Wheel


Wheel
Wheel 3151.svg
System Information
X:Y Coordinates−30.512 : 264.911[e]
Star namesValdis[1]
Spectral classK0[1]
Recharge station(s)Zenith (Wheel station)[1]
Planet(s)2[1]

The Wheel system was home to at least one habitable world or construct and as of June 3152 was located in the Clan Hell's Horses Occupation Zone.[2]

System Description[edit]

The Wheel system is located near the Perrot and Rastaban systems.[3]

System History[edit]

The Wheel system was settled by the Lyran Commonwealth during the Star League era at some point after the end of the Reunification War.[4][3]

Apocryphal Content Starts

The information after this notice comes from apocryphal sources; the canonicity of such information is uncertain.
Please view the reference page for information regarding their canonicity.

A rather detailed apocryphal description of the Wheel system was published in BattleTechnology, Issue #0201, pages 5–7, as part of that magazine's "Worldbook" series. According to this article, the system's actual name is Valdis, Catalog #NSC D 4-983-873. It is named "Wheel" after the massive recharge station and habitat at its zenith jump point (featuring a vast, wheel-shaped 460 meter diameter grav deck around its needle-shaped core) that also serves as administrative and government center for the system, and as a free port. The station also houses the system's Class B HPG.

The system was settled no later than 2403, when a base was established on the large asteroid Rikerstrike, though independent asteroid miners may have been active in the system even before that. Rikerstrike has stores as well as port and recreation facilities at Rikerstown and Joyport.

The planet Valdis I ("Rock") features ore mining (especially titanium), a local administrative center named Port Red, and the Red Alpha and Red Beta storage facilities. It has a surface gravity of 0.988 g, but only a trace atmosphere of inert gases.

The inhospitable planet Valdis II ("Giant" or "Hard Place") features the Valdis II Orbital facility for gas and ice mining, water processing and hydrocarbon extraction.

The population given was 2,400, though that probably refers to Wheel station only.

Apocryphal Content Ends

Political Affiliation[edit]


Valdis I (Rock)[edit]

Rock
Astrophysical
Also known asValdis I
Government and Infrastructure
Political LeaderPlanetary Chairman

Planetary History[edit]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

In July 3028 an explosion in the capital city, Hub, resulted in the death of one of Chancellor Takashi Kurita's concubines. Although the explosion was actually the result of a bomb planted by the Tyr resistance movement, investigations pointed at the local garrison forces. When the investigators failed to identify a guilty party, Takashi Kurita was sufficiently angry that he had the entire garrison redeployed to Luthien so that the Internal Security Force director, Subhash Indrahar, could personally interrogate the soldiers until the truth was uncovered. With the militia infantry and armor regiments away undergoing investigation, the garrison of Wheel was reduced to ten militia infantry regiments populated by aging grandparents and their grandchildren, six Sholagar aerospace fighters piloted by amateurs and a single mercenary command, the Tooth of Ymir, commanded by Colonel Davis Heller.[16]

When the Fourth Succession War erupted in August 3028 the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces assigned the invasion of Wheel to Hansen's Roughriders and the First Narhal Raiders, two mercenary units commanded by Colonel Gerhardt Hansen and Leutnant-General William Matthews respectively, accompanied by a number of armor and infantry regiments. Aware of his predicament, Colonel Heller contacted the inbound task force and explained the situation, and requested that the battle for Wheel be conducted "with the old rules - 'Mechs against 'Mechs, warriors against warriors; let honor among professionals save the lives of the innocents."[16]

Hansen and Matthews accepted the offer immediately, and instructed their supporting forces to stay in their drop zones; the two mercenary commands then fought against the Tooth of Ymir for three days in a region known locally as Red Desert Flats. By the time the Raiders and Roughriders had managed to surround the Tooth of Ymir, the Tooth had lost a battalion of 'Mechs; a swiftly arranged ceasefire and conference ended with Colonel Heller's agreement to leave Wheel. Following the departure of the Tooth of Ymir the Lyran forces took control of Wheel.[16]

Clan Invasion[edit]

In late December 3051 Wheel was invaded by Clan Wolf as part of the Fifth Wave of Operation REVIVAL. The Gurbeng Garrison Cluster confronted the First Wheel Mechanized Militia and the Free Wheelers, a corporate regiment composed of two light 'Mech companies, at Ryonna, Caderton and Vinckin. While both the militia and corporate formations were actually better trained than other similar garrison forces, they failed utterly to coordinate their actions, even when defending the same defensive line. This disorganization allowed the second-line Clan forces to defeat them easily and secure the planet for Clan Wolf.[21]

Dark Age[edit]

Wheel remained under Wolf rule until that Clan abandoned its Occupation Zone in 3137, after which the planet was annexed by Clan Jade Falcon.[30] [31]

ilClan Era[edit]

