Pryde Rock

      I am sorry for the delay in getting this report to you, but our operatives were delayed in leaving the planet. Pryde Rock has proven to be a major nuisance in this area of space and should be taken care of if possible. Unfortunately, their heavy protection by Comstar and their recent alliance will make that very difficult. We must proceed with caution and wait for an opening. - Cameron St. Jamais

History
      Established in 2705 by a Star League research team, the world now known as Pryde Rock was named R12046. The original research labs and the factories that followed were all built underground, protected by a Castle Brian. At first, they "simply" researched new technologies, but when the factories and the naval yard in orbit were built, they began designing entirely new 'Mechs and Aerospace fighters. The first 'Mech engineered on Pryde Rock was the redesigned Phoenix Hawk LAM. Carrying an XL engine and an ER Large Laser, it was faster and more powerful then the original version. It turned out to be more of testbed for the new factories though as less then a hundred were ever made. The exact numbers are not known as the records have deteriorated. According to Pryde family histories though, Jonas Pryde flew one of these rare 'Mechs during the Star League Civil War.
      It was also used as a base for a Star League fleet before the liberation of the Hegemony from Amaris. After the war was over, the last two ships to survive from that fleet (two Rigas) returned to Pryde Rock where they were mothballed, along with the orbital yard, and towed into the asteroid belt. The research labs and factories were hidden, their entrances covered, and the Castle Brian was mothballed with them. 'Mechs, vehicles, aerospace and even some dropships were mothballed and hidden as well. What records survive suggest it was to be used by the Star League Army whenever they returned.
      The world weathered the Succession Wars undisturbed, but was discovered by pirates in 3055. The pirates began heavily raiding the Marian Hegemony and Caesar Sean O'Reilly ordered a mercenary unit highered to deal with them. He had the estimated numbers of the pirates cut in half so it would look easier, and Terra's Pryde's Second Pryde took the job. Though badly outnumbered, the battalion-sized Second Pryde lied, cheated, and bluffed their way into a victory against the pirates. Scouts of Second Pryde later found the underground Castle Brian, the factories it protected, and the orbital yard in the asteroid belt, complete with the dropships and warships. They then lied, cheated, and bluffed their way past the Caesar, were barely upheld by a Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission tribunal, and claimed Pryde Rock as their own.
       Comstar, who Terra's Pryde had worked for in the past, was contacted and agreed to provide crews for the warships and technicians to run the factories in exchange for getting all the output of the newly-named Pryde Rock Industries. After arriving on Pryde Rock, Medron made an alliance with Elena Logan, heir to the Lothian League that was recently conquered by the Hegemony. She and many of her people were brought to Pryde Rock in 3058 to train with Pryde Rock infantry. Several platoons of infantry then returned with her and openly supported the freedom fighters against the Marian occupiers.
       The spaceport was opened to civilian traffic and refugees were quickly accepted from the former Lothian League. They helped form the backbone of Pryde Rock's population boom, as Comstar and Terra's Pryde spent 3059 and 3060 making Pryde Rock Industries a reality. The first new 'Mech was released in early 3060.
       But then the Saint Ives Compact came under attack and Medron instantly led First Pryde to their defense. Second Pryde, led by Medron's brother David, was tasked with defending Pryde Rock alone, and David took Medron's place on the Pryde Rock Industries board of directors. First Pryde arrived in the St. Ives Compact in March of 3061. It was then that the Marian Hegemony, now getting seriously annoyed by Terra's Pryde, decided that Second Pryde would be too weak to hold Pryde Rock from a determined assault. Approximately five regiments of Hegemony troops arrived in the Pryde Rock system, and the Second Battle of Pryde Rock began on August 5, 3061.
       One of the Riga class warships, several assault dropships, and a small fleet of aerospace fighters fought the Marian fleet, shattering a full four regiments before they even had a chance to land. Their losses were catastrophic though, and even the warship was forced to retire from the battle or risk destruction. The last of the Marian ground forces landed and attempted to breach Second Pryde's lines. Once again, the destruction on both sides was heavy, and several Marian forces were stopped from breaking around the Second's lines by militia units made up primarly of former Lothian citizens. The Hegemony attackers were defeated though, and most of their jumpships were captured, giving Pryde Rock a whole new fleet to work with.
       Work continued on Pryde Rock after the battle as she continued to accept refugees from the former Lothian League and immigrants from other states, and Pryde Rock Industries began building vehicles as well as 'Mechs. Finally, word came back that the badly damaged First Pryde was returning to Pryde Rock after being kicked off of St. Ives in September of 3062. Another fresh wave of refugees, this time from the Illyrian Palatinate, arrived before First Pryde though as the Hegemony attacked that realm as well.
       After returning, Medron contacted Elena Logan and she told him what was going on and presumably that Julius could be trusted. Whatever she told him, he arrived on Alphard in October 3063, only two months after Caesar Sean died, and brokered a peace deal with Julius. Key to the peace was the return of seven jumpships and access to 'Mechs and vehicles manufactured at Pryde Rock. We can only infer that Comstar agreed with the later point so they wouldn't have to bolster Pryde Rock defenses with their own forces. Whatever the reasons, Comstar appears to be attempting to use Pryde Rock to insinuate itself back into the Hegemony. We need to watch this planet very carefully.

