Author Topic: Cavalli’s Cavaliere  (Read 82297 times)

Deadborder

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #390 on: 30 January 2018, 19:26:05 »
Go the Boozefighters. I guess.
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



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Nav_Alpha

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #391 on: 30 January 2018, 20:07:49 »
Go the Boozefighters. I guess.


If you can't beat 'em...


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #392 on: 11 February 2018, 17:25:06 »
So, this is it. The final big push. OPERATION SCOUR (although we’re not to say that name or write it down under pain of death!) is a go.
Two months of organising, training, running through drills and buying ammo and equipment and it’s finally time.

We’re assigned to the Free Worlds League axis of the attack, attached as a floating element. At the moment we’re designated Pioneer Battalion, assigned to Group III. That means we’re a mobile reserve and get plugged into holes, funnelled into the fighting where it’s thickest and generally get set to the trouble spots.
We’ve worked with Clanners before on Donegal and Skye, but Santin West And his Nova Cats are different. For one, they’re a lot more easy going than those frigging Wolves. Some are downright Blakist in their mystical garbage and prayer, but most are pretty normal. An alarming number of them seem to be good at poker or Blackjack too...

West is... well, let’s say I’m pretty glad to have him next to me when we hit the Protectorate. He’s good people and won’t bullshit you. That’s going to mean a lot in the coming months I think.
- Felix Cavalli

The Shortland Wetlands will be re-opened to the public this weekend, more than a decade after Acuben’s most famous ecosystems was rendered a no go zone by the devastating fighting during the Jihad.

Large quantities of unexploded ordnance, high levels of deadly chemicals and damaged infrastructure left the area, located 82km northwest of the planetary capital, off limits until now.

In January 3077, elements of the Word of Blake used the wetlands as a battlefield, seeking to hinder Devlin Stone’s Coalition in its bogs, sunken roadways and rough terrain.
Twelve days of combat devastated the fragile ecosystem.

Since 3081, when the Republic Department of Civil Conservation awarded a 9 million Stone grant to Acubens Federal Department of Parks and Recreation, staff have worked tirelessly to restore the the wetlands. Last month a Acubens Republic Standing Guard team gave the 500 hectare area the final clearance, declaring it safe.

The Shortlands Wetlands is seasonally saturated with water and home to 15 separate types of bird life, dozens of varieties of frogs and the primary ecosystem that supports the endangered Bua Superlamprey. But the effect of the Jihad left all of these animals struggling to survive or forced to migrate. The White Warbling Ibis has become the butt of a joke for urban Acubens residents in recent years, often derided as the “Acubens Bin Chicken” for its scavenging behaviour. In fact, this majestic bird has been forced into the urban areas because of the near total destruction of its wetland habitats.

Acubens World Government is proud to invite you to the offical re-opening of the Shortland Wetlands to the public!

- Acubens Federal Parks and Recreation Department press release, October 3089.


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

Deadborder

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #393 on: 11 February 2018, 21:57:11 »
Wont somebody please think of the Bin Chickens!
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



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

snakespinner

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #394 on: 12 February 2018, 00:15:52 »
Bin chickens, where's my shotgun.
I wish I could get a good grip on reality, then I would choke it.
Growing old is inevitable,
Growing up is optional.
Watching TrueToaster create evil genius, priceless...everything else is just sub-par.

Nav_Alpha

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #395 on: 12 February 2018, 02:52:41 »
Guys, they’re an endangered critter made homeless by war...


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #396 on: 12 February 2018, 14:57:31 »
Guys, they’re an endangered critter made homeless by war...
but for the real question are they tasty 8)
"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!"

truetanker

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #397 on: 12 February 2018, 15:42:48 »
Grilled, Fried or Baked?

Sweet and Smoky Bar-B-Que or Honey Mustard'ed Wing style?

TT  ;)
Khan, Clan Iron Dolphin
Azeroth Pocketverse
That is, if true tanker doesn't beat me to it. He makes truly evil units.Col.Hengist on 31 May 2013
TT, we know you are the master of nasty  O0 ~ Fletch on 22 June 2013
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snakespinner

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #398 on: 13 February 2018, 00:20:32 »
A homeless creature, definitely smokey Bar-B-Q then. >:D
I wish I could get a good grip on reality, then I would choke it.
Growing old is inevitable,
Growing up is optional.
Watching TrueToaster create evil genius, priceless...everything else is just sub-par.

Nav_Alpha

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #399 on: 19 February 2018, 22:34:05 »
“Just keep shooting until they’re all dead.”
- Felix Cavalli

"It was hell, sheer bloody hell"
- Corporal Gustav Meils, 20th Marik Militia

The Coalition attack on Acubens - effectively the opening shot of Operation Scour - set the tone for the rest of the campaign.
Determined Blakist defenders, difficult terrain and poor coordination between the various allied forces saw the battle for Acubens stretch out for 21 days, despite initial estimations fighting would be over in a week.

Led by Clan Nova Cat Khan Santin West, Group III were able to re-position and assist Alys Rousett-Marik's besieged forces on Wasat in mid-February, but historians point out that had West been able to better coordinate FWL and ComGuard elements on Acubens, his assistance would have landed a lot earlier.
 
As it was, many ComGuard members - mostly veterans of the Clan front -  flat out refused to work with the Nova Cat troops, while Marik troops carried on in a childish fashion, put out by being regulated to a reserve role.

Several hours before Coalition forces broke atmosphere, pro-FWL partisans and Eagle Corps special forces operators loyal to Roussett-Marik struck, tying up Blakist troops across the planet.
Next, Nova Cat drop hot dropped on key positions - bridges, radar sites, headquarters and defensive positions, relieving the SF teams and effectively forming a blanket leading towards the planetary capital.
 
ComGuards landed on the far right flank and the Word of Blake Protectorate Militia quickly found themselves squeezed on two sides and cut off from the capital after four days of fierce fighting.

At this point, the momentum stalled as ComGuard and Clan troops were forced to work closely together as the Protectorate Militia fell back into the Shortland Wetlands, a swampy area around the capital.
Instead of one final push, the conflict bogged down into 12 days of bitter fighting.
The final push came in the form of a multi-battalion parachute drop by the 20th Marik Militia, supported by a frontal assault by mercenaries.

