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Origins and History
Of the many states in the Periphery, the Taurian Concordat maintains the closest
resemblance to a Successor State. Under the direction of House Calderon, the
highly independent Taurians have a strong central government, a high literacy
rate, and a strong military. They appear to be the Periphery community most
likely to survive the next century, as well as to become a leader in Periphery
affairs and even an influence on the Inner Sphere.
The Taurian Concordat began as a desperate venture into the unexplored space of
the Hyades Cluster. Beyond the reach of Inner Sphere governments, the Calderon
expedition colonized mineral-rich worlds and quickly transformed them into
centers of political and social equality. In turn, these worlds attracted
thousands of refugees uprooted by wars in the Inner Sphere.
As early as the mid-24th century, the Taurians were forced to fight aggressors
from the Inner Sphere. The Concordat maintained a tense state of armed
neutrality in the Age of War but, unlike its Inner Sphere counterparts, it also
devoted a major portion of its resources toward improving life for its citizens.
On occasion, the success of the Taurian way of life benefited the Inner Sphere
as well, as when the Federated Suns revamped its educational system along
Taurian lines in the first decade of the new millennium.
In the late 26th century, the Taurians were forced to fight for two decades
against Star League forces during the Reunification War. Though eventually
battered into submission, the Taurians never renounced their dream of a free and
independent state. After two centuries of increasingly harsh rule under the Star
League, the Taurians revolted in the latter half of the 28th century. With the
fall of the League and the start of the Succession Wars, the Taurians became
free of interference from the House Lords of the Inner Sphere, and their
independence has grown stronger.
In the last two centuries, however, the Taurians have had to defend themselves
against foreign invasion from another part of space. Because of clashes with the
Magistracy of Canopus over disputed border worlds, as well as incursions by
renegade mercenary units and pirates, the Concordat is obliged to maintain a
large and efficient military.
With the rise of the Far Lookers, a philosophical sect advocating the
exploration of space beyond its charted limits, the Concordat has expanded its
borders, settling worlds beyond the notice of the rapacious Inner Sphere.
ComStar is unsure of how many worlds have been settled so far, although we can
be sure that none of them is sufficiently developed to be incorporated into the
Concordat itself. No significant benefits have come to the Concordat from these
new colonies as yet, but the potential of unexplored space is, as we all know
from experience, unlimited. Some estimates have indicated that when the new map
of the Concordat is drawn, it may be comparable in size to the Capellan
Confederation, though nowhere near as densely populated.
Sphere of Influence
The Taurian Concordat contains over 30 inhabited planets in a zone of space
roughly 80 parsecs in diameter extending from the Hyades Cluster. The Taurians
also control a variety of small outposts that extend in an arc from the edge of
the Magistracy of Canopus to the Verdigreis system of the Federated Suns.
Beginning in the late 2900s, the Taurians have resumed space exploration,
resulting in the founding of several new colony worlds on systems past the
Hyades Cluster.
Sociopolitical
Structure
The Taurian Concordat is a collection of representative democracies coupled with
a constitutional monarchy. Similar in some ways to the House Davion-Federated
Suns arrangement, the hereditary Protectorship of House Calderon grants autonomy
to individual member worlds. Charged with promoting the general welfare of the
Concordat, the Protector of the Realm maintains supreme control of the Concordat
military establishment.
Government Structure
Each of the major governmental divisions of the Concordat are described briefly
below.
Protectorship
The Protector of the Realm is the chief executive of the Taurian Concordat. The
eldest member of House Calderon, the Protector is the commander-in-chief of all
Taurian military forces and the primary policy-maker in both internal and
external affairs. Under normal circumstances, the Protector rules with the
consent of the Concordia Courts, which periodically review the statutes the
Protector has enacted. In time of war, the Protector can invoke emergency powers
that permit full and complete authority over matters of state to prosecute the
war effort.
Privy Council
Originally drawn from the chief family members of the original Calderon
expedition, the Privy Council has evolved into an advisory board to the
Protector. It consists of a representative from each of the major Taurian
governmental departments, as well as other councilors that the Protector may
appoint. The Privy Council meets monthly to review matters of state and makes
recommendations to the Protector, who is in no way bound to follow such
recommendations.
Ministry of Defense
The Ministry of Defense is a board of advisors and military specialists --
staffed by both civilian and military personnel -- charged with the coordination
of defense policy, training new recruits, equipping units in the field, research
and development, and economic liaison with the private sector for the
acquisition of materiel. Its major concern is the constant revision of
contingency plans to be used in the event of invasion.
Exchequer
The Taurian Exchequer, under the direction of the Treasury Director, formulates
policies to maintain the Concordat economy and manages fiscal affairs relating
to member planets. In addition, the Exchequer manages the Concordat Bank of
Taurus, the government mint, and the Taurian Treasury Reserve located on the
Concordat capital.
Ministry of the
Interior
The Ministry of the Interior is concerned with matters of internal security. The
Minister commands the Concordat Constabulary, a paramilitary force responsible
for maintaining civil order on all Concordat worlds, as well as guarding against
infiltration by foreign agents. He is also charged with gathering intelligence
pertaining to civil and military order within the Concordat.
Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education provides for the education of the Taurian people, from
elementary through university levels. To this end, the Ministry is responsible
for maintaining literacy standards throughout the Concordat, appointing and
promoting instructors and administrators, and developing new educational and
research institutions within the state.
Ministry of Trade and
Colonization
The Ministry of Trade is responsible for stimulating trade and commerce within
the Concordat. It is also directly involved with the charting and colonizing of
new worlds.
Concordat Courts
The Concordat Court system is the judicial branch of government. There is a
civil court for every ten thousand inhabitants on each Concordat world, with a
Planetary Court of Appeal for every three worlds. A separate Court of Judicial
Review periodically reviews statutes and decrees of the Protector and other
government branches, with the power to strike down any legislation that might
threaten individual civil liberties.
Concordat
Functionaries
In the Concordat, the term "functionary" refers to a variety of civil servants
empowered to carry out a wide range of administrative duties. Functionaries are
divided into two general categories: Auditors and Masters of Requests. An
Auditor's function is similar to that of the ancient office of Inspector
General. Masters of Requests make up the majority of the Taurian bureaucracy,
handling the enormous load of paperwork required to keep the government afloat.
Internal Politics
By law, the Taurian Concordat government guarantees a free and open society,
individual rights, and the general welfare of its citizens. All citizens can
move about freely within the Concordat, without the need for passes or work
permits, and individuals can pursue their own economic and social goals without
regulation. In return for government-sponsored education and protection,
Concordat citizens must serve in some capacity to defend their state for a
period of four years. Beyond this obligation, Taurian citizens are free to lead
their lives as they please. Planetary governments may adopt the form of
representation they deem appropriate, as long as each maintains a viable,
working allegiance to the Protector and the Concordat.
Political Goals
The primary goal of the Taurian Concordat is to preserve the independence and
safety of the individual Concordat citizen. Beyond this, the Protector of the
Realm is also concerned with the expansion of the Taurian state through
colonization at the edge of the Periphery, rather than at the expense of his
neighbors. Though attempting to maintain peaceful interstellar relations,
Concordat leaders view renewed hostilities as a very real possibility. Thus, a
strong military is a major priority for what they perceive as the continued
security of the Concordat.
Interstellar Relations
The following is a summary of the Taurian Concordat's relations with its
neighbors.
Capellan Confederation
Having fought several minor skirmishes with the Capellan government, the
Concordat is mistrustful of House Liao. Though a Capellan Consulate operates in
the Taurian capital, Concordat officials are suspicious of the Capellans' desire
for peaceful coexistence. Most feel that Maximilian Liao intends to use
acquisitions won at gunpoint from the Concordat as staging areas for strikes
against the Federated Suns.
Federated Suns
Of all the opponents of the Taurian Concordat, the Federated Suns is the primary
threat to the Taurian state. Few in the Concordat are willing to forget or
forgive the Federated Suns' role in the Reunification War, and fewer still are
willing to concede that peace between the two states is possible. Since gaining
independence, the Concordat has deployed its military to meet any new invasion
from Davion space. To upset House Davion, the Taurians have recently resumed
diplomatic relations -- however tenuous -- with the Capellan Confederation,
while rejecting similar gestures from the Federated Suns. Lord Calderon has
rejected secret proposals by Michael Hasek-Davion for a mutual defense pact
against the Capellans.
Magistracy of Canopus
The Magistracy of Canopus is the state most closely allied, however informally,
with the Taurian Concordat. Though the two governments have clashed over various
border worlds in the past, such disagreements have generally been worked out
through diplomatic channels. The Taurians have even made formal overtures for
the formation of a mutual defense pact with the Canopians. As the survival of
the Magistracy is in the best interests of the Concordat, the Taurians are
likely to come to its aid should it be invaded, whether or not a formal
agreement between the two states exists.
Outworlds Alliance
Distance has historically limited the extent to which the Taurians have
maintained contact with the Outworlds Alliance. In the last century, however,
trade contacts have resumed at the behest of the Alliance. More recently, the
Alliance has promoted an exchange program in which military "advisors,"
specifically Alliance AeroSpace Pilots, have journeyed to the Concordat to work
with their Taurian counterparts in exchange for a corresponding number of
educational specialists.
ComStar
Relations between the Taurians and ComStar have been both cautious and cool over
the last century. While permitting ComStar presence on various Taurian worlds
and acknowledging the benefits that ComStar can bring to the Periphery, the
Taurians remain suspicious of ComStar's real motives. Few ComStar officials are
permitted positions of authority in the Concordat, and those allowed to serve in
the Taurian government do so in a strictly advisory capacity only.
Taurian Nobility
Taurian nobility is bestowed on those individuals who render special service to
the state (i.e., the Taurian people rather than the government). Many nobility's
are hereditary, while some nobles have achieved recognition in the areas of
education and administration. All titles reflect the notion that aristocrats
must serve the people they command.
Nobles have few material advantages compared to their Inner Sphere counterparts,
a condition unique to the Concordat social structure. This mirrors the Taurian
social concept that an enlightened aristocracy provides the greatest good to the
greatest number. Specific titles are similar to those used in the Successor
States.
