[Warclaw]

As we all know, the Dompaire Reaches are currently an area of chaos and no laws. Pirates, rebels, and local warlords duel for supremacy with splinter clan-fragments.

I submit that this is not in the best interests of anyone. The nearby Clan realms may appreciate the training opportunities, but the Lyran Alliance would probably prefer a more peaceful neighbor. As for the Star League, if it truly believes its propaganda, it should have a vested interest in promoting a more...stable situation.

At the same time, none of the National Players wants to commit the kinds of forces needed to really fix the problem, either because off politics, or because to commit those forces would leave them too weakened in other areas.

Accordingly, I have come up with a possible solution.

The Corporate Zone.

The Following mercantile powers commit portions of their security forces, re-inforced by a LARGE contingent of mercenaries, and conquer the Dompaire reaches.

1: Defiance Industries
2: Luthien Armor Works
3: Achernar Battlemechs
4: Hellespont Industrials
5: Krupp Armor Works
6: Irian Battlemechs
7: Clan Diamond Shark

Each member of the consortium would be granted a single world/system within the Dompaire reaches to govern and use as a manufacturing/trade center.

Regional defense would be handled by forces contributed equally from each member. (Mercenary forces would be acceptable contributions)

Interstellar relations/regional governance would be handled by a corporate council.

The entire zone would be a "Free Trade Zone" and would likely operate on a "Cash and Carry" basis.

IT would, of course, be in the corporate interest to impose order and suppress piracy in the zone, as well as invest in local infrastructure.


Thoughts?

[Colonel Timothy Maddox]

Warclaw, on 31 January 2010 - 04:32 PM, said:

As we all know, the Dompaire Reaches are currently an area of chaos and no laws. Pirates, rebels, and local warlords duel for supremacy with splinter clan-fragments.

I submit that this is not in the best interests of anyone. The nearby Clan realms may appreciate the training opportunities, but the Lyran Alliance would probably prefer a more peaceful neighbor. As for the Star League, if it truly believes its propaganda, it should have a vested interest in promoting a more...stable situation.

At the same time, none of the National Players wants to commit the kinds of forces needed to really fix the problem, either because off politics, or because to commit those forces would leave them too weakened in other areas.

Accordingly, I have come up with a possible solution.

The Corporate Zone.

The Following mercantile powers commit portions of their security forces, re-inforced by a LARGE contingent of mercenaries, and conquer the Dompaire reaches.

1: Defiance Industries
2: Luthien Armor Works
3: Achernar Battlemechs
4: Hellespont Industrials
5: Krupp Armor Works
6: Irian Battlemechs
7: Clan Diamond Shark

Each member of the consortium would be granted a single world/system within the Dompaire reaches to govern and use as a manufacturing/trade center.

Regional defense would be handled by forces contributed equally from each member. (Mercenary forces would be acceptable contributions)

Interstellar relations/regional governance would be handled by a corporate council.

The entire zone would be a "Free Trade Zone" and would likely operate on a "Cash and Carry" basis.

IT would, of course, be in the corporate interest to impose order and suppress piracy in the zone, as well as invest in local infrastructure.


Thoughts?

You had me up until the point where they would be building factories there. Even if you could convince them to exploit those worlds, it doesn't make a lot of sense to turn those worlds into juicy targets for a House or Clan to go after either, not when they can spend money and resource elsewhere.

[Warclaw]

Colonel Timothy Maddox, on 31 January 2010 - 04:42 PM, said:

You had me up until the point where they would be building factories there. Even if you could convince them to exploit those worlds, it doesn't make a lot of sense to turn those worlds into juicy targets for a House or Clan to go after either, not when they can spend money and resource elsewhere.

I said Infrastructure, not factories.

Infrastructure is schools, roads, power stations, medical facilities, and starports. Factories are Manufacturing investment. Not the same thing.

I agree that factories are unlikely...other than small ones for consumer goods/regional consumption.

