Lothian League

The Lothian League is an interstellar nation in fictional BattleTech Universe.

A brief History
The Lothian League is a collection of seven ice-and-snow planets located beyond the outer reaches of the Lyran Commonwealth. Lead by Angelina Logan (leader of a group of patriots from the Taurian Concordat who fled into deep space to avoid capture by the Star League). Settled in 2691 at Lothario the soon to be capital of the Lothian League, was discovered to be rich in metals. In the last century, such raw materials have been used to foster expansion deeper into the Periphery to form a confederation, with the Logan family leading the way.

The only serious threat to the League's existence came in 2933, when renegade mercenaries from units shattered in the latest round of Succession War fighting stumbled upon the League quite by accident. For four years, both sides conducted a series of raids and counter-raids until, at long last, the mercenaries left to seek easier prey elsewhere. These actions cost the League its few JumpShips and damaged what little industry on Lothario had managed to emerge over the last three centuries. This destruction forced the ruling Logan family to renew trade ties with other planets of the Periphery in a desperate effort to avoid economic ruin. In the last century, the League has become a principal supplier of copper and iron ores to the Magistracy and the Taurian Concordat, receiving in turn agricultural and mining equipment to sustain its fragile existence.

Though on good terms with her Illyrian and Circinian counterparts, the leaders of the League wish to have little to do with the Houses of the Inner Sphere. By limiting contact with the Inner Sphere through contract with small mercenary bands to defend League worlds against raids from the Marion Hegemony. At present, the Lothian League has two mercenary battalions within its territories, though the identity and quality of these units are unknown.

Populace
The typical Lothian citizen is a rugged individualist who wants little to do with the universe at large. As long as his/her family can make a living, is content to let the rest of the universe pound itself to dismay. Literacy and technological levels are low, but the average standard of living is surprisingly adequate. The Lothian League remains an archetypal example of the old adage "let sleeping dogs lie".

Lothario exports large quantities of furs, iron, and copper ores to worlds within the Magistracy and Taurian Concordat. Indeed, its trapping industry has created impressive revenues as demand for the rich pelts has grown in the last century. Most of the planet's inhabitants exist in subterranean conclaves, though a few hardy souls continue to scrape out sustenance on the planet's surface, fiercely defending their small agricultural plots. The average Lotharian is highly territorial and suspicious of any offworlder.

The Ending
As 3050s came the Marian Hegemony took offensive stance against the League with first beginning with raids on the Lothian planets, with increasing frequency and ferocity as months passed the defending units were wore down. Such raids would be followed by a full-scale assault in 3054 by Ceasar Sean O'Reilly and the Marian Legions. The Lothian League proving to be a tougher adversary than expected, holding out for more than a year against the Marian assault. Dipping deeply into the Lothian treasury to hire additional mercenary units, and with a small Home Guard BattleMech unit to fight against the invaders came astonishing success; but early 3055, however, the Legions superior firepower began to overwhelm the League's defenders. Making a desperate appeal to the Taurian Concordat for any troops it could spare, but Protector Thomas Calderon refused to send any help, citing the need to keep his troops on alert against the danger of an imminent Federated Commonwealth attack. The Caesar himself leading the assault on Lordinax, the last League planet to fall. Upon the triumphal landing on Lothario, the League's former capital world, the Caesar ordered survivors of the ruling family the Logans taken into custody; the Logans disappeared, presumably going in hiding.

The Marian Hegemony facing continued activity and passive resistance from Lothian citizens who refuse to accept the Marian domination. The Hegmony was forced to install two-thirds of the Second Marian Legion across the seven League planets to deal with the insurgents, but the Legion can barely hold their own against their guerrilla opponents. Further, to impede, government officials installed to enact the Caesar's policies must repeatedly deal with blatant disregard for imposed authority. Indicating that Lothian freedom fighters are receiving covert assistance possibly from the Magistracy of Canopus, which hopes to keep the Caesar and his Legions too busy for further conquest; the League may also be receiving small amounts of money and supplies from the Illyrian Palatinate, the Caesar's next likely target.