Outworlds Alliance

Overview
The Outworlds Alliance is a major Periphery power located spinward of Terra and the Inner Sphere, bordering both the Draconis Combine and the Federated Suns. This region of space has also been called the "Outer Sphere".

At some point around 3025, the crest of the Outworlds Alliance apparently changed. The 1987 boardgame The Succession Wars, set in alternatively a 2786 or a 3025 timeframe, was the first BattleTech-themed product to present a crest for the Outworlds Alliance but this was apparently overlooked, and in any case replaced with the starburst crest, for subsequent publications.

History
At the outset of the Star League, the Outworlds Alliance was considered a backwater full of peaceniks. When the Reunification War began, the Star League initially deigned to garrison the Alliance "for mutual defense and protection", and Star League Directive 21 was approved by Prime Minister Catherine Avellar, not by President Grigori Avellar. Tensions rose with foreign garrisons left on Alliance worlds, leading to the Santiago Massacre late in 2572.

The Santiago Massacre set off a chain of events throughout human-occupied space, leading to the Pollux Proclamation in 2575. Within two years, SLDF and DCMS troops sat poised on the border, intent on forcing the Alliance to join the nascent Star League. Such a posture led President Grigori Avellar to seek help, which he found through a secret treaty signed with the Federated Suns in 2581, on the eve of hostilities. As part of the agreement, the Outworlds Alliance were given a brigade of elite soldiers mustered from the Davion Brigade of Guards in return for twelve border systems.

In failing health due to the Reunification War, Grigori Avellar died of heart failure in 2587. His successor, Barton Avellar, proved ultimately incapable of the Presidency - Grigori's policies always relied on hiding behind the Davion/Kurita enmity, a subtlety that Barton did not understand.

Barton was replaced by a Kurita-backed coup, placing Rodrigo Avellar on the throne. The coup quickly backfired on the Draconis Combine; Rodrigo was not only capable, his fiscal policies tended to always get the better of the Combine. Before long, the Alliance had also issued "Most Favored Nation" trade status to (paradoxically) both the Draconis Combine and the Federated Suns. Through his political acumen, Rodrigo was also able to make the Star League Defense Force garrisons stationed within his realm accountable to local laws and law enforcement, and ultimately withdrawn by 2607.

Rodrigo died in 2628 of a massive seizure, leaving his niece (a renaissance woman) Caryn Avellar as President of the Parliament. Unfortunately, Caryn had a severe break with reality, declaring the Star League dissolved and convening the "New Star League" on Alpheratz in 2634. While Caryn was led away to her "new office", Caryn's naïve brother, Peter Avellar, became the next President. Caryn's son, Adolfo Avellar, became the next President of the Parliament in 2642.

Like the other states of the Star League, the Outworlds Alliance was able to avoid the horrors of war, but only unwittingly. In 2765, Parliamentary President Beatrice Avellar died of old age. Beatrice's daughter, the dull Allyce Avellar, was approved as the next Parliamentary President. When the Amaris Civil War started in early 2766, Allyce chose to remain neutral simply because she could not bring herself to make a choice. Ultimately, the move paid off, however her indecision led her brother, Simpson Avellar, to place her under house arrest in 2772. The Outwords Alliance Parliament refused to recognize Simpson as the new head of state, so Allyce's son, David Avellar, was confirmed as the new President.

Since the beginning of the 31st century, the situation in the Outworlds Alliance has become particularly grim. With the general loss of technology, Alliance worlds have suffered from declining population and literacy levels. Though protected by a strong military, many of these planets are unable to feed their own people. The people feel that their government has betrayed them, and there have been many riots and demonstrations against the hereditary Avellar regime in recent years. Although no one has yet seriously challenged the right of House Avellar to rule the Outworlds, armed rebellion is likely if the deteriorating situation does not reverse itself.

In late February 3075, diplomats from the Federated Suns travelled to Alliance space to negotiate with Clan Snow Raven. As well as a peace settlement, the negotiators hoped to arrange for the release of captured personnel from the 3rd Crucis Lancers and for the Snow Ravens to contribute aid to the coalition assembled by Devlin Stone.

The Snow Ravens withdrew back to Alliance space in the wake of the Jihad, but the Alliance Military Corps found itself having to garrison a number of Alliance worlds despite the Snow Ravens supposedly taking on responsibility for defending the Alliance because of the diminished size of the Snow Raven touman. This led to some criticism of the alliance between the two factions.

Military
Mercenaries are employed for garrison duty or limited defensive contracts. Some mercenary units are hired by business interests in the Alliance.

Weapons Industries
Lushann Industrials, Limited, for instance, is reputed to produce some of the finest lasers in the Periphery, comparable with Diverse Optics within the Inner Sphere.

With Alliance Mechworks as its only means of gaining new BattleMechs. The real problem is that at this time only three light chassis are being built: the Locust, Wasp and the Stinger.

List of defense industries:

Alliance Defenders Limited - Plants on Alpheratz

United Outworlders Corporation - Plants on Ramora and Mitchella

Ravenna Electronics - Plants on Ramora (3067)

Arenthir Electronics - Plants on Alpheratz

Lushann Industrials Limited - Plants on Lushann

Mountain Wolf BattleMechs - Plant on Alpheratz

Praxton Fusion Products Limited - Plants on Praxton

Alliance Motors Limited - Plants on Sevon

Alliance Mining and Geology - Plants on Sevon