La Blon

La Blon
La Blon 3151.svg
System Information
X:Y Coordinates−31.803 : 72.852[e]
Spectral classG2V[1]
Planet(s)7[1]

System Description[edit]

The La Blon system was located near the Balkan and Dromini systems. The system was also located Coreward from Terra.[2] The system contains seven planets around a G2V type star.[1]

System History[edit]

The La Blon system was colonized at some point prior to 2271.[3]

Political Affiliation[edit]


La Blon III[edit]

La Blon III
La Blon.jpg
Astrophysical
System positionThird[1]
Jump Point distanceNine days[1]
MoonsThree (Gwenhyvar, Ivanov, Tiarra)[1]
Geophysical
Surface gravity1.04[1]
Atmospheric pressureStandard (Breathable)[1]
Equatorial temperature59°C[1]
Surface water96%[1]
Highest native lifeMammals[1]
History and Culture
Population1,530,000,000 (3130)[40][1]
Government and Infrastructure
Political LeaderGovernor Gregor Beatrice (3130),[40][1]
Legate Cy Winstead (3130)[40][1]
CapitalAmadeus[1]

La Blon III, more commonly known as La Blon, is a water world with a tropical climate. Most of the planetary surface is covered by seas and oceans, and the three main landmasses are less continents and more large islands. The three major landmasses, Elise, Ballay and Renaria have modestly fertile soil and abundant deposits of common metals. Elise lies in the northern hemisphere, while Ballay and Renaria are in the southern hemisphere. The inhabitants protected large tracts of jungle from exploitation on the land while focusing their expansion on the sea. The world is dotted with floating cities and aquaculture farms. Beneath the waves are underwater cities and mining operations. La Blon's tourist industry is quite large and people come from off world to enjoy time above and below the waves.[1][41]

La Blon is also orbited by three moons: Gwenhyvar, Ivanov, and Tiarra. Ivanov is special in that it also hosts a human habitable atmosphere and climate.[1]

Planetary History[edit]

Early History[edit]

The first colonists on La Blon were drawn by the natural resources found on La Blon and on Ivanov, La Blon's habitable moon, and developed a subsistence-level economy involving agriculture, light manufacturing and mining. Over time, tourism would become an important part of the planetary economy, benefiting from the warm and generally moderate weather, although tropical storms and hurricanes were common during La Blon's wet seasons.[1]

Star League Era[edit]

By the height of the Star League era La Blon was a popular corporate retreat, a place renowned as somewhere that visitors could go to get away from everything, while still remaining connected to the wider world.[1]

Succession Wars[edit]

La Blon was raided a number of times during the Succession Wars, as well as being traded back and forth between the Combine's and Commonwealth's control, but these battles did little to damage La Blon's industry, infrastructure or natural beauty.[1]

First Succession War[edit]

In 2791 the Combine was preparing an invasion of La Blon that was slated to utilize several Land-Air ’Mechs. The Commonwealth launched a series of spoiling raids on the LAM staging areas which ultimately succeeded in pinning the LAMs down, delayed the planned invasion for months, and ultimately led to the Combine's failure to take the world.[42]

Third Succession War[edit]

At some point after the Second Succession War, the Draconis Combine took over La Blon. House Steiner would respond to this with the Raid on La Blon (2970) and other military operations. By the end of the Third Succession War, La Blon was back in Commonwealth hands.[16][18]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

While the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces were attempting to consolidate the gains made during Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG, the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery launched a wave of counterattacks. Most of these contested worlds the Commonwealth had captured, but the Fourth Proserpina Hussars launched the most worrying attack for the Lyran High Command - an invasion of La Blon, executed in the final weeks of 3028. La Blon was defended by twenty assorted regiments of infantry and armor, and a single battalion of aging militia BattleMechs. The Fourth was a frontline 'Mech regiment and arrived with eighteen assorted supporting regiments, exploiting a hole in the LCAF's lines, and swiftly defeated the planetary militia.[19]

In June 3029 the Commonwealth launched Operation HOLDUR, a plan devised by the Margrave of the Ryde Theater, General Jack Sphire, to break the deadlock in the region. HOLDUR carried a degree of risk and committed large numbers of troops - including militia forces - in an offensive spearheaded by 'Mech regiments and intended to be swift enough that the DCMS would be unable to counterattack. Archon Katrina Steiner approved the plan and mobilized additional 'Mech regiments to support HOLDUR, deploying regiments that had previously been held in reserve. When assigning these additional forces, the Archon dictated that these forces had to be used at the Terran end of the Ryde area, so that they could respond to any attacks originating from the Free Worlds League.[43]

