The relationship between Rasalhague and the Combine (and Steiner) is a complicated one. I usually see a lot of people focusing on the hostilities between the FRR and Kurita due to the military conquest and the fact that the entire region was never successfully pacified. This often leads to the misconception that there is only bad blood between the two, and that the Lyran Commonwealth should automatically be treated like an ally simply because they supported Rasalhague's strive for independence, offering the rebels material support and, later on, a military offensive against the occupying DCMS garrisons.
It is, however, not that simple. As Steiner forces moved into the District, the rebels soon learned that they were merely being used as pawns and that the Commonwealth had aimed to merely replace the Combine as their overlords. In territories "liberated" by the Lyrans, their former allies were rounded up and imprisoned, and as civil unrest grew, a brutal police crackdown rivaling Draconis riot control practices followed. Simultaneously, the Coordinator (or rather, his son *cough*), played his gambit of discharging the District from Combine rule before it would fall entirely into Lyran hands.
Since Steiner publicly favoured Rasalhague independence and this was presented as one of the goals for the Lyran military campaign, and since the Commonwealth had already started to taste the desire for freedom from the native people (which would surely lead to considerable enmity if those "peacekeeping forces" would remain any longer), they had to follow suit and acknowledge Rasalhague's independence.
The people of the newborn Republic would soon learn that the Coordinator was a man of his words, for when rogue elements of the DCMS launched an unauthorised campaign to reclaim these territories that many warriors had fought and died to conquer and to keep, Theodore Kurita personally led elements of the An Ting, Shin and Vega Legions, two regiments of the Sword of Light, and a company of Sorenson's Sabres into the territories of the FRR to defend its independence, sorrowfully engaging their former comrades-in-arms in battle. A commitment that did not went unnoticed by the Rasalhagian people, especially when many of their own mercenaries - hired with heavily limited contracts due to a lack of experience in self-governance - refused to fight the Ronin.
It is notable that the Free Rasalhague Republic still maintains a medal reserved exclusively for warriors of the DCMS - the Starburst of Rasalhague, awarded to Kuritan soldiers whose actions saved the lives of Rasalhague civilians. To my knowledge, this is the only case of an independent state having a medal for the military of one of the Successor States.
And this brings us to today's situation. As per the above considerations, I would suspect that, as a whole, Rasalhague's relationship with the Draconis Combine is much better than with the Lyran Commonwealth, although it obviously attempts to appease both Great Houses in an effort to maintain its neutrality and not rise the ire of either party by favoring the other.
As for what the people of the Combine think about Rasalhague, this is a bit more difficult. I think there will be two main schools of thought here - the traditionalists who agree with the Ronin's cause, if not their actions, and the "new generation" who trusts in the Coordinator's leadership, a product of the slow change in the realm's culture and changing dogma, and who may even possess sufficient initiative to see through the propaganda and understand the wisdom behind the decision to let Rasalhague go free.
During the Dark Age, freedom fighters from Rasalhague even join the Dragon's Fury, as Katana Tormark promised them to liberate the FRR from the occupying Clan forces. A known named example of this is Danni Haag, a MechWarrior serving in Tai-sho Tormark's Amaterasu regiment.
In short: Both House Kurita as well as House Steiner would offer a place for someone who does not like the FRR, but Kurita stands out in both allowing a special hatred, as well as allowing for someone who actually likes Rasalhague, whereas with Steiner one would either be mildly annoyed (missed opportunity for expansion) or neutral (if buying the PR about giving them freedom) about them.
For a character background, if you play a Kuritan who hates the FRR, all you'd have to write down for a reason would be something like actually coming from there, and being forced to leave your home as the DCMS withdrew. In the first weeks or months after troops withdrew, there actually were a number of Anti-Oriental incidents as the Rasalhague natives took out their anger at the now unprotected Asians - some of whom were Combine settlers that had been granted special privileges as the region was still part of the Draconis Combine. A bit like with the German minority in Poland after WW2, although history probably has a lot more examples if one were to look closer. The timing would be just right that someone who was a young and vulnerable kid during Rasalhague's Declaration of Independence (3034) is now old enough to be a Mechwarrior.
Hope this helps!
Edited by Kyone Akashi, 14 October 2013 - 07:03 AM.
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