Darth Maul's Sith Citadel

Introduction

"There are places of power throughout the Galaxy, places where the Dark Side of the Force seems to run its fingers over the very walls of the buildings. Places where the stench of evil grabs at your senses so strong it will turn your will to water. Stay away from those places, if you value your life."

-Luke Skywalker, after returning from the planet Byss

Throughout the history of the Star Wars universe, the great villains have all had a place which they identified as their center of operations, or at the very least a location to which they could retire when the need for solitude arose. Jabba the Hutt had his desert palace on Tattooine; Darth Vader had his cliffside fortress on Coruscant; even Grand Admiral Thrawn had his Hand of Thrawn fortress on the edge of the Unknown Regions. So, too, did the powerful Sith Lord, Darth Maul, keep a fortress of his own to use as a base of operations. From this place he kept tabs on the Galaxy, responding to his Master's orders and preparing himself for the covert missions he engineered throughout his service to Darth Sidious.

Location

Lord Maul was a powerful and formidable opponent to the Jedi, both behind the scenes, and also in the more direct confrontation in which he slew Qui-Gon Jinn. It is fitting, then, that he should have a fortress equally powerful and also as well hidden as he himself was. The base is located at the edge of known space, on a small planet known as Zaddja, far from the center of Republic activity. Many years later, a rogue Imperial Royal Guardsman named Kir Kanos would discover the name and location of the planet in some of the Emperor's secret files, and used the planet to hide from the traitorous Carnor Jax.

When the planet was discovered by Lord Maul, he knew he had chosen the right place to locate his base of operations. The tribes of humanoids on the northern continent would pose no threat to him, but still he constructed his base in the southern hemisphere. Though undeveloped by sentient species, the planet was home to some forms of alien life which managed to survive despite the harsh climate and small amount of prey. After thoroughly scouting out the planet, he set to work having his lair constructed using a variety of construction droids, which were hijacked on their way to terraform an uninhabitable planet. Once construction of his base was complete, he wiped the droids' memories of their trip to Zaddja and sent them on to their original destination, so their owners would not be tempted to investigate their disappearance.

The planetary system itself was also a deciding factor in the selection of the planet Zaddja. For one, there are no other inhabitable planets in the system on which colonists could settle without his knowledge; the few other planets in the system are gas giants, or small balls of rock without breathable atmosphere. More importantly, there were no valuable resources to be had in the system, so any probes sent in by commercial vessels would register the system as unprofitable. Its location on the outer edges of the Galaxy ensure its lack of tactical value, providing a great hiding place from any military actions.

Planet: Zaddja
Type: Terrestrial
Temperature: Hot
Atmosphere: Type I
Hydrosphere: Arid
Gravity: Standard
Terrain: Barren
Length of Day: 26.2 Standard hours
Length of Year: 462 Local days
Sapient Species: Humans
Starports: None
Population: 1500 humans
Planet Function: Hidden Base
Government: Tribal
Tech Level: Feudal
Major Exports: N/A
Major Imports: N/A
Capsule: The planet Zaddja is far out of the reach of most major trade routes, governmental patrols, and nearly every form of outside involvement imagineable. The few humans and scattered aliens who do live on the surface are the indiginous tribes who have settled on the northern continent. It is speculated that they arrived from off planet years ago, but have degenerated due to isolation over the years.

The planet Zaddja itself is surrounded by several rings of asteroids, arranged in a way that any ship wishing to land must navigate one such field. These asteroid belts truly were one of the biggest advantages to selecting the planet, for Lord Maul saw their tactical advantage from a ground defense point of view. Scattered throughout each of the field area variety of sensor probes which alert the fortress of any incoming starships, and bring defense systems online. The asteroids also interfere with sensor scans from outside, giving the fortress several minutes of invisibility to sensor sweeps, while Maul's own sensors inside the asteroid belt alert the base to intruders well ahead of time. This gives the base an added element of surprise, which many times can be the difference between discovery and secrecy.

