Demeter

This article is about the planetary system. For the IndustrialMech, see Demeter (IndustrialMech).

Demeter
← 3135 3151
Demeter nearby systems (Map Legend)
System Information
X:Y Coordinates	91.497 : -69.589
Spectral class	M2V
Recharge time	206 hours
Recharge station(s)	Nadir

The Demeter system was home to at least one habitable planet, Demeter III, and as of 3151 was located in the Chesterton Commonality of the Capellan Confederation.

System Description

Located close to the Almach and Conwy systems, Demeter consists of a class M2V primary orbited by at least three planets, and during the thirty-first century a recharge station was in place at the nadir jump point.

System History

The Demeter system was colonized early in the history of human interstellar colonization, and considered itself to be functionally independent prior to the end of the twenty-second century when the inhabitants of Demeter joined those of nearby Chesterton in forming a new polity, the Chesterton Trade League.

Political Affiliation

• 2193 - Chesterton Trade League
• 2243 - Tikonov Grand Union
• 2366 - Tikonov Grand Union
• 2367 - Capellan Confederation
• 2571 - Federated Suns
• 2596 - Federated Suns
• 2750 - Federated Suns
• 2764 - Federated Suns
• 2765 - Federated Suns
• 2795 - Federated Suns
• 2796 - Capellan Confederation
• 2809–2810 - Contested (Capellan Confederation/Federated Suns)
• 2811 - Federated Suns
• 2822 - Federated Suns
• 2864 - Federated Suns
• 3022 - Federated Suns
• 3025 - Federated Suns
• 3030 - Federated Suns
• 3040 - Federated Suns
• 3050 - Federated Commonwealth
• 3052 - Federated Commonwealth
• 3057 - Federated Commonwealth
• 3058 - Federated Commonwealth
• 3063 - Federated Commonwealth
• 3067 - Federated Suns
• 3068 - Word of Blake Protectorate (from April)
• 3075 - Word of Blake Protectorate
• 3079 - Word of Blake Protectorate
• 3081 - Federated Suns
• 3085 - Federated Suns
• 3135 - Federated Suns
• 3144 - Capellan Confederation (from December)
• 3145 - Capellan Confederation
• 3151 - Capellan Confederation

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Demeter III

Demeter III
Astrophysical
System position	Third
Jump Point distance	2.45 days
Moons	2 (Desamone, Penndel)
Geophysical
Surface gravity	1.0
Atmospheric pressure	Standard (Breathable)
Equatorial temperature	30°C (Warm-Temperate)
Surface water	50%
Highest native life	Plant
Landmasses	3 (Bolan, Ulreich)
History and Culture
Population	4,192,000,000 (3025), 4,258,359,000 (3067)
Government and Infrastructure
Noble Ruler	Duke of Demeter
Political Leader	Planetary Governor
HPG Class	B (3025), A (3067)
HPG Representative	Precentor Sirivar Chuk (3025)

Demeter III, more commonly referred to simply as Demeter, is the third planet in the Demeter system and has two moons named Desamone and Penndel.

Planetary History

Early History

Demeter was settled during the early exodus from Terra, and in 2193 became one of the two founding worlds of the Chesterton Trade League, alongside the nearby world of Chesterton. Demeter became a member of the Tikonov Union, a second mutual defense pact, when the Trade League joined the Union; then, in 2243, Demeter became a member of the Tikonov Grand Union when the Chesterton Trade League and the Tikonov Union merged into a single nation.

Demeter was subsequently conquered by the Federated Suns after the formation of the Capellan Confederation, which led to Demeter's premiere combat formation, the Arcadian Cuirassiers, joining the Federated Peacekeeping Forces. Both the Cuirassiers and the civilian population proved themselves loyal to the Federated Suns, prompting significant investment in the world; this investment led to Demeter developing into an industrial powerhouse.

Star League Era

Investment in Demeter continued throughout the Star League era; the most significant example of this was Lycomb-Davion IntroTech, a major military-industrial complex based on Demeter that was responsible for employing almost a quarter of the workforce, either directly or indirectly. When the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns began a major expansion following the repeal of the Council Edict of 2650 in 2752, the Demeter Planetary Uniformed Guard became a major source of trained military personnel for the Second Arcadian Cuirassiers, who re-formed as a regiment in 2755.

In 2760, Demeter became the flashpoint for a Border War between the Capellan Confederation and the Federated Suns when a nuclear device was detonated in an industrial complex that included a BattleMech factory by a group called the Chesterton Liberation Battalion. The device demolished the plant and killed hundreds, and when Davion claimed that the Maskirovka aided the CLB in destroying the factory, conflicts began on numerous border worlds as the AFFS and CCAF threw themselves at each other.

