Trepus Mine

Trepus Mine
General information
Constructed:	344 BBY
Location:	Trepus, Solyiat
Builder:	Solyiat Mining Consortium
Physical specifications
Population:	10,000 personnel 2000 visiting individuals
Usage
Era:	Republic era Imperial era Rise of the Brotherhood era Exodus era New Order era
Affiliation:	House Hoth (formerly) Knights of Allusis (formerly) House Sunrider (formerly) Clan Odan-Urr
Possession Item:	ID 83180
[ Source ]

Trepus Mine, also known as Trepus Mine Base, is the primary operations facility for Clan Odan-Urr on Solyiat. Originally owned and constructed by the Solyiat Mining Consortium to extract metal deposits beneath Trepus' central mountain range, the mine itself stretches for several kilometers beneath the mountain in a complex series of primary tunnels, natural caves, and man-made openings. This was then gifted to JTF Hoth following the arrival of the Jedi, and repurposed into a primary HQ for the House. The positioning of the base on the continent allows them to monitor and cover the surrounding local airspace for possible threats along with maintaining a constant watch of events in local orbit of the planet. Along with the close location of the Transfer Station, thus controlling the primary means of arriving and departing Trepus via airborne means, this allowed House Hoth to keep multiple rapid response units on standby. These could counteract any threats while providing cover for the scattered townships across the continent against hostile groups.

When required, Trepus Mine retained the space to guard and protect several thousand civillians. The Mine could serve as a means of defending and guarding the continent's sparse populace from massed invasions and orbital bombardments. With the mine limited to only a few heavily defended entrances, guarded by both the mountain itself and military-grade shields along with heavy cannonade, it served as a symbol of Odan-Urr's might. Even following the dissolution of House Hoth, the base remained active as an outpost for House Sunrider and an essential linchpin in their defenses until that group's eventual dissolution. Following this, the stronghold was inherited by the Consular Conclave and utilised as their general headquarters.

History

Original Role

Trepus Mine was established in early 344 BBY following an operation by the Vatali Empire to scan Trepus' mountainous ranges. The continent had been fully mapped centuries before and the outlying townships established to serve as ports, but the value of the inland regions had been disputed among various groups for years. Ground-based exploration was a hazardous endeavor due to the various predator species which had adapted to the mountainous regions, while orbital efforts had been disrupted by beds of Sarsirians absorbing and reflecting energy. The decision to launch a further investigation was only made when a geological examination and series of theories indicated valuable metals lay within the larger mountain ranges lining the Akux Sea. After several probing efforts by droids were made to establish early shafts, one of which met with some success. It was eventually discovered that while the area was rich in metal vital to starship construction, the veins were broadly spread out over a wide area. As such, the initial mine was established with the impetus of covering an extremely broad area and allowing for rapid divergences. These were heavily reinforced and supported, and over the years each would frequently cross paths with other main tunnels, forming a semi-chaotic maze which stretched deep under the mountain.

Using geothermal generators to power machinery, the mine was steadily expanded to incorporate new facilities. Internal scanners intended to monitor the mountain were dotted throughout the core of the facility, several artificial caverns were constructed to better allow for coordinated sweeps in search of new materials, and even internal bunk facilities were built to better accommodate its scale. As airlocks, security systems and internal rails were constructed, the mine in question gradually turned into a self-sustaining base. Over time this was further expanded with the addition of a transfer station, allowing for easier access to the facility from freighters and starships. For more than three hundred years it would remain in operation, until in 30 ABY all relevant and substantial metal deposits were thought to have finally been extracted.

New Ownership

The end of operations for Trepus Mine brought more problems than its long active period ever had. Besides the potential loss of income and employment for Trepus' populace, the mine itself retained a substantial amount of complex and heavy equipment. Removing it was a process that would take years, and certain essential systems were difficult to disassemble let alone fully transport. Many could simply be left to rust, but this was an option that did not sit well with any involved with the mine. For a time, the mine continued its day-to-day activities in scanning for further deposits, simply to avoid inactivity or the risk of abandoning it entirely. It was only later that in 34 ABY that a new option presented itself for all involved. As the Empress had permitted Clan Odan-Urr and the survivors of New Tython a home within the Vatali Empire, each was granted new territories to occupy and maintain. Land on Daleem had been given to House Satele Shan while House Hoth had been granted areas of Solyiat to serve as their new home.

