A Guide To Key SLA Installations
On Dante

This chapter details the various important SLA installations on Dante listing the types of personnel found there, environmental conditions, general background and history.

Slayers Fist

The original major SLA military base on Dante and still one its main strongholds. The Fist is a vast five kilometer wide stone pillar riddled with barracks, command centers and training facilities, many dating back to the start of the war. Close to the start of the conflict on Dante it was decided that SLA Industries forces needed a central command base from which to conduct operations and which would act as a training and supply depot. The site of the Fist was chosen as it represented a natural fortress which could quickly be turned into a functioning command center, something that SLA was desperately in need of as they pulled out of the many undefendable mining and manufacturing facilities. The base is built into the tallest natural plateau of rock on the planet, which over the years has been gradually hollowed out by SLA engineers to form a extensive network of rooms and interconnection tunnels. By flattening of the top of the pillar provision was made for the landing of dropships and other supply craft and to allow access to the base via aircraft even under siege conditions. Gun positions and AA batteries cover the outer surfaces of the rock, while the roof top spaceport is defended by a forerunner of the Valhalla laser defense system. This system though is not as effective as the one installed at Archangel and as a result the faces of the Fist are riddled with damage from old missile hits and artillery rounds.

As well as tunneling upwards the engineers also extended the base downwards, below ground level, as demands for space rose. Numerous sub-basements and underground storage silos were constructed in the early years of the bases operation and it was here that many of the first company R&D departments set up on the planet were situated. Karma, FEN and PP are all known to have had labs built under the Fist and many of the initial research projects into new Dante weaponry, robotics and biomechanics took place here.

By the year 379 Slayers Fist had begun to run out of room and was no longer sufficient to handle the volume of traffic coming on planet from orbit, or the training responsibilities for new recruits. The decision was then taken to move the High Command to the newer Archangel Facility that was then currently under construction. This decision was hastened when later that year the Fist come under an intensive assault by Thresher Strike Squads and long range artillery. Before reinforcements could be called in, several assault teams were able to breach the lower seals of the base and attempted to fight their way through to the command centers on the upper levels and downwards to the underground labs. They were only stopped in their attempt by the fierce resistance they met from the Commanders personal guards, the Fists detachment of Shiver Military Police and the courage of many of the technical and command staff. This incident is now referred to as the 'Red Hell' and remains the worst breach of a SLA bases security on Dante.

Much of the base was damaged during this assault and many of the lower sectors were sealed off by wreckage and roof falls in the access tunnels. Since the move to Archangel was already underway it was decided that attempts to clear out and repair the lowest levels of the Fist would be too costly, so no attempts were made to dig through to the sealed off areas. Today rumors abound of these lost sections of the base, as well as supposed ways into them and of forgotten technologies still surviving in the undamaged labs on the lowest levels. There is also a rumor that something got loose when one of these labs was hit and now roams the tunnels looking for prey.......

Kodachi Base

Kodachi Base, better known as 'The Black Rose', is widely acknowledged as the worst posting on Dante. The base itself is built on a narrow corridor of land between Thresher and DarkNight held territories, with both sides attempting to constantly squeeze it out of existence. The fighting around the base is constant and fierce and for most assigned there life expectancy there is extremely low (well lower than the norm). Due to its extremely isolated position the only way for Kodachi to be re-supplied is either by airdrop or by sea and there are constant attempts by both enemies to blockade these routes and starve the defenders out.

It was by this method that Thresher came closest to taking the Black Rose in 436 when it managed to prevent vessels getting through for a period of 36 days and reduced the defenders to a mere 4000 men, low on ammunition and essential supplies. The siege was only broken when the Dreadnought SNV 'Rickenharp' managed to run the blockade, with the help of air cover from the squadrons at Archangel and Slayers Fist, landing fresh troops and equipment in time to counter Threshers final assault.
Only the truly talented or psychotic survive an initial tour at Kodachi and veterans who have served at the base are respected and feared by other military personnel. Many who serve their first duty at the base request permanent placement there and for the most part SLA are happy to accept, as it helps to offset the higher than average losses of new recruits.

