The Inner Sphere: Belt Pirates

Name: Star's End

Location: Outward of the Draconis Combine, near Santander's World

Number of Worlds: One

Current Ruler: Morgan Fletcher II and Susie Ryan

Military Strength: 2 Battalions

Technology Level: Good

Literacy Level: Fair

Name: Novo Cressidas

Start Type: M5V

Position in System: 3

Time to Jump Point: 2.44 days

Recharging Station: None

Political Ruler: Morgan Fletcher II and Susie Ryan

ComStar Facility Class: None

ComStar Representative: None

Percentage and Level of Native Life: 30%, Mammal

Description:

Novo Cressidas is a barren, desolate world shielded by a ring of global asteroids and rocked by frequent ion storms that make orbital navigation hazardous. Because of its inconspicuous appearance and the danger in transiting the system, this small rock of a world was an ideal base for the collection of space marauders known as the Belt Pirates, under the command of Morgan Fletcher. Indeed, Novo Cressidas has proven to be a blessing in disguise to its owners. Beginning in the mid-2800s, massive deposits of germanium, which is essential to starship construction, were reported in locations under the planet's southern ice cap. In the decades since, there have been rumors of vast underground mining and industrial complexes that stretch from the polar cap to the equator, and that point to a major center of hyperdrive ship construction. Such rumors remain unconfirmed, however, because the inhospitable local terrain and the equally inhospitable pirates have maintained the strictest silence about whatever secrets Novo Cressidas may hide.

The original Belt Pirates came into being just after the Reunification War, when the survivors of the brutal conflict between the Star League Defense Forces and troops of the Rim Worlds Republic fled the conquered Republic rather than bow to the Star League's authority. Bent on vengeance against the Inner Sphere, these Rim Worlds soldiers settled on the planet Star's End and lived off the spoils of raids against the two Star League member states closest to them -- the Lyran Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine. Over the years, these men and women embraced piracy as a way of life.

After the Star League fell and the Succession Wars began, the Belt Pirates raided even deeper into the Inner Sphere. The Pirates of Star's End have not been above lending a hand to either the Lyran Commonwealth or the Draconis Combine in their frequent clashes in the Succession Wars. In each instance, however, pirate involvement was nominal and purchased at a high price in hard cash and equipment. This notwithstanding, the pirate bands lodging in the asteroid fields of the Star's End system have been known to break their contracts without warning when an employer presents the least sign of weakness.

These pirates have confined their activities to neighboring Jump Points with an eye toward capturing valuable machinery and spare parts for their vessels. The Star's End system contains several starship construction facilities fully capable of repairing and building new vessels at a modest annual rate. The present leader of the pirate coalition was then Morgan Fletcher, a swarthy, swaggering woman whose actions were motivated as much by her hatred of men (especially those of the Inner Sphere) as from a genuine love of wealth. Beginning in the 3030s, some Successor States even began limited trade with the Belt Pirates, offering foodstuffs and luxury items in exchange for germanium.

3050 Update

Morgan Fletcher of the Star's End Pirates, has recently shown up far from her stronghold, as have smaller pirate groups. ComStar has been effective at countering this surge within the Inner Sphere, but this has mostly just shifted the problem to Periphery realms.

The Arrival of the Clans in 3049 had vastly different consequences for the Greater Valyrate than for the Belt Pirates. In only a few battles, Clans Wolf and Jade Falcon made short work of Ryan's Rebels; Wolf Clan forces shattered the Rebels' First Battalion on The Rock, and Jade Falcon warriors routed the Second and Third Battalions on the planets Last Chance and Gotterdammerung. According to initial reports, the Jade Falcons destroyed the Second and Third Battalions of Ryan's Rebels; recently discovered evidence, however, points to a face-saving cover-up on the part of the Jade Falcon leadership. The Second Battalion was indeed destroyed on Last Chance, but most of the Third Battalion survived the attack on Gotterdammerung.

The Falcon assault on the Valkyrate's capital caught Susie Ryan and the Third Battalion completely off guard. The bandit MechWarriors, soon realizing that the enemy troops had them vastly outgunned, managed to retreat with slight losses -- with a littleunwilling help from their antagonists. Expecting little resistance from mere bandits, Jade Falcon commanders initially used their forces with less than complete effectiveness; this momentary blunder allowed Maria Morgaine and a few MechWarriors to dig in and fight long enough to let Susie escape with the bulk of the Third Battalion. Susie Ryan and two companies of Rebels fled deeper into the Periphery, away from the invasion path of the Clan enemy.

Meanwhile, Clan Wolf forces ran into scattered units of Belt Pirates during their march through the Periphery. The first band they encountered they easily destroyed; the second, they followed until it disappeared into the asteroid field surrounding Star's End. The difficulties of navigating the field made the Wolves disinclined to pursue a lowly pack of pirates. In addition, their sensor scans showed that several of the asteroids had been fitted with a battery of laser weapons, a cowardly way to protect a world by Clan standards. Judging the Belt Pirates neither honorable nor dangerous enough to fight, the Wolf Clan bypassed Star's End in search of worthier foes. Between 3050 and 3052, occasional bands of Belt Pirates ventured beyond Star's End to raid Clan-held planets; Wolf Clan garrison units easily fended off the raiding parties, regarding them as excellent target practice. Most of the pirates foolish enough to take on Clan troops were obliterated. The Belt Pirates' leader, Morgan Fletcher II, eventually declared a temporary moratorium on raiding and ordered her remaining fighting forces to study Clan Wolf battle tactics.

Shortly after the battle of Tukayyid, Susie Ryan and MechWarriors landed on Star's End with somewhat exaggerated tales of their "victories" against Clan troops. Almost immediately after their arrival, Susie made Morgan Fletcher a proposal -- she and her forces would unite with the remaining Belt Pirates, and together the two battered bandit kingdoms would give the Clans "a taste of their own damned medicine." The only condition Susie Ryan asked was to command her own troops and to share overall command with Morgan Fletcher. Though wary of shared command, Morgan badly wanted to strike back at the Clans,a nd using the Rebels' experience seemed her best hope of doing it. She agreed to the proposal and the New Belt Pirates were born.

The New Belt Pirates are currently believed to be operating behind Clan lines, causing whatever problems they can.

3056 Update

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