The Sword's Sheath

Located in the Itaana belt beyond Yridia IX, The Sword's Sheath serves as the home of House Gladius and has a long history of which few are aware of. Created millennia ago in the era of the Old Republic, the large asteroid base was hidden in the middle of the belt. The asteroid had been also equipped with a very powerful planetary shield and an ancient cloaking device, which were both inoperable prior to the occupation of House Gladius when its founding father, Shadow, had lead the house there. The base had been occupied by pirates prior to their demise at the hands of House Gladius.

Description

On the outside, the base looks like another large asteroid filling the asteroid belt that lazily orbits around Yridae. It is pocked marked with impact craters, about a mile wide, and a dark gray color. It holds no features to mention until one further inspects it. The only sign that this asteroid is different than the millions of other pieces of rock are the two glowing magnetic shields signaling the entry way for shuttles and small space craft.

The physical rock that makes up the asteroid base is also found in 1% of other asteroids orbiting in the belt. It is composed mainly of granite and so it is believed that these out of place asteroids were once part of a planetoid smashed apart during the formation of the system. The early planetoid contained water and perhaps very early life forms. Its untimely destruction perhaps seeded other inner planets with life.

The base does boast a highly reinforced shell several meters under the surface. This is blast door grade reinforcement that houses the planetary shield and the cloaking device. It also serves to protect the inhabitants within. There are only two places where the shell is broken to allow equipment to come close to the surface. At both poles are communication and radar equipment that almost break the surface. Only the Quaestors know where the equipment is located and anyone who works on them quickly have their minds erased of the incident. This is done to ensure the continued secrecy and safety of the base.

The main shaft digs deep into the asteroid. It is the most ancient and by far the most refined. It starts near one of the docking bays and continues in a gentle downward slope to the cavernous center. The dark gray granite is highly polished and etched with ancient Sith writings. Other hallways join this main one but they are much newer and do not reflect the quality of the main shaft. Large wooden doors guard the end of this shaft to keep Gladius members out of the caverns. This is done for their own safety.

Along all the hallways are hidden lighting strips. The light has been dimmed down considerably since the first reign of Sith Bloodfyre and kept that way for training purposes. One doesn’t need light to navigate these hallways though. The Dark Side permeates the rock and whispers its guidance to those within. By keeping the lights dim all must keep their senses sharper and their connection with the Dark Side deeper. The source of this Dark energy is still a mystery but it was long found that it is mostly concentrated in the caverns. After a few deaths the caverns were closed to all but the Summit and those they found worthy enough to walk down there.

Notable Locations

Aside from the normal array of quarters, suites, meeting rooms, maintenance areas and such, Gladius also boasts some must see places.

The Library – An outstanding array of books, manuscripts, tomes, and scrolls line row after row of bookshelves. In the center of this vast room is a depression where chairs, couches, and tables are available for members to use as they enjoy their selection. With this depression there are three floors that make up the library. The top floor contains rooms filled with communication stations where one can connect with the even larger library in Castle Tarentum or with the huge library the Shadow Academy keeps. This room continues to be added on to and may very well reach up high enough to put in a subtle window to the vacuum of space in a few more years.

The Meditation Room – Apart from the normal and much smaller meditation chambers built before Kartena’s first reign, this room offers a completely different experience. Telona conceptualized and started construction on this room during her first reign and did not complete it until after her service as Krath High Priestess. The room is filled with plants, purified water, a specialized lighting system to simulate night and day, and highly filtered air. The walls are hidden by trees and shrubs, a lawn spreads out before the door, and a single wooden bench marks a place where an artificial stream forms a pool.

The Lounge – This room offers many smaller and more private areas. There is a large bar in the middle. This bar is surrounded by soft chairs and polished wooden tables. A stage is step up at the back of the main chamber for various entertainment purposes. It is unclear when this lounge was first built but it recently was upgraded by Sato Tarentae.

The Throne Room – The hallway leading to this room is lined with images of past Quaestors and flickering torches. A soft red carpet runs along the hallways up to the large wooden doors. Past the doors is a round room with two offices joined at the sides. In the center of this room are two high backed but comfortable chairs with various controls on either sides of the arms. The walls are lined with more torches, prized possessions, tapestries, banners, framed works of prose and poetry, and a complete listing of all the Dark Jedi who ever became part of Gladius. All Quaestors have added their particular touch to this room which was built even before the pirates occupied the asteroid.

The Main Training Facility – This vast complex of rooms boasts padded chambers for hand to hand combat, instructional facilities on various weaponry, a room specifically for lightsaber training, several rooms for training on the various weaponry types, droids with and without synthflesh, remotes, and most recently a pair of Hssiss for a new room designated to help members train their Force abilities. This facility has been added to by nearly all Quaestors but most notably by SithSpawn, Kodiak and Jason.

The Control Room – This is the heart of the Gladius base. From this room all equipment can be controlled. Only the Quaestor, Aedile, and a select few loyal members have access to this room. It is filled with electronic equipment that monitors and controls everything from the water pumps, to the cloaking device, to communications. This room is manned at all hours to keep an eye on the radar and the essential equipment.

Defenses

Gladius’ two main defensive devices are the planetary shield and the cloaking device. As secrecy is everything, there are no turbolasers or missile launchers to protect the base. Gladius relies on Tarentum's Naval patrols -and the honored Dark Jedi within the halls of the asteroid- for protection.