Military Forces
       In the midst of shifting from being Terra's Pryde mercenaries into the official army of Pryde Rock, these warriors are use to making due with what they have. A small force, 'Mechs, vehicles, infantry, and aerospace assets have only recently been seperated into strategic rather then tactical units. Finally, dropships and jumpships are now permanently assigned to the naval branch, another change from their mercenary days. At this time, the most basic units are the lance with four 'Mechs or vehicles and the platoon of 28 men. This is followed by the company of three lances or platoons and a battalion of three companies. Finally is the regiment at three battalions. They do not have seperate command lances and companies at this time. Aerospace units are seperated into the 2 fighter lance, three lance squadron, and the three squadron wing.

BattleMech Forces
       The forefront of the Pryde Rock Defense Force is its regiment of 'Mechs. Short by a company, it is a mixture of old and newtech 'Mechs primarily from the League, Confederation, the former Compact, and the Hegemony, with a handful of PRI prototypes, the 'Mech forces are a true mixed bag. Many of the 'Mechs are upgraded with the clan equivalent weapons PRI produces, though this often makes the already hot 'Mechs even hotter running.

Conventional Forces
       Numbering in at a five companies of vehicles and five companies of infantry, the non-'Mech forces end up doing the bulk of patrolling on Pryde Rock. While a 'Mech can destroy other 'Mechs, only the infantry and the vehicles can truly claim or defend a city, and the Pryde Rock defensive doctrines enshrine this philosophy. Made up a mixture of older vehicles, with some new vehicles mixed in for good measure, they also include a handful of PRI prototypes. The infantry is all heavily armed and armored making them much more dangerous then most infantry units. Some of them trade in the armor and heavy srms to tow heavy autocannons of PRI-manufacture from place to place to use against enemy heavy forces. Note that there are multiple companies of rifle-armed militia in addition to these primary defenders.

Naval Forces
       Every since Terra's Pryde formed, the aerospace arm has been a major part of their battle philosophy. It has always been the first line of defense or offense for the mercenary unit, but recent heavy losses that have reduced them to half of their 3060 numbers have greatly reduced their strength. Still nominally considered the first line of defense, Pryde Rock authorities realize they can not stop another major invasion and so have changed their operational plans to have the aerospace forces support the 'Mechs rather then the other way around. They have less then two wings of aerospace fighters and a number of transport and assault class dropships. It is also standard operating procedure to have one of the warships and its defending dropships in the naval chain of command at all times.

Air Force
       The Pryde Rock air force consists of nineteen 'Mechbuster conventional fighters. They are upgraded with the PRI-manufactured heavy autocannons in place of their centuries-old armaments.

