Byss

[Gamov]

Surface

The Citadel

Overview - Located in the midst of Byss' capital city and rising more than three kilometers into the skylanes, looming over the sprawling urban cityscape, the Citadel's spire-like structure is the Empire's symbol of power on the planet. As per Lord Malum's specifications, information on the Citadel was kept to a minimum outside the drafting and design crew he conscripted to draw up plans for the building. However, to ensure that the security of his creation would never be compromised or leaked in full to the galaxy at large, when the Citadel spire was complete, Lord Malum had the design crew executed to keep them silent. Even with such measures though, some details about the Citadel's construction still managed to pass beyond Imperial circles.

Housed at the very top of the spire is a main audience chamber. It is a sunken auditorium, the design of which is reminiscent of the Senate chamber on Coruscant. Arranged in a semi circular formation that flank a raised platform at the far end of the room are several rows of audience decks where visitors can come to hear any pronouncements from either the Emperor or Lord Malum. Perhaps the most unique feature about this chamber is the fact that it has been constructed for optimal acoustics such that the audience can hear everything the Emperor or Lord Malum have to say from their position on the main stage. Conversely, anyone standing on the center stage is also able to hear anything said to him from the audience decks thanks to the manner in which the room has been constructed to amplify sound. The slanted cathedral ceiling of the room is surrounded by gigantic black and red banners bearing the Imperial standard. At the pinnacle of the chamber, located directly behind the main stage is an angled, prismatic skylight that allow copious amounts of sunlight into the audience chamber, though this window can be closed off by a pair of retractable durasteel blast shutters.

Additional rooms located at the top of the spire include a blast-shielded war room located next to the main audience chamber. Adjacent to the war room is a chamber known as the “Crypt”, which serves as a computer slicing and decoding area as well as supporting a highly sophisticated electronic warfare information center. The electronic suites located in the Crypt are capable of keeping track of nearly the entire planet from a single room. With a direct link to the outlying military bases and the seamless integration of any orbiting Imperial ship into the central command net via specially encrypted security codes, the Crypt serves as the tactical command center for not only the Citadel, but the entire planetary defense grid. An executive landing pad is also found at the top of the spire, reserved specifically for the Emperor and Lord Malum's use.

The base of the spire is considered one of the most heavily defended regions on the entire planet. An expansive area of the capital city, encompassing roughly 10km of the surrounding city, has been declared the Imperial Militarized Zone, or “MZ” for short. Civilian traffic is strictly prohibited in this region and the use of lethal force has been authorized to any security teams or military patrols that manage to catch trespassers on Citadel grounds. Likewise, the skylanes around the Citadel are also tightly controlled and policed. Regular fighter patrols fill the skies above the Citadel, and much of the airspace over the capital city has been deemed a no fly zone by Imperial law. As with pedestrian traffic in the MZ, any unauthorized vessel entering into the capital city's air space can expect to be immediately identified and dealt with by the Imperial air force.

In addition to its ground level, which is comprised largely of small military bases, barracks, motor pools and supply depots, the Citadel's influence stretches even farther still, branching out into a series of underground bunkers. The exact purpose of these underground sections is not known, but it is believed that they exist, at least partially, to serve as the headquarters for the Military Research and Development Department (M-RADD). Rumors have also circulated that these lower levels are often used by Lord Malum to conduct experiments or to imprison high profile Imperial dissidents. However, one thing is clear about these underground tunnels, and that is that they serve as a direct link between the Citadel and the other military installations located across Byss. Exactly how extensive these subterranean passageways truly are is a mystery to anyone but those who constructed them, but it is possible that they may stretch for miles in every direction under the capital city and beyond.

Defenses – The Citadel itself lacks any form of offensive weaponry beyond the electronic warfare center located in the Crypt and a single planetary turoblaser located on site. As such, the site is reliant on the contingent of ground forces that are permanently stationed on premises for its defense. As an added defensive measure, the building itself was purposely constructed at the center of a major urban hub in order to lessen the possibility of the site being bombarded from orbit by the Empire's enemies. Any orbital strike on the Citadel could potentially cause massive collateral damage to civilian targets. In spite of this strategic positioning however, Lord Malum was not willing to entrust the safety of the Citadel solely to chance, and had a planetary shield generator installed on site. The shield is large enough and powerful enough to protect both the Citadel and its outlying military bases from orbital attacks, or ground based sieges.

