Difference between revisions of "Tharkad"

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==Political Affiliation==
 
==Political Affiliation==
 
<div class="desktop-3-col">
 
<div class="desktop-3-col">
−
* [[2340]] - [[Protectorate of Donegal]]<ref name=HBHS13>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 13: "Protectorate of Donegal world within the Lyran Commonwealth befor [2340] and after at their founding in [2341]"</ref>
+
* [[2340]] - [[Protectorate of Donegal]]<ref name=HBHS13>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 13: "Protectorate of Donegal world within the Lyran Commonwealth before [2340] and after at their founding in [2341]"</ref>
 
* [[2341]] - [[Lyran Commonwealth]]<ref name=HBHS13/>
 
* [[2341]] - [[Lyran Commonwealth]]<ref name=HBHS13/>
 
* [[2571]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="HB:HSp25>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 25: "Lyran Commonwealth after Age of War [2571]"</ref>
 
* [[2571]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="HB:HSp25>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 25: "Lyran Commonwealth after Age of War [2571]"</ref>
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* [[3135]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="ER:3145p11">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 11: "Inner Sphere - 3135"</ref>
 
* [[3135]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="ER:3145p11">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 11: "Inner Sphere - 3135"</ref>
 
* [[3145]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="ER:3145p39">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 39: "Inner Sphere - 3145"</ref>
 
* [[3145]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="ER:3145p39">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 39: "Inner Sphere - 3145"</ref>
−
* [[3150]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref>''Shrapnel Issue #3'', "Voices of the Sphere: Star League Day"</ref>
+
* [[3150]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref>''Shrapnel Issue #3'': "Voices of the Sphere: Star League Day"</ref>
−
* [[3151]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref>''Shrapnel Issue #4'', "Voices of the Sphere: Cryogenics"</ref>
+
* [[3151]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref>''Shrapnel Issue #4'': "Voices of the Sphere: Cryogenics"</ref>
 
* [[3152]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name=TRpm>''Tamar Rising'', poster map</ref>
 
* [[3152]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name=TRpm>''Tamar Rising'', poster map</ref>
 
</div>
 
</div>
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===Star League===
 
===Star League===
−
The Tharkad system served as the homeport for the [[8th Fleet (SLDF)]] during the final years of the Star League.  This served to remind the Commonwealth of the Star League's protective presence.  It also was there to remind the Lyrans of the forces they would have to contest if on the extremely unlikely case the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] declaring war on the Star League.  The fleet presence also assisted the [[Nagelring]] in training their cadets by having warship assets in-system for training on a regular basis.<ref>''Field Manual: SLDF'', p. 114: "Homeport"</ref>
+
The Tharkad system served as the homeport for the [[8th Fleet (SLDF)]] during the final years of the Star League.  This served to remind the Commonwealth of the Star League's protective presence.  It also was there to remind the Lyrans of the forces they would have to contest if on the extremely unlikely case the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] declaring war on the Star League.  The fleet presence also assisted the [[Nagelring]] in training their cadets by having WarShip assets in-system for training on a regular basis.<ref>''Field Manual: SLDF'', p. 114: "Homeport"</ref>
  
 
In addition, there was a sizable ground garrison as well with a BattleMech Division stationed on-world.<ref>''Field Manual: SLDF'', p. 255: "SLDF - Lyran Commonwealth Military Command Map"</ref>
 
In addition, there was a sizable ground garrison as well with a BattleMech Division stationed on-world.<ref>''Field Manual: SLDF'', p. 255: "SLDF - Lyran Commonwealth Military Command Map"</ref>
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While it was one of the last battles of the [[FedCom Civil War]], the Battle for Tharkad was one of the first in the [[Word of Blake]]'s [[Jihad]]. When the Second [[Star League]] dissolved in [[3067]] on Tharkad, the Word immediately went on the offensive.<ref name="TCp47">''Total Chaos'', pp. 47–49: "Tharkad (sidebar)"</ref> They saw the [[Federated Suns]] and the [[Lyran Alliance]] as the culprits, since they claimed they could no longer afford to support the League with the massive rebuilding they needed to do after the war. The Blakists attempted to cow Lyran Archon [[Peter Steiner-Davion]] into returning to the League with a show of force in the form of the [[Tharkad (WarShip)|LCS ''Invincible'']].<ref name="J:FRp44"/> The Word had found and refit the last [[WarShip]] lost during the Succession Wars, and intended to return it to the Lyrans as a gift.<ref name="TCp47"/> With the dissolution of the Star League, however, the interpretation of a prophecy that the dominant faction of the Word believed in was destroyed, which provoked them to violence.
 
While it was one of the last battles of the [[FedCom Civil War]], the Battle for Tharkad was one of the first in the [[Word of Blake]]'s [[Jihad]]. When the Second [[Star League]] dissolved in [[3067]] on Tharkad, the Word immediately went on the offensive.<ref name="TCp47">''Total Chaos'', pp. 47–49: "Tharkad (sidebar)"</ref> They saw the [[Federated Suns]] and the [[Lyran Alliance]] as the culprits, since they claimed they could no longer afford to support the League with the massive rebuilding they needed to do after the war. The Blakists attempted to cow Lyran Archon [[Peter Steiner-Davion]] into returning to the League with a show of force in the form of the [[Tharkad (WarShip)|LCS ''Invincible'']].<ref name="J:FRp44"/> The Word had found and refit the last [[WarShip]] lost during the Succession Wars, and intended to return it to the Lyrans as a gift.<ref name="TCp47"/> With the dissolution of the Star League, however, the interpretation of a prophecy that the dominant faction of the Word believed in was destroyed, which provoked them to violence.
  
