The Draconis Combine may have been officially founded in [[2319]], but the history of the Combine begins before then. Shiro Kurita was an ambitious man and sought control. At the age of 26, he was able to unite all of his homeworld, [[New Samarkand]], through diplomacy or force, under his sole authority. Six years later he concluded an alliance with the nearby world of [[Galedon V]] and became the Director of the Alliance of Galedon. Their first target was the nearby by [[Ozawa]] Mercantile Alliance, and Shiro used the profits from their privateering to finance a growing merchant navy.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 22-23</ref>
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The roots of the Draconis Combine lie with the Alliance of Galedon between the worlds [[Galedon]] and [[New Samarkand]]. Under the leadership of [[Shiro Kurita]], the Alliance, rechristened the Draconis Combine in [[2319]], used threats, intimidation, deceit, and outright military conquest to expand. He established [[House Kurita]], the ruling dynasty of the Combine whose reign was interrupted only by the rule of the Von Rohrs family from [[2421]] until they were wiped out in [[2510]].
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In the meantime, Shiro's brother [[Urizen Kurita|Urizen]] trained the newly-equipped Galedonian militia on New Samarkand. Almost this entire force assaulted the world of [[Sverdlovsk]] and took it quickly and easily because they had no army of their own. Shiro implied that other worlds that refused his offer of alliance could meet similar fates, and the Alliance of Galedon grew. His fledgling empire almost doubled in size after he convinced nearby worlds that their neighbor was ready to attack, but that they could receive protection if they joined his alliance. They all agreed, though tensions quickly flared as some worlds realized that their enemies had been offered the very same deal. The army of the Kurita brothers met these challenges quickly and fiercely, quelling rebellions that sprung up haphazardly.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 23-26</ref>
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Shiro ordered an assault on the [[Principality of Rasalhague]] in [[2330]] that was largely successful, except that the integration of the Rasalahgians into Draconian culture was never complete.
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In 2319, Kurita dispensed with the formality of maintaining the Alliance of Galedon. In recognition of the fact that his nation now bordered the lifeless [[Draconis Rift]], Shiro declared himself Coordinator of the Draconis Combine. As Coordinator of Worlds, Shiro instilled his people with the same sense of martial discipline and spartan living that his father had instilled in him. ''Bushido'', the way of the samurai, was taught to his soldiers and Shiro vowed to control all of humankind. While he did control millions, he wanted to have everything.
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The Combine was the last [[Inner Sphere]] nation to join the [[Star League]]. Following the League's collapse, Coordinator [[Minoru Kurita|Minoru]] was the first Council Lord to declare himself [[First Lord]], leading to the [[First Succession War]]. The [[Succession Wars]] were unkind to humanity and created a backslide in technology. The unofficial end of the [[Third Succession War]] is considered to be [[3025]].
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Shiro's nation had grown ever larger, beginning to abut upon neighboring powers like the [[Terran Hegemony]]. Kurita decided to assault the [[Principality of Rasalhague]], a mostly peaceful, but densely populated nation, in [[2330]]. During this war, a new generation of Kurita leaders came to the fore. Urizen was replaced as Warlord by his son Adam, and Tenno took over for Shiro after his death in [[2348]].<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 26-29</ref>
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Following the [[Fourth Succession War]] and facing the prospect of a super-state, the [[Federated Commonwealth]], on its border; the Combine recognized the independence of the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]] to create a buffer state and secure higher-technology weapons through [[ComStar]]. These proved useful when the Commonwealth did invade in the [[War of 3039]].
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In [[2367]], Tenno declared victory in the war against Rasalhague, but the Rasalhagians maintained their independence, albeit with brutal Kurita rule. Tenno was not the military strategist that his father was. His abilities lie in administration, and it was Tenno that set down the system of districts and prefectures that is still in use. He encouraged large families and indoctrinated his subjects into the feudal Japanese culture that would come to dominate the Combine. He committed ''seppuku'' in [[2376]] after the assassination of his sister, paving the way for his son Nihongi and his descendants.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p 30</ref>
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The [[Clan Invasion]] resulted in a huge loss of territory for the Combine, which even had to fight on Luthien. They were able to regain some of the lost worlds in [[Operation Bulldog]]. Coordinator [[Theodore Kurita]] sought to lessen the impact of ''bushido'' on his troops so that they would be more willing to accept flexible tactics that would be useful against the [[Clans]]. The ''[[kokuryu-kai]]'' opposed his reforms and launched a full-scale rebellion at the same time as the [[Word of Blake]] started their [[Jihad]].
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Nihongi's rule was ineffective and his untimely death in [[2396]] saved his son Robert the trouble of assassinating him.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 30-31.</ref> Robert Kurita joined in the [[Age of War]] happily, launching an invasion of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] in [[2407]]. He was assassinated, and his brother's reign was cut short by a coup in [[2421]] led by the bastard Nihongi Von Rohrs, who was the son of Robert's sister Marika and a stable hand. To cement his rule, he immediately exiled all other members of the Kurita family, excepting a few who supported him. The Von Rohrs dynasty ruled for 89 years, amid a bizarre secrecy that left the Coordinator separated from his subjects, leading few to knew who their leader was and when power changed hands.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 34, 36</ref>
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The Combine emerged from the Jihad weakened, though still powerful compared to their neighbors. After the blackout in [[3132]], the Combine launched an invasion of the [[Republic of the Sphere]]. A series of assassinations placed [[Yori Kurita]], the illegitimate descendant of Theodore, on the throne.
