Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars

[Mendrugo]

He could have also been in the Draconis March to establish relationships with March's movers and shakers. After all, if there's going to be a trouble spot once Michael is in charge, it's going to come from there. Sohe goes and gets some face time with a few people, feeling them out, and deciding who can he use and who might have to meet with an "accident" after taking the throne.

Craig

Interesting.  I hadn't quite considered it before, but that may go a long way towards explaining the odd notes in earlier stories and scenarios where Hasek is shown trying to micro-manage the Kell Hounds and Fox's Teeth on the Combine front.  If he feels his control over the Capellan March is secure, his logical next move would be to shore up support in the other two Marches.  Clearly, he made substantial progress suborning Hanse's staff on Argyle in the Crucis March, but would also have needed to make inroads into the Draconis March.

It's too bad Duke Aaron Sandoval didn't get much page-time in this era.  It might have been interesting to see what he thought about Hasek-Davion making so many political trips into his turf.  The House Davion sourcebook describes Hasek as "even more clever than Duke Sandoval."  It also says "Unlike Duke Michael, who is uninterested, Duke Sandoval takes his role as Minister seriously.  He actively rules over the bureaucracy of the Draconis March, and can usually be counted on to show up for serious High Council meetings."  Sandoval's profile says he's a staunch supporter of the alliance with the Lyran Commonwealth, and will do anything to promote the alliance.

Most likely, with such a profile, the conspirators' next step would have to have been to undercut Sandoval, since he would pull out all the stops to prevent the Suns from going to war with the Lyrans.

[Wrangler]

Interesting.  I hadn't quite considered it before, but that may go a long way towards explaining the odd notes in earlier stories and scenarios where Hasek is shown trying to micro-manage the Kell Hounds and Fox's Teeth on the Combine front.  If he feels his control over the Capellan March is secure, his logical next move would be to shore up support in the other two Marches.  Clearly, he made substantial progress suborning Hanse's staff on Argyle in the Crucis March, but would also have needed to make inroads into the Draconis March.

It's too bad Duke Aaron Sandoval didn't get much page-time in this era.  It might have been interesting to see what he thought about Hasek-Davion making so many political trips into his turf.  The House Davion sourcebook describes Hasek as "even more clever than Duke Sandoval."  It also says "Unlike Duke Michael, who is uninterested, Duke Sandoval takes his role as Minister seriously.  He actively rules over the bureaucracy of the Draconis March, and can usually be counted on to show up for serious High Council meetings."  Sandoval's profile says he's a staunch supporter of the alliance with the Lyran Commonwealth, and will do anything to promote the alliance.

Most likely, with such a profile, the conspirators' next step would have to have been to undercut Sandoval, since he would pull out all the stops to prevent the Suns from going to war with the Lyrans.

Speaking of Aaron, did you cover him?  He had rather interesting origin story, I think i read his story in the original House Book.  Being a tanker, lead a his platoon (4 tanks) fight the Combine on Rio in all-combat vehicle regiment.  He barely came back without his legs, but with a wife who was fellow tanker.  His father went from cold to warm.   I think it was appealing of character origin, him being tank platoon commander in non-BattleMech combat formation.

[Mendrugo]

Aaron hasn't had a speaking role.  I mentioned him once in passing - since he was referred to as being a MechWarrior, yet his bio says he lost both legs when serving as a tank commander.  I think the point I was making is that the Federated Suns had the technology to do full type 5 myomer replacements for legs that would allow Aaron to pilot a 'Mech, so saying Justin Xiang's type 4 cybernetic limb replacement was "cutting edge" tech from the NAIS was somewhat disingenuous.

[Wrangler]

I see, i guess his origin mixed up.  I think it may depend on what is the new source.  I think someone in FASA era goofed and missed his origin from the House Book. 

[Mendrugo]

I see, i guess his origin mixed up.  I think it may depend on what is the new source.  I think someone in FASA era goofed and missed his origin from the House Book.

Not necessarily.  TRO:3026 gives a rundown on replacement limbs, and says Type V (myomer) are visually nearly identical to regular limbs, and are fully functional.  Type IV are robotic prosthetics that need to be programmed, and provide general utility, but not the full range of use.

The plot hole comes from Warrior: En Garde talking about the Type IV as the best available, while TRO:3026 (published a year earlier, in universe) says Type V are expensive, but still possible, and restore full use.

[Wrangler]

Not necessarily.  TRO:3026 gives a rundown on replacement limbs, and says Type V (myomer) are visually nearly identical to regular limbs, and are fully functional.  Type IV are robotic prosthetics that need to be programmed, and provide general utility, but not the full range of use.

The plot hole comes from Warrior: En Garde talking about the Type IV as the best available, while TRO:3026 (published a year earlier, in universe) says Type V are expensive, but still possible, and restore full use.