−
The Alliance Naval Command, as well as Professor [[Blaine Dwyer]] and amateur astronomer [[James Franzaglio]], did detect some man-made objects on space that where not "aligned" with the delegations present on Tharkad, but they were not very worried on this as commented by [[Admiral]] [[Casey Martine]]. Unfortunately they were proven wrong.<ref name=Mystery_Ships>''BattleCorps: INN Newscast (Solaris Broadcasting Co. section), news item published [01/12/3067]: "Mystery Ships Spotted in Tharkad System"''</ref>
+
The Alliance Naval Command, as well as Professor [[Blaine Dwyer]] and amateur astronomer [[James Franzaglio]], did detect some manmade objects on space that where not "aligned" with the delegations present on Tharkad, but they were not very worried on this as commented by [[Admiral]] [[Casey Martine]]. Unfortunately they were proven wrong.<ref name=Mystery_Ships>''BattleCorps: INN Newscast (Solaris Broadcasting Co. section), news item published [01/12/3067]: "Mystery Ships Spotted in Tharkad System"''</ref>
  
−
When Archon Peter was unshaken by the implied threat of the ''Invincible'', the Blakists rained down fire upon the capital city of the Lyran Alliance. This assault damaged the nuclear reactor under the Triad and caused a meltdown, though confused early reports believed the Blakists had launched a nuclear weapon.<ref name="J:FRp44">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 44: "The Jihad In Review"</ref> The ''Invincible'' and at least three other Blakist WarShips - the ''[[McKenna (WarShip class)|McKenna]]''-class battleship [[Blake's Sword|WoBS ''Blake's Sword'']], the ''[[Sovetskii Soyuz]]''-class [[Stalwart Defender|WoBS ''Stalwart Defender'']] and the ''[[Essex]]''-class destroyer [[Deliverance|WoBS ''Deliverance'']] - formed a naval blockade that formed the backdrop for a four-year siege of the Lyran capital that was typified by Blakist orbital bombardment clearing space for their ground troops to secure a beachhead, who were then defeated by Lyran troops. Although the ''Blake's Sword'', ''Stalwart Defender'' and ''Deliverance'' were all withdrawn for other tasks in [[3068]], the blockade in place on Tharkad remained highly effective.<ref name="TCp47"/> The [[LCAF]] made a major but ultimately unsuccessful effort to breach the Blakist blockade on the 18th of March [[3069]] with an [[aerospace fighter]] and [[DropShip]] task force<ref name="J:FRp46">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 46: "The Jihad In Review"</ref> in an effort mounted from [[Coventry]]. The ''Invincible'' also proved equally destructive when used against any gathering of resistance forces on the surface of Tharkad, bombarding a number of targets and at one point destroying the ''[[Luftenburg]]''-class blue water carrier believed to be transporting the Archon.<ref name="TCp47"/>
+
When Archon Peter was unshaken by the implied threat of the ''Invincible'', the Blakists rained down fire upon the capital city of the Lyran Alliance. This assault damaged the nuclear reactor under the Triad and caused a meltdown, though confused early reports believed the Blakists had launched a nuclear weapon.<ref name="J:FRp44">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 44: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> The ''Invincible'' and at least three other Blakist WarShips - the ''[[McKenna (WarShip class)|McKenna]]''-class battleship [[Blake's Sword|WoBS ''Blake's Sword'']], the ''[[Sovetskii Soyuz]]''-class [[Stalwart Defender|WoBS ''Stalwart Defender'']] and the ''[[Essex]]''-class destroyer [[Deliverance|WoBS ''Deliverance'']] - formed a naval blockade that formed the backdrop for a four-year siege of the Lyran capital that was typified by Blakist orbital bombardment clearing space for their ground troops to secure a beachhead, who were then defeated by Lyran troops. Although the ''Blake's Sword'', ''Stalwart Defender'' and ''Deliverance'' were all withdrawn for other tasks in [[3068]], the blockade in place on Tharkad remained highly effective.<ref name="TCp47"/> The [[LCAF]] made a major but ultimately unsuccessful effort to breach the Blakist blockade on the 18th of March [[3069]] with an [[aerospace fighter]] and [[DropShip]] task force<ref name="J:FRp46">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 46: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> in an effort mounted from [[Coventry]]. The ''Invincible'' also proved equally destructive when used against any gathering of resistance forces on the surface of Tharkad, bombarding a number of targets and at one point destroying the [[Luftenburg]]-class blue water carrier believed to be transporting the Archon.<ref name="TCp47"/>
  
 
The Word's blockade was so successful that the Archon was effectively cut off from his people. A rescue mission sent by General of the Armies [[Adam Steiner]] was only able to get out with a message of hope from Peter, confirmation that he was still alive.
 
The Word's blockade was so successful that the Archon was effectively cut off from his people. A rescue mission sent by General of the Armies [[Adam Steiner]] was only able to get out with a message of hope from Peter, confirmation that he was still alive.
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Despite the effectiveness of the Blakist blockade, the resistance remained a constant and active threat, supported by the local population and determined to harry the Blakist occupiers. Using their intimate knowledge of the terrain and climate of Tharkad, the resistance fiercely resisted the occupation, despite facing the [[37th Division (Word of Blake)|Thirty-seventh Militia Division]], [[Fortieth Shadow Division]] and the mercenary unit known as ''[[Lowbräu]]''. Despite the relatively low numbers the resistance was apparently capable of mustering, it managed a degree of success that outstripped its strength; at one point, the resistance, specifically the tank unit ''[[EISENJÄGER]]'',<ref name=Eisen>''Eisenjäger''</ref> successfully ambushed and annihilated [[Precentor]] McKinnsey and his [[Level II]], throwing the Blakist forces into confusion and turmoil until Precentor Kishimoto took command. The resistance continued to fight despite the steady influx of Blakist reinforcements and the lack of any real prospect of ousting the Word from their occupation.<ref name="TCp47"/>
 
