The mountainous planet of Thenta.
The planet is mountainous, with a few plains near the oceans. The capital city of Makur is located at the boundary between the Eastern Plain and the Halrat Mountains. The world was once boasted a moderate temperature, but since its star, Thenta Prime, began to fade, the only warm place is near the equator. In recent years, large glaciers have begun to reach down from the polar regions.
Originally colonized as a mining planet, Thenta has had its ups and downs. After marginal success with mining, the mining corporation decided to consolidate operations by building factories. During the Second Republic, Thenta was marginally profitable, staying just productive enough to warrant continued operation. Needless to say, when the Second Republic collapsed, Thenta suffered. Enduring years of declining sales, Thenta decided to shut down the factories. Then Vladimir rose to power.
In a bold move, House Thenta, the ruling party of the planet, decided to back Vladimir in his campaigns against the Barbarians and during his battles for Emperor. The factories re-opened, providing Vladimir with high tech weaponry to fight his war. Then during the coronation, Vladimir was killed. As the fires of war spread across the galaxy, the heads of House Thenta decided to shut their jump gate.
Less than three hundred years after removing themselves from the Known Worlds, the Thentans decided to re-open the gate. To there horror, the jump keys to Aylon no longer worked. But thankfully, the keys to neighbor system Faltar were still accurate. House Thenta set up trade relations with Faltar, food for manufactured goods. Faltar provided Thenta with food, and Thenta gave Faltar the machines to keep growing it.
Determined to re-open the jump roads to Aylon, House Thenta created a specialized group of scientists. Their goal: rediscover the coordinates for the jump to Aylon. This group worked for fifty years, practically non-stop, until the re-worked the coordinates. In late 4822, the jump gate opened, and on the other side was the Aylon system.
Deciding that secrecy was the key to survival, the leaders of House Thenta dispatched their agents to the Known Worlds to cover up their existence. After discovering that everyone had forgotten about the planet's existence, house leaders embarked upon a risky operation. They set up trade relations with several groups in the Known Worlds.
They managed to keep their existence a secret for nearly a hundred and seventy years. In the year 4991, a Thentan transport in the Gwynneth was destroyed in an attack by Hazat warships, who believed it was a disguised Hawkwood transport. When they discovered the truth, Hazat leaders were not shaken. There were many Lost Worlds out there. Why should The Hazat care if one of them reappeared? Instead, they decided to use the information to their advantage. The commander of the attack force contacted the Al-Malik, saying that he would reveal to them the coordinates for this Lost World if they assisted The Hazat in their bid for the Emperor's throne. Instead, the Al-Malik attacked the Hazat fleet, claiming that they attempted to trick them. Thenta was safe for a few more years.
Then, in 4996, an Al-Malik operative managed to gain access to one an empty freighter bound for Thenta. How or why he got on board is unknown. All that is known is that after entering the Thenta system, he stole the coordinates used for the jump gate, commandeered a jump-capable shuttle, and went back through to Aylon. Two Thentan frigates came through the gate after him, but only managed to lightly damage the shuttle, as they were met with the Al-Malik Aylon defensive fleet shortly after exiting the gate.
Currently, the only conflict that House Thenta is involved in is keeping its existence a secret, which has all but failed. Now they are preparing to defend their planet from any Known World invasions.
The biggest secret that Thenta has is that it has been trading with Aylon, Grail, Criticorum and Gwynneth. They have their own pilots, and have managed to convincingly fake documents and shipping records for nearly two hundred years.
Another big secret is that Faltar is slowly being infiltrated by Symbiots, who in turn travel to Thenta. While no hives can exist on Thenta, more than one exists on Faltar. If the situation is not remedied quickly, Thenta could become a dangerous leak of Symbiot warriors.
Yet another big secret, forgotten by most Thentans as well, is that there was once a large starport in the northern section of the planet. Long since covered with ice, this starport has been completely abandoned. Waiting inside of sealed hangers are several warships, including a cruiser and two frigates. Placed there in reserve by Alecto loyal Thentans, they were forgotten after his death. If the Thentans discovered these ships, they could become a powerful new faction in the Known Worlds.