For the Archon, destroying DCMS 'Mech forces was as significant a goal as capturing territory;[43] the LCAF was angry at the loss of La Blon, and as a consequence assigned the First Royal Guards and two companies of 'Mechs from the mercenary unit Barrett's Fusiliers to land on La Blon and destroy the Fourth Proserpina Hussars. The Hussars were caught by surprise while they were in the process of relocating their headquarters to Fort Taurus from Fort Minotaur. When the elite Royal Guards dropped two kilometers from Fort Minotaur and attacked, they found it occupied by just a battalion of the Fourth's 'Mechs, and within 28 hours had secured the Fort. Meanwhile, the forces from Barrett's Fusiliers landed on Fort Taurus, overwhelming the small garrison there while the Hussars were still almost seventy kilometers away. Deprived of both Forts the Hussars retreated into the countryside, raiding settlements for supplies while the Royal Guards began launching recon operations to try and pin them down.[20]

The Hussars attempted to lure the Royal Guards out of Fort Minotaur so that they could sneak back in, without success, but were able to avoid getting trapped by the Royal Guards in turn until the Lyrans used falsified communications to lure the Hussars into a direct attack on Fort Minotaur, convinced that the main Guard force was elsewhere. The Hussars attacked in force, not realizing that they were facing the entire Royal Guards; after four hours of suffering heavy casualties the Hussars retreated, only to fall straight into an ambush prepared by the Fusiliers. With casualties mounting precipitously the surviving lances from the Hussars abandoned La Blon.[20][44]

The Jihad[edit]

La Blon was fortunate during the Jihad, only serving as a jump-off point for Word of Blake attacks into other regions. This lack of interest in the world from various armies of the Inner Sphere has led to the people of La Blon thinking that war is either never going to find them or it's like in-flight turbulence: Something that's unpleasant at the time, but quickly recovered from after it's gone. This attitude leads others to believe that La Blon's people are rather naïve.[1]

The Dark Age[edit]

By the thirty-second century, the inhabitants of La Blon had floating farms and cities across their ocean world. These floating structures hosted a well-developed aquaculture industry to farm the planet's native flora and fauna. In addition, there were domed cities to be found on the ocean floor. The city of Fathnine was a very large metropolis consisting of pressure domes and interconnecting networks of transportation cylinder tubes. These underwater tubes hosted a transportation system that were called Cylcars by the locals. These vehicles could convey passengers from the Storm Island Spaceport on the surface through a pressurized, transparent tube beneath the waves to the city.[45]

La Blon's underwater light industry explored and conquered everything from manufacturing items under high pressures to recovering gold from sea beds. Tourism was highly profitable for the world, with people traveling from their worlds to enjoy time above and beneath the waves.[41]

Military Deployment[edit]

3028[edit]

3050[edit]

3079[edit]

- At this time the Fifteenth Arcturan Guards were deployed across La Blon, and Marfik. The Fifteenth was at 55% of full strength, with 85% of their equipment featuring upgraded technology.

3145[edit]

Planetary Locations[edit]

  • Elise: Continent[1]
    • Amadeus: the planetary capital city, located at the foot of the Carbondale Mountains. Site of the largest spaceport on La Blon.[1]
    • Carbondale Mountains: Mountain Range.[1]
  • Ballay: Continent[1]
  • Fathnine: underwater city[45]
  • Fort Minotaur: a military base on La Blon.[20]
  • Fort Taurus: a military base on La Blon.[20]
  • Renaria: Continent[1]
    • Listellei: city, largest seaport on La Blon.[1]
      • The Diamond Mine: largest casino on La Blon, located in the city Listellei[1]
  • Storm Island[45]
    • Storm Island Spaceport[45]

Industrial Centers[edit]

