Author Topic: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars  (Read 480692 times)

Mendrugo

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #540 on: 20 October 2013, 08:02:24 »
----- 4 Days Later -----

Date: November 17, 3016

Location: WDS Hecate - Dixie System – Outbound

Title: Good Fighters

Author: Jason Schmetzer

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis: On the WDS Hecate, outbound from Dixie towards the jump point, Sim Pollock ponders sealed orders on his noteputer, having resisted opening them for three days, since receiving them from Jaime Wolf via HPG on the 14th.  When he finally decrypts it, it contains a brief message confirming that Mary Terrell will be remembered in the halls, and that Sim has been promoted to full Colonel and been placed in charge of Zeta. 

Notes:  The phrase “Mary will be remembered in the halls,” is interesting.  Pollock notes that “there was nothing more to say in this part of space.”  Is “remembered in the halls” code for having an entry in the Dragoon and/or Clan Wolf Remembrance, having good reports filed in her personal codex, or that her giftake will be placed into contention for an in-house Dragoon cloning program?

Pollock also notes that the Dragoons use ComStar to send messages, albeit with heavy encryption to avoid having ComStar learn the contents.  It’s clear that the Dragoons, at this point, are unaware of ComStar’s role in their recent tragedy.  Otherwise, they’d probably eschew its services entirely.  One wonders what sort of vengeance plan they might have concocted had they been aware of Vesar Kristofur’s manipulations, not to mention his finger on the trigger of the gun that killed Joshua.

The name of Zeta’s Overlord DropShip is given here as “WDS Hecate.”  However, in Mercenary’s Handbook: 3055, Zeta’s DropShip support consists of two Unions, one named Hecate’s Tears.  I wonder when the WDS Hecate was destroyed/decommissioned?
« Last Edit: 02 November 2013, 08:19:13 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #541 on: 20 October 2013, 10:26:11 »
The phrase “Mary will be remembered in the halls,” is interesting.  Pollock notes that “there was nothing more to say in this part of space.”  Is “remembered in the halls” code for having an entry in the Dragoon and/or Clan Wolf Remembrance, having good reports filed in her personal codex, or that her giftake will be placed into contention for an in-house Dragoon cloning program?

Probably the Dragoon Remembrance or other similar type of honor roll. At the time of "Good Fighters", the Dragoons were still on good terms with the Clans and were getting reinforcements on their supply runs; they would have little need for the kind of internal breeding and/or cloning program they later developed after breaking with the Clans. The same phrasing was told to the Seventh Kommando troops who raided the HPG station on An Ting and was used in Mackenzie Wolf's funerary ceremony. In the latter, it was specifically "his name" that will be "remembered in the halls" (despite Elson's gang trying to shout it down).

Mendrugo

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #542 on: 21 October 2013, 12:21:51 »
----- 1 Month Later -----

Date: December 16, 3016

Location: New Capetown

Title: Dingane’s Day

Author: Christopher Purnell

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  Luys Claessens is a colored MechWarrior on the Lyran world of New Capetown.  When his mother died, he stood to inherit her Locust.  However, under planetary law, people of color are not allowed to possess weapons, and agents of the local government seized the ‘Mech.  Lawyer Adriaan De Wert (Luys’ stepfather) advises Luys to forget about trying to press his claim in court, and try to find work as an overseer on a plantation.

Luys goes to the Boar’s Head Pub at the Sondagstad spaceport and meets with Captain John Killian, CO of Killian’s Commandos, a freshly minted mercenary unit.  He offers Luys a contract that will get him offworld, as long as he brings his own ‘Mech.

Late that night, Luys slips through the veldt onto his mother’s farm.  On other properties, bonfires mark celebrations in honor of Geloftedag – the Day of the Vow (a traditional Voortrekker holiday commemorating their victory over the Zulu king, Dingane).  He notes that his uncle Piet is flying the banner of the Nieuw Broederbond, the most radically racist political party on the planet.  Luys slips into the barn where the Locust is being stored and, with the assistance of a colored field-hand, powers it up and prepares to depart.  His uncle bursts in at the last moment with a group of guards, but they can do nothing as Luys crashes out of the barn and races away into the night.

Just as he thinks he’s gotten away, a militia VTOL appears on his sensors and orders him to surrender.  He realizes that his only hope is to get to Killian.  Once under contract, he’ll enjoy the same legal status as a white New Capetown citizen, ensuring the validity of his claim to his mother’s ‘Mech.  Racing into the city, he bypasses a militia roadblock and survives an encounter with a pair of Order Police in Kruger-class SecurityMechs.  Once he reaches Killian’s bivouac, he surrenders to the mercenaries.

At a hastily convened hearing, Interior Minister Karl Voerster demands that the ‘Mech be delivered to the New Capetown militia.  However, Killian’s contract voids the racial discrimination that prevented Luys from legally claiming the Locust, and Kommandant Fischer (commander of the LCAF garrison) refuses to enforce Voerster’s orders, informing the Minister that the Commonwealth disapproves of New Capetown’s racial laws.  He declares that the Commandos’ contract with New Capetown is voided without any penalties to Killian’s unit, ostensibly to protect the Commonwealth’s reputation as an equitable mercenary employer.  Voerster stalks out, swearing vengeance on Luys.

Notes:  As with one of his other works - "A Veiled Betrayal" - Christopher Purnell layers on the background details and other aspects of life on this world.  Whereas many of the fiction pieces focus on a handful of characters set on a fairly generic colony world, "Dingane's Day" adds a plethora of details that makes the world really come alive for the reader.  As with most of Purnell's work, the role of religion in planetary society is shown - in this case the New Calvinist church that supports apartheid.

At this point in history, New Capetown is in the full grip of institutionalized apartheid.  Order Police patrols check internal passports, and underage citizens are not allowed to leave the planet on their own.  The House Steiner sourcebook pretty explicitly portrayed New Capetown as “South Africa…in spaaaace.”  Given the massive changes in South Africa in the subsequent decade, it was perhaps no surprise that Handbook: House Steiner showed similar changes. 

One thing that never made sense to me is the racism on New Capetown.  Sure, I can buy a group of racial supremacists settling a colony world and setting the laws and culture to suit their own cultural/ideological preferences.  Once the banner of racial segregation and discrimination started waving, why would any members of the lower-status groups emigrate to such a planet, when there are thousands of other worlds available for settlement?  It’s not as though the New Calvinist Afrikaaners took over a racially mixed world and then oppressed the colored natives – they founded the colony as a white supremacist outpost from the outset.

I suppose the colonists may have felt that being racial supremacists would be pointless without a population to be superior to close at hand.  They imported numerous examples of South African fauna (termites, jackals, honey badgers) to make the world into a perfect recreation of their Terran homeland, so they may well have brought in colored workers under false pretenses to complete the mix, and then used the Order Police and control of DropShips to keep them from leaving.

This story introduces the company-sized Killian’s Commandos.  The Commandos make a second appearance in the 3026-timeframe story “A Cover of Paint,” and also got a 3026-era Unit Digest, showing Luys as the moral center of the unit, and commander of its recon lance.
« Last Edit: 22 October 2013, 04:02:39 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #543 on: 21 October 2013, 19:31:06 »
Are they still doing Unit Digests?
"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
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Mendrugo

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #544 on: 21 October 2013, 19:37:38 »
Are they still doing Unit Digests?

