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When people think of the Periphery, the thought that immediately comes to
mind is that of bandits, modern-day pirates preying on the vital trade that is
the life-blood of the Inner Sphere. Though most information on these space
faring brigands is based largely on hearsay and rumor, the various Bandit
Kingdoms have a well-deserved reputation for slaughter and rapine. Born of the
conflicts of the Amaris Civil War and the Succession Wars, the Bandit Kingdoms
consist of desperate men and women who, in their own rapacious manner, attempt
to survive as best they can.
Following is a summary of verifiable information concerning these desperate
peoples. With the exception of the Circinus Federation and the Oberon
Confederation, little formal contact between ComStar and the Bandit Kingdoms has
been possible for several centuries. What follows, therefore, is the result of
numerous independent investigations, many of which have ended in tragedy.
Information on specific worlds, individual leaders, and selected military units
is provided, though the dangerous nature of these investigations has left some
areas of inquiry incomplete.
Belt Pirates
Circinus Federation
Marian Hegemony
Morgraine's Valkyrate
Oberon Confederation
Pirates of Butte Hold
Santander's World
Tortuga Dominions
3050 Update
- Location: Outward of the Draconis Combine, near Santander's World
- Number of Worlds: One
- Current Ruler: Morgan Fletcher
- Military Strength: 1 Battalion
- Technology Level: Good
- Literacy Level: Fair
After the end of the Reunification War, refugees from the Rim Worlds Republic
refused to lay down their arms against the Star League and decided to settle the
Star's End system. Since then, the Pirates of Star's End have maintained a
steady stream of scavenger raids against both the Lyran Commonwealth and the
Draconis Combine. Eventually, piracy became a way of life that has been passed
down through the generations. The inhabitants of Star's End are a prime example
of a predatory culture restrained only by the availability of space-going
vessels.
The Pirates of Star's End have not been above lending a hand to either the
Lyran Commonwealth or the Draconis Combine in their frequent clashes in the
Succession Wars. In each instance, however, pirate involvement was nominal and
purchased at a high price in hard cash and equipment. This notwithstanding, the
pirate bands lodging in the asteroid fields of the Star's End system have been
known to break their contracts without warning when an employer presents the
least sign of weakness.
These pirates have confined their activities to neighboring Jump Points with
an eye toward capturing valuable machinery and spare parts for their vessels.
The Star's End system contains several starship construction facilities fully
capable of repairing and building new vessels at a modest annual rate. The
present leader of the pirate coalition is Morgan Fletcher, a swarthy, swaggering
woman whose actions are motivated as much by her hatred of men (especially those
of the Inner Sphere) as from a genuine love of wealth.
- Name: Novo Cressidas
- Start Type: M5V
- Position in System: 3
- Time to Jump Point: 2.44 days
- Recharging Station: None
- Political Ruler: Morgan Fletcher
- ComStar Facility Class: None
- ComStar Representative: None
- Percentage and Level of Native Life: 30%, Mammal
- Description:
- Novo Cressidas is a barren, desolate world shielded by a ring of global
asteroids and rocked by frequent ion storms that make orbital navigation
hazardous. Because of its inconspicuous appearance and the danger in
transiting the system, this small rock of a world was an ideal base for the
collection of space marauders known as the Belt Pirates, under the command
of Morgan Fletcher. Indeed, Novo Cressidas has proven to be a blessing in
disguise to its owners. Beginning in the mid-2800s, massive deposits of
germanium, which is essential to starship construction, were reported in
locations under the planet's southern ice cap. In the decades since, there
have been rumors of vast underground mining and industrial complexes that
stretch from the polar cap to the equator, and that point to a major center
of hyperdrive ship construction. Such rumors remain unconfirmed, however,
because the inhospitable local terrain and the equally inhospitable pirates
have maintained the strictest silence about whatever secrets Novo Cressidas
may hide.
