Tegaea Alcori
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Name: Fort Kerrigan
Image Source: Created by this writer.
Classification: Frontier Defence, Operations Centre.
Location: Tygara, in the northern reaches close to the Xioquo Underealm.
Affiliation: Firemane Industry & Technology joint with the Eldorai settlers.
Population:
Garrison:
750 officers and enlisted consisting of about 250 gunners, 50 vehicle crew and 450 infantry.
When Tegaea or Siobhan are not present, command devolves on the ranking Colonel who in turn commands the three battalions of infantry, squadron of armour, squadron of walkers and four batteries of artillery.
Air Defence:
90 officers and enlisted consisting of 30 pilots and other crew and the remainder specialists and engineers.
Naval Defence:
80 officers and enlisted who work and maintain the docks.
Command and specialists:
Approximately 200 officers and enlisted tending the reactors, shields, scanners and communications, along with logistical and administrative staff.
Total:
Approximately 1100, though this can vary depending on who is present or if the base is being used for an operation.
Defences:
- 1 x Shield Generator – Set into the mountain it provides protection from all attacks from above but stops about 20 metres above the ground.
- 1 x Tempest Cannon – Emplaced into the mountain for orbital fire. The cannon can fire through the shield by deactivating a portion of it at the moment of firing.
- 2 x Keraunos Missile Turrets – Also located near the Shield Generator, this provide aerial cover if the shield should fall.
- 8 x Ballista Weapon Emplacements – Each of the Ballista emplacements are fortified to provide protection from enemy assault. Two of these guard the harbour, the rest look out over the sea.
- 32 x Javelin Weapon Emplacements – Again these are scattered around the fortifications to provide additional firepower against infantry, light vehicles and ships should it be needed.
- 8 x Rotary Shattercannons – These are built into the Ballista emplacements due to their weight and logistical needs.
- 20 x MK3 Bolters – These are mounted in bunkers and entrenchments to bombard attacking infantry or landing ships.
- Trenches and Entangling Cables around the base perimeter. Many Mobile Barricades in the trenches to provide cover points.
- 1 x Company of Iron Legionnaires (Reserve)
- 12 x Typhoon Artillery Tanks (Artillery Company, emplaced in batteries to provide support).
- 9 x Reaver Assault Tank plus 1 x Manticore Support Vehicle (Tank Squadron, reserve).
- 2 x Magladroth Heavy and 7 Light Walkers (Walker Squadron, reserve).
- Many e-web, mortar, missile launchers.
- 6 x standard atmospheric or space fighters, interceptors or bombers or 4 gunships.
- Up to three ships of frigate size or smaller can be docked in the harbour.
Points of Interest: N/A, covered in description.
Description:
Fort Kerrigan, the not at all egotistically named for [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] base, is an important bastion in Tygara’s northern hemisphere. The fortress serves many functions, but the most important is defending the new Eldorai settlers of Tygara from the aggressive Xioquo natives. These natives make raids for slaves and to steal technology, and so the Fort is placed to block the shipping and raiding routes from the Underealm. Its artillery can fire across the narrow straits and thus intercept any force heading south. The downside of this of course is that Fort Kerrigan is bitterly cold except in the height of summer, and snow lays on the ground for half the year.
Like most Firemane defences, the reactor and other vulnerable areas are set inside a mountain. The spur of rock jutting near the coast makes approach from the landward side impossible, allowing a sea-facing defence all that is required.
Inside the mountain are the barracks, reactor, sensors and armoury for the base. This neatly protects these vulnerable areas behind solid rock.
On the top of the mountain an area has been levelled off so that the Tempest Cannon and Shield Generator have an uninterrupted view. The Tempest Cannon is the base’s sole concession against a modern enemy, able to fire at orbital or sub-orbital spacecraft equally provided they are slow and/or big enough to be hit.
The shield generator provides a ‘bubble’ about 2km across. It protects against not just aerial attack, but also mortars and other high elevation weapons. To account for terrain and friendly the bubble stops about 20 metres above the ground. Naturally this needs to be deactivated for the fort’s artillery or aircraft to be used.
As a fortress primarily designed to defend against lower tech enemies, Fort Kerrigan features a lot of anti-personnel and rapid firing weapons. This is especially important since the relatively small garrison is expected to defend against an enemy many times its own size. Therefore, the open trenches and long defence-works which would be a death trap against a modern foe are actually very useful here. Xioquo have a roughly early industrial age level of technology, so lack the weapons to severely damage modern emplacements.
Though the list of defences is indeed formidable it must be remembered that the perimeter of the base is over 500 metres long, meaning there is less than one trooper per metre of line. Therefore, Firemane has compensated by having an array of heavy weapons which can cause maximum damage.
In addition to the infantry and defences, the base is heavily protected by artillery. These batteries of 4 guns each are emplaced in 3 fortified bunkers. They can deliver considerable weight of fire against approaching enemies and can cover the straits so effectively that few ships could slip past.
To provide rapid relief for the infantry a squadron of armour and one of walkers combined with some Iron Legionnaires provides backup.
Fort Kerrigan also serves as both an air and sea base as well. Up to three frigate sized ships can be docked there, but since vessels of this size are rarely used, the corvettes, patrol boats and transports of Firemane’s northern flotilla can anchor here. A half squadron of attack craft or four gunships can also be serviced and launched here. This provides extra deterrent against any Xioquo raiders.
The Fort is not without serious weaknesses. A modern enemy armed with turbolasers, armoured vehicles and artillery could inflict serious damage, even without bringing the shield down. Fort Kerrigan is designed to be a frontier bulwark against an inferior technological enemy.
One cannot underestimate the ability of raw numbers. A massive and concerted attack in multiple places might strain the defences tightly enough to inflict serious harm.
History:
Fort Kerrigan’s location has a long and sometimes infamous history of being defended. The spire of mountain leading down to a small shelf of land made it an ideal fort and resting point. Research suggests that tunnels into the rock and artefacts from over 3000 years ago indicate it was a raiding camp by the early Xioquo.
In an effort to do something about the Xioquo in more recent times, Semiramis III’s mother Adira IV had ordered a palisade be constructed and manned. This fort resisted several probing raids, but after a particularly cold winter the Qadiri were not used to, many of them died. Some of the survivors mutinied and took a ship home. The reduced garrison was overwhelmed by a Xioquo attack on a long winters night and were all killed or enslaved. When a ship returned in the spring they found the impaled bodies of the garrison’s officers as a grim warning.
In more modern times Firemane’s survey of the lands around the Xioquo located the spot and quickly put down an encampment. Deciding that it would serve as a good bastion against the Xioquo and support the more modern defences of New Santaissa, Firemane and the Eldorai excavated out the mountain and built a modern fortress. The lines of trenches, artillery positions and Tempest Cannon made it a powerful deterrent against Xioquo raids.
Recently, the fort was put to the test and repelled a large Xioquo attack, sinking several of their ships and cutting down several hundred enemy troops. However, it’s unlikely that the Xioquo are finished, and since the fort threatens their southerly raiding route they are almost certain to try again.
Intent: To create a military base on Tygara to protect against Xioquo raids. This base is designed to engage ‘low tech’ enemies, so lacks the heavy hitting power of an installation built to withstand galactic enemies. This base will also serve as the staging grounds for the future campaigns against the Xioquo.
Links: Dev Thread. Post #71 onwards.
