Author Topic: A Republic era heist  (Read 12230 times)

Nav_Alpha

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A Republic era heist
« on: 15 March 2016, 02:26:29 »
Bit of an idea here for a fun 3080s era series of scenarios. Really keen to get folks' ideas and input, etc. Especially as we get to the whole actually rolling around in mechs, etc

Dank concrete reaches for the sky.
Like a tombstone. Like a tooth in a rotted skull.
Our martyrs held inside. Stone keeps them gripped tight.
Remember the Six of June.
- Neo-Blakist poem scrawled near the Waughburg Prison Complex on Bryant, 3087

REPUBLIC ANNNOUNCES WOB WAR CRIMINALS TO BE HOUSED ACROSS FOUR PREFECTURE X WORLDS
 
More than 80 senior Word of Blake figures convicted of war crimes will serve out the rest of their sentences at four prisons across Prefecture X after Terran officials voiced their unease at being force to house them.
 
Minister without Portfolio David Lear made the announcement this morning, following a meeting with the Terran Cabinet.
 
The capital world’s leaders have repeatedly complained of being forced to foot the bill to house, feed and care for Word of Blake personnel convicted of war crimes following the lengthy Jihad conflict.
 
Several hundred WoB members are being held on Terra for crimes ranging from crimes against humanity to conspiracy to murder and crimes against peace.
 
Mr Lear announced 87 of those being held for serious crimes will be transported to facilities on Bryant, Terra Firma, Capolla and New Home. At least another 100 will be released early.
 
Surprisingly, former Precentor Tobias Stephens is among the group of inmates being transferred to The Waugburg Prison Complex on Bryant.​
Stephens was a senior ROM figure who refused to cooperate with Republic intelligence and was an initially sentenced to death, until his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
He will be among 15 sent to Bryant, however he is the only inmate bound for Waughburg serving a life sentence.
 
- INN news story, 3081
 
« Last Edit: 15 March 2016, 02:32:26 by Nav_Alpha »


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #1 on: 15 March 2016, 02:28:19 »
Waugburg Prison Complex: from a grim past to today’s functionality
 
The Waugburg Prison Complex was constructed in Bryant’s planetary capital of Brein in 2769 at the behest of Rim World Republic occupiers. Initially used to house political prisoners and a handful of Star League POWs captured during the chaotic coupe, the facility was largely under-utilised until Bryant was turned into a prison planet by House Liao in the late 2800s.
 
Liao administrators expanded and fortified the facility and converted it into use as a civilian prison, but for the most part left the complex alone. It was under the short-lived Tikonov Free Republic that the “Waugburg Hilton” obtained its most brutal reputation as a place of torture and inmate abuse. While technically run and administrated by the FedCom “liberators”, Tikonov officials were well known for their inventive interrogation techniques, which were continued under the independent government of Viscount Dvensky during the Chaos March years.
 
Ironically, the Word of Blake actually cleaned up inmate conditions at the facility – Bryant moved into the Protectorate as part of the Word’s “hearts and minds” campaign, and as such the local Precentors attempted a largely hands off approach to dealing with dissidents.
Instead, the Waugburg complex was re-modelled and used as a barracks for a detachment of Protectorate Militia after all of its inmates were eventually moved to a more modern facility south of the capital.
 
In 3081, the Republic of the Sphere announced the facility would be used to house Word of Blake war criminals sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
 
Waugburg’s squat, grey and brutalist architecture harks back to traditional Rim Worlds Republic forms and has long been considered an eye sore in downtown Brein. Since 3085 there has been a serious push among citizens to have the complex torn down. However, municipal officials point out the prison’s proximity to the adjacent windbreaker wall and nearby Republic Standing Guard base.
 
Until any further action is taken, the Waugburg complex stands as a reminder to Bryant’s brutal and turbulent past.
 
- Excerpt from a History paper submitted by honours student Jamie G Wells, Bryant Vocational Academy, 3087


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #2 on: 15 March 2016, 02:30:18 »
PERSON OF INTEREST REPORT 99A-67-BRAVO

Gideon Larsen
December 19, 3086
CLASSIFICATION: Confidential 2+
SUBJECT AFFILIATION: Freelance mercenary (presumed hostile, but unknown)
TO: General Albrecht Hoff, DMI CO
CC: Colonel Brita Meyers, DMI

The following report has been compiled on Gideon Larsen, a former mercenary who spent much of his career fighting for the Word of Blake during the Jihad.

Larsen, a native of Gallitzin in the Federated Suns Capellan March, initially seemed destined for big things. The youngest son of a minor lord he graduated from the Warrior’s Hall and was accepted into the ranks of the 1st Kestrel Grenadiers just in time for the opening shots of Duke Hasek’s ill-fated OPERATION SOVERIGN JUSTICE. While excelling as a junior officer, Larsen was later cashiered from the AFFS for his part in a black market scheme.
Following that he appears to have drifted between small mercenary units until 3075, accepting a place with Barton’s Boozefighters, a battalion strong unit whose string of defeats, scandals and poor management saw them effectively “company stored” to the Word of Blake. Larsen was a company commander when the Boozefighters met their end at the hands of the Capellans on Pleione towards the end of the Jihad.
Reflecting his status as a mercenary rather than a true believer in the Word, Larsen kept his head low as the Protectorate was dismantled. It is believed he was involved in small time mercenary work on Nanking between 3080-81 (where it is believed he was dispossessed).
Our latest assessment of Larsen is that he’s now serving as a hired gun for the Colona crime family on Galatea. It is ironic that, dispossessed and with little chance of gainful employment, Larsen gravitated to the so-called “Mercenaries Star”.
ASSESMENT: There is a very low chance Larsen will resurface as a threat to the Republic – a genuine mercenary he has always fought purely for profit and there’s little chance of him securing another mech.

- Department of Military Intelligence email found by hacker employed by Irian News Interstellar


AUDIO RECORDING *2291-A -  March 14, 3087

Voice One (identified as Irian News Interstellar vice-president, operations Karl Kobe): You see, Mr Larsen, as discussed earlier - we do have a business proposition for you.

There is a pop and a crackle of static as a picture - shot by a hidden camera - forms.
The camera appears to be mounted just above head height over a booth. Three people - two men and a woman sit. In the background the regular hubbub of a bar can be seen.

A short, stocky but heavy muscled man of Caucasian appearance sits on one side of the booth. His dark hair is cut short and close to his scalp and he's obviously not shaved in more than a week.

He faces a tall, cadaverously thin Asian man in his mid-50s. He's dressed in an expensive but conservative suit. His eyes are slightly glassy, suggesting laser surgery to correct vision problems -  the type of technology seen on more high tech planets.

He's seated next to a woman with long red hair pulled back artfully into a ponytail. She wears a business suit which flatters her curves but would still be considered fit for the boardroom.

Voice two (identified as Gideon Larsen):
But so far, Mister Mysterious. You've told me nothing.

