The Thermo Police are of course the canon unit from the Spotlight On of the same name. They've got several more parts coming for their story. It's sort of a thing that's developing quite naturally as I'm writing the story line the same people will get several parts as it progresses and it'll bring us forward while also telling their stories.
I'm glad you both (and I hope others) liked the updates so far. Festung Tharkad? I like that I may have to use it, I know exactly where that story line is going so here goes.
The next Solaris Racing Event is from the previous threat I left a link to before the other update. I have cleaned it up a bit and added to it. I will have additional Racing Events in the distant future if anyone wants things added or to have a go at a race feel free I'll welcome it! I may even draw out your race just for fun (or feel free to give it a go).
Solaris Racing Event
Dunnet Forest, Thurso
Solaris VII, Independent Clan Territory
8th September 3115The second event in the Solaris Racing League had come up quickly following the success of the first. Viewer ratings had gone through the roof and the Solaris Entertainment Company (SEC) had pushed and pushed for the next race to be brought forward to keep the hype rising but the newly formed league had held its ground and kept to their planned schedule. As the racers and their support crews had packed up their equipment into a dozen GESV’s and other transport vehicles and traveled from San Bardo Canyon across Solaris to the city of Thurso near Dunnet Forest the SEC had contented itself with highlights from the first race and in-depth interviews with the racing drivers and close looks at the new aircraft in use over the Game World with feature presentations being shown regularly on Tri-Vid screens across Solaris.
This race track was longer than the San Bardo Canyon race and took place in and around the City of Thurso and the nearby Town of Crownkirk. From what the mayors of the two towns were passing onto the SEC every hotel room and hired house were booked out for the entire week. Additional housing had been brought in by a cargo DropShip with dozens of GESV’s configured to carry civilian housing cubicles. The Generic Expandable Service Vehicles were not comfortable living with some of the guests describing their “rooms” inside the vehicles and trailers as little more than brightly lit coffins long enough for a single sleeping cubicle, an overhead video recorder and shared toilet facilities but they provided sleeping accommodation for the die-hard fans. Already both Thurso and Crownkirk were considering building holiday home expansion areas should the race season return a second year.
High above Solaris waiting for the next race to begin sitting in his ASF-23 Protector Aircraft Jonnie Mjalby wasn’t thinking about the sleeping accommodation of his fans instead his thinking was focused on the race ahead. He felt pretty confident his win at San Bardo had been partly because of a decent time and partly because the public had gotten behind his race style but today was a whole new challenge. The San Bardo Canyon relied on maneuverability over speed Dunnet Forest/Thurso Racetrack on the other hand depended on speed with several long straights on which Mjalby’s Protector would struggle with.
Listening to the announcer Rick de Graff Mjalby maintained his altitude at just over two hundred metres and maintained cruising speed on his main HUD he saw the countdown timer had started. “Today ladies and gentlemen here high in the skies above Solaris, our winner from the previous race Jonnie Mjalby, piloting an ASF-23 Protector aircraft, begins proceedings the others will be using his time as a benchmark and watching his performance for tips. Good luck Mjalby!” He said as he did the countdown timer hit zero and Mjalby banked his aircraft below one hundred metres and headed for the starting line.
Unlike San Bardo Canyon the Dunnet Forest was designed from the ground up as a spectator stadium with dozens of stands filled with a live audience just to add to the pressure on the pilots. Now was not the time to think of spectators Mjalby thought as his fighter crossed the starting line. Almost immediately he turned the Protector into a hard-right turn onto the first straight maintaining altitude of eight metres he flew past the towering spectator stand on his left-hand side before heading out across the Thurso River which bisected the course. The trip across the choppy river water was a short one and Mjalby was quickly over land again entering the first stadium section known locally as Pittodrie.