External Defenses

Despite the fact that the planet itself is far outside the interest of nearly everyone, the occasional smugglers or pirate band have wandered into the system and attempted to establish a base. Depending on the size of the intruding starship, there are several ways the automated defenses might respond. For most capital-scale ships (and, also, larger groups of smaller ships), the response is for the weapons located inside the asteroid fields to power down completely, and leave the sensors on passive scan to avoid detection, alerting Darth Maul to the presence of intruders via comlink. Additionally, the base itself on the planet employs a cloaking field similar to the one found on the Sith Infiltrator. However, it requires large power output, and is also susceptible to the drawback that makes Stygian Crystal Cloaking fields visible to advanced sensor arrays. The plan is that larger ships or groups of many ships would not be totally taken out of commission by the base's defenses, so the option of hiding becomes the more appealing one. Should the intruding ships decide to come in for a closer look, however, they will find a nasty surprise waiting for them. The base is equipped with a Loronar STS Turbolaser Cannon, which deals a punishing blow to any incoming ships. The cannon was procured by Darth Sidious from the Trade Federation, who had originally purchased the prototype model for the protection of their homeworld of Neimoidia. However, they soon surrendered the powerful weapon as part of the deal which allowed Lord Sidious to engineer the supposed rise to power of the Trade Federation. Additionally, surface-to-air ion cannons are optionally employed to knock out a ship's shields before it can reach the planet.

For smaller craft, there are some nasty surprises which have been planted in the asteroid field for any ships willing to brave its dangers and examine the planet more closely. Once the sensors pick up a ship entering the Asteroid field, they immediately begin broadcasting a wideband jamming signal which should knock out most communications from such ships. Inside the field itself are numerous space mines, which detonate (7D damage) unless the incoming spacecraft can make a Diffcult starfighter piloting or space transports roll (a Moderate sensors roll, hunting for anamolies within the asteroid field, reduces the piloting difficulty to Easy). Once clearing the asteroid belts, starfighter face the same ion cannons and turbolaser emplacement as any capital ships. The base does not utilize any sort of shielding system, for a variety of reasons. For one, it requires an even larger power output than the cloaking field, and also it is like a beacon to any ships with sensors that can penetrate the asteroid belts, letting invaders know that there is something of value on the seemingly desolate planet. A planetary shield of any sort would be more of a liablility and far too costly for Lord Maul to maintain, so he chooses to do without it altogether.

Turbolaser Cannon
Model: Loronar STS Turbolaser Cannon
Type:
Surface-to-space turbolaser
Scale: Capital
Skill:
blaster artillery: surface-to-space
Ammo:
Unlimited (power generator)
Cost:
290,000 (new), 60,000 (used)
Availability: 4, X
Fire Control: 4D
Fire Rate:
1
Range: Atmosphere/Low Orbit/Hight Orbit
Damage: 8D
Game Notes: The STS Turbolaser Cannon is a powerful but as yet rarely employed planetary defense weapon, which provides an alarmingly strong amount of firepower for a time of such relative peace in the Galaxy. This weapon was designed to protect shipyards from pirate raids, however the Galactic Republic banned their creation before they ever came into production. However, a few prototype and test models were still created, and though Loronar claims they were dismantled, most were sold or stolen.
Anti-Air Ion Cannon x4 (fire linked)
Model: KDY v-75 Surface-to-Air Ion Cannon
Type:
Surface-to-Air Ion Cannon
Scale: starfighter
Skill:
blaster artillery: surface-to-air
Ammo:
Unlimited (power generator)
Cost:
30,000
Availability: 2, R
Fire Rate: 1
Fire Control: 3D
Range:
20-300/500/2 km
Damage: 5D Ion

However, if a ship can land, there is very little in the way of defense systems on the ground. Since the Citadel is designed to be a hidden fortress, rather than a destructive power, the turbolaser, ion cannons, and space mines are all that is in the way of incoming spacecraft. Typically, however, the system is relatively undisturbed by space traffic, and those few times when outsiders have come into the system, the cloaking field surrounding the base has kept it a relative secret. Only extremely rarely are the weapons systems required, and with reluctance on the part of the Sith Lord, who values his secrecy above all else.

The Sith Citadel

The Citadel itself is an impressive sight to behold, presuming a visitor is present while the cloaking field is disabled. From the outside, it appears to be a rectangular fortress, with a rotunda built into the northwestern corner of the building connecting the ground floor to the second floor, and a tall observation tower stretching up an additional floor over the roof of the fortress in the southeastern corner. The building is crafted from the ultra-tough Hijarna stone (STR 12D capital scale), the same stone that was used to fashion the Hand of Thrawn fortress. It appears to be a smooth, black, obsidian-like stone, almost reflective though tarnished by the harsh climate of Zaddja, and cold to the touch despite the planet's heat. Though mostly utilitarian in design, the entranceway appears to be a large, cemicircular arch on the southern wall, with metal blast doors that seal horizontally. Inscribed in the ancient runes of the Sith along the archway is a warning to all approaching about the power of the Dark Side within the fortress. The four ion cannons are arranged in a circular pattern on the roof of the fortress, with the turbolaser battery at the top of the observation tower at the southeast corner of the building.