They just released mine - The Iron Land Wildcatters - a few weeks ago.  However, the submission guidelines have changed - they won't take a Digest without an accompanying story. 
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #545 on: 21 October 2013, 19:42:12 »
They just released mine - The Iron Land Wildcatters - a few weeks ago.  However, the submission guidelines have changed - they won't take a Digest without an accompanying story.
Well, your very astute writer, going through so many backgrounds and short stories.  I can only imagine your unit's story would be very interesting.
"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
"How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots." - Jellico 
"No, it's a "Most Awesome Blues Brothers scene Reenactment EVER" waiting to happen." VotW Destrier - Weirdo  
"It's 200 LY to Sian, we got a full load of shells, a half a platoon of Grenadiers, it's exploding outside, and we're wearing flak jackets." VoTW Destrier - Misterpants
-Editor on Battletech Fanon Wiki

Mendrugo

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #546 on: 22 October 2013, 14:31:15 »
----- Meanwhile, Back in 3011 -----

Date: 3011

Location: Dieudonne

Title: Snord and the Swarm

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Scenario (Cranston Snord’s Irregulars)

Synopsis:  In 3011, House Steiner sent a detachment of the Arcturan Guards and Snord’s Irregulars to take the planet of Dieudonne.  Snord volunteered for the assignment, hoping to find the sacred “Tome of Rigo,” which was rumored to be hidden on the world.  The Arcturan Guards commander, Colonel Arthur Flade, had the Irregulars dropped directly onto House Marik’s local boot camp – the Jarvis Military Proving and Training Grounds, which hosted a veteran infantry division along with several support ‘Mechs.  Flade initially reported Snord’s unit lost, and blamed it on their unauthorized treasure hunting.  Snord demanded an apology once his unit fought its way free of Jarvis and led the Lyrans back to destroy it.

The Irregulars drop six ‘Mechs into the northern portion of the proving grounds (a two map north/south arrangement lengthwise), and have to exit at least three of them off the southern edge of the southern map to win the scenario.  The Marik forces have four infantry platoons, five J. Edgar hovercraft, one “wheeled scout” and four light ‘Mechs.  They need to destroy all of the Irregulars to win.  Any other result is a draw.  There are five buildings and four minefields on the map.

Notes:  I hadn’t noticed when originally looking at this story, but the flavor text for the scenario places it in 3011.  Since that doesn’t contradict any other continuity, I’m going with that.

This scenario predated any rulebook that covered minefields, and so presents its own ruleset.  The mines automatically detonate every time a unit enters the hex, dealing 20 damage (in 2-point clusters) to the front of the unit.  Minefields do not weaken over time.

The Irregulars are outnumbered, but appear to have the edge in firepower.  Running south at full speed with your fastest units sounds like a good way to get three off, but the J. Edgars and the enemy scouts can pace your recon units and have good enough gunnery to land hits while on the run.  A better bet would be to circle the wagons, concentrate fire, and thin the enemy ranks before moving anywhere.  The last thing you want is for a Wasp to take 20 points of damage to the front by stumbling into a minefield.  If players agree to allow Inferno rounds, those would be good ordinance choices for the Wasps to use against the enemy vehicles.

For the Marik troops, one option would be for the infantry to begin in the hardened building and come out to engage when the enemy approaches.  This keeps the infantry safe until the enemy is in range, since you take double damage if shot at in the open.  Another option would be to use them as cannon fodder, sending them directly into the fray at the outset.  Either the Irregulars will ignore them and perhaps let them get in close enough to engage, or the Irregulars will shoot at them and inflict heavy casualties, which means that those guns aren't being unloaded at the J. Edgars and recon 'Mechs.  The latter option is good if you're trying for an early blitzkrieg, but risks having the infantry left behind once the battle drifts south.  The J. Edgars and light ‘Mechs should move en-masse at top speed in slashing attacks at the Irregulars – prioritizing the Wasps and the Wolverine to keep any from making a breakthrough run.  Once the fast Irregulars are down, use your ability to run circles around the Irregulars’ heavies to pepper their thin rear torso armor with laser and missile fire.  It may be worth having at least some of the J. Edgars pack Inferno rounds, since the Irregulars’ Warhammer and Thunderbolt will run hot naturally, and setting them on fire could greatly reduce their efficacy.
« Last Edit: 22 October 2013, 20:08:58 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #547 on: 22 October 2013, 16:56:22 »
I admit it's pleasant seeing these reviews. And rather informative.

A couple of notes; de Wert isn't Luys' stepfather. It's kind of a point about his character that he could have been, if he had the moral courage to shoulder the massive social disapproval involved in marrying a woman who had come back home pregnant with a "colored" bastard child. He didn't, despite his feelings for Luys' mother, which is sort of a commentary about how blatantly unjust institutions like apartheid can be sustained despite most people not being monsters. He does sort of redeem himself by serving as Luys' counsel in the hearing, but too little too late.

And to be honest I hadn't considered why New Capetown had any non-Boer settlers when writing the piece. I had assumed there was a reason, somewhere, in some bit of the setting materials I hadn't read, and just ran with Space South Africa of the 1980s. It's possible that the planet was colonized by the Broederbond, and at some point during the Star League it was liberalized, attracting non-white workers and laborers, only for the Succession Wars to batter the planet's economy and institutions to the point the pro-apartheid Voortrekkers seized power again. In fact if I were pressed to justify it that is probably how I would do it.

Though I expected people to ask instead why Luys' mother came back to New Capetown in first place. I don't think anyone did. Curious.

Also going way way back to some earlier reviews, Father Jerome changed his last name to escape media attention after the liberation of Terra. His superiors acquiesced in his desire for privacy. There's no general tradition of that among Jesuits or Catholic priests in the setting, at least that I intended to imply or establish.

Mendrugo

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #548 on: 22 October 2013, 22:33:06 »
Chris,

  Thanks for the clarifications.  Much appreciated, and an interesting take on how New Capetown's society could have evolved.

  I'd assumed that Luys' mother came back because of her family (though that didn't turn out so well, at least as far as Piet was concerned) and because of her real estate holdings (the farm).  In my mind, she'd gone offworld as a mercenary, banged around the Succession Wars for a while, shed her native racism after being exposed to more cosmopolitan settings on the front lines, and then, when her lover was killed, leaving her alone and pregnant, fled back to the only place she thought of as home. 

  I'd be interested to hear your official take.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #549 on: 23 October 2013, 10:59:57 »
----- Back in Good Ol’ 3017 -----

Date: November 28, 3017

Location: Mankova

Title: Death of the Legion

Author: Jim Brunk, Dale L. Kemper & Michael Lee

Type: Scenario (The Kell Hounds)

Synopsis:  The pirate warlord Gorman Toth and his Legion of Honor have assaulted the planet of Mankova, hoping to loot a Star League depot recently uncovered by strip-mining operations in the Foredam District.  According to his intel, the Hounds are offworld chasing another pirate – Hassin Hys.  However, it turns out to be a trap, with both the Star League cache and the Hounds’ deployment being misinformation planted by the Hounds’ commander, Patrick Kell. 

Notes:  This is one of the Kell Hounds’ first missions after Morgan ordered the breakup of the unit and retreated to a monastery on Zaniah.   Rather than having two ‘Mech battalions and an infantry battalion, the Hounds now consist of a ‘Mech company, an infantry company, and an aerospace company. 

The scenario is a straight up fight to the finish, with the last one with ‘Mechs left standing claiming victory.  The pirates have an average weight of 47 tons and an average gunnery of 4.17, while the Hounds have an average weight of 51 tons and an average gunnery (assuming Elite = 2; Veteran = 3; etc.) of 3.08.  The Hounds have an edge in both mass and accuracy, and are fresh, while the Legion of Honor has substantial pre-existing damage.

The dialogue in the setup is some of the most egregiously pulpy text to be found in BattleTech fiction.  Toth’s lines almost have to be accompanied by mustache twirling and tying fair damsels to the train tracks.  (An excerpt: “Soon, Kell Hounds, we will meet.  And then we’ll see if you live up to your reputation or not.”)  It fits the Kell Hounds’ motif as the “Big Damn Heroes” of the early BattleTech setting, but sounds a bit melodramatic these days.

The scenario’s writer was having some fun with the Legion of Honor names.  The Firestarter pilot has the callsign of “Zippo,” while Probe Lance features Dorothy Gail.  (Somewhere, over the rainbow…)
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #550 on: 23 October 2013, 11:34:20 »
Chris,

  Thanks for the clarifications.  Much appreciated, and an interesting take on how New Capetown's society could have evolved.

  I'd assumed that Luys' mother came back because of her family (though that didn't turn out so well, at least as far as Piet was concerned) and because of her real estate holdings (the farm).  In my mind, she'd gone offworld as a mercenary, banged around the Succession Wars for a while, shed her native racism after being exposed to more cosmopolitan settings on the front lines, and then, when her lover was killed, leaving her alone and pregnant, fled back to the only place she thought of as home. 

