Author Topic: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)  (Read 43079 times)

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Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« on: 27 December 2015, 16:38:10 »
Magyari’s Irregulars is a tabletop roleplaying campaign for A Time Of War that I have been running (sporadically) for about two years now. Set in the year 3145 the Player Characters are a group of new recruits to a long-lasted mercenary group. This thread will be used to chronicle the events of the campaign.

The campaign begins on January 1, 3145, and is intended to be indefinitely ongoing.

The campaign has been covered in detail on the campaign blog
« Last Edit: 28 December 2015, 00:03:33 by Deadborder »
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #1 on: 27 December 2015, 16:41:29 »
The history of Magyari's Irregulars
Part I – Formation and Early Years


(EDITOR’S NOTE: This section is based in the very vague recollections of a Mechwarrior Second Ed. game I played in over a decade ago. Set in the early 31st century, it was about the misadventures of a small mercenary unit. My character, Sel Magyari, was its commander and also horribly ill-suited for the job… so how it always ends up going.)


Magyari’s Irregulars first came together in 3012 on Galatea, formed by a quartet of then unemployed mercenaries who had all arrived on-world relatively recently. Between them, Sel Magyari (A former bikini model), “Professor” Grunthos (Lecturer in Mechatronics at the university of Helsinki), Mackie Kusanagi (Rumoured to be a former bounty hunter) and George W. Butros III (Some guy) were big on ambitions but lacking in actual experience, making the formation of the unit an ad-hoc affair. Sel somehow wound up becoming the newly-formed unit’s commander for reasons that remain unclear. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Sel was the only one of the PCs that had the Leadership or Tactics skills)

The newly-minted Magyari’s Irregulars managed to do well for themselves, finding a niche in the low-level warfare that was so common in the early 31st century. A combination of skill, planning and more then a little luck saw the unit not only survive but also thrive with the unit managing to avoid severe defeats and losses. Even if they were on only short-term contracts for the most part, the unit still managed to do well for themselves.


Even by the standards of a lance-sized unit, Sel proved to be a “lead from the front” type. Her Thunderbolt was often at the front of any battle, but at the same time proved to be rather resilient to harm (Sel herself was prone to flights of vanity, however. The one time that she was injured in battle her largest concern was if she would be left with a scar). Rather, Mackie Kusanagi proved to be more of a problem, with his Orion (The ominously-named “Lucky II”) often taking a lot of punishment.

Their biggest boost, however, would come around largely by accident. During a pirate-hunting operation, the Irregulars found themselves facing a much larger force than expected. Matters turned around, however, with the discovery that half the pirates were, in fact, a mercenary unit that had been stranded and forced to cooperate. Some quick negotiations saw them agree to join forces, the captive mercenaries turning on the pirates. Overnight, the Irregulars had doubled in size.

Besides boosting the unit’s strength, the new arrivals bought other benefits. Alice was a skilled financial manager and administrator, and helped bring a degree of control to the unit’s oft-unstable cash reserves. (Her skill with kicking things in her Javelin didn’t hurt either). Similarly Jon-Jon possessed a wide range of infiltration and demolitions skills that would prove to be both useful and problematic.

It was “Professor” Gunthos who would prove to be the most resourceful, however. His technical skills saw him perform a number of modifications to the Irregulars’ BattleMechs, resulting in a series of unique variants. One of the most extensive was a salvaged Zeus that had been rebuilt in a new, entirely unique configuration. The ‘Mech was given to Mackie as a replacement after his Orion was destroyed, only to itself be destroyed in the very next battle. After a round of binge drinking (and, allegedly, reshaping Mackie’s skull with a wrench), Grunthos proceeded to rebuild a salvaged Marauder which Mackie promptly did not write off.

In spite of these problems, the unit continued to grow, reaching a full company by 3016. And while they continued to be successful on the battlefield, other issues would dog them no matter where they went. Mackie and Jon-Jon in particular proved to be rather prone to getting in to trouble, often managing to pick fights with supposedly allied units. “Professor” Grunthos would often end up being dragged into these things as well, and only occasionally be an unwilling participant.

(Another notable gaffe occurred when George W. Butros III went into a bar frequented by Infantry and then promptly referred to them as ‘cannon fodder’. It did not end well)

The worst of these incidents came during a post-civil war contract with the FWLM, the Irregulars being a part of a raiding force heading into Lyran space. Partnered with another mercenary unit, Raymond’s Roughnecks, the plan called for strikes on several targets in order to recall Lyran forces from the front.

However, early in the operation, tensions broke out between the two units. The exact source of the conflict is unknown, but accusations quickly flew back and forth between the two groups. This lead to a late-night gunfight, in which Mackie, Grunthos and Jon-Jon were accused of trying to sabotage the Roughneck ‘Mechs and assault their personnel. Sel’s efforts to defuse the situation came to nothing, especially given a lack of evidence from both sides as to what actually happened.

Matters came to a head during the first actual battle of the campaign. A “miscommunication” left the Irreguars isolated and without backup from the Roughnecks, not to mention facing down a superior number of Lyran defenders. Stuck in a bad situation, the Irregulars did their best to try and survive and fight their way to freedom. And, in their own strange fashion they did, managing to extract themselves with badly damaged but still functional ‘Mechs, but yet surprisingly light casualties.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: That was the end of the campaign after several years of gameplay. However, the Irregulars would live on)

Magyari’s Irregulars Roster, 3016
Command Lance
Captain Sel Magyari, TDR-5HG Thunderbolt
Mackie Kusanagi, MAD-3HG Marauder “Sideways Bob”
George W. Butros III, BLR-1G Battlemaster
“Professor” Grunthos, PXH-1HG Phoenix Hawk

Battle Lance
Lieutenant “Pops” Fleegman, CPLT-C1 Catapult
Michael Matthews, DV-6M Dervish
Thomas Carlyle, CN9-D Centurion
(?)

Recon Lance
Lieutenant Jenny K., WVN-6M Wolverine
Alice O’Neil, JVN-10N Javelin
Jon-Jon, ASN-21HG Assassin “Stone Killah”
Rachel Huang, FS9-M Firestarter


(EDITOR’S NOTE: The last member of the Battle Lance has been lost to history. It’s fair to assume there was one, however)
« Last Edit: 27 December 2015, 16:47:37 by Deadborder »
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #2 on: 27 December 2015, 16:42:40 »
Part II – Fortuitous Timing

The low-intensity raiding that characterised the dying years of the Third Succession Wars were a good time for small mercenary units, and the Irregulars were no exception. Stabilising at the company level, the Irregulars saw plenty of work along various borders, engaging in largely small actions of little consequence, but growing in skill and experience along the way, as well as building a reputation.

Sel Magyari herself gained a lot from this period; her previously vain and superficial nature slowly changing as she became more professional and driven, her leadership skills blossoming over time. Her experience as a battlefield commander showed, as well as a growing ability to work with non-combatant and support personnel to help run the unit.

Similarly, Professor Grunthos expanded and developed his skill base, helping to support the unit’s ‘Mechs and supplanting their growing technical support. By 3025 he was also managing a workshop on Galatea, the Grunthos Group, which provided technical support and BattleMech modification to other mercenary units.

Having largely sat out the Fourth Succession war on the Periphery rim of the Free Worlds League, the unit took up a garrison contract from the clearly desperate Capellan Confederation with favourable terms for what was expected to be not much action. Instead, the Irregulars were thrown into combat with the invading Andurian and Canopian forces, often acting as a small raiding or reactionary force. The result was several victories against the MAF, yielding valuable salvage and experience.

The Irregulars circulated between several different contracts afterwards, winding up with the Federated Commonwealth near the end of the decade. Looking at the Irregulars’ small unit raiding experience, the LCAF put the unit to use along the Free Worlds Border, using them in a series of raids to distract and pin down the FWLM while the bulk of the LCAF was otherwise employed against the Combine.

The 3040s saw another slowing of the Mercenary trade as the Inner Sphere adjusted to the new status quo of a single, seemingly invincible superpower. While the War of 3039 had been a stumbling block, there were many who saw the Federated Commonwealth as the de facto heir to the Star League, ushering in a new age of peace. And while the Irregulars were continuing to get work, more often than not their contracts saw little action. Many of its founding members retired or moved on, while others remained with the unit in other ways.

Possibly the biggest beneficiary of this period was the Grunthos Group. It had continued to grow over the last two decades, becoming a thriving business in and of itself. With Professor Grunthos now managing the company full-time, the Group were operating out of Galatea as well as the then up-and-coming Outrech markets.

By the end of the decade it seemed to many that the Inner Sphere was headed towards an extended, if unsteady, peace. Between seeing less and less work and her own age, Sel Magyari made the decision to retire from day-to-day command of the Irregulars, appointing her son, Jelek as her replacement. Sel would remain in overall command of the unit, but would have more of an advisory role and less of a battlefield one. And so, on December 31, 3049, Sel stood down as commander.

In retrospect, her timing was perfect.

While the Irregulars missed the Clan war (Instead serving contracts in the League), in its aftermath they were again headhunted by the AFFC for their raiding experience. Operating from the Lyran command, the Irregulars raided the Steel Viper portion of their shared Occupation Zone, claiming several victories against the clan forces while helping to contain them. While the risks were high and the losses severe when they occurred, the contracts paid well and helped Jelek establish his command and learn the ropes. It also would serve as a springboard for possibly their biggest break to date.

Re-hired by the newly formed second Star League, the Irregulars were assigned to operation BIRD DOG, operating out of Wolcott. Striking into the Smoke Jaguar Occupation Zone, they were specifically targeted at the Clan logistics base, aiming to destabilise their forces and keep them off-balance ahead of operation BULLDOG. These mission were a success, yielding the Irregulars a generous payment from the SLDF at the end of the operation.

More importantly, however, they yielded the Irregulars a not inconsiderable amount of salvage in terms of Clan-made weapons, ammunition and equipment (if no actual BattleMechs). Most so this was turned over to the Star League for a substantial bonus, but more than a little would find its way onto the Irregulars’ own BattleMechs. Finally, some of it ended up in the hands of the now Outreach-based Grunthos Group, giving them a hands-on with the technology and yielding a lot of useful results.

After spending some time recuperating and reorganising, as well as incorporating their salvage, the Irregulars were back in action, spending the early part of the 3060s fighting in the Chaos March for the various factions at play in there. Focusing on short contracts and specific objectives, the Irregulars managed to avoid getting bogged down in the oft shifting mire of Chaos March politics, instead delivering results.

As the FedCom civil war flared, Jelek Magyari made the decision to avoid contracts that would draw the unit into the fighting, much like Sel had done fifty years earlier during Anton Marik’s revolt. Instead, the Irregulars sat out the later years of the Civil war working for the Rim Commonality, alternating between garrison and pirate hunting duties.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #3 on: 27 December 2015, 16:45:22 »
Part III – Feud

In late 3067, the Irregulars had cycled back to Campoleone as a part of their downtime following a successful pirate hunting expedition when disaster struck. In November, a terrorist bomb in the capitol killed Captain Jelek Magyari as well as his XO and several representatives of the Commonality military during a planning meeting. Within hours of the explosion, traffic control reported pirate dropships burning their way towards the capitol.

Command of the unit very suddenly and unexpectedly fell to Jelek’s only child, the then 22-year old Anika Magyari who had only just graduated to active duty from training. Nearly overwhelmed by the combination of her father’s death and the situation she had been thrust into, Anika turned to the best source of advice that she had available; her grandmother.

With Sel’s help, Anika was able to rally the irregulars and turn back the pirate force, stopping them outside the planetary capitol before they could do any significant damage. While the Irregulars had suffered losses, given the situation they were far less severe than they could have been with Anika showing a surprising amount of determination and confidence, given the situation. However, their greatest boon came in the form of a captured Pirate Mechwarrior, one who yielded a lot of useful information.

Based on what they’d gathered, the Irregulars were dispatched on a counter-strike into Marian space, aiming to hit the pirates at their base of operations. Instead, they found no trace of them and departed, but not before tangling with local militia forces and raiding a HAF storehouse for parts and ammunition. Dissatisfied with the outcome, the irregulars returned to Free Worlds space, only to be hit by Marian Forces not too long after their arrival. While the Marians were again driven off, it became apparent that they were retaliating for what was seen, by them, as being an unprovoked assault.

Rather than risk escalating the situation, the Rim Commonality chose to pull the Irregulars off the front, especially after further investigation revealed that the “Marian” captive was, in fact, a member of Raymond’s Roughnecks, the same unit that the Irreguars had been betrayed by over fifty years prior. The Roughnecks had been hired by the Circrinus Federation to deliberately provoke a war between the Commonality and the Marians while also having a chance to act on a generations-long grudge. (That none of those involved with the original dispute were still active members of either unit and several were dead didn’t seem to factor into it)

Attempts to track the Roughnecks down came to naught, especially given the rapidly disintegrating situation in the Free Worlds League. Unexpectedly, the situation was resolved when Alys Rousset-Marik’s resistance bought out the Irregular’s contract, deliberately bringing them off the chase and instead using them as a raiding force against the Word and allied FWLM forces. While there was some contention within the Irregulars, Anika took the opportunity to put her foot down and assert herself, stating that “fighting the Word was more important than something that happened half a century ago.”

