Database and Lore

Fort Batrice

“There is nothing more mighty than that of Fort Batrice. It is the might of the human race. It is the might of Batrice. It is the might of the UHN. It is the pinnacle of achievement. Nothing will bring it down…..” Fleet Admiral Baxton, 2348 AD. One of the greatest marvels of the human race, none has stood the testament of human engineering in the 24^th century than that of Fort Batrice. It is nothing more than a battle station capable of providing great protection for the world of Batrice. It’s paramount in delivering a secure platform for the UHN that is unrivaled as time progresses forward. At the same time, its logistical importance would play a role for years later. Design The concept of Fort Batrice was viewed heavily in the creation of Batrice. When Fleet Admiral Batrice founded the colony under her name, it was according to her wishes that the people would develop a powerful defense station or platform. This was as far as 2276 when according to her doctrine, a potent weapons platform would allow the proper defense of Batrice. Even before the development of the UHN, many understood that the fear of a “potential alien invasion” could happen at any moment. Many were fully aware of the Equatis Wreck that provided the framework for gate-folding technology. An alien species had created that former ship. Life had to exist elsewhere….. Even with that said, Batrice was fully aware of the limitations of the colony. It was still in full development, and even the aspects of a mining colony having an enormous ship production capability were considered laughable of the time period. However, the mining resources of Batrice were enormous and proliferated even as Gillan was eventually added to that same system. With that said, the colony of Batrice had expanded itself greatly in years. Its shipyard would contribute to a massive new foundation for the development of the UHN and help alleviate the demands of Deimos. As the income began to increase more and more, Fleet Admiral Batrice would once again briefly promote the idea of having a space station that could protect the colony. According to her doctrine, these were her wishes and objectives: 1) To produce a battle defense space station powerful enough to repel any human- constructed battlefleets (such as pirates) and any potential hostile alien invasions. 2) To provide a defense station for proper alleviation for the (upcoming) UHN in case of a potentially hostile alien invasion. 3) To protect the colony of Batrice.  4) To push human technology advances and press further research in ship and station construction. While Fleet Admiral Batrice would never truly lay the groundwork for the space station's design, many would adhere to her wishes. She would pass away in 2295 before ever seeing the beginning construction of the station. In 2297, however, with the rising economy and new battleships that the UHN was churning out, the colony of Batrice wanted to devise a way to build such a station.   The design called for “Fort Batrice” to be over 8 kilometers in height. Standing “upright,” it would be shaped like a giant pill in space. However, the looks were not intended that way, but as a way to house the enormous weapon rings. There would be two spinning centripetal cities that lined the top and bottom of the city. New Sydney would be the largest, and Uniapon would be another smaller drum. This would allow the facility to maintain the concept of redundancy in case of an all-out assault or if one of the drums were to go offline. The staff, families, and personnel would be able to enjoy an artificially induced gravity. There would be a central exchange docking facility that lined the center. The massive hangar is designed to allow freighters to dock and unload supplies and exit from the other side. Shuttles can be easily deployed from this housing as well. In times of battle, the doors can be closed to protect the interior and provide an atmosphere for large- scale construction and repair operations that need to be done. However, it does require vessels to roll by 90 degrees in order to be able to place people and disperse into the station properly. The next layout of Fort Batrice was the enormous weapon rings. Connected to the spinning drums, the rings can power up and begin to spin at a fast rate. On the rings are nothing but an array of railguns, AIO turrets, and Missile Launchers. The primary purpose of the ring is to allow the railguns and AIO turrets to “cycle” onto a target. The guns can aim, fire, and rotate to the next one. As the guns are turned to the back, they can cool and reload. Two enormous generators are used to energize the entire weapons array. At full power, the space station can pour withering fire and decimate various fleets at close range. At distance ranges, constant volleys of missiles can be exchanged with the enemy. Special heavy rapid-fire Gatling railgun facilities and further weapon emplacements are on the top and bottom. In theory, the combination of sheer firepower would make the fortress all but unstoppable in combat. Obviously, such a design was almost laughed out of the drawing table. Even with a great concept, the sheer cost was problematic. Even with Batrice’s rising economy, the price for building the space station was too much. Altogether, the cost of Fort Batrice was that of the UHN fleet’s construction since it was founded. However, it would take a combination of various maneuvers. For one, it didn’t matter about the cost since it would supposedly take over fifty years to complete from scratch. The price didn’t have to be shoveled all at once, and it was even possible that Batrice’s economy would further rise to help pay for and fund the construction. Regardless, the most significant contributing factor would be the fact that the UHN offered some interest in the project. A small amount of funding would be pressed into the project as long as Batrice can build the space station. It was all but needed for