The ringed planet is significantly less populated
than it's inner brother
Jupiter. This is mostly due to the hazards of
Saturnian navigation and it's more remote orbit. Although the same
opportunities such as skimming and gas seining activities are available
in Saturn's upper atmosphere it is less prevalent. Saturn is the
jumping off point to the real frontier of the solar system. Several
outposts orbit Saturn are the last or the first stops for vessels
heading rim ward or returning sunward. The Saturnian moons are home for
several less numerous races, which make their living off Saturn's
abundant but inhospitable resources. The first explores to venture as
far out as Saturn discovered a new and useful form of stable hydrogen
in a crystal form. Early ætherships could burn hydrolite as fuel and
the crystals were worth their weight in gold. The Hydrolite rush of
1949 brought many prospectors out to mine Saturn's rings but within 6
years the cheap distillation of
Veridigen turned the boomtowns into
ghost towns. Years after the hydrolite rush Saturn was for a time (1959
- 1963) a harbor of
Æther pirates. These cutthroats would raid the
merchant traffic coming and going from the Jovian moons. The orbital
debris of Saturn's rings provided the perfect hiding place for their
secret bases. As Jupiter's orbit put more distance between the two
giants piracy became less cost effective and the pirates died out.
Today Saturn's mane exports are æther hydrophytes, which produce
industrial grade deuterium and Chromoline gas, used in metallurgical
fabrication.
Saturns Moons:
Tethys,
Enceladus,
Hyperion,
Phoebe,
Mimas,
Janus,
Promethius,
Epimethius,
Calypso,
Rhea, and the rest of the moons; Pan,
Atlas, Pandora, Telesto, Dione, Helene, Titan, Iaptus and the others
are mere rocks and ice balls with no significant persons or ventures
thereon.