System: Tsinghai

A modest world with a temperate climate, New Sarna, as it was called then, was originally a provincial capital under the old Sarna Supremacy. Following the creating of the Capellan Confederation, Tsinghai became a mining world, later growing into a regional exporter of uranium and other fissionable materials. During the Succession Wars, Tsinghai slowly became the center of a planetwide industrial complex as more and more of Sarna's commercial activities were transferred there for protection.

Tsinghai has withstood numerous attacks by both Marik forces and bandits, but these have decimated the planet's once-thriving population. Tsinghai is known today primarily for its excellent wines. Though fallen from industrial importance, it continues to occupy a strategic location. A regiment of Sian reserve troops is garrisoned on the planet to discourage further raiding by Marik forces.

The capital city of Tsinghai is Jingdao, however the ancient and holy city of Tienshiang, within the Kwaidong mountains, is home to the leader of the Buddhist majority on Tsinghai.

[3032] While restoring order at home and regaining control of rebel Andurien were the priorities of the FWLM, numerous hawks in Parliament who felt Janos had been too cautious in the Fourth Succession War pressured Thomas to take action against the Steiner-Davion alliance. His releasing of the newly reformed Fourth Free Worlds Guards to attack Tsinghai was intended as a sop to this parliamentary group, sating their desire for action and also the Guards’ need to be bloodied in combat. Success seemed a forgone conclusion.

The FWLM hadn’t counted on Wolf’s Dragoons, however. Ensconced on Outreach, which had recently been granted them by Hanse Davion for their services in the Fourth Succession War, the mercenaries sought to rebuild their depleted coffers and fortunes. Key among their strategies was contracting out their Black Widow Battalion, commanded by Natasha Kerensky, and Tsinghai’s need for defense against Marik or Liao predation was just the kind of job they sought. It would not pay well, not even covering the Dragoons’ expenses, but a victory would let the Inner Sphere know the Wolves were still around and ready for business.

In a short, brutal campaign, the Black Widows decimated the Fourth Guards, blunting their attacks and launching a series of vicious and underhanded counterattacks. In short order most of the Guards were destroyed, and the remainder, fearing the Captain-General’s wrath, fled to the Federated Suns. Over the next few years, the FWLM would come to fear the Black Widows.

There are no functional factories located on this planet.