-
- Location: Outside of the Periphery juncture of the Lyran
Commonwealth and the Free Worlds League
- Number of Worlds: Nine
- Current Ruler: C. J. "Bob" Mclntyre
- Military Strength: 1 Regiment
- Technology Level: Poor
- Literacy Level: Fair
After being accused of contract violation against the Free Worlds League in
2770, the Black Warriors mercenary unit abandoned Marik space, narrowly escaping
capture by the Free Worlds navy. Vowing eternal vengeance on House Marik for
their outlawed status, the Black Warriors settled on the planet Circinus and
joined the pirates already operating there. Colonel Zachariah Cirion, leader of
the Black Warriors, began to support his people through a series of sneak
attacks against outlying Marik agricultural worlds. Both the Star League and the
Marik House forces had their hands full with the Amaris Crisis, and so the
Circinus pirates flourished in the absence of reprisals. In 2785, a small convoy
of settlers fleeing the destruction in the Lyran Commonwealth landed on the
planet to make a new start. Warrior and farmer combined their forces to
establish a viable economy and culture.
The Lyran farmers apparently were never fully aware of the nature of their
new allies. The pirates were involved in what remained "covert
operations," but the farmers asked no questions as long as their allies
provided the tools and consumer goods the farmers needed. The pirates, for their
part, welcomed the farmers for two reasons. First, they provided stability and
the possibility of internal law and order (without the brutal punishments and
intimidation that mark pirate societies elsewhere), that would keep the band of
cutthroats from turning on one another. Second, they helped the pirates present
the illusion of a respectable, agrarian society to the neighboring worlds who
were their victims.
Despite the fact that the Free Worlds military occupied Circinus during a
lull in the Second Succession War, it is still the most successful of the Bandit
Kingdoms, having long since adopted a presidential system of government. Piracy
is a major governmental function, with covert "agencies" responsible
both for the raids themselves and for covering them up. Lyran pundits often note
that the Circinian president's chief duty is to look the other way so that he
will not have to acknowledge the crimes his government is constantly committing.
In recent decades, the inhabitants of Circinus have been cautiously settling
neighboring star systems, claiming eight planets between 2990 and 3020. From
this new empire, President C. J. "Bob" Mclntyre has entered into a
series of joint reconciliation talks with leaders of both Inner Sphere
governments. Through skillful diplomacy and judicious return of prisoners, and
without once admitting to any wrongdoing on the part of his people, Mclntyre has
managed to avert a wholesale counterattack against his Federation while playing
on the mutual suspicions of his Marik and Steiner counterparts.
Mclntyre's position has lately improved with the arrival of numerous
mercenary recruits who see him as a Napoleon of the Periphery. Moreover, by
convincing both House Marik and House Steiner that his support could be
invaluable, he has managed to acquire shipments f badly needed BattleMech spare
parts and a small contingent of AeroSpace Fighters.
Nevertheless, several of Mclntyre's lieutenants, yearning for more wealth and
power, have challenged his position. Because of the continued infighting between
Mclntyre and his subordinates, it is uncertain whether the Federation will
commit itself to either House. The chief of the officially nonexistent pirates
is Adam Cirion, a descendant of Zachariah Cirion, founder of the Federation.
- World Name: Circinus
- Star Type: G51V
- Position in System: 4
- Time to Jump Point: 7.48 days
- Recharging Station: None
- Political Ruler: C.J. Mclntyre
- ComStar Facility Class: B
- ComStar Representative: Precentor Kim-Han Alighieri
- Percentage and Level of Native Life: 10%, Reptile
- Description:
- A dry world rich in crystals, gemstones, and radioactives, Circinus is the
capital of the Circinus Federation. The capital city, Clayborne Remembered,
maintains a population of just under 10,000 people. Rumors abound of secret
bases and training facilities in the northern deserts, where it is said that
the Circinians have collected an abundance of materiel looted from Steiner
and Marik worlds.
-
- Location: Outside of Free Worlds League, between Magistracy of
Canopus and Circinus Federation
- Number of Worlds: Eight
- Current Ruler: Marius O'Reilly
- Military Strength: 1 Regiment
- Technology Level: Average
- Literacy Level: Fair
The Marian Hegemony is a recent addition to the Periphery. Centered on the
trade world of Alphard, the Hegemony consists s of the remains of the Alphard
Trading Corporation (ATC). In 2920, Johann Sebastian O'Reilly arrived on the
desolate and uninhabited planet Alphard. Though the world seemed like a
wasteland, he chanced upon a hidden storehouse of germanium worth at least
50,000,000,000 C-Bills. With this newfound wealth, O'Reilly hired 'Mech units
and established a colony on Alphard. Johann formed his new Marian Hegemony along
the disciplined lines of the ancient Terran Roman Empire during its republican
days. The arrival of war refugees helped to expand the Hegemony, whose people
began to settle other star systems in the vicinity.