As the military arm of their Clan in its former command structure, Hoth required a highly defensive and easily fortified base of operations. Trepus mine, while in a state of partial disrepair, fitted their needs. As the House would take over any costs it offered a way out for both investors and employees, a substantial portion of who remained on-site to assist with the repurposing of the mine into a military base. Expanding the bunkhouses to form full barracks and tunneling deeper into the mountain, they were set to work on reinforcing the tunnel against quakes from possible artillery bombardments. Sensors were further enhanced to allow for scans of the surrounding area and moving targets in the surrounding area. As tunnels were dug into upper areas of the mountain, the base soon established the foundations for heavy cannon emplacements and surface to orbit weapons.

The Trepus Transfer station also underwent a number of notable changes, with a group of point defense turrets established about the ring of the platform and pushed for some much-needed maintenance along with its main landing facilities. The system was also redesigned to both allow for larger dropships to utilise the area, and for far harder landings associated with rapid descents. Along with alterations to its main transportation network to fortify it against enemy attacks, every change was made to emphasize heightened efficiency and defensive capabilities. These endeavors became the main focus for the House during its initial years, as their members sought to repurpose and use anything on hand to establish a new home for themselves.

Hoth HQ

As the Odanites finished reworking the former mine's facilities and reconstructing essential areas of what would become Trepus Mine Base, thought was put into how best to utilise their new asset. Its location and role meant that House Hoth could effectively keep watch over the continent and guard the one major orbital drop point for several hundred kilometers, but given the House's low numbers direct and effective responses were difficult to maintain. As such, the base became a coordination point for wider efforts rather than being used as a singularly large fortress. Retaining only a skeleton crew of operatives, officers and a small garrison of soldiers, the majority of the House was instead tasked with focusing on street-level actions or assisting the fleet-based JTF Hoth. This detail was kept as a carefully guarded secret and, as such, Hoth was able to project the impression of acting with far greater numbers than they actually possessed.

As recruitment and support from the Vatali Royal Guard bolstered Hoth's position, they were able to steadily reinforce their position and further patrol the surrounding airspace. This would prove beneficial to Hoth as, between its existence and that of Sky Breach Base, Clan Odan-Urr was able to establish itself on its primary worlds. Along with granting the clan much-needed infrastructure to support its troops and warships, this served as a visual and definitive confirmation that the clan was ready and able to assist the Vatali in defending its territories. This would become essential in the following months, as Odan-Urr found itself embroiled in far more than its resistance movement against the Dark Brotherhood. The Collective, a fanatical anti-Force user crusade, declared open war on the Brotherhood and all associated with it, allies or enemies. This left the Jedi scrambling to respond as previously unknown spies and sleeper agents gutted portions of the Sentinel Network, before joining a massed assault on the enemy stronghold of Nancora.

During the opening stages of this new war, Trepus Mine Base was left undermanned and preparing for any strike which might be made against them. Running continual drills and remaining on high alert, the local staff prepared for anything from a skirmishing raid to a full-scale invasion by the Collective during this time. Although nothing would befall Trepus following the attack, multiple strikes on other Brotherhood Clan homeworlds confirmed that this was a definite risk, and that Odan-Urr would need to readily defend itself against a superior enemy at a moment's notice.

Enemy Incursions

Trepus Mine base would eventually serve as a staging point and stronghold against two major attacks from Vatali elements backed by foreign powers. The first of these was a massed rebellion by a local governor, seemingly backed by the Collective and a substantial number of armed forces. Trepus Mine itself was used as a staging area and rallying point during this battle, even with the majority of the fighting taking place on Strokera and other continents. While the rebellion was brought to a swift end, another followed it soon afterward. Framing High Councillor Alethia Archenksova as having initiated a coup against the Empress, the Vauzem Dominion worked with Inquisitor Ishanta‎‎ to destabilize and turn public opinion against the Jedi. False flag attacks, terrorist activities and the attempted abduction of nobles were used in an effort to turn public opinion against Clan Odan-Urr. These met with failure thanks to the response of several clan members, blunting what was intended to be a crippling opening strike. As with the previous rebellion, Trepus Mine was used as a staging area, but the presence of the base also served to deter attacks on the sparsely populated continent. This allowed Odan-Urr to concentrate its forces elsewhere across the planet and even the wider system, freeing up soldiers to engage in multiple peacekeeping efforts once the Dominion's role in the attacks was revealed.

