If your unit has IndustrialMechs, and Comstar wants to build a facility out there, I see a fun option:
Have the Comstar techs offer refit kits (and their techs) to convert the IndustrialMechs into DiggerMechs, MiningMechs, ConstructionMechs, etc. Instead of a back-end technician trying to keep the IndustrialMech together with duct tape/baling wire and using sheet steel for armor, you have skilled technicians who can do the critical work.
For the BattleMechs, Comstar is putting a bit of money out here, so it would be good to have a merc unit available to protect the site (and the Comstar personnel). They might have a few troops, but mostly ceremonial, and mainly around the Comstar facility and Comstar Dropship.
Remove a Flaw from the Mechs, have the refits done in less time, maybe even give a 'Made on Terra' repair kit to the chief tech (where if he misses a repair roll by 1, he can find an expendable item in the kit to give him a 1 pt bonus that one time).
If you ask nicely, they might even be willing to do some repairs on your Dropship too.
And every time they perform refits/repairs, ROM techs are making sure there is no data about the HPGs in their computers.
I like all those ideas. Maybe an overzealous ROM agent or two could make for some fun as they wipe memory cores that also controlled the air conditioning and shower water temps, food prep machines, ships sewage, etc.
Here is some info about the PCs.
The PCs are not part of a mercenary unit. They are members of a deep periphery noble family that has managed to claw its way out of the technological dark ages the fall of the star league and the succession wars created. The time frame is around 2990 ish. The family head is a Count who is beholding to a planetary Duke who is beholding to a Prince that rules over the five systems they call the Commonwealth.
During the SL, the Commonwealth included more than a dozen systems that were rich in resources and had stable populations. The Commonwealth had over 50 jumpships and 100s of dropships that allowed free trade and movement among the Commonwealth systems and the Inner Sphere. They are located at about the 6:30 position several jumps beyond the SL borders of the MOC.
Over the last 200+ years the Commonwealth fleet has shrunk to 2 jumpships and 5 dropships as a result of predations by pirates, power struggles within the Commonwealth and a lack of proper maintenance facilities and parts. This small fleet is owned and controlled solely by the Prince, who has no issue using it to control the lesser noble families.
200+ years ago, the PCs personal family fleet was 5 jumpships and 20 dropships, mostly cargo ships, including one Union, One leopard, one family yacht and a single Achilles they maintained as a system defense boat for their home system. During the 1st succession war two of their Jumpships and their Dropships and goods were commandeered by the Taurian Concordat while they were on trade missions. A third Jumpship and the Achilles were destroyed by a unit fleeing the Inner Sphere that tried to take over the planet. It was during this battle the they lost all of their remaining BattleMechs, most of their combat vehicles, 2/3 of their trained infantry and all but a handful of their industrial mechs.
The Count who was in charge of the family at this time was horrified at the lost of life and property. The Prince had not sent any help during the invasion, claiming his forces were occupied fighting elsewhere. From his own sources the Count knew this was a lie. So, he put a long term plan in motion to try and preserve what little they (the Family) had for the future. His report to the Prince was that everything was lost. Jumpships, dropships, mechs, vehicles, infantry, production capacities, crops, etc. He called upon the Prince to please provide humanitarian aide and support. He then dispatched the remaining fleet and military to secure, mothball and hide the remaining jumpships, dropships and supplies for a future when they could bring them out and use them. They also gathered items from other planets and hid them as well. Some things are still on the dropships and jumpships and some items are in bunkers. This took 4 years to complete. His plan was to bide his time until the fighting dies down and rebuild. Then when the time was right he would bring out the hidden equipment. Fate had a different plan.
Their were only six people who knew where everything was hidden. They were the Count and his five most trusted generals and advisors. 4 years after everything was hidden, all of them were killed during an annual meeting to discuss and plan for the next years growth and production. An assassin released a nerve gas into the ventilation system killing all 156 people in the building. When they died the location of the master index of what was hidden and where was lost.
Fast forward to today. 29 years ago the current Count was having some renovation work done in his private study. The same private study all counts had used for the last 300 years. Over the decades, new finishes had just been laid over the old. For this renovation everything was being stripped out to the original structure. A wall safe was found that had been covered over and hidden. The safe had one item in it. It was a memory storage device that used a DNA scan to access the information on it. The Count hooked it up to a computer and a message flashed on the screen that said, “Any attempt to access the information on this device without the correct DNA verification will result in the information being erased and the memory being reformatted.” The Counts family crest was displayed as well. He decided that since it was in the Counts safe his DNA should work so he stuck his finger in to the slot. There was a small pin prick for a blood sample and some blinking lights that one at a time all turned green, and he was in. What he found was astounding. It had the lists of everything that was hidden and where and the condition it was left in. He decided to focus on completing the plans set in place over 200 years ago.
