Menkalinan

Menkalinan
Menkalinan 3151.svg
System Information
X:Y Coordinates-0.006 : -70.618[e]

The Menkalinan system was home to at least one habitable world and as of 3151 was located in the Tikonov Commonality within the Capellan Confederation.[1]

System Description[edit]

Menkalinan is located near the Tall Trees and Saiph systems.

Political Affiliation[edit]


Menkalinan[edit]

Menkalinan
Geophysical
Landmasses5[32]
Government and Infrastructure
CapitalCarosasha[32]

Planetary History[edit]

Age of War[edit]

Menkalinan was an independent world within the Capellan Zone in 2366, but was conquered by the Terran Hegemony sometime before 2571.[33][34]

Star League[edit]

For the duration of the Star League, Menkalinan was part of the Terran Hegemony's Terra Firma Province. No Castles Brian are known to have been built on the world.[35] Like every other Hegemony world, Menkalinan fell to the Amaris Coup. The Star League's Twenty-fourth Army Group consisting of Seventh Army liberated Menkalinan in September 2772 despite determined resistance which retreated within the world’s cities and extended the liberation campaign by months.[36]

First Succession War[edit]

At the start of the First Succession War, Menkalinan was still a part of the Terran Hegemony Remnants but would be conquered by the Capellan Confederation in the opening moves of the war.[37]

Second Succession War[edit]

During the Second Succession War, Captain-General Charles Marik was being fed intelligence by a source within ComStar that he used to take several worlds. Operation BLACKSMITH was one of those thrusts, with forces based on Hamilton and Augustine forming Task Force Hammer. The Task Force struck at five worlds simultaneously on 11 March, 2832, three of which fell in short order due to correct intelligence. Intelligence however underestimated the CCAF forces on Menkalinan leading to a more protracted fight. Despite the Confederation's determination the world belonged to the Free Worlds League by early July.[38] Charles Marik soon discovered the intelligence failure on Menkalinan and other worlds was not random, it was a concerted effort by ComStar to make the War longer and bloodier than it might otherwise be. Enraged, he ordered the destruction of his supposed source, his sister, and her ComStar station in 2837. ComStar responded with an Interdiction, cutting the League off from faster-than-light communications. The League's foes descended on it, with the Confederation recapturing the world sometime before 2742.[13]

Third Succession War[edit]

In 3002 newly elevated Duke Anton Marik struck at several border worlds, including Menkalinan. Among the forces to assault the world were the Third Dismal Disinherited.[39] Despite initial surprise the offensive ground to an almost immediate halt in a series of pitched battles the bogged down for years.[40][41] This debacle was recounted in Sharon Ciardi's Griffin in Hell.[42]

Fourth Succession War[edit]

During the Fourth Succession War, the League hoped to take advantage of the Confederation's distraction. In November 3028 they made another push on Menkalinan, led by Second Battalion, First Free Worlds Guards, a heavy BattleMech unit. In a stroke of supreme bad luck, they launched their offensive at precisely the same time as the Federated Suns mercenary unit First Screaming Eagles. Force Commander Kisha Bavara was advancing on the capital city of Carosasha over the Straits of Denar when the Screaming Eagles made planetfall just thirty kilometers southeast of the Guards. Bavara halted and requested orders from her superiors on Berenson. Colonel Walter Hokala warily advanced his forces toward the capital through the Rika Valley, coming into close contact with the Guards who observed them from the high ground. For three hours the Eagles slowly passed the Guards' position with no actions or communication.

Now past the still-passive Guards, the Eagles descended on the Capellan militia, easily forcing the conventional forces into retreat. It was during this rout that Bavara received her orders, instructing her to "aid the brave Capellan defenders trying to push off the Davion scourge." Thus she turned to aid the Capellan forces she had been sent to destroy. The Eagles were about to enter downtown Carosasha when pickets reported Guards forces advancing through the forests to the Guards' rear. Hokala ordered First and Second Battalion to meet the new threat while Third stayed in the city. First and Second could not intercept the Guards before they overran the Eagle's rear supply caches and command and control equipment. Scattered Capellan militia forces hiding in the woods likewise joined into the foray against the Eagles. To avoid being cut off and surrounded, Hokala ordered all Eagle forces to break contact and reposition out of the city to the North.

Repositioning was completed in good order, and the Eagles launched a counterattack at sundown that same day. First Battalion struck the Guards' 'Mechs on the left of the line while Third fell upon the Confederation conventional forces on the right. Eagle aerospace units made repeated passes against both forces but were far more effective against the Confederation flank as League 'Mechs were capable of accurate Anti-Air fire but the aerospace sorties were intended primarily as a distraction. Second Battalion under the command of Major Saunders was composed mostly of light BattleMechs and were able to flank the Guards, causing havoc in the rear areas. Now in danger of being surrounded herself, Bavara ordered a retreat of all League forces, a movement she undertook without informing the Confederation forces. Surprised and surrounded, the Confederation forces quickly surrendered.