I guess my problem is that he was a Tank Officer.  I just found it odd, was there any indications he why he would suddenly become a MechWarrior?  I have look at House Book again, it didn't say he wasn't able to do it. But he certain didn't become one. Tankers were not long-lived people given how terribly easy it is for them be schooled by BattleMechs. He was using a Partisan Tank, which should put him at range verse getting up close with Liao controlled Marauder.  It's possible because he ran away from at 16, straight into the military as non-commissioned officer would keep him from BattleMech.

[Mendrugo]

The rules don't generally apply to high nobles in the Successor States.  If Aaron's father wanted his son to be a MechWarrior, what AFFS academy is going to refuse him? 

[Wrangler]

The rules don't generally apply to high nobles in the Successor States.  If Aaron's father wanted his son to be a MechWarrior, what AFFS academy is going to refuse him?

True, I thought it was more in align physically and desire to.  Its uncovered ground what happened in between his elevation into assuming responsibilities for the March, since while he was tanker he wasn't aware his older brothers had died.  For fiction point of view, it would had been interesting for a Succession War era leader to be non-MechWarrior, yet able command important post of FedSun March. Everything typical leaders are MechWarriors most of the time.  I think tankers have bad rap, since Caleb Davion appeared since he couldn't become a MechWarrior and became a tanker due to his .... mental challenges.

I don't want to distract from reviews, so i'll end this conversation here.

[Mendrugo]

----- The Following Day -----

Date: July 7, 3025

Location: New Avalon

Title: The Sword and the Dagger

Author: Ardath Mayhar

Type: Novel

Synopsis:  Early in the morning, Hanse and company dress in their new outfits, then exit via a secret staircase and proceed to the palace, blending in with the gaily costumed throngs.  When they reach the palace's perimeter, Hanse directs them to a small door set into the wall, and opens it using a retinal scan, passing into a remote corner of the garden.  They proceed to the barracks, taking a moment for Sep to change from her gown into her AFFS uniform.  At the barracks, Sep goes to the duty officer's station and greets Fram (last seen on Argyle).  He greets them warmly, and tells them the big announcement is scheduled to begin in two hours.  Sep tells Fram to assign Ardan, Jarlik, Ref, and Hanse (going by the pseudonym "Hannes" - Sep's not very good at improvisation) to security stations directly behind the Prince's dais, and to have her Warhammer prepared for action.

Two hours later, Hanse and crew move into position, unnoticed by the impostor standing just in front of him.  At noon, the gates open, and throngs of Avalonians enter the palace grounds.  At that moment, Hanse moves into the impostor's line of sight.  The man turns pale and faints, prompting his aide, Ekkles, to cancel the announcement and order the courtyard cleared.  Ardan, Ref, and Jarlik run to Hanse's private offices, where Hanse has revealed himself and is exchanging charges of being a fake with the impostor in front of aide-de-camp Ekkles, the palace doctor, guards, Lyran Ambassador Efflinger, and three of the most eminent members of the New Avalon Institute of Science.  With a tremendous thud, Sep announces her presence by knocking against the external wall with her Warhammer, and demands a minute examination of both claimants. 

Efflinger notes that Ardan Sortek knows the Prince best, and asks him to examine both and verify which is real.  Ardan looks closely, and sees a few scars on the real Hanse that the fake lacks - and knows them to be the results of childhood mischief.  Ekkles is outraged at the suggestion he could have been misled, and strongly backs the impostor.  Doctor Shali, a NAIS biologist, directs them to join her in the private laboratories deep under the palace, where they can conduct the testing.  Following retinal scans, thumbprints, blood samples, and DNA testing, the scientists announce that the impostor's samples match the tissue samples in storage, while the real Hanse's are incompatible. 

Ekkles presses for Hanse and Ardan's immediate execution, but Dr. Shali objects.  She says, despite the laboratory test results, she has noticed inconsistencies in the Prince's policies towards the NAIS since his trip to Argyle, while many long-standing loyalists to Hanse have been dismissed and arrested.  Ardan suggests that each claimant attempt to activate Hanse's BattleMaster.  The duplicate tries first, and manages to get it to power up, but is unable to activate the weapon systems, claiming they're broken.  The real Hanse then activates the weapons and fires them on the test range.  Dr. Shali is satisfied with this demonstration, and orders the arrest of the impostor. 

Ardan, Jarlik, Ref, and Sep thank Ambassador Efflinger for his, and his son's, assistance.  The Ambassador tells them he hopes his son marries his "secret" mistress soon, so he can use that as an excuse to cut off his credit and force him to get a real job - probably as one of Prince Hanse's operatives.  Ran Felsner then arrives, and Ardan has to explain everything to him while they return to the podium, before which the crowd has gathered once again.  Ekkles announces that the Prince's "temporary indisposition" has passed, and he is in no danger.  He introduces the real Hanse, who reaffirms the Federated Suns' alliance with the Lyran Commonwealth.

