06/06/3063 01:39 Launch Bay 3, Union Drop-ship Dark Edge, above New Avalon
Colonel Roger Raymond-Marsin XO of Filtvelt Fusiliers (formerly of the Remagen CrMM and Davion Light Guards) would be feeling free-fall if he wasn't so securely strapped in. His armored canopy was in place and he breathed easy in his Anvil waiting for the red light in the top right corner of his display to turn colors. These new Lyran neurohelmets were fancy not like the torture devices he was used to. He appreciated once more being at the top of the chart for gear rather than being forced to take the hand me downs from the Guards or other front line professional units. His fellow Cabalists were the true professionals, it's what they lived for, and they hated the Davion Guards and Bishop Sortek with a passion, having lost many of their brothers in arms under the Guard's guns.
A man's voice came in on the command circuit, “Headrush this is Dark Edge, we are approaching the drop site, confirm readiness”
He switched to his Lance's Battlenet tying it in with the Shadow Hawk, Dervish, and Enforcer III in adjacent bays “Lance confirm,” they confirmed with multiple green lights on the battle-net display.
“Headrush confirms Dark Edge, we are on standby, awaiting a push out the door”
“Roger Headrush, updating”
The red changed to yellow with a timer counting down, three minutes
The Union Dark Edge began its jump sequence, the bays were already evacuated and the doors opened to space, in the final minute the gantry that held the cocoons began positioning them in the final configuration.
Colonel Marsin triggered the Battalion command frequency, “Hands up boys, don't forget Battlemechs weren't built to fly... but they can fall” the clock began to tick down and he grabbed the handles in the cockpit.
“Push off,” the drop cocoons were pushed away from the Union before their reaction drives triggered, Roger could feel the movement and felt the harness biting into his tank top, and his cockpit display screen showed the virtual representation of his course along with the sensor contacts of all the jump capable Filtvelt Fusiliers.
Destination Ith, home of Achernar Battlemechs.
Numbers rapidly fired across his display, input from the drop cocoon's sensors, surface temperature, inside temperature, multiple axis outputs, crosswinds from the Met Station ground-side, all data the Battlemech's DI computer would crunch to ensure he landed safely. His cockpit temperature spiked as the heat of reentry warmed up the inside of the pod, sweat pouring out of his forehead while his cooling vest maintained a healthy core temperature.
His hands were still holding onto the bar in his cockpit when the heat shield jettisoned, the drag chute jerked him in the harness but stabilized his vector. A new timer appeared in his HUD, time to land, the display screen was replaced with the Mech's own sensors displaying the darkened sky and rushing clouds. He began to hear the wind blowing past his mech cooling off its armored skin as it plummeted to ground below, a synthetic voice was heard in helmet, his mech's DI computer “Prepare to take control, pilot.”
Five hundred meters from the ground he put his mouthpiece in, detached the drag chute, and triggered his mech's Jump Jets. The five fusion heated columns of air slowed his descent, acceleration pulled at him threatening to red-out him, and he landed rough but stayed upright. His mech's legs absorbed most of the shock but it still jarred him.
He spit the mouthpiece back out, “Status Report. All Call-signs. Put it on the console”
The square company of Fusiliers was scattered over two square kilometers, a few mechs took some damage in the fall but everyone was still online and ready to kick ass, “Good drop men, textbook example of a night op, move to the rally point.”
“Rush-2 (piloting an Enforcer III), think they will honor you and Rush-3’s factory warranty?”
“I'll knock real nice, Headrush, don't think customer service is open these hours though”
“We'll just have to settle it with delivery then.”
The positioned themselves on a ridge-line near the Achernar Factory complex, the yellow sodium and bright white arc lights cast a glow as far as the eye could see. Sporadic explosions and man-made lighting filled the area around the factory. “Headrush to all, move to engage”
Roger’s Anvil crashed through a copse of trees followed by the rest of the company. They hit the right flank of the 3rd Davion Guards hard who were already engaging portions of the 2nd Royal Cavaliers and 3rd Bolan Jaegers. Missile and Autocannon fire cut through the air around them as the Federation Allies fought the rogue Guards unit. The understrength Guards and Achernar Self-Defense Force were heavily engaged on all sides and collapsed into the Factory’s Outer Perimeter. “This is Colonel Marsin, Status Report on all allied forces.”
“Hauptmann Deron of the 3rd Bolan Jaegers sir, we’re piloting near skeletons right now. Going to evacuate and salvage the fallen to regroup.”