  I'd be interested to hear your official take.

That certainly works pretty well. Or she had served in the LCAF until she suffered a medical condition that left her unable to pilot effectively, and went back to New Capetown after a brief fling on the way. I left it open intentionally to let readers add in their own take on that part of the story. But I'm not sure how effective that ultimately was.

Mendrugo

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #551 on: 24 October 2013, 11:53:06 »
----- The Following Year -----

Date: March 13, 3018

Location: Nathan

Title: Junk Yard Dog – Raid on Nathan

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Scenario (Cranston Snord’s Irregulars)

Synopsis:  In late 3017, Marik forces raided Snord’s base on Clinton, looting his prized historical museum and making off with the bulk of his priceless collection.  In March 3018, Snord’s Irregulars struck back.  Penetrating to the world of Nathan disguised as a “lost” Marik Militia unit, they received landing clearance and then set about wreaking havoc on the League world as they searched for their stolen artifacts (Bright Thomlinson’s art collection and Solomon Storm’s movie collection – both on Nathan to be auctioned off). 

In this engagement, two lances of the Irregulars face off against two lances of the Marik Militia.  Both sides start with substantial amounts of pre-existing damage.  A hurricane strikes the city of Fullson during the battle, allowing the Irregulars to slip away with their treasure.

Notes:  This scenario introduces unique weather rules – adding a +2 penalty on shots at medium range, and +4 at long range.  Every turn spent in a clear hex not shielded by buildings or heavy woods requires a PSR.  All missile weapons have an additional +1 penalty at all ranges, and physical attacks get a +2 penalty.  Looking at Tactical Operations, this seems most directly equivalent to the “Storm” conditions, which give a +3 to all missile weapons and +2 on all direct-fire ballistic attacks, with a +3 penalty to all PSRs.

Snord’s Irregulars win by moving all eight of their units off the southern map.  The Marik forces win if they can destroy at least three.  If one or two are destroyed, it’s a draw. 

With all the storm-related penalties in this scenario, it should be child’s play for the Irregulars to get most of their units off the southern edge of the board.  The Wolverine, Wasps, Phoenix Hawk and Locust can just move at top speed and do what they can to evade the Marik Militia.  It’s highly likely that these Irregulars will be able to get off without a scratch.  On the other hand, the Archer, Warhammer and Thunderbolt aren’t so spry, and this makes them the highest priority for destruction.  For this reason, I’d advise that the three Irregulars’ heavies lead the charge south, with the faster units covering the flanks – darting in to take the pressure off any heavy that gets into trouble.  Use the flankers’ speed to break contact with any enemy that goes after the backfield, and when the heavies are close enough to the target border to make a break on their own, the flankers can split off and make their own run for safety.

For the Marik Militia, the best option might be to take a page from the Lyrans and execute a “Long Wall” formation.  Since only three of the Irregulars’ ‘Mechs can jump, you can force them to charge your lines, at which point the storm penalties are negated and you can concentrate your fire on just a few Irregulars, hoping to get your three takedowns. 
« Last Edit: 24 October 2013, 23:55:01 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #552 on: 25 October 2013, 11:27:57 »
----- 1 Day Later -----

Date: March 14, 3018

Location: Nathan

Title: Junk Yard Dog – A Family Reunion

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Scenario (Cranston Snord’s Irregulars)

Synopsis:  As the Irregulars flee back to their DropShip, Deb H’Chu asks Cranston for permission to engage the FWL’s ad hoc pursuit force (the 20th Informal Light Armored Cavalry) for one hour, in the hopes of reuniting with her beloved cousin – Darrel H’Chu Zhu (a mercenary fighting for House Marik).  Unfortunately, the Thunderbolt bearing the crest of House H’Chu is piloted by Crafter H’Chu Zhu, a not so favorite cousin who wants Deb’s scalp.  Historically, Deb H’Chu defeated Crafter and then withdrew to the DropShip.

In this scenario, Deb and a backup lance of Irregulars face off against Crafter and a reinforced lance of the Informal 20th.  The Irregulars field 250 tons against the 20th’s 265.  No gunnery skills are provided.  The Irregulars start on the northern map and have the goal of getting all five ‘Mechs off the southern edge of the southern map within 15 turns.  The 20th wins by destroying three of the five Irregulars.  The Irregulars’ support lance must stay on the northern map as long as Deb does.  It’s implied that Deb will engage her cousin in combat until one or the other is non-functional.

Notes:  Both sides begin the scenario with substantial pre-existing damage.  However, Deb’s ride is in much better shape than Crafter’s.  If the two come to blows, Deb should try to close as quickly as possible and kick, since Cafter’s left leg is unarmored and already internally damaged.  A 13-point kick in the right place will immobilize her cousin’s ride.  The 20th’s Rifleman, Wolverine, and Wasp also have highly vulnerable areas.  On the Irregulars’ side, Rhonda’s Shadow Hawk and Shorty Sneede’s Rifleman are the most damaged. 

For the Irregulars, I’d recommend that the support lance immediately move north to support Deb, and then move south en masse when her duel with Crafter is over.  The ability to gang up on Crafter’s Thunderbolt is too good to pass up, and the scenario doesn’t mention any Clan-style single combat rules.  Once the Thunderbolt is down (either destroyed or legged), the Irregulars should move south en masse, massing fire on the weakest Irregulars.  Jake Walmar should take point in his undamaged Warhammer.

For the 20th, I’d recommend that Crafter try to keep his distance from Deb, using his Large Laser and missile rack to engage at range and keep from kicking distance.  His support group should move up to engage as well, staying together and grouping their fire on Rhonda’s and Shorty’s rides. 
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #553 on: 26 October 2013, 09:43:13 »
----- 1 Month Later -----

Date: April 15, 3018

Location: Holt

Title: Junk Yard Dog – Recall

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Scenario (Cranston Snord’s Irregulars)

Synopsis:  Retreating from their retaliatory raid on Nathan, Snord’s Irregulars make landfall on Holt, hoping to pick up spare parts, recover additional items stolen from the museum (including Rhonda’s Elvis recordings) and, if possible, kidnap planetary governor Jason Marik-Torrenson.

The Irregulars’ first target was a ‘Mech repair depot near the Great Swamp of the Feathered Plains.  Historically, after looting the facility for supplies, they engaged and destroyed the Rainbow Company of the 27th Marik Militia.

The scenario pits the full company of Snord’s Irregulars against a full Marik Militia company.  Both sides have pre-existing damage.  It’s a straight up fight.  Snord’s side wins if it loses less than six ‘Mechs, and Rainbow Company wins if it downs more than five of Snord’s ‘Mechs.  In addition, Shalimar Windall’s Crusader is carrying the Elvis recordings, and if it takes more than ten damage in a single round, he makes a check on 1D6, and a 1 indicates that the recordings have been destroyed.  The crate counts as one of the “kills” for determining victory.

Notes:  The intro is narrated by Shorty Sneede, who tells Thelos Auburn that the Irregulars made landfall on Holt instead of heading straight back to the Lyran Commonwealth because they were worried that the FWL Navy would have closed the border.  Assuming that the Irregulars’ loaner Lyran JumpShip was in bad enough shape that they didn’t want to risk going through an uninhabited system, that still implies that the FWL would have been able to put interdiction forces at all jump points of every system along the Lyran border.  So, as a tactical fake-out, they went to Holt instead. 

As you’ll see from the map, it’s about two jumps from Nathan to Wyatt, if you go through Dieudonne or Bordon, and I could see House Marik being able to lock down the jump points at those two systems.  If the Irregulars went to Remulac, they could then jump to Chertan or Dubhe, and then on to Lyran space.  However, the House Marik sourcebook indicates that the League has only twelve Aerospace fleets, each consisting of 3-6 JumpShips and 10-15 DropShips.  Provincial forces may have their own navies, but there aren’t any provinces except for the Silver Hawks between Nathan and Lyran space.  To effectively blockade a system’s jump points would take at least half a fleet.  Blockading enough systems to “seal the border” even just on worlds directly between Nathan and the Lyran border would take half of the League’s total fleet strength.  Fully sealing the border would be beyond the League’s capacity circa 3018, unless every world launched DropShips and Aerospace fighters from the Static Defense Unit and parked them at the zenith and nadir points.