Strengths and
Weaknesses
The Taurian Concordat has a strong central government backed by a
service-oriented nobility concerned with the welfare of its citizens. Viewed as
a servant of the Concordat citizenry, each branch of the government operates
with a well-defined sense of mutual obligation. The greatest strength of the
Concordat may be the dedication its government has shown to ensuring individual
rights. In doing so, it has eschewed the short-term benefits of the police state
(law and order, simplified governmental structure) in favor of the greater
creativity and productivity of people allowed to follow their own inclinations.
Indeed, this may be the greatest single reason that the Concordat continues to
be a growing, healthy entity despite the depredations of the Succession Wars. In
light of this, the uneasiness many Taurians feel about the growing power of the
Concordat Constabulary is understandable.
The Concordat government has taken on problems that it might have avoided,
however. The other side of the exploration issue, for example, is that it is a
gamble. Though the potential of new colonies may eventually bring in greater
wealth for the Taurian people and greater power to the government, the Concordat
may be overextending itself, creating indefensible borders and expending
enormous sums on colonies that may never pay off.
All in all, the Taurians are playing a dangerous game. Their continued growth
could one day make them a new superpower, but it also makes them a more tempting
target in the here and now.
Religion and
Philosophy
All forms of religious and philosophical expression are tolerated within the
Taurian Concordat, reflecting centuries of tradition and popular precedent.
Unique to the Concordat, however, is official support of a state religion, Deism
(in keeping with many of the social trappings of the Terran Age of Reason that
the Taurians have adopted). Though no citizen is forced to belong to the Taurian
Deist Church, and indeed many question the point of even having a Deist "church"
at all, this institution receives government support and can boast the largest
following of any religious persuasion in the Concordat.
In the last century, two philosophical creeds, the Far Lookers and the
Inheritors, have gained prominence in the Concordat. Both owe their growth to
the Calderon family, and both seek to establish a pragmatic approach to daily
life in the Periphery.
The creed of the Far Lookers suggests that life in the Periphery should not be
as static as it has been. Just as the original founders of the Periphery states
settled the Taurian Concordat, so, too, the Far Lookers insist, should
contemporary Taurians explore new worlds at the edge of the known galaxy. They
argue that expanding the boundaries of the state is necessary to keep it vital
and strong. As one of the few Periphery states with the resources and a
sufficiently integrated economy to do so, the Taurian Concordat is more likely
than any other to move in the direction the Far Lookers suggest.
The Inheritors accept the philosophical premises of the Far Lookers, but they go
one step farther. The Inheritors posit that the age of the Inner Sphere is over,
and that Humanity is on the verge of a galaxy-wide cataclysm. When this happens,
the Inheritors predict that the enlightened peoples of the Periphery will pick
up the pieces, resettling and repopulating the Inner Sphere to bring about a new
and more vibrant social order.
Military Forces
The well-organized and well-trained Taurian Defense Force (TDF) is arranged
along the principles of 19th-century Napoleonic armies. A total of twelve
BattleMech regiments are grouped into four separate operations corps: The First,
Second, Third, and Taurian Guard Corps. Naval elements are attached directly to
Corps Commanders, with each fleet divided further into two demi-squadrons each.
There is also the Concordat Constabulary, a paramilitary force normally used for
internal security purposes, but which can be mobilized in time of war. Overall,
the TDF is a highly motivated force of professional soldiery supported by a
variety of heavy industries.
Uniforms
The traditional dress uniform of the Concordat military is a red tunic with
silver buttons (gold for officers), black trousers, and black lapels.
Distinctions between branches are denoted by the colors of oversized berets or
field caps: dark green for infantry light green for armor, brown for BattleMech,
sky blue for navy, and light gray for all support services. In the field, troops
wear a standard dull-red or burgundy fatigue uniform with rank insignia on their
uniform lapels. Designs for personal gear such as neurohelmets and flight gear
have been borrowed from Liao and Davion models, with slight modifications from
unit to unit.
Dress uniforms within the TDF correspond to standard uniform styles, with silver
sashes and white gloves for all enlisted ranks and gold sashes and white gloves
for officers. Marshals of the Concordat are further denoted by gold lanyards on
both shoulders.
Structure of the TDF
The following is a brief description of the major divisions of the Taurian
Defense Force.
Concordat Army
The Concordat Army consists of twelve BattleMech regiments (30 battalions). Nine
are line units, and three are mercenary regiments with long-term contracts.
Oriented toward lances of light-to-medium BattleMechs, Taurian units are similar
in composition to their counterparts in the Successor States. Units are
routinely trained as Special Task Groups. In the first days of an invasion,
battalions not engaged with enemy forces would be earmarked for special STG
strike missions, as local counterattack teams or as deep-space raiders directed
at vulnerable communication and supply points. The flexibility of this military
response remains to be seen, especially as more and more Taurian units are being
committed to permanent garrisons each year.
Concordat Navy
The Concordat Navy currently consists of 117 DropShips and JumpShips divided
into four fleets, each fleet being assigned to a corps front commander. Taurian
naval personnel are typically long-term volunteers, with officers serving from
about four to seven years. In time of war, the Navy is expected to serve as the
first line of defense against any aggressor. In a departure from Reunification
War doctrine, all four fleet components, including that of the Taurian Guard
Corps, are expected to engage the enemy as far forward as possible, sacrificing
themselves to blunt the enemy's invasion as far from the Hyades Cluster as
possible. Few vessels would be retained to defend the Taurian homeworlds.
