Talk:Apex site

The Apex facility as a "Shield World" seems puny in comparison to that of Onyx, which had a 1 AU (Astronomical Unit) diameter and a sun-like star. Other differences include the fact that it is merely inside a hollowed-out planet with a puny artificial star. Others include that it is not confined within an externally 3-meter wide slipspace bubble within a vast layered shell of extremely powerful sentinels, and having only one hard to access slipspace portal.

The Apex installation has almost laughable security in comparison, with two or more large, non-slipspace doorways ships can go into and out of. The sentinels here are of the inferior Fortress and Cradle World (Halos and Ark) sentinels, not to mention having its surface occupied and infested by the Flood. Another fact to consider is the presence of a fleet of powerful Forerunner warships resting within its confines.

Why would something as important as a shield world be so small and readily occupied by multiple agencies, especially the Flood? While there are the warships there, surely the local managing AI would have enacted widespread and severe containment and cleansing protocols to rid the installation of the Flood. A Shield World was intended to be a safe-haven for the Forerunner, the Reclaimers, or any other subject population from the Halo Ring's weapon, so what is the point of having it so severely compromised?

Mysterious as this all is, this seems to show that Shield Worlds are not identical. We have two examples; the Onyx Shield World, a high-security, slipspace held massive facility. And then there is the Apex, an Earth-sized, hollowed-out planet with a dormant armada and lax security.

Perhaps they are a spectrum of sizes and capability?

--Exalted Obliteration 02:07, 28 February 2009 (UTC)