Scorpion Empire

Scorpion Empire
Faction Profile
Time period:	3141 – present
Classification:	Clan-based Deep Periphery nation
Controlled systems:	45
Capital world:	Braunschweig; Valencia (formerly)
Ruler title:	Khan, zarKhan 3151+
Military:	Imperio Militar del Escorpión
Secret Service:	Clan Goliath Scorpion Watch

The Scorpion Empire is a Deep Periphery military power, created in the mid-thirty-second century after the Escorpión Imperio conquered the Hanseatic League and unified the Hansa with the peoples of Clan Goliath Scorpion, Nueva Castile, and the Umayyad Caliphate.

History

After Clan Goliath Scorpion was Abjured from Clan Space in December 3078, it evacuated most of its assets to Waypoint 531 in the Deep Periphery. A Galaxy of solahma, Watch personnel, police subcaste, and malcontents commanded by Khan Ariel Suvorov remained in rearguard, and were ultimately overrun and destroyed by Clans Star Adder and Cloud Cobra as they protected their Clan's exodus. Under Khan Colin Yeh, the surviving Scorpions invaded and conquered Nueva Castile and the Umayyad Caliphate, establishing the Escorpión Imperio in 3080. The Scorpions chose to integrate the Castilians and Umayyads into their Clan and its caste system using the Ghost Bear-Rasalhague model and to rule as partners rather than as conquerors. The Scorpions modified it somewhat from Clan norms, adding two new castes, the support and garrison castes, to augment the customary technician, scientist, merchant, and laborer castes.

The integration did not go smoothly over the next five years though, as the Scorpions struggled to break decades of mistrust between the formerly hostile Umayyads and Castilians by imposing the Clan doctrine of "might makes right" for conflict resolution. With a more developed and refined feudal society governed by ranked nobility, the Castilians adapted more easily to the system of Clan honor. But the Umayyads despised their general placement within the lower castes, and fostered an underground resistance movement that engaged in rioting and terrorism against the Imperio, such as murdering a Scorpion Head Merchant in broad daylight. To complicate matters, Clan Watch agents from the Cloud Cobras, Coyotes, and Stone Lions infiltrated the Escorpión Imperio to gather intelligence and spread rumors about the Umayyad's alleged ancestry to the Not-Named-Clan. In order to alleviate the problems and promote unity, the Scorpions decided to accelerate planning for the invasion and conquest of the Umayyads' and Castilians' mutually hated foe, the Hanseatic League.

Shaping the Imperio

Over the next sixty years, the Scorpions carefully developed and shaped the Imperio into a powerful Periphery nation by fusing the Castilians and Umayyads together into the ruling Goliath Scorpion caste and honor systems, by crushing Umayyad dissent, rioting, and terrorism, and killing or capturing and expelling enemy Clan Watch agents back to the Homeworlds. To further secure the Castilians' and Umayyads' investment and cooperation within the Imperio, the Goliath Scorpions also created new Bloodnames from their best warriors for the Clan's breeding program as a gesture of goodwill. Under Khan Connor Rood many warriors that were lost in the Ice Hellion's retreat from the Inner Sphere were located and added to the Imperio's touman. The Scorpions also prioritized the education of Umayyad and Castilian students via Trials of Worth placing the winners in universities run by the Scientist Caste, resulting in construction of modern Clan production facilities so that they could rebuild their touman, build new infrastructure, hyperpulse generators, and manufacturing capacity to raise the Imperio's technology level to the 32nd century standards, and open new schools and academies to instruct and train its citizens and warriors the Clan way. Khan Enrico Kirov, who succeeded Khan Connor Rood in 3108, also shifted the Scorpions' capital to Valencia, sparking a technological and cultural revolution there and continued the previous Khan's policy of establishing new colonies on seven worlds closer to the Hanseatic worlds. Kirov also preserved the wisdom and experience of his older Scorpion warriors, particularly Galaxy Commanders, by creating the reKhan position and reassigning them there as they reached middle age rather than consigning them to solahma units. Likewise, he relaxed many of the traditional Clan customs and restrictions among the castes to further ease the integration of the Castilians and Umayyads into Imperio society. Although it took much time, Kirov's rebuilding and reform program paid off greatly as the Imperio regained the Scorpion's capability to produce Clan technology, including OmniMechs. By 3140, the Goliath Scorpions had recovered much of their pre-Abjuration strength and were ready to finally fall upon the Hanseatic League.

Campaign against the League

While the Escorpión Imperio spent decades preparing for the inevitable invasion, the 29-world Hanseatic League recognized this rising new threat and improved its own Hanseatic Defense Force (HDF), investing heavily in its military at the expense of its economy and the quality of life of its people. Among its preparations were the hiring of experienced officers and mercenaries from the Lyran Commonwealth and the expansion of the HDF to include three additional Regional Defense Forces (RDFs) and three new Convoy Defense Forces (CDFs).