By late 3075, the Irregulars had been transferred again, this time to the control of Devlin Stone’s coalition, and were now focused on raids against the Word of Blake Protectorate. Details of what happened during the next few years are surprisingly sparse, and it appears that a lot of the missions that they undertook are considered classified by the Republic. Details exist of battles on individual worlds, but the entire picture remains unknown to this day.

However, by the end of 3079, the Irregulars had been one of the lucky Mercenary units to have survived the Jihad. Left with two battered lances of ‘Mechs and a smattering of armour and infantry, they remained operational under the command of their now seasoned and determined leader. Anika took the step of allowing any remaining members of the Irregulars who wished to stand down to do such, but in the end only a few did. The rest continued, determined to rebuild and continue working in the brave new world.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Raymond’s Roughnecks were allegedly destroyed in 3075 fighting for the Word of Blake. However, the actual truth of the situation remains unclear to this day)
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #4 on: 27 December 2015, 16:48:54 »
Part IV – Busy doing nothing

By the end of the Jihad, the Irregulars were somewhat changed. Absorbing several other commands had given them a more combined-arms structure, while the ravages of the Jihad had taken their toll. Besides battlefield losses, the Irregulars had lost experienced personnel, both to combat and those who chose to stand down after the Jihad. (One of them, Chaver Hohsq, a veteran Longbow pilot, would go on to open a string of pubs across the fledgling Republic). The Grunthos Group had all but ceased to exist with the fall of Outreach, reduced to a small cadre of technicians working directly for the Irregulars.

And yet, Anika persisted. Consolidating and continuing, she slowly rebuilt the unit, growing at a pace they could support rather than simply bounding outwards for the sake of it and outpacing their depleted financial reserves. This measured approach saw them recover enough to field a full BattleMech company by 3085 with expansion of other elements to follow. By 3100, the Irregulars boasted a full combined-arms Batallion with a mixture of BattleMechs, Armour and Battle Armoured infantry forces.

While the Irregulars did see action in the conflicts of the period, including the Victoria War, the post-Jihad wind-down was evident in the slowing of the Mercenary market. While work was still available, it was coming less and less often and often missions would end with little or no conflict. Rather then the small-unit raiding operations that had characterised the Irregulars’ early years, the unit was more often pulling Garrison or Cadre duties, along with pirate hunting operations. The unit’s size remained steady with a slow turnover due to natural attrition more than combat losses.

Against this background, Anika made a personal decision that her children would not be forced to follow in her footsteps as she had in her father’s. Rather, she gave her three children the choice to do what they wished with their lives, adding that none were obliged to take command of the unit for the sake of tradition. In the advent that none chose to do such, she would either dissolve the command or pass it along to another successor.

As if fated, her oldest daughter chose to emigrate to the Republic and join the RAF, eventually becoming a knight. Her first son also emigrated to the republic, but eschewed military service in favour of other pursuits, eventually becoming an award-winning architect. Her second son, Bors, however, chose to follow in her footsteps, and as such she began to prepare him for command. Her goal was to enable a smooth transition of power when he was ready, and not before. Eventually, in 3115, Anika stood down from day to day command, with Bors Magyri becoming the unit’s fourth commander.

The next decade and a half proved to be even more peaceful then those preceding it, with the Irregulars, much like the mercenary world as a whole, seeing less and less work. While Bors proved to be an able day-to-day commander, his personal life began to take precedence over managing the unit, matters often left in the hands of subordinates while he attended parties or festivals or managed a string of affairs. On contract, the Irregulars would often serve as a flashy parade-ground unit while its commander hobnobbed with local nobility or political and corporate leaders.

During this time, a policy of “Benign Neglect” set in as the unit began to shrink in size again. With less and less work available, the pool of experienced mercenary soldiers continued to dwindle as unit sizes contracted. Members of the Irregulars who retired or moved on were often not replaced, with lances becoming either short-staffed or being consolidated. The unit’s experience and readiness also suffered as experienced soldiers cycled out and the quality of replacements continued to drop.

Much like the rest of the Inner Sphere, the Irregulars were not ready for what happened next.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #5 on: 27 December 2015, 16:50:13 »
Part V – New Age

The Blackout caught everyone unprepared, and in its aftermath the mercenary Market exploded as chaos set in across the Republic of the Sphere. Like many others, the Irregulars began casting about in the suddenly active market for work, while also trying to recoup their depleted strength with whatever assets they could find and procure.

By early 3133, the Irregulars were active in the Republic, working contracts for whatever faction would hire them. The Swordsworn proved to be an especially lucrative source of work, the Irregulars serving as a quick response unit while also raiding across several prefectures. While the unit scored several successes, it also became clear that Bors was not the best commander. More and more often he would be delegating command decisions to his subordinates while spending his time rubbing shoulders with his employers, and his actual battlefield value proved to be somewhat dubious.

It was in this environment that his only child, Irisz, began to really shine. A lieutenant in the Irregulars’ hodge-podge BattleMech company, she had shown considerable skill as both a MechWarrior and a battlefield commander. Both came to play in late 3133 in a raid against the Steel Wolves that had gone wrong, with a portion of the Irregulars forces, including Bors himself, trapped and encircled. Rallying her lance and gathering what assets she could. Irisz staged a successful breakthrough that helped turn the situation around, delivering a sound defeat to the Wolves while also rescuing their personnel.

In the aftermath of the battle, Irisz began to take more and more responsibility for the unit’s operations, even though she was neither its commander nor its XO. Bors, however, supported her as she did, clearly grateful for her rescue while also clearly grooming her to take command of the unit. As the situation in the Republic continued to escalate throughout 3134 and into 3135, Irisz was spending more and more time in command and taking an increasingly prominent role in running the unit.

Abruptly, in August 3135 at the peak of operations, Bors announced that he had to take an extended leave from the unit due to “family matters”, travelling to Prefecture X in the heart of the Republic. In his absence, Irisz would be acting commander of the unit and maintain matters until he returned. While still young, Irisz accepted the responsibility, feeling that it was her duty to do such.

When the Walls of Fortress Republic went up, Bors had still not returned to the unit. Reaching the logical conclusion that he was, in effect, trapped inside, Irisz took command of the unit full time. While there were angry murmurings at this decision, her statement that she would “review the situation when (Bors Magyari) returns and do what seems best for the unit at that point” did serve to quell much of the dissent.

Now firmly in command, Irisz went to work on a harsh restructuring program, aimed at clearing the deadwood that had accumulated under two decades of her father’s spotty management. The unit, having grown in the last three years, was again downsized as she cleared out questionably effective assets or those that had been acquired for the sake of numbers. Their armoured assets, themselves a mish-mash of assorted units with dubious coherence, were massively rolled back. Following them were the infantry, with their conventional forces effectively disbanded.

In early 3136, the new, leaner and more effective Irregulars emerged, again ready for business. Irisz deliberately chose low-key contracts at first, aiming to build experience and coherency of the new unit before throwing them in at the deep end. However, the rapidly disintegrating situation in the Republic Territories changed all that, with the Irregulars soon involved in actions across the former Republic and, as the situation further escalated, further beyond.

The result was a sharp learning curve, with the new Irregulars being forced to quickly change and adapt to the rapidly shifting situations. Missions for planetary powers trying to hold back the tide of the Cappellan and Combine forces became common, but ultimately became futile as the surge continued. The Irregulars did see some success at raiding against the Wolf Clan incursion into Prefecture IX, only to have contracts cancelled when the Wolf forces abruptly vanished.

Operation HAMMERFALL provided the Irreguars with more work, albeit not for the Lyran invaders. Rather, the unit saw action working for the Oriente Protectorate against a wide variety of opponents. Even after the reformation of the Free Worlds League, the unit remained busy with various operations, including a campaign against forces loyal to a rebellious senator in the newly-formed Augustine Alliance.

After spending so long in the Free Worlds Leauge, a contract from the Lyrans seemed a sudden and strange change of pace. However, work was, as they say, work, and Irisz was not going to refuse something that would keep her men fed and equipped. Initially the Irreguars were fending off Pirates and rooting them out, ensuring that nobody took advantage of the Lyran preoccupation. However, things quickly changed.

Abruptly, the Irregulars were rotated back into the centre of the Commonwealth, a new contract offering them generous salvage conditions and bonuses for fending off the sudden Clan advances. As the situation degenerated further, the Irregulars were more and more often engaged in counter-raiding or extraction missions, chiefly against the Wolf Empire, as the Lyrans tried to stave off the inevitable.

Faulty intelligence on the part of the Lyrans would cost the unit dearly, however. When faced with an unexpected Falcon attack, the Irreguars were caught off-guard and forced to fall back. Pushing their advantage, the Falcon forces surrounded, isolated and then completely annihilated an entire lance before the Irregulars could respond.

In the aftermath, Irisz chose not to renew her contract with the LCAF, despite the generous terms being offered. Instead, the Irregulars limped back to Galatea, intent on rebuilding. New recruits have been added to the unit’s roster, but their integration is still a long way off.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #6 on: 27 December 2015, 16:53:10 »
Magyari’s Irregulars
MRBC Update 01-01-3145


Force Strength

At present, the Irregulars field two full companies of troops. Alpha Company is made up entirely of BattleMechs, and is commanded directly by Major Magyari. The recent replacement of the entire assault lance has left the company somewhat disorganised; while the new ‘Mechs in the lance would be better suited to other units then working together, Irisz is loathe to break up existing and proven lances at this stage.

Bravo company is something of a mixed bag of different units. It is the amalgmation of two prior companies, all-armour company and an all-infantry/Battle Armour one, a combination of battlefield attrition and Irisz’s restructuring of the unit to trim out the dead wood has seen it slimmed down to its current state. Bravo is rarely deployed as a whole unit but rather as needed in support of Alpha. Captain Joon sees this as an erosion of his position, but his loyalty to the unit as a whole has kept him in line.

An air lance rounds out the unit’s structure; primarily used for support of their ground forces, the Irregulars’ two fighters are both well-maintained but often see little use. As a result, while their pilots are capable, the quality of their performance is slipping due to a lack of activity.

Support
The combination of Irisz Magyari’s reforms of the unit and a legacy of technical support going back to the earliest incarnations of the Irregulars have served them well. The Irregulars have a full staff of capable technicians who are capable of handling all their support and maintenance needs, although the days of the unit sporting an array of individually customised BattleMechs are long over. The technical crews have access to a Savoir Repair Vehicle that is used to repair and recover units in the field, further expanding their capabilities.

In addition, the Irregulars have access to several quality doctors and a number of field medical teams. Doctor Hadrain Cartwright provides support “at home”, including immunizations and regular checkups.

Transport
The Irregulars own a pair of dropships that represent the spectrum of transport found in the mercenary word. The Trutzburg-class Silent Castle is relatively new, having been bought fresh in 3130. Well maintained and crewed with capable personnel, its capabilities (and not inconsiderable firepower) have been invaluable to the unit. In the field, the ship acts as the Irregulars’ command centre, becoming almost a mobile fortress itself.

The same cannot be said for the Gazelle-class Duchess Royston. An elderly, decrepit ship, it is poorly maintained and in run-down condition. Its systems are a mess of jury-rigged, patched and bypassed components, and the ship itself is prone to malfunctions and is generally uncomfortable and unpleasant to use. Given that it is only carrying half its capacity, the burden on its systems is somewhat reduced, but that is only a minor relief.

While their own craft cover all their dropship needs, the Irregulars do not own or have access to their own Jumpship and, as such, are dependent on their employers for interstellar transport.

Insignia and Colours
The Irregulars insignia is a downward-pointing arrowhead, with alternating red, white and blue stripes. The insignia is typically painted on the shoulders or legs of BattleMechs, on one side of the front of Combat Vehicles and on one wing or the tail of aerospace fighters. The Irregulars’ units are painted in a three-tone blue colour scheme with a red trim. As an option, pilots may paint one arm of their ‘Mech (or a portion of the vehicle or one wing of a fighter) in a different colour if they choose.

