Editing Bolan

{{InfoBoxSystem
| image               = Bolan_3151.svg
| caption             = Bolan [[#Nearby_Systems|nearby systems]]
| name                = Bolan
| coord               = -277.973 : 5.192{{e}}
| stars               = 
| class               = G4V<ref name=HB:HSp76>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 76: "Bolan Planet Profile"</ref><ref name=O:LAp11>''Objectives: Lyran Alliance'', p. 11: "Bolan"</ref><ref name=EA104>''Empire Alone'', p. 104</ref>
| recharge            = 185 hours<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| recharge stations   = Zenith<ref name="IOp226"/><ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| planets             = 13<ref name=EA104/>
}}
The '''Bolan''' system was home to at least one habitable world, '''Bolan II''', and as of [[3152]] was capital of a new Bolan Province (formerly [[Buena Province]]) in the [[Lyran Commonwealth]].<ref name=EAmap>''Empire Alone'', p. 78 - Map of the Free Worlds League and neighboring systems</ref>

__TOC__

==System Description==
Bolan is located near the [[Finsterwalde]] and [[Gypsum]] systems<ref name="ER:2750p36"/> and consists of a class G4V primary orbited by at least two planets. During the [[thirty-first century]] a recharge station was in place at the zenith [[jump point]].<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/>

==System History==
The Bolan system was purchased in 2156 at a relatively low price. The world remained uninhabited until 2244, when the [[Outer Reaches Rebellion]] spurred a wave of colonists hoping to flee the turmoil of the [[Terran Alliance]].<ref name=EA104/> Despite this inauspicious start, Bolan has been hotly fought over by both the [[Free Worlds League]] and the Lyran Commonwealth on a number of occasions.<ref name="HM(TFWL)p16"/>

==Political Affiliation==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[2156]] - [[Terran Alliance]] (uninhabited world)<ref name=EA104/>
* [[2244]] - Inhabited World<ref name=EA104/>
* [[2271]] - Inhabited world<ref name=HBHM16>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 16: "Free Worlds League Founding [2271]"</ref>
* [[2341]] - Inhabited world<ref name=HBHS13>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 13</ref>
* [[2414]] - [[Free Worlds League]]<ref name=EA104/>
* [[2426]] - Free Worlds League<ref name="HM(TFWL)p16">''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 16: "Struggle Between Marik and Parliament"</ref>
* [[2427]] - [[Lyran Commonwealth]]<ref name="HM(TFWL)p16"/>
* [[2441]] - Free Worlds League<ref name="HM(TFWL)p16"/>
* [[2571]] - Free Worlds League<ref name="HB:HSp25">''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 25: "Lyran Commonwealth after Age of War [2571]"</ref>
* [[2596]] - Free Worlds League<ref name="H:RWp158">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 158: "Inner Sphere - 2596"</ref>
* [[2750]] - Free Worlds League<ref name="ER:2750p36">''Era Report: 2750'', p. 36: "Inner Sphere - 2750"</ref>
* [[2764]] - Free Worlds League<ref name="FM:SLDFpvii">''Field Manual: SLDF'', p. vii: "Inner Sphere - [2764] Map"</ref>
* [[2765]] - Free Worlds League<ref name="H:LoTV1p10>''Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1'', p. 10: "Inner Sphere - 2765"</ref>
* [[2785]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="IOp226"/>
* [[2786]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="FSW(SB)p24-25">''First Succession War'', pp. 24–25: "Inner Sphere - [2786] Map"</ref>
* [[2822]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="HB:HSp36">''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 36: "Lyran Commonwealth after First Succession War [2822]"</ref><ref name="FSW(SB)p112-113">''First Succession War'', pp. 112–113: "Inner Sphere - [2822] Map"</ref>
* [[2864]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="HB:HSp40">''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 40: "Lyran Commonwealth after Second Succession War [2864]"</ref>
* [[3025]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="HB:HSp47">''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 47: "Lyran Commonwealth after Third Succession War [3025]"</ref>
* [[3030]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="HB:HSp56">''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 56: "Lyran Commonwealth after Fourth Succession War [3030]"</ref>
* [[3040]] - [[Federated Commonwealth]]<ref name="HB:HSp59">''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 59: "Lyran Commonwealth after War of 39 [3040]"</ref><ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 132: "Inner Sphere - 3040"</ref>
* [[3050]] - Federated Commonwealth<ref>''Era Report: 3052'', p. 11: "Inner Sphere Map [3050]"</ref>
* [[3052]] - Federated Commonwealth<ref>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 61: "Lyran Commonwealth after Clan Invasion [3052] Map"</ref><ref>''Era Report: 3052'', p. 23: "Inner Sphere Map [3052]"</ref>
* [[3057]] - [[Lyran Alliance]]<ref>''Era Report: 3062'', p. 11: "Inner Sphere Map [3057]"</ref>
* [[3063]] - Lyran Alliance<ref>''Era Report: 3062'', p. 29: "Inner Sphere Map [3063]"</ref>
* [[3067]] - Lyran Alliance<ref>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 70: "Lyran Alliance after FedCom Civil War [3067] Map"</ref><ref>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 43: "Inner Sphere Map - [October 3067]"</ref>
* [[3075]] - Lyran Alliance<ref>''Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents'', p. 65: "Inner Sphere [3075] Map"</ref>
* [[3079]] - Lyran Alliance<ref>''Field Report: LAAF'', p. 19: "Lyran Commonwealth Deployment Map [3079]"</ref>
* [[3081]] - Lyran Alliance<ref>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 63: "Inner Sphere Map - [March 3081]"</ref>
* [[3085]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref>''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 126: "Inner Sphere Map - [October 3085]"</ref>
* [[3135]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="ER:3145p10">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 10: "Inner Sphere - 3135"</ref>
* [[3140]] - [[Clan Wolf]] (midyear)<ref name=FM3145p122>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 122</ref>
* [[3141]] - Lyran Commonwealth (before January 3142)<ref name=ER:3145p69>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 69: "Wolf Empire - Birth and growth [3140-3142]" (Map)</ref>
* [[3145]] - Lyran Commonwealth<ref name="ER:3145p38">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 38: "Inner Sphere - 3145"</ref><ref name="FM:3145pVI">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. VI: "Inner Sphere - 3145"</ref>
* [[3146]] - Free Worlds League (from May)<ref name=SFp19-20/>
* [[3151]] - Free Worlds League <ref name=SFp102/> / Lyran Commonwealth (from June) <ref name=EA104/>
{{div col end}}

