Wolf Totem (Tengri)
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"As men tied to the stars, we will dream of returning home." - Eric Bodge
OVERVIEW
Sol United Command Territory, Edelweiss Galaxy, Sector 1, System Tengri'
Wolf Totem: The Frontier Colony
Wolf Totem, the now-homeworld of Bridge Expedition Group 17, primarily known as the Snowstorm Union, is a cold, lacustrine, subsurface-ocean planet located in Sector 1 of the Edelweiss Galaxy, not far from a nearby Bridge. The planet became the primary target for colonization efforts by the 17th Expedition Group, assigned to traverse the Bridge network due to the lack of suitable planets within a 30-lightyear radius. Among the limited options, Wolf Totem stood out as the most viable candidate—better than nothing, as they said. Nicknamed "Wolf Totem" by the expedition group, this resource-rich star system quickly became a point of interest for many, with the settlers positioning themselves as "guardians of the gateway to riches."
The planet's most distinctive features are its wealth of subsurface oceans and abundant silicon deposits. Orbiting as the seventh planet in the Tengri Star System, Wolf Totem has one natural satellite and lies in close proximity to two ringed gas giants. Each gas giant possesses rings of metallic and rocky compositions, making the system an ideal base for a colony centered around mining.
However, the planet's subsurface oceans do not favor the Snowstorm Union. Constant tectonic activity causes periodic quakes, forcing the settlers to choose a specific biome where the subsurface ocean emerges at the surface amidst a mountain range. This area, named Sakha, became the primary settlement site, with the settlers establishing a base near the water. With the colonial ship in orbit, the 17th Expedition Group had a safe haven to regroup and organize more efficient settlement efforts. However, the planet's unsuitable atmosphere posed challenges for creating self-sufficient farmlands, as the soil lacked bacterial activity and was rich in silicon and silicates. Scientists from the 17th Expedition Group theorized the potential for nitrogen-rich, silicon-based life forms or bacterial organisms on the planet, which could prove vital for future agricultural development.
Environment of Wolf Totem
The environment of Wolf Totem is primarily glacial, covered in ice, snow, and silicate gravel, with subsurface oceans emerging in specific biomes. The weather is harsh, with regular blizzards and storm systems sweeping across the landscape. Yet still, perhaps, better than London.
No significant tree-like vegetation has been observed, except for a singular type of pine-like flora adapted to the cold and the planet's unique atmospheric chemistry. The Frigore-Tengrian Pine Tree stands as a clear example of silicon-based flora on the planet. Regular blizzards prevent the proper development of other silicon-based plant life, with only sparse dead bushes appearing near surface water reservoirs.
History of Colonization
The journey to Wolf Totem began with the USCNM Sober Voyager 24F9:144F:FFFF, a Columbus-Class Traveller Megaship from the Saturnian Docks, assigned to the 17th Expedition Group by the Scientific Assembly. Their mission was to traverse a monitored Bridge address as part of a research program in the Edelweiss Galaxy and colonize planet BNS 17-4345FA:5, later known as Wolf Totem. The megaship carried approximately 1,300 crew members, along with three shuttles and one coriolis-habitat ring. Equipped to establish life on practically any planet, the 17th crew members were renowned for their indomitable spirit; nothing could scare them when united on a single mission.
The planet’s proximity to the Bridge meant that the Sober Voyager could regularly receive supplies from the Stellar Neighborhood via Megatron-Class Haulers to support the colonization effort—or so they thought. The Scientific Assembly's logistics branch, responsible for supply management, experienced months-long delays, which became a critical moment for the 17th Expedition Group. During this period, a faction of anarchist mercenaries learned of the Tengri system's resources, its proximity to the Bridge, and the potential for nearby star systems to conquer. Escaping persecution by the United Sol Command and the Federal States, the anarchists flocked through the Bridge, arriving just as the Scientific Assembly finally sent supplies to the Tengri system. At full throttle, the anarchist fleet bypassed the guarding warships, proving once more the inefficacy of the United Sol Command's poorly managed navy. Out of seven ships, only three managed to exit the Bridge tunnel into the Edelweiss Galaxy, with the remaining four caught in an asymptotic trap, exceeding the speed limit and lost to the void.
