Editing Xerik system

{{Separate continuity|universe=TOS|cont=Richard Hatch Novelizations}}

The '''Xerik system''' is a star system revolving around a yellow giant star, containing at least eleven planets and numerous moons.<ref name="WH54">{{cite book/RH|2|54}}</ref> The system is home to the [[Chitain (TOS-RH)|Chitain]], the only sentient race native to the system, who inhabit [[Xerik-7 (TOS-RH)|Xerik-7]].<ref name="WH2">{{cite book/RH|2|2}}</ref> The system becomes a critical location in [[The Fleet (TOS-RH)|the Fleet]]'s journey when they discover it holds one of the ancient colonies established by emigrants from [[Kobol (TOS alternate)|Kobol]].<ref name="WH20">{{cite book/RH|2|20}}</ref>

==Stellar Characteristics==

The Xerik system revolves around a yellow giant star of remarkable brilliance.<ref name="WH64">{{cite book/RH|2|64}}</ref> Even at the system's outermost boundary, beyond its furthest planet, the sun appears as a brilliant flare in the distance.<ref name="WH64" /> The star produces such intense ambient light that when pilots have the sun above them in their trajectory, the increased illumination causes buckles on flight jackets to glint inside [[Viper (TOS alternate)|Viper]] cockpits.<ref name="WH64" />

The beauty of the distant sun is noted by pilots entering the system, though operational concerns often override aesthetic appreciation.<ref name="WH64" />

==Planetary Bodies==

The Xerik system contains at least eleven planets identified by Colonial scanners, most of which have at least one moon.<ref name="WH54" /> Notable planets in the system include:

* '''[[Xerik-5 (TOS-RH)|Xerik-5]]''' (also known as '''Poseidon'''): A humid, watery world with a near-tropical climate where Commander [[Cain (TOS alternate)|Cain]] establishes a human colony.<ref name="WH64" /><ref name="WH101">{{cite book/RH|2|101}}</ref> The planet features algae-rich oceans covering nearly nine-tenths of its surface and a single continent cloaked in tangled tropical vegetation.<ref name="WH101" /> Poseidon possesses [[saligium]] ore beds, hydrocarbons for energy, and [[Tylium (TOS)|tylium]] deposits in one of its outer moons.<ref name="WH102">{{cite book/RH|2|102}}</ref> However, the planet's environment causes genetic breakdown in humans over generations.<ref name="WH248">{{cite book/RH|2|248}}</ref>

* '''[[Xerik-7 (TOS-RH)|Xerik-7]]''': Homeworld of the [[Chitain (TOS-RH)|Chitain]], the only sentient race native to the Xerik system.<ref name="WH2" /> The planet features shifting sands and arid desert conditions with intense heat.<ref name="WH217">{{cite book/RH|2|217}}</ref> Beneath the surface lies a massive underground facility constructed by the [[Cylons (TOS alternate)|Cylons]] and Chitain, carved from living rock strata.<ref name="WH217" /><ref name="WH218">{{cite book/RH|2|218}}</ref>

* '''[[Xerik-12 (TOS-RH)|Xerik-12]]''': A planet with at least three moons, the third of which served as the location of a [[the Sky (TOS-RH)|Sky]] embassy established to maintain diplomatic relations with the Chitain.<ref name="WH1">{{cite book/RH|2|1}}</ref><ref name="WH2" />

==History==

===Ancient Colonization===

According to records recovered by [[Starbuck (TOS alternate)|Starbuck]] from the Cylons, early emigrants from [[Kobol (TOS alternate)|Kobol]] settled a number of colonies, including [[Earth (TOS alternate)|Earth]], long before the establishment of the [[Twelve Colonies of Man (TOS-RH)|Twelve Colonies]].<ref name="WH78">{{cite book/RH|2|78}}</ref> One of these ancient colonies was established on Xerik-5.<ref name="WH78" /> However, the fate of this original civilization remains a mystery, as does whether the [[Thirteenth Tribe (TOS-RH)|Thirteenth Tribe]] visited the system and, if so, why they moved on.<ref name="WH78" />