The conflict between Odan-Urr and the Dominion continued for some months, with neither side making any serious headway in the following skirmishes. Even as Odan-Urr's fleets were dispatched to engage and then capture Meridian Prime space station, the Dominion failed to capitalise on their absence or push for a hostile invasion of either Daleem or Solyiat. While multiple concerns lay in logistical issues, and suspicions that the Dominion was unprepared for a prolonged conflict, the presence of Trepus Mine and Sky Breach Base meant that any invasion would drag out into a siege. Time and time again in every war, the bastion stood as a deterrent against attacks, permitting the clan to make the best use of its limited numbers.

Once Empress Kaltani Anasaye recovered from the attempt on her life and retook the throne, she declared open war on both the Collective and the Dominion. The former had been part of a deception by Archenksova, to push the Empire into participating with the Brotherhood's wars as part of a clandestine peace agreement. As such, Trepus Mine base became the headquarters for strategic operations within its nearby space, assisting with coordinating the movement of allied battlegroups.

The base's defenses were reinforced during this conflict, thanks largely to an influx of material taken from Nancora during a second battle, freeing the population from the rule of Collective remnants. Claiming the weapons batteries of multiple dreadnoughts as salvage, along with armour and advanced power cores, House Hoth's engineers worked to retrofit many defensive elements into the mountain base. This only further enhanced its formidable defences, adding a multitude of surface-to-orbit emplacements that could bombard enemy ships descending through the atmosphere. Though these were never used in the conflict with the Dominion, they further secured the planet against possible raids.

The conflict eventually came to an end with Operation: Vanguard, which decapitated much of the Dominion's leadership in a single attack. Combined with Ishanta's death in a raid a year prior, this effectively ended the enemy threat in a single blow, leaving those left without the ability to coordinate or guide their forces. Following this victory, Clan Odan-Urr was awarded recognition as a noble house within the Empire and underwent a substantial restructuring. Houses Hoth and Shan were closed, merging into House Sunrider to better defend the Empire's borders against the threat of pirates. The role of Trepus Mine was promptly changed to that of an outpost for the newly formed house rather than its HQ, with its role now to serve as a watch station against hostile attacks.

Layout

The Trepus Mining Facility and its attached transfer station were long abandoned prior to Clan Odan-Urr's arrival. With its resources depleted, the facility had fallen into relative disuse despite some basic operational functions. The primary mining caves and tunnels were supported by a large central structure that had been built into the mountain's interior, existing as a support to probing efforts into the mountain. This existed above a large network of natural caverns and interconnected man-made tunnels. Below the structure, a large network of natural caves and man-made tunnels are interconnected, allowing Clan Odan-Urr future expansion.

The Trepus Transfer station became the main landing site for all of Odan-Urr’s personnel, equipment, and supplies following the clan's ownership of the facility. These cover the hundred-kilometer journey from the station to the base, via shuttles and an underground rapid transportation system. The buildings of both this area and the internal mine itself were refurbished or re-purposed for House and Clan needs. Many were easily adapted to a new role, with the likes of the individual stopping points being transformed into defensive guard stations, while first aid points and storerooms were adapted to house more vital equipment and ammunition. The tunnels themselves proved to be well suited to the role of a fortification, with many established junctions proving to be easy choke-points and command posts. Others were easily interlinked into broader internal formations, resulting in several areas being designated defensive rings surrounding the internal areas of the mountain. Storerooms and vital control areas were situated in the centremost point of the mountain itself, or its lower levels, as each was the most easily fortified against possible attacks.

Primary Facilities

Command Centre

Situated at the very heart of the underground base, the command centre serves as the main directional control hub for all operations activity. Linked by internal communications to other areas of the base, it serves in a similar role to strategic control rooms and bridges on starships. Circular in design and occupying two levels, the central point of the centre is made up of a holographic projection map. This can be re-adjusted for various areas, switching between local area read-outs to continental, planetary, and even system-wide displays. Information on them is displayed and updated via relays from the base's sensor relays. This updates the base's command staff on the positions of allied and enemy troops, while at the same time accounting for environmental differences. Projected estimates for certain events and even advisories from strategic droids built into the room can be displayed on the map when requested. The projection can also be split between multiple additional displays, allowing the staff to observe and track multiple engagement zones at a time. This allows the base's commander to more easily delegate tasks between subordinates, and to concentrate upon specific areas. A series of computer terminals and relays information from other areas of the base, with several dedicated to the sensor facilities and communications alone. These permit details to be filtered and compiled quickly before being relayed to the relevant commanding officers.

