Star One

First mentioned by a dying Provine as the new location of the Federation's Control complex, the hunt for Star One involved Roj Blake, Servalan and Travis each with their own reasons for finding it.

History

Control was moved from Earth, according to Travis, some thirty years before Blake's attack on Earth, (B: Pressure Point) but Travis also later reported, on Freedom City, having seen Docholli "two years ago". Lurena, one of the technicians on Star One, was young enough to have had to have been a child when Control was moved from Earth, as were most of the other technicians seen there.

Of the many technicians Docholli operated on, thirty technicians had a hand in building Star One. At least twelve people were present at the complex when Blake arrived, although all but one was in fact an alien infiltrator. Named technicians were Stot, Parton, Lurena, Marcol, Leeth and Shokov.

Control

Star One was, from what Durkim said, responsible for climate control on many frontier worlds (Sooni, Vilker, Palmero, Carthenis and Heeron were mentioned) and for Computer Flight Co-ordination, sabotage of which caused the collision of the Nova Queen with an unmanned ore carrier above Keldon City. It also maintained and monitored the antimatter minefield sown by the Federation to keep out the threat of an invasion from M31. Durkim referred to no rain on Sooni and continual rainfall on Vilker for 60 days, suggesting that alien interference in Star One's systems might have begun about this time. Travis on Goth said that Star One "controls climate on more than 200 worlds, communications, security, food production... it is the key to our very lives." (B: The Keeper)

Location

Star One was located on a planet circling a white dwarf well outside the galaxy proper, and thus the first star to be encountered by anyone travelling between the Milky Way and M31. The Fool on Goth gave its co-ordinates as "grid reference C17320 in the 11th Sector", a position Jenna later described as imprecise. The planet itself was cold, temperatures rising above freezing point only around the equator during the day. The computer complex was underground, and shielded by some unspecified means. The teleport could not work through this shield, though this was probably coincidental. Orac was able to access Star One's computers, since he mentioned making a cursory analysis of the systems concerned with the antimatter minefield. (B: Star One)

Travis acquired the location of Star One from the brainprint left on Goth by Lurgen. Blake found the information hypnotically planted in the Charl's Fool: by travelling at Standard by 12 he arrived hours, if that, ahead of Travis, who may have acquired one of the aliens' ships along the way (it was of a type Jenna could not recognise). Blake, Avon and Cally teleported down to the surface upon arrival. (B: The Keeper, Star One)

Destruction

Blake abandoned his intention to destroy Star One when the alien threat became apparent, and Liberator remained in the vicinity to hold off the alien fleet until Federation reinforcements could arrive. Federation Battle Commander Squadron 6 reported the aliens destroying Star One during a surprise counterattack at some point during the war.

Cally pointed out that "many, many people" would die with the loss of Star One, a toll Blake was prepared to accept. The after effects of its destruction, however, were never remarked upon after the War except in Aftermath, when Servalan told Avon that "half the civilised planets" were now left to their fate.

Alien incursion

Of the aliens who infiltrated the Star One base Blake killed "Stot", Avon killed "Parton" and one other, Lurena killed "Shokov" and was herself killed along with four others by an explosive device planted by Blake. At least three other aliens were unaccounted for.