===Sky-Chitain Relations===

[[The Sky (TOS-RH)|The Sky]] established an embassy on the [[third moon of Xerik-12 (TOS-RH)|third moon of Xerik-12]] to facilitate diplomatic relations with the Chitain.<ref name="WH2" /> For a time, this relationship proved peaceful and mutually beneficial, with the Chitain sharing aspects of their technology and culture with the Sky.<ref name="WH3">{{cite book/RH|2|3}}</ref>

This diplomatic arrangement ended catastrophically when the Chitain launched an unprovoked attack on the Sky embassy, completely obliterating the facility and killing approximately one hundred Sky stationed there.<ref name="WH46">{{cite book/RH|2|46}}</ref><ref name="WH48">{{cite book/RH|2|48}}</ref> The betrayal transformed the Sky-Chitain relationship from peaceful coexistence to open warfare.<ref name="WH227">{{cite book/RH|2|227}}</ref>

===Cain's Colony===

Approximately nineteen yahren after the siege at [[Gamoray (TOS-RH)|Gamoray]], Commander Cain and the crew of the battlestar ''[[Pegasus (TOS alternate)|Pegasus]]'' established a colony on Xerik-5, which they christened Poseidon.<ref name="WH102" /> The colony was built with the explicit purpose of using planetary resources to create a foundation from which to launch a counteroffensive against the [[Cylons (TOS alternate)|Cylons]].<ref name="WH63">{{cite book/RH|2|63}}</ref>

Cain's settlement tamed portions of Poseidon's tropical vegetation and established a main settlement in the heart of the planet's single continent.<ref name="WH101" /> The colonists moved heavy equipment from ''Pegasus'' to the surface after their foundry ship suffered damage, creating a planet-based forge closer to needed resources.<ref name="WH101" /> They excavated massive saligium mines using open-pit extraction techniques, with mining equipment and refining smelters venting black smoke into the atmosphere.<ref name="WH101" />

Despite these developments, Cain acknowledged that Poseidon was not ideal—relatively low in heavy minerals with perpetually hot temperatures—but it provided the saligium for ship construction and native flora and fauna to feed the growing population.<ref name="WH102" /> The colony's forces grew stronger each day, building new vessels and expanding their capabilities.<ref name="WH217" />

Unbeknownst to Cain initially, the Cylons had also established a presence in the Xerik system, constructing a hidden underground installation on Xerik-7 in collaboration with the Chitain.<ref name="WH217" /><ref name="WH247">{{cite book/RH|2|247}}</ref>

===Colonial Fleet Arrival===

The [[The Fleet (TOS-RH)|Colonial Fleet]], under the command of [[Apollo (TOS alternate)|Apollo]], set course for the Xerik system after acquiring an ancient holographic map of the Cyranus nebula.<ref name="WH20" /> Using coordinates for Kobol that [[Adama (TOS alternate)|Adama]] had discovered many yahren earlier, they plotted locations of planets across the quadrant where emigrants from Kobol had traveled to establish colonies.<ref name="WH20" />

The Xerik system was identified as the nearest of these ancient colony worlds, making it the fleet's immediate destination.<ref name="WH20" /> When bridge officer [[Omega (TOS alternate)|Omega]] reported that scanners had picked up their objective, Apollo gave the order: "Set a course for the Xerik system."<ref name="WH20" />

The fleet's approach to the system was met with great anticipation. Officers and crew gathered on the bridge of ''[[Galactica (TOS-RH)|Galactica]]'' during light cycle to watch for the system, searching for an ancient branch of human evolution and possibly a clue to the path of the Thirteenth Tribe.<ref name="WH53">{{cite book/RH|2|53}}</ref> Apollo noted that they were "searching for home."<ref name="WH53" />