This seems like an incredible allocation of resources just to squash one mercenary company and hold onto some historical artifacts.  Especially since it would mean stripping any fleet support away from Wolf’s Dragoons, which was busy with its “Cattle Raiding” campaign against the Commonwealth at this juncture.  Perhaps Janos felt that the Dragoons had the Lyrans knocked sufficiently off-balance that he could divert scarce resources to try to end the persistent annoyance posed by Snord and his rag-tag band. 

The eastern map is covered with water (a swamp) except for the hills and trees.  This effectively makes it impassable for Shalimar Windall’s Crusader, since it starts with no Left Leg armor – the first step it takes into water will flood the leg and effectively immobilize the unit carrying the Elvis recordings.  This makes it particularly problematic that the setup has the Irregulars start in “any designated Water hex on the East Map.”  This renders the Crusader functionally crippled from the get go.  (I would presume that this scenario predated flooded body section rules.)

Given this complication, I’d advise putting the Crusader on the far right edge of the map behind level two hills.  From there, it’s shielded from direct fire weapons and can even fire its LRMs using another Irregular as a spotter.  Have the Archer, Warhammer, Thunderbolt and Rifleman climb up to the hill in front of the Crusader, from which they can lay down merciless long-range attacks on any Rainbow warrior that tries to slog through the swamp towards the Crusader.  The lighter Irregulars can jump from hilltop to hilltop and put some close-range fire on anyone getting too close.

For the 27th Marik Militia, assuming the Irregulars use the above tactics, I’d advise lining up in the trees in the center of the western map, and plugging away with PPCs, Large Lasers, LRMs and AC/5s in a long-range duel.  All you need to do is kill six Irregulars ‘Mechs.  Sure, the Crusader is a nice two-for-one target, but the water is a deathtrap.  If you miss a single PSR while walking, you’ll fall in and all your unarmored body locations will flood and become inoperative.  Since you start with substantial pre-existing damage, taking a bath would effectively take many of your ‘Mechs out right then and there.  Your jump-capable ‘Mechs could form a sortie force to try to flank the Irregulars, or at least engage their scouts in an island-hopping duel.  All you need to do is take down six, so concentrate your fire on one at a time – overkill is okay.

This is the only mention ever of the 27th Marik Militia.  The 30th and 31st Marik Militias were formed in 2980, so the unit must have already existed prior to that.  However, the 27th isn’t listed in Historical: Brush Wars for Anton’s revolt in 3014-3015, yet it is back in action in 3018, and then gone again by 3025.  Perhaps it was trashed and decommissioned circa 3014-3015, and had just been reactivated as Jason Marik’s household guard as part of Anton’s post-civil-war rebuilding program, then got its cadre force wasted by the Irregulars, scuttling the unit’s reformation.
« Last Edit: 26 October 2013, 20:44:39 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #554 on: 27 October 2013, 05:06:48 »
----- The Same Day -----

Date: April 15, 3018

Location: Holt

Title: Junk Yard Dog – Kidnapping a Marik

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Scenario (Cranston Snord’s Irregulars)

Synopsis:  Following the battle of the Feathered Plains, the surviving Irregulars assaulted the planetary governor’s estate, intending to capture Jason Tomlinson-Marik and use him as leverage to get past the border blockade. 

The surviving members of the 27th Marik Militia’s Rainbow Company are backed up by Jason’s Marauder.  Jason begins on the southern map, and must exit off the northern map to win the scenario.  The Irregulars win if they disable the Marauder without killing the pilot, at which point the remaining members of his escort stand down and let him be taken captive.

Historically, the Irregulars dispatched Jason’s escorts, and then stood back and watched while Cranston fought Jason in single combat.  They took Jason hostage and made it back to the Lyran Commonwealth, where Cranston turned him over to Katrina Steiner, noting that this escapade pretty much ruined Jason’s chances of being named Janos’ heir.

Notes:  The scenario states that the survivors from the preceding “Recall” scenario should be used, with all damage remaining.  However, the previous scenario only ends when either six Irregulars go down, or when all the Rainbow Company troops are wiped out.  So this scenario is going to be pretty short if the Irregulars won the last one, with their 7+ survivors facing off against a lone Marauder.

Interestingly, the scenario presents a full roster for both sides for use in case players didn’t do the previous scenario. Assuming this represents the canon outcome of the “Recall” scenario, it appears that the 27th Marik Militia lost four ‘Mechs in the previous battle while the Irregulars lost three, including Shalimar Windall’s Crusader, which was carrying Rhonda’s priceless original Elvis recordings.  The King has left the building…  (Of course, it’s possible that the Crusader is just mired in the swamp with a shorted-out leg assembly, and that Rhonda’s 8-tracks are fine.)

For Jason, I’d recommend a flying wedge – taking the remaining members of Rainbow Company and packing them tightly around the Marauder as the group moves north.  This will prevent kick attacks that could hamper the Marauder’s mobility.  As you move north, keep your heat under control so it won’t slow you down, and then, when you’re close to the edge, have your remaining guards form a wall between you and the Irregulars while you sprint for safety.  If the Irregulars have their own wall against the map edge, use charges and pushes to open up holes and then move on through.

For the Irregulars, tactics will depend on the force ratio.  If you lost the last scenario, you’ll be down to 6 or fewer ‘Mechs.  If you won (unless the Marik forces opted to retreat as the numbers shifted drastically against them), you may be facing a lone Marauder with 7+ ‘Mechs.  If at all possible, swarm the Marauder and engage it at close range, kicking whenever possible.  If you can take out a leg, there’s very little chance of killing the pilot, and it’ll keep him from getting off the northern edge of the map.  At that close range, the PPC minimum range modifiers will kick in.  Completely ignore the escorts and focus all your fire on the governor’s Marauder, since the scenario ends as soon as that ‘Mech goes belly-up.  The setup gives Jason a Piloting of 8 and Gunnery of 5, so don’t worry too much about him doing severe damage. 

It’s odd to think that Jason Tomlinson-Marik would be in contention for the Captain-Generalcy, when Janos had three sons (Duncan, Duggan, and Thomas) in line ahead of mere cousins.

The canonical outcome is a huge hint towards Cranston’s Clan origins.  In essence, he had his troops form a Circle of Equals around himself and Jason, and fought the battle without the others interfering.  I wonder to what extent this scenario influenced FASA’s creation of the Clans and elaboration of their combat rituals a year or two later.  Did Cranston give the governor the honor of single combat because he was a Clanner, or did the writers give the Clans the tradition of single combat because Cranston was shown doing this and they thought it would be neat to build a societal tradition around the practice?  Or was it just a coincidence?
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #555 on: 27 October 2013, 14:38:42 »
Given how old the scenario book is, i'd say its coincidence.

Looking back on this, without knowing what really going on in their heads we'd never know.  I'd say its possible, the warriors of the Clan Expedition seem to really adapted being in Inner Sphere culture.  Clan warrior would bulk at some things these warriors would be doing for sake of gathering information.
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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #556 on: 28 October 2013, 04:55:18 »
Given how old the scenario book is, i'd say its coincidence.

Looking back on this, without knowing what really going on in their heads we'd never know.  I'd say its possible, the warriors of the Clan Expedition seem to really adapted being in Inner Sphere culture.  Clan warrior would bulk at some things these warriors would be doing for sake of gathering information.

