OBT Forum

Working through some of my back data to flush out the universe a bit more

Defiance
Coordinates:          428.76, -107.45
Star Type:          GV
Position in System:       3
Recharge Stations:      Zenith, Nadir (planned)
ComStar HPG Facility:      A

Description:

   Defiance is a backwater world. It has large military support facilities, as it has been used by the Federated Suns for war games from time to time.  While its atmosphere is not hostile, neither is it pleasant. Few reptilian and avian life forms can tolerate the moderate concentrations of sulfur and sulfur dioxides in the atmosphere.  Personnel require the use of respirators and filter masks, and all housing on the planet possesses airlocks to allow entry without fouling the interior atmosphere.

   Jerseyville is the capital of Defiance, and also its only spaceport. Situated on the site of the original settlers' first landing, Jerseyville was named after its founder, Malcolm Jersey. The city itself is little more than a large cluster of small houses, shops and office buildings huddled in the foothills of the Devil's Backbone mountain range. The settlers, most of them prospectors, had come to Defiance during the early days of the Star League, attracted by the planet's vast mineral wealth. The almost constant eruptions that marked its early life brought up many rare earth elements out of the young planet's core. Transuranic elements are especially common in the now mostly extinct volcanoes of the Backbone mountains. Over the years, the hundreds of small, independent mines were acquired by large corporations, until eventually the greatest portion of the planet was owned outright by Solar Metals Limited, who sold it to the Davion family in 2748.

   The flat-lands wedged in between the Pearse Sea to the east and the Devil's Backbone Mountains on the west would be some of the richest farming lands in the Inner Sphere, if not for the taint in the atmosphere. Though the sulfur content is not high enough to prevent plant life from growing, even flourishing, in the black, volcanic soil, it is sufficient to be absorbed into the crops, giving any foodstuffs grown there an unpleasant, bitter taste.

   Following the decision to annihilate Clan Smoke Jaguar preparations for Task Force Bulldog were made on Defiance by Federated Suns then-Marshal of Armies Duke Morgan Hasek-Davion.  Following the destruction of the Clan and the Star League’s desire for a permanent home for the Martial Olympiad Defiance was chosen again by Morgan Hasek-Davion.  From that day Defiance has begun to wildly change.

   Outside Jerseyville a virtual city has been built all on its own around the Olympiad grounds, housing and specially sealed grandstands.  Military staging bases and maintenance facilities, on top of Defiance’s already impressive facilities, have been built and the Star League is in the process of building a training facility on the world as well.   Just outside this facility is the Advisory Council Headquarters for the new Star League Defence Force in their own specially built facility and a new larger more modern spaceport.  In 3075 this facility was further expanded with the completion of the Star League Defence Force’s newest training facility, this state-of-the-art facility would be run with the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns in a joint agreement.  Both parties would also form training cadres around the facility.

   Following these constructions ComStar upgraded the HPG facility in Jerseyville to Class A and installed a second facility at the Advisory Council Headquarters as well ensuring delegates could stay in constant contact with home.  The Federated Suns and Star League jointly funded a new Recharge Station at the Zenith point as well and there are plans in motion for one to be built at the nadir point as well in the near future.

   The developments on the world have led to a massive population increase on this unpleasant little world and many scientists have began to work on a method of ‘scrubbing’ the atmosphere of at least some of the sulfur in the atmosphere to terraform it into a more pleasant world to live on.  The fruits of this labour were first seen in 3079 when scientists from the University of Thorin and from NAIS activated the planet’s first Planetary Scrubber - one of the biggest buildings on Defiance nestled in the Devil’s Backbone Mountains away from sight - the scrubber began work at cleaning the air of the world constantly drawing in the tainted atmosphere and producing clean oxygen-nitrogen air releasing it into the atmosphere.  This scrubber though could not do the job on its own and efforts continued to build more hiding them deep in the mountains or in the ground.  The eighth and last Planetary Scubber came online in 3082 and although people still need re-breathers on Defiance the day when such tools are not needed is in sight.