Over the years the Black Rose has become something of a law unto itself and to a certain degree its troops and their currentCommander, Andrea Draken, are seen as outside the command of even Julia Van Braun. In 679 the High Command suggested abandoning the Kodachi Base as it was becoming to costly in men and resources, this is rumored to have resulted in a near mutiny and one of the rare occasions when SLA Industries backed down over a decision. Kodachi veterans will nearly universally have a large, black, rose DNA tattooed on their left shoulder as a mark of their service on the base. Some will also have this replicated on their armour. Many a new recruit has regretted picking a bar fight with personnel from the Rose and many other units actively avoid troops who wear the distinctive tattoo due to their inherent instability and aggressive nature.

Coral Sea

The main SLA naval base on the planet, Coral Sea is the home of the vast ocean going Dreadnoughts, the only vessels capable of reliably navigating the storm ridden Dante seas. It also houses SLA's submarine facilities and a comprehensive spaceport, making it SLA's second largest base on planet after Archangel.

The Coral Sea complex is constructed around a natural harbor which remains relatively calm even during the worst of Dante's storms and which has been further enlarged to make room for the immense dry-docks needed for repairing and servicing the Dreadnought fleet. All training of naval personnel takes place at this base rather than Archangel, as well as providing extensive R&R facilities for crews of returning ships.

The port also serves as an enormous supply depot from which equipment is shipped, via Dreadnought or other sea going transports, to the companies isolated bases such as Kodachi and Zodiac Nine. For this reason provision, in the shape of a large spaceport complex, has been made to receive the vast numbers of dropships and heavy freighters needed to bring these supplies down from New Hope and Archangel every day.

Several SLA Industries sub companies such as FEN, GA and PP have facilities at the base and research is currently being conducted into a number of areas of naval warfare including the development of amphibious powered armour suits similar to those used by the Thresher ENO teams. Karma have also recently set up a department at Coral Sea, but as yet it has not been revealed exactly what projects they are working on and security has been extremely tight. This arrangement was at the request of Karma's head of research on the planet Susan DeVerr and even extends to having a small detachment of custom built Stormer protecting the facility. What is known is that the complex has experienced several unexplained security alerts in the last year and although these have been quickly brought under control, the Karma personnel have, as yet, refused to cooperate with Coral Seas command staff or offered any explanations over these events.

New Hope Satellite

More commonly refereed to as 'No Hope' by the troops who pass through it, the 'New Hope' satellite is SLA Industries immense orbital base above Dante and the clearing house for all personnel and equipment that comes in system. Thousands of troops pass through this port each day as military transports bring in new recruits from all over the Worlds Of Progress on their way to Archangel and SLA's other training centers.

The satellite is vital to SLA's continued operations on Dante as every vehicle, spare part and round of ammunition not manufactured on the planet below passes through it to reach the surface. For this reason New Hope is extremely heavily armed and armored against attacks from rival company spacecraft and has several interceptor squadrons which attempt to prevent attacks on incoming Foldships or transports leaving for the planets surface. Although fighter cover is only reserved for important cargo and personnel, with the majority of dropships have to fend for themselves during their flights to the planets surface. For this reason these trips are commonly referred to as 'doing the murder mile' as there are regular ambushes by rival company airborne forces and ground based missile systems resulting in several ships a week ending up as smoking wrecks in Dante's Deep Deserts.

In addition to the interceptor squadrons New Hope is further protected by the four battle cruisers 'De Prey', 'Vindicater', 'Typhoon' and 'Ardala' which remain constantly on station in Dante orbit. Further out on picket duty are eight heavy cruisers and twenty smaller systems patrol vessels who's job it is prevent enemy freighters breaking through to land troops and equipment on Dante, as well as hunting down assault vessels that threaten the inbound Foldships.

As well as its other duties, New Hope also acts as a staging point for any space based operations SLA conduct in the Dante system such as raids on Darkside and for this reason has an extensive orbital training facility where combat maneuvers in zero g can be taught. Various special forces units have also mounted raids on Dante itself from New Hope over the years using drop pods or stealth shuttles to get behind enemy lines.

