The situation began to escalate several months ago when Sophia started tailgating Vera, breaking countless pathing laws and making everybody on both moons feel very uncomfortable.

‘Rondel pathing is not a race,’ said leading orbital specialist Yargo Winn. ‘This trend of moons and planets trying to overtake their orbit-mates is not only dangerous and bizarre, but also totally pointless. You’re moving in a giant circle; what’s the end game? There isn’t one, at least not I can see. But then, I’m only a professional with 30 cycles in the field, what do I know?’

Many are calling for more powers to be granted to the Centralised Council of Boundary Operatives to manage orbits at the rondel level, though this has been met with its own dissenters who claim that the Council lacks the neutrality — or the common sense, as some of the more vitriolic opponents haven’t been shy in suggesting — to be given such responsibility. Perhaps in support of the latter interpretation, the council are yet to reach a verdict on whether or not they want, to quote their chairman, ‘to deal with such a massive hassle.’

Narla Innedine is professor of Pettifoggery & Triviality at the Traverse Political Institute on Rhanavar, and suggests that:

‘This is globalistic posturing at it’s most ridiculous. We’ve seen all kinds of frivolous power trips over the cycles, but Sophia are showing some real creativity in just how low they’re prepared to sink in order to prove a point. It’s absolutely fascinating. What will happen if they do overtake? Are we going to have this every time the two moons are in passing distance of one-another? I have to say, Vera are showing a commendable degree of resoluteness here. Dare I say even stubbornness? Let’s just hope it doesn’t spark another conflict.’

Not everybody is opposed to the current situation. Thousands of business owners have opened pop-up premises in the interstitial region between the two moons, turning the Inner Space into an unsuspecting commercial centre within the broader Zephran Lunarscape. Adabora Eldrum runs a boutique sorcery outlet on the Sophian bound:

‘Business has never been better! Having the benefit of a shared atmosphere really has opened up foot traffic, probably because people from both planets are curious to see what all the fuss is about. There’s never so good a time to peddle superstition as when folks think a calamity is imminent — my portentous parasols have been flying out the door! Though of course that could just be the violent cosmic winds we get out here…’

It’s currently unclear whether the diplomatic efforts that have been taking place over the last several weeks will yield anything of value for either side, though I suppose there’s nothing wrong with being cautiously optimistic.