Author Topic: Chronological BattleTech Fiction Review - The Succession Wars - Part II  (Read 205643 times)

Mendrugo

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Date: June 22, 2828
 
Location: Orbisonia

Title: We Meet Again

Author: Geoff Swift
 
Type: Track (Turning Points: Orbisonia)

Synopsis: After a forced march, the Red Lancers and Prefectorate Guard linked up at the edge of the barren Cretaceous Basin, but were hard pressed by the Davion Assault Guards, Second Ceti Hussars, and Fourteenth Avalon Hussars.  The exhausted and enraged forces clashed amidst a maze of rocky pillars in the midst of a torrential downpour.  Pre-existing damage continues to apply.  Historically, the Capellan Hussars successfully slipped away into the Basin and made for their DropShips, with the Davion forces in hot pursuit.

Notes: At this stage, having played earlier scenarios conservatively would put the Capellans in good shape, while having been recklessly aggressive would leave them vulnerable to combat loss groupings, as accumulated damage begins to add up.  Killing AFFS troops in earlier scenarios has no impact on the force ratios, so in every Track, there's a strong incentive to fight and move defensively, preserving your armor for later scenarios.

Given the need to track which units have been engaged in Tracks and which have not (and have their armor decreased by the Track's pre-set ratios), both sides need to whip up a spreadsheet and roll out the entire TO&E for all the regiments engaged, tracking which are engaged throughout the course of the various Tracks.  Davion forces should focus their attacks on mobility-centered strikes - advancing to physical combat distance whenever possible and kicking to take out actuators and whole legs, since points are awarded for both crippling Capellan units and for keeping them from getting off the edge. 

Using the Moonscape maps for the Cretaceous Basin is an innovative use for a mapset that rarely gets play, unless you're using airless/low-g conditions to simulate lunar combat.  I imagine you could also credibly use the Moonscapes for fights in the aftermath of a nuclear or cruise missile saturation strike.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: June 24, 2828
 
Location: Orbisonia

Title: Ilsa's Last Stand

Author: Geoff Swift
 
Type: Track (Turning Points: Orbisonia)

Synopsis: Throughout the 23rd, CCAF troops raced for their DropShips in the heart of the Cretaceous Basin, but many were unable to break contact.  To save her troops, Chancellor Ilsa Liao led her personal guard to fight a rear-guard action against the oncoming Davion hordes, plugging a choke point.  During the battle, amid clouds of choking dust, she inspires her troops with a speech.  Historically, Ilsa and her guards were wiped out, but enabled 80% of the Hussars to extract offworld, preserving them as the CCAF's premier combat command.

Notes: The Davion forces trickle onto the map, with Hussars forces coming on a lance per turn starting turn 1, and Assault Guards forces arriving one lance per turn on turn 5.  The surviving Capellan Hussars start at the Attacker's home edge and have to cross two lengthwise mapsheets to exit to safety.   With 34 hexes to cross, the Hussars could optimally reach the chokepoint in three turns (two if Sprinting is allowed) if they have a straight shot to safety, though the broken terrain of the moonscape will slow them somewhat.  While the temptation exists to turn and crush the Davion forces piecemeal as they arrive, that requires taking out a whole lance every turn without taking significant damage in return.  Depending on their condition, the Capellan forces are likely to begin to crumble about the time the undamaged Davion Assault Guards begin to arrive on Turn 5.  Instead, I'd recommend sprinting to the chokepoint and then forming up behind Ilsa's command, continuing to walk backwards towards the exit edge while providing long range supporting fire. 

Davion forces arrive pretty chewed up, and charging straight in will just get your lead units slaughtered.  Target heavily damaged units with long range fire until you have enough units to advance in force, and focus on picking off stragglers and the walking wounded.  Once the Davion Guards arrive, have them lead the charge against Ilsa's strongpoint.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: June 24, 2828
 
Location: Orbisonia

Title: The Red Heart

Author: Geoff Swift
 
Type: Sourcebook Fiction (Turning Points: Orbisonia)

Synopsis: Ilsa Liao leads the rear guard - a company of Warhammers and Marauders - from her personal Marauder, clearing a path for Prefectorate Guard 'Mechs to retreat through the columns of petrified coral formations on the dry seafloor of an ancient ocean basin.  A pile of light Hussars' 'Mechs, blown to pieces, is arrayed before Ilsa's position, but she spots the heavier Assault Guards approaching.

