Kathil

This article is about the planetary system. For the WarShip, see Kathil (Individual Fox-class WarShip).


Kathil
Kathil 3151.svg
System Information
X:Y Coordinates171.357 : -148.58[e]
Star names1
Spectral classF4V[1][2][3]
Recharge time175 hours[2][3]
Recharge station(s)Zenith[1][2][3]

The Kathil system is the location of at least one habitable world, Kathil III, and as of 3151 was located in the Kathil Operational Area of the Federated Suns.[4]

System Description[edit]

Kathil is located near the Boeotia and Paches systems.

Political Affiliation[edit]


Kathil III[edit]

Kathil III
Kathil Flag.jpg
Astrophysical
System positionThird[1][2][3]
Jump Point distance16.10 days[2][3]
Moons1 (Loren's Folly)[2][3]
Geophysical
Surface gravity1.0[2][3]
Atmospheric pressureStandard (Breathable)[2][3]
Equatorial temperature30°C[2][3]
Surface water30%[2][3]
Highest native lifeInsect,[2][3] 30%[1]
Landmasses3 (Hurste, Muran, Thespia)[2][3]
History and Culture
Population1,567,000,000 (3025, apocryphal),[47] 2,158,650,000 (3067),[2]
2,129,987,000 (3079)[3]
Government and Infrastructure
Noble RulerDuke of Kathil
Political LeaderChairman Dexter Mazon[1]
CapitalDistrict City[1][2][3]
HPG ClassB[2]
HPG RepresentativePrecentor Indra Seshu (3025)[1]

Planetary History[edit]

Early History[edit]

Prior to the Reunification War, Kathil was an unremarkable and insignificant world. Possessed of a few deposits of rare metals that attracted a trickle of colonists, Kathil only became a world of import when the Star League Defense Force identified a clear requirement to have facilities located closer to the front than the borders of the Terran Hegemony for the repair and refit of naval vessels engaged in the various campaigns against the Periphery states. Having identified this capability gap, the Star League constructed a number of major shipyards outside Hegemony space, branding them Star League Naval Repair and Refit Facilities; Kathil was chosen to host one of these facilities, due to the Kathil system being remarkably free of dust and asteroids, reducing the risk of damage, particularly to fragile JumpShips. The resulting facilities in the Kathil system were officially christened the James McKenna Shipyards in 2602.[1] The shipyards were powered by a mix of energy transmitted up from massive solar arrays on the planet via microwave and local fusion reactors, a technology known as Power Collector and Microwave Transmitter, PCMT.[2][48]

The James McKenna Shipyards consisted of two discrete complexes; the first, a huge complex of repair docks and machine shops used to support JumpShips, was constructed in orbit near the zenith jump point. The second facility was a series of repair bays stationed in orbit and designed to support DropShips. The logistical chain supporting these two facilities included a complex of warehouses and repair industries located on the surface of Galax, and during the Star League era the shipyards would service vessels from the navies of the Star League, the Federated Suns navy and the Capellan Confederation navy as well as ships operated by private trading companies.[1]

By the height of the Star League Kathil was the location of a significant percentage of the Federated Suns heavy naval manufacturing industry; by 2765 with the massive manufacturing facilities at Galax yet to come online, Kathil and the worlds of Delavan, Layover, and Panpour were responsible for ninety percent of all large naval craft manufactured inside the Federated Suns. Kathil was also home to a significant proportion of the defense manufacturing that supplied the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. While the overall manufacturing base of the Federated Suns was highly dispersed and diversified, a core group of worlds—New Avalon, Crofton, Kathil, Panpour, Salem, and Talcott—supplied move than half of all the equipment used by the AFFS.[49]

The Succession Wars[edit]

Kathil was an inevitable target for the CCAF during the early Succession Wars, and despite dogged resistance from Federated Suns WarShips the JumpShip yards were crippled by Capellan WarShips. Subsequent Capellan attacks repeatedly reduced the ability of the yards to function, and while repairs had been conducted that allowed the yards to at least perform routine maintenance and a limited number of major overhauls by the end of the Third Succession War the combination of battle damage and lost technical knowledge had resulted in most of the JumpShip yards remaining empty and unused.[1]

The DropShip yards managed to survive the first three Succession Wars in better shape than the JumpShip yards, and by 3025 the Galax facilities represented the largest and best-kept DropShip repair facility to be found anywhere in the Federated Suns. The bulk of the warehouses and supporting industries on Galax had long since been destroyed, however, and many of the spare parts that remained in storage on the planet after repeated raids had effectively become lostech, as the knowledge to identify what the parts were and their function had been lost.[1]

