The metal moon that has been racing around Centarion since the Second Communion, Centar’don has been humanity’s watchful eye for over 14,000 years.
Financed by the Titan Conglomerate, the project was proposed only thirty years into the Second Communion. Within a lifetime the moon was able to be seen from Centarion by the naked eye, and it had habitation modules in place for the engineers who were working on it. 250 years later, the moon opened its airlocks to the public, who dwelt in what is now known as the shell – the hollow walls of the moon. It would not be until 3500 years later that the moon resembled its final form. Yet, even so, work persisted. For all purposes, it was finished… but not according to the Titan Conglomerate, whose tenders became increasingly costly and secretive. Where work had once been public showmanship for the Titans, it was now known only to the select few – namely, the Triphates of the Olympus Corporation (a former subsidiary of the Titan Conglomerate).
The interior of the moon consists of one of the highest-density cityscapes in all of human space, surpassed only by the Capitol on Centarion. Corporate towers rise inward from every angle of the sphere, and vibrant streets arc overhead. There are many of the finest shops, cafes, restaurants, and plazas, marking Centar’don as a place of refined luxury for the well-to-do individual. There is a strong perma-nightlife culture here which conflicts heavily with the down-to-business corporates. Then there are the stiff-upper-lip aristocracy who like to spend their time going from café to café, shooting dour and snooty scowls to everyone else they see.
Rich gardens are scattered across portions of the residential districts, and open parks and fields give people a reprieve from city life – there are even small forests and lakes with thriving ecosystems. Interestingly, the moon also supports the highest concentrated population of pigeons in the known galaxy – although it took them a few thousand years to stop flying out of the airlocks.
Where the moon was once host to the 100-year-long Provisional Government, installed after the defeat of the Centar Empire, there loops a very grand ring road. Lining this road is a lineage of ancient olive trees – symbols of enduring peace. The Grand Hotel Don sits on this road. Built first as a guest house for the Olympians working on the final stages of the moon, it was later turned into the Office of the Provisional Government. It then became a hotel, with its penthouse housing many of the most famous names of Third Communion history. Most recently, it was home to the highly influential journalist, Faust, who later returned it to a place of government during the Fourth Schism.
The whole moon can be navigated by foot, via a system of zero-gravity wind tunnels that crisscross the shell. However, despite the freedom for pedestrians, many still choose to travel in their personal rollers or RVs (Rolling Vehicles). The affluent citizenry’s love for their vehicles is reflected in the many RV head offices and dealerships that dot the moon. There is also a strong trade in high-end personal and commercial spacecraft, although the actual showgrounds are located in the clouds of Centar’s biggest gas giant, Kalopoli.
It is simple to see why Centar’don has been, and remains, such a source of pride to humanity. Its very existence has been attributed to the Third Communion’s 14,000 years of peace and unity. No one could even dream of life without the visage of this moon hanging over Centarion…