Skondia

Skondia
← 3135
3151
Skondia 3151.svg
Skondia nearby systems
(Map Legend)
System Information
X:Y Coordinates-31.803 : 55.527[e]
Spectral classF6V[1]
Recharge station(s)Zenith (2785)[2]
Planet(s)5[1]

The Skondia system was the location of at least one habitable world, Skondia II, and as of June 3152 was an independent world in the Hinterlands.[3]

System Description[edit]

Skondia is located near the Alkalurops and Nusakan systems.

Political Affiliation[edit]

Skondia II[edit]

Skondia II
Skondia.jpg
Astrophysical
System positionSecond[1]
Jump Point distance14 days[1]
Moons3 (Tadzio, Urian, Wilmot)[1]
Geophysical
Surface gravity1.08[1]
Atmospheric pressureStandard (Breathable)[1]
Equatorial temperature50°C[1]
Surface water77%[1]
Highest native lifeBirds[1]
Landmasses2 (Steen, Edel)[1]
History and Culture
Population2,671,000,000 (3130)[1][55]
Government and Infrastructure
Political LeaderPlanetary Governor
Military CommanderLegate Yegor Welvel (3130)[1][55]
CapitalPlatinum City[1]

Planetary History[edit]

Early History[edit]

Skondia was settled for its abundant deposits of rare metals and minerals. Within a decade of the first colonists' arrival, the first cities on Skondia were producing nickel-alloy metals, titanium, and steel, used in everything from silverware to fusion reactors.[1]

Despite Skondia attracting the attention of the Federation of Skye, the Draconis Combine got to Skondia first, quickly conquering it in one of the first campaigns of conquest launched by the Dragon. After the rise of the Lyran Commonwealth, both the Commonwealth and the Combine would fight over control of Skondia repeatedly across the centuries. The Commonwealth managed to seize control of Skondia during the Age of War and kept control of the planet throughout the Star League era.[1]

Skondia was one of the targets of the Long March Offensive conducted by the Lyran Commonwealth and was invaded in the first three years of the campaign. The first prime objective of the Long March, Skondia, was lightly defended when the Lyrans arrived, a result of the Lyran feint towards St. John drawing defending Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery forces away. The conquest of Skondia was next followed by a Lyran attack on Nox.[8]

First Succession War[edit]

In June 2786, an unmarked freighter entered the Skondia system and passed through the Lyran picket lines unchallenged. Several DropShips then detached from this vessel and began a high-g burn toward the planet. Once the ships were in orbit, a regiment of Draconis Combine BattleMechs attacked the planet catching the defenders by surprise. The Commonwealth ground forces focused their might on defending the major industrial centers waiting for an attack. However, the Combine troops began attacking civilians and population centers instead. When the Lyran troops moved to stop these attacks, the quicker Combine forces flanked their opponents, as well as dropping additional BattleMech forces from the still unchallenged DropShips, seized the now undefended factories, and destroyed them. The Kuritan troops were then able to withdraw. This defeat was a major embarrassment to the Commonwealth High Command. However, the defeat led to many reforms regarding system security and planetary defense. The quick victory also convinced then-Coordinator Minoru Kurita to focus his efforts against the Federated Suns, as it was now seen as more dangerous than the Lyran Commonwealth.[56][57] For the Ninth Benjamin Regulars, the DCMS unit responsible for the attack, the raid was a great success; having dropped near the cities of Passageway and Wurston on the Edel continent, the Ninth then began attacking the cities when the defending Ninth Arcturan Guards scrambled to protect their primary assignment, the major factories on the planet. The Arcturan Guards responded to the reports of wide-scale slaughter in the two cities by leaving the factories to attack the battalion the Benjamin Regulars had deployed, only for a second wave of troops from the Ninth Benjamin Regulars to land on the factories dozens of kilometers away from where the Arcturan Guards were fighting. The Arcturan Guards contingents on the other continents scrambled to redeploy from their current locations to assist the beleaguered forces on Edel, by which time the Benjamin Regulars had already had two days to wreak havoc; as the Benjamin Regulars withdrew to meet their DropShips in the foothills of the Lafferty mountain range, they added insult to injury by destroying three of the largest factory complexes, located at Passageway, Vorenstag, and Wursten. The DropShips then rendezvoused with their JumpShip near the orbit of Skondia III and jumped out, well ahead of pursuing Lyran WarShip forces.[2]