Black Dawn

The second largest of the Dante defense satellites, 'Black Dawn' is mainly used for observation and orbital recon purposes and for this reason has a large compliment of high SCL level personnel and is something of a closed community to the rest of the Dante military. The satellite was originally built to act as a port for Foldships and allow the easy export of metals from the original civilian mines. When the war began to get underway it was put under military control and for a period acted as a transfer station for inbound troops, weapons and equipment. Eventually, the volume of cargo coming in system grew too great and resulted in the construct of the much larger New Hope orbital station. On New Hopes completion all cargo handling duties were transfer and the older station was renamed and put under the joint control of the various military intelligence divisions. The many spy sats and observations platforms that orbit Dante are now controlled from Black Dawn, as well as monitoring of the numerous battle fronts and troop movements when the weather and atmospheric conditions permit.
Much of the base is off limits to regular personnel with tight security being enforced by high level S.I.D troops rather than MPs or Regular Marines. This appears to be a strong indication that there is more to Black Dawn than a simple observation post. The only regular military troops allowed there are a small interceptor squadron based on the satellite, which helps to compliment those stationed at New Hope.

SLA's main R&D labs for space based weapons systems are also on Black Dawn and share the same tight security precautions as the rest of the instillation. The presence of Artery security Stormers on the satellite raises the suspicion that some of the research being undertaken there is in the area of Biogenetics. While several visits by the head of Karma on Dante, Dr. Susan DeVerr seems to confirm this fact. Power Projects are also known to have an extensive lab on Black Dawn which is developing designs for advanced, armoured, environment suits for use in space.

One secret that did become known in year 678 is that the satellite now mounts possibly the largest, orbital, beam cannon instillation in the Worlds of Progress. Covertly constructed on the satellite in the years after its takeover by military intelligence, the immense laser cannon, nicknamed 'The Hammer Of God', was first fired at a small Thresher instillation on Dante's surface in mid 678. All that remained after the test firing was a patch of fused ground about 800 meters across. Since then the weapon has been used several more times against large ground based targets when weather conditions and cloud cover permitted.

Phoenix Base

Constructed in one of Dante's vast, central desert regions, Phoenix Base has among the worst environments to fight in on the planet. The base sits on Dante's equator and recorded temperatures exceed even those found in the southern Wastelands. The buildings at the base are alternatively baked and frozen through the day/night cycle with a two hour window in the mornings and evenings being the only time personnel can go outside without specially modified armour. For this reason much of Phoenix is built underground for added protection and a massive cooling and environmental control system has been installed to allow comfortable working conditions for its troops and command staff.

The fine sand of the area gets into everything and failure rates on vehicles and equipment is high, with unsealed items breaking down in a matter of hours. In addition the region suffers from regular high velocity sand storms and even flash floods when the conditions are right. The intense heat and variable weather make it one of the harshest testing grounds for new pieces of equipment and for this reason Phoenix has extensive underground R&D labs representing numerous sub companies and has rapidly become a prime site for weapons research. Wraith Raider personnel are exempt from duty at Phoenix due to the extreme strain that the high temperatures put on their metabolisms even when using boosted cooling systems and insulated suits.

The base also serves as a repair and re-supply depot for the many patrols and SLA Leviathans operating throughout the Deep Deserts. This function is vital as there are few other SLA Industries facilities for over a thousand miles of Phoenix and it provides one of the few safe havens in the vast seas of baking sand. Several large air conditioned, underground bays have also been built at the complex, in the last twenty years, to allow vehicles to be repaired inside where they can be protected from the environment.

Zodiac Nine

Built at the heart of the northern polar regions Zodiac is another of SLA's important research bases, it is also a particular favorite posting among Wraith Raider personnel who form the majority of its non scientific complement. For this reason it has earned the nickname 'Lizard Island' among other troops. To protect against the intense cold and violent storms that sweep the area 90% of the base has been constructed underground with only a handful of domes and defense grid installations showing above the surface. Most vehicles used at the base need to be specially adapted to handle the extreme environment and human personnel cannot last long outside without armour fitted with internal heating units. Much of the year the weather prevents the widespread use of aircraft so that supplies can only be brought in by sea and even this can be dangerous with Dreadnoughts having to brave the iceberg clogged striates to reach the head of the river where the base is sighted. Despite even the SLA Dreadnoughts great power and ice breaking ability, in 864 the SNV 'Horza' became trapped during a regular supply run and had to be blasted free with explosives before it could be destroyed by land based Thresher forces. The resulting battle lasted for seven day before the Horza's engineers could smash the imprisoning ice and resulted in heavy losses on both sides.