Citadel Garrison:

Imperial 1st Legion (Imperial Royal Guard)

- 400 Infantry
- 50 Anti-Armor Troopers
- 20 Snipers
- 10 Medics
- 10 LAATs
- 16 AT-STs
- 6 AT-ATs
- 4 AT-AAs
- 4 Heavy Artillery
- 4 Conversion Armor System Assault Platforms (CAS)

31st Starfighter Wing (Citadel Wing)

- 100 TIE/In, Interceptors
- 100 Sith Fighters

Defensive Support

- 6 Anti-Aircraft Guns
- 4 XX-10 Turbolaser Towers
- 1 Planetary Turbolaser
- Planetary Shield

Fort Tanith

Overview – Sharing the namesake of its founder, Colonel Tanith, Fort Tanith acts as an extension to the Citadel's defense grid and is home to a number of Imperial soldiers and pilots. Situated ten miles southwest of the capital city in the flatlands of a river delta, the fort serves as a mainline defensive point for the capital city. Linked to the capital via the sprawling underground tunnel system that extends out from the Citadel, Fort Tanith stands ready to reinforce both the Citadel and the capital in the event of an attack.

Defenses - Fort Tanith supports all of the defenses typically associated with a Prefabricated Garrison Base. 3 heavy twin turbolaser turrets, 6 heavy laser turrets, an electrified perimeter fence, mine field and guard towers form the protective barrier between the fort's inhabitants and any would be invaders.

In addition to its standard defenses, Fort Tanith has been extended to also include both a planetary turbolaser emplacement and a planetary ion cannon that are capable of targeting and firing on orbiting ships. In addition to these extensions to the base, the Victory II-class Star Destroyer, Quill has been disassembled and its weapons systems integrated into the fort as a permanent extension to the base. The ship's sensor systems have been disassembled and added in to the fort's command net, lending a significant increase to the base's early warning capabilities. Additional systems from the Quill that have been utilized in Fort Tanith's defensive countermeasures are some of the ship's former anti-starfighter weaponry, as well as its reactor core. The point defense systems have been re-constituted to adding yet another layer of defense to the location, while the reactor core, buried deep underground in a hardened fall out shelter, serves as the primary power source for the base's shield.

Fort Tanith Garrison:

402nd Attack Battalion

- 100 Infantry
- 25 Anti-Armor Troopers
- 10 Snipers
- 10 Medics
- 20 AATs
- 10 LAATs
- 4 AT-AAs

72nd Starfighter Wing (Dragon Flight)

- 50 TIE/In Fighters

Defensive Support

- 3 Heavy Twin Turbolaser Turrets
- 6 heavy Laser Cannon Turrets
- 20 computer Controlled Fast Tracking Laser Cannon Turrets
- 1 Planetary Turbolaser
- Planetary Ion Cannon
- Tractor Beam Projector
- Anti Infantry/Vehicle minefield
- Energy Fence

Fort Constantine

Overview – Located twelve miles north of the Citadel, Fort Constantine serves as the primary airbase for the planetary defense grid. Attached to the nearby Bannister Airbase, Fort Constantine is accessible only by air or water craft due to its strategic positioning on Cardith Island. With its imposing cliff faces rising several kilometers above the surface of the surrounding lake, Cardith Island is a rough, rocky outcropping that is approximately 40km long and 20km wide. The island has only one minor beach on its eastern side which Imperial engineers developed into a small port that can be used to receive troop transports or supply ships when aerial landing pads inside the fort are unavailable or too overcrowded to accept anymore visitors.

Entirely isolated from all major land routes, only a single subterranean tram system leads north from the Citadel to this location, and is reserved for emergency evacuation protocols only. Otherwise, all inbound traffic to the fort must utilize the waterways or skylanes for entrance into the facility.