Notes: Interestingly, the impostor passes the DNA test.  If the Capellans had the technology to rewrite the impostor's DNA to match Hanse's in 3025, why didn't the Word of Blake use the same technology to have the false Thomas' DNA match The Master's?  The fact that Hanse's DNA didn't match the samples implies that the conspiracy had agents on the inside who switched out the comparison samples.

The NAIS scientists come off here as a little creepy.  First off, they have secret laboratories deep under the palace.  The last House Lord to have secret laboratories was Claudius Steiner, who used LosTech surgical tools as instruments of torture.  Second, when leading the impostor away, Dr. Shali says they have techniques at the NAIS that will be guaranteed to make someone talk.  Sounds like Claudius would have liked the NAIS.

The fact that, even with all his conditioning, the false Hanse couldn't activate Hanse's BattleMaster may be another indication that he was only intended to be in place for a short amount of time - just long enough to make the main Davion branch look unpalatable, destroy the Federated Commonwealth alliance, and handicap the NAIS.  Then he could get himself assassinated, clearing the way for Duke Michael to step in.

There are a number of questions raised by how this chapter played out.  Why did real Hanse go with false Hanse to his private office?  How did Sep know where they'd be when she came knocking with her Warhammer?  What were the four 'Mechs on duty doing when a Warhammer (even one piloted by their commander) started denting in the wall of the First Prince's office?  (When Archon Viola Steiner went haywire on the battlefield during the Reunification War, her own troops eventually had to put her down, costing her an arm in the process, so Sep's rank wouldn't necessarily have kept off incoming fire.)  Was Ekkles part of the consipracy?  He keeps advocating for the real Hanse's immediate execution, yet still seems to have a job after the switch is revealed.

[Mendrugo]

More reviews coming soon - just been consumed fleshing out the master index.  I should have all the MWDA novels input by this evening, and then back to the reviews.

[drakensis]

True, I thought it was more in align physically and desire to.  Its uncovered ground what happened in between his elevation into assuming responsibilities for the March, since while he was tanker he wasn't aware his older brothers had died.  For fiction point of view, it would had been interesting for a Succession War era leader to be non-MechWarrior, yet able command important post of FedSun March. Everything typical leaders are MechWarriors most of the time.  I think tankers have bad rap, since Caleb Davion appeared since he couldn't become a MechWarrior and became a tanker due to his .... mental challenges.

I don't want to distract from reviews, so i'll end this conversation here.

It's probable Aaron had mechwarrior training before he ran away from home - maybe not formally but 'Mech training is what the smart noble family gives their kids to help them get ahead of life.

Of course without the Sandoval name at his back, when he enlists it's a matter of "Do you have a 'Mech?" "No." "Well at least the gunnery translates a little to firing tank guns. Welcome to tank training."

Then when he's back with his family he has the resources to get a 'Mech and completes his training.

[trboturtle]

It could be that he didn't enlist under his own name. If he did so, it would be easier to hide in a tank regiment than as a Mechwarrior. Mechwarriors would be a known identity, while a tanker doesn't have the same in-depth scrutiny.

Craig

[Mendrugo]

----- The Same Day -----

Date: July 7, 3025

Location: Dixie

Title: The Heart of Dixie

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Short Story

Synopsis:  Colonel Hansi accords the Lyran militia commander grudging respect for having tricked her, thereby gaining time to reinforce the old Castle Brian.  To avoid another ambush, she's directed her three DropShips to land surrounding the depot site and ordered them to secure their landing zones and prepare for the assault. 

As the Marik 'Mechs charge, they run into prepared defenses - anti-'Mech trenches and pit traps.  As the momentum of the charge breaks up Lyran 'Mechs rise from concealment and open fire.  Hansi calls for infantry to assist and for service vehicles to extract the fallen 'Mechs from the trenches.

Hauptmann Angela Dickerson commands a lance of the Dixie Militia, facing an oncoming FWL company.  'Mechs on both sides go down, but the Marik forces continue to advance.  Once they reach the correct spot, Dickerson detonates concealed petrocycoline (inferno fuel) destroying more and driving the rest back.  She reports the left flank is holding...barely.

On another front, Sergeant Hearns finishes wiring remote reactor startup controls to the hulk of the antiquated Hussar abandoned in the Castle.

Colonel Volger commands the defense of the tunnel entrance, backed by Warrant Officer Krieger in a highly modified Blackjack.  He receives a report that First Leutenant Oak's lance was completely destroyed, but managed to render the attacking Marik company combat ineffective in the process.  He worries that one good push could finish what's left of the Dixie Militia, but gets unexpected news that the Leaguers are pulling back.

Colonel Hansi is furious when she gets back to her DropShip and receives reports that her forces lost two lances in the abortive assault.  Captain Treacher points out that long-range sensor data shows Star League-era BattleMechs deployed.  Hansi and her command staff conclude the Dixie Militia has reactivated some LosTech Star League 'Mechs and deployed them.  She orders her troops to repair and maintain the perimeter, and prepare for a massed assault in a few days.

