The Republic of the Sphere

The Republic of the Sphere rose from the ashes of the Word of Blake Jihad. It was founded by Devlin Stone in 3081. Its capital is the city of Geneva on Terra. Part of Stone's vision was to create a time of peace and the Republic helped fulfill that vision by occupying many of the planets that the Successor States had fought over for centuries. Stone also acknowledged that power came from the people, not the government, so he sought to weaken the power of the nobility.

The estimated population of the Republic of the Sphere is 1.25 trillion.

The Republic's motto is Ad Securitas per Unitas, meaning "Liberty through Unity", with the Latin word "securitas" means not only "freedom" but "security", in acknowledgment of the violent past for which this region of space is famously known.

Early formation
The Republic of the Sphere was born from the ashes of the Word of Blake Protectorate; negotiations between the leaders of all of the major powers from the Inner Sphere and Periphery (with the notable exception of the Capellan Confederation and the Magistracy of Canopus) gathered on Terra alongside the leaders of the allied coalition forces in December 3080 to discuss the formation of a new buffer state between the various Inner Sphere powers from the remains of the Protectorate. The various leaders left Terra on the 20th of December having reached a basic agreement that ceded the remains of the Protectorate to a new realm, the Republic of the Sphere.

The Republic of the Sphere was formally signed into being between the 7th and 15th of March 3081, with all of the Great Houses save for House Liao signing the Republic Formation Treaty amidst a week of festivities. Each state except the Confederation recognized the Republic of the Sphere, with Devlin Stone as the first Exarch of the Republic.

The Capellan Confederation resisting Stone by military force until Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao was brought to the negotiating table and encouraged to sign the Tikonov Treaty of 3085.

There were two social programs that would become historically to the Republic and Stone himself:
 * The Resettlement Act of 3082, in which through various incentive programs tried to mix the variety of cultures that existed within the Republic's claimed space, erasing old hatreds and biases by resettling key elements of the population from one world throughout the towns and cities of several others. The program took decades, but brought about the end of the factionalism so often thought responsible for outbreaks of war within the Inner Sphere.
 * The Military Materiel Redemption Program, which grew out of the Citizenship Priority Decree of 3083. This plan worked to decommission BattleMechs and other tools of warfare, downsizing armies and removing any such material from the hands of private individuals, in exchange for the rights of citizenship and other socio-economic incentives.

Exarch Devlin Stone called the first Senate meeting to order on Terra in 3085 and officially formed the Knights of the Sphere in 3088. By 3091 the hierarchy of government was firmly in place with Prefecture borders settled and most world governments towing the line to create an enviable state among the Inner Sphere nations.

Middle years
Everything was more or less ok until 3104, when an internal struggle within the Capellan Confederation spilled over the border and Exarch Stone was eventually forced to send Republic troops into the Capellan territories. These sporadic conflicts plagued Stone for nearly a decade, until the peace efforts of 3113 finally stabilized the region.

Gray Monday, rise of Splinter Groups, and invasions
After the fall of the HPG grid in 3132, in the Blackout, The Republic was torn apart by warring factions within the government who supported neighboring nations including the Draconis Combine, Federated Suns, and Lyran Commonwealth. The chaos caused by the blackout also led others like Clan Jade Falcon, the Oriente Protectorate, and the Capellan Confederation to believe that the fragmented, stumbling Republic made an easy target, so they invaded. The Combine launched a raid of its own in 3133.

Civil War
After fighting off the various invasions, the Senate tried to achieve a coup over the ruling Paladins through subversion. Led by Senator Geoffrey Mallowes of Skye, the Senate sponsored promising military officers. The plan was for these officers to be successful in becoming knights and even paladins, then, remembering who initially supported them, return some measure of power to the Senators. This plot was uncovered by Paladin Victor Steiner-Davion, who paid for the discovery of that knowledge with his life.