As another Red Lancers company retreats past her position, she opens a channel, telling her troops the story of an ancient Terran king, Cnut, who futilely ordered the tide to stop its inexorable rise to demonstrate the primacy of his Creator.  In contrast, she tells her troops that Capellans have left Terra behind, and have conquered Nature.  Unlike Cnut, her Guard can stem the tide and keep the irresistible force from advancing.  She punctuates her speech by blasting the head off a Davion Atlas.  With the last of the Hussars main body still nearly half an hour from the DropShip LZ, she makes the decision to stand and fight, holding the line for 38 minutes.  As she dies, her final thought is that she looks forward to meeting King Cnut and teaching him the error of his ways.

Notes: Unlike some other Chancellors (Kalvin and Dainmar come to mind), Ilsa takes her responsibilities seriously, and is willing to sacrifice herself to atone for her error in launching the invasion of the Federated Suns at the outset of the Second Succession War.  Of course, her view of her responsibilities was arguably narrower than it should have been, seeing herself only as the field commander of the Capellan Hussars, rather than as the leader of the whole Confederation, and didn't take into consideration the morale effect her death in combat would have. 

Looking at the aftermath of other "leader dies in combat" events, the Kuritans launched the Kentares Massacre in the aftermath of their Coordinator's death to a sniper attack, and the Federated Suns vowed bloody revenge after the death of Ian Davion on Mallory's World, escalating the fighting on the DC/FS border for a decade.  Geralk Marik's death under the foot of the first generation of Lyran 'Mechs sent the League reeling, but the new leadership did not seek peace - instead they launched an espionage plan to get this tech for themselves.  In contrast, the Capellan people went into shock, and mourned their venerated leader.

There's some discrepancy between this Track and the historical record, since the Davion Assault Guards arrive at dawn and Ilsa holds out another 38 minutes, but "The Second Succession War" p. 27 records her time of death as 13:15. 

Interestingly, SSW records that ComStar served as an intermediary to return Ilsa's body to the Confederation, allowing the Capellans to hold a state funeral on October 19 with massive pageantry that boosted the nation's spirits and helped Chancellor Laureli pull the CCAF out of its state of shock, fending off collapse in the face of the Operation SUNS AFFS attack.

Ilsa's attitude about being able to conquer nature in a 'Mech recalls the opening narration in Pacific Rim, in which the pilot says "in a Jaeger, you can fight the hurricane and win."  Her image of herself being superior to King Cnut's conception of his deity shows that the House Liao conception of themselves as divine beings in a universe that centers on their dynasty is already at least partly in place by the Succession Wars.
« Last Edit: 01 January 2020, 07:20:14 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: April 30, 2830
 
Location: Le Blanc

Title: What's In A Name?

Author: Kevin Killiany
 
Type: Short Story (Legacy Anthology)

Synopsis: In Port Paix, Tony Rossi is surprised by his eight-year-old tech apprentice McGuire, who summons him to check out his latest find.  Rossi leaves the Centurion leg he's been working on and sees that, in addition to the gray market parts he'd sent McGuire to collect, the kid has also brought back a fluidic control actuator for a Grasshopper.  McGuire suggests that they can use it to get their shop's Grasshopper chassis back in working order and sold.  McGuire says that the seller, who let him have the piece on credit, told him it was a one-off masterpiece hand-crafted a century or two ago for a Combine kamikaze warrior. 

Rossi tells McGuire that he's been lied to, since the Grasshopper design is only 50 years old.  McGuire points out that the actuator is, at least, handcrafted and high quality - performing 12 percent above standard actuators.  Rossi notes that the creator even signed their work, having etched "La cavaletts" into the housing.  He deduces that the last letter is actually an 'a' where the artist's hand jerked at the last minute, making the word "La cavaletta," Italian for "the grasshopper."