AeroSpace Arm
Though staffed, like its naval counterpart, with long-term professionals, the
AeroSpace Arm remains the weakest of three principal military branches. A
general lack of equipment and experience against modern combat tactics leaves
this organization at a distinct disadvantage against its Inner Sphere
counterparts. As a result, the AeroSpace Arm concentrates on ground-support
roles. In recent years, the Concordat has brought in advisors from the Outworlds
Alliance to help modernize the arm, though it may be years before the Taurians
are on par with their potential opponents.
Medical Division
The Medical Division is concerned with the recovery and rehabilitation of
wounded personnel in the field. At present, the medical service available to the
average Concordat soldier is comparable to that of the Inner Sphere. Emphasis is
placed on the quick retrieval of wounded personnel close to the forward edge of
battle, and the division is fully capable of deploying emergency medical and
surgical support stations via support craft at a moment's notice.
Transport and Service
Division
The Transport and Services Division is responsible for the transportation of men
and materiel to battle areas. In addition, it can provide recovery and repair of
battle-damaged craft and machines, as well as transport reserves capable of
maintaining the integrity of units in the field. Except for those vessels
directly assigned to specific regiments, military DropShips and JumpShips are
under the control of this division.
Administrative Corps
The Administrative Corps is responsible for all matters pertaining to personnel
and administrative functions in the armed forces, including disbursement of
funds, record keeping, promotion review boards, and the acquisition and
management of mercenary units.
Propaganda Division
With the task of maintaining good morale within the armed services, the
Propaganda Division is an independent arm of government that disseminates
information regarding the positive aspects of Concordat life and discounts
rumors instigated by enemy agents.
Special Forces
The following summarizes the three wings of TDF Special Forces: the Concordat
Constabulary, the Taurian ASF, and the Noble Family Regiments.
Concordat Constabulary
The Concordat Constabulary is a dual-function local defense force, charged with
intelligence-gathering and internal security operations. It is also a source of
conventionally armed troops in time of war, when each Taurian planetary system
reverts to martial law under the control of the Constabulary. The military
potential of the Constabulary is two to six battalions of conventional troops
(600 men each) available for active duty on each Taurian world.
In addition, the Constabulary retains the services of a special Engineer Company
(125 men) on each planet outside the Hyades Cluster. These individuals are
charged with maintaining planetary defenses and fortifications. All Constabulary
units also maintain at least one company of armor in the capital of each
inhabited world.
Taurian SASF
The Taurian Special Asteroid Support Force is a body of five thousand soldiers
and naval personnel trained on zero-g defense platforms throughout the Hyades
Cluster asteroid belt, from which they can attack invading forces. As the
survival potential of forces in combat is low, the Taurian SASF is a voluntary
force of individuals motivated by the highest degree of patriotism.
Noble Family Regiments
In the event of war, the Taurian aristocracy is expected to raise and equip
local defense regiments at their own expense. The number and quality of these
"Home Guards" cannot be estimated at this time, but their strength in the
Reunification War suggests the possibility of from one to two dozen such units,
ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 conventional troops.
Taurian Military
Academies
Alone of all the Periphery states, the Taurian Concordat maintains large
military training academies. At present, there is one academy for each major
combat branch: the Army, Navy, and AeroSpace Arms. The army training academy is
the Taurian Ecole Militaire, located on Taurus. The Taurian Naval Institute and
the Concordat AeroSpace Flight School are located on New Vandenberg and
Samantha, respectively. Each has well-developed training programs for both NCOs
and officers and can accommodate upward of five hundred personnel.
Military Strengths and
Weaknesses
On the whole, the Taurian military consists of highly trained and well-motivated
individuals. It nevertheless suffers from several debilitating factors. The
shrunken size of the Concordat, in comparison with its original holdings in the
2500s, means that in any full-scale war, the Taurians will be unable to trade
space for time as they did in the Reunification War. Within the first few months
of fighting, the Taurians can expect to lose several key planetary systems,
after which they will be forced into either a desperate counterattack or a
withdrawal into the Hyades Cluster. Many of the Taurians' key industrial centers
are located outside the Hyades zone, making them prime targets of occupation.
The protection of these manufacturing centers forces the Taurians to commit most
of their battalions to a relatively static role.
Culture and Arts
The Taurian Concordat has retained the highest literacy rate in the Periphery.
Indeed, the Taurian educational system has served as a model for other states,
including those of the Inner Sphere. The Concordat government has traditionally
given the educational system a high priority. During the Reunification War, many
of the Taurians' largest educational institutions were lost when the Star League
forces overran planets where the schools were located. In the years of the
Concordat's Territorial status, the Star League attempted unsuccessfully to
modify the educational structure to emphasize the benefits of membership in the
Star League. Since regaining their independence, the Taurians have rebuilt their
schools to pre-Star League levels. They can now boast no fewer than six
universities. These universities, located on Taurus, Samantha, Pinard, New
Vandenberg, MacLeod's Land, and Euschelus, graduate an average of over forty
thousand students annually.
Viewing itself largely as a servant of the people, the Taurian government has
traditionally refrained from censoring its media, even in time of war.
