Though a new realm in name, the Lyran Alliance is essentially a new incarnation of the old Lyran Commonwealth. It lies within roughly the same borders, its people share the same mercantile outlook, and it embodies many of the same strengths and weaknesses as its famous predecessor. Prominent among the former are hardheaded pragmatism, an instinct for a good deal and a genuine commitment to peace as the best guarantor of prosperity. Like the Commonwealth it replaced, however, the Lyran Alliance possesses a weak military relative to its fellow Successor States. Though sufficiently strong to defend its territory, the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces remains plagued by a persistent lack of ability among its high-level officers. Questions of loyalty have added to its military troubles; in the wake of secession from the Federated Commonwealth, unimpeachably pro-Steiner attitudes are frequently given more weight than competence among the soldiery. With a civil war now catching fire, the Alliance faces its gravest threat and starkest test. Whether and how it survives will determine the future of the Lyran people for years to come.