diff --git a/db/schema.sql b/db/schema.sql
index a2685c9a9..f28804a59 100644
--- a/db/schema.sql
+++ b/db/schema.sql
@@ -95,107 +95,6 @@ CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_decision_refs_source ON decision_refs(source_id);
 CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_decision_refs_target ON decision_refs(target_id);
 
 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- Star Systems Wiki Mirror
--- Populated by: python3 tooling/db/wiki_sync.py sync
--- Source: wiki/star-systems/*/index.md (YAML frontmatter)
+-- Star Systems live in a separate database: server/data/systems.db
+-- Schema: server/data/systems-schema.sql
 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS star_systems (
-    -- I. Identity and Location
-    system_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
-    astronomical_id TEXT NOT NULL,
-    proper_name TEXT,
-    system_name TEXT,
-    star_type TEXT,
-    geographic_sector TEXT,
-    geographic_band TEXT,
-    political_zone TEXT,
-
-    -- II. Physical Character
-    habitable_planet_count INTEGER,
-    inhabited_planet_count INTEGER,
-    asteroid_belt TEXT,
-    gas_giant TEXT,
-    habitability_profile TEXT,
-
-    -- III. Gate Infrastructure
-    horizon_station INTEGER,  -- boolean 0/1
-    aperture_count INTEGER,
-    gate_connections INTEGER,
-    gate_topology TEXT,
-    span_gate_network TEXT,
-
-    -- IV. Settlement History
-    settlement_wave TEXT,
-    founding_motivation TEXT,
-    founding_culture_primary TEXT,
-    founding_culture_secondary TEXT,
-    cultural_persistence TEXT,
-    historical_event TEXT,
-    historical_event_age_years INTEGER,
-    religious_status TEXT,
-    religious_generation_count INTEGER,
-
-    -- V. Economic Life
-    economic_tier TEXT,
-    population TEXT,
-    economic_base_primary TEXT,
-    economic_base_secondary TEXT,
-    distribution_index TEXT,
-    imprint_access TEXT,
-    supply_dependency TEXT,
-
-    -- VI. Governance
-    governance_type TEXT,
-    dominant_faction TEXT,
-    primary_fault_line TEXT,
-    secondary_fault_line TEXT,
-
-    -- VII. Faction Presence
-    assembly_presence TEXT,
-    commission_presence TEXT,
-    syndic_presence TEXT,
-    syndic_type TEXT,
-    separatist_presence TEXT,
-    separatist_type TEXT,
-    institute_presence TEXT,
-    guardians_presence TEXT,
-    faction_notes TEXT,
-
-    -- VIII. Cultural Voice
-    cultural_register TEXT,
-    cultural_register_secondary TEXT,
-    ambient_anxiety TEXT,
-    local_pride TEXT,
-    atmospheric_tone TEXT,
-    atmospheric_tone_secondary TEXT,
-    active_situation TEXT,
-    silence_threshold TEXT,
-    silence_topic TEXT,
-
-    -- IX. Political Character
-    earth_alignment TEXT,
-    earth_proximity TEXT,
-    earth_tension TEXT,
-
-    -- X. Narrative Profile
-    primary_archetype TEXT,
-    secondary_archetype TEXT,
-    narrative_notable TEXT,
-    narrative_hook TEXT,
-    generation_priority TEXT,
-
-    -- XI. Content Notes
-    stability_index TEXT,
-    system_volatility TEXT,
-    cultural_corridor TEXT,
-    calibration_note TEXT,
-
-    synced_at TEXT DEFAULT (datetime('now'))
-);
-
-CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_star_systems_astro ON star_systems(astronomical_id);
-CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_star_systems_sector ON star_systems(geographic_sector);
-CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_star_systems_wave ON star_systems(settlement_wave);
-CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_star_systems_topology ON star_systems(gate_topology);
-CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_star_systems_star_type ON star_systems(star_type);
diff --git a/server/data/systems-schema.sql b/server/data/systems-schema.sql
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22aaf85e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/data/systems-schema.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+-- Star Systems Database Schema — server/data/systems.db
+-- Source of truth for all structured star system data.
+-- Authored via tooling pipeline; wiki pages are generated views.
+-- Shipped with the game — read-only from the server's perspective.