The base can also work to override and alter controls for sections of the base, initiating a series of programmed lock-down sequences and activating full defenses when required. These require multiple high-level command codes to activate, a precaution installed following concerns of the Collective's infiltration capabilities, but allow for an increased response time. This allows for a single action to simultaneously seal off the base from all exterior sources and enter a siege mode, isolating and securing the base against hostile threats. When required this can seal off entire areas of the base through a combination of blast doors and internal traps, or directly override actions taken by secondary facilities.

Briefing Rooms

The sixteen main briefing rooms serve to update and prepare individual groups for missions. These are typically reserved for major strikes and extended operations, with each designed to retain up to four hundred personnel at any one time. Mimicking the holographic amphitheater design found on larger warships, these can be reworked to easily display a wide variety of environments and various roles depending upon the mission specifications. When not utilized in these roles, the rooms are utilized for internal briefings, and updates judged too important to be left with internal communications.

Long-Range Sensor Facilities

The long-range sensor facilities of Trepus Mine Base cover as wide an area as possible. As one of many areas converted from captured Collective technology and further augmented by secondary technologies, it is capable of covering system-wide examinations in high detail. A further benefit is how it can intercept and interpret secondary signals, especially those from warships or local satellites. This allows for the facilities to effectively piggyback onto secondary signals without directly tapping into the sensors of other vessels. While not nearly as reliable a means to detection as direct sensor feedback, it can be used to detect possible threats that have been missed by immediate scans or to even indicate cloaked vessels when required.

The facilities, like much of those throughout the base, are situated deep underground. There are two direct settings in which the base can operate, depending upon the threats it faces. The first is the open means, utilising a series of extended aerials and sensor dishes to better broadcast and receive accurate details at greater distances. This leaves delicate machinery exposed to possible threats, with only the protection of its planetary shield and ablative plating to protect them from damage. The closed means, which coincide with the siege mode protocols, withdraws these machines into internal housings and hides them within the mountain. This prevents them from being targeted from damage but forces the sensors to either extend through the mountain itself or rely upon other means to identify details. The base is far from blind in this mode, but the accuracy of readings at extreme ranges become comparatively unreliable.

Barracks

The primary barracks of Sky Breach Base exist on the middle level, allowing for easy deployment of troops during emergencies. The area is organized into a variety of smaller chambers, each registered to a specific company, allowing the soldiers to more easily rotate their shifts between duties. Along with basic refresher areas and a number of small recreational rooms, the area was stocked with equipment cleaning rooms and laundry rooms.

A secondary facility extended from the barracks is a gymnasium, intended to assist with the physical health of its garrison. Divided into several components, the gym ranges from more conventional cardio and weightlifting areas to a series of sparring rings stocked with practice weaponry. This helps to further ensure that troops can be prepared against developing tactics and the general methods utilised by enemy troops, or even to highlight the shortcoming of allied combat methods. At its most extreme, a series of holographic simulations can be broadcast throughout the room and reprogrammed ASP droids can be deployed for squad-level training. Several of these elements directly emulated the facilities established on Sky Breach Base following the successes that Tython Squadron met after installing these training methods.

A trio of abandoned mining tunnels have been reworked to serve as a firing range close to the gym. These feature a variety of moving and static targets in combination with modified power packs for weaponry, reducing the energy of bolts to a low energy light discharge which can be registered by enemy targets. This reduces the risk of ricochets or the echo effect amplified by the enclosed environment.

Armory

The base's armory facilities are isolated into a number of smaller areas, ranging from areas intended to reinforce troops at key choke-points to broader stockpiles. These are secured behind a number of identity checkpoints and locking mechanisms, with the high power weaponry reserved in the larger storerooms. Those containing the likes of A280 and E-11 rifles are accessed via a number of general checks and are widely available. Comparatively, the storerooms guarding the likes of anti-armor weaponry and high explosive mines are far more cautiously guarded. These are defended by both heightened security and a number of battle droids.

In an effort to better prepare the base for conflict following the initial Dominion attacks, the initial armory was expanded and improved to help combat as wide a variety of threats as possible. The attack saw a major push by poorly armed but numerous infantry backed by both airships and heavy armour divisions, when the garrison had largely been outfitted to combat the likes of the Iron Legion. As a result, through both scavenged and purchased supplies, the garrison has been equipped with everything from riot equipment to high-yield ion weaponry.

