Star Type:          F7III

Position in System: 5th planet

Time to Jump Point: 10 days

Recharging Station: Zenith and Nadir jump points

Ruler:              Selena Kyle, Duchess of Altair

ComStar Facility:   Class A, Precentor Elba Fuentes

Population:         3.6 Billion

Native Life:        20% native, reptiles most advanced

Altair is a large, dry planet beneath a very unstable sun. The cause of the sun's frequent solar storms and violent flares in unknown, but such activity shuts down communications, sometimes for two months or more.

The planet's underground rivers are the reason that a few areas do support vegetation. Around these green patches cluster the three billion inhabitants of the planet. Mining is the major industry, with five iron ore deposits and one titanium ore deposit presently being mined.

The curious water in certain portions of the planet has given rise to the planet's second biggest firm, the Long Life Company. Head- quartered in the city of Bonanza, this company grows certain herbs in "Altairian Medicinal Water" (as they call it) so that the herbs may be used in teas. The company is also a large manufacturer of more conventional medicines.

From House Kurita, Editor Gillian Sorenson-Hague, ComStar Archives.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

|                     NORTH CONTINENT                                  |

|                       MMM                                            |

|                      M   M  MM M                                     |

|                     M     MM  M MM                                   |

|                    M   Altair CityM                     KCMC City    |

|              MMM MM M   *        M           M           *           |

|M M          M   M    M   WWW      M           M   MMM                |

| M MM  MM   M          MMM WWW    M           M M M  M M       M     M|

|     MM  M M                      M            MM M    M M    MM M  M |

|    M     MM                       M          M           M MM    MM  |

|   M        M   CENTRAL CONTINENT M MM       M             M EAST CONT|

|  M          M                   M    M    MM   The        M  * Blue  |

| M            M                        MM M     Trackless   M   Canton|

|M      WW      MM           Dragon's     M      Desert       MM       |

|       *WW       M      M * Domain      M                      M M M M|

|    Bonanza     M MM  MM M          MM M                        M M M |

|               M    MM    M      M M  M                               |

|               M           M    M M                                   |

|                            MMMM                                      |

|                                              * Tarawa Outpost        |

|                     SOUTH CONTINENT                                  |

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Altair City

The capital of Altair, this is the largest city on the planet. The seat of government is here, with the Duchy's Castle built on the side of a mountain overlooking the nearby city and sea. The city and suburbs sprawl all around the Sea of Altair, which is the largest body of water on the planet. Some 100 million people live in or near Altair City and Sea.

KCMC City

Primarily a corporate city built by the Kurita Combine Munitions Corporation, who is also the largest employer in the area. The KCMC maintains several large AeroSpace factories of all kinds, mainly producing fighters for the DCMS. The 3rd Battalion of the 18th Dieron Regulars is stationed nearby.

Bonanza

Built around the Sea of Cartwright, the only other major body of water on Altair. The Long Life Company has its headquarters and major factories here -- their main product being "Altair Medicinal Water". Count Muirvald Cooke, former Duke of Altair, is the noble in charge of Bonanza.

Dragon's Domain

The second largest city on the Central Continent. The main headquarters of the 18th Dieron, along with its First Battalion, is stationed here. The city supplies the mining industries of the Central Continent and processes the output from those mines.

Blue Canton

Several major ore deposits are still being mined near this city, which was established to process the ores before shipping offplanet. The city has the highest per capita incidence of rioting, murders, and other violent crimes, which only increased when the 2nd Battalion of the 18th Dieron was moved to Tarawa Outpost. Peoples of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean ancestry form the majority of the population.

Tarawa Outpost

Established in a remote area of Altair, this city houses several research bases, one of which was destroyed recently. Only people who have been cleared by the DCMS may enter the city. The 2nd Battalion of the 18th Dieron was stationed here in response to the recent raid that destroyed one of the research bases.