The scenario pack came out in 1986, but the Clans followed not too long afterwards in 1989 (in novels - with the whole Seyla scene in Wolves on the Border).  Blaine was one of the lead authors on the 1991 Wolf Clan sourcebook as well as Cranston Snord's Irregulars, and he may have chosen to have the Clans do their honor dueling by recalling Snord's mano-a-mano in this scenario.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #557 on: 28 October 2013, 05:51:47 »
There's an interview with Stackpole that apparently never saw print outside Germany where he explains the beginnings of the Clan concept. I summarized it here:
http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,27619.msg632928.html#msg632928

In short, while BattleTech always carried the story seed of Kerensky's army returning, the actual Clan idea and setup was devised by Stackpole with some input from Jordan Weisman in 1988.
A sourcebook from an earlier date couldn't contain deliberate Clan references. Also, consider that dueling and ritualized warfare were as common in the IS as they were among the Clans in the late Succession Wars era.
« Last Edit: 28 October 2013, 06:02:15 by Frabby »
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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #558 on: 28 October 2013, 06:59:45 »
There's an interview with Stackpole that apparently never saw print outside Germany where he explains the beginnings of the Clan concept. I summarized it here:
http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,27619.msg632928.html#msg632928

In short, while BattleTech always carried the story seed of Kerensky's army returning, the actual Clan idea and setup was devised by Stackpole with some input from Jordan Weisman in 1988.
A sourcebook from an earlier date couldn't contain deliberate Clan references. Also, consider that dueling and ritualized warfare were as common in the IS as they were among the Clans in the late Succession Wars era.

Right - I wasn't supposing that Blaine put Clan references in "Cranston Snord's Irregulars," but rather suspecting that when Blaine and the rest got together to flesh out the Clans (and decided that Cranston and Rhonda were Clanners as well), Blaine may have looked back at the "Kidnapping a Marik" scenario and decided that the "one on one combat while others formed a circle and didn't interfere" element should/could be extrapolated into a big thing for the Clans.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #559 on: 28 October 2013, 12:37:59 »
----- 1 Month Later -----

Date: May 17, 3018

Location: Kagoshima

Title: Heir to the Dragon

Author: Robert N. Charrette

Type: Novel Chapter (Heir to the Dragon)

Synopsis:  In the abandoned slums of Kuroda’s Desolation quarter, on Kagoshima, Theodore Kurita desperately attempts to evade a team of assassins.  Following a tryst with Kathleen Palmer, he was attacked by men wearing sneaksuits.  He disabled one and appropriated his gear, but the rest of the techno-ninjas are in hot pursuit.  In the midst of his flight, he takes a moment to feel betrayed, recalling that he’d seen the first assassin reflected in Kathleen’s eyes – she’d seen his assailant approaching, but hadn’t warned him.

Theodore is ambushed by a black-clad figure coming out of the sewers.  In the ensuing katana duel, the attacker cuts Theodore on the hip (severing his pouch of flash grenades), then collapses.  Before Theodore can investigate the corpse, the arrival of three more assailants forces him to flee once again.  Turning to face his foes, Theodore defeats them, and is in the process of strangling the last one when he is stopped by Subhash Indrahar, the Director of the Internal Security Forces.  Indrahar reveals that Kathleen and the six attackers were following his orders, serving as a final exam on the eve of Theodore’s graduation from the Wisdom of the Dragon academy.  As Theodore passed the test with flying colors, Subhash invites him to join the Sons of the Dragon, a society dedicated to the preservation of the Combine and the furtherment of its destiny in the reunification of the Inner Sphere.

Theodore thinks for a moment, then accepts – not wanting Subhash or the Sons of the Dragon as enemies.  He questions Subhash about the seventh attacker, but Subhash knows nothing of the one who cut him.

Notes:  To survive, Theodore relies on the teachings of his Special Operations tutor Brian Comerford and Tetsuhara-sensei.  Since Robert Charrette wrote both “Heir to the Dragon” and “Wolves on the Border,” it’s a sure bet that Minobu Tetsuhara had a role in training the Coordinator’s heir. 

Doing the math, this was the night that Kathleen Palmer became pregnant with Franklin Sakamoto, Theodore’s eldest (though illegitimate) son.  Indrahar is truly dedicated to the “preservation of the Combine” – taking steps to ensure that, in the event Theodore dies before having a legitimate heir, there will still be a “Plan B” of Takashi Kurita’s bloodline. 

As with the prelude to “Heir to the Dragon,” this scene is jam packed with Combine culture and intrigue.  Internal tensions between Theodore and Takashi, Subhash taking Theodore’s side, distrust of the ISF, shadowy secret societies, ninja assassins, dynastic manipulations.  And this is before page ten of the novel.  This is why Heir to the Dragon remains one of my favorite BattleTech novels – Robert Charrette infused such a tremendous density of detail into every scene.  The Combine’s politics and lifestyle begin to come alive – rather than just focusing on “man running for his life,” he’s taken the time to begin to flesh out the canvas that serves as the backdrop for Theodore’s coming of age epic.

Interestingly, both Takashi Kurita and Subhash Indrahar are natives of Kagoshima.  Takashi was born in the city of Eto, while Subhash was born in the city of Fujima.  Kagoshima’s a deep interior world, just one jump from Luthien.  One wonders exactly why its economy collapsed to the point that they’d let a quarter of their capital city decay into an abandoned ruin used by the Wisdom of the Dragon cadets as an urban warfare training ground.  They seem a bit far from the front lines to have suffered a massively destructive raid during the 1st or 2nd Succession Wars.  (Though it’s not impossible – both the Lyran Commonwealth and ComStar managed to penetrate to Luthien for raids.)

The ComStar report (by Gillian Sorenson-Hague) on House Kurita labels the “Sons of the Dragon” as an inner circle of fanatical agents and spies personally loyal to him.  Another section describes them as “Subhash Indrahar’s elite assassins.”  It also notes that the group's existence remains unknown by Takashi Kurita.
« Last Edit: 29 October 2013, 01:55:05 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #560 on: 28 October 2013, 12:58:04 »
Notes:  To survive, Theodore relies on the teachings of his Special Operations tutor Brian Comerford and Tetsuhara-sensei.  Since Robert Charrette wrote both “Heir to the Dragon” and “Wolves on the Border,” it’s a sure bet that Minobu Tetsuhara had a role in training the Coordinator’s heir. 
I rather think it was Minoru Tetsuhara, Minobu's father. I recall a mentioning... somewhere... that the elder Tetsuhara was a Sun Zhang teacher, but it's not mentioned anywhere about Minobu. Minoru was also a loyal Kurita samurai, to the point of later refusing Dechan Fraser's gift of Warlord Samsonov's frozen head - he would have nothing to do with the vendetta and considered his son shamed.
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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #561 on: 28 October 2013, 19:20:12 »
Robert N. Charrette was awesome novelist, i hope the newer authors will get chance write something that indepht as this book was.   So much complexity and still balance between universe that use battlemechs and yet so much more.
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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #562 on: 29 October 2013, 14:22:23 »
----- That Same Day -----

Date: May 17, 3018

Location: Kirchbach

Title: Heir to the Dragon

Author: Robert N. Charrette

Type: Novel Chapter (Heir to the Dragon)

Synopsis:  In the back room of Snorri’s Tavern, in the city of New Samos on Kirchbach, five men and two women nervously await the arrival of a co-conspirator.  One of the group wears an ancient uniform jacket of the outlawed Rasalhague Prince’s Guard. 

They discuss whether the final member will even come, and one of them slips and mentions him by name – Hassid Ricol.  The other conspirators panic, but the speaker, a Colonel, expresses confidence that a lostech artifact they’re using will jam any ISF listening devices.  The group begins to argue, but is interrupted by the arrival of Duke Hassid Ricol himself.

The leader introduces himself as Diamond, then designates each conspirator as a different gemstone, finishing by giving Ricol the codename of “Ruby.”  He announces that they are the “jewels in the princely crown of Rasalhague.”  Ricol reviews the conspirators’ plan on a compdeck, but remains noncommittal.  The Colonel makes a veiled threat towards Ricol, who responds in kind, albeit more directly.

Still non-committal, Ricol states that the conspirators’ plans do not conflict with his own, and that he wishes them well – leaving open the possibility that he may assist them should they demonstrate the skill to pull off the next stage of their plan.  He departs, leaving the Colonel still suspicious, but Diamond confident that everything is now in place to move ahead.

