Thule

Thule
← 3135 3151
Thule nearby systems (Map Legend)
System Information
X:Y Coordinates	93.055 : 455.16
Spectral class	A8V
Recharge time	169 hours
Recharge station(s)	Nadir

Note: X and Y are coordinates (light years on XY plane) relative to Terra at (0, 0)

System Description

The Thule system is located near the Glabach and Damian systems and is Coreward from Terra. The system is also less than 30 light years from the Coalsack Nebula. It is known to have at least two planets and a Recharge Station at its Nadir Jump Point as of 3080.

System History

The Thule system was colonized by immigrants from the Scandinavian nations of Terra at some time between the mid 23rd century and early 24th century.

Political Affiliation

• Ca. 2300 - Rasalhague Consortium
• 2319 - Principality of Rasalhague
• 2571 - Draconis Combine
• 2596 - Draconis Combine
• 2750 - Draconis Combine
• 2764 - Draconis Combine
• 2765 - Draconis Combine
• 2786 - Draconis Combine
• 2822 - Draconis Combine
• 2864 - Draconis Combine
• 3025 - Draconis Combine
• 3030 - Draconis Combine
• 3034 - Free Rasalhague Republic
• 3040 - Free Rasalhague Republic
• 3050 - Free Rasalhague Republic (until March)
• 3050 - Clan Ghost Bear (from March to April)
• 3050 - Free Rasalhague Republic (First half of May)
• 3050 - Clan Ghost Bear (from May 17)
• 3052 - Clan Ghost Bear
• 3057 - Clan Ghost Bear
• 3060 - Ghost Bear Dominion
• 3063 - Ghost Bear Dominion
• 3067 - Ghost Bear Dominion
• 3075 - Ghost Bear Dominion
• 3079 - Ghost Bear Dominion
• 3081 - Ghost Bear Dominion
• 3085 - Ghost Bear Dominion
• 3099 - Draconis Combine (from June 10th)
• 3100 - Ghost Bear Dominion (From September 30th)
• 3135 - Rasalhague Dominion
• 3145 - Rasalhague Dominion
• 3151 - Rasalhague Dominion

Thule II

Planetary Info

Thule II or usually Thule is located on the Coreward Periphery border . The planet has three large continents: the southern Vik, the equatorial Akranes and the northern Husavik. Thule City, planetary capital and site of the world's primary starport, is located in the southern area of Vik. To the north of the city stretches the Freson plains and the rugged Fresdon Desert located within. Here also lies the Great Fresdonian River which has access to the world's oceans. The continent of Akranes is lightly populated and is the mainly devoted to the world's agricultural and vacation needs. Husavik, the northern continent, is mostly a frozen wasteland with several scattered research stations and is the home of the native Thulian Bear species. The planet is orbited by a single moon, Ultima.

The planet was valued during the Succession Wars for its water resources.

As of 3062, there was a small orbital naval yard orbiting Thule.

Planetary History

Colonization

Following the Second Soviet Civil War, the nations of Scandinavia were burdened with taxes to help rebuilt the Soviet States while also dealing with a million Soviet refugees who were now within their nations. They stoically dealt with these issues, but as soon as the levy was lifted colonists from the Federal Democratic Republics of Finland, Norway and Sweden wanted to emigrate in significant numbers to escape the oppressive government of Terra. Choosing a world far from Terra, the first colonists left in the mid-Twenty-third century and within sixty years had settled Rasalhague and eight other nearby worlds including Thule. In the late Twenty-third century these worlds created a joint government to oversee the development of the worlds, creating the Rasalhague Consortium. Contact with other interstellar nations led to the Consortium evolving into the short-lived Principality of Rasalhague, prior to the Principality being conquered by the Draconis Combine in the early to mid Twenty-fourth century.

Early Succession Wars

Because of its isolation, Thule was not considered a strategic target, and so it avoided most of the major destruction during the First Succession War and Second Succession War. Though it did experience raids.

Third Succession War

During the 3rd Succession War, Thule's frozen and valuable watery climate was used as bait to trap elements of Helmar Valasek's pirate band led by Roger "The Tiger" Tregarth. House Kurita used the Black Widow Company of Wolf's Dragoons to surprise the pirates and destroy them.

Ronin War

While the world would host a Draconis Combine unit, the 911th Air Wing, that would join the Ronin cause, no major fighting would take place on Thule during the Ronin War.

Operation REVIVAL

The first time real conflict came to Thule was during the Clan Invasion.