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In [[2461]], Combine agents were able to successfully steal the technology to create [[BattleMech]]s from their Steiner counterparts. Lyran leaders decided to press their advantage while they had it and launched a full-scale invasion, leading to the Battle of [[Nox]] in [[2475]], the first true 'Mech-on-'Mech engagement. The Lyrans were able to make gains, but once Combine BattleMechs entered full-scale production, the DCMS was able to recoup their losses. <ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 37</ref>
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The Von Rohrs dynasty was brought to a violent end in [[2510]]. [[Martin McAllister]], one-time envoy to Rasalhague and the Captain of the Household Guard, colluded with Lord [[Blaine Sorenson]] of [[Rasalhague]] to engineer a coup. McAllister was actually a Kurita in hiding and, when Sorenson invaded, McAllister used his position to take advantage of the decrease in palace security to assassinate virtually everybody in the palace, a move that was necessitated by the fact that few people knew what the Coordinator looked like. With that, House Kurita emerged from the Age of War.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 38-39</ref>
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===Star League===
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Martin ruled until his assassination in [[2515]]. With no clear male heirs, his daughter [[Siriwan McAllister-Kurita]] was installed as "brevet" Coordinator until a suitable male could be found. She quickly married [[Warren Kurita]], who succeeded her a month after she ascended. A year later [[Hehiro Kurita]] was born, and Warren named him as heir. Warren died almost two years later of mysterious causes, and Siriwan was again Coordinator, though technically as regent for her infant son. She maintained peace during her forty-year reign, cleverly playing court nobles off against each other. She finally allowed her son to become Coordinator when he was 40 years old, though she stayed on as an adviser.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 39-41</ref>
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Hehiro was the last [[Inner Sphere]] leader to join the [[Star League]], having signed the [[Treaty of Vega]] in [[2569]]. Hehiro joined his nation to the other five Star League members primarily to gain access to scientific data they had collected, though his decision to join left him with a reputation as a calm peacemaker. The Director-General of the [[Terran Hegemony]] served as First Lord, while the other five members received seats on the Council. While the Star League did allow the Combine to achieve technological parity with their neighbors, it also thrust the DCMS into the [[Reunification War]]. From [[2577]] until [[2597]], the DCMS fought the [[Outworlds Alliance]] and [[Rim Worlds Republic]] in a blatant war of conquest. Ironically, this gave the DCMS an outlet and allowed the people of the Combine to display their martial prowess in a way they had not been able to do in decades.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 42-43</ref>
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Hehiro's death in [[2591]] revealed a problem in the succession: his son [[Leonard Kurita|Leonard]]. Leonard was a notorious playboy who was more at home in brothels than at court. His death was another of the mysterious kind, after his inebriated fits of rage called out the Terrans, who were more than willing to use force to ensure they were not attacked. [[2605]] saw two new Coordinators as Leonard's sickly son [[Blaine Kurita|Blaine]] took power, but died a few months later. His great-grandmother Siriwan was again inaugurated as Coordinator in October of that year. Siriwan stepped down in [[2607]] because, at over 100 years of age, she did not have the energy to counter the court nobles any longer. However, she named her granddaughter [[Sanethia Kurita|Sanethia]] Coordinator so that she could still rule from behind the scenes until she died in [[2632]] at the age of 136.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 43-44</ref>
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During the Star League years, the DCMS became bored as they had no enemies to fight, so they turned to the [[Star League Defense Force]]. [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarriors]] of the DCMS and the SLDF fought duels to satisfy Combine aggression. In this vacuum, Sanethia came up with a novel solution. In [[2617]], she announced that the capital was moving from [[New Samarkand]] to a resource-poor and largely agricultural world, [[Luthien]]. The state poured its resources into constructing a new capital and the people were happy as this massive spending created an economic boom. Sanethia resigned in [[2620]] and Urizen II oversaw the construction of the new capital. He resigned in [[2691]] in favor of his eldest son, [[Takiro Kurita|Takiro]], but he left the Combine a changed place. No longer was the Draconis Combine a realm of melded cultures and regional identities. Urizen imposed the culture of feudal Japan upon his people, whether they wanted it or not, and the powers of the [[Internal Security Force]] (ISF) were greatly expanded to enforce this imposition. This restrictive society placed greater emphasis on the distinction between noble and commoner and stifled technological innovation, even as Urizen expanded the Combine's industry and made the nation more competitive economically.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 46-48, 50</ref>
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First Lord [[Simon Cameron]] died in [[2751]], leaving his eight year-old son [[Richard Cameron II|Richard]] as heir. The Star League Council appointed [[SLDF]] Commanding General [[Aleksandr Kerensky]] his regent, though Kerensky was reluctant to use the power of First Lord. Takiro Kurita is credited with convincing his fellow Council members to pass two controversial laws. The first allowed the members to double the size of their militaries (which was really only a formality as most were secretly built up to begin with), while the second raised the taxes on the conquered Territorial States and distributed that wealth to the Member States. Three of the Periphery nations finally revolted in [[2765]] because of the higher taxes, but the leader of the [[Rim Worlds Republic]], [[Stefan Amaris]], was close to First Lord [[Richard Cameron II|Richard Cameron]] and had a different plan in mind. Amaris had befriended Richard as a child and continued this friendship as Richard grew embittered at the bickering Council and the revolting Territorial States. Cameron sent much of the [[Hegemony Armed Forces]] to the Periphery to deal with the revolts when Amaris' plan was executed. He loaned troops from the Rim Worlds to garrison the Hegemony and, when his troops outnumbered the Terrans, he seized power in the Hegemony and executed Richard and every other Cameron. At the same time, he had secured Drago Kurita, Takiro's grand-nephew, along with the rest of the ambassador's family. Takiro died at the age of 121, leaving his son Minoru as Coordinator. Minoru was afraid to act against Amaris, so he denied Kerensky entry into the Combine during the General's war against Amaris. Despite that, Drago and his family were killed sometime before Kerensky liberated [[Terra]] and executed Stefan and every Amaris he could find.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 50-52</ref>
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===First Succession War===
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The five Council Lords were finally able to reconvene on [[Terra]] in [[2780]]. There, they stripped Kerensky of his title as Protector of the Realm and appointed General [[Jerome Blake]] Minister of Communications and charged him with rebuilding the damaged [[HPG]] grid. The Council Lords did nothing to attempt to come to any kind of an agreement that would have allowed the [[Star League]] to live, so, when General Kerensky led eighty percent of the [[SLDF]] into exile in [[2784]], he had also removed any impediment to outright warfare. Minoru Kurita declared himself First Lord in [[2786]], once his assault was underway. Using a diversion, Minoru was able to drive the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] back. In fact, the Lyrans seemed so weak that Minoru did not even believe them to be worth his time, so he shifted his attention to the [[Federated Suns]].<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 53-55</ref>
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Coordinator Minoru and his son [[Jinjiro Kurita|Jinjiro]] launched their assault against the [[Federated Suns]] in [[2787]] and gained territory quickly because the Suns had shifted most of their troops to deal with the [[Capellan Confederation]]. By [[2792]], the DCMS had punched through the [[Draconis March]] and was assaulting the [[Crucis March]]. A successful guerrilla operation threatened the Kurita rear, so Minoru took his own [[6th Sword of Light]] to secure [[Kentares IV]]. There, Minoru was assassinated in [[2796]]. Jinjiro secured the world for the Combine, then ordered his troops to "kill them all." It took five months, but DCMS troops massacred ninety percent of the population of Kentares, some 52 million individuals. The effect of the [[Kentares Massacre]] was to galvanize the Davion troops, while demoralizing the Kurita forces. Indeed, many DCMS troopers committed ''seppuku'' rather than face the shame of living. The Davion forces were able to push the Combine back to the pre-war border by [[2821]].<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 55-61</ref>
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The [[First Succession War]] saw the [[Ares Conventions]] being ignored for the first time on a widespread basis. The war of brutal and savage, as forces on all sides attacked civilian population centers and [[JumpShip]]s, targeted factories and scientists, and engaged in a level of total war not seen in centuries. The 1st War was the beginning of mankind's backward slide.