Notes:  Hints are dropped as to the conspirators’ identities.  Diamond is referred to at one point as Jarl, and is noted to have had experience as a planetary ruler.  He’s later revealed as Jarl Ottar Sjovold, Governor of the Rasalhague District.  The man in the ancient dress uniform (later referred to by the codename of Opal) is noted for his wealth, and referred to as Jessup Armandu – a successful merchant from Kirchbach.  Given the last name, he may be a relative of Tony Armandu, the Prefect of Rubigen.  The man referred to as Colonel appears to be Marcus Kurita, Warlord of the Rasalhague District.

This marks the first appearance of the Council of Gems.  At this point, they’re a cell of the Free Rasalhague Underground (later known as Tyr).  In later fiction, Ricol leads the group still using the Ruby codename, and uses their connections and resources to further the goals of the Black Dragon society.

This scene provides some fascinating backstory for Ricol, who had earlier appeared in William Keith’s Gray Death Legion novels.  According to Diamond, circa 3018 Ricol has run into political problems at Court on Luthien, his enemies are attempting to block his petition for elevation to the status of Archduke over the five worlds he controls, and the Coordinator withheld DCMS support when those worlds were recently raided by the LCAF. 

From other sources, at this point Ricol controls Rodigo (the ducal seat of House Ricol since 2785), and Chekaar (a desert world – not mapped - possibly in the Rodigo system).  Verthandi falls to the Combine in 3016, but isn’t given to Ricol until 3025.  Looking at the map, other candidates to round out the five include Lovinac, The Edge, New Caledonia, Csesztreg, St. John, Alleghe, and Bruben.  Just going off stellar geography, I’d lean towards Alleghe, St. John and The Edge, plus Chekaar and Rodigo.  Csesztreg seems doubtful, since I don’t think a gaggle of Rasalhagian patriots would be at all kindly disposed towards the ruler of a world where thousands of Rasalhagian dissidents are worked to death. 

Regarding Chekaar – Sarna.net makes a case for it being Kaesong, since the German translation of Decision at Thunder Rift substituted that world for the unmapped Chekaar.  I would tend to doubt this, since Kaesong is a good five jumps away from Ricol’s ducal seat on Rodigo, and is three jumps in from the Lyran border, making it less likely to be raided by LCAF troops.
« Last Edit: 29 October 2013, 22:27:10 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #563 on: 30 October 2013, 13:36:55 »
----- 1 Day Later -----

Date: May 18, 3018

Location: Kagoshima

Title: Heir to the Dragon

Author: Robert N. Charrette

Type: Novel Chapter (Heir to the Dragon)

Synopsis:  Constance Kurita, a novice in the Order of the Five Pillars, awakens to an urgent summons from her great aunt, Florimel Kurita – Keeper of the House Honor.  She proceeds to a small shrine, where a small carved box sits on a pedestal of ivory, surrounded by five candle stands of gold, ivory, steel, teak, and jade – symbolizing the five pillars of the Combine.  As the Lord of the Pillars, Shudocho Oda, lights the candles, they are joined by Florimel, who congratulates her and recognizes her as having attained the rank of Adept in the Order of the Five Pillars. 

Before Constance can recover from her shock at having been so unexpectedly promoted, she is informed that she is also being dismissed from the Order, so that she can begin training as Florimel’s designated successor as Keeper of the House Honor.  Constance accepts, and moves to kneel beside Florimel as a new figure enters the shrine.

Escorted by high-ranking Adepts, the new arrival is a woman wearing an ISF sneaksuit.  She presents Florimel with Theodore Kurita’s belt pouch, which she’d sliced off him when they fought the previous evening.  She admits failure – having cut Theodore in the process of taking his bag – and asks Florimel to dismiss her from the Order.  Florimel rejects the request, saying that it was worth a small cut to learn that the Coordinator’s heir is a strong warrior.  Florimel asks one of the escorting Adepts, named Sharilar, to help the sneaksuited woman prepare for her next mission.

Later that day, over at the Wisdom of the Dragon campus, Theodore Kurita is the first called at the graduation ceremony, indicating that he is at the top of his class.   Tai-sho Zangi, the school’s commandant, hands him his katana and wakizashi, as well as orders promoting him to Sho-sa, but reproaches him for not having done his best.  He is thrilled to have done better than his father, Takashi, who failed to graduate first in his class.  However, his jubilation fades when he realizes that Takashi has chosen not to attend the graduation ceremony.

Once the ceremony concludes, Theodore is approached by fellow student Tomoe Sakade, who invites him to join her in a celebration at the House of Tawamure.  Theodore is taken aback, having found Tomoe to be icy during their time together as students.  Before he can accept, he is summoned to attend his father at the Agate Pavilion.

There, Takashi berates Theodore for having slacked off during his training, and not worked to the best of his ability.  Theodore retorts that he is first in his class, but Takashi dismisses it as an unearned sign of favoritism from Tai-sho Zangi, and has decided to banish the commandant to the outpost world of Brihuega.  He adds that Theodore’s mother Jasmine is also disappointed, then dismisses his son.  On his way out, Theodore is greeted by Subhash Indrahar, but Theodore’s feelings of betrayal prompt him to shake off his mentor and disappear into the crowd.

Later, Constance and Florimel find Theodore alone on a bench in a quiet garden.  Florimel asks about Theodore’s orders, which lie crumpled at his feet.  He ashamedly responses that he’s unhappy with having been assigned a DRG-1N Dragon by his father.  She responds that it is a noble symbol of House Kurita, but that he doesn’t have to fight in it, since he has another option.  She presents him with a technical manual for an ON1-K Orion – the very one piloted by Aleksandr Kerensky – found in an Exodus Fleet junk deposit.  She has had it refitted with imported Marik parts, and now presents it to Theodore as a graduation gift.

To further cheer Theodore up, Constance notes that he will be posted near his future fiancée, and Florimel reminds him that it is his duty to provide heirs for the ruling family.  Theodore responds that he’s had an offer in that department already, and sets off to find Tomoe.

Notes:  Constance’s immediate superior in the Order is Shudocho Devlin Oda.  That’s right…Devlin.  Let the conspiracy theorists tremble!  As long as we’re dropping randomly suggestive names, the name “Sharilar” should be familiar.  This scene is the first appearance of Sharilar Mori – currently an O5P Adept, but soon to be a Kuritan mole within ComStar, and eventually its Primus.  The woman in the sneaksuit is, of course, Tomoe Sakade – Theodore’s future wife.  The “next mission” set upon her by Florimel is to get close to Theodore following his graduation from the academy.

Manipulation is the order of the day in the Kuritan court.  Takashi seeks to humble his son and shame him for perceived lack of effort.  Florimel tries to buck him up by giving him a ‘Mech and an undercover O5P bodyguard (with benefits) at the same time.  About her other gift, it’s intriguing as to how the ‘Mech ended up stripped and in a junk heap out in the Periphery.  Perhaps Aleks had given up on being a MechWarrior and decided to focus on command issues.  However, since the Exodus Fleet ships weren’t thrusting – they just hung at the jump point and recharged in microgravity, so an extra ‘Mech or two wouldn’t have made any difference in terms of fuel consumption.  Florimel refers to it having been jettisoned before the Exodus Fleet left the Inner Sphere, so perhaps it was dumped during the staging process, to make room for more food.  That would be consistent with Aleks at that stage – willing to sacrifice his personal ‘Mech in order to provide more room for food for the crew.  We know from “Betrayal of Ideals” that the Exodus Fleet took the time to camouflage their trash deposits, so it is plausible that it remained undiscovered all this time.

Chris Hartford said that the modeled the structure of “Fall from Grace” on “Heir to the Dragon.”  In that case, the academy graduation scenes stand in stark contrast.  While Rhean Marik’s graduation at the top of her class was a triumph presided over by her father, who revealed her true identity as she received her diploma, Theodore’s top ranking graduation is spat upon by his father.

This scene shows people using optical discs to transfer information.  That was, of course, cutting edge technology in 1988.  More recent BattleTech fiction has shown chip-based data storage.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #564 on: 31 October 2013, 13:19:01 »
----- The Following Year -----

Date: 3019

Location: Clinton

Title: A Present from Janos

Author: Blaine Lee Pardoe

Type: Scenario (Cranston Snord’s Irregulars)

Synopsis:  Enraged by the kidnapping of his cousin, Janos plots revenge.  He forms a suicide squad by pulling troops out of military prisons, putting them in ‘Mechs fit for the scrapyard, and then dropping them onto Clinton to wreak vengeance upon Snord’s Irregulars. 