Despite their history, the Irregulars do not have any sort of uniform.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #7 on: 27 December 2015, 16:55:55 »
Magyari’s Irregulars Roster, January 3145

Alpha Company
Command Lance
Major Irisz “Invisible Space Fairy” Magyari, Mad Cat Mk IV
Lieutenant Charlie Bull, SCG-WF1 Scourge
Dimitri “Pythagoras” Matthias, ARC-9M Archer
Larry M. Lamont, SKW-2F Shockwave
Assault Lance
Lieutenant Takahashi Oda, AKU-1X Akuma
Nikola Kardos, CNR-7M Carronade
Lee Zheng, Vulture Mk IV
Randy R. Georges, UZL-8S Uziel
Recon “Peril” Lance
Lieutenant Will “Boof” Owens, HVC-P5 Havoc
GFN-4R Griffin
Bruce Wolf, SCB-9T Scarabus
OTT-9S Ostscout

Bravo Company
Support Lance
Captain Joon Dae-Ho, Sniper Artillery
Sniper Artillery
Sniper Artillery
Sniper Artillery
Air Cavalry Lance
Lieutenant Katrya Dernko, Lamprey Transport Helicopter
Lamprey Transport Helicopter
Hawk Moth II Gunship (MML)
Hawk Moth II Gunship (MML)
Battle Armour Platoon ("The Mexicans")
Lieutenant Maria Perez, Longinus (Magnetic) Battle Armour
Inner Sphere Standard (LRR) Battle Armour
Spectre Scout Armour
Grey Death Heavy Battle Armour

Air Wing
Lieutenant Alan “Sinker” Morrison, F-95 Stingray
F-95 Stingray

Miscellaneous/Support Units
Cecelia Stanley, Savour Repair Vehicle
Dr. Hadrian Cartwright, MIT 23 MASH

Transport
Trutzburg-class Silent Castle
Gazelle-class Duchess Royston
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #8 on: 27 December 2015, 20:02:17 »
Personnel Files - Player Characters

Takahashi Oda
Age: 25 (Born 3120)
Homeworld: Kagoshima
Position/Rank: Lieutenant, Assault Lance commander
BattleMech: AKU-1X Akuma

The son of a noble Samurai family, Takahashi Oda was trained form birth to follow in the centuries-long tradition of his forefathers. Schooled in the ways of bushido from an early age, it was expected that he would serve his nation. Excelling in his schooling (save for a disastrous incident with the family’s ceremonial carp pond), Takahashi proved to be a capable MechWarrior as well as a loyal soldier of the Combine. So much so, that he was apparently earmarked for other duties.

Takahashi’s service record becomes somewhat muddied after he completed his training; rather than being assigned to a DCMS line unit, he seemed to disappear for a period, before reappearing within the ranks of the New Samarkand Regulars forces that were assigned to the Republic-Federated Suns front. He then disappeared again in the early 3140s, only to resurface on Galatea where he sought mercenary employment, having bought his family’s BattleMech with him.

In many ways, Takahashi embodies a lot of the traits associated with the Combine’s people. Distrustful of outsiders and foreigners while still loyal to the Combine, he seems to be almost at odds with the mercenary world that he finds himself a part of. However, he is still a skilled soldier and commander, which is enough for Major Magyari to trust him with command of her reconstituted assault lance.


Lee Zheng
Age:
28 (Born 3117)
Homeworld: Tybalt
Position/Rank: Mechwarrior, Assault Lance
BattleMech: Vulture Mk IV

Born into the Republic during its golden age, Lee Zheng saw none of its benefits. Boon into a poor family with no citizenship and raised on the streets, Lee turned to a life of petty crime to survive from an early age. An opportunist with a distrust of authority, he shied away from Republic service and the benefits that it would bring, instead trusting nobody but himself and those close to him.

These traits made him a natural for Bannson’s Raiders; scooped up as a part of an early reciting drive in the aftermath of the Blackout, Lee’s skills saw him assigned to what could be crudely described as a special forces team, one made up of other thieves, adventurers, drop-outs and the like with more determination then actual talent. Despite this (or maybe because of it), his team were successful, with Lee in particular benefitting from Bannson’s particular promotion policy. Soon he was riding in a captured IndustrialMech, and after that a salvaged Panther.

At some point afterwards, Lee came into possession of a brand new Vulture Mk IV and left the Raiders’ employ, with the two possibly being connected. After several more years of misadventures, he wound up on Galatea and was hired by Irisz Magyari as a part of her new Assault Lance. It was possible that his ‘Mech was seen as a more desirable trait then he was.

Gruff, insular and distrustful, Lee is not the most pleasant of people to be around. He doesn’t like to talk about his past, and as such, few know about his background, where he got his training, and how he came to be in possession of such an advanced ‘Mech.


Randy R. Georges
Age:
27 (Born 3118)
Homeworld: Victoria
Position/Rank: Mechwarrior, Assault Lance
BattleMech: UZL-8S Uziel

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Capellan March has, at various points, boasted two worlds called “Victoria”. In this case, the “Victoria” referred to is in the Sidar OA and has been a part of the Federated Suns since at least 2596)

The son of a Mechwarrior family, Randy R. Georges was raised and schooled with the expectation that he would follow in their traditions. However, upon his graduation from military training, he chose instead to forgo tradition and become a journalist instead. Outgoing and driven, Randy had a definite enthusiasm for what he did and a desire to find the truth and report on what needed to be known.

Instead, his career didn’t work out as planned. Rather then the exciting world of a war correspondent or investigative journalist, Randy wound up working for a sleazy tabloid “current affairs” Holovid show. Engaged in what could only be described as ‘gutter journalism’, his career consisted largely of sensationalism, mud-slinging and trying to outdo his rivals in the drive for ratings and the sponsor’s Pound.

Disgusted with this turn of events, Randy chose to resign and turn back to his original training. Collecting the family’s BattleMech, he travelled to Galatea to seek employment as a mercenary. His motivations were twofold; the first was a desire to reclaim his original drive by being able to see the battlefield up close, raw and uncensored and capture all that came with it. The second was the feeling that, even in a life of being shot at for money, he was still better off then chasing welfare frauds and dubious cosmetic surgeons for a living.


Seonaig “Shona” McBryde
Age:
23 (Born 3122)
Homeworld: Coventry
Position/Rank: MechWarrior, Recon Lance
BattleMech: PXH-7S Phoenix Hawk

The scion of a wealthy family, Shona was raised with a strong sense of pride in both her family’s long history as well as her cultural heritage. Combined with her outgoing personality, she can often be very hard to miss to the point of attention seeking or even obnoxiousness. At the same time, she is a thrill seeker and often reckless, a trait that can be equal parts blessing and curse in a MechWarrior.

Family trained, Shona served with the Coventry CPM for a single tour of duty before being 'reassigned' for being a bit too 'free spirited' for the LCAF chain of command. However, her father (A Coventry Metal Works executive) felt that she needed more 'life experience' and, as such, arranged to set her up as a mercenary. A brand new Phoenix Hawk, straight from the CMW lines, was provided as a 'gift' to help her along her way.

Shona’s love of speed serves her well in the unit’s Recon Lance, while her thrill-seeking unfortunately meshes all too well with Will Owen’s style of ‘aggressive’ reconnaissance. The result is a lance that seems to be less about locating the enemy as it is about excitedly engaging it. So far, her skill and training has managed to keep her alive and more or less intact; whether this can continue is another matter.


Nikola Kardos (Retired PC)
Age:
27 (Born 3118)
Homeworld: Galatea
Position/Rank: Mechwarrior
BattleMech: CRN-7M Carronade

Nikola Kardos is not officially a member of the Irregulars, but, at the same time, is one of their most important and useful assets. Related to Irisz Magyari (albeit several generations back) he and his family have been allies of the unit for decades now.

Officially, Nikola is an independent “gunslinger” mercenary, one who is not attached to any one unit, but rather goes freely. In truth, Nikola is a skilled scout and investigator, one who has aided the Irregulars by providing groundwork for their operations as well as providing intelligence above and beyond what their employers would normally have access to (or share with them). Nikola’s investigations have aided the unit considerably in past, and have turned around a potential loss on more than one occasion.

Otherwise an unassuming man, Nikola is a master of disguise and blending in to his environment, becoming an unnoticeable face in the crowd. When needed, he will take to the field with his Carronade, but it is often the case that Nikola has won a battle before he enters his BattleMech.


Ransom Victor Kelley (Retired PC)
Age:
31 (Born August 7, 3114)
Homeworld: Norman’s World
Position/Rank: Mechwarrior, Command Lance
BattleMech: BLK-NT-5H Black Knight

Unlike many other members of the Irregulars, Ransom Kelley was born to the mercenary life. He is the son of two career mercenaries, and his family founded and served with the same unit, the 12th Highland Gryphons, for generations.   It was expected that he eventually would do such as well. Sent to the prestigious Albion Military academy, Ransom had high hopes for serving with his family’s command and carrying on it’s proud traditions.

Instead, other events intervened. At some point after the Blackout, Norman’s World was attacked by an as yet unidentified force. The Gryphons apparently disappeared, however investigations found signs of an intense struggle. To this day, the identity of the attackers and the fate of the unit remains unknown, however evidence from the battlefield suggests that the unit might not have been entirely destroyed.

The next few years of Ransom’s past seem shrouded in a veil of official secrecy, as no record of his whereabouts or activities is available. What is clear is that he reemerged a few years ago with a suspected Combine war orphan in tow, looking for employment as a freelance mercenary. In addition, he appears to possess a number of skills that would not have come from traditional Mechwarrior training. His overall goal, however, still appears to be finding the fate of his command and family.


Haki Aardvarkssen (Retired PC)
Age:
28 (born 3117)
Homeworld: Hermagor (Rasalhauge Dominion)
Position/Rank: MechWarrior
BattleMech: AXM-3S Axeman "Harriet"

There are many unusual paths that lead to the mercenary path, but Haki Aardvarksen has to have lived one of the strangest. Born on a farm in the Dominion world of Hermagor, Haki had two interests in his youth; horses and fossils. The latter, while often seen as fringe science, lead him to university where he would eventually earn a degree in Paleontology. At the same time, he also trained to become a MechWarrior, possibly as a secondary career choice should Paleontology not work out.

Haki managed to attract the eye of an IE recruitment team, and joined one of their rare paleontological expeditions. This experience proved to be incredibly beneficial for him, giving him the opportunity to see numerous different worlds while also being a part of several new discoveries. However, reality interceded, with the worsening situation in the Inner Sphere resulting in IE having to scale back expeditions, especially in areas that were seen as outside their main focus.

Rather than abandon his dreams, Haki took the unusual choice of falling back on his secondary skills, choosing to become a mercenary. In this case, the goal was to find a new way to travel the Inner Sphere and not only see new worlds, but also discover what secrets they may hold. Rather than doing such as a part of an expedition, he would instead be doing it as a personal 'side' business, albeit one indirectly supported by his current employer.
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #9 on: 27 December 2015, 20:08:00 »
Personnel Files - Command Staff NPCs

Irisz Magyari
Age:
35 (Born 3110)
Homeworld: Galatea
Position/Rank: Major, Commanding officer of Magyari’s Irregulars
BattleMech: Mad Cat Mk IV

There are two things that you should never ask Irisz Magayri. The first is how she lost her right eye. The second is how she earned the nickname “Invisible Space Fairy”. Normally a reasonably friendly and easygoing woman for a mercenary commander, Irisz will deflect answers on these two issues, and has been known to threaten people with summary dismissal for pursuing the matter.

The only child of Bors Magyari (At least, the only known; given his string of affairs), Irisz had accepted that one day she would inherit command of the family’s unit and continue a tradition going back over a century. She hadn’t expected that she would do so in such a sudden and unexpected matter, and certainly not at such a young age. Level-headed and pragmatic, Irisz figured that her father was not returning any time soon and, as such, set about doing the best for her unit that she could.

Since that time, she has grown as a commander, managing to keep her unit together and ahead during what could only be described as trying times for the mercenary industry. While Irisz does her best for the unit as a whole and focuses on the bottom line, she also wants to do what’s right and avoid a lot of the negative connotations associated with the mercenary trade. This has helped keep the Irregular’s reputation strong and their finances as secure as possible.

Due to the unit’s small size and her own experiences, Irisz tends to command her unit from the field. She has stated that it gives her a sense of responsibility, noting that “It’s easier to see what you’re ordering your people to do when you’re in the thick of it.” Despite her dedication to the unit, however, she is level-headed and engaging, and does her best to get to know the people she’s commanding.


Joon Dae-Hoon
Age:
42 (Born 3103)
Homeworld: Misery
Position/Rank: Captain, Commander Bravo Company
Vehicle: Sniper Artillery

A lifelong mercenary, Joon Dae-Hoon is the nominal second in command of the Irregulars and their longest standing member. Joining the Irregulars as a technician by lying about his age, he worked his way up to command of a vehicle, then a lance, then eventually the entire Bravo company. Dae-Hoon possesses a combination of experience and skill that makes him invaluable to the unit, both on the battlefield and its management, which is useful given how disagreeable he is.

Grumpy and bitter, Dae-Hoon has been married three times and divorced twice (and it’s rumoured to be having problems at home). He is argumentative and disagrees with just about everyone, while also pushing his own opinions. And while loyal to the unit as a whole,  Dae-Hoon is one of Bors’ supporters who feels that Irisz should stand aside when (not if) he returns to the unit. He does follow her orders, but at the same time still sees her as being an ‘interim’ commander.