In the Castle, Hauptmann Dickerson wonders why the Leaguers didn't finish them off.  Volger correctly assesses that the Leaguers are afraid of what the Militia may have obtained from the Star League cache.  He says, if they're lucky, Leutenant Raven's unit can reinforce them before the Leaguers regain their nerve.  He doesn't think they can beat Hansi's force, but knows that the FWL force is under severe time pressure.

Notes: Hansi has just short of three companies to attack the Castle Brian, whereas she arrived with a reinforced battalion, implying that they lost roughly a company of troops during the fighting at the false dig site.  This scene also confirms that the reinforced battalion came with three DropShips.  They all seem to be 'Mech carriers.  My offhand guess would be two Unions and one Overlord, though the presence of infantry and support vehicles might argue for an Overlord, an Excalibur, and a Union.  (They'd have plenty of transport assets if SAFE just finished purging the traitorous elements from the unit, leaving an excess of equipment but a shortage of personnel.)

This is one of the quintessential "old school" BattleTech stories, when everyone dreamed of finding a crate of spare actuators, and dreamed of finding legendary LosTech equipment.  This is about the only context in which a Hussar, of all things, could strike fear in anyone's heart.  (For those unfamiliar with the stats, a Medium Laser hit will breach the armor plating anywhere it hits.) 

Interestingly, the Dixie Militia uses petrocycoline in its Infernos, while the planetary defense forces on Trell I use white phosphorus in their Inferno warheads.  TechManual says "[Inferno] warheads combine volatile incendiary fluids with a soap-like chemical that adheres to almost any hard surface."  Presumably, the incendiary fluid is petrocycoline.  Looking at Wikipedia, white phosphorus tends to stick on its own (without the need for a soapy adhering mixer).  Perhaps Trell I was rich in the raw materials needed to make white phosphorus warheads, resulting in non-standard but equivalent effect warheads in use there. 

[Scotty]

The Hussar could have been a Royal.  That would be enough to be at least slightly fearsome, with damn near four times the armor of the standard model, as well as an ER Large and very advanced electronics systems, especially for the 4th.  It also handily outruns everything save for the Hermes I and the Dart in 3025.  That'd be enough to make me worry as a slightly incompetent Marik commander.

[Mendrugo]

The Hussar could have been a Royal.  That would be enough to be at least slightly fearsome, with damn near four times the armor of the standard model, as well as an ER Large and very advanced electronics systems, especially for the 4th.  It also handily outruns everything save for the Hermes I and the Dart in 3025.  That'd be enough to make me worry as a slightly incompetent Marik commander.

This particular Hussar was an immobile husk, propped up with a steel frame, with the fusion engine powered up to give the impression it was functional.  It wasn't clear if the laser was functional, but even if it was, it would just be an exceptionally poorly armored pillbox.

[Mendrugo]

----- Two Days Later -----

Date: July 9, 3025

Location: Dixie

Title: The Heart of Dixie

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Short Story

Synopsis: At 0500, a sentry awakens Colonel Hansi and reports the combat air patrol has detected Militia reinforcements moving up from Port Blue Savannah.  Rainbow Company is en-route.  Hansi orders Treacher's Company to intercept and destroy the Dixie column, then return to join the main body for its assault.  Her combat engineers have constructed rolls of logs and sticks to overcome the anti-'Mech trenches, and she is confident her troops will be able to breach the Militia defenses.

At the Militia lines, Colonel Volger holds position just out of the Marik pickets' weapon range, noting that his forces have been bolstered by salvaged FWL 'Mechs.  He relays intel reports to Leutenant Raven, alerting her an enemy force has broken away from the main Leaguer body to engage her.  He advises her to break and run, drawing the League forces away from the fight at the Castle Brian.

Notes:  Author Blaine Lee Pardoe is a noted Civil War enthusiast, so I can't help but wonder if he modeled Colonel Hansi on Union General George McClellan, who famously overestimated the Confederate strength and underestimated his own during the Union's initial push against Richmond, and hesitated at a critical juncture when the Confederacy could have been crushed if he'd moved swiftly.

When I ran the Davis Recreation And Gaming Organizational Network (D.R.A.G.O.N.) at UC Davis in the 1990s, I had great fun using the fixed defense rules from the McCarron's Armored Cavalry scenario pack (Primary Missile Hell, oh yeah!), so I appreciate the threat posed by fixed defenses, especially to a small command with limited assets.  The Big Mac smashed through Fortress Bourgogne's defenses with an Elite regiment.  A depleted battalion has to make every 'Mech count, and pit traps can rack up a remarkably high body count, especially if the defenders have added fun flourishes like filling them with oil and setting it on fire once the 'Mechs fall in, lining the bottom with mines, or having an infantry bunker next to it from which the troops can drop 100-point AeroTech bombs down a chute onto the hapless prey.