Advance reconnaissance pilots [[Sheba (TOS alternate)|Sheba]] and Starbuck traveled well ahead of the battlestar on recon patrol.<ref name="WH43">{{cite book/RH|2|43}}</ref> They hoped to find a colony on Xerik-5 and establish communication with any human inhabitants, yearning for that first contact when separated branches of the human race would be reunited after millennia.<ref name="WH43" /> The agreement was to travel as far as the orbit of the system's outermost planet before returning to ''Galactica''.<ref name="WH43" />

It would take only centari before the outermost planet would be visible from the bridge, with scanners identifying at least eleven planets in the system, most with at least one moon.<ref name="WH54" />

===Cylon-Chitain Alliance===

The discovery of a Cylon base on Xerik-7 revealed a dangerous alliance between the Cylons and Chitain.<ref name="WH247" /> The underground facility beneath Xerik-7's shifting sands was a massive engineering accomplishment, with a giant cavern nearly large enough to swallow ''Galactica'' whole, housing fuel processing and foundry equipment with huge saligium shutters for launch operations.<ref name="WH218" />

The Cylons had apparently been present in the region for at least six yahren, working with the Chitain and supplying them with technology and firepower.<ref name="WH217" /><ref name="WH247" /> The strategic importance of the region to the Cylons remained unclear, though the construction of the launch facility suggested long-term plans beyond simply attacking Cain's colony on Poseidon.<ref name="WH217" />

The Cylon presence had been carefully concealed, with Cain reporting only a single Cylon scout encounter over six yahren—an anomaly that troubled Colonial officers, as Cylons typically move in groups and investigate their losses.<ref name="WH217" /> The installation's existence suggested the Cylons had maintained a low profile while conducting other business in the area, primarily their collaboration with the Chitain.<ref name="WH217" />

===Battle for the System===

The convergence of the Colonial Fleet, Cain's colony, the Sky warriors, Chitain forces, and Cylon presence in the Xerik system led to a major conflict. The Sky intervened when the Chitain attacked the Colonial Fleet, with [[Valor (TOS-RH)|Valor]] leading more than one hundred and fifty Sky warriors in battle.<ref name="WH227" /> The fight dramatically shifted the fortunes of the human forces, transforming what seemed a hopeless situation into a winnable engagement.<ref name="WH228">{{cite book/RH|2|228}}</ref>

Apollo ordered the immediate evacuation of all Poseidon colonists after discovering that the planet's environment caused genetic breakdown in humans over generations, and that genetically mutated descendants of the planet's previous human population were being used as slaves by the Chitain.<ref name="WH248" /> The order was given forcibly if necessary, overriding Cain's authority over the colony.<ref name="WH248" />

The battle resulted in significant losses, including Colonial vessels like the ''Hyapatia'', one of Poseidon colony's warships.<ref name="WH218" /> Multiple Chitain dreadnoughts and reinforcements entered the system during the engagement.<ref name="WH247" />

==Strategic Significance==

The Xerik system holds multiple layers of strategic importance:

* '''Historical significance''': As one of the ancient colonies established by emigrants from Kobol, the system represents a link to humanity's past and potentially a clue to the Thirteenth Tribe's path.<ref name="WH20" /><ref name="WH78" />
* '''Resource value''': The system contains valuable resources including saligium ore, tylium deposits, and hydrocarbons for energy production.<ref name="WH102" />
* '''Military position''': The system's location and resources made it valuable for both human colony development and Cylon military installations.<ref name="WH63" /><ref name="WH217" />
* '''Diplomatic crossroads''': The system serves as a meeting point for multiple species including humans, Chitain, Sky, and Cylons, making it a nexus of interspecies conflict and potential alliance.<ref name="WH227" /><ref name="WH247" />

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Star Systems]]
[[Category:Richard Hatch Novelizations]]
[[Category:Locations]]