Aurigan Coalition

Aurigan Coalition
State Profile
Founding Year	2910
Dissolution year:	in or prior to 3028
Capital world:	Coromodir VI
Controlled system(s):	22
Official Language(s)	English (primary), Spanish, Samoan, Urdu, a dozen others.
Government
Head of State	High Lord
Military
Army	Aurigan Coalition Military (ACM)

The Aurigan Coalition was a minor periphery nation, situated in a Rimward frontier region known as the Aurigan Reach which borders on the Capellan Confederation and the Taurian Concordat.

A regional power of negligible importance that had formed in 2910 from a trade federation, it was largely overlooked by ComStar and the Great Houses for the duration of its existence to the point of not being mentioned on most contemporary star maps.

After just over a century, it was briefly renamed the Aurigan Directorate following a military coup. This was followed by a civil war that nominally re-established the Aurigan Coalition; however, the Coalition would not recover from these events and had ceased to exist as a political power by the onset of the Fourth Succession War in 3028.

Canonicity

The Aurigan Coalition was originally created for the (apocryphal) BattleTech video game, in a part of the game world that was largely neglected and poorly detailed for the relevant timeframe in previous publications. The game's storyline, events, characters and setting, including namely the Aurigan Coalition, were later adopted (in broad strokes at least) into canon proper through the House Arano (The Aurigan Coalition) sourcebook and other sources. This retroactively estabished the Aurigan Reach region and its history as detailed in these canonical sources as canonical for the BattleTech universe.

To wit, the video game itself (and the preceding crowdfunding campaign) was not canonized as such and thus remains apocryphal, unless canonized through the fully canonical sourcebook or other canonical sources.

History

Early Years

The seeds of the Aurigan Coalition were planted when Coromodir VI, Guldra, Mechdur, and Itrom were colonized by a coalition of traders and industrialists originally from the Free Worlds League, inspired by the settlement of Taurus. The culture was predominantly Polynesian with elements of Spanish Catholicism and Pakistani Islam.

The Reunification War and its aftermath saw significant growth in the Aurigan Reach. The SLDF built fortifications on planets across the region, the Taurian Concordat erected the fortress that would later become the Arano palace on Coromodir VI, and the Capellan Confederation built vast industrial works on Mechdur. At the time of the New Vandenberg Uprising, the worlds of the future Aurigan Coalition straddled the border between the Capellan and Taurian states.

The Uprising, followed by the Amaris Civil War and then the First Succession War, led to the Capellans withdrawing their resources from the Aurigan Reach and pulling back their rimward periphery border. The Taurian-Canopian War ended with the Concordat withdrawing from the region as well.

The Reach worlds were largely forgotten by the Inner Sphere, who believed them dead or abandoned. Guldra's HPG station was destroyed, and the Capellan base on the northern continent of Itrom was rendered a radioactive wasteland. Panzyr's orbit was filled with debris from the wars. Mechdur was written off by the Capellans due to gross mismanagement. The fortresses of Smithon were decommissioned and abandoned, while the world of Katinka suffered a strike from a Mass Driver. Yet a few systems, such as Coromodir, Itrom, Tyrlon and Guldra were able to continue offering a decent standard of living to their people.

Aurigan Trade Partnership

In 2870, House Arano and House Espinosa of the Coromodir system proposed a pact of mutual defense and trade with House Madeira and House Decimis of Guldra, House Karosas of Smithon, House Gallas of Itrom, and House Parata of Tyrlon. To defend against piracy and bolster their economies, they joined together in a new Trade Council under the leadership of Wiremu Arano. The JumpShips of the Gwendor-Dorwinion Cartel formed the backbone of the blossoming Aurigan Trade Partnership, by providing the critically important interstellar transport capacity that was sorely lacking in the Aurigan Reach.

This trade federation was not a nation-state yet; they believed that the powers of the Inner Sphere and the Concordat would eventually return to reclaim their holdings there.

Aurigan Coalition

At the beginning of the thirtieth century, amidst the Third Succession War, the hope of being rejoined with the great powers was abandoned. Keona Arano, daughter of Wiremu, proposed to the Trade Council that the partnership be remade as an independent nation: the Aurigan Coalition. On 12 December 2910, she became High Lady of the Aurigan Coalition, though only by the Magistracy of Canopus recognized the Coalition as a state .

The industrial system of Mechdur was first to join the initial worlds of the nascent Coalition. This heralded a period of expansion, bringing other independent worlds under the Aurigan Coalition banner.

