Skip to main content

Description:

The first colonists on Rochester were puzzled by the absence of life on a world with such plentiful water and potentially good soil. Then their own crops and animals began to die for unknown reasons. When the experts studied the water and soil to learn the causes, they discovered the presence of a variety of trace elements that, when combined, formed a deadly group of toxins. At that time, there existed no means to filter out or neutralize the poisons.

Though the planet had to be abandoned for years, a purification system developed during the early years of the Star League was capable of removing harmful agents from Rochester's water and soil. Rochester was resettled, and this time, the colony was a success. One of the byproducts of the purification process also became valuable. It was sludge that became known as "Green Jelly Gold" because it contained unusual elements highly sought after by pharmaceutical companies. By the time of the First Succession War, the colony had developed extensively, having spread a carpet of plant and animal life across nearly the entire planet.

The Draconis Combine attacked and occupied Rochester during the First War and quickly destroyed the water and soil purification plants. This led to the rapid loss of plant and animal life, leaving the colonists helpless. The occupying forces of the Draconis Combine refused to feed or evacuate the colonists from their dying world. Fifty-two thousand colonists died in what came to be known as the Rochester Starvation. Only the Kentares Massacre surpassed this event in cruelty or in the anger it aroused in the people of the Federated Suns.

[3025]It is rumored that scientists from the NAIS have lately rediscovered the purification process that once gave life to Rochester and that they are about to test it there.

[3039] The Operation Orochi strike on Rochester had only one purpose: to cow the AFFS High Command into believing that the Combine was making a serious advance towards Robinson, the capital of the Draconis March and the Sandovals’ ancestral home.

The only people that remained on the world were researchers looking to reverse the devastation caused during the First Succession War and miners, looking to exploit what few resources the world could provide. The only “defenders” the world could claim were territorial constables and the security forces that the mining concerns brought with them. Even the spaceport consisted of little more than an expanse of ferrocrete, one mere corner of the once-majestic spaceport that had fallen into ruin over the previous three centuries.

In fact, the term “strike” barely even applies to the Combine operations on the world. After leaving Breed in early August, the second battalion of the Fourth Ghost Regiment landed on Rochester, immediately taking command of the spaceport. They made a few additional reconnaissance raids against other settlements, though only to disable communications arrays and space-traffic control monitoring systems. That ensured that they were the only ones able to monitor what else was going on in the system, allowing them to easily trick the people of Rochester into believing that they were setting up a major forward base, capable of supporting a multi-regiment assault upon Robinson.

This news, in conjunction with all of the other sketchy intelligence reports detailing the Combine’s operations in the Draconis March, convinced the High Command to recall all forces that had been holding for orders to continue with their Wave Two assignments.

The Third Ceti Hussars RCT landed on Rochester in the last week of October, expecting to face a massive Combine invasion force. Indeed, they were under orders to delay the expected DCMS task force at all costs, as it would likely take months more before enough reinforcements could be drawn from the Crucis March. The Hussars were thus surprised to find only a battalion of ‘Mechs on the world. They made quick work of the Ghosts, who unsurprisingly retreated after putting up only a light resistance.

The Ghosts’ mission had, of course, been successful. The gambit had paid off, and within just a few weeks, the few regiments assigned to Operation Orochi retreated back across the border, their goal complete.

System Info:

  • System Name: Rochester
  • Coordinates: 228.98, 3.13
  • Star Type: G4III
  • Position in System: 5
  • Time to Jump Point: 7.00 days
  • Recharging Station: None
  • ComStar Facility Class: B
  • Percentage and Level of Native Life: None

System Owner Eras:

Era: Faction:
2575 FS
2750 FS
3025 FS
3030 FS
3040 FC
3052 FC
3057 FC
3062 FC

System Occupation Dates:

Occupation Date: Faction:
2569-08-15 Federated Suns
3039-03-15 Federated Commonwealth
3081-12-25 Federated Suns

System Star Maps:

Factories:

There are no functional factories located on this planet.

Inhabited System(s) within 2 jumps:

Planet: X Coord: Y Coord: Jumps:
Allerton 265.76 7.30 2
Bettendorf 267.32 26.08 2
Blandinsville 230.03 -33.12 2
Breed 197.16 40.16 2
Clovis 181.78 3.13 2
DeWitt 260.02 -21.91 2
Dobson 206.03 26.60 2
Doneval II 200.56 8.87 1
Emporia 258.97 -6.52 2
Exeter 190.12 -8.08 2
Franklin 252.98 10.95 1
Hoff 266.54 37.03 2
Layover 206.03 -20.08 2  
Le Blanc 208.90 18.52 1
Lucerne 233.94 12.52 1
New Ivaarsen 228.98 34.95 2
New Valencia 221.94 -29.47 2  
Robinson 234.72 -6.52 1  
Sauk City 279.06 -3.13 2
Xhosa VII 175.52 14.60 2

Planet has description information.

Planet has one of more factories.