CIRCINUS FEDERATION
CIRCINUS FEDERATION
Origins and History
After being accused of contract violation against the Free Worlds League in 2770, the Black Warriors mercenary unit abandoned Marik space, narrowly escaping capture by the Free Worlds navy. Vowing eternal vengeance on House Marik for their outlawed status, the Black Warriors settled on the planet Circinus and joined the pirates already operating there. Colonel Zachariah Cirion, leader of the Black Warriors, began to support his people through a series of sneak attacks against outlying Marik agricultural worlds. Both the Star League and the Marik House forces had their hands full with the Amaris Crisis, and so the Circinus pirates flourished in the absence of reprisals. In 2785, a small convoy of settlers fleeing the destruction in the Lyran Commonwealth landed on the planet to make a new start. Warrior and farmer combined their forces to establish a viable economy and culture.
The Lyran farmers apparently were never fully aware of the nature of their new allies. The pirates were involved in what remained "covert operations," but the farmers asked no questions as long as their allies provided the tools and consumer goods the farmers needed. The pirates, for their part, welcomed the farmers for two reasons. First, they provided stability and the possibility of internal law and order (without the brutal punishments and intimidation that mark pirate societies elsewhere), that would keep the band of cutthroats from turning on one another. Second, they helped the pirates present the illusion of a respectable, agrarian society to the neighboring worlds who were their victims.
Despite the fact that the Free Worlds military occupied Circinus during a lull in the Second Succession War, it is still the most successful of the Bandit Kingdoms, having long since adopted a presidential system of government. Piracy is a major governmental function, with covert "agencies" responsible both for the raids themselves and for covering them up. Lyran pundits often note that the Circinian president's chief duty is to look the other way so that he will not have to acknowledge the crimes his government is constantly committing.
In recent decades, the inhabitants of Circinus have been cautiously settling neighboring star systems, claiming eight planets between 2990 and 3020. From this new empire, President C. J. "Bob" McIntyre has entered into a series of joint reconciliation talks with leaders of both Inner Sphere governments. Through skillful diplomacy and judicious return of prisoners, and without once admitting to any wrongdoing on the part of his people, McIntyre has managed to avert a wholesale counterattack against his Federation while playing on the mutual suspicions of his Marik and Steiner counterparts.
McIntyre's position has lately improved with the arrival of numerous mercenary recruits who see him as a Napoleon of the Periphery. Moreover, by convincing both House Marik and House Steiner that his support could be invaluable, he has managed to acquire shipments of badly needed BattleMech spare parts and a small contingent of AeroSpace Fighters.
Nevertheless, several of McIntyre's lieutenants, yearning for more wealth and power, have challenged his position. Because of the continued infighting between McIntyre and his subordinates, it is uncertain whether the Federation will commit itself to either House. The chief of the officially nonexistent pirates is Adam Cirion, a descendant of Zachariah Cirion, founder of the Federation.
During the Fourth Succession War the Circinian raids grew increasingly profitable. At this time Circinian raiders could strike their targets with virtual impunity, as Lyran forces fought off the Kurita offensives and Marik armies deteriorated. President McIntyre used much of the profits gained from these raids to increase the size of the Black Warriors, who remained the primary Circinian military force. McIntyre bolstered the Warriors by supplying them with new BattleMechs, personnel, training and members of several mercenary units left penniless after the Fourth Succession War. By 3032 the Black Warriors had added two full regiments to its numbers and the Circinus Federation stood poised to embark on a period of interstellar conquest.
Military
The Black Warriors currently serve as the entire Circinian military. Never a truly unified force, the Black Warriors constantly test the loyalties of the various factions within their ranks. The largest faction, led by Major Fritz Donner, consists of units loyal to President McIntyre. A faction of near-equal strength, however, supports company commander Michael Cirion, heir to the Black Warriors' command. Because of the fierce rivalry of these two factions, most of the mercenaries employed in the Circinian military studiously avoid taking sides.
Uniforms
Circinian military leaders have never made any real effort to regulate or standardize uniforms, and so each Circinian military unit has its own uniform. This system was established when the Black Warriors began attracting other units to join them, under the belief that unique uniforms help each unit maintain a strong sense of individuality and morale. Detractors of the practice criticize it as yet another source of division between military units in the Federation.
However, Circinian military leaders require that all unit uniforms include the emblem of the Federation - and that all military personnel wear the emblem somewhere above the waist. This stipulation was added after the Fighting Shamrocks were spotted wearing large Federation emblems on their rear ends. Although all Federation units use the same progression of rank, rank insignia varies widely among units. Shown below are the most common insignia, used by the Black Warriors.
Enlisted Ranks
As an exclusively BattleMech unit, the Black Warriors integrate only a few enlisted personnel, and only in support roles. A stripped-down enlisted rank structure offers sufficient diversity for this system. Tenure determines promotion, and pay is directly tied to a soldier's rank.
Private
All new recruits to the Black Warriors are issued the rank of private until they prove themselves worthy of another rank. If they are MechWarriors, this process is fairly rapid, as any battlefield or simulator run will prove a soldier's worth as a MechWarrior. Making progress beyond the rank of private in the areas of technical support, medicine and ship's crew requires traveling a long and arduous road, and competition is fierce. Only the most skilled and persistent soldiers reach the rank of corporal.
Corporal
Unlike the low station this rank affords in larger militaries, the Circinian corporal acts as a team leader or department head in the technical support division. Each corporal supervises a team of techs in support of a company, or a department (such as engineering) on board a ship.
Sergeant
Few corporals ever advance to the rank of sergeant, a post soldiers hold until death or retirement once they attain it. A sergeant coordinates the activities of all support personnel associated with a particular battalion or ship.
Officer Ranks
The command structure of the Black Warriors follows the typical model used by most mercenary units in the Inner Sphere. It is interesting to note, however, that personnel rarely advance from enlisted to officer ranks in the Black Warriors, mainly because such a promotion would require a support person to develop MechWarrior skills and demonstrate competence.
MechWarrior
As the rank name implies, a MechWarrior pilots a BattleMech. Though considered an officer with all the associated perks and pay scale, a MechWarrior commands no authority over enlisted personnel.
Lieutenant
Lieutenants command a lance of four BattleMechs. On board a ship, a lieutenant acts as the executive officer.
CaptainCaptains are the most important officers in the Black Warriors. This statement has taken on a deeper truth as the unit has returned to raiding in recent years. Each captain commands a company of twelve BattleMechs, plus associated support staff. The company is the main unit deployed by the Warriors, so each captain is given a large degree of latitude on the battlefield and is expected to operate independent of higher command authority. In the small Circinus navy, captains command DropShips as well as JumpShips.
Major
In the Federation military, a major commands a battalion.
Colonel
The position of colonel, the highest rank in the Black Warriors, is occupied by H. R. "Little Bob" McIntyre, basically a tactical failure in battle. The original Black Warriors were commanded by a colonel, and when the Black Warriors total force reached three regiments, each regiment was commanded by a colonel. They in turn reported directly to the president. Though the current Federated consists of a full regiment in strength, Little Bob apparently prefers the position of president to the rank of colonel.
For military dress functions, the president's uniform rivals a colonel's in gaudy flash, each shoulder festooned with gold cords and ten glittering chrome stars lining each epaulet and collar (representing the ten worlds of the Federation). As the Federation grows, the President's uniform may become difficult to look at without sunglasses.