Infrastructure on the other hand, makes the area MUCH better suited for a trading zone. Not only does it raise the general standard of living, it raises the educational standard for your citizens, which DOES have long term benefits. It also allows you to attract immigrants more easily, which is something they will want to do as part of the rebuilding.

[Colonel Timothy Maddox]

why would corporations invest in a populace to train them if they didn't hope to use that training in Factories?

[Warclaw]

Factories are only one part of a major corporation.

Sales, maintenance, accounting, management, transport, security...all are necessary functions. BY educating your subjects, you provide yourself with a ready pool of able workers...ones with good reason to remain loyal to your corporation.

Besides that, if you are going to operate on a planet, a well educated and reasonably prosperous native population makes for a MUCH more comfortable stay...and a population base that is much less likely to rebel and cause problems. It also means that the planets are more likely to be at least self-sufficient in the long run, and not be an ongoing drain on resources.

[Colonel Timothy Maddox]

I still fail to see what profit that is for major corporations if they do not intend to build factories, and I disagree, an educated populace knows when you are screwing them over

[Warclaw]

Colonel Timothy Maddox, on 31 January 2010 - 08:24 PM, said:

I still fail to see what profit that is for major corporations if they do not intend to build factories, and I disagree, an educated populace knows when you are screwing them over

Which is why you don't screw your OWN people.....just the marks customers. And the profit is simple...as an independent polity, and an economic free trade zone, there are all SORTS of potential profit areas. Just as there are for small island nations in the current world. Or did you think the Caymans became a major banking hub because of the nice climate? Plus there's all those sales opportunities you get when you are operating on your own turf, without all those pesky export laws.

[Colonel Timothy Maddox]

You are assuming that all corporations taking part in such action would be benign and only out for the good of those planets, when they may very well only be out for whatever profit they themselves can get and care little or nothing for the populace.

[Mariahsyn]

While I understand what Warclaw is getting at, I think I am gonna sit on Colonel Maddox's side of the fence on this one. Kinda kills the point of the DR to begin with.

[Colonel Timothy Maddox]

I am not opposed to something besides a vaccuum of power emerging in the Reaches, but it has to be reasonable. I find it more reasonable that the Jade Falcons left behind will want to organize and have revenge against Marthe for leaving them behind.

[Reiko Asahina]

Not like they can do that even if they wanted to and somehow managed to link back to the rest of the Falcons... when you consider that Marthe Pryde has been dead for like... 3 years now?

[Colonel Timothy Maddox]

Reiko Asahina, on 01 February 2010 - 10:05 AM, said:

Not like they can do that even if they wanted to and somehow managed to link back to the rest of the Falcons... when you consider that Marthe Pryde has been dead for like... 3 years now?

That's news to me, when and how did she die?

[Lantern]

Quote

Clan Jade Falcon
Recently obtained information confirms that there has been a change in leadership of Clan Jade Falcon. Marthe Pryde and Samantha Clees were challenged over leaving warriors behind in the Dompaire Reaches by a faction of younger warriors.

The report indicates that while the challenge would normally be suicidal, many Bloodnamed desired a change of leadership and abstained from voting - allowing the challenger to declare a Refusal at more reasonable odds.

Both former khans were killed during the challenge. Khan Dalas Pryde, age 35, now leads CJF along with saKhan Minaka Kabrinski.

Very little is known of Dalas Pryde. He is relatively young and only recently earned his Bloodname. He has no known associates and has not been on the political scene. Dalas Pryde came of age just after the Coventry Raid but has proven himself a capable warrior. He was involved in Operation Lorelai and is likely motivated against the Lyran Alliance for the Clans' losses during that campaign. Khan Pryde comes from a sibko raised in the IS, and belongs to a generation hailing from the same. They are likely to favor any aggressive policies centered on the Sphere.

saKhan Minaka Kabrinksi was a minor officer captured from Clan Ghost Bear. She supported the Khan in his takeover bid and will likely reinforce any IS fixation due to coming from the Dominion.