The anarchists intercepted the supply ship carrying essential goods for the Tengri system, taking it hostage. The tunnel between the Edelweiss Galaxy and the Milky Way was promptly shut down. Before the collapse, a message was broadcast through the Bridge to the Tengri system, warning of the uninvited guests. The 17th Expedition Group now found themselves face-to-face with the anarchists, with nowhere to run. The anarchists, using a modernized AdS drive on the captured Megatron-Class ship, headed straight for Tengri. Alerted to the threat, the 17th Group boarded their Sober Voyager and prepared for a confrontation. Around 50 crew members returned to the Sober Voyager, while the rest remained on the planet. The order to intercept was given by their leader, Aysen Archer, a seasoned combat veteran. With its bright red circular engine roaring, pushing the ship out of Wolf Totem's orbit, the Sober Voyager engaged the Megatron-Class Hauler, hoping to disable it and recover the supplies. For Aysen Archer, with a decade of combat experience, there was no fear in facing the anarchists head-on.
The ensuing battle left a debris field in Wolf Totem’s sphere of influence, with both ships lost. The settlers on the planet, unaware of the outcome, were left stranded, with only two passenger shuttles and one mining shuttle at their disposal. Without orbital support and abandoned by the Stellar Neighborhood, the Bridge fell silent, leaving Wolf Totem isolated—a frontier colony cut off from the rest of civilization, lost in the quiet darkness of the Edelweiss Galaxy.
Lost in a foreign galaxy, uncertain and isolated, the settlers on Wolf Totem faced a daunting future. Amid the rising fear and confusion, a prominent social influencer and activist, Azimi Kadame, took a stand. Climbing atop a crater, she amplified her voice through her helmet, deliberately avoiding the cluttered radio channels, to rally the scattered colony into action. In that moment, she began crafting a plan on the spot, forging a vision for a future that now seemed so uncertain.
Snowstorm Union, they called themselves, a name that spoke to their resilience. In the face of crisis, they needed a leader to reignite their spirit, and Azimi was there to deliver the words that would push them forward.
"And maybe the Bridge has gone silent on us, and the Stellar Neighborhood has proven itself incompetent to help us. We were born in wars, raised in hazards, and forged by the hostile environment of space and asteroid belts... This, Wolf Totem,"
she said, spreading her arms wide like a statue of Christ, her voice echoing over the snowy plains,
"This is our new home. So, let's make it a warm spot in this foreign galaxy."
As she jumped down, the snow crunched beneath her boots, the satisfying sound punctuating her speech. Through their titanium-steel space suits, the settlers began to clap, their cheers muffled yet clear. Azimi's words had sparked the combustion needed to fuel the engine of progress. From that moment, the Snowstorm Union began the arduous task of transforming Wolf Totem, and its solitary moon, into habitable distant worlds.
A New Beginning
The settlement in the Sakha Plains, named Sakhalin, gradually began to transform into a burgeoning town. The breakthrough came when leading scientists discovered a way to fertilize the barren, silicon-rich soil using the Frigore-Tengrian Pine Tree genus. By leveraging the tree's unique properties, they created a microbial foundation for fertilizer, offering hope for vast, sustainable farmlands that could support a growing population.
Meanwhile, the abundance of silicon in Wolf Totem's soil proved invaluable to the construction teams, who combined it with the low concentrations of oxygen harvested from the atmosphere to produce various types of glass. This nearly limitless supply of glass, along with titanium-steel infrastructure recycled from the wrecks of the Megatron-Class Hauler and Sober Voyager, fueled the construction boom. Metal hotspots discovered within the rings of the two nearby gas giants provided additional resources, allowing the agricultural sector in Sakhalin to blossom. Entirely new crops, adapted from the Tengrian Pine Tree genus, were cultivated in the silicon-enriched soil.
However, as the town developed and expanded, a new challenge emerged—one that was not as easily solved.
Struggles of Isolation
Despite the rapid development and promising agricultural advances, the psychological state of the settlers began to decline. The isolation from the only known human civilization in the Milky Way, coupled with the absence of varied food and a primarily vegetarian diet combined with harsh weather, led to a deep sense of homesickness. Emotional distress became increasingly common, and the excitement of pioneering a new world was overshadowed by the growing weight of separation. The settlers had come to build a new life, but many were struggling to find joy in it.
The leadership of the Snowstorm Union knew they had to act. Leaving the colony to sink into despair was not an option. In a bold move, they announced a plan to deploy one of their shuttles to the Bridge in an attempt to reactivate it and reestablish a connection with the Milky Way. For a community that had lost hope, this announcement ignited a new spark. Eyes once dull with uncertainty began to gleam with the possibility of rescue, reunion, and relief.
The promise of a shuttle mission to reactivate the Bridge was a lifeline, a beacon for the isolated settlers. Even if success was uncertain, the sheer act of trying brought them together, giving them something to believe in.
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