Land-Space Force
       Consisting of a company of Phoenix Hawk LAMs, this is the most intriguing of the various forces. Able to fight the enemy on land, in the air, or in space, these rare war machines are carefully maintained for when they are needed.

The Defenders of Pryde Rock

Officers
Army                         Navy
General                       Commodore
Colonel                       Captain
Lieutenant Colonel      Commander
Major                         Lieutenant Commander
Captain                       Lieutenant
Lieutenant                   Ensign

Enlisted
Master Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Private
Volunteer

       Many people enter the Pryde Rock Defense Forces because of the planet's interesting form of representative government. The only way to get the right to vote is to have spent two years or more in the Defense Force. Though exceptions are made for anyone who performs above and beyond the call of duty, as happened many times during the Second Battle of Pryde Rock.
       Trainees are given the rank of Volunteer until they complete their training. They are then promoted to Private, where most serve as the basic combat rifleman. The best of them are pulled into the primary infantry forces where they are trained with the heavy armor and heavy srms of those units. Though some are also given special training to run the field pieces, entrance into those platoons is rare.
       Privates who distinguish themselves in some way are promoted to Corporal, where they are given more responsibilities and a limited command experience. Sergeants are where the true first command experiences are entrusted though. There are very few of them, most of them being from Terra's Pryde, but there are less then a handful of Sergeants who have enlisted since Pryde Rock was colonized. They are all former Lothian citizens and carry their rank well.
       The final enlisted rank is the Master Sergeant. There are only a handful of these at this time, all but one of them coming over from Terra's Pryde. The last is a former Lothian citizen and is considered to be the best of them. They rarely, if ever, command battlefield detachments as they tend to keep young and stupid wet-behind-the-ears Lieutenants from killing themselves before they figure out how to do things right. In this capacity, they serve as the primary link between the enlisted ranks and the officer corps, providing their commanders' advice and counsel from the perspective of a lifetime in the school of hard knocks. The few officers who have ignored their advice have rarely lived to regret it.
       The first step into the bright future of command, and the officer corps, is the rank of Lieutenant, or Ensign in the Navy. Reserved for fresh cadets and outstanding enlisted personnel who have proven their skill and courage on the battlefield, this rank often is the best and worst of the military. Either inexperienced or unused to command, new Lieutenants are always trained in by senior Lieutenants, or in rare circumstances by a Captain.
       Captains, or Lieutenants in the Navy, are given command of companies or squadrons. On the naval ships, they are sections leaders and often given high responsibility. They are often called upon to act independent of their commanders and must show the requisite loyalties and skills.
       Majors, or Lieutenant Commanders in the Navy, command battalions, wings, or major departments on a naval ship. Only highly trusted individuals receive this rank and there are very few of them.
       Lieutenant Colonels, or Commanders in the Navy, are usually the senior battalion commander in a regiment or the second-in-command of a naval ship, though most of the dropship commanders are Commanders. This very rare rank is one of the most respected in the Defense Forces.
       There are only four Colonels and a handful of Captains, for the Navy, in the PRDF. Officially equal in the Military Council, the Colonel in command of the militia is "least among equals." A Colonel commands the battlemech, vehicle, and line infantry forces as well. The Captain commands his ship and the squadron he leads. The warship Captains for instance have an authority all but unmatched in the navy. The Navy has its own Naval Council where the Captains vent their concerns.
       There is one General in command of the ground forces and a Commodore in charge of the Naval Fleet. They head the Military and Naval Councils and are nominally equal in rank. In practice however, General David Pryde has a superior position and has broad control over the actions of the Navy. He is wise in giving Commodore James Benson a free hand in the matters of the Navy, only giving him general advice on what strategies should be implemented to support the ground forces in protecting Pryde Rock.

Uniforms and Insignia
       The look of the PRDF is influenced largely by the uniforms worn in Terra's Pryde, and Medron has stonewalled all attempts to "normalize" them. He has in fact put forward initiatives to make them even more common, pushing the dress uniforms down into the enlisted ranks. Whatever outsiders think of the PRDF dress uniform, the soldiers wear it proudly.