Throughout the Concordat, individuals retain the right to free expression
without the threat of government intervention, as long as such expression cannot
be proven libelous. The average Taurian can expect free medical care, old age
pensions, and a living allowance. There are also guaranteed death benefits to
surviving family members at the government's expense.
Like most free societies throughout history, the Taurian Concordat has been
inconsistent about producing major artists. One generation may see a flowering
of great visual artists, followed by a generation of great writers. Currently,
there is a renaissance of novelists producing exceptional work. Unlike most such
artistic trends, the Taurian novelists are not part of a single movement, but
have divided themselves into two camps, the Realists and the Futurists. The
Realists advocate essentially the same principles as other such movements in the
past, whereas the Futurists tend more toward symbolic representations of
realistic situations, some of which are almost hallucinogenic in their
intensity. Debate surrounding these two schools of writing have spread to
literati as far away as New Avalon, Atreus, and the Outworlds Alliance.
Socioeconomics
The Taurian government has traditionally maintained a laissez-faire approach to
monetary policies. Though government-sponsored institutions such as the Bank of
Taurus, the Concordat Mint, and the Taurian Treasury Reserve, do exist within
Taurian space, they serve only to maintain the stability of the Taurian monetary
system. The government intervenes only when unusual circumstances threaten
runaway inflation or economic recession.
Much of the Concordat's private sector operates on the profit motive, but with
curious limitations. Though trade is encouraged with Periphery neighbors, the
Taurians have drastically curtailed their trade with the Successor States,
viewing such trade as politically undesirable. Consequently, the Taurians often
suffer from a lack of venture capital for investment in local industries.
Despite this, renewed colonization along the edge of the Periphery by government
and private concerns may yield enough new raw materials to stimulate the
economy.
3050 Update
[Prepared by Major C.G. Toho, Periphery expert for Wolfnet, Military
Intelligence Division. Seventh Kommando]
Thomas Calderon, Protector of the Concordat, has become increasingly paranoid
about the safety of his realm. Most observers point to the death of his eldest
son, Edward Calderon, in a DropShip accident in 3034 as the reason for his
mental decline. Though Thomas Calderon always considered the Federated Suns to
be the major threat to his realm, the unification of House Davion and House
Steiner thoroughly terrifies him, as did the Canopus-Andurien alliance.
His fears have led to even greater tensions with his neighbors, especially the
Federated Suns. In 3042, a commercial freighter registered in the Federated Suns
made a misjump into the Landmark star system. Aeropilots from the Red Chasseurs
of the Taurian Defense Forces overreacted and destroyed the ship before it could
identify itself. In 3045, the now-defunct mercenary company Dedrickson's Devils
raided the Concordat world of Pinard. Though the Devils were under contract to
House Davion, they had gone renegade over a pay dispute, a fact later verified
by a ComStar Board of Inquiry. Thomas Calderon, however, considered it an attack
by the AFFS.
In December 3049, he ordered the Taurian Defense Forces on alert. He was certain
that the Federated Commonwealth was using the Future Victor 49 military
exercises being held near Lindsay and Brockway on the Concordat border as cover
for an invasion of the Concordat. The TDF has been on alert ever since.
Marshal Hadji Doru is Calderon's chief political opponent. A handsome man and an
eloquent speaker, he has been using his position as commander of the Taurian
Guard to gain support. The Marshal believes in the wisdom of military
preparedness, but he believes an even better defense against the Federated
Commonwealth would be to make the Concordat a major economic and trading
interest of that great state.
Protector Thomas Calderon has yet to move against Marshal Doru, but a
confrontation seems inevitable.
3056 Update
[Prepared by Precentor Eliza Phereson, Research Team-chi, ComStar Archives]
Widespread opposition to Thomas Calderon's actions in response to the Federated
Commonwealth's "Victor 49" exercises intensified in the opening months of 3050,
when rumors of an invasion on the other side of the Inner Sphere began filtering
into the Concordat. The abrupt departure of the Victor 49 units gave credence to
the rumors, and made a mockery of Thomas's insistence that disaster lay just
around the corner.
The Clan invasion did nothing to alter Thomas's conviction that the Federated
Commonwealth intended to attack his realm. The Protector dismissed Taurian
intelligence reports of underdefended Davion border worlds as a ruse intended to
make the Concordat let down his guard. As the months passed, Thomas became
convinced that the rumors of the Clans were an elaborate trick devised by Hanse
Davion. He expounded on this theory to anyone who would listen, including the
Capellan ambassador to the Concordat. Hoping to persuade Thomas into an eventual
alliance with the Capellan Confederation against the Federated Commonwealth,
Chancellor Romano Liao and her son Sun-Tzu sent him frequent messages allegedly
proving that the Clan invasion was a plot to fool the Concordat.