Historically, the Marik force (Carp’s Commandos) was wiped out to a man.  The scenario pits eight Marik meat puppets (average weight 42.5 tons – several have pre-existing damage) against eight Irregulars (average weight 45.6 tons), though the Irregulars’ recon lance only enters on turn five.  The members of Carp’s Commandos are a trifle high-strung, and 1/3 of them will go berserk when fired upon – firing all weapons at the nearest enemy regardless of heat or range, and charging to engage in close combat until destroyed.  The Commandos win if they destroy five or more of the Irregulars, while the Irregulars win if they take down all eight of the Commandos with fewer than five casualties.

Notes:  “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”  Alas, it appears Janos is a poor student of history, having decided to execute his own version of the Draconis Combine’s Chain Gang raids, with nearly identical results.  Except instead of pumping his troops full of crazy-making battle drugs, he just picked crazy troops to begin with.

According to the HMPro roster, Janos blew 29 million C-bills worth of ‘Mechs on this raid.  One wonders why he sent damaged regular ‘Mechs instead of dispatching a force of crack quad-AC/5 Riflemen with one shot of autocannon ammunition each.  Given how the Marik forces in the Snord’s Irregulars scenario pack are regularly made laughingstocks by the mercenaries, one wonders why Max Liao was the one tarred with the “crazy/stupid” label, when Janos seems to have been bucking for that reputation himself.

Strategy-wise, the Irregulars should try to spread their fire around at first, engaging at long range, to see who flips out and goes loopy.  Those units will quickly overheat and will separate from the attackers' main body.  Once the unstable ones are separated from the herd, they can be ruthlessly culled with concentrated firepower, and then the numerically superior Irregulars can overwhelm the remaining Commandos.

The Commandos should charge in full speed and attempt to engage the Irregulars' command lance as soon as possible.  All of them should, in effect, go berserk and alpha strike as much as possible.  Their goal is to take down as many Irregulars as they can while the Commandos have superior firepower and numbers.  If they can get a few kills from the Command lance, then they can try to make their five once the lighter ones appear.  If a unit goes berserk and starts firing on a nearby Irregular, have non berserk units pile on as well, hoping for a kill.  Don't worry about running out of ammo.  You're dead no matter what happens in this battle, so go out in a blaze of glory.
« Last Edit: 01 November 2013, 06:05:41 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #565 on: 01 November 2013, 14:55:42 »
----- That Same Year -----

Date: June 6, 3019

Location: Hesperus II

Title: Hector

Author: Jason Schmetzer

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  To cap off their three year “cattle raiding” period, Wolf’s Dragoons is taking a crack at the nigh impenetrable Defiance Industries plant on Hesperus II.  MechWarrior Lucas Kenner and technician Kaley Cross look at the towering heights of the Harkspur mountains as they disembark from the WDS Chieftan, ten hours after planetfall.  Kenner has just inherited command of Alpha Regiment, Able Battalion’s first company (Able First), and just broken off a romantic relationship with Cross. 

The two part as Major Yukinov orders Kenner’s company forward.  Dragoon scouts report contact with Lyran forces – the 6th Lyran Guards.  Able First prevails in a heated battle with two Assault companies, but Kenner realizes that the Lyrans can reinforce more easily than he can, and withdraws his company back to the LZ to avoid combat losses.

At the LZ, the ‘Mechs go in for repair while Kenner is greeted by Captain Amy Laskowski of Charlie Battalion.  Checking in at the Mobile HQ, he finds Colonel Jaime Wolf directing the assault.  Beta and Gamma are down and engaged, while Epsilon and the other regiments are holding the orbital lanes.  Major Patrick Chan reports that the Lyran garrison includes the 6th, 15th and 24th Lyran Guards, as well as the Hsien Hotheads.  Later, at the repair gantries, Senior Tech Duvall gives him a repair time estimate for his company and asks about the battlefield conditions.  After a short conversation, Duvall tells Kenner he’s sorry the relationship with Cross didn’t work out.

That evening, Kenner watches as Charlie Batalion returns to the bivouac having suffered 15% losses.  A tersely worded message in his ‘Mech cockpit alerts him that a “Delta drop” is in progress – meaning that Colonel Wolf has ordered all of Delta Regiment to execute an orbital drop.  Momentarily, he sees DropShips hovering over the front lines, with drop cocoons spilling from them.

Notes:  Kenner recalls hearing Zeta’s colonel, Sim Pollock, telling his troops that “It’s time these money-grubbers learned what it means to face Dragoons.”  It appears Pollock is still smarting over his failure to bull through the Lyran lines on Dixie.

Able First is an assault company, including Kenner in a Marauder II, Angel Dumphries in an Atlas, Steven Barrows in an Awesome, Ariana Foster in an Atlas, Austin Lee Jennings in a Marauder, Kerri Tenler in a Grasshopper, Florence Milhaus in a BattleMaster and five others as yet unnamed/undescribed.  The Wolf’s Dragoons sourcebook adds Howard Lorrel in a Zeus, Quarrel Ghanjia in a Stalker, Drew Puller in a Warhammer, Kingsley Mennor in a Warhammer, Brandy Mohammed in an Archer, and Arnold Morrow in a Rifleman.

The story makes the claim that no enemy had ever before damaged the Defiance Industries complex in combat.  This is contradicted by the note in the House Steiner sourcebook that the Draconis Combine managed to destroy one of the BattleMech assembly lines during the 2853 siege of the world, which was only lifted via the intervention of the LCS Invincible.  Again, in 2867, Combine troops dropping directly onto the factories “succeeded in doing considerable damage” to the factories, cutting output by 50% for the next 20 years.

The Elite/Reliable 6th Lyran Guards are known as “the Saucy Sixth,” the Regular/Questionable 15th is “the Glory Boys,” and the Green/Fanatical 24th is “the Slashers.”
« Last Edit: 03 November 2013, 04:32:56 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #566 on: 01 November 2013, 15:19:56 »
Damn, the Able First has got some serious weight of metal in it.  When I read in the summary that they'd prevailed against two Assault companies, I thought I'd read incorrectly, but that makes a lot of sense when you consider the rather invincible reputation that the Dragoons have well earned by this point already.

The Dragoons, like them or not, did have some rather excellent background and writers.
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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #567 on: 02 November 2013, 07:58:41 »
----- 1 Week Later -----

Date: June 14, 3019

Location: Hesperus II

Title: Hector

Author: Jason Schmetzer

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  Eight days into the assault on Hesperus II, four exhausted Dragoon regiments are moving forward to a rally point on the flood plain along the Erewhon River.  The Dragoons are running low on expendables, especially for equipment rated as LosTech in the Inner Sphere.  At Battalion HQ, Kenner receives worse news from Yukinov – the Seventh Kommando special operations unit was hit hard and scattered the previous day, having run afoul of Hansen’s Roughriders. 

The company commanders – Captain John Charleton of the Silver Bears and Captain Lauren Waller argue over tactics, with Waller favoring aggressive tactics that Charleton calls suicide.  Kenner reminds them that Colonel Wolf gave the battalion a mission to punch through the lines of the 6th and 24th Lyran Regulars and rally at the floodplain.  Yukinov agrees that the sheer mountains do a good enough job protecting the battalion’s flanks, and orders the unit to move ahead as planned, without going off to find the Roughriders.

Further down the canyon, Kenner comes upon a pair of Dragoon infantrymen with a grounded Peregrine VTOL – a pair of the surviving Sevens.  They advise him that a two heavy Lyran companies are on the move up ahead – retreating from a battle with Delta Regiment, and advises Kenner and the Able Battalion supply convoy he’s escorting to wait.  The Sevens tell him that they’ve rigged the passes with explosives, so if the Lyran column turns towards them, they’ll be buried.  Though his troops agitate to go after the damaged Lyrans, Kenner is wary of an ambush.