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 60 systems (60 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Balkan 12.2 Dromini 12.8 Unukalhai 14.8 Alrakis 14.9
Skondia 17.3 Alphecca 18.5 Komephoros 19.3 Kessel 21.6
Ryde 23.2 Sabik 24.8 Konstance 26.2 Marfik 26.3
Atria 26.4 Kimball 27.2 Alkalurops 28.0 Nusakan 29.7
Ko 32.0 Zebebelgenubi 32.5 Carnwath 32.7 Skye 33.1
Nai-Stohl 33.3 Lone Star 35.2 Lyons 35.2 Izar 37.4
Kochab 37.9 Moore 38.5 Kaus Australis 39.0 Baxter 39.8
Eltanin 39.9 Kaus Media 40.2 Syrma 42.6 Vega 44.0
Galatea 44.6 New Wessex 45.0 Glengarry 45.2 Freedom 47.7
Lambrecht 47.7 Yed Posterior 47.9 Summer 48.5 Imbros 48.9
Corridan 49.0 Zebeneschamali 49.2 Kaus Borealis 49.2 Dyev 49.3
Alexandria 50.3 Menkent 50.3 Rocky 50.5 Seginus 51.6
Cebalrai 52.1 Ascella 52.8 Zollikofen 53.6 Kuzuu 55.2
Kannon 55.3 Gamma Sagittarius 55.3 Chaville 55.6 Yorii 56.9
Mizar 57.0 Muphrid 57.8 Asta 59.4 Yed Prior 59.4

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 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 Dark Age: Republic Worlds (3130), p. 219: "La Blon"
  2. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 25: "Map - Lyran Commonwealth after the Age of War"
  3. 3.0 3.1 Handbook: House Marik, p. 16: "Free Worlds League Founding - [2271] Map"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 13: "Federation of Skye world within the Lyran Commonwealth before [2340] and after at their founding in [2341]"
  5. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 25: "Lyran Commonwealth after Age of War - [2571] Map"
  6. Historical: Reunification War, p. 158: "Inner Sphere - [2596] Map"
  7. Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 25: "Rim Worlds Republic at the Fall of the Star League [2750]"
  8. Era Report: 2750, p. 36: "Inner Sphere - [2750] Map"
  9. Field Manual: SLDF, p. xi: "Inner Sphere - [2764] Map"
  10. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 10: "Inner Sphere - [2765] Map"
  11. First Succession War, pp. 24–25: "Inner Sphere - [2786] Map"
  12. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 36: "Lyran Commonwealth after First Succession War - [2822] Map"
  13. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, pp. 122–123: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"
  14. First Succession War, pp. 112–113: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"
  15. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 40: "Lyran Commonwealth after Second Succession War - [2864] Map"
  16. 16.0 16.1 Technical Readout: 3023 Revised, p. 20: "Deployment"
  17. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), foldout: "Lyran Commonwealth Map - [3025]"
  18. 18.0 18.1 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 47: "Lyran Commonwealth after Third Succession War - [3025] Map"
  19. 19.0 19.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 61: "End of the Offensive"
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 76: "La Blon"
  21. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 56: "Lyran Commonwealth after Fourth Succession War - [3030] Map"
  22. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 59: "Lyran Commonwealth after War of 3039 - [3040] Map"
  23. Historical: War of 3039, p. 132: "Inner Sphere - [3040] Map"
  24. Era Report: 3052, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3050] Map"
  25. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 61: "Lyran Commonwealth after Clan Invasion - [3052] Map"
  26. Era Report: 3052, p. 23: "Inner Sphere - [3052] Map"
  27. Era Report: 3062, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3057] Map"
  28. Era Report: 3062, p. 29: "Inner Sphere - [3063] Map"
  29. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 70: "Lyran Commonwealth after FedCom Civil War - [3067] Map"
  30. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 43: "Inner Sphere - [3067] Map"
  31. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 64: "Inner Sphere - [3075] Map"
  32. Field Report: LAAF, p. 21: "Lyran Alliance Armed Forces Deployment Map - [August 3079]"
  33. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 63: "Inner Sphere - [3081] Map"
  34. Field Manual: 3085, p. vii: "Inner Sphere - [3085] Map"
  35. Flight of the Falcon, ch. 18
  36. Era Report: 3145, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3135] Map"
  37. Era Report: 3145, p. 39: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  38. Field Manual: 3145, p. VI: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  39. Shattered Fortress, pp. 102–103: "Inner Sphere - [3151] Map"
  40. 40.0 40.1 40.2 Dark Age: Republic of the Sphere, p. 20: "Prefecture IX"
  41. 41.0 41.1 Masters of War, ch. 19
  42. Technical Readout: 3025, p. 128: Given the reference to First Succession War it is assumed the intended date was 2791, not 2891
  43. 43.0 43.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 73: "Ryde Theater"
  44. Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised, p. 42: "Barrett's Fusiliers: The Light Musketeers"
  45. 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 Masters of War, ch. 20
  46. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 61: "End of the Offensive"
  47. 20 Year Update, p. 26: "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  48. Field Report: LAAF, p. 10: "Arcturan Guards Regimental Status"
  49. Field Manual: 3145, p. 173: "Clan Force Deployments - Rasalhague Dominion"

Bibliography[edit]