Santander

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(References to Santander V)

Santander V
← 3135 3151
240px Santander V nearby systems (Map Legend)
System Information
X:Y Coordinates	77.80:481.00
Spectral class	K4
Recharge station(s)	None

Owner History

• 2750 - No record
• 2822 - No Record
• 3025 - Periphery
• 3030 - Periphery
• 3040 - Periphery
• 3052 - Clan Ghost Bear
• 3057 - Clan Ghost Bear
• 3062 - Clan Ghost Bear
• 3095 - The Havens (The Barrens)
• 3135 - The Barrens
• 3145 - The Barrens

Planetary Info

Santander V is also known as Santander's World. Other than that little is known about the planet's geography and environment. This is probably due to the fact that it was the capital world of a Bandit Kingdom. Helmar Valasek's pirate band discouraged investigation, and the Ghost Bears have apparently maintained this level of isolation.

History

Clan Invasion

When the Clans initially drew up their invasion plans for Operation Revival, Santander V technically fell within the invasion corridor of Clan Ghost Bear. However, because the Periphery had been declared open to all of the participating Invading Clans, the bid to conquer the world was contested by Clan Smoke Jaguar. The Smoke Jaguar saKhan Sarah Weaver and her Shroud Keshik eventually defeated her opponent, Star Colonel Kellin MacKenzie of the Ghost Bears for that right. Though both had bid down to a Trinary each, saKhan Weaver claimed victory when she removed her own BattleMech from the fight and Star Colonel MacKenzie failed to reciprocate; at the same time because saKhan Weaver had removed her 'Mech from the bidding process, she would coordinate the battle from her command DropShip.

The fight for Santander's World would would take place during August and September of 3049 and prove to be the most bloody and hard-fought during the Periphery campaign. When saKhan Weaver made her initial batchall she did not expect the "Inner Sphere barbarians" to respond. To her surprise Helmar Valasek, pirate king of Santander's World and leader of Santander's Killers, responded to the ritual challenge and informed her they would meet on the Gillard Plains, ten kilometers from the site of the pirates' base. With her own 'Mech out of the fight saKhan Weaver ordered Shroud Keshik's nine remaining OmniMechs and a Star of Elementals to drop onto the designated battlefield, where they discovered three grounded DropShips. Shielded from the 'Mechs' scanners the Elementals were ordered in to investigate and boarded the first ship, discovering it stripped of all equipment. Annoyed that the pirates had not shown up at the designated time and place the Shroud Keshik began their march towards their base.

As the Clan unit passed close to the "empty" vessels, the explosives which were secretly lining the ships' hulls detonated, vaporizing the three DropShips and destroying more than half of the OmniMechs in deadly shrapnel. The survivors were then set upon by Helmar Valasek and a company of BattleMechs, the pirate king apologizing for his lateness as he had been eating dinner when the Clan forces landed, and proceed to finish off Shroud Keshik for the loss of four of his own 'Mechs. Furious at this treachery saKhan Weaver claimed the right to break her original bid and personally led the 362nd Assault Cluster to hunt down the pirates. Over the course of a week furious fighting raged across the surface of Santander V, the pirates using their knowledge of local terrain and additional well-laid traps to cripple an entire Trinary's worth of 'Mechs, but they could not overcome the Smoke Jaguars' superior technology and relentless fury. Finally the pirates were forced to make a last stand, during which Helmar's BattleMaster faced off against saKhan Weaver in her Timber Wolf. Though saKhan Weaver was victorious it was later discovered that the pirate king hadn't actually piloted the BattleMaster, and despite their best efforts the Smoke Jaguars never managed to find Helmar Valasek.

The world would be attacked against in July 3052, this time in a Trial of Possession initiated by the Ghost Bears for two reasons: first as a test of their rebuilt fighting strength in the wake of the Battle of Tukayyid and second as revenge for having lost the biding war for the world during the initial phase of the invasion. The 310th Assault Trinary, 117th Battle Trinary, and Supernova Command of the 1st Bear Guards challenged the 7th Provisional Garrison Cluster at a location known as Santander's Jewel. While the Ghost Bears won the fight the Smoke Jaguars charged them with using "contemptible Inner Sphere skullduggery" and demanded ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky to rebuke them for their un-Clan-like behavior. The ilKhan's response to the Smoke Jaguars was that if they had a problem with the Ghost Bear's more flexible tactics they had the right to call the appropriate Trials themselves and left the matter at that.

Post-Invasion

The original population of pirates and their families were killed by Clan Smoke Jaguar. The system was later taken by the Ghost Bears. The world was marginal at best, and a drain on Bear resources. After Clan Hell's Horses withdrew from several Periphery systems because of the Ferris Rebellion, the Ghost Bears decided to leave Santandar. The withdrawal was completed, and administration of this world was given to the Inheritors. Those new immigrants joined with the inhabitants of Porthos to form The Havens. The Ghost Bears have withdrawn their military forces, but Dominion Watch agents have been sent to the planet to show the locals how to use monitoring equipment.

Planetary Garrison

3061

• 5th Phalanx (Clan Ghost Bear)

3085

• None

Nearby Systems

Systems within 60 light-years (distance in light years) Closest systems first:
Porthos	17.58	Damian	26.62	Thule	41.10	Pinnacle	56.09	Holmsbu	59.23

Bibliography

• Era Report: 3145
• Field Manual: Warden Clans
• Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2
• Historical: War of 3039
• House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)
• Invading Clans (sourcebook)
• The Periphery (sourcebook)
• Interstellar Players 3: Interstellar Expeditions