During the Succession Wars Kathil was the home of the Capellan Dragoons, a private army belonging to the Duke of Kathil; many of the members of the Dragoons were defectors from the CCAF, and their knowledge of the Capellan military often gave the Dragoons a clear advantage in combat. The Dragoons fought valiantly against the CCAF during the Second Succession War, but in the early thirty-first century the Duke of Kathil found himself impoverished by mounting debts. The Duke decided to sell the Dragoons to the AFFS, in exchange for a sizeable amount of money and with the added proviso that should he or his descendants accumulate enough funds to be able to buy back the Dragoons, the AFFS would allow them to do so.[50]

On 2 June 2828, the Chesterton Cuirassiers landed on Kathil as a part of Operation CELT, a CCAF offensive intended to recapture Chesterton. The Cuirassiers were led by Colonel Laurelli Liao, the future Capellan Chancellor and a canny field commander who had been trained from a young age in warfare. Stationed on Kathil at the time were the Twenty-seventh Avalon Hussars and the Kathil Capellan March Militia. The defenders outweighed the Cuirassiers, but Laurelli kept them off-balance by launching feints at both the General Motors factories and District City, which made it essential that the militia and the Twenty-seventh couldn't risk relocating to better positions. The conflict turned into an intricate, deadly dance that only ended when the Cuirassiers were ordered to withdraw on the 24th of June, following the news of the death of Chancellor Ilsa Liao. It was a testament to Laurelli's skills that the bulk of the damage taken by the Cuirassiers during the three weeks of battle was sustained not during her campaigning, but rather during the hasty withdrawal from Kathil.[51]

Despite the damage inflicted on the planet the large General Motors plant continued to manufacture matériel from its location near District City, the planetary capital.[1]

After the Fourth Succession War General Motors and Universal Air entered into a partnership with Federated-Boeing Interstellar to completely refurbish the McKenna shipyards.[52] The three companies created a consortium, Kathil Shipworks, co-owned by the three companies and the Davion family, and extensively refurbished the shipyards; repairing the zenith station alone took several years, while the orbital docks wouldn't be online until 3039. Once back online, the shipyards were capable of constructing K-F Drives for the first time since the beginning of the Third Succession War, and the production capabilities of the shipyards steadily increased in secret until the facility was capable of manufacturing WarShips.[53]

On 2 September 3039, three regiments of McCarron's Armored Cavalry staged a series of objective raids against the world. Though ultimately forced off-world on 10 September due to overwhelming defenses, this raid provided the Confederation with information on Freezers as well as more than three thousand tons of matériel.[54][55][56]

With the unveiling of the first Avalon-class WarShip, the secret expansion in production at Kathil effectively became an open secret.[53]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

While increasing police actions and escalating raids had been ongoing during 3061 between various factions within the Federated Commonwealth, the Battle for Kathil, which began on 16 November 3062,[57] was generally acknowledged as the flashpoint for the FedCom Civil War.[58] Fortunately, the spacedocks were left undamaged after the civil war and remained in continuous operation, although civilian vessels faced a wait of twelve to eighteen months for a major service with longer delays for more significant repair work[2] due to the large number of ships already waiting for repairs following the War.[53]

Universities on Kathil had a good reputation in the 3050s and presumably the 3060s; a survey conducted by the New Avalon post in 3059 highlighted that the University of Kathil was ranked fourth out of all of the surveyed universities in terms of student satisfaction, and that the Federated Technical College of Kathil was considered the best party school to be found in the Federated Suns.[58]

The Jihad[edit]

During the Jihad, as Capellan March and Capellan Confederation forces battled as a result of Operation SOVEREIGN JUSTICE and Operation THUNDERSTRIKE, the Capellans struck at the shipyards in orbit above Kathil, using Death Commandos to cripple the facility during the first two weeks of May 3069. Regular Capellan forces then struck at Kathil during the last two weeks of May as part of a campaign of raids leapfrogging from world to world en route to New Syrtis.[59]

The Word of Blake took advantage of the Capellan attacks on Kathil to launch their own assault on the system. The Blakist forces launched biological, chemical and nuclear weapons at the planet, but despite the massive casualties inflicted on the population reports indicated that a number of inbound attacks were successfully intercepted by AFFS aerospace fighters. The Word forces successfully destroyed the shipyards and captured the remaining jump-capable vessels in the system.[59] The General Motors industrial factory complex on Kathil also took heavy damage, and as late as 3081 was still operating as little more than a single-line tank manufacturing plant.[60]