In response, newly-elected Exarch Jonah Levin dissolved the Senate, touching off a civil war. Senate loyalists fought on Terra, but were ultimately driven off, thanks in part to the Republic's new ally, the Federated Suns. Individual Senators retreated to their homeworlds, but most found that they lacked the support needed to build the kind of coalition they desired. This would result in a number of worlds forming their own small nation known as the Senatorial Alliance.

Fortress Republic
Due to all of the turmoil, many of the Knights and much of the Armed Forces of the Republic retreated back to Prefecture X under the plan code named "Fortress Republic". Exarch Levin dissolved the Republic and claimed a newly declared region of space encompassing only slightly more than Prefecture X. This area of space severed all ties with all worlds outside of the territory, even with other worlds of the Republic. Levin stated that he would use all the forces at his disposal to ensure that the newly-drawn boundary remained inviolate. The Republic dissolved as a major political body after the Fortress declaration and was renamed the Republic Remnant or "Republic Territories".

While behind the Walls of the Republic, the Republic forces inside would hunt down and destroy remaining splinter factions and Senate Alliance forces cut off behind the Fortress' walls. Among the first and most notable of these test for the newly formed combat units, would be to hunt down the renegade ComStar's elements that had reformed the ComGuard under the name, Buhl’s Blessed Order. Elements of the Republic forces would end up pursuing ComStar forces to their hidden outpost on Epsilon Eridani and destroying them on their last stronghold in 3141.

Political Organization
The Republic is divided into ten Prefectures, numbered I through X.

Exarch
The Republic is ruled by an Exarch, who is elected by the council of Paladins. Only a Paladin of the Sphere may be elected to the position of Exarch when the position is vacant. The Exarch is essentially the chief executive and makes most of the decisions that affect the entire Republic. The Exarch has a Chief of Staff who aids him in administrative duties. The first two Exarchs were not elected into their position. Exarchs serving the Republic after Devlin Stone only serve four year terms. Limited support was available for former Republic worlds, but many knights and even paladins chose to remain outside of Fortress to help the people of the Republic. Unknown to most major powers, a secret group of Knights, Paladins, Republic Military forces, and other allies were enlisted to cause sabotage, trigger events, and other forms of espionage to distract other would-be conquering powers from turning their eyes to the new Republic Territories.

Exarch history
The first Exarch was Devlin Stone who served until 3130. The second Exarch, Damien Redburn, was chosen by Devlin Stone to succeed him. The third Exarch of the Republic, Jonah Levin, was elected by the council of Paladins. His election came shortly after the assassination of Paladin Victor Ian Steiner-Davion, whose death was investigated by Jonah Levin on the orders of Exarch Redburn.

Paladins
The Paladins are the elite leaders of the Republic who answer only to the Exarch, though he is elected from their number. They vote on policies and can lead the military, including Knights, on special missions.

Paladins are chosen by the Exarch from the ranks of the Knights as a candidate when a slot becomes available, through retirement, promotion to Exarch, or death. They are thoroughly tested by their fellow knights after being chosen. They are knighted to Paladin rank in a ceremony using Devlin Stone's sword by the Exarch.

There are eighteen Paladins who are chosen to serve the Republic. Seventeen of those are known public figures, while the remaining Paladin, known as the Ghost Paladin runs the Intelligence Service of the Republic, the men and women known as the Ghost Knights. The current Ghost Paladin at the time of the election of Exarch Levin is Paladin Emil, who works under the cover of the concierge of the Hotel Duquesne, the hotel of choice for the Republic in housing its dignitaries and high ranking personnel. Known Ghost Knights include Knight Reo Jones, under the cover of a disgraced Knight-to-be, and Mason Dunne, the man behind the Battle of Basalt, which restored that planet to Republic rule (see Ghost War).