Beginning in 3051, opposition to the Protector's policies found its most
eloquent voice in Marshal Hadji Doru, commander of the Taurian Guard. A
brilliant speaker, Marshal Doru revealed Thomas's policies for the madness they
were, and prompted widespread doubt among many who had once been the Protector's
staunch supporters. Factions in Taurian society who had long since opposed the
Protector looked to Marshal Doru as a potential savior; they believed he would
soon take concrete action to stop Thomas, and assumed he would also willingly
replace Jeffrey Calderon should the heir-apparent prove to be a chip off the old
block. Throughout the early 3050s Marshal Doru gained his greatest support among
the Taurian Defense Force, many of whom had grown tired of the constant
vigilance against a war that never came. Thomas, completely paranoid by this
time, refused to answer the marshal's accusations; the only thing preventing him
from clapping Doru in prison for treason was his inability to decide whom to
trust with the task. Katherine and Janice Calderon pleaded for calm, but their
words fell on deaf ears. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Calderon stayed out of the dispute
and quietly pursued his own agenda for the Concordat.
Throughout 3053 and 3054, Jeffrey Calderon engaged in secret negotiations with
Emma Centrella, the Magestrix of the Magistracy of Canopus. Knowing that it was
only a matter of time before intense political opposition forced his father from
power, Jeffrey was determined to lay the groundwork for the Concordat's future
prosperity. He believed that the Concordat's interests could best be served by a
formal alliance with the Magistracy of Canopus, which he hoped would counteract
the insidious power plays of the Capellan Confederation. Unlike Thomas, Jeffrey
saw Capellan interference rather than Federated Commonwealth military power as
the greatest threat to the Concordat's freedom. Emma Centrella welcomed the
prospect of alliance with another large and relatively stable state, for she saw
the advantage of creating a united front large enough to dissuade foreign
invasion and understood the potential for economic improvements.
In early 3055, members of the Ministry of Trade and Colonization stormed a
meeting of the Protector's advisory Privy Council. They demanded that the
Protector end civilian conscription for planetary-defense construction; order
the Taurian Defense Force to stand down from alert status and ease trade
restrictions that had been passed to fill military coffers; and redirect a
significant portion of the over-inflated military budget toward colonization.
Outraged, Thomas refused. The ministers then threatened to appeal to the Court
of Judicial Review, charging the Protector with unacceptable violations of civil
liberties.
After the ministers' departure, Thomas ordered Marshal Doru to send the Taurian
Guard to arrest them. Marshal Doru refused. Before the startled Protector could
take any action against him, Doru informed his troops of the incident and
declared the Protector no longer fit to govern. Accompanied by select members of
the Taurian Guards' Second Battalion, Marshal Doru took Thomas into protective
custody. He then went alone to the Calderon family residence and reported his
actions to Katherine, Janice, and Jeffrey. The marshal ended his account with an
impassioned plea for Jeffrey to assume the throne before Thomas's various
opponents could take advantage of the situation. With a little additional
persuasion from Janice, who was far too ill to cope with the stresses of ruling,
Jeffrey agreed.
Some days later, the day after his twenty-ninth birthday, Jeffrey Calderon
announced his accession to the Concordat at large. Janice was at his side,
making a rare public appearance. In an emotional address, Janice admitted that
her condition made it impossible to carry out the tasks of governing an
interstellar nation. She asked that all Taurians give their loyalty and support
to Jeffrey, whom she would serve as an advisor. This speech, plus widespread
disillusion with Thomas, ensured the peaceful transition of power to the new
Protector. In his first official act, he appointed Janice Calderon as his senior
advisor. Privately, he also offered to make Marshal Doru Minister of Defense.
The Marshal refused the appointment, however, saying that he had no wish to
become a potential magnet for the political opposition or wild conspiracy
theories that might threaten the stability of the realm.
Marshal Doru resigned his commission and left the Concordat not long after
Jeffrey's accession. He has since been seen on Indicass in the St. Ives Compact,
where he reportedly boarded a trading vessel scheduled to stop in the Federated
Commonwealth and Capellan Confederation. What he plans to do and where he plans
to go remain unknown.
As for Thomas Calderon, reliable reports indicate that he suffered a massive
strike within weeks of being taken into protective custody. He lingered,
bedridden and unable to speak, for eight months before dying in his sleep in
early 3056.
Taurian Concordat 3058
Update
[Prepared by Precentor Eliza Phereson, Research Team-chi, ComStar Archives]
In January of 3056, Jeffrey Calderon publicly announced several sweeping changes
he had planned for the Concordat. He formally repealed civilian conscription of
builders, various taxes enacted to beef up the military budget, and all
restrictions on colonization that Thomas had imposed since the end of the Fourth
Succession War. He also announced measures intended to enhance trade both within
and outside the Concordat, and to promote terraforming efforts on certain of the
colonies that had been founded since 3035. In a move that greatly pleased
BattleMech manufacturers, Jeffrey authorized increased production of BattleMechs
for the TDF to meet the demand of the new colonies. Funding for the new 'Mechs
would come from a reorganization and streamlining of the defense budget rather
than from any new taxes. Jeffrey wound up his proclamation with a bombshell;
revealing that he had been conducting negotiations with the Magistracy of
Canopus for nearly four years, he announced that the two realms were close to
signing a treaty that would greatly benefit the Concordat.
Though the notion of a treaty with another Periphery realm startled many people,
actual opposition to closer ties with the Magistracy was minimal and
disorganized. The text of the treaty, swiftly made public by the Protector,
added to positive public perceptions of Jeffrey's bold move. The prospect of
lowered trade barriers between the two nations was a further inducement to
support the treaty; colonial expansion had already begun to increase job
opportunities, and greater trade with a prosperous neighbor seemed likely to
further enhance the Taurian economy.
