Solstice (|Soul-stiss|) is the second planet from the sun in the Solanis system. It is classified as a desert world, with most of the planet's water isolated to various oasis scattered throughout its surface. Due to this, the practice of moisture-farming is prevalent. The populace of the planet are made up of a number of settlements of various sizes. Solstice is the primary site of the system's criminal underworld and hosts a large junker-trade as there are many scrap-dumps on the planet.
Physical Characteristics
Solstice is a desert planet, alternating between dense sandstone beds and sandy dunes. The deserts of Solstice are peppered with oases where the underground aquifers breach the surface. The atmosphere of Solstice is akin to Calderia, containing enough oxygen to sustain life. The gravity of Solstice is near that of Calderia, only negligably lower. The flora and fauna of the planet has evolved to thrive in the harsh environment, and can be increadibly dangerous. Some docile animals have evolved on the planet, and are often used in ranching.
Population
Solstice has no sentient home-species and its original population was entirely immigrants, predominately humans. The culture of Solstice is intertwined with its frontier. Due to having little oversight in the beginning of the system's settling, the people of Solstice developed a 'rough-and-ready' mentality. 81% of the population owns a firearm. Their culture is built around ideas of rugged individualism, perseverence against the hostile environment, and a large farming population. There is a large population of Freelancers on the planet, in part due to the lack of oversight from either government. There is also a large scrapping and junking economy, with repair shops found in almost every settlement.
While most settlements have their own local law enforcement, the Cheyenne Rangers are the predominant peacekeeping force on the planet.