Expansion and Crisis

As the Coalition expanded by the early thirty-first century and started annexation negotiations with worlds that the Taurian Concordat had abandoned a century earlier but still technically claimed, the Taurians began to take note and tensions peaked over what the Concordat considered Aurigan expansionism. The worlds in question were Aea, Katinka, Qalzi, and a fourth system, probably Artru. Qalzi in particular, despite being self-ruled and without external government for over 50 years, was still considered a viable colony world by the Taurians.

Taurian diplomats went to Coromodir to negotiate treaties, but the Aurigan representatives and the emissaries of Protector Thomas Calderon could not reach a compromise. Santiago Espinosa, High Lord Tamati Arano II's chief advisor, proposed dissolving the Founding Council and bringing all power under the High Lord, which would allow Tamati to negotiate with the Taurians directly.

Aurigan Directorate

High Lord Tamati II and his wife Serena were killed in a JumpShip accident in 3022. Santiago Espinosa repeated his proposal to Tamati's daughter and heir Kamea Arano, who rejected it immediately. Considering her too naive to rule, he then launched a bloody coup during which Kamea was presumed to have been killed. House Espinosa changed the democratic Coalition into an autocratic Directorate with Santiago Espinosa as Director, keeping the other Houses in line with bribes, threats, and hostages. Espinosa disbanded the elected portion of the Council, restricting it to the Noble Houses. All House military forces were brought under the Director's control, and he formed a covert alliance with the Taurian Concordat for heavy and assault BattleMechs. On the planet Weldry, a notorious prison that came to be known as the "Icebox" was built.

Arano Restoration

Main article: Restoration War

Lady Kamea Arano had escaped the coup, and she was able to secure financial support from the Magistracy of Canopus under the oversight of Lady Ana Maria Centrella. With the aid of a mercenary company that had formerly worked for her family, she began reclaiming worlds and building her forces in what was called the Arano Restoration campaign. After House Espinosa's alliance with the Taurians was sundered, Restoration forces were able to reclaim Coromodir, placing Lady Kamea on the throne and ending the war. Santiago Espinosa was executed for treason.

Post-Restoration

House Arano's problems were not over. The crash of the DropShip Iberia on Coromodir VI during the final moments of the Restoration campaign created a "little ice age" expected to last for at least a decade, even with the aid of Lostech atmosphere scrubbers and terraforming equipment obtained through salvage and allies. The border dispute with the Taurians that had precipitated the crisis was still unresolved. Two of the Founding Houses, Espinosa and Karosas, had been wiped out, their affairs under administration by the High Lady and her deputies. Like Coromodir, worlds such as Panzyr and Smithon had to rebuild from the ravages of the war.

An end to the war did not mean an end to conflict. The loyalty of the Noble Houses ranged from questionable to speaking of open revolt when Kamea Arano left most of the Directorate's changes intact that centralized power in her position. Armed organizations from the just-concluded civil war, including Forever Vigilant and Ibex Rampant, sought to reinstate the toppled Aurigan Directorate. Lady Arano created a special operations command, Rampart Company, to deal with these and other threats. It was followed a few months later by the formation of the counterterrorist Pahikaua Order, announced on 21 December 3026.

In many ways, the Post-Restoration Coalition resembled the Directorate, with autocratic rule, a unified military, and military governors over various systems. Although Kamea Arano reclaimed her throne, her nation failed to recover from the civil war and had faded away (or at least was considered defunct and completely ignored by other powers) by 3028. The Aurigan Reach reverted to a backwater periphery region of independent worlds with little or no interstellar contact and most of its worlds were subsequently listed as "abandoned"; the entire region effectively dropped off the maps.

Politics

The High Lord (or High Lady) is traditionally an elected monarch chosen by the Founding Council and elected representatives from the Coalition's major systems, though this was always a formality: until the Espinosa coup, the position was always filled by an Arano. Members of the Founding Council were usually either the head of the House or the heir apparent. Post-Restoration, much of this was in abeyance.

Rulers

Name	Reign	Descent
Aurigan Trade Partnership
Governor	Wiremu Arano	2870
Aurigan Coalition
High Lady	Keona Arano	2910 - ****
High Lord	Tamati Arano I	**** - 2988
High Lord	Tamati Arano II	2988 - 3022
Aurigan Directorate
Director	Santiago Espinosa	3022 - 3025
Aurigan Coalition
High Lady	Kamea Arano	3025 -

Military

Main article: Aurigan Coalition Military

Society and Culture

The Aurigan culture is a melting pot. The original settlers came from the Free Worlds League, with a mixture of Polynesian, Spanish, and Pakistani language, culture, and religion. Cultural isolation due to the scarcity of JumpShips means that people from neighboring systems may need translators. Arts and architecture were strongly influenced by the Capellan Confederation and Taurian Concordat. The palace on Coromodir VI was originally a Taurian fortress and remains a beautiful example of Taurian architecture.

