Pleiades Cluster

This article is about the star cluster. For other uses, see Pleiades (disambiguation).


Pleiades Cluster
Pleiades Cluster 3151.svg
Pleiades Cluster nearby systems
(Map Legend)
System Information
X:Y Coordinates216.353 : -319.595[e]

The Pleiades are a star cluster that is 389.31 light years rimward of Terra in the Federated Suns' Capellan March. It contains 100 inhabitated systems, among them Maia, Electra, and Merope.[1]

Political Affiliation[edit]

Description[edit]

Nonfictional (real-world) Pleiades Cluster

The Pleiades (or Seven Sisters) contains over 1,000 members and are dominated by hot blue and extremely luminous B-type stars. A dust cloud in the interstellar medium that the stars are currently passing through forms a faint reflection nebulosity around the brightest stars (hence the alternate name Maia Nebula after the star Maia). The cluster core radius is about 8 light years and tidal radius is about 43 light years.

The nine brightest stars of the Pleiades are named for the Seven Sisters of Greek mythology: Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygete, Celaeno, and Alcyone, along with their parents Atlas and Pleione.

One hundred of the Pleiades systems are inhabited, of which the worlds of Maia, Electra, and Merope are the most important.[1]

History[edit]

Visible with the naked eye at the Terran night sky the major systems of the Pleiades were already discovered and named early during the Pre-Spaceflight Era. After its founding the colonies of the star cluster joined the Taurian Concordat but were attacked in 2580 by the SLDF during the Reunification War and subsequently annexed by the Federated Suns.

Reunification War[edit]

The Pleiades Cluster had three major habitable worlds in 2580, and each was heavily industrialized and well populated.[42] The SLDF deployed their IV Corps supported by elements of I Corps to take these three worlds. The fighting lasted until November, 2580. The defending Taurian units were destroyed, but the attacking SLDF divisions were reduced to below forty percent of their strength.[43]

The Pleiades Campaign[edit]

(For more information, see Pleiades Campaign)

In January 3067, the Concordat tried to exploit the weakness of the Federated Suns in the wake of the FedCom Civil War and sent troops to reconquer systems lost 500 years ago. The Taurian force, among them the Pleiades Hussars and the Pleiades Lancers trying to recapture their ancient homeworlds, initially made remarkable progress and reached the cluster in March. Then came the Davion counterassault that caused great damage among the Taurian forces, only the troops in the cluster could stand their ground. The tide turned again with the outbreak of the Jihad when the Davion leadership was thrown into chaos due to the occupation of New Avalon. At the end of the Jihad the Pleiades were under unchallenged control of the TDF.

Military Deployment[edit]

3067[edit]

3079[edit]

- At this point in time, the Pleiades Hussars were deployed across Merope and Pleiades Cluster. The Pleiades Hussars was at 70% of full strength.

Notes[edit]

The flag of the Pleiades is an eagle backed by a triangular field.[49]

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 40 systems (40 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Electra 3.0 Maia 4.0 Merope 5.0 Ridgebrook 15.0
Sanurcha 16.8 Kautokeino 26.6 New Syrtis 27.0 Flintoft 28.3
Diefenbaker 28.4 Hè-shì 29.7 Taygeta 29.9 Brusett 30.4
Lindsay 32.0 Werfer 32.2 Carmichael 33.9 Mandaree 35.5
Hobson 35.7 Brockway 36.4 Pietermaritzburg 38.3 Firgrove 39.5
Kaitangata 42.7 Desolate Plains 42.8 Crawford 44.7 Mithron 44.7
Aucara 46.1 Wrentham 46.1 Robsart 49.9 Midale 50.4
Zalzangor 50.7 Lothair 52.9 Ashley 53.2 Atreus Prime 55.1
Cumberland 55.4 Oltepesi 56.1 Mordialloc 56.2 Shaunavon 56.2
Chouli 56.6 Okains 56.7 Jaipur 56.7 Keuterville 60.0

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 The high number of populated systems is confirmed by the writers. See Political Map vs Jump Map discussion
  2. Handbook: House Davion, p. 18
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 121
  4. Handbook: House Davion, p. 48
  5. Historical: Reunification War, p. 159
  6. Era Report: 2750, p. 37
  7. Field Manual: SLDF: "Inner Sphere - [2764] Map"
  8. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 11
  9. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 29
  10. Field Report 2765: Periphery, p. 37
  11. Handbook: House Davion, p. 54
  12. Handbook: House Liao, p. 31
  13. Handbook: House Davion, p. 60
  14. Handbook: House Liao, p. 39
  15. The Periphery, First Edition, p. 151
  16. House Davion (The Federated Suns): "Federated Suns Map - [3025]"
  17. Handbook: House Davion, p. 70
  18. Handbook: House Liao, p. 40
  19. Handbook: House Davion, p. 72
  20. Handbook: House Liao, p. 49
  21. 21.0 21.1 Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 127
  22. Handbook: House Davion, p. 74
  23. Historical: War of 3039, p. 133
  24. Era Report: 3052, p. 11
  25. Era Report: 3052, p. 23
  26. Era Report: 3062, p. 11
  27. Handbook: House Davion, p. 78
  28. Handbook: House Liao, p. 59
  29. The Periphery, 2nd Edition, p. 111: "Taurian Concordat and Tortuga Dominions"
  30. Era Report: 3062, p. 29
  31. Handbook: House Davion, p. 82
  32. Handbook: House Liao, p. 68
  33. Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 65
  34. Field Report: Periphery, p. 23
  35. Field Report: AFFS, p. 21
  36. Field Report: CCAF, p. 21
  37. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 63
  38. Field Manual: 3085, p. vii: "Inner Sphere - [3085] Map"
  39. Era Report: 3145, p. 11
  40. Era Report: 3145, p. 39
  41. Field Manual: 3145, p. vi: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  42. Historical: Reunification War, p. 72
  43. Historical: Reunification War, p. 73
  44. 44.0 44.1 44.2 Historical: Reunification War, p. 146
  45. Historical: Reunification War, p. 144
  46. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 19: "Regimental Status"
  47. Field Manual: Updates, p. 138
  48. Field Report: Periphery, p. 12: "Taurian Concordat Regimental Status"
  49. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 62

Bibliography[edit]