Notes: The timing of this story puts it right in the timeframe of the Combine's Operation AKAI KAZE, which ran from February 19 - May 19 2830 - mostly consisting of heavy raids where the attackers were in and out in ten days, allowing the DCMS forces to do significant damage and then withdraw before AFFS reinforcements arrived.  The strike on Le Blanc was a hit-and-run to sow chaos and confusion, facing little organized resistance and withdrawing in good order.  Most likely the Centurion and Grasshopper were damaged in the AKAI KAZE raid.  Le Blanc was hit again with a full-on assault (which failed) in 2854 during the Marathon Offensive, with the 2nd Robinson Rangers and planetary militia holding on from July to the end of December, when DCMS forces withdrew.  By the end of the Second Succession War in 2864, Le Blanc had become a front line world.

The Kurita 'kamikazes' certainly left a great impression on young McGuire, who was probably orphaned during a 2825 Chain Gang raid when he was three years old. 

What's interesting is that Rossi's shop isn't doing repairs for the 2nd Robinson Rangers, but appears to be working on salvaged pieces that they plan to sell.  The massive battles of the 1st and 2nd Succession Wars would likely have left vast amounts of battlefield wreckage strewn across the planet.  In the event of a successful defense, the locals could transition to a scavenger economy - getting out to the battlefield before official AFFS salvage teams could be mobilized.  (Or, perhaps, the private sector transitioned to the scavenger mentality before the military did, since in the early 2nd Succession War, the AFFS could still count on far more factory-fresh material than in the late 3rd Succession War era.)

Per Handbook: House Davion, AFFS High Command relocated the headquarters of the Kentares PDZ to Le Blanc following the Kentares Massacre (though that would have had to wait until the AFFS recaptured the world, which had fallen to the broad DCMS offensive in the First Succession War). The increased military and civilian shipping that arrived as a result of this move also brought an increased number of mercenaries looking for work.  Heir to the Dragon portrayed Le Blanc as a border world whose merchants were primarily engaged in smuggling, and were far more loyal to money than to any Successor State flag, though the mercenary trade had largely moved on after the Combine enacted the "Death to Mercenaries" edict, cutting regional demand for mercenary services in half. 

You can see the lack of ethics in the fake story the seller (Mrs. Wong) told McGuire, and the refurbished 'Mechs are probably going to be offered to locally based mercenary units.  Being right on the DC/FS border means that there are going to be plenty of hiring agents (primarily from the FedSuns, though possibly some from the Combine as well) offering contracts.

In the context of the rest of "What's in a Name?," this epilogue serves to reveal that Lantren engineer Lucia Cavaletta had proposed the name 'Grasshopper' for the GHR chassis as an in-joke - essentially naming it after herself.
« Last Edit: 01 January 2020, 09:17:13 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: October 11, 2840
 
Location: Phact

Title: Fates and Fortunes

Author: Darrell Myers
 
Type: Short Story (Legacy Anthology)

Synopsis: Carl Lipetsk marvels at the ornate tile frieze depicting the Capellan Cuirassiers' battle history in their headquarters on Phact.  He regrets that the art only showcases the MechWarriors, with no attention given to the support troops or technical staff.  Shrugging it off as typical MechWarrior arrogance, Lipetsk joins his team in the technical bay.  In his mail, he finds a verigraph from Jansen Rivetti at Lantren Corporation, offering a factory refit for his Grasshopper, which has been identified as being from the initial production run.  Lantren offers the refit for free, in exchange for the opportunity to analyze the unit's unique fluidic actuators.  He summons his assistant, Andrea, and tells her to pull up the maintenance files on Bravo Lance's Grasshopper, then ponders how he's going to convince the unit leadership to give up one of their 'Mechs for a year of offworld maintenance.