Kobe looks guiltily up at the camera: Yes. As I've already laid out, my company - which will continue to be nameless - wishes to hire you on a retainer to perform what will ultimately be a series of jobs. We require your... Particular talents.

Larsen: Then why not go to someone who's registered with MRBC - Why come to me? I ain't got a 'mech. I ain't registered. Hell, I ain't even pay'in for these drinks.

A buxom waitress with her honey blonde hair bound up into a truly bizarre collection of rolls and horns appears at the booth's edge. She's holding a tray and wears what appears to be a bright red jumpsuit with large panels cut out.
"Let's see, party people. That's a Boilermaker - Northwind Red and a shot of rye - and two ice waters."

She pouts when Kobe fails to tip and quickly flounces away.

Kobe: As I said Mr Larsen. We require someone with your particular talents.

Voice Three (Elana Bridges-Hughes, special assistant to Kobe):
My associate means that we require a mercenary who worked for the Blakists, has experience with the Republic military and doesn't mind getting his hands dirty.

Larsen knocks the shot back and takes a solid slug of beer. Slamming the shot glass down on the table he lets out a laugh.

Larsen: Well ******! Now, at least we're talking straight now.
Now how 'bouts you tell me what you people actually want?

Bridge-Hughes: Simply, Mr Larsen. We want you to break a convicted Blakist war criminal out of jail so our organisation can offer him up to the free media to expose exactly what kind of person Devlin Stone is.
« Last Edit: 17 March 2016, 17:12:37 by Nav_Alpha »


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Dragon Cat

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #3 on: 15 March 2016, 07:36:01 »
I like it
My three main Alternate Timeline with Thanks fan-fiction threads are in the links below. I'm always open to suggestions or additions to be incorporated so if you feel you wish to add something feel free. There's non-canon units, equipment, people, events, erm... Solar Systems spread throughout so please enjoy

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,20515.0.html - Part 1

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,52013.0.html - Part 2

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,79196.0.html - Part 3

Deadborder

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #4 on: 15 March 2016, 17:48:20 »
Very fun idea. I'd love to see where this is going
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



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Dave Talley

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #5 on: 15 March 2016, 19:52:49 »
ooooohh
nice
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Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #6 on: 15 March 2016, 21:12:20 »
So, the next step is to put together a strike team (the prelude to this will be covered in the next post) but how do you do that when military hardware is 100 percent controlled by the Republic?
Stone was/is determined to keep military hardware out of the hands of well... The type of guys who will accept a job to bust a war criminal out of jail.

How do we go about it? Contact a shadowy underworld arms dealer? Find a lost Blakist cache?
Kinda want to throw the ideas out to the floor - what kind of suggestions do we have?


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Kojak

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #7 on: 15 March 2016, 21:27:54 »
I like the lost Blakist cache idea. It gives the strike team cover for the op, since the Republic will presume it's some remnant Blakists or neo-Blakists rather than mercs.


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Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #8 on: 16 March 2016, 00:16:02 »
Recording: AD/VS-886-00-ALPHA
:
0115, April 4, 3087
Kirin River, Irian
Prefecture XII, Republic of the Sphere

There is a pop and a hiss of static as a picture forms. This time the camera appears to be looking directly down onto a bed. The crumpled bed sheets have been pulled up to partially cover one figure. Her spread of dark red hair covers much of the pillow and the covers leave her pale shoulders, neck and head exposed.
The bed's other occupant is deeply tanned, in sharp contrast to the crispy white sheets. Garish tattoos cover his right shoulder, while his left is pocked with old scar tissue, including one long rent that stretches from his collar bone to elbow.

Elana Bridges-Hughes: You could have been more polite with him, you know?

Larsen: Probably. But I'm not inclined to take tactical advise from him. "We expect you to recruit, train and lead a unit of no more than company size"? I don't wander into his boardrooms and tell him how to graph profit loss ratios or what no, do I?

There is a long pause and then a scuffling sound as the man reaches to the nightstand and produces a hand rolled cigarette. Lights it and takes a deep drag.

Hughes: Gid? Why'd you fight for the Blakists?

The man lets out a sign. Beside him the woman fidgets nervously and pulls the covers up around her chin.

Larsen: What are you? Twenty three? Twenty four? You're probably not old enough to remember. There wasn't much choice - hell, everyone thought they were going to win until about '76 or so. If they didn't think that it was because they were too bloody busy invading their neighbours or settling old scores.

The woman reaches over and carefully takes the burning ember from his mouth and takes her own - much smaller drag, before sending a flurry of smoke towards the ceiling.
The picture is briefly obscured and a series of soft whirs and clicks can be heard before the picture resumes.

The woman has now snuggled in, her head on the man's heavily damaged shoulder.

Larsen: When I got booted from the AFFS there wasn't many other opportunities.
He chuckles bitterly.
Larsen: Half the NCOs and all of the officers in my company were on the take, running contraband. When we got caught everyone of them testified that the captain was not only in on it, he was running the whole thing and had black market contacts across the whole damn March. But when your last name is Duvall, things like that seem to get overlooked.
I was the XO and I took the fall as the ringleader. Twenty months in military prison and then a discharge. Other than honourable.
So, three years later and you're broke and sick of running with two bit outfits that keep getting smashed, suddenly a billet in the Protectorate doesn't look all that bad.

The picture goes dark. Before resuming again. This time the time stamp is 0250.

Hughes: That's what I mean - if we get Stephens and put him on the Tri-Vid, he can tell the really story. He can tell everyone about Stone-

The man lets out a harsh bark of laughter.

Larsen: I don't know about truth. The Toaster Lovers did bad things - hell, but everyone did during the war. I saw plenty of bombed villages and lots of mass graves full of civvies, when we were marching to Sian.
Stephens could be a saint and spill the beans and tell you where the Hidden Five are or he could be the most evil son of a bitch to ever live.
I don't care, your people pay me and I can break for the Perif and start again.

The woman has pulled away and looks visibly upset.

Hughes: How though? Like Kobe said, you're going to need a whole company. Where are you going to find them?

