The International Corporate Coalition
The International Corporate Coalition, is a large multinational alliance of businesses that span from consumer goods to jumpships, with members in virtually every sector of industry. They operate and facilitate trade across international boundaries, bringing goods from the Free Rasalhague Republic all the way to the edge of the Confederation. Their founding members were all millitary industrial and transport companies, but the success of their model invited others to participate and others still to imitate and compete against them.
To circumvent export restrictions, run experiments and produce mechs and products outside of the prying eyes of the successor states and reach of their competitors, the ICC Board of Directors dictated that a world, not on anyone's charts, should be found to build an industrial base. While the inner sphere watched as Clan Smoke Jaguar was driven from the inner sphere, their search bore fruit. They located a system with two habitable worlds, one had once been home to a Star League Agricultural Research project, and the other bore evidence of mining efforts. The primary world even bore a modest population, sustained by the advanced farming equipment and techniques there. This system, Amber, would be their secret base.
Amber
Named for the wife of the TH/SLDF scientific director who founded the project, Amber was a uncharted world hidden on the fringes of Terran Hegemony Space. A lush, verdant, highly fertile world that played home to a number of Hegemony/SLDF agricultural projects. Owing to the heavy degree of secrecy desired for these projects, many of the personnel for the project moved there permanently, along with their families (or began them there on planet). During the Amaris Coup, many more woudl come to call Amber home, and the world would become vital in feeding and supplying the phantoms of the resistance against Amaris. For ages, the last the people of Amber saw of the outside world, was a cataclysmic battle between Amaris-affiliated caspars and a warship there to defend the breadbasket of the resistance, that left them bereft of transport out of system. It rapidly became clear that no one was coming for them, and they were on their own. Fortunately, it was a peaceful world whose industries were not war oriented, and internal strife was minimal.
Generations came and went before the world was stumbled upon during the time of the Annhilation of Clan Smoke Jaguar. This International Corporate Coalition ranged from manufacturers of battlemechs, combat vehicles and components of both, to medical, electronic, and personal goods. The ICC hired numerous mercenary units and tested their loyalty on external projects before bringing them to Amber, and making them a full part of the ICC. The Civilian Government of Amber remained seperate from the millitary and industrial concerns, insisting only that environmentally hazardous works be done off-planet that Amber's bounty may be preserved, and that the world remain hidden from the inner sphere at large.
Amber is home to much of the final assembly work, houses a large portion of the ICC's employees, and is the center of command for most ICC concerns. They have a defense force, composed mostly of native volunteers. Additionally, ICC Member organizations employ trusted mercenaries to safeguard their assets there. Much of the hazardous assembly, chemical synthesis, and other environmentally unfriendly tasks take place either at one of the orbital facilities around Amber, or on neighboring Chaos, and are shipped over to Amber.
Chaos
a mineral-rich hellscape with abundant geological activity, named "Chaos" by the scientists who studied there. Chaos is home to various mining efforts, hazardous manufacturing activities, and experimental facilities. Its atmosphere supports very little in the way of life, and many of the operations there are conducted in pressurized, artificial atmospheric containment systems. Even if these systems fail, the atmosphere is generally enough to sustain life until relief arrives. Chaos is highly geologically active in areas, and techniques are being developed to use these active geologic zones to dispose of byproducts from the manufacturing efforts.
Personnel generally do not live permanently on Chaos, and are instead stationed there in shifts, living normally on Amber. Due to the distance between the locations a colony cluster in chaos orbit serves as a relief station and emergency housing should a disaster arise. Use of Chaos, rather than Amber, for live-fire millitary exercises is encouraged.
