Hall

Hall
Hall 3151.svg
System Information
X:Y Coordinates-13.961 : -44.251[e]
Spectral classK1V[1][2]
Recharge time192 hours[1][2]
Recharge station(s)Zenith[1][2]

The Hall system was home to at least one habitable world, Hall III, and as of 3151 was located in the Tikonov Commonality of the Capellan Confederation.[3]

System Description[edit]

Hall is located near the Wasat and Mandal systems.

Political Affiliation[edit]


Hall III[edit]

Hall III
Hall Orbital View.jpg
Astrophysical
System positionThird[1][2]
Jump Point distance5.18 days[1][2]
Moons1 (Luanda)[1][2]
Geophysical
Surface gravity1.06[1][2]
Atmospheric pressureStandard (Breathable)[1][2]
Equatorial temperature35°C (Arid)[1][2]
Surface water40%[1][2]
Highest native lifeReptiles[1][2]
Landmasses2 (Wass, Urra)[32]
History and Culture
Population2,365,000,000 (3073),[1]
2,542,000,000 (3090)[2]
Government and Infrastructure
Political LeaderPlanetary Governor
CapitalHarney[2]
HPG ClassB[1][2]

Hall is an arid world divided into two continents: Urra in the north and Wass in the south with the capital city. The surface of planet is known to be one of the most spectacular—with various strange rock formations including rock walls over two hundred meters long and five meters wide and of various heights.[1]

The planet itself was located deeply within Terran Hegemony and was secure until the Amaris Civil War began and the later Succession Wars. The planet changed ownership several times, being a member of the Tikonov Free Republic during the Fourth Succession War and eventually becoming part of the Federated Commonwealth. Investment into the Sarna March helped rebuild the planet's industry, but after Operation GUERRERO Hall became a strife-torn world of the Chaos March.[1]

Planetary History[edit]

First Succession War[edit]

The Capellan Confederation seized Hall during the First Succession War; in late 2787, Captain-General Kenyon Marik launched an invasion of the Confederation, intent on capturing a corridor of worlds leading to Sarna. Having quickly seized Corey and Wazan, the Free Worlds League faced a two-year struggle to hold both worlds as the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces attempted to get reinforcements to both worlds. Chancellor Barbara Liao ordered an attack on New Delos, a major Free Worlds League Military staging ground, which disrupted supply lines, communications and repair facilities and killed twenty thousand civilians. In retaliation—and in an attempt to disrupt the flow of reinforcements to Corey and Wazan—Kenyon Marik ordered attacks on a number of Capellan worlds including Hall that saw the planets firebombed, with the attacks continuing until the Capellans were forced on the defensive following a failed attack on Calloway VI in 2789.[13]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

Following negotiations between Colonel Pavel Ridzik, chief military advisor to Chancellor Maximilian Liao, and AFFS Lieutenant General Ardan Sortek, conducted in February 3029 Ridzik created a new nation, the Tikonov Free Republic. The Republic was created by incorporating those worlds of the Tikonov Commonality that hadn't already been conquered during the first half of the Fourth Succession War. Ridzik returned to Elgin, the new capital of the Tikonov Free Republic, on 3 March 3029 and swiftly began implementing a new government consisting of family members, friends and other appointees loyal to himself, purging dissident elements on the various Republic worlds and taking the opportunity to settle old scores. Hall was one of the systems incorporated into the Republic.[16]

War of 3039[edit]

In 3039, the Eighteenth Marik Militia took the world of Hall from the Federated Commonwealth quickly and easily. Unfortunately the Black Widow Battalion led the counterattack, capturing part of the Second Battalion and smashing the other two battalions. The Eighteenth withdrew to their base world to rebuild.[33][34]

Operation GUERRERO[edit]

As with the other regiments of the Tikonov Republican Guards, the Fourth's first true test came during Operation GUERRERO, the Marik-Liao Invasion of 3057. Garrisoned on Hall since the conclusion of the Fourth Succession War the Fourth was a hotbed of anti-FedCom sentiment with a reputation for discipline problems and unreliability despite the unit's short history of existence. Upon hearing of the Marik-Liao attack, the Fourth prepared to resist the impending invasion that ultimately never came. Rather than send troops, Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao had his agents foment rebellion on Hall which was ruthlessly crushed by the Fourth Republican Guards. In the chaos following the secession of Katrina Steiner-Davion and the Lyran Alliance from the Federated Commonwealth, thus leaving the entirety of the Sarna March exposed and vulnerable the Fourth Republican's commander the opportunistic Leftenant General William "Bud" Baranov saw the writing on the wall and went rogue with his unit in tow, proceeding to seize Hall for themselves.[35]

