Lum

Lum
Lum 3151.svg
System Information
X:Y Coordinates5.819 : 1757.909[e]
Spectral classK2IV
Recharge station(s)Zenith (Tivoli station), Nadir (Hofburg station)[1]
Planet(s)5[citation needed]

System Description[edit]

Lum is located near the Shadow and Strana Mechty systems.

Political Affiliation[edit]


Lum IV[edit]

Lum IV
Astrophysical
System position2nd[citation needed]
Geophysical
Surface gravity0.9[citation needed]
Atmospheric pressureStandard (Breathable)[citation needed]
Equatorial temperature15º C[citation needed]
Surface water70%[citation needed]
Highest native lifeBirds[citation needed]
History and Culture
Population32,000,000 (3062)[citation needed]

Lum was an important industrial world and the capital of Clan Snow Raven in the Kerensky Cluster.[7] After several centuries of habitation, Lum was abandoned during the Wars of Reaving that ravaged Clan Space.

Planetary History[edit]

Colonization by Clan Snow Raven (sometime prior to 2825)[edit]

After the heavy losses incurred during Operation Klondike, Khan Stephen McKenna of Clan Snow Raven feared that his Clan would become marginalized in any further Trials. Thus the Khan focused his Clan on their expertise in naval and aerospace support. Instead of dueling with the other Clans for ‘Mech and vehicle caches on Circe, the Snow Ravens laid claim to the orbital Brian Cache in the Circe system’s outer reaches. There the Clan found DropShips, JumpShips, WarShips and aerospace fighters to expand their touman with minimal losses.

Among these vessels, the Snow Ravens found technical documents that allowed for the construction of repair and manufacturing facilities for all types of naval craft. The Snow Ravens would take these plans and begin building a variety of shipyards and maintenance facilities in orbit around the resource-rich world of Lum. These facilities would be expanded throughout the centuries and would provide Clan Snow Raven with a monopoly on the repair and construction of major naval vessels in the Kerensky Cluster.

Lum thus became the capital of Clan Snow Raven and the largest orbital shipyard and support depot in Clan Space. All the other Clans would trade resources with the Ravens to have their naval vessels serviced and repaired onsite. The Ravens would use their control of these shipyards as a powerful bargaining tool when dealing with their fellow Clans thus giving them immense strength despite their small size. This valuable world was heavily guarded by an entire second-line Galaxy and numerous WarShips from the Snow Raven Fleet.[8]

Clan Wolf Trial of 2966[edit]

In 2966 Clan Wolf deployed four Molniya-class corvettes to Lum to fight a Trial of Possession for one of the factory stations at the L4 and L5 Lagrange points, intent on recovering them as isorla back to Clan Wolf space. This was an attempt to compensate for the limitations in the existing Clan Wolf industrial base, which had been highlighted by the construction of the Tundra and her sister ships; Clan Wolf lacked the ability to reliably manufacture engines for WarShips, and had been forced to acquire the engines for the Molniyas from the Snow Ravens. Unfortunately, the Wolf plan was clumsily executed during the initial stages when the merchant caste agents responsible for gathering intelligence on the Snow Raven factories telegraphed their intentions. What the Wolves had hoped would be a carefully executed and limited Trial turned into a debacle, as the Snow Ravens had arranged to have the entire Swift Wing Naval Assault Star stationed at Lum, along with the CSR Corvidae, the first York-class destroyer to have been produced by the Lum shipyards.[2]

After bargaining, the four Molniyas and their attached DropShips and fighters faced the Corvidae and a Cluster of fighters from Delta Galaxy; during the resulting battle the only bright point for the Wolf forces was the fierce last stand put up by the Tundra, whose crews' skilled gunnery and masterful use of capital missiles succeeded in earning the surviving two damaged Molniyas hegira after the Corvidae finished destroying the Tundra. The recriminations from the Trial of Lum would haunt the Wolves for decades, and in the aftermath of the battle the two damaged Molniyas were never repaired, while the two Molniyas that had not deployed on the Trial were subsequently scrapped.[2]

Jade Falcon Raid of 3057[edit]

In 3057, Clan Jade Falcon's 4th Falcon Striker (Clan Jade Falcon) raided Clan Snow Raven assets on Lum as part of a feud between the two Clans. The Falcon Star Colonel Buhallin convinced the Snow Ravens to grant his force safcon and then launched a Trial for the J7 Armor Fabrication plant. The Falcons shattered the two Trinaries from the 5th Raven Auxiliaries (Clan Snow Raven) defending the site. However, knowing that Snow Raven reinforcements would be arriving quickly, the Falcons ransomed the plant back to the Snow Ravens in exchange for a month’s worth of production[9]

Steel Viper Assault of 3065[edit]

