Tharkad

Planetary Flag from Tharkad
This article is about the planet. For the WarShip, see Tharkad (WarShip).
[[Image:Tharkad.jpg|frameless|210px|center]]
Astrophysical
System position5
Government and Infrastructure
CapitalTharkad City

(References to Tharkad)

Note: X and Y are coordinates (light years on XY plane) relative to Terra at (0, 0)

X: -215.94 Y: 152.83

File:Tharkad Neighbors.png
Planets within 2 jumps

Planetary Data[1]

  • Position in System: 5
  • Number of Satellites: 1 (Marsden)
  • Surface Gravity: 1.10
  • Atmosphere Pressure: Standard (Breathable)
  • Equatorial Temperature: 20° C (Arctic)
  • Surface Water Coverage: 80 percent
  • HPG Class: A

Era Specific Data

3025[2]

  • Noble Ruler: Katrina Steiner, Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth and Duchess of Tharkad
  • Political Leader: Katrian Steiner
  • ComStar Representative: Most Exalted Ambassador, Ulthar Everston, Precentor of Tharkad Station

3061[3]

  • Population: 7,000,000,000
  • Socio-Industrial Level: A-A-A-A-A

3067[4]

  • Populationon (3067): 7,000,000,000
  • Tech Level USIIR: A-A-A-A-C

3076[1]

  • Noble Ruler: Archon Adam Steiner
  • Population (3076): 6,991,320,000
  • Socia-Industrial Level: A-A-A-A-C

Garrisoning Military Force

3050

3054

3055 to 3062

3067

Description

Tharkad is a icy and rugged planet, similar to the arctic wilderness of Terra. The planet consists of five major continents and three major island chains. The largest continent is Bremen and is home to Tharkad City, capital of the world and the Lyran Commonwealth, and Olympia, a major city. Asgard the military command center of the LCAF lies on the crest of Mount Wotan[11] . Tatyana Islands, one of the island chains, is situated in a tropical zone and was once a major Star League storage depot.

The Triad

The Triad is a sprawling governmental complex that is bounded on three sides by the Royal Palace, the Government House, and the Royal Court. Over 300 buildings make up the complex, which also contains hospitals, churches, and botanical gardens.

The Royal Court contained a very interesting sight during the Third and Fourth Succession Wars - two Griffin BattleMechs guarded either side of the Archon's throne during court functions. Mount Wotan, situated near the Triad, contains Asgard, the military high command complex.

History

Discovered in 2310, Tharkad rapidly came under the control of Seth Marsden. Marsden imported a number of cold-weather plants and animals from Terra and elsewhere, making it somewhat similar to Scandinavia on Terra during the 20th century. It became the capital of the Lyran Commonwealth in September of 2407[12] and a large space was cleared north of the major city of Olympia to house the governmental buildings, called the Triad. It was here that the Star League was reconstituted at the Whitting Conference in 3058. Subsequent Whitting Conferences were held here in 3061 and 3067 (the 3064 conference was held on Marik, due to the FedCom Civil War).

FedCom Civil War

Being an internal world, Tharkad was spared the ravages of the Age of War and the Succession Wars. That did not save it from later wars, however. Tharkad was home to one of the final battles of the FedCom Civil War. As the war drew to a close, supporters of Victor Steiner-Davion over his sister Katherine realized that they needed to claim the Lyran capital. Grand Duke Morgan Kell played kingmaker for Peter Steiner-Davion, bringing him out of a self-imposed exile on Zaniah. When Peter landed on Tharkad and asked Katherine's regent Nondi Steiner to back him, she flatly refused.

Within a week, Peter's forces entered the Tharkad system and engaged the defenders in a brutal naval battle. The pride of the Lyran fleet, the LAS Yggdrasil, was captured by Clan Wolf-in-Exile forces. Morgan was able to land with a pan-Lyran coalition composed of Phelan Kell and his 4th Wolf Guards Assault Cluster, the 20th Arcturan Guards, both regiments of the Blue Star Irregulars, and the 1st Regiment of the Kell Hounds. These were joined by the 4th Skye Rangers RCT after the Skye secession seemed doomed to failure. Opposing Peter was the 1st and 2nd Royal Guards RCTs, the 24th Lyran Guards RCT, 1st Alarion Jaegers, 11th Arcturan Guards RCT, and ComStar's 66th Divison.

