Aurigan Coalition

The Aurigan Coalition is an interstellar nation located in the periphery region known as the Aurigan Reach, which borders on the Capellan Confederation and the Taurian Concordat, along with the Rimward Frontier space.

For most of its existence, the Aurigan Coalition kept a low profile and was ignored as a state, to the point of being omitted from most contemporary starmaps. This may have been because it was considered a merchantile coalition over a political one and not taken seriously as a real state, or because of the relatively low populations and industrial base of its constituent worlds, or a combination of both.

Aurigan Coalition
Under the rule of the oligarchic Founding Council and the High Lieges from their number, the Aurigan coalition expanded into the Frontier Reach, and fended off piracy. The Aurigan people enjoyed various political, personal and economic rights across the Coalition to the point that they were considered something to be championed by Kamea Arano when she led the Arano Restoration during the Aurigan Civil War.

Directorate
High Lord Tamati Arano II and his wife Serena Arano (nee Espinosa) were killed in an accident in 3022, leaving their daughter Kamea as heir. With Kamea refusing to listen to her uncle about how to rule the Coalition, Santiago Espinosa decided to take matters into his own hands. Along with his daughter, Victoria Espinosa, he would successfully stage a coup, forcing Lady Arano off Coromodir and taking the throne, installing himself as "Director" of the realm.

"We are here today because if Lady Arano will not act, someone must. I know what I am asking of you. You will face former comrades or even loved ones on the battlefield. I take up arms against my own niece. But remember: today we sacrifice, so that tomorrow we can return our kingdom to its proper glory. To its proper strength! So should you fall tonight - know that you did so as true heroes of the Reach! To your stations! For the Directorate!""

- Lord Santiago inspiring his Directorate troops before deploying on Cormodir.

As ruler of the rechristened Aurigan Directorate, Santiago would form a brutal dictatorship in his wake, creating concentration camps on Weldry to hold possible dissident factions' relatives hostage including of the Founding Houses, and torturing and murdering political prisoners. His daughter, Victoria would slaughter anyone who did not support the Directorate, whether it be civilians or other House Lords of the Reach. Further, on Cormodir personal and political liberties were lost in exchange for increased economic luxuries under the police state in order to placate the population.

Aurigan Civil War
In 3025 after three years in hiding, Lady Kamea emerged as the leader of the Arano Restoration movement. This caused a civil war between the Restoration and state forces for control of the Reach, beginning with the liberation of Weldry. As the Arano Restoration was closing in on the Directorate forces, Santiago covertly instigated the Perdition Massacre to gain the cooperation of the Taurian Concordat to attack the Restoration. Santiago finally conceded to Kamea's forces and gave the throne to her. Victoria on the other hand chose to fight her cousin on Coromodir one last time. With the death of Victoria and the capture of Santiago, the Aurigan Directorate ceased to exist.

Kamea Arano had the help of one particular mercenary company whose commander was once part of the Aurigan Royal Guard, and as a youth was taught in the ways of the BattleMech by Kamea's mentor, Raju "Mastiff" Montgomery. This commander and their company would be involved in several key battles and would come to command the Argo, a large Star League era civilian spacecraft resurrected by an engineering team under Dr. Farah Murad.

Politics
The Council of Founding Houses is the name given to the nobles who oversaw the Aurigan Coalition. The following Houses were members of the Founding Council.


 * House Arano
 * House Decimis
 * House Espinosa
 * House Gallas
 * House Karosas
 * House Madeira
 * House Parata