Lorraine
During the formation of the Republic, Amber was uncomfortably close to the republic and with diametrically opposed goals. It was at this time, a third planet(two jumps away) listed as "Lorraine" on star league era charts, was used as a clearinghouse. Initially Lorraine's moon was used mostly as a safe decomissioning site of captured/salvaged blakist hardware. Full quarantine protocols were followed, and disposable computing hardware was used to vet the equipment. Testing was done outside of atmosphere in case of biological agents, and done largely by remote in case of lethal/explosive booby traps. Later, the planet was settled and stocked with the facilities and farms needed to act as a screen for activities on Amber. The location of Lorraine is known to several external parties, including Clan Wolf in Exile, due to the interactions between the Wolves and ICC members during the Jihad. So far as these external parties are aware, Lorraine IS Amber. In addition to serving as a clearinghouse and testbed for vetting and trading salvaged equipment, Lorraine also serves as a means to evaluate personnel loyalties. New candidates are evaluated on Lorraine and given the chance to betray the ICC and the location of Lorraine. Those who betray the ICC and reveal themselves to be enemy agents are humanely imprisoned there. Those who prove their loyalty are cleared to move to Amber.
Major ICC Member Organizations
mechaDynamics
mechaDynamics, a producer of liscensed mech designs and components for mechs as well as subsidaries in personal goods and millitary analogue goods, with locations in Free Rasalhague Republic, is one of the founding members of the ICC. Intimately Familiar with Clantech Production from working with Clan Ghost Bear, they are a leader in bespoke mech production and reverse engineering. With a focus on producing parts for the myriad designs in use across known and unknown space, they developed a series of machines for mech scale reverse engineering and rapid prototyping under the heading of "PROJECT SAMPO" named after the mythic Finnish Mill. The End Result is a series of technologies that assemble to produce what they call a versaLine. The m echaDynamics versaLine is capable of producing limited runs of any mech design it is fed for reverse engineering, or any design whose blueprints are input. Working Closely with the Red Army and the Hellraisers, mechaDynamics is eager to assimilate as many mech and vehicle designs as it can, as well as building a large underground archival site, where mechs are mothballed and preserved for future study and exhibition. a museum is maintained for the public. mechaDynamics, in pursuit of as many machines as they can obtain, has assembled numerous Combat Salvage Teams to venture forth and obtain new materials for their archives.
mechaDynamics Important Persons (3145): President and CEO Rusty Edge (Son of previous President Cliff Edge)
Locations: Several Planets(FRR), Madison(Amber), Zero G Mining Sites(Amber Asteroid Belt)
Sponsored Mercs: The Red Army, Foxx's Hellraisers
Personal Forces: Combat Salvage Teams.
Products: Various, including Clantech.
Venture Industries
Venture Industries is another of the founding members of the International Corporate Coalition. Primarily a robotics and medical research organization, Venture Industries found the mindset and regulations of the successor states too stifling, and wanted a private place to pursue research that might be seen as taboo by some. Self-made experts in genetics and robotic automation, Venture Industries was an excellent match for a number of groups on Amber. They assisted with the development and improvement of both mechaDynamics' versaLine, and (before their true colors were revealed) Hyperion's OmniLine. The shattered wreckage of the caspar left in the system was also a fascination to them, but ultimately it led nowhere. They also found kindred spirits in the Society Scientists liberated by the Red Army, with whom they collaborated on a modified form of the Clan Iron Wombs and genetic engineering technologies, allowing the millitary forces of amber to recruit from a locally produced form of trueborn bred warriors and personnel. Currently, Venture Industries is in decline, as the inheritor of the company, Thaddeus S Venture ("Rusty" to friends, confusing when both he and President Edge of mechaDynamics are together), despite his brilliance, lacks his father Jonas' ambition. Time will tell if the slump will continue, or if his twin brother, Jonas Junior, will take control of the company.
Venture Industries Important Persons(3145): Thaddeus Venture, Jonas Venture, Brock Sampson.
