the vicinity.
Alternative Names
Barycenter Docks, Ithaca Docks, Ithaca-Priam Shipyard
Type
Orbital, Station
Parent Location
Owning Organization
Note:
The Hill-sphere radius of Priam is just shy of 32,000 km from its center. Thus at the barycenter of 33,700 km from Ithaca, that gives the orbital location occupied by Barycenter Shipyards over a thousand kilometers of relative stability.
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