ComStar Historical Archives

Defiance is a backwater world, one of many within the Federated Suns. Once a thriving mining colony, it is mostly known these days for its extensive military support facilities, which make it an ideal location for the AFFS to use for war game simulations. This fact also led to the planet being used as a training and staging area for Task Force Serpent, the Inner Sphere's operation to find the Clan Homeworlds and destroy Clan Smoke Jaguar. Defiance is the third planet in its system; the eighth planet is named Resistance.

The planet was settled during the early years of the Star League, mostly by prospectors attracted to the rich mineral wealth to be found in Defiance's soil. During these first years, hundreds of small mining concerns sprang up across the planet. Eventually, however, these hundreds of mining operations were consolidated in the hands of a few large corporations which in turn were themselves absorbed by Solar Metals Ltd. until that company owned almost the entire planet. In 2748, Solar Metals sold the world to House Davion. By the Thirty-First century, the mines on Defiance had been largely abandoned.

Description

Defiance is not a pleasant world. Though not overtly hostile to human settlement, it does possess several characteristics that make inhabitation difficult. The most immediate strike against this world is its atmosphere, which results from extreme vulcanism early in the planet's history. Much about Defiance is conditioned by the large amounts of sulfur and sulfur dioxide in the air. Humans need respirators and filtering masks to function outdoors and buildings require airlocks to keep out the unpleasant "rotten egg" smell and the chemicals in the atmosphere. The sulfuric taint even affects technology, as most fuel-burning vehicles are unable to function well. The inhabitants of Defiance have taken to utilizing electric and fusion-powered vehicles instead as a workaround. Despite its yellow sun, Defiance's sky is an ugly burnt orange from all the sulfur in the air.

In contrast to its effects on the atmosphere, the high volcanic activity during Defiance's early eras has had a beneficial effect on its soil. The planet is a veritable breadbasket, with some of the richest farmland in the whole Inner Sphere. Unfortunately, the rich soil is a product of the early vulcanism and as a result is high in sulfur and rare earth elements. This gives any crops grown in the soil a bitter and unpleasant flavor that makes them unsuitable for human consumption. Animal life remains unaffected, however, and Defiance supports both reptilian and avian native lifeforms, though few of either.

Prominent Locations

Jerseyville: During the early days of the Star League, Malcolm Jersey led the first group of settlers, consisting mostly of prospectors and others attracted by the incredible mineral wealth of the world, to Defiance. Named Jerseyville after the settlement's leader, the first town on the planet was founded about forty minutes away from the initial landing site, which later became the location for the planet's only spaceport. Jerseyville is nestled in the rocky flatlands between the Pearce Sea to the east and the Devils' Backbone mountains to the west, though parts of town extend into the foothills at the base of the mountain range. The northern suburbs are home to the wealthier inhabitants and the homes reflect this while still maintaining the practicality necessary for life on this world. The homes are mostly squat, two-story structures, distinguished from more pedestrian houses by their larger airlocks and plastic-coated metal siding that is fashioned to look like wood. Winters in this region of the planet are normally temperate. The vegetation in the area, in contrast to many locations on Defiance, is sparse and consists of small bushes spread haphazardly across the plain. West of Jerseyville lies Fort Defiance, the main site of the planetary militia in days gone by. The hilly training grounds of the base are now used mostly for AFFS war games.

Plains of Sorrow: A region of low and rolling hills and flatlands located approximately twenty kilometers from Fort Defiance's main BattleMech facility. These plains served as the site for training exercises conducted between ComStar's Invader Galaxy and the forces detailed to Task Force Serpent in early 3059.

Crossmolina Mountains: Located forty kilometers from the militia base, this line of tall, craggy hills sharply divides the plains of the Jerseyville/Fort Defiance region from the rocky upland regions to the east. Though lacking in any significant amount of vegetation, these rocky mountains were once a good source for the minerals that originally provided a reason for Defiance's human population. An abandoned mining facility, a remnant of a Basantapur corporation, lies near the town of Darom in the center of the upland area. The town and the old facility can most easily be reached through the Laurelton Gap, a narrow cleft through the mountains. During the preparations for Task Force Serpent, the mountains hosted a simulated battle between the forces of Clan Smoke Jaguar (played by the Knights of the Inner Sphere) and the Seventy-first Light Horse Regiment of the Eridani Light Horse.

Tel Burna Hills: To the east of the upland region behind the Crossmolina Mountains lies a region of low, rolling hills.

• Source Used:
• The Hunters