I had a friend vow never to play against me again after a scenario in which I'd lined a riverbank with nine hidden pits, and his Atlas managed to fall into every single one.  (You'd think he'd have figured out the pattern after the first three...)  I had another moment of crowning glory when I had a 'Mech stand right in front of a concealed pit, baiting an enemy Victor into jumping in for the back-shot and plunging to its doom.

I know that, for traditional siege warfare using rolls of logs and sticks was the standard tactic for breaching dry moats.  I'm curious, though, about wood's ability to hold up to the weight of a BattleMech, considering that there are frequent references to reinforced ferrocrete being required to hold their weight without suffering property damage from footprints and cracking.  Of course, this is the Third Succession War, so resource constraints may preclude bridgelayers and other specialized equipment being deployed on a raid.

[Wrangler]

That sounded like a fun scenario you ran, Mendrugo!   I'd love find myself playing in something like that.

[Mendrugo]

That sounded like a fun scenario you ran, Mendrugo!   I'd love find myself playing in something like that.

For three years, every Friday night in Wellman Hall, I ran BattleTech or BattleSpace scenarios - mostly of my own creation.  (I used Star Trek/Star Wars/Babylon 5 MicroMachines for the BattleSpace games in place of the cardstock counters from BattleSpace, since no official WarShip minis had been produced at that time).  We even tried to use the BattleSpace ruleset to simulate the Death Star trench run (a bad day for Yavin IV), the Yesterday's Enterprise fight (the Klingons retreated in disgrace with their forward batteries destroyed), and the Battle of Wolf 359 (even max armor didn't save the Borg Cube from becoming Federation fricassee because we neglected to houserule adaptive immunity).

Amazingly, D.R.A.G.O.N. still exists and is going strong 22 years after I founded it, according to the Davis Wiki.

[Mendrugo]

----- One Day Later -----

Date: July 10, 3025

Location: Dixie

Title: The Heart of Dixie

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Short Story

Synopsis: At a pirate point close to Dixie, three JumpShips carrying a regiment of the 8th Lyran Regulars emerge, under the command of Leutenant General Raymond Vargus.  He reviews the MILSAT data and orders his troops do initiate combat drop operations.

On the surface, FWLM Captain Vitto Treacher is still in pursuit of the elusive Rainbow Company, and finally has them cornered in swampy terrain.  Triumphantly, Treacher orders Leutenant Hollister Raven to surrender.  Mockingly, Raven congratulates him for sticking with her so long, and says they should talk again after he checks in with his commander.

At the Castle Brian siege line, Colonel Hanse is enraged as she tracks the 8th Lyran regulars en route to an LZ between her and Treacher's company.  She realizes Colonel Volger had been stalling until the 8th's arrival.  She orders her troops to withdraw to their DropShips and prepare to lift off.  She informs a dejected Treacher that there's no possibility of an extraction for his command.  She gives him a final message for to pass to the Militia commander.

Shortly thereafter, Leutenant General Raymond Vargus arrives at the Castle Brian and commends Volger on a job well done.  He informs Volger that his troops gave Leutenant Raven the honor of accepting Treacher's surrender.  He brings Treacher, now a prisoner, forward to present Hansi's final message - complimenting Volger on his defense of the facility and of Dixie, and challenging him to a rematch should he be posted to a line command on the League front.

Vargus tells Treacher that Volger will have his choice of assignments after this victory.

Notes: Interesting that the 8th Lyran Regulars should be the ones in the "cavalry to the rescue" role, since the LCAF TO&E listing from the 3025-era House Steiner book shows their baseworld as New India, a 66-day transit, surface to surface.  Wherever the 8th came from, it had to have been no more than a 23-day transit away. Unfortunately, the FM:LA writeup creates some continuity problems anew, noting that the Eighth had been on Periphery duty since the reign of Archon Alessandro Steiner.  However, the unit is unquestionably intended to be the 8th - both from Colonel Hansi's declaration that its transponder codes so identify it, to the name of its JumpShip - the LCS Haberdasher, which would be entirely fitting for a unit with the regimental nickname of the "Mad Hatters."  (The House Steiner sourcebook gives that nickname to the 6th Lyran Regulars, but no such unit appears in the TO&E, and the Field Manual: Lyran Alliance gives that designation to the 8th.) 

So what in the world were the Mad Hatters doing so far from their duty station?  Given the JumpShip's name, it's attached to the regiment, so the Hatters couldn't have come via command circuit.  One intriguing possibility is that they were providing extra security for secret peace talks ongoing circa 3025 on Cavanaugh II between Lyran and Marik diplomats, keeping the Brotherhood of Cincinnatus and the Homeless Representatives from screwing up the negotiations to designate several border worlds as open trade ports. 