Despite the effectiveness of the Blakist blockade, the resistance remained a constant and active threat, supported by the local population and determined to harry the Blakist occupiers. Using their intimate knowledge of the terrain and climate of Tharkad, the resistance fiercely resisted the occupation, despite facing the [[37th Division (Word of Blake)|Thirty-seventh Militia Division]], [[Fortieth Shadow Division]] and the mercenary unit known as ''[[Lowbräu]]''. Despite the relatively low numbers the resistance was apparently capable of mustering, it managed a degree of success that outstripped its strength; at one point, the resistance, specifically the tank unit ''[[EISENJÄGER]]'',<ref name=Eisen>''Eisenjäger''</ref> successfully ambushed and annihilated [[Precentor]] McKinnsey and his [[Level II]], throwing the Blakist forces into confusion and turmoil until Precentor Kishimoto took command. The resistance continued to fight despite the steady influx of Blakist reinforcements and the lack of any real prospect of ousting the Word from their occupation.<ref name="TCp47"/>
  
−
In [[3071]], Peter abdicated so that the Blakists could no longer symbolically control the Archon. In his place, he designated Adam Steiner as his successor. Now-Archon Steiner was able to liberate Tharkad in January [[3072]], complete with the capture of the LCS ''Invincible''. The force Adam led to liberate Tharkad on the 11th of January was primarily a Lyran attack force augmented by elements drawn from a variety of other groups, including [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]], [[Wolf's Dragoons]], the [[Kell Hounds]], the [[Grave Walkers]]<ref name="TCp47"/> and even a token [[Clan Jade Falcon]] formation.<ref name="JHS3076p21">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 21: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp50">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 50: "The Jihad In Review"</ref><ref>''Total Chaos'', pp. 48, 110–111, 114–115</ref> The liberation had to begin by breaching the naval blockade; Adam Steiner had assembled a considerable DropShip and aerospace force, which was backed up by a trio of WarShips - the ''[[Mjolnir]]''-class battlecruisers [[Fylgia|LCS ''Fylgia'']] and [[Yggdrasil (Individual Mjolnir-class WarShip)|LCS ''Yggdrasil'']] and the ''[[Fox (WarShip class)|Fox]]''-class corvette [[Ian McQuiston (Individual Fox-class WarShip)|LCS ''Ian McQuiston'']]. The two ''Mjolnirs'' led the attack on the ''Invincible'', their presence masking Adam Steiner's true plan for dealing with the ''Invincible''; with the battlecruisers drawing the Blakists attention, two hundred marines were delivered onto the ''Invincible'' via more than twenty assault shuttles that had concealed themselves among the clouds of fighters surrounding the ''Mjolnirs''. The marines fought a savage deck-by-deck battle that saw more than three-quarters of them killed, but which left them in command of the ''Invincible'', returning her to the Lyran navy for the first time in centuries.<ref name="TCp47"/>
+
In [[3071]], Peter abdicated so that the Blakists could no longer symbolically control the Archon. In his place, he designated Adam Steiner as his successor. Now-Archon Steiner was able to liberate Tharkad in January [[3072]], complete with the capture of the LCS ''Invincible''. The force Adam led to liberate Tharkad on the 11th of January was primarily a Lyran attack force augmented by elements drawn from a variety of other groups, including [[Clan Wolf-in-Exile]], [[Wolf's Dragoons]], the [[Kell Hounds]], the [[Grave Walkers]]<ref name="TCp47"/> and even a token [[Clan Jade Falcon]] formation.<ref name="JHS3076p21">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 21: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp50">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 50: "The Jihad in Review"</ref><ref>''Total Chaos'', pp. 48, 110–111, 114–115</ref> The liberation had to begin by breaching the naval blockade; Adam Steiner had assembled a considerable DropShip and aerospace force, which was backed up by a trio of WarShips - the ''[[Mjolnir]]''-class battlecruisers [[Fylgia|LCS ''Fylgia'']] and [[Yggdrasil (Individual Mjolnir-class WarShip)|LCS ''Yggdrasil'']] and the ''[[Fox (WarShip class)|Fox]]''-class corvette [[Ian McQuiston (Individual Fox-class WarShip)|LCS ''Ian McQuiston'']]. The two ''Mjolnirs'' led the attack on the ''Invincible'', their presence masking Adam Steiner's true plan for dealing with the ''Invincible''; with the battlecruisers drawing the Blakists attention, two hundred marines were delivered onto the ''Invincible'' via more than twenty assault shuttles that had concealed themselves among the clouds of fighters surrounding the ''Mjolnirs''. The marines fought a savage deck-by-deck battle that saw more than three-quarters of them killed, but which left them in command of the ''Invincible'', returning her to the Lyran navy for the first time in centuries.<ref name="TCp47"/>
  
 
With the blockade breached, the ''Ian McQuiston'' escorted the bulk of the assault force to Tharkad, only to encounter a wave of Blakist [[Pocket WarShip]]s. The ''Ian McQuiston'' was able to easily defeat the individual ''[[Leopard]]'', ''[[Mule]]'' and ''[[Union]]''-class Pocket WarShips, but was destroyed by a swam of nuclear missiles. Adam Steiner had remained on his ''[[Overlord]]''-class DropShip during the assault, in accordance with ancient practices drawn up for assaults, and survived the destruction of the ''Ian McQuiston''; the [[Third Lyran Guards]] were the first formation to land, their orbital drop pointing the regiment down in the outskirts of Tharkad city itself. The Third's drop zone was deliberately chosen to allow them to disrupt the Blakist operations and keep the occupiers attentions on the Third, allowing the remaining units in the task force - the [[1st Royal Guards|First]], [[2nd Royal Guards|Second]] and [[Third Royal Guards]], [[Twenty-fourth Lyran Guards]], [[11th Arcturan Guards|Eleventh]] and [[Twentieth Arcturan Guards]] [[RCT]]s, the [[First Kell Hounds]], the [[13th Wolf Guards (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|Thirteenth Wolf Guards]], [[Wolf's Dragoons]], the [[Grave Walkers]] and the token Jade Falcon Nova to land.<ref name="TCp47"/>
 