On September 8th, 3065[10] Clan Steel Viper launched a planetary assault against Clan Snow Raven enclaves on Lum. The Viper forces disregarded a request for safcon and proceeded to fight their way through the Raven aerospace defenses to their landing zones. Once on the ground, the Steel Vipers forces, led by Khan Perigard Zalman, won Trial after Trial against the defending Ravens, gaining control over large swaths of Lum within a week. During this time the Vipers, stripped as much finished product and manufacturing equipment as they could. However, by October 12th, Viper forces were forced to withdraw from their conquests due to a lack of supplies. The orbiting Raven Naval blockade kept all Steel Viper vessels from making landfall and prevented the Vipers from completing their conquest. Also, there was the growing threat that Clan Jade Falcon would take advantage of the Vipers' involvement on Lum to attack other Viper holdings elsewhere in the Kerensky Cluster. The Steel Vipers withdrew from Lum under heavy escort from their WarShip fleet which kept the Raven vessels at bay during the evacuation. Despite the Ravens' best efforts, the Vipers were able to leave Lum and Snow Raven SaKhan Cooper died in the effort. However, in midst of the Viper retreat, Khan Zalman's DropShip was destroyed, killing all aboard.[11]

Clan Diamond Shark and Clan Jade Falcon Trade Enclaves 3067[edit]

As part of a deal regarding the ownership of the Twycross system in the Inner Sphere, Clan Diamond Shark gifted their enclaves on Lum to Clan Jade Falcon.[12]

Trials against Clan Star Adder & Clan Goliath Scorpion in 3068[edit]

In early December 3068, the Delta Naval Star of Clan Star Adder arrived in-system and initiated a Trial of Possession against the Snow Ravens for the orbital space above the world of Lum and the valuable industrial assets located there. The ensuing battle between the two forces was one of the largest naval battles in Clan space with multiple Stars of WarShips, DropShips and aerofighters on each side. After the fierce fighting, the Snow Ravens were victorious and the Star Adders withdrew from Lum space.

Then another invasion force entered the Lum system.

The Clan Goliath Scorpion Beta Naval Star, led by Galaxy Commander Colin Yeh, declared a Trial of Possession for the orbiting Lum naval yards. The Goliath Scorpion fleet had been assembled by the Khans under the direction of Star Captain Archibald Ben-Shimon, Crimson Seeker Star member and naval commander. Plans and schematics collected by the SLDF at the time of Operation EXODUS were kept in the Lum Shipyards and a tempting target for the Seekers.[13] In a moment of exasperation at the situation, as his forces were exhausted and damaged from the previous battle, Clan Snow Raven Star Admiral Thomas Waters declared that all Raven assets in the system would defend in the Trial. This would be a grave error.

During the fighting, weapons on the Lum shipyard opened fire on the Scorpion vessels. This designated the yard and other facilities as legal combat targets. After three days of fighting, over half of the priceless Lum shipyards were destroyed and the victorious Scorpions quickly began to strip the undamaged sections of the yard for transport to their world of Roche. The Jade Falcons were not involved in the fighting and the Snow Ravens still controlled the planet itself.[14]

Battles of 3070[edit]

Clan Steel Viper Evicts Clan Jade Falcon 3070[edit]

By 3070, the Clan Jade Falcon presence in the Homeworlds was confined to Lum and Strana Mechty. In the months before, Clan Steel Viper had attacked all other Falcon holdings and driven them to the Inner Sphere. In February 3070, The Steel Viper Naval Reserve arrived with the Steel Viper Alpha Galaxy to reduce those holdings further. The Vipers were able to destroy three Falcon WarShips before landing an invasion force that destroyed the defending Seventy-fourth Battle Cluster and claiming the Falcon enclave as their own. The Snow Ravens were not involved in the fighting.[15]

Clan Snow Raven's Last Stand 3070[edit]

With the other Clans within the Homeworlds beginning to turn again them, Clan Snow Raven began gathering a fleet of ships in the Lum system to move their population to the Inner Sphere. They were negotiating with the government of the Outworlds Alliance on the details of settling within its borders while they prepared for the long journey. However, before they could leave, a fleet of Clan Steel Viper vessels, led by the dreadnaught CSV Perigard Zalman, entered the Lum System. The Vipers declared a Trial for Possession for the entire system and the Ravens accepted. The WarShips of the Ravens leapt to the defense of their last possession with all the ferocity they could manage. After seven hours, the Vipers were in full control of the Lum system, but most of the Raven fleet had escaped on their journey. The Alpha and part of Omega Galaxies from the Viper touman then landed on Lum to take full control of the planet’s population and resources. While much war matériel was available, most of the planet’s infrastructure had been removed. What population was left on the planet was incorporated into the Viper population though all caste members above Laborer were sterilized.