On the last day of March, 3056, the Magestrix of Canopus and an accompanying
delegation arrived in the Taurian capital to sign the Treaty of Taurus. The
Concordat and the Magistracy remained two separate sovereign realms, but agreed
to work toward common goals and help to strengthen each other against any threat
from the Inner Sphere or Clan invaders. The few opponents of the treaty claimed
it was the first step in a Magistracy plot to absorb the Concordat, but this
theory found few takers.
Education
Because the Concordat government has traditionally given the educational system
a high priority, the Taurian Concordat has retained the highest consistent
literacy rate in the Periphery from its founding to the present. Indeed, the
Taurian educational system has served as a model for other states, including
several in the Inner Sphere. During the Reunification War, many of the Taurians'
largest educational institutions were lost when the Star League forces overran
planets where the schools were located. In the years of the Concordat's
Territorial status, the Star League attempted unsuccessfully to modify the
educational structure to emphasize the benefits of membership in the Star
League. Since regaining their independence, the Taurians have rebuilt their
schools to pre-Star League levels and standards. The realm now boasts six
universities, located on Taurus, Samantha, Pinard, New Vandenberg, MacLeod's
Land, and Euschelus. These institutes of higher learning graduate an average of
more than forty thousand students annually.
Domestic and Foreign
Policy
The huge influx of valuable raw materials from the colonies, the prospect of
even more colonization in cooperation with the Magistracy of Canopus, and
increasingly open trade relations with its new ally have placed the Concordat on
the brink of immense economic expansion. Concordat traders are finding eager
markets for their goods and raw materials in the Magistracy, the Capellan
Confederation, certain duchies in the Free Worlds League, and even with the
cash-strapped Outworlds Alliance. Colonial expansion alone has created
incredible wealth for many Taurians, especially those who ply the stars for a
living. Among the proposals recently backed by the Protector are exploratory
missions into the Pirates' Haven star cluster, long rumored to contain treasure
troves of lostech from Star League bases and even lost ships. This mass of stars
is also known as the home of pirate bands and renegades who regularly plague the
Concordat and other states, and the Taurian Defense Force is eager for the
chance to hunt the renegades down.
The Taurian black market has also grown, as many traders seeking more and more
buyers are turning to clients with whom Concordat law has forbidden them to do
business. Certain black marketeers are suspected of selling to pirate bands and
even some terrorist factions based in the Federated Commonwealth. According to
ROM operatives in the Concordat, several traders are selling raw materials to
Fuchida's Fusiliers, the new Tortuga pirates, and the Citizens for Davion Purity
on the backwater world of Malarn. The Protector has stepped up law enforcement
efforts somewhat, but for the moment is more concerned with expanding political
and economic ties across the Periphery and Inner Sphere.
Chaos March
The Marik-Liao invasion of the Sarna March has proved a blessing in disguise for
the Concordat, at least for the present. The thought of an allied force of Marik-Liao
troops on the Concordat's or Magistracy's doorstep initially unnerved Jeffrey,
but this potential problem currently is less serious than it appears - though it
may become more so. The Capellan Confederation has bogged down in its attempt to
reconquer its lost territory, and the collapse of authority in the so-called
Chaos March has focused all of Chancellor Sun-Tzu's attention on that region.
Sun-Tzu's military and political troubles are likely to keep him too busy to
bother the Concordat for the foreseeable future, allowing the Concordat and
Magistracy time to consolidate their forces against the threat of an eventual
Liao invasion.
The sudden dissolution of the Federated Commonwealth has left Jeffrey Calderon
unsure of whether or not to continue his cautious efforts to open trade with the
giant Successor State. He appears to be biding his time, waiting to see how the
Lyran secession and resultant turmoil works out. Fortunately for the Protector,
Victor Steiner-Davion has more than enough trouble keeping his realm together,
and so House Davion is unlikely to pose a military threat to the Concordat any
time soon.
Interstellar Relations
Jeffrey Calderon's accession to the position of Protector has wrought
significant changes in the Concordat's relations with other nations. No longer
hobbled by Thomas Calderon's pathological mistrust, the Concordat government has
established embassies on the capital worlds of the Outworlds Alliance and the
Mica Majority, and opened a consulate in the St. Ives Compact. The Protector
even sent diplomatic representatives to New Avalon and Tharkad just prior to the
Lyran secession. Diplomatic activity in the Magistracy of Canopus has been
stepped up with the signing of the Treaty of Taurus, and representatives of
various Taurian and Canopian businesses are discussing cooperative efforts and
possible joint ventures to be launched once the trade barriers are lowered. The
only neighboring realm in which diplomacy has stalled is the Capellan
Confederation; the Concordat maintains its embassy on Sian, but Jeffrey Calderon
has significantly reduced substantive contacts between the two states.
