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| Outreach from space, c3130 |
The So-called Outreach Revival was one of
the unexpected side effects of the Blackout, and one who’s exact origins and purpose seemingly defies
all reason. Scoured by the Word of Blake, Outreach had been left a desolate,
irradiated and almost uninhabitable world by the end of the Jihad. The
Republic's decision to keep the planet populated was less due to any strategic
value of the world and more as a symbolic vicotry over the Word.
Abandoned by the MRBC, Outreach had become
a largely forgotten backwater in the decades before the blackout. Its small, impoverished
population, themselves the descendants of those who had survived the Jihad,
clung to life in a handful of domed or subterranean cities. Living conditions
on the planet were poor at best, with rampant poverty and crime adding to the
grim conditions. The planet held nothing of any value, its wealth and place in
the heart of the Mercenary trade but a distant memory.
However, something rather unexpected occurred
on Outreach after the Blackout. As the mercenary trade entered a sudden boom
after years of quiet decline, numerous units began to congregate on the world,
even though it had no remaining connection to the mercenary trade. Many of
these were smaller units, some as small as a single
BattleMech, or ones that had only come into existence since the blackout.
Others were disreputable or fringe units that were not registered with the
MRBC, and were looking for opportunities that would not be otherwise available.
Some of those had come from as far away as the Periphery, the trip itself a
major investment.
While the original
cause of this migration remained unclear, it seemed to have a desired result.
By May of 3133, representatives from numerous worlds in the Republic were
on-world, looking to bolster their defences against the growing chaos. Other
powers began to set up shop as well, with the Oriente Protectorate and Marik-Stewart
Commonwealth both having active recruiters on Outreach by January of 3134.
While none of the great houses were represented, a range of employers had also
made their presence known, ranging from individual worlds to planetary nobles, corporations
or even other Mercenary units looking to bolster their strength through
expanded recruitment. These included the various Republic splinter factions
that had sprung up since the blackout, with the Swordsworn and (reportedly)
Bannson's Raiders being particularly active.
The result was
something of a boom for a world that had been all but dead for decades. The
planetary economy grew dramatically, something that was all but unique at the
time while its small (and dwindling) population increased with the influx of
new traffic. As the size of the mercenary trade on Outreach grew, other
connected businesses approached a world that had been otherwise ignored for
decades, setting up shop to support the newfound trade.
While this trade was in
open violation of the Republic's laws on the restrictions of Mercenary units
and Outreach was perilously close to Terra, the Republic chose not to do anything
about this trade. Given the challenges faced by the RAF at the time, the
decision not to act was likely based on a pragmatic need to focus on the real
threats and not start another conflict that they could ill-afford. Likewise,
the brief occupation of Outreach by a Spirit Cat force (supported by a
detachment of Wolf's Dragoons) in June 3133 did little to disrupt the trade.
The Spirit Cats merely followed their unknowable agenda, leaving the rest of
the world free to do whatever it wanted, regardless.
The only challenge to
the Outreach Revival came with the declaration of Fortress Republic in
September 3135. Outreach lay within the territory claimed by the Fortress, and
those on-world had no idea what the future held. By that point, Outreach was
home to at least fifty mercenary units of varying size and capability, and
while not all of them were on-world at the time, there was an appreciable
exodus of those not willing to be caught by whatever would happen next. Others
chose to stay for whatever reason, being unwilling to abandon the opportunities
that they had claimed or being simply unable to leave.
The final fate of
Outreach and its revived mercenary trade remains a mystery, as with everything
else that has happened within the walls of Fortress Republic. When the Walls
went up, all contact with the world was lost. None of the units who were still
on Outreach at the time have been seen since, and many have assumed that they
were simply destroyed or otherwise forcibly disbanded. Those units who were
outside the wall at the time have been forced to move on, often relocating to
other hiring halls such as Galatea or Herotitus. For many, this also forced
them to 'trade up', or 'go legit', including registering with the MRBC.
-From Mercenaries in the 32nd Century, Galatea Free Press
(From what I've found, the Royals first appeared on
Outreach as a part of this revival movement.
While information from that period is understandably hard to find, I
think there could be something here that could explain why they turned on us
and the Lyrans and us. Definitely worth investigating further -Nikola)
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