Notes: Phact started the 2nd Succession War in FWL hands, and was the focus of Charles Marik's Operation BLACKSMITH, which sought to expand the Phact salient in 2832.  However, a strong Capellan counterattack during ComStar's interdiction against the League rolled back the FWL border and reclaimed Phact in 2837.  The Marik "Reconquista" stopped short of reclaiming Phact, which remained in Capellan hands at the war's end in 2864.  During the war, the 2nd Orloff Grenadiers were driven off Phact and relocated to Vanra. 

The Capellan Cuirassiers (spelled 'Curassiers' throughout "Fates and Fortunes"), an element of the St. Ives Armored Cavalry, began on Raballa in 2830 and ended on Monhegan in 2864, with a stop on Phact in 2840.  Apparently a lengthy stop on Phact, since they had enough time to build a headquarters and decorate it with ornate tilework.  The fact that Carl has been with the Cuirassiers on Phact since 2838 suggests that the Cuirassiers were the unit that seized Phact from the FWL during the ComStar interdiction of 2837.  By 2840, the unit has also seen major action on Marlette, Ibstock, and Gomeisa during the First and Second Succession Wars.

The fact that Lipetsk is eager for the refit suggests that 1) the CCAF's resources to do its own refits are already strained by the massive losses of the First Succession War and the first decade of the Second; 2) he doesn't anticipate a major FWL offensive any time soon, considering the FWLM still too hammered by losses during the interdiction to contemplate a counter-offensive.  (Not an unreasonable assumption, since there are now four other systems between Phact and the new border, which stretches to New Delos.)

As a further consequence of the 2837 offensive, the Capellan Confederation now controls both Park Place and Boardwalk, making it eligible to build hotels.  :D
« Last Edit: 01 January 2020, 08:39:10 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Frabby

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As a further consequence of the 2837 offensive, the Capellan Confederation now controls both Park Place and Boardwalk, making it eligible to build hotels.  :D
You can only start building once all the real estate is distributed among the players and none left with the bank though.  ;)
That said, good to see this project continue!
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Author of the BattleCorps stories Feather vs. Mountain, Rise and Shine, Proprietary, Trial of Faith & scenario Twins

Mendrugo

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Date: October 27, 2840
 
Location: Phact

Title: Fates and Fortunes

Author: Darrell Myers
 
Type: Short Story (Legacy Anthology)

Synopsis: Carl Lipetsk oversees his assistant Andrea's attempt to maneuver a damaged Capellan Cuirassier Grasshopper into the maintenance bay of the Union-class DropShip CCS Silent Sword at the Hadari Interstellar Spaceport.  Once the 'Mech is secured in its cradle, the Sword buttons up and lifts off on the seven-day transit to the jump point.  As they admire the ship's departure, Andrea notices another point of light moving through the sky, which Lipetsk identifies as an unexpected inbound DropShip. 

Alarms begin to sound as more points of light appear in the sky and shoot down the Silent Sword.  Lipetsk and Andrea race to the ops center.

Notes: Though Phact has never been given an official system write-up, a seven-day transit time correlates with a G6 yellow star, per the table on Explorer Corps p. 74.

Presumably, the attackers came in via a pirate point, probably at a LaGrange point between Phact and one of its moons (the FWL clearly would've have had time to map the pirate points in the system during the decades they held Phact).  Otherwise, alarms would have been sounded a week earlier, and the Cuirassiers wouldn't have been taken by surprise.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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That said, good to see this project continue!

New Year's Resolution to get back to doing it.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: October 29, 2840
 
Location: Phact

Title: Fates and Fortunes

Author: Darrell Myers
 
Type: Short Story (Legacy Anthology)

Synopsis: At Cuirassier HQ, a briefer explains to the officer corps that the FWL forces are currently engaging in hit-and-fade attacks, doing damage but not committing to wholesale battle, in an attempt to gauge the CCAF's strength while tying up maintenance resources.  The Cuirassiers' plan is to engage the FWL raiders with 1st Battalion, have the 2nd Battalion cover the factory complexes in the capital city of Hadari, and have 3rd Battalion remain at HQ as a reserve force.  A technical team will be dispatched to the crash site of the Silent Sword to recover usable equipment before the League forces get it. 