the construction to begin. History The construction of Fort Batrice would only hit a few hurdles along the way. With fierce opposition by politicians, the funding for Fort Batrice by the UWA would end in eight years since it began in late 2299 to 2300. Critics quickly bashed the concept of “having an out of control money pit that was waiting to sink into the bottom of Oshun’s Ocean.” Others made a claim that “Fort Batrice represents a wonderful concept that can serve as an example of future defense, but the price tag is simply too much.” In 2308, construction was reconsidered by Batrice, but it was decided that Batrice would “Fully pay for the complete construction.” In 2315, however, some members of the Batrice Parliament considered having Fort Batrice shrunk in size to keep its full combat capability realized but at a reduced price. It narrowly failed to halt the project. Another debate in 2322 had reached the same conclusion. Fort Batrice would be completed as it was intended to be upon the beginning of its construction. With Batrice’s economy in full swing, the potential of Fort Batrice had become a rallying cry by the Batrice people. Many saw it as a true potential to exercise the full capability of an adequate defense platform. While the UHN played a small role in the construction, it was adequately funded by Batrice, consisting of up to 17% of the planet’s expenses. However, to most people, it simply didn’t matter. It was a wonder to behold by some and served as an inspiration to others. It was described in the late 2330s to 2340s that “The Batricians looked upon Fort Batrice as a monolith to be worshipped.” It provided jobs and served as a viable technical field for careers. Construction would be smooth, and it fulfilled the concept of forwarding research into space station construction. Despite the early hiccups, construction was slated to be completed in 2350, a technical marvel of success, with half of the station in full operation by 2343. Another monumental level of success was that there were no significant accidents or fatalities during the construction. However, despite the construction, the fears of an alien invasion became all too real in 2349 with the discovery of the Itreans. Almost immediately, the building would be pressed forward at an increased rate to achieve 100% operation. *Spoilers if you haven’t read Gabatrix: Minerva* During the attacks of the Itrean invasion, Batrice made it clear that a vast majority of their warships would exercise outer patrol routes, defend Batrice, protect other colonies, and render all available assistance in increasing the strength of the UHN fleet against the Itreans. Many claimed that the near completion of Fort Batrice came at the best time possible, even if it was another year away.  However, in August of 2349, the colony of Batrice would face an attack by an Itrean scout ship and an unknown vessel with cloaking capability. The scout ship would fire several railgun rounds and a volley of missiles onto the planet and at Fort Batrice. Fort Batrice successfully shot down the missiles and only took a single hit from the railgun. The damage, however, was minimal. The attack did bring in warning signs of the potential flaws that the station might have had in how Itreans conducted their warfare. Improvements to the large vectoring thrusters were made to allow the space station to perform minor tactical maneuvers in case of extreme railgun salvos. It has been argued that Fort Batrice does have an inherent problem with the design. While its operation was slated in 2349, the press to getting fully completed in 2350 has caused flaws to develop. Corners were being cut to rush production. It was believed that these minor problems might become more significant that could hamper the full capability of the station. *Spoilers if you haven’t read Gabatrix: The Terrorists of Batrice* While Batrice would observe significant disagreements with the UWA and T’rintar clan alliance, Fort Batrice would be caught up in a supposed terrorist operation. In 2350, an explosion riddled the main hangar facility of the station, killing and injuring twenty people, including that of the ambassadors that were sent there to observe the space station. The event would warrant a significant scene where the T’rintar clan considered launching an assault on Fort Batrice to liberate two of their own citizens that hadn’t been given a proper trial. However, an investigation conducted by Fleet Admiral Baxton concluded that two of the Ambassador's staff were responsible for the bombing. It was strongly believed that Batrice had committed and inflamed the event using the Fort Batrice bombing as an instigator to rally the people of the planet to rise up against the UWA and T’rintar clan alliance. There are hints that suggest that this might be true. However, before any further threats were passed on to Fleet Admiral Baxton, a pilot on guard duty would free the two terrorists and conduct a daring escape operation. Amazingly, the pilot had stolen the shuttle and flew out of Fort Batrice with the two T’rintar clan citizens. Fort Batrice would then try to shoot down his shuttle, but a T’rintar clan battleship would shoot down the missiles. Fleet Admiral Baxton ordered the station to stand down to avoid pushing a war with Batrice and the T’rintar clan. However, with that said, there are disturbing reports that Batrice and Fort Batrice have begun to embrace ideals that could lead to a fascist, nationalistic, or extremist state. While Batrice has stated that it commits to a concept of allegiance to the UHN and UWA, there is lasting damage that the people have further embraced the radical concepts presented by its government that could fracture the alliance with Batrice and the UWA. If so, this could put Fort Batrice as a severe tactical loss at a time when the UWA and UHN need to have proper assets to repel the Aksren and Shal’rein clans. As of 2350, Batrice and its assets still remain and support the UHN.