Lifted from "The Aston File"

[Colonel Timothy Maddox]

Okay, I remember reading that now. Even so, doesn't mean they might not still be angry at them. Or are they still Jade Falcon? hrms..

[Dee Jay Bishop]

The fact that the Reaches are over run with pirates and warlords actually gives me a thought. No one wants to commit fully to conquering the reaches, but what if one of the pirate bands or a warlord inside begins uniting them to form a coalition. It could lead to the creation of a small 'pirate state' in the heart of the I.S. THAT would likely get some attention from the surrounding factions.

As it stands now, the Dompaire Reaches are dangerous primarily to everyone living in them. But if they were united, and it's a fair assumption that whoever does the uniting isn't going to be a fan of the factions that didn't help them when they needed it, they become dangerous to everyone.

[ChaserCaffey]

Dee Jay Bishop, on 01 February 2010 - 03:12 PM, said:

The fact that the Reaches are over run with pirates and warlords actually gives me a thought. No one wants to commit fully to conquering the reaches, but what if one of the pirate bands or a warlord inside begins uniting them to form a coalition. It could lead to the creation of a small 'pirate state' in the heart of the I.S. THAT would likely get some attention from the surrounding factions.

As it stands now, the Dompaire Reaches are dangerous primarily to everyone living in them. But if they were united, and it's a fair assumption that whoever does the uniting isn't going to be a fan of the factions that didn't help them when they needed it, they become dangerous to everyone.

Which would probably lead to the Inner Sphere realms getting together and laying the almighty smack down on whoever did it- I can't see a pirate state sticking around that close to the core of the Inner Sphere. It would definitely lead to some Interesting Times during the rise and fall of that pirate lord, though.

[First Insurgent]

maybe not with only one lord but i could see it lasting a while

[Vampire]

The only reasons pirate bands will come together is the emergence of a bigger threat to them all, and the very action of coming together will results in precisely that. For years, the DR had remained as a smattering of smaller forces, and I do not see it changing anytime soon.

[The Kid]

With the Reaches, it's either one of two options: 1) turn it into (yet) another state, or 2) turn it into the Caymans/Casablanca/Madripoor/Nar Shaddaa of the Battletech universe (points for guessing where I got the last two, none if you Googled it).

Basically, make it a neutral zone where (officially) all grudges must be checked at the door, but (unofficially) all sorts of delightful backstabbery goes on in the dark, dank alleyways behind the bars, nightclubs and whorehouses. A fine place for Espionage and Raid type missions.

If we go with 1), though, I submit that the man pulling the scum-sucking trailer trash denizens of the Dompaire Reaches together is named Devlin Stone.

If we go with 2), well... "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy... WE MUST BE CAUTIOUS!"

This post has been edited by The Kid: 02 February 2010 - 08:59 AM

[Dee Jay Bishop]

The Kid, on 02 February 2010 - 03:54 AM, said:

With the Reaches, it's either one of two options: 1) turn it into (yet) another state, or 2) turn it into the Caymans/Casablanca/Madripoor/Nar Shaddaa of the Battletech universe (points for guessing where I got the last two, none if you Googled it).

Basically, make it a neutral zone where (officially) all grudges must be checked at the door, but (unofficially) all sorts of delightful backstabbery goes on in the dark, dank alleyways behind the bars, nightclubs and whorehouses. A fine place for Espionage and Raid type missions.

If we go with 1), though, I submit that the man pulling the scum-sucking trailer trash denizens of the Dompaire Reaches together is named Devlin Stone.

If we go with 2), well... "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy... WE MUST BE CAUTIOUS!"

Ha ha, think you're the only fan of Star Wars here? Nice reference to the Smugglers moon, though I don't know Madripoor.

Not at all opposed to seeing the Dompaire reaches come togheter (I suggested it a couple posts back)....but seriously opposed, as I ever shall be, to Devlin Stone. Disarmament, peace treaties and forceful annexation of some of the core worlds of each realm? Not a fan of what it did to the Battletech universe (KILLED IT). What self resepecting mercenary can make a living in a world like that??