-------------------------------------
==Bolan II==
{{InfoBoxPlanet
| image               = Bolan Orbital View.jpg
| name                = Bolan II
| othernames          = 
| position            = 2nd<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| distance            = 7.96 days<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| moons               = None<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| gravity             = 0.78<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| pressure            = Standard (Breathable)<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| temperature         = 54°C (Desert)<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| water               = 44%<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| life                = Birds<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| continents          = 3 (Sakété, Kashmir, Sabari)<ref name=EA104/>
| colonized           = [[2244]]<ref name=EA104/>
| demonym             = 
| language            = German, Urdu, Punjabi, and English<ref name=EA104/>
| religion            = 
| population          = 4,109,000,000 (3067),<ref name=HB:HSp76/><br>3,962,000,000 (3079),<ref name=O:LAp11/><br>4,553,000,000 (3151)<ref name=EA104/>
| ruler               = [[Duke of Bolan]]
| political           = 
| commander           = 
| capital             = Mumbai (until 2785)<ref name="IOp226"/><br>Bolan City<ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| hpg                 = B<ref name=HB:HSp76/><ref name=O:LAp11/><ref name=EA104/>
| hpgrep              = 
}}
Bolan II, more commonly referred to simply as Bolan, is the second planet in the Bolan system and has served as a regional capital for the Free Worlds League, [[Lyran Alliance]], and Lyran Commonwealth. Bolan is home to the [[Melissa Steiner Martial Academy of Bolan]].<ref name=HB:HSp76/>

===Planetary History===
====Early History====
A dry mountainous world, Bolan was owned by the company Weir Worlds from 2156 but left uninhabited for decades. In 2244, people from the Indian subcontinent on [[Terra]] began to settle the world, driven by the political upheaval of the Outer Reaches Rebellion and the collapse of Terran aerospace manufacturing.<ref name=EA104/> 

The original settlers, once freed from their [[Terran Alliance]] oppressors, quickly fell to fighting among themselves. Weir, who at the time controlled who settled where on the world, simply dropped people anywhere they felt would be useful, regardless of ethnic, historical or religious rivalries, spurring resentment among the colonists.<ref name=EA104/>  Water, trade routes, and access to natural resources were all subject to conflicts between the numerous city-states that formed the world. These conflicts would continue to be a part of Bolan culture throughout the history of the human inhabitation of the planet.<ref name=HB:HSp76/>

Despite both the factional strife and the uninviting climate of Bolan, the world grew to be a wealthy, industrialized world thanks to the hard work of its populace. It chose to hold itself apart from the nascent powers that would eventually become the Great Houses until 2414, when it petitioned the Free Worlds League for protection.<ref name=EA104/> 