Manufacturing Plants

The manufacturing plants of the base are a holdover element of its past existence as a mine, serving as a means to refine, purify, and then rework metals into vital pieces of equipment. This has been expanded upon and reworked for various roles beyond mining equipment since this time, with a typical emphasis on replacement parts for vital equipment. Extremely complex components are typically beyond what these facilities can provide, but they offer the base some measure of self-reliance. The variety of parts created range from broader constructs which can help to reinforce doors or patch over breaches to power packs for rifles. These are dependent upon the variety of ores present in the base, as the few efforts to create new mining veins have met with little to no success.

Medical Facilities

Following examples seen in the more successful New Republic ships such as the Viscount-class Star Defender, the base retains an extensive medical facility to better support local troops. The presence of a well-defended and extremely well-stocked hospital can easily influence a conflict in favour of one side, pushing any wars of attrition in favour of the defender. At full operational capacity, the base can have seven hundred Bacta tanks active and working along with a far wider array of smaller-scale medical stations at various points. The facilities are divided at multiple points throughout the base, but are both heavily reinforced and extremely well defended against possible attacks both from within and without. The presence of multiple layers of shielding, blast doors, auto-turrets, and other security measures makes them exceptional strong points during sieges, even when supported only by a small number of troops.

The staff of these areas largely consists of droids for basic operations, supported by a far smaller number of organic personnel. This is intended to free up individuals to focus on where they are needed the most, while the droids operate tasks which require either little involvement or prolonged operations needing little skill. With the substantial number of droids present, these facilities feature a vast number of charging stations and minor servicing bays to remain in operation. Furthermore, they retain supplies of basic equipment should they be cut off from the rest of the base.

Transfer Station

Constructed on the open ground several kilometers from the mountainous ranges, the Transfer Station serves as a means to easily land supply ships and replacement personnel. Originally built as part of the original mining facility, the station served as a broad durasteel platform reinforced to hold the weight of multiple ore haulers. Allowing for the rapid entry and descent of large heavy-duty cargo vessels, its frame was honeycombed with reinforced supporting struts, giving the design considerable durability. Even after the area fell into disuse following the mine's lack of productivity, the relative lack of maintenance did not heavily impact the simple but strong build.

Having been repurposed for a military role, the Transfer Station was upgraded and heavily reinforced by new supplies. A multitude of turrets now surround the base, while the area beyond it has been cleared to deny enemy targets possible cover. In addition to this benefit, heavy fencing surrounds the main station to keep away wildlife, creating an easily defensible perimeter. Towering walls were added to the outer areas of the platform, each reinforced against small-arms fire while a military-grade shield generator further protects it from exterior attacks. A further means of defending the platform was added as an IFF and sensor scrambler, preventing guidance or targeting computers from accurately approaching the base while they were active. The platform can hold up to eight CSS-1 shuttles or freighters of a similar size, with the capacity to refuel, run maintenance and repair each ship while they are docked. With a rapid loading capacity thanks to multiple moving floor platforms, this allows for an extremely fast turn-around time between landing ships and taking off once again.

The Station is connected to the base by two primary routes: An underground rail network and an airborne shuttle service. These are protected at each end by security checkpoints and covered by a variety of other defensive measures on approach to the base, both from primary turrets and remote kill-switches. Through this means, the base can quickly shut down and close off access to and from the Station should a situation require that measure.

Storerooms

The multiple storerooms fitted throughout the base's lower reaches are divided between primary and secondary posts. Littered throughout the interior defensive ring of the base, smaller storerooms hold a variety of vital pieces of equipment ranging from medikits, to ammunition, to rebreathers, to mining gear. The defining concept behind these points was to offer smaller posts the equipment needed to deal with every situation, from dealing with incoming refugees granted sanctuary to excavating possible cave-ins. These were situated in command posts and choke-point fortifications, further strengthening these positions against disasters and offering the base fall-back positions to work from.

The larger storerooms situated in the lowermost reaches of the base were intended for larger-scale efforts and more regular supplies. These range from basic power component replacements to tools and even raw fuel supplies. Several retain a variety of cultures that are capable of growing with minimal water, no soil, and no sunlight, each intended to serve as underground farms in the case of an extended siege. These are further bolstered by entire rooms of field rations and water distillation centres. Most of these occupy an area comparable with small warehouses, allowing the base to retain enough general supplies and components to withstand multi-year long sieges.

