Oberon Confederation
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| <Crest> | |
| Oberon Confederation | |
|---|---|
| Faction Profile | |
| Time period: | ca. 3000 - 3049 |
| Classification: | Periphery state |
| Controlled systems: | 10 (approx.) |
| Capital world: | Oberon VI |
| Ruler title: | King |
| Military: | approx. 2 regiments, organized in planetary guards |
| Secret Service: | unknown |
The Oberon Confederation was a Periphery state, located on the coreward rim of the Lyran Commonwealth near the Draconis Combine border between the Greater Valkyrate (breakaways from the Oberon Confederation proper) and the Elysian Fields. Originally an outright Bandit Kingdom, the Oberon Confederation had become increasingly respectable, and by 3025 was grudgingly accepted as a minor Periphery power. The Confederation's technological level was above average (by periphery standards at least), and the population included many skilled scientists and technicians.
Besides the fairly well industrialized capital world of Oberon VI, which held a class B ComStar station with a functional Hyperpulse Generator, the Oberon Confederation included the worlds of Blackstone, Crellacor, Drask's Den, Ferris, Gustrell, Paulus Prime, Placida, Sigurd and The Rock, plus a varying collection of others most of the time.
It was vanquished by forces from Clan Wolf in 3049, who included the worlds into their occupation zone.
Contents
History
Inception of the Oberon pirates
The first Colonel Hendrik Grimm was a Lyran Commonwealth officer in command of the 65th Lyran Regulars regiment. Believing that the Lyran military high command had left them to die after the unit was battered by Marik troops on Graham IV, the surviving members made for the Periphery, eventually settling on the warm temperate world of Oberon VI around the year 2855. Soon after, many deserting Inner Sphere soldiers who were weary with the endless warfare traveled to Oberon in search of an alternative.
During its early years, the people of the Oberon state conducted pirate raids against both the Lyran Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine, usually in search of spare 'Mech parts and electronics. For the most part, however, the descendants of Hendrik Grimm I concerned themselves with the welfare of their subjects rather than with plunder for its own sake. Expanding outward from Oberon, the Confederation managed to colonize the neighboring star systems.
Unlike most other bandit kingdoms, the Oberon Confederation was largely self-sufficient. Most importantly, it possessed several water-rich planets besides the electronics industry on Oberon VI, making it independent from raiding its neighbours.
Inception of the Oberon Confederation
Although no exact date for the creation of the Oberon Confederation is known, it is noted that the Confederation was founded as a mockery of a state by the grandfather of Hendrik Grimm III (who already ruled it by 3017); this suggests an inception date between (roughly) 2975 and 3017. Although there is no evidence directly linking these events, it should be noted that between 3001 and 3004, several new Bandit Kings were established in this general region of the Periphery over the course the Jolly Roger Affair. The influx of war materials, and the general rise of piracy, may have sparked the evolution of the Oberon Confederation at around this time.
The Oberon Confederation was not a very stable state. It frequently gained and lost worlds through conquests or shifting alliances. However, most of these were insignificant worlds with only a few thousand inhabitants and little if any industry; their value was negligible compared to Oberon VI and the aforementioned core of the confederation, and gaining or losing them had little consequence.
The rule of Hendrik Grimm III
With the rule of Hendrik Grimm III that began sometimes prior to 3017, the social and political reality of the Oberon Confederation slowly changed. He attempted, and largely succeeded, to turn his realm into an increasingly stable and diversified state. Where Grimm's grandfather founded the state as a mockery of a government, and his father simply continued the family business of brutality, King Hendrik III took the duties of his office much more seriously.
On a social level, a limited form of democracy brought about an educational system for the young, training facilities for MechWarriors, technicians, and even a modest pension plan for officers and enlisted personnel who have served the Confederation.
Instead of sponsoring pirate raids Hendrik III chose to rent out his troops as mercenaries to the highest bidder. This gave the Oberon Confederation a veil of legitimacy, although some piracy probably still continued behind the scenes. Grimm appeared to be seeking respectability through standard interstellar trade and Grimm's forces were forbidden to raid the nearby Elysian Fields. Slowly he managed to create cordial relations with the Elysian worlds and several trade and territorial agreements were made, the most important of which offered Grimm's navy docking rights in return for military protection against other Bandit Kingdoms in the area.
