New Wessex

New Wessex
New Wessex 3151.svg
System Information
X:Y Coordinates-12.415 : 113.43[e]
Spectral classK2IV[1]
Planet(s)11[1]

System Description[edit]

New Wessex is located near the Cebalrai and Kannon systems and is Coreward from Terra.[2] It is known to have eleven planets as of 3130.[1]

System History[edit]

The New Wessex system was colonized in or before the twenty-fourth century.[2]

Political Affiliation[edit]


New Wessex III[edit]

New Wessex III
New Wessex.jpg
Astrophysical
System positionThird[1]
Jump Point distance5 days[1]
Moons1 (Juniper)[1]
Geophysical
Surface gravity1.15[1]
Atmospheric pressureStandard (Tainted)[1]
Equatorial temperature23°C[1]
Surface water54%[1]
Highest native lifeBirds[1]
Landmasses4 (Lancombe, Jarichosia, Toridine, Thelios)[1]
History and Culture
Population739,000,000 (3130)[1][45]
Government and Infrastructure
Political LeaderPlanetary Governor
Military CommanderLegate Aaron Ghint (3130)[1][45]
CapitalHallanan[1]

Planetary History[edit]

New Wessex was once a beautiful world that had light industry and moderate agricultural production. The true benefit to New Wessex however, is its location between the Lyran Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine.

First Succession War[edit]

During the First Succession War a task group of light WarShips from the Commonwealth led a Lyran invasion of the world. These WarShips were supposed to bombard the planet, particularly cities, in the hope that they could simply destroy the defenders outright.[1]

Unfortunately the Draconis Combine Admiralty had moved a task force of their own into orbit around New Wessex. During the resulting orbital battle, a damaged Lyran battleship tumbled into the planet's atmosphere and its power plants exploded. The resulting toxic materials showered over half the northern coastline of the northern continent, Jaricosa. Even after centuries of cleanup efforts, the percentages of the population who contract cancer and other related diseases is higher than average.[1]

Even with the poisoning of the atmosphere, New Wessex would be raided several more times by the Lyran Commonwealth as the Succession Wars drug on.

Second Succession War[edit]

In 2857, the Lyran Commonwealth would attack and seize New Wessex as part of a counterassault against the Combine's Marathon Offensive.[15]

Third Succession War[edit]

At some point during the Third Succession War, the Draconis Combine would retake New Wessex.[19]

Battle of Harlow's Wood[edit]

The Lyran Commonwealth began to expect an attack from the Draconis Combine in late 3010s. As New Wessex was used by the Combine as a staging area for many operations into the Commonwealth, they needed to disrupt any military resources there to deter an incoming attack. In early 3021, the Black Widow Company of Wolf's Dragoons in the employ of the Commonwealth, would secretly land on New Wessex. There they would establish a base within the heavily forested region that covered thousands of square kilometers, known as Harlow's Wood. From there, they raided supply depots, aerospace fighter bases, storage areas and even a strike into the planet's capital city of Hallanan.

These attacks demanded a response from the defending Combine unit on world, the Twentieth Draconis Regiment. Under the command of Brigadier Jinjo Yamashiga, the Twentieth moved into the Wood to find the Widow's base and destroy them. However, Yamashiga would deploy his units in Lance sized formations. This would play right into the talents of the Black Widow Company and Natasha Kerensky. Kerensky would use the Wood to screen her company's movements to engage each Combine Lance one at a time. By the end of the week, 18 of the 27 Combine lances had been heavily damaged.

As the Combine forces tried to regroup, the Widows began preparations to leave New Wessex. At this time, the Waco Rangers, who were on world for a much needed break, first learned of the fighting between the Dragoons and the Combine. Colonel Wayne Waco was furious to learn he had been uninformed of the fighting and scrambled to put together a company of his troops to join the hunt. Waco would study the maps of Harlow Wood and determine the best place for the Widows to be operating from before leading his troops on a two day forced march to engage the Dragoon forces. Jinjo Yamashiga would instruct the Rangers to not get involved, but Wayne Waco had other ideas and marched into the Wood. He had correctly guessed the location of the Widow's base, but had arrived only in time to fire a few long range shots before the Widows would launch in their DropShip and escape off world.

Being cheated of an opportunity to destroy a portion of his hated rivals, Wolf's Dragoons, Wayne Waco would submit a scathing report on the incompetence of Jinjo Yamashiga and his unit's response to the Widows attack. Jinjo Yamashiga, with his unit suffering from heavy losses, the Widow's escaping and the Rangers report highlighting his errors, would commit seppuku a month later.[46][47][48][1]

Battle of the Ouros Crossing[edit]

In 3024, the Second Benjamin Regulars was assigned to defend New Wessex. To assist them, they were assigned Tyrell's Raiders as an auxiliary force. Sho-sa Victor Garreth, commander of the Second, was not fond of being assigned the Raiders and often clashed with unit's commander. During a Lyran Commonwealth attack, Garreth would assign the Raiders to defend the Vesper-on-Ouros crossing against what he told them was a similarly sized unit. However, the incoming Lyran unit was almost a full regiment of heavy BattleMechs. Garreth had found a way to rid himself of the unit he loathed. The Raiders found themselves outnumbered and outgunned. Those who were not destroyed outright in the fighting, retreated to the Combine base only to be hanged as traitors by Garreth for cowardice in fleeing from an equal sized force. Garreth then appropriated the unit's 'Mechs to add to his unit. However, one member of the Raiders, Salvadore Tyrell, would survive and plot his revenge.[49]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

During the Fourth Succession War the Lyran Commonwealth used the Third Lyran Guards to attack New Wessex as a part of the final wave of attacks launched under Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG. However, this attack failed to take the planet and the system remained in Combine hands.[22][50]

