Editing History of the Republic of the Sphere

[[Image:Republic of the Sphere logo.png|right|thumb|Crest of The Republic of the Sphere]]

:''This article details the history of the '''''Republic of the Sphere'''''. For more information, see [[Republic of the Sphere]].''

==Formation==
The Republic of the Sphere was born from the ashes of the [[Word of Blake Protectorate]]; negotiations between the leaders of all of the major powers from the Inner Sphere and Periphery (with the notable exception of the Capellan Confederation and the [[Magistracy of Canopus]]) gathered on Terra alongside the leaders of the allied coalition forces in December [[3080]] to discuss the formation of a new buffer state between the various Inner Sphere powers from the remains of the Protectorate. The various leaders left Terra on the 20th of December having reached a basic agreement that ceded the remains of the Protectorate to a new realm, the Republic of the Sphere, although it would be several months and much negotiation later before the Republic was finally incorporated.<ref name="J:FRp61">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 61: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> Prior to the [[Geneva Summit]] on Terra it was widely speculated that the proposed new nation would be named the "Terran Republic". It was noted that a number of nations supported the creation of the Republic while requesting only modest concessions to themselves, particularly the [[Federated Suns]] and the [[Lyran Alliance]].<ref name="J:FRp12+">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', pp. 12–13: "The Best Of Times"</ref>

Among the basic conditions for the creation of the Republic were concessions that returned a number of worlds to the nations that had controlled them prior to the Jihad; it was these concessions that saw the Federated Suns regain control of the worlds in the [[Kittery Prefecture]], while [[Hesperus II]] and [[Solaris VII]] rejoined the Lyran Alliance.<ref name="J:FRp12+"/> The first state to cede additional worlds beyond the borders of the former Blakist Protectorate to the Republic was the Federated Suns; the Princess-Regent, [[Yvonne Steiner-Davion]], announced on the 12th of January [[3081]] that several worlds would be passed to the Republic to create an additional buffer zone. This was the first of several deals that would see former [[Draconis Combine]], [[Free Worlds League]], and Lyran Alliance worlds added to the Republic.<ref name="J:FRp61"/>

The Republic of the Sphere was formally signed into being between the 7th and 15th of March 3081, with all of the Great Houses save for [[House Liao]] signing the [[Republic Formation Treaty]] amidst a week of festivities. Each state except the Confederation recognized the Republic of the Sphere, with Devlin Stone as the first [[Exarch]] of the Republic. Stone's first major announcement came on the 25th of April, when he publicized the creation of the [[Capellan Transitional Government]], a mechanism intended to smooth the integration into the Republic of those worlds that had formerly been a part of the [[Chaos March]] or which had been contested by the Capellan Confederation.<ref name="J:FRp61"/> The Republic began work on repairing the damage inflicted on the infrastructure of the worlds within the Republic of the Sphere and interstellar trade by the [[Jihad]], a key element of which was the establishment of the [[Republic Disaster Management Agency]] in 3081.<ref name="J:FRp122">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 122: "Conclusions"</ref>

==Late Dark Age==
===Gray Monday===
After the fall of the [[HPG]] grid in [[3132]], the Republic was torn apart by warring factions within the government who supported neighboring nations including the [[Draconis Combine]], [[Federated Suns]], and [[Lyran Commonwealth]]. The chaos caused by the blackout also led others like [[Clan Jade Falcon]], the [[Oriente Protectorate]], and the Capellan Confederation to believe that the fragmented, stumbling Republic made an easy target, so they invaded. Some of the rebellious factions joined with others like them and even Republic loyalists to turn back the tide of invasions, while others joined with the interlopers.<ref name="J:FRp61"/>

The Combine launched a raid of its own in [[3133]].<ref>''BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction'', p. 29</ref>

===Senate Rebellion===
The Republic's internal troubles were far from over, however. The Senate tried to achieve a coup over the ruling Paladins through subversion. Led by Senator [[Geoffrey Mallowes]] of [[Skye]], the Senate sponsored promising military officers. The plan was for these officers to be successful in becoming knights and even paladins, then, remembering who initially supported them, return some measure of power to the Senators. This plot was uncovered by Paladin Victor Steiner-Davion, who paid for the discovery of that knowledge with his life. Despite his death, the other paladins were able to piece together enough of the plot to realize what was going on. In response, newly elected Exarch Jonah Levin dissolved the Senate, touching off a civil war. Senate loyalists fought on Terra, but were ultimately driven off, thanks in part to the Republic's new ally, the Federated Suns. Individual Senators retreated to their homeworlds, but most found that they lacked the support needed to build the kind of coalition they desired, which was only complicated by some Senators siding with the Exarch and others siding with foreign powers. This would result in a number of worlds forming their own small nation known as the [[Senatorial Alliance]].<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', pp. 19, 22, 135: Senate Rebellion information</ref>

===Fortress Republic===
During the conflicting [[3135]], there was a huge recruitment drive for Republic forces back in [[Prefecture X]], that were not going back to the front lines. Some RAF soldiers on the field saw that these did not end with reinforcements starting kicking these upstarts out of Republic space, nor where the new factories upgrading production sending these machines to the front line forces.<ref>''Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals'', p. 223: "20 September 3135"</ref> Unbeknownst to them, this was part of the preparations of [[Fortress Republic]] process.

Most of the RAF forces outside the [[The Wall|Wall]] got the announcement around the 14th of October 3135. There are basically three reactions to this. Some people are going to go home first chance they get. Others are going to go [[mercenary]], figuring they don't have a country anymore so they probably don't have a paycheck. Other, like [[Evan Kaiple]] will stay. Though some circumstances have changed, the big picture hasn't. There's still a Republic and it still has enemies. So they'll fight them.<ref>''Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals'', p. 231: "14 October 3135"</ref>

Due to all of the turmoil, many of the Knights and much of Armed Forces of the Republic retreated back to Prefecture X under the plan code named "Fortress Republic". Under the name Fortress Republic, the Republic government would wall off the rest of the Inner Sphere by using unspecified technology hidden away at the close of the [[Jihad]].  This effectively stopped movement of JumpShips into Prefecture X.  Exarch Levin dissolved the Republic and claimed a newly declared region of space encompassing only slightly more than Prefecture X. This area of space severed all ties with all worlds outside of the territory, even with other worlds of the Republic. Levin stated that he would use all the forces at his disposal to ensure that the newly drawn boundary remained inviolate. The Republic dissolved as a major political body after the Fortress declaration and was renamed the '''Republic Territories'''.

While behind the Walls of the Republic, the Republic forces inside would hunt down and destroy remaining splinter factions and Senate Alliance forces cut off behind the Fortress' walls.  During the early years of this time, the Republic took in survivors of their armed forces that had successfully retreated behind the Fortress' walls to begin to form new combat units to replace those lost due to the collapse of the outer prefectures of the Republic.  Some of these forces would be dispatched to conduct "False Flag" missions outside the Fortress to keep foreign nations busy, while also collecting intelligence on the state of affairs of the Inner Sphere.

Among the first and most notable of these test for the newly formed combat units, would be to hunt down the renegade ComStar elements that had re-formed the [[Com Guards]] under the name "Buhl's Blessed Order".  Elements of the Republic forces would end up pursuing ComStar forces to their hidden outpost on [[Epsilon Eridani]] and destroying them on their last stronghold in [[3141]].<ref>''Field Manual: 3145'', pp. 135–138</ref>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction]]''
* ''[[Dark Age: 3135 PDA Journals]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3145]]''
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''

[[Category:History|Republic of the Sphere, History of]]