Stripped of a proper garrison when the Falcon touman departed for its assault on Terra, Wheel's paramilitary police was easily swept aside in early 3151 when Clan Hell's Horses took the world during Operation STAMPEDE.[34]

Planetary Rulers[edit]

3028[edit]

Military Deployment[edit]

3025[edit]

3028[edit]

  • Ten militia infantry regiments[16]
  • Six Sholagar aerospace fighters[16]

3051[edit]

3079[edit]

3085[edit]

Planetary Locations[edit]

  • Caderton: site of a battle during the Clan Invasion.[21]
  • Hub: the planetary capital city.[16]
  • Red Desert Flats: this is the local name for a region formed from the floor of a dormant volcano on Wheel.[16]
  • Ryonna: site of a battle during the Clan Invasion.[21]
  • Vinckin: site of a battle during the Clan Invasion.[21]

Valdis II (Hard Place)[edit]

Hard Place
Astrophysical
Also known asValdis II

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 52 systems (49 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Rastaban 3.7 Perrot 4.9 Suk 8.9 Bessarabia 12.9
Thun 13.7 Biota 15.7 Hyperion 16.5 Domain 16.9
Hainfeld 17.4 Galuzzo 20.5 Kobe 22.7 Karston 23.5
Maestu 24.5 Cusset 26.7 La Grave 27.3 Volders 27.6
Montmarault 28.7 Carse 29.8 Quarell 32.3 Thannhausen 34.9
Orkney 35.0 Heiligendreuz 36.2 Satalice 36.7 Weingarten 37.1
Shardayne 39.3 Laurent 40.4 Benfled 42.6 Diosd 44.4
Lamar 45.3 Jabuka 45.5 Tomans 47.3 Lothan 48.8
Colmar 49.5 Gunzburg 49.8 Sevren 50.3 Nox 50.4
Crimond 51.2 Ramsau 52.1 Tamar 52.2 Rasalgethi 53.9
Moritz 54.6 Skandia 54.9 Ballynure 54.9 Fort Loudon 55.9
Dompaire 56.5 Memmingen 57.2 Skokie 58.7 Ueda 59.3
Sudeten 59.5 Altenmarkt 60.4 Tukayyid 60.4 Utrecht 61.1

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 BattleTechnology #0201, pp. 5–7
  2. 2.0 2.1 Tamar Rising, p. 72: "The Hinterlands June 3152" (Map)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Era Report: 2750, p. 37: "Inner Sphere - [2750] Map"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Historical: Reunification War, p. 159: "Inner Sphere - [2596] Map"
  5. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 13: "Lyran Commonwealth at their founding in - [2341] Map"
  6. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 25: "Lyran Commonwealth after Age of War - [2571] Map"
  7. Field Manual: SLDF, p. xi: "Inner Sphere - [2764] Map"
  8. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 10: "Inner Sphere - [2765] Map"
  9. First Succession War, pp. 24–25: "Inner Sphere - [2786] Map"
  10. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 36: "Lyran Commonwealth after First Succession War - [2822] Map"
  11. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, pp. 122–123: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"
  12. First Succession War, pp. 112–113: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"
  13. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 40: "Lyran Commonwealth after Second Succession War - [2864] Map"
  14. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 47: "Lyran Commonwealth after Third Succession War - [3025] Map"
  15. House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), foldout: "Draconis Combine Map - [3025]"
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 16.8 16.9 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 48: "Wheel"
  17. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 56: "Lyran Commonwealth after Fourth Succession War - [3030] Map"
  18. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 103: "Free Rasalhague Republic map 3034"
  19. Historical: War of 3039, p. 132: "Inner Sphere - [3040] Map"
  20. Era Report: 3052, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3050] Map"
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Wolf Clan Sourcebook, p. 67
  22. Era Report: 3052, p. 23: "Inner Sphere - [3052] Map"
  23. Era Report: 3062, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3057] Map"
  24. Era Report: 3062, p. 29: "Inner Sphere - [3063] Map"
  25. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 43: "Inner Sphere - [3067] Map"
  26. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 65: "Inner Sphere - [3075] Map"
  27. Field Report: Clans, p. 27: "Clan Wolf/Clan Hell's Horses Deployment Map - [August 3079]"
  28. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 63: "Inner Sphere - [3081] Map"
  29. Field Manual: 3085, p. vii: "Inner Sphere - [3085] Map"
  30. 30.0 30.1 Era Report: 3145, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3135] Map"
  31. 31.0 31.1 Era Report: 3145, p. 39: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  32. Field Manual: 3145, p. VI: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  33. Shattered Fortress, pp. 102–103: "Inner Sphere - [3151] Map"
  34. 34.0 34.1 Tamar Rising, p. 58
  35. A Rock and a Hard Place, ch. 13
  36. House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 135: "Unit Deployment Table"
  37. Field Report: Clans, p. 21: "Clan Wolf Deployment Status"
  38. Field Manual: 3085, p. 126: "Deployment Table - 3085"

Bibliography[edit]