- The Jihad: A Review, New Earth Press Ltd 3088


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #400 on: 21 February 2018, 02:39:14 »
When we breached I just assumed we had come up too early. There should be a beach, not more water.
Turns out the Word had flooded half the wetlands, turning what land there was left into artificial lakes they could channel us into.
Either way, they expected us to keeping pushing up the thin finger of dry land...  not pop up behind them.
As soon as we breached we were into it - I was going toe to toe with a King Crab in hip deep water.

I sent one lance and most of our infantry, being carried by their hover APCs, around the flank to try and reach the Marik forces hammering away.
The rest of us just keep pushing up out of the water into the teeth of the Robes.
It was messy. One of the Gustavs bought it when his Retrotech Rook went up - poor bastard tried to eject but sort of splattered himself in the way out.
Turns out Retro ejection seats are... interesting.

We also lost two Saxons and a Savannah Master - no survivors after they got hulled and sunk fast. All of the vehicles were recovered though.

Officially, Khan West has declared the invasion over - but we are still out here. Patrolling and hunting for any left over Blakists, while the 20th Marik tries to keep order in the capital.
The rest of the invasion force is heading off world to help the Duchess.

- Felix Cavalli

So, that was a big game. With almost no land go play with, hat scenario had some interesting challenges.
I’m not 100 per cent sure where to next - the Cavaliere are a part of the Marik front, and I figured they’ll take part in the attack on Marcus next. But I’m still undecided.
Meanwhile, their “counter” unit - Barton’s Boozefighters are part of the Blakist counter attack that retakes Marcus for the Word.


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #401 on: 25 February 2018, 18:19:13 »
Zulu Base, New Foundland
New Halloran V
February 12


The shooting stars spat fitfully across the night sly like diamond gaming pieces hurled over black felt by a petulant hand.
But Gideon Larsen knew they were no throw pieces - each was a multi tonne, million C-Bill piece of technology sent tumbling down into atmosphere.
Some with human pilots - screaming, desperately trying to escape their metal coffins - while others were computer driven with no concept of life. Or death.

A day earlier the Capellan invasion fleet has jumped into the system, only to be beset by the Word's newest marvel - a fully functional Space Defence System of the like no one had seen since the Star League.
Beside Larsen, Frank Duggan took another deep swig of the bottle and handed it over.
Duggan's hawklike profile was illuminated for a second as the night sky lit up with a series of distant explosions.

"Don't know if I like machines stealing all my kills," the Mercenary commander said.

Larsen threw back his own slug of whiskey. "Bet you don't tell the Manei Domini that."

Without warning, Duggan turned on his subordinate and snatched the bottle from his lips.
"Don't even joke about that. Ever Larsen. Ever."
A mad light gleamed in his eyes for a second as Duggan stared at him before turning away.

Above them another shooting star was plunging towards earth with a trail of red.

"There's more at play than you know." Taking the bottle back, Duggan nodded out towards the snowy parade ground before them.
"Best get to work. You know the drill."

Larsen zipped his heavy field jacket up and stood. Without regular nips from the bottle he was suddenly starting to feel the cold.
"Bloody them, hold them, fall back. Do it all again until St. Jamias sends,us support, yeah I know."
He trudged off into the darkness, leaving his commander hunched over swigging from the bottle.


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #402 on: 26 February 2018, 17:54:50 »
Crump, crump, crump!

The freight train scream of artillery got closer and closer until Frank Duggan was forced to dampen his external pick ups.
A second later there was a geyser of snow, dirt and flames as a round hit to his front, peppering his armour with small hunks of shrapnel.

“All Bandit elements, start falling back,” he barked, before heaving his MAD-9W Marauder out of the snow drift. It had been years since he’d piloted  Mech newer than 50 odd years and he was still getting used to the smell of... clean in the new Marauder.

Standing up right with no obstruction he could now see the Cappies moving towards him. Four fast moving metal figures painted in shades of white and grey to match the arctic landscape.
“Bandits, I make one lance in bound,” he said.
"Remember the drill - hit 'me and fall back, all Bandits get to-"

The comm suddenly dissolved in a surf roar of static that set the merc's teeth on edge.
"Anyone hear me? This is Bandit Lead-"
Nothing.

Toggling a control Duggan zoomed in on the four figures racing towards him "Men Shen, Vindicator... Raven"
Stomping hard on the studs set on either side of his pedals, Duggan threw the Marauder skywards on flaming steaks of plasma.
The improved jumpjets could propel the big machine 150 metres at a time and the warrior took full advantage of that.

Coming down with a crash, he dropped into a low crouch and spun towards the Capellan Mechs. The Men Shen with its hunched over profile was close enough for Duggan to make out the knight in armour symbol of McCarron's Armoured Cavalry displayed on its torso - but it was the Raven he was hunting.
Further ahead, the bird-like Mech was almost strutting toward, its clawed feet kicking up sprays of ice and snow.
Two bolts of pure energy spat from the Marauder's arms and he followed it up with a burst of PPC fire that slagged off armour with barely a kiss. The two lasers tore into the Raven's arm, carrying off more armour and sending the lighter machine stumbling backwards.

Leaping again, Duggan threw the Marauder back into the sky as return fire streamed back.
The jumping Marauder rocked and bucked as missiles peppered its legs and feet and his hands had to grip the control sticks and fight for control as a laser caught him full in the face.

The Raven had desperately tried to fall back but quickly found itself struggling on the icy slope. It stood little chance when 75t of metal dropped directly on it.



"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #403 on: 28 February 2018, 20:36:55 »
So, I ran our arch-rivals the Boozefighters through the orbital "Death by a Thousand Cuts" Total Chaos track and then a ground track. And they did surprisingly well - Word naval forces, using the SDS destroyed a great deal of attacking Capellan forces - even if I'm still a bit unsure what I'm doing when it comes to space battles.

In the subsequent Assault track a company of Boozefighters backed a mixed Protectorate Militia company against twice that level of McCarron's Armoured Cav and Lockhhardt's Ironsides and kicked the Cappies square in the teeth.