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===Second Succession War===
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After the end of the 1st War, Jinjiro nationalized all the heavy industries in the Combine to ensure that the nation was reconstructed in exactly the way he wanted. Jinjiro also formed the [[People's Reconstruction Effort]], led by his half-brother [[Zabu Kurita|Zabu]], who was more an intellectual than a soldier. Arguably the crowning achievement of the PRE was the establishment of the PRE Academy on [[Dover]], which would come to be known as the [[Dover Institute for Higher Learning]]. Jinjiro was slowly descending into madness, but, after studying himself and the records of a "secret" doctor visit that the loyal ISF acquired, he discovered that, even in his less-than-sane moments, he was still a brilliant strategist. He decided to do what would give him the most chance of success by using all of his faculties. Jinjiro went to war.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 62-63 & ''[[Field Manual: Draconis Combine]]''</ref>
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One of the first actions of the [[Second Succession War]] was Jinjiro's use of the so-called [[Chain Gang Missions|Chain Gangs]]. The DCMS equipped effectively three regiments worth of misfits, convicts, and Unproductives with [[BattleMech]]s, gave them only the most rudimentary training, and dropped them onto neighboring industrial worlds to wreak havoc. Though this was a rather costly mission, it did have the intended effort of slowing down reconstruction in the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] and [[Federated Suns]].<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p 64</ref>
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====Minnesota Tribe====
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In the latter part in [[2828]], a strange unit using [[SLDF]] tactics and bearing the insignia of the former American state of Minnesota attacked [[Svelvik]]. The army unit refused to communicate with the Combine militia, took what they wanted, and left the system. They next attacked [[Trondheim]], where the [[20th Rasalhague Regulars]] were stationed. They defeated the regular unit, again refusing communication, even to the extreme of committing suicide before they could be captured. This scared Jinjiro, because he believed that they could be an advance unit for the return of the Kerensky's troops, so he shifted troops to the Periphery borders of both his Pesht and Rasalhague Military Districts. The army unit, which had now been labeled the "[[Minnesota Tribe]]," attacked [[Jarett]], this time using massed [[AeroSpace Fighter]]s to keep the Combine [[BattleMech]]s out of the fight. The Tribe attacked for the last time on the planet [[Richmond]], though it is unclear whether they knew about the jail that housed political prisoners before they freed them. The Tribe loaded the freed prisoners up in their [[DropShip]]s and left, never overtly making their presence known in the [[Inner Sphere]] again.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p 64</ref>
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====War====
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[[2830]] saw the true beginning of the 2nd War, as Jinjiro launched assaults against both of his Great House neighbors. In [[2835]], Jinjiro was driven truly insane by the gift of a perfectly angelic doll, dressed up like an SLDF soldier. He hung himself in [[2841]]. Jinjiro was succeeded by his nephew [[Yoguchi Kurita|Yoguchi]], who placed the ISF under the command of the DCMS. The ISF, incensed at what they perceived as an insult, began a shadow war that severely hampered Yoguchi's offensives. While Yoguchi had limited success along the Steiner border, a powerful Davion counterattack threatened the Kurita positions along that border.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 66-68</ref>
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At home, Yoguchi made the mistake of appointing his sister [[Roweena Kurita|Roweena]] coordinator of the PRE. She saw how the ISF was disaffected and began a tenuous alliance between the PRE and the ISF. Despite this, she organized a rescue effort when it became clear that Yoguchi was trapped, not dead, on [[Tishomingo]]. Yoguchi had decided to lead the defense of planet himself, but the force he led was vastly outnumbered by the invading Davion troops. Roweena had effectively taken control of the Combine by virtue of he position as leader of the PRE, and she honored her brother's actions by extracting him. Yoguchi did not live to see [[Luthien]] for long, as he was assassinated by a mysterious Lyran Intelligence Corps agent known only as Snow Fire, who had been undercover and became Yoguchi's favorite concubine. Yoguchi was succeeded by his brother [[Miyogi Kurita|Miyogi]].<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 68-70</ref>
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Miyogi launched more limited assaults than his predecessors had, leading to more limited gains. The Combine did manage to score a major victory with the capture of [[Robinson]], the capital of the [[Federated Suns]]' [[Draconis March]] in [[2858]].<ref>''[[Handbook: House Davion]]'', p 58-59 & ''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p 73</ref> Largely because of equipment breakdowns and a lack of spare parts with which to affect repairs, Coordinator Miyogi called for a halt to all offensives in [[2862]].<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p 73</ref>
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The Second Succession War saw more of the same as civilian targets were fair game and the [[Inner Sphere]] found it increasingly difficult to maintain their technology base. [[WarShip]]s were the rarest of [[lostech]], the vast majority having been destroyed in the first two Succession Wars. The [[Successor States]] now had to face the fact that [[ComStar]] was the only power that still knew how to use [[HPG]]s, thus all interstellar messages had to be passed through the Order, including military orders.
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====PRE====
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With the cessation of warfare, Miyogi turned his attention to Roweena and the PRE. His aunt had gained much power and her popularity threatened Miyogi. He directed a group of ISF agents known to be loyal to him to investigate her activities, which touched off a hidden war within the ISF. Because she allowed the ISF to use PRE channels, she wielded a large amount of influence over the spy agency. The [[DCMS]] attempted to remain neutral, but when it looked like foreign powers were gearing up to take advantage of the situation, the DCMS High Command decided to pick a side. After an impassioned speech by [[Taragi Kurita]] in favor of the Coordinator, the High Command swiftly intervened and the DCMS defeated the PRE. Miyogi eliminated the PRE, secure in his power.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 74-75</ref>
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===Third Succession War===
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The [[Third Succession War]] saw an informal return to the [[Ares Conventions]] as the [[Successor States]] collectively realized that they were soon on the brink of being unable to fight their interstellar war for dominance. JumpShips and cities were again off limits, factories were fought over instead of destroyed, and raiding took the place of assaults. Losing defenders did not destroy their charges, instead they had to console themselves with the hope that their side would retake their lost territory in the future. Ironically, the return to the Ares Conventions ritualized warfare in a sense, devaluing it of its horrific connotations. This led to the idea, much as it had during the [[Age of War]], that war was an acceptable method of political expression. This low-level war dragged on for over a hundred years and whole generations were born and died believing that a constant state of war was the natural order of humankind.