Peter's experienced forces proved to be more than a match for Nondi's defenders. His supporters were able to claim the Nagelring, then moved on to Tharkad City. In the end, bitter street-to-street fighting damaged the capital city of the Lyran Alliance. After eight months of battle, Peter killed his great-aunt in a one-on-one duel, ending that Battle of Tharkad.[13]

Jihad

While it was one of the last battles of the FedCom Civil War, the Battle for Tharkad was one of the first in the Word of Blake's Jihad. When the Second Star League dissolved in 3067 on Tharkad, the Word immediately went on the offensive. They saw the Federated Suns and the Lyran Alliance as the culprits, since they claimed they could no longer afford to support the League with the massive rebuilding they needed to do after the war. The Blakists attempted to cow Lyran Archon Peter Steiner-Davion into returning to the League with a show of force in the form of the LCS Invincible. The Word had found and refit the last WarShip lost during the Succession Wars, and intended to return it to the Lyrans as a gift. With the dissolution of the Star League, however, the interpretation of a prophecy that the dominant faction of the Word believed in was destroyed, which provoked them to violence.

When Archon Peter was unshaken by the implied threat of the Invincible, the Blakists rained down fire upon the capital city of the Lyran Alliance. This assault damaged the nuclear reactor under the Triad and caused a meltdown, though confused early reports believed the Blakists had launched a nuclear weapon. That act began a four-year-long siege of the Lyran capital that was typified by Blakist orbital bombardment clearing space for their ground troops to secure a beachhead, who were then defeated by Lyran troops. Nonetheless, the Word's blockade was so successful that the Archon was effectively cut off from his people. A rescue mission sent by General of the Armies Adam Steiner was only able to get out with a message of hope from Peter, confirmation that he was still alive.

In 3071, Peter abdicated so that the Blakists could no longer symbolically control the Archon. In his place, he designated Adam Steiner as his successor. Now-Archon Steiner was able to liberate Tharkad in January 3072, complete with the capture of the LCS Invincible. Adam gave the Archonship back to Peter following the liberation of Tharkad. With the chaos of the Jihad, Peter decided to decentralize power in "archonettes." Following the defeat of the Blakists in 3081, Tharkad reclaimed its place as the only Lyran capital.

Planetary Locations[4]

File:Tharkad World Map.jpg
Tharkad World Map

Manufacturing Centers

Companies

Owner History

Nearby Planets

Planets within 2 jumps (60 light-years)
Closest planets first:
Planet Distance (LY) Jumps 2750 3025 3030 3040 3052 3057 3062 3067 3130
Eutin 8.97 1 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Forkas 9.08 1 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Tetersen 12.88 1 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Gibbs 14.58 1 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Greenlaw 15.78 1 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Horneburg 19.41 1 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Westerstede 19.88 1 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Donegal 32.48 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Vorzel 35.84 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Thuban 38.39 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Upano 41.57 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Minderoo 42.15 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Cameron 44.41 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Gallery 46.37 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Alma Alta 46.56 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Pobeda 49.13 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Duran 50.01 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC
Smolnik 56.99 2 LC LC LC FC FC LA LA LA LC

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 93, "House Steiner Key Worlds"
  2. ↑ House Steienr (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 165, "Planet Guide"
  3. ↑ BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction, p. 167, "Tharkad Profile"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jihad Turning Points: Tharkad, pp. 3-4, "Tharkad" (map)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 20 Year Update, p. 29, "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  6. ↑ 20 Year Updage, p. 71, "Com Guards Deployment Tabel"
  7. ↑ Objective Raids, p. 82, "Unit Note"
  8. ↑ ComStar (sourcebook), p. 85, "Com Guards Deployment Table"
  9. ↑ Field Manual: ComStar, p. 126, "ComGuard Deployment Table"
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Field Manual: Updates, p. 178, "Lyran Alliance Deploment Table"
  11. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Tharkad, p. 5, "Tharkad"
  12. ↑ BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction
  13. ↑ Endgame, p.??[citation needed]
  14. ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 146, "Major Commonwealth Industris"
  15. ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 142, "Major Commonwealth Industris"

Bibliography

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