Despite all his problems, he is still a very capable soldier and commander. His precise and timely artillery support has turned the tide in more than one battle, and his advice has been invaluable to the unit as a whole. Irisz tolerated his presence and his problems, but at the same time has made it clear that, should he step over the line, she will gladly remove him from the roster.


Maria Perez
Age:
31 (Born 3114)
Homeworld: Chirac
Position/Rank: Lieutenant, Commander Battle Armour Platoon
Battle Armour: Longinus (Magnetic) Battle Armour

Under Bors Magyari’s rearmament program, the Irregulars had assembled a hodge-podge collection of infantry, both armoured and conventional. When Irisz inherited command of the unit, the infantry units were some of the first to go, many of them having been recruited for the sake of puffing numbers rather than actual combat effectiveness. Among the survivors of the cull was Maria Perez, a battle armour commander.

Tough and rugged (“Mannish” in her words), Perez is a no-nonsense and determined woman who does her best to keep her men alive on the battlefield. While not adverse to taking risks (as a Battle Armour commander, it’s hard not to), she also won’t order her men into any situation that she sees as being crazy or suicidal. Similarly, if given an order that she doesn’t like, she won’t hesitate to let someone know her feelings.

When off-duty, Maria is a different person. Friendly with her men and the other members of the unit, she drinks hard and enjoys herself. She’s also Bruce Wolf’s self-appointed drink tester, which has lead to a good relationship between the two, as well as rumours of a romantic connection.


William “Boof” Owen
Age:
30 (Born 3115)
Homeworld: Flitvelt
Position/Rank: Lieutenant, Commander Recon Lance
BattleMech: HVC-P6 Havoc

A hulking brute of a man, Will Owen seems to be barely capable of fitting into the cockpit of his lightweight Havoc. However, when inside it, Will shows a degree of fearlessness that would make one think that he was piloting an Assault ‘Mech. He likes to be in the thick of things, constantly on the move and using his ‘Mech to strike and snipe at the rear or flanks of enemy forces.

Given that he is the commander of what is nominally a Recon Lance, that might be seen as a problem. However, despite his enthusiasm for a fight, Will is also smart enough to know when to stand and when to run. His lance won’t stop and fight when out-numbered or out-gunned, but they’re more than willing to join in the rest of the unit and do their part once the battle is engaged. As such, he’s taken to calling his unit the “Peril” lance to reflect their status as harassers and strikers.

Despite his size and strength, Will is not the sort to bully and intimidate others. Rather, he is surprisingly friendly and outgoing, almost to the point of being aggressively such. Above all else, he is very loud, loving to laugh and let everyone around him know it.


Katrya Dernko
Age:
30? (Born 3115?)
Homeworld: Unknown, presumably Baltazar III)
Position/Rank: Lieutenant, Commander Air Cavalry Lance
Vehicle: Lamprey Transport Helicopter

Sometimes a mercenary commander has to take a gamble in response to an unexpected situation. Such an event occurred while the Irregulars were hunting pirates in the former Circrinus federation. A pair of Lamprey transports approached their landing zone, claiming that they wished to surrender. Despite concerns that it might be a trap, Irisz let them through. What she found was a surprise; the two Lampreys, crewed entirely by women, were packed with civilian refugees.

Katrya Dernko was the leader of the group and had offered to surrender and turn over the VTOLs in exchange for safe passage. Instead, Irisz made her a counter-offer, giving her a place in the unit. A skilled pilot in spite of her dubious background, Katrya became the head of the recently restructured air cavalry lance, responsible for transporting Battle Armour and providing support to ground troops.

Despite her background (Or perhaps because of it), Katrya comes off as stylish and sophisticated, with an eye to fashion and looking her best. However, she also is clearly rather protective of her fellow pilots, and tries to avoid answering questions about their pasts or how exactly it was that they came to be in that situation. Regardless, they have Irisz’ trust, and have shown no end of dedication on the battlefield.
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



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snakespinner

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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #10 on: 27 December 2015, 22:15:38 »
Will you be doing a storyline with this unit DB or just writing up the unit.
An interesting unit. O0
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #11 on: 27 December 2015, 23:37:30 »
There's actually a very extensive, incredibly well-written storyline. Deadborder, it might be worth linking over the Irregulars' blog so other folks can catch up on their previous campaigns.


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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #12 on: 28 December 2015, 00:05:02 »
There's actually a very extensive, incredibly well-written storyline. Deadborder, it might be worth linking over the Irregulars' blog so other folks can catch up on their previous campaigns.

A good plan! First post is updated with a link
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #13 on: 29 December 2015, 03:01:55 »
Personnel Files - Misc. NPCs

Bruce Wolf
Age:
33 (Born 3112)
Homeworld: Basalt
Position/Rank: Mechwarrior, Recon Lance
BattleMech: SCB-9T Scarabus "Drop Bear"

Born in the Republic, Bruce had a fascination with all things Clan from an early age. Fascinated by the appeal of their warrior ways and developing an almost romanticised image of Clan lifestyle, Bruce studied clan Lore and history while also doing his Responsible Service of Alcohol course. After the Blackout, he acted on his dreams, venturing to Tigress to join the Steel Wolves. Bruce performed well enough to become a Mechwarrior with the Wolf Lancers cluster.

At first, things went well for him. In an early battle, his Scarabus defeated the leader of a Ghost Bear enclave, decapitating their Ursus with its hatchet. (And thus earning it the nickname ‘Drop Bear’). However, when Anastasia Kerensky chose to dissolve the Steel Wolves and reform them as the Wolf Hunters, he was one of those who chose to leave. For Bruce, it was less about becoming a mercenary and more of the fact that Kerensky had made the decision without telling anyone.

For several years, Bruce worked at a bar on Galatea, mixing cocktails and using his income to house his ‘Mech. He was discovered by Irisz during a recruitment drive, who saw in him a lot of potential that was being otherwise wasted (Her past experiences with fighting the Steel Wolves also coloured her decisions). Bruce was recruited by her, becoming a part of their Recon Lance and serving ever since. In his downtime, he also runs the bar in the Irregulars’ compound.


Cecelia Stanley
Age:
31 (Born 3114)
Homeworld: Galatea
Position/Rank: Chief Technician

Having spent all her life in one mercenary unit or another, Cecelia Stanley (“Stanley” to everyone) is no stranger to the world. Trained by her parents and with plenty of practical experience, since joining the Irregulars she has worked her way to becoming their chief technician. Skilled at her job, she is very much the ‘hands on’ type who enjoys a challenge and doesn’t shy away from doing hard work herself.

While technically a non-combatant, Stanley is not afraid to do what’s needed if called for it. She has been known to take her Savoir Repair Vehicle perilously close to the battlefield to support the unit’s ‘Mechs. She pulls long hours in the repair bays afterwards, and often assigns herself the toughest or most high-priority jobs.

The result is that Stanley has a lot of respect from other members of the unit, and is often seen as being ‘one of the boys’ despite not being an actual soldier. Hard drinking, she enjoys arm wrestling and showing off, and has developed something of a friendly rivalry with Will Owen over proving who is the tougher of the two.


Hadrian Cartwright
Age:
30 (Born 3115)
Homeworld: Alphard
Position/Rank: Doctor

Born to a comfortable, middle-class Marian family, Hadrian Cartwright showed a keen intellect from an early age and an interest in medicine and especially the chemistry behind it. His parents encouraged his talent, sending him to university to study, as well as arranging an internship at one of the Hegemony’s best hospitals. When he graduated, it was expected that he would have a fantastic career ahead of him.

Instead, he dropped out of sight for reasons unknown, only to resurface on Galatea seeking work as a mercenary medic. His skills and resume saw him hired by the Irregulars, where he became a part of their support team. His duties have included everything from regular check-ups to operating in a MASH unit close to the frontlines.

Hadrian does enjoy the good life; while whatever it was that saw him leave the Hegemony may have cut him off from his family, he still appears to be rather well off, almost to the degree of splashing out and showing off his wealth.


Charlie Bull (KIA)
Age:
45 (Born 3100)
Homeworld: Galatea
Position/Rank: Lieutenant, Command Lance
BattleMech: SCG-WF1 Scourge

Charlie Bull is the oldest presently active member of the Irregulars. Born from one of the diminishing numbers of mercenary families, Charlie gladly continued in the same trade as his predecessors, even as the universe was making them seem more and mire irrelevant. He joined the Irregulars in his early 20s, and had remained with it ever since, By the time of the Blackout, he was one of the unit’s officers and, more importantly, had become a close friend of Bors Magyari.

That friendship and loyalty would prove to be invaluable, not just on the battlefield but in other arenas as well. After Bors' disappearance, Irisz Magyari inherited command of the unit by default, but was not unchallenged. There were those in the command who cited her relative youth and lack of experience as weaknesses, and others who felt that they were better suited for the position. Charlie, however, was one of Irisz' key supporters, and managed to bring the bulk of the unit behind her.

The effective second in command of the unit, Charlie often serves to run the operations of Alpha Company's BattleMechs specifically, while letting Irisz focus on management of the unit as a whole. He remains a steady friend ands strong supporter of her, and has her back both on the battlefield and in the complicated issue of mercenary politics. This has also seen him butt heads with Captain Dae-Hoon on numerous occasions; the two men have little love for each other, but do respect each other's capabilities and what they bring to the command.


Dmitri Matthias (KIA)
Age:
28 (Born 3117)
Homeworld: Aitutaki
Position/Rank: MechWarrior, Command Lance
BattleMech:  ARC-9M Archer

An unusual man for a MechWarrior, Dimitri does not, at first glance, appear to be the part. Slender, with scruffy hair and often unshaven, he looks more like he would be lecturing a class then piloting a BattleMech. The image is further enhanced by his obvious love of Mathematics; Dimitri will gladly talk for hours on any maths-related subject if given even the slightest provocation, often with a clear passion for his subject.

The fact is that Dimitri is actually a very good MechWarrior, and his particular interest is of great help to him in his chosen field. He is very adept at quickly calculating and recalculating trajectories for his Archer’s Long-range missiles, and has a reputation for putting down very precise and well-timed indirect fire support.

The son of a prominent political family, Dimitri’s family were forced to leave their homeworld following its last invasion by the Principality of Regulus. While some of its members have since returned with the formation of the new Free Worlds League, Dimitri has chosen to remain a mercenary. He has often joked that the battlefield is a great way to test theorems and formulae.


Carrie Bull
Age:
28 (born 3117)
Homeworld: Galatea
Rank/Position: MechWarrior, Command Lance
BattleMech: SCG-WF1 Scourge

The niece of former Irregualrs member Charlie Bull (And one of his few living relatives), Carrie chose to follow her own path in life. While she trained as a MechWarrior, rather than becoming a mercenary like others in her family had she instead chose to seek fame and fortune on the game world of Solaris VII. A combination of talent and charisma served her well, Carrie managing to attract interest and secure a place.

Her career rose quickly, with Carrie showing a considerable amount of talent and a flair for showmanship. By 3142, she was a rising star, one who was being touted as potential championship material. The Wolf Empire’s invasion of Solaris did slow her career, but didn’t stop it by any means. Carrie continued to participate in the now somewhat reduced games, but began to become ever increasingly vocal and public in her dislike of Clan Wolf.

However, in late 3144 she abruptly quit her team and the game world altogether, dropping out of sight with no explanation whatsoever. It was several months before she resurfaced as a member of the Irregulars, having inherited her uncle’s BattleMech and being offered his position in the unit. While she has begun to adjust to the very different lifestyle and way of fighting, there are still questions as to why she dropped out in the first place.
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #14 on: 29 December 2015, 03:05:58 »
Mao's Rifles

MRBC Update 01-01-3145


History
While the Cappellan confederation depicted its push into the Republic as a victory of it and its people, liberating their long-oppressed brothers from the hands of the occupying Republic, not everyone saw it as such. Mao Xingyang was a wealthy businessman who, despite his Cappellan background, actually enjoyed life in the Republic. An active leader in his community, he enjoyed the Republic’s ideals of freedom and responsibility, rather than the restrictive nature of the Confederation.

As the Republic’s forces began to wither and withdraw, Mao turned a lot of his wealth towards trying to build his own militia unit to help protect those who, like him, had no love for the Confederation and no desire to rejoin it. Support from the Swordsworn helped train the unit, but with the RAF’s withdrawal into Fortress Republic, it quickly became clear that fighting the CCAF was a losing cause. Battered, Mao’s forces were forced to abandon their posts, retreating across the shrinking Republic to Galatea.

While now serving as mercenaries, Mao and his people harbor a desire to return to their homeworlds and reclaim them for the Republic. However, Mao is also a realist, and knows that is unlikely to happen given the current strength of the CCAF. Like many, he holds out against the idea of the Republic re-emerging from behind the Fortress Walls and reclaiming its lands, at which point he will gladly join them. For now, his unit serve as mercenaries, doing what they can to survive and build their strength.