====The Age of War====
In 2427 the Lyran Commonwealth launched another campaign against the Free Worlds League, beginning with landing troops on Bolan. The Lyran forces seized Bolan and dug in, while further attacks captured the League worlds of [[Dixie]] and [[Kamenz]], leading the Free Worlds League Parliament to disband the [[War Powers Act]] and install [[Terrence Marik]] as [[Captain-General]] in response. Terrence Marik was an intelligent military leader and launched two counterattacks on Bolan, one in 2427 and one five years later in [[2432]], but despite destroying a significant number of Lyran units in each assault he was unable to recapture Bolan.<ref name="HM(TFWL)p16"/>

Terrence stepped down in 2441, preferring to let another of the Marik family take the title of Captain-General and with it perhaps see more successes than he had; after a brief internal struggle within the family, his brother [[Peter Marik (25th c.)|Peter Marik II]] became Captain-General, and successfully recaptured both Bolan and Kamenz that same year.<ref name="HM(TFWL)p16"/>

====The Reunification War====
In late [[2583]] a significant portion of the [[Free Worlds League Military]] garrison on Bolan had to be redeployed to the [[Rim Worlds Republic]] world of [[Urjala]], which had been conquered months before by forces from the [[2nd Marik Auxiliary Corps]] operating as a part of [[Task Force MAILED FIST]], the [[Star League Defense Force]] task force created to intervene in the Rim Worlds Republic civil war and restore [[First Consul]] [[Gregory Amaris]] to power. The three Free Worlds League units responsible for capturing Urjala, the [[2nd Fusiliers of Oriente|Second Brigade]] of the [[Fusiliers of Oriente]], the [[Second Regulan Hussars]] and the [[Second Defenders of Andurien]], had quickly defeated the local garrison drawn from the [[Fourth Amaris Fusiliers]], but had soon discovered that they lacked the numbers to actually control all the occupied territory. After months of active insurgency that weakened the [[Star League]] hold on Urjala the need for reinforcements was clear, and the detachment from the Bolan garrison arrived in late 2583, finally securing the planet.<ref name="H:RWp134">''Historical: Reunification War'', p. 134: "Helbrent to Nightwish (July 2582 - November 2584)"</ref>

====Star League Era====
Bolan's resources and industrial base were further developed during the [[Star League era]], and Bolan housed an [[SLDF]] base on the island continent of Sabari;<ref name=HB:HSp76/> this base, dubbed the Overwatch, was subsequently used as a base by units from the [[Bolan Defenders]] after the last SLDF garrison, the [[418th Mechanized Infantry Division]], left Bolan.<ref name="IOp226">''Interstellar Operations'', pp. 226–229: "Falling Into Fire"</ref><ref name="FSWp17">''First Succession War'', pp. 17–21: "The Bolan Offensive"</ref>

====Succession Wars====
The Lyran Commonwealth launched an invasion of Bolan in early March [[2785]].<ref name="IOp226"/> The attack, dubbed [[Operation ELBOW JOINT]], was considered by the Lyran Commonwealth High Command to be a "preemptive strike", with the Free Worlds League annexation of the [[Millungera]] and [[Saltillo]] systems in [[2783]] and [[2784]] cited as precedent.<ref name="FSWp17"/> At the time, Bolan's primary defenders were two regiments from the Bolan Defenders [[brigade]], under the overall command of [[Colonel]] [[Salam Tutt]] of the [[Sixth Bolan Defenders]], supported by a [[WarShip]] flotilla consisting of the ''[[Aegis]]''-class heavy cruiser [[Manaslu|FWLS ''Manaslu'']] and three ''[[League (WarShip class)|League]]''-class destroyers, the [[Talwar|FWLS ''Talwar'']], [[Turk (Individual League-class WarShip)|FWLS ''Turk'']] and [[Tyberium|FWLS ''Tyberium'']]. The invasion began with Lyran forces using a free merchant-flagged [[JumpShip]],<ref name="IOp226"/><ref name="FSWp17"/> the ''[[Lucian Bell]]'',<ref name="FSWp17"/> transporting a converted ''[[Mule]]''-class [[DropShip]] serving as a fighter carrier to seize the zenith [[recharge station]]; while Lyran marines seized the station, the two [[squadron]]s of fighters transported by the ''Mule'' engaged and destroyed the defending patrol ships, but not before one of the shuttles managed to broadcast a warning to the defenders on Bolan.<ref name="IOp226"/>