First Succession War

In 2795, following the appointment of Sandol Quinn as regent to Ilsa Liao, the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces launched an invasion of the Federated Suns intended to capture the politically significant Chesterton system. Planned by Quinn, the operation was intended to take advantage of the AFFS' continuing focus on trying to resist the massive Draconis Combine invasion of the Federated Suns, which stood poised to capture New Avalon itself. The first worlds to be targeted were Caselton and Mirach; Quinn assigned mercenary commands to the invasions, units that had originally been Star League Defense Force commands, and the defending forces were in a brittle state thanks to the damage the Combine invasion had inflicted on supply lines and constant efforts to aid forces fighting on Combine-occupied or contested worlds. The result in both cases was a swift victory for the Confederation, with the mercenaries taking the worlds and then CCAF line regiments moving into secure them; by August the invasion forces were ready to launch fresh attacks. The second wave of attacks targeted Demeter and Farwell; the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers were assigned to attack Demeter, fresh from battles in the first wave of attacks, and reinforced by the Ariana Grenadiers. The Demeter Planetary Uniformed Guard managed to hold out until December 2795 before being wiped out completely; the battles waged outside Pattersville that destroyed the Uniformed Guard also damaged the Lycomb-Davion IntroTech facilities. The Lycomb-Davion IntroTech facilities on Demeter had been a particular target, as the CCAF hoped to deny the AFFS supplies of war matériel such as the Stuka aerospace fighter. The manufacturing lines on Demeter were destroyed, but the Capellans were ultimately unsuccessful in destroying the company because Lycomb-Davion IntroTech had already been constructing a second production facility on New Avalon, with the second plant well on the way to completion.

The AFFS returned to Demeter in 2809, when Paul Davion deployed the Third and Fifth Crucis Lancers in a counteroffensive against the CCAF in the region around Chesterton. The battle for Demeter stretched on into 2810, but the Federated Suns managed to retain control of the system after the First Succession War.

Third Succession War

In 3005, elements of the Blackwind Lancers and Marion's Highlanders, based on Halloran, raided Demeter. This attack, as well as others, would trigger the Federated Suns to attack the Lancers and Highlanders base of operations on Halloran with Wolf's Dragoons.

The Jihad

Demeter was one of many worlds to be occupied by the Word of Blake during the Jihad after the local government acquiesced to the Word on the 25th of April 3068, allowing Demeter to be incorporated into the Word of Blake Protectorate. In early January 3077 the Planetary Governor, Giovanni Estrella de la Sangre, vanished from public view. De la Sangre was considered to be an example of the most convenient kind of cooperation with the Word of Blake, and official statements that he was indisposed with something akin to the flu were met with skepticism in some quarters. De la Sangre's continuing absence was marked by short-trading of shares in Vicore Industries due to de la Sangre's known major role in the company as well as increased military exercises on the part of the Protectorate Militia. As de la Sangre continued to remain out of sight, the rumors increased in scope, ranging from the possibility that de la Sangre was being blackmailed to speculation that he had been abducted by a foreign power.

The Federated Suns was finally able to launch an attempt to liberate Demeter on 1 February 3077 as a part of Operation SCOUR, the allied coalition assault on the Protectorate. Unfortunately for the coalition, the campaign for Demeter - described as a "factory world" - quickly became a brutal, bogged-down quagmire. The allied coalition forces consisted of the Fifth Crucis Lancers, the Fifteenth Arcturan Guards and the Third Free Worlds Legionnaires, and found themselves facing not just the divisions of the Demeter Protectorate Militia but also two Level IIIs from the Ninth Militia Division, Measure of Trust and Call to the Faithful. The Blakists rebuffed the initial attack by the Fifth Crucis Lancers and the Fifteenth Arcturan Guards, driving the coalition forces back almost as far as their initial landing zones until an orbital drop by the Third Free Worlds Legionnaires saw the Blakists forced to fall back.

The Protectorate Militia forces retreated to New Demeter City, while the Ninth Division forces retreated into the Vicore Industries plant. The Fifth Crucis Lancers and the Fifteenth Arcturan Guards faced a brutal battle to clear New Demeter City, while the Third Free Worlds Legionnaires encircled the Ninth Militia Division forces but were unable to dislodge them from the factory complex. The Ninth Militia Division forces were finally destroyed by orbital bombardment, which also leveled the Vicore Industries plant. A news story filed by Keevah Acee of the Demeter Free Press on the 17th of March 3077 alleged that the defense of New Demeter City had seen the local citizenry rising up against the coalition forces with whatever weapons they could find or improvise, and also alleged that the Federated Suns front task force had resorted to indiscriminately bombarding not just the Vicore Industries plant but also New Demeter City itself.

On 30 April 3078, it was revealed by Colonel Marcel Webb—Commanding Officer of the Star Seeds mercenary unit and head of security for the allied coalition—in a news broadcast from Kittery that the reason for Governor de la Sangre's disappearance in 3077 was his capture by coalition forces. Following his arrest, de la Sangre had been providing the coalition with intelligence, and the news broadcast served to both announce that de la Sangre had been captured and that the coalition had filed criminal charges against him for a range of crimes including conspiracy to commit genocide, treason, illegal sale of restricted weapons and violation of public trust. The same news broadcast also announced the filing of charges by the allied coalition against the Word of Blake affiliated individuals known as The Master, Precentor Martial Cameron St. Jamais, Precentor Apollyon, Precentor Naval Gregory Zwick, Precentor Alexander Kernoff, Mary Durant and Parker Steele.

