Military Materiel Redemption Program

The Program

The MMRP, or Military Materiel Redemtion Program created by Devlin Stone and all the Inner Sphere states or Clans appear to have joined.

The Intentions

Devlin Stone's plan expect to bring peace to all the inner Sphere, putting an end to the almost continuous wars who had taken place, since the fall of the Star League. For this, it was necessary to reduce severely the number of BattleMechs and offer alternatives to the people, as before, the vast majority seen the profession of MechWarrior as the most glorious, the shortest way to become rich and powerful.

The execution of the plan

When Stone presented his plan to all Great House and Clan leaders to decommission most of their Mechs and build a new, peace-driven economy, the Ghost Bear clanfelt compelled to join them, even if it was contrary to their warrior culture and instincts. They disarm themselves quickly, tearing down their OmniMechs and turning them into scrap, converting the factories that made them to manufacture other goods. Shamed, the other great Houses and clans followed their example. BattleMechs news and other olds were scrapped, between them, the oldest known BattleMech in continuous service: the Legacy Grashopper. Some parts of it were preserved in a museum, and others, somehow, recycled in civilian AgroMech, which may be a example of what happened with other war machines. However, in some states, like the Draconis Combine most Mechs are heritages from families, and the state only ordered them to destroy them, without verify it. In very few years, the Inner Sphere has lost the majority of his military power.

The Disarmed Inner Sphere

The new state of things in the main human colonized space (the Clan Homeworlds and Deep Periphery states are other question) was a very different one: the once big numbers of regiments was now very limited. There aren't too many big mercenary units, and the private BattleMechs are very rare. In the Republic of Sphere in every planet there are a strong militia, with infantry Powered armor Tanks and planes, but only a single BattleMech, the unit of the planetary Legate (military commander of the planet). But it has to be noted than this rules aren't universals: in some planets, as Achernar there are two BattleMechs, both in the Militia, not under the Legate command, and in other planets, as Mirach the BattleMech was the unit of the planetary governor, and he isn't even operative: it was in a museum. In the other side, The Republic authorities glorified the artists, offering an alternative to success and fame beside the military career.

The Reality of Disarmament

The truth it was than the disarmament wasn't as complete as it seemed: even the enthusiastic Ghost Bears don't destroyed all their 'Mechs: some were stripped to shells, hidden or buried, others were partially scrapped, storing the parts. other Mechs were simply hidden in caves or abandoned bunkers, or sunk to the bottom of lakes. The bears lost most of his Mechs, and his immediate production capabilities, but not more. And they weren't the only ones: the same policy was followed by all other states or clans. Some, like the Federated Suns hidden a ten percent of his previous military forces, but the Capellan Confederation managed to hidden a thirty percent, if not more.

The end of the peace era

When, in 3135, the Gray Monday cut the communications between stars, sowing the chaos. In that moment, the Republic appears to be still the biggest military power in the Inner Sphere, but soon it divided in factions, and after all other states and clan rearmed themselves, they become a little fish. The peace had end. The war has started again, and the Dark Age had begun.

Bibliography

• Ghost War
• Trial by Chaos
• Legacy