"The unknown.  The unsettled.  The unexplored.  All a part of the darkness in which night hides."
     - Translated text from the temple of the NightWarrior Battle cult.

     Long ago before the times of the Galactic Republic, civilization spread across the stars completely unrestricted.  Wars long forgotten were won and lost during the heat of battle.  Still they were there.  The ones who watched as bitter enemies fought to the death.  Alone yet spreading like no other force ever did.  Their cultist views consumed the minds of all they reached.  Still only the proud few ever knew where the center of their civilization was located.  It was how they lived for over a millenia until their drastic defeat by a force forgotten by the known galaxy.  This is the legacy of the NightWarriors' Cortex.  The center of a once great society surrounded by the darkness of space.

Heaven's Shadow

Location
     Near the outskirts of the galaxy lies a sector which has long been lost from galactic society.  Dubbed the Drake Sector by Old Republic Scouts the many nebuleas of the sector prevented further exploration of many of the regions.  Far past these explored stars lies in wait a star where all that exists is simply a myth.  All who have travelled there remember what they see ... Darkness.  Complete darkness.  The only light is that of a star encased within a thin black shell.  It is a sight which amazes all who see it.  Still stellar dust rings the tiny frozen star as if mimmicking that of a gas giant's dust ring. 
     The Star itself gives off barely enough light to the inner edges of the dust belt.  As you look into the black crystallized star, a star can been seen with long flames of fire seemingly frozen in time.  Inside of the rough black sphere though nothing at all moves th eplasma of the star just stands still.
     As you teravel further in th esystem odd feeling that you're being watched shivers through your nerves.  The closer ytou get the stronger it becomes.

The Station
     "Follow you inner feelings, for your subconciousness is the unknown truth to all answers."
     -
Translated log file found on derelict ship near the planet Drake

     Along the outside of the dust ring floats a massive black cylinder with four rectangular 'wing' appendages spaced equally around the smooth curved side.  From top of the cylindrical structure, varying rods shot out becoming a maze of  long circular towers.  Yet the other end supports only a rectangular box with an assortment of 6 rectangular doors on the facing away from the cylinder.  This is the center of the NightWarrior culture, this is the space station Heaven's Shadow.

The Docking Area
      At the far end of the main cylinder lies a large rectangular box.  Within it lies the main docking area for ships.  Six main bay doors adorn the side opposite of the attached cylinder.  Each leads into a seperate docking bay capable of holding two Imperial-class Star Destroyers.  Two smaller bays are located between each of the top three as well as each of the bottom three main docking bays for a total of eight minor docking bays.
     Inside of each main docking bay was an assortment of vessels from across the galaxy.  All of them though were completely loyal to the cult of the NightWarriors.  All were willing to give their lives to defend it as well as die honorably fighting to spread the infectious ideas of the NightWarriors.  From Corvettes and Dreadnaughts to alien ships forever trapped in the past docked inside of these bays except for theupper middle one which was reserved for the personal craft of the Oldest members of the NightWarriors. These members, comparable to priests of any other religion, had proven themselves by passing through the many trials set forth by a council of thirteen elders.
    The eight smaller bays each contained the station's fighters.  A breed of personally designed NightWarrior starfighters number a toatl of 960 starfighters.  Each one is painted personally by the enginnering crew to represent it's pilot and his personal tastes.  Eighty squadrons of fighters are seperated into ten per bay.  Each of the ten different squadrons plays a different role, but all of the starfighters of one specific squadron are the same.  Each fighter bay is therefore a complete replicate of the other seven except for the custom paint jobs of the fighter pilots.

The Main Cylinder
    Attached to the docking bay is the main cylinder of Heaven's Shadow.   It's size overshadows the docking bay quite easily at 50 kilometers long.  The diameter of the the cylinder exceeds that of the length of the Super Star Destroyer Executor by 2 kilometers for a total diameter of 10 kilometers wide.  Inside is wide open space.  A vast landscape of a terrestial world is recreated inside along the entire surface of the cylinder with gravity always extending outwards so that down is always towards the outside. 
     At first it can be disorienting to new comers especially when they look to the center of the cylinder to see a rod of superheated plasma suspended through the exact center of it.  This rod, often referred to the god of all glowrods by many spacers, heats the entire inside of the station as well as generates all of the needed power.  It is rumored that when the station was first built the original builders froze the star and transported much of the plasma into the rod to help hide the station as well as power the station.
     Most of the residents choose to live somewhere throghout the main cylinder because it is the most beautiful ot the station's locations.  At first all it is is a flat plan with that extends for about a kilometer until it drops off into a large open vista.  A single large waterfall which adorns the cliff covers the main municipal and defense station, while balconies can be seen across the cliff face which curves for about another half kilometer on the outer edges.  A complete duplicate can be seen of the cliff at the other end of the immense cylinder.

