Nyx was discovered in 2582 during the height of the newly-formed United Empire of Earth’s territorial expansion. The system consists of three planets circling an F-type Main Sequence star. Astronomically, the most distinct aspect of Nyx is that it is located directly on the border of a dark nebula, which enshrouds the orbits of all three worlds and hampers travel.

The system was first charted through a jump point in the Bremen System by solo navjumper Carla Larry who described what she found in her official claim as “lacking significant mineral deposits or logical reason to apply the expense of terraformation.” Despite her less than encouraging initial assessment, Larry did make an attempt to formally name the star’s three worlds Lou, Morgan and Ashley, apparently after three separate romantic conquests she was pursuing. While the UEE government has never recognized these names, and they have never been widely used, Larry did say before her death that all three of the namesakes were touched by the gesture.

Recently, Nyx has gained some additional utility as a transit system for supplies headed for the Synthworld project, which means there can be a significant credit value of cargo moving through the system at any one time. Small scale piracy is not uncommon, buoyed by the system’s nebula, and travelers are warned not to veer off the standard spacelanes during transit of the system.

A dense asteroid belt circles Nyx’s star at roughly 12 AU. While the asteroid field has seen some mining, it is mostly known as a very good place to avoid unwanted attention. An unknown number of small settlements have been established on asteroids in the area and are home to a variety of fringe colonists seeking anything from life outside the UEE to a platform from which to operate outside the law. Outlaw raids in the system, typically conducted against the trans-Synthworld shipping lanes, are believed to operate out of larger bases in the field.

The highlight of these settlements is Delamar, the largest of the asteroids. The size of a small planetoid, Delamar is hidden deep in the Glaciem Ring. Home to an old mining facility that was abandoned by the original prospectors when they couldn’t turn a profit, the People’s Alliance moved in and dubbed it Levski after an old Earth revolutionary. Dissenters of the UEE’s Messer Era, the People’s Alliance transformed Delamar into a hotbed for political radicals and anti-UEE sentiment. While the People’s Alliance has taken on a more passive role in recent history, Levski still attracts a bunch of politically-minded groups that are similar enough to live together, but different enough in their goals so they never get anything accomplished.

In 2655, a small group of activists sought to escape the totalitarianism of the Messers and found refuge in Delamar’s vacated mining facility. The remote location seemed an ideal stronghold in which to start again. They named the facility Levski in honor of the ancient Earth revolutionary Vasil Levski who shared their dream of an egalitarian society.

As word of this ‘free town’ spread, many anti-Messer activists, intellectuals and pacifists found their way to Levski. They aspired to create an idyllic, leaderless society built around mutual responsibility. Unfortunately, the newly dubbed People’s Alliance engaged in an endless debate over how to achieve their goals.

The first thing one sees upon entering Levski is the imposing statue to honor Anthony Tanaka, a child laborer who died under the rule of the Messers. The statue is an enduring symbol of the People’s Alliance of Levski’s revolutionary spirit.