Uniforms
       The basic field uniform is a dark grey tunic and trousers, with black leather gloves and combat boots. The infantry add armor plates strapped to the torso, legs, and arms, a modern helmet with integrel vision and hearing enhancements, and a web harness for carrying equipment. This no-frills uniform is striking in its contrast to the dress uniform, and is considered well-rounded by most observers.
       The PRDF's dress uniforms are a virtual night to the field uniform's day. A black cloth shirt and black leather skin-tight trousers complement the boots and gloves of the field uniform. The most controversial part of the uniform though is the black leather jacket. For over a thousand years the preferred jacket of bikers, it comes complete with chains and flaps, proclaiming its non-standard style. The shoulders and breasts are kept clear of ornamentation for awards, patches, and rank insignia, but the rest of the jacket is often festooned with chains and other decorations to complete their biker-bum look.

Insignia
       The left shoulder pad is reserved for a planetary patch. The PRDF's policy is to let all individuals put the symbol of their home planet there, an obvious holdover from Terra's Pryde. On the left breast is where the rank insignia is placed. A Private receives a single short silver chain to be hung there and each rank above that is given another chain. A Lieutenant's single silver chain is longer, and once again each rank above that receives another chain to be hung.

Decorations and Medals
       Pryde Rock awards five decorations. One is in recognition of service in the defense of the planet and is fairly common. The others, all for acts of valor on the field of battle, have rarely if ever been given out.

Screaming Eagle
       The patch of a diving eagle with its beak open is placed on the right shoulder pad of any soldier who has earned his or her right to vote. While it doesn't technically give the wearer a higher rank then another soldier without the patch, wearers of this patch are highly regarded by their peers. It is fairly common, given after two years of service in the line units, eight years of service in the militia, or some action that his or her superior believes to show an uncommmon loyalty to Pryde Rock.

The Lion's Pryde
       A roaring lion made of solid gold, it has been commissioned only once. Given posthumonously to the wife of Loran Nagle, a refugee from Lordinax who gave his life to stop a 'Mech from destroying Second Pryde's command van in the Second Battle of Pryde Rock, it was accompanied by a land grant and a permanent pension. It guarantees the right to vote if the soldier has not yet received it. As the other medals, it is worn on the right breast.

The Silver Cross
       A cross made of solid silver, it is given to any soldier who risks his or her life to save another. It is accompanied by a small land grant and a permanent pension and guarantees the right to vote if the soldier has not yet received it.

Sword of Honor
       Given to a soldier who acts with uncommon valor to generate a victory for the PRDF, it is the standard european straight sword made of silver. It guarantees the right to vote and gives the awardee a permanent pension and a small land grant.

Eagle Sword
       A silver eagle in flight clutching a straight sword in its talons, the Eagle Sword is given to an entire unit in recognition of a major victory. Each member of the unit receives the medal, a small land grant as near to the victory as is practical, a permanent pension, and the right to vote if they do not yet have it.

Pryde Rock Military Academy
       With half of the population of Pryde Rock either in the military or supporting it, the military is a fact of life. This is embodied more then anything in the new Military Academy. Under construction now, they expect the first building of the complex to be completed in December of 3064. In the meantime, instruction is handled in temporary buildings.

Enrollment
       Anyone who wants can enter the academy, though they are tested and then given course options based on that testing. Only the best and brightest 5 percent are allowed to train for aerospace, naval, or mechwarrior positions. The next 10 percent are allowed to train for vehicles, while the next 20 percent are allowed to train for the infantry. The rest are given access to the militia training only.

Curriculum
       At the moment, the high-level studies are limited without a dedicated academy, but the PRDF does well with what it has. It takes about a year to train a new soldier into those fields, but they are preparing a three-year course of study for when the academy is completed. The vehicle and infantry training take significantly less time, but similar plans are in progress. The militia training amounts to little more then a boot camp followed by basic weapons training. More of a civilian army then anything else, they are expected to drill one weekend a month and two weeks a year, so training is not such a priority for them.