Communications Hub

The primary communications hub of the base is unique in that it is situated far beneath the earth. Lacking the external dishes or signal aerials expected of such a system, the machine instead utilises a series of signal boosters and amplifiers which resonate through the mountain itself. This allows it to use a significant portion of the levels above the mountain as a broadcasting array, benefitting long-range and widespread communications. This can be further enhanced by temporary external modules, which benefits contacting multiple targets at extreme ranges.

The original hub was adapted from a civilian transmitter array, gifted to the House by the Vatali Empire. This served as an effective means of contacting and communicating with multiple sources across the local system. This was then further enhanced when it was removed and replaced by a military-grade layout, which further boosted its effectiveness. This allows the base to individually contact and monitor every single one of its agents at any time, along with those of the wider clan. By tapping into open signal channels and the holonet, it can further track and monitor all commercial and military presence within nearby space. This has proven to be immensely beneficial to the clan in watching for pirate activity and hostile groups, and was a vital asset during the war with the Dominion.

The layout of the hub is divided into a variety of servers and individual monitoring stations. Any one of these can be isolated and locked down at a moment's notice in order to avoid hacking attempts, and only a limited number are in use at any one time. This allows the base to constantly cycle through existing channels and disrupt efforts to tap into their communications or slice into the network. Several encoding and decoding machines further scramble the messages which pass through the hub, shifting them on alternating frequencies and a reactive code which responds to tapping attempts by evolving and adapting automatically. This is governed by a series of droid brains housed in the hub, and monitored in turn by several operatives.

The hub has also been used to repeatedly tap into covert communications through pirates and hostile military groups, including the Collective. This has helped the Clan to track the progress of their fleets, along with pinpointing a number of enemy safe houses and agents throughout the galaxy.

Weather Control Stations

Due to its position inland, Trepus Mine Base has been outfitted with two weather control stations in order to stabilize the local environment. With the risk of planetary warming due to local visits and the frigid nature of the continent, the control stations serve as a means to maintain Trepus' ecosystem. Furthermore, these serve as a means to better control the storms which frequently batter the nearby territories. These are needed for some wildlife, but this allows them to be more easily regulated and to occur on a schedule rather than besieging the continent through freak weather events.

The stations are situated on the upper areas of the mountain, with one fitted into the very peak. Controlled by systems situated deeper into the mountain, they are only identified through the presence of a cluster of radar dishes.

Power Plants

The power plans supporting the base stem from two major sources. The first among these is the geothermal plants that tap into the Akux Sea and underground magma streams. Having powered the mine for generations on end, these were expanded and reinforced when Odan-Urr took control of the area, and serve as the primary means in which the various systems are kept operational. Well guarded and carefully tempered against the risk of eruptions or feedback, these have proven to be an extremely durable and reliable method of gaining energy. Nevertheless, several banks of capacitors are situated within the mountain in the event of a disruption, allowing for the base to remain operational for a full week after these are rendered inoperable. The second means in which the base can power its through a variety of power generators salvaged from Collective dreadnoughts. These are typically used as an additional back-up system, and as a means to feed auxiliary power into areas which require additional energy.

The power plants additionally serve as a means to power the internal life support systems within the mountain. In the event of an extremely hostile attack, the base can seal itself off entirely from the outside, with the main and secondary blast doors serving as airlocks. This denies the use of various hostile weaponry against the base, and the employment of both toxic gasses and viral agents against its defenders.

Defences

Naturally benefitting from a strong defensible position, Trepus Mine was an already formidable base of operations even in its civillian role. With sprawling tunnels that extended out throughout the mountain, the base benefitted from meters to miles of rock between its inhabitants and any exterior threat. Odan-Urr's ownership has only served to further enhance this quality, with a steady supply of credits and material serving to bolster its position as a major planetary bastion. Multiple layers of defensive emplacements, weaponry, and fortified positions stand between any military force and claiming the mountain. The location was originally far more heavily fortified but, due to both maintenance costs and efforts to better fortify the surrounding Kiast system, these were later sold off and replaced with alternatives.