With the recharge station secured, the bulk of the invasion force under the command of [[Leutnant-General]] [[Richart Johonson]] jumped into the system in two groups; one arrived at the zenith jump point,<ref name="IOp226"/><ref name="FSWp17"/> whilst the other arrived three days out from Bolan<ref name="IOp226"/> via a Lagrange point.<ref name="IOp226"/><ref name="FSWp17"/> Each group was escorted by WarShips, with a ''[[Commonwealth (WarShip class)|Commonwealth]]''-class cruiser escorting a flotilla of JumpShips transporting a regiment of troops at the zenith jump point and a flotilla<ref name="FSWp17"/> of four ''[[Mako]]''-class corvettes and a pair of ''Commonwealths'' escorting another two regiments<ref name="IOp226"/> appeared at the Lagrange point.<ref name="IOp226"/><ref name="FSWp17"/> The first major engagement took place in space, with the ''Talwar'', ''Turk'' and ''Tyberium'' engaging the Lyran WarShips accompanying the first group, forcing two ''Makos''<ref name="IOp226"/><ref name="FSWp17"/> - the [[Nerva|LCS ''Nerva'']] and [[Vespasian (Individual Mako-class WarShip)|LCS ''Vespasian'']]<ref name="FSWp17"/> - to withdraw and nearly destroying a third, before the two accompanying ''Commonwealths'' and their attendant fighter and assault DropShip screen forced the three ''Leagues'' to withdraw.<ref name="IOp226"/> The two ''Commonwealths'' - the [[LCS Caledonia|LCS ''Caledonia'']] and [[LCS Donegal|LCS ''Donegal'']] - engaged after the corvettes, which had ranged too far ahead of the heavier ships in their eagerness to engage the three ''Leagues''.<ref name="FSWp17"/> The Lyran ships escorted the DropShips to ensure that the ground forces could land, before launching a series of cat-and-mouse engagements with their opponents; this went on until the second Lyran group completed their burn from the zenith jump point to Bolan's orbit. The four Free Worlds League WarShips engaged their Lyran opponents again, destroying two ''Makos'' and forcing a ''Commonwealth'' to retreat, but at a cost; both the ''Tyberium'' and the ''Manaslu'' were crippled, leaving Tutt with just the ''Talwar'' and ''Turk''.<ref name="IOp226"/><ref name="FSWp17"/> The ''Caledonia'' had taken heavy damage from the ''Manaslu'' while the ''Tyberium'', already heavily damaged, had launched a suicidal attack on the ''Donegal'' that left the ''Tyberium'' breaking apart in Bolan's upper atmosphere, shedding escape pods until the last seconds. The ''Talwar'' and ''Turk'' were responsible for the destruction of the [[Aurelius|LCS ''Aurelius'']] and [[Vitellius|LCS ''Vitellius'']], only breaking off their attack when they detected the ''Commonwealth''-class [[LCS Furillo|''Furillo'']] burning in from the zenith jump point.<ref name="FSWp17"/>

When the Lyrans arrived, the two regiments of the Bolan Defenders - Tutt's Sixth Bolan Defenders and the [[Tenth Bolan Defenders]] under the command of Colonel [[Henri Balkichek]] - were already dispersed across the major continents on Bolan, with half the garrison actively engaged in wargames. Tutt responded to the invasion sending an emergency [[HPG]] broadcast and deployed the bulk of the Tenth to defend Mumbai, the planetary capital city, whilst moving a battalion of the Sixth to support the forces at Mumbai from Quetta, a port city also located on the Sakété continent. Another battalion of the Tenth was assigned a third of the Sixth's supporting elements and tasked with defending Calcutta, the largest city on the Kashmir continent. The remaining two 'Mech battalions from the Defenders were assigned to defending the Overwatch, while the remaining support elements were dotted around townships on Kashmir and Sakété in company strength units, defending such major townships as Multan, Peshawar, Sibi, Sukkur and Vadora. While there were also security forces and a local militia, Tutt ordered them to avoid engaging the Lyran forces, and instead report all contacts with the enemy and provide information on the location and disposition of Lyran units.<ref name="FSWp17"/>

The first ground engagements took place around Peshawar, a city on Kashmir; the [[11th Arcturan Guards|Eleventh]] and [[Fourteenth Arcturan Guards]] landed and swiftly took the city, wiping out the defenders and holding in place, leading Tutt to believe that they were readying an assault on Calcutta. Johonson ordered his ground forces to stay mobile to avoid the risk of being trapped by either artillery or orbital bombardment, but also ordered them to strike hard and fast at the League troop concentrations in Quetta and Calcutta, while fighters and assault DropShips conducted sweeps and bombing missions over the towns near both targets. This was followed on the 16th of March by the arrival of the [[Tenth Skye Rangers]], their arrival heralded by the orbital bombardment of the Quetta spaceport by the ''Furillo'', intended to destroy the Bolan Defenders DropShips located at the spaceport whilst also crippling the Defenders' primary refueling point for their aerospace forces. With the forces around Quetta left in chaos, the Eleventh Arcturan Guards made a suborbital deployment from their position to a new point between Quetta and Mumbai, with air support from the Rangers giving the Lyran forces control of the skies; the Eleventh then struck at Mumbai, and by the end of the 17th of March both Calcutta and Mumbai were under siege and heavily damaged, with the Defenders frantically trying to find safe locations while losing artillery duels with the Lyran forces. The next morning the Fourteenth Arcturan Guards assaulted Calcutta, leaving the city surrounded.<ref name="FSWp17"/>

