Markesan Operational Area
Sarna News
Contents
History & Description
The Markesan Operational Area - also referred to as the Crucis March Coreward Combat Theater - was a regional command within the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. One of the subdivisions of the Crucis March, the Markesan Operational Area was a completely military administration, with no civilian governing responsibilities, and was traditionally commanded by a Field Marshal. As an Operational Area the Markesan OA had command authority over a number of smaller regional commands commonly known as Polymorphous Defense Zones or Combat Regions, although during the era of the Federated Commonwealth the PDZs were simply known as Commands.[1][2][3][4]
The size and scope of the Markesan OA has remained largely stable since the Age of War in 2571, at which point the Markesan OA consisted of three PDZs encompassing the heart of the Federated Suns.[5] A large part of the Markesan OA was occupied by the Draconis Combine during the First Succession War, but had been reclaimed by the end of the War in 2821. The Kathil Operational Area's most coreward PDZ, the Chesterton Combat Region, had been divided in half by the Capellan Confederation, with Chesterton and Demeter left isolated from the remainder of the CR; these systems were folded into the Achemar PDZ within the Markesan OA as a result.[6]
By the end of the Second Succession War the Kathil OA had expanded and the Valexa PDZ had been formed, returning the Chesterton and Demeter systems to administration by the Capellan March, and the borders of the Markesan OA remained essentially static throughout the Succession Wars, although the number of inhabited systems declined during both the Second and Third Succession Wars.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Even the chaos of the Jihad and the formation of the Republic of the Sphere left the Markesan OA largely unchanged in terms of borders and number of systems.[14][15] By 3145 the Markesan OA found itself precariously poised between a number of sustained DCMS incursions threatening all three PDZs, both from the annexation of large regions of the Draconis March and the sustained invasion path known as the Dragon's Tongue that had annexed more than half of the Ulysses PDZ within the Minette Operational Area.[16][17][18]
Commanding Officers
In 3054 the Commanding Officer of the Kathil OA was Marshal Aileen Young, with Hauptmann General Ruby Ellis serving as her second in command.[19] In 3067 the Commanding Officer of the Markesan OA was Field Marshal Donna Iona, with Marshal Michael Buckley acting as her aide.[13] In 3085 the Commanding Officer was Field Marshal John Daniels, with Marshal Kelly Cothron serving as aide.[15] In 3145 the Commanding Officer was Claire Winter, with Marshal Louis Fabier serving as aide.[16]
Sub Regions
The following sub-regions have all been a part of the Markesan OA at some point during their history:
- Achemar Combat Region[19][13][15][16]
- Kestrel Combat Region[19][13][15][16]
- Marlette Combat Region[20][21]
- New Avalon Combat Region[19][13][15][16]
Systems of Note
Capitol
Regional Capitols
- Kestrel (Kestrel CR)[19][13][15][16]
- Marlette (Achemar CR[19][13][15][16] and Marlette CR[20][21])
- New Avalon (New Avalon CR)[19][13][15][16]
Maps of the Operational Area
Markesan OA in 3050
Markesan OA in 3130
See Also
References
- ↑ Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 17, "Combat Theater"
- ↑ Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 17, "Polymorphous Defense Zone/Combat Region"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 125, "Combat Theater/Operation Area"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 125, "Polymorphous Defense Zone/Combat Region"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 48, "Federated Suns after Age of War - [2571]"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 54, "Federated Suns after First Succession War - [2822]"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 60, "Federated Suns after Second Succession War - [2864]"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 70, "Federated Suns after Third Succession War - [3025]"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 72, "Federated Suns after Fourth Succession War - [3030] Map"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 76, "Federated Suns after War of 3039 - [3040]"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 78, "Federated Suns after Operation Guerrero - [3058]"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 82, "Federated Suns after FedCom Civil War - [3067]"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 Field Manual: Updates, p. 139, "Coreward Combat Theater (Markesan Operational Area)"
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. Vii, "Inner Sphere - [3085]"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 Field Manual: 3085, p. 71, "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns"
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 Field Manual: 3145, p. 90, "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns"
- ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 39, "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
- ↑ Field Manual: 3145, p. VI, "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 Objective Raids, p. 15, "Coreward Combat Theater (Markesan Operations Area)"
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 First Succession War, p. 40, "Fighting the Tsunami"
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 First Succession War, p. 44, "On The Brink"