Under the leadership of Johann's grandson, Marius O'Reilly, the Marian
Hegemony views expansion as the key to survival. In the last decade, the Marian
navy and ground forces (estimated at roughly three small battalions of assorted
BattleMechs) have clashed repeatedly with their neighbors over possession of
border worlds. The Hegemony welcomes the presence of ComStar, but only at the
price of an annual tribute to the Imperial Treasury.
- World Name: Alphard
- Star Type: G3IV
- Position in System: 4
- Time to Jump Point: 3.52 days
- Recharging Station: None
- Political Ruler: Marius O'Reilly, Hegemony Imperator
- ComStar Facility Class: B
- ComStar Representative: Precentor Laura Trin
- Percentage and Level of Native Life: 10%, Mammal
- Description:
- The capital of the Marian Hegemony, Alphard is the center of a government
formed along the ancient Roman precepts from Terra. Alphard is one of the
few treasure troves of Star League technology, particularly of germanium.
Beyond this, modest industrialization offers the inhabitants a reasonable
standard of living and nominal creature comforts. If the Hegemony government
does not endanger its industry by inviting attack from its neighbors,
Alphard could become a stable economic force in the Periphery for
generations to come.
-
- Location: Outside of Lyran Commonwealth, near Oberon Vl
- Number of Worlds: Five
- Current Ruler: Dominatrix Maria Morgraine
- Military Strength: 1 Battalion
- Technology Level: Poor
- Literacy Level: Poor
The newest of the pirate clans to populate the Periphery, Morgraine's
Valkyrate is a collection of five ice worlds beyond the border of the Lyran
Commonwealth. Originally a lieutenant of Hendrik Grimm, Morgraine broke with her
master after her lover, Redjack Ryan, was expelled from the Oberon
Confederation. Denouncing the "male-dominated" rule of the Grimm
pirate dynasty, Morgraine and her female followers established their own pirate
outposts, from which they have begun to raid Lyran space. Within this female
pirate haven, males are accorded rights and privileges according to their
abilities, but all command decisions are reserved to Morgraine and her valkyries.
Much of the Valkyrate's social order mirrors that of ancient Terran Norse
mythology. Given time, this veneer of Nordic tradition will continue to evolve.
Morgraine currently holds forth in her court on Gotterdammerung, ruling with an
iron hand over an estimated five to six thousand inhabitants scattered over her
various holds. Due to Morgraine's xenophobia, attempts to place ROM agents in
this region have all failed.
- World Name: Gotterdammerung
- Star Type: M2V
- Position in System: 2
- Time to Jump Point: 2.83 days
- Recharging Station: None
- Political Ruler: Dominatrix Maria Morgraine
- ComStar Facility Class: None
- ComStar Representative: None
- Percentage and Level of Native Life: 10%, Mammal
- Description:
- A cold world (in keeping with the temperament of its ruler),
Gotterdammerung is typical of the worlds held by Maria Morgraine. Much of
the surface is covered with layers of ice and snow: the only habitable
region is a thin belt of tundra near the equator. The population of just
over a thousand have managed to scratch out a meager existence by hunting
the small herds of reindeer-like animals.
-
- Location: Outside of the Lyran Commonwealth; formerly part of Rim
Worlds Republic
- Number of Worlds: Ten
- Current Ruler: Hendrik Grimm III
- Military Strength: 2 Regiments
- Technology Level: Good
- Literacy Level: Poor
Of the many pirate holdings in the Periphery, the Oberon Confederation comes
the closest to being a miniature Successor State. The first Colonel Hendrik
Grimm was an officer in the Lyran Commonwealth military, whose regiment was
battered by Marik troops on Graham IV. Believing that the Lyran high command had
left them to die, the surviving members of the 65th Lyran Regulars made for the
Periphery, eventually settling on the warm temperate world of Oberon Vl. Soon
after, many Inner Sphere soldiers who were weary with the endless warfare
traveled to Oberon in search of an alternative.
