The Ungae Palace and Vacation Resort on Midgar
The Midgar System lies in the galacitc west of the Holy Terran Empire, and is controlled by House Arrington.
History
Settled shortly after the founding of New Tokyo in 2216, this planet was largely ignored by the federation due to its lack of strategic importance or minerals. It was briefly conquered by the K'Nes Tor early in the Third Civil War, but they soon decided that the risks outweighted the profits to be gained from such an unimportant system, and unilaterally withdrew their forces in hopes of building up goodwill with the various human factions prior to signing a peace treaty. The planetary leaders left in charge by the retreating K'Nes applied for membership in the neutral Frontier Worlds Territory, and were accepted. But this membership did not last long, as mere months later, the changing balance of power after the bloody Battle of Avalon led to the K'Nes allying with the Jurvain to dismember the FWT between them. The FWT collapsed, and the leaders of Midgar appealed to the Tech Infantry Rebels faction for help, which arrived in the form of an expeditionary force led by newly returned from the dead General Alistar Dimiye and his new Dead Boys Division. This time the fighting was fierce and bloody, with nuclear weapons being deployed on the surface in large numbers. Midgar was in the end conquered by the K'Nes, although soon after the war ended, Arthur Clarke's new government would retake the system and impose a Quarantine Zone upon the K'Nes in retaliation.
Clarke took a personal interest in the system, and saw to it that the environmental contamination from the fighting was cleaned up in only a few years. With the war over, a Federation program to provide high-quality land and housing to retired and disabled Tech Infantry veterans led to a property boom on the northern continent. With an entire industry of health care and recreational activities catering to the elderly, the retired, and the disabled, it also briefly became a popular retirement destination for wealthy and middle-class businessmen from all over the Federation. Golf courses, small tasteful casinos, expensive coastal hotels and ski resorts are were built, but many were still left unfinished when the Ascension War interrupted things and brought an end to the Federation itself. However, the final end of that conflict saw millions of former Tech Infantry soldiers left unwilling to serve in the Imperial Army, yet without other training and skills with which to find employment. To avoid further fighting, many of these veterans were granted pensions and resettled on Midgar, to join the already-existing military retiree community.
Due to the proximity to New Tokyo and the easy travel through the jumpgate connecting the system, Midgar was once a preferred place for many of the upper elite from New Tokyo to vacation or build second homes. After the Ascension War, the end of the jumpgate network made commuting between the two systems much more of a hassle, leading to many part-time residents leaving while others effectively became stranded and simply had to make the most of it. The southern continent maintains somewhat of an Asian flavor and is still known as "New Tokyo Island".
Geography
Midgar is a mineral poor terran world orbiting a binary star system. Due to its distance from the suns being similar to earth and a nearly constant amount of radiation received throughout the year from the suns, the temperatures tend to be warm with little variation.
There are two continents on this planet, one somewhat larger than the other . The middle of the smaller southern continent, while still very large is located between tropical and subtropical zones. It has many jungles and the planet's highest mountains. The larger continent is located in the northern hemisphere with the northern half of the continent in a temporate zone and southern half in the subtropical zone. This continent has a concentration of jungles along the southern coast with forests occupying the central and nothern areas. It has mountains in the center. While they are not as tall as the mountains smaller continent, they are still tall by earth standards.
This planet is noted for its constant warm air, spectacular mountians, and breathtaking double sunsets due to the stars it orbits.
Midgar is also known for its unusual pacifistic native inhabitants called the Ungae who live on the northern continent. They are unusual, because while they look much like humans they have purple skin, appear to be slightly over weight, and have disproportionally large biceps. They have a peculiar dialect and are an agrarian people. One reason that the federation has allowed them to continue to live in some of the more desirable areas that they provide excess food to the human population in exchange for minor trinkets. The people that consume the food provided by the natives are noticibly more healthy.
Demographics
The current population of this planet is around 12 million. There was little communication between the New Tokyo Island (the southern continent) and the TI Retirees island except for mutual agreements regarding zoning laws and building permits, but the end of the jumpgate network has changed things greatly. Without the previous volume of tourist income and imported goods, the system has had to become much more self-sufficient and make do with what was available. Strict zoning laws were in place limiting the height of the buildings to prevent the construction of skyscrapers to keep them from ruining the landscape and views. Building permits for factories and buildings that could tarnish the environment were previously outlawed, to preserve the planet's natural beauty as a draw for toursits and further waves of wealthy retirees. But with tourism greatly reduced and few able to afford offworld retirement homes, and greater competition for the few remaining willing relocations from the Caal-emptied systems to the Galactic Southeast, Midgar has had to loosen its building codes to allow more intensive agriculture and industry in the past decade.
Behind the Scenes
Midgar is named after the term for Earth in Norse mythology; literally "middle earth." Although with names like Hrothgar and Andersvald, it's plausible to be on the map. The Ungae natives are inspired by the "Natives" special event from the video game Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares.