Dark Age Era Essay

The Dark Age began with the blackout (as opposed to the Jihad's whiteout) of 80% the HPG network on August 7th of 3132. Humanity was suddenly thrust back into the early days of space travel where FTL communication was not possible and messages have to be couriered by JumpShips. This made command and control of armed forces and the governing of the Inner Sphere empires very difficult if not impossible. Just 2 years earlier Devlin Stone, founder of the Republic of the Sphere, retired and vanishes, promising that he will return when the Republic needs him the most.

The blackout allowed the Houses, Clans and other powers within and without the Republic to start reclaiming or conquering worlds they had ceded to the Republic. House Liao is the first of the great Houses to invade the Republic to claim those worlds like Liao which the Confederation had grudgingly given up. Some of the Republic's officials whose loyalty truly lies with the Great Houses or Clans attempt to secede, often through force of arms, and bring those worlds to those they pledge allegiance.

Even at the highest government of the Republic rival factions began to appear, most notably the Senate Alliance, attempting to wrest control from the Exarch in these times of turmoil.

Besieged from within and without, Exarch Jonah Levin, on October 1, 3135 enacted Fortress Republic. This plan reduced the borders of the Republic to Prefecture X and sealing them with a barrier of unknown origin. No one can leave or enter Prefecture X.

Also during these events, Jessica Marik (Halas), daughter of the false Thomas Marik, engineered the reformation of the Free Worlds League. She also legitimized her claim to the House Marik legacy by marrying Thaddeus Marik, scion of the line of Alys Rousset-Marik. She largely succeeded in her reformation plan and was pronounced Captain-General of the reformed Free Worlds League on July 3, 3139.

However the identity of the mastermind behind the blackout is still a mystery, the network is still not fully functional and the Republic remained closed with no sight of the promised return of Devlin Stone. The tale continues...

Reference

The Dark Age is the setting for the Collectible Miniatures Game MechWarrior: Dark Age (and subsequently MechWarrior: Age of Destruction). The story is largely told in the 30 novels of the MechWarrior: Dark Age line:

1: Ghost War, Michael A. Stackpole

2: A Call to Arms, Loren L. Coleman

3: Ruins of Power, Robert E. Vardeman

4: A Silence in the Heavens, Martin Delrio Book One of the Proving Grounds Trilogy

5: Truth and Shadows, Martin Delrio Book Two of the Proving Grounds Trilogy

6: Service for the Dead, Martin Delrio Book Three of the Proving Grounds Trilogy

7: By Temptations and By War, Loren L. Coleman

8: Fortress of Lies, J. Steven York

9: Patriot's Stand, Mike Moscoe

10: Flight of the Falcon, Victor Milan

11: Blood of the Isle, Loren L. Coleman

12: Hunters of the Deep, Randall N. Bills