Igni Irae
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Codify a location established in rp.
Image Credit: Here. Here. Here.
Canon: N/A.
Permission: Can use Firemane stuff because I own the company.
Links: Dominion of Light, The Republican Guard is the Strongest, Into Darkness, After Darkness, Red Coral City, Tephrike, Mezha Krazhmir, Synthia Vao, Firemane, Disciples of the Vader, Nexus City, Battlemaster Mahtara, Viper Company.
SETTING INFORMATION
Military Base Name: Fortress Solidairty
Classification: Army Base.
Location: Tephrike.
Affiliation: Republican Guard, Tephrike, General Aruunzeb.
Population: Heavy
Demographics: Inhabited by Republican Guard troops as well as support personnel such as engineers, medical staff, intelligence officers, and technicians. A small contingent of Firemane advisors has been stationed here. In deference to the Guard's strong distrust of space mages, these are all Non-Force-Users. The Guard is a multispecies movement, and this is reflected in the demographic makeup. One can find Humans, Twi'leks, Mon Calamari, Gungans, Houk, Trandoshans, Nautolans as well as a notable Yuuzhan Vong contingent. With the exception of captured Jedi or Sith, all base occupants are Non-Force-Users or Force-Dead.
Accessibility: Before the Firemane campaign, Solidarity was called Fortress Purity and a key citadel of the Dominion of Light. Tephrike is extremely isolated and had no contact with the rest of the Galaxy for centuries, so few non-Tephriki outside of those who fought in the battle or heard about it would be aware of its existence. However, the base is well-known on Tephrike. Access is extremely restricted though. It is a military base and the Republican Guard is engaged in a life or death struggle against its foes. Only Republican Guard soldiers and allies have access. The partisans will use lethal force against unauthorised individuals. The nearby forest, hill and the fact that a good portion of the base is underground also help conceal it. The same applies to the veritable maze of underground tunnels, which feature a variety of traps to deter possible intruders.
Description: Fortress Solidarity, once known as Fortress Purity from back when it was under the control of the Dominion of Light, is the name of a bunker, tunnel and redoubt complex built into a hill. It is protected by trenches, pits, pillboxes, bunkers and mines along with concealed artillery. The tunnel network is interspersed with artificial caverns. There is a nearby forest, which has been seeded with traps. The fortress is a key breastwork on the road to Nexus City, the capital of the Dominion. This means the base is of great strategic importance.
Today the base is controlled by the Republican Guard, a rebel insurgency led by a military junta that seeks to topple the Force theocracies and unite Tephrike under the banner of a republican government of Non-Force-Users, by Non-Force-Users and for Non-Force-Users. Its capture was a major victory for the partisans, though it came at a considerable cost, for their casualties were high. The Starbird banner has been raised atop the fortress. General Aruunzeb has set up his command post here. Firemane has an uneasy accord with the rebels and has been supplying them with arms as well as military advisors. However, Firemane's overall presence is low-key. Both sides had radically divergent beliefs and the Guard does not want to become the vassal of a foreign power. This is an understandable and very justified viewpoint.
The barracks, hospital, command, control and communications facilities are located beneath the earth and connected to the rest of the base through an extensive tunnel network. There are some landing fields and a concealed hangar. The interior of the base is utilitarian, even Spartan. Life inside the base is austere, though it has its share of amenities to bolster the morale of the defenders. One can find plenty of propaganda posters, exhorting soldiers to give their all for the revolution and reminding them of how vile their enemies are. The base has a shield generator. It was knocked out during the battle, but has been repaired since then.
There is also a mass grave for a brigade of Younglings that were cruelly sacrificed by the Dominion in the closing stages of the battle. Today, the base is an important staging ground for Republican Guard offensives and incursions into Dominion territory. For its part, the Dominion has not been idle. Indeed, it has reorganised under a new, more rational leadership and remains a tenacious foe. Thus the base is heavily guarded. Aside from its obvious military value, the Republican Guard is also exploiting it for propaganda purposes.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Raddus Bunker: This is the heart of the base. The subterranean facility is located beneath the Fortress. Command, communications and control facilities, a briefing room and offices for high command have been established here. Intelligence is collated, recorded and analysed, orders are given to the troops in the field. There is also room for officers and soldiers. Field medical stations have been set up, and supplies are kept in the case of siege. An extensive tunnel network is in place. The bunker has been set up in such a way that intruders will be forced into kill zones and traps. The war room is located in the lowest levels of the bunker. Only authorised personnel have access to it. The former chamber of General Kennobi, the Dominion Jedi Master who led the defence of Purity and committed suicide when defeat was imminent, also lie here. His room has been preserved for propaganda purposes.
Broken Rib Bridge: A rocky, boulder-strewn hill that overlooks the forest below. The base is built against it. It was a major battleground during the assault on Purity. The Dominion used snipers, illusionists and suicide bombers to stop the invaders. When that failed, an elite force of Jedi warrior monks called the Ever Loyal Vanguard charged. Taking the hill was a very blood affair. The Guard has established defensive positions on it, including traps, mines, early warning systems, machine gun nests, snipers and some mortars.
Hospital: The main medical facility of the base, though smaller infirmaries are scattered across Fortress Solidarity. It is located below ground. Tephrike has been cut off from the rest of the Galaxy for centuries and lacks the conditions to produce or synthesise Bacta or Kolto. As a result, the natives have been forced to rely on more old fashioned methods to treat the wounded. Unlike its rivals, the Republican Guard prohibits Force use, so it cannot draw upon Force healers. As part of their accord, Firemane delivers medical supplies to the Guard. These are probably more important than arms shipments.
Czulkang Barracks: Self-explanatory. The old barracks were damaged by the Firemane artillery and aerial bombardment, but Republican Guard engineers have worked tirelessly to get things back on track. The facilities are sufficient to station a substantial number of partisans. This location is underground. The barracks is named after Czulkang Lah, one of the greatest Warmasters of the Yuuzhan Vong. This area features kitchens, mess halls and the like.
The Black Forest: This was one of the battlegrounds during the Firemane-Republican Guard assault on Fortress Purity. Several Firemane transport ships were shot down over the forest or the soldiers had to bail out due to being targeted by kamikaze pilots. The Dominion had hidden traps and set up heavy machine guns and repeaters behind bushes and concealed pillboxes. The Republican Guard has taken a similar approach. Partisans regularly patrol the area.
Storage: An underground complex where provisions such as dehydrated foodstuffs and other essentials are stored. This is supposed to allow the garrison to withstand a protracted siege, especially if enemy action causes a breakdown in the supply line. For this reason, it is well-guarded.
Parade Grounds: Here soldiers can assemble and officers and commissars can deliver fiery proclamations to condemn the enemies of liberty and steel the faith of the rebels. Or try at any rate. The grounds are made for rallies, speeches and so on. After the fall of Purity, soldiers such as Mezha Krazhmir and Synthia Vao were honoured here for their role in the battle.
Weather Control Machine: One of the many hazards Firemane and the Guard faced during their assault. Realising that Firemane's airpower posed a serious threat, the Dominion commanders activated the weather control machine, creating a powerful thunderstorm. Many Firemane transports and gunships were lost. Eventually Firemane deployed Qadiri aeromancers to redirect the storm. The facility has now been captured by the Guard. It is located below ground.
Garage: Houses the motor pool of the Republican Guard forces stationed here. Wheeled vehicles are more common on Tephrike, as they are cheaper and more suited for the muddy terrain. Fuel and spare parts are a constant issue, which limits the range and availability of the vehicles. The Guard is an irregular guerilla force, so many of the armoured fighting vehicles, trucks and bikes used to belong to the Dominion, but fell into their hands when they took the base. However, fuel and spare parts are an issue.
Halls of Remembrance: A cross between a museum and a propaganda room. This underground section of the base was once a shrine used by the Dominion's Jedi for meditation, but has now been appropriated by the Republican Guard. It is used to commemorate their victory over the Dominion. The visitor learns about the fierce battles that were fought here, the righteous struggle of the Guard against the enemies of freedom and can watch propaganda movies. There is also a room where visitors can convey their respects to the partisans who died here.
Halls of Community: Underground recreational areas can be found here. Propaganda films, as well as non-political movies, are shown in a cinema to boost the morale of the defenders. There is also a gym, a dance and music hall. Entertainers sponsored by the Guard may perform here. A group of soldiers stationed at the base have formed a music band.
Field of the Forlorn: A mass grave that lies on the surface of the base. When General Kennobi realised that the Guard and Firemane had broken through and all was lost, he ordered all the Jedi Younglings in the base to conduct a suicidal death charge. Having been indoctrinated by the régime, they charged, and perished. Kennobi committed suicide after giving the order. The Younglings were buried by soldiers who had killed them in a mass grave. A rotating detachment of Republican Guard partisans has been assigned to tend to it. There is also a small memorial that tells the grim tale. Wreaths are often laid there.
Stardust Cantina: By chance or design, the cantina has Jyn Erso's nickname. Here soldiers can find some entertainment and R&R before they return to duty. The Guard is fighting a war to the knife, and the risk of dying in battle - or from disease - is very real, so soldiers must use any moment they have to enjoy what little pleasure is available.
Tunnels: The Republican Guard has retained and indeed expanded the labyrinth of underground, connecting passages. They make extensive use of the subterranean network. The tunnels have several levels that can be accessed via hidden trap doors. The tunnels are deep and have many twist and turns. This limits the amount of damage say an explosion at a tunnel opening can do. Not only are the partisans' most crucial installations located below ground, the maze of tunnels is a vital part of their defence. There are a lot of sortie tunnels to pop out on enemies, allowing rebels to suddenly appear, fire on passing intruders, and then vanish.
In addition, there are fake tunnels to lure enemies into traps and a variety of booby traps, ranging from explosives to holes in the ground embedded with spikes. There are various air shafts, access and exit tunnels. The extensive tunnel network enables the rebels to carry out a strategic retreat if needed, or lure an enemy into a trap. It also makes it difficult for the enemy to be certain that they have truly flushed the rebellion's presence out.
Trenches: By galactic standard, Tephrike has regressed. This has led to the resurrection of more old fashioned forms of warfare. The trenches have been dug in a zigzag pattern and are lined with pillboxes, weapons' emplacements, rotary cannons, barbed wire and artillery. A trench has a parapet and often a dugout has been created. A trench typically has an aid post and a field ambulance. Dressing stations have been set up in dug-outs and underground bunkers. Combat units are rotated at regular intervals to ensure that fresh troops are manning the trenches.
Hangar: The hangar is above ground and a fair distance back to protect it from attacks. Camouflage netting and other means are used to conceal it. The Republican Guard only has limited air power capabilities compared to the Dominion, but the hangar can house some squadrons and there are airfields to accommodate transports and small starships.
Landing Field: A narrow paved strip near the camouflaged hangars. There is a tower that is used to control air traffic. The landing field is not large, but can accommodate shuttles, transports and freighters that drop off supplies or personnel. The Republican Guard has few aircraft and lacks space technology, which is why it uses its tunnel network to transport most of its supplies. This has the benefit of being out of range of Dominion air strikes. Thus the transports that land here tend to belong to Firemane.
Detention Centre: Alas, there are always those who transgress against the revolution. Thus there is an underground detention area to hold prisoners. Some are there for disciplinary infractions, others are prisoners of war. Of particular note is the section reserved for captive Force-Sensitives. It is guarded by Force Dead soldiers, commonly Yuuzhan Vong. It is pertinent to note that the prison does not only have energy fields protecting the cells - there is a solid metal door/gate too. The Guard uses special holding cells and universal energy cages, the Embrace of Pain, collars, and drugs such as Ixetal Cilona to keep captured Force-Users contained. They are isolated from other prisoners and kept in what amounts to solitary confinement. Taozion nodules have been concealed in that section. They blur Force senses and thus help impede telepathy and inmate cooperation. If an inmate were able to break out and steal one, this would do them no good, as none of the guards are Force-Users. There is also an interrogation centre. The Guard treats common grunts reasonably well since they want to win them over, but is far less forgiving towards Jedi or Sith.
SECURITY
High
- While the Republican Guard lacks high-tech technology, the base is a tough nut to crack. Trenches, bunkers, pillboxes, weapons' emplacements, the forest and land mines make it difficult to penetrate. A good portion of it is also underground. This especially applies to key facilities. The defenders make heavy use of camouflage netting and similar means of concealment. One weakness of the base is that it lacks surface-to-space weapons. This is not relevant against the foes the base has been set up to fight, namely the other factions on Tephrike, but could become a problem against an external invader with big capital ships.
- Land mines, booby traps, monofilament security guards, mesh traps, Yuuzhan Vong singularity mines and monofilament nets are used for perimeter security outside the base as well as in false tunnels. Heat pit sensors are used to track intruders. Barricades and other obstacles provide barriers for vehicles.
- Heavy slugthrower, E-webs and blaster rotary cannons and artillery guns have been set up along the defence works. There are also light and heavy mortars. There are two defensive rings of fortifications to provide a stacked defence. Anti-personnel and anti-vehicle turrets are scattered around the fortifications. There are also several camouflaged pillboxes and bunkers manned by rebels. Concealed flak cannons have been set up to protect against aerial assault. Sonic projectors have also been set up. Open trenches and fortified emplacements are designed to be a death trap against attacking enemies.
- To fool enemies, the defenders have also set up decoy pillboxes and dummy tanks. Wooden logs have been disguised as artillery cannons and set up inside faux bunkers. This deceives the enemy about the defenders' true strength and may cause them to waste time, ammunition and manpower. A unit of combat engineers has been assigned to maintain the deception.
- There are a lot of concealed sortie tunnels to pop out on enemies. Rebels may pop out of ground holes, take aim and fire on enemies, then disappear back into the earth, escaping through the tunnels. The holes are small and with a removable wooden lid that blends perfectly into the environment. The Republican Guard relies heavily on concealed emplacements, machineguns and anti-tank missile aunchers.
- The rebel forces was able to capture a number of tanks when they took the base, but fuel and spare parts are scarce. Thus they often use them as static turrets. By galactic standard, these vehicles are very old though. An example would be the Occupier tank. They also have small hovercraft like the LAVr QH-7 Chariots and the Pteropter.
- An turret network, and motion sensors can be found inside the underground bunker facilities. There are cameras in the main buildings. Should the surface defences be penetrated by invaders, they will have to pierce the extensive tunnel network, as most important installations are located underground. The tunnels have been set up to force attackers into kill zones and various traps, such as tripwire explosives. The base also features false tunnels to lure enemies in and booby trap them.
- The Fortress has a garrison composed of militia and Republican Guard, who are tenacious and highly skilled at irregular warfare. It includes an elite force of Yuuzhan Vong warriors. Partisans patrol the forest, using their skills at concealment to remain out of sight and surprise intruders. Tamed beasts are also used to spot and flush out intruders. However, Tephrike's long period of isolation means that many of the weapons used by the rebels are older than contemporary galactic standard. But slugthrowers are more practical than blaster weapons since the latter are more difficult to maintain in Tephrike's jungles due to the presence of fungi that have an appetite for their circuits. Firemane has equipped some rebels with bolters, but most use older weapons.
- There is a weather control machine. The effects of this machine are localised, meaning it affects the weather in a wide radius around the base, but not the whole planet or even the continent. During the battle, the Dominion used it to create a storm across the battlefield. To a large degree, they succeeded at negating Firemane's airpower. However, it must be used carefully. Not only does it consume a lot of power when active, it could also become a hindrance to its users if employed carelessly.
- Furthermore, the base has a DSS-02 shield generator. It is located in the centre of the base. The projector sticks out, while the reactor and such are below ground.
Until recently, Fortress Solidarity was known as Fortress Purity. It was built by the Dominion of Light, a Jedi-controlled theocracy that arose when Tephrike descended into chaos following the outbreak of the Gulag Virus. Faced with uprisings, famine, pandemic and civil war, the Jedi assumed a protective stance. However, power and the horrors of war corrupted their noble ideals. What was supposed to be a temporary emergency junta became a permanent fixture, and then a totalitarian nightmare.
Tephrike's old capital city Palmyra was damaged by fighting between the Jedi and supporters of Tephrike's old government. Then it was devastated by a brutal battle with the Disciples of the Vader, a cult of Sith fanatics and human supremacists. In its place, the Dominion erected Nexus City. Here they could built their perfect society, where every citizen would be moulded into an obedient subject from birth.
Fortress Purity was one of many fortresses the Dominion set up to protect the new order. It became a major breastwork that guarded the road to the capital city. For though the Dominion managed to conquer most of Tephrike, its power was never uncontested. Pockets of resistance remained, and both the Vaderites and the Republican Guard challenged its claim to be Tephrike's sole legitimate government. Thus Purity contained a strong garrison of Dominion clone troopers, militia and Jedi Knights. The Windian Jedi Order proclaimed that power belonged in the hands of those who could feel the Force and were dedicated to the Light, for only they could interpret the will of the Force and act in accordance. Thus command resided in the hands of Jedi Generals.
The Dominion was seriously challenged during the Netherworld Event. The raptures caused a mass panic, as many believed the end of days was truly at hand. Moreover, the Republican Guard launched an all-out offensive. The rebels did not have magi of their own and thus benefited from the fact that both Jedi and Sith had been weakened by the calamity. At first the invasion was a success, but the general uprising the Guard had hoped for never materialised.