In early 2787, the Draconis Combine returned to attack Skondia. This time they brought a major armada with them. After the humiliation of the previous attack, the Lyran Commonwealth had heavily reinforced the Skondia system. This resulted in one of the largest ship-to-ship engagements of the Succession Wars. The Kuritan fleet was able to penetrate the planetary defenses, offload their ground forces, and then reengage the Lyran fleet. Of the nearly 300 ships and fighters that took part on the Lyran side of the battle, only about 100 remained after the fighting. On the ground, Steiner forces performed well but were unable to halt the Combine invasion. After four months of fighting, the system was securely in Combine control.[17]

Second Succession War[edit]

During the darkest days of the Second Succession War, the Lyran Commonwealth was losing worlds steadily to both the Draconis Combine and the Free Worlds League and the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces neared the point of collapse, particularly in the 2860s and 2870s. As the 2870s drew to a close, the LCAF regained some of its confidence and launched a number of attempts to recapture some of the worlds that had been lost to the Commonwealth's neighbors, but still couldn't keep pace with the rate at which worlds were being captured. The Combine continued to push towards the important world of Skye and by 2884, Skondia had been recaptured by the Combine forces, who had also seized the worlds of Balkan, Kessel, Port Moseby, Ryde, and Vega, and the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery was on the verge of being able to threaten Skye directly.[24]

Third Succession War[edit]

Skondia was one of the four worlds targeted for liberation by the Lyran Commonwealth in Operation FREEDOM, which began in February 2913. Though the fighting was long, Skondia was successfully retaken from the Draconis Combine.[58]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

Skondia was invaded by the Draconis Combine's Fourteenth Legion of Vega in 3029. This was part of Theodore Kurita's counterassault named Operation CONTAGION, during the last year of the Fourth Succession War. At the time, the planet was lightly defended with only five militia infantry regiments and two battalions of militia BattleMechs made up mostly of Chameleon training 'Mechs with weapon refits. Most of the Lyran MechWarriors were either retirees or young trainees. For their first engagement, the Fourteenth Legion landed on top of an outpost named Fort Eagle, which was defended by two infantry regiments. While fighting bravely, the defending units were no match for their opponents and were nearly wiped out. The Legion then hopped from city to city inflicting a considerable amount of damage while they crushed all resistance. Five weeks into the Legion's campaign, the LCAF's acting commanding officer, Colonel Mitch Freeman, ordered his ill-armed and inexperienced BattleMech battalions to engage the Vegans near the town of Robes. Outnumbered and outgunned, The First and Second Battalions of the Skondia 'Mech Militia charged the Kuritan forces. The surprise attack inflicted heavy damage to two companies of the Vegans' BattleMechs. However, the Vegans quickly recovered, counterattacked and wiped out the two Skondian units to the last 'Mech. With all organized resistance eliminated, the planet was once again taken over by the Draconis Combine.[59]

Postbellum[edit]

In 3041, the Tenth Lyran Guards liberated the world from the Combine.[60][61][62][63][64] It seems to have fallen back to the Combine by 3044 when Operation BALDUR attempted to reclaim it and failed. The Commonwealth had control of it again at some point in 3050,[65][66] though several maps of this era continue to show the Combine in control of this world.

Jihad[edit]

During the early Jihad, the Word of Blake sent a naval force to Skondia. The chemical weapons and nuclear fire killed a quarter of the population and destroyed the newly built OmniMech factory there.[67] The Blakists then captured the world and integrated it into the Word of Blake Protectorate. Eventually, Clan Ghost Bear and Clan Snow Raven forces[68][69][70] led by the Ghost Bears' Delta Galaxy,[71] liberated the planet from the Blakists' in September 3076.[68][69][70] Though the Blakists' had little hesitation in using weapons of mass destruction to destroy their enemies, for some reason they didn't employ them on Skondia.[1]

The Dark Age[edit]

In the years after the Jihad, Chancellor Hohiro Kurita chose to cede Skondia to the expanding Republic of the Sphere, despite the protests of a number of his advisors and generals; to reduce the impact of ceding Skondia, the Chancellor extracted a concession from the Republic in the form of exclusive trade rights for a share of the planetary production.[1]

During their migration towards the former Free Worlds League, Clan Wolf forces under Star Colonel Donovan attacked Skondia in March 3137 as part of a diversion to hide their true destination. The Wolves were defeated by Anastasia Kerensky and Donovan taken as a bondsman.[72]

Military Deployment[edit]