Locations: Venture Industries Compound(Amber), Gargantua 1 Space Station(L3, Amber Orbit)
Sponsored Mercs: Cowboys From Hell
Products: Medical Technologies, Genesmithing, Robotic Automation
Tunt Logistics
Tunt Logistics, one of the Inner Sphere's premier shipping organizations manages everything from local planetary rail operations to merchant jumpship fleets. Regardless of whether its a bumper crop of Naranji, or a dropship load of salvage, Tunt Logistics can get it from Atreus To Zoetermeer and anywhere else you care to name in the alphabet of planets between. Tunt was brought early into the ICC as they searched for one of the cornerstones of their plan. In the search for an organization with an interest in aerospace production, the ICC board found the Union Aerospace Corporation. The UAC does quite the volume of business with Tunt Logistics, and introduced them to the ICC. Tunt's stake in the private refuge is support for constructing several secret shipyards, in and out of the Amber System for the preservation and expansion of their logistics fleet. It is through the Tunt Logistics Jumpship Network that much of the machinery and goods produced on Amber reach markets beyond. Much like Venture Industries, Tunt Logistics is in a minor decline due to unreliable leadership. The current heads of TL, siblings, are content to take a hands-off approach to the company and let it run itsself. This neglect has slowed expansion, but has not crippled the company, which is compartmentalized to prevent such a failure. In addition to their relationship with the UAC, it was through TL, that the ICC was introduced to ISIS, who would later form the core of the Amber Intelligence Apparatus.
Tunt Logistics Important Persons(3145): Cheryl Tunt, Cecil Tunt
Locations: Sphere-wide. Appleton(Amber)
Union Aerospace
Union Aerospace Corporation was another early member of the ICC, and Focuses on the Aerospace needs of the ICC and Tunt Industries. They produce everything from atmospheric aircraft to jumpships. They are largely responsible for the staffing and administration of the Yardships and Shipyard of Amber, and they keep the Tunt and other ICC Aerospace assets moving. Their interest in the Haven at Amber lies in having a private place to engage in personal projects just like most of the ICC, as well as conducting experiments that the successor states would never allow them to "waste" resources on. Their Shipyard at Amber is capable of producing or servicing even the largest warships and Yardships, but spends much of its time producing Dropships and Jumpships.
Globex
The Globex Corporation was THE founding operation of the International Corporate Coalition, and it was their desire for a private haven that led the ICC to search for a place such as Amber. Globex made their fortunes Manufacturing Fusion Reactors(both Millitary and Civilian), Sub-components, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Household goods, and Small Arms, but their founder's true ambition was to buy his way into control of a planet and become nobility within a successor state. Denied this opportunity, he instead sought to escape their grasp. Once on Amber, Hank Scorpio let his company administrate itsself for the most part, trusting in the managers he had hired, so that he could venture into the local politics of Amber, quite successfully.
Iris Corporation
The Iris Corporation hails from the Federated Suns, and joined the ICC's search for a haven due to the ravages of the Federated Commonwealth Civil War. With the secrecy provided by the haven, the Iris Corporation has begun research into reviving the Land Air Mech concept. To pursue this end, they have contracted mechaDynamics to build them a versaLine installation for the production and testing of prototypes. The head of the Iris Corporation is a distant relative of a cadet branch of the Davion Family. Of late, the Iris Corporation has been shifting families and production out of the once again turbulent Federated Suns, and onto Amber.
ISIS
ISIS, is an unusual mercenary group. Focused not on mechanized warfare, ISIS offered their services as an espionage organization to other parties who did not have their own internal intelligence agency. It became clear that Amber would require the services of an espionage and intel outfit, and ISIS was brought in to fill that need. Despite their colorful reputation, their results speak for themselves. Through their efforts and ICC Paranoia, the existence and location of Amber has been kept a secret.
The People of Amber
The Civillian Government and Populace of Amber. Descended from the Terran Hegemony, many of those involved in the project were born on Terra itsself. Primarily North American, the Amberite government based their post-coup governance on an idealized version of the United States of America that scholars argue may never have existed. a moderately decentralized populace on a rare planet of plenty, internal conflict was infrequent, and low-key. In addition to the settlers who originated in North America, lineages from Japan, China, Persia, Germany, The Scandinavian Region and the Indian subcontinent were recorded as present.