Historically, the Word's 48th Shadow Division arrives shortly afterwards and the fight continues until August when the Word finally pulls out. I want the Boozefighters to be part of the counter-attack on Marcus in July, so i'm saying they're pulled off the line in April/May and sent to rest and repair.

Meanwhile, back with the Cavaliere:


May 19, 3077
Outskirts of Charity Heights,
Talitha


It's a darkened briefing room - a holo projection of a planet, done in muted browns, greens and blues dominates the room.
The figure at the lectern is hulking - well into his 60s, his dark hair is still inky black, if now totally receded from the
crown of his skull and he wears a full dress Lyran uniform - hung with enough medals to form an armoured vest.
"Khan Kerensky, General Kenan - your assessments on Colonel Brahe's plan?"

The tiered seats surrounding the holo display are about half full. In the front row a tall, copper skinned man dressed in a simple grey jumpsuit reclines like he's taking in the matinee at the holo theatre. His dark blonde hair is cut short and a beard fills out his jaw.
Beside him a younger woman in the FedSuns' white and gold shifts uncomfortably. Her blonde hair is pulled back severely and she seems nervous.
"Is it not better if the man who'll command the recon speaks first, Quaff?" the Khan asks, peering at the darkened ceiling.

There's some polite coughing from the audience and nervous shifting. The woman in the Suns uniform is now extremely uncomfortable and does her best to shift as far as she can from her companion.

Lieutenant General Paul Zardetto nods, smoothing a large hand over his balding pate before nodding to the audience.

Two figures emerge - one is obviously well into his 70s but moves with graceful purpose. His silver-streaked black hair is plated and reaches almost to his hips. He's clad in a simple black kimono.
The other figure is a full head and a half shorter and stocky to his companion's leanness.
The shorter man wears a slate grey uniform and has an obvious limp. Even in the dim light his left hand is obviously fake, the chrome gleaming.

"Thankyou General, Khan," the tall man nods.
"I've brought Colonel Cavalli with me, because this plan is as much his as it is mine."
Taking the holoputer's remote he begins.

Talk about a massive honour - the Kell Hounds thought enough of us while working with us on Van Diemen IV they've asked for the Cavaliere to back them up again.
This time, the target is Marcus - and we're going in ahead of the main invasion force to scout out the defences and generally raise some hell.
ComStar has been providing support and equipment to a small resistance force on-world and they've managed to smuggle out some limited intel to the Coalition, but for the most part we're going in blind.
Group IV wants to hit the planet by mid July, which doesn't give us a huge amount of time.
Elements of the Kell Hounds' 1st Regiment, plus our 1st Company will drop in, hit our targets and then get out to funnel the intel back to the Coalition.
- Felix Cavalli

GAME SETUP
Use a mix of Forest, Clear, and Hills terrain (see p. 263, TW).
The Defender chooses their home edge first; the Attacker’s home edge is the opposite. Place 3D6 Light Level 1 buildings
(CF 10) across the battlefield; each building should be at least 2 hexes from another. The Defender rolls 1D6 and secretly assigns that number of buildings (and location) to house weapons and ammunition.
Use a mix of Forest, Clear, and Hills terrain (see p. 263, TW).
The Defender chooses their home edge first; the Attacker’s home edge is the opposite. Place 3D6 Light Level 1 buildings
(CF 10) across the battlefield; each building should be at least 2

Defender

The Defender consists of the Marcus Protectorate Militia.
The Militia has Regular skills, equals 125% of the Attacker’s total deployed force, and uses any Militia RAT. The Defender may deploy up to 25% of its total force as Hidden Units (see p. 259, TW)
prior to the start of the track.

WARCHEST
Track Cost: 500
Options
+250 Traps: One-third of the buildings are trapped. When a unit comes in contact with the building or its rubble, they explode to inflict 20 damage in the building’s hex and 10 damage in all adjacent hexes.


+500 Overwhelmed:
The Defender has additional reinforcements
from the Marcus PM enter via Attacker’s home edge during the Movement Phase of Turn 6. They are 100% of the Attacker’s total deployed force and have Green skills.
hexes from another. The Defender rolls 1D6 and secretly assigns that number of buildings (and location) to house weapons and ammunition.
« Last Edit: 05 March 2018, 05:38:29 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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #404 on: 04 March 2018, 17:34:53 »
REPUBLIC WORLD FACTS (A primer for 1st year cartography students, Terra Firma Educational Press)

Marcus is a hostile world with an oppressive atmosphere and  mountains squashed into mere rolling hills by the heavy planetary pressure.
Settled in the early years of the Terran Hegemony to exploit the abundant radioactive materials, Marcus eventually hosted Orguss Industries which was later destroyed by nuclear strike in 2837.
The capital city of Zotikos stands on the northern continent of Montezumia, and is host to the planet’s primary spaceport.


WOULD YOU LIKE MORE WORLD FACTS? Subscribe NOW to our exclusive LINKNet advanced learning package - only 99 Stones.



FAST FACT:

Due to it abundance of uranium and other metals, Marcus was repeatedly targeted by Lyran and Marik raiders during the so-called Succession Wars.
After centuries of raids and damage, the planet's economy was in serious decline and Marcus' future looked bleak. This led to a cult that encouraged suicide as a way of reaching "Culmination". The cult was short lived as its members eventually killed themselves, however it enjoyed a resurgence during the years of the Jihad and Blakist occupation.
Once again facing grim times, several thousand flocked to the new Way of Arme cult, under the teachings of "Grand Master" Georgio Baltas.
The Blakists cracked down on the cult - wrongly fearing it was plotting an attack - and destroyed the main temple in 3075. Several hundred cultists were also rounded up and imprisoned.

Excerpt from dissertation presented by political science major Angela Kordela, University of Zotikos, October 3087

While the Blakist overlords caused significant damage - with the latest Republic figures estimating somewhere between 350,000 and 460,000 causalities during the occupation - it's the scars of the civil war that raged on Marcus during that time that still haunts our planet.
More than half of the casualties, disappearances or wounding during the occupation can be attributed to ongoing conflict between residents of Marcus.

The origins of that conflict reach back to 3074 with the rise of the Marcus Peoples Army (MPA), a small insurgency mainly working out of the Athenian Highlands, who began a campaign of terror against the Word of Blake. Modelled along neo-communist lines, the MPA drew heavily from Marcus' working classes and enjoyed several minor successes against the Protectorate Militia.
Under-equipped the MPA did little however to actually lift the Blakist yoke and if anything, triggered increasingly harsher crackdowns from the Word.
By late 3075, another insurgency rose up - this time with funding and backing from Alys Rousset-Marik's FWL Resistance.
Clandestinely equipped with tanks, armoured vehicles and heavy infantry equipment the Free Marcus Volunteers enjoyed better odds against the Protectorate Militia.

Both elements refused to cooperate - and in numerous cases, actually fought among themselves, leading to great destruction and loss of life - until mid-3077 when ComGuard units arrived on world to warn of an upcoming invasion.
In June, mercenary elements employed by Devlin Stone's Coalition arrived as part of a recon raid and after running into heavier than expected opposition were forced to deal with the MPA.
The Coalition forces later reached out to FMV, triggering a planet-wide uprising to coincide with the Coalition's main attack.

But that unity soon fell apart in the wake of a determined Blakist counterattack and the perceived "abandonment" by the Coalition. During the second occupation, both insurgencies further splintered, with the various factions fighting each other and the Blakist occupiers.
Eventually liberated (again) the various Marcus insurgencies refused to come quietly - and in several cases were forcibly disarmed and even destroyed by the new Republic of the Sphere.
The Republic refused to deal with the MPA - labelling it a terrorist organisation after several minor clashes and instead turned to former government minister Napoleon Gillis to mediate a truce and eventual transition with the FMV. The MPA was hunted until the mid 3080s, at which point the planetary government offered far reach amnesty to most of its members.

- the above dissertation was removed from the university record by authorities in December 3087 and the author detained for questioning. She remains in SIS custody as of 3090.


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #405 on: 15 March 2018, 02:26:54 »
VOICE ONE [Female, no accent, English speaker]: "Tin Cannon Six, we are lifting - say again we're lifting, you need to get on board or -"

STATIC

VOICE TWO [Clipped, obvious German accent, with a rather haughty tone suggesting upper class Lyran]: Hobart, you need to hold. The Colonel and 1st company are still stuck out there, we need to wait for them. Over.

STATIC

There's a series of distant explosions and then a long burst of near contiguous, closer blasts.

VOICE ONE: We are taking fire, Tin Cannon - say again, Hobart is taking fire! Over!

VOICE TWO: Roger, we are - STATIC

VOICE THREE [There's a hint of an Italian accent, long suppressed]: Tin Cannon, this is Sabre. Get to the extraction site. Hobart, get them on board and boost for orbit. Over

VOICE TWO: But Sabre - Colonel, you're surrounded.

VOICE THREE: Peder, get the hello out. There's nothing you can do. Just come back for us, y'hear?

- Marcus Protectorate Militia radio intercept, outside Kalamark June 13, 3077.


So, this didn't exactly go to plan...
We hit the ground running - I took 1st Company, plus Barret's Mauler Lance and we rolled out. The Kell Hounds had committed a full battalion - two companies rolled out and made a feint at the capital, while one investigated an outlying installation.
Hammarskjold's 2nd company held the perimeter around our droppers while I took 1st company in to back the Hounds.
And I can see why Colonel Brahe went after it - a dozen or so buildings set out on the edge of the forest, surrounded by wire - turned out, it had about a company of Militia hiding in there and enough equipment stockpiled away to maintain a battalion.

We blew the hell out of it and pushed deeper to investigate a couple of similar sites. By that night, we were all taking casualties and meeting gradually increasing resistance. Colonel Brahe made the call to fall back, but we got stuck in around a town called Delphos - we had to hold the line while the Hounds made pick up on two of their ejected pilots.
Unfortunately, that left us hanging in the breeze - i don't blame Brahe or the Hounds, I'd have made the same call.
But they had to leave us.

We lost two Mechs and a pilot.  Gustav Henrig, one of our New Hessn hires bought it.
But we managed to throw off pursuit and pull back into the rocky highlands. Now, I guess we just wait for Group IV to finally come and invade this damn rock.
Felix Cavalli


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #406 on: 15 March 2018, 03:04:24 »
Camera zooms in on a beautiful, dusky skinned woman in a plunging peach coloured gown on stage at a glass podium. Her inky hair is a fantastic collection of tiny ringlets and she offers the audience a beaming smile.

Host: Welcome back to the Marcus of the Year Awards, where our planet recognises our greatest thinkers, artists, philanthropists and givers. Now, we turn to a darker chapter in Marcus' history - the Word of Blake Jihad.
And while it's a grim time, it does however, allow us to shine a light on the extreme bravery shown by Marcus citizens.

The camera spins over the audience to zoom in on a lean man with dark hair slicked back and a scar running from the right edge of his forehead down to his jawline. He's wearing a tuxedo - black and set off by the flared shoulders, turned up cuffs and velvet cravat that is the fashion in the early 3090s - and looks very uncomfortable.
The camera zooms back to the host.

Host: Nikos van Olsen fought bravely throughout the Blakist occupation of our world. In mid-3077, he worked extensively with a Coalition mercenary unit that found itself deep behind enemy lines, ahead of the initial effort to oust the Word.
For two weeks, his freedom fighters carried out near constant attacks, alongside Cavalli’s Cavaliere as they kept the Word off balance ahead of the Coalition invasion.

Of course, our very special guest is Major (retired) Raul Abiradda, the younger brother of Republic Armed Forces Commanding General Abiradda - who is in the audience tonight. Major Abiradda, is now well known as a best selling author and poet across the Republic and is now a professor of moral philosophy at the University of Technology, Sydney on Terra.
But he's also a veteran of the Word of Blake and served as a Mechwarrior with the 20th Marik Militia, before the Word counter attacked Marcus in mid-3077.
Major Abiradda spent close to two years working tirelessly with the Marcus resistance, carrying out numerous acts of sabotage and against the Word of -

- partial transcript of the Marcus of the Year Awards, 3092, Marcus


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #407 on: 18 March 2018, 17:37:25 »
Calling this place mad is the understatement of the century. Two seperate rebel groups (and a host of smaller, minor ones) fighting the Word and flat out refusing to cooperate.
After we got left behind, we led the Blakists on a merry chase through the badlands until we linked up with something called the Marcus Peoples Army, which had several platoons of infantry and some vehicles set up an ambush for the Word.
Seems we met the local cell under a guy called van Olsen.
Only later do we hear the rest of the MPA are taking a vote on if they should seize our equipment for their own use. We made contact with another group, called the Marcus Volunteers who only wanted to tell us how evil the MPA are.
This planet is mad. But it doesn't matter - we got the signal. Wolves, Lyrans and Feddies are burning in very shortly and we can get the hell off this rock!
- Joe Paige

Voice one: And then, out of no where they came in all guns blazing!

