|
|
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.
"It's now official. There's nobody left in New Zealand to thank." - Billy Chrystal - 2004 Academy Awards
St. Ives Compact
History
The three-year Capellan invasion of the St. Ives Compact in the early 3060s taught the Allard-Liaos are harsh lesson when the Federated Commonwealth refused to support them. A lesson reinforced by Sun-Tzu’s alliance with the Word of Blake. They learned that they had to depend on themselves for freedom, and that no one else could be trusted to command them. With the damning evidence showing Sun-Tzu in league with the Blakists, they stepped out of the Confederation after “acquiring” the plans to the Duan Gung BattleMech.
They once again opened up relations with their old allies in the Concordat, and the Sarna Supremacy who had given them supplies during the invasion, and prepared to weather the storm as the Word of Blake continued to hammer anyone willing to stand against them. They sent supplies to help the Concordat in its fight, while also moving in to protect Confederation systems near them, protecting them when the Jihad finally smashed into the Confederation. Necromo and its powerful shipyards was one of their first “acquisitions” they made, and is a valuable part of the Compact to this day, producing many WarShip designs for the St. Ives Navy.
But as the Jihad wound down in the Terran system, the Word of Blake smashed flat by the remnants of the Star League, a new threat began to arise against the Compact. Once again the Capellan Confederation, this time under Treyhang Liao, wanted control of the factories of St. Ives. Unknown to the new Duke Kai Allard-Liao though, the Syrtis Federation under Prince George Hasek wanted them too. Especially the Necromo Shipyards. It came as a surprise to St. Ives, with most of their forces on the Confederation border, when the Federation sent forces to several St. Ives worlds, including Necromo, St. Ives, and Warlock.
Kai led his First and Second St. Ives Lancers to confront the Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers in front of the HildCo Interplanetary factory complex on St. Ives where General Serena Thompson-Hasek tried to push the Federation claim to St. Ives. When Kai declined to accept the claim and moved to force her off, tensions escalated until shots were fired. After three weeks of fighting in orbit, air, and on the ground, the Fusiliers were forced to surrender and St. Ives confiscated their surviving BattleMechs and other weapons. Serena sat the rest of the war out, held securely but comfortably in Allard-Liao’s palace on St. Ives. In return for her imprisonment and not wanting to feed the other prisoners, St. Ives sent the rest of the Fusiliers home under the condition that they never return to Compact space under pain of death for themselves and Serena.
As the St. Ives War expanded to encompass all of the Capellan Rump States the St. Ives Military Command found itself able to return the favor, invading Federation territory and “acquiring” numerous systems that had once been a part of the long-gone St. Ives Mercantile Association. During which time the former Duchess of St. Ives, Candace Allard-Liao and Serena Thompson-Hasek spent their days playing chess together, talking about anything that came to mind. In her gilded prison, Serena came to enjoy Candace’s visits and they became close friends. When Kai’s wife Deidre Lear began coming as well, it almost felt to Serena as if she wasn’t imprisoned.
As the other nations found themselves sidetracked in the war and unable to continue, it came back to being just the Federation versus the Compact, and the larger Federation began to slowly push back the St. Ives forces. When the First Lancers were pushed out of Shoreham in June 3085, Serena, Deidre, and Candace knew the war would have to end soon. Both sides were exhausted, unable to continue without taking losses they may not be able to survive.
One of the little-known facts of the St. Ives War, especially in the Federation, is that it was not Prince George Hasek who ended the war. It was Serena, Deidre, and Candace who talked over what needed to be done. They were the ones who wrote the final peace treaty, and they were the ones who “convinced” Kai and George into accepting it. As has happened many times in the past, when the men were too busy fighting each other to see the scope of the changes around them, it was the women who did what needed to be done.
To this day, Serena, Deidre, and Candace maintain a close relationship, often visiting each other on either side of the border where people would swear they have to be blood kin. And while raiding continues back and forth across the borders, the mere presence of any of them has often proven enough to stop the raid in mid-process. On the border between St. Ives and New Syrtis, even BattleMechs fear the wrath of those three, and the Bad Things that Prince George and Duke Kai would level upon any MechWarrior who hurt them.