League forces under the command of [[Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Omar Malak]] had fortified inside Calcutta,<ref name="IOp226"/><ref name="FSWp17"/> with the 101st Assault Battalion - one of the battalions from the Tenth Bolan Defenders<ref name="FSWp17"/> - intent on making the LCAF pay for every foot of territory gained within the city; in response, Leutnant-General Johonson had Calcutta subjected to heavy air strikes and artillery barrages, leveling the city and killing the defenders. Under the pretext that the Lyrans were a peacekeeping force sent to secure the military supplies secured within the Overwatch<ref name="IOp226"/> - supplies that were enough to support a considerably larger force due to Kenyon Marik's plans to use the worlds of the Bolan Thumb as a launchpad for an invasion of the Commonwealth, before the outbreak of war had forced short-notice redeployments,<ref name="FSWp17"/> and which included a substantial nuclear arsenal - and prevent those weapons from being used against the Commonwealth, Johonson called for Colonel Tutt to order his troops to surrender, even as Lyran ground forces closed on the planetary capital city, Mumbai.<ref name="IOp226"/>
[[File: Falling From Fire.jpg|right|thumb|Tutt's forces initiate their Scorched Earth plan.]]
Unknown to von Eilenburg, Tutt had already responded to the destruction of Calcutta by ordering the ''Talwar'' to bombard the grounded Lyran DropShips from orbit, and the ''Talwar''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s initial bombardment began whilst von Eilenburg was communicating with Tutt; in response to von Eilenburg's demands, Tutt issued orders for the Free Worlds League garrison forces to launch scorched earth strikes, determined to deny the Lyrans anything that could be used against the League; Tutt also ordered some of his forces to retreat from Bolan under cover from the ''Talwar'' and ''Turk'', and even as the Lyrans destroyed Mumbai Tutt led elements of the Bolan Defenders on a suicidal attack against the Lyran forces there. With the Lyran WarShips bombarding Tutt's troops from orbit, those elements of the Defenders chosen to retreat from Bolan were able to escape, freeing the ''Talwar'' and ''Turk'' to add to the devastation inflicted by the multiple nuclear weapons launched by the Defenders through further orbital bombardment.<ref name="IOp226"/> As a result, large parts of both Sakété and Kashmir (the northern and southern continents) were still affected by radioactivity as late as the [[thirty-first century]], and the continent of Sabari was still completely uninhabitable.<ref name=HB:HSp76/> The first nuclear weapons had landed in Mumbai and Peshawar, but additional strikes had also struck at Calcutta and Quetta, reducing all four cities to debris and radioactive ash. The twenty thousand civilians killed by the Lyran firebombing of Calcutta were joined by anything from three to eight million Bolan citizens, killed in Tutt's scorched earth attacks. Just a single battalion from the Sixth Bolan Defenders managed to escape to [[Zdice]], but Tutt's defense of the planet cost the LCAF two thirds of the Tenth Skye Rangers, while both the Eleventh and Fourteenth Arcturan Guards lost a third of their combat strength. While all four Marik WarShips had been destroyed, the Lyrans had lost two ''Makos'', and the ''Nerva'' and ''Vespasian'' needed two years of repair work before they could return to active service, in addition to the heavy damage taken by the ''Caledonia''.<ref name="FSWp17"/>

While Tutt's actions inflicted a toll on the Lyran forces and showcased the fanatical determination of the Defenders as a whole, it also established a precedent that was repeated on many other worlds within the [[Bolan Thumb]], causing devastating loss of life. In some cases, it also led to locals on several planets aiding the LCAF against the Bolan Defenders, viewing the invading Commonwealth forces as the lesser of two evils.<ref name="IOp340">''Interstellar Operations'', p. 340: "Cutting Losses"</ref><ref name="FSWp17"/> Leutnant-General von Eilenburg was promoted for the conquest of Bolan<ref name="IOp300">''Interstellar Operations'', pp. 300–303: "Pressure Play"</ref> but never again led a major Lyran operation, and remained a controversial figure in history.<ref name="FSWp17"/>

