Location from Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Border world near Gaia — distrustful of the Foundation, proud of its independence, and unknowingly sitting next to the most important planet in the galaxy.
Sayshell defines itself by what it is not: not Foundation, not Empire, not anyone's client state. This independence is genuine but also fragile — Sayshell maintains its autonomy because the Foundation hasn't found it worth the trouble of absorbing, and because Gaia's unseen influence has kept the region stable enough to avoid the crises that would invite Foundation intervention. The planet's proximity to Gaia is its most important feature, though Sayshellians don't know it. Gaia has maintained a buffer zone around itself for millennia, and Sayshell benefits from this protection without understanding its source. Local legends about Gaia exist but are treated as folklore rather than intelligence. Trevize passed through Sayshell on his search for Earth, and the planet's hostility toward the Foundation provided useful cover. Sayshellians were happy to see a Foundation councillor in trouble and unhappy to learn that their neighborhood contained a planet-sized consciousness that had been managing their region's politics for longer than their civilization had existed.
A developed world with its own cultural identity — cities that deliberately avoid Foundation architectural styles, local fashions that emphasize non-Foundation origins, a spaceport that handles traffic from across the region but treats Foundation ships with cool formality. The planet is attractive in an understated way: temperate climate, well-maintained cities, enough prosperity to support independence without enough power to threaten anyone.
Also known as: Sayshell Union, the Sayshell sector