Atmosphere
       Since everyone in the academy is a volunteer who wants to make Pryde Rock their home, there is an espire de corps amongst the group. The large number of ethnic groups does breed a small amount of tension though. People from the Free World's League mix with Capellans, scandanavians from the Palatinate, refugees from the Lothian League, and countless other nations. The trainers kick out all the troublemakers they find, but we have found some in the militia and the line infantry that could be useful in the future. Overall though, the Pryde Rock Defense Force is a highly motivated, satisfied force of men and women.

Graduation
       Volunteers who successfully complete their training are either commissioned as a Leiutenant or Ensign, or receive the rank of Private if in the conventional forces. They are then assigned to a position in the PRDF that will best use their abilities. Graduates are not required to remain in the military for any length of time. Though if they leave before getting the right to vote, they will of course not receive it.

Sociopolitical Structure
       Pryde Rock has an interesting political structure, based strongly on government documents preserved by Comstar that date back to over a thousand years ago. The planetary government is required to stay out of the people's affairs, limiting itself to the stabilization of inter-planetary and inter-provincial affairs. It has direct control of the various territories, but provinces elect their own government. The sole way that the planetary government can affect provincial affairs is if a majority of the Citizens in that province ask the planetary government to act. Composed of three branches, the judiciary, the presidential, and the council, each branch is considered equal. In practice though, the president tends to direct policy and is the singular representative of Pryde Rock on and off the planet.

The Council
       The planet is seperated into a handful of planetary-administered territories on both main continents, and the sole organized province at the moment. The province, on the smaller continent near the space port and the castle, elects representatives based on the number of citizens to the Provincial Council. Elected to terms of five years, they advise the president on inter-planetary issues. They also draft legislation to organize planetary administration. Any ties are broken by the vote of the vice-president.
       There has been only one major showdown up to this point between the president and the council. Some councilors believed president Medron Pryde was being rash in his confrontational attitude towards the Hegemony, but they were unable to generate a majority of the vote to censor him. When the president is censored, he must immediately call for new elections to fill his own office and the seats of the council. In any case, the majority of that opposition has disappeared since Medron returned from Alphard.

The Judiciary
       Appointed by the president and approved by the council, members of the judiciary receive lifetime appointments. There is currently only a single seven seat bench that handles cases between the territories and the province as well as inter-planetary affairs. More single judge courts are planned to be built in the years to come but are not needed at the moment.

The President
       Elected by a direct vote of all citizens, the president has broad control over the actions of the planetary government. He appoints his own vice-president, who then precides over the council and breaks ties. The president also represents the planet to other governments, or appoints others to represent the planet. He also has direct control of the military.

Religion
       There are only a handful of organized religions on Pryde Rock at this time. We assume this is because of Pryde Rock's age and the relatively low population of the world. The three largest are Buddhism that many of former Liao soldiers follow, the Roman Catholic Church that has long been the dominant church across the Inner Sphere, and the Assembled Church of Christ. That last one is one of the many Pentecostal churches that have sprung up across the Free World's League since the Clan Invasion began and is personally supported by President Medron Pryde.
       While the planetary government "can make no law concerning the establishment of religion," Pryde Rock political figures, like Medron Pryde, are not required to remove their support of religious bodies simply because they are in the government. As such, the president has built the Pryde Rock Chapel, also known as Bethany Chapel, on the primary space port, so that all visitors to the planet may see it immediately.

Education, Culture, and Arts
       Pryde Rock has welcomed many cultures into it and is still attempting to soldify its "own" culture. With many Citizens and refugees from the Confederation, League, Lothian, and Palatinate having brought their own cultures, they are making a large impact on the planet. In general, they tend to live near their own people and the capital has ended up with a series of subdivisions, each one with a totally different feel from the one next to it.
       Beginning level education is handled by each culture within its own subdivision, though the more advanced education is handled by the entire city in a single school. A suprisingly large percentage of the Pryde Rock population now knows how to read because of this system, passing the 75% mark and still increasing.
       Each culture brings its own style of art, from the beautiful stained-glass etchings of the Lothian League, the sand sculptures of the Palatinate, and the zen gardens of the former Capellan citizens, to the many painters that come from the Free World's League, the different forms and styles of art are varied to a great degree. Of special interest is the borders of each subdivision, where on one side of the stree you will see one style of art, and the other side a totally different style. The League and Capellan border is especially disconcerting while the Lothian and Palatinate border has the look of a peaceful blend of ideas and styles.