With the blockade breached, the ''Ian McQuiston'' escorted the bulk of the assault force to Tharkad, only to encounter a wave of Blakist [[Pocket WarShip]]s. The ''Ian McQuiston'' was able to easily defeat the individual ''[[Leopard]]'', ''[[Mule]]'' and ''[[Union]]''-class Pocket WarShips, but was destroyed by a swam of nuclear missiles. Adam Steiner had remained on his ''[[Overlord]]''-class DropShip during the assault, in accordance with ancient practices drawn up for assaults, and survived the destruction of the ''Ian McQuiston''; the [[Third Lyran Guards]] were the first formation to land, their orbital drop pointing the regiment down in the outskirts of Tharkad city itself. The Third's drop zone was deliberately chosen to allow them to disrupt the Blakist operations and keep the occupiers attentions on the Third, allowing the remaining units in the task force - the [[1st Royal Guards|First]], [[2nd Royal Guards|Second]] and [[Third Royal Guards]], [[Twenty-fourth Lyran Guards]], [[11th Arcturan Guards|Eleventh]] and [[Twentieth Arcturan Guards]] [[RCT]]s, the [[First Kell Hounds]], the [[13th Wolf Guards (Clan Wolf-in-Exile)|Thirteenth Wolf Guards]], [[Wolf's Dragoons]], the [[Grave Walkers]] and the token Jade Falcon Nova to land.<ref name="TCp47"/>
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With Tharkad liberated, Adam Steiner called on all the surviving defenders to gather together at Tharkad City; the combined surviving resistance forces that assembled at Tharkad after four long years of war amounted to just a combined-arms battalion of surviving line-troops, corporate soldiers, mercenaries and local resistance fighters.<ref name="TCp47"/>
 
With Tharkad liberated, Adam Steiner called on all the surviving defenders to gather together at Tharkad City; the combined surviving resistance forces that assembled at Tharkad after four long years of war amounted to just a combined-arms battalion of surviving line-troops, corporate soldiers, mercenaries and local resistance fighters.<ref name="TCp47"/>
  
−
Adam gave the Archonship back to Peter following the liberation of Tharkad. With the chaos of the Jihad, Peter decided to decentralize power in "archonettes." Following the defeat of the Blakists in [[3081]], Tharkad reclaimed its place as the only Lyran capital.{{cn}}
+
Adam gave the Archonship back to Peter following the liberation of Tharkad. With the chaos of the Jihad, Peter decided to decentralize power in archonettes. Following the defeat of the Blakists in [[3081]], Tharkad reclaimed its place as the only Lyran capital.{{cn}}
  
−
On the 11th of December [[3074]] Tharkad was host to an understated wedding ceremony between Archon Adam Steiner and his fiancée, Baroness [[Heather Fyhne]] of [[Arcturus]], followed in days by an announcement that the Baroness was pregnant with their first child.<ref name="JHS3076p55">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 55: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp53">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 53: "The Jihad In Review"</ref>
+
On the 11th of December [[3074]] Tharkad was host to an understated wedding ceremony between Archon Adam Steiner and his fiancée, Baroness [[Heather Fyhne]] of [[Arcturus]], followed in days by an announcement that the Baroness was pregnant with their first child.<ref name="JHS3076p55">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 55: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp53">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 53: "The Jihad in Review"</ref>
  
 
By the end of the Jihad there wasn't a major manufacturing facility on Tharkad that had taken less than 75% damage during the course of the conflict. By [[3079]] the most productive plant on Tharkad was the Defiance Motors plant, running at 40% of pre-Jihad capacity.<ref name="O:LAp3">''Objectives: Lyran Alliance'', p. 3: "State of the Industry at a Glance (Dec 3079)"</ref>
 
By the end of the Jihad there wasn't a major manufacturing facility on Tharkad that had taken less than 75% damage during the course of the conflict. By [[3079]] the most productive plant on Tharkad was the Defiance Motors plant, running at 40% of pre-Jihad capacity.<ref name="O:LAp3">''Objectives: Lyran Alliance'', p. 3: "State of the Industry at a Glance (Dec 3079)"</ref>
  
 
===Post-Jihad===
 
===Post-Jihad===
−
Efforts to rebuild Tharkad were underway by the end of the Jihad, including work on restoring the Triad, irradiated though it was. With Lyran pride on the line, no expense was being spared; while the restoration work was going on, the government was operating out of what had been the summer court in the tropical Tatyana islands. Still operating on Tharkad in 3079 were Defiance Motors, Lockheed/CBM Corp., Tharhes Industries and Tharkad AeroSpace Group.<ref name="O:LAp25"/>
+
Efforts to rebuild Tharkad were underway by the end of the Jihad, including work on restoring the Triad, irradiated though it was. With Lyran pride on the line, no expense was being spared; while the restoration work was going on, the government was operating out of what had been the summer court in the tropical Tatyana islands. Still operating on Tharkad in 3079 were Defiance Motors, Lockheed/CBM Corp., TharHes Industries and Tharkad Aerospace Group.<ref name="O:LAp25"/>
  
 
The Nagelring was still offering training programs, although the bulk of the planetary militia consisted of the majority of those guerrilla fighters who didn't end up joining the various formations of the [[Royal Guards]]. The rolls of the militia included all those injured either physically or mentally during the fighting against the Blakists on the planet; this allowed those individuals access to jobs, counseling and medical aid, with both the support and blessings of the planetary government. At this point, the Militia was focusing a large part of its time ensuring that during the cleanup and reconstruction work going on around the Triad civilian safety wasn't compromised.<ref name="O:LAp26">''Objectives: Lyran Alliance'', p. 26: "Tharkad"</ref>
 
