A story called Lionheart: The Unseen Saboteur was written based on this article.
For the elves of wildspace, no name is more respected and honored. Humans see Lionheart as a simple military base; the mere headquarters of the Elvish Navy. The dwarves see it as a hopeless dream of holding a vast and unwieldy fleet together. The scro see it as a target. None know the true nature of this, the most powerful of elvish strongholds.
Lionheart is more than a simple military base. Indeed, the name has been applied to a succession of such bases. To the elves, Lionheart is the keystone to holding their people together. It is the glue that unites the scattered elvish colonies together into a single, cohesive nation that has kept the elves on a dozen worlds from extinction. It is also a political center, where various elvish kingdoms can settle their disputes without resorting to violence. Indeed, Lionheart to the elves is the means for them to hold back the encroachment of other races on their sovereign territories. It is the nexus point of the elvish people, allowing communication and trade to continue in a hostile galaxy.
It is from this station that the supreme commander of the Elvish Navy reigns over her fleet. She directs the fleet in times of war and peace from her office in the crystalline towers of Lionheart. Advising her is a cabinet of the seven highest-ranking admirals in the fleet. Each of these admirals is given charge of overseeing a particular region of space consisting of several dozen systems. They keep her advised of current events in space and keep the local fleets in line.
A council of representatives from every elvish nation is also found on Lionheart. This advisory board is responsible for keeping elvish nations from going to war with each other and concentrating on their true foes, such as drow and scro. This council is plagued by political intrigue, blackmail, and back-stabbing (both figurative and literal). At times of war, this council simply gives the Grand Admiral all the power she wants or needs.
Lionheart also boasts one of the greatest libraries in Known Space, holding the vast accumulated knowledge of the elvish people. No port has more accurate or complete star charts, nor is there any place better equipped to accurately project fleet movements across a hundred star systems. Matching this incredible resource is a vast collection of magical items and spell casters. No where in all of Known Space will one find a greater treasure trove of magic. Some whisper that there is enough magic on Lionheart to shatter whole worlds. These rumors may just be that: rumors.
In some ways, Lionheart more closely resembles a small city rather than a citadel. It's vast size and huge population put it on par with many cities of wildspace. Such a large population is needed, however, to effectively run a fleet that spans across a hundred spheres or more. Dock laborers work at a feverish pace to keep up with the comings and goings of ships, and scribes race throughout the base delivering messages. It is a hectic base where work is fast and furious, much to the shock of newcomers. The normally relaxed pace of the elves is replaced with a flurry of activity that is normally only seen in the dwarvish race. Of course, security is always tight, but does not interfere with the workings of Lionheart. Somehow, throughout all this confusion, the Fleet gets run and the elves remain the dominant power in space.