+--
+-- Rebuild: tooling/process-wiki-system-changes --rebuild-db
+
+PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL;
+PRAGMA foreign_keys=ON;
+
+-- Core identity, physical character, political character
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS star_systems (
+    system_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,  -- GJ catalog number (e.g., "GJ 244A")
+    proper_name TEXT,
+    system_name TEXT,
+    star_type TEXT,
+    spectral_class TEXT,
+    dist_ly REAL,
+    geographic_sector TEXT,
+    geographic_band TEXT,
+    political_zone TEXT,
+
+    -- Physical character
+    habitable_planet_count INTEGER,
+    inhabited_planet_count INTEGER,
+    asteroid_belt INTEGER,   -- boolean 0/1
+    gas_giant INTEGER,       -- boolean 0/1
+    habitability_profile TEXT,
+
+    -- Political character
+    earth_alignment TEXT,
+    earth_proximity TEXT,
+    earth_tension TEXT,
+
+    -- Content notes
+    stability_index INTEGER,
+    system_volatility TEXT,
+    cultural_corridor TEXT,
+    generation_priority TEXT,
+
+    updated_at TEXT DEFAULT (datetime('now'))
+);
+
+-- Gate infrastructure — queried independently for pathfinding/topology
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS system_gates (
+    system_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY REFERENCES star_systems(system_id),
+    horizon_station INTEGER,  -- boolean 0/1
+    aperture_count INTEGER,
+    gate_connections INTEGER,
+    gate_topology TEXT,
+    hop_distance_from_gateway INTEGER,
+    span_gate_network TEXT
+);
+
+-- Settlement history
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS system_history (
+    system_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY REFERENCES star_systems(system_id),
+    settlement_wave TEXT,
+    founding_motivation TEXT,
+    founding_culture_primary TEXT,
+    founding_culture_secondary TEXT,
+    cultural_persistence TEXT,
+    religious_status TEXT,
+    religious_generation_count INTEGER
+);
+
+-- Historical events — proper 1:N child table
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS historical_events (
+    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
+    system_id TEXT NOT NULL REFERENCES star_systems(system_id),
+    event_type TEXT NOT NULL,
+    age_years INTEGER,
+    sort_order INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0  -- 0 = most recent
+);
+
+-- Economic life
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS system_economy (
+    system_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY REFERENCES star_systems(system_id),
+    economic_tier INTEGER,
+    population INTEGER,
+    economic_base_primary TEXT,
+    economic_base_secondary TEXT,
+    distribution_index TEXT,
+    imprint_access TEXT
+);
+
+-- Faction presence
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS system_factions (
+    system_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY REFERENCES star_systems(system_id),
+    governance_type TEXT,
+    dominant_faction TEXT,
+    primary_fault_line TEXT,
+    secondary_fault_line TEXT,
+    assembly_presence TEXT,
+    commission_presence TEXT,
+    syndic_presence TEXT,
+    syndic_type TEXT,
+    separatist_presence TEXT,
+    separatist_type TEXT,
+    institute_presence TEXT,
+    guardians_presence TEXT
+);
+
+-- Cultural voice
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS system_culture (
+    system_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY REFERENCES star_systems(system_id),
+    cultural_register TEXT,
+    cultural_register_secondary TEXT,
+    ambient_anxiety TEXT,
+    local_pride TEXT,
+    atmospheric_tone TEXT,
+    atmospheric_tone_secondary TEXT,
+    active_situation TEXT,
+    silence_threshold TEXT,
+    primary_archetype TEXT,
+    secondary_archetype TEXT,
+    narrative_notable INTEGER  -- boolean 0/1
+);
+
+-- Authored prose (supply_dependency, faction_notes, silence_topic,
+-- narrative_hook, calibration_note) lives in wiki markdown files only.
+-- No DB mirror — read the file if you need the text.
+
+-- Indexes
+-- astronomical_id removed: system_id IS the GJ catalog number
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_star_systems_sector ON star_systems(geographic_sector);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_star_systems_wave ON system_history(settlement_wave);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_star_systems_topology ON system_gates(gate_topology);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_star_systems_star_type ON star_systems(star_type);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_star_systems_volatility ON star_systems(system_volatility);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_historical_events_system ON historical_events(system_id);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_system_factions_dominant ON system_factions(dominant_faction);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_system_economy_tier ON system_economy(economic_tier);
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_system_culture_archetype ON system_culture(primary_archetype);
diff --git a/server/data/systems.db b/server/data/systems.db
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3b131639d
Binary files /dev/null and b/server/data/systems.db differ