Earth Starbase

Earth Starbase

File:Starbase menu screenshot.png The Earth Starbase menu

Location: Sol III Commander: Hayes Race: Human Status: de facto command post for the New Alliance of Free Stars

The Earth Starbase is an Ur-Quan-built Starbase that has been in Earth's orbit since the Human surrender to the ierarchy in 2134. The facility is operated by a crew of 2000 Humans under the leadership of Starbase Commander Hayes, formerly of Star Control. The base was meant to function as a servicing and refueling station for Hierarchy ships in the surrounding area, so it was stocked with the most advanced Ur-Quan automation technology available to repair and refuel the wide variety of vessels in the Hierarchy fleets. A resupply vessel from the Hierarchy was scheduled to visit the station every five years, but the schedule was interrupted in 2147 by the Second Doctrinal War when all Kzer-Za forces were recalled to fight the Kohr-Ah.

History

Starbase Commander Hayes and the crew had been aboard since the last Hierarchy resupply ship had transferred them from Earth's surface, through the Slave Shield, in 2147, replacing the previous staff. Starbase crew members were chosen by the Ur-Quan for their experience working in space environments and frequently included military veterans from the Ur-Quan Slave War. Ironically this made them more likely to rebel once Ur-Quan supervision was lifted, as proved to be the case in this instance.

After more than 20 years incommunicado, the members of the expedition to Unzervalt arrived at Earth aboard The Flagship not knowing that the Ur-Quan Slave War had ended. Itself incommunicado for 8 years, the Starbase's energy reserves were almost completely depleted and Hayes was unable to determine the identity of the approaching vessel, but assumed it to be a long-overdo Hierarchy resupply ship. Fearful and isolated, Hayes was hesitant to trust the rebel vessel, but nevertheless, the Flagship undertook mining operations within the Sol system to gather radioactive elements to bring the base back to full strength, then toasted an Ilwrath Avenger that had been dispatched to investigate the illegal activity in the system. This was enough to cement the New Alliance of Free Stars and the Starbase became a resupply post for the Flagship and the fledgling Alliance. Fortunately, the Ur-Quan machinery is flexible enough to interface with the Precursor software on The Flagship's computer, and fortunately The Flaship is capable of operating on the standard Hierarchy antimatter-conversion fuel synthesized at the Starbase. Most of The Flagship's replacement crew also come from Starbase personnel, including many of its highly trained scientific specialists. Along with the Flagship itself, the Starbase stands as a symbol of Human resistance during the renewed fight against the Ur-Quan.

In a stroke of good fortune, one of the engineers aboard the Starbase had smuggled from Earth illegal copies of the design documents for the Earthling Cruiser. Earth's fleets and shipyards were destroyed at the surrender and the last surviving Cruiser, the Tobermoon had been stranded with the Unzervalt mission.

See also: In-game Starbase services