The Nagelring was still offering training programs, although the bulk of the planetary militia consisted of the majority of those guerrilla fighters who didn't end up joining the various formations of the [[Royal Guards]]. The rolls of the militia included all those injured either physically or mentally during the fighting against the Blakists on the planet; this allowed those individuals access to jobs, counseling and medical aid, with both the support and blessings of the planetary government. At this point, the Militia was focusing a large part of its time ensuring that during the cleanup and reconstruction work going on around the Triad civilian safety wasn't compromised.<ref name="O:LAp26">''Objectives: Lyran Alliance'', p. 26: "Tharkad"</ref>
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==Geography==
 
==Geography==
−
Tharkad is a icy and rugged planet, similar to the arctic wilderness of [[Terra]]. The planet consists of five major continents and three major island chains. The largest continent is Bremen and is home to Tharkad City, capital of the world and the Lyran Commonwealth, and Olympia, a major city. Asgard, the military command center of the [[LCAF]], lies on the crest of Mount Wotan<ref name=JTPL-5>''Jihad Turning Points: Tharkad'', p. 5: "Tharkad"</ref> The other four continents are Franz, Grolsch, Heidelberg and Sutherland.<ref name="O:LAp25"/> Tatyana Islands, one of the island chains, is situated in a tropical zone and was once a major [[Star League]] storage depot.
+
Tharkad is an icy and rugged planet, similar to the arctic wilderness of [[Terra]]. The planet consists of five major continents and three major island chains. The largest continent is Bremen and is home to Tharkad City, capital of the world and the Lyran Commonwealth, and Olympia, a major city. Asgard, the military command center of the [[LCAF]], lies on the crest of Mount Wotan<ref name=JTPL-5>''Jihad Turning Points: Tharkad'', p. 5: "Tharkad"</ref> The other four continents are Franz, Grolsch, Heidelberg and Sutherland.<ref name="O:LAp25"/> Tatyana Islands, one of the island chains, is situated in a tropical zone and was once a major [[Star League]] storage depot.
  
 
===Planetary Locations===
 
===Planetary Locations===
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[[File:Tharkad.png|right|380px|thumb|''Tharkad'' World Map]]
 
[[File:Tharkad.png|right|380px|thumb|''Tharkad'' World Map]]
 
* Bremen (continent)<ref name=JTPT3-4/>
 
* Bremen (continent)<ref name=JTPT3-4/>
−
** Asgard: A Star League era fortress built into the side of Mount Wotan..<ref name=OEc12>''Operation Excalibur'', ch. 12</ref>
+
** Asgard: A Star League–era fortress built into the side of Mount Wotan.<ref name=OEc12>''Operation Excalibur'', ch. 12</ref>
 
** [[Cold Creek]] (city)
 
** [[Cold Creek]] (city)
 
** Methow Valley
 
** Methow Valley
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* ''[[Field Report: LAAF]]''
 
* ''[[Field Report: LAAF]]''
 
* ''[[Field Report 2765: LCAF]]''
 
* ''[[Field Report 2765: LCAF]]''
−
* ''[[First Succession War (sourcebook)]]''
+
* ''[[First Succession War (sourcebook)|First Succession War]]''
 
* ''[[Handbook: House Steiner]]''
 
* ''[[Handbook: House Steiner]]''
 
* ''[[Handbook: Major Periphery States]]''
 
* ''[[Handbook: Major Periphery States]]''

Revision as of 17:55, 3 October 2022

This article is about the planet. For the WarShip, see Tharkad (WarShip).


Tharkad
← 3135
3151
Tharkad 3151.svg
Tharkad nearby systems
(Map Legend)
System Information
X:Y Coordinates-212.999 : 151.773[e]
Spectral classG6V[1]
Recharge time187 hours[1]
Recharge station(s)Zenith, Nadir[1]

Political Affiliation

Tharkad V

Template:InfoBoxPlanetStandard

The Triad

The Triad is a sprawling governmental complex that is bounded on three sides by the Royal Palace, the Government House, and the Royal Court. Over 300 buildings make up the complex, which also contains hospitals, churches, and botanical gardens. Mount Wotan, situated near the Triad, contains Asgard, the military high command complex.

From 2529 onward, BattleMechs stood guard over the Royal Court's throne.

see also: Guardian Duty

History

Discovered in 2310, Tharkad rapidly came under the control of Seth Marsden. Marsden imported a number of cold-weather plants and animals from Terra and elsewhere, making it somewhat similar to Scandinavia on Terra during the 20th century. It became the capital of the Lyran Commonwealth in September of 2407[33] and a large space was cleared north of the major city of Olympia to house the governmental buildings, called the Triad. It was here that the Star League was reconstituted at the Whitting Conference in 3058. Subsequent Whitting Conferences were held here in 3061 and 3067 (the 3064 conference was held on Marik, due to the FedCom Civil War).

Star League

The Tharkad system served as the homeport for the 8th Fleet (SLDF) during the final years of the Star League. This served to remind the Commonwealth of the Star League's protective presence. It also was there to remind the Lyrans of the forces they would have to contest if on the extremely unlikely case the Lyran Commonwealth declaring war on the Star League. The fleet presence also assisted the Nagelring in training their cadets by having WarShip assets in-system for training on a regular basis.[34]

In addition, there was a sizable ground garrison as well with a BattleMech Division stationed on-world.[35]

FedCom Civil War

Being an interior world, Tharkad was spared the ravages of the Age of War and the Succession Wars. That did not save it from later wars, however. Tharkad was home to one of the final battles of the FedCom Civil War. As the war drew to a close, supporters of Victor Steiner-Davion over his sister Katherine realized that they needed to claim the Lyran capital. Grand Duke Morgan Kell played kingmaker for Peter Steiner-Davion, bringing him out of a self-imposed exile on Zaniah. When Peter landed on Tharkad and asked Katherine's regent Nondi Steiner to back him, she flatly refused.