The presence of League forces on a Confederation world lead Federated Suns intelligence to incorrectly surmise it was a jointly held world.[43][32]

War of 3039[edit]

Before the War of 3039 began, SAFE managed a rare intelligence coup in detecting the 151st Light Horse Regiment departing for their staging area David. While the Federated Commonwealth was distracted during the War of 3039 the League attempted to reclaim several worlds lost in the Fourth Succession War. The Thirteenth and Fifteenth Marik Militia landed on Menkalinan on April 30 where they simply occupied the positions and installations the Light Horse vacated just weeks prior. Menkalinan was declared captured on 5 May, 3039. Despite only being opposed by planetary militia, both regiments managed to sustain moderate (11-25%) combat losses. This was the only successful operation the League launched during the War. The Federated Commonwealth filed diplomatic protests but took no immediate steps to retake the world. The Thirteenth Marik Militia would remain on Menkalinan while the Fifteenth returned to their base on Berenson.[44][45][46]

Curiously, some reports continue to show Federated Commonwealth forces stationed on Menkalinan after this, and a 3040 ComStar map shows it as another Federated Commonwealth holding but reverting to the League sometime before 3050.[47][48][49]

Clan Invasion[edit]

Menkalinan again changed hands sometime before 3056, only to be returned to the League in Operation GUERRERO in 3057.[50]

In late 3061, Free Worlds League troop movements began reinforcing the border with the Capellan Confederation and the Disputed Territories. Forces arrived to reinforce Menkalinan in late December[51]

Jihad[edit]

Menkalinan was made part of the Blake Protectorate sometime between 3068 and 3072[25][52]

Republic[edit]

In 3081, Menkalinan was part of Prefecture VI.[53]

Dark Age[edit]

In 3136, Menkalinan was part of the Tall Trees Union, one of several "pocket fortress" founded by then-Paladin Thaddeus Marik's secret plan to recreate the Free Worlds League. The plan was derailed by the Wolf Hunters and by December 3145 Menkalinan was once more part of the Capellan Confederation.[54][55][56] At the end of 3145, Julian Davion’s Task Force Navarre raided Menkalinan both to draw CCAF troops from the Capellan March and to replenish his stores. A detachment of First Davion Guards and two mercenary units smashed the Home Guard units and emptied supply dumps, raided munitions factories, and set others to the torch. Civilian population centers were spared, and Julian ordered his troops not to completely eliminate Home Guard forces who had been rendered combat ineffective. During this raid, Leftenant Morton Briggs of the Guards lost his Griffin in a Home Guard ambush. Presumed dead, he was interrogated about Julian's plans until Republic DMI agent Candace Genesee rescued him.[57]

Military Deployment[edit]

3029[edit]

3038[edit]

3040[edit]

  • Eridani Light Horse[46]
  • 151st Light Horse Regiment[46]

3040[edit]

3050[edit]

  • 151st Light Horse Regiment[21]

3067[edit]

Geography[edit]

Menkalinan has five major continents. It has few marketable resources aside from wood from its many forests.[32]

Planetary Locations[edit]

  • Carosasha: planetary capital[32]
  • Rika Valley[32]
  • Sasher's Fields[32]
  • Straits of Denar[32]

Notes[edit]

  • Menkalinan is spelled as Menkalinen in some sources.[58][59][60]
  • The 3025–3028 joint status and 3028 invasion has discrepancies which were retconned later but then reinserted at later dates. NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1 (1988) states it was a jointly owned and occupied world, with the First Free Worlds Guards surreptitiously inserted to take advantage of the Confederation's distraction in order to claim sole ownership. Field Manual: Free Worlds League (1997) updates this by stating "the Guard's Second Battalion invaded the Capellan-held planet of Menkalinan - at precisely the same time the planet came under attack from a Davion-employed mercenary group called the First Screaming Eagles" with no reference of joint ownership or garrisons. However, the Handbook series (2004-2015) all contain "after Third Succession War (3025)" maps which have the League/Confederation border go directly through Menkalinan. In 2022, BattleTech Developer Raymond Arrastia stated that "joint ownership" should be interpreted as "exchanged hands so often that ownership on any give [sic] day was questionable," cementing the interpretation of Field Manual: Free Worlds League.

Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 68 systems (66 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Tall Trees 4.0 Saiph 5.3 New Canton 8.6 Belluevue 9.3
Berenson 13.7 Kristiandsund 15.9 Mandal 17.1 Hsien 17.2
Chisholm 19.7 Zion 19.8 Zurich 21.5 Kyrkbacken 23.9
Myrvoll 25.2 Wasat 25.6 Aldebaran 25.6 Bhaktapur 25.7
Nanking 29.6 Hall 29.8 Capolla 30.3 Asuncion 31.5
Bernardo 32.0 Blue Sava 33.5 Manennaia 33.5 Cynthiana 34.4
Outreach 36.1 Hamilton 37.2 Snailzar 37.3 Ibstock 37.7
Ilmachna 38.0 Genoa 40.5 Bex 40.5 Brownsville 41.3
Gan Singh 42.6 Terra Firma 43.3 Van Diemen 43.8 Augustine 44.1
Jilin 44.7 Suzano 46.2 Arboris 47.2 Hechnar 47.6
Pliska 48.6 Irian 48.7 Talitha 49.6 Park Place 50.0
Styk 50.0 Carver 50.2 Acamar 50.9 Bonaire 51.0
Sichuan 51.8 Pleione 52.2 Epsilon Eridani 52.7 Ventabren 52.8
Ohrensen 53.7 Tabit 53.7 Ningpo 54.4 Woodstock 55.7
Acubens 55.9 Second Try 56.8 Azha 57.1 Shensi 58.1
New Home 58.4 Avellaneda 58.8 Bryant 58.9 Holt 59.0
Elnath 59.6 Procyon 59.8 Keid 60.6 Slocum 61.0