During its early years, the people of the Oberon state conducted pirate raids
against both the Lyran Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine, usually in search
of spare 'Mech parts and electronics. For the most part, however, the
descendants of Hendrik Grimm I have been concerned primarily with the welfare of
their subjects rather than with plunder for its own sake. Expanding outward from
Oberon, the citizens of the Confederation have managed to colonize their
neighboring star systems. Of all the Bandit Kingdoms in the Periphery, the
Oberon Confederation alone is self- sufficient. On a social level, a limited
form of democracy has brought about educational systems for the young, training
facilities for MechWarriors and technicians, and even a modest pension plan for
officers and enlisted personnel who have served the Confederation.
The recent development of Oberon into an increasingly stable, diversified
state is due mainly to the vision of Hendrik Grimm III. Where Grimm's
grandfather founded the state as a mockery of a government, and his father
simply continued the family business f brutality, King Hendrik III takes the
duties of his office seriously.
Another sign of Oberon's growing political maturity is Grimm's attitude to
the nearby Elysian Fields. Though Oberon seems to be approaching the stage that
Circinus reached two centuries ago--that of Ca viable nation-state supported in
part by piracy--Grimm appears to be seeking the respectability that standard
interstellar trade will bring. Thus, Grimm's pirates are not allowed to raid the
Elysian worlds. Indeed, Hendrik has entered into trade and territorial
agreements with them, the most important of which offers Grimm's navy docking
rights in return for military protection against the many other Bandit Kingdoms
in the area. As the Elysian Fields continue to develop, and thus become more
tempting targets, ties between the two realms can be expected to grow closer.
The potential for provincial unification-- similar to that which led to the
foundation of the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation seven centuries
ago--may become irresistible to the leaders of both realms.
Recognizing the utility of social stability on their borders, representatives
from both House Steiner and House Kurita have approached Hendrik III with offers
of formal alliance. To date, Grimm has been reluctant to commit his peoples one
way or the other, remaining cautiously neutral.
- World Name: Oberon IV
- Star Type: F5III
- Position in System: 6
- Time to Jump Point: 14.93 days
- Recharging Station: None
- Political Ruler: Hendrik Grimm III
- ComStar Facility Class: B
- ComStar Representative: Precentor Damien Hope
- Population: 43,000
- Percentage and Level of Native Life: 20%, Mammal
- Description:
- Oberon Vl is a warm, temperate world rich in natural re- sources,
particularly gold and coal. Since the late 2900s, Oberon has been heavily
industrialized to include factories able to produce pharmaceuticals and
electronic components, as well as small arms and energy weapons. Though much
of the planet remains unexplored, Oberon's population exceeds 40 thousand
inhabitants, many of whom are skilled technicians and scientists.
-
- Location: Outside of the Lyran Commonwealth, near Oberon Vl
- Number of Worlds: One
- Current Ruler: Redjack Ryan
- Military Strength: 2 Battalions
- Technology Level: Poor
- Literacy Level: Poor
Founded in 3018, Butte Hold is one of the more recent additions to the many
Bandit Kingdoms. The inhabitants are a motley collection of cutthroats nominally
under the command of Redjack Ryan, an arrogant, strutting MechWarrior with
delusions of grandeur. The Pirates of Butte Hold epitomize the worst
characteristics of Periphery bandits.
Redjack Ryan was once a battalion commander under Hendrik Grimm. In 3017,
while "on loan" to the Lyran Commonwealth, Ryan's unit was ordered to
occupy a Marik border world. During the course of his occupation of Lysidas,
Ryan's troops sacked the cities, enslaved the populace, and destroyed many
industries, including a fusion power plant. The destruction of the fusion plant
poisoned half the planet's atmosphere, bringing an immediate halt to Ryan's
carousing.