Within a week, Peter's forces entered the Tharkad system and engaged the defenders in a brutal naval battle. The pride of the Lyran fleet, the LAS Yggdrasil, was captured by Clan Wolf-in-Exile forces. Morgan was able to land with a pan-Lyran coalition composed of Phelan Kell and his 4th Wolf Guards Assault Cluster, the 20th Arcturan Guards, both regiments of the Blue Star Irregulars, and the 1st Regiment of the Kell Hounds. These were joined by the 4th Skye Rangers RCT after the Skye secession seemed doomed to failure. Opposing Peter was the 1st and 2nd Royal Guards RCTs, the 24th Lyran Guards RCT, 1st Alarion Jaegers, 11th Arcturan Guards RCT, and ComStar's 66th Division.

Peter's experienced forces proved to be more than a match for Nondi's defenders. His supporters were able to claim the Nagelring, then moved on to Tharkad City. In the end, bitter street-to-street fighting damaged the capital city of the Lyran Alliance. After eight months of battle, Peter killed his great-aunt in a one-on-one duel, ending that Battle of Tharkad.[36]

Planetary Flag of Tharkad

Jihad

While it was one of the last battles of the FedCom Civil War, the Battle for Tharkad was one of the first in the Word of Blake's Jihad. When the Second Star League dissolved in 3067 on Tharkad, the Word immediately went on the offensive.[37] They saw the Federated Suns and the Lyran Alliance as the culprits, since they claimed they could no longer afford to support the League with the massive rebuilding they needed to do after the war. The Blakists attempted to cow Lyran Archon Peter Steiner-Davion into returning to the League with a show of force in the form of the LCS Invincible.[38] The Word had found and refit the last WarShip lost during the Succession Wars, and intended to return it to the Lyrans as a gift.[37] With the dissolution of the Star League, however, the interpretation of a prophecy that the dominant faction of the Word believed in was destroyed, which provoked them to violence.

The Alliance Naval Command, as well as Professor Blaine Dwyer and amateur astronomer James Franzaglio, did detect some manmade objects on space that where not "aligned" with the delegations present on Tharkad, but they were not very worried on this as commented by Admiral Casey Martine. Unfortunately they were proven wrong.[39]

When Archon Peter was unshaken by the implied threat of the Invincible, the Blakists rained down fire upon the capital city of the Lyran Alliance. This assault damaged the nuclear reactor under the Triad and caused a meltdown, though confused early reports believed the Blakists had launched a nuclear weapon.[38] The Invincible and at least three other Blakist WarShips - the McKenna-class battleship WoBS Blake's Sword, the Sovetskii Soyuz-class WoBS Stalwart Defender and the Essex-class destroyer WoBS Deliverance - formed a naval blockade that formed the backdrop for a four-year siege of the Lyran capital that was typified by Blakist orbital bombardment clearing space for their ground troops to secure a beachhead, who were then defeated by Lyran troops. Although the Blake's Sword, Stalwart Defender and Deliverance were all withdrawn for other tasks in 3068, the blockade in place on Tharkad remained highly effective.[37] The LCAF made a major but ultimately unsuccessful effort to breach the Blakist blockade on the 18th of March 3069 with an aerospace fighter and DropShip task force[40] in an effort mounted from Coventry. The Invincible also proved equally destructive when used against any gathering of resistance forces on the surface of Tharkad, bombarding a number of targets and at one point destroying the Luftenburg-class blue water carrier believed to be transporting the Archon.[37]

The Word's blockade was so successful that the Archon was effectively cut off from his people. A rescue mission sent by General of the Armies Adam Steiner was only able to get out with a message of hope from Peter, confirmation that he was still alive.

Despite the effectiveness of the Blakist blockade, the resistance remained a constant and active threat, supported by the local population and determined to harry the Blakist occupiers. Using their intimate knowledge of the terrain and climate of Tharkad, the resistance fiercely resisted the occupation, despite facing the Thirty-seventh Militia Division, Fortieth Shadow Division and the mercenary unit known as Lowbräu. Despite the relatively low numbers the resistance was apparently capable of mustering, it managed a degree of success that outstripped its strength; at one point, the resistance, specifically the tank unit EISENJÄGER,[41] successfully ambushed and annihilated Precentor McKinnsey and his Level II, throwing the Blakist forces into confusion and turmoil until Precentor Kishimoto took command. The resistance continued to fight despite the steady influx of Blakist reinforcements and the lack of any real prospect of ousting the Word from their occupation.[37]

In 3071, Peter abdicated so that the Blakists could no longer symbolically control the Archon. In his place, he designated Adam Steiner as his successor. Now-Archon Steiner was able to liberate Tharkad in January 3072, complete with the capture of the LCS Invincible. The force Adam led to liberate Tharkad on the 11th of January was primarily a Lyran attack force augmented by elements drawn from a variety of other groups, including Clan Wolf-in-Exile, Wolf's Dragoons, the Kell Hounds, the Grave Walkers[37] and even a token Clan Jade Falcon formation.[42][43][44] The liberation had to begin by breaching the naval blockade; Adam Steiner had assembled a considerable DropShip and aerospace force, which was backed up by a trio of WarShips - the Mjolnir-class battlecruisers LCS Fylgia and LCS Yggdrasil and the Fox-class corvette LCS Ian McQuiston. The two Mjolnirs led the attack on the Invincible, their presence masking Adam Steiner's true plan for dealing with the Invincible; with the battlecruisers drawing the Blakists attention, two hundred marines were delivered onto the Invincible via more than twenty assault shuttles that had concealed themselves among the clouds of fighters surrounding the Mjolnirs. The marines fought a savage deck-by-deck battle that saw more than three-quarters of them killed, but which left them in command of the Invincible, returning her to the Lyran navy for the first time in centuries.[37]