Zodiac Nine is also SLA Industries main genetic research station on the planet where development of new projects with a distinctly military slant are undertaken. Karma have their biggest research and manufacturing facility on the base and it was here that the initial work for the D-966 Dante Stormer project was undertaken. Rumor has it that Karma have several other large scale biogentics programs going on at the base, although much of this work is extremely classified and several areas of the Zodiac remain strictly off limits to low level SCL personnel. These security measure are enforced by a team of Artery Security Stormers specially shipped in and modified against the cold for the purpose. The base was also notable for the part it played in the discovery of Life After Death treatments, being one of the first to successfully replicate the procedures practiced by the pioneering MASH unit without the untreatable brain damage that other experimenters encountered. With much of their data and research being passed back to the 'Longevity Chain' team on Mort.

White Heat

The largest base established by SLA Industries in the Wastelands, White Heat stands at the head of a vast river system which leads directly into one of Dante's oceans making it ideal for re-supply by Dreadnoughts. The base is actually nothing more than a vast fortified refueling, re-supply and repair station for the Companies numerous patrol vehicles that operate throughout the area and consists of various underground storage silos and machine shops. SLA have also constructed an immense covered vehicle hanger at the base which is capable of holding an entire Leviathan vehicle and allowing repair crews to work on it in a controlled environment without cooled suits.

A small number of civilian facilities also exist at the base to provide R&R for crews waiting re-supply or repairs to their vehicles, most infamous of these being the '101 Degree Club' which has been the scene of numerous inter unit brawls over the years, usually between naval and infantry crews.

The complex is ringed by gun turrets and other defenses and has been the site of several fierce battles against rival company forces as they attempt to smash a key link in SLA's supply chain. Although there are no established company labs at White Heat it does attract large numbers of researchers eager to venture into the surrounding deserts to hunt for lost technology and there are four or five teams from various sub companies stationed there most of the time. In recent years SLA has cut down on the number of researchers granted permission to enter the Wastelands due to the high number of losses they were experiencing from both the enemy activity and the environment.

Palm Springs

Constructed at the center of the southern Wastelands, Palm Springs is built on one of the few areas of stable rock in the region and serves as a vital re-supply depot and stopover point for SLA units. The base is also tactically important since its location allows the company to control one of the only natural water sources in the deserts.
This huge subterranean reservoir is what attracted SLA Industries in the first place and over the years the base has been expanded and reinforced to deny this vital resource to the various rival company's.

Fairly small by the standards of SLA's other bases, Palm Springs relies on the desert itself for much of its protection since it takes careful planning and a lot of equipment to venture this far into the Wastelands. Most of the bases supplies are brought in by air, or the occasional convoy and it has several huge underground silos to allow it to be self sufficient for long periods of time, particularly during the sand storm seasons. Often used as a staging point for raids, Palm Springs also attracts its fair share of company researchers keen to either explore the surrounding deserts or undertake product testing.

Misaki Garrison

Based on the smaller western continent, the Misaki Garrison is responsible for securing this mountainous region and preventing Threshers incursions from the north and DarkNight's from the south east. The high peaks and constant electrical storms make communications virtually impossible most of the time, while much of the area is impassable to vehicles apart from a network of narrow mountain passes.

Seismic activity in the region is also particularly intense and earthquakes continually rock the high country bringing about sudden rock falls and land slides which can quickly block passes or sweep away unlucky patrols. Mine warfare is particularly common in the area, with the tight roadways and narrow gorges making ideal targets. A popular tactic, when the weather permits, is to 'seed' the mountain passes with munitions from the air using dropships or other craft. The garrison provides a central command and supply center for the numerous smaller mountain bases dotted around the region and the two sets of front lines that contain the rival company forces within their own territory.

The base has a number of repair and maintenance facilities for the vast fleets of vehicles that operate from it, as well as several small R&D labs from a number of SLA sub companies. Large scale re-supply of the base by air is not possible due to the variable environmental conditions, which can often leave aircraft grounded for weeks at a times. Instead Misaki relies on constant regular convoys making the several thousand mile trek across the northern edges of the Deep Deserts from Archangel.