Inside the building, Lord Maul keeps a group of three Dark Eye probe droids on patrol at all times. One monitors the second floor, one monitors the ground floor, and a third patrols the perimeter. Their movements are coordinated and monitored by the central control computer, and should one fail to report in, the building is placed on alert.

Ground Floor

1. Hangar and Entrance to Observatory - The hangar is where Lord Maul keeps his personal transport, the Sith Infiltrator. The hangar is a fully functional and equipped maintenance bay, allowing Maul to service and repair the craft himself, eliminating the need for outside assistance. This is the secondary entrance into the fortress, and is tightly secured. The bay doors, to the north end of the building, open outward to allow the Infiltrator passage to and from the hangar (operated by secure transmissions from the Infiltrator's communications system), and also have a complex locking mechanism (requiring a Very Difficult security roll to penetrate), and a failsafe device which creates a forcefield barring entrance by unauthorized parties. It is also through the hangar that the observatory can be accessed, where the interface for the turbolaser can be accessed, and visual sensors scan the surrounding terrain for incoming visitors.

2. Main Entrance and Antechamber - This entrance is the way in which the fortress is accessed by any invited guests, though such visitors are few and far between. Lord Sidious, as well as select patrons of the Sith Order, occasionally are given invitations to visit the Citadel. The large archway and blast doors give way into a small antechamber, which is heavily monitored by sensors and cameras, ensuring that no weapons or unexpected surprises make their way with visitors into the base. As an additonal surprise, this room is magnetically sealed, so any blaster fire inside the room will ricochet until hitting a solid object.

3. Mechanical Workshop - This is where Lord Maul works on the various mechanical devices which he uses in his works. Almost an extension of the hangar, this room connects to the bay where the Infiltrator is held so that anything needing to be transferred between the ship and the mech room has only a short distance to travel. It is in this room that the Dark Eye probe droids are modified and serviced, and also where Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber was designed and created. A handful of rare crystals can be found on the workbench, as Maul is constantly upgrading and redesigning his weapon of choise. The passageway from the mech room to the rest of the building is equipped with a retinal sensor, denying access to anyone who cannot match the unique retinal print of Lord Maul. Lying dormant until summoned by the central computer is a trio of Droidekas, which function as emergency security.

4. Rotunda - This Rotunda is a spiral stairway which leads up to the second floor. Its polished black walls are also magnetically sealed, and a pair of defensive blasters (4D character scale damage) are located above the blast door at the top of the stairs.


Ground Floor

Central Computer
Type: Rikhous Masterline-40 Central Processor
DEXTERITY 0D
Blaster artillery 6D
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Alien species 4D, languages 7D, planetary systems 4D, tactics 4D+2
MECHANICAL 4D
Communications 7D+2, sensors 7D+1
PERCEPTION 3D
Forgery 4D, investigation 4D
TECHNICAL 4D
Computer programming/repair 5D, demolitions 5D, droid programming 5D, security 8D
Capsule: The central computer in Darth Maul's Sith Citadel is an advanced processing machine which controls all the automatic functions of the base. It controls sensors, defenses, the cloaking field, power, and all the other mundane functions of the building. Additionally, a secret code known only to Lord Maul activates the base's self destruct device, which is made up of thermal detonators set on a timer in each of the rooms of the fortress.

5. Control Room - The control room houses the Citadel's central computer systema large terminal which covers a good portion of the room's floor space. The room smells of metal and electronics, and faintly of burning dust, but is otherwise unremarkable. Again, a retinal scan is required for admittance into the Control Room. Failure to pass the retinal scan results in a lockdown of all doors in the building, and summons the destroyer droids from the Mechanical Workshop.