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The 3rd War began when Miyogi and Taragi (who had been promoted) decided to punish the Lyrans for their involvement in the struggle between Miyogi and Roweena. They targeted the industrial worlds of the [[Isle of Skye]] in [[2866]] and found great success. This success was marred by the successful advance of [[House Davion]]. Davion troops constantly pushed the Kurita defenders back, thanks in part to Taragi's manipulation of supply routes to make his own victories look even better. Miyogi appointed his son Jon to head the Davion front, an act that deeply insulted Taragi, who had been carefully manipulating the situation to ensure that the position would go to him. He then approached Roweena Kurita to secure her aid in become Coordinator. She offered the help of a few ISF agents that remained loyal to her. Using them and his own abilities, Taragi ensured that the Suns reclaimed [[Robinson]] in [[2879]], a move that embarrassed Jon and, by extension, Miyogi. When the military called for Jon's removal, Miyogi balked. Unwilling to stand his dishonor, a member of the unit that defended Robinson executed a suicide bombing of Miyogi while he was holding open court. Taragi and Roweena arranged for a trumped-up trial that implicated Jon in his father's death, leading to his execution a week later. <ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 76-79 & ''Handbook: House Davion'', p 71</ref>
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Taragi's only real achievement was an unsuccessful assault against [[Skye]]. He died in [[2907]], leaving his son [[Shinjiro Kurita|Shinjiro]] to succeed him. The Combine's slow push into the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] brought it within striking distance of [[Tamar]]. The Combine attacked Tamar, but found themselves unable to take it, so they abandoned the world in [[2916]]. The Lyrans then reassigned those forces. The Combine honor did not allow them to remain stoic in the face of such an insult, so they attacked it again. The Lyrans reinforced the world and successfully defended it. This scenario then played itself out over and over again as the Lyrans were able to make limited gains because they forced the DCMS to focus on [[Tamar]].<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 81, 83</ref>
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The suddenly stiff Steiner resistance forced the DCMS to devote more resources to that front, leaving the Davion front less secure, and even invited raids from [[Bandit King]]s along the edges of the [[Periphery]]. In [[2925]], Coordinator Shinjiro died, leaving his son [[Hugai Kurita|Hugai]] as the Coordinator.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 82-83</ref>
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[[2931]] saw the beginning of an odd international incident play out. Coordinator Hugai's oldest sister [[Necess Kurita|Necess]], who was an intellectual and traveled to other states researching medicine, joined [[ComStar]]. A Kurita had never before joined the Order, and Hugai was determined not to let his sister be the first. He discovered that she was working at a hospice on [[Luthien]] and sent a team of ISF agents to return her to Imperial City. It was only with the threat of a full communications interdiction and military intervention from [[List of minor mercenary units#The Bandersnatches|The Bandersnatches]] that Hugai agreed to release Necess.<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 84-85</ref>
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The loss of both Hugai's mentor and his sister threw him into fits of melancholy and he withdrew from participation in the governing of the Combine in [[2953]], crippling the ability of the military to wage war. He died in [[2963]], leaving his son [[Hohiro Kurita I|Hohiro]] to succeed him. Hohiro attempted to strengthen his grip on the nation, but efforts were rebuffed at almost every turn. [[ComStar]] opposed his attempts to close down their clinics, the ISF audaciously demonstrated when he attempted to renegotiate Coordinator Shinjiro's agreement with them, and the masses rose up when he attempted to make Japanese the only language that could be spoken legally. His largest failure came when he tried to seize power from merchants and industrialists. They closed down as many factories as they could, forcing Hohiro to back down. Hohiro's reign became increasingly tyrannical, even by Kuritan standards, so it was not much of a surprise when he was assassinated by a member of his own household guard, the ''[[Otomo]]'', in [[3004]].<ref>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', pp 86-88, http://www.classicbattletech.com/index.php?action=text&page=Master_Timeline</ref>
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[[Hohiro Kurita II|Hohiro]]'s son, who had been the commander of the ''Otomo'', came to power. [[Takashi Kurita]] quickly set about reversing many of the ultra-repressive edicts his father had passed, though he proved just as ruthless silencing opposition to his rule as his father had been. Takashi devoted more resources to the Davion front than many of his predecessors had, leading to the reclamation of worlds that had been under Davion control. [[Katrina Steiner]] circulated her now-famous peace proposal to her counterparts in [[3020]], an offer that Takashi flatly refused, but he became concerned when [[Hanse Davion]] reacted affirmatively, leading to an alliance between the Combine's two neighboring Great Houses.<ref>''House Kurita Sourcebook'', pp 88-92</ref> He sent a delegation to both [[Maximilian Liao]] and [[Janos Marik]] to forge an alliance between them. Negotiations almost derailed when each ruler discovered the other was present, but ISF Director [[Subhash Indrahar]] managed to forge the Concord of Kapteyn, a loose alliance between Houses Kurita, Liao, and Marik. There was never an official end to the Third Succession War, so much as it simply bogged down to the point that all five Great Houses stopped launching attacks, though local treaties also helped slow the momentum of the war. The 3rd War's official ending date is considered [[3025]].<ref>''Handbook: House Davion'', pp 69, 71</ref>
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====Wolf vs. Dragon====
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In [[3023]], the Combine became the last [[Successor State]] to employ [[Wolf's Dragoons]]. They were placed under the command of Grieg Samsonov, the Warlord of the Galedon District. The Dragoons chafed under his command and, in [[3026]], decided they would leave Combine employ when their five-year contract expired. Takashi did not want to be without their services, so he tasked them with training a unit to fight like them. [[Jaime Wolf]] took to the task, training the Ryuken under [[Minobu Tetsuhara]]. Takashi had originally planned on leaving the unit as one regiment to contain their mercenary-like ideas, but the training went so well that the regiment was broken into its nine companies, with each tasked to build itself up to a regiment. The Ryuken were ordered to stop the Dragoons from leaving when they decided to to do so in [[3028]]. The Ryuken were well-trained, but no match for their teachers.<ref>''Field Manual: Draconis Combine'', pp 125-126</ref> The Dragoons smashed four of the nine regiments on [[Misery]], breaking through to the [[Federated Suns]]. Even though he was not allowed to command the unit, Tetsuhara was asked to commit ''seppuku'', which he did while Jaime Wolf acted as his second. The Dragoons left the Combine in [[3028]], but that was not the last the time Takashi and Jaime would square off against one another.
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===Fourth Succession War===
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While the Kurita leadership knew that a Steiner-Davion alliance was forthcoming, they had no idea of its scope. The Federated-Commonwealth Alliance Document that was signed by Lyran Archon [[Katrina Steiner]] and Suns Prince [[Hanse Davion]] in [[3022]] included a secret provision that called for the betrothal of Archon-Designate [[Melissa Steiner]] to First Prince Davion. Thus, their firstborn child would become the ruler of both the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] and the [[Federated Suns]]. Preparations for the war began in [[3026]], when the two nations held joint war games in the [[Terran Corridor]]. Their opponents, including the Combine, became used to large troop movements. When all of the leaders of the [[Inner Sphere]] and their aids met on [[Terra]] for the historic wedding, Prince Davion launched a sneak attack against the [[Capellan Confederation]], touching off the [[Fourth Succession War]].
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House Kurita was caught unawares when House Steiner stirred up and armed Rasalhague secessionists, a group that had been little trouble since the 26th century. Most Rasalhagians from the Combine, like [[Haakon Magnusson]], were trying to attain their independence peacefully, while the Lyran Rasalhagians decided that it was time to fight. Led by [[Christian Mansdottir]], the commander of the 1st Tyr, these Rasalhague patriots sought to force the Combine to recognize their independence. The Lyrans used these forces to world after world in the Rasalhague Military District.