Purity was one of the Guard's targets. It employed various means to deceive the Dominion about its real target, but a comms specialist called Mara Technician managed to discern their true target and convince Battlemaster Mahtara. Thus when the Guard came, the Dominion was ready. Nonetheless, the battle was a brutal one. Again and again, the Guard tried to breach the Dominion's defences. The rebels got very close, helped by the penchant of certain Jedi Generals, such as General Akosa, to order human wave charges. However, Jedi General Kennobi, a ruthless Jedi Master gifted in the art of Battle Meditation, led the Dominion to victory. The battle was a debacle for the Guard, forcing its troops to retreat. The Dominion celebrated General Kennobi and his soldiers as heroes of the Light.
Many years later, he defended Fortress Purity again, but this time the Dominion lost. The reason for this was the intervention of Firemane. At first Firemane Industries had initiated negotiations with the Dominion. A moderate faction led by Battlemaster Mahtara sought accommodation with the outsiders, believing they could be used to their advantage. However, a group of radicals led by the Grand Inquisitor Antonius and the Grandmaster viewed this as treason. A Firemane delegation was ambushed by the extremists. During the course of the fighting, Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori was captured.
Firemane went to war against the Dominion. It bombed the Jedi Temple and had to deal with Dominion retaliation in form of Force-enhanced nuclear missiles. Firemane and the Republican Guard entered an uneasy alliance. Both sides strongly distrusted one another, but each had something to gain from working together. Firemane had the firepower, while the Guard had the numbers and local knowledge. Thus Firemane landed ground forces to assault Purity. These operated in cooperation with the Guard. Realising that she could give the Grandmaster enough rope to hang himself, Mahtara ensured that troops loyal to her did not reinforce the Fortress.
However, the battle was very bloody. The Guard was reluctant to commit its full force, as it had failed at Purity once and did not want to risk decimating its troops. Moreover, the rebels distrusted their allies, who had many Force-Users in their ranks. Firemane rained destruction upon Purity with air and artillery strikes, but many Dominion troops held out in their underground shelters and trenches. Firemane transports were lost to kamikaze pilots. To negate Firemane's airpower, the Dominion activated a weather control machine. The subsequent storm wrecked many gunships and dropships and made it difficult for Firemane to support its troops.
Faced with fierce fighting in the forest and trenches, the allied forces rallied, but had to deal with often fanatical resistance from the defenders. Finally, General Aruunzeb, the leader of the Republican Guard troops, committed his full force to the battle after being pressured by Firemane commander Colonel Leonina Varkathras. This stabilised the front line. One of the bloodiest fights occured on Broken Rib Bridge, a large hill that Firemane, Resistance and Republican Guard troops had to storm.
Aside from dealing with mentalists, they also faced suicide bombers, Jedi snipers and the elite Jedi Vanguard, a powerful force of warrior monks wielding enchanted weapons. Meanwhile a mixed force of Firemane and Force Dead Republican Guard commandos managed to discover a tunnel that led to the heart of the base, but were assaulted by clone troopers and elite Jedi warriors. A group of Qadiri aeromancers were able to redirect the storm. When the allied forces had broken through the Dominion's defensive lines, General Kennobi sent a horde of Younglings on a suicidal death charge to cover the retreat of his officers. Then he committed suicide. In the end the allied forces prevailed, but at a cost. The Republican Guard raised the Starbird banner upon the fortress.
The victory was a major morale boost for the Guard, but the struggle was not over. The Dominion's Mad Grandmaster was murdered by his fellow Councillors and a junta headed by Mahtara took control. Both groups mobilised for a war to the knife. After receiving word that Elpsis had been rescued, Firemane began to pull out its forces, as it did not want to get bogged down in a conflict so far from home and was content with having given the Dominion a bloody nose.
However, Tegaea Alcori, the leader of the Firemane expedition, made a deal with the Guard. Firemane would provide them with armaments, supplies and some advisors in return for resources, as Tephrike had ores in abudance. She also used her warships to bomb the headquarters of the Vaderites. The rebels renamed the fortress and swiftly began to convert it into a staging ground for incursions into the Dominion's territory. They also fortified it against the inevitable Dominion counterattacks.
Working overtime, Republican Guard engineers dug new tunnels and expanded old ones, enabling the subterranean facilities to accommodate a large number of rebel soldiers and protect them against retaliatory air strikes. Eventually the first Firemane shipments arrived and the base was up and running again. The Republican Guard has less manpower than the Dominion, so the defences of the base rely heavily on mines, concealed emplacements and a complex tunnelling system designed to misdirect and trap enemies.
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