First Wave

Thule was the first planet outside the Periphery invaded by Clan Ghost Bear as part of Operation REVIVAL in March 3050. In accordance with Ghost Bear tradition, a vote was held to determine which of the Ghost Bear's three participating Galaxies - Alpha, Beta or Delta - would have the honor of being first to conquer the planet. After a week of wasted time debating the matter, saKhan Theresa DelVillar finally decreed all three would participate, with one assigned to each of the planet's continents.

The First Hussars' commanding officer, Överste Joannie Swigard, refused to respond when the Ghost Bears announced their presence with a batchall, instead massing her troops in the Fresdon Desert where they had trained extensively to defend their world. As Ghost Bear ships enter the planet's atmosphere, Khan Karl Bourjon decided that each of the three Galaxies would be represented in the upcoming battle. In the resulting bidding war, three Trinaries, one of which was a Supernova, emerged to face off against the Hussars: one each from the 50th Striker Cluster of Alpha Galaxy, the 304th Assault Cluster of Beta Galaxy, and the 3rd Bear Striker Cluster of Delta Galaxy.

As they landed on the hot plains of the Fresdon Desert, the Clan warriors expected a swift victory. Unfortunately, they had failed to account for the Hussars' greatest advantages: climate and artillery. In the hot climate many Clan OmniMechs suffered from heat overload and were forced to shut down after firing their initial salvo, leaving them vulnerable to Hussar artillery strikes. An entire Trinary's worth of equipment was lost before the warriors could get their machines working again, and in response the Hussars began hit-and-run attacks with their lightweight BattleMechs to try and force them to overheat again.

Star Colonel François Cote was the first to break his initial bid and call in the rest of his 3rd Bear Striker for assistance, against which the Hussars launched AeroSpace Fighters to strafe the approaching Ghost Bear forces. In response to these attacks, Star Colonel Stephan Huntsing of the 50th Striker broke his bid by calling in his aerospace forces to provide overhead support as his forces moved in to surround the Hussars. When the defenders were fully enveloped however the Ghost Bear forces held off their attack, preferring to wait until nightfall and cooler temperatures. Överste Swigard responded by striking at the enemy's northern flank, maneuvering her troops away from the heavier Ghost Bear units and successfully achieving a breakout. By this point, the Ghost Bears had achieved air superiority, but the Hussars' artillery continued to punch huge holes in their rear lines. Star Colonel Paul Vishio of the 304th Assault was the last to break his bid and called in aerospace reinforcements to finally silence the guns.

Now on the run, the Hussars made for the large river which bisected the Fresdon plain, sacrificing an entire company in an effort to successfully rendezvous with their naval assets and flee upriver aboard massive cargo ships. As the defenders made their escape, the Ghost Bear warriors found themselves in in a quandary: should they use their aerospace assets to sink the ships and so finish the Hussars off, or simply have these units track them to their final destination and resume battle when the Hussars disembarked? Concluding that sinking the ships went against Clan honor, aerial units were dispatched to follow them until they landed. With the Hussars largely out of the picture, the planet seemed to accept Ghost Bear rule and the Khans declared it conquered, leaving behind the the 3rd Bear Striker's 312th Assault Trinary to garrison the world and destroy the Hussars when they finally landed.

Second Wave

Disaster occurred in May 3050 when the First Hussar's survivors emerged and managed to wipe out the Clan garrison forces, reasserting Ralashagian control of the world. Seemingly responding out of proportion to the situation, saKhan DelVillar led the entire Alpha Galaxy back to Thule to put an end to its resistance. When they arrived, they discovered the regiment had taken refuge in the planet's frigid southern lands, where they were busy preparing fortifications. The battle was over almost before it began as Elemental forces easily swept through the Hussar's prepared positions, with saKhan DelVillar reported to have stated "How polite of you to spare us the effort of digging your graves." Överste Joannie Swigard was taken as a bondsman during this battle.

Remainder of the Invasion

While the 1st Hussars had been destroyed, several platoons of their attached infantry units were able to survive in the Avonshire foothills due to several secret supply bases. Rather than immediately launch a guerrilla campaign, they went to ground and waited for the invasion force to leave. Not long after, they then raided and harassed the garrison troops left behind on Thule and even captured several examples of Elemental battle armor. After practicing with the battle armor, a unit of these soldiers used the captured armor in an attack on the Ghost Bear garrison in the town of Foleston. The attack was launched on the one year anniversary of the original invasion and completely wiped out the Foleston garrison. In response, the Clan garrison commander carried out a series of raids during the remainder of 3051 and into 3052 to eliminate the resistance forces. By May 3052, the few remaining survivors of the 1st Hussars were able to seize a commercial DropShip, leave Thule and then capture a Ghost Bear JumpShip. From there, they made their way to the Draconis Combine and escaped.