The area was essentially an oval cut out of the forest with spectator stands, multiple food and drink stands and medical facilities on all side’s spectator safety was paramount but if one of the planes crashed in the stands it would be carnage. Mjalby had not intention of creating such a scene and maintained an even speed as he flew into the area ignoring the flashing lights from the stands, he concentrated on making the perfect right-hand turn fighting the g-forces put against his body he clenched his muscles forcing the blood back towards his brain as the aircraft completed the turn the speeds travelling at and maneuvers he was attempting were relatively low-g force turns but anything placed on the body could cause issues if the pilot was not prepared. Leveling out his fighter leapt forward as he accelerated and Pittodrie Stadium was a memory as quickly as it had entered his mind. After the stadium the fighter was heading back across Thurso River flying parallel to the Interstate Highway 16 Bridge passing by the town of Crownkirk where more spectators were cheering him on and watching the race on massive Tri-Vid screens Mjalby intentionally tipped the wings while maintaining speed giving the public a little show.
The Protector quickly passed over the Road Tunnel leading into the town and then Mjalby pushed the aircraft into a shallow dive slowing his speed slightly he entered Nevis Tunnel, a man-made paved tunnel through the hard rock of the same name. Following the “S-Bend” track of the Tunnel Mjalby accelerated as he exited entering the second stadium Hillhead.
Smaller than Pittodrie but still packed with people Hillhead was a loop with four tight left turns and one tight right turn. Too fast you’d overshoot and have to raise in altitude to turn and re-enter the course losing time and points, too slow and this section would cost you valuable time. Mjalby’s Protector was well suited for this section maintaining the same speed he held the turn again fighting the g-forces once more he put on a show and the crowd loved it. As with the previous stadium section Hillhead Stadium passed quickly and he was soon heading back into Dunnet Forest flying between the trees on one side and Nevis Rock on the other he followed the path of the course left around Nevis Rock and back towards Crownkirk and into the next section.
This part of the course Jonnie Mjalby knew his Protector was not well suited for it with long sweeping turns that took them through the forest and towards a raised area known as Beinn Hob. Here planes with a high-top speed would have a significant advantage the turns suited high-speed flying with relatively low g-forces there wasn’t much he could do but ride through the long turn and concentrate on not messing up. Raising out of the trees and up Beinn Hob Mjalby focused on the next section which would see him travel up, down and then up again long “S-Bend” over the hill which would take him into the third S-Bend. By the time Mjalby’s Protector had the hill for a second time he could see the third stadium section the Daniel Keith Stands. Named for one of the founders of Crownkirk the Daniel Keith Stands jutted out of the side of Beinn Hob and Mjalby felt a little sorry for the packed spectators below as the winds up the side of the hill buffeted the area. But he wasn’t here to feel sorry for them or watch the crowd however instead he was here for an almost leisurely right turn between the stands followed by a second right turn that took him back down the hill and into Dunnet Forest. According to the race guide this section could catch a pilot off guard as the trees appeared to come up rapidly as the aircraft accelerated down the hill and back into the forest but they were no trouble for Mjalby who carried on the straight towards the bridge of Interstate Highway 16.
Unlike his previous encounter with the ground road this time the course took Mjalby’s fighter under the huge bridge that connected Thurso with other parts of the region. He could see plenty of spectators and emergency services in the area watching his fifty-ton fighter pass under the bridge and then once cleared from that obstacle make an immediate right turn under a natural rock formation known as Angelica’s Archway. From there Mjalby crossed the Thurso River for a third and last time now entering Thurso itself to finish the race. Along the sides of the course there were lines of trees which helped dampen the noise for the residence of the city who were only a few hundred feet away. The trees also hid energy barriers similar to those in the Solaris Mech arenas which were designed to absorb an aircraft hitting them and force the craft either into the ground or into the air Mjalby hoped if he ever hit any of them it was the latter result and not the former.
Travelling past the trees Mjalby’s Protector entered the final section known as the Janet Porter Stadium, again named after a founder of Thurso, it was a commercial haven like the other spectator stands with food, drink and advertising throughout designed like the rest of this course to make money little else. Flying around the series of left turns Mjalby intentionally rolled the aircraft in a barrel roll showing off for the crowd counting on their votes to help keep him up the boards as they headed into the final race of the season. Making the last left turn before the finish line Mjalby knew that speed alone would not help him win and instead pulled the aircraft back doing a loop-the-loop just short of the finish line adding a little flourish to his performance.
As he flew away from the course Jonnie Mjalby knew all he could do now was wait for the other competitors to finish. There were seven other competitors that would follow him five of those aircraft would outrun his Protector in open flight he just had to hope the crowds were still on his side or one of the others made a mistake.