Amongst the Paladins, a notable figure is the "Black Paladin", Ezekiel Crow, whose real name was Daniel Peterson. A Paladin of the Republic, he betrayed the very Republic he had sworn to defend, on the planet Northwind. Countess Tara Campbell of Northwind and of the Highlanders, unknowing of his intentions, had fallen for him. Shortly after his betrayal on Northwind, he attempted to assassinate Paladin Jonah Levin on Terra, and interfered with Terra's planetary defense against the Steel Wolves. He was foiled when Countess Northwind defeated him and destroyed his 'Mech. Unbeknownst to her, he did not die. In an attempt to redeem himself, he ended up on the Republican world of Liao, fighting a Capellan Confederation assault and dying there.

Due to the deaths of Paladins Victor Steiner-Davion and Ezekiel Crow, the Paladin Council was now short of Paladins, which were needed for an election for the next Exarch to be held. Thus Knights Janella Lakewood and Gareth Sinclair were elevated to the position of Paladins of the Sphere.

Knights
Knights are individuals who have been recognized by the government of the Republic as highly skilled and intelligent individuals who have set aside their own needs for that of the Republic and its people. David Lear helped establish the knights using the title to promote a model of behavior for people to look up to.

They are the immediate agents of the Paladins and Exarch’s executive branch, usually acting as aides, military liaisons to local militia commanders or commanders themselves.

Knights are not necessarily military personnel, though it is the most common avenue. Other Knights include scientists, businessmen, artists and other professions. In addition to their title, Knights are also entitled to land grants. They are also referred to by title "Sir" or "Lady".

Another branch in the Knights Corp are the Ghost Knights. They are the elite of the clandestine Republic Intelligence community. They work in the shadows, with very few individuals actually knowing their true identity. They are more than just spies, they are special operations troops able to operate combat vehicles, BattleMechs and so forth whenever the mission requires. They work for a select group of Knights and Paladins and not directly with Republic Intelligence. The Ghost Knight's leading commander is only known as the Ghost Paladin.

There are two ranks of seniority for the "Knight" in the Republic of the Sphere. Knights-Errant are basically entry level Knights. Their uniforms are gray tunics and black trousers chased with scarlet and gold piping with their name monogrammed on their left breast. The uniform of a Knight differs in that they wear steel gray tunics with scarlet piping, a gold shield on each arm and the cape of rank falling down to the back of their knees.

Prefectures
Each world has a single Governor, whose term of Governorship is for life and can only be stripped by the Senate, though if a Governor accepts a seat on the Senate, he must voluntarily give up his Governorship.

Continuing down the ruling structure of the Republic, every Prefecture is ruled by a Lord Governor who was elected by the Governors of that Prefecture and that serves a ten-year term.

A Prefect is a military leader selected by the Paladins and that serves for five years. Their choice can only be overruled by the Exarch.

In each world, all military matters are handled by a Legate, who is appointed by the Governor, and that oversees planetary security and any martial issue on the planet. There is not a predefined length of time a Legate can serve. All Legates answer to a single Prefect.

The Republic consists of ten prefectures, using roman numerical system of numbering.
 * Prefecture I, Prefecture II, Prefecture III, Prefecture IV, Prefecture V, Prefecture VI, Prefecture VII, Prefecture VIII, Prefecture IX, Prefecture X.

Senate
The Senate was a body of thirty to forty individuals that oversees the political aspects of the federal government.

The Senate dealt with any issues that cross Prefecture boundaries and served as an oversight committee for all Governors, making sure the power of that office was not abused. From three to four Senators were elected by the citizens of each Prefecture. Those individuals were always from the nobility, except on Clan populated worlds, where a Trial of Position was taken. A Senator would serve until he was voted out. Even Knights of the Sphere could be elected to the Senate, but on those instances, the Knight must gave up all his powers and responsibilities within the Knights of the Sphere for the duration of his term. Once this Knight leaves the Senate, and provided he passed the required tests, he could re-enter the Knights of the Sphere.

Though the name of the Republic would seem to imply that the Senate would be a very powerful institution, it was not. The Senate's powers were largely advisory. Each world sent two noble representatives to Geneva.

