Blackthorne
She of the Trillion Thorns
- Intent: To Sub a Pirate base
- Image Credit: I really honestly couldn't find one. Used google search, tinyeye, etc. All I found was some youtube Videos.
- Canon: No
- Links: N/A
- Space Station Name: The Cove
- Station Model: Asteroid Base
- Classification: Pirate Shadowport
- Location: 18, 9, Stygian Caldera
- Affiliation: Free Pirates
- Population: Moderately Populated
- Demographics:
Within the confines of the asteroid one can find Zeltrons, Humans, Togorians, Mandalorians, even Hutts. Every species is represented and no species if over represented. One would be hard pressed to find a more diverse and mixed place within the galaxy.
- Accessibility:
Large fleets would find it almost impossible to actually get to the cove, the mass of asteroid and space junk floating within the field would press any large entity quite a bit.
Even bigger capital ships would find it difficult to make it through the asteroid field, and it is for this reason that The Cove was built where it was. The Asteroid field serves as a form of protection from more powerful forces, keeping the pirates relatively safe.
- Description:
Though it's origin is unclear, The Cove was almost definitely at one point a mining base. Huge tunnels and massive structures ring the entire station. Docking platforms and what appear to be deep pits have been carved into the surface of the asteroid itself. These have long since been converted into living areas as well as Docking ports for the various pirate ships that now call The Cove home.
Various pieces of the Asteroid have been mined away, replaced with huge buildings and metallic structures that house everything from Crime Lords to simple paupers living upon the Asteroid. The Station itself has the appearance of being cobbled together, and the beige darkish colors allow it to blend into the asteroid field itself.
The Cove is not a military installation.
Originally constructed for mining purposes however many years ago, the idea of defenses never really came into view. This was mostly because the Corporation that constructed the original structure was more worried about profits than actual attack, it can be assumed that nothing ever really came for The Cove since all valuable resources have long since been removed from the Asteroid.
Since it has become a Shadowport for Local Pirates however the defenses of the Cove have somewhat improved.
Though in general Pirates aren't known for their generosity, many have realized that The Cove presents opportunity, and thus have gifted various equipment to the structure itself. Though by no means a Military Equivelent, The Cove is now equipped with a series of shields that together make up a sort of planetary shield for protection. Various laser cannons and even turbo-laser emplacements exist all over the Asteroid itself, and of course the entire Asteroid is protected by whatever Pirates are currently occupying the station.
The Hangars: Perhaps the most important piece of The Cove is it's capacity to accommodate dozens, if not hundreds of starships. At one point The Cove was a mining station, and was funneling resources to surrounding planets at an enormous pace. In order for this to work the station needed a huge amount of docking bays and hangars for all the freighters and transports carrying raw ore.
This did not change when the pirates took over the station.
The hangars remained completely intact and in fact some of them were even upgraded. Most of them can accommodate everything up to smaller corvettes, though a few are able to accommodate larger cruisers. Some of these docking bays have been permanently claimed by various gangs or Pirate Outfits while others remain more open. Generally the ones closest to the Markets are taken while those on the outremer remained untouched.
The Market: The lifeblood of The Cove, the Markets are what feed and keep the station alive.
It is here within the markets that everyone peddles their goods. In theory one can find almost anything within the Markets themselves. Rare Technology, ancient force artifacts, broken pieces of salvage. Pirates, Smugglers, and even merchants from other planets come to the Market to buy and sell whatever they can. Food and technology are the things most often shared here, though there is also a striving slave market that has begun to creep up. The market is an extremely important aspect of The Cove itself, and is one of the few places where true peace can be found due to the necessity of it.
The Spires: The Spires are what could be considered the 'high class' area of the station. It is here that once the central offices of the mining corporation were located, and thus this part of the station is far nicer than the rest of it. Unlike within Rat Town or the pits there is no covering of dust or rock walls, rather everything is made of nice and clean durasteel.
The Spires are mostly populated by the more elevated society of The Cove.
Pirate Lords, Crime Leaders, and the people that actually 'run' The Cove all live within the Spires. This place is generally guarded by mercenaries that keep the rough and rumble out, allowing for smooth leadership of The Cove itself. There is something to be said about the elitism of The Spire, though it should be noted that violence can be found within them just as often as it can be found without.
Even in the upper classes, The Cove is always dangerous.
The Pits: The most dangerous and unpleasant part of The Cove are the famed Pits.
Once upon a time these Pits were exactly what one would think, deep mining trenches that had been dug out of the asteroid itself to provide as much raw material as possible. When the Pirates moved in however they became something else entirely.
The Pits evolved into a mixture of slave holds and brutal fighting areas. It is here that the residents of The Cove test themselves within battle and blood. Pirates, mercenaries, slaves, and warriors of all sorts come to the Pits to fight anything from humanoid opponents to great beasts. The Pits have become a massive center of gambling and entertainment, and it is filled to the brim with criminals, prostitutes, and everything else that one might imagine of such a horrific place. The Pits are not for the feint of heart.
Rat Town: The polar opposite of The Spires, Rat Town is where most of the residents of The Cove actually live.
Built throughout the entirety of The Cove itself, Rat Town stretches through and over the Asteroid. There is something to be said about the place, mostly bad things. Rat Town is infested with pretty much every vermin that you can think of. The buildings here are mostly shacks made of cheap metal or other construction materials, the roads are barely roads, and catwalks seem to extend every which way.
Rat Town is extremely dangerous.
Someone walking through Rat Town that doesn't know their way is likely to get stabbed, mugged, murdered, then robbed again, usually in that order. The residents of Rat Town are generally an unpleasant lot, and are a reflection of their own little town. Rat Town is not to be taken lightly, something that becomes incredibly obvious when you step out from the Market and into its first reaches.
The Cove was born out of what was likely a Mining Station at one point.
The Asteroid itself likely sat untouched for thousands of years until ti was stumbled upon by one corporation or another. Eventually the company decided to mine out the rock, and quickly a facility was built in order to accomplish this. It is not known for how long the mining went on or indeed how much profit was actually made mining in such a difficult place, but eventually the mining company seemed to have finished with the Asteroid and the station was eventually abandoned.
It lay like this for quite some time until eventually a small group of pirates happened upon it.
At first the Crew was weary, thinking that the long abandoned station was haunted or perhaps cursed, though as their pressing need for a base of operation became more and more obvious, these small obstacles were quickly overcome. The pirates took up residents within the central Spires of the former Mining base, only a hundred or so men at the time that simply used the base as safe harbor.
Over time however their presence became more and more known.
As members of the crew either left or started their own crews, The Cove as it was known became more and more populated. Pirates would take their wives, their captured slaves, and anyone else back to the cove and slowly a community began to grow. The rapid nature of the growth quickly reflected the environment of The Cove itself and things took on a naturally grim visage. This did not stop people from coming however, and before long The Cove became a new Shadowport.
Pirates, Smugglers, and every other kind of criminal under the sun flocked to The Cove, seeing it's potential as a place away from law and order.
One can find almost anything on The Cove if they look hard enough, whether it be a woman to love or a stolen piece of technology. The Cove stands as pure freedom, no true rule of law exists, no matter how much some wish it.
