Empty Stars

The Empty Stars is a vast expanse of wilderness sectors lying to rimward-trailing of Terra.

It is a cluster of stars, isolated from the main part of the spiral arm by rifts and voids.
It is a huge region of Wildspace.

Description (Specifications)

Image Repository

A map depicting the Local Arm, or Orion Spur, an ethereal spiral arm of the galaxy around 3000 parsecs (some 10,000 light years) in length.

The Empty Stars is a vast cluster of stars lying at the trailing end of the Local Arm.

The region within the green circle includes the whole of the Empty Stars.
The region within the red circle is the Distant Fringe.

The Sectors that make up the Empty Stars region.

Astrographic Surveys

The Empty stars covers three distinct astrographic regions:

The University of Tal Varisa Deep Sky Program and the University of Selasia Spinward Survey run parallel programs to survey and publish concise astrographical surveys of the systems that lie within the Empty Stars. The region is believed to be unpopulated except for occasional worlds with NILs.

The region is considered to have approximate dimensions of around 250 parsecs coreward-rimward by around 400 parsecs spinward-trailing.
The furthest spinward-coreward part of Suluru Sector lies around TBD parsecs from Terra, while the furthest rimward-trailing part of Pestilent Sector lies around TBD parsecs from Terra. The Demon's Eye, the gigantic star at the heart of Far Home Sector, lies some TBD parsecs from Terra.

History & Background (Dossier)

Intelligent Life, Charted Space & the Distant Fringe: Although it is of course unknown to the inhabitants of the Distant Fringe, a debate exists within scholarly circles within Charted Space as to the existence of sentient life beyond the 200 or so sectors of that region. Most authorities argue that it does not exist, that intelligent life is contained within a "bubble" limited to the boundaries of Charted Space.

The reason for this island of intelligent life among billions of theoretically barren worlds is unknown. Of course, those scientists concede that there may be other sophont life out there, beyond the explored regions, who have not yet been contacted. There are certainly many kinds of strange and exotic lifeforms in those far-off realms, but the real question is whether or not any of them are are actually intelligent.

It is unclear whether the existence of fourteen known distinct sophont species within the Demon Cluster is an anomaly, whether it disproves the "Charted Space Bubble" theory of sentient existence, whether the Distant Fringe is a separate "bubble" in its own right, or whether the "Charted Space Bubble" in fact covers a far larger area than previously believed. Non-sentient life is certainly common within the Empty Stars – almost all worlds with dynamic oxygen-rich atmospheres exhibit lifeforms of some kind. The likely existence of other intelligences beyond the confines of the Demon Cluster only serves to complicate the issue.

Human Settlement

The Distant Fringe – the last bastion of Terran humanity – occupies the Demon Cluster.

It is likely that in the many centuries following the Destruction of Terra the Vilani Imperium, in their undoubted pursuit of the Last Armada, have occupied at least some of the worlds in the far coreward-trailing parts of the Empty Stars.

Lost Settlements

There are many stories about lost settlements.

Historians argue that there are very probably human-settled worlds beyond the confines of the Distant Fringe, within the greater Empty Stars region. These outposts are most likely concentrated within its rimward parts, populated by descendants of the crews and settlers of the Cripple Fleet (to trailing) or the Dissident Fleet (to spinward).

The vessels of both the Cripple Fleet and the Dissident Fleet had healthy and viable crews and carried settlers and pioneers in long-term cold sleep, large numbers of Artificial Gestation Units, vast banks of embryos, and substantial quantities of supplies. It would be extremely unlikely that all of the vessels were lost without being able to settle one or more worlds. To date, none of these supposed lost settlements have made any form of contact.

Though the ultimate fates of the vessels of the Cripple Fleet and the Dissident Fleet remain unknown, they have given rise to many tales and legends. Chief among these are:
- The mythical realms of Lon Beon and the Empire of Thrax, supposedly lying within Lon Beon and Thrax Sectors respectively, within the Centrum Cluster.
- The Centrum Device, an incredibly powerful artefact of uncertain origin located within Thrax Sector.

The Dead Worlds

The Intersect Cluster, a large group of stars lying on the coreward edge of the Moat Rifts, contains the remnants of a dead human civilization, without a doubt descended from a divergent element of the Last Armada. It was explored by the Jannasta Expedition and supposedly contains the remains of five extinct sophont species.

Demographics: Native Sophonts

All known extant sophont species occur within the Demon Cluster:

Five sophont species are believed to have existed within the Intersect Cluster region. They are believed to be extinct: evidence of their existence was discovered by the Jannasta Expedition.

No other sophont species are known for certain to exist within the Empty Stars. However, various stories and legends make mention of at least four more:

The presence of anonymalous signals originating from the distant systems of the Empty Stars may indicate the presence of advanced NILs. Most authorities concede that there are likely to be many as-yet uncontacted intelligent beings, probably existing at relatively low technological levels, inhabiting its many worlds.