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Hours later the final competitor had crossed the line and the spectator vote had been counted leaving Jonnie with a fourth-place finish. During the course of the other competitors flights Irene Steele the Guardian pilot who had come second in the San Bardo Canyon run had lost control of her fighter and crashed. She’d been able to eject but the fighter was a right-off in the medical GESV Mjalby visited her they’d known each other for years competing in various one-off events.
“Glad to see you made it out of that wreck in one piece” he said greeting her Irene was the same age as Jonnie Mjalby, twenty-six, originally from the Federated Suns she’d moved to Solaris sixteen years before when her father had come looking for fame and fortune. He’d been killed in the Solaris Mech Arenas and Irene had decided that life was not for her instead taking aerospace fighter lessons with the intention of gaining a position within the LCAF. Things hadn’t turned out that way and instead she’d started flying acrobatics on Solaris to make money now that income had been taken from her.
“Yeah, Segura didn’t come out of it so well.” Irene replied, the fighter had been destroyed in the crash. “That’s me out, I see you didn’t do so well either?”
“Still there” Jonnie Mjalby said looking down at his injured friend. “Listen, I asked the doc you’re still flight capable; your injuries are not all that severe.”
“Thanks for reminding me Jonnie, but I’m lacking a fighter.”
“I happen to have a spare” he said smirking he saw her surprised one fighter was expensive a second was nearly unheard of. “Juliusz Kamil decided to hang up his flight gloves before this tournament” he explained she’d heard the “Grandfather of Flight” had retired earlier in the year. “His Striking Cobra was going cheap.”
“I thought Kamil wanted to put it in a museum?”
“He did, it might still end up there, but it’s got more miles in it and I offered him more.” He admitted what Kamil wanted was important but the fighter belonged to him now.
“What difference does that make to me, Jonnie, I’ve barely got enough for my medical bills and to pay off the support staff. I’m out of this game.”
“I’ll give you the Striking Cobra” he said raising his hand to stop her speaking “on credit. You place in this tournament you pay me some of the money for it. You win it you can buy it outright from me.” He suggested offering her a lifeline he could see tears in her eyes.
“Why?” She croaked
“You deserve to see it to the end, just don’t crash that thing before I get a chance to fly it.” He said winking to her before turning to leave. With her last place at Dunnet Forest she was fourth place in the championship out of the major money-making positions but still in touching distance to the leaders going into the last round at the Slanotov Industrial Zone in Solaris Arctic Zone. If she placed and he didn’t at least he’d get some of the money back from this event.
Trade Mission, International Zone
Westover, Sea Fox Claimed territory
Free Worlds League
20th September 3115 The Clans and Mercenaries tended not to get on in fact most occasions Clan forces saw them as dezgra and hunted them to extinction. International Zones on Sea Fox trade worlds were different however, run by Clan merchants the warrior caste was here only to ensure Inner Sphere visitors were not armed and to take part in various Trials of Combat.
Mercenary commander Colonel Naomi Wrangler, the commander of The Thunder Road mercenary regiment, stood near the back of a crowd which had gathered to watch Smoke Jaguar leader Khan Petra Furey dispatch a Sea Fox Star Colonel in hand-to-hand combat. For several years now Naomi had been aware of the Smoke Jaguar faction for a couple of years now since she had taken over control of the Lesnovo District following a popular vote. According to intelligence reports she’d read from Bowang the Free World’s League’s Intelligence Agency SAFE had vetted these Smoke Jaguar survivors and found that they were not acting like the Clan they once were instead helping build up native populations. So far, the Smoke Jaguar faction had little contact with the Clans other than the traders here on Westover. As Naomi watched the young Khan dispatched a second Sea Fox warrior claiming victory in the Trial of Possession over an Elemental Battle Armour Production Facility. As far as Naomi knew up until now almost all of the Smoke Jaguar’s power armour had been of the Nighthawk type built on the world of Niops. For them now to possess Elemental Power Armour was a significant upgrade in capabilities.
As she stood and watched the Clans exchange pleasantries not the battle was over, she felt the approach of Lt. Colonel Ariel Peregrine-Simpson, the former co-commander of the Chaos Irregulars, like her fellow co-commander she’d accepted the new rank when her unit joined The Thunder Road. “I’ll never understand them” Ariel said watching the Clansmen, as a former commander of a unit herself Naomi had given Ariel and Jake leeway when they spoke with her, allowing them to voice their opinions and join her on this mission.