On other borders though, the raiding continues. Though St. Ives is technically on friendly terms with both Sarna and Capella, selling both war machines at below market price, there continues to be heavy raiding as is normal throughout the Inner Sphere. St. Ives, like many governments, continues to pour heavy resources into the Chesterton Worlds, not wanting them to fall into the hands of Tikonov, and trying to support Sarna against Styk. They trade with the Taurian Concordat, and are also on very friendly terms with ComStar, due to the close friendship between Duke Kai and Precentor Martial Victor.
Military
The modern SIMC is top heavy, with a full eight heavy and assault designs under constant construction. Perhaps the most visible of them are the Marauders, Emperors, and Pillagers, all of which bring fear to any raider meeting them. Most medium lances are made up of either Phoenix Hawks or Blackjack OmniMechs. The Blackjacks are usually used in support of the heavy and assault companies, while the Phoenix Hawk companies are considered the standard sparring forces of the SIMC. Cossacks are primarily used in a harassing mode, especially alongside Phoenix Hawk companies, while the Duan Gung OmniMechs are used for everything from scouting to distraction on up to supporting heavier companies in straight up battle.
The Durendal-class Justin Xiang Allard leads the St Ives Navy, escorted at all times by Impavidos and Fox-3s built by the Necromo Shipyards. The various frigates also built there do most of the work maintaining the borders and fighting raiders though, escorted by St. Ives produced fighters and DropShips purchased from other realms. St. Ives seems willing to buy military and civilian DropShips from others, as long as they have a military powerful enough to make up for that lack in their production capability. They do not wish to become the target of anyone’s avarice again, and so put a great emphasis on the ability to destroy anything that enters their space.
St. Ives never wants to live under anyone else’s rule ever again, and their entire military organization is designed to make any attempt to take them too costly to consider.
Factories
Indicass – Ceres Metals Industries – Swift Wind, APCs, Galleon, and Hetzer.
Necromo – Necromo Shipyards – Impavido cruiser, Fox-3 destroyer, Tai Chi escort frigate, Shuang Gou intercept frigate, and Kan Dao patrol frigate.
St. Ives – Ceres Metals Industries – Phoenix Hawk BattleMech and Blackjack and Duan Gung OmniMechs.
– HildCo Interplanetary – Victor, Emperor, and Pillager
– Mujika Aerospace Technologies – Guardian
– Tengo Aerospace – Cheetah, Thrush, and Lightning
– StarCorps Industries – Longbow
Texlos – Texlos Miltronics – Various electronics
– Kajuka (Aerospace Division) – Lasers
– HildCo Interplanetary – Lightning
Warlock – Ceres Metals Industries – Cossack, Helios, Ostroc, Marauder, and Crusader BattleMechs. Blackjack and Duan Gung OmniMechs.
Systems
Overton – Quark Motors hovercraft are considered a superior craft.
Necromo – Home to a major DropShip maintenance plant as well as the Shipyards.
New Westin – Laser pistols built here are valued.
St. Ives – HildCo Interplanetary houses another major maintenance plant as well, and continues to make motions about starting up production again. In fact, many ships thought to be unsalvageable have been brought here in recent years where the local engineers repair them.
St. Loris – A major producer of food for the Compact.
Vestallas – This planet is also remarkable for the evolution of a unique architectural style, distinguished by gracefully curved walls and gently curved and sloping floors. These are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, as well as a means of keeping the population in a perpetual state of disequilibrium the natives describe as a "natural high."
Warlock – Once home to the Liao family’s winter resorts, Serena, Deidre, and Candace have taken to making trips there as often as possible. It is a major naval base for the St. Ives Navy, and the southern continent supports a weapon testing facility and specialized arctic training centers. Security-sensitive military research and development centers are located along the planet's equator.
Wright – Lustix Commodities is one of the Compact’s largest manufacturers of drugs, medical support systems, and specialized anti-radiation burn treatments. Formed in 2410, the Lustrix is a major supplier to the League, Draconis Rifts, and Federation Expanse markets (often operating illegally), though their continued development of new and effective biomedical compounds and artificial limbs prompt the authorities to wink at the firm's questionable trading practices. Lustrix has maintained good relations with members of ComStar, and has on more than one occasion assisted ComStar in averting plagues on other worlds. This friendly relationship no doubt adds to the general feeling of immunity many Lustrix executives enjoy.