Four Outer Boxes
    Here is where most of the stations systems are located.  Each is 20 kilometers long not including the front which gildes down towards the cylinder similar to that of two immense delta wings crossing through the center of the station.  The flat edges of the 'wings' face back towards the docking section of the station.  Also on the flat edge the exhaust ports for engines can be seen for a total of twelve engines which lead forth to the rumor that the station was flown here from some unknown location.
     The forward sloping section of the 'wings' and the middle between the engines and the sloping sections contain the station's systems.  Four life supports systems refresh the air while freshwater tanks recycle the water throughout the station.  Each of the life support sections are able to supply a third of the station with what it needs to support life.  This leaves the fourth to do be held in reserve or have all of them work at three quarters power.
    Finally all along these 'wings'  are large clusters of sensors telling the headquarters of the station exactly who and what comes into and leaves the system as well as anything else such as hyperspace distortion, ect.  These senors are also used to emit distortions throughout the system so that anyone entering only detects distortion waves from what they think is the frozen star at the center of the system.

The Forward Rods
   On the opposite end of the cylinder as the docking area are hunderds of smaller rods which shoot out of the flat surface.  Each tower has it's own special function which range from any possible building in a city to those which still remain unknown to us even to this day.  The largest of these is the central one which seems to work with some of the smaller ones on the outer edge of the circle of rods.  It's main purpose is to scan everything withing a 15 lightyear radius and report on anything unusual.  It is the main sensor array of the station and adds greatly of it's defense giving it the advantage of knowing who is where and what poses a serious threat to the system.
    Also at the base of these rods is the control center for the station.  Buried deep within the cliff of the main living cylinder it is the perfect place from any bombardment on the station or an attack from the inside such as terrorism.  Also it was equipped so that it could safely eject away from thestation and cause the paridise to self-destruct.  Everything within the station was in some way connected to this command center wether it be directly or indirectly those inside if the so wished could completely take ver the station with a minimum of losses.

Defenses
Weapons:

     All along the outer edges of the station they are banks of turbolaser batteries as well as ion cannon batteries.  Down near the docking area there is said to be around over one hundred tractor beam projectors.  Also on each end of the wings as well as hidden within the rods at the front of the cylinder are some of the most destructive weapons ever created.  Each one has the capability to fire a focused beam of light torwards a single target much like that of either of the Death Stars.  When used though they act as sharp blades slicing straight throught the most heavily armored ship.

Shields and Hull:
     Another unique feature of Heaven's Reach is how it's hull and shields work together to defend the station from attack.  Placed throughout the surface of the hull the shields when raised create overlapping defenses causing one set of generators to fail while stil keeping the staion defended.  Also placed within the thick staiton hull are containment field generators.  Once the hull starts to get hammered by an attacking force's guns the surrounding area is instantly hardened by focusing power throughout the generators therefore providing a defense against a hull breach.

The Ruling Council
     With all of the power throughout the station there must be some order.  Everyone within the station is somehow linked ot the mysterious NightWarrior cult.  Those which have proven themselves as completely devoted to the cause  have their chance to be granted a position on the council of elders.  Thirteen of the most devoted memebers are granted supreme power until they die.  Once one dies another steps up to take his place.
     This council of elders is placed highest amongst the honors given throughout the NightWarrior society.  Only once has someone recieved it and then turned against the society.  His story was one of greed and power which corruptted him into an evil monstrosity.  In of a crowd of most of the station as well as live across the station's holonet his torment was broadcasted.  This show of unimagineable cruelty for becoming a traitor to one's belief's was more than any of the citizen could take.  Since then no one has ever deviated from the path set by precedent from the past.

Originally created by Tom McFarland for the Holonet best hidden base contest.
E-mail all comments or suggestion (including uses of it) to Merc384@hotmail.com.
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RPG Stats to come for most aspects of the NioghtWarrior society including Heaven's Reach, most of their armor and weapons, as well as their different fighters and capital ships.

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