Larsen: Tomorrow - or later today, I'm going to see a man who knows a man who might just help us out.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Three days after initially turning down our agents' proposal, Larsen reached out and indicated he had reconsidered bit needed to leave Galtea posthaste.
It is believed his change of attitude was based on a falling out with his employers, the Colona family.
He was subsequently transported to Irian and installed in a suite close to our corporate headquarters.
Ms Bridges-Hughes appears unaware she and Larsen were under covert observation.
« Last Edit: 17 March 2016, 09:25:12 by Nav_Alpha »


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #9 on: 16 March 2016, 00:46:16 »
<CLICK>
 Bright light spills into a darkened room, illuminating half a dozen uniformed figures sitting around a conference table, facing towards a holographic projector.
A startled figure stands in the door way. His uniform is crumpled and ill fitting and his glasses have slide down his nose.
"Sternovich has been spotted on Sheretan," he squawks.
"We know, dammit. Now shut the ****** door!"
Darkness settles back over the room and there's a soft click as the door closes shut.
The holographic image shifts from a neutral blue loading screen to a 2D headshot of a man.
He's in his early 50s with light brown hair, heavily streaked with grey and a full beard that is almost totally iron grey.
Watery blue eyes, topped by thick grey brows stare back from the holographic with an angry expression.
"This is one Ivan Sternovich, senior organiser in the Terran Nationalist Directorate."
There's a loud cough from the room.
"Sooner we ban those crazy sons of bitches the better," someone mutters from the table.
The image switches to a black and white 3D image, apparently shot via a high resolution camera lens. In it, a bearded man is shaking hands with what appears to be a woman over an outdoor cafe's table. The woman is partially obscured by an adjacent hanging plant.
 
"He was implicated in series of car bombings on New Earth - Look them up, they're under appendix X in your folders, gentlemen - in 3080, before vanishing.
"Sternovich is a former Major in the Protectorate Militia on Terra Firma and was heavily involved in their Terran Guard paramilitary-******-political wing during the tail end of the Jihad.
"After he was interned and out-processed he washed up on New Earth and then just vanished."

The display flickers and a new image appears. This time it's a woman's face. She is blonde and blue eyed, with high cheek bones and an aquiline nose.
"Next is the Graf Hilde Von Hammerschmit. She's Terran, out of Germany and can trace her nobler-than-thou heritage back to since Christ was a Corporal.
"After her husband died during Case White - he was a wealthy industrialist and was accidentally killed during the fighting in Eastern Europe - she sided with the Toasters lock and stock.
She funded a couple of their big research project but denounced them during the post SCOUR trials.
"We're fairly certain she's the money behind  Sternovich and half a dozen other similar individuals."

There's an uncomfortable shifting around the room and someone coughs loudly.
"Lastly, and this one is the real hands on type," the voices say

The screen flickers and displays what appears to be a grainy CCTV shot of a shaven headed, hulking man leaving a shop. His head is turned down and away from the camera, offering only a glimpse of his face.

"This, this gentlemen, is one of the only shots of Torvald Wiles. He and Sternovich were tight on Terra Firma, except Wiles was never part of the military. Just a street thug with a lot of hate in his heart turned enforcer and gunman for their Terran Guard organisation. Really liked beating up on refugees, dissidents or just anyone who looked different.
"Since the Jihad he's been implicated in dozens of beatings, assaults and disappearances on behalf of the Directorate. But he keeps moving and we've never managed to really finger him for anything."

The screen flickers, to be replaced with a planetary globe. The world is mostly green, with slashes of darker green and occasionally yellow across its main continents.
"What ties these three together at the moment is Sheratan. We believe Sternovich and Wiles are already on world, with the assistance of Frau Von Hammerschmit.
"We're seeing rumours via back channels that their organisation is interested in a cache of Blakist equipment squirrelled away during the Jihad."

There is more uncomfortable shifting around the room.

"Gentlemen... I do not need to explain how much we do not want these people to get their evil hands on these kinds of weapons."

RECORDING:
March 14, 3087
DMI Headquarters, Mars
Terran system, Republic of the Sphere


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

snakespinner

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #10 on: 16 March 2016, 02:18:47 »
Interesting campaign.
A Toaster cache or a black market deal would be the best options.
I believe that Irian had a functional mech factory at this point so black market sales would be an option. O0
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Wrangler

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #11 on: 16 March 2016, 10:19:26 »
Loving this so far, Nav_Alpha!

Please keep good work coming!
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DOC_Agren

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #12 on: 16 March 2016, 19:13:52 »
Interesting
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Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #13 on: 16 March 2016, 19:24:27 »
Thanks for all the kind words, guys!

At this stage I'm thinking: a Blakist cache of weapons stashed away at the tail end of the Jihad. To get it, we're going to need to speak with an arms dealer/information broker.
I'm thinking a relatively junior type in Stone's Coalition decided to not report some treasure trove he came across during the war. Instead he covers it up, buries all info leading to it and maybe eliminates any comrades who might speak.
That way, he's got a nice little nest egg in 3087.

The other thing is - manpower. We're going to need to recruit like a full company of troops (I'm thinking a mech lance, a vehicle lance or two and some infantry).
How do you go about covertly raising "the Oceans 11 of the Republic era"?
Any thoughts?


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #14 on: 17 March 2016, 01:17:43 »
Diary entry - Republic of the Sphere Knight Vitkor Zimin

November 11, 3085
Gellen's Heights, Sheratan
Prefecture X, Republic of the Sphere

Arrived on Sheratan this morning. The group calling itself the Sheratan Knights are still refusing to surrender their weapons and come in from the jungle. It's been months of negotiations between them and the governor and still nothing. Unfortunate that it's come to this - me sent, in a Battlemech to end it.
This should have been dealt with six years ago, but the ComGuard troops who wrested Sheratan away from the Robes stupidly let the Knights keep their mechs and heavy weapons. And then when the Cappies invaded, we were forced to drop everything and deal with the bigger picture.



First meeting with the Knights today. For what is effectively the mish-mash left overs of a resistance group that first fought the Capellans and then the Robes, they seem to think they're pretty important. Press releases issued, lawyers and protocol officers discussing the why and how's. And then, then do the meet with me - a Federal representative with the direct authority from Devlin Stone.
Meanwhile - how the hell are the Knights still re-arming and equipped after all these years? Their equipment should be falling apart, launchers and guns empty, but somehow they're still well equipped.

Later:
THEY WALKED OUT! I cannot believe the gall of these people. I was very clear - the Sheratan Knights have unlawfully kept military grade weapons, including close to two companies of Battlemechs, heavy armor and Lord knows what quantity of small arms. They have to surrender it and, we're willing to hand out immunities. But they just got up and left.

November 16, 3085
Days of negotiations and the Knights finally agreed to speak with me again. And this time, their leader came. "Colonel" Gerrard Saul. Republic intelligence doesn't have much of a file on him but I gather he's been around since the Knights were a FedCom unit pre-Chaos March. It was again all very grand and pompous - they filed in, I explained my position, they kicked up a fit about the sovereignty of their rights or something.

November 17, 3085
Governor Dunbar is pissed. Governor Elizabeth Dunbar, specially appointed to lead Sheretan through these trying times by the Exrach himself. She wants the Knights disarmed yesterday, but doesn't seem to understand that if she keeps trying to consolidate their mechs for her militia, they will keep pushing back.
These guys maintained a low key insurgency against the Word for more than a decade - hiding in the jungle, popping out to raids some supply dumps and such every so often. By 3079 there were maybe three companies of combined arms forces.
One of those came straight over to us and handed in their weapons. Saul has the remaining two out there somewhere.