Those sectors of the Empty Stars lying directly to coreward-spinward of the Distant Fringe – specifically the systems of the Phanic Group – are believed to be the current location of the Voyagers.

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

The greater Empty Stars region covers 67 sectors and contains 9,608 star systems.

Empty Sectors

Void Sectors

Inhabited Sectors

Other Astrographic Features

Clusters & Traces

Rifts

The main named rifts include:

Major Rifts

Great Void – the largest of the known rifts, prosaically called Old Man Void
- Crown of the Void
The Rift – a major spur of the Great Void. It lies far to spinward of the Distant Fringe, tracking generally to coreward and trailing.
- Maw of The Rift – the point where The Rift meets the Great Void. The legendary realm of Lon Beon is said to lie at the point "where the river without suns meets the ocean with no stars".

Shadow Rifts

Auline Gulf
Basilisk's Horns Divide
Basilisk Rift
Bow Rift
Cauda Rift
Coreward Drift
Emerald Drift
- Ion Gate – the region where the Emerald Drift meets the Great Void
Empty Reach
Entropic Void
Fools Rift
- Fools Gate – the region where Fools Rift meets the Great Void
Grand Arc
Hopes Jump
Jewelled Void
Laurentine Gulf
Moat Rifts
Nebula Void
Ribbon Rift
Rimward Deep
Splinter Rifts
Well of Souls

Other Rifts

Some smaller voids exist within individual sectors. Only a few of these have been named:

Finger Rift – a long narrow void lying within the rimward half of Burden Sector
Kidney Rift – a small void lying within the rimward-trailing quadrant of Tirell Sector

Nebulae

Heart of the Dark

Received Signal Sources (RSS)

Infinitys Shore

The "Infinitys Shore" region contains 23 anomalous signal sources with varying characteristics:

Where The Stars End

The "Where The Stars End" region contains 9 anomalous signal sources with varying characteristics:

World Listing: 1105

The following systems and worlds are associated with this astrographic feature:

200 of 1088 World articles in Empty Stars

Abarin • Abernath • Aboriz • Abravak • Abura • Adyntix • Agitha • Agranast • Aljasach • Alkashan • Alkesari • Alo Varin • Alooko • Alsabato • Alsechas • Alstin • Aluc • Alyso • Amahera • Amartak • Ambasal • Amesku • Amet • Amkorim • Ammasana • Ammistoc • Amudin • Ando Mal • Anomin • Ansaracith • Ansen • Ansichore • Ansomil • Ansora • Anthetil • Anversine • Aplin • Apo Darsa • Arburlo • Argim's Star • Aricadal • Arinim • Arisalam • Arkid • Arlorin • Armo • Arradian • Arsamad • Arvax • Arvica • Asatari • Asbari • Ascharin • Askalor • Askert • Asmaral • Asnabar • Asragad • Astalude • Athallo • Athar • Attrogal • Aventa • Avrain • Avrasaba • Awafu • Axataris • Az Alam • Azkalin • Bal Orsa • Baldarin • Baldomas • Balsorim • Barabus • Baram • Barawan • Barolak • Basgar • Basilisk's Eye • Baskilet • Bastagor • Basula • Bayerd • Belestal • Belicus • Bentalla • Bentwen • Beregor • Bescalath • Besoram • Bessacal • Bharus • Bidar • Binar Solari • Biris • Bisadun • Blanor • Blasala • Blasi • Blasios • Bleshion • Blooh • Blorvai • Boloju • Borsa • Boucino • Brahiso • Breit • Brella • Brensh • Brenze • Breska • Brinishu • Brishana • Brivan • Brozu • Brycon • Bulthar • Bunukal • Burusek • Busako • Byleso • Byloko • Bysk • Cajastion • Cala • Calapish • Callotid • Calo • Camabar • Caravox • Carsesut • Carso • Carvaka • Cassigan • Caudan • Ced • Cemandor • Cemisal • Centat • Centrum • Chalcyon • Chapu • Charaga • Charagwa • Charigon • Charu • Chaskim • Chelish • Chelleno • Chelo • Chemmine • Chendor • Chent • Cherrul • Chezinir • Chirdeg • Chiskapa • Cho Velik • Chol • Chol Sazi • Chomsla • Chorvor • Chulic • Cildoc • Clion • Colanar • Comatil • Commor • Cor Veranto • Corisi • Corysil • Crendar • Criliso • Crinisti • Crugar • Curine • Curmin • Dal Saku • Dalsar • Dargaro • Darosep • Darsabir • Dasaleth • Dasentel • Daska • Daveen • Degaran (Ti 1615) • Deraliss • Derviri • Deso Pol • Detamar • Dhar Luka • Dhaun • Diamadar • Dilgara • Dirastavo • Disarina • Disigan • Dodon •

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References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master Scout Emeritus Adie Alegoric Stewart of the IISS