Taurian Concordat

The Taurian Concordat is an interstellar nation located in the Periphery. Founded as a constitutional monarchy under the leadership of House Calderon, the Taurian Concordat is one of the oldest surviving realms since the collapse of the Terran Alliance. Taurian citizens enjoy extensive freedoms guaranteed by the Concordat Charter and take pride in defending those freedoms through compulsory service. The Taurian Concordat has had an antagonistic relationship with the Inner Sphere, particularly against House Davion, and is driven by a desire to expand its borders through colonization and protect its hard-won freedoms from outside aggression.

History
The Taurian Concordat traces its beginnings to Samantha Calderon, a woman whose family was murdered by the Terran Alliance and soon found herself under dire straits when that government's collapse left the Outer Reaches in chaos. After securing sufficient funding for a deep-space exploration effort, the Calderon Expedition left known space in 2250. Nearly two years later, they reached the Hyades Cluster, with Samantha the first to step foot on Taurus on 23 January, 2253. Over the next century the Taurians thrived in their isolation, expanding out to colonize the rest of the Hyades Cluster and outlying systems, while at the same time running into refugees fleeing war and oppression in the Inner Sphere. In 2335, Richard Calderon formally announced the creation of the Taurian Concordat, allowing those systems which joined to maintain their internal affairs while pledging to come to the common defense of all.

As the Concordat expanded, so did it come into more regular contact with the Inner Sphere. Due to a series of unfortunate events involving the Capellan Confederation and the Federated Suns, the Concordat became embroiled in conflict with the Federation, an event which would spark centuries of animosity towards House Davion. After the Great Houses banded together to form the Star League in 2570, they tried to convince the Taurian Concordat and other major powers of the Periphery to join as well, an offer which was politely but strongly declined. Eventually, the Star League gave them a final choice: join us or else. The Periphery refused, and for twenty-five years the Reunification War raged, causing immense destruction within the Concordat as both the Taurians and Star League fought with every tool at their disposal, including nuclear weapons. By the conflict's end, one in every five Taurians was dead and the Concordat was made a Territorial State of the Star League.

The Taurian Concordat chafed under the rule of the Star League: slight increases in living standards and fewer pirate attacks were not worth the cost of being exploited and oppressed by distant masters. When Stefan Amaris of the Rim Worlds Republic approached the other Periphery leaders about a conspiracy to win their freedom, they agreed. The New Vandenberg Uprising began in 2765 when Nicoletta Calderon allowed several Concordat worlds to secede from the Star League, an act which would lead directly to the Star League Civil War. Though Stefan Amaris went back on his word and tried to retain the Periphery in his new "Amaris Empire," in the end the dissolution of the Star League in 2780 finally won the Concordat its freedom.

Though the Taurian Concordat was not directly affected by the devastating Succession Wars, they nevertheless still felt its effects: severe disruptions in trade and communication, increasing numbers of refugees and pirates spilling into its borders, and a general loss in knowledge and technology. A constant vigil was maintained against any aggression by House Davion, though more often than not any attacks on the Concordat came from its Periphery neighbors, including the Magistracy of Canopus.

When Houses Davion and Steiner joined to form the Federated Commonwealth in 3028, fears that this new super-state would once again try to conquer the Concordat spurred Thomas Calderon to put the Taurian Defense Force on high alert and vastly increase military funding at the expense of other programs. This state of affairs, coupled with Thomas blaming every setback on "Davion saboteurs," put him in opposition to members of the Far Lookers group and members of his own government. Even the Clan Invasion was first dismissed as a plot hatched by the Davions to distract the Periphery. His death in 3055 and Jeffrey Calderon's ascension brought relief from these policies and a change towards greater cooperation, first with the Magistracy and then the Capellan Confederation. The Trinity Alliance would bring greater access to technology and resources to the Concordat, in exchange for allowing some TDF forces to participate in the Capellan-St. Ives War.

Politics
The political structure of the Taurian Concordat is in many ways ironically similar to that of the Federated Suns. While the national government is headed by a constitutional monarch, individual worlds are given the autonomy to govern themselves as they see fit so long as they maintain a working allegiance to the Concordat and the Protector. Most planets therefore are run as representative democracies, with many variations in how they operate.

Government
The Protector of the Realm, or simply the Protector, is the chief executive officer of the Concordat and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. A title bestowed upon the eldest member of House Calderon, the Protector is responsible for all matters foreign and domestic. To guard against tyranny, all statutes passed by the Protector are subject to periodic review by the Concordat Courts, which have the power to strike down any deemed unconstitutional, though during times of war the Protector can evoke temporary emergency powers which grant them supreme authority.

