Alpha Centauri stands as one of humanity's first interstellar frontiers. As Earth reached for the stars in the pre-skim Ship era, Alpha Centauri became the target of several early sublight interstellar probe missions. These ventures laid the groundwork for the first attempted colony ships launched in the early 22nd century.
By the time Skim-Drive technology was perfected, Alpha Centauri's significance had waned. Its proximity to Soul and limited natural resources made it less appealing compared to richer, farther systems accessed via faster-than-light travel. Colonization efforts, though initially ambitious, stagnated. The Great Intersolar War, fought between Luna, Mars, and Earth during the 23rd century, further relegated Alpha Centauri to the status of a backwater.
Some centuries after the Indigo Revolution, The Lunarian Hegemony claimed Alpha Centauri as a protectorate, utilizing the system for naval outposts, logistics stations, and defense platforms. Today, it remains a strategic buffer—too close to Soul to abandon, yet too limited to attract widespread habitation. Its purpose is now largely symbolic and militaristic, with its native population mostly integrated into the Lunarian way of life.