Devlin Stone wanted to break down the barriers that shielded the nation's leader from his or her people. This meant getting rid of the hereditary nobility. Stone, however, realized that he needed their support to make the Republic work. He created the Senate to appeal to the nobility, but gave it and them no real power. The Senate attempted a long-term power play that was discovered by the Paladins in 3134. In response, newly-elected Exarch Jonah Levin dissolved the Senate.

In retaliation, the senators rebelled against the Republic, trying to seize the control and capture the other heads of state of all states in the Inner Sphere, who were on Terra to assist the Funeral of Victor, but they failed. Defeated repeatedly, they eventually formed their own state: the Senate Alliance.

Military
The disarmament of the Republic territory was almost total: beyond the few military units, or the Knights, very few persons got Battlemechs. In every planet was a local militia, with infantry, armor and even artillery... but only one Battlemech in the majority of planets. But not always: in planet Mirach, the only Battlemech, the Governor's Centurion, was exposed in a museum. Other planets, like Achernar, got two mechs, and others more.

In 3135, the Republic Armed Forces are commanded by Commanding General Tina Magnusson-Talbot. Each Prefecture contains three combined arms regiments: an elite Hastati Sentinels, a veteran Principes Guards, and a green parade unit, the Triarii Protectors. Each one is named after a different type of Roman infantry. The Hastati were light infantry, the Principes the heavier veterans, and oddly the Triarii the grizzled elites. Each of the thirty regiments is named by the prefecture they operate in, e.g. III Triarii Protectors is in Prefecture III.

In addition to the Regular Army, the Republic maintains other units. The most prominent of these is the Northwind Highlanders. A prestigious unit with a history that dates back to pre-spaceflight Scotland on Terra, the Highlanders have been very active in the Republic since the fall of the HPG network. Even though they are based on Northwind, the Highlanders have been active throughout the Republic.

A group of individuals rather than a true military unit, the Corps of Knights is composed of some of the finest MechWarriors in the Inner Sphere. Knights are commanders who are essentially troubleshooters and occupy a unique position in the military hierarchy. Knights are generally assigned specific tasks or as commanders of ad hoc units, rather than being permanently assigned to a unit. Since knighthood is a prerequisite to becoming a paladin, many ambitious individuals seek to become knights.

A third special force, the Fidelis (publicly known as Stone's Shadows) are a mysterious and secretive group. They were used by Devlin Stone during his counter-Jihad campaigns as elite guards and black ops. Only the Exarch has the power to call upon the Fidelis, who serve a blood oath to the Republic. In the 3130s, the Fidelis are still led by their 100+ year-old Custos. They are an amalgamation of elite troopers and black ops commandos. Each warrior is cross-trained in many specialties so that an infantryman can easily take to the cockpit of a 'Mech and pilot it. Their infantry forces are far superior to any others, with a squad of seven able to take down a BattleMech.

List of Exarchs

 * Devlin Stone (3081 – 3130)
 * Damien Redburn (3130 – 3134)
 * Jonah Levin (3134 – present)

List of Paladins
The list of all known Paladins past and present are:
 * Maya Avellar
 * Ezekiel Crow (traitor, killed-in-action on Liao while fighting Capellan Confederation forces)
 * Isabella Druchet (retired in 3132 and replaced by Jonah Levin)
 * Tyrina Drummond
 * Emil (Ghost Paladin)
 * Heather GioAvanti
 * Meraj Jorgensson (KIA on Terra fighting off Senate Loyalist Forces)
 * Gelaina Kelso
 * Anders Kessel
 * Janella Lakewood (elevated to replace Ezekiel Crow)
 * Jonah Levin (later elected 3rd Exarch of The Republic of the Sphere)
 * Otto Mandela
 * Thaddeus Marik
 * David McKinnon
 * Kaffyd Op Owens
 * Damien Redburn (later elected 2nd Exarch of The Republic of the Sphere)
 * Gareth Sinclair (elevated to replace Victor Ian Steiner-Davion)
 * Kelson Sorenson
 * Victor Ian Steiner-Davion (assassinated on orders of Senator Geoffrey Mallowes of Skye in Prefecture IX)
 * Ariana Zou (elevated to replace Meraj Jorgensson)

List of Knights

 * Kristoff Erbe: Knight who lead a Fidelis group of troops in 3136.