War of 3039[edit]

New Wessex was originally planned to be an objective of the third wave of the Federated Commonwealth's Operation WINTERSCHNEE during the War of 3039. However, the Draconis Combine's counterattack halted the Commonwealth thrust before any wave 3 operations could be conducted.[51]

Dark Age[edit]

As a part of The Republic of the Sphere's Prefecture I, most of New Wessex's residents still follow the Japanese culture they had during their time as a part of the Draconis Combine.[1]

Military Deployment[edit]

2821[edit]

2830[edit]

  • Fourth Amphigean Light Assault Group[54]
  • Bad Dream[55]

3038[edit]

3040[edit]

  • Fifth Amphigean Light Assault Group[56]

3050[edit]

  • Fifth Amphigean Light Assault Group[57]

Geography[edit]

New Wessex has four continents named Lancombe, Jarichosia, Toridine, and Thelios.[1]

Planetary Locations[edit]

  • Hallanan: planetary capital city on the continent of Lancombe[1]
  • Harlow's Wood[58]
  • Ouros River[49]
  • Vesper-on-Ouros: an important river crossing[49]

Local Fauna[edit]

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 56 systems (54 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Cebalrai 7.2 Kannon 11.0 Vega 11.1 Gamma Sagittarius 15.5
Eltanin 17.6 Konstance 18.7 Baxter 18.9 Shionoha 22.0
Phalan 22.2 Corridan 26.8 Kimball 27.0 Juniper 28.7
Kaus Borealis 29.3 Kessel 29.7 Eaglesham 29.8 Komephoros 30.5
Accrington 31.6 Marfik 32.3 Yed Posterior 32.3 Alrakis 32.4
Tsukude 33.1 Balkan 35.0 Kaus Australis 35.0 Aubisson 37.1
Kaus Media 39.0 Ryde 39.5 Sakhalin 40.0 Alya 42.3
Symington 43.2 Nai-Stohl 43.3 Talisker 44.7 La Blon 45.0
Alexandria 45.3 Auldhouse 46.4 Dalkeith 46.4 Dromini 48.1
Port Moseby 49.4 Altais 49.8 Izar 50.2 Yed Prior 50.7
Buckminster 51.0 Ascella 51.3 Freedom 52.2 Moore 52.6
Kingtribel 53.5 Camlann 53.8 Ganshoren 54.4 Rukbat 54.7
Unukalhai 55.3 Orestes 55.9 Sabik 56.3 Kuzuu 58.7
Morningside 59.3 Carnwath 59.4 Shitara 60.1 Skondia 61.1

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 Dark Age: Republic Worlds (3130), p. 22: "New Wessex"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Handbook: House Kurita, p. 18: "Draconis Combine: Foundation (2319)"
  3. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 13
  4. Handbook: House Kurita, p. 31
  5. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 25
  6. Historical: Reunification War, p. 159
  7. Era Report: 2750, p. 37
  8. Field Manual: SLDF, p. xi: Inner Sphere - [2764]
  9. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 11
  10. First Succession War, p. 25
  11. Handbook: House Kurita, p. 43
  12. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 36
  13. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, pp. 122–123
  14. First Succession War, p. 113
  15. 15.0 15.1 Second Succession War, p. 74: "The 'Marathon Offensive' (2854–2858)"
  16. Handbook: House Kurita, p. 53
  17. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 40
  18. House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), foldout: "Draconis Combine Map - [3025]"
  19. 19.0 19.1 Handbook: House Kurita, p. 64
  20. House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), foldout: Lyran Commonwealth Map [3025]
  21. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 47
  22. 22.0 22.1 Handbook: House Kurita, p. 66
  23. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 56
  24. Historical: War of 3039, p. 133
  25. Handbook: House Kurita, p. 68
  26. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 59
  27. Era Report: 3052, p. 11
  28. Era Report: 3052, p. 23
  29. Handbook: House Kurita, p. 71
  30. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 61
  31. Era Report: 3062, p. 11
  32. Era Report: 3062, p. 29
  33. Handbook: House Kurita, p. 74
  34. Handbook: House Steiner, p. 70
  35. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 42
  36. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 64
  37. Field Report: DCMS, p. 21
  38. Field Report: LAAF, p. 19
  39. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 63
  40. Field Manual: 3085, p. 127
  41. Era Report: 3145, p. 11
  42. Era Report: 3145, p. 39
  43. Field Manual: 3145, p. VI: "Inner Sphere - 3145"
  44. Shattered Fortress, p. 103
  45. 45.0 45.1 Dark Age: Republic of the Sphere, p. 6: "Prefecture I"
  46. 46.0 46.1 Tales of the Black Widow Company, p. 7: "Hit-and-Run Raids"
  47. Wolf's Dragoons, p. 27: "Harlow's Wood"
  48. 48.0 48.1 Mercenary's Handbook, p. 84: "Brush with the Widow"
  49. 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 49.4 49.5 Dance of Vengeance, short story
  50. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, pp. 44–45: "Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG"
  51. Historical: War of 3039, p. 69: "Wave 3 Objectives"
  52. First Succession War, p. 136: "First Succession War Deployment Table - DCMS"
  53. First Succession War, p. 137: "First Succession War Deployment Table - DCMS"
  54. Second Succession War, p. 96: "Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery (DCMS)"
  55. Second Succession War, p. 97: "Mercenary Combat Commands (DCMS)"
  56. 56.0 56.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 139: "Deployment Table"
  57. 20 Year Update, p. 40: "Draconis Combine Deployment Table"
  58. Wolf's Dragoons, p. 27

Bibliography[edit]