Kyban

Kyban is one of the more populous worlds in the Archanis Sector, featuring a population of just over 300 million citizens spread across the equatorial archipelagos that form the majority of the planet's usable land surface. Not far from the Federation-Klingon border, this world saw its share of tragedy in its early years, even briefly occupied by Klingon forces during the first Federation-Klingon war. Over the last century however the world has prospered thanks to the Organian Peace Treaty and subsequent Khitomer Accords largely protecting the peace of the shared border. A stable border, a temperate if not desirable climate and abundant resources on the world and within the star system have contributed to the prosperity of the world as well.

In the last few decades however Kyban authorities have taken it upon themselves to work towards ensuring the safety of their world independent of Federation security promises. While this is a work in progress, the Kyban Defence Force has completed the construction of a Class 1 orbital defence system and is working towards expansion to a Class 2 system sometime in the next five years. They also now count five system defence vessels in their inventory, primarily using them for system patrols and rescue work where required.

Notable locations

Banksy City

Banksy City is the largest metropolitan area on Kyban as well as the planetary and system capital, with a population of over fifteen million calling it home. The city since its inception has grown with an eye towards modernity and minimal environmental impact, opting for high-density living and technological solutions for the problems of over-population.

Banksy City is built on the island of Brit and is surrounded by the Dai Sea. Right on Kyban's equator, this would normally result in hot a humid temperatures for a majority of the year, but gentle breezes most of the year tend to help with that, as well as careful urban planning of the city and a sophisticated weather control system imported in from Risa.

Ardot’s Café

This café, owned by the Bolian information broker Ardot Kresh, who also serves as the head chef, is known in better circles as a delightful well-known secret of Banksy City. Specialising in experimental recipes and fusion styles, the menu at Ardot’s Café will change repeatedly throughout the day based on a variety of factors - time of day, the weather, what Ardot has in stock and 'the whims of fate' as Ardot will profess when changes are updated.

For those with less savoury tastes, Ardot's Café serves as the premier information brokerage for the entire Archanis Sector. This terribly out-there secret helps to add to the mystique of the café - one can never be entirely sure one isn't seated next criminal mastermind selling secrets, a superspy seeking his target or just a mild-mannered businessman seeking something a little different for lunch today.

The open secret also means that the café tends to be monitored on a regular basis by Starfleet and Federation security apparatuses. The popular opinion for why none have moved to shut down Ardot is that they too enjoy his wonderful and masterful culinary creations, but the more pragmatic lean towards the thinking of why would they shut down a location that lets them monitor the comings and goings of individuals of note. The long-term gains from monitoring the place outweigh the short-term gains from shutting it down and acting on the intelligence they could potentially seize.

Federation Plaza

Located in the heart of Banksy City's CBD, Federation Plaza is a small sector given over to the various branches of the Federation's and Starfleet's bureaucratic organs that require a presence on the world. The plaza is surrounded by a collection of various buildings, most of them housing multiple though oft-related bureau offices.

Notable efforts were made to make the plaza truly representative of the Federation as a whole, with stone sourced from every populated Federation world incorporated into the plaza's parquet, each labelled so that visitors can find a piece of their homeworld and know that a piece has its place on Kyban.

Kyban Rookery

Kyban Rookery is the Starfleet Intelligence headquarters on Kyban. This facility oversees operations within the Archanis Sector, including those taking place inside the Klingon Empire. The Rookery's location is no secret as it is located at Starfleet Tower, located in the Federation Plaza. Its location within the building however is a closely guarded secret.

Totally Legitimate Salvage Operations Corporate Headquarters

"We're legitimate, it's in the name. Totally legitimate even."

—Captain Sidda Sadovu

Located in a small corporate office, the Totally Legitimate Salvage Operations Corporate Headquarters is currently a single-floor entity being managed in day-to-day operations planetside by the company's Chief Financial Officer, Naroq. Located as far from Federation Plaza as can be reasonably expected while remaining in the heart of the CBD, TLSO's head office is easily located and open for business.

Thames Station

Thames Station serves as Kyban's predominant orbital facility, specialising in civilian transit, cargo transhipment, and civilian vessel repairs. The station is also the centre of the Kyban System Defence Forces and as such does maintain a Starfleet liaison office as well, though this is minor compared to the civilian infrastructural aspects of the station.

Thames Station is of no particular class or design, having evolved over the last century as demands have increased and expansions have been undertaken to meet those pressures. Kept in geostationary orbit above Banksy City, the working population of the station commonly commutes via the station's extensive transporter systems. A sprawling collection of docking ports, slips and scaffolds surrounding commercial and industrial hubs, Thames Station is one of the largest, most spread out stations in the entire Archanis Sector. Visitors' first impressions are of a web that has ensnared several small stations and brought them close and this isn't far from the truth.