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At the same time, Hanse Davion contracted [[Jaime Wolf]] and [[Wolf's Dragoons]] to tie up his Combine front. With most of the [[AFFS]] fighting the Capellans, Davion's border with the Combine was woefully under-defended. Luckily for Hanse, Jaime had insulted Takashi during the wedding reception by challenging him face-to-face over the fate of [[Minobu Tetsuhara]], going to so far as to hurl Tetsuhara's ''daisho'' at the Coordinator's feet. The Dragoons requested a posting on the Combine front, which Hanse was only too happy to grant them. Takashi's descent into madness became apparent as he hurled unit after unit at the Dragoons, most of which the mercenaries chewed up and spit back out. Despite that, the DCMS was able to make inroads into the [[Draconis March]], capturing the so-called Galtor Thumb.<ref>''Handbook: House Davion'', pp 73-74</ref>
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That success was marred by the Combine's losses on the Lyran front. The one bright spot in that side was Takashi's son [[Theodore Kurita|Theodore]]. Theodore advocated a reform of ''bushido'' that included not always attacking the strongest part of any enemy's line and retreating when obviously beaten. Many die-hard ''samurai'' rejected these ideas. This created a rift between father and son that saw Theodore posted to the scorned [[Legions of Vega]], a sinkhole for misfits and malcontents, in [[3024]]. Theodore took to reforming the regiments immediately, and they displayed remarkable skill during the 4th War.<ref>''Field Manual: Draconis Combine'', p 121</ref> Their shining moment was when Theodore was able to defeat the [[Lyran Alliance Armed Forces#Lyran Guard|10th Lyran Guard]] and captured its commanding officer, [[Frederick Steiner]]. Other DCMS forces struck out at [[Skye]], retaking worlds that put them one jump from the important regional capital. With the LCAF unable to retake those worlds and unwilling to press an offensive that would further jeopardize Skye, the Lyran invasion ground to a halt.
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[[Hanse Davion]] officially called an end to the 4th War in [[3030]], decreeing that the war had met its objectives, but the ramifications of the war did not stop there.<ref>''Handbook: House Davion'', p 74</ref> First, Theodore Kurita essentially ran the Lyran front while the Warlords of [[Dieron]], [[Rasalhague]], and [[Benjamin]] failed. While Takashi did not want to, he had to acknowledge that Theodore was becoming very popular, so he resurrected the title of ''Gunji-no-Kanrei'' (Deputy for Military Affairs) for him. Theodore leapt at the chance to reform the DCMS in his image, much as he had done with the Legions of Vega. Takashi disbanded the [[Genyosha]] and [[Ryuken]], but doing so only disseminated Theodore's ideas more quickly throughout the units those soldiers joined.<ref name=20YU>''[[20 Year Update]]''</ref> In addition, Theodore contacted those within the ''yakuza'' who would help him. Beginning in [[3033]], the [[DCMS]] fielded [[BattleMech]] regiments comprised wholly of ''yakuza'' members. These regiments became known as the "[[Ghost Regiments|Ghost]]", since they did not officially exist.<ref>''Field Manual: Draconis Combine'', pp 112-113</ref>
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Second, the Duke of [[Tamar]], Selvin Kelswa, decided that the Rasalhagian people would not be given their independence because many of their worlds, including [[Rasalhague]], were still a part of the Combine. This angered many Rasalhagians, who began to see the Lyrans as oppressors, just as the Draconians were in the past. Into this void stepped Theodore Kurita and [[ComStar]] Primus [[Myndo Waterly]]. They negotiated a deal with [[Haakon Magnusson]] that granted the Kurita Rasalahagians their independence. ComStar saw this as a chance to gain more power with smaller states, so they gave the DCMS incentives in the form of [['Mech]]s that incorporated Star League-era technology.<ref name=20YU/> By this action, Theodore shamed the Lyrans into giving up the dozens of worlds they had conquered from the Combine to the nascent [[Free Rasalhague Republic]]. This action also created a large buffer state between the Combine and the Commonwealth, though this action was not without its own consequences.
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Haakon Magnusson's surprise announcement of the success of his negotiations propelled him to election as the first Elected Prince of the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]] in [[3034]]. The Warlord of Rasalhague was assassinated before he could cause any problems, but the Warlords of neighboring Dieron and [[Pesht]] used their forces to try to make the Republic stay, against the wishes of the Coordinator and Kanrei. Theodore branded them ''ronin'', then swiftly intervened with units loyal to him, destroying many elements within the [[DCMS]] that were obviously disloyal. The [[Ronin War]] was quick, but it also impressed the Rasalhagians that the Kuritas would still fight for them.<ref name=20YU/> With the loss of the Rasalhague Military District, Takashi used portions of others to create the [[Alshain]] Military District, a narrow strip of worlds that bordered the Republic and existed more to keep the balance within the DCMS High Command than for any other reason.<ref>''Field Manual: Draconis Combine'', p 35</ref>
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===Reconciliation===
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In [[3039]], Archon [[Melissa Steiner]] and Prince [[Hanse Davion]] decided to launch the assault the [[Inner Sphere]] was waiting for: the invasion of the Draconis Combine. The differences between the Combine in [[3039]] and the Capellans in [[3028]] were legion, however. Hanse's initial assault was quickly faced with a counter-assault that captured [[Quentin]], among other worlds. Hanse was surprised at the advanced technology [[BattleMech]]s the DCMS was fielding, as well as the strength the DCMS must have had to launch a counterattack. In [[3040]], Hanse called an end to the [[War of 3039]]. It would be eleven years before he would find out that he fell for Theodore's bluff. Immediately prior to the war's end, Constance Kurita (the Keeper of the House Honor) had Takashi examined, and the doctors found that he had suffered a stroke that had been responsible for much his instability.<ref name=20YU/> In time, they were able to rid him of the blood clots in his brain, restoring his mental health.