Later that day, the column comes under attack from a Hsien Hotheads raiding force, driving it off after an exchange of fire that leaves ten dead among the support staff.  It leaves them six hours behind schedule.  As repairs begin, Dumphries rips into Kenner, telling him that he doesn’t know how to run Able First Company. 

As repairs continue, technician Kaley Cross arrives with a second supply convoy.  Emotions war inside Kenner as she opens with a compliment, telling him that the regiment thinks he’s been doing a good job as company commander.  Still internally conflicted about how their relationship ended, he brushes her off.

By nightfall, the command staff gathers and celebrates their progress.  The Lyrans and their mercenary auxiliaries have retreated from the Harkspurs and blown the bridges across the Erewhon River.  The plan now is to scavenge supplies from satellite Defiance Industries facilities until they reach the flood plain, then bring the DropShips down there to serve as the hubs of forward operating bases.  The Alpha Regiment commanders express resentment when Wolf announces that Epsilon and Zeta will force the crossing while Alpha and Beta stand down to rest and refit.  He tells them they’ll need to be ready to push through the Myoo Mountains after they cross the river.

After the briefing, Major Yukinov pulls Keller aside and tells him that he’ll have command of the whole battalion on drive down to the plains.  After reviewing the plans for the next day, he retires to his tent and finds Captain Laskowski waiting for him in his bedroll.

He awakens beside her the in the night to receive the news that orders have changed.  Alpha Regiment will be making the river assault, and Able First is to take point once Charlie and Baker battalions secure the far bank.  The sentry also informs Laskowski that her battalion is to move out at first light.  Already awake and unlikely to return to sleep, the two pick up where they left off.

Notes:  The Clan stories, when they mention intimacy, note that coupling is just something the warrior caste does without a lot of emotional baggage.  I wonder if that holds true to the same extent for Freeborns, or if it’s just a Trueborn thing?  Keller certainly seems to have emotions tied into his relationships, but Laskowski appears to be taking the Trueborn approach.  There certainly doesn’t seem to be any stigma placed on relationships between caste (Warrior->Tech, in the case of Keller/Cross) among the Dragoons. 

The Hesperus II campaign marks one of the first major missions for Hansen’s Roughriders on behalf of the Lyran Commonwealth – having joined House Steiner as mercenaries at roughly the same time the Dragoons entered the service of House Marik.  Both got new contracts in the aftermath of Anton’s revolt.  The Hsien Hotheads, on the other hand, have worked for the Lyrans since 3002 on what appears to be a 75-year contract.  Circa 3025, they’re in debt.  According to FM: Mercenaries, they needed high-paying assault contracts to fund their regiment, but only received garrison contracts from the Lyrans.  They bought out their contract with a mysterious influx of money in 3053, disappeared into the Periphery, and then reappeared in 3061 under a Blakist contract on Gibson.

The Dragoons are wary of Lyran ambushes and hidden tunnels/bunkers in the Harkspur mountains, but none materialize.  Other descriptions of Hesperus II note that most invaders take the easiest route – landing in the valley near the main settlement and then charging up the slope of the Myoo Mountains directly toward the factories.  That’s when the artillery emplacements and turrets come into action.  Most likely, since the Dragoons are the first to park further away and push through the Harkspurs, there simply aren’t emplacements (at least not manned ones) in the Harkspurs.  That’ll change once they hit the Myoos, though if they’re coming from an unusual approach, the defenses might not be as thick.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #568 on: 03 November 2013, 13:56:07 »
----- 1 Week Later -----

Date: June 22, 3019

Location: Hesperus II

Title: Hector

Author: Jason Schmetzer

Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis:  Six days later, the fighting still rages on the Erewhon floodplain.  As Delta Regiment moved down the flats, they were ambushed by the 15th Lyran Guards and the Hsien Hotheads, delaying the Dragoons while the 6th and 24th Guards get repaired and resupplied at the Defiance Industries complex.  Aware that time is not on the Dragoons’ side, Colonel Wolf has ordered Alpha, Gamma and elements of Epsilon Regiments to attempt an underwater crossing of the Erewhon River. 

The Lyrans aren’t about to just wait for the Dragoons to emerge on the far shore, and underwater pickets engage them on the river bottom as they approach the far shore.  Things get worse as the Dragoons reach the riverbank, as they find a Lyran Guards battalion waiting for them.  Captain Lucas Kenner of Able First company finds himself the senior commander on the far side, with the other senior officers either dead or stuck on the river bottom.

Kenner orders the 26 Dragoon ‘Mechs in his beachhead to head inland towards a narrow valley where they can shelter from the heavy Lyran fire.  Colonel Wolf reports that air support is dealing with a Lyran probe to the north, while Gamma has failed to secure its beachhead, and been forced back across the Erewhon.  As Kenner reaches the valley with 22 ‘Mechs, he sees Epsilon also pulling back, while Delta is only now starting forward.  Jumping his Marauder II straight up for a better vantage, his scanners register two Lyran regiments inbound, and he orders his surviving troops to retreat back across the river.

Back at the Dragoon field repair gantries, Lucas tells technician Kaley Cross that he got his men killed through poor leadership.  Kaley tells him that the fault lies with Gamma and Epsilon for failing to make the river crossing, while Kenner succeeded in carrying out his orders.  Lucas asks Kaley why she’s trying to make him feel better, when she hurt him so much earlier by breaking off their relationship.  Kenner gets more positive reinforcement when he appoints Florence Milhaus to take over Angel Dumphries' slot as lance commander (Angel having died during the river battle).  Milhaus tells him that he’s a fine Dragoon, and echoes Kaley’s comment that the assault’s failure was not his responsibility.

At a post-assault debriefing, Major Chan calls for a renewed assault with the reserve forces.  Captain Laskowski calls for a strict timetable for the jump-off, to ensure that all units come ashore simultaneously.  Wolf concurs, and asks Kenner to serve as his aide at the Mobile HQ in the morning, to share the benefit of his experience on the far shore.

Notes:  During the crossing, Howard Lorrel’s Zeus falls down six times in four minutes, flooding the left arm.  I recall from running the river crossing scenario in The Fall of Terra that an underwater traversal of a wide river is just about suicidal.  The ‘Mechs will get stuck half the time and will fall down very frequently – checking for breaches and flooding every time. 

Interestingly, Kenner notes that the Erewhon River “isn’t like the oceans we trained in.”  We know that the Dragoons spent some time training (with Goliath Scorpion assistance) prior to leaving for the Inner Sphere.  It’s interesting to see that their training included a variety of hostile environment operations, including underwater.  As we’ll see in the Jade Phoenix trilogy, the Jade Falcons on Tukayyid certainly didn’t want to enter the river, and ended up sacrificing several OmniMechs to form a makeshift bridge for a crossing.  (That river was probably substantially narrower and shallower than the Erewhon, however.)

Author Jason Schmetzer has rendered an excellent portrayal of the wheels coming off the vaunted Wolf’s Dragoons.   While the Dragoons had run into tough nuts to crack before – losing a regimental commander on New Delos in 2009 – they’d always prevailed over their Periphery, Capellan, and League foes.  When forced to retreat, it was usually because their allied support forces had failed, leaving the Dragoons monumentally outgunned.  Their mobile style of warfare has allowed them to excel at open field combat and battles of maneuver, but their luck seems to have run out now that they’re facing the Lyrans.  Their “cattle raiding” period has had some major successes, but they’ve started to come up against difficulties when trying to breach heavy Lyran defensive lines – as seen earlier on Dixie.  Speaking of Dixie, I wonder what Zeta’s been up to all this time while the line regiments try to force a crossing.

Of note, it appears that only four of the five regiments are on Hesperus II.  Beta hasn't been mentioned.  My guess is, after what happened with Anton, there's a full regiment stationed on the Dragoon baseworld to safeguard the dependents.
« Last Edit: 03 November 2013, 22:16:00 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

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Re: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars
« Reply #569 on: 03 November 2013, 15:12:20 »
Love the write up, you got handed to Jason for giving us a good gripping story. I hope it comes out in one of the Anthologies soon soo i can have it in the printed form in a nice book where it belongs. ;)

I'm actually amused to be able read a story where Lyrans aren't bad they usually are in combat prior to FedCom formation.
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