With the blockade breached, the Ian McQuiston escorted the bulk of the assault force to Tharkad, only to encounter a wave of Blakist Pocket WarShips. The Ian McQuiston was able to easily defeat the individual Leopard, Mule and Union-class Pocket WarShips, but was destroyed by a swam of nuclear missiles. Adam Steiner had remained on his Overlord-class DropShip during the assault, in accordance with ancient practices drawn up for assaults, and survived the destruction of the Ian McQuiston; the Third Lyran Guards were the first formation to land, their orbital drop pointing the regiment down in the outskirts of Tharkad city itself. The Third's drop zone was deliberately chosen to allow them to disrupt the Blakist operations and keep the occupiers attentions on the Third, allowing the remaining units in the task force - the First, Second and Third Royal Guards, Twenty-fourth Lyran Guards, Eleventh and Twentieth Arcturan Guards RCTs, the First Kell Hounds, the Thirteenth Wolf Guards, Wolf's Dragoons, the Grave Walkers and the token Jade Falcon Nova to land.[37]

As the Third Lyran Guards and the Jade Falcon Nova commanded by Star Commander Tara Helmer sold themselves dearly against the Blakists the remainder of the Lyran task force launched a brutally efficient attack against the Thirty-seventh Militia Division. The Twentieth Arcturans caused problems for the task force; taking it upon themselves to investigate reports of the location of Peter Steiner-Davion, the Twentieth moved out of their assigned operational area and recovered the former Archon and insisted on escorting him to the allied staging grounds, only returning to the main conflict after threats of court martial. The Thirty-seventh was driven onto the waiting guns of the Thirteenth Wolf Guards by the Third Lyran Guards, and the efforts made by the Blakists to withdraw in order and retreat were constantly hampered by the Kell Hounds and Wolf's Dragoons. By the time of the Blakist defeat at the end of January 3072, less than two Level IIIs had managed to retreat off-world.[37]

With Tharkad liberated, Adam Steiner called on all the surviving defenders to gather together at Tharkad City; the combined surviving resistance forces that assembled at Tharkad after four long years of war amounted to just a combined-arms battalion of surviving line-troops, corporate soldiers, mercenaries and local resistance fighters.[37]

Adam gave the Archonship back to Peter following the liberation of Tharkad. With the chaos of the Jihad, Peter decided to decentralize power in archonettes. Following the defeat of the Blakists in 3081, Tharkad reclaimed its place as the only Lyran capital.[citation needed]

On the 11th of December 3074 Tharkad was host to an understated wedding ceremony between Archon Adam Steiner and his fiancée, Baroness Heather Fyhne of Arcturus, followed in days by an announcement that the Baroness was pregnant with their first child.[45][46]

By the end of the Jihad there wasn't a major manufacturing facility on Tharkad that had taken less than 75% damage during the course of the conflict. By 3079 the most productive plant on Tharkad was the Defiance Motors plant, running at 40% of pre-Jihad capacity.[47]

Post-Jihad

Efforts to rebuild Tharkad were underway by the end of the Jihad, including work on restoring the Triad, irradiated though it was. With Lyran pride on the line, no expense was being spared; while the restoration work was going on, the government was operating out of what had been the summer court in the tropical Tatyana islands. Still operating on Tharkad in 3079 were Defiance Motors, Lockheed/CBM Corp., TharHes Industries and Tharkad Aerospace Group.[1]

The Nagelring was still offering training programs, although the bulk of the planetary militia consisted of the majority of those guerrilla fighters who didn't end up joining the various formations of the Royal Guards. The rolls of the militia included all those injured either physically or mentally during the fighting against the Blakists on the planet; this allowed those individuals access to jobs, counseling and medical aid, with both the support and blessings of the planetary government. At this point, the Militia was focusing a large part of its time ensuring that during the cleanup and reconstruction work going on around the Triad civilian safety wasn't compromised.[48]

Military Deployment

2764

2765

2786

2821

  • Tenth Arcturan Guards[52]
  • Tenth Lyran Guards[52]
  • First Royal Guards[52]
  • Second Royal Guards[52]

3025

3028

  • Second Royal Guards[54]

3038

3050

3054

  • First Royal Guards RCT[59]

3055

3062

  • Sixty-Sixth Division[61]

3067

3079

  • First Royal Guards RCT[1]
  • Second Royal Guards RCT[1]

3085

3136

3145

Geography

Tharkad is an icy and rugged planet, similar to the arctic wilderness of Terra. The planet consists of five major continents and three major island chains. The largest continent is Bremen and is home to Tharkad City, capital of the world and the Lyran Commonwealth, and Olympia, a major city. Asgard, the military command center of the LCAF, lies on the crest of Mount Wotan[66] The other four continents are Franz, Grolsch, Heidelberg and Sutherland.[1] Tatyana Islands, one of the island chains, is situated in a tropical zone and was once a major Star League storage depot.