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The [[Inner Sphere]] continued on more or less peacefully until [[3049]], when rumors of a large force invading the [[Periphery]] made themselves known. In [[3050]], the [[Clans]] crashed into the Lyran half of the [[Federated Commonwealth]], the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]], and the Draconis Combine in what was simply termed the [[Clan Invasion]]. The Clans were, at first, somewhat alien in their ways, and they fielded [['Mech]]s vastly more powerful than anything the [[Inner Sphere]] had, even at its height. They also fielded [[Battle Armor]], a technology that was unknown to the denizens of the Combine. It was believed that one of the earliest casualties was Theodore's son [[Hohiro Kurita II|Hohiro Kurita]]. Hohiro was, in fact, captured and held on [[Turtle Bay]]. With the help of [[Shin Yodama]], however, Hohiro escaped, though [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] razed the city of Edo in response.<ref name=S_LH>''[[Lethal Heritage]]''</ref>
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As Clans [[Clan Smoke Jaguar|Smoke Jaguar]] and [[Clan Ghost Bear|Ghost Bear]] continued through the Combine, Theodore hit upon a plan to slow their advance. He placed Hohiro at the head of the Genyosha, which he renamed so he could honorably forward the "new" unit's blank history to the Clan leader. Believing he was facing a new unit, he committed little to the assault. Without knowing they were using the Clans' honor against them, Hohiro convinced the leader of the invasion of [[Wolcott]] to give him Clan-tech [[OmniMech]]s and [[battle armor]], as well as a promise that the world would never be invaded again if the Combine won. The DCMS forces had already planned an elaborate series of traps in a swamp that negated the Clan Warriors' range advantage. With the Combine victory, they gained valuable pieces of equipment to study for the purposes of retroengineering, as well as a secure forward base. Despite this one victory, it took the ultimate sacrifice of a Rasalahagian pilot to bring a temporary respite to the invasion.<ref name=S_LH/>
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In [[3051]], the leaders and scions of the [[Inner Sphere]] traveled to [[Outreach]] at the request of [[Jaime Wolf]]. Despite the fact that Takashi had issued his infamous "Death to Mercenaries" order that included [[Wolf's Dragoons]], he allowed Theodore and his children to attend the summit. Here, Wolf revealed that the Dragoons were actually a reconnaissance force sent by the Clan leaders to determine whether or not to invade the [[Inner Sphere]], but that they were ordered to defend the [[Successor States]] and never to return to the Clan homeworlds. Theodore and Hanse came to agree upon a truce that freed up many of both states' best units to be used against the Clans. Hanse and Melissa's eldest son [[Victor Steiner-Davion|Victor]] and Theodore's daughter [[Omi Kurita|Omi]] quickly started a romantic relationship, much to her brother Hohiro's dismay. For his part, Hohiro placed second out of the noble scions in a Clan-style [[Clans#Trial of Position|Trial of Position]], which Jaime rewarded by gifting him a powerful ''[[Dire Wolf (Daishi)|Daishi]]'' OmniMech.<ref>''[[Blood Legacy]]''</ref>
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When the invasion resumed in [[3052]], the [[DCMS]] was more prepared to deal with the attack, but they also found that the new ilKhan of all the Clans had added [[Clan Nova Cat]] to help the Smoke Jaguars. Together, these two Clans attacked [[Luthien]]. Theodore alerted Hanse to the coming battle, who responded by ordering the [[Kell Hounds]] and [[Wolf's Dragoons]] to help, even though both [[mercenary unit]]s were under a death sentence for entering the Combine. Along with a handful of Kurita regiments, the mercenaries helped to hold the line against the Clans, prompting Takashi to rescind his "Death to Mercenaries" order. The additional fact that Takashi was no longer suffering from brain clots also helped to further reconcile his with his son, as both traditional ''samurai'' and warriors born out of Theodore's reforms had helped to save the Black Pearl of Luthien. In May of 3052, [[ComStar]] fought a proxy battle for [[Terra]] on the Rasalahagian world of [[Tukayyid]]. ComStar's victory in this battle secured a 15-year truce, during which time the [[Clans]] could not advance beyond Tukayyid. This left many Combine worlds, including [[Luthien]], vulnerable to attack, but the massive losses inflicted at Tukayyid combined with the pause in the Clans' invasion allowed the Combine to take a breather.<ref>''[[Lost Destiny]]''</ref>
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===Phoenix Rising===
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The [[Clan invasion]] had clearly inflicted massive losses on the [[DCMS]]. Many regiments were total losses and many more were badly damaged. Except for a few worlds, the entire Alshain District had been conquered by Clans [[Clan Ghost Bear|Ghost Bear]] and [[Clan Smoke Jaguar|Smoke Jaguar]], prompting Takashi to fold those worlds into other districts, but leaving the Alshain leadership intact and labeled them "in exile." In [[3054]], Takashi Kurita committed ''seppuku'' and Theodore became Coordinator. He immediately began a crash program to rebuild his shattered military. This included recruiting from unorthodox sources, such as the ''yakuza'' and women. Theodore also began to rebuild the gutted forces in the Dieron District, as many of those units had been transferred to the Clan border, but the [[Federated Commonwealth]] remained an ever-present threat. The Combine mostly stayed out of the chaos in [[3057]], remaining focused instead on the threat the [[Clans]] still posed, but some of their units were posted in the [[Lyons Thumb]] as peacekeepers under [[ComStar]]'s aegis.
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Dissatisfaction with the current regime led to the emergence of the ''[[Kokuryu-kai]]'', also known as ''Black Dragon Society'', a widespread conspiracy against Theodore and his policy of détente with House Kurita's traditional rival, [[House Davion]], as well as his promotion of the "new ''bushido''" that included the use of new tactics. This organization's influence made itself felt when they launched an unauthorized invasion of the [[Federated Commonwealth]]'s [[Towne]] system. Thanks in large part to [[Camacho's Caballeros]], a [[mercenary unit]] under contract to [[Chandrasekhar Kurita]] of [[Tanadi Computers]], the invasion was foiled. The ''Kokutyu-kai'' made their widespread presence known again in [[3058]] when members of the Otomo, the Coordinator's bodyguard, attempted to assassinate Theodore at his birthday celebration. Again, [[Camacho's Caballeros]] stepped forward to stop the plot, saving their employer in the process.
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[[3058]] also saw the historic [[Whitting Conference]], wherein the [[Star League]] was reformed, with the stated goal of eliminating the threat the [[Clans]] posed to the [[Inner Sphere]]. They began this process with the brutal [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]]. An alliance of League member-states sent military forces to the Draconis Combine to assault the Clan and force it out of the Inner Sphere, codenamed [[Operation Bulldog]]. The Combine was greatly helped by [[Clan Nova Cat]], whose visions convinced them to submit to the Combine and become a part of the budding [[Star League Defense Force]]. At the same time, a secret force called [[Task Force Serpent]] left [[Defiance]] to travel to the Jaguar capital world of [[Huntress]] to defeat them there. While many foreign units assisted, the [[DCMS]] provided the single largest contingent to Bulldog. The assault, which was led by [[Anastasius Focht]] and [[Victor Steiner-Davion]], succeeded beyond anything the League could have hoped for and the Jaguars were routed from the Inner Sphere. It was quickly realized, however, that these forces would return home to find Task Force Serpent, so Victor assembled an elite force and headed off to Huntress to aid them, including [[Hohiro Kurita II|Hohiro Kurita]] and the [[1st Genyosha]].<ref>''[[Grave Covenant]]''</ref> While Theodore worked to reintegrate the conquered worlds, Hohiro and his Genyosha unit destroyed their opponents on Huntress, then traveled to [[Strana Mechty]] and defeated the [[Clan Blood Spirit]] contingent in a [[Clans#Trial of Refusal|Trial of Refusal]] against the [[Clan Invasion]] in [[3060]]. With the Clans and the Star League officially at peace and the Dragon regaining its strength, the citizens of the Combine believed they could relax. This sentiment was only reinforced when Theodore was elected First Lord during the [[3061]] Whitting Conference.<ref>''[[Prince of Havoc]]''</ref>
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===A Thousand Cuts===
