The Lylat System's populace consists of multi-factioned anthropomorphic space-faring animals in a high tech society fighting for power or peace in the shadow of threats from otherworldly invaders or the revival of the notorious Dr. Andross.
Type: BlossomAll celestial bodies and phenomena in the system orbit the binary pair of Lylat and Solar. Lylat, the blue giant, is a B-class star with an equilibrium temperature of 25,000 Kelvin and is only expected to burn for a couple billion years. In contrast, Solar, an M-class red dwarf, is one of the coldest stars that Lylatians have observed and is often called the Molten Planet. It has an equilibrium temperature of only 3500 Kelvin and should burn for one hundred billion years or more. Amazingly, there seem to be complex extremophile life forms living below Solar's surface.
The Orbital Warp Gate is actually a space station that orbits the planet Corneria and is the center for interstellar and interdimensional visitors alike. It is highly policed, but peaceful and inviting. Shuttles are always available to ferry people where they need to go and the gate tech itself handles those on-foot and in-flight. In the event somebody winds up unexpectedly in space from their point of origin, emergency crews are on standby to rescue those in need.
A Black Hole with mass low enough to not affect current planetary orbits itself orbits the binary pair in a miraculously non-intersecting path. It spins insanely fast, thus the event horizon is extremely small, yet this causes tremendous warping of spacetime around it. G-Diffusion allows for equipped craft to navigate the currents and eddies of spacetime around the black hole while avoiding relativistic effects. Thus, proper craft and experienced pilots are able to track down points to warp to both within the star system and extradimensionally, though not always predictably.
Venom, the first planet, generally uninhabitable with a toxic atmosphere and acidic oceans. Indigenous life includes Venomian lizardmen. Oceanic life includes the vast growing armies of the Anglars, fish that Andross' bio-engineering hyper-evolved.
Titania, once populated by an advanced agrarian society, is now a barren desert world with an extremely hostile atmosphere.
Macbeth, planet three, is a mineral-rich planet that serves as the system's industrial center. A geological event caused the core to shrink, so the planet is considered hollow, but still supports life.
Corneria, the fourth planet, is the central hub for the system and contains 85 percent of the system's population due to its diverse and temperate climates. It is the center of population, commerce, politics, military, and government.
Meteo is the name of the unusually dense asteroid field between Corneria and Fortuna and is the remains of what was once the former fifth planet.
Fortuna, the fifth planet, is a hot primordial world covered in rainforests and inhabited by giant insects.
Katina, while considered the sister planet to Corneria, is a semi-arid planet that only has eight percent of its surface covered in water.
Sauria has climates similar to Corneria and serves as home to many dinosaur species.
Aquas is a completely water-covered oceanic world with mostly-harmless life. Its depths hide great archaeological secrets.
Zoness, another oceanic planet, was once the second most-inhabited and visited planet in the system. A tropical paradise with plenty of islands and beaches, most of the waters became irreversibly polluted during the Lylat Wars due to Venomian presence.
Fichina, a snow and ice covered planet with little vegetation, has been the target of climate control in order to make its otherwise unbearably frigid surface habitable.
Papetoon is a small desert planet 'on the edge of nowhere' and is, notably, the homeworld to many of the system's foxes, including James McCloud.
In addition, three micronebulae orbit the stars:
Sector X is a section of space where intense unexplained magnetic fields make navigation extremely hazardous. The remains of an Androssian research station litters the chaotic currents.
Sector Y is home to intense radiation storms and ionizing dust which causes severe equipment malfunction.
Sector Z is smaller, but it closer to the binary stars and Venom and serves as a mass graveyard to Cornerian and Pirate ships. The sheer amount of debris makes it more dangerous than the other micronebulae.
Gravity Diffusion, or G-Diffusion, is relatively new technology still. It is accomplished by a series of devices working in tandem that serves as a power source for shields and propulsion and reduces the effects of gravity on anything inside the bubble it creates. G-Diffusion systems are temperamental and require constant upkeep and maintenance.
The manipulation of these fields all but eliminates the wear and stress that inertia has on an object within. The shielding not only absorbs physical and energy strikes, but fast movements allow it to serve as a repulsion field to quick negate or repel incoming fire completely, although briefly.
This technological combination is not only used in spacecraft, but is now seeing use in aircraft, land vehicles, and submersibles. Furthermore, portable versions are being tested for infantry use for quick bursts of movement or brief personal shielding to deflect or absorb projectiles.
The years are measured in BLW and ALW (Before or After the Lylat Wars).
Doctor Andross was part of the Cornerian military R&D and his specialized field centered on Bioengineering, but he also was a lead on other technological projects including gravity diffusion and warp technology. He served directly under General Pepper, the commander of all Cornerian forces in the system, and in his growing madness and passion tested an experimental device without clearance which exploded and killed hundreds in 7BLW. Treated as a severe war crime, Andross was tried for treason and exiled to the planet Venom. Instead of dying there, Andross was able to terraform parts of the planet and spent five years expanding his research and technology unchecked. Reports of this activity on Venom in 2BLW had Pepper send a covert team using experimental craft and weapons, named Star Fox, in to investigate and remove this threat. The attempt was sabotaged by double-agent Pigma Dengar and lead to the presumed death of James McCloud and the formation of a black hole. Two years later, ready to make his move, war was declared by Andross against the Cornerian Alliance.
Known collectively as The Lylat Wars, this star system-wide conflict was between Doctor Andross and the Cornerian Alliance in an effort to take control of the system. He was eventually confronted by the leader of the new Star Fox team on Venom and was killed. While the war lasted less than a year and took place just over a decade from current connectivity with the World Tree, the effects have not yet faded. Many planets are still scarred in their own ways from this violent conflict.
Eight years later, the Saurian Crisis arose, as an event began tearing the planet Sauria apart. At its root, this was caused by Andross using Krazoa energies to revive himself. He was successful, but was killed once more and the planet was restored.
Only a year later in 9ALW, Andross' nephew, Andrew, attempted to reignite war against Corneria. His insurgency was suddenly stopped when Aparoids invaded the system in an attempt to assimilate all life into a collective insectoid hive mind consciousness controlled by the Aparoid Queen. This devastating assault on the Lylat System was nearly its downfall, the loss of life was incalculable, and the people are still reeling from the trauma. The Aparoids were stopped only by a complete system-wide alliance of factions and resources.
A year and a half after, the first visitors appeared from another Blossom. And then more appeared. The boost in trade and commerce helped the system recover from its deficit and the factions in power were restored to levels where peace was no longer a necessity.