Operation GUERRERO aftermath[edit]

After a quick meeting with his officers, Baranov led the Fourth to Hall's planetary capital city of Harney, swatting aside the local opposition and declaring himself Emperor of Hall. Upon seizing the capital, Baranov and the Fourth were largely unopposed by the planet's populace. Soon after, however, two rival factions arose, one led by Count Radcliffe McNally - a local planetary noble with sufficient military strength and economic assets to resist Baranov, and the other being Cater's Cohorts, led by Major Dick Cater and consisting of former Fourth Republican personnel who had turned against Baranov shortly after he seized Harney. Also on Hall were the twin sons of Baranov's former master Pavel Ridzik, Yuri and Nikoli Ridzik, who had recruited a small army and brought their force to Hall hidden from the eyes of Baranov and the Fourth hoping to eliminate Baranov and resurrect their father's Tikonov Free Republic.[36]

After Major Cater's rebellious troops were forced to withdraw to Hall's southern hemisphere, the three major factions on Hall settled into their respective territories, occasionally fighting each other for supplies and territory. In the meantime, Baranov and the Fourth turned towards the Ridzik Twins in which Baranov skillfully manipulated the situation, causing the disappearance of Nikoli and sending his brother fleeing off planet, thus eliminating the threat the Twins posed with their small military force.[37] Next, Baranov and the Fourth turned again to Major Cater and his rebellious troops, eventually engaging and shattering Cater's Cohorts and allowing Baranov and the Fourth to further consolidate their control of Hall.

Soon Count McNally and his array of forces were the only obstacle preventing Baranov from controlling the planet. Hall gradually settled into a standoff between the Baranov's Republican Guards and Count McNally's coalition of forces including his own McNally Guard, Burton's Brigade, the remnants of Cater's Cohorts, and the mercenary Critchley's Cavaliers.

The standoff between Baranov and McNally was finally broken in late 3066 when the Fourth Republican Guards, supported by the mercenary Stealthy Tigers, finally overwhelmed the forces of Count McNally, killing the Count and routing his surviving forces, earning Baranov tenuous control over Hall. The survivors of Count McNally's forces, led by Burton's Brigade (Elly Burton being the mother of McNally's child) allied themselves with the Com Guard troops hoping to escape Baranov's wrath, and entrenched themselves.

Following the formation of the Allied Mercenary Command to combat the spread of Word of Blake influence in what was now the Chaos March, the Third Dismal Disinherited regiment was sent to Hall by the AMC to support the Com Guard troops already on planet to ward off against Blakist operations and investigate suspected ties between Baranov and the Word of Blake. Then in the summer of 3067, Emperor Baranov announced that he had invited the Free Worlds League to annex Hall, hence undermining the positions of both the Com Guards and the AMC troops on planet and legally forcing all those forces aligned against him to withdraw off world.

Combat again broke out when the Colonel John Marik-Johns of the Third Dismal Disinherited refused to recognize the authority of the Fourth Oriente Hussars which had arrived on Hall to officially annex the planet on behalf of the Free Worlds League. Convinced the whole thing was a Blakist ploy, Colonel Marik-Johns commanded his Third Dismal Disinherited and Burton's Brigade to attack the Fourth Oriente Hussars who were in turn supported by Emperor Baranov's troops including the Fourth Republican Guards and the Stealthy Tigers. The renewed fighting on Hall was short but fierce, lasting less than a month and ending ultimately with a League victory but not before Emperor Baranov and Captain Elly Burton had perished in a 'Mech duel during the final confrontation in Harney.[38] This coincided with the Fourth Whitting Conference and the outbreak of the Jihad.