The Ice Palace

SLA Industries northern most Military and Naval base, the Ice Palace provides a repair and re-supply depot for the Dreadnought fleets as well as a center of operation for the numerous patrols in the polar region and the companies blockade against the High Tower. A regular supply route has now been established between the base and the garrisons currently engaged in bottling Thresher up on their island base and a constant flow of traffic leaves everyday to travel the several hundred kilometers across the frozen wastes to the front lines.

Construction of the base is along similar lines to the one at Zodiac Nine with the majority of the complex being placed deep underground to protect it from the environment. The Ice Palace though has much more extensive facilities and even supports a small civilian population providing recreational services for the bases staff and the crews of ships visiting the port. The naval repair yards are not as comprehensive as Coral Seas, but a dry dock capable of handling a Dreadnought has been recently constructed and the complex continues to expand to meet growing demands.

The Ice Palace also boasts a small space port which is capable of handling large freighters and other types of orbital traffic when weather conditions allow and which also helps to lift the bases reliance on sea born supplies, something that can become difficult during the height of the storm seasons or when extremely low temperatures cause the surrounding sea to freeze over for periods of several weeks. Like Zodiac Nine many of the personnel at the Palace are Wraith Raiders who tend to thrive in the cold environment.

Blain & Tanner Mining Camps

These two camps are SLA's main mining operations in the northern arctic and provide the vast majority of the raw materials for it's manufacturing complexes, both are virtually identical in design and have similar types of personnel stationed there. Heavily defended against attack each complex has its own garrison to protect the mines and their civilian work forces, since they're a prime target for rival company forces due to their importance to the SLA war effort.

Most of the camps facilities have been constructed underground in a similar fashion to the bases at Zodiac Nine and The Ice Palace, with direct access to the mine tunnels being possible without the need to cross the surface. The vast majority of the work is done by automated machinery where possible, due to the extreme environmental conditions, with large numbers of security and attack drones also being employed to guard the many tunnels against infiltration. Dropship landing facilities and seaports for both Dreadnoughts and transport ships are present at both camps, although like Zodiac Nine they can often become cut off due to extreme weather and storms resulting in a need for self sufficiency.

These complexes are also one of the few areas in the arctic to suffer problems with Crazies and Deserters. Normally deserters don't last very long in the arctic regions due to lack of shelter and the need to constantly use specially modified equipment, but in the older, worked out sections of mine tunnels an existence is just barely possible, especially as they're are opportunities to scrounge supplies and equipment. As with those in the Archangel Under City, these renegades can often become extremely cunning and adept at hiding from search parties and bypassing security systems.

The Crab

The Crab is SLA's main base of operation for the Akah region and is one of the few of its structures to survive the sinking of the city. Fortunately for the company the bases central command tower was high enough to prevent it being totally flooded out during the disaster and the large, disc like, structure survived to become the basis of a new base. Using the tower as a core, various immense floating pontoons were added over the years and these have developed into a vast network of docks, warehouses, landing fields and barracks. The aerial view of these radiating out from the central tower is what gives the Crab its name.

Kept supplied by dropships and ocean going ships, personnel from the base are tasked with mounting raids into Akah, as well as policing its boarders to prevent enemy units getting reinforcements or supplies. Various sub companies have research establishments at the Crab and it is SLA's key center on Dante for developing lightweight amphibious craft. The relatively calm waters of the flooded city being much more suitable for this type of testing than Dante's oceans or coastal waters.

Rot Water Lake

The Rot Water Lake complex serves to guard the two main land routes between the central continents and the northern arctic regions. As well as providing repair and re-supply facilities to convoys and other units passing through on their way to and from the Pole.

The base gains its name from the large, heavily polluted inland lake on who's shores it sits and even operates its own small fleet of ships and hovercraft. These are often used to transport men and materials between Rot Water and the smaller 'Northern Pass' complex at the head of the lake. Originally SLA had a number of refineries and manufacturing complexes along the lakes shores which processed the ore and other raw materials from the many mines in the region and the run off from these has tainted the water for ever, even going as far as mutating some of the local wildlife. The concentration of pollutants is so bad that its lake's water will not freeze, even in the sub zero temperatures found at the northern end.
A large well defended base, Rot Water, also operates an extensive fleet of aircraft and is able to provide air cover for the various convoys and other units traveling in the region. Rot Water is also one of the few SLA installations to have a mixed compliment of both arctic and desert vehicles since it sits close to the border between the two enviroments.