Later:
Well, that was... That was odd. I just got a call at the hotel. An internal number. Asking me to meet in the hotel bar. I was not expecting to meet one of the Knights.
He spelt it out - not all of them want to continue to sit out in the jungles and fight. They're tired, they're getting old and some of them genuinely want to re-join real life.
He reckons two thirds of the Knights will come in from the cold if we offer them citizenship and cash payments for their equipment.
That's outside what I'm authorised to offer.

What's even stranger is that my contact claims Saul has been dealing with some arms dealer for equipment and munitions - THAT'S how he's kept them going, even after we took over Sheratan. There's talk of some Blakist cache they've had access to, with the dealer cutting off bits and pieces of it and selling it to the Knights piecemeal. The whole thing could be a flight of fantasy, but who knows.

November 19
Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Everything has gone to hell. I had better start from the beginning. I pressured Governor Dunbar to offer citizenship and immunity to every Knight willing to come in. She kept pushing back and seemed determined to force some sort of vendetta against them. I kept feeling out my contact among the Knights, but somehow Saul got wind of the whole thing.

That's when they launched a wave of attacks on the capital - car bombings aimed at the government building, the main Standing Guard barracks and here at the hotel I'm staying at.

Close behind that vehicle that detonated prematurely outside on the street - killing like 20 commuters - came a half a dozen gunmen, all looking for me. I was carrying my old M&G service pistol as my escort and I ran through the lobby to see what had happened and managed to squeeze off three rounds as they burst in. I capped the first shooter as he pulled his sub gun out from under his jacket.

The one next to him had stopped one of the rounds and seemed to get his weapon caught. He was still clawing for it when I put another two rounds into him.
By now, the two boys from the Constabulary who were escorting me managed to draw and fire, along with the other hired goons.

I noticed something wet and sticky all down my left arm and suddenly discovered I couldn't stand up right. Around me, guests were screaming and running about and one of the Constabulary lads was laying face down in a pool of blood.

The other one got busy dragging me behind cover while I tried to put some covering fire out towards the three remaining Knights.
Somehow I managed to hit one - one shot took off the top of his head and his two mates decided it was time to go.

They patched me up there and then - I demanded they didn't knock me out and managed to get across to the Standing Guard command post. The bombings and the attacks had just been the entree.
Saul had seized the old Addicks Enterprise building outside the city and was holding close to a dozen hostages, including the 19-year-old daughter of world Governor Elizabeth Dunbar.
I'd reached out to my contact to discover only about a lance and a half had gone along with it, the rest were keen to surrender.
It doesn't matter though - Saul has given us 12 hours to furnish him with a dropship and safe passage.
It will be well and truly over well before then.

Game setup:
Use the flatlands maps, but the defender positions d6 + 2 light and medium buildings. One of these is designated as the target building.

War chest:
"crazy weather"
Roll three times on the flora and fauna chart and apply all conditions.

Booby trapped: before the game, the defender selects up to half of the buildings (not counting the target building) and designates them as trapped - both within and in the adjacent hexes.
calculate damage by the buildings CF divided by 5.
A trap can be triggered if any defender has LOS with the building and is not crippled at the end of the turn.

Objectives:
Rescue the hostages:
Occupy the hex containing the target building*
(400 points)

Hearts and minds: at least 30 percent of the defenders remain at the end of the game. This does not count destroyed units, but does include crippled or incapacitated.**
(200 points)

Take them down: destroy 50 percent of the opposition.
(250 points)

Cut off the head: destroy or cripple the enemy commander
(200 points)

* infantry only
** attacker objective only

Attacker:
Sir Vitkor Zimin - Grizzly
Kinnol MBT

X2 JES I Tactical Missile Carrier
X3 Saxon Hover APCs

X2 Squads of Kopis BA
Squad of Grenadier BA

Defender:
Perseus (variant A) - Colonel Saul
CLNT-3U Clint
NTK-2Q Night Hawk

SRM Carrier (WOB variant)
X4 Vendette (Ultra AC)
X2 Prowler (WoB)
Hetzer

Foot infantry platoon
Foot Infantry platoon

* Sir Zimin receives one wound from his earlier gun battle.

Postscript:

Sir Zimin began a preliminary investigation into rumours of a lost Blakist cache, but three days after the final battle with Knights he received word his wife, Sian, had given birth to their first son on Formalhaut. He hurried home for a period of extended leave and the investigation was effectively forgotten.


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

snakespinner

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #15 on: 17 March 2016, 01:30:39 »
To raise a group like oceans 11 all you would need is the right contact.
With enough money there will always be someone with a rep of having the right contacts to negotiate.
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Archangel

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #16 on: 17 March 2016, 08:37:42 »
Interesting idea, but you've got me confused.  When is this campaign supposed to take place?  In the late 3080s or the late 3137s (per meeting on Galatea takes place March 14, 3137 and "meeting" on Irian takes place April 4, 3137)?  If it does take place in 3137, then wouldn't Larsen be around 90 years old and Fortress Republic has already been enacted?

Regardless of which year/era, you are having it take place, what is a glorified news corporation getting involved in such a venture?  Not to mention, what is a corporate VP getting so directly involved in such a venture?  Personally involving oneself kinda throws the plausible deniability defense out the window.

What experience is Larsen supposed to have with the Republic military?  The Republic had barely formed when he was dispossessed and the RAF would continue to undergo numerous changes throughout the 3080s.  Any experience he had fighting the Republic military in the early 3080s would be outdated by the mid 3080s let alone the late 3080s.
Detect evil first, smite second and ask questions later.

Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #17 on: 17 March 2016, 17:11:50 »
Whoops, fixed the date mix up.
The glorified news agency sees this as a fm great ratings opportunity and haven't thought much beyond that.

I imagine the Republic keeps tabs on folks like Larsen to ensure they don't end up fighting them. I didn't say he's ever come into direct conflict with th republic.


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

DOC_Agren

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #18 on: 17 March 2016, 20:44:23 »
The other thing is - manpower. We're going to need to recruit like a full company of troops (I'm thinking a mech lance, a vehicle lance or two and some infantry).
How do you go about covertly raising "the Oceans 11 of the Republic era"?
Any thoughts?

there will always be those who only care about the money and well with Stone anti-merc bias well, they will be looking for work.  That where you will find your mech pilots and some of the vehicle crews.

Infantry, well as a worse case you can recruit gang members and back them with a core of professionals.
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed:And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!"

Deadborder

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #19 on: 17 March 2016, 20:53:43 »
there will always be those who only care about the money and well with Stone anti-merc bias well, they will be looking for work.  That where you will find your mech pilots and some of the vehicle crews.

Infantry, well as a worse case you can recruit gang members and back them with a core of professionals.

It worked for Jacob Bannson! Well, mostly...
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



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Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #20 on: 22 March 2016, 02:06:37 »
You wanted a Blakist cache - let's have a cache!