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[[3062]] saw the first in a multitude of conflicts that slowly bled the Combine. In that year, the ''Kokuryu-kai'' again flexed its muscle and convinced the four remaining regiments of the Alshain Regulars (renamed the Alshain Avengers) to launch an unprovoked attack on [[Alshain]] itself. What they did not know was that Alshain had become the new capital of [[Clan Ghost Bear]], which had relocated almost all of its assets to its Inner Sphere Occupation Zone (which it had renamed the Ghost Bear Dominion). One regiment was destroyed by [[Clan Nova Cat]] before it could head off to Alshain, as a result of a vision one of their warriors had. The rest of the Alshain Avengers reached Alshain, but they further lost half a regiment to the warship orbiting Alshain, before reaching the surface. They were virtually annihilated and the survivors fled into the wilderness, fighting a desperate guerilla-war. The Ghost Bears retaliated by launching an invasion of the Combine. This invasion was incredibly successful, in part due to the fact that Theodore was in the process of relocating his [[Ghost Regiments]] to the [[Federated Commonwealth]] border to protect his nation from any spillover from their looming civil war. He was forced to bring the Ghosts back to the Ghost Bear border, only to have the [[Draconis March]] launch an invasion of their own. This invasion was also successful and captured important worlds such as [[Al Na'ir]], [[Proserpina]], and [[Ashio]]. Around the same time, [[Clan Hell's Horses]] invaded the Ghost Bear Dominion, so both the Bears and the Combine were looking for a way to honorably extricate themselves from the fight. Theodore offered up the world of [[Courchevel]] for a Trial in [[3063]]. Both sides agreed to give up their conquered worlds, and the winner of the Courchevel Trial would keep the world. The Ghost Bears won the Trial, but the real prize was the cease fire that followed.<ref>''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''</ref>
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The [[FedCom Civil War]] touched the Kuritas in a very personal way in [[3064]]. An agent hired by [[Katherine Steiner-Davion]] assassinated Theodore's daughter and the Keeper of the House Honor [[Omi Kurita]] as a way to attack her brother [[Victor Steiner-Davion|Victor]]'s psyche. With the Trial of Courchevel settled, Theodore was free to turn his military against the Draconis March troops in his nation. The [[DCMS]] ejected all of the March invaders, then followed up with punitive raids of its own. Some of the forces were defeated, but the Combine netted two worlds while the two halves of the former Federated Commonwealth were involved in their civil war.<ref>''[[FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)|FedCom Civil War]]''</ref>
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===Jihad===
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December of [[3067]] saw the Fourth [[Whitting Conference]]. Here, three of the members announced their intention to pull out of the Star League. Despite Lord Kurita's support, the Star League officially disbanded under the watch of First Lord [[Christian Mansdottir]]. The [[Word of Blake]] was in disbelief, as they believed that their pending membership was the be the fulfillment of a centuries-old prophecy that described the way in which the quasi-mystical order would come to power. Shortly after this, the ''Kokuryu-kai'' attempted to actually seize power while Theodore was away by shutting down the [[Luthien]] [[HPG]] and using military units loyal to them to take control of the capital. Blakist forces soon descended on the world, using vague language to indicate that they were attempting to help the "rightful" rulers of the Combine, sparking a three-way battle for control of the world.<ref>''[[Dawn of the Jihad]]''</ref>
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At the same time, Theodore and Hohiro attempted to return to their nation, only to be beset by both Blakists and Black Dragons. Both leaders were incapacitated, Theodore by a stroke and Hohiro when he was captured by Blakist forces, so the path was open for Warlord of Pesht [[Kiyomori Minamoto]] to seize power. Minamoto was known as a staunch traditionalist<ref>''Field Manual: Draconis Combine''</ref> and likely a Black Dragon when he declared himself ''Gunji-no-Kanrei'' and moved the capital of the Combine back to [[New Samarkand]] to avoid the chaos of [[Luthien]]. The Blakists launched assaults against Combine worlds to damage their infrastructure, while [[Draconis March]] troops again took advantage of the Dragon's distraction to initiate attacks of their own. One of these battles, the one for [[Galedon V]], unleashed a biological agent that rendered the world uninhabitable. This was exacerbated when [[Clan Snow Raven]] naval assets appeared in orbit and announced their intention to decimate the world. Refugees fled as fast as they were able, spreading the disease that came to be known as the Curse of Galedon.<ref>''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3070]]''</ref>
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In mid-[[3067]], the Combine earned the ire of [[Clan Snow Raven]] by destroying one of their most prized [[WarShip]]s as it attempted to dock with a Combine [[Dictionary#r|recharge station]] after having won a [[Clans#Trial of Possession|Trial of Possession]] for a recharge. The Snow Ravens, following a biological attack that devastated their fleet, attacked the Draconis Combine world of [[Galedon V]] before learning that the attack had been orchestrated by the omnipresent [[Word of Blake]].<ref>''Field Manual: Updates'' & ''Jihad Hot Spots: 3070''</ref>
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The [[Jihad]] finally ended in [[3081]] when [[Devlin Stone]] defeated the [[Word of Blake]] on their capital of [[Terra]].<ref>''[[Ghost War]]''</ref>
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===Peace?===
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The years after the Jihad were marked by a resistance to Hohiro's rule, which forced him to roll back some of the reforms his father had initiated. The Combine lost many of its worlds as well. Some were voluntarily ceded to the [[Republic of the Sphere]], while others fell into a buffer state that sprung up between the Combine and the [[Federated Suns]]. Both the Kurita and Sandoval families continued to pour money and resources into the low-level conflict that persisted in that region. Perhaps the most devastating effect of the [[Jihad]] was the decentralization of power that allowed the three remaining Warlords to become very powerful, especially compared to Hohiro's successor.
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At some point during this era of relative peace there was a [[Second Combine-Ghost Bear War]].
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===The HPGs Go Dark===
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In [[3132]], the [[HPG]] network suffered a serious blow as unknown forces took down a majority of the stations. The [[Republic of the Sphere]] that was formed by Stone in 3081 descended into chaos as the loss of interstellar communications brought the fears the integrated society had simmering below the surface. One such member of this society, Prefect [[Katana Tormark]], formed the [[Dragon's Fury]], a group that wanted to return traditionally Draconian worlds to the Combine. Tormark continually called out Coordinator [[Vincent Kurita]] and asked for his support, but the Coordinator refused to involve himself in Tormark's land grab until some of his Warlords decided to seize more power for themselves by invading the Republic. Tormark secured the aid of [[Clan Nova Cat]] forces to secure his territory, and was named Warlord of Dieron (a world and district that was under the control of the Republic), earning her both a title and a mandate.<ref>''[[Daughter of the Dragon]]''</ref>
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The mid-3130s were a time of utter chaos, as Vincent Kurita was assassinated along with his son, after his son and heir Theodore's ship suffered from an apparent mis-jump. With his daughter Chomie missing, the only Kurita left was the descendant of [[Theodore Kurita|Coordinator Theodore]]'s illegitimate son [[Franklin Sakamoto]], [[Yori Kurita]].<ref>''[[Dragon Rising]]''</ref>
==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
* [[/History | History]]
* [[/History | History]]
* [[/Timeline | Timeline]]
* [[/Timeline | Timeline]]
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* [[Robert N. Charrette|Charrette, Robert N.]] ''[[Wolves on the Border]]''. [[FASA]], 1988. ROC, 1996.
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* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
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* Charette, Robert N. ''[[Heir to the Dragon]]''. ROC, 1989.