With the main General Motors facility in District City offline, the smaller GM plant in Nugent on Muran was lucky to escape destruction and was able to produce Combat Vehicles continuously again by 3079, although estimates suggested that the District City would be offline until the 3090s.[3] GM's survival as a company was heavily dependent on direct funding from the Federated Suns government on New Avalon at this point, and Princess Regent Yvonne Steiner-Davion used this leverage to redirect the rebuilding efforts undertaken by the company. Where GM had been making the rebuilding of the BattleMech production lines on Kathil their highest priority, the Princess Regent instead instructed the company to diversify, placing more emphasis on the construction of assault tanks and battle armor.[61]

While the McKenna shipyards operated by Universal Air were completely destroyed by the Blakists, the JumpShip manufacturing facility at the nadir jump point escaped total destruction. The damage inflicted on the two facilities bankrupted the company, who sold the remaining assets to Federated-Boeing, and by 3079 Federated-Boeing had the Nadir yards capable of repairing Invader-class JumpShips, although estimates said that it would be years before the shipyards were actually manufacturing Invaders again.[62]

Military Deployment[edit]

2764[edit]

2765[edit]

2786[edit]

2821[edit]

  • Twenty-seventh Avalon Hussars[66]
  • Kathil Capellan March Militia[66]

3025[edit]

3028[edit]

  • Kathil Capellan March Militia[68]

3038[edit]

3050[edit]

  • First Kathil Uhlans[72]

3054[edit]

3061[edit]

3062[edit]

3067[edit]

3085[edit]

- At this point in time the Davion Heavy Guards was at 105% of strength, with 100% of their equipment featuring upgraded technology.
- The 1st NAIS was at 70% of strength, with 90% of their equipment featuring upgraded technology.

3145[edit]

3152[edit]

  • Eighth Avalon Hussars[46]

Geography[edit]

Kathil has three major landmasses: Hurste, Muran, and Thespia. The planetary capital, District City, is located on Muran.[3] Also spanning the world are a series of oceans. The largest and most important of the continents is Muran, which is a continent with a variable climate; the western reaches of Muran are dominated by mountains and much of the continent is arid plains, with the more temperate regions located to the east and north. The Howell River runs between District City and Radcliffe, heading west before turning south for several hundred kilometers and then heading east towards the ocean. Only the temperate regions on Muran are capable of supporting agriculture, leaving the planet reliant on Hurste for the production of the vast majority of the planet's food. While Hurste is Kathil's breadbasket, there is nowhere on Kathil where agriculture is easy; the arid regions can only be farmed with assistance from widespread irrigation, and the plant life on Kathil is notoriously lacking in chlorophyll. The least hospitable of the three continents, Thespia, is dominated by mountains and deserts and provides ores for use in manufacturing industries around the world.[2][81]

Planetary Locations[edit]

  • Hurste: a continent[3]
  • Muran: main continent[3]
    • Birkshire Forest[82][83]
    • Burlington: a city[84]
    • Campbellsport: a small town 40 km east of District City[85]
    • Caper Valley[86]
    • Carter City: a city[84]
    • Cooperstown: a city[85]
    • Coulan: a town near Fredericksville and the Tormad Valley[87]
    • Daytin: resort community along the Howell River[81]
    • Delafield: a town[87]
    • Deleven: a city, north of District City[88]
    • District City: Planetary capital[3][89]
    • Eden: a city[85]
    • Fort Harris: a strategic communication and transportation link[85]
    • Fredericksville: a town near Coulman and the Tormad Valley[87][94]
    • Furillo River[86]
    • Greenhaven: a city, destroyed in the Civil War[84]
    • Hammelberg: site of a large POW camp in the Civil War[86]
    • Howell River
    • Iron-back Mountains: a mountain range in midwestern Muran[95]
      • Mount Daffyd: a dormant volcano that erupted when the FCS Robert Davion was destroyed[95]
    • Kamar: a city, north of District City[88]
    • Kelso: a township, across the Howell River from Woodland[93]
    • Menomee: a town[87]
    • Nugent City: an urban city with a mild climate[3][21]
    • Ostin: a coastal city[92]
    • Radcliffe: a city[96]
      • CMM Staging Grounds[96]
    • Quentin Airbase: a strategic communication and transportation link[85]
    • Research station: a Hardened Star League-era building located in the high mountains[54]
    • Tormad Valley: a valley near the towns of Fredericksville and Coulman[87][94]
    • Tunevia: a city, north of District City[88]
    • Vorhaven: a city inland of southeastern coastlands[97]
    • Winstan Ridge National Park[98]
    • Woodland: a township, across the Howell River from Kelso[93]
      • Ammunition factory[91]
    • Yare: a township, in the vicinity of Woodland[99]
  • Thespia: an island continent[3]

Industrial Centers[edit]

Notes[edit]

House Davion (The Federated Suns) gives the distance between Kathil and the jump point as 10 days; Handbook: House Davion quotes the distance as being 16.10 days. As Handbook: House Davion is the more recent publication, the distance given within that text is used in this article.