6. Interrogation chamber - Entering this room will send chills down the spine of most sapient beings. The room is solid black Hijarna stone, polished to almost mirror shine. The smell of blood is prevalent inside, and the floors seem to be stained an almost crimson color. Inside are various torture and interrogation devices, which are designed to inflict the maximum amount of pain while still keeping the victim alive. On the northernmost wall is a pair of holding cells for prisoners, with electically charged walls to prevent escape attempts. An interrogation droid stands dormant in the corner of the room, similar in build to a 2-1B medical droid, ready for use when Lord Maul brings in a prisoner.

Second Floor

1. Hallway and Quarters - The upper hallway leading from the Rotunda gives access to the rest of the chambers on the upper floor. The hallway itself is a defense mechanism, however. Sensors lining the hallway identify intruders and activate a gravitational field generator, which changes the pull of gravity so that intruders are flung towards the cieling. the cieling itself is lined with thin, conical spikes roughly a foot long. The intruder is flung up towards the spikes, which inflict 5D of physical damage (a Moderate Dexterity or dodge roll reduces the damage to 3D) .At the end of the hallway is Darth Maul's personal quarters. Laid out in a fairly plain fashion, Lord Maul's quarters appear to be more of a military-style barracks than anything else. A simple bed, a table and chair, and a closet offer simple furnishings for the Sith Lord. Additionally, one side of the room contains what appears to be a Sith shrine of some sort; various religous artifacts are laid out over a tiered cabinet, with incense and other ceremonial pieces laid out for use in Lord Maul's Dark Side rituals. A section of the eastern wall is actually a powerful holographic projection, which hides a turbolift which travels directly down to the catacombs below the base.


Second Floor

2. Communications Center - This room is solely dedicated to incoming and outgoing communications from the base. Some of the best encryption/decryption computers encode all transmissions (the equivalent of an 11D security roll) from the base, scrambling both content and point of origin. The transmission equipment sends all messages through a pair of relay stations in the asteroid belts surrounding the planet, allowing for clear incoming and outgoing transmissions. Additionally, a black circular raised holopad sits in the center of the room, before a massive holoprojector against the southernmost wall. It is here that Lord Maul kneels to send holographic transmissions to his Master, Lord Sidious.

3. Personal Database - Darth Maul, being a resourceful and talented assassin, has an extensive personal database, kept in a well-encrypted computer, which he uses to keep track of many elements which he finds useful. For instance, any dirt on Senators, Jedi, or other high ranking officials which Maul has uncovered is found in this database. Additionally, all ship and sensor logs from the Sith Infiltrator are automatically uploaded into this personal database for future review. It is here that Maul keeps records of events throughout the Galaxy which concern him, personal files on various individuals, contacts and suppliers, and all manners of maps and information on many locales. More interesting, though, is the record of Force-sensetive beings which he considers candidates to be his own Sith Apprentice once Lord Sidious is dead; Nikkos Tyris, Adalric Brandl, and even future High Inquisitor Tremayne are found high on the list of potential candidates. Built in to the system is an ancient Sith holocron, containing a gatekeeper in the persona of Darh Ferious, a Sith Lord from the golden age of the Sith. Accessing the database is no easy feat; a complex password system is merely a ruse while the computer's sensors analyze fingerprint data and compare them to Lord Maul's on record. If they do not match, the security system is placed on alert and the destroyer droids are summoned to the room.

4. Training Room - Perhaps the greatest lightsaber duelist of all time, Lord Maul spends many hours in his own personal training room honing his skills to razor-sharpness. The room itself is an impressively engineered dojo of sorts, providing varying terrain and obstacles around which he practices his lightsaber techniques. He has a specially modified training droid, capable of handling a lightsaber with skill, which he uses for sparring. Throughout the room, 8 blaster cannons (set to a low power level, 1D stun damage) produce distractive fire which he uses to practice deflecting incoming projectiles. A magnetic field can be activated on verbal command to produce the ricochet effect for an extra challenge. The lightsaber training droid may also be summoned for additional defense against intruders.

Catacombs

Possibly one of the most intriguing aspects of the Sith Citadel is that it is built atop a system of catacombs through which flows fiery hot magma from the planet's core. By taking the turbolift from Maul's personal quarters, one will trace nearly 20 meters below the surface to a series of tunnels which wind their way under the surface of the planet. Gas vents and lava flows make the path treacherous, but at the end of the trail is a passage to the surface which give Lord Maul another escape option. It is those same hazardous gas pockets, however, which provide much of the fortress's power; by harnessing the energy released by lava vents, turbines generate the large quantities of power needed to operate the Citadel's various systems.

