In 2600, Lady Shandra Cameron died, followed two years later by Lord Ian. Ian's son Nicholas was then declared leader of the Star League. During Nicholas' reign, the League narrowly averted a war with an unbalanced Leonard Kurita and the Draconis Combine, avoided when shamed Kurita family assassinated the Coordinator. Another feature of Nicolas' reign was a string of important technological breakthroughs, the more significant of which include the HyperPulse generator, new water purification procedures, medical advances, and neural-dimensional computer technology, all leading to rapid expansion of the Star League. Marrying Lydia Petersen, Duchess of Bryant earlier, in 2598, their son Joseph being born two years later. In 2646, Nicholas Cameron designated Michael Cameron, Joseph's son, as his successor, who assumed power in 2649 upon Nicholas' death.
Michael's reign was characterized by incidents with the Rim Worlds Republic and House Kurita, with the Draconis Combine encouraging independent MechWarriors to engage SLDF forces in self-proclaimed 'duels' in the First Hidden War. On October 13, 2690, Michael retired as he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and Jonathan Cameron, his oldest son, was designated his replacement.
During his service, Jonathan engaged in a build-up of SLDF forces. He declared that Royal units would receive new technology first, with house units receiving it as hand-me-downs many years later, and saw to the construction of Space Defense Systems in major systems, composed of drone warships, computer-run spaceports, and huge ground-based lasers and missiles designed to mop up any remaining invaders. With renewed cries of discontent in the Periphery and in the Draconis Combine, when Kurita launched an attack against House Davion over a question of Kurita succession to the Davion throne. Unstable and unable to rule, Jonathan consulted his sister more and more often, Jocasta becoming the defacto leader of the Star League. The appearance of five crack Star League divisions shocked both sides into agreeing to a cease-fire. In 2738, Jonathan Cameron died of a stroke, and Mother Jocasta handed over the Star League to Jonathan's son, Simon.
With the growing discontent in the Periphery and worried that Periphery forces could soon rival that of the Regular Army, Simon instructed that more fortresses be built in and along the Periphery border. The only Periphery kingdom apparently supporting the Star League was the Rim Worlds Republic, the high praise and show of admiration from the Amaris family, rulers of the Republic, only making some observers skeptical, aggravated by the hidden Rim World forces bringing its power two to three times above the allowed numbers.
Angered by the lag in the Star League forcing a cease fire between the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine, Richard Davion slowly withdrew its cooperation furing Simon's reign, as Houses Davion and Kurita drifted further and further from participation in the Star League. Finally, in 2751, Simon Cameron died, his peace initiatives a failure, leaving his eight year old son, Richard Cameron II the only successor. The five Lords convened on Terra and appoined General Aleksandr Kerensky, commanding officer of the Star League Defense Forces as Richard's Regent and Protector.
Stefan Amaris, ruler of the Rim Worlds Republic, slowly begain working his way in as a "friend" of the young Richard, poisoning the young First Lord's thoughts. When the Council Lords imposed a series of heavy taxes on the Periphery worlds, heavy fighting broke out, drawing in more of the SLDF forces, the new tax money being redirected to help the house Lords build up their own forces. Richard now saw Amaris as his closest friend and confidant, and Amaris took advantage of this, convincing Richard to remove all SLDF forces from the Rim Worlds Republic and ordered all SLDF bases and fortresses be turned over to the Rim Worlds. After attempts to strip bases of technology, some managed to fall into Republic hands.
Stefan Amaris continued to expand his influence on Richard, as the Houses started skirmishing on the verge of Richard's majority. In an act of revenge for slights cooked up by Amaris, Richard ordered all House armed forces to be disbanded. Angered by this, the Lords protested, and when convinced by Kerensky on the illegality of the action, Richard rescinded his previous order.
Convinced by Amaris that Kerensky and the House Lords were against him, Richard became even more embittered. When the Periphery again exploded in violence, with Amaris as its chief architect. As more and more of the SLDF forces were required to fight the war in the Periphery, Amaris offered the service of Rim Worlds forces to help defend the Terran Hegemony. Under objections, Amaris' offer was accepted.
Involved with fighting in the Periphery, Kerensky regrouped and quickly took the Rim Worlds Republic. After some rest, Kerensky divied his forces up into three groups, one to travel through each of the accomodating houses toward the Hegemony. As time wore on, Kerensky had only captured eleven worlds and were contesting another ten, while losing 30 divisions and 40 major warships. As Amaris forces withdrew to regroup, Kerensky advanced further, finally capturing the worlds nearest Terra.
A year later, on October 10, 2780, the Council Lords gathered and
stripped Kerensky of his title of Protector, refusing an offer by General
DeChavilier to help overthrow the House Lords. Ten months later, the
Lords had not reached a decision on a successor for the position of First
Lord, each claiming the position for him or herself, the Council being
dissolved by the Lords on August 12, 2781. As the spirit of the Star
League began eroding, Kerensky gathered 80 precent of the SLDF
forces, and they jumped out of the Inner Sphere, never to be seen again,
completing the collapse of the Star League.
