Volume XXV: Profit and Power—Birth of the Lyran Commonwealth

Almost lost to the ages, an insignia flutters on a flagpole before the Donegal Museum of Antiquities. Gray, with a lyre at its center, three strings of gold cross this flag, crisp and clear, catching the light from Donegal’s pale yellow sun. Even native tourists to this place, seeing this banner for the first time, wonder at its meaning, but it is plain to anyone who knows the history of their realm—this flag was once the standard of the Lyran Commonwealth.

Though today the Steiner fist, set against a field of striking blue, is the recognized standard of the Lyran state, the three-stringed Grecian lyre told of a more optimistic time, when the leaders of three mercantile alliances joined forces to create the nation whose name has become synonymous with economic stability. As much for mutual profit as for mutual defense, the three leaders, Thomas McQuiston of the Federation of Skye, Kevin Tamar of the Tamar Pact, and Robert Marsden of the Protectorate of Donegal, met on the Tamar world of Arcturus in 2339 to discuss a political and economic merger.

Like all leaders who forged their realms during the period of darkness after the Terran Alliance turned in on itself, all three recognized the threats of a growing Draconis Combine on one front, a resurgent Terran Hegemony on another, and the might of the Free Worlds League on yet another. More than that, however, all three claimed rulership over wealthy realms, any one of which would be a tempting morsel for its neighbors. By uniting, they could at once forge a greater defense against their neighbors, while lowering restrictions on trade amongst one another, tripling their markets at no cost in resources.

In 2341, after two years of negotiations, the Lyran Commonwealth was born, named for the three-stringed Grecian lyre proposed by Robert Marsden as a symbol of the three realms and their equal standing as partners. It was to be ruled by nine archons—three from each partner-state—with an Archon Basileus to be chosen as its leader. Established with high-minded—even egalitarian—ideals, the three leaders saw a future of hope and profit ahead of them.

However, even the best-laid plans can go astray, and for the newborn Commonwealth, truer words could not be spoken. . . .

The first sign that something had gone terribly wrong should have been, of course, the fact that the Lyran Commonwealth existed only on paper for its first five years. The three founders couldn’t even decide who the nine archons would be, or how to effectively combine their economies. Marsden, Tamar, and McQuiston were brilliant businessmen, but their concepts for running an interstellar nation of some 100 billion people were hopelessly flawed. Although they built a lovely capitol building on Arcturus, by the time the first rulers of the Commonwealth had gathered in it the new nation was in the grip of an economic upheaval and teetered on the edge of ruin. Though unable to lead, the nine archons quickly learned how to profit, and the next decade displayed their avarice in the face of crumbling prosperity among their subjects. Add to this mix the growing threat of an aggressive Draconis Combine, massing troops near the Tamar Pact border, and rumors that Tamar would secede to sign a treaty with the Kuritas if things didn’t improve, and it comes as little wonder that people thought the Commonwealth was doomed. —Kevin Duelli, A Cynic’s Guide to Politics, 3rd Edition, Dark Skye Press, 3090

Robert Marsden, often regarded by Lyran history books as “the last of the nine archons who gave a damn” was an impatient man, yet he stood by in the shadows of the government building on Arcturus for close to thirty years before finally taking action. Some say this delay was a sign of the same corruption that infected the other archons, others paint a picture of eternal optimism—a hope that everything would turn out right without extreme measures. Still others wonder aloud if he hadn’t deliberately stayed his hand to gather his evidence against the others and let the people of the Commonwealth know how truly bad things could get. For whatever reason, Marsden waited until 2375 before finally doing what someone probably should have done a long time before. After touring the realm, winning support among local leaders and gathering evidence on his fellow archons, he announced to the Commonwealth that he was crowning himself Archon Basileus, and publicized the worst excesses of his fellow archons.

Moral outrage and the results of his backroom deals did the rest. Fueled by a quarter century of failing economics and rampant corruption, with promise of a new, stronger government that included only one archon and an elected body of planetary representatives as his council of advisors, the majority of the Lyran people rallied to Marsden’s banner. By December of 2375, Robert Marsden was officially recognized as the sole ruler of the Lyran state, and the other eight archons were serving life terms in prison.

Making good on his promises, Archon Marsden submitted to all Lyran member-worlds his Articles of Acceptance, allowing each world to sign off on his new government. Because the laws outlining the rights of individual worlds were so loose, most planetary leaders signed on eagerly, though a few required more urging than others. While a few remaining holdouts—notably Tamar and Skye, whose leaders were among the eight archons sentenced to imprisonment—required military action, Marsden’s plan for a strong, unified Lyran Commonwealth was finally realized.

Over the next fifteen years, the Lyran economy not only stabilized, but improved vastly, and Marsden focused his efforts equally on consolidating his authority, stabilizing the financial situation, building and improving trade with neighboring realms and within his own borders, and building the Commonwealth military. The Lyran Commonwealth quickly became known for its mercantilism, and for having one of the best-equipped militaries of all the nations in the Inner Sphere. Even so, events would soon unfold to teach the Lyran people that money wasn’t everything. . . .

So, let’s see if this sounds familiar: It’s a time of crisis. A beloved leader of the realm has died. His successor publicly grieves, but soon announces to the gathered masses that she will lead the state in the name of peace, then sends her closest rival to fight a war, hoping he’ll get himself killed. Who would I be talking about? If you guessed Katherine Steiner-Davion, you’re only half right. No, I’m talking about the founder of the Steiner legacy herself, Katherine Steiner (though she was known as Katherine Marsden to her people at first). —Mikhail Brein, Endless Loop: A Steiner History, Avalon Press, 3059.

The events that led to the foundation of House Steiner actually began with the Commonwealth’s one Achilles’ heel: the general incompetence of its military forces. A disastrous and unauthorized assault on the Free Worlds League planet of Promised Land demonstrated that simply having the best equipment doesn’t win a war, and is alleged to have contributed to Robert Marsden’s death from a coronary after public sentiment turned against the aging Archon. In his place came his younger brother, Alistair Marsden.

As the Age of War began with the Capellan–Free Worlds border disputes, and the eventual Combine invasion of the Commonwealth, Alistair Marsden repeatedly found his military commanders ill suited to the task of protecting the realm. The threat was so great, it had forced Marsden to relocate the Lyran capital to Tharkad, lest it fall to the Dragon. In fury and frustration, he eventually dismissed his military commanders, and went off to lead from the front personally.

It was while repelling a Combine assault that Alistair Marsden was killed in action, leaving behind a grieving widow, Katherine Marsden (nee Steiner) and a newborn son, also named Alistair. As a woman whose beauty, intelligence, and eloquence had won over the hearts of the Lyrans even before the death of her husband, Katherine’s passionate eulogy of the lost Archon and her obvious grief gained the people’s sympathy as well. When, just two months later, the grieving widow proclaimed her name change back to Steiner, and her intention to rule as Archon Basileus, with her son as Archon-Designate, a shocked Commonwealth reacted with whispered rumors, but surprisingly little opposition.

Katherine Steiner’s winning charm and keen intellect even helped her win the support of the leaders of Tamar and Skye, rebellious provinces since the days of Robert Marsden. She even made Timothy Marsden, her late husband’s uncle and a contender for the throne, her commanding general on the Free Worlds front. When Marsden died in battle against House Marik, the last obstacle to the foundation of House Steiner died with him.

Join us next time, for a closer look at the nature of House Steiner and the rise of a nation known for its wealth and power even today. I’m Bertram Habeas.