Beneath the fort, a section of the island has been hollowed out to provide extra storage for the base, and to support the nearby port system used to ferry troops and supplies to and from the base. In these underground sections one can expect to find fuel storage depots, trooper barracks, armories and even an extensive dry dock facility that can be used to effect repairs on the garrison's contingent of armored vehicles. These underground sections of the fort's construction are only accessible from either the eastern port, or from bunker entrances located within the fort's perimeter. Fort Constantine also serves as a temporary home for the 87th Starfighter Wing when they are deployed for planetary operations.

Defenses - Defensive measures at the fort rival those found at Fort Tanith and are designed to take advantage of the site's location on Cardith Island. The waterways surrounding the island are filled with a mixed-density mine field to ward off any attacks by repulsorlift vehicles. These mine fields can only be navigated with specialized codes transmitted directly from Fort Constantine. Attempting to navigate through the mine field without such assistance is next to impossible and will almost certainly result in the destruction of attacking enemy vehicles. The TIE fighters stationed at the base also serve as an added layer of defense, often employed as a first wave offensive force sent out to defeat any enemy fighters or repulsorlift craft. Should an enemy attack manage to survive the crossing to the island, they will then be forced to contend with Fort Constantine's heavy turbolaser guns and its contingent of Armored Assault Tanks and TX-130 Saber-class Tanks. The electrified fence which encompasses the whole fort has been pushed out as far as it can possibly go in order to thwart any amphibious infantry assaults. At several places on the western and southern most points of the island, the fence is flush with the cliff faces to prevent any enemy forces from scaling the rock face.

Fort Constantine Garrison:

22nd Imperial Battalion

- 100 Infantry
- 25 Anti-Armor Troopers
- 10 Snipers
- 10 Medics
- 20 TX-130 Saber-class Tanks
- 20 AATs
- 4 AT-AAs

68th Starfighter Wing (Raven Wing)

- 50 TIE/In Fighters

Defensive Support

- 3 Heavy Twin Turbolaser Turrets
- 6 heavy Laser Cannon Turrets
- Tractor Beam Projector
- Anti Infantry/Vehicle minefield
- Energy Fence

Bannister Airbase

Overview – Located only five miles east of Fort Constantine, Bannister airbase houses the single largest contingent of aircraft on the entire planet. Comprised of dozens of hangars, landing pads, maintenance bays and training grounds, Bannister Airbase can be ready at a moments notice to defend almost any point on Byss from enemy assaults. While a small number of veteran pilots are kept on hand to train new recruits, the pilots stationed at the airbase are among some of the most highly skilled atmospheric fighter pilots available. Fielding an impressive mix of fighters, both automated or otherwise, the fighter forces at Bannister Airbase are easily capable of routing an enemy attack through their combined strength.

Defenses – Though the airbase lacks stationary defenses, it was decided that the sheer volume of fighters at the base would be sufficient enough to stave off most enemy advances. As such, the defenses around Bannister Airbase are decidedly more fluid than the more fixed locations at the Citadel or either of its supporting Prefabricated Garrison Bases. However, a constant garrison is always kept on hand at the base for use in its defenses, and is comprised mostly of automated forces that are linked directly to the Citadel's command net.

Future expansion of the Bannister Airbase defense grid is planned.

Bannister Airbase Garrison:

44nd Assault Battalion

- 100 Infantry
- 26 Scarab Planetary Bombers
- 20 Droidekas
- 10 Octuparra Combat Tri-droids
- 10 Flare-S Swoop Bikes
- 6 OG-9 Homing Spider Droids

43rd Starfighter Wing (Defender Flight)

- 200 TIE/D Automated Fighters
- 172 TIE/In, Interceptors
- 50 TIE/sa Bombers

Imperial Palace

Overview - Serving more of a symbolic purpose indicative of the Empire's presence on Byss, the Imperial Palace is a retreat often used by high end Imperial clientèle and some of the planets more wealthy and well connected denizens. Located within the capital city on the outskirts of the MZ, the palace boasts an opulence seldom seen on other worlds. Inside the grandiose structure are a series of formal guest chambers and public venues that house a wide variety of luxuries and accouterments designed to remind its visitors of the Empire's strength. In keeping with Lord Malum's wishes to paint Byss in the image of a “paradise world”, the ground floors of the Imperial Palace are open to the public and designed almost like a lavish hotel or exotic retreat for the overly wealthy and well connected. On the public floors, The Citadel's interior reflects both the eclectic tastes and elaborate extents to which Lord Malum has gone to maintain the facade of a paradise.