Tacitly recognizing the utility of stability on their borders, representatives from both House Steiner and House Kurita approached Hendrik III with offers of formal alliance. However Grimm was reluctant to commit himself one way or the other, remaining cautiously neutral, and probably playing one Successor House against the other.
By 3025 Hendrik Grimm III was leading a loose coalition of 12 other former bandit kingdoms. Relations with the Elysian Fields continued to grow and a provincial unification between the two states - similar to that which led to the foundation of the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation seven centuries ago - became a real possibility.
Redjack Ryan
The infamous Redjack Ryan was a renegade from the Oberon Confederation. He made his first appearance in the Inner Sphere commanding one of Hendrik III's mercenary units. In 3017, while hired out to occupy the Free Worlds League world of Fianna, he and his men wrought utter destruction on the world including, among other atrocities, the destruction of a fusion power plant which contaminated the world's atmosphere. Before either Hendrik III or House Marik could assemble a force to deal with him, he fled and established himself as pirate leader on the world of Butte Hold, adjacent to the Oberon Confederation. In the wake of Ryan's desertion, his lover Maria Morgraine, a lieutenant in Hendrik III's forces, also broke away from the Oberon Confederation with five ice planets and founded yet another ministate, Morgraine's Valkyrate.
Redjack Ryan and Maria Morgraine would later marry and merge their domains to create the Greater Valkyrate, a Periphery power strong enough to curb the Oberon Confederation. Perhaps reacting to this new threat the Oberon Confederation built up its military beginning around 3035. Instead of attacking Butte Hold, however, Oberon began raiding the Federated Commonwealth, Rasalhague, and even the Draconis Combine.
Trellwan
Mercenary forces from the Oberon Confederation, including Sigurd native Lori Kalmar, carried out the dishonourable sneak attack that destroyed Carlyle's Commandos on Trellwan in 3024; this event in turn sparked the creation of the famous Gray Death Legion. In this action, the Oberon mercenaries pretended to have been hired by the Lyran Commonwealth but actually acted on orders from Duke Hassid Ricol, the infamous Red Duke from the Draconis Combine.
The Clan invasion
In 3049, the worlds of the Oberon Confederation were quickly overrun by the Clan invasion. Forces from Clan Wolf defeated the defenders in short order, their technology ahead of the defenders by centuries. Since most worlds did not have a Hyperpulse Generator they could not send messages about their occupation. All contact was lost with Oberon VI (which was overrun in September 3049) as well as the Elysian Fields, Oberon's protectorate, and nearby Santander V, but that was not very unusual in this unstable region and at first thought to be a consequence of an internal coup, a new ruler from outside, or simply an equipment failure.
In the same year, the Kell Hound mercenary forces conducted a punitive raid against Kenny Ryan's pirates on the asteroid Sisyphus's Lament in the Oberon Confederation system of The Rock. They witnessed the pirats being brutally defeated by an unknown third party, then came under attack themselves. Phelan Kell ordered the Hounds to withdraw but his Wolfhound was destroyed and he was though killed (in fact he was captured and made Bondsman by Clan Wolf). The remaining Kell Hounds aborted their mission and fled from the superior unknown enemy, providing their employers with first-hand information about the invaders where previously only sketchy rumors had been known and widely dismissed as Periphery gossip.
Also in the Oberon Confederation territory, a small group of mercenaries and Oberon bandits managed to escape from Clan captivity during the first wave of attack in the Leopard-class dropship "FireStalion" [sic] and flee to the Free Rasalhague Republic, where the unlucky Oberon crew was summarily executed for piracy.
Legacy
Given the Clan attitude towards pirates, it seems likely that they did not only raid or occupy the Oberon Confederation but conquered it, terminating its existence as a political entity. Hendrik Grimm III reputedly died by his own hand when his Oberon Guards were defeated, choosing suicide instead of surrender.
As of 3054, a ComStar report lists a unit called the "Oberon Guards (Disarmed by Clans)" as an independent regular military unit based on Oberon VI, with "Reliable" loyalty and under the command of one General Johann Grimm. Although the unit is probably only a planetary militia used to garrison the planet for the Clans, the report features the insignia of the Oberon Confederation (a lizard's eye).