The so-called Saiph Triumvirate consists of the worlds of New Canton, Saiph, and Tall Trees. Like many planets of the former Sarna March, the Triumvirate worlds were settled early in the history of mankind and fell under Liao control during the formation of the Capellan Confederation in 2366.
New Canton had been a minor trading power during its early history, and enjoyed relative autonomy during its centuries of Capellan domination. Some light industry developed on the world, and New Canton was targeted by Marik raiders during the First Succession War, but otherwise little distinguished New Canton from numerous other Liao-held worlds in the area.
The forbidding, mountainous terrain - as well as the fiercely independent, warlike populations of Saiph and Tall Trees - prevented the Capellans from developing these worlds. Both planets served as sources of raw materials and agricultural products for Capellan industrial worlds, but Saiph's and Tall Trees' true importance lay in their locations along the Capellan frontier. Liao leaders made numerous attempts to establish greater control over the worlds by creating large-scale settlements over the years, but these failed. Eventually, Liao leaders resorted to forcing political prisoners and criminals to settle on the planets. Even these settlements met with only limited success, as their relations with the planets' isolated communities remained strained at best. Despite this state of affairs, the Capellan government is rumored to have operated a genetic research installation on Tall Trees during the mid-thirtieth century.
All three planets remained under Capellan control until the Fourth Succession War, when they came under control of the Federated Commonwealth. New Canton enjoyed a boost to its prosperity under the less restrictive trade policies of the Federated Commonwealth, but daily life on Saiph and Tall Trees remained largely unchanged, as the planets' new rulers instituted a policy of nonintervention toward them.
When Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion announced the formation of the Lyran Alliance and invited all Lyran military units to return to Lyran space, the Fifth Lyran Regulars abandoned Saiph and Tall Trees, leaving the planets virtually unprotected. Both worlds fell into chaos almost immediately as rival ethnic groups began staking out territory. Within weeks, pro-Liaoist guerilla movements claimed control of the worlds. In truth, these rebels controlled little more than a few cities and the spaceports on both planets. The remaining areas of Saiph and Tall Trees remained under the control of the various ethnic armies that had arisen.
At approximately the same time, New Canton was attacked by a Capellan invasion force consisting of McCarron's Armored Cavalry. That mercenary unit encountered the First Kestral Grenadiers, an elite unit fanatically loyal to Prince Victor Davion. The two units reached a stalemate after two months of protracted engagements. As both sides dug in to wait for reinforcements that would never arrive, the mercenaries and the Grenadiers came under more frequent attacks from terrorists and, later, unidentified 'Mechs. After several weeks of such attcks and the growing hostility from New Canton's population, both the Armored Cavalry and the Grenadiers withdrew from New Canton.
Shortly after the units left, a member of New Canton's old aristocracy - Count Lado Balatine - proclaimed the existence of the Free Republic of New Canton. Within three weeks, Balatine had sent 'Mech units to aid counterrevolutionary movements on Saiph and Tall Trees. Fighting alongside local armies, these units easily defeated the tenuous pro-Liao movements that had claimed the planets only weeks before. Shortly afterward, Balatine announced that the three worlds of New Canton, Saiph, and Tall Trees had joined together to form an alliance called the Saiph Triumvirate. No Great House officially recognizes the Triumvirate at this time.
New Canton is a temperate planet with a diverse economy of light and medium industry, several commercial spaceports, fishing, and a thriving agricultural industry. Approximately 80 percent of New Canton's population live in large- and medium-sized cities that are evenly distributed on the planet's two continents. Saltwater oceans cover nearly 85 percent of New Canton's surface.
Both Saiph and Tall Trees are sparsely inhabited, temperate planets. The heavily forested, mountainous terrain of both worlds has discouraged development on Saiph and Tall Trees, and the planets' populations rely primarily on mining, subsistence farming, livestock herding, and hunting to provide the necessities of life. Most of Saiph's and Tall Trees' inhabitants live in isolated communities. Saiph supports two small cities and two spaceports, while Tall Trees offers only one city and spaceport.
Despite the claims of the Triumvirate's leaders, their grip on this fledgling state is decidedly shaky. Fighting continues on New Canton, Saiph, and Tall Trees, and substantial portions of each planet remain contested. On New Canton, Liao supporters still control a few spaceports and a vital island chain linking the planet's two continents. On Saiph and Tall Trees, Triumvirate governments control major cities and spaceports but little else. Without the money and 'Mechs supplied by Duke Balatine, neither of these planetary governments could keep what control they have.
Repeated attacks against the governments of Saiph and Tall Trees by pro-Liao guerillas make it increasingly unlikely that the Saiph Triumvirate will survive this year unless Duke Balatine succeeds in his grab for power. Though the duke originally supported a collective government from all three Triumvirate worlds, he now plans to reconquer both Saiph and Tall Trees and place them under his exclusive control. To accomplish this goal, the Duke has been secretly hiring mercenary forces to supplement his army. He plans to launch his attack on Saiph as soon as it falls to Liao rebels; once his forces have subdued that world, he will press on to Tall Trees whether its government has fallen or not.
The Capellan Confederation covets the Triumvirate worlds and funnels plentiful supplies to pro-Liao rebel forces in the hope that the rebels will topple the Triumvirate government. Unfortunately for his plans, however, the Capellan Chancellor has forgotten about a small band of rebels on Saiph supported by the Free Worlds League province of Zion. Saiph once belonged to Zion, and that province's leaders intend to seize the opportunity provided by the current events in the Chaos March to regain Saiph by supporting a rebel group willing to fall in line with their goal. Zion is a rich province, and its leaders can afford to funnel supplies and weapons to its client rebels indefinitely.
The Triumvirate government's instability and lack of direction make it difficult for mercenary units to discern and follow a chain of command, and so the Triumvirate is not considered a good employer. Most assignments from the Saiph Triumvirate involve riot and security duty, in addition to raids and offensive actions against still-viable opposition factions on Saiph and Tall Trees. The Triumvirate lacks the strength to attack or raid neighboring realms.
The immediate future of the Saiph Triumvirate is up for grabs and the struggle for control of the Triumvirate will most likely continue for some time, as Duke Balatine, the Confederation, and the Zion province battle each other to the limits of hteir resources. Some observers have speculated that Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion is giving covert aid to Duke Balatine, but no evidence exists to support such claims.
Unit Name Expernce Homeworld Faction Canned Heat Green Saiph Saiph Triumvirate (CO: Major Jill Asweepay) (1 battalion conventional) The Metallicon Regular Tall Trees Saiph Triumvirate (CO: Captain Jim Bob Dayle) (2 lances) The Balatine Guard Regular New Canton Saiph Triumvirate (CO: Major Han Winslow) (1 company) Stalwart Support Regular New Canton Saiph Triumvirate (CO: Colonel Harry Sanders) (1 regiment conventional)
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Will Day < wd