====Later Succession Wars====
The internal conflicts between the various city-states on Bolan continued up until at least as late as the eve of the [[Jihad]], with the last such conflict prior to the Jihad commencing was a conflict fought between the Quetta and Sibi city-states over a mountain pass, a conflict that required the intervention of the [[First Bolan Jaegers]] to resolve. Despite these conflicts Bolan continued to serve as a regional headquarters for both the [[Lyran Intelligence Corps]] and the Lyran Alliance and Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces throughout the centuries.<ref name=HB:HSp76/>

====The Jihad====
The infamous [[Word of Blake]] unit the [[Fifty-second Shadow Division]] struck at Bolan on the 17th of February [[3074]]. The Fifty-second razed Bolan City, the planetary capital, and shattered the defending mercenary unit, the 2nd Regiment of [[Brion's Legion]]. As a result of the attack the ruling family of Bolan fled, leaving Bolan in political turmoil.<ref name="JHS3076p48">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 48: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp52">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 52: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> The Word hit Bolan again a few months later; this time, it was the [[Fiftieth Shadow Division]], who on the 21st of July 3074 took control of the Quetta City State. The Fiftieth remained on Bolan until the 10th of September, at which point they suddenly departed, with thousands of Bolan citizens as prisoners.<ref name="JHS3076p52">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 52: "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp53">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 53: "The Jihad in Review"</ref>

In [[3079]] Bolan resumed its duties as a regional headquarters world. The local militia consisted mostly of weekend warriors and dropouts from the MSMA, and so was less capable of combat operations than most units. They did excel in responding to civil emergencies and disaster relief, however.<ref name=O:LAp11/>

====Dark Age====
Bolan Province served as a staging ground for the Lyran Commonwealth's [[Operation HAMMERFALL|invasion]] of the [[Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey]] in [[3137]]. Following the LCAF retreat from Tamarind-Abbey two years later, Bolan itself came under attack in [[3140]] when [[Clan Wolf]] turned upon its former ally. Seeking to sever the supply lines of the LCAF units remaining in the Duchy, the Wolves struck at Bolan in the opening weeks of their invasion and destroyed the [[1st Bolan Guards|First Bolan Guards]] there before eventually withdrawing.<ref name=FM3145p122/><ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 123</ref>

Bolan returned to Lyran control by [[3142]], but would not remain so for long.<ref name=ER:3145p69/> Smarting from the prolonged occupation of [[Tamarind|his capital]] by the Lyrans, Tamarind-Abbey's ruler, Duke [[Fontaine Marik]], took advantage of the Commonwealth's weakness to launch his own assault into Lyran territory in early [[3146]]. These efforts culminated in the invasion of Bolan in April and despite nearly driving the invaders off, the LCAF garrison was ultimately forced to concede the world to the League. As the Lyran government was preoccupied elsewhere, Bolan's occupation went uncontested.<ref name=SFp19-20>''Shattered Fortress'', pp. 19–20: "At the Lyrans' Side Door"</ref><ref name=SFp102>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 102: "Inner Sphere - 3151" (Map)</ref>

====ilClan====
Bolan was the first target of [[Ludwig Steiner]], the newly minted [[Margrave of Florida Theater]]. On 15 May 3151, General Steiner ordered the [[8th Lyran Regulars]] into League space. Despite the Marik forces initially believing the attack to be an objective raid, Steiner had tasked the Regulars with taking the world back. To help achieve that goal, the Regulars had come bearing gifts of potable water and purification systems to demonstrate their goodwill to the locals of the arid planet. Much of the local population sided with the Lyrans, aiding their operations or even actively interfering with League operations. After a month of cat-and-mouse fighting and with no reinforcements coming, the [[Eighth Free Worlds Guards]] departed Bolan on 16 June, returning it to Lyran control.<ref name=EA33>''Empire Alone'', p. 33-34 - "A Goodwill Gesture"</ref> The locals embraced the Commonwealth troops with open arms, having found League rule to be less keen to invest in their world than the Commonwealth had been.<ref name=EA104/> The following year, Bolan reclaimed its status as a provincial capital world when the provincial seat was moved from [[York (LC)|York]] to Bolan.<ref name=EAmap/>

===Military Deployment===
{{columns-start|num=3}}
====2764====
* [[196th Mechanized Infantry Division]]<ref>''Field Manual: SLDF'', p. 255: "SLDF - Lyran Commonwealth Military Command Map"</ref>

====2765====
* [[Sixth Bolan Defenders]]<ref name="FR2765:FWLMp12">''Field Report 2765: FWLM'', p. 12: "Regimental Status"</ref>
* [[Tenth Bolan Defenders]]<ref name="FR2765:FWLMp12"/>

