Star League (3151–)

This article is about the third Star League. For other uses, see Star League (disambiguation).

Star League
Faction Profile
Time period:	3151 – Present
Classification:	Coalition
Capital world:	Terra
Ruler title:	ilKhan
Military:	Star League Defense Force (SLDF)
Secret Service:	Watch

The Star League was recreated in 3151 after the fall of the Republic of the Sphere. This third incarnation was inaugurated by Clan Wolf with ilKhan Alaric Ward as its leader and was still in existence a century later.

History

Fall of the Republic

During the fight on Terra, Devlin Stone and his Republic forces were suffering the brunt of the fighting between Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon. This changed however when Exarch Damien Redburn enacted a plan to destroy both Clan leaderships under the guise of a false-flag operation. Although reluctant to approve the plan, Stone accepted it as the only means to end the war. Though the plan seemed sound, it backfired when Redburn killed the wrong target and in turn, was killed himself. Although Damien did not live to see it, his plan caused the downfall of the Republic as Stone would surrender to both Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon to discuss further terms. The Exarch offered himself to the Khan as a bondsman to the Wolves, but an angered Alaric refused his offer. With few options left, Devlin Stone disbanded the Republic of the Sphere.

Trial for ilClanship and Afterwards

After the fall of the Republic, Khans Alaric and Malvina enacted one final trial to end their rivalry once and for all, the ilClan Trial. This trial was a "winner-take-all" challenge that would decide not only the fate of Terra but the entire Inner Sphere, too, as the winner would become First Lord of the Star League and ilKhan with the title of ilClan. Mirroring the Refusal War from long ago, both sides mauled each other until Clan Wolf was the victor. After the battle, Clan Wolf ruled Terra, with Clan Jade Falcon acting as the bodyguard for the ilKhan and Clan Smoke Jaguar bound to the ilClan in a similar role to their Fidelis counterparts.

ilClan Era

Following the inauguration of the new Star League, Clan Sea Fox and Clan Snow Raven both agreed to participate, honoring their obligations to the ilClan. The traditional rivals continued to jockey for power and influence on the newly formed council, though they were willing to coordinate when absolutely necessary to maintain the League's integrity. An example of this occurred early on when both Clans recognized the importance of facilitating a positive relationship with their Inner Sphere subjects and their Khans jointly petitioned Alaric to reconsider his planned cultural assimilation of Terra.

Meanwhile, the decision on whether or not to join the new Star League left Clan Ghost Bear and its fellow denizens of the Rasalhague Dominion split almost down the middle. While the Joiner faction eked out a very narrow victory in a plebiscite on the question, ilKhan Ward rejected the result due to the Dominion's divided loyalties, which invoked the specter of the old Rim Worlds Republic. This rejection resulted in the brief but bitter Dominion Civil War and the announcement of a second referendum on the issue. Owing to previous personal animosity, Clan Hell's Horses outright refused to recognize Alaric's authority, while the distant Scorpion Empire regarded the new ilClan with caution.

The Star League faced its first crisis in the fall of 3151. After contending with Republic insurgents for months, they realized the Capellans had now occupied what remained of the Republic of the Sphere outside Terra. Recognizing that they were in danger of being placed in the same state of siege that had doomed the Republic, they adjusted policies to accommodate and peacefully pacify the locals before integrating the surviving RAF into the new Star League Defense Force. Operation PERSUASION, a joint counteroffensive comprised of the SLDF and all constituent Clan toumans was launched on 5 December 3151 to drive the Capellans off. This sudden turn of events took the overextended forces of the Capellan Confederation off-guard and the ilClan made rapid gains, effectively erasing almost all of the territorial gains made by the Capellan Confederation in the preceding decades in a matter of months. On 20 June 3152, in retaliation for the use of a nuclear warhead on New Earth, Clan Snow Raven assassinated Chancellor Daoshen Liao, decapitating the government and ending the threat posed by House Liao. Several weeks later, Alaric Ward issued the Liberty Proclamation to the Inner Sphere, officially announcing the return of the Star League.

Later in the Star League's history the Blackout's impact upon the Inner Sphere faded, although this did not occur until some years after "the Last Annihilation." As noted by Loremaster Stephan Roshak the so-called Dark Age Era preceding the ilClan's rise was often derided retrospectively as a literal "dark age," even the peaceful and prosperous decades prior to the HPG collapse.

By 3250 the League had well-established arenas where warriors fought duels or historical reenactments. Some of these warriors used state-of-the-art BattleMechs, while others (usually novices or poorer MechWarriors) piloted older designs. Gunslinger Jázon Marik was a noted participant in these arenas.

Politics

From its founding in 3151, the government of the new Star League attempted to emulate the original, while incorporating administrative functions of both the defunct Republic of the Sphere and the Clans. Its chief decision making body was the Star League Council, chaired by the First Lord, who simultaneously held the position of ilKhan of the Clans in accordance with the precedent set by Alaric Ward. Other members of the council included the Loremaster, Commander of the Watch, and Commanding General of the SLDF, as well as the Khans of any Clan which had agreed to participate.

The territories under direct ilClan administration in 3152 were collectively known as the Star League Protectorate, consisting mostly of former Republic worlds which the SLDF liberated from House Liao during Operation: PERSUASION. Each constituent member also maintained its individual territories and significant operational autonomy, as evidenced by the Snow Raven conquest of Milligan from the Federated Suns in 3152.

Clan Wolf initially intended to follow through on the cultural assimilation of the Inner Sphere in accordance with Crusader ideology. However, practical concerns early in the League’s existence led to the establishment of a multicultural system of governance and administration, not unlike that envisioned by the Wardens. This caused tensions between traditionalist and reformist factions in the early ilClan.

Ideologically, the revived Star League’s mandate was enshrined in Alaric Ward’s Liberty Proclamation, issued after the defeat of House Liao in mid-3152. In it, the First Lord vowed an end to the perpetual state of conflict that had consumed the Inner Sphere since the Amaris Civil War, and directly appealed to the common people of the Great Houses, promising to build a better future for all. Unbeknownst to many, including Alaric himself, this ideology was actually the brainchild of the late Devlin Stone. During the final days of the Republic, after recognizing that his country could not be saved, the Exarch carefully studied and manipulated Alaric and his allies in order to align the values of the emerging ilClan as closely as possible with his own, hoping to enshrine a piece of his dream and his nation into something that could stand the test of time. In this, Devlin succeeded, even if he did not live to see the fruits of his labor.

By 3250, dissenting forces such as the Lost Command and "Renegades" had emerged as opponents to the League. Units known as Auditor Clusters were tasked with seeking out unauthorized industry and military manufacturing throughout both the League and the Periphery, in part to forestall these dissidents' efforts.

Military

The SLDF Regular Army was revived at some point and appeared to be a separate entity from the Clan toumans. Members of both sought to attain the coveted status of Gunslinger, which was modeled (with some changes) on the Republic's Knights and likewise offered role models for the public and other military personnel to aspire to.

Notes

• Though the third incarnation of the Star League, individuals in-universe have yet to refer to the "Third Star League." See this article's talk page for the details on the article's naming structure.

Bibliography

• Dominions Divided
• ilKhan's Eyes Only
• Second Succession War
• Technical Readout: Clan Invasion
• Technical Readout: Dark Age
• Technical Readout: Jihad
• Technical Readout: Succession Wars
• Trial of Birthright (novel)