Advising the Protector is the Privy Council, which meets on a monthly basis to review matters of state and recommend courses of action for the Protector to take. At first the Council was composed of the original financiers of the Calderon expedition, but evolved to be composed of representatives from each of the major government departments as well as personal appointees by the Protector. In the event a suitable member of House Calderon is not available, the Privy Council also has the power (in consultation with the planetary governments) to choose a Protector themselves, as was the case with Grover Shraplen.

The government bureaucracy's primary goal is to ensure the individual liberty and general welfare of every Taurian citizen. Civil servants are known as "functionaries" and generally divided into two groups: Masters of Request who handle most government affairs, and Auditors who operate as inspectors general. The major government departments include:
 * Ministry of Defense - Provides civilian oversight and administration of the armed forces.
 * Exchequer - Sets monetary policy and oversees financial affairs between member worlds. Manages the government mint, Concordat Bank of Taurus, and Taurian Treasury Reserve on Taurus.
 * Ministry of the Interior - Responsible for internal security. Manages the Concordat Constabulary, a gendarmerie which in times of war supplements the armed forces.
 * Ministry of Education - Oversees the educational system from preschool to university level.
 * Ministry of Trade and Colonization - Promotes commerce within the Concordat and the chartering of new colony worlds. This included the development of the New Colony Region and creation of the Colonial Marshals.

The government is also responsible for bestowing titles of nobility. While often hereditary, such patents may first be granted only to individuals who have performed an important service to the people (not necessarily the government). Distinctly, Taurian nobles receive much smaller financial gains compared to the nobility of the Inner Sphere, an outgrowth of the idea that wealth disparities are harmful to a free society.

Judiciary
An extensive court system upholds Taurian law and ensures the rights of the Concordat's citizens. For every ten thousand citizens there are civil courts on every member planet, while a Planetary Court of Appeal for every three worlds serves an appellate function. A separate Court of Judicial Review, known as the Concordat Courts, periodically reviews all statues passed by the Protector or any government department. If any are determined to be a threat to individual liberty, such legislation can be struck down.

The Concordat Constabulary, in addition to its role of protecting against foreign intrusion, works alongside local police units to enforce the law on member worlds. While there are variations in what different municipalities and provinces determine is legal and illegal, all major crimes (i.e. murder) have uniform definitions.

Citizenship
The rights of the average Taurian citizen are guaranteed in the Concordat Charter, which include: freedom of speech, association, and religion; freedom from unwarranted searches, the right to remain silent, to a trial by a jury of their peers and to competent counsel; the right to move about freely and pursue economic activity; the right to free education, to free or low-cost healthcare, and to a living wage. In return, citizens are obligated to serve the state for a period of four years, often in the military but also in any of the civilian branches too.

Military
The Taurian Defense Force is a well-organized, well-trained and highly motivated military, especially by Periphery standards. The military-industrial capacity of the Taurian Concordat, combined with the Taurian pride shown in the TDF, ensured that the TDF has traditionally been the largest and best-equipped army in the Periphery.

The arrangement of the TDF is modeled after that of the Napoleonic armies, with a 31st century feel: BattleMechs, infantry, and armor assets are divided into operational Corps, with naval elements, primarily utilized for transportation and defense, attached directly to and under the command of the Corps commanders. The Concord Constabulary, a paramilitary force used for intelligence gathering and internal security, can be mobilized to supplement the TDF during times of war. Finally there are a variety of armed groups, from planetary militias to the private armies of various nobles and corporations, which might lack in uniform quality and equipment but will not waver in coming to the defense of the realm.

The Taurian Defense Force has not maintained a fleet of WarShips since the Reunification War, only possessing a single surviving (barely-functional) WarShip, the Vincent Mk 39 TCW Vandenberg, which survived by hiding in the Hyades asteroid field.

Society & Culture
Taurians are proud to live in not only one of the oldest but what they see as the freest society in known space. Freedom of speech and the press not only allows the average citizen to express their views without fear of government censorship but for the creation of a multitude of news sources and political parties who have made arguing over everything something of a sport. Freedom of religion has allowed all faiths to flourish within Taurian society, and though some localities of like-minded individuals may create laws based on their particular interpretations the national government is wholly secular. Perhaps the largest religious following in the Concordat is Deism (which, despite reports to the contrary, is not the official state religion but has received personal support by various Protectors over the years), while the philosophy of the Far Lookers plays on traditional Taurian beliefs in their pioneering founders' courage and man's destiny to conquer the stars.