Following this blunder, troops from both the Oberon Confederation and the
Free Worlds League pursued Ryan and his mob out of the Inner Sphere. Ryan took
his men to Butte Hold, where he set up shop. Since then, the bandit has launched
a series of indiscriminate raids against the Lyran Commonwealth, the Draconis
Combine, and even an occasional snipe at a Confederation world. To date, none of
these governments have retaliated because of the many prisoners Ryan holds
hostage. Few like to contemplate what an angry Ryan might do to them.
Another version of the story of how Ryan broke away from Oberon states that
Ryan apparently has no other interests in life than rapine, and so he could not
face the prospect of handling actual responsibilities, as Grimm wanted him to
do. Whether Ryan's own most vicious lieutenant, Agnar Satanson, will turn on
Redjack the way he turned on Grimm remains to be seen.
Attracted by the lure of booty, Ryan has won numerous recruits since his
break with Grimm, enough to maintain two battalions of BattleMechs. Ryan's hold
on his subordinates is tenuous at best, however. He spends as much time guarding
against a knife in the back as he does planning his next raid. Left to their own
devices, the pirates of Butte Hold may well destroy themselves. In addition, one
raid too many against an irritated Lyran or Draconis government may bring a
full-scale assault against the pirate holdfast.
- World Name: Butte Hold
- Star Type: G8
- Position in System: 3
- Time to Jump Point: 6.19 days
- Recharging Station: None
- Political Ruler: Redjack Ryan
- ComStar Facility Class: None
- ComStar Representative: None
- Population: 150,000
- Percentage and Level of Native Life: 99%, Fish
-
- Location: Outward from the Draconis Combine
- Number of Worlds: One
- Current Ruler: Helmar Valasek
- Military Strength: 1 Battalion
- Technology Level: Poor
- Literacy Level: Poor
What little is known about the pirates of Santander's World is not very
pleasant. Founded in 3019 by ex-Davion officer Helmar Valasek, Santander's World
boas s one of the most vicious pirate bands operating in the Periphery. Whereas
most of the Periphery's pirate groups engage in raiding, Santander's World has
become a Murder Incorporated. Much of Valasek's treasury consists s of payments
made for covert assassination attempts. Operating singly or in small groups,
Santander assassins are known to have penetrated Davion and Kurita space to
slaughter government officials and financiers. Where practical, Santander
raiders engage in kidnapping, often stopping merchant vessels along established
trade routes to remove wealthy passengers for later ransom. In addition, Valasek
contracts for terror is activities and may well have affiliations with various
dissident groups within the Inner Sphere.
All members of Valasek's band take a blood oath to their murderous leader,
vowing to die most horribly should they "squeal" on their fellows.
More than once have these pirates killed their own members suspected of
renouncing their pledge.
The Santander pirates are an irritant that the Successor States will probably
destroy at the first opportunity. It is believed, however, that Valasek
maintains an intricate web of spies and informants that might tip off Valasek to
any impending strike. Therefore, any such attack would have to be made with the
utmost secrecy.
- World Name: Santander's World
- Star Type: K4
- Position in System: 5
- Time to Jump Point: 4.393 days
- Recharging Station: None
- Political Ruler: Helmar Valsaek
- ComStar Facility Class: None
- ComStar Representative: None
- Population: 7,500
- Percentage and Level of Native Life: 99%, Plant
-
- Location: Near the border of the Taurian Concordat and the
Federated Suns
- Number of Worlds: Six
- Current Ruler: Dame Paula Trevaline
- Military Strength: Two Companies
- Technology Level: Poor
- Literacy Level: Poor
The Tortuga Dominions are a result of the Reunification War against the
Taurian Concordat. During the latter stages of that conflict, the Federated Suns
237th Light Cavalry Regiment was all but destroyed in a wasteful penetration
raid against the Taurian outpost of Sterope. Unable to hold their positions and
unwilling to be thrown into the vicious fray somewhere else, the 237th opted to
jump outward into the unknown. A generation after settling a small, pleasant
world beyond the fringes of the Federated Suns, the newly formed Pirates of
Tortuga began operations against their callous former comrades in the Federated
Suns.
