Heaven's Gate Starbase

Heaven's Gate Starbase
Type
Manufacturer
Primary user	Terran Confederation

The Heaven's Gate Starbase was a security station operated by the Terran Confederation prior to the year 2666 in the Heaven's Gate System. As of 2666, it was captured by the Kilrathi Empire.

The Heaven's Gate Starbase was once a major supply center for the Terran Confederation and a center for military operations across the Heaven's Gate System. It was captured during the 2660s by the Kilrathi and from then on served the Empire. It became the nerve center for Kilrathi operations in the system and as long as it remained active, the Kilrathi would retain control of the system.

In 2666, during the Enigma Sector Campaign, the Terran Confederation sent the TCS Concordia to liberate Heaven's Gate, with the starbase as its primary target. However, during this offensive, Mariko "Spirit" Tanaka, a Terran pilot, received word from a Terran traitor that her fiancé, Philip, who was captured by the Kilrathi ten years earlier, was being held as a prisoner-of-war on the starbase. The traitor blackmailed her with Philip's life so that she would join the Society of Mandarins, a Terran traitor network. She refused to betray the Confederation, yet chose not to share this information with her commanding officers, unwilling to put additional pressure on them.

Captain Christopher Blair and Tanaka were deployed to destroy the Heaven's Gate Starbase, flying F-57 Sabre Heavy Fighters. During the battle, Tanaka's craft was damaged by a bomb planted in her fighter, killing her gunner. Losing control, Tanaka chose to launch a kamikaze attack on the starbase, against Blair's objections. Her craft and her entire missile payload exploded on impact, annihilating the starbase and killing both Tanaka and Philip. Blair fled to the Concordia in defeat.

Although Heaven's Gate Starbase was destroyed, the system was reinforced by a much stronger Kilrathi fleet, forcing the Confederation to abandon the system.