Socioeconomics
       While very young, Pryde Rock has taken great pains to promote a strong economy and a freedom of scientific endevours. It has also aggressively seeked to educate the people in matters of high science.
       One area in particular is bionics. As a very large percentage of the population of Pryde Rock is from the League, an education campaign attempting to help them realize that bionics are not as evil as many in the League believe has been underway for some time. This may be because Medron Pryde's left arm and leg are both myomer-powered limbs after he lost a battle on Solaris ten years ago.
       While education efforts like this one have been mediocre in impact, many others have quietly transformed the planet into a busseling center of business and science.

Personalities

Name: Medron Pryde
Position: President
Birthplace: Atreus
Age: 32 (as of 3064)
Sex: Male
The first elected President of Pryde Rock, he is very popular amongst the citizens of the planet, even in League circles. The core of the former Free Worlds League colonists rotate around the Pryde family and Pryde family friends though, which goes a long way in helping people to at least try to forget his bionics. Of average height, he is built with heavy bones, and often suprises newcomers with an uncommon strength. He attributes it to simply learning what the body can do. Dark brown hair and a gottee give pronounciation to his often calm, but sometimes explosive personality.

Name: David Pryde
Position: General
Birthplace: Marik
Age: 34 (as of 3064)
Sex: Male
Two years Medron's senior, David has become his right-hand man since leaving the army to help Medron form Terra's Pryde. The large number of people he brought with him, including the heavy number of aerospace pilots, bolstered the new mercenary unit's firepower. He is now second-in-command of the Pryde Rock Defense Force and one of the most influencial men on Pryde Rock. Built tall and lanky with light blonde hair, David is in nearly every way Medron's opposite. A free spirit, he is often seen in the local bars.

Name: Elena Logan
Position: Advisor to Ceasar Julius
Birthplace: Lotharia
Age: 30 (as of 3064)
Sex: Female
The heir to the Lothian League, this small and slim woman fought a vicious guerilla campaign for years against the Marian Legions after they defeated her nation. She made at least one trip to Pryde Rock, where many of her guerillas were given training by the PRDF, and was accompanied by several PRDF platoons when she returned home. There have been many rumors that she and President Medron Pryde were seen together late at night often, planning strategies to overthrow the occupiers. When she agreed to support Julius though, she managed to talk Medron into giving the new Caesar a chance. Without her, Pryde Rock and the Hegemony would still be at odds.

Name: James Benson
Position: Commodore of the Pryde Rock Defense Fleet
Birthplace: Terra
Age: 48 (as of 3064)
Sex: Male
A veteran Comstar captain, Benson is the most knowledgable person on naval combat in the Pryde Rock Defense Forces. Built large and heavy set, "The Bear" has a gravely voice, jet black hair, and a rough exterior. When mad, he has a tendency to explode specatularly. But it was he who led the PRDF against the Marian attack that was Second Pryde Rock. His ship has been repaired of the massive damage it incurred in that defense, and has been modified to be much more powerful then ever.

Name: John O'Mally
Position: Colonel
Birthplace: Jasmine
Age: 36 (as of 3064)
Sex: Male
He originally met Medron on Solaris, where he and Medron performed certain "special missions." Firey red hair, and an equally firey personality attest to his Irish ancestory, making it hard for many to believe that he was born in the more sedate Cappellan Confederation. Some suggest he left the Confederation and travelled to Solaris because his temper got him in trouble back home. None have brought evidence to show this. He now commands the Pryde Rock BattleMech Forces, making him one of the most powerful men on Pryde Rock.

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