Lyran Commonwealth

The Lyran Commonwealth (also formerly part of the Federated Commonwealth and for a period as the Lyran Alliance) is an Inner Sphere Successor State in the fictional BattleTech universe. Located coreward, anti-spinward of Terra bordering Clan Jade Falcon space, and the fictional mercantile Free Worlds League.

History

Intro

Formed in 2341 by the merger of the Tamar Pact, the Alliance of Donegal and the Federation of Skye. Ruled by the Steiner family for most of history of the commonwealth. With the movement of the capital of the Lyran Commonwealth from Arcturus, to Tharkad which has remained as the throne of House Steiner and seat of the governing body since 2406.

The lyran nation would change into the Federated Commonwealth with an alliance between the two ruling families of the Commonwealth and the Federated Suns House Davion. The alliance was concluded both with signing of official documentation and by marriage of the two ruling heads of both states creating a combined Steiner-Davion bloodline that would give rise to one of the most favored characters in the Battletech universe and one of the most despised of all.

With the spawning of four children brought the Federation Commonwealth into existence also they ended it. Splitting the Lyran half away creating the short lived Lryan Alliance; before returning back to the Lyran Commonwealth.

Lyran Alliance

The manipulative Kathrine Steiner-Davion used a clause of the treaty to secede the Lyran half of the realm.

The catalyst for the secession of Lyran worlds from the FedCom was the death of young Joshua Marik, heir to the Free Worlds League. Ill with leukaemia, Joshua died while undergoing treatment at the New Avalon Institute of Science. His death came at a delicate time, with the Clans chafing at the fifteen-year Truce of Tukayyid and the treaty itself set to expire a mere decade.

In addition, Joshua's demise left his half-sister Isis as heir presumptive to the Free Worlds throne. Isis Marik's engagement to Sun-Tzu Liao, Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation, raised the specter of the ambitious Capellan leader controlling the League's army and industrial production.

Faced with this dilemma, Victor Steiner-Davion made a fateful error in judgement, substituting a double for Joshua. An enraged Thomas Marik learned of the deception and promptly declared war on the FedCom. An apparently shocked Katherine disavowed Victor and proclaimed Lyran neutrality in the conflict. Along with that neutrality came a declaration of secession; henceforth, Lyran territory would no longer be part of the FedCom, but would instead be known as the independent Lyran Alliance.

Primed by anti-Victor rumors and the upheaval of recent years, most Lyran citizens welcomed the break. Victor and his loyal military units were too preoccupied with the Clans to undo the secession by force, and so the Lyran people had little fear of civil war.

In 3067, after Katherine Steiner-Davion was deposed, her brother Peter took up the post of Archon, and renamed the nation as the Lyran Commonwealth as a way to divorce the nation from the more totalitarian rule enforced under the deposed Archon-Princess' rule.

The Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces

The LCAF known abroad for having a reputation as a bloated, inept, and ineffective military service across the both the Inner Sphere and the Periphery. The commonwealth known for its citizens to have a need for social standards incorporated the (Social General) for those of noble lineage yet lack their own titles were given military rank as a substitute. The LCAF soon began to be filled with these "Social Generals" who soon came to be in charge of actual combat capable units. Thus leading the LCAF into the reputation that it is known for. These officers lack of martial skill soon began to reflect upon the troops of the LCAF, with lackluster performance of many units only the skill of a few Lyran officers, and the support of enlisted troops.

The LCAF standard tactic to compensate for the shortcomings of such poor leadership was the use of large numbers of assault 'Mechs. Using the well-established industrial base, the LCAF fields a higher ratio of Assault 'Mechs than any other nation in the Inner Sphere. Though a daunting task for opposing forces many use more a balanced approach toward fielding forces to outmaneuver and defeat the Lyrans on many occasions.

Such problems began to fade as the LCAF fell under the Archonship of Katrina Steiner, but even with Katrinas' drive to remove such issues was not enough. Followed by the alliance with the Federated Suns did the LCAf change dramatically soon even the plague like "Social Generals" were even removed, thus giving the LCAF a chance truly be able become a formidable force to feared.

All accomplished was unraveled with the Fed Com Civil War, as Katrina Steiner-Davion began a purge of those loyal to her brother Victor Steiner-Davion consequentially these victor loyal troops were also usually the most capable officers in the LCAF.

References

• Stackpole, Michael A. (1995). Bred for War. Roc Books.