Post Operation REVIVAL

Famine of 3055

In 3055, the planet suffered a major famine. In a little more than two decades, the planet has lost almost half of its population. The Ghost Bear Dominion poured resources into the planet such as resettlement programs, bio-diversification initiatives, establishing factories and aid to help the world recover and prevent the issue from happening again. In time, the world's future was looking bright and Bergan Industries opened up a satellite production facility in the late 3070s.

Pirate Raid of 3060

A substantial pirate attack was launched against Thule in September 3060. Defending Thule at the time was the Fifty-fourth Provisional Garrison Cluster, a Cluster noted for acting as a training cadre for warriors freshly deployed from Ghost Bear sibkos. A pirate force almost a full regiment in size appeared at a pirate point within the Thule system that the Ghost Bears were unaware of and launched a heavy attack on the Fifty-fourth, threatening to overwhelm the Cluster. Fortunately for the Fifty-fourth, one of the Star Captains within the Cluster noticed that rather than being a cohesive force, the bandit regiment actually appeared to have been formed from numerous smaller bands. Some of whom were actively hostile towards other elements of the formation. That Star Captain was able to broadcast antagonistic messages that prompted some of the pirate sub-units to turn on each other, giving the Fifty-fourth a chance to regroup. The attack was rebuffed, but almost two-thirds of the pirate forces managed to escape. ComStar Rapiers were identified supporting the pirate forces in battle.

First Combine-Dominion War

Battle of Thule 3062

In the opening stages of the First Combine-Dominion War, Dominion forces poured over the borders hitting Combine worlds. The Draconis Combine began to launch attacks on the Dominion's Periphery neighboring worlds, which included Thule, in the hope to draw away forces from the Dominion's main advances. On November 29, 3062, the 14th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre of the DCMS jumped into the zenith jump point of Thule as part of this effort and were escorted by the Combine Warships, Victory at Wolcott and Amber Lotus. Their goal was to take the world and then hold out as long as possible against the expected counter attack. However, upon jumping into the system, the 14th discovered that the Fredasa-class corvette Black Ghost had been moved in system for routine maintenance. Also, the Ghost Bears had been using the Thule system to help train their aerospace sibkos so there was a larger than expected fighter contingent in system. The Ghost Bears also had the following DropShips in system to assist in repelling any attack: Black Forest, Arcadian Mist, Just Rewards and Warrior's Trident.

Thus an unexpected large naval battle occurred over Thule. The Combine forces were able to drive off the Black Ghost with heavy damage, but in exchange they lost the DropShips Starlight, Carlyton, Lord Benjamin, Kyoto Express and the Guardian. The Combine DropShips Kirosawa, Lotus, Sunset Pacific, Yoshi's Ideal and Midnight Rain survived the engagement. Meanwhile, the 14th lost almost twenty percent of their BattleMech forces as they were destroyed as they dropped from Victory at Wolcott. The surviving forces of the 14th that landed continued the assault and destroyed several supply depots and a fuel storage facility near the dropport. But, they were soon engaged by the Fifty-fourth Provisional Garrison Cluster on world.

Upon hearing of the losses involved in the fighting, the Combine High Command immediately issued a recall order for the 14th so they would not be destroyed. They returned to Luthien with over forty-five percent casualties. However, the overall goal of their operation was a success. The Ghost Bears moved the Warship White Claw into the Thule system as well as units from their Tau Galaxy and away from attacks into the Combine. The Black Ghost was docked for six months for repairs.

Black Omen Raid

Operating out of Wolcott at some time during the First Combine-Dominion War (3062 to 3063), the Black Omen mercenary unit secretly penetrated the Ghost Bear Dominion to raid Pinnacle, Holmsbu, and Thule where they disabled each planet's HPG and destroyed several supply depots.

Jihad

Pirate Raid of 3070

The Pirate Band named Barllow's Boys conducted a raid against the planet in 3070. They encountered a binary of 'Mechs from the Clan Ghost Bear's Hind Paw Sibko. The cadets only having their light-weight Bear Cub training 'Mechs, were still able to defeat their heavier opponents in a hard-fought struggle. The survivors of the cadets hung the survivors of Barllow's Boys when the elements of the 54th Provisional Garrison Cluster arrived on the scene.

