Rim Collection

3058 Update

In the first decade of its existence, conditions in the Rim Collection are slowly changing for the better. The confederated planets began trading grains and iron ore with the Federated Commonwealth in 3053, and the Lyran Alliance has announced its intention to continue trade relations. Planetary Councilman Roberts has begin trade negotiations between Gillfillan's Gold and the Free Worlds League, with the promise of extending all trading rights to the rest of the Collection if he succeeds. However, the immense degree of autonomy given to member worlds by the charter often slows the pace of government to a craw. Professor Moroney, seeing more possibilities for economic expansion with more centralized government control, is currently pushing for a temporary expansion of the president's powers. Councilman Roberts has emerged as the leading voice of the opposition; he and his supporters fear that any temporary change in the balance of power would become permanent, much to the council's disadvantage.

Militarily, Able's Aces has filled its part of the bargain admirably. Lacking the funds to buy large numbers of serviceable BattleMechs, the Rim Collection still has only two BattleMech battalions; however, the Aces have trained several militia units on each of the six worlds to serve as a first line of defense against bandit raids. A few councilmen want the Collection to hire more mercenaries, but the Aces have stonewalled these efforts as unwanted encroachment on what they consider their turf. The Rim Collection is not yet rich enough to attract the attention of large numbers of pirates, but that could easily change within another decade or so. The pirate band known as Morrison's Extractors is the most dangerous of the Rim Collection's current enemies; the Extractors have raided outlying cities on Caldarium and Slewis with devastating effect.

Hunter's Paradise

Outside of Steiner space and beyond the young realm known as the Rim Collection, lies a unique relic of a bygone era. During the height of the Star League, an exploration ship searching for likely mining sites discovered in the Periphery a beautiful planet teeming with life. The blue skies and sweet air of this new world seemed a sure sign that the planet offered ideal conditions for colonists and tourists alike. As the explorers quickly learned, the planets was home to thousands of species of unique animals, nearly all predators. Scientists still debate the whys and wherefores of such an anomalous situation, but accept that the smaller predators simply serve as prey for the larger predators. Creatures so dangerous and powerful that they might overwhelm a BattleMech occupy the top of the food chain.

Though poor in gems and metals, the planet proved to be a biological gold mine for its discoverers. The exploration team quickly hatched a plan to market the new world as a big-game hunter's dream come true. Attempts to establish a surface settlement failed completely, so investors funded the construction of an orbital space station. Dropships would bring wealthy thrill seekers to the station, where they would meet their guides with the latest in weaponry and survival gear. The richest hunters could even go to the surface piloting 'Mechs. The beasts they caught live would become the main attractions of zoos throughout they Inner Sphere, though most targets ended up stuffed and mounted in dusty trophy rooms.

The so-called Hunter's Paradise prospered for several decades. When trouble started brewing in the Periphery, however, business slacked off. And, as with so many other ventures, the collapse of the Star League spelled the doom of this high-priced resort. Eventually the space station was abandoned and forgotten.

When Collection scouts rediscovered the world and its abandoned jump station, President Moroney immediately poured what resources he could into reactivating the station and building the infrastructure to reopen the hunter's resort. Realizing his nation did not have the capability to completely reopen the world as it once was, he settled with the exportation of exotic animals to interstellar zoos, primarily those in the Lyran Alliance.

3060 Update

With the crippling of Morrison's Extractors, the Aces have managed to rid the Rim Collection of most of its problems, for now. Councilman William Roberts now leads the Collection as the new President.

Within a year of Councilman Robert's elevation to president, he put Moroney's plan to reopen Hunter's Paradise into action. Now open for more than two and a half years, the world is just beginning to attract the interstellar clientele it once did, with all trade passing straight through the Rim Collection. By all accounts, several Clansmen have even made their way covertly to the world to test their mettle against the dangerous world.

Unfortunately, with the FedCom Civil War already spiralling out of control and the rest of the Inner Sphere apparently becoming caught up in a new age of war, the future of this Rim Collection protectorate remains uncertain. For now, though, it is rapidly becoming the Collection's cash cow.