In a nice bit of continuity, Vargus is listed as the acting commander of the 8th Regulars.  The 3025 TO&E that places the regiment on New India does not list a commander, enabling Blaine to create his own character rather than using one of Boy F. Peterson, Jr.'s. 

Dixie is in an interesting strategic position.  It's the only Lyran world, circa 3025, which does not have any other Lyran worlds within one jump.  A transit through FWL-controlled space (Bella I) or use of an uninhabited star system is required.  I would hazard a guess that there's at least one outpost with a recharge station between Dixie and Bolan or Loric, to facilitate the safe transit of JumpShips to and from the otherwise isolated system.

[Kojak]

At the Castle Brian siege line, Colonel Hanse is enraged as she tracks the 8th Lyran Guards en route to an LZ between her and Treacher's company.

I think you meant Regulars here?

[BrokenMnemonic]

If the Eighth are associated with the Periphery regions of the Commonwealth, could they perhaps at this point have been located somewhere on the periphery border close to the intersection of the Circinus Federation, Free Worlds League and Commonwealth and still be in range to make it to Dixie? Somewhere like Poulsbo, or maybe Timbiqui, if not Cavanaugh II? They might've already been on notice to move in case there were problems at Cavanaugh II.

[Mendrugo]

I think you meant Regulars here?

Yep.  Fixed.  Thanks.

[Mendrugo]

If the Eighth are associated with the Periphery regions of the Commonwealth, could they perhaps at this point have been located somewhere on the periphery border close to the intersection of the Circinus Federation, Free Worlds League and Commonwealth and still be in range to make it to Dixie? Somewhere like Poulsbo, or maybe Timbiqui, if not Cavanaugh II? They might've already been on notice to move in case there were problems at Cavanaugh II.

The impression I got was that their long-term baseworld was New India.  That's not to say they can't go on deep raids and year-long redeployments, but all their civilian support infrastructure would be at the base on New India. 

The thing is, all the worlds around Dixie were already covered by line regiments.  Bolan had the Filthy Lucre.  The Stealthy Tigers and 7th Regulars were on Loric, and the 36th Regulars were on Cavanaugh II.  If the 8th was any further away, it would have made no sense to deploy them instead of one of the closer garrisons, since time is critical when responding to a raid and LosTech is on the line. 

Looking through the sourcebooks for the period, the only notes about Bolan was that it hosted the League front's intelligence command center (so possibly the 8th was in the vicinity due to an off-the-books LIC operation), and the only notes about Cavanaugh were that it was hosting trade talks to which the Brotherhood of Cincinnatus and the Homeless Representatives were opposed.  Either one could serve as a justification for bringing the 8th down (temporarily) to bolster the existing line regiments, and surprise SAFE with a unit that's not where it's supposed to be.

[Mendrugo]

----- Three Years After the Dissolution of the Star League, in A Parallel Reality -----

Date: February 14, 2784

Location: Terra

Title: The Shot Heard Across the Sphere

Author: Herbert A. Beas II

Type: Sourcebook Fiction (Empires Aflame Alternate History)

Synopsis:  Aaron DeChavilier and Aleksandr Kerensky discuss Operation EXODUS one last time as the assembled commanders of the SLDF await them.  DeChavilier, looking over the post-Civil War field reports, thinks for the thousandth time that the SLDF should remain in the Terran Hegemony and fight to keep the ideals of the Star League alive.  He feels the fight against the Usurper has taken the spirit out of Aleksandr.  Alek, noting DeChavilier's reticence, suggests he could stay and help Jerome Blake, but DeChavilier tells him they both know he's not going to abandon Kerensky now, after all they've been through.

As they rise to go explain Operation EXODUS to the waiting commanders, shots ring out, and Kerensky is felled by a pair of sniper bullets.

And history will never be the same...

Notes:  The history section of the Empires Aflame alternate history RPG adventure shows that DeChavilier took command after Kerensky died, and abandoned Operation EXODUS, using the SLDF to form the Terran Supremacy.  Nicholas Kerensky becomes the Supremacy's commanding general. 

Now, very few people knew Kerensky's plans for Operation EXODUS.  In fact, based on what we know from "Fall From Glory," probably only DeChavilier and Nicholas Kerensky knew about the plan prior to its announcement to the assembled SLDF commanders.  That leaves a very, very short list of potential suspects for having engineered Aleksandr's assassination.  DeChavilier's internal monologue seems to indicate that he wasn't planning Aleks' death, and his physical location in the room means he wasn't the triggerman.

