Heaven's Gate Starbase
| Heaven's Gate Starbase | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | Star Base |
| 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 assigned the TCS Concordia to liberate Heaven's Gate, with the star base as its primary target. However, during this offensive, Mariko Tanaka, a Confederation pilot aboard the Concordia, 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 star base. The traitor blackmailed her with Philip's life, coercing her to 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 star base, against Blair's objections. Her craft and her entire missile payload exploded on impact, annihilating the star base and killing both Tanaka and Philip. Blair thereafter retreated to the Concordia.
Despite the destruction of the Heaven's Gate Starbase, the system was reinforced by a much stronger Kilrathi fleet, forcing the Confederation to abandon the system.
Behind the Screens
Heaven's Gate appears in Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi.
