Bythantis

Bythantis is a planet located in the Sephadollion Sector. A gas giant, Bythantis looks at first uninhabited. However the planets residents reside in huge floating cities known as Skyhabs. Bythantis is rich with useful natural gases that are harvested and used by the Imperium of Man.

Climate and Geography
A gas giant Bythantises atmosphere is impossible to live on in a conventional sense, as there are no land masses, only a mixture of gases, the most prominent being hydrogen and helium. The upper atmosphere is substantially milder than the deeper layers, meaning a human can survive with basic protective gear, including a respirator.

Society
Bythantis is a mining world, with the majority of its riches coming from the natural gases shipped off world. Unlike many mining worlds the citizens are not prisoners, and the settlements are not penal colonies, as is usual with mining worlds. Rather they live in the Skyhaps, huge floating cities that house facilities dedicated to harvesting gas. Often the rival Skyhaps will fight over areas in able to harvest more gas, and more than one civil war has been declared over just that.

The planetary governor of Bythantis is more of a figurehead than anything else, only bothering to collect tithes for the Imperium, spending most of his time on other planets, rarely bothering to consort with his subjects. The governor will also act as arbiter when a council of the Sky Cities is called. The Skyhabs act as nations, each with their own agenda and internal structure. The Skyhabs have fierce competition with each other each wanting to control the most valuable deposits of gas. Industrial espionage is common in the Skyhabs, leaving the leaders of the Skyhabs paranoid and careful with who they truest. The power of Skyhabs is determined through their wealth and contribution to the planetary tithes.

Military
The Armies of the Skyhabs focus primarily on air superiority since the world lacks solid ground. Each of the Skyhabs have small fleets of fighter aircraft that they use in their internecine wars, and Bythantisian fighter pilots are considered to be above average. They also have skilled airborne infantry whose purpose is to board enemy Skyahbs and take them, or repel boarders. As a result of this Bythantis provides a regular stipend of fighter pilots and Armsmen to the Imperial Navy, and Airborn Infantry Regiments to the Imperial Guard.