Hel (SLDF Munitions and Waste Disposal Site 09)

### Atmosphere

Breathable with filters (The air is filled with organic compounds that induce hallucinations.)

### Water

60%: (53% Surface water / 7% Subterranean)

## System Description

The system was discovered by a survey vessel in 2573, and then explored later when SLI needed locations for it's clandestine activities. This DC6 class White Dwarf was perfect for SLDF Munitions and Waste Disposal Site 09.

The system has a total of 3 planets with Site 09 being in the 2nd orbit. The other two are mostly barren rocks, but are easily accessible and have resources that are not hard to mine. Both are less than a few days from Site 09 by dropship and can be seen from the planet's surface with the naked eye on occasion.

All three planets are encircled by an asteroid belt that extends for several million kilometers outward. This belt is hard to navigate and use of point defense systems is recommended in order to redirect some of the asteroids that may intercept ships' path. Hekla Station has several small "guide" ships, the *SLS Liila Vakt* and *SLS Vakthund (*Vakt Class Escorts) that are specifically for this purpose. ()

## System History

During the early days of the Star League, new weapons were tested, new technologies developed, and new materials made to advance the quality of life for it’s citizens. Not everything that was developed was successful. Some things were dangerous enough that they needed to be removed and disposed off away from the Inner Sphere.

Except there were those in Star League Intelligence that didn't want some of it completely disposed of. SLI thought it would be better to use the Deep Periphery to house these materials, in case they wanted to revisit these projects later. To that end, they sent scout ships to locate systems remote enough to avoid the prying eyes of the Houses.

SLDF Munitions and Waste Disposal Site 09 would be used to catalog and store every failed, destroyed, or abandoned project. Underground holding chambers would be built and sealed off. Soon the crews there started referring to them as the tombs. At one point, even medical waste and viral agents would be "buried" on Hel, kilometers below the surface, only to be accessed by high level black operatives for off the books projects at other facilities.

This would continue with facilities receiving new personnel and supplies every 6 months until fully operational. Recruits were always volunteers and always people with no family. Once a "tour" of 4 years was finished, the SLDF was moved to another deep periphery site known only as Vanaheim.

The Site was equipped with satellites to constantly monitor the surface for any breach in containment. Drones were commonly used to perform recon, and on the rare occasion that something on the planet was determined to be a threat, one of the experimental VTOLs would be sent to deal with it.

Protecting the planet was a Space Defense System automated to only allow ships with the right authorizations to approach. The SDS could be partially overridden from the Site, but that required verification from the site's Curator General before access could be gained to the SDS command functions.

   **The Fall of Star League**

When the Reunification Wars began nothing really changed at the Site. Towards the end, they started receiving more biological waste containers. It wasn't until the Curator General noticed that these containers looked suspiciously coffin sized that it was revealed that the SLDF was experimenting with darker things. Biological warfare, super soldier programs, designer combat drugs, anything that killed a subject sent the corpse to the Site.

When the Amaris Civil War started, all communication with the Site stopped. The *SLS Garmr* (a ***Quixote***-class frigate) was the last ship to bring supplies and personnel, and instead of returning back to the Inner Sphere, SLI had ordered the ship to stay and protect the facility. During the course of the war, the few ships that would approach the site without the right authorization and be torn apart by the SDSs guarding it.

It wasn't until the 2nd Succession war that a Comstar Explorer Corps ship, *CV Vigilans Spiritus* (a ***Magellan***-class jumpship), would come to Hel. The SDS system was in standby mode and the Comstar techs made short work of it's systems using old SLDF access codes, allowing them to pass. Once at the planet, contact was reestablished with the now cult-like descendants. They had developed a semi-religious mythos around the tombs and why they were there.

Rather than correct them, the leader of that Comstar Expedition choose to study and document their "culture". Leaving a small team behind to help with repairs and bringing systems back, the *CV Vigilans Spiritus* left.

## Political Affiliation

Upon returning, Comstar had discovered that a rift had formed and that some of the team had gathered others to open one of the tombs. It would later be revealed that the Comstar personnel involved were members of the Word of Blake. The captain of the *CV Vigilans Spiritus* had attempted to make sure the Site stayed secure until more of a presence could be established, however, they were driven off by the *SLS Garmr* and the systems SDS defenses.

It is feared that Word of Blake Remnants are using the Site as a way point to other points in the deep periphery. Eye of Providence ROM agents have sporadically reported that the Word is also working to find and inspect all of the disposal sites to make sure they are still in tact and catalog them, possibly with the intent to open them.

## Points of Interest

### Planetary Rulers

Curator General Delphine Bryn is a religious zealot whose goal is learning the secrets of the 'Tombs'. She has no regard for those of the lower tech caste and will willingly sacrifice any of them to achieve her goals. She is extremely intelligent and wants nothing more than to help the Word of Blake punish the Inner Sphere and Clans for abandoning the ideals of Star League. However, where she parts ways with the Word of Blake is over who the secrets of the Tombs belong to and she is more than willing to use force to keep them.

### Military Deployment

The site is protected by its own security force made up of VTOLs and some specialized infantry. In addition, there are a multitude of safe guards built into the facility and fully functioning SDLF era security robots.

### Geography

A supercontinent and some small, shallow seas. Spires of sharp stone interrupt the otherwise flat terrain. Near the center of the continent is a large plateau. Here is where most of the surface water that is not located in the seas can be found along with most of the settlements. There is a man-made valley in the south west that connects to the one of the larger seas called the Persephone Valley.

In the east, lies the Phrygian Plains, a massive flood plain that stretches to several shallow seas. These seas sometimes flood the plains due to the tidal forces caused by one or both of the other planets in orbit around Helheim.

### Planetary Locations

The main "city" is located on the central plateau of the supercontinent. Hallamshire has the only function spaceport facilities and is the only access point to the tunnels that lead to the network of sites underground.

The Persephone Biodomes are the only living spaces that are above ground that were not originally part of the complex. Located near the largest sea in an artificially created valley, the Persephone fields are a series of biodomes that are responsible for all the food on Hel. These biodomes use various technologies from the Star League era and are more than capable of sustaining a populace twice the current total with little effort. The personnel living at these facilities enjoy more freedoms than those at Hallamshire and Curator-Major in charge seems less interested in joining the WoB or Bryn's crusade against the Inner Sphere/Clans.

### Industrial Centers

Recently, construction has begun on what appears to be a massive factory complex outside of Hallamshire. From intelligence reports, it appears that this complex could be for the production of battlemechs, but for what designs is unknown. It also appears that a munitions and weapons manufacturing plant may be underway as well.

### Local Fauna

The ocean shallows are home to giant mottled worms, called Lemures. These ambush predators are usually stationary on the sea floors and easy enough to avoid with prior knowledge of their behavior. Found along the plains are various related plants that hover in mid-air, held aloft by gas bags. The air is filled with organic compounds that when combined with the pollen from certain flowers can induce hallucinations. This is a seasonal hazard that lasts half of the year.