Voice two: please stick to the facts, Sergeant.

Voice one: Right. Well, I've been on Marcus four years and I've seen plenty of action against the rebels - beat up trucks with guns mounted on the back, ragged infantry with no shoes and taped together AX-22s. But never Mechs like this, no wonder you trashed our position so quickly.

Voice two: Sergeant, start from the top. What was your unit doing on the Deplhi Flatlands.

Voice one: sure. Well, those Lyrans had dropped right into the capital and were clobbering the PM. I'm actually glad we got sent out here and missed that bunfight.
Our company got sent out last week to help one of the Security Battalions -

Voice two: explain the security battalions.

Voice one: oh, right. Local troops, organised along paramilitary lines aimed at combating the insurgents. Honestly, they were brutal and good at kicking in doors and burning down villages. But in a stand up fight they sucked.

Voice two: hmm, go on.

Voice one: so, there's a new crop of insurgent problems, so we roll out with the security boys.
A day after you people arrived we get news of a big insurgent column moving to help, so, we saddled up.

Voice two: and this is when you ran into the Mechs?

Voice one: yep, that insurgent column was just a ruse - a whole damn Mech company, led by a big battered Marauder II came burning down on us. My Lineholder lasted about 15 seconds and I ended up here.

- interrogation log, 888&12-001DELTA


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #408 on: 18 March 2018, 17:48:10 »
So, they didn’t kill us and take our equipment. That’s always a good start.
After hours of arguing if they were going to even side with the approaching Coalition, the rebel band decided it was in their best interest.

We lured the local Militia in with a big push from our rebel friends and then stomped on their flank. As this happened we got word the Coalition had hit the deck and we moved to link up. Meanwhile, the rebels had mobilised the whole countryside - police and militia barracks were shot up, local Blakist officials were lynched, it was chaos - and it kept the Wobbies busy and off balance.

We - at the head of a probably regiment sized column of rebel armour and infantry - pushed on, fighting a series of minor actions against the Word.
Around Harney we started to run into trouble and had our arses saved by a Wolf in Exile cluster. Never thought I’d be happy to see Clan fighters zooming in on my position!

After that, it was mostly mopping up. Mostly just Protectorate Militia holdouts who were quick to surrender. There's always some fanatics though.
The real problem is the locals - every insurgent group seems to be settling old scores or just generally taking out their rage on those less fortunate.
It's a mess.
There's talk of keeping troops here - maybe some of the Leaguers. I'm just hoping we don't get left here.
- Joe Paige


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #409 on: 24 March 2018, 21:10:55 »
Visual record: XCOM-64NINER-TANGO

Camera zooms in on a column of squat, ugly armoured vehicles and trucks. The six wheeled AFVs mount light autocannons in open turrets, the gunner protected by a flimsy blast shield.
The trucks are packed with soldiers.

As the column approaches a huddle of dilapidated, ramshackle buildings that have been scarred and notched by bullets, a dozen or so people begin moving towards the column.
They're ragged and dirty - most are women and children - but several are men in torn and muddied clothing - and start to clamber up on the trucks. Others stand back and wave or cheer.

As the crowd approaches the column, several troopers reach over the side and start handing down ration packs and supplies, one kid clambers up atop one of the vehicles and the gunner in her hatch briefly reaches down to ruffle his hair.
One of the men, his skin is caked with mud and blood and his clothing is torn and ragged, reaches up towards the side of one of the trucks as if reaching for offered food. Instead he palms a blunt, black egg from his sleeve and drops it over the side with a clatter.

There's a scream from inside the truck. "Grenade! Grenade!"
Men in uniform start scrambling in the truck - but it's too late. There's a flat crack and flame and smoke blow the sides off the compartment.

Footage ends

God, I hate this place. I'm so glad we are lifting in two days.
Ever since we "won" here on Marcus, the chaos has got worse - two rebel armies fighting each other, still hunting down and settling old scores, Blakist fanatics and holdouts and a sullen population who don't know who to trust.
We heading back to Talitha for a brief R&R before the nets offensive.
Thank Christ we are not being left here as the occupation force - a 20th Marik Militia battalion, and a battalion each of their infantry and armour.
Good luck you poor bastards.

- Taighe Barrett


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

Deadborder

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #410 on: 24 March 2018, 21:37:54 »
This place just keeps getting better, doesn't it?
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



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Nav_Alpha

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #411 on: 24 March 2018, 21:54:06 »
This place just keeps getting better, doesn't it?

Well, it’s only another week or two until the Word counter attacks. So... yeah..
Welcome to Marcus. Stay for the... well, actually nothing. You stay ‘cuz You’re dead.


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #412 on: 05 April 2018, 05:14:43 »
From the campaign journal of  Lt Colonel Cameron Clarkson, XO 20th Marik Militia

August 5
No doubt about it, Marcus is a mess - no one else wanted this job. But it's a great show of faith that the Colonel gave it to me. Now I've just got to pacify a planet, disarm two rebel groups and defend it against the still active Blakist insurgency until the garrison forces arrive.