2786[edit]

2821[edit]

3025[edit]

3028[edit]

  • Barrett's Fusiliers[75]

3029[edit]

3050[edit]

3067[edit]

Geography[edit]

Skondia's terrain included temperate and rugged regions that provided its mineral wealth, while rainforests around the equator and aquaculture regions provided foodstuffs and biopharmaceuticals.[72]

The southeastern continent of Steen is the site of both the planetary capital, Platinum City, and an impressive spaceport less than five kilometers north of the capital. The most active shipping hub on Skondia is Passageway, a sprawling megalopolis located on Edel, the northern continent.[1] Other notable sites on Edel include the cities of Wursten and Vorenstag; Passageway and Wursten were both attacked during the First Succession War, whilst the factory complexes at Passageway, Vorenstag, and Wursten were among the largest on the planet and were all razed in 2785.[2]

Planetary Locations[edit]

  • Askani[72]
  • Jarlhagen[72]
  • Passageway: megalopolis and shipping hub[2]
  • Platinum City: capital[2]
  • Vorenstag: city and industrial site[2]
  • Wursten: city and industrial site[2]

Companies and Industries[edit]

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 68 systems (66 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Alkalurops 11.1 Nusakan 12.6 Dromini 15.2 Atria 16.2
Alphecca 16.3 La Blon 17.3 Ko 18.0 Lyons 19.0
Sabik 19.2 Unukalhai 20.3 Zebebelgenubi 21.9 Skye 25.5
Lone Star 27.6 Alrakis 28.9 Balkan 29.5 Galatea 30.7
Syrma 30.8 Summer 32.1 Menkent 33.2 Kessel 33.8
Rocky 34.3 Zollikofen 36.3 Komephoros 36.5 Imbros 36.7
Kochab 37.1 Nai-Stohl 37.3 Moore 38.4 Ryde 38.6
Dyev 40.3 Muphrid 40.6 Carnwath 41.2 Mizar 41.7
Yorii 41.8 Konstance 42.5 Marfik 43.0 Haddings 43.4
Kimball 44.4 Lambrecht 45.3 Kaus Media 46.6 Kaus Australis 46.7
Asta 46.8 Thorin 48.3 Lipton 49.2 Chara 49.2
Alioth 49.7 Glengarry 49.8 Chaville 49.9 Killbourn 50.1
Cor Caroli 50.4 Izar 50.5 Alcor 50.5 Seginus 51.1
Eltanin 53.0 Pike 54.4 Athenry 55.1 Zavijava 55.8
Kuzuu 55.9 Tau Ceti 55.9 Ascella 56.0 Baxter 57.1
Denebola 57.5 Zebeneschamali 57.6 Altair 58.3 Vega 58.3
Kaus Borealis 59.4 Dieron 59.9 Rigil Kentarus 60.4 Xi Ursae Majoris 60.7