Planetary Locations

File:Tharkad.png
Tharkad World Map

Industrial Centers

Local Fauna

Map Gallery

Nearby Systems

Closest 28 systems (25 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Forkas 8.4 Eutin 10.0 Tetersen 12.1 Gibbs 13.4
Greenlaw 16.4 Westerstede 19.1 Horneburg 19.6 Graz 25.2
Donegal 31.5 Vorzel 35.9 Hegel 37.1 Thuban 37.9
Upano 41.0 Minderoo 42.8 Cameron 42.9 Lintz 43.0
Bayis 43.7 Alma Alta 45.2 Gallery 45.9 Warrumbungle 47.4
Pobeda 49.1 Duran 50.7 Dagda 51.8 Conley's Patch 54.5
Smolnik 57.5 Incukalns 62.3 Tsinan 62.5 Callisto 63.0

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 25: "Tharkad"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 13: "Protectorate of Donegal world within the Lyran Commonwealth before [2340] and after at their founding in [2341]"
  3. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 25: "Lyran Commonwealth after Age of War [2571]"
  4. ↑ Historical: Reunification War, p. 158: "Inner Sphere Map [2596]"
  5. ↑ Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 25: "Rim Worlds Republic At the Fall of the Star League [2750]"
  6. ↑ Era Report: 2750, p. 36: "Inner Sphere - 2750"
  7. ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, p. vii: "Inner Sphere - [2764] Map"
  8. ↑ Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 10: "Inner Sphere - 2765"
  9. ↑ First Succession War, pp. 24–25: "Inner Sphere - [2786] Map"
  10. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 36: "Lyran Commonwealth after First Succession War [2822]"
  11. ↑ Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2, pp. 122–123: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"
  12. ↑ First Succession War, pp. 112–113: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"
  13. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 40: "Lyran Commonwealth after Second Succession War [2822]"
  14. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 47: "Lyran Commonwealth after Third Succession War [3025]"
  15. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 56: "Lyran Commonwealth after Fourth Succession War [3030]"
  16. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 59: "Lyran Commonwealth after War of 39 [3040]"
  17. ↑ Historical: War of 3039, p. 132: "Inner Sphere - 3040"
  18. ↑ Era Report: 3052, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - 3050"
  19. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 61: "Lyran Commonwealth after Clan Invasion [3052]"
  20. ↑ Era Report: 3052, p. 23: "Inner Sphere - 3052"
  21. ↑ Era Report: 3062, p. 11: "Inner Sphere Map [3057]"
  22. ↑ Era Report: 3062, p. 29: "Inner Sphere Map [3063]"
  23. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 70: "Lyran Commonwealth after FedCom Civil War [3067]"
  24. ↑ Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 64: "Inner Sphere [3075]"
  25. ↑ Field Report: LAAF, p. 21: "Lyran Alliance Armed Forces Deployment Map - August 3079"
  26. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 63: "Inner Sphere Map - [March 3081]"
  27. ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. vii: "Inner Sphere Map - [October 3085]"
  28. ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - 3135"
  29. ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 39: "Inner Sphere - 3145"
  30. ↑ Shrapnel Issue #3: "Voices of the Sphere: Star League Day"
  31. ↑ Shrapnel Issue #4: "Voices of the Sphere: Cryogenics"
  32. ↑ Tamar Rising, poster map
  33. ↑ BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction
  34. ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, p. 114: "Homeport"
  35. ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, p. 255: "SLDF - Lyran Commonwealth Military Command Map"
  36. ↑ Endgame, p. ??[citation needed]
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 37.4 37.5 37.6 37.7 37.8 37.9 Total Chaos, pp. 47–49: "Tharkad (sidebar)"
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 44: "The Jihad in Review"
  39. ↑ BattleCorps: INN Newscast (Solaris Broadcasting Co. section), news item published [01/12/3067]: "Mystery Ships Spotted in Tharkad System"
  40. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 46: "The Jihad in Review"
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Eisenjäger
  42. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 21: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  43. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 50: "The Jihad in Review"
  44. ↑ Total Chaos, pp. 48, 110–111, 114–115
  45. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 55: "Timeline of the Jihad"
  46. ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 53: "The Jihad in Review"
  47. ↑ Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 3: "State of the Industry at a Glance (Dec 3079)"
  48. ↑ Objectives: Lyran Alliance, p. 26: "Tharkad"
  49. ↑ Field Manual: SLDF, p. 255: "SLDF - Lyran Commonwealth Military Command Map"
  50. ↑ Field Report 2765: LCAF, p. 9: "Regimental Status"
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Field Report 2765: LCAF, p. 17: "Royal Guards" - Regimental Status
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 52.4 52.5 52.6 52.7 First Succession War, p. 139: "First Succession War Deployment Table - LCAF"
  53. ↑ NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 44: "Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG"
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 54.2 54.3 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 45: "Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG"
  55. ↑ Historical: War of 3039, p. 137: "Deployment Table"
  56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 138: "Deployment Table"
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 20 Year Update, p. 29: "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  58. ↑ 20 Year Update, p. 71: "Com Guards Deployment Table"
  59. ↑ Objective Raids, p. 82: "Unit Note"
  60. ↑ ComStar, p. 85: "Com Guards Deployment Table"
  61. ↑ Field Manual: ComStar, p. 126: "Com Guards Deployment Table"
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 62.2 62.3 62.4 Field Manual: Updates, p. 178: "Lyran Alliance Deployment Table"
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 63.2 Field Manual: 3085, p. 109: "Deployment Table - 3085"
  64. ↑ Dark Age: LinkNet Articles (3136), pp. 55–56: "Letters From Home -- Week 09"
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. 133: "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces - Donegal Province"
  66. ↑ Jihad Turning Points: Tharkad, p. 5: "Tharkad"
  67. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named JTPT3-4
  68. ↑ Operation Excalibur, ch. 12
  69. ↑ Dawn of the Jihad, p. 42: "Star League Disbands!"
  70. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 118: "Rewland College of Fine Arts on Tharkad"
  71. ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 146: "Major Commonwealth Industries"
  72. ↑ Wolf's Dragoons, p. 29: "An Ting Base"
  73. ↑ House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 142: "Major Commonwealth Industries"
  74. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 139: "Economics - Major Industries - Tharkan Media Associates"
  75. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 156: "Creatures"

Bibliography

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