Upon the destruction of a group of Seekers detected by the Hansa on Bergen, Khan Magon Scott determined that retaliation could not be kept at mere raiding but total conquest. The Escorpión Imperio's invasion finally came in January 3141 when six fully integrated Galaxies of Goliath Scorpion, Umayyad, and Castilian troops, led by Khan Magon Scott, stormed into the League to take on its nine RDFs and its three CDFs, under the overall command of Captain-Marshal Rudolf Schmidt. The ensuing campaign was brutal with heavy losses on both sides. In July, the Imperio forces reached the League capital of Bremen, sparking the most savage fighting of the Hanseatic Crusade, which lasted three grinding months.

On 12 October, known as "Red Saturday," Goliath Scorpion Elementals finally penetrated the capitol in Freie Hansestadt and captured the governing Council of Merchants. When the Scorpions demanded a general surrender, the council members committed suicide instead by detonating "failsafe" explosives lining the tunnels beneath the city. The resulting explosion leveled the capitol building and much of the city, killing the council members, their Elemental captors, and countless civilians. Much of the Imperio's Tau Galaxy and the League's RDF 3 were also destroyed.

Stunned by the devastation and unaware of the Council’s final decision, as the League's last remaining authority, Schmidt ordered all Hansa forces to immediately cease fire and to lay down their arms. But the enraged survivors of RDF 3, believing the Scorpions to be responsible for the mass destruction, ignored him and instead launched vicious suicidal attacks against the survivors of Tau Galaxy as well as Hellion Galaxy, then conducting a flank maneuver outside the blast area, bringing about the final Battle for Freie Hansestadt. The Scorpions, equally outraged by the senseless waste, counterattacked and destroyed the RDF 3-remnant to the last soldier. The League's capital city thus fell and resistance quickly collapsed on Bremen, leaving the planet firmly in Imperio control.

While the Imperio's Grunt Galaxy took over the administration of Bremen, Alpha and Hellion Galaxies moved to secure the League's remaining worlds that were yet to be pacified. Despite Schmidt's surrender order that was broadcast throughout the rest of the League by Hansa courier JumpShips, diehard HDF remnants, stateless mercenaries, corporate security troops, and partisan and militia forces refused, choosing instead to fight to the bitter end. On Antwerp, the defenders successfully employed mines, artillery, and fortifications to stymie the Scorpions for two months. These tactics were also used by the other holdout worlds as the Scorpions subdued them one by one, causing considerable destruction in the process. The Hansa diehards' efforts proved futile though and the final surrender took place on Thorn in March 3142. So after fifteen months of heroic defense the Hanseatic League was no more.

Birth of an Empire

Following the conquest in 3142, Khan Scott declared the end of the Escorpión Imperio and the creation of the Scorpion Empire, comprising the territories of both the former Imperio and the League and bringing the Hansa's vast military industries and merchant trading networks under Scorpion control. Scott's victory secured, Clan Goliath Scorpion cemented itself, its influence, and reputation as an undisputed power in the Deep Periphery.

Politics and Culture

The Scorpion Empire is a Clan-based nation and as such it generally follows the usual Clan approach to governance, albeit with several alterations introduced over time in order to facilitate integration of population and improve efficiency of government.

Top levels of political power lay in the hands of Bloodnamed members of the warrior caste who make up the Clan Council. Access to the warrior caste is open to all citizens of the Empire who graduate from either trueborn or freeborn sibkos and pass the required Trials as per traditional Clan laws and customs.

The Khan is the supreme commander of the military and is elected by the Clan Council from among its members.

The position of zarKhan was introduced in 3151 once it became clear that a single person could no longer efficiently command both military and civilian components of a nation with such large territory and population. The zarKhan commands the Empire in all matters other than military ones. A zarKhan candidate is either reelected for a term of 5 years (if an incumbent) or selected by the Khan from among the reKhans, with the Clan Council voting on the person the Khan puts forward.

Older and senior warriors who have gained recognition, primarily Galaxy Commanders, are granted the position of reKhan and usually act as planetary governors. Meanwhile, honorable retirement of warriors to the civilian positions of their choice or garrison caste is not unheard of.

With their society structure based off the lessons learned during the initial formation of the early Imperio, members of all castes are able to exercise limited democracy in the form of their respective caste councils. Meanwhile, dissent is no longer a capital crime punished with collective reprisals such as razing villages to the ground. Instead, dissidents will find themselves with the dubious honor of being transferred to the Empire’s colony worlds on the frontier. Meanwhile, the usage of academic Trials of Worth sponsored by the Scientist caste had enabled modest social mobility for the offspring of the civilians into the higher rungs of society while enhancing the collective knowhow of the Empire’s citizenry in scientific and social matters. Spinoff businesses such as private banking, companies, and guilds have also been legalized with participation from the merchant and technician caste in spite of the warrior caste’s wariness of such novelties.

