"The starkly ironic recruiting poster, from 2138, shows the top of the Iron Coalition's newly completed space elevator called the 'Leonov Control Center' situated on Luna. It was from this station that bombers were scrambled but failed to stop the runaway asteroid that destroyed Earth 3 years later."
IRON COALITION
Order. Strength. Unity - This is the creed of the Iron Coalition. Formed as a space-borne United Nations peacekeeping force, the Earth's destruction has transformed the Iron Coalition into one of the dominant powers in space. Led by Brigadier General Derek Fisk, the Iron Coalition struggles to restore and maintain order to the remaining members of the human race - by any means necessary.
IDEOLOGY STATEMENT
To restore and maintain order to the solar system until a properly constituted government can take control.
BACKGROUND
The earliest antecedent of the so-called “Iron Coalition” was formed in July 2071, when the United Nations passed an emergency resolution authorizing the creation of a multi-national peace-keeping force. The express mission of this force was to restore order on Luna - and challenge the power of the megacorporations that had begun to flaunt Earth laws. The Coalition participated in several battles and some rather drawn-out wars before Earth's destruction.
From the beginning, the Coalition was dominated by the United States Marine Corps which had a long history of actions in space. The Coalition's first leader, General David Eglin, was himself a US Marine and proved highly adept in the political battlefield. He succeeded in obtaining a great deal of funding from his UN overseers, funding he used to build and strengthen Coalition military technology. His actions in those early days laid the groundwork for today's Coalition - perhaps the most powerful military force ever fielded by an Earth government.
The most obvious example of Coalition might was the Siege of Leonov. After weeks of stalemated negotiations and continued violence between GigaCorp and the Crimson Group, Eglin ordered the Coalition to secure Leonov crater. This action surprised many people, some of whom viewed it as far too provocative. Whether they were correct or not in their assessment, the critics did not anticipate the reactions of the corporations. For the first time in over a generation, someone had successfully stood up to commercial concerns in space. The Iron Coalition had quickly established itself as a force to be reckoned with.
After the Siege of Leonov, the Coalition was synonymous with “order.” The late 21st century was a wild and dangerous time. The corporations, especially GigaCorp and the Crimson Group, ran rampant throughout the solar system. Their power was largely unchecked and without rival. Similarly, independent traders and prospectors set themselves up everywhere without any regard for central authority. The potential for disaster and conflict was vast.
Under General Eglin, the Coalition patrolled the solar system and adjudicated disputes, occasionally dispensing justice on the spot. They kept on eye on the corporations and did what they could to prevent violence. In many cases, their presence was enough to dissuade the fringe elements of the solar system from acting violently.
In light of the Coalition's success as a peace-keeping force, the UN ordered the Coalition to install a traffic control and communications network throughout the solar system. While ultimately unsuccessful in doing so, the fact that the UN turned to them and not another organization speaks greatly about their power and influence.
Naturally, the corporations resented the growing power of the Coalition and did whatever possible to curtail it; munitions shipments from Earth were routinely “salvaged” (intercepted and claimed by corporate assets as recovered wreckage), and replacement munitions, parts and other gear suddenly started exhibiting defects (reportedly through corporate sabotage). Using their influence in the media and in Earth governments, the corporations waged a public relations campaign against the Coalition, painting the military as “fascists without respect for liberty, free trade and an open, honest society.”
Surprisingly, the public didn't accept this characterization, despite the best efforts of the corporate media machine. After the guerilla broadcasts of 2037 (which exposed GeneFlex human experimentation), many believed that the Coalition was the only organization capable of policing the megacorps.
The first major defeat of Coalition forces was during Solikhov's uprising on Luna; Coalition General Eglin was killed in a cunning ambush, demoralizing the military and forcing them to withdraw. Several corporations quietly used their influence to advance candidates for supreme command of the Coalition, hoping to produce a “more malleable” Earth military. Their worst fears were realized, however, when Brigadier General Derek Fisk, the hero of Luna and Io, assumed supreme command of the Coalition.
Although unable to prevent the secession of Luna due to “UN interference,” Fisk proved to be the corporations' worst nightmare. Young and possessed of a keen - and independent - mind, megacorp execs could not intimidate or control the new Supreme Commander of the Coalition.
After assuming command of Coalition forces, Fisk faced a period of relative peace; the corporations; in light of Fisk's record, the corporations refrained from outright warfare. Instead, the Coalition engaged pirate forces and acted as an extra-terrestrial police agency.
The destruction of Earth dramatically altered the Coalition's role. In the wake of the disaster, Fisk reasoned that there was now a power vacuum in human space. Fisk quickly began to move against other unfriendly military powers, hoping to disarm or destroy any groups that could destabilize the already volatile balance of power.
He hoped to bring stability to reunify humanity in an orderly, efficient, military manner. Several military officers - and in fact, entire divisions - allied themselves with the Coalition, more out of distrust of civilian and corporate authority than any strong loyalty to Fisk.
During Fisk's mobilization and expansion of his forces, the term “Iron Coalition” was coined; an officer in the Chinese contingent that was absorbed into Fisk's forces first used the nickname in homage to Fisk's old unit, the Iron Ravens.
Fisk's efforts to date have been somewhat hamstrung by his support staff, many of whom were drawn from the ranks of other military forces. Some of his staff - while outwardly obeying his orders - secretly have their own agendas, and occasionally tensions within the Coalition mount and some internecine fighting ensues.
The Coalition has - because of Eglin's foresight and Fisk's leadership - grown from a fairly primitive (albeit large) military presence into a high-tech, well-equipped and efficient attack force. The bulk of Coalition forces are still US Marines, though Russia, China, France, Britain, Japan, Germany, Ireland, Australia, and Brazil all have sizable populations within the Coalition.
INTER-CIV RELATIONS
The Iron Coalition does not maintain amicable relations with any of the other civilizations in the solar system. Its most bitter and long-standing enemy is GigaCorp. General Fisk views GigaCorp as the only significant challenger to the Coalition's supremacy. At the same time, he views corporate forces as cowardly and dishonorable in the extreme. Experience has shown that GigaCorp is invariably hostile to the Coalition's goals and its forces are to be treated with extreme caution.
On the other hand, the Coalition views the Belters as nothing but a rag-tag band of pirates, renegades, and other undesirables who possess neither discipline nor good sense. Consequently, the Belters are not considered a serious threat to the goals of the Coalition. Existing rules of engagement counsel avoiding Belters unless they become an impediment to Coalition operations. General Fisk hopes that this policy will minimize unnecessary combats and one day lead the Belters to “see the error of their ways” and embrace the order that the Coalition represents.
There is little significant contact between the Coalition and the Bios. They are generally viewed with suspicion, as their corporate ancestry and racial supremacist views are anathema to the Iron Coalition. Until proven otherwise, Coalition commanders have orders to proceed with extreme caution when dealing with this civilization, though - where possible - they are also under orders to capture Bio technology.
NOTABLE PERSONALITIES