Successor States
The Concordat has recently opened limited trade with the Federated Commonwealth,
but a combination of domestic opposition in the Concordat and instability in the
Commonwealth has left expansion of trade relations in limbo. The disruption may
pose problems for the Protector, as it gives domestic opposition time to
organize and gather force. The Federated Commonwealth government has expressed
wholehearted support for the Taurian-Canopian alliance, but these assertions
have done little to calm anti-Davion hard-liners. As yet, most of the
hard-liners who hold government offices are supportive of their Protector in
other areas, but their unease over the Davion issue eventually may prompt more
widespread opposition unless the Protector can convince them to change their
minds. The leading voice of the opposition, Lord Grover Shraplen of MacLeod's
Land, argues that the Federated Commonwealth has designs on Concordat planets to
replace those lost to the Clans, the Lyran Alliance, and the Marik-Liao invasion
of the Sarna March. Lord Shraplen has raised some support on nearby border
worlds, but has yet to amass any real power.
Trade with the Capellan Confederation remains relatively strong despite
political frostiness; Taurian merchants see no reason to turn away from the
lucrative Capellan market simply because high-level political relations have
cooled.
The Free Worlds League has given Taurian diplomats a chilly reception on many
matters, including trade relations. Captain-General Thomas Marik has sharply
criticized the Treaty of Taurus, warning both the Concordat and the Magistracy
that the League will meet any aggressive action on the part of the alliance with
equal force. According to ROM operatives, the Captain-General fears that the
Magestrix will enlist Taurian support in efforts to take back long-disputed
planets awarded to the Free Worlds League after the Reunification War. Some of
our agents speculate that the Word of Blake is also influencing Marik against
the Concordat; they distrust the Protector because he appears to favor ComStar
over the Word of Blake.
Jeffrey Calderon has also opened diplomatic relations with the St. Ives Compact,
possibly as a potential ally against the Capellan Confederation should Sun-Tzu
Liao make any moves against the Concordat. The Protector and Duchess Candace
Liao communicate often, and political rumor mills are rife with talk that the
Duchess, the Protector, and Magestrix Emma Centrella will hold a summit sometime
soon.
Periphery States
In addition to allying with the Magistracy of Canopus, the Concordat is also
expanding relations with the Outworlds Alliance. Mitchell Avellar's poor nation
is eager to widen its circle of friends among Periphery states, and the
Concordat considers the Alliance a good investment. Jeffrey Calderon has
authorized a limited economic aid package for the Alliance, and is actively
encouraging Taurian industries to open factories and branch offices on Alliance
planets. According to his closest advisors, the Protector's benevolence stems in
part from his recognition of the debt the Concordat owes the Alliance for its
help in improving the TDF's aerospace arm.
The Protector cut off all relations with the Marian Hegemony after that realm
conquered the tiny Lothian League. Though the League was an independent nation,
it was founded by Taurians and had maintained a special relationship with the
Concordat ever since its inception. The Protector has publicly labeled the
Marian Hegemony as "a pariah state with no regard for basic human rights," and
makes no secret of his contempt for Caesar Sean O'Reilly.
ComStar and the Word
of Blake
ComStar has retained control of all HPG facilities that existed in the Concordat
at the time of the schism. Former Primus Waterly's misguided machinations
fortunately did not extend to the Periphery states, and so ComStar's reformation
occurred gradually and peacefully in most Periphery realms. Our Order has
remained on reasonable terms with the Calderon government, and most of the
citizens are at least tolerant toward ComStar personnel. A lingering distrust of
anything smacking of the Inner Sphere remains, but ComStar's establishment of
schools and training programs over the past three centuries have done much to
lay such unfounded suspicion to rest.
Knowing that easy and swift communication with the Concordat's colonies is vital
to their survival, the Protector asked ComStar to build HPG stations on recently
settled worlds. Most of the newest HPGs are solidly in our control, though the
Word of Blake has made inroads on some of the outlying colony worlds within the
past year. Strangely enough, some colonial populations appear to regard the Word
of Blake as the "real" ComStar precisely because they cling to the ritual and
mysticism to which Periphery citizens have long been accustomed. There is no
evidence, however, of widespread support for the Word of Blake's political
agenda among the colonists.
Colonial Marshals
Among the major provisions of the Treaty of Taurus was the Lewis and Clark
Project, an arrangement for the joining colonization of new worlds by the
Taurian Concordat and the Magistracy of Canopus. By pooling their financial and
technological resources, the two Periphery states hoped to build thriving
colonies on more planets than either realm could accomplish alone.
A major problem to be solved in the establishment of viable new colonies was
maintaining planetary defenses and internal law and order. New colonies often
become easy targets for pirates, and the joining of peoples from two different
cultures posed potential social problems that the leaders of both Periphery
nations were eager to avoid. In order to minimize the potential for friction
between Taurian and Canopian colonists, the Magestrix and Protector created a
new police force known as the Colonial Marshals.
Much like the Federal marshals of the Old West on ancient Terra, the Colonial
Marshals are the lawmen who help keep a colony together and defend it against
external threats. The Marshals are trained in the Magistracy at the newly
established Canopian Institute of War and use BattleMechs provided by the
Taurian Concordat. Both realms provide equal funding to the Marshals and
citizens from either state may enlist.
In existence for barely a year, the Colonial Marshals are already beginning to
achieve heroic status among citizens of both states. The men and women of this
elite MechWarrior cadre have come to symbolize the spirit of cooperation between
the Marshals' parent realms. |
