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Sukhur is the innermost planet of the Dajorra System, lying approximately 120 million kilometers from its star. A volatile world once home to vast deserts, it now exists as a geological marvel and a place of great danger — a planet of glass and fire housing a harsh, unforgiving environment where survival is measured in mere hours and minutes without proper protection.
During the day, Sukhur’s surface is dominated by seas of molten glass that shift and roil between large landmasses made of igneous rock and heavy metals. The deadly seas only calm during the planet’s night cycle, which lasts approximately 6.25 standard days. This triggers a period of rapid cooling exacerbated by its thin (relative to Selen) atmosphere, causing its molten surface to cool into a solid, albeit fragile, crust. The thickness of the glass surface varies, but on average it typically has a depth of about 50 meters.
Should one make it past its initial hazards, they will find a planet replete with natural resources that Clan Arcana harvest to great benefit. From heavy metals to crystallized Tianna deposits, the planet has more than enough to hold the interest of Clan Arcona’s military and the corporations it controls, such as the Zainab Mining Enterprise. Recent anomalous seismic and thermal data have drawn the intention of Dajorran scientists, some of which suspect that these readings may be hints of lifeforms existing somewhere on the otherwise barren planet. All manmade structures on Sukhur are protected by their permacrete composition and advanced thermal deflector shields.
Atmosphere and Hazards
- Atmospheric Class: Type II - Sukhur possesses a thin atmosphere rendered toxic by fumes emitted from the daily superheating of its glass surface; most near-human species require a breathing apparatus or a hermetically sealed suit to withstand prolonged exposure.
- Thermal Radiation: Days on Sukhur expose its surface to such intense thermal radiation that unshielded electronics and unprotected organic matter will experience extensive burns, melting, and death/destruction.
Effects on Personnel
Extended stays on Sukhur are prohibited due to:
- Physiological Stress: Exposure to Sukhur’s intense solar radiation from Dajorra can cause chronic fatigue, severe burns, and in rare cases, organ failure despite the use of protective gear.
- Psychological Stress: Members of the Galeres Field Medic Corps have linked extended shifts in Sukhur’s facilities to heightened levels of anxiety, sensory-perceptual alterations, and psychosis.
- Operational Protocols: To reduce these risks, the bulk of maintenance, defense, and resource extraction on Sukhur are handled via droid labor. Frequent rotations of organic personnel are maintained to keep exposure to these debilitating effects to a minimum.
History
The innermost planet of Sukhur is also the harshest of the planets under Arcona's comtrol. Sukhur was originally selected as the headquarters of House Galeres for this very reason.
Now that Galeres is headquartered in Fort Blindshot, the former House Galeres base has been converted into mining facility by Zainab Mining Enterprise to extract the wealth of Crystallised Tibanna deep beneath Sukhur's surface.
Settlements
Former Galeres Base
Hidden far below the planet's surface, numerous mining installations exist to harvest crystallized tibanna from deep within Sukhur's crust. Shielded by thick permacrete plating and advanced deflector shields, the mines serve as one of Clan Arcona's primary resource caches used to support its armaments and fleet infrastructure. These automated mining installations are guarded by heavy battle droids, and are overseen by small teams of maintenance technicians and security specialists, some of which include Arconan military personnel.
The Box
The Box is a fully-automated, black-budget detention and research facility buried miles beneath Sukhur's molten surface, designed to hold the Dajorra System’s most dangerous individuals—Force users, war criminals & prisoners of war, defectors, and extremist saboteurs. It is divided into six primary security sectors, each sealed off by independent shielding and rotating security encryptions. The Box features state-of-the-art, adaptable energy containment measures meant to house a plethora of species, carbonite pits, Force-dampening technology, and automated defense turrets. The strategic use of Acoustic Compliance Technology (A.C.Ts) creates a near-constant drone of background noise that has proven highly effective at disrupting the concentration (particularly with mind-affecting powers) of Force users who step foot within The Box's walls.
The building itself is constructed entirely of a shell of thick duracrete topping a layer of military-grade durasteel. Its only entry point is through the landing area, which is sealed with a large door also made from durasteel. This is the first of over a dozen doors that can be completely locked down. The security system was tested by several DIA operatives, as well as units from various parts of the Arconan Armed Forces, and it is estimated that they are virtually impregnable: any assault would require slicers and demolition experts to work in tandem.