Force Strength
While on paper Mao’s Rifles are a combined arms battalion, in truth they fall somewhat short of that. Mao’s command company consists of two BattleMech lances, filled with older designs that mostly predate the Jihad. The company has been under-strength for some time, and as yet, efforts to bring it back up have failed. Bravo company is equipped with a mixture of tanks and hovercraft, again primarily older designs.

Charlie Company is lead by a mixed platoon of assorted Battle Armour designs, again mostly older suits with a few upgrades in among them. The rest of the company is made up of conventional infantry, who in turn are composed primarily of dispossessed crews or those looking for an opportunity. A lack of transportation assets means that the conventional infantry rarely see the field, instead being used primarily for security.

Support
At present, the Rifles’ technical crews are able to cover all of their support and maintenance needs, albeit very closely. In the advent of major battlefield damage, the technical crews would be struggling to get their units back into fighting shape. In order to support them, many of the unit’s combat personnel have some degree of technical training to assist where needed, somewhat alleviating the burden.

Financially, the Rifles are in much the same state. Marginally in the black, a single defeat or breach of contract could send them spiralling into debts. While founded initially from Mao’s own reserves, those have long dried up and with his assets now in Capellan hands, it is unlikely that he will be able to draw from them.

Transport
Mao’s Rifles boast a single dropship, the Sing Little Birdy. A centuries-old Triumph-class transport, the ship is very much run down and in dire need of an overhaul and refit, something that is unlikely to happen any time soon. The ship is completely ill-suited to combat, which combined with the Rifles’ lack of aerospace support, is seen by some as a disaster waiting to happen.

While the Rifles lack their own Jumpship, Mao is on good terms with several captains courtesy of connections made during his days as a businessman.

Insignia and Colours

The Insignia of Mao’s Rifles is a pair of crossed red laser rifles on a yellow five-pointed star. The unit’s equipment is painted in an olive drab with alternating red and yellow highlights.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #15 on: 29 December 2015, 03:15:01 »
Simulator Battle Report
MRBC Area E266
01013145

Battlefield: Beach Hills
Time of Day: Midday
Weather: Clear

Scenario: Seek and Destroy
Outcome: Blue Team Victory (Red Team surrender)


Blue Team: Magyari’s Irregulars

Mech:
AKU-1X Akuma
Pilot: Takahashi Oda
Status: Moderate Damage
Damage: Right Arm armour (severe damage);  Left Arm armour (severe damage); Torso armour (moderate damage); Engine Shielding (light damage)

Mech: Vulture Mk IV
Pilot: Lee Zhen
Status: Light Damage
Damage: Right Arm armour (severe damage); Left Arm armour (severe damage); Torso armour (severe damage); Left Leg armour (light damage)

Mech: UZL-8S Uziel
Pilot: Randy R. Georges
Status: Undamaged
Damage: None


Red Team: Mao’s Rifles

Mech: RFL-6X Rifleman
Pilot: Mao Xingyang
Status: Light Damage
Damage: Torso armour (moderate Damage); Right Arm armour (light damage); Left Leg armour (light damage)

Mech: BLR-4S Battlemaster
Pilot: Jin Yaozu
Status: Destroyed
Damage: Head (destroyed); Torso armour (severe damage); Rear Torso armour (moderate damage); Right Arm armour (moderate damage); Right Leg armour (destroyed); Left leg armour (destroyed); Gyro (severe damage); Right Foot Actuator (destroyed)

Mech: GRF-3M Griffin
Pilot: Cheah Chanming
Status: Light Damage
Damage: Left Arm armour (moderate damage); Right Leg armour (severe damage)
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #16 on: 29 December 2015, 03:17:18 »
From the personal journal of Irisz Magyari

The new recruits are now formally into the unit. I took them down to the MRBC for a simulator battle, less to test their skills and more to see how these three strangers would be able to gel as a team. I knew that it wouldn’t be easy, given that they had never met before, had come from completely different backgrounds and had ‘Mechs with rather radically different capabilities. (Of course, the potential fourth lance member backing out at the last minute only made things a that much harder for me)

I’d put them up against Mao’s Rifles. Mao owes me a favour, and I think that he was hoping to get a victory over some rookies that he could use to bump up his unit a little. From what I’ve gathered, he’s hurting financially and his unit’s been taking quality hits, two things that rarely end well in the mercenary world. Unfortunately, the battle didn’t go his way, a fact made even worse by Mao’s using himself, his XO and one of his lieutenants in the battle.

I think I could best describe the results as “interesting” more than anything else. Takahashi very quickly took control of the situation and showed that the formal training he’s had (Definitely upper-crust DCMS) paid off. Not only was he able to effectively run his lance and balance their abilities, but he was quickly running rings around Mao’s men (Literally in the case of that Uziel. Randy loves his jump jets).

Things looked bad at first as Lee got himself hammered by all three of them, but he recovered fast enough. I’ve seen first-hand what that FL armour can do for a ‘Mech, and Lee was definitely getting his money’s worth (or however he got that Vulture, more on that to come) and came through a lot better then he should have. At first the response was rather scattered, but then things changed in our favour.

Takahshi managed to separate the BattleMaster, battering it with his Akuma and definitely getting better than he got. That drew it out, allowing all three of them to open up on it. They ripped its armour apart, but it managed to keep standing. A second volley saw it go down, hard, however, even if it cracked Takahasi’s shielding in the process. In response, Takahashi put his Akuma’s foot through its head. End of story.

Mao chose to surrender at that point, a decision that I don’t blame him for. He’d lost his biggest ‘Mech with little to show for it, and was fighting at a numerical disadvantage. If he’d pushed his luck, he and the Griff might have been able to bring down the Akuma, but not quickly. I’ll admit that I’m a little disappointed that the fight didn’t last longer, as I wanted a better impression of the newcomers in action, but I’ll admit that I liked what I saw.

Afterwards I introduced them to the base, the staff and so on, got them settled in and bunked down. We held one of our little mixers in the evening to get people talking and get the three of them introduced to those that they’ll be fighting alongside. It made for some interesting observations, let me say.

Takahashi is definitely a Drac and a Noble, no doubts about it. He mainly associated with the officers and Hadrian (the most obviously rich member of the unit) but was for the most part very stern-faced and businesslike about it all. He’s professional, stoic and the like, and not the sort for idle chit-chat. I’m not saying that’s bad, mind you. Not what I’d do, but at the same time, if it works for him then I won’t stop him.

Lee is pretty antisocial, but not in the same way. Mostly he has mumbled, clipped conversations and that’s about it. He makes a few short quips and tries to engage to a limited degree, but he doesn’t want to go too far beyond the introductions. I get the impression he’s hiding something about his past; he’s rather vague about a lot of points, and a little evasive (Though I’ll have to hear his space volcano story some day. Might even end up dropping an inadvertent clue)

Randy is definitely the most friendly of them, even if that’s a loaded statement. He pretty much buzzed around the room, talking to everyone who he came near (yes, even Mr Grumpy) and did his best to get himself known and get involved.  He likes to talk, it seems, and also wants to hear everything that everyone has to say, no matter how inane. He also drank two (!!) of Bruce’s “Coolant Flush” cocktails. And not just the regular, he took the double.

Ok, enough of that. Sleep now. We ship out to Hamilton in the morning.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #17 on: 13 January 2016, 08:13:06 »
A brief History of the Qizilqum Independence Movement

(This is a rather quick and dirty summary ripped from an online fact-file, but it's enough to cover what we're doing here. I'll go into more depth on the current situation when we get on-world and have the latest news - Irisz)

The roots of the movement stretch back to the time of the Terran Alliance and the destruction of the Central Asian Alliance. A repressive authoritarian regime, the Central Asian Alliance’s demise bought freedom to millions and was a part of the unification of Terra. In the aftermath of its destruction the Alliance, it was effectively purged, symbolically destroyed in much the same way as the Rim Worlds or Word of Blake’s imagery were eliminated.

While to the majority of the population, the fall of the Alliance was a boon, those who had been among the ruling elites had quite literally lost everything, even down to their national identity. In the survivors of those elites and their families, this bread a degree of resentment and a desire to recreate what had been lost, if not on Earth then somewhere else.

Colonisation provided that chance. A group of families, largely ethnic Uzbeks who were descendants from those disenfranchised elites, arranged a way off Terra, pooling resources to find their own way to the stars while ‘encouraging’ others to join as colonists. Choosing a potential world, they made their home in a dry, remote district of a world they named Qizilqum (“Red Sands”), creating a new government modelled on what they had left behind.

Unfortunately, the new colony suffered from one disadvantage; it was not alone. Terran Alliance colonists arrived on the world shortly afterwards, naming it Hamilton. Initially the two groups were unaware of each other’s existence, due to geographic separation. It was only after several years that the two groups came into contact, with disastrous results. The Qizilqum colonists saw the Alliance colonists as being their enemies, sent by the Terran Alliance to take their new homeworld.

A low-intensity war broke out, one hampered by a mutual lack of resources on both sides. Further hampering the Qizilqum colonists was their own desire to recreate their lost homeland and its government, resulting in mass unrests and uprisings once their populace found out that there were others on-world. By the time the Terran Alliance stepped in, the Qizilqum government were fighting insurrections as well as the Hamilton colonists.

Mediation by the alliance saw the Hamilton colony recognised as the world’s legitimate government, with the Qizilqum Republic disarmed and dismantled. This state lasted until the alliance’s withdrawal, whereupon conflict again broke out. It wasn’t until the establishment of the Free Worlds League and its absorption of the world that a degree of stability was bought to the issue. Under the League, the Qizilqum people were given representation in the planetary government.

During the Star League era, things remained relatively quiet; by this point, the descendants of the Qizilqum leadership were more or less integrated into the planetary population, and the prosperity of the times meant that there was little support for a violent return to the heavy-handed, oppressive regime of the past. It was during the Succession Wars that things again changed, albeit in an unexpected way.

Taking advantage of the Free Worlds League’s laws, the Qizilqum minority achieved an independence of sorts, forming an autonomous republic within Hamilton with a degree of independence from the planetary government. The result was a relatively peaceful and stable situation where the two groups coexisted, maintaining cordial relations. The Qizilqum Autonomous Republic benefited from a much lighter hand then its ancestors, treating its people with the same respect and allowing them the same freedoms as the rest of Hamilton enjoyed.

The Jihad changed all that, however. Hamilton’s government supported the Word of Blake, while at the same time there was an upswing in armed militancy among the Qizilqum people. The result was a short and bloody planetary civil war that was ended by the intervention of the Word of Blake and hired mercenaries (Rumours of a Shadow Division being used to put down the rebellion remain unsubstantiated and may just be urban legends designed to talk up the effects of the resistance).

As a result, when Hamilton joined the Republic of the Sphere, the Qizilqum movement had again been de-fanged, neither active nor willing to fight the change of government. Instead, moderates prevailed, again working with the Republic to reap the benefits from participating with the new government. The result was decades of stability and growth and a return to full integration with the rest of the planetary population.

The aftermath of the HPG Blackout, however, saw a second rise in militancy as, like so many others across the republic, the Qizilqum leadership chose to arm themselves and declare their independence from the Republic. Even after Hamilton became a part of the Senate Alliance and later the reformed Free Worlds League, the insurgency continued.

In the last few years, however, the tempo of the insurrection has dramatically increased. Rebel groups have been becoming larger and better organised, as well as much better armed. Tanks and other armoured Vehicles have begun appearing with greater frequency, suggesting that the rebels may now have foreign backers with a vested interest in the world.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #18 on: 13 January 2016, 08:16:20 »
Qizilqum Liberation Front force assessment, January 3145

The following is an assessment of the Qizilqum Liberation Front’s (Henceforth QLF) forces and abilities, as of 1 January, 3145. It is for distribution to planetary militia forces and FWLM units, as well as any affiliated mercenaries. While the information is admittedly sketchy, the information contained within is none the less considered to be accurate and a fair summary of their abilities.

Roxana Zaryos, Hamilton Planetary Guard
01-01-3145



Leadership and Command Structure
At present, the full structure of the QLF’s command is unclear. In general, they operate in a decentralised cell system, based around small strike forces and operational groups, each reporting to a local subcommander. Information is kept highly compartmentalised so that the capture of one commander or defeat of their cell does not compromise the rest of the organisation. These cell commanders in turn report to higher-ranked commanders, who in turn report to the highest levels of the organisation.

At present, the full size of the QLF is unclear, but intelligence and recon, as well as forensic studies of past attacks, suggest that at least a dozen different ‘cells’ exist. These may use highly varying tactics and force structures, all dependant on what assets they have available and the local situation. Many cells are limited solely to terror tactics, whole others have access to armour and other heavy equipment. On occasion, multiple cells will cooperate towards a single goal, but this is rare.

