Azorian Citadel is the secret base and headquarters of House Ventress. Located on Cilix, the complex rests on the ocean floor beneath Ice Station Zerek. The two structures are tethered by two long umbilical lines, each housing multiple lift tubes and supply lines for power and data to reach the station above. Public operations of the location are performed by Hyperdyne Energy as a coaxium mining operation that acts to obscure its true purpose. The citadel and station both feature formidable defensive structures while the former hosts a shield generator that also covers the latter.
History
Azorian Citadel was constructed by Clan Plagueis in 39 ABY in an effort to build a headquarters for House Ventress. From the beginning, the project was undertaken with the intent to take advantage of two specific values: the geothermal power generated by Cogrion’s tidal flexing and the outer-edge positioning to act as a defensive point in the system. With the discovery of deep coaxium deposits on the ocean floor of Cilix, Hyperdyne Systems Interstellar became more involved than simple construction, engaging their subsidiaries to form a mining operation that could further obscure the House’s presence at the site.
The secrecy of the base’s location beneath the ice was of the utmost importance, as it was to serve as the headquarters from which House Ventress would discretely plot its machinations. In order to achieve this, Ice Station Zerek was constructed in tandem with the citadel, acting as a public-facing front on the ice’s surface and handling the coaxium mining operation established by Hyperdyne. When Hyperdyne Energy came in to facilitate production, they set up an extensive series of security protocols to hide the presence of the underwater citadel and the activities of House Ventress therein.
Structure
The expansive, underwater stronghold has several large, spherical structures and towers spread out from the central tower which rises several hundred meters from the sea floor. One outer sphere connects one of two umbilical lines for the transportation of miners and loading of coaxium ore. The second system is closer to the main central tower, granting access only to Ventress personnel and supplies from the above Ice Station Zerek. These umbilical lines are the primary way into the base and mines, with the only other access to and from the surface being located within a select few perimeter spheres hosting shielded bays for the House’s submersible vehicles and ships. Both sets of umbilical lines may be retracted for extra security in the event of an attack on the above Ice Station Zerek, leaving the surface station to run on emergency generator and battery power only until the tethers are reconnected.
The base itself is fortified and reinforced to withstand the immense pressure and cold of the surrounding ocean. In the unlikely scenario that the hidden underwater base were to be attacked, there are several defensive autoturrets surrounding it. Additionally, Azorian Citadel hosts a DSS-02 shield generator that protects the structure and the spaceport above from external threats. The immense energy required to supply the citadel, the shield generator, and the ice station above is drawn from the geothermic energy provided by the tidal forces imposed on the moon by Cogrion.
Ice Station Zerek
Ice Station Zerek is a small frontier mining spaceport established by Hyperdyne Systems Interstellar in 39 ABY. It covertly operates as a front to cover for the Azorian Citadel built directly below it. The structure is essentially a small, pressurized mining town stationed on the side of the moon. Complete with a canteen, offices, housing, a small store selling general goods, an infirmary, and a recreation facility, the miners and employees live a spartan but comfortable existence that includes all the necessary infrastructure needed to support the mining operations below. Zerek maintains access to the umbilical lines in segregated sections of the station with separate security protocols, serving to further hide the existence of the Ventress headquarters residing in the underwater Azorian Citadel.
The station’s fortifications take the safety of Zerek’s operations quite seriously, along with the covert protection of the Azorian Citadel below. The structure hosts a relatively wide range of defensive emplacements which include multiple DF.12 Com Turrets, Bp.5 Anti-Aircraft Turrets, XX-10 Turbolaser Towers, and a single LNR Series I Systemary Laser Battery. Though this heavy assortment of defensive power may seem excessive to some, it is easily excused by the high value of the coaxium being mined below.