That leaves Nicholas.  I'm certain Nicholas arranged it, and am fairly confident Jessica Cameron (JC) (going at this point by the name 'Jes Cole' or 'Jess Cole') was the one pulling the trigger.  Nicholas would have taken care to be somewhere else, with witnesses, to avoid any trace of suspicion.  In "Fall From Glory," he was seen to prefer to use JC as his covert agent for dirty work.  She'd have the skills for it - she served for years with a Moscow-based resistance cell, and when first seen in the fiction has someone else's blood on her face.  The meeting takes place in Yelizovo, Russia, so she'd have the language skills and local knowledge to carry out the job.  Plus, in 2801, Jennifer DeChavilier, Aaron's adopted daughter, becomes First Lord of the Terran Supremacy, and later weds Andery Kerensky.  So, while in the main timeline, Jessica Cameron -> Jess Cole -> Major Jes Cole -> Jill -> Jennifer Winson -> Mrs. Nicholas Kerensky; this timeline has Jessica Cameron -> Jess Cole -> Jennifer DeChavilier -> Mrs. Andery Kerensky.

Motives?  Nicholas may have preferred the bird in the hand to the two in the brush.  Going off into the unknown had substantial risk, and carried with it the possibility of being lost among the trackless expanse of the Deep Periphery, or dying in a bloody mutiny when supplies, or hope, ran out.  It's not as though he had much affection for his old man.  He spent his formative years either ignored by his father as he tried to mentor Richard Cameron or waged war in the Periphery, and then was trapped on occupied Terra fearing discovery by Amaris' killers, living with a mother who is descending into madness, and running with a resistance group of hardened killers.  Not a lot of room left for paternal love in that upbringing.  In this version, daddy was standing between him and military control of the Terran Supremacy, while his girlfriend was maneuvered into position to succeed DeChavilier as First Lord (with Aaron's shuffle off the mortal coil potentially aided by Nicky or JC.)

The question is...did Nicholas consider this option in the main timeline?  If so, what prevented it from being carried out?  Did he decide the Exodus was the better bet?  Did JC's rifle jam?  Did she have second thoughts? 

[Wrangler]

Quick Question.  This isn't a canon event.  Not saying it shouldn't be included in this review, but it could confuse new people.  Why put the story in your canon fiction review list?

[Mendrugo]

Quick Question.  This isn't a canon event.  Not saying it shouldn't be included in this review, but it could confuse new people.  Why put the story in your canon fiction review list?

It is canon, as far as I know...just not part of the main timeline.  I included Far Country as well, and for all we know, Kaetetoa occupies the same misjump-accessible continuity as the Terran Supremacy.  In the master index, I have it tagged (Alternate History).  I can amend the headers for this entry to match.

It's also interesting because it provides us with a new window to view the characters previously established through other stories, such as Fall From Glory.  In fact, there are a number of very interesting tidbits from Empires Aflame that cast new light on main-timeline events.

For example, the fact that Hanse Davion married Candace Liao to form the Confederated Suns raises some interesting questions.  Was that the real Hanse Davion or the doppleganger?  Was the Candace-Hanse pairing Max Liao's true endgame for his plan?  It seems quite possible.  Recall that when Katrina Steiner sent out her "Peace Proposal," Max responded with an offer of alliance, and to marry Tormano to Melissa.  Apparently Katrina wasn't all that serious about her "Peace Proposal," since she didn't even bother to respond to Max, while being perfectly content to marry her daughter off to Hanse, despite him having made a pass at the Archon herself during negotiations on Terra and maintaining a stable of lovers on New Avalon (according to Maskirovka reports).

[Frabby]

Point of order:
Far Country was expressly confirmed as fully canonical, with the caveat that everything after the misjumps will never te-connect with the known BT universe and thus may as well never have happened.
Empires Aflame was expressly confirmed non-canonical, except for the "main universe" lead-up to the misjump.

Btw Mendrugo I think you meant to post that in the Star League era fiction thread...

[Mendrugo]

Point of order:
Far Country was expressly confirmed as fully canonical, with the caveat that everything after the misjumps will never te-connect with the known BT universe and thus may as well never have happened.
Empires Aflame was expressly confirmed non-canonical, except for the "main universe" lead-up to the misjump.

Btw Mendrugo I think you meant to post that in the Star League era fiction thread...

The Star League was formally dissolved in 2781, so I used that as the cutoff for the era.  While the Succession Wars haven't started yet, I've included stories in the intervening period (including Fall From Glory, Be Good, and When the Bears Left) on the Succession Wars side of the divide.

The release of Empires Aflame took place during my hiatus, so I hadn't seen the declaration of its non-canon status.  Nonetheless, one can assume that the Operation EXODUS briefing on Terra started the same way in the main timeline, and one can draw inferences about the known characters involved, potentially sparking an interesting discussion.

[Scotty]

I'd be willing to bet that Hanse, at some level, always intended to unite two realms of the sphere by marriage.  The presence of the Terran Supremacy making a geographical union of the Commonwealth and Suns impossible would force him to look elsewhere, and Mad Max is less inflexible than Takashi, and more likely to take advantage of an offer that benefits Hanse as long as he gets a bigger piece of the pie.

