The Alpha Centauri system is the nearest neighbor of Sol. It consists of two stars in an eighty-year orbit, accompanied by a red dwarf and an outer shell of comets. Foreign ships are permitted to traverse the system only through a narrow flight corridor between the jump point and Centauri. Although only Centauri has a significant permanent population, the system contains a dense network of satellites and probes. The Freehold government has never issued a statement regarding whether it has dismantled the Ri'Kammi-inspired weapons platforms.