Lipetsk leaves the briefing to assemble his techs for the recovery mission.

Two hours later, on the Plans of Fury, Lipetsk's team arrives at the crash site via VTOL.  Carl is accompanied by his assistant, Andrea, primary technician Richard Liu, and combat-vehicle tech Antonius McGhee, along with a pair of AsTechs.  They depart the VTOL's cargo bay aboard a salvage rig and head towards the largest chunk of wreckage in a shallow crater. 

At the wreck, Lipetsk is astounded to see the Grasshopper intact, still secured in its maintenance cubicle.  He orders Andrea to check it out.  Hours later, with the 70-ton 'Mech cut free of the cubicle, Lipetsk and Andrea begin to walk it back to Cuirassier HQ overland - a 237 kilometer journey - with Lipetsk in the jump seat.  The rest of the team returns to base aboard the VTOL.

Ninety minutes after departure, Lipetsk monitors communications between the VTOL and HQ, reporting intercept by FWL aerospace forces.  The VTOL transmission cuts off in static, and Lipetsk orders Andrea to power up the weapon systems, despite the fact that she isn't trained as a MechWarrior. 

Twenty-five minutes later, the Grasshopper's sensors register hostile contacts, and Lipetsk reports it to HQ.  They estimate that Capellan reinforcements are still six minutes away. 

Before the Capellan forces can arrive, two Marik Wolverines spot the Grasshopper and engage.  Andrea brings the 'Hopper up to maximum speed, but is nonetheless overtaken by the faster League 'Mechs.  Lipetsk directs Andrea when to trigger the lasers, helping her score hits on their pursuers.  The technicians are no match for trained MechWarriors, however, and the Grasshopper soon goes down.  Lipetsk regains consciousness to see a Wolverine getting ready to discharge its laser into the Grasshopper cockpit. 

The techs are saved by the arrival of Capellan 'Mechs - a Vindicator and Ostsol, which dispatch the Marik machines.  A rescue VTOL arrives and transports Lipetsk and the wounded Andrea back to HQ, where Lipetsk learns that his tech team survived the VTOL crash and escaped into the underbrush.

Notes: The class of the tech team's VTOL isn't given, but it's likely a Cobra Transport VTOL, since none of the other VTOLs available to the CCAF in 2840, per the MUL, have significant cargo capacity.  If they were looking for salvage, a Cobra is the only reasonable option to send.  The medivac VTOL is more likely a smaller Ripper, since it would be focused on personnel transport rather than cargo haulage.

The salvage rig is clearly a small support vehicle, rather than a 50-ton BattleMech recovery vehicle (which would never fit aboard a VTOL).  I presume their focus was to scuttle whatever they couldn't haul back, and they didn't expect to find anything that could move under its own power.  It's not stated whether the Vindicator is the standard 1R model, or the prototype 1X version, which mounted a machine gun on the cockpit, rather than a laser.  Since the VND debuted only in 2826, there could still be units in the original configuration in service 14 years later.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: November 8, 2840
 
Location: Phact

Title: Fates and Fortunes

Author: Darrell Myers
 
Type: Short Story (Legacy Anthology)

Synopsis: Carl Lipetsk sets his techs to making the Grasshopper combat ready.  While some electronics cannot be replaced, over the course of ten days the team makes the 'Mech combat worthy.  Lipetsk presents it to the chief technician, reporting that it has a fully operational weapons package, restored combat systems, and full armor complement.  The chief tech certifies the 'Mech to return to combat duty, and says Andrea - currently in a coma - would be proud of the work Lipetsk's team did.

Notes: The repairs are noted to have taken ten days, starting on October 30, which would place this scene on November 8, 2040.  However, the next scene is set "weeks" after the repairs, but is dated November 2.  I would presume that to be an error, with the next scene being on December 2, 2040, to match the described amount of time having passed. 