Screen opens to a series of shots of combat – a bone white Toyama blasts away at an unseen enemy, long rows of burning tanks with oily black smoke partially obscuring the camera, a squad of infantrymen in green fatigues and Davion style wrap around helmets sheltering in a wrecked cityscape. All the images are washed out and muted.

Eventually, they shift and vanish as text superimpose over the top: “THE LONG WAR: The Jihad in review”.
The image shifts to a reporter standing in a busy mechbay – behind her technicians run back and forth and the foot of a ‘mech can be seen.

She’s not beautiful, but handsome in a way that makes you think of horse-riding, tweeds and mini-breaks at the family estate. Her seal brown hair is bound up in an elaborate French knot.

“Good evening, I’m Amelia Alexander and welcome to another episode of the Long war. Tonight we examine an often overlooked element of Stone’s Coalition. The Auxiliary Objectives Force – small units often thrown directly into the thickest of fighting to secure intelligence, experimental technology and even high ranking prisoners before the Blakists could destroy them or cover their tracks.”

The screen shifts to archive footage of heavy fighting. Explosions heave dirty coloured mushrooms into the air as artillery hammers a fortified position. There’s muzzle flashes from dug in positions and bunkers and in the background a Battlemech stalks forward.

The supers come up again: Sheratan, 3079.

“I had an uncomfortable and dangerous war until joining the A-Force.  Took on the Mariks in ’68 and then deep into the Protectorate. When I volunteered for the A-Force I thought I was in for a cushy gig debriefing Wobbie POWs or something. Nein.”

Image shifts to a middle aged man, with dark blonde hair that is receding and a haughty expression. He’s wandering across a white sand beach speaking with the reporter.
“Colonel Hans-Christian Schneider served two years with A-Force One, which was deployed as part of Operation Scour specifically to seize weapons and munitions caches that the Blakists had left behind. It was during his time on Sheratan following the capture of Terra in the very closing days of the Jihad he most distinguished himself.”

Schneider is now sitting at a kitchen table – the camera pans around to display a very ornate home. Million Stone views out over a harbour, high end electronics discreetly tucked into the tables, rich tapestries and paintings adorn the walls.

“I was the XO for the unit, under Colonel King – a Davion. We thought things were pretty much over after Terra. On Sheratan most of them were surrendering as soon as the mainline troops hit them and we were able to pretty much walk in and grab what we needed.
“Those Protectorate Militia boys were keeping all their records tickety boo, Ja? Easy pickings, handed over the intel and the weapons.
“But there’s always hold outs. Always fanatics, ja?”

Schneider looks directly up into the camera. He seems frightened, shaken.

“Colonel – then Kommandant Schneider and a Hauptmann Starr took part in the capture of a 5th Division position during the brief fighting on Sheratan. Inside they found intel pointing to a nearby Blakist staging area and supply cache. Without radioing back to headquarters the pair set off towards the cache in a jeep, armed only with personal weapons.”
Archive footage of combat plays as Schneider’s voice returns.

“Starr and I found the cache – it was totally empty. So we radioed back to King and decided to come back via the most direct route.
“Everything looked pretty quiet and we had been driving for about an hour when we stopped to take a compass bearing. That’s when the first shots rang out.
“Starr and I had been comrades for the entire war.
“He took two rounds and dropped near the jeep while I hit the dirt. I knew they had me pinned down and my SMG was in the vehicle so I crawled to Starr, he was dead but his Federated Long Rifle was next to him.”

There’s a loud sob before the reporter’s voice takes over.

“The pair had stopped directly in front of a trench containing a Protectorate Militia machine gun section. Positions on both sides of them had fled, but this section of fanatics had stayed to fight. “Kommandant Schneider cleared the trench with rifle and grenades – killing all six.

“During the firefight he was wounded twice by enemy fire and once by shrapnel from one of his own grenades.”

Text rolls across the screen as the reporter nods and smiles sympathetically.

“Schneider was decorated and promoted for his initiative in checking and clearing what could have been a potentially full cache of Blakist weapons and then for his part in destroying the Blakist position.”

Schneider is now standing by a full length window, which offers an amazing view out over the ocean.

“The thing that always got me was that Starr died for nothing - we checked that cache and there was nothing there. It was empty.”

-   Excerpt from “THE LONG WAR: The Jihad in review”, Zosma Broadcasting.

THIS IS TOTALL CRAP! I knew Schneider during the war. And Starr. BIGGEST BUNCH OF CROOKKS EVER!.
You ask me – they grabbed that ccache and cleaned it out or change the gride reference or something. Yeah theyd do that the shonky crooks
STArr died for nothing? Gimme a break. NOT SURPRISED if Schneider killed him and blamed it on the Toasters.
Whered tat nice house come from, hey Scheider?c

-   Comment posted to Zosma Broadcasting’s website on the LONG WAR page.
*comment was deleted by moderators.


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #21 on: 28 March 2016, 03:57:14 »
Audio recording XX-Y-1986-C-APRIL-5-308-IRIAN
Vision shows a rainy street, rubbish is strewn about and many of the pockmarked grey buildings have been heavily graffitied.
The camera zooms in on a nondescript Iran Accord ground effect car and its passengers.

A red haired woman sits in the driver's seat. She's wearing a heavy jacket pulled up around her face. The male in the passenger's seat has several week's worth of dark stubble and dark hair that looks like it's in need of a cut.

A glowing green reticle drops over the man - in circling his head the reticle is replaced with a text box. "90 percent chance - Larsen, Gideon"
The cursor shifts to the woman and after a second the text box reappears with just a question mark.

Voice one: (rough, slavic sounding)
That's them.

Voice two: (younger, but deeper with each word strung out slowly)
I could take them now. Grab him and then come back for the bitch in the motor.

Voice one: Dammit, no Torvald. We wait, we wait and see if he's going to the arms dealer. You know the plan.

On screen the man leans over to the driver so that their faces are almost touching.
The reticle is replaced by a flashing "AUDIO PICK UP" icon.

Male: You know the drill - I go in, offer him the money and he sends us the grid reference.

Female: If you're not out in an hour I'm coming in, Gid.

Male: You do no such thing - remember the plan. I go in, you drive to the car lot behind Gerald Marik and you wait. Something happens you walk away and forget this whole stupid idea.

On screen the man has now exited the car and is crossing the street through the light drizzle.
He looks both ways as he approaches a door way tucked into the wall. He reaches forward and presses a buzzer.
After a second the door slides open and he hurries in.
The car drives away.

Voice one: Ok. He's gone in - when he comes out we take him.

Voice one: And Torvald... Try not to kill this one this time?


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #22 on: 28 March 2016, 05:11:13 »
Several hours later...

The camera flickers with static before displaying a dark room. In a harsh pool of light in the middle of the room a nude Gideon Larsen sits, his hands handcuffed behind his back.
His right eye is bloodied and swollen shut and his lips are mashed
There are several bloody slashes across his naked torso and already bruises can be seen forming.