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 48 systems (46 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Boeotia 16.2 Paches 17.8 Monongahela 18.4 Smolensk 20.0
Orbisonia 22.2 Mytilene 24.0 Meinhof 24.9 Stockpoll 25.4
Bahl's Retreat 26.3 Caria 27.2 Emerson 33.0 Noh-wan Hohm 34.0
Oli 35.0 Genf 35.2 Beten Kaitos 35.9 Novaya Zemlya 36.0
Andro 36.1 Salem 37.6 Talcott 37.7 Lacadon 39.8
Perkasie 40.9 Gallitzin 42.5 Reinhardstein 42.7 Turko 43.1
Brabent 44.1 Acala 44.4 Branzoll 44.5 Anaea 44.6
Herat 46.9 Bethel 47.0 Hurgh 47.9 Fable 49.1
Muskegon 49.8 Gravensteen 50.4 Knutdor 53.0 Stein's Folly 53.1
Tecumseh 54.1 Lee 54.5 Helixmar 54.7 Vintru 56.1
Kluane 56.5 Axton 56.6 Dirk's Gulf 57.6 Gahral 57.9
Scudder 58.2 Aosia 59.2 Everett 61.2 Meglan 61.2

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 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 198: "Kathil"
  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 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 Handbook: House Davion, pp. 87–88: "Kathil"
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 Objectives: Federated Suns, p. 7: "Industrial Systems"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Shattered Fortress, pp. 102–103: "Inner Sphere - 3151" (Map)
  5. Handbook: House Davion, p. 18: "Federated Suns at their Founding - [2317] Map"
  6. Handbook: House Liao, p. 17: "Capellan Confederation Founding - [2366]"
  7. Handbook: House Davion, p. 48: "Federated Suns after Age of War - [2571] Map"
  8. Handbook: House Liao, p. 25: "Capellan Confederation after Age of War - [2571] Map"
  9. Historical: Reunification War, p. 159: "Inner Sphere - [2596] Map"
  10. Era Report: 2750, p. 37: "Inner Sphere - [2750] Map"
  11. Field Manual: SLDF, p. xi: "Inner Sphere - [2764] Map"
  12. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [2765] Map"
  13. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 29: "Federated Suns Armed Forces Deployment Map - [2765]"
  14. Field Report 2765: CCAF, p. 23: "Capellan Confederation Armed Forces Deployment Map - [2765]"
  15. First Succession War, p. 25: "Inner Sphere - [2786] Map"
  16. Handbook: House Davion, p. 54: "Federated Suns after First Succession War - [2822] Map"
  17. Handbook: House Liao, p. 31: "Capellan Confederation after First Succession War - [2822] Map"
  18. First Succession War, p. 113: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"
  19. Handbook: House Davion, p. 60: "Federated Suns after Second Succession War - [2864] Map"
  20. Handbook: House Liao, p. 39: "Capellan Confederation after Second Succession War - [2864] Map"
  21. 21.0 21.1 Millennium Marauder
  22. House Davion (The Federated Suns), foldout: "Federated Suns Map - [3025]"
  23. Handbook: House Davion, p. 70: "Federated Suns after Third Succession War - [3025] Map"
  24. House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), foldout: "Capellan Confederation Map - [3025]"
  25. Handbook: House Liao, p. 40: "Capellan Confederation after Third Succession War - [3025] Map"
  26. Handbook: House Davion, p. 72: "Federated Suns after Fourth Succession War - [3030] Map"
  27. Handbook: House Liao, p. 49: "Capellan Confederation after Fourth Succession War - [3030] Map"
  28. Handbook: House Davion, p. 76: "Federated Suns after War of 3039 - [3040] Map"
  29. Historical: War of 3039, p. 133: "Inner Sphere - [3040]"
  30. Era Report: 3052, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3050] Map"
  31. Era Report: 3052, p. 23: "Inner Sphere - [3052] Map"
  32. Era Report: 3062, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3057] Map"
  33. Handbook: House Davion, p. 78: "Federated Suns after Operation Guerrero - [3058] Map"
  34. Handbook: House Liao, p. 60: "Capellan Confederation after Operation Guerrero - [3058] Map"
  35. Era Report: 3062, p. 29: "Inner Sphere - [3063] Map"
  36. Handbook: House Davion, p. 82: "Federated Suns after FedCom Civil War - [3067] Map"
  37. Handbook: House Liao, p. 68: "Capellan Confederation after FedCom Civil War - [3067] Map"
  38. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 43: "Inner Sphere - [3067] Map"