Five days later, a last-ditch attack by Raven WarShips to destroy the Zalman was attempted, but despite causing much damage to her escorts, the Zalman survived.[16]

Abandonment of Lum (sometime before 3075)[edit]

Sometime before the Annihilation of Clan Steel Viper, Lum was abandoned. It is assumed that the Vipers removed all the remaining population and infrastructure to another of their possessions, but this is unknown.[17]

Clan Diamond Shark Salvage Team 3075[edit]

Led by information from Clan Snow Raven, a team of salvage experts from Clan Diamond Shark arrived in secret into the Lum system. There they discovered the battered hulk of the Potemkin-Class Snowflake. The salvage team was able to conduct enough emergency repairs to make the vessel spaceworthy. They then renamed the vessel Titanic in honor of a destroyed vessel from the Clan Diamond Shark touman and started their journey back to the Inner Sphere and arrived at the Ramora system in 3076.[18]

Manufacturing Facilities[edit]

Clan Snow Raven has maintained multiple orbital and ground-based shipyards since colonizing the planet. The enclave of Rumiko is known for producing the Carrier class Fighter-Carrier DropShip since 2882 though the actual manufacturer name is unknown.[19]

Era Specific Data[edit]

3062[edit]

  • Percentage of Political Control: Clan Diamond Shark (18%) / Clan Snow Raven (82%)[22]

3067[edit]

  • Population: 32,000,000 in 3067
  • Percentage of Political Control: Clan Jade Falcon (18%) / Clan Snow Raven (82%)[23]

Military Deployment[edit]

2966[edit]

Clan Snow Raven

3061[edit]

Clan Snow Raven
Clan Diamond Shark:

3067[edit]

Clan Snow Raven:
Clan Jade Falcon:

Planetary Locations[edit]

  • Williamsport: a city that was destroyed by Clan Wolverine during Operation SWITCHBACK[30]

Notes[edit]

  • The Rumiko enclave is likely named for famous mangaka Rumiko Takahashi, whose manga Urusei Yatsura featured an alien princess named "Lum" as a main character.

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 20 systems (9 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Shadow 11.2 Strana Mechty 28.3 Brim 32.2 Gatekeeper 35.6
Ironhold 42.4 Huntress 43.4 Foster 45.6 Priori 50.0
Delios 52.2 Marshall 64.0 Albion 65.6 Atreus 70.1
Kirin 84.7 York 91.0 Hellgate 92.1 Zara 94.0
Tathis 96.4 Tamaron 99.4 Grant's Station 106.2 Tokasha 106.4

References[edit]

  1. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 131: "Lum Garrison Fleet"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Technical Readout: Golden Century, p. 58: "Molniya"
  3. Clan Homeworlds 3052 Poster (Kickstarter)
  4. The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky, p. 114
  5. Field Manual: Updates, p. 39
  6. The Wars of Reaving, p. 248
  7. Field Manual: Updates, p. 64: "Clan Snow Raven: Overview"
  8. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 119: "Looking into the Abyss"
  9. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 131: "Delta Garrison Galaxy": Brief report on notable actions by the unit
  10. Field Manual: Updates, p. 64: "Snow Ravens": Update of mid-3060 history includes actual date of invasion of the Steel Vipers
  11. Field Manual: Updates, p. 66: "Steel Viper": Intelligence report giving aftermath of fighting on Lum
  12. The Wars of Reaving, p. 19: "Considering Twycross"
  13. Spotlight On: Crimson Seeker Star, pp. 3-4
  14. The Wars of Reaving, p. 40: "Lamentations and the Raven": Details of the twin assaults of Lum in 3068
  15. The Wars of Reaving, p. 48: "Exodus Requiem": Details of the Viper assault on Falcon holdings in 3070
  16. The Wars of Reaving, pp. 52–53: "Closing the Net": Details of the final Viper assault on Raven forces in Lum
  17. The Wars of Reaving, p. 248: "Political Balance Table, 3075": Breakdown of Clan possessions within the Homeworlds circa 3075
  18. The Wars of Reaving, p. 173: "Founder’s Future: Clan Diamond Shark": Details of the Diamond Shark salvage team
  19. Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, p. 80: "Carrier": History mentions of a shipyard located on Lum's Rumiko region that produces the Carrier DropShip
  20. Technical Readout: 3055 Upgrade, p. 176: "Factory produces OmniFighter on Lum and gives name"
  21. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 131: "Delta Garrison Galaxy": Brief mention of the manufacturing plant
  22. The Clans: Warriors of Kerensky, pp. 113–114: "Political Balance Table": Percentage of planet' control and population listed for 3062
  23. Field Manual: Updates, p. 39: "Clan Political Balance Table"
  24. Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 165: "Corvus Keshik"
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 165: "Delta Garrison Galaxy"
  26. 26.0 26.1 Field Manual: Warden Clans, p. 163: "Warden Clans Deployment Table"
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 Field Manual: Updates, p. 79: "Delta Galaxy (Second Line)"
  28. Field Manual: Updates, p. 79: "Zeta Galaxy (Second Line)"
  29. Field Manual: Updates, p. 73: "Zeta Galaxy (Front Line – Clan Space)"
  30. Betrayal of Ideals, ch. 20

Bibliography[edit]