The Red Army
Formed out of the schism within a mercenary group known as Romanov's Crusaders, The Red Army is not named for the chinese millitary of yore, but for their color in intramural exercises conducted by the crusaders. Self Styled Marshall Romanov was a staunch supporter of Katherine Steiner-Davion, though reports vary as to whether she was even aware of his existence. A number of his employees differed from this opinion, and were shuffled together into the Red Army as a dumping ground for malcontents and non-conformists. Marshall Romanov concocted a scheme to rid himself of these malcontents and free himself of the burden. He was unable to fire them, despite the rank he styled himself, he did not wholly own the unit, and his investors would not let him just dismiss skilled mechwarriors.
So, he decided that the Jade Falcons would do his dirty work for him. But, against all odds the Red Army overcame the falcons, and survived. Wresting control of some of Romanov's transport assets, they harried the Falcons. Steve "Restless" Brandon, the leader of this orphaned band, had served as a mercenary in numerous clashes with the clans, and managed to familiarize himself with their ways. Using what he had learned from fighting the Jaguars and Wolves, he took his men and set upon the falcons, striking at their rear echelons, fighting their second line warriors and salvaging what he could, culminating in a trial that left him in possession of a large number of technicians and scientists. Clearing out before the falcons could strike a reprisal, the Red Army proceeded to fight their way to new avalon, and assist some old friends, and their new unit, The First Davion Rangers, during the final days of the Federated Commonwealth Civil War.
The Hellraisers
After the FCCW, the Red Army departed New Avalon for their new position employed by the International Corporate Coalition. Taking with them from the Rangers, one Foxx Ital, the Red Army went on to serve their new contract with mechaDynamics and the ICC. Foxx, however, felt a greater degree of wanderlust, and traveled to Solaris VII. Taking part in the games there, Foxx displayed the prowess that had made him a valuable part of the Rangers, and Clan Ghost Bear before it. No sooner did he begin to build his legend there on the game world, than the Word of Blake began its sphere-wide temper tantrum that would come to be known as the Jihad. Foxx banded together with the rangers who had accompanied him to the game world, and those who had joined his efforts there, and struck back. Growing from a reinforced Star, to nearly a cluster over the course of the Jihad, Foxx's Hellraisers are hard to classify. Not quite mercenaries, not quite clan, They are an indpendant, irregular force sponsored by the ICC. Their Jihad era exploits took them across the Commonwealth, through the Ghost Bear Dominion, back home to Amber, and even to outreach, adopting some of the shattered dragoons into their organization. Legend has it, they brought back a treasure trove of data for the ICC, from the irradiated ruins of Outreach, and this is part of why the ICC indulges the whims of the Hellraisers, wherever they wish to raise it.
Jihad and Wars of Reaving Refugees
During the Word of Blake Jihad, as operations were established on Amber were unfolding, and their populations were integrating it became evident that the Word of Blake had knowlege of Amber, and that a faction within the technoreligious organization intended on using Amber as a bolt hole to rest and rearm. Their attempt to wrest control of the world from the ICC was unsuccessful and left the ICC in control of a First Lord's Ransom in blakist goodies, including three yardships (Faslane and Newgrange) and, much to their dismay a large number of blakist dependants and survivors of the millitary organization. Heated debate ensued over what to do with them, but the Civilian Leadership of Amber insisted they be given refuge, and ICC and Millitary concerns condceded that the Blakist population could be granted a landhold on one of the larger islands in Amber's southern hemisphere, so long as they disarmed and lived peacefully there. They were free to continue believing in blakist views so long as they abandoned the ambitions that came along with it, and accepted that the Word of Blake's loss during the Jihad proved that the unification of the inner sphere beneath their banner was folly.
