Alyina Mercantile League

Crest of Alyina Mercantile League
Alyina Mercantile League
State Profile
Founding Year July 3151
Capital world: Alyina[1]
Controlled system(s): 10 (in June 3152)[1]
Government
Head of State Syndic[2]
Military
Army Mercantile Militia

The Alyina Mercantile League is a commerce-oriented state founded in July 3151, one of several nations to emerge from Clan Jade Falcon's moribund Occupation Zone after it became the Hinterlands, and was controlled by former members of the Falcon's merchant caste.

History

The League was the brainchild of Marena, Merchant Factor of Clan Jade Falcon in the two decades prior to the Battle of Terra, who had managed to keep the Clan economically sound despite the brutal and ham-fisted rule of Khan Malvina Hazen. By mid-3151, with the Falcon Occupation Zone collapsing into anarchy and neither Hazen nor the Falcon warrior caste returning triumphant from Terra, Marena decided that the Falcons' long-suffering merchants could carve out their own state, one built upon their talents for commerce rather than violence.[3]

Aboard VaultShip Alpha, Marena traveled to Alyina to receive further evidence of the Clan's collapse with the formation of the Vesper Marches and territorial losses to the Kell Hounds. Her loyal Trinary of warriors from VaultShip Alpha easily dispatched Alyina's fanatically pro-Hazen solahma garrison, and Marena claimed rulership of the heavily industrialized world.[3]

Marena's next conquest, this time by negotiation, was Twycross, when she convinced the local chief merchant and Clan Sea Fox to support her plans. After then easily securing the world of Waldorff, on 20 July Marena proclaimed the foundation of the Alyina Mercantile League with herself as its ruling Syndic. There, she recalled the other VaultShips, all of whom complied aside from VaultShip Gamma, which was seized by Jiyi Chistu, the new Khan of the Jade Falcon remnant centered on Sudeten. After a pirate attack on Alyina itself made the AML's military weakness evident. Marena, advised by Factor Geran, began recruiting mercenary units, quickly creating a powerful army to protect the AML.[4]

Despite some initial difficulty with unreliable mercenaries, Marena was able to assemble a strong defensive force. The next system to join the AML was Butler, which was experiencing a revolt of Free Guilds members. Negotiations ended the revolt and, on 1 September, Butler unanimously joined the League.[5]

Marena attempted negotiations with Jiyi Chistu, and allowed malcontents wanting to be "true Falcons" to join his Clan, but neither would submit to the other. However, open warfare between the two was averted for the time being.[6]

By the end of December Marena had managed to convince more planets to join her: Pasig, Goat Path and Kooken's Pleasure Pit. The most critical addition to the AML was Blackjack, with sibko training facilities that were key to reinforcing the AML military. Blackjack's leader, Star Colonel Derek-Jaim Clees, negotiated a Trial of Absorption with the AML forces; the League won a series of bloodless Trials, turning the AML into a local military power.[7]

In April 3152, Clan Hell's Horses' Operation STAMPEDE reached the AML's frontiers, attacking Butler, but their overconfidence handed them a resounding defeat under the Light of Heaven defenders, proving that the AML was strong enough to defend its borders.[8]

Toward the end of 3152, the AML's future was very promising, and business boomed when the Sea Foxes somehow managed to restore Alyina's HPG generator, greatly improving the League's economy and communications. The Foxes claimed to know how to build an HPG immune to what had caused the Blackout, and established the first one on Twycross.[9] The same year, the Tamar Pact allowed the AML to create a trading enclave on Qualip.[10]

Military

Initially the AML had few local forces to rely upon, beginning with the Trinary of warriors assigned to VaultShip Alpha, but by adding solahma, freeborns and Blackjack's cadets, the Mercantile Militia grew to an appreciable force. However, the bulk of the League's forces by mid-3152 were mercenaries rather than native Clanners.[11]

The known units are:

Foreign Affairs

During its first year the League managed to forge friendly relations with Clan Sea Fox and the reborn Tamar Pact, the relationship with the latter based upon them having a common potential foe: Jiyi Chistu's Falcon remnant. Ties between Alyina and Tamar were commercial rather than military, however, with a military alliance deemed unlikely.[12] Clan Sea Fox was willing to engage in commerce with the League, and investigated the disappearance of VaultShip Epsilon on its behalf.[13]

Relations with Jiyi Chistu himself were not immediately hostile but Marena viewed him as a long-term threat, simply due to his traditionalist outlook. No matter how liberal or reformatory Chistu's regime was, it was still based upon the old warrior-supremacist government that was contrary to the new society Marena wanted to create.[14] Vedet Brewer's Vesper Marches was seen as just another variation upon the same theme and also considered a future foe.[15]

Nonetheless, the League's only official enemy by mid-3152 was Clan Hell's Horses, which saw it as a chalcas abomination similar to the scientist-founded Society and refused to respect the merchant-ruled state. The fact than most of the League's military were mercenaries, historically despised by Clan warriors, added to the Horses' disdain.[16]

JumpShips

Planets

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tamar Rising, poster map
  2. ↑ Tamar Rising, p. 94: "Marena profile"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tamar Rising, p. 41-43
  4. ↑ Tamar Rising, pp. 44–45
  5. ↑ Tamar Rising, pp. 48–49
  6. ↑ Tamar Rising, p. 55
  7. ↑ Tamar Rising, pp. 49–50
  8. ↑ Tamar Rising, p. 67-68
  9. ↑ Tamar Rising, p. 75
  10. ↑ Touring the Stars Kerensky's Vision, p. 7
  11. ↑ Tamar Rising, pp. 46–48
  12. ↑ Tamar Rising, p. 28
  13. ↑ Dominions Divided, p. 43
  14. ↑ Tamar Rising, p. 87
  15. ↑ Tamar Rising, pp. 44–45
  16. ↑ Tamar Rising, p. 67

Bibliography

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