====2785====
* Sixth Bolan Defenders<ref name="IOp226"/>
* Tenth Bolan Defenders regiment<ref name="FSWp17"/>
* ''Aegis''-class heavy cruiser FWLS ''Manaslu''<ref name="IOp226"/>
* ''League''-class destroyers FWLS ''Talwar'', ''Turk'', and ''Tyberium''<ref name="IOp226"/>

====2786====
* Eleventh Arcturan Guards<ref name="FSWp139">''First Succession War'', p. 139: "First Succession War Deployment Table - LCAF"</ref>
* Fourteenth Arcturan Guards<ref name="FSWp139"/>
* ''Commonwealth''-class cruisers LCS ''Caledonia'' and ''Furillo''.<ref name="FSWp17"/>
{{column}}
====2821====
* [[Eighteenth Donegal Guards]]<ref name="FSWp139"/>
* [[Second Donegal Regulars]]<ref name="FSWp139"/>

====3025====
* [[Filthy Lucre]]<ref name="NAIS4SWp45">''NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1'', p. 45: "Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG"</ref>

====3028====
* [[Fifth Lyran Guards]]<ref name="NAIS4SWp44">''NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1'', p. 44: "Operation GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG"</ref>

====3038====
* Filthy Lucre<ref name="H:Wo3039p140">''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 140: "Deployment Table"</ref>

====3061====
* [[First Bolan Jaegers]]<ref name=SS51>''Shattered Sphere'', p. 51: "Lyran Alliance Deployment Table"</ref>

====3067====
* First Bolan Jaegers<ref name=FMU179>''Field Manual: Updates'', p. 179: "Lyran Alliance Deployment Table"</ref>
{{column}}
====3074====
* [[Brion's Legion]] (Second Regiment)<ref name="JHS3076p48"/>

====3079====
* [[Tenth Lyran Regulars]]<ref>''Field Report: LAAF'', p. 13: "Lyran Regulars Regimental Status"</ref>
:- The unit was operating at 60% strength, with 80% of their equipment featuring upgraded technology.

====3085====
* [[Second Bolan Guards]] [[LCT]]<ref>''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 107: "Deployment Table - 3085"</ref>

====3145====
* Second Bolan Guards<ref name=FM:3145p132>''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 132: "Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces - Buena Province"</ref>

====3151====
* [[Eighth Free Worlds Guards]]<ref name=EA33/>

====3152====
* First Bolan Jaegers <ref name=EA54>''Empire Alone'', p. 54</ref>
{{columns-end}}

===Geography===
Bolan has three major continents; the northern continent is named Sakété, and the southern continent is named Kashmir. The third continent is an island named Sabari, which was rendered uninhabitable by humans during the First Succession War.<ref name=HB:HSp76/> Much of the planet is dominated by large mountain ranges or inhospitable deserts, with inland regions near the equator approaching 80° C at their peak. Population centers are concentrated near the coastlines in polar regions, where the hot ocean currents meet colder air, providing crucial rain for farming. In these polar regions, temperatures seldom exceed a "mere" 40° C. The relatively small surface oceans are also incredibly salty, having roughly five times the saline content of Terran oceans.<ref name=EA104/> 

===Planetary Locations===
* Bolan City: the planetary capital post-Mumbai<ref name="JHS3076p48"/>
* Calcutta: Most heavily populated city on Kashmir during the Star League era; destroyed in 2785<ref name="IOp226"/><ref name="FSWp17"/>
* Melissa Steiner Martial Academy of Bolan: an LCAF military academy located on Bolan<ref name=HB:HSp76/>
* Multan: a city or significant town on Bolan, located on either Kashmir or Sakété<ref name="FSWp17"/>
* Mumbai: planetary capital during the Star League era; located on Sakété and destroyed in 2785<ref name="IOp226"/><ref name="FSWp17"/>
* Peshawar: city on Kashmir; destroyed by nuclear bombardment in the First Succession War<ref name="FSWp17"/>
* The Overwatch: Star League-era military headquarters located on Sabari; destroyed in 2785<ref name="IOp226"/>
* Quetta: capital of one of the city-states on Bolan;<ref name=HB:HSp76/> a port city located on Sakété, Quetta was subjected to nuclear bombardment in the First Succession War<ref name="FSWp17"/>
* Sakété: a city or significant town on Bolan, located on either Kashmir or Sakété<ref name="FSWp17"/>
* Sibi: capital of one of the city-states on Bolan<ref name=HB:HSp76/>
* Vadora: a city or significant town on Bolan, located on either Kashmir or Sakété<ref name="FSWp17"/>