The overall commander of the QLF is apparently “Prince” Zafar bin Muhammad Serakhis. A former member of the Hamilton Planetary Guard during the Republic era, Serakhis is wealthy and charismatic, known to have business connections across the Augustine Alliance and possibly to other former Republic worlds. Defecting from the guard following the blackout, it appears that he worked his way to the top of the QLF over several years. Serakhis also serves as the face of the QLF, appearing heavily in their propaganda broadcasts. His family can be traced back to the original Qizilqum leadership, which apparently gives him a measure of status within the movement.

Qutaybah Darya is a prominent mid-ranked commander, one who seems to have access to considerable armoured assets. Another former member of the Standing Guard, it appears that he followed Serakhis into the QLF. Balgan Nabiyev is another mid-rank commander, apparently in charge of a number of independent, small terror cells, especially those in urban areas. Not much is known about him, and it is possible that his name is an alias.

Force Size and Equipment
The QLF’s overall size is somewhat nebulous due to their decentralised and irregular nature, but a few fair assessments have been made based on observations. The QLF has approximately a battalion of armour under their control, scattered into largely lance-sized formations. For many years, their armoured assets largely consisted of salvaged or improvised units with little coherence, but in the last few years a degree of standardisation has occurred, suggesting that they either have access to a supply cache or an outside source.

Common vehicles in the QLF include Zukhov Heavy Tanks, Scorpion and Striker Light Tanks, Light SRM carriers and converted trucks. Heavy APCs are also common, and a few Thumper artillery vehicles are known to be among their forces but rarely seen. BattleMech assets are limited to a handful of converted IndustrialMechs, and the QLF does not have any aerospace assets. Several Karnov VTOLs have been sighted, but these seem to act purely as transport assets and are unarmed.

A typical “force” will consist of one or two Zukhovs, supported by a mixture of Scorpions and Strikers as well as infantry forces. However, not all forces have access to the heavy tanks, and some will simply use SRM carriers for offensive punch. Conventional infantry are frequently used to supplement their forces, usually armed with a mixture of whatever small arms come to hand, as well as the occasional heavy or support weapon.

Colours and insignia
The QLF lacks any standardised colours or distinctive insignia, but some units have been seen sporting the old Qizilqum flag. Most vehicles are painted in local camolfauge, but some sport coloured trim highlights; it is suspected that these are an easy way of identifying different cells for combined operations.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #19 on: 13 January 2016, 08:18:23 »
From the personal journal of Irisz Magyari

We not only had out first engagement with the QLF today, but it was also the first time that the newcomers had seen actual combat as a lance. I’m going to say now that I was impressed, especially given the circumstances they found themselves in and the aftermath.

As per our agreement with the Hamilton Planetary Guard, we’d been running patrols around the perimeter of Kazan City, probing the regions were QLF forces were known to prowl. It’s a ‘show of force’ kind of thing, designed to impress the rebels with our ‘Mechs and discourage them from making any moves. So far, it had seemed to work; we’d had fleeting contacts and the like, but the QLF definitely didn’t want to pick a fight.

However, we were also following up leads, just in the off-chance that something turned up. As much as the Planetary Guard wanted us to stand around and look good, I could tell that Roxana really wanted a solid victory.

Well, I think we delivered one. And as I go over both the report and the BattleROMs, it makes for a rather interesting picture.

A PG scout reported a Karnov VTOL passing by, so the Assault lance (Nearest unit is the slowest, of course) were sent to investigate. What they found was surprising; the Karnov had put down in the ruins of an old village, and was surrounded by QLF armour. A mix of Zhukov, Scorpion and Striker tanks, as well as a pair of converted AgroMechs all were present, and were willing to openly engage our ‘Mechs rather than flee.

Takahashi rather quickly took command of the situation, figuring that whatever was on the Karnov was important enough for them to want to protect it. Several well-placed shots from Lee’s Vulture managed to disable it, although it turned out that it wasn’t going anywhere. It had apparently landed with mechanical problems, and wouldn’t have been able to take off again, hence the aggressive moves by the QLF armour.

While the Assault Lance (with a squad of Battle Armour riding along with them) were massively out-numbered, the difference in both equipment and training became rather quickly clear. The three of them were well-coordinated, moving aggressively to use their mobility and the terrain to their advantage, while picking off targets.

Conversely, the QLF forces were disorganised and couldn’t decide if they were advancing, holding their ground or guarding the Karnov directly. The result was that their forces were strung out all over the place, allowing themselves to be picked off one-by-one. The Zhukovs ended up being unable to use their firepower effectively, putting more shots into the hills then our forces, while the Strikers stuck close to the Karnov (and when one decided to move it instead skidded in the ruins and disabled itself)

The AgroMechs almost weren’t a factor; one lost its sensors early, and the other lost its weapon arm, rendering them near-useless. The Battle Armour tried to bring it down, albeit with limited success. Not that it mattered; with half their units damaged, crippled or immobilised, the surviving QLF forces surrendering when the Assault Lance moved to block their retreats. Only one damaged Scorpion got away in the end, with very little damage to the lance.

(The sole exception was Lee; while he was busy mowing down infantry with his pulse lasers, a few of them put man-portable SRMs into his head and knocked him out. His injuries were minor, but that’s about the limit of the damage taken)

Speaking of, I’ll admit that there was one thing that definitely didn’t sit well with me. Lee made very effective use of inferno SRMs to roast a Scorpion and torch a couple of other vehicles. Now while I can appreciate the pragmatism of it, I’m not sure if I actually like it. It’s a messy way to die, yes, but then this is a messy business. Either way, I just hope that footage doesn’t make it onto the news to show the people how we’re ‘protecting’ them.

That aside, there was one other prize which the QLF tankers were so desperate to defend. It turns out that the Karnov’s ‘cargo’ was Zafar bin Muhammad Serakhis himself, the leader of the QLF and now our prisoner. We may just have wrapped this job up without even trying.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #20 on: 13 January 2016, 08:20:26 »
Kazan City politics

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following blog post was discovered by Randy R. Georges during his investigation of the local media)

So how’s this for a thankless job? Be the governor of a region that’s both economically depressed and the hotbed for a terrorist/revolutionary/whatever movement? And on top of that, have somebody further up the food chain bring in outside contractors as a way of telling people that hey, you can’t do your job so we’ve hired someone to fix your mess for you.

Want that job? Because I’m beginning to think that Rashid Zaydid, the governor of the Kazan district, certainly doesn’t.

Let’s take a quick look at the background, shall we? The last two men in his job didn’t fare that well either. First Sukhrab Kentau is impeached (and imprisoned) over that whole fiasco with the Convention Centre (leaving a budgetary hole that they’re still trying to fill and a dud building they’re still paying off) and then Nurassyl Smythe is assassinated by the QLF. You get the impression that Rashid didn’t so much apply for the job that he was the only person who they could talk into taking it.

Either way, Rashid winds up in the big chair and inherits a whole mess of ongoing problems (Uprising, economic depression, crime and so on) as well as then having to go through the ‘reorganisation’ of the planetary government when it joined the Free Worlds League. All in the meantime he’s failing to make any headway into any of the region’s problems while inheriting an extra layer of bureaucracy from the League. (Remember when the Senate Alliance broke away from the Republic over this sort of thing? That worked out well, didn’t it)

So what’s he to do? He appeals to the Planetary Guard for support in putting down the insurrection/rebellion/uprising/bunch of guys who have a hard-on for a millennium-dead government that nobody liked anyway/whatever it is, and gets a passable result. They reinforce the local guard with more tanks, VTOLs and men and do a neat job of spiffing up the local garrison, but all that does is give the QLF more targets to shoot.

That in turn sees the PG’s ‘trouble-shooter’, Roxana Zaryos, have to step up her own activities while undercutting his authority. She gets to go over his head, citing the ‘emergency situation’ and such (Resolution 288 anyone?) and call the shots, so all he can do is sigh and fill in the paperwork for her. She requests help from the FWLM, but they’re too busy being ravaged by the Wolves to fight a grubby little local uprising. So there goes that idea.

Meanwhile, here in Kazan city, things are going just peachy. The local economy remains in the hole, unemployment is funnelling disaffected youth straight into the QLF’s recruitment centres (or tents, or caves or whatever), a new designer drug is sweeping the streets and the rebels seem to be getting even more bold. Rashid Zaydid, the man who’s supposed to be in charge of the situation is more drowning under a wave of crises as things are going from bad to worse. And in all this, Roxana’s busy suborning local law enforcement into terrorist-hunting with little results, but he’s the public face of all that’s going wrong.

But our PG commander still doesn’t have a solution for the mess. Out of options, she takes the only logical step; she goes over his head and straight to the planetary government to hire a Mercenary unit to fight their fires for them. His part in all this? Sign the paperwork that puts our Tax Eagles into the pockets of those money-soldiers. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for ending this mess once and for all, but the question remains, is this really the best way to do it? Will this actually work or will the presence of BattleMechs only escalate things further?

I’ll say one thing though. Whatever happens, I’m willing to wager that Zaydid cops the blame for it.

- Post by user uzetank on the Kazan City Politics Watch blog, Hamilton Interweb
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #21 on: 13 January 2016, 08:22:08 »
Hamilton's Ten Worst Buildings (extract)

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following post was discovered by Randy R. Georges during his investigation into local politics)

Previously in the Architecture Blog, we’ve looked at buildings that were the wrong design for the right time, and ones that were the right design for the right time. Today’s building is that most unique of types; the wrong building at the wrong time built for the wrong reasons.

The Kazan City convention centre was first proposed in 3129 to fulfil a need that simply didn’t exist. Kazan City had no existing major convention space and was neither a major tourist nor business destination. On paper, the idea was to create a convention space that would draw people and business to the city, but at the same time, there were a lot of questions as to if a convention centre alone would be a major draw. Regardless, district Governor Sukhrab Kentau was convinced that the project was a good idea, and had thrown the weight of the district government behind it.

The tendering phase went surprisingly quickly, and construction began in January 3130 with a projected opening date for mid-3131. Unfortunately, from day one there were problems with the ground and water supply, which in turn led to delays in construction. Those problems continued to escalate and spiral out of control as the project blew its budget out. Problems with material supplies only added to the situation, and then an unexpected shortfall in power supply required extensive rewiring of the district grid.

Finally, after no end of problems, the convention centre was scheduled to open in September 3132. Now while obviously nobody could have seen the Blackout coming, none the less the timing was fantastic. Overnight, any potential market evaporated, leaving the city paying off a massive building that had a sudden lack of purpose. None the less, they tried to get business in as an effort to do something to give it purpose, no matter what.

The results were spotty to say the least. Rather then the big-ticket, planetary-level events that the builders had hoped for, they were attracting local events with far lower potential for revenue then expected. The building not only stayed in the red, but having people in the building revealed a whole host of new problems. The building was drafty, meaning that not only was it hard to cool in summer, but it bled off heat in winter. The power system was under-supplied, and unable to meet the needs of many exhibits. And, as possibly proof of everything going wrong, the bathrooms were too small, too crowded and prone to backing up.

To add insult to injury, the gleaming metal cube structure in the forecourt served to focus the sun’s rays into the centre itself, creating uncomfortable amounts of heat and glare that would move in an arc as the day went on. The so-called “death cube” became infamous, with vendors and exhibitors actively avoiding the otherwise prestigious positions at the front of the hall.

And even then, it managed to get worse. After revelations of just how much the centre was costing the city, an independent investigation turned up a fact that had been concealed during the tendering process. The winning company was owned by Governor Kentau’s brother, and he had deliberately thrown the selection process to favour them. The result was a massive corruption scandal that saw Kentau impeached and arrested.

The convention centre, in the meantime, has remained open, albeit at a fraction of its potential capacity. Between the HPG blackout, the collapse of the Republic, the formation of the Senate Alliance and, of course, the QLF insurgency, there’s been very little need for it. Efforts to fix its problems have so far come to little, with the general feeling that it amounted to throwing good money after bad. For the moment, the Kazan City convention centre deserves its place on the planet’s top then worst buildings.

Next week: the world’s most expensive shower curtain.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #22 on: 13 January 2016, 08:23:16 »
From the personal journal of Bruce Wolf

So the newcomers have been with us a bit now, and had their first, real, live mission. And what can I say but crikey, it was a bloody success! They took down umpty-dozen of those QLF mugs and captured their Grand Poo-Bah. Now that’s that is some bloody good fighting! I mean, we all still miss the old guys, and what happened to them, well, that’s that is what you should expect from dezgra Falcons, but at the same time, these new blokes seem to be shaping up all right.

Take Takahashi for example. Now if you had not told me that he was a Drac, I would have guessed it in about thirty seconds or my name’s not Bruce. He has all the classic hallmarks; he’s stiff, humourless and very proper at all times. Oh, and he speaks Japanese and carries around a sword, which are also dead giveaways. But at the same time, he clearly knows what’s going on. I got to sneak a peek at the battleROMs from the battle, and it was clear that he was giving those mongrels the run-around from the get-go. He knew what he was doing and how to use his lance all proper-like.