Surface to Orbit & Local Area Denial Weaponry

The primary surface to orbit defence of Trepus Mine lies in the M-68 Planetary Magnapulse Cannon fitted into a secluded location among the mountain peaks. Taken from an abandoned Imperial base of operations, the cannon is powered by vast underground generators and well protected far behind the base's defensive lines. Hidden from sight until it can be fired, the weapon is capable of inflicting considerable damage upon medium scale capital ships or larger drop vessels attempting to directly attack Trepus. With a range capable of reaching beyond the atmosphere, it can cover a sizable chunk of the surrounding continent with heavy bombardments. Even units that survive the explosions are impacted by massive electrical disturbances from its plasma blasts, disabling their electronic systems for a considerable period of time. Although the design is the weaker of the two heavy cannon builds of its type produced by Kuat, its effectiveness in targeting ground-based targets makes it a remarkable artillery piece against any and all assaulting forces.

Airborne defenses are further enhanced by the presence of FPC 6.7 Anti-Aircraft Batteries, capable of filling the local airspace with flak explosions. A light emplacement, the turret benefits from both its own internal power source and also a low crew requirement of only four people; a gunner, sensor operator and two power regulation technicians. Furthermore, the compact and easily portable nature means that the weapon can be shifted about the base between battles. Combined with the mountainous ranges surrounding Trepus Mine, this makes it easy to hide and rotate between attacks, making it difficult to pin down and destroy. Its flak weapons are highly effective against any and all lightweight aircraft, with a noted effectiveness against airspeeders and bombers.

Against heavier enemy targets, the base fields a XX-10 turbolaser tower. Requiring a high energy consumption, the XX-10 is known for having a low rate of fire, but is highly effective against the majority of ground-based targets. The high damage and explosions it inflicts makes it very effective in downing enemy vehicles, particularly armoured transports and tanks, or even larger airborne landing craft. Its position among the mountains gives it the benefit of several distinct choke points to fire down, limiting the weapon's known weakness against infantry swarms by forcing them into specific firing arcs. Yet to even reach the XX-10, the base benefits from autoturret emplacements. Remote and self-guiding, these weapons benefit from a single rapid laser cannon that is highly effective against both light and heavy infantry. Capable of taking down entire squads thanks to an extremely high rate of fire, it works to disrupt large formations and even lighter scout efforts.

Shielding and Defences

Besides its natural defenses thanks to being situated far underground, Trepus mine is further enforced by the presence of a WorldArmor 4 Defensive Shield that covers the entire base exterior. Requiring a crew of twenty-five to operate in total effectiveness, it is capable of deflecting and limiting the impact of enemy orbital bombardments. This helps to force assaults to either land and engage the base's multitude of defensive emplacements or to be delayed until Odan-Urr's fleet elements can counter-attack against them.

Internal Defensive Measures

The entire layout of Trepus Mine was reworked to be a fortress following its change of ownership. Various key shafts were buried or closed off, while others were dug in order to best form a number of easily defensible choke-points and rings of tunnels, both of which allow a relatively small number of troops to hold off against far greater numbers of soldiers. Due to the relatively limited size of the tunnels, vehicles are of little to no use thanks to their inability to access the area, while typical squad tactics are limited in the narrow confines. Defending soldiers are taught to best use the narrow environment to their advantage through ambushes, traps, and sabotaged ground once it is taken. As the tunnels themselves are constructed of reinforced plating taken from starships, and have been additionally bolstered through force fields, attempting to collapse them through exterior bombardments is difficult verging on outright impossible.

Every tunnel and individual area can be easily cut off, through a combination of blast doors and force fields, dividing and trapping enemy soldiers as they approach an area. This means that they can be engaged and killed a few at a time, while also buying time for allied forces to withdraw deeper into the base should the situation require it.

A substantial number of elements within the base were constructed to counter the risk of infiltration, each based upon information from ISB, Intelligence, Alliance Intelligence and SpecForce doctrines along with intelligence information of countless other smaller powers. Besides bioscanning, internal sensor sweeps, motion tracking, holocamera emplacements, and identification signifiers, the base also utilised multiple checkpoints and security questions to additionally clarify against possible replacements. This was then further reinforced by the use of the removal of key items on other individuals, scans for chemicals that might combine to serve as explosives, and the presence of minerals which make up spike chips.

The base is also host to a substantial number of slicers dedicated purely to combatting enemy efforts. Entire sections of the base can be electronically sealed off within moments of certain signals going quiet, while few others maintain any open link to the Holonet in any way. These two elements alone make the base difficult to breach through remote means, and prevents anything more than single terminals from being taken over at any one time in the event of a successful information breach.

Following initial encounters with the Collective, security measures had been continually revised and updated to combat their means of infiltration, including telepathic probes to confirm the presence of sleeper agents.