“Sounds good Hauptmann, how about the Cavaliers?”
“Captain Helm. Sir, we lost our command group and have fifty percent mech losses, our armor and infantry are still good though, we held them in reserve.”
“I’m going to need your men Captain, we’ll have this facility flying the Gauntlet by sunrise.”
“Transferring codes Colonel.”
“Major Prescott here, good to have you back sir.”
“Aye Prescott, glad to have you watching my back. You wouldn’t happen to have a Boomerang on the long range would you?”
“Afraid not sir, we will have to conduct recon in force.”
“My favorite Major, try not to break too many things with those tanks of yours. The Archon-Princess already doesn’t want to see how much the repairs are going to be.”
Two companies of Filtvelt Fusilers backed by the 3rd Heavy Armor Battalion and the 479th Remagen Foot Infantry with a Company of Fenrirs from the 3rd Bolan Jaegers began their perilous hunter-killer operation.
The Achernar Complex was vast and there were plenty of places for mechs to hide within and below. It had been reinforced during the Third Succession War and there were bound to be traps, turrets, and ambushes positioned everywhere.
“All forces move out, keep your eyes peeled.”
06/11/3063 Location – Avalon Hulk FCS Hanse Davion
Archon-Princess Katherine Steiner-Davion and Princess Yvonne walking in to the Strategic Communications Room of the FCS Hanse Davion. The “Press Room” as it come to be known did have a rather simple studio but it was the behind the scenes people that mattered. Multiple monitors showed a huge amount of information condensed into simpler chunks showing trends but individuals could look deeper if they wished at the massive data stores being collected and collated.
Some of the best LIC, LAAF, TRG, and TNGB Spin Doctors, SIGINT, and PSYOPS personnel were behind the scenes massaging facts, broadcasting to hijacked signals towers, flooding the airwaves with propaganda, and receiving intercepts or prisoner interrogations from groundside forces to transfer to the Command Teams aboard the Yggdrasil and Hanse Davion.
They had been flooding the airwaves with what happened to Yvonne at the hands of Bishop Sortek and the Guards were increasingly coming apart and refusing to fight. This was hopefully going to end soon as two weeks of fighting had dulled the Lyran Task Force and nearly annihilated half the Guards units. The Lyrans could resupply having seized the factories on Brunswick as well as many depots groundside, regular shipments from Earthworks of Tikonov or the supply depots that Defiance and Coventry set up kept Katherine’s forces running.
“Anything new Obersh?”
“MIIO found Jackson Davion alive and are extracting him. The Davion Light Guards have yielded to the Filtvelt Fusiliers and 2nd Royal Cavaliers, Colonel Marsin says he is quote ‘Going for a hat trick with the 4th’ whatever that means”
“Make sure to thoroughly debrief Jackson when he gets here and send my appreciation to Colonel Marsin and best of luck in Corbin.”
“Yes Maam”
Katherine sat behind a table nearby with a series of monitors on it. Yvonne sat besides her looking intently at them, having never actually seen inside the Fox’s Den or Lyran equivalent Asgard instead leaving that to Jackson Davion and Bishop Sortek a mistake she would not repeat.
“This is where the magic happens sister. All of this is the best operational picture available to anyone. I can see where all the forces are, what their resupply status is, how many drop-ships are on the ground, and from this terminal I can see which broadcasts were watched the most, the previews for the new ones, and most importantly what Bishop is doing and saying. He’s outclassed, it is only a matter of time until his Davion Assault Guards fold as well, and then he has run out of allies.”
“What will you do then Kat?”
“Execute him for Treason if he lives through the battle, only him though, I’ll pardon everyone else and they will have to undergo a debriefing. Some of them will still serve just in the militias and be put at the back of the line for supplies but many will be cashiered out and I won’t have to deal with them anymore, hopefully.
Same thing I did when I seceded the Lyran Alliance from the Federated Commonwealth, there were many vocal officers that didn’t think I would do a good job or were hurt that I broke up their project. I certainly never expected to be the head of a reformed one, I always though Arthur or Peter would.
Pity really, they wanted the job, I just got stuck holding the bag.”
“I think it is in good hands”
“Thank you Yvonne, I hope the citizens of the Federated Suns agree.”
INN News Report
The death of former Prince’s Champion Bishop Sortek and the surrender of his remaining rogue commands has seen the end of the three week long Battle for New Avalon. Yvonne Steiner-Davion abdicates her regency status and accepts the new mantle of Grand Duchess of the Periphery March. The Privy Council quickly ratifies that the title of Princess-Regent is now Katherine Steiner-Davion’s.