"Ah, you're awake Mr Larsen," the voice is heavily accented.

Sternovich, stocky and with a bushy beard, steps into the frame.

"I had though my associate May have hit you too hard
"But I'm not surprised you've come around so soon. You show surprising vigour throughout the whole process."

He draws a small rubber mallet from within his tunic's pocket.
"But have no doubt. You'll break - they all do eventually. Years of doing this sort of thing have taught me that."

Rolling his head back Larsen seems to consider the heavier man for a second before spitting a stream of bloody saliva at him.

The liquid splatters across Sternovich's pseudo-leather tunic.

"Go. To. Hell."

Slapping the hammer against his palm Sternovich nods.

"Tut-tut Mr Larsen. We simply want the location of the weapons cache you've just purchased. That fat slug you just dealt with won't deign to consort with the likes of us and his prices are simply out of our range. So you're going to tell us where it's located."

The man steps closer. He lets the hammer dangle down so that he's holding it by just the tip of the haft. It hangs just below the seat's cushion level.
Slowly he begin to let it swing in lazy arcs.

"Some interrogators - my contemporaries in the old Terra Firm Protectorate Militia for instances - proffered a more high tech approach. Me? I'm just old fashioned."

The hammer arcs forward. There are screams. The screen darkens.

"There, there Mr Larsen. I'd suggest that it's all ok and you'll soon heal. But it doesn't matter - we're going to kill you after you tell me what I want - you're just determining how long it takes."

Larsen looks visibly pained. He stifles a sob.

"Kill. Me. And you don't. Have. The cache."

The words sound like dry paper rustling. Every word seems an effort.

"True." Sternovich has titled his head to one side and appears to be admiring his handiwork.

"So, why don't you ask the right questions?"

The Neo-Blakist's head snaps up and he brandishes the hammer.

"Mr Larsen, I can assure you that you're just prolonging the inevitable."

"Why. Do you want the. The cache?"

Larsen gives a bitter chuckle. "You want to take a company or so of old Blakist mechs and brass up a Republic town or government building, yeah?
Why not ask what I was going to do with it?"

Sternovich lowers the hammer.
"Tell me quick, merc. What did you plan - or should I say - what did your paymasters, whoever they are, plan?"

Larsen seems to sit up straighter, he then laughs.
"They want me to bust a Blakist Precentor out of jail."

"WHAT?!"

"Why don't you listen - what we have here is a perfect deal situation. You let me live, we Spring the Grand Poo Ba and then instead of handing him over to those who shall remain nameless I hand him over to you. You get a public relations coupe and give the Republic a black eye"

Sternovich steps closer.
"What stops you from double crossing us?"

"I don't care who gets him. As long as I walk away with a 'mech."

"Ok, you have a deal. But myself and several of my men come along to ensure you don't try anything."

Larsen shifts, his cuffs jangling.

"Great. Welcome to the team."


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Wrangler

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #23 on: 28 March 2016, 19:53:53 »
Wow.  :o

Stuff like this should had happened in canon.  ;D  Good job, Sir!  ;D
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Colt Ward

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #24 on: 04 April 2016, 20:51:03 »
tag!
Colt Ward
Clan Invasion Backer #149, Leviathans #104

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Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #25 on: 13 April 2016, 07:34:38 »
Personal notes - Gideon Larsen, Dropship Federation, out-bound of Irian
April 8, 3087


Attached are my notes on a possible crew for this foolhardy heist.
The first three names are considered non-viable as they're more or less the "old guard" when it comes to mercs. There's a question of prestige and the objective, etc

Rolf Faulques - probably a FedSuns deserter who washed up on Liberty in the wake of the Chaos March shakeup. He emerged as one of the leaders of an insurrection during the FedCom Civil War and eventually led local forces against the Blakists.
Served under Stone during the later half of the Jihad but is effectively retired on Liberty now.
Could probably call on a battalion or so of veterans and it's heavily suspected he didn't hand over all of his equipment to the Republic.

Augustus Aung - CO of Aung's Chindits, operating out of Galetea. Best to avoid Aung, who is at best still linked to the CapCon and more likely a Mask informant or agent.
Commands a Company-sized unit and has extensive experience in the former Blakist Protectorate. Mainly operating out of the CapCon and FWL border along the Republic now.

"Big Joe" Joseph Ibencio - A talented Solaris gladiator turned freedom fighter during the Blakist invasion. Led a company sized unit in hit and run raids against the occupiers until his eventual capture. He's heavily involved in the new Solaran government and is unlikely to be involved in anything like this.
Could be a good contact though, well known to have good links to organised crime and even some decent levels arms dealers.

Cassandra - a Trueborn Ice Hellion mechwarrior who was a Star Captain when her clan attacked the Jade Falcons. Disposed and without a Clan after her defeat on Bone Norman, Cassandra wandered across the Sphere for several years.
I met her on Nangking after the Jihad where she'd washed up as a gun for hire.
She's the woman I want the most out of this whole list. Smart, tough and genetically engineered to be a warrior. Additionally, she's not tainted by the Jihad unlike most mercs who had one side or another.
Last seen on Second Chance, an independent world in what used to be the Free Worlds League.

Titus Foley - Foley is pure mercenary. A Marian native who was some sort of slave employed by a Patrician (read rich bastards) family to be their heir's companion. And whipping boy when the golden boy did wrong.
Knocked up the little lord's sister and ended up as a Cohors Morituri "recruit" at 16, where he faced down the Federation and their Blakist allies

 At some point he learned how to drive a mech and deserted, ended up in the Blakist Protectorate. He was a damn good recon lance commander in the Booze Fighters.

Fredic Dearborne - a kid when I first met him in the Boozefighters he proved himself to be a good light pilot. Captured by the Coalition after we got knocked off Marcus he spent the rest of the Jihad as a POW and when he got out (they let all the low level mercs go) no one really wanted to hire an ex-Wobbie.

Zara Bee - a former Free World League tanker who resigned her commission in the wake of the outing of Thomas Marik, Bee prefers to be known as a shaman, a mystic and soothsayer. She descended heavily into paganism after leaving the military but later found she needed to return to mercenary life when money got short.
Fortunately, she's also appeared on Second Chance alongside Cassandra.

INN report on Second Chance, 3087

Once a typical Free Worlds League World ruled by a rigid feudalism, Second Chance underwent a radical change between 3021-25 when Father Jon Minstree led a mass uprising against a particularly corrupt and tyrannical aristocracy.
Father Jon was a fanatic, a backwoods preacher who mixed fundamentalist Christianity with a personality cult based around him as a new Messiah.
His successful insurgency was greatly aided by his youngest son Jonas, a graduate of the Orloff Military Academy and A series of military upsets saw the rebels take the world.
Quickly swearing alliance to the FWL, "The Prophet" secured his hold over the world and replaced the feudal system with a theocracy that enshrined service to the state.
Father Jon's death in 3029, following the accidental death of his eldest son and the mysterious disappearance of his middle child saw Jonas ascend to the role of The Prophet. Once again swearing allegiance to the FWL, he was able to run the planet as he saw fit.
That meant dramatically cutting back on civil liberties, enforcing mandatory religious services and demonising off world technology.
By the 3060s the planet had reverted to an agrarian, 19th century Terra level. The capital of Barrow - complete with its giant Temple meets palace meets fortress - is equipped with one of the few working fashion reactors.
Outside of the capital and surrounds, few residents have electricity or running water.