With equipment and machinery won at gun point from half a dozen Davion
worlds, the Tortugans began to expand their foothold in their new world. Within
a century, they were stable and self-sufficient enough to begin colonization
efforts of their own. By the early 2700s, the Tortugans had settled five
neighboring star systems. Abundant radioactives and raw materials on these newly
claimed worlds helped the rise of what has since become known as the Tortuga
Dominions.
Of all the Bandit Kingdoms in the Periphery, the Tortuga Dominions maintain
the largest spacefaring navy. Estimates place the size of the Tortuga jolly
rogers at about 15, though a lack of spare parts and machinery has forced the
Tortugans to cannibalize several of these.
In the last two centuries, the Tortuga raiders have struck deep into the
Federated Suns and the Taurian Concordat. Already known for utter depravity and
ruthlessness, it appears that the Tortugans are becoming more desperate as their
planets are now finally beginning to run out of resources.
- World Name: Tortuga
- Star Type: G2IV
- Position in System: 3
- Time to Jump Point: 9.11 days
- Recharging Station: None
- Political Ruler: Dame Paula Trevaline
- ComStar Facility Class: None
- ComStar Representative: None
- Percentage and Level of Native Life: 10%, Plant
- Description:
- A world of vast savannas and once-abundant raw materials, Tortuga has the
dubious distinction of being the center of the Tortuga Dominions. The ruler
of Tortuga is the self-styled Dame Paula Trevaline, also known as "Lady
Death" to friend and foe alike. The descendants of the original
settlers, the remnants of a Federated Suns Light Cavalry regiment, have
degenerated into a tight-knit band of pirates who prey on Taurians and
Davions alike.
Over the years, Tortuga has been stripped of almost all its ore, and it
is currently nearing ecological exhaustion. An estimated sixty thousand
brigands of every description inhabit Raiders Roost, the sole settlement on
the planet. Most live in conditions of near destitution, as the major share
of captured booty goes to Dame Trevaline's most experienced cutthroats.
[Prepared by Major C.G. Toho, Periphery expert for Wolfnet,
Military Intelligence Division, Seventh Kommando]
The Bandit Kingdoms took as much advantage as possible of the Fourth
Succession War by raiding carefully chosen worlds in the Inner Sphere. After the
war, all of the Inner Sphere leaders tried to exact revenge by sending military
expeditions into the Periphery. Try as they might, however, they could not
capture or kill all the pirates.
Morgan Fletcher of the Star's End Pirates, has recently shown up far from her
stronghold, as have smaller pirate groups. ComStar has been effective at
countering this surge within the Inner Sphere, but this has mostly just shifted
the problem to Periphery realms.
The major event affecting the balance of terror among Periphery pirates was
the union of Maria Morgraine and Redjack Ryan. The merger of Morgraine's
Valkyrate with the Pirates of Butte Hold has created the Greater Valkyrate, a
potent entity with a fearsome military unit, Ryan's Rebels. This has had the
beneficial effect of curbing the Oberon Confederation and the bother of creating
a growing nest of vipers on the border of the Federated Commonwealth. Ryan and
Morgraine's oldest child, Major Susie "One Eye" Morgraine-Ryan, have
proven to be capable and vicious military leaders, boding ill for civilized
worlds in the area for the foreseeable future.
The Oberon Confederation, the most respectable of the Bandit Kingdoms, built
up its military starting about 3035, perhaps as a reaction to the Ryan-
Morgraine union. Instead of attacking Butte Hold, however, Oberon has directed
its aggression elsewhere, toward the Federated Commonwealth, Rasalhague, and
even against the Draconis Combine.
The Oberon Confederation was itself the target of raids by pirates front
beyond known space. This activity apparently increased, though little is certain
because ComStar lost contact with Oberon VI and consequently the Elysian Fields,
Oberon's protectorate, in 3045. It is unknown whether there has been an internal
coup, a new ruler from outside, or just that ComStar has had an equipment
failure. The Inner Sphere has also had no official contact with Santander's
World for a few years, but that is not unusual for such an evil place.
This data file was originally obtained from the BattleTech
3056 MUSE. It was originally converted to HTML by Michael J. Flynn of The Company Store and Team
SPAM! who believe "Information is in the noise!"
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Pirates of 