August 6
Not a good day. One of my patrols took fire while running a checkpoint out in the Massa-El hills. Real bandit country out there. One of the rebel groups used to be holed up in the hills during the Word occupation and I had my boys searching for caches of weapons and supplies and checking the waves of refuges coming in towards the capital for any insurgents.
Well, they found them. Two dead, three wounded after someone opened up on the check point and then suckered a squad into an ambush.
We scoured the hill but we just don't have the manpower.
One Napoleon Gillis  took up the rest of my day. He's the former interior minister  der the Word overlords but turned on them when he saw the writing on the wall.
But the bastard does have a sizeable personal army of "security troops". We disarmed them and confined them to barracks but he keeps pushing their worth I'm securing h the planet.
I can smell his ambition a mile away,

August 8
We picked up something odd on the deep space scanners. I'm hoping it's our relief come early. Something tells me no.
Like we don't have enough trouble.
I've had Abiradda out all morning trying to maintain order as riots flare up. Sanitation workers are striking, they have been joined by students - now the whole capital stinks and it's chaos.
Gillis keeps calling demanding I let his people restore order - if it keeps going, I'm going to have to let that toad loose on the city.

Later:
What a disaster. Blakists - well mostly mercs - hotdropped directly on us. 1st company and our Armoured elements took the brunt of it and the rest of us were lucky to escape at all.
With our heaviest troops pinned around the space port (I got one last report at 0330 from Captain Xanders, he was out of ammo and they were just waiting for the end) I pulled 2nd company, some tanks and our infantry back to a fall back position in the industrial zone - but those damn raiders were all over us and kept cutting away.
We left the city in ruins - God knows what the civilian casualties were like - these bastards would use infernos and artillery on whole city blocks just to flush out a retreating Mech.

I've gathered our few remnants on the city edge. Hell, the only reason we got out was because the raiders started fighting each other.

August 9
Before we abandoned the capital, I gave Gillis and his troops their weapons back. I figured he could buy us a little time.
He didn't - he took his equipment, gathered his troops and fled in the opposite direction.
We got Intel that these raiders have started fighting each other - disputes over salvage and rights to the city.
Charming.
But it did give us the opportunity to fall back and rearm.

August 10
We have IDs on the Stealthy Tigers, Barton's Boozefighters and The Furies on world - along with some odds and sods. They've encircled us and now seem to be getting ready for their final push.

- Lt Colonel Cameron Clarkson was killed on August 11 when his Perseus was downed by massed fire. With that the 20th was defeated, but resistance continued for another year until Coalition forces arrived


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #413 on: 11 April 2018, 00:45:37 »
R&R on Talitha. Nothing like it. I could seriously get used to this. After the past couple months of getting shot at, rained on and generally thinking each moment could be my last... this is pretty good.

- Eli Moss, Cavalli’s Cavaliere
September, 3077


Don’t you know it? The brass could screw any dream up. We’re going back into the shit

- Eli Moss, Cavalli’s Cavaliere
September, 3077


Almost two months of downtime on what is basically a paradise. Talitha seemed well and truly pacified and the locals actually seem to like having us. No good thing can last forever though.
First up, it looked like we were off to New Canton. The Colonel had me running training and drills in prep for an assault alongside the Lyran Guards on New Canton. But honestly, we were mostly just enjoying ourselves.
Then we got orders to move up training because we were going to jump at the week’s end.
Hurry up and wait... hurry up and wait.
We settled back into a routine until we got the alert.
First we knew was the brass running around like headless Garza Lizards. The Colonel got called in and then sent me Word to get everything ready ASAP.

So, now we’re off to Chara. It was a rush job and we got sent off first because we have our own Jumpship. Hell, it looks like we’ll be the first in the door.
Still no idea what the hell has happened.

- Joe Paige,
Talitha orbit, September 3077


The Wolves really screwed the pooch. Bad intel, too many Robes. Whatever it was, they got hurt bad. Ran off Chara with their tails between their legs and left a lot of people on the surface.
I don’t have much love for the Wolves - first Mech I ever punched out of was a Sh-Hawk a Wolf Puma had holed back in ‘50 - but we aren’t going to let those Robes get away with this.

We’re going in first - scout out the terrain, link up with any survivors and prep the way for the rest of the force. General Lee is still scrambling together a scratch force, so who knows what kinda support we’ll actually get.
Either way - Chara is where we’re going. And we’re going to kick some Word arse.
- Felix Cavalli


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #414 on: 11 April 2018, 01:17:51 »
Eli Moss: Toughest battle i ever fought? Ha, that’s easy. People talk about Terra and New Home - and yeah, I was there for both, both were real bitches. But I’ll always say Chara. Late 3077, Chara.

Interviewer: Why Chara.

Moss: we dropped after the Wolves in Exile got their heads handed to them. Ahead of the main invasion force.
Very quickly, we learned what had killed the Wolves. Those Blakists had an elaborate space defence system that lobbed nukes and seemed to know exactly what you were going to do next. We didn’t come in with warship support and maybe that’s why we got as far as we did - slipped in under the radar.
But finally they did notice us - and threw everything at us.
One of our ships took a full broadside and barely made it through atmosphere. As it was, we lost half our armoured company and that Overlord was limping in, leaking fuel and air.
It also cost us two of our aerospace fighters, trying to outrun those drones.

Interviewer: Your unit took heavy casualties during the initial insertion?

And then when we hit the ground, the fun started all again.
Before we even got down, some surviving Wolves reached out to us. There were a few of them nearby - somehow our three captains had managed to Sheppard all three droppers down close together.
We pushed out - and ran straight into a Word push looking for us. I clocked some Protectorate Militia, but most seemed to be Steel Guardsmen.

Editor’s note: At this point Moss briefly started to cry and we had to pick up the interview several minutes later.

Interviewer: Can you keep going?

Moss: Yeah, yeah... sure. We checked the first probe and stared moving down a road to the last reported location of the nearest Wolves when the Word hit us with artillery.
Only it wasn’t HE... it was chemical. My LT, Esmerelda Rico just started coughing and choking, her  Icarus stumbling all over the place. Later we found out an earlier hit had cracked her cockpit slightly and she was exposed to the gas.
Let me tell you, it was even worse for the half a dozen dismounted Wolf troops hiding in the nearby hedgerow.
I’ll never get that sight out of my mind.

Interviewer: but you saved numerous Clan Wolf in Exile troops?