“No, me neither” Naomi admitted the Clans were alien to them even if they were willing to trade with anyone willing to pay. “How did you do?” She asked she’d tasked Ariel with securing transport assets for the Thunder Road given that their command was bigger now than ever. Although a significant military asset the Sea Foxes allowed any trades to occur in the International Zone as long as they were done peacefully, to enforce this both women had given up their weapons when they arrived.
“Not bad, but also not great” she said “Free Worlds League rejects I’m afraid.” She admitted they’d hoped for Clan equipment but Naomi had ordered her to buy what they could afford and what they needed, not wants. “Three Hamilcar DropShips for a cut down price.” Ariel said Naomi didn’t much like the sound of it and her face probably showed it, the Hamilcar was a very specialist design mainly intended for Zero-G assaults. “The Sea Foxes captured them when they captured Westover but no-one had taken any interest in them so they modified them a little bit.” Ariel reassured her explaining her choice. “On each ship they removed a pair of aerospace fighter bays and gave them a bit more fuel making them more useful in an atmosphere, they then streamlined the guns to Particle cannons, long and short-range missiles and anti-missile systems.” She explained “less to break on all three of them, they’ll be easier to maintain and they’ve got better range and uses. I’d class them almost like a modified Leopard.”
“Well, we won’t likely be launching any space borne assaults in the near future but I’ll take the chance to move a company in a pinch. We’ll have to keep an eye on them but they might be worth it.” Naomi admitted “I got off a little better.” She said as the two of them moved away from the trial location. “They’ve started up a modified Dictator-class DropShip manufacturing line here on Westover but sales have been dismal, no-one knows what to expect from them.” She said the design had been modified with more modern weapons and defences and had a reconfigured cargo bay. “The Clans themselves don’t want to buy an ancient DropShip design with Inner Sphere weapons even if it is configured to carry three Binaries of troops.” She explained the Sea Fox idea seemed to be to build up interest in the design and then improve it with Clan technology. “So, the trader was more than happy to turn one over to us, and if we spread the news of its use then we may get a kick-back from them in the future.”
“Sweet, now we just have to hire crews. Our current staff can probably get them back home but operational use will be more different.”
“Agreed, how do you think the boys are getting on?” By ‘the boys’ Naomi was referring to her father John Wrangler and Ariel’s former co-commander Jake Chowla.
“I’m sure Jake is doing his best to get into as much trouble as he can while away from the burden of command.” She admitted Jake’s continued recovery from losing his wife was being helped by her former command’s new place within the Thunder Road and time away from the unit would help too.
“Yes, I’m sure my father is doing the same. Our first major supply run since his retirement and he just happens to come along.” She mused wondering why her father came along.
“He trusts you Naomi, I’m sure of that, I think he mainly came for Jake’s benefit.” She said having been able to observe them a little bit. “You have done a lot for him since Reema’s death and the Chaos Irregulars becoming part of The Thunder Road has been great for him too but your father is quite active with him too.”
“He’s still grieving for my mother’s passing a few years ago and I think he sees Ob, as a bit of a project.”
“Ob?” Ariel questioned Jake’s first name was Obadiah but she rarely heard anyone else use it especially since Reema’s passing.
“Yes, I think my father sees Jake as a bit of a project, seeing a lot of my father in him.” She said dancing over Ariel’s question.
“Ob?” Ariel pushed
“I’m sure they are getting into trouble and will have a surprise for us, I’m sure.” Naomi said carrying on walking “Com’on, we’ll head back to the field we can inform the crews and have them come and collect our new DropShips while we wait.”
“Seriously Naomi? What the hell!” She said as the Colonel kept walking away from her not answering Ariel’s question the two of them were close in age and despite the hierarchy of command, they got on quite well personally but if Naomi didn’t want to share it didn’t seem like she would.
---
Several hours later Naomi Wrangler was back at the landing field which the small contingent of Thunder Road personnel who had accompanied her. She’d arranged the collection of the units newest four DropShips and was now just waiting for her father to return but he was already an hour overdue. Now standing inside the command deck of the Overlord-class DropShip Stonewall she waited trying to show she was calm and not worried he was missing.
