Planet: Olovom

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Description
Olovom is a peripheral planet within the Sovereign Biktom Directorate, orbiting the orange star Igedyor. Originally lacking a notable atmosphere, a partially-successful terraforming project left the world prone to dust storms. The planet's surface mainly consists of dry, windswept plains with weedy vegetation. Meanwhile, the versatility of Olovom's young seas led to its major settlements being located at their coasts, or at least not too far upstream.

Economy
Agriculturally, the dust storms prevent the majority of Giree crops from being cultivated. Instead, the vast swathes of sturdy plant life lend themselves well to ranching. The livestock of choice is the vaguely caprine Slogat, which has specialized ear-like tentacles which provide a keen sense of hearing. This, in combination with their flocks' tendency to congregate in safe locations when stressed, allows them to instinctively head for livestock shelters just before dust storms, rather than require their tenders' guidance.

Ranching is supplemented by mining activity in Olovom's rugged mountains, as well as manufacturing in its more developed municipal regions.

Directorate Activity
Several Directorate Army outposts are located in mountain ranges that offer proximity to urban centers. During duststorms, the plains of Olovom make excellent low-visibility training sites, since the blowing sediments inhibit communication, mapping, and tracking equipment. However, they are not so "convenient" for patrol drones.

The most important facility is Site Olovom-04, located in the subarctic Hihis Mountains. Its secondary purpose is to serve as a high-security penitentiary for individuals the Directorate deems too noteworthy for Olovom Law Enforcement to deal with on its own. As a result, the site also serves as a Directorate Intelligence Network site. The location has gained a frightful reputation among local citizens; in particular, its poorly-lit, winding passages are known in hushed tones as "The Tunnels."

Meanwhile, a station high in orbit above Olovom serves as its center of superluminal communication, and is the control center for all of Olovom's communication and reconnaissance satellites. It is referred to simply as "Olovom Station" by Directorate personnel, and, even more simply, "The Station" by locals. It also hosts docking bays for planetary shuttles and most medium-sized vessels, making it a center of Directorate commerce, as well.

Recent History
In 63 ASE, a fungoid pathogen that became known as the "Olovom Strain" diffused rapidly within the planet's population. As an airborne disease, its rapid spread was owed most to the planet's dust storms, which offered swift passage for its spores. It was known to viciously attack the respiratory systems of its Giree hosts. A planetary quarantine imposed by the Directorate averted an interplanetary disaster, but, in conjunction with lackluster "care" for the infected, contributed to planetside instability.