The fact that the name is the "Raven Alliance" that doesn't tend to imply that the Ravens have subjugated the OA. Admittedly, there's the old adage about how any country that includes the words "Free" or "Democratic" in its' name is invariably neither, but the term "Alliance"at least implies a partnership of equals.
If the Ravens have been stomping all over pirate activity in the area for a hundred years, I'd not be surprised to see that those worlds now showing up as being independent simply seceeded peacefully from the OA, in the main; other worlds have done it in the past, and if the biggest threat to independent worlds is generally removed through the application of naval firepower, then it stands to reason that independent worlds could prosper. The fact that they're still on the map at all suggests that those worlds have a decent sized population and an interest in trading/interacting with the nearby Raven Alliance or other worlds nearby, because they haven't simply dropped off the map altogether.
Of course, it could be that I'm hopelessly optimistic in my outlook, and the Raven Alliance is yet another Clan-ruled military dictatorship identical in principle to all the other occupation zones that've been around since the Clans first appeared in the Inner Sphere, but I'd be very disappointed if they were. That's already been done. I find the idea of the Raven Alliance allowing the bulk of the former OA worlds to enjoy the peace and solitude away from the Inner Sphere that they've wanted since their initial settlement highly appealing - and after several hundred years of threats, raids and invasions from pirates, the Combine and the FedSuns, there's something hilariously appealing in the idea that the former OA is not only no longer being kicked around and living on the sufference of the two big Houses nearby, but is fully capable of doing unpleasant things to those who don't leave them alone.