The Prophet sought to establish his authority and replaced the "corrupt unbelievers" of the nobility with local Rectors to rule the planet. While the sprawling northern continent was firmly of the "Believers" the southern continent required close to a decade of conquest by the Prophets growing military - mainly made up of conventional forces.

The fracturing of the FWL served as the latest prophecy predicting the worth of Second Chance in a divine cosmic plan.
But in 3085 it also led to a renewed rebellion from the northern-most precinct of New Caanan, which saw the Prophet hire Vanderlay's Valkyries.
Excessive taxation, over-reaching by thr local Rector and the Prophet's deceleration that citizens must how pray four times a day, up from three, contributed to the spread of the rebellion.
The insurgency still splutters on, with the mercenaries reportedly keen to leave as soon as their contract expires in late 3087.

- added note, both Cassandra and Zara Bee are working for these rebel separatists as "advisors". I can't imagine it will be too hard to lure them away


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #26 on: 19 April 2016, 03:57:49 »
Keep with me lads, we're stil going. I'm on 4am starts which should be great for writing in the arvo but I'm finding myself working back overtime and then just being shattered after work.
No worrie! New updates coming!

So... What do we want to see? I'm recruiting new mercs from this conflict plus a few extras and then off to Sheratan to grab a cache.


Anything in particular anyone wants to see/think should happen?


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #27 on: 20 April 2016, 02:32:17 »
May 11, outskirts of Freedom City (formerly Prophet's Rest)
Numbia, Second Chance
The steady CRUMP, CRUMP, CRUMP of artillery falling nearby almost drowned out the sentry's words.
"I said, comrade captain, that the prisoners claim they are companions of the advisor Cassandra."
The shells were falling closer now, harsh flashes of colour against the cold night. There was also the occasional chatter of small arms that rose and fell.
The captain hardly looked the figure of military discipline with several days worth of stubble, a bloodied bandage peeking out from underneath his crumpled forage cap and a soiled, muddied uniform He grunted harshly.
"I don't care," he growled, suddenly pulling his automatic from its holster.
"Look at them, I doubt they're friends to anyone."
The last was said as he gestured with his weapon at the group of four manacled prisoners standing before him.
"You think just because your false Prophet thinks he has us beat we're going to let you live? Bah!"
Briefly the group were illuminated as a series of artillery rounds struck the not so distant ridge line behind them.
Harsh red and gold light showed the four - all wore the rough homespun of the typical Second Chancer, complete with knee-length tunics in various muted colours and belted at the waist, hose and tall boots.
Two stood apart slightly - one was a little on the short side and obviously well built with dark stubble across his jaw. The sleeves of his tunic had been ripped during his earlier capture and one showed a glimpse of a lurid and extensive tattoo.
The second one was stout and sported a heavy beard, he sneered sourly at the captain. "Enough, Larsen has told you we're not with the government forces and we wish to-"
He was cut off as the officer moved forward and pistol whipped him across the face.
All four men were manacled together, meaning the larger man's fall dragged them all down.
The stout man started to rise only to be clubbed down again by the captain's pistol.
"You pieces of filth, you'll all die. Along with your fascist regime!"
The pistol's cocking mechanism was loud in the sudden quiet as the shell fire trailed off.
"ENOUGH!"
The new voice caused everyone to look up - the captain almost comically as he spun around glaring.
Laying in the mud, his left arm chained to the now unconscious Sternovich, his other to one of the nameless goons brought along by the Neo-Blakists, Larsen reflected on the fact that he was more than happy to look up at the owner of the new voice.
She was tall, her long dishwater blonde pulled up in a pony tail that showed off her high, sculpted cheekbones and ice blue eyes.
The newcomer wore only a dark green jumpsuit hastily zipped up as she emerged from the tent and it covered her ample curves skintight, with the front opening offering a tantalising glimpse of the absolutely nothing underneath.

"Gideon Larsen," she said in that throaty, rich, voice he remembered from Nanking.
"What brings you to Second Chance, currently the site of a civil war that will have run its course in about an hour an a half?"
Shifting so that he was almost sitting up, his tunic not soaked in mud, Larsen grinned.
"Well, actually Cassandra.... I was hoping on offering you a job."

- Personal notes, Gideon Larsen, May 20
So.... we've landed on Sheretan.  Message have been sent out and everyone else will meet us on Epsilon Erandai in a week.
Cassandra and I will enter this long hidden cache, break out the equipment and load it aboard a dropship that our employers have provided. 
For the most part Sternovich and his bully boys will provide security and the heavy lifting.
Then we all lift for Epsilon E train and get used to this gear.
And then it's onto the target planet.
Where we break out a freaking Blakist war criminal
I didn't like this job a couple months ago when it was the only option left.
I don't like it today when we're like a month away from completing it. Or getting killed.

When this is all over, I'm heading to the Perif - maybe the Fronc Reaches, maybe the FWL-Marian border. I'm taking the mech I get out of this and getting the hell away from it all.

- Personal notes, Gideon Larsen, May 21
So we found the the cache. Like a million miles from civilisation out in the Sheratan rainforest. This place is strange. The planet, not the cache, which is just an old deep mine shaft that has been expanded and stuffed full of equipment.
Sheratan - we had a day in the capital of Gallen's Heights before heading out here into the middle of a national park, and the people are odd.
The Jihad didn't physically hit hard here. No real destruction, but it wasn't until I was reading later about the camps, the mass executions and the death squad put in place by the mad Blakist running the planet. And the worst thing is that much of the planet was ok with it. During the Chaos March years things were even worse.
It's impossible to work out who was an innocent bystander and who was a finger pointer.
There was also some fracas between a Knight and some sort of resistance group like two years ago.

But, back to the cache - its's not as big as we thought and I'm already putting feelers out to pick up some extra equipment off the grey market.
Fairly certain we'll get a lance of mechs and a heavy vehicle lance.
Keen for some fast hovers for the actual extraction and we're going to have to rely on Sternovich for his lads to serve as infantry.
I'll be on the hunt for some BA suits, that's what we really need but the Republic is so damn strict on who sells them it might be impossible.
Damn, with just conventional infantry this is going to be bloody tough.

Later.
Ok, so we just picked up a ping on the MAD scans. I've got the Wasp up online and Cassandra reckons she can finally get that Wolverine out soon-ish.
Problem is that when those guys hid this cache away at the end of the Jihad, that used a cave in as cover. That means it's going to take time to dig everything out.
Time we don't have if someone has decided to come poking their nose around.