Since that day he has been slowly building up the families assets and income because he knew this was going to lots of money. 2 years ago he hired a trader to take a crew to one of the jumpships so they could try and get it back on line. This was successful and they were able to verify that everything was right where it had been left. Once that was complete the jumpship was sent to survey the planets that used to be part of the Commonwealth to see if they were still inhabited and what was left that they could put to good use. To keep it a secret, rumors were started that the jumpship had a misjump and was lost. In the meantime the PCs captured the scouts notebook, and it had enough information in it for them to figure out the location of the base they are at now.
The one thing they lack are BattleMechs. When the scouts private journal was found with pictures of the base and Mechs, they shifted all focus on recovering them. They brought some supplies with them and lots of technicians along with a tank crews and infantry.
Back home they do have industrial mechs. Lots of them. The noble family that they are a part of has continent spanning logging, mining, fishing and farming concerns that all use industrial mechs. The PCs got their training at the factory that built their logger mechs. For their technical training they were part of the team that assembled the mechs at the factory. They learned mech piloting as a part of the team that put new industrial mechs through their trials and tests after construction. They basically worked and trained at the factory for a little over a year learning how all the different types of industrial mechs were put together and how to operate them.
Some of the industrial mechs have been militarized. But they can’t do too much without attracting the wrong type of attention.
It is hoped that the BattleMechs will give them the upper hand dealing with the other noble families in the Commonwealth and force the Prince to stop, or at least slow down, his political games pitting the other houses against them. To maintain power the Prince will pit the lesser houses against each other with political pressure and espionage so none of them can ever become large enough to challenge him.
The Count has been successfully building the families’ fortunes and power over the last 25 years and this is making the Prince and several of the other noble houses nervous. Knowing he would be unable to completely hide the fact that they were making a journey off planet to retrieve something of value the Count decided to control the situation with strategically released lies and truths about the mission. Just enough to get rumors started and allow him to fan the flames so he could be ready. He was even able to pit a few of the minor noble families against each other, which has caused no end of frustration for the Prince as he deals with them pleading their cases to him and demanding he take action. He planted a rumor in the Prince’s palace that the rumors are all lies to cover the fact that there is no mission and it is just political maneuvering to get some of the more aggressive houses to fight each other.
Long story short, no matter what each group believes to be the truth they all have solid evidence that they are right and everyone else is wrong. The whole time the Count has met all inquires with very firm claims that they are all rumors and his house could never consider mounting such a mission because it would bankrupt them to even try. He has even made overt attempts to try and find out who has been propagating such lies against him and his house. Demanding they come forward and explain themselves.
This all culminated in the “covert” purchase of a Mule class dropship by the Count. Shortly after that Mule was “purchased”, someone “not associated” with the Count or his house in any way started making inquiries at the space port so they would be notified of the next free traders arrival so they could book passage on the jumpship, preferably one able to carry a privately owned ship. A significant finders fee was offered to the local port authority administrator for this service.
The Mule was a wreck. It should have been scrapped a long time ago. It had been so long since it had seen a shipyard or proper maintenance it barely had enough power to land and the engines leaked radiation, ran hot and consumed fuel at three times the regular rate. Rust streaked it sides and entire sections could not be pressurized. The crew landed it wearing vacuum suits because the life support was glitchy and could vent the air to space without warning. All weapons had been stripped from it a long time ago and most of the armor was gone or damaged. The Count had actually purchased it for scrap over a year earlier from a free trader and it had been hidden on a moon until it was needed.
When all was ready, the rumor about the ships purchase and the reason for it was leaked shortly after a free trader left the system so they could say it was a recent purchase.
The Mule was landed at the Family castle complex. Scaffolds and gantries were erected around and over it. It was patched up and painted with the family crest and a few weapons were replaced. Lots of crates of supplies could be seen to be loaded and everything about the ship was of the utmost secrecy.
In the meantime a hidden shuttle was being prepped to take the PCs to the waiting jumpship. Every spy in the system was looking for them because it had been emphatically denied that they were being placed in charge of the mission even before they knew they were a part of the mission or that the mission even existed. During all of this they had been scouting and mapping new forests on the other end of the continent for future logging endeavors.
When all was in place the PCs were recalled from their mission. When they returned home they were escorted to see the Count. They were taken past the Mule in route to the count. The escort making sure they were seen by at least two known spies pointing and talking about the Mule. The Count briefed them on what was going on, sort of. They were told they would be part of the mission to recover some equipment and were shown the pictures retrieved from the journal and that they were to be on board the Mule at 0800 the next day for a 0900 departure.
When they were heading to there rooms the attack began. They were intercepted by a messenger and were taken via underground passages to the waiting shuttle and they left under cover of the battle taking place in the castle complex.
Now they are scrambling to get the Mechs fixed and get back home. They have the Buccaneer dropship they came in and they found two Confederate dropships. They believe they can get one of the Confederates operational in time to take it with them.
Or course there is an HPG off to one side of the base that nobody has even bothered to look at because it has no value.
