Some call it hell, others call it home.
Wilke's Star was first settled in 2071. The system's only planet with the potential for life was far more distant than the Earth-orbit ideal. Earth Federation scientists decided to use it as the test subject for the first Atmosphere Condenser. However, the end result was imperfect. The atmosphere was breathable and could grow plant life, but low light from the distant sun mandated a "greenhouse effect" to create liveable conditions. As a result, there is an almost constant cloud cover. Combined with the limited light, daylight never gets above twilight conditions.
This combination of factors made it ideal for vampires. When the Wraithlands were destroyed and the Kingdom of Enoch was established, Vampires opposed to the Camarilla fled to Wilke's Star and made it their base of operations. The continuing War of Blood between the Camarilla and the Sabbat led Ventrue to attack Wilke's Star in 2203 in an attempt to crush the Sabbat once and for all. It did not work, and Ventrue ended up dead, diablerized by Mordred. Arikel fled back to Enoch with the surviving members of the Camarilla and the Black Hand. Despite two attempts by the Tech Infantry to purge the Sabbat, one under Sarah Dunmeyer in 2225 and one under Arthur Clarke in 2236, vampires still have a large presence on this world, although Crusader Teams prevent them from operating openly. Many have suggested their presence has prevented later attempts to use improved atmospheric condensers to make Wilke's Star more liveable.
Season Eight Alternate Timeline
After conquering the Earth Federation and its neighbors, Emperor Chiang I of the Eastern Bloc moved his court to Wilke's Star and declared the foundation of the Middle Kingdom. Supposedly this was done to take advantage of the central location of Wilke's Star, but a variety of conspiracy theories about the continuing Vampire presence on that world having a lot to do with that decision were popular at the time.
Behind the Scenes
Wilke's Star is pronounced "Will-ks" not "Will-kees."