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Nav_Alpha

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Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #28 on: 24 April 2016, 23:22:50 »
AUDIO LOGFILE - ALPHAT-SIERRA-ONE-NINER_ONE

Voice one speaking Mandarin: It’s definitely them. The merc, the blonde stunner the big bearded one. The first two loaded up in a rented hover jeep. While the other one ran back to a hover truck. There’s another woman driving it, can’t see her.
They’re heading out.

Voice two, also speaking Mandarin but with a thicker accent: You know your job, follow them. Follow them and report in.

Hours pass.

Voice one:
I’ve found them, they’re at grid reference (garbled by static) and seem to be unpacking digging equipment.

Voice two: that has got to be the cache then. Aung and the others are on the way.

Voice one: I’m moving for a closer look. Shifting to visual when I get closer.

Hours pass. There’s suddenly a pop of static and a screen appears, it’s mainly dark and shakes about.
There’s muffled cursing and a sliding noise.
The camera then swings up, blinded by light before focusing on a rainforest scene. The camera zooms in on a small mound of rocks. A shaft has been cut directly into the rock.
Before the rocks several figures can be seen moving around in the early morning light. One is clearly visible as he pauses to light a cigarette. He’s wearing a dark green poncho and his face is briefly illuminated as he hunkers down in the rain to light his smoke.

Voice two: Charlie team is inbound. ETA is a couple minutes. Stand by.
As if hearing the radio call the figure on the camera cocks his head. Pulling a short scope from beneath the folds of his poncho he peers into the gloom.

Voice one: Umm… guys. I think we’re spotted.
Come in command, someone pick up… Anyone.
The figure throws down his cigarette and begins to furiously speak into a comm. Around him other figures appear, all are casting off wet weather gear to reveal light body armour. Two are dragging a manpack SRM launcher into place.
Voice one: Anyone?

There’s a loud clanking, followed by a high pitch whirr. The whole process repeats. Clank. Whirr. Clank Whirr.
And the camera spins around to reveal a hulking Battlemech stepping from the treeline, a cluster of missile launchers set on its shoulder, one arm ending in the maw of a laser.
The Wasp struts towards the camera, oblivious as it approaches the hidden figure.

Voice one: Oh crap.


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: A Republic era heist
« Reply #29 on: 25 April 2016, 02:13:28 »
Personal notes – Gideon Larsen

I’m writing this one handed, webbed down in the med bay of the dropship as we burn out of Sheratan at a steady 1.5Gs. Good riddance to bad rubbish if you ask me.
What a nightmare. But at the same time, at least we found out our equipment worked!
About three hours after we first managed to blast into the main cavern of the cache (yeah, a certain arms dealer didn’t mention the whole thing was buried under several tonnes of rubble and rock) we picked up some strange readings out the remote sensors we’d strung up.
While Sternovich and his Terran Nationalists set up a perimeter and strung up some surprises Cassandra and I started trying to crack open the mechs. Turned out one of the 8T Wasps was accessible, as was a Wolverine II.
When our visitors arrived we were ready for them – I’d see the two Ravens stalk in but their ECMs started to junk all my readings. But I’d got eyes on them  long enough to recognise their insignias – a gold Chindit on black. Aung’s Chindits.
Two Ravens? I mean, we get it – you’re run by the CCAF, maybe try and hide it!
The mechs were flanking a Po that had about two squads of infantry clinging out, while another platoon or so slogged along through the bush behind it.
Sternovich’s boys let them have it. First the command detonated mine took off a track and splattered most of the tank riders, then they hit let loose with some LAWs and small arms.
Yeah, so I was annoyed the cache was short on mechs and tanks. It was rich with Blakist issue infantry weapons through – enough AX-22s, light machine guns and portable grenade launchers for a good two platoons worth.
That’s when the heavy support laser opened up and junked the Po’s turret. Yeah, one of those as well.
Both Ravens were squawking now and rushing the infantry when Cass and I burst from the trees. I put a light PPC right into the back of one and followed it up with a punch to the back of the head, while she tore up the front nose of the other.
Both of us had only had time to load partial loads of ammo (only eight SRM shots for me and no LRMs in the MML and she was running half loads in that Ultra AC of hers) so we quickly scooted back into the jungle and made them come after us.
Out on the valley floor the Chindit infantry was getting awfully chewed up but it was starting to descend into a bit of a stalemate. The Po still had its MGs and there were a lot of their infantry about.
Top shelf weapons or not, we only had 16 men and they were starting to take causalities.
Meanwhile, the rain was getting worse and worse and those poor Ravens were blundering around in the thick jungle. I ended the game for one – put some SRMs into its leg and dropped it onto its side before frying the pilot with my Light PPC.
Cassandra was still tangling with her target, but I thought I’d better got help the PBIs. The poor Po didn’t have much hope after I kicked it square in the rump, while Sternovich personally put a LAW into its guts and things were looking peachy.
Until Aung showed up. Augustus Aung. The black hearted bastard. He’s been driving a Fenris Prime since the late Jihad and the damn thing almost strutted as it entered the fray – a Clan spec ER PPC went straight through my torso and out the other side, taking most of the gyro with it.
I landed hard was must have been out for a bit. When I came to my cockpit was a spider web off glass, the damage display was lit up like Nanking on Lunar New Year and somehow my right arm was out of the socket. Aung was standing over me and ready to finish me off when Cassandra burst from the jungle.
She’s finished off the other Raven and let fly. It would have been fun to watch a Clan Trueborn in a Star League mech beat up on a piece of Capellan roach droppings in a Clan omni, if I wasn’t in such bad shape.
In the end she finished him by putting her last cassette of depleted uranium shells through his cockpit. Aung, you’re no more.
We started cleaning up as quickly as we could. My Wasp was shot up but could be repaired from the stocks in the cache, Cass’ Wolverine II was blooded but ok and of the 18 troopers only eight were left. The good news is that we captured a half a dozen of the unarmoured hovercraft the Chindit infantry came in, along with a few prisoners.
Seems our friendly arms dealer also sold the cache’s location to Aung. You can’t trust anyone it seems.
The local RAF Standing Guard was either uninterested in the whole rumble in the jungle or paid to look the other way, either way they didn’t get mobilised until our Dropship had picked us up.
But now, we’re off to Epsilon E to RV with the rest of the crew and somehow work out how the hell we’re going to pull this off.
And this is where we stand equipment-wise:
EXC-D1 Excalibur
WVR-7H Wolverine II
WSP-8T Wasp
WSP-8T Wasp

Rommel (Gauss)
Rommel (Gauss)
Rommel (Gauss)
Burke
Burke
Demolisher

Infantry platoon
« Last Edit: 25 April 2016, 23:13:44 by Nav_Alpha »


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067