The Jihad[edit]

Hall joined the Free Worlds League on 10 October 3067 despite efforts from the Allied Mercenary Command to persuade the government otherwise; the decision to join the League was suspected to be a result of machinations by the Word of Blake,[25] and Hall would soon find itself a member of the Word of Blake Protectorate during the opening stages of the Jihad.[39]

It was on Hall on 3 April 3073 that the mercenary unit the Martian Cuirassiers were destroyed by their own employers, the Word of Blake, as a result of a contract dispute. The unusually harsh response to the contract dispute was performed by the Fifty-second Shadow Division.[40][41]

On 20 November 3077, Hall was attacked by Coalition forces led by Stone's Lament and Stone's Stalwart. Unlike most of the worlds of the Word of Blake Protectorate, the governor installed by the Word of Blake simply surrendered the world to the Coalition troops and meekly accepted arrest. The defending Hall Protectorate Militia forces also surrendered to the Coalition troops. The surrender was negotiated by Private Bethany Barratt; who under her own initiative contacted the Blakist governor and found him willing to discuss a ceasefire. After years trapped within the Chaos March the people of Hall were war-weary, and by negotiating a peace Barratt and the governor arranged a surrender and disarmament that would avoid the bloodshed that would have otherwise occurred as a result of a full military invasion. The campaign for Hall wasn't completely free of bloodshed—Precentor Hedwig Verona, the head of the Spiritual Enlightenment agency, was shot while attempting to evade capture and Precentor Andrew McFadden, commanding officer of the Hall Protectorate Militia, killed himself rather than be taken into captivity—but Barratt's initiative received praise from both Devlin Stone and General Belle Lee.[42][43]

Military Deployment[edit]

2821[edit]

3040[edit]

3050[edit]

  • Fourth Republican Guards[46]

3054[edit]

  • Fourth Republican Guards[47]

3055[edit]

3058[edit]

3062[edit]

3067[edit]

Geography[edit]

The world has two continents: Wass and Urra.[32]

Planetary Locations[edit]

Planetary map of Hall
  • Austin Badlands: location of the battle between The Third Disinherited's and the arriving Fourth Oriente Hussars.[55]
  • Bastrop: a city[32]
  • Bulmer: a city[32]
  • Camden Hole: a city[32]
  • Fort Lexington: location of the battle between The Third Disinherited's and the Stealthy Tigers mercenary command, under contract with Emperor Baranov, supported by elements of Baranov's Republican Guard.[56]
  • Hearney: capital city[32]
  • Hanbarra: a city[32]
  • Harsall: a city[32]
  • Kaer: a city[32]
  • Rockfall Maze: a city on the Wass continent[56][32]
  • Shrewsfield: a city[32]
  • Diamondback Mountains[57]
  • South Harney: a city[58]

Industrial Centers[edit]

Image gallery[edit]

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 80 systems (79 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Wasat 11.9 Mandal 12.8 Outreach 14.5 Chisholm 16.9
Hechnar 18.4 Van Diemen 19.0 Hsien 22.1 Capolla 22.1
Talitha 22.3 Tabit 24.9 Carver 25.0 Brownsville 25.0
Berenson 26.9 Tall Trees 26.9 Blue Sava 29.7 Menkalinan 29.8
Saiph 30.2 Pollux 33.7 Procyon 34.4 Irian 34.8
Graham 35.2 New Canton 36.3 Devil's Rock 36.5 Nanking 37.5
Terra Firma 38.0 New Home 38.0 Sirius 38.1 Keid 38.1
Castor 38.2 Belluevue 38.3 Acubens 38.8 Zurich 39.0
Kristiandsund 39.6 Epsilon Eridani 39.7 Pliska 40.4 Connaught 40.5
Xi Ursae Majoris 40.9 Bryant 41.2 Oliver 41.3 Hamilton 43.0
Aldebaran 43.7 Augustine 44.1 Myrvoll 44.5 New Dallas 45.1
Bex 46.2 Sol 46.4 Tau Ceti 47.3 Zavijava 47.4
Rigil Kentarus 48.1 Zion 48.8 Denebola 48.9 Zosma 49.6
Miaplacidus 50.2 Bordon 50.3 Bernardo 50.9 Caph 51.3
Bhaktapur 51.5 Epsilon Indi 51.8 Alphard 52.0 New Stevens 52.7
Chara 52.9 Kyrkbacken 53.0 Thorin 53.1 Marcus 53.4
Nathan 53.5 Acamar 53.8 Cynthiana 54.0 Lipton 54.4
Genoa 55.2 Afleir 55.6 Callison 56.7 Arboris 57.6
Avellaneda 57.9 Elbing 57.9 Killbourn 58.0 Ibstock 58.1
Woodstock 58.6 Sheratan 59.3 Remulac 59.4 Bonaire 60.2

Notes[edit]

The More Tales of the Black Widow scenario pack mentions the cities of Ravenskral and Budesburg as being the planetary capital and third largest city on the planet,[59] neither of these cities are mentioned again in other sourcebooks, with later books such as Historical: War of 3039, Touring the Stars: Hall and even the novel Embers of War establish Harney as the capital city.

