Origins and History

The Marian Hegemony is a recent addition to the Periphery. Centered on the trade world of Alphard, the Hegemony consists of the remains of the Alphard Trading Corporation (ATC). In 2920, Johann Sebastian O'Reilly arrived on the desolate and uninhabited planet Alphard. Though the world seemed like a wasteland, he chanced upon a hidden storehouse of germanium worth at least 50,000,000,000 C-Bills. With this newfound wealth, O'Reilly hired 'Mech units and established a colony on Alphard. Johann formed his new Marian Hegemony along the disciplined lines of the ancient Terran Roman Empire during its republican days. The arrival of war refugees helped to expand the Hegemony, whose people began to settle other star systems in the vicinity.

Under the leadership of Johann's grandson, Marius O'Reilly, the Marian Hegemony views expansion as the key to survival. In the last decade, the Marian navy and ground forces (estimated at roughly three small battalions of assorted BattleMechs) have clashed repeatedly with their neighbors over possession of border worlds. The Hegemony welcomes the presence of ComStar, but only at the price of an annual tribute to the Imperial Treasury.

The hopes of some observers that the Imperator's civic improvements indicated a desire to make the Hegemony a more respectable realm were dashed later that same year, when the Imperator narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. Captured and beaten by the Imperator's personal guard, the assassin claimed to have been hired by a Free Worlds League agent operating on the independent planet of Astrokazy. Outraged, Marius swore to avenge himself against his attackers. He did not dare move militarily against the powerful Successor State, but spread the word among the Hegemony's privateers that raids against the Free Worlds League planets would buy them favor in his eyes. He also sent the First Marian legion to smash Astrokazy.