And there’s the other thing. You can tell just by looking at him, let alone the way he acts, that he has a very strong sense of honour. Now I have been Clan and been around Trueborn Clan warriors, and I know my honour, and bloody oath but he has some. (In fact, I’d say he has more then some Trueborns I know, thank you very much Tassa Bloody Kay) Hells, I’d imagine that he would fight all proper and Zell-like if he had the chance.

(Pity he spent all of the trip here chundering all over the place. Glad I wasn’t in his lance then!)

Randy is the other end of that. I mean, besides the fact that he’s a Davey boy and doesn’t hide it, the pair of them could not be more different. He’s definitely got a mouth on him, yammering on all the time and loving it, but it’s not like he’s just running it off for no bloody reason. He seems to want to be everyone’s friend, and get to know everyone from me to the boss to Will and even to Mister Grumpy. Talk about sticking your bloody neck out!

But the thing is, he’s nice about it. He’s gonna be friendly, listen to what you say and all that, and isn’t is not an obnoxious tool about it. And he likes my drinks, so that makes him a top bloke. One thing that I can’t can not figure though; he said that he trained to be a MechWarrior and then gave it up to be a bloody journo! Now that makes no bloody sense at all to me! Why would you not want to be a bloody MechWarrior? I mean, hells, I only tended bars so I could study up on Clan Lore.

Finally, there’s Lee. Not much to say about him because he does not have much to say himself. Quiet guy, barely speaks to anyone, even his lance. And when he does talk, he grunts out single word responses most of the time and goes back to his drink. Now my instincts tell me that bloke’s hiding something, but I got no bloody idea what. Still, it wouldn’t be a proper merc unit without some shady characters around, so it isn’t like he’s being a total galah.

Still, he handles that Vulture well. I have to admit, I am a bit jealous there. It is not that I hate my Drop Bear or anything, but that’s a proper Clan Omni there, top of the line and a real Warrior’s ride and all that.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #23 on: 13 January 2016, 08:24:40 »
From the personal journal of Irisz Magyari

Reading my great-great grandmother's journals were rather helpful to me when I unexpectedly inherited command of the Irregulars. In some ways, her situation mirrored mine, and she was likely even less ready to lead than I was. However, in reading them, two other things also became apparent to me. The first was just how vain and self important Sel could be at times, and yet how well she did in spite of it.

The second was just how much trouble her men would manage to get into, and how difficult they could make her life. Even when the unit was on a quiet, low-key contract they could still cause trouble. Looking back at it, I'm beginning to wonder if the feud with the Roughnecks wasn't caused by some of them picking a fight or inadvertently insulting someone else.

Today's events reminded me a lot of some of her stories.

For reasons best known only to himself, Randy R. Georges took it upon himself to head to city hall. Once there, he tried to get an appointment to see governor Zaydid for reasons known only to himself. Now bearing in mind that as one of the mercenaries who were responsible for the capture of the QLF's leader, he could have had multiple legitimate ways to arrange such a meeting.

Instead, he makes up some story about an expired dog license that the city has failed to renew or the like. While I'm still piecing together the full story, he apparently managed to strong-arm his way through any official channels with irrational demands and an ever increasingly convoluted story until he actually made it to the Governor's secretary. This proved to be an insurmountable obstacle, so he made an appointment to see the governor at a later date, adding that what he had to say would "blow them away"

Which in a city that has been at war with a domestic terrorist group for a decade was about the worst thing he could say while standing in the governor's office.

To her credit, the secretary stayed calm and sounded the alarms, and Randy was arrested when he tried to leave the building. However, any efforts he might have made at pleading innocence and a misunderstanding were hampered by the fact that the contact details he had provided were false which set off all their red flags. And he didn't even own a dog.

He eventually produced his MRBC registration to prove his identity, which saw the governor's office contact me to verify his identity. In turn I sent Takahashi to collect him. I can imagine that he was not amused, even by stony-faced Drac standards.

Randy's timing is, of course, impeccable. I have been invited to a celebration of sorts of our apparent victory, one which both Commander Zaryos (they cannot pay that woman enough in my opinion) and governor Zaydid will be present. He also wants to meet the brave heroes who apparently defeated the QLF. After today, I doubt that would go over well.

-----

Addendum:

Observations after last night:

The QLF are a bigger threat and better organised then I had thought

Takahashi has many talents; sawing someone in half with a vibrokatana is but one of them.

Randy may actually be on to something

Will write more later.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #24 on: 13 January 2016, 08:25:49 »
Breaking News: Terror in Kazan City

(Extracted from the Hamilton Newsweb)

Terrorists believed to be connected to the Qizilqum Liberation Front struck Kazan City in an attack apparently directed at key government and military officials. However, support from mercenaries hired by the Hamilton planetary government allowed planetary guard forces to swiftly resolve the situation while limiting losses and damage.

Details are still unclear, but it appears that at approximately 2000 hours Kazan City time, a force of at least a dozen QLF insurgents stormed the Kazan City convention center, interrupting an event in progress. Securing the building and shutting off the power, the QLF forces took those inside hostage, including district governor Rashid Zaydid, Planetary Guard district commander Roxana Zaryos and mercenary commander Irisz Magyari.

It is unclear how the Terrorist were able to gain access to the building and do such undetected by security, especially in light of the recent increase in police and military presence in the city. Military experts suggest that they may have used a delivery vehicle in order to approach the building and transport their men and equipment. Sources from within the military suggest that they may have had access to security codes as well in order to remain undetected.

Police and planetary guard forces reacted swiftly, surrounding the building to contain those inside and try to force a surrender. A tense standoff occurred as the QLF terrorists issued demands including a withdrawal of all planetary guard forces from the district, full independence for the Kazan region and planetary succession from the Free Worlds League. Attempts at negotiations were met with gunfire and threats to kill the hostages.

At some point after 2130 hours, a small group of mercenaries were able to infiltrate the building. While exact details are unclear, it appears that several mercenaries were successfully able to infiltrate the building and free the hostages. A gunfight broke out, at which point the Planetary Guard took the opportunity to storm the building and join up with the mercenary forces. Within minutes, the QLF forces were defeated, with most of the terrorists dead. At least one was captured, wounded but alive and taken for questioning.

Miraculously, none of the hostages were harmed in the exchange; in fact, eyewitness reports state that both Commander Zaryos and Major Magyari, once freed, assisted the mercenary and planetary guard forces in overcoming the terrorists. That nobody was harmed only became more remarkable when it was discovered that there was a bomb inside the convention centre. The remote-controlled device was disabled by one of the mercenaries before it could be detonated.

While Governor Zaydid was not available for comment, Commander Roxana Zayros gave a brief statement to the press. “Since Hamilton joined the Free Worlds League, the planetary economy has prospered everywhere except for Kazan. It is the actions of the QLF that has kept it this way, their campaign of terror doing nothing but to hurt the people they claim to be helping. I call upon the QLF to lay down their arms and surrender to us so we can end this conflict.”

(Click here for further analysis and commentary)
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #25 on: 13 January 2016, 08:31:32 »
Audio Log File #75213-Rho

Major Irisz Magyari: I can guess why you asked to see me.

Commander Roxana Zaryos: I think we both can agree that we should be honest with each other here. After what’s happened in the last few days, I can’t see anything that will be gained by doing otherwise, and I certainly think that we both want the same things here.

Magyari: Given what my men discovered, I can agree entirely. Commander Zaryos, I’m not the sort of mercenary who’s going to rigidly stick to a contract and not deviate from it an inch, and I’m not going to sit idly by and do nothing because it’s not what I’m being paid for. What the QLF showed was a capacity to do a lot more than we had anticipated, and I want to prevent that from happening.

Zaryos: Understood and appreciated, Major. However, I would like a full accounting of exactly what happened today.

Magyari: As long as nothing I say goes beyond this room, and there are no repercussions on my men. I take full responsibility for their actions.

Zaryos: Entirely fair. Of course, right now, punishing them is the last thing on my mind. My people have been hamstrung by integration into the League, and SAFE oversight is strangling a lot of our efforts to infiltrate and gather information on the QLF. They achiever a massive breakthrough. I still need to know how they did it.

Magayri: Understandable. To start with, this is a follow-up from what happened yesterday; both the attack on the Convention Centre as well as (Randy) Georges’… less successful efforts to gather information.

Zaryos: I heard about that too. I have no idea what he was trying to achieve there.

Magyari: Me either, but at the same time, I felt that he might have the right idea if not the right way of doing it. After last night, I instructed him to further look into matters, especially relating to the attack. No offence to your people, but I wanted him to conduct his own investigation and see what he could find independently. That attack had targeted my people too. I wasn’t going to allow it to happen again.

Zaryos: Understood, and I can appreciate the desire to work outside of official channels. With that being said, I noticed that there was another mercenary involved with all this.

Magayri: Yes, that was (Nikola) Kardos. He’s an associate of mine, one who is connected with the unit. He’s a freelance investigator and scout, who I use for situations like this.

Zaryos: You wouldn’t be the first mercenary commander to do such by a long way.

Magyari: At any rate, my people (Georges, Kardos and Lee Zheng) started their investigation at the convention centre with the security breach and the bomb. They found that the security had been shut off with the night watch manager’s master switch, which explained how the QLF were able to get in without setting anything off. They also determined that the bomb was intended to be remote-detonated, but hadn’t been.

Zaryos: Did they find out why?

Magyari: Eventually. From security footage  they determined that the remote trigger had been in a van that had been parked in a nearby carpark, one with a view over the area. They also found that somebody had spliced into the local phone networks, likely to facilitate communication.

Zaryos: And the van?

Magyari: It belonged to Omar Kyustabai, an electrical contractor who lived in an outer suburb. However, my men chose to investigate Azkhat Nurusaltan, the shift leader. They found that he was living in a small apartment in the inner city, and put it under surveillance.

Zaryos: Entirely illegal surveillance at that, but I’m willing to let that slip for now. What did they find?

Magyari: Azkhat was engaged in a rather heated phone conversation with somebody; the gist of it was that he was irritated about being held prisoner inside the centre and left on top of the bomb. It was pretty clear to them that he had been an accomplice to the whole incident, and had provided the QLF with the means needed to enter the building. They followed him as he was leaving to try and pursue this further.

Zaryos: And did that lead them anywhere?

Mayari: It did; in fact, straight to Kyustabi and the same van they’d seen at the car park. Azkhat pretty much stormed into his house and demanded to know why he’d been set up. Kyustabi didn’t offer an explanation beyond ‘talk to your boss’ . On the other hand, it seems that Kyustabi had done something wrong in the assembly of his bomb or the remote detonator, as it seemed that he’d meant to set it off remotely but hadn’t.

Zaryos: Interesting. I have to wonder when they were intending to set the bomb off. Presumably when my people stormed the building.

Magyari: It’s hard to say, but his ineptitude may have saved us all. Either way, Azkhat left, with my men in tailing him. Rather than heading back to his home, he travelled to a derelict factory on the outskirts of (Kazan) city. I think they figured he was headed to meet his ‘boss’.

Zaryos: Was he?

Magyari: Not a clue. In truth, we still have no idea who his ‘boss’ was, although he may have been one of the people on-site. When they got there, my men found that the factory was occupied, with armed men watching over it. There were also several delivery trucks on-site. Randy attempted to get closer to the building to investigate, but was spotted. The trio managed to withdraw, but were pursued.

Zaryos: I saw that here. Apparently a trio of armed men were found dead in a wrecked car. One of them had died of a gunshot, the other two when it slammed into the side of a concrete storage facility.

Magyari: Well, they managed to lose their pursuers and return to the site, only to find that the QLF were evacuating it. Lee sabotaged their trucks, while Randy and Nikola infiltrated the building.

Zaryos: That’s when they discovered the Nerve Gas.

Magyari: Correct. It seems that the QLF had been using the equipment on-site to manufacture it.

Zaryos: So what did they do next?

Magyari: They did their best to secure the site, and call for police backup. That’s pretty much where you came in.

Zaryos: And Azkhat was dead when they arrived?

Magyari: Apparently executed.

Zaryos: Damn. However, given what else we learned today, I’ll gladly take that as the price. (pause) So the QLF have WMDs now. This has escalated to a whole new level. It’s going to take ages to get reinforcements from the FWLM at the moment, and I’m not sure that the Planetary Guard has the resources we need to take the fight to them. But so far, we’ve been far too reactive; something we can no longer afford.

Magyari: This affects my men too. Whatever you need, let me know.

Zaryos: And don’t worry about what they did today. As I said, I’m willing to gloss over all that, given what we found.

(END RECORDING)
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #26 on: 13 January 2016, 08:35:20 »
From the personal journal of Irisz Magyari

"It was a seemingly inevitable part of a Mercenary's life. In every unit, it seemed that everyone had something in their past that they were not proud of, and eventually, whatever it was, would catch up to them one way or another."