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* ''[[Black Dragon]]''
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* [[Victor Milán|Milán, Victor]]. ''[[Hearts of Chaos]]''. ROC, 1996.
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* ''[[Blake Ascending]]''
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* Milán, Victor. ''[[Black Dragon]]''. ROC, 1996.
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* ''[[Blood Legacy]]''
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* [[Michael A. Stackpole|Stackpole, Michael A.]] ''[[Warrior: En Garde]]''. FASA, 1987. ROC, 1998.
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* ''[[Daughter of the Dragon]]''
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* Stackpole, Michael A. ''[[Warrior: Riposte]]''. FASA, 1988. ROC, 1998.
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* ''[[Dawn of the Jihad]]''
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* Stackpole, Michael A. ''[[Warrior: Coupé]]''. FASA, 1988. ROC, 1998.
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* ''[[Dragon Rising]]''
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* [[Randall N. Bills|Bills, Randall N.]] ''[[Path of Glory]]''. ROC, 2000.
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* ''[[Endgame]]''
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* Coleman, Loren L. ''[[Patriots and Tyrants]]''. ROC, 2001.
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* ''[[Grave Covenant]]''
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* Coleman, Loren L. ''[[Storms of Fate]]''. ROC, 2002.
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* ''[[FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)|FedCom Civil War]]''
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* Coleman, Loren L. ''[[Endgame]]''. ROC, 2002.
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* ''[[Field Manual: Draconis Combine]]''
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* Beas, Herbert A. II et al. ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3072]]''. FanPro, 2007.
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* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
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* ''[[Ghost War]]''
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* ''[[Hearts of Chaos]]''
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* ''[[Heir to the Dragon]]''
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* ''[[House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)]]''
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* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3070]]''
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* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3072]]''
+
* ''[[Lethal Heritage]]''
+
* ''[[Lost Destiny]]''
+
* ''[[Path of Glory]]''
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* ''[[Patriots and Tyrants]]''
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* ''[[Prince of Havoc]]''
+
* ''[[Storms of Fate]]''
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* ''[[Warrior: En Garde]]''
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* ''[[Warrior: Riposte]]''
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* ''[[Warrior: Coupé]]''
+
* ''[[Wolves on the Border]]''
===References===
===References===
Revision as of 20:48, 2 May 2010
This article needs to be updated with material from Handbook: Major Periphery States. Once these titles clear the Moratorium period, or if they already have, please consider revisiting this article and updating it with the new material.
The Draconis Combine is one of the Successor States, located in the "north-east" quadrant of the Inner Sphere. The Draconis Combine has been ruled by House Kurita since its founding in 2319 by Shiro Kurita, perhaps a descendant of Takeo Kurita, a Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II on Terra.[1] The chief of state, the Coordinator, is the head of House Kurita. The official language is Japanese. The Coordinator is a hereditary dictator, who rules over his domain armed with a well-equipped, fanatical military and an ever-pervasive, all-seeing civilian bureaucracy. Two rival intelligence agencies, the ISF (Internal Security Force) and the O5P (Order of the Five Pillars) keep watch against any potential internal threat from commoners, ambitious nobles, and members of the Coordinator's own family. (However, the physical protection of the Coordinator falls to his own personal cohort, who are recruited from the military, not the intelligence services).
The idée fixe of the Combine and the Coordinator is conquest. The Combine employs a large, skilled military that has often been used to expand the realm at the expense of its neighbors known as the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery. Its current capital at Luthien was established during the Star League.
Unlike most of the other Successor States, the Draconis Combine is a military dictatorship. It still operates on the basis of a feudal system, however, so most governmental apparatuses are roughly similar. The main difference for the common person is that they have no rights, only duties. It is often referred to as the Pillar of Gold.
Coordinator
The ruler of the Draconis Combine is known as the Coordinator of Worlds, often abbreviated simply as "Coordinator." The Coordinator is usually male, but not always, and is essentially a dictator. Despite the immense power invested in the Coordinator, he usually does not exercise this power directly, instead allowing those around him to take care of most business. In some ways, his mystique is more important than his actual power. Most Coordinators choose to preserve this mystique by giving orders indirectly, sometimes in the form of a riddle or haiku. That way, if a subordinate fails, it is because he or she did not properly carry out the will of the Coordinator.
Regional
Depending on the point in history, the Combine is divided into anywhere between three and five districts. There are both Military Districts and Government Districts. While the names are the same and the areas they control are nearly identical, there are occasional territorial differences between the two. This structure continues down to the prefecture level, each of which has a military and civilian leader. The civilian leader (a duke) generally deals with the actual minutiae of administration, while the military leader (a Tai-shu or Tai-sho) makes the executive decisions.
No matter the position, a regional leader has the authority to rule as he or she sees fit, so long as no decrees from a higher-up are controverted. Of course, regional leaders must also interpret and carry out the orders of the Coordinator as best they can.
The military of the Combine, the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery (DCMS) has traditionally been one of the strongest in the Inner Sphere. The Combine was founded upon the principles of bushido, the way of the warrior. Thanks to this, the military has a large pool of skilled individuals to draw from. Enlistment in the DCMS is seen as the fastest way to get ahead in the world, as every person in the military, even a lowly rifleman, is respected. The DCMS is also referred to as the Pillar of Steel and the Arm of the Dragon.
Religion
Asian religions such as Shinto and Buddhism are heavily favored in the Combine. Christianity is tolerated due to the influence of Rasalhague. Judaism is actively repressed, while Islam is only tolerated in the worlds of the Azami.
The roots of the Draconis Combine lie with the Alliance of Galedon between the worlds Galedon and New Samarkand. Under the leadership of Shiro Kurita, the Alliance, rechristened the Draconis Combine in 2319, used threats, intimidation, deceit, and outright military conquest to expand. He established House Kurita, the ruling dynasty of the Combine whose reign was interrupted only by the rule of the Von Rohrs family from 2421 until they were wiped out in 2510.
Shiro ordered an assault on the Principality of Rasalhague in 2330 that was largely successful, except that the integration of the Rasalahgians into Draconian culture was never complete.
Following the Fourth Succession War and facing the prospect of a super-state, the Federated Commonwealth, on its border; the Combine recognized the independence of the Free Rasalhague Republic to create a buffer state and secure higher-technology weapons through ComStar. These proved useful when the Commonwealth did invade in the War of 3039.
The Clan Invasion resulted in a huge loss of territory for the Combine, which even had to fight on Luthien. They were able to regain some of the lost worlds in Operation Bulldog. Coordinator Theodore Kurita sought to lessen the impact of bushido on his troops so that they would be more willing to accept flexible tactics that would be useful against the Clans. The kokuryu-kai opposed his reforms and launched a full-scale rebellion at the same time as the Word of Blake started their Jihad.
The Combine emerged from the Jihad weakened, though still powerful compared to their neighbors. After the blackout in 3132, the Combine launched an invasion of the Republic of the Sphere. A series of assassinations placed Yori Kurita, the illegitimate descendant of Theodore, on the throne.