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 Dark Age: Republic Worlds (3130), p. 225: "Skondia World Profile"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 First Succession War, p. 22: "The Commonwealth Incursions"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dominions Divided, p. 85
  4. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, p. 16: "Free Worlds League Founding [2271]"
  5. ↑ Handbook: House Kurita, p. 18: "Draconis Combine Founding" - [2319] Map
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 13: "Federation of Skye world within the Lyran Commonwealth before [2340] and after at their founding in [2341]"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 35: "Battles in the Age of War"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 22: "Long March, Hard March"
  9. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 25: "Lyran Commonwealth After Age Of War - [2571] Map"
  10. ↑ Handbook: House Kurita, p. 30: "Draconis Combine after Age of War - [2571] Map"
  11. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 159: "Inner Sphere - [2596] Map"
  12. ↑ Era Report: 2750, p. 37: "Inner Sphere - [2750] Map"
  13. ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, p. xi: "Inner Sphere - [2764] Map"
  14. ↑ Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [2765] Map"
  15. ↑ House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 53: "Bujitsu"
  16. ↑ First Succession War, pp. 24–25: "Inner Sphere - [2786] Map"
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 45: "The First Succession War"
  18. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 36: "Lyran Commonwealth After First Succession War - [2822] Map"
  19. ↑ Handbook: House Kurita, p. 43: "Draconis Combine after First Succession War - [2822] Map"
  20. ↑ Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, p. 122: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"
  21. ↑ First Succession War, pp. 112–113: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"
  22. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 40: "Lyran Commonwealth After Second Succession War - [2864] Map"
  23. ↑ Handbook: House Kurita, p. 53: "Draconis Combine after Second Succession War - [2864] Map"
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 68: "Hanging On"
  25. ↑ House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 83: "The Steiner Quagmire"
  26. ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), foldout: "Lyran Commonwealth Map - [3025]"
  27. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 47: "Lyran Commonwealth after Third Succession War - [3025] Map"
  28. ↑ House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), foldout: "Draconis Combine Map - [3025]"
  29. ↑ Handbook: House Kurita, p. 64: "Draconis Combine after Third Succession War - 3025"
  30. ↑ Handbook: House Kurita, p. 66: "Draconis Combine after Fourth Succession War - [3030] Map"
  31. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 56: "Lyran Commonwealth After First Succession War - [3030] Map"
  32. ↑ Handbook: House Kurita, p. 68: "Draconis Combine after War of 3039 - [3040] Map"
  33. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 59: "Lyran Commonwealth After War Of 3039 - [3040] Map"
  34. ↑ Historical: War of 3039, p. 133: "Inner Sphere - [3040] Map"
  35. ↑ Era Report: 3052, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3050] Map"
  36. ↑ Era Report: 3052, p. 23: "Inner Sphere - [3052] Map"
  37. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 61: "Lyran Commonwealth After Clan Invasion [3052]"
  38. ↑ Era Report: 3052, p. 23: "Inner Sphere Map - [3052] Map"
  39. ↑ Handbook: House Kurita, p. 71: "Draconis Combine after Operation REVIVAL - [3052] Map"
  40. ↑ Era Report: 3062, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3057] Map"
  41. ↑ Era Report: 3062, p. 29: "Inner Sphere - [3063] Map"
  42. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 70: "Lyran Commonwealth After FedCom Civil War - [3067] Map"
  43. ↑ Handbook: House Kurita, p. 74: "Draconis Combine after FedCom Civil War - [3067] Map"
  44. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 42: "Inner Sphere Map [October 3067]"
  45. ↑ Starterbook: Wolf and Blake, p. 13: "Word of Blake Protectorate [3072] Map"
  46. ↑ Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 65: "Inner Sphere - [3075] Map"
  47. ↑ Field Report: Clans, p. 27: "Clan Wolf/Clan Hell's Horses Deployment Map - [August 3079]"
  48. ↑ Field Report: LAAF, p. 19: "Lyran Alliance Armed Forces Deployment Map - [August 3079]"
  49. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 63: "Inner Sphere - [3081] Map"
  50. ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 127: "Inner Sphere - [3085] Map"
  51. ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - [3135] Map"
  52. ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 39: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  53. ↑ Field Manual: 3145, p. VI: "Inner Sphere - 3145"
  54. ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 103: "Inner Sphere - 3151" (Map)
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 Dark Age: Republic of the Sphere, p. 20: "Prefecture IX"
  56. ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 43: "The First Succession War"
  57. ↑ House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 53: "The First Succession War"
  58. ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 76: "The First Succession War"
  59. ↑ NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 78: "Early Successes"
  60. ↑ MechWarrior, 3rd Edition, p. 161: "Skirmishes and Plots"
  61. ↑ Classic BattleTech Universe, p. 12: "Skirmishes and Plots"
  62. ↑ Solaris: The Reaches. p. 13: Vampires Stable"
  63. ↑ Shattered Sphere, p. 9: "Skirmishes and Plots"
  64. ↑ Inner Sphere, p. 14: "Skirmishes and Plots"
  65. ↑ Lethal Heritage, chs. 3, 6, 7, 13
  66. ↑ 20 Year Update, p. 26: "Lyons Command"
  67. ↑ 67.0 67.1 Field Report: DCMS, p. 18: "Alternate Paths"
  68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 84: "Ghost Bears Advance in Protectorate"
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 22: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 56: "The Jihad in Review"
  71. ↑ Field Report: Clans, p. 9: "Delta Galaxy"
  72. ↑ 72.0 72.1 72.2 72.3 Masters of War, ch. 30
  73. ↑ 73.0 73.1 73.2 First Succession War, p. 139: "First Succession War Deployment Table - LCAF"
  74. ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 117: "Deployment of LCAF Forces"
  75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 45: "Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG"
  76. ↑ NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2, p. 78: "Early Successes"
  77. ↑ 20 Year Update, p. 26: "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  78. ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 117: "Draconis Combine Deployment Table"

Bibliography[edit]

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