I have a fondness for Sonya Brie's terrible pulp novels. They're not my "thing I'm not terribly proud of", but at the same time, for all the dross there's still the odd nugget of truth within them which makes me wonder. The quote above is one of the most that I've found to be the most poignant since I took command of the Irregulars. Everyone does have a past, and eventually it will come back to haunt them.

(God alone knows that Dad left me with plenty of that)

Stepping back a moment before I get to the point. While I can't say I have a full grip on what the QLF were trying to achieve with their artillery attacks beyond 'random indiscriminate terror' (and suspect that they were intending to use the nerve gas they'd been manufacturing) it didn't work out for them. The Irregulars pushed them back, inflicting crushing losses on their forces. Commander Zaryos and I are still working out the details, but it’s looking like we might have burned through most of the QLF’s operational strength already. They could be running on empty, especially if theories that their units are being drawn from a cache are true.

The presence of several BattleMechs among the QLF was a surprise, however. They hadn’t been known to use them before today, which makes me wonder just how bad we’re hurting them if they’re bringing out machines they can’t support and clearly aren’t that familiar with. Either that, or they’re being backed by someone off-world who’s willing to throw them a lifeline.

Back to the quote. What happened today with Takahashi is a prime example of that. On the surface, he’s professional, driven and by the book, which I appreciate. He’s also a Drac from a noble background, which makes me really wonder what he was doing on Galatea looking for a billet. I’m beginning to suspect that it may not have been entirely his choice.

Takahashi’s assault lance were in pursuit of a fleeing QLF artillery unit. It was the usual mess of Strikers, Scorpions and Zukhovs that have been their mainstays, we well as a Blackjack who’d demonstrated little tactical sense. By the time they caught up with them in the badlands, they’d made a rendezvous with a War Dog. The MechWarrior inside made it clear that he wasn’t one of the QLF regulars, instead calling out Takahashi, saying that he was here for him and him alone. He challenged Takahashi to a duel, appealing to his “Combine Honour” for the pair of them to fight alone with nobody else interfering. Takahashi accepted.

Now as a hunch, I’m going to assume that the War Dog’s warrior was a bounty hunter who was after Takahashi for reasons unknown but likely relating to just why he was hanging out on Galatea. If so, then his calling Takahashi out on a duel made sense; it meant that he could take down his target without Lee and Randy teaming up on his ‘Mech. It also had the side-effect of letting those two pummel the QLF forces senseless without a heavy ‘Mech at their backs, which they gladly did.

The duel was… interesting. Looking at the BattleROM footage, it’s clear that the War Dog’s pilot had thought this through. High ground and cover would limit the effectiveness of the Akuma’s “scattershot” approach, while allowing him to use his own Heavy Gauss Rifle at range to soften him up and offset the weight advantage. It worked well at first too, the rifle doing a hellish amount of damage to the already battered Akuma. However, Takahashi also proved to be rather resilient and determined, constantly advancing and grouping his shots well. The Bounty Hunter made one big mistake in allowing Takahashi to get close enough to use his full arsenal, which changed things a lot.

From what I saw, the pair of them unleashed full alpha strikes at each other. On the surface, Takahashi got the worse of it, the Heavy Gauss shattering his Akuma’s leg. On the other hand, his missiles gutted the Dog’s side, appearing to gut the ammo bins for the HGR as well as sending up a massive heat bloom that screamed ‘cracked shielding’ to me. Both of them went down, hard.

At which point, the Bounty Hunter asked if Takahashi was willing to call it a draw and let him withdraw. He agreed.

During all this time, Lee and Randy had burned through a swarm of QLF troops, crippling or capturing a good half-dozen vehicles. Randy even intercepted some communications between the QLF and  the bounty hunter; it seems that he’d showed up to target Takahashi, and they’d just assumed that he was going to bail them out. By accepting his duel, Takahashi has effectively taken him out of the fight. There’s a moment in the BattleROMs where Lee’s Vulture pretty much runs between the two of them, which shows you how much he cared.

Of course, this leaves the big question as to why there was a Bounty Hunter after Takahashi, and who put them onto him in the first place.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #27 on: 13 January 2016, 08:37:27 »
Bart McGraw, MRBC Report

Irisz - I think I tracked the identity of the hunter who came after Takahashi.  Fortunately, his 'Mech was nicely distinctive. It doesn't tell us much about who posted the bounty immediately, but we could track back from there.
-NK


McGraw, Bart
Date of Birth: 21/09/3108
Homeworld: Cygnus, Fronc Reaches
Affiliation: Independent/Bounty Hunter
Rank: None

Background:
Born in the Fronc Reaches, Bart McGraw was the son of a Colonial Marshal and desired to follow in his father’s footsteps. He joined the Marshals as soon as he was able to, and showed great promise during training at the Marshalry Academy. Initially, his service showed that he was living up to both that potential and his family history, as art excelled as both a soldier and peacekeeper. Within a few years, he was promoted, with eyes to him taking a senior position in the Marshals some day.

However, things came undone during an incident in 3135 on Portland. Tracking pirates, McGraw found that they had been receiving aid and shelter from several nearby communities. Ordered to back off, he became frustrated at their ability to evade prosecution for their crimes. Taking the law into his own hands, he launched a series of unauthorised pre-emptive strikes against these groups. While successful in wiping out the pirates, the attacks also inflicted considerable collateral damage on those communities.

Discharged from the Marshals, Bart simply put his skills to use in other ways. Within a couple of years, he was established as a bounty hunter, working chiefly within the former Republic. The skills he learned as a Colonial Marshal were put to use in tracking his targets, and determining the best approaches to taking them down.


Serial Number: WD5080-21G
Chassis: Arc-Royal KH/9
Power Plant: Vlar 300 XL
Cruising Speed: 43 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64 km/h
Jump Jets: None
                Jump Capacity: None
Armour: StarSlab 511 Ferro-Fiberous with CASE
Armament:
                1 Defiance Annihilator Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle
                1 Teigart Maxim Extended Range PPC
                3 Defiance Model XII Extended Range Medium Lasers
                1 Martell Small Pulse Laser
Communications System: Garrett T12-A with Angel ECM
Targeting and Tracking System: Garrett O2j

From records, serial WD5080-21G was manufactured for Wolfs Dragoons on Outreach during the Civil War. The BattleMech served with the Dragoons until the early Jihad, whereupon it fell in battle like so many other of the Dragoons, only to be salvaged by the Word of Blake and passed to one of their allied mercenary units. It would serve out the rest of the Jihad with them before falling in battle in the dying days of that conflict.

The hulk of the BattleMech resurfaced after the Blackout, having apparently been salvaged at some point in its past (although still with several decades unaccounted for). Rebuilt with more modern equipment, it passed between several different owners before coming to McGraw’s possession, possibly as payment on a bounty.

When engaging a bounty, McGraw will try and use overwhelming firepower to bring down his opponent fast. He prefers to fight from cover, engaging at long range were possible to use his massive Gauss Rifle to its best advantage. So far this has worked well for him; since working with “Black Dog” as he calls it, he has been undefeated.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #28 on: 13 January 2016, 08:39:05 »
Business Leader slain in terrorist bombing

(Hamilton Newsweb Archives; November 23, 3132)

Kazan City – Authorities have today confirmed the death of Sayyid Niyazi, a prominent local business leader, in what appears to be a random terrorist attack.

After being missing for several days, Niyazi (47) was confirmed killed by a roadside bomb or landmine. According to a police statement, Niyazi was driving alone when his groundcar struck an explosive device on or about the 8th of November. The explosives completely destroyed his vehicle as well as his body, leaving only trace DNA evidence and behind. An extensive police search recovered the vehicle two days later, but at the time no evidence of his death could be found or confirmed.

Extensive investigation of the wreck turned up bone and skin fragments that were subsequently used to prove the identity of the driver, and confirm Niyazi’s death. The lack of evidence was attributed to the force of the explosion, designed as “a weapon designed to cripple a tank or BattleMech, and more than enough to completely destroy a car” by authorities. At present, there is no indication that this was anything other than a random attack, possibly one intended for a military target.

The attack is one of several to have occurred since the failure of the Hamilton Hyperpulse Generator (as well as others within Prefecture VII) believed to be the work of ethnic Qizilqum separatists. As yet, no group has come forward to claim responsibility for this or other attacks, but Planetary Guard authorities have stated that they have evidence suggesting these attacks are a part of a larger, organised group. District Governor Sukhrab Kentau was unavailable for comment.

Sayyid Niyazi was a prominent local businessman with considerable ties to the community. Recently, he was in the headlines after donating a million Stones to the construction of youth centres and community health facilities. With his death, the status of his commercial holdings comes into question as Niyazi has no known family or children. He is survived only by his sister, Yana Zaydid.
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Re: Magyari's Irregulars (3145-era Mercenary unit)
« Reply #29 on: 13 January 2016, 08:45:58 »
Hamilton Planetary Guard prisoner interrogation log (extract)

Agent Kryztov Hussan (Hamilton Planetary Guard): Let’s be honest here, mister Nurzal. Those alarms? That was a group of your QLF ‘comrades’ trying to get in here to kill you. Not extract, kill.

Biebol Nurzal (QLF): You’re bluffing.

Hussan: Am I? You’re a self-proclaimed cell leader, Biebol. You should know that you’re too valuable to be left in our custody. And you should know that it’s a lot easier to leave a dead body then to try to smuggle out a wounded man, especially in the middle of a gunfight.

[Pause]

Hussan: Now your associates weren’t very successful. Two of them are dead, and we have three more in custody. They might be willing to talk, especially as they saw one of theirs chopped in half with a Vibrokatana. That sort of thing can loosen a few tongues.

[Pause]

Hussan: And if they give us something useful, well, that means you’re less valuable to us. That mean we’ll downgrade your protection, which means that you’ll be more accessible to your QLF ‘friends’. Now as touching as a reunion might be, I suspect you don’t want that.

Nurzal: No.

Hussan: I thought not. So let’s start from the top, shall we?

Nurzal: Can you guarantee me protection?

Hussan: The last person to try and get to you is lying in our morgue in two halves. We can.

Nurzal: Good.

Hussan: So let’s start with the Blackjack, huh? Where’d you get that? We haven’t seen any other real ‘Mechs with the QLF so far.

Nurzal: I have no idea where it came from. I received a message to meet our leader and when I did, he presented it to me.

Hussan: Your leader? That would be Prince Zafar bin Muhammad Serakhis, right?

Nurzal: Yes. Well, sort of. Zafar was the leader of the QLF at first, at least he was when I joined.

Hussan: But something changed?

Nurzal: Yes. About five years ago, another man appeared on the scene. He came out of nowhere, and was suddenly at the Prince’s right hand without ever being one of us.

Hussan: So he wasn’t a QLF member?

Nurzal: If he was, I never saw him. He never appeared at any of the meetings we had of other Cell Leaders, and he was stepped into the inner circle out of thin air.

Hussan: I see. I assume there was some reason for this?

Nurzal: It was when he arrived that things really began to change. All of a sudden, we were getting a lot more equipment in. At first it was just tanks-

Hussan: The Zhukovs and Scorpions you seem to have so many of

Nurzal: -yes, but we also received a few BattleMechs. I mean, they were all older ones like my Blackjack, but they were apparently coming from him or someone connected to him.

Hussan: And was that all that changed?

Nurzal: No. Our orders became… more aggressive. We were making more and more attacks on the city now, and ordered to be more violent.

Hussan: And the nerve gas?

Nurzal: I didn’t know about that. We were told to wait for some ‘special ordinance’ for the artillery, and when that didn’t arrive we were ordered to attack the city anyway. We received a list of targets, but at the same time, we were ordered to do random, indiscriminate property damage.

Hussan: Did you know the bounty hunter?

Nurzal: He came out of nowhere, I swear. He turned up on-world and said he was after one man and told us to tell him if their ‘Mech showed up. I had no idea that the bastard was going to treat us like that and leave my men to die!

Hussan: That’s what you get for trusting a bounty hunter then. So, back on-topic, your orders are coming from this new top man, now?

Nurzal: Yes. He and Prince Zafar were partners at first, but as time went on, he began to take more and more control of what we were doing. Zafar took objection to this, and there was a split between the two of them. Zafar was better known and more popular as well, but maybe not as much of a planner.

Hussan: And then the Prince goes and gets himself captured. Funny that.

Nurzal: I swear, I know nothing about that. I was as shocked as anyone else at the news. Our new leader made a fallen hero out of him, and said that he would do everything he could to ensure the prince’s freedom.

Hussan: So who is this new guy?

Nurzal: I don’t know much about him beyond his name. It’s Sayyid Niyazi; I’m pretty sure he’s one of us, but I can’t tell you anything else.

Hussan: Thank you for that, Mister Nurzal. You’ve been most informative.
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



How to Draw MegaMek Icons the Deadborder Way. Over 9000 so far. Determination or madness?