The public venue plays host to a variety of shops, bistros, hotels, recreational centers, and even houses two gigantic concert halls for public events such as operas or sports competitions. Interior walls are crafted of polished gray-green rock and mirrored crystals accented with hand crafted Fijisi wood paneling imported from Cardooine. All four levels of the public venue are connected by more than 200, six-person repulsorlift booths outlined in crimson upholstery. Even at night, the palace never grows dark due to the presence of blazing illumination from phosphorescent panels, glowspheres, electroluminescence strips and flood lights located on or around the perimeter of the complex that keep the structure bathed in a shower of blazing blue-white light.

In order to add to the pleasant imagery of the public floors, Lord Malum had the Grand Corridor, a massive veranda that serves as the building's centerpiece accentuated by high cathedral ceilings and cutglass windows, constructed around an expansive garden. Sprawling out to encompass nearly the entire first floor of the complex, this feature, dubbed “The Emperor's Gardens”, is comprised of a variety of exotic plants, trees, flora and even some fauna. This is the first sight to greet visitors and new arrivals to the palace and was arguably the most exorbitant portion of its construction due in part to both the cost of importing such exotic plant and animal life to Byss, and to the exceptionally complicated and expensive climate controls that had to be installed in order to allow the vast menagerie of plant and animal life to cohabit the same floor together. Lining the main chamber are Ch'hala trees, which continuously change color at sound vibrations. Though beautiful to look at, these trees serve a much deeper purpose as part of a complex spy system employed by Lord Malum to spy on any would be traitors or assassins lurking in the midst of the crowds of the palace's main concourse. Located above the Grand Corridor are a number of cafes and shops situated on balconies and mezzanines lined by tall transperisteel windows that offer a sweeping panoramic view of the busy streets beyond the palace's walls.

The next two floors immediately above the public venue contain the residential blocks of the palce. Both floors contain extensive libraries, studies, archives and even house the private quarters to some of the Empire's highest ranking government and military officials as well as the barracks for a section security detail that is assigned to cover the residential block. Like the public floors below them, the residential levels are designed with the same amenities and decorum that is afforded to the public. However, unlike the public block, not only is access fiercely restricted to high ranking VIPs, but the walls on these two floors are designed to be more resilient to attack. Constructed of a double reinforced durasteel plating infused with alusteel and cortosis, the residential blocks are some of the most secure rooms in the palace in terms of protective measures. Capable of taking a great deal of punishment from either artillery or bomber attacks, Lord Malum had the residential blocks built along the same specifications as the hull of a Revenant-class Battlecruiser to ensure the safety of its inhabitants from attack.

An additional feature that has been incorporated into the residential block in order to further increase structural integrity, is the removal of traditional glass windows and the use of holographic “window panes”. All of the rooms on these floors have had their traditional windows replaced by holographic panels that display a panoramic view of the scenery outside the building via cameras installed on the outer wall of the palace. High priority guests, such as Moffs or State Officials, are housed within one of the ten Emerald Splendor Estates suites located on either floor of the residential block.

The upper most floors are home to the Byss division of the Imperial Security Bureau. Responsible for the internal security of the palace and the Imperial forces stationed across the planet, the top floors play host to numerous conference rooms, security centers and monitoring stations. Almost all of the planet's traffic control information is routed through the ISB offices at the palace, helping the Empire to keep an ever vigilant eye on the goings on across Byss. Other city wide systems such as surveillance, police forces and communications are under the scrutiny of the ISB. Even the local HoloNet is dominated by the clandestine presence of the bureau, which is generally transmitted from the palace on planet wide civilian frequencies and usually contains Imperial propaganda.

Defenses – Aside from its special construction features, the Imperial Palace lacks any form of offensive capability. Its location relative to the Citadel was deemed a sufficient enough defense, as security forces or military personnel can quickly respond to any disturbances at the palace that the on site security teams are unable to handle.