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The Human Sphere is a BattleTech universe set in 3100. The Jihad has come and gone, leaving in its wake dozens of small realms in a perpetual cycle of raids and small wars. Will you seek money or defend your nation? Or both? You decide.
"Ah, yes, divorce - from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet." - Robin Williams
Nova Cat Confederation
History
In January of 3068, the Nova Cat Delta Galaxy, along with saKhan Karl Devalis met their end at the hands of a Word of Blake offensive that shattered the Tabayarna Prefecture of the Draconis Combine. Reeling from that loss, the Word of Blakes next attack nearly destroyed the Nova Cats. Catching Alpha Galaxy, led by Kahn Santin West, on Irece with a heavy fleet, the Word of Blake had the Nova Cat force on the defensive and about to collapse. Only the timely arrival of the Ryuken-ni and the bulk of the Nova Cat fleet saved Alpha Galaxy, and Kahn Santin West, from death.
From that early time to the end of the Jihad, the Ryuken and the Nova Cats worked together closely, owing each other nothing less than their lives. When an assassin, decided to be Word of Blake by a later investigation, killed Coordinator Theodore Kurita and Duke Hassid Ricol rose to lead the Combine, the Nova Cats began to see the writing on the wall. With Hohiro Kurita killed by the first strike on Luthien, and Lore Master Minoru told his input was not needed, or wanted, the Combine began to drift into the past again.
Long loyal units like the Benjamin, Pesht, and Galedon Regulars quickly received priority supply status, while units more loyal to the Kurita family like the Dieron Regulars, Genyosha, Ghost Regiments, and the Ryuken began to fall as they were ordered to stand their ground against Word of Blake forces without enough supplies. Some Ghost and Ryuken regiments began working with the Nova Cats, taking supplies and orders from Kahn Santin West instead of the new Coordinator, but the Dieron Regulars were effectively destroyed by the Word of Blake assaults.
After the war, the units that were now labeled Ronin by Coordinator Ricol disappeared, most analysts believe into the fractious Proserpina Syndicate. The Nova Cats however, still loyal to the Combine, stayed in place to control what was now known as the Nova Cat Prefecture. Badly damaged by the war, including the loss of the Black Lion-class Severen Leroux to a large Word of Blake fleet in 3072, they still had the ability to defend their systems, but they spent most of their resources in the next decade rebuilding.
In 3087, Lore Master Minoru had a vision of a Nova Cat beset on all sides by enemies and driven to a new land. When Warlord Kiyomori Minamoto brought his forces in to relocate the Nova Cats onto reservations, they met an enemy who was prepared for their actions. Unable to defeat them without heavy losses, Minamoto asked for reinforcements from the Pesht Regulars and the Arkab Legions while Nova Cat messages requesting support flew to the Rasalhague Dominion.
The reinforcements arrived at the same time, but the Arkab Legions turned on the Combine to support the Nova Cats, putting the Draconis forces on the defensive. The arrival of elements of Clan Sea Fox heralded the beginning of a full-scale war as the Draconis Combine pulled in regiments from all parts of the nation to deal with the four forces.
The war went on for three years as they bloodied themselves on the ground and in space, culminating in a massive battle over Meinacos where the Kirishima-class Siriwan, flagship of the Second Draconis Fleet, exploded with all hands to the depleted Nova Cat and Dominion fleet. Khan Santin West had lost many men and women in the fight, but had judged it worth the risk, with the Combine being pushed by the Robinson Republic and the Raven Alliance.
Within a week of the battle, a message requesting a cease-fire came from Luthien. The following negotiations cemented Nova Cat and Azami independence from the Combine, sating their drive for vengeance. The decade since has been one of rebuilding and preparing for another war should it ever come for them.
The Nova Cat Confederation, like the Rasalhague Dominion and the Wolf Ascendancy, has achieved full equality in rights between trueborn and freeborn, and has ended the formal practice of discarding older warriors into Solahma units. Like the other Clans and the Draconis Combine, the Nova Cats are far more spartan than other realms in the Human Sphere, eschewing luxury items in most cases. Their waste-not want-not attitude has contributed greatly to their survival against the Word of Blake and the Draconis Combine, giving them a powerful military force far out of proportion to the number of systems they control.
Recently, clashes with the Smoke Jaguars near Luzerne have reinforced their need to push their economy to increase the strength of their aerospace assets, though. As one of the Clans, they are able to build and maintain technological levels beyond what even the Lyran Commonwealth and Ozawa-Addicks Mercantile Alliance can manage, but the question as to whether the Nova Cats can maintain their independence from their friendly, and not so friendly, neighbors remains.
Military
In the last decade, the Nova Cat Confederation has rebuilt their shattered armed forces and has even managed to purchase some Heimdall (Fredasa) destroyers, as well as Skadi, Freya, and Loki frigates, from the Dominion to support the York-class Lioness, the flagship of the Confederation navy. Salvaged from the wreckage of the Dieron shipyards, the Lioness has become the symbol of Nova Cat might in former Combine space. They build upgraded versions of the Union and Overlord-class DropShips and those ships form the core of their transport fleet.
Munin LAM IICs, Stinger LAM IICs, and Phoenix Hawk LAM IICs from LexaTech Industries, the longest continually running LAM factory in the Human Sphere, form the core of their aerospace assets, and also help them to establish beach heads while their transports unload the heavy hitters. They are also the most common scout for the Confederation, leading main line battle units to their prey with precision. The Nova Cat OmniMech is the most common OmniMech seen in the Confederation ground forces, though less prestigious units mainly use the Griffin IIC, Ocelot, and the Shadow Hawk IIC.
Factories
Avon Matabushi, Incorporated Union-C and Overlord-C
Irece Irece Alpha Griffin IIC, Ocelot, and Shadow Hawk IIC BattleMechs, and Nova Cat OmniMech; Satyr, Centaur, Chrysaor, Roc, and Gorgon ProtoMechs
Barcella Beta SM1 Tank Destroyer, Shoden assault tank
LexaTech Industries Munin LAM IIC, Phoenix Hawk LAM IIC, Stinger LAM IIC
Systems
Information forthcoming