[Mendrugo]

Date: May 14, 2820 [See Notes]

Location: Devin

Title: The Way We Die

Author: Joe Judt and Lance Hampton

Type: Graphic Novel

Synopsis:  At an LCAF base on Devin, Captain Gideon Frost warns the base command staff that Kurita is up to something on Mozirje, and that Kurita has found a new form of weaponry that could devastate Lyran BattleMechs.  They dismiss his claims and return to determining the cafeteria menu. 

Frost storms off, grousing that nobody else sees the significance of large numbers of 'Mech parts and medtechs being moved to Mozirje.  Without warning, a shadowy figure slips up behind him and places a garrote around his neck.  Having gained Frost's undivided attention, the figure warns him to forget Mozirje, then disappears.

Frost continues to the cafeteria, where he meets Andrea, an ex-girlfriend who blames him for sending her lover, Reed, on a suicide mission.  As they argue, Colonel Brickman interrupts, asking Andrea if Frost is bothering her.  Brickman dismisses Frost, directing him to attend to his new squad (his three previous Lances having all died in action - earning Gideon the nickname "Killer Frost.")

In the barracks, Frost is greeted with total disrespect by his new lance.  He attempts to whip them into shape with yelling and getting into a fight with MechWarrior Roger.  As Frost leaves, Roger grouses that he doesn't need Frost's interference, since he's due to muster out in 62 days.  MechWarrior Gene tells Roger it'll be a long two months, then gazes longingly at a photo of his girlfriend (wife?), hoping he'll live to return to her.

Notes:  No date is given in BattleTech #3 for the setting of the story.  Given the apparently limited information the Blackthorne licensee team appears to have had to go on, it's a pretty good bet the authors intended it to take place in 3025.  However, a number of visual elements make this story much more likely, in my mind, to have taken place in the early years of the First Succession War.

First, the unit's Union DropShip is carried on what is, given the size differential with the Union, and its ability to travel to Mozirje's orbit, unquestionably a WarShip of unknown class.  Secondly, the Kurita garrison on Mozirje has a flight of LAMs for its defense.  LAMs are extremely rare circa 3025, but would have been far more widely used in the late 2700s.  Third, the Combine experimentation with combining cybernetic weapon systems with megafauna would be far more likely to take place at the peak of the Combine's technological advancement, rather than during its Third Succession War nadir.

Looking through Handbook: House Steiner, Mozirje was Lyran at the start of the 1st Succession War, but fell to the Combine offensive.  We don't know exactly when, but the sourcebook mentions The Edge fell to Combine forces around June 2787.  The Lyrans lost a lot of WarShips on the League front, trying to defend its shipyards, in 2787 - including five squadrons of corvettes in the Kyoto system, and lost another 200 ships and fighters in the battle for Skondia in February 2787.  Lyrans were still in possession of WarShips in March 2789, when it used them to defend Hesperus II against a League assault.  So 2789 seems like a period during which the Commonwealth could feasibly have a WarShip available to carry a scouting force to occupied Mozirje.

So, if Mozirje fell to the Combine in 2787, and the Lyrans still had WarShips in 2789, then that gives the Combine a two year window to establish their research center on occupied Mozirje, get scouted by the LIC, and have the LCAF base on Devin decide to send a recon force to see what's going on.  The story could be set later in the First Succession War, but the further in we get, the scarcer WarShips get, and the less likely the Commonwealth Admiralty would be to risk an irreplaceable WarShip on a recon raid.

Update:  Since I first wrote this entry, the First Succession War sourcebook was released, and shows Mozirje falling to the Combine circa 2819.  Thus, the date for this story should be reset to about 2820 (giving the Combine Admiralty time to set up their base on occupied Mozirje).  This makes it much more unusual that a WarShip would be dispatched to escort a scout lance into enemy territory, given how few assets remained to the Commonwealth Admiralty.  Perhaps the assassination attempt really got the attention of the Commonwealth brass...or perhaps the ship was already nearby and planning a raid, and was the best choice for ferrying the scouting mission en route to its actual target.   

Frost's high friendly bodycount probably wouldn't have mattered if he'd won his battles, but during the First Succession War (the early years, at least), the Lyrans were losing on both fronts.  Thus, Frost, as a Captain, is assigned to Lance command - a role usually reserved for a Leutenant. 

The authors definitely picked up on the Lyran "social general" phenomenon - with a Kurita offensive making monkeys out of the LCAF, planets falling, and warnings of new weapon systems being developed, their priority is the cafeteria menu.  Base security also seems to be iffy, since a Combine agent can go around garroting Lyran officers.  (It's also somewhat bizarre that Frost wouldn't have reported the incident to base security and turned out a full search of the base, but perhaps he has enough of a credibility problem that he didn't want to cry wolf yet again.)  The laxity may be explained by Devin's location several jumps from the front, so it's not in immediate danger of being hit by an invasion or a border raid.