A meld of Taurian and Capellan traditions on social duty is also strongly seen among the Aurigans. Each individual should feel a strong sense of duty to the state. Also, there is a tradition of heroes arising in times of adversity to safeguard the region.

Economy

See also: Aurigan Coalition Companies

The Aurigan Reach's great strength is agricultural self-sufficiency. The most common occupation and the largest industry is agriculture, including genetically modified crops.

The Coalition is not without other industry, however. The industrial oligarchs of Mechdur fooled their Capellan governors into believing that their industry was failing, but after the Capellans withdrew, they became the main supplier of manufactured goods to the region. Their products include ores, refined metals, armor for vehicles and 'Mechs, and even a refurbished maintenance facility for JumpShips. However, it is worth noting that even at the height of its power in ca. 3022 the entire region was described as "starved for JumpShips" and the actual interstellar trade volume between its planets or other powers would have been minimal to the point where other powers never perceived or at least acknowledged it as a functioning political entity.

A noteworthy feature of the Aurigan Reach is that the Hyperpulse Generator network extends unusually far into the periphery here. Class B HPGs exist on Coromodir, Mechdur and Panzyr. Guldra also used to feature a HPG which was however destroyed at some point. Aea was settled solely for the purpose of staffing its HPG (which is of unspecified class), and is within range of a class A HPG from Artru, which in turn is noted as an important transit system to the Rimward Operations Area HQ of ComStar's Explorer Corps.

Historical Maps

• 

  Aurigan Reach in year 2890

• 

  Aurigan Coalition in year 3022

• 

  Aurigan Reach in year 3025 (Apocryphal Source)

BattleTech Video Game

The following is from the BattleTech (Video Game). While it is an official product, it does not meet the criteria for Canon.

Apocryphal Content Starts

The information after this notice comes from apocryphal sources; the canonicity of such information is uncertain.
Please view the reference page for information regarding their canonicity.

Aurigan Coalition

Under the rule of the oligarchic Founding Council and the High Lieges from their number, the Aurigan coalition expanded into the Frontier Reach and fended off piracy. The Aurigan people enjoyed various political, personal, and economic rights across the Coalition to the point that they were considered something to be championed by Kamea Arano when she led the Arano Restoration during the Aurigan Civil War.

Directorate

The Aurigan Directorate insignia.

High Lord Tamati Arano II and his wife Serena Arano (née Espinosa) were killed in an accident in 3022, leaving their daughter Kamea as heir. With Kamea refusing to listen to her uncle about how to rule the Coalition, Santiago Espinosa decided to take matters into his own hands. Along with his daughter, Victoria Espinosa, he would successfully stage a coup, forcing Lady Arano off Coromodir and taking the throne, installing himself as "Director" of the realm.

“

We are here today because if Lady Arano will not act, someone must. I know what I am asking of you. You will face former comrades or even loved ones on the battlefield. I take up arms against my own niece. But remember: today we sacrifice, so that tomorrow we can return our kingdom to its proper glory. To its proper strength! So should you fall tonight - know that you did so as true heroes of the Reach! To your stations! For the Directorate!"

”

- Lord Santiago inspiring his Directorate troops before deploying on Cormodir.

As ruler of the rechristened Aurigan Directorate, Santiago would form a brutal dictatorship in his wake, creating concentration camps on Weldry to hold possible dissident factions' relatives hostage including of the Founding Houses, and torturing and murdering political prisoners. His daughter, Victoria would slaughter anyone who did not support the Directorate, whether it be civilians or other House Lords of the Reach. Further, on Coromodir personal and political liberties were lost in exchange for increased economic luxuries under the police state in order to placate the population.

Apocryphal Content Ends

Bibliography

• Almost Sounds Like the Guns Themselves (short story)
• BattleTech (Video Game), apocryphal
• House Arano (The Aurigan Coalition) (sourcebook)
• Rise of the Koa
• Harebrained Schemes LLC: Kickstarter Update #28: "History of the Aurigan Reach", apocryphal
• Harebrained Schemes LLC: Kickstarter Update #33: "Introducing the Main Characters", apocryphal