 * Alexi Holt: Female Knight who lead a mission to oversee HPG reactivation in planet Wyatt in 3135.


 * Janella Lakewood: Knight destined to planet Ronel in 3133. Promoted to Paladin.


 * Jona Lakewood: Father of Janella.


 * Crystal Liveston Synd: Female Ghost Knight who lead a Fidelis assault to planet Ryde in 3136.


 * Kyle Powers: killed in Achernar by steel wolves officer Torrent.


 * Raul Ortega: reservist of Achernar, successor of Kyle Powers.


 * Siyanda Ashanti: Knight that was sent to break up the protests in Proserpina, but ended up the target of an assassination attempt and later died trying to stop the jailbreak of the group's leadership.


 * Conner Rhys-Monroe, son of senator Gerald Monroe: Knight who resigned of his post in 3135, becoming the military leader of the Senate Alliance.


 * Kitsune Kurita: son of Paladin Victor Steiner-Davion.


 * Cray Stansill: Knight who resigned of his post in 3135, becoming one of the military leaders of the Senate loyalist, until he was killed in combat by Tara Campbell.


 * Burton Davion: son of Paladin Victor Steiner-Davion, KIA in planet Wei during the Capellan Crusades.


 * Hester Mahoney: KIA in planet Second Try during the Capellan Crusades.


 * Julia Marbury: Knight-Errant, MIA in planet Liao during the Capellan Crusades.


 * Castor Pagonis: Knight-Errant, KIA in planet Styk during the Capellan Crusades.


 * Gillian Sandoz: Knight-Errant, MIA in planet Suzano during the Capellan Crusades.


 * Angelina Costello: Knight-Errant, KIA in planet Wei during the Capellan Crusades.


 * Jonathan Yasuda: Knight-Errant, KIA in planet Wei during the Capellan Crusades.


 * Casper Van Ostrand: Knight-Errant, KIA in planet Wei during the Capellan Crusades.


 * Nolan Dotter: night-Errant, KIA in planet Wei during the Capellan Crusades.


 * Consuela Dagmar: Knight-Errant promoted a Knight during the Capellan Crusades.


 * Castor Hobbes: Knight that lead refreshment troops to Skye and lost the planet


 * Deandra Lowe: Knight that doubles as a courier travelling and sending information between different parties and hence getting secrets important for the Republic.


 * Sonya Artigonn: Knight that investigated links from Jacob Bannson to a series of missing shipments of decommissioned BattleMechs from various Prefecture capitals to the boneyards on Terra.


 * Jahmil Yost: Knight that investigated links from Jacob Bannson to a series of missing shipments of decommissioned BattleMechs from various Prefecture capitals to the boneyards on Terra.


 * Reginald Eriksson: Knight that discovered Katana Tormark


 * Eve Kincaid: Knight-Errant that fought in the Battle of Liao in the Dark Age.

List of Ghost knights

 * Jeremy Chin: Ghost Knight who devastated planet Kwamashu in 3136, losing his mind later and commiting suicide for that 21 years later.
 * Mason Dunne: Knight who infiltrated in anti-Republic movements in planets Helen and Basalt in 3133, dismantling them.
 * Jayson Greene: Ghost Knight leading a Fidelis group of troops in 3136.
 * Gresco Hancock: Female ghost knight working infiltrated as a mercenary in planet Callison in 3136. She killed the planetary governor hostile to the Republic, becoming the governor of planet.
 * Reo Jones: Knight infiltrated in Jacob Bannson mercenaries in planet Wyatt, in 3135.

Terran Protectorate
During the period between the capture or liberation of Terra in 3079 and the final fall of the Word of Blake, the region which had been known as the Word of Blake Protectorate appears to have been referred to as the "Terran Protectorate" prior to the formation of the Republic of the Sphere.