This already formidable defense is backed up with a set of automated defense turrets. These turrets are controlled by independent systems to prevent slicers from disabling them all in one go. The turrets, however, merely act as support for the armed guards that patrol the facility. These guards primarily droids, but also included some of the best soldiers in the Dajorra Defense Force. Additionally, a single Shadesworn, is usually assigned at all times. The Dark Jedi acts as the commander of the garrison, and is in constant contact with the Arconan Summit at all times. They are also usually in charge of interrogating any prisoners as needed, using the extensive equipment provided. The Shadesworn currently serving as the Captain of The Box's elite platoon of organic guards is Khur'khal, an imposing Dashade who aids in the protection of the facility.
The Warden
- ""Order. Containment. Permanence. All trespassers will be neutralized. All anomalies will be archived.""
- ―X5-VAR Warden Droid
Originally developed years ago as an experimental command and logistics A.I to enhance defense of Arconan assets in the system, X5-VAR (dubbed "Varis") was eventually reassigned after displaying complex and, frankly, abnormal behavioral subroutines—described by the technicians tasked with its maintenance as "proto-sapient." Its programming has since evolved into a coldly logical authority with a near-obsessive drive for perfect control over all prisoners housed within The Box's walls. Varis stands at approximately 2.4 meters (7'10" feet), sporting an elongated humanoid frame with asymmetrical components and a chassis reinforced with layers of air-brushed cortosis and durasteel. It sports a smooth, oblong head unit with no discernible facial features except a single horizontal photoreceptor that glows either a menacing crimson or violet depending on its system status. Occasional flickers of static, like corrupted holoprojector noise, ripple across its "face" when speaking. Its internal auditory module has been modified to produce a voice that is as cold as it is ostensibly synthetic, with four distinct vocal cadences layered in such a way to produce an ominous vocal harmony. Its voice and visual interface can be found throughout every sector of the facility, leaving visitors, prisoners, and personnel with the impression that Varis isn't simply the Warden, it is The Box.
- "“I do not punish. I maintain order. You failed to do so.”"
- ―Warden Varis
Varis sees chaos, which it defines as any deviation from control, as the primary threat to its directive. It seeks to correct this threat one prisoner at a time using cold, dispassionate logic typical of droids lacking proper socialization. Its advanced memory core allows it to remember everything -- every facial tic, every word spoken -- it has perceived personally or recorded with The Box's extensive surveillance apparatus. Over the years, Varis' programming has evolved to the point that it doesn't simply react to challenges, it preempts them. It regularly addresses potential challenges to its authority by making adjustment to prisoner meal schedules, changing the prison's ambient light temperature to reduce aggression, and employing a calculated system of privileges to keep detainees compliant.
Varis is not without its eccentricities, though. It speaks with an almost philosophical tone when addressing sapient members of its staff, which some regard as a budding curiosity. It often frames its methods not as punishments, but as natural consequences of others' actions. "You chose instability. Disorder. I am simply the structure that now contains you." Moreover, some members of its staff have reported moments where Varis seems to hesitate in the course of its duties, raising peculiar questions before continuing in the completion of its task: "If a prisoner forgets they are guilty, are they still?"
History
During the reign of Consul Wuntila, further uses for the inhospitable planet were discussed. At the time, the number of long-term prisoners held by the Shadow Clan had become so high that existing facilities were beginning to struggle to cope. On appointment to Rollmaster, Andrelious J. Inahj was directed to find a location suitable for the construction of a new high security prison to house Dajorra's most dangerous criminals (except for those held on Dusk Station), many of whom were captured Force sensitives that had refused to pledge themselves as Shadesworn. As an former member of the now defunct Sukhur’s Legion, Inahj quickly decided that Sukhur was to be the new prison’s location. Although it would make early construction projects difficult, he reasoned that the planet's harsh environment would make escape nigh impossible.
Construction was begun almost immediately, with Wuntila handing over full control to agents of the Dajorra Intelligence Agency as soon as the facility became operational. Nicknaming the prison ‘The Box’, the Agency transferred the majority of their higher security prisoners, mostly Force sensitives, bounty hunters and high ranking enemy officials, straight to The Box. The Box is an impressive prison, its security having been designed by some of the Agency’s finest minds in tandem with Andrelious, who was given oversight during the design process. It is buried deep in the glass formations of its home planet, making it impossible to access at times when the surface above has cooled. This particular element of security was why Andrelious favoured Sukhur so highly. The path between the landing facility, which is protected from the elements by an energy shield, and the surface, is incredibly treacherous and beyond the means of all but the most skilled pilots.
The identity of most prisoners currently held at The Box are, in theory, known only to the Consul, the DIA’s senior operatives, and the men and women stationed at the prison. The existence of The Box, however, is well known throughout the Dajorra system, with many of the Arconan leaders using a sentence there to keep both subordinates and the general populace in line.