Two of the Mercenary groups involved in the Amber Project, had ties to the Clans. The Red Army cut their teeth as an independant force against Clan Jade Falcon garrison forces, and learned from prisoners about how the clans operated. They used this knowlege to their advantage and took isorla an entire scientific facility's staff. They did not know why such a facility was so lightly guarded, until much later on when it was revealed that most of the personnel there were members of an illicit clan organization that called themselves The Society. The facility that the Red Army had taken over and ransacked was an illicit research station not entirely approved of by the clan. Still the society conspirators found an even greater degree of freedom amongst the Red Army and ICC than they had even as a part of the society, and relatively few of them caused any trouble, as their greatest desires were to have the freedom to research and experiment beyond what their clan masters would allow. The ICC was more than happy to sponsor such research, and collaborate where applicable. Foxx's Hellraisers were the other unit with strong clan ties, being founded by a former ghost bear (by way of Foxx's bondsmanship with a Federated Suns unit) and the unit was populated by several other Clan Warriors including a smoke jaguar refugee obtained from Solaris, and several other members of Clan Ghost Bear who joined up in the Jihad. Their knowlege of clan organization and tactics allowed for the basis of a clan-style training program to be implemented.
Minor/Non-Founding/Non-Controlling ICC Members
Hyperion(disbanded, former Word of Blake shell company)
Nergal Heavy Industries, from the Draconis Combine (Mechs)
Mao Industries from the Capellan Confederation (Mechs & Vehicles)
Morgenroete Inc from the Lyran Commonwealth (Mechs)
Anaheim Electronics from the Free Worlds League (Mechs)
Gleeson, Palmer and Ivaarsen (Combat Vehicles)
Oshkosh Truck (Support Vehicles)
Stark Wayne and Reed (Battle Armor)
Vandelay Industries (Components, Import/Export)
Case IH (Workmechs and Heavy Equipment)
Caterpillar (Heavy Machinery, Construction, Farm, Mining)
Pontiac (Civillian Automotive, Autocannons)
Polaris Industries (Civilian ATV, Snowmobiles, Power Generators and Pumps)
Sirius Tyrell and Quest (Cybernetics, Battle Armor, Computers and Mech Control)
S&S Munitions (Ballistic Weapons & Small Arms)
Maliwan (Energy Weapons & Small Arms)
Jakobs (Civilian Small Arms & Household goods)
Nakatomi Trading and Imports
Mercenaries and other Millitary Parties:
Drake's Drakes (Nergal)
Fighting Phoenix (Mao)
Gauntlets of Chaos (Morgenroete)
Bats Out of Hell(UAC)
Londo Bell(Anaheim)
Anderson's Avengers (SWR)
Scorpio's Scorpions (Globex)
Cowboys from Hell (Venture)
Knights of Cydonia (Nakatomi)
The Last Call (Iris)
Vincent's One Armed Bandits(Iris)
Cities and Places
Amber:
Madison
Appleton
Oshkosh
Eugene
Springfield
Sun Prairie
Sakura
Opportunity
Middleton
Anaheim
Cypress Creek
Kirkwood Colony Cluster @ Lagrange 5
Gargantua One @ Lagrange 3
Satsuki-Midori @ Lagrange 2
Chaos:
Detroit
New Los Angeles
Lorraine:
Decom Site 1
Decom Site 2
Amber
Copper Harbor
Iron Mountain
Tucson
Chaos
ICC Commnet
Discovered by the Federated Commonwealth, the "Black Box" fax machines have become a refined alternative to Hyperpulse Generators. the ICC utilized its privacy on Amber to customize black boxes for themselves. Based on four-channel "K5" series boxes from nearly 100 years ago, three initial samples were obtained by ISIS (From the Lyran Commonwealth), Iris(From the Federated Suns) and Nergal(From the Combine). Originally designated as the L1 series, we are up to revision 1.7. The Black Boxes support a maximum 150LY/day transmission range, and within the core network around the center of the inner sphere, they are placed at 90LY intervals, many of them concealed within Tunt Logistics Infrastructure. Beyond the Core Network, most sites are served by Independant Nodes, or branches of them. the maximum range of the L1.7 boxes is still 800LY, but optimum distance is no more than 600LY apart. The Core Network+Branches serve the key needs of the ICC for an independant communications network. Where the K-5 Series Faxes supported four channels, the L1 series pair-bonds those channels into two incoming and two outgoing channels. Core Network hubs will often employ multiple L1 series boxes at once, tied to load-balancers. Expansion plans beyond the core network include a two-ring system employing an inner ring and an outer ring, running around the whole of the inner sphere. Work has not yet begun on either ring project, and there are concerns about the latency over such distances. Commnet Traffic is largely related to business and millitary matters, and is mainly for coordinating such a large network of businesses and mercenary units.