 

TRN-01L (Teearn)
Type:
Lightsaber Training Droid
DEXTERITY 3D
Lightsaber 5D, dodge 4D+2, melee parry: lightsaber 5D+2
KNOWLEDGE 1D
MECHANICAL 2D
PERCEPTION 2D+2
STRENGTH 3D

TECHNICAL 2D
Equipment:
Lightsaber (5D), cortosis body armor (+1D Physical, +5D vs. lightsabers)
Move:
10
Size:
1.9 Meters
Capsule: Teearn is a unique droid, modified by Lord Maul himself to act as a more formidable opponent during training. Humanoid in form, Teearn appears to be a metal human skeleton at first glance, but then the armor plating over the "bones" of the droid make him appear closer to a more dextrous protocol droid. His skill software is based on motion-captured movements of Maul himself, making him a more dextrous opponent than most droids. His real advantage comes in his body armor, which is made from cortosis, a material which causes a feedback loop in lightsabers, forcing them to short out for one round.

Appendix

Darth Maul
Type: Sith Apprentice
DEXTERITY 4D
Dodge 8D+2, lightsaber: double-bladed Sith 10D, melee parry 7D+1, running 6D
KNOWLEDGE 2D+1
Alien species 5D+1, intimidation 7D, planetary systems 6D, streetwise 6D+1, survival 6D, willpower 5D+1
MECHANICAL 2D+1
Astrogation 4D+2, communications 6D+2, hover vehicle operation 5D+2, sensors 4D+2, space transports: Sith Infiltrator 6D, starship gunnery 5D, starship shields 5D
PERCEPTION 3D+1
Command 5D+2, hide 5D+2, investigation 6D+2, persuasion 6D, sneak 6D
STRENGTH 3D
Climbing/jumping 6D+1, stamina 7D+1
TECHNICAL 2D
Droid programming 5D, droid repair 5D, hover vehicle repair 5D, security 5D+1, space transports repair: Sith Infiltrator 6D
Force Skills:
Control
8D: absorb/dissipate energy, concentration, control pain, reduce injury, remain conscious, resist stun.
Sense 7D: life detection, magnify senses, sense force.
Alter 6D: telekinesis, injure/kill.
Control and Sense: lightsaber combat
Dark Side Points: 12
Character Points: 30
Move: 15
Equipment: Sith Lightsaber, Sith Infiltrator with Sith Dark Eye probe droids, hoverbike
Capsule: Little is known about the history of Darth Maul, however he was obviously found many years ago by Darth Sidious and trained in the ways of the Force. He brandishes the double-ended Sith lightsaber, which is incredibly hard to use and is a testament to his amazing skill with the Force. He was dispatched by Lord Sidious to bring Queen Amidala back to Naboo, and then later to move against the Jedi themselves. In a great battle inside the Theed palace, Darth Maul killed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, but then he himself was killed by the then Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. Darth Maul is a dangerous enemy of the Jedi and his appearance alerted the Jedi of the return of the Sith a thousand years after what they thought was the extinction of the Sith.

Sith Infiltrator
Craft: Seinar Design Systems Armored Star Courier
Type: Modified space transport
Scale: Starfighter
Length: 29 meters
Skill: space transports: Sith Infiltrator
Crew: 1
Crew Skill: See Darth Maul's stats
Passengers: 2
Cargo Capacity: 70 metric tons
Consumables: 2 Months
Cost: Not available for sale
Hyperdrive Multiplier: x3
Hyperdrive Backup: x8
Nav computer: Yes
Maneuverability: 2D
Space: 11
Atmosphere: 450, 1300 kmh
Hull: 4D
Shields: 2D
Sensors:

Passive: 60/1D
Scan: 90/2D+2
Search: 130/4D
Focus: 9/5D

Weapons

Laser Cannons x6

Fire Arc: Forward (2), Turret (4)
Crew: 1 (pilot)
Skill: starship gunnery
Space Range: 1-3/12/25
Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2/2.5 km
Fire Control: 2D
Damage: 4D

Droidekas
Type: Colla IV Colicoids Droideka
DEXTERITY 4D
Blaster 7D
KNOWLEDGE 2D
MECHANICAL 1D
Sensors 4D
PERCEPTION 2D
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 1D
Equipment