System: Abadan

[3014] Duke Anton Marik’s plan to make himself Captain-General had two primary objectives: the capture of Atreus and of Marik. Control of these symbolic worlds would add legitimacy to his claim. As a secondary objective, Anton needed control of as much of the League’s military industrial infrastructure as possible in order to secure the material needed to fuel his rebellion and deny the same to Janos’ supporters. Prime targets included Asuncion, Bernardo, Emris IV, Irian, Keystone, Oliver, and Procyon.

To achieve these objectives, Anton devised a three-pronged operation. The southern thrust (code-named Eagle) would drive towards Atreus. The center thrust (code-named Peregrine) would target Marik. The northern thrust (codenamed Falcon) would sweep up to take key industrial worlds and pick off isolated loyalist commands.

The spearhead of Taskforce Peregrine consisted of Colonel Nathan Pierce’s Fifth Regulan Hussars and the Second Ducal Guard. Pushing toward the world of Marik, their landing on Abadan was virtually unopposed. The Hussars secured the Austin Vale Ordinance plant the day they landed. Dietrich’s Devastators, a lone company of mercenary BattleMechs employed to provide security was no match for a full regiment. With Abadan secured, the rebels began bringing up conventional troops and supplies to support the final jump to Marik itself.

The loyalists chose not to wait for the inevitable. The Stewart Dragons Home Guard had been moved to Marik at the outbreak of the rebellion. Now General Lao Jarreau-Stewart led two of his battalions and a powerful armored brigade in a spoiling raid intended to buy more time to build up Marik’s defenses. Catching the rebels spread out and unprepared for an attack, the Stewart’s Heavy ’Mech Battalion pushed the Hussars second battalion out of the Austin Vale Ordinance plant with the assistance of a heavy armor regiment. A second armored regiment held off the Hussars third battalion with the aid of the Stewart’s Light ’Mech Battalion.

Mistaking the loyalist raid for a full-scale counter-invasion, Colonel Pierce chose not to wait for additional intelligence and abandoned Abadan. Losses amounted to only two companies of BattleMechs, but the material that the rebels had been stockpiling was lost as they retreated to Holt.

[3067] Once the League’s pre-eminent manufacturers of longarms, the merger of Austin Vale Ordnance – based at Kuran on Abadan - and Armstrong Industries in 3044 created a conglomerate capable of holding its own on the international stage. Individually, the companies produced notable but flawed products — the M4T laser rifle and the Derenforth heavy rifle — but by combining their skills and experience, they overcame their weaknesses and now produce solid, reliable equipment.

The A2 variants of both weapons are the mainstay of the modern FWLM, and Austen-Armstrong has worked closely with the LCCC to develop several new rifles and support weapons. The company’s involvement in small arms remains limited, however, a shortcoming CEO Hanachi hopes to rectify in the near future.

There are no functional factories located on this planet.