Battle of Thule 3073

In August 3073, Thule was the site of a strange three-way battle between Clans. Initial reports stated that a Clan Star Adder force entered the fray during a Clan Hell's Horses raid against Clan Ghost Bear. However, later reports confirmed that this was a four-way battle with the reborn Clan Burrock forces disguised as Clan Hell's Horses in the initial raid and actual Clan Hell's Horses units cooperating with the Star Adders to destroy the pretenders with Ghost Bear forces standing by to assist if needed.

The Star Adder Watch had discovered the Burrock's plan to stir up trouble between the Hell's Horses and Ghost Bears. They transmitted their discovery to their superiors who informed the Hell's Horses who then told the Ghost Bears. The Horses Khan informed the Ghost Bears that their forces with Star Adder support would take care of the pretenders. Clan Ghost Bear gave the Horses and Adders permission to enter their territory in preparation to destroy the Burrock forces. On August 29th, the Burrocks arrived in the Thule system via a pirate point and proceeded toward Accotink City on the banks of Lake Accotink. The Hell's Horses and Star Adders pursued them while the responding Ghost Bear force was to intervene only if the infrastructure and citizens were put at risk.

The Burrock force, realizing what was happening, quickly moved into the city to escape being destroyed. There they set fires and destroyed a Fire Moth production facility and heavily damaged a DropShip construction yard that was still being built. The Ghost Bear forces moved to intercept and stop the Burrocks, but were destroyed. Meanwhile, the Adders destroyed a part of the raiding force while pursuing the remainder. Those Burrocks that made it through the city boarded two DropShips and tried to escape. One of the DropShips was shot down over Lake Accotink by Ghost Bear Aerospace Fighters and ground fire from the Hell's Horses and Star Adders.

While the Burrocks were driven from Thule, it was during this battle that they planted a genetic virus in the waters of Lake Accotink. As local businesses used this water to export to other worlds, this virus spread throughout the Dominion. This virus lead to the deaths of 285,000 individuals and the near extinction of the Tseng and Snuka bloodlines. Luckily, a vaccine for the virus was found in 3086.

Second Combine-Dominion War

First Battle of Thule 3099

As part of Operation BLUEPETER during the Second Combine-Dominion War (3098 to 3101), the 13th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre attacked Thule via two taskforces. The first, Task Force Richmond made up of the 13th's Second Battalion and command aerospace company, arrived on the 23rd of May 3099 via the system's zenith Jump Point. Slowly accelerating into the system, they broadcast a fake, non coded messages stating that a couple dropships were having engine problems. This was to trick the defending Ghost Bear defenders into launching an intercept force against the assumedly vulnerable dropships. Star Colonel Offa of the defending Fourteenth Provisional Garrison Cluster thought the message was a mistake from a green recruit and launched his fighters to intercept. However, on the 27th of May, the second Combine task force, Task Force Idlewind - consisting of the 13th's First Battalion and remaining aerospace units, jumped into the system via a pirate jump point near to Thule and was able to land on planet without serious opposition as the Ghost Bear aerospace fighters had been drawn away. Meanwhile, Task Force Richmond immediately accelerated to 4Gs.

The ground fighting was heavy, but with the Ghost Bear fighters having been pulled away and exhausted from pulling many gravities to get back to Thule, the Combine invaders controlled the battle despite heavy losses. A Star of Ghost Bear Viking IIC BattleMechs were instrumental in helping combat the 13th, but the tide was already against the defenders. By June 10th, the 14th Provisional Garrison Cluster was driven off Thule and heading to Trondheim with 50% losses just as Task Force Richmond arrived on world.

Second Battle of Thule 3100

While the 13th Sun Zhang had taken over Thule, the unit had no integral transport DropShips and JumpShips. So the transportation assets that brought them in system, were re-assigned to other units. Thus on September 22, 3100, when the highly skilled Taiga Galaxy dropped on Thule to retake the planet for the Ghost Bear Dominion, the 13th's only option was to hold out until transportation arrived to move them offworld. But, help never arrived. On September 30, eight days after the Ghost Bear counter attack, the 13th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre was completely destroyed inside a Dominion military complex outside Thule City. Up into the 3110's, the Combine would accuse the Dominion of still holding survivors of the 13th and using them as forced labor.