Moss: Oh, yeah. That fight there turned into a bit of a route, I’ll admit. The Word has us ranged and boxed in and we were forced back, leaving any possible Wolves there.
Second company had more luck as it circled around our flank and shattered a Word tank company. They tried their gas trick again, but this time they managed to drop it on themselves as much as our guys and the results were mixed.
Captain Hammarskjold was killed by Blakist battle armour swarming his Mech as he pushed the last of the Wobblies our of their positions.
All up, we managed to link up with 20 odd Wolves - dismounted MechJocks, Elementals without armour and some techs, plus two full points of Elementals.
Barrett moved up to take over 2nd company and I got support lance with Rico dead.

We pushed deeper into the wetlands and waited for reinforcements, fighting limited action for another couple days.
- Concord Nightly News Ch9 interview with mercenary Eli Moss, 3088


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

truetanker

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #415 on: 11 April 2018, 16:50:31 »
That sounded like fun... poor Robes!   :'(

TT (  ;D )
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Nav_Alpha

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Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #416 on: 16 April 2018, 02:30:39 »
Adept IX Shin Morgan had never liked space - there was a sheer sense of... wrongness the ComGurd had never got used to.
Tucking his Velcro lined toes into the patches of carpet as he moved fitfully along the bulkhead, the big man weaved among the men and women crowding into the narrow compartment.
A pat on the shoulder here, a muttered comment and a grin, Morgan tried his best to offer some sense of comfort to all of his subordinates.
Finally he managed to bull his way to the front of the compartment - and see outside.
Stars stood out like white-blue pin holes against the black vastness. But it was the other, artificial,  lights that made a sick feeling rise in Morgan’s stomach.
Pulses and flashes as ships and men died in the coldness of space.

The whole ship junked around suddenly and the view shifted.
Now they could see the twisted hulk of what must have once been a starship. Torn and rended hull, a swathe of debris floating in its wake.
As the ship turned, Morgan could see the bold Steiner first painted defiantly on the hulk’s side.

“You were on Tukayyid, weren’t you sir? When the Heretics came, I mean?”
Morgan turned to the speaker - a shorter man with a shock of blonde hair and very blue eyes.
Shin Morgan had first tasted war as a 10-year-old when the now dead Clan Smoke Jaguar had invaded Nykvarm, a Combine world his ComStar technician father had been assigned to. Four year’s later - tired of his father’s collaboration with the Jaguars, he’d walked into the wilderness and joined the local resistance.
He’d been fighting almost constantly since then and realised the blonde Acolyte in front of him was probably a decade older than he’d been when he’d first taken up arms.
But why did they all look so damn... young.

“That’s right, I was with Invader Galaxy when this all kicked off. But that was different - this time, we’re the ones on the offensive,” he told the young Acolyte with a smile he didn’t feel.

Outside, there was a sudden flare of light as a ship exploded.

“Our warships will clear this shortly,” he said.

Suddenly, there was the harsh buzz of the ship-wide alarm.

“All personnel, general quarters - report to your duty station. All personnel-“

Zipping his white jumpsuit up, Morgan smiled at the gathered troops.
“Time to get to business.”

Thank God for ComStar’s 4th Army. A week of sniping and moving, waiting for relief and then finally we got cornered by the Word’s forces.
Thankfully the 4th dropped pretty much right on our heads and pulled us out of the fire.
The FWL’s Juggernaut regiment is off to our left flank and the Word has actually been forced to pull back in the face of the reinforcements.
Our friendly Wolves are still sticking close to us - nothing like supplementing your force with a “star” - ie: an oversized platoon of Toads, plus a lance or Exiles in captured Mechs.
I mean, the Wolf mechjocks have bitched and moaned about the equipment, but i only had to offer to let them sit out and...

We’re tucked in behind the ComGuards around a place called Breckenridge and the scuttlebug is we’re going to be part of the next big push to take Breckenridge and then sweep down onto Starpad, the biggest spaceport.
- Felix Cavalli

INTERCEPT-XX091-TANGO
Grainy image shows the inside of a tent - green canvas walls form the backdrop but there is a host of high tech electronic equipment laid out on the table in the middle.
A small display beam up a hologram of a planet. The legend CHARA hangs over the planet and there’s a network of red lines and multicoloured icons spread across the globe.

Several people are clustered around - it’s a jungle of khaki, greens and browns.
In the middle a tall, red headed woman stand  nodding as an aide briefs her.
She’s pretty but currently scowling as she listens and pages through a data pad.
She waves most of those gathered out, apart from the aide.

Two men enter. The first is tall and broad shouldered, with steel grey hair cut stubble short. He’s wearing a white and grey jumpsuit.
Beside him is a much shorter, stockier figure with a full beard. Both it and his short hair are black, shot through with grey.
He limps, favouring his right side and his rolled up fatigue sleeves expose the chrome replacement for his left arm.

Woman: “Oscar, Felix. Good to see you.”

The woman waves off the pairs’ salutes and enfolds the bearded man in a bear hug.

He grins and steps back, keeping his flesh and blood hand on her back.

“General Lee, I can’t tell you how glad me and the rest of my Cavaliere are to see you.”

The woman is beaming and gestures to her aide who is already approaching with a bottle of scotch and three glasses. He busies himself pouring and handing out glasses as the new pair look at the central display.

Cavalli: “Hell of a thing - not being able to call in orbital support. Would have helped us on your way in.”

They all accept glasses, toast and drink.

The redhead lights a cigarette and waves away the trickle of smoke.

“We’re working on it. Bastards have this system sewn up with drones. But don’t worry, we have a plan.”

The taller man downs his drink as he peers at the table display.
“Maybe tell Webb to hurry up and knock out the ground based array or we’re all going to face a slog, ja?”

Lee takes a deep drag and nods at Cavalli who is now refilling glasses, shooing the aide out of the way with his ghastly metal hand

“That’s why you gentlemen are here. Marcel needs help pushing in and taking the facility. He needs a distraction.”

Fades to static


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #417 on: 22 April 2018, 19:06:31 »
Voice one (younger, male with a possible Outback or Taurian twang to it): Sunday, this is Foxhound. We have secured Objective Bravo, say again - we have Bravo.

Voice two (cool, clipped and female. No trace of accent): Foxhound, this is Bravo. What’s your status?

Voice one: I’ve got a Level I holding the apartment towers above Bravo, another I is pushing around the left flank - but we’re taking casualties from bunkers. I think the Wobblies are gearing up for another push.