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Shattered Fortress, pp. 102–103: "Inner Sphere - 3151" (Map)
  2. Handbook: House Marik, p. 16: "Free Worlds League Founding [2271]"
  3. Handbook: House Liao, p. 17: "Capellan Confederation Founding, 2366"
  4. Handbook: House Liao, p. 13: "Timeline: Capellan Zone 2367"
  5. Handbook: House Liao, p. 25: "Capellan Confederation after Age of War [2571]"
  6. Historical: Reunification War, p. 159: "Inner Sphere - 2596"
  7. Era Report: 2750, p. 37: "Inner Sphere - 2750"
  8. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 11: "Inner Sphere - 2765"
  9. Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 104: "Rim Worlds Republic - [2767] Map"
  10. 10.0 10.1 Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1, p. 138: "Operation LIBERATION Wave 1 [July 2772 - December 2774]"
  11. Handbook: House Liao, p. 31: "Capellan Confederation after First Succession War [2822]"
  12. Second Succession War, p. 41: "The Eagle Swoops"
  13. 13.0 13.1 Second Succession War, p. 48: "ComStar War 2837-2742"
  14. Handbook: House Liao, p. 39: "Capellan Confederation after Second Succession War [2864]"
  15. Handbook: House Liao, p. 40: "Capellan Confederation after Third Succession War [3025]"
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, p. 82
  17. Historical: War of 3039, p. 12: "Lyran Commonwealth Jumpoff Movements"
  18. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 78
  19. Historical: War of 3039, p. 63: "Free Worlds League Operations"
  20. Historical: War of 3039, p. 133: "Inner Sphere - 3040"
  21. 21.0 21.1 20 Year Update, p. 24: "Federated Commonwealth Deployment Table"
  22. Handbook: House Liao, p. 60: "Capellan Confederation after Operation Guerrero [3058]"
  23. 23.0 23.1 Field Manual: Updates, p. 161: "Free Worlds League Deployment Table"
  24. Handbook: House Liao, p. 68: "Capellan Confederation after FedCom Civil War [3067]"
  25. 25.0 25.1 Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 19
  26. Starterbook Wolf and Blake, p. 13
  27. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 105
  28. Operational Turning Points: Capellan Crusades, p. 16
  29. Era Report: 3145, p. 11: "Inner Sphere Map - [3135]"
  30. Map of the Tall Trees Union depicted along with Free Worlds League map as of [3139]
  31. Era Report: 3145, p. 39: "Inner Sphere Map - [3145]"
  32. 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 32.4 32.5 32.6 32.7 NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1, pp. 82–85
  33. Handbook: House Liao, p. 17: "Capellan Confederation Foundation (2366)"
  34. Handbook: House Liao, p. 25: "Capellan Confederation after Age of War (2571)"
  35. Field Manual: SLDF, p. xi: "Star League Defense Forces Terran Hegemony Defensive Installations"[citation needed]
  36. Liberation of Terra, Volume 1, p. 131
  37. First Succession War, p. 59: Free Worlds League-Capellan Confederation Front 2786-2821"
  38. Second Succession War, p. 41: "The Eagle Swoops"
  39. Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised, p. 64
  40. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 52
  41. Handbook: House Marik, p. 45
  42. House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 53: "Buddies"
  43. Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 44
  44. Historical: Brush Wars, p. 78
  45. Historical: War of 3039, p. 63: "Free Worlds League Operations"
  46. 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 46.4 46.5 Historical: War of 3039, p. 140: "Deployment Table"
  47. Historical: War of 3039, p. 140: "Deployment Table" 151st Horse Post-War
  48. 20 Year Update, p. 24
  49. Objective Raids, p. 22
  50. Era Report: 3062, p. 16: "Chaos March (3057" Map
  51. Shattered Sphere, p. 79: "End of an Alliance?" Sourcebook is dated 1/1/3062, dates derived from "past few months" and "just weeks ago"
  52. Starterbook Wolf and Blake, p. 13
  53. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 105
  54. To Ride the Chimera, p. ?[citation needed]
  55. Wolf Hunters, p. ?[citation needed]
  56. Era Report: 3145, p. 39
  57. Shattered Fortress, p. 16: "Raiding the Confederation"
  58. Historical: War of 3039
  59. Historical: Brush Wars
  60. Shattered Sphere

Bibliography[edit]