Dark Age

At sometime prior to 3151, the BattleMech production facility that was destroyed during the Jihad was rebuilt and was producing Fire Moth units again. In addition, the production line was expanded to add a production line for the Viper BattleMech.

Pirate Raid of 3121

In 3121, an unknown pirate band raided Thule not far from Thule City. In the midst of their initial attack, they destroyed most of a defending Star of Clan Ghost Bear forces. However, one Battlemech, a Horned Owl piloted by MechWarrior Chloe, was spared destruction because the pilot got lost. After figuring out where she was, Chloe came upon the pirate's scavenger team picking over her destroyed comrades. Chloe then massacred the scavenger team and offered surkai for her failure by beginning a two day running battle against the pirates. She used her mechs' speed to conduct hit and run attacks against the pirates along the length of the Great Fresdonian River as the pirates approached the city. She also hit the pirate's base in a night attack causing extensive damage. Slowly, she wore the pirates down one shot at a time before she succeeded in wiping out the pirates. Upon completing the pirates destruction, she returned to Thule City, told her story and then collapsed.

Pirate Raid of 3150

A Pirate Band, believed to be under the command of one Captain Allison "Logger" Jones in a Phoenix Hawk IIC, would hit targets on Thule. The pirates were able to escape before serious opposition could intercept them.

Military Deployment

3034

• 911th Air Wing

3050

• First Hussars

3054

• Fifty-fourth Provisional Garrison Cluster

3060

• Fifty-fourth Provisional Garrison Cluster

3061

• Fifty-fourth Provisional Garrison Cluster

3067

• Fifty-fourth Provisional Garrison Cluster

3079

• Twenty-third Provisional Garrison Cluster

3085

• Fourteenth Provisional Garrison Cluster

3121

• Fourteenth Provisional Garrison Cluster

3145

• Eighteenth Provisional Garrison Cluster

Industrial Centers

• Bergan Industries
• Dominion Facility Kappa-5

Planetary Locations

• Akranes: equatorial landmass located in the temperate zone of the planet.
  • Various agricultural industries and vacation spots.
• Husavik: northern landmass, a frigid wasteland.
  • Various, Isolated Research Stations
• Vik: southern landmass.
  • Avonshire foothills: rugged terrain where the 1st Hussars had several secret supply bases during Operation Revival.
  • Etna: Industrial city on the Vik landmass
  • Foleston: town where the survivors of the 1st Hussars eliminated a part of the Clan Ghost Bear garrison.
  • Fresdon Desert: Site of an important battle during Operation Revival.
  • Great Fresdonian River: major river running across the Vik landmass.
  • New Thule: city with a planetary militia training program for vehicles and infantry on the Vik landmass.
  • Southlands: Cold southern regions of the planet Thule.
    • The Icebox: Site of an important battle during Operation Revival.
  • Thule City: Planetary Capital on the Vik landmass.

Local Fauna

• Thulian Bear

Nearby Systems

Closest 20 systems (15 within 60 light-years) Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Glabach	19.8	Damian	20.6	Porthos	21.0	Constance	27.0
Santander	30.1	Pinnacle	32.2	Richmond	37.7	Holmsbu	37.8
Idlewind	40.1	Jarett	41.0	Susquehanna	53.6	Trondheim	53.9
Kiruna	54.4	Skallevoll	59.0	New Ceylon	59.3	Ferranil	61.3
Tovetin	63.1	Rockland	67.3	Last Frontier	68.4	Isfahan	70.4

Bibliography

• 20 Year Update
• Angels on Our Shoulders (in: Total Warfare)
• BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction
• Bushido and the Bear (Scenario)
• ClanTroops
• Era Report: 2750
• Era Report: 3052
• Era Report: 3062
• Era Report: 3145
• Field Manual: Updates
• Field Manual: 3085
• Field Manual: 3145
• Field Manual: SLDF
• Field Manual: Warden Clans
• Field Report: Clans
• First Succession War
• Handbook: House Kurita
• Historical: Brush Wars
• Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1
• Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1
• Historical: Reunification War
• Historical: War of 3039
• Historical: Wars of the Republic Era
• House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)
• Invading Clans
• Interstellar Players 3: Interstellar Expeditions
• Jihad: Final Reckoning
• Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents
• Mercenaries Supplemental II
• Objective Raids
• Objectives: The Clans
• Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 8
• Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 11
• Recognition Guide: ilClan, vol. 15
• Shattered Fortress
• Tales of the Black Widow Company
• Technical Readout: 3150
• The Wars of Reaving