UAC Experiments may lead to a new long-range communication method. Owing to the arrival of a jumpship's IR Signature before that ship has even departed the system, theoretically a message can be sent by utilizing a jump core to initiate a false transit to a system. They are experimenting with two specially outfitted, decomissioned jumpships, one at the Nadir Point of the Amber System, and one at the Nadir point of the Lorraine System. Their message accuracy is up to 10% over this 30LY distance. UAC Engineers hope to one day unlock the secrets of pushing the jump core to transmit much further than that, at 100% reliability. For now, such methods remain purely experimental.
External Relations, Enemies and Rivalries
While individual parties within the ICC may have different opinions and relations with external corporate, millitary and political bodies, loyalty to the ICC overrides these other interactions. ISIS Agents have revealed that numerous competing agencies have banded together under the banner of the "Allied Industrial Systems Group." This AISG has funded several projects that seem tailor-made to undercut ICC expansion in various areas, and all involved parties within the AISG should be considered hostile to all members of the ICC. Intelligence suggests the AISG posesses one or more hidden worlds of their own, and are hunting for the hidden assets of the ICC, going so far as to contract out with Interstellar Expeditions and provide funding in the name of "hunting for blakists."
The AISG is far from the only threat to the ICC and its holdings, The Republic of The Sphere, and its experiment in disarmament is about as far from the ICC's goals as you can get. ROTS Intelligence and ISIS have butted heads on numerous occasions, and The Red Army has engaged their millitary forces on several occasions. As of 3145, we believe they continue to remain unaware of Amber's true location. With the ROTS hiding behind their fortress walls, they are currently not a priority threat. Clan Sea Fox is no friend to the ICC, but in contrast to the AISG, the rivalry seems to be a honorable one. Perhaps it would be going too far to call it friendly, but the Sea Foxes have treated the ICC agents with whom they have interacted with in a fair and reasonable manner. Clan Sea Fox seems to have deduced that the ICC has a concealed base of operations and plans stand ready to leak the location of Lorraine to them, should their curiosity ever grow too strong. The primary source of conflict between CSF and the ICC is rooted in providing parts and maintenance for Clan Technologies. Naturally, Comstar remains a threat due to the threat that the ICC COMMNET represents to them. Due to harboring descendants of radical elements of Clan Jade Falcon's Scientist Caste, Clan Jade Falcon is not well regarded by Amberites and most of the ICC. Likewise as a popular raiding target for the ICC's Millitary arm, the Falcons are not fond of many parts of the ICC, however we believe them to be largely unaware of the ICC.
Clan Ghost Bear and the Rasalhague Dominion are unaware of much of the ICC's true depth, but as a corporation based out of the dominion, providing production logistical support for them mechaDynamics has excellent relations with the clan as a whole. Much of their knowlege and versatility with clan technologies comes from this long-standing relationship with them. If they were aware of the complete scope of the ICCs activities, it is unlikely that the ghost bear would approve, but given the nature of the bears, it is unlikely to become a significant problem. Clan Wolf In Exile, as mentioned previously, is on good terms with the ICC and aware of the location of Lorraine. The ICC is engaged in active trade with the Wolves in Exile, particularly the Timber Wolf omnimech, covering a gap in their production capacity.