Dark Age

After the Blackout the Capellan Confederation attacked Demeter in 3135 during Operation GREAT FLOOD but apparently did not take the world. The planet would fall to the Capellans nine years later, when it was conquered by Warrior House Ijori as part of Operation CELESTIAL REWARD in December 3144.

Military Deployment

2765

• First Arcadian Cuirassiers
• Demeter Planetary Uniformed Guard

2795

• Demeter Planetary Uniformed Guard

3022

• Demeter Militia

3025

• Redfield Renegades

3028

• Third Davion Guards RCT
• First New Ivaarsen Chasseurs
• Second New Ivaarsen Chasseurs
• Eridani Light Horse

• Twenty-first Striker Regiment
• Seventy-first Light Horse Regiment
• 151st Light Horse Regiment

3061

• Fifth Crucis Lancers RCT
• Fifteenth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT

3067

• Twelfth Vegan Rangers
• Beta Regiment

3077

• Demeter Protectorate Militia (until March)
• Ninth Militia Division (until March)

• Measure of Trust III-beta
• Call to the Faithful III-delta

3085

• First Kestrel Grenadiers

- Deployed across Bell and Demeter, the unit was at 90% strength, with 90% of their equipment featuring upgraded technology.

3145

• Third Tikonov Guards

- The unit was at 70% of full strength.

Geography

Demeter has three continents, the largest of which is Bolan and the smallest, Ulreich.

Planetary Locations

• New Demeter City: a major city on Bolan and site of a significant battle during Operation SCOUR
• Pattersville: the location of the Lycomb-Davion IntroTech aerospace facilities

Industrial Centers

• Lycomb-Davion IntroTech (destroyed during the First Succession War)
• Vicore Industries (destroyed in March 3077)

Nearby Systems

Closest 80 systems (77 within 60 light-years) Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Almach	12.3	Conwy	13.9	Algot	14.4	New Hessen	14.5
Tianamon	15.9	Mesartim	18.8	Halloran	20.0	Mira	21.2
Alrescha	21.3	Buchlau	21.5	Menkar	22.5	Chesterton	24.2
Jonathan	25.2	Kansu	25.7	Algol	26.7	Foochow	28.0
Valexa	28.2	New Aragon	28.8	Tikonov	29.6	Yangtze	30.3
Angol	31.0	Poznan	31.2	Hunan	33.3	Tedibyhr	33.9
Ulan Batar	35.4	Hamal	37.3	Ningpo	37.3	Slocum	37.6
Ashkum	37.6	Angelsey	37.7	Alpha Eridani	39.8	Foot Fall	40.4
St. Andre	40.4	Rio	41.0	Pleione	41.3	Azha	41.8
Bell	42.2	Sonnia	42.3	Shipka	42.6	Bharat	42.9
Tigress	43.5	Caselton	44.0	Shensi	44.2	Mirach	46.0
Tawas	46.3	Basalt	47.8	Westphalia	48.0	Tybalt	49.1
Nopah	49.7	Goshen	49.9	Farwell	50.1	Highspire	50.4
Gan Singh	50.9	Undra	51.5	Arboris	51.6	Genoa	53.4
New Macao	54.6	New Rhodes	54.9	Kawich	55.0	Schedar	55.1
Edwards	55.1	Tsitsang	55.5	Axton	56.4	Goderich	56.7
Styk	56.7	Mandate	56.7	Wei	56.8	Sanilac	56.8
Zaurak	56.9	Plataea	57.1	Cynthiana	57.2	Hean	57.6
Woodstock	57.6	Ruchbah	57.9	New Florence	58.0	Listowel	58.7
Tecumseh	59.5	Acamar	60.5	Menkib	61.5	Logandale	61.7

Bibliography

• Era Report: 2750
• Era Report: 3052
• Era Report: 3062
• Era Report: 3145
• FedCom Civil War
• Field Manual: 3085
• Field Manual: 3145
• Field Manual: SLDF
• Field Report: AFFS
• Field Report: CCAF
• Field Report: Clans
• Field Report 2765: AFFS
• Field Report 2765: CCAF
• First Succession War
• Handbook: House Davion
• Handbook: House Liao
• Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1
• Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2
• Historical: Reunification War
• Historical: War of 3039
• Hornet's Nest (in: BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction)
• House Davion (The Federated Suns)
• House Liao (The Capellan Confederation)
• Jihad: Final Reckoning
• Jihad Hot Spots: Terra
• Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents
• Mercenaries Supplemental
• Shattered Fortress
• Shattered Sphere
• Wolf's Dragoons