Like their forerunners in the Clan Homeworlds, Goliath Scorpions and their Empire adhere to the Warden ideology. They view themselves as separate from other Clans and unrestricted by the system that cast them aside. The follies of the Crusader Clans and tragedies of the Wars of Reaving are seen as cautionary tales. They believe that in order to achieve General Aleksandr Kerensky's dream of a peaceful people they need to maintain their own independent course. Early years of the unified Empire did suffer from terrorism from Hansa dissidents like the early Imperio and served as impetus for the creation of the governmental position of zarKhan. And while early tensions did cause animosity in the form of the freeborn-skeptic Traditionalists who favored answering dissent with violence, the reformist Imperials who favored peaceful assimilation gained primacy before news of Clan Wolf’s invasion of Terra occurred.

While Scorpion Empire has been living in relative isolation from greater mankind for a very long time and values its self-sufficiency, they do not advocate isolationism and are willing to establish contact and cooperation with any faction which is not hostile to them. Known examples include establishing an enclave for trade deals with Clan Sea Fox in the Chainelaine Isles in 3151 and Seeker expeditions to the Inner Sphere retrieving the cockpit of Aleksandr Kerensky’s Orion in 3145. With the rise of the ilClan on Terra, it is unknown what the Scorpion Empire’s policy is towards the reestablished ilKhan.

Military

Main article: Imperio Militar del Escorpión

Empire fields large and powerful military officially called Imperio Militar del Escorpión which consists of two components:

• Clan Goliath Scorpion Touman - Main military arm comprised of troops from the warrior caste

• Provisional Garrison Clusters (PGCs) - Units from the garrison caste which are tasked with assisting with protection of the planets they are stationed on

Empire's Military is unique among the Clans due to its practice of maintaining trueborn and freeborn sibkos and recruiting and treating both trueborn and freeborn warriors as equals. This provided the Empire with continuous access to large number of competent and loyal troops.

Clan touman operates all manners of advanced land and aerospace assets of all types and weight classes while garrison troops mostly focus on unarmored infantry, combat vehicles, Militia 'Mechs and light and medium BattleMechs.

Scorpion Empire, unlike many other Clans, has moved away from usual dogmas regarding use of certain weapon types and are comfortable with building and fielding any weapon they deem satisfactory for a required role: Clan OmniMechs, Clan modified Inner Sphere 'Mechs, standard BattleMechs, Militia 'Mechs, redesigned Word of Blake 'Mechs, Quad 'Mechs and many different types of aerospace craft are all routinely used by the Empire's Military.

One weapon type which has been discontinued from production and use are ProtoMechs. During the early years of the old Imperio it was deemed wasteful to allocate such considerable resources for narrowly specialized platforms designed for sub-par pilots, especially with easy access to Militia 'Mechs, and as a result ProtoMechs were retired from service. Empire's last ProtoMech pilot died heroically defending then newly established colony on planet Graystone.

The Clan Goliath Scorpion Touman is comprised of the following Galaxies:

• Alpha Galaxy: The premiere command in Clan Goliath Scorpion, this Galaxy is staffed with the best warriors in the touman and is commanded by Khan himself

• Hellion Galaxy: Commanded by saKhan, the Hellion Galaxy follows doctrine and traditions of Clan Ice Hellion and specializes in use of fast light and medium 'Mechs although they will readily use heavy and assault 'Mechs if situation requires

• Tau Galaxy: This unit routinely deploys its Clusters independently, trusted to achieve their objectives without oversight of a Galaxy Commander. It's also home to surviving Eridani Light Horse personnel as well as their freeborn and trueborn descendants

• Mu Galaxy: A formidable reconnaissance specialists, they pay great attention to camouflaging their units instead of using impractical camo specs

• Seeker Galaxy: A home to Seeker movement and commanded by Clan's Loremaster they are known for their preference for piloting vintage Star League BattleMechs instead of OmniMechs

• Omega Galaxy: Originally formed as a home for absorbed Castillian and Umayyad warriors this Galaxy grew over time into large and competent unit. Approximately half of the warriors in this Galaxy are freeborn

• Eta Galaxy: Newest Galaxy in the Empire, it currently comprises freeborn troops from around the empire in Hansa space and veteran trueborn warriors

• Grunt Galaxy: Ad-hoc unit formed from the best troops among the PGCs of the garrison caste, this Galaxy is considered to be mostly inexperienced but have proven their competence during Hanseatic Crusade. They operate light and medium 'Mechs supported by small number of heaviest assault 'Mechs available

While percentage of trueborn and freeborn warriors varies from Galaxy to Galaxy none of them use one type of warriors exclusively and all can be described as mixed units to modest extent. Recruits from sibkos raised from the frontier colonies are particularly favored as the harsh rigors on said worlds produce strong and hardy sibcadets.

Scorpion Empire's preferred method of raising new Galaxies is raise various freeborn troops alongside seasoned trueborn veterans which would be declared solahma by other Clans. Doing so instantly form full size Galaxy with a mix of experience and vitality. Over time, efforts are made to gradually staff these new Galaxies with regular sibko graduates. Omega and Eta Galaxies have been formed using this particular method.

Bibliography

• Interstellar Expeditions: Interstellar Players 3
• Moving Forward
• Operational Turning Points: Hanseatic Crusade
• Spotlight On: Hellion Keshik
• Touring the Stars: Valencia
• The Wars of Reaving
• The Wars of Reaving Supplemental