This love of liberty also explains in part the virulent anti-Davion strain in Taurian culture, beyond the history of aggressive acts (both real and imagined) committed against the Concordat. Many see the Davions as hypocrites, espousing ideals like democracy and freedom but operating for all intents and purposes as a military dictatorship. On worlds with interconnected computer networks, the most popular MMO (massively multiplayer online) games are those which recreate the Reunification War or otherwise feature the Davions as antagonists. This hatred and suspicion of the Davions permeates the government as well, with the military ever-ready to fight its counterpart in the Federated Suns and some foreign policy initiatives based simply on tweaking the nose of House Davion.

Perhaps the only thing Taurians value more than their liberty is the education needed to sustain it. Even before the Reunification War the Concordat's educational system was one of the best, serving even as a model for Houses Davion and Liao. During their occupation the Star League attempted to enforce a curriculum more favorable to their viewpoint, but many Taurians resisted such attempts and when their independence was regained the government quickly moved to rebuild the system to its former glory. Ample funding ensures that even the poorest planet is able to provide public education for everyone ages three to eighteen, along with many alternatives such as private academies and homeschooling. After graduating from secondary school Taurians can begin their compulsory state service, apply to one of the many professional schools for additional technical training, or apply to one of the prestigious universities. In 3025 the Concordat had six universities, graduating on average 40,000 students each year, with a seventh added in 3068.

The Concordat also boasts a lively arts and entertainment scene, none more so than its publishing industry. Love of the written word is fed by a very high literacy rate, while the income authors derive from their published works is considered tax-exempt. Another prominent feature are the Concordat Games, a triennial competition celebrating the ancient martial arts: sharpshooting, hand-to-hand combat, and swordsmanship are among the various war games celebrated by the Games. The ultimate competition is a ten-team paintball battle with the winning side earning the title of Concordat's Defenders.

Economy
The Taurian economy can in many ways be described as "capitalism with a human face." When it comes to monetary policy the Concordat adopts a laissez-faire approach, with government bodies like the Bank of Taurus and the Taurian Treasury Reserve there only to ensure monetary stability or directly intervene in the most unusual of circumstances. However, strong regulations exists to ensure fair play and protect the rights of workers: a living wage, pensions, unemployment assistance and other benefits are guaranteed by the Concordat Charter. Businesses are largely accepting of these rules, partly out of their own self-interest, and partly from the memories of rampant, predatory exploitation which occurred during the waning years of the Star League when regulatory safeguards were removed. There also exists a strong belief within Taurian society that too great of a wealth disparity is destructive to a free democracy.

The Taurian economy is built on a strong manufacturing sector, colonial expansion, and inter-Periphery trade in key technologies, with its largest trading partner historically being the Magistracy of Canopus. For many years trade with the Inner Sphere was severely curtailed and viewed as politically undesirable, but that began to change during the 31st century, particularly with the signing of the Trinity Alliance. By 3067, Taurian trading firms had succeeded in penetrating the markets in the Capellan Confederation and Free Worlds League, while (to the Magistracy's annoyance) exploratory efforts were made at increasing trade with the budding Marian Hegemony.

Manufacturing Centers
A diverse array of industries make up the Taurian economy, from aquaculture to mining to publishing, but the largest is the military-industrial complex, second only to consumer goods and electronics in size and importance. With a variety of weapons manufacturers, some of whom remained operational in secret during the Star League era, the Taurian Concordat can produce everything from BattleMechs and Combat Vehicles to Aerospace Fighters and DropShips for its armed forces. Unfortunately many key industrial centers are located outside the protective area of the Hyades zone, a fact which forces the TDF to deploy its units in a static defensive role to protect them from attack.

3067

 * Major Defense Industries
 * Sterope Defense Industries
 * Pinard Protectorates Limited
 * Taurus Territorial Industries
 * Vandenburg Mechanized Industries
 * Wingman Enterprises Limited

Fact Sheets

 * 3130
 * Founding Year: 2335 (2253 as Taurian Homeworlds, Concordat); 3066 (Protectorate)
 * Capital (City, World): New Samantha, Taurus (Concordat); New Taurus, Erod's Escape (Protectorate)
 * National Symbol (Both): A bull’s head with exaggerated horns that curl downward and encompass three gold five-pointed stars (Calderon Protectorate uses black stars.)
 * Location (Terra relative): Rimward, beyond Capellan Confederation and Federated Suns
 * Total (Inhabited) Systems: 22 (Concordat); 13 (Protectorate)
 * Estimated Population (3130): 33,031,000,000 (Concordat);15,310,000,000 (Protectorate)
 * Government: Democracy (currently under military rule, Concordat); Democracy (Protectorate)
 * Ruler: Protector Kaff Doru (Concordat); Protector Sam Calderon (Protectorate)
 * Dominant Language(s): English, Spanish, French
 * Dominant Religion(s): Deism (official), Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism
 * Unit of Currency: Bull (1 bull = 0.12 C-Bills)