As the Ruler of both the Lyran Alliance and the Federated Commonwealth she through an act of the Estates General of Tharkad and Privy Council of New Avalon shall reverse with her first decree as Archon-Princess her first edict as Archon, Once again unifying the Lyran Alliance and Federated Commonwealth worlds under her rule. Holding the titles Archon-Princess-Regent of the Federated Commonwealth and Duchess of Tharkad and New Avalon until a new contender for the Archon-Princeship is ready to take the title. She will hold court on either New Avalon or Tharkad switching every year and empowering a representative to the other world to act in her stead.
The Lyran Task Force FALSE DAWN will begin to return to Lyran Space in two weeks where Dowager-Duchess Nondi Steiner holds court before her niece returns next year. As her second act the Archon-Princess has demanded that Duke James Sandoval of Robinson immediately withdraw his forces from the Draconis Combine and then step down in favor of his son Tancred Sandoval who will become the new Duke of Robinson.
06/22/3063 02:29 Location – Office of the Archon-Princess, Castle Davion, New Avalon
The now official Archon-Princess Katherine walked into the First Prince's Office after spending nearly the entire night attending the gala that celebrated her Coronation. She didn't have to wear the tacky sunvest as she was not really the First Prince and frankly abhorred the outfit. The room had not been occupied for some time but had been kept clean by the castle staff as a token of respect for the late Hanse Davion. His large court portrait adorning the wall opposite the window bathed in moonlight, Katherine stood before it, so many years had passed since she last was on New Avalon.
“Hello Father. I am sorry that I have been away such a long time. So many things have happened, but we will have plenty of time to catch up. I'm not going anywhere soon...and neither are you.
I promise to finish what you started.”
Archon-Princess Katherine Steiner-Davion, Decree #003, On the Fission of the Periphery March from the other Marches of the Federated Suns
The Periphery March shall encompass the regions known as the Woodbine, Filtvelt, June, Minette, Tsamma and Chirikof Operational Areas with the March Capital on Minette.
This new Periphery March shall be known as the Federation Outback and Grand Duchess Yvonne Melissa Steiner-Davion and heirs shall have it as their demesne in perpetuity. 10 Jaeger Pattern Units (LCT) and 3 Grenadier Pattern Units (HCT) shall be initially equipped for its defense drawing forces from the planetary militias and independent regiments operating in those areas with appropriate increases in funding for the Woodbine CTC, as well as the Kilbourne, Point Barrow, and Filtvelt Academies to train them.
06/24/3063 Location - First Prince's Office, Castle Davion, New Avalon
A man wearing a green dress uniform was shown past a series of LIC Diplomatic Guards each checking to ensure he was unarmed before allowing him closer to the newly coronated Archon-Princess Katherine. He was ruggedly handsome, a veteran of multiple military campaigns, and former NAMA Rugby, Wrestling, and Boxing Champ but to the LIC he was a liability due to being a known (to them but not many others) Warrior Cabalist. They had killed one First Prince before no reason to expect they might change.
Once inside the room he saw Katherine's gold shirt and ash blonde hair behind the rich wooden desk typing something into her computer terminal, a large and imposing portrait of Hanse Davion looking over her shoulder and right at him.
"Colonel Raymond Roger-Marsin of the Filtvelt Fusiliers reporting as ordered your Majesty"
"General Marsin please have a seat"
Momentarily confused he nevertheless did so taking a seat in one of the two chairs positioned in front of her desk facing her. "General?"
"You didn't get the memo?"
"No your Majesty."
"What about the one that said you would be made the Marquess of the June Theater? or that you would be the first active Grenadier unit commander?"
"I'm afraid I didn't."
She spun the computer screen around to his service record, right there in black and white, Brigadier General Raymond Rogers-Marsin, Marquess of June, Commander of the 2nd Outback Legion HCT. "You see I recognized you when I heard the name. We both shared classes at NAIS, I believe you even made a few passes at me. I never forget that."
"You certainly can't fault me for trying at the time. Why all this? it is a bit overwhelming to have so many new responsibilities thrust upon me."
"I trust you will manage them well. That is why I am giving them to you. You are a fine Warrior and I appreciate having men and women like you on my side."
Katherine pulled out two stars from her desk and passed them across the desk, "The paperwork will catch up of course. You are dismissed Marquess-General Marsin"