Proserpina

The planet Persephone contains the main settlements in the Kapteyn system. Established a few years before the Sirius Conflict by the Daedalus 11 voyage, Kapteyn became the first dwarf star to be connected to the inhabited universe.

History

Sirius Conflict

Being among the poorer fringe worlds beyond Sirius, the visible inequalities on Persephone made its population sympathetic to the complaints of the SMC. When locations on Gaia declared themselves autonomous, Persephone was quickly and non violently declared for the SMC. During the first year of the conflict however, splinter groups from within the planet began to instigate braver and more audacious attacks. In order to secure supply lines between their major strongholds, SMC operatives undertook an operation to cripple Trust's defenses around the wormhole to Persephone. The operation backfired, and in an unfortunate standoff, the wormhole was destroyed. It wouldn't be until after the end of the war 4 years later that Persephone would be reintegrated. While likely ultimately necessary, the refusal by SMC elite to allocate wartime resources to the reintegration of a dependent planet supportive of their cause would be despicable in the public eye for years to come. By the time Daedalus 13 was launched there was a very real fear that Persephone would be held by forces sympathetic to the Trust.

During its 9 years alone in space, citizens of the Kapteyn system succumbed to famine and infighting. Fearing infriendly intervention, planetary defenses were established including a small gravmine network. Eventually a series of uneasy truces necessary for survival was established. After 5 years of waiting however, Persephone realized that help may not be coming soon, and the Free Persephone Union was formed as an alternative governing body. Fueled by discontent, it grew to be the largest faction in the system.

As part of a campaign to unite the rest of the system under its rule, the FPU reactivated many of the mining sites for which Persephone was originally colonized. It was through these operations that remains of the Lemurians, the alien race responsible for much of the biodiversity on Gaia, was discovered along with some of its biotechnology. These sites were eagerly plundered by the FPU, which would ultimately awaken the Aliens' Final Creation.