Suddenly the radio crackled to life “Road House to Stonewall, permission to approach” it said using her father’s old callsign. Naomi nodded to the crewmen who granted permission. “Received Stonewall, be prepared for a flyby.” Her father said which got Naomi’s attention her father was airborne? She walked over to the sensor desk and watched as from the south a two-hundred-and-forty-ton Koi Heavy Transport WiGE approached the airfield at speed flying low as the Wing-in-Ground-Effect aircraft were known for.
“What on earth?” Naomi wondered heading out of the command deck and down towards the ground. By the time she reached the ground the massive Koi was touching down on the tarmac it was painted in a deep red on the primary wide-bodied hull with the wings painted in black. She could see where insignia had been painted over but it was clearly the insignia of the Draconis Combine which wasn’t too surprising as the craft was designed and built there. How it had crossed the Inner Sphere and ended up in the arse-end of the Free Worlds League was anyone’s guess but here it was and it appeared to be commanded by her father. The craft was designed to land on land or in water with the hull curved underneath like the underside of a boat and the four turbine engines high above the waterline at the rear of the craft with two near the tail on either side of the craft and two more engines over the top of the hull. The massive craft larger than anything else in the Thunder Road’s organisation Naomi did not have a clue how they were going to get it back to Bowang.
Stopping several hundred metres from the Stonewall the massive clamshell doors at the front of the Koi opened with the nose of the craft splitting open like a massive sideways mouth. From inside the craft a ramp extended to the ground and locked in place. From inside she could hear the revving of fuel cell engines and within a couple of minutes the first of two large wheeled transport vehicles drove out. Both vehicles were the same painted in primarily blue and white the vehicles looked like long range transport trucks with extended trailers once they came out onto the ground, they turned to either side and stopped flanking Naomi’s position. From both sides the trucks and trailers of the vehicles opened automatically raising upwards creating a canopy over the side of the truck. From the inside of the truck counters extended and lowered to the ground creating service counters. From the cabs of the two trucks her father and Jake Chowla exited the vehicles heading over to them.
“Good afternoon, Colonel” her father greeted her formally as he approached.
“Father, what the hell?”
“This?” John Wrangler asked surveying the two vehicles and the Koi behind “this is for my retirement” he said “I’m calling it the Road House.” He explained “I’m not going to mope around the Complex back home, I need something to throw myself into this is going to be it. Bowang has a growing entertainment industry especially with all the mercs that have come through in the recent years but outside Darby they don’t have many entertainment venues. Road House is the answer, we’re going to travel across Bowang and we’re going to bring the entertainment to the people and bring in some money for the unit.” John explained Naomi looked at Jake for support but he just smirked at the idea her father had retired but this idea seemed to reinvigorate him.
“How are we going to get it home?” She asked but almost on cue she had her answer as a purple and red painted Danis-class DropShip approached the airfield from a sub-orbital trajectory.
“The DropShip will transport the Koi and anything else we need then she’ll transfer to the Thunder Road full time, use it as you want Naomi myself and my silent business partner here” he said indicating to Jake “have bought the DropShip, the Koi and the GESV’s. Jake will assist me when he’s not deployed with the unit but over wise it’s my show.” He said Naomi glanced at the younger man who seemed like he relished the idea.
“Colonel, I’d expect your commitment to the Thunder Road to continue.”
“Understood, I know what I’ve signed up for.” He said but his eyes told her that he was thrilled by the idea of getting on the road with her father. “Road House will be a success as will the Thunder Road.” He promised her but Naomi couldn’t help but wonder what they’d gotten themselves in for.
Weapons Research Facility WD-1152
Rosice, Halfway Province
Lyran Commonwealth
28th September 3115 If the Lyran Commonwealth was not facing enough troubles with the Clans pressing at their borders and the Isle of Skye again pushing for a breakaway from the state on the world of Rosice in the Halfway province a huge explosion engulfs a weapons research facility killing dozens inside and dozens more in the nearby area costing millions of C-Bills. Within days of the explosion terrorists claiming to be part of the Democracy Now movement take responsibility for the attack.