===Companies and Industries===
* [[SeraVideo Entertainments Incorporated]]<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 141: "Other Major Commonwealth Industries"</ref>

===Local Flora and Fauna===
Most native animals, especially those living outside the polar regions, are composed of temperature-resistant proteins that are poisonous for humans.<ref name=EA104/> 

===Image gallery===
<gallery>
Bolan Flag.jpg|Planetary flag of Bolan
</gallery>

===Notes===
The continent on which the Overwatch was constructed is sometimes misspelled Sebari in ''[[First Succession War (sourcebook)|First Succession War]]''.<ref name="FSWp17"/>

==Map Gallery==
<div class="system-map-gallery"></div>

==Nearby Systems==
<!-- NOTE: This table is automatically generated by BattleTechWiki:Project_Planets/Mapping, and any edits to this section may be overwritten at any time by a bot -->
{|class="wikitable nearby-systems" style="background: #gray; text-align:center; border: 1px solid black;"
! colspan="8" | Closest 28 systems (26 within 60 light-years)<br>Distance in light years, closest systems first:
|-
| class="lessthan30" | [[Finsterwalde]]
| class="lessthan30" | 17.3
| class="lessthan30" | [[Gypsum]]
| class="lessthan30" | 21.2
| class="lessthan30" | [[Rochers]]
| class="lessthan30" | 21.2
| class="lessthan30" | [[Altoona (LC)|Altoona]]
| class="lessthan30" | 24.2
|-
| class="lessthan30" | [[Tylarzka]]
| class="lessthan30" | 27.5
| class="over30" | [[Kamenz]]
| class="over30" | 34.5
| class="over30" | [[Ilion]]
| class="over30" | 34.8
| class="over30" | [[Dixie]]
| class="over30" | 35.8
|-
| class="over30" | [[Herzberg]]
| class="over30" | 35.9
| class="over30" | [[Sierpc]]
| class="over30" | 40.1
| class="over30" | [[Drosendorf]]
| class="over30" | 40.8
| class="over30" | [[Hornir's Keep]]
| class="over30" | 43.5
|-
| class="over30" | [[Zwenkau]]
| class="over30" | 44.5
| class="over30" | [[Zdice]]
| class="over30" | 45.0
| class="over30" | [[Loburg]]
| class="over30" | 47.0
| class="over30" | [[Medzev]]
| class="over30" | 47.3
|-
| class="over30" | [[Rosice]]
| class="over30" | 47.8
| class="over30" | [[Radostov]]
| class="over30" | 49.1
| class="over30" | [[Malazan]]
| class="over30" | 49.3
| class="over30" | [[Aigle]]
| class="over30" | 49.6
|-
| class="over30" | [[Bella]]
| class="over30" | 52.9
| class="over30" | [[Zvolen]]
| class="over30" | 55.8
| class="over30" | [[Ellijay]]
| class="over30" | 56.1
| class="over30" | [[Aquavita]]
| class="over30" | 57.8
|-
| class="over30" | [[Eilenburg]]
| class="over30" | 59.4
| class="over30" | [[Marsalle]]
| class="over30" | 59.5
| class="over60" | [[Nockatunga]]
| class="over60" | 60.3
| class="over60" | [[Bobruisk]]
| class="over60" | 61.8
|-
|}

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[Empire Alone]]''
* ''[[Era Report: 2750]]''
* ''[[Era Report: 3052]]''
* ''[[Era Report: 3062]]''
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3085]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: SLDF]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Field Report: LAAF]]''
* ''[[Field Report 2765: FWLM]]''
* ''[[First Succession War (sourcebook)|First Succession War]]''
* ''[[Handbook: House Marik]]''
* ''[[Handbook: House Steiner]]''
* ''[[Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1]]''
* ''[[Historical: Reunification War]]''
* ''[[Historical: War of 3039]]''
* ''[[House Marik (The Free Worlds League)]]''
* ''[[House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)]]''
* ''[[Interstellar Operations]]''
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3076]]''
* ''[[Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents]]''
* ''[[NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1]]''
* ''[[Objectives: Lyran Alliance]]''
* ''[[Shattered Fortress]]''
* ''[[Shattered Sphere]]''
{{div col end}}

[[Category:Systems|Bolan]]
[[Category: Free Worlds League Systems]]
[[Category: Lyran Alliance Systems]]
[[Category: Lyran Commonwealth Systems]]
[[Category: Federated Commonwealth Systems]]
[[Category: Terran Alliance Systems]]<!-- Handbook: House Steiner, p. 76, refers to the inhabitants of Bolan being freed from Alliance control, indicating that Bolan was inhabited prior to the Demarcation Declaration -->