References[edit]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction, p. 218: "Hall"
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 Touring the Stars: Hall, p. 4
  3. 3.0 3.1 Shattered Fortress, pp. 102–103: "Inner Sphere - 3151" (Map)
  4. Handbook: House Marik, p. 16: "Free Worlds League Founding [2271]"
  5. Handbook: House Liao, p. 13: "Capellan Confederation Foundation [2366]"
  6. Handbook: House Liao, p. 25: "Capellan Confederation After Age of War [2571]]"
  7. Historical: Reunification War, p. 159: "Inner Sphere - 2596"
  8. Era Report: 2750, p. 37: "Inner Sphere - 2750"
  9. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - 2765"
  10. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 104: "Rim Worlds Republic - [2767] Map"
  11. 11.0 11.1 Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 138: "Operation LIBERATION Wave 1 [July 2772 - December 2774]"
  12. First Succession War, p. 25: "Inner Sphere - [2786] Map"
  13. 13.0 13.1 House Marik (The Free Worlds League), pp. 28–29: "The Collapse of Terra"
  14. First Succession War, p. 113: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"
  15. Handbook: House Liao, p. 40: "Capellan Confederation after Third Succession War [3025]" (Map)
  16. 16.0 16.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, pp. 16–17: "Tikonov Free Republic"
  17. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 16: "Tikonov Commonality (Map)"
  18. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 94: "End Of The War"
  19. 20 Year Update, p. 12: "Unification"
  20. Historical: War of 3039, p. 133: "Inner Sphere - 3040"
  21. Era Report: 3052, p. 23: "Inner Sphere - April 3052" (Map)
  22. Handbook: House Liao, p. 60: "Capellan Confederation after Operation Guerrero [3058]" (Map)
  23. Era Report: 3062, p. 29: "Inner Sphere - July 3063" (Map)
  24. Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 11, and Blake Ascending, p. 171: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  25. 25.0 25.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 44: "The Jihad In Review"
  26. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, pp. 64–65: "Inner Sphere - 3075" (Map)
  27. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 63: "Inner Sphere - March 3081" (Map)
  28. Field Manual: 3085, p. vii: "Inner Sphere - October 3085" (Map)
  29. Era Report: 3145, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - 3135" (Map)
  30. Era Report: 3145, p. 38: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  31. Shattered Fortress, p. 64
  32. 32.00 32.01 32.02 32.03 32.04 32.05 32.06 32.07 32.08 32.09 32.10 Touring the Stars: Hall, p. 5: "Planetary Map"
  33. Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 63
  34. More Tales of the Black Widow, p. 21: "Ghost of Christmas Future"
  35. Chaos March, p. 39
  36. Chaos March, pp. 39, 92
  37. Kings & Pawns, p. 15
  38. Kings & Pawns, p. 4
  39. Kings & Pawns, p. 4: "Plot Summary"
  40. 40.0 40.1 Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 26: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  41. 41.0 41.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 51: "The Jihad In Review"
  42. 42.0 42.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 54: "Hall Surrenders Without a Shot"
  43. 43.0 43.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 58: "The Jihad in Review"
  44. First Succession War, p. 136: "First Succession War Deployment Table - CCAF"
  45. Historical: War of 3039, p. 138: "Deployment Table"
  46. 20 Year Update, p. 24: "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  47. Objective Raids, p. 18: "FedCom Deployment Table"
  48. ComStar, p. 85: "Com Guards Deployment Table"
  49. 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 Chaos March, p. 39
  50. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 126: "Com Guards Deployment Table"
  51. Field Manual: Updates, p. 98: "Com Guards Deployment Table"
  52. Mercenaries Supplemental II, p. 65: "Mercenary Deployment Table"
  53. 53.0 53.1 Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 110: "Word of Blake Mercenary Deployments"
  54. Field Manual: 3145, p. 144: "Hastati Sentinels"
  55. Kings & Pawns, p. 6: "Scenario 1: Evacuation!"
  56. 56.0 56.1 56.2 Kings & Pawns, p. 8: "Scenario 2: Poisoning the Well"
  57. BattleCorps: INN Newscast (Solaris Broadcasting Co. section), news item published [13/10/3067]: "Baranov Still Missing, Presumed Dead"
  58. BattleCorps: INN Newscast (Solaris Broadcasting Co. section), news item published [12/09/3068]: "Blake's Boys Blessings in Boone Borough"
  59. More Tales of the Black Widow, p. 21

Bibliography[edit]