There’s the crackle of gunfire and the occasional growl of explosions

Voice two: Ok Foxhound, wait. Out.

Voice two: Checkmate Black Six, this is Sunray. Over

There’s a hiss of static and distant, garbled voices.

Voice two: Checkmate Black Six, this is Sunray. Do you read? Over

Voice three (it’s high and panicky, there’s a distinct crump of explosions and near constant rattling gunfire in the background).

Sunray! This is Checkmate! We read out - signal is weak. Over!

Voice two: what’s your status checkmate? Where’s six?

Voice three: Sunray, this is Checkmate. The  Kommandant bough it. Hauptman Rosenberg is in the line.

Voice two (she sounds vaguely annoyed now): ok, Checkmate. What’s your status?

Voice three: we got across the bridge and took the first line of bunkers - but then those bastard Robes dropped some sort of gas right on us! They’d pre-sighted in their own bunkers, knowing we’d take them. They dropped a tonne of HE and then this red gas. Half the battalion’s dead. We hav-

The voice dissolved into static. A second later another voice emerges.

Voice four (it’s gruff and Germanic); This is First Leutnant Unther - I’m ordering a fighting withdrawal. The bridgehead is lost.
I’m feeding you pictures now.

There’s a hiss and a pop and a picture forms. It’s shaky and appears to be shot from a helmet mounted camera.

It shows a nightmare-scape of ruined and blackened vehicles. Green-clad men are moving amongst the blasted bunkers and razor wire, dressed in the distinctive bullet-headed Lyran helmets.
Tracers flicker in amongst the ruins.
Suddenly, the whole image shakes.
From the ruins a giant pair of metal legs step, each step shaking the ground.
One grey/white leg has a radiant broadsword Painted on its armoured shin.

The camera zooms up, revealing a vaguely humanoid shape, clutching a giant hatchet in one arm, the other arm ending in a collection of gun barrels.

The image fades to static.

Communications intercepted from the 4th Army (ComGuards) and 19th Arcturan Guards during the push across the Skipho River in Chara


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #418 on: 06 May 2018, 04:41:18 »
Sorry guys - I've been seduced away by the amazing Battletech PC game. But sis get the chance to dinish up the action on Chara.


We anchored our line on the old Methodist church on the hill and hunkered down, hull down along the ridge overlooking the river. General Lee had tasked us with holding her flank - no problem, right?
Three hours later we had faced two reinforced companies of Protectorate Militia, had gas dropped on us, rode out torrential rains and soaked up causalities. And watched fire and death pour from the skies, killing dozens of our enemies in their tracks and leaving charred, blackened terrain in its wake.
Thanks the Lord for orbital support.
- Felix Cavalli

About 0600 we watched the Blakists cross the river and take refuge in the thicket. Shortly after their scouts rolled out. And while the men were bitching and moaning about being hung out to dry on the flanks -  we'd been allocated a fair level of resources - including some nice FASCAM delivered mines.
We'd sown that muddy field with mines, which tore up those scouts. And just as they tried to fall back, me and the battle armour Platoon hit them.
Look, infantrymen hate the rain - but I cannot tell you how happy I was when it cleared and General Lee let loose with the orbital bombardment!
We were on the edge of total collapse when it hose clouds cleared and the fire came down!
- Captain Hamish Basara


"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: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #419 on: 07 May 2018, 23:16:43 »
List of proscribed organisations -  Republic of the Sphere. RoTS Attorney-General’s Department, 3087

It is an offence to:

be a member of the following organisations
direct the activities of one
recruit for one
train or receive training from, or participate in training with one
acquire funds for, from or to one
provide support to one
New Terran Party: Founded by Terra Firma native Marius Verloewen in 3066 after years in exile. Terra Firma descended into anarchy following the 3057 “Chaos March” debacle and clandestinely fell under the sway of the Word of Blake, who used mercenary units to maintain order and sponsor a puppet government, thereby ensuring loyalty.
Restricted to covert control, the Blakist hold on Terra Firma was weak and the fanatics were powerless to stop a coupe in 3060 and the short civil war that followed.
Until that point, Verloewen had been a minor functionary in the pro-Blakist government but soon found himself in exile on Caph. For the next five years he moved about the Chaos March - slowly gathering a cadre of followers and loyal warriors. While charismatic and capable of convincing oratory his dreams would have come to little   if it weren’t for the Word who stepped in in late 3066 and offered him a chance to return to Terra Firma. With Blakist funding, weapons and agents on the ground Verloewen defeated the government’s military forces in a short campaign in 3067 - on world mercenary forces declined their paymasters’ demands to take the field and instead sides with Verloewen.
After the military defeat, he took the remaining leaders into “protective custody” and declared free elections would take place in the new year.
On the 1st of August, 3068 Verloewen was elected president - his first act was to petition to join the growing Blakist Protectorate.

Terra Firma Today: a special report from the Terra Firma Times, March 18, 3087

Ten years since our liberation by Devlin Stone, Terra Firma has one of the highest levels of citizenship and Terra Firmans are highly represents in all branches of the Republic’s military.
But in February 3078, Terra Firma was the sight of one of the bloodiest battles, with local forces desperate to oppose the advancing Coalition.
Millions died as Terra Firma’s Protectorate Militia turned the planet’s cities into ambush zones, complete with booby trapped buildings and last stand tactics.
For years, Terra Firmans had been bombarded with Xenophobic propaganda and had loyalty to planetary leader Marius Verloewen and the Word of Blake drilled into their heads.
That meant, when the Coalition - made up of slaughter hungry Kuritans, mercenaries and a motley crew of pirates, prisoners and periphery scum led by a madman, according to the Blakist propaganda  - arrived, Terran Firman citizens were determined to defend every street and suburb.
The Protectorate Militia drafted in thousands of citizens’ militia - poorly trained cannon fodder and seemed determined to fight for every inch of the planet.

We’ve been attached to Stone’s personal unit, Stone’s Lament. A prestige role, sure. But it means being in the very tip of the broken bottle as he pushes into the Protectorate.
We’re dropping into Terra Firma with Ryuken-Roku and the Lament.
Intel has it as just Protectorate Militia, so hopefully this won’t be too bad.
- Felix Cavalli


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