The Lyran Commonwealth information presented herein was copied from the ' Battletech® Field Manual - Lyran Alliance ' © FASA Corporation.

THE FEDERATION OF SKYE (c. 3058-3063)

2299 - Federation of Skye was formed.

The Federation of Skye is the industrial matrix of the Lyran Commonwealth.  Currently led by Aldo Lestrade IV, the Federation has always been the most independent of the three founding members. With their heavy English-Irish-Scottish ancestry, most citizens of the Skye region tend to view the Commonwealth government and Steiner rule as a necessary evil.  Indeed, this ambivalence has occasionally voiced itself in riots and several open rebellions.  Though it might seem that the independent populace of the Skye region is a weak link in the Commonwealth's chain of strength, quite the opposite is true.  When other Successor House Lords have tried to win them over with bribes or threats, the people of these worlds have been so insulted that they fought to defend their own honor and to protect the Commonwealth.  If the Federation of Skye is the hub of the Commonwealth, the Isle of Skye is the heart of the Federation.  It is a heavily industrialized world with a predominantly Anglo-Irish population.  These are among the most insular people of the Commonwealth, and they rarely care about issues that do not directly concern their own welfare. Some petty corruption exists here, but it is only a minor problem.

The Rahnshire is the most heavily industrialized group of planets in the Lyran Commonwealth.  It is also has the heaviest Oriental population in the realm.  Politically, the Rahnshire shares the insularity of the Isle of Skye, but will fight fanatically to protect its own interests.  Led by Endo, the ducal family of New Kyoto, the Rahnshire is famous for both its warriors and its ferocious corporate spirit.  The heritage and innate pride of these people make corruption a rare occurrence among either the politicians or the nobility.

Virginia Shire is the poorest province of the three.  These worlds lie in the path of the frequent Kurita invasions and so have suffered more than their share of war damage.  Led by Duke Edward James of Alexandria, Virginia Shire is politically the most far-seeing.  Where the other two provinces might balk at rules that restrict their individual identities, the people of Virginia Shire recognize that the security of each depends on the combined strength of the many.  As might be expected, corruption becomes a common practice among the officials of these somewhat ravaged worlds when fighting off an enemy is not an immediate threat. 

#1621 House Steiner: The Lyran Commonwealth

As Copied/Quoted From:  House Steiner Battletech Game Sourcebook, Copyright  1987, Fasa Corporation, p. 67:

THE BATTLE FOR SKYE

"Invade Skye? Forcing Lord Kurita to grovel at our feet would be less dangerous than ordering us to invade Skye!

-Taped comments of Kurita 'Mech officer upon hearing his unit's assignment, recovered from body of ISF officer: in Military Information: Year 2895, Commonwealth Military Press, 2896

After the fall of Freedom and the loss of the 3rd Skye Rangers on its snowy slopes, the Lord Kurita turned his sights toward the planet Skye.  Skye is much more than just another industrialized world. Even the fact that it is also the capital of the Federation of Skye does not explain this planet's importance.  Skye is the emotional heart of billions who grew up thinking that its beautiful but austere vistas are the most lovely sights in the universe, outside of the British Isles.

The Archon realized this strong bond and so made the defense of the planet her top priority.  She sent the Narhal Raiders, the 8th Donegal Guards, and twelve armor and infantry regiments to reinforce the 17th Skye Rangers already awaiting the invasion. 

When the invasion came, the Commonwealth units responded with a fierceness never seen before. To this day, Commonwealth historians have not decided whether it was the shining moment of the LCAF or its darkest, vilest day.  The Steiner forces committed many atrocities, including the 'accidental' deaths of Kurita prisoners and the use of a tactical nuclear device near Inverness to stop a Kurita thrust.  Despite the horror and the fact that these incidents endangered the new rules of war, the Archon chose to look the other way.

The Battle for Bannockburn Bogs was the pivotal action of House Kurita's attempt to take Skye.  A Kurita 'Mech battalion and a tank regiment were ordered to seize New Glasgow, the capital city of Skye.  With a dark and fog filled night coming on, the Kurita force found its path blocked by a wide bog that could be crossed only by a narrow highway.  They wasted what little light was left trying to cross the bog in a normal wide front, only to have their 'Mechs nearly swallowed up by the sucking ooze.

By now dark had fallen, forcing the Kurita forces to halt for the night on the highway while their tanks refueled.

The noise of the refueling obscured the sounds of two companies of Skye 'Mechs moving slowly through the bogs on paths known only to them.  As dawn broke and the fog lifted, the Kurita forces, confined to long columns on the road, were surrounded by the Skye Rangers.  The battle, which included heavy combat between AeroSpace Fighters of both sides, resulted in the destruction of most of the Kurita force, with the survivors having no choice but to retreat.  It was a major victory for the Commonwealth, both militarily and emotionally.  Though the invasion of Skye was to drag on for 13 more months, the Kurita forces were now on the defensive."