  39. Field Report: AFFS, p. 21: "Federated Suns Armed Forces Deployment Map [3079]"
  40. Field Report: CCAF, p. 21: "Capellan Confederation Armed Forces Deployment Map - [August 3079]"
  41. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 63: "Inner Sphere - [3081] Map"
  42. Field Manual: 3085, p. vii: "Inner Sphere - [3085] Map"
  43. Era Report: 3145, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3135] Map"
  44. Era Report: 3145, p. 39: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  45. Field Manual: 3145, p. VI: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  46. 46.0 46.1 Shrapnel Issue #8: "Voices of the Sphere: Mixed-Tech 'Mechs"
  47. MechWarrior (1989 video game) (apocryphal)
  48. Tactical Operations: Advanced Rules and Equipment, p. 148: "Power Collector and Microwave Transmitter"
  49. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 6: "Infrastructural Integrity"
  50. House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 146: "Capellan Dragoons"
  51. Second Succession War, p. 23: "The Suns-Confederation Front"
  52. Handbook: House Davion, pp. 165–166: "Federated-Boeing Interstellar (FdBoin)"
  53. 53.0 53.1 53.2 Handbook: House Davion, pp. 166–167: "Kathil Shipworks (Not Traded)"
  54. 54.0 54.1 HexPack: Lakes and Rivers, pp. 5–8: "Hard as Ice (Objective Raid)"
  55. HexPack: Cities and Roads, pp. 5–8: "Slippery When Wet (Objective Raid)"
  56. Historical: War of 3039, p. 126: "Kathil (September)"
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  58. 58.0 58.1 Handbook: House Davion, p. 81: "FedCom Civil War"
  59. 59.0 59.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 47: "The Jihad in Review"
  60. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 97: "Capellan March"
  61. Objectives: Federated Suns, p. 31: "General Motors"
  62. Objectives: Federated Suns, p. 8: "Federated-Boeing (Formerly Universal Air)"
  63. Field Manual: SLDF, p. 252: "SLDF - Federated Suns Military Command Map"
  64. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 10: "Avalon Hussars - Regimental Status"
  65. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 22
  66. 66.0 66.1 66.2 66.3 First Succession War, p. 134: "First Succession War Deployment Table - AFFS"
  67. 67.0 67.1 67.2 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 134: "Unit Deployment Table"
  68. 68.0 68.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 12: "Operation RAT"
  69. 69.0 69.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 11: "Operation RAT"
  70. Historical: War of 3039, p. 135: "Deployment Table"
  71. Historical: War of 3039, p. 136: "Deployment Table"
  72. 20 Year Update, p. 21: "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  73. Objective Raids, p. 14: "FedCom Deployment Table"
  74. 74.0 74.1 Shattered Sphere, p. 31: "FedCom Deployment Table"
  75. Flashpoint, p. 25
  76. Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 135: "Federated Suns Deployment Table"
  77. Field Manual: Updates, p. 137: "Federated Suns Deployment Table"
  78. Field Manual: Updates, p. 179: "Lyran Alliance Deployment Table"
  79. 79.0 79.1 Field Manual: 3085, p. 69: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3085"
  80. Field Manual: 3145, p. 89: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns"
  81. 81.0 81.1 Flashpoint, ch. 11
  82. FedCom Civil War, p. 77: "Kathil"
  83. FedCom Civil War, p. 95: "Kathil"
  84. 84.0 84.1 84.2 FedCom Civil War, p. 96: "Kathil"
  85. 85.0 85.1 85.2 85.3 85.4 85.5 FedCom Civil War, p. 57
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  87. 87.0 87.1 87.2 87.3 87.4 FedCom Civil War, p. 124: "Kathil"
  88. 88.0 88.1 88.2 FedCom Civil War, p. 56: "Kathil"
  89. 89.0 89.1 Flashpoint, ch. 3
  90. Flashpoint, ch. 7
  91. 91.0 91.1 FedCom Civil War, p. 25
  92. 92.0 92.1 92.2 92.3 Flashpoint, ch. 16
  93. 93.0 93.1 93.2 93.3 93.4 Flashpoint, ch. 17
  94. 94.0 94.1 The Lance Killers
  95. 95.0 95.1 Flashpoint, ch. 30
  96. 96.0 96.1 Flashpoint, ch. 2
  97. Flashpoint, ch. 6
  98. Flashpoint, ch. 14
  99. Flashpoint, ch. 20
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Bibliography[edit]