Starbase 151 - "Charming Hope"

STARBASE 151 - "CHARMING HOPE"

Starbase 151, also known as "Charming Hope", is a KDF starbase located in the Zenas Expanse, currently in service as the headquarters of Task Force Hurq Mevik. The station is located in the 'northern' area of the Expanse, near the Breen border in the Arawath Sector.


SPECIFICATIONS

After more than 3 years of upgrades, SB 151 has reached a status of Class 3 Starbase or Star Fortress - it boasts weaponry on par with the biggest KDF bases in the Empire, and it can deploy additional heavy defense turrets to further boost its offensive power. The area around the base is peppered with self-replicating cloaking mines, which are redeployed randomly on a regular basis. Ships without access codes or safe docking vectors risk close encounters of the explosive kind. There is at least one squadron patrolling the Chang’s Mercy system at all times, and a strong sensor network within the outer asteroid belt makes sneak attacks, even by cloak-capable vessels, a risky prospect. The starbase itself boasts a wide range of facilities, including a large fabricator and multiple drydocks for repairs, refits and ship construction (at this point limited to construction of frigate and destroyer/raptor sized vessels).


LOCATION

The exact location of SB 151 is the star system ZE-15101, colloquially known as the "Chang's Mercy" system. It consists of a Class-M main-sequence star (red dwarf), one planet, and two asteroid belts.



CHANG'S MERCY SYSTEM

The nearest orbit to the star is the first asteroid belt, leftover from the formation of the solar system. The belt has an almost circular pattern and, due to its proximity to the star, the nearest asteroids are slowly being drawn in by the gravitational pull. Researchers speculate that the belt was far larger in the past and, if left to the laws of physics, the last of the rocks will be pulled into the star within the next 30,000 years. Today, the belt today consists of mostly larger asteroids, greater than one mile in diameter, which preliminary surveys have revealed to be rich in various minerals and metals that can be used for construction.

Beyond the first asteroid belt, lies the orbit of a Mars-sized Class-G planet known as "Chang's Challenge". Still in the late stages of heavy volcanic activity, the planet is quite inhospitable. The atmosphere of Chang's Challenge is barely breathable, laced with sulfuric and acidic fumes that are lethal to most humanoids after prolonged exposure without protective gear. Only primitive lifeforms such as algae and lichen are present. During the Cardassian and Dominion wars, Chang's Challenge was often used as a test of endurance/survival for young warriors, or as punishment for criminals, left on the planet with only their clothes and a dagger. A small mining facility operated, using prisoner labor, for barely a year and half before being destroyed by a strong earthquake. A second facility was envisioned, but plans were abandoned when the KDF was forced to reallocate resources for the final stages of the Dominion War.

The planet has a small moon, known as "Chang's Eye", around which Starbase 151 is set in geostationary orbit. Bereft of any atmosphere or useful resources, the moon's rocky lifeless surface is occasionally used by station personnel to practice spacesuit operation and combat training.

Farther from the star lies a second asteroid belt, elliptical in pattern and rich with asteroids of all sizes. Lacking any significant resources, this belt is used to hide sensor satellites which monitor all traffic within and around the system. It is also often used to stage small craft training and mock dogfights.
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