The surprising thing to me is not that Lipetsk's team was able to do a crash refit of the Grasshopper, but that it hadn't done so before.  If Phact wasn't expecting imminent hostilities, and had all the necessary parts on hand, why was the Grasshopper left in a dilapidated state?  Do the Cuirassiers have fancier 'Mechs for which those parts were being reserved?  If Phact fell in 2837, has the Grasshopper just been sitting in a back corner of the hangar for three years?  (Perhaps the Cuirassiers were forward deployed to take advantage of the interdiction, and only recalled to Phact once ComStar lifted its HPG ban, but Lipetsk's description of having joined the Cuirassiers on Phact two years earlier suggests that they've been on garrison duty, rather than front line combat, since at least 2838.)
« Last Edit: 01 January 2020, 22:20:00 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: December 2, 2840
 
Location: Phact

Title: Fates and Fortunes

Author: Darrell Myers
 
Type: Short Story (Legacy Anthology)

Synopsis: Technician Carl Lipetsk is savoring a lemonade at the Lonesome Dove Restaurant when his communicator chirps, recalling his tech team to work on Capellan Cuirassier 'Mechs damaged in a recent raid against FWL positions. 

Back at HQ, he assesses the damage to the recently refit Grasshopper, now missing armor, engine shielding, its left arm, gyro housing, and combat computer.  Lipetsk orders his team to begin scavenging pieces from wrecked 'Mechs and other scrap to rebuild the arm, replace the armor and engine shielding, patch the gyro, and bypass the shorted out targeting computer - hardwiring a target interlock circuit for the lasers.

Notes: This sequence demonstrates how quickly the vast stores of supplies can and did vanish in the constant fighting of the Succession Wars.  Lipetsk's team used up all the off-the-shelf components on hand to repair the Grasshopper, only for it to be wrecked again a few weeks later, having to be jury-rigged back into operation with whatever is on hand.  If the factories that make the key components get wiped out, and if the ships that would carry the supplies to the troops get blown up, a regiment of pristine 'Mechs can become a shambling battalion of FrankenMechs in short order.

The scene at the restaurant adds some local color, noting that local lemons are genetically adapted Terran stock, which have taken on a strong orange color in Phact's soil.  Other sources indicate that most worlds in the Inner Sphere support strains of Terran staple crops that have been genetically modified to thrive in the native soil chemistry.  Only a few exotic native plants have become part of the human food chain, including meat lettuce, quillar, cholach roots, and binsby berries.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: December 3, 2840
 
Location: Phact

Title: Fates and Fortunes

Author: Darrell Myers
 
Type: Short Story (Legacy Anthology)

Synopsis: As technician Carl Lipetsk's team continues to work on re-armoring the damaged Grasshopper, raid sirens sound and artillery rounds begin to pound the Capellan Cuirassiers' HQ, sending shrapnel whining through the repair bay.  The technicians scramble for the shelters while the Grasshopper's MechWarrior races for her partially fixed ride to engage the Marik 'Mechs approaching the base. 

Lipetsk warns her that the gyro is shaky and the lasers are slaved to a single firing circuit.  The MechWarrior swears, then seals the cockpit and enters the fray.  Lipetsk and his team ride out the attack in the shelter, and emerge when the all-clear sounds.  Surveying the battle aftermath, they tally seven FWL 'Mechs, four Cuirassier 'Mechs, and several vehicles destroyed, along with many dead infantry. 

The Grasshopper returns under its own power, but having suffered heavy damage - losing the right arm and much of its armor, and walking with a limp.  Lipetsk tells his discouraged team that their hard work allowed the 'Mech to take its place in the fight, turning the tide of battle and ensuring that the League was defeated.  He calls on them to redouble their efforts to repair the Grasshopper in the name of the Chancellor.

Notes: One oddity - Lipetsk's motivational speech includes the phrase "Let us once again honor his Celestial Wisdom."  But in 2840, the Chancellor is Laureli Liao, and has been since 2828.  The preceding Chancellor was Ilsa Liao, and Barbara Liao before her (skipping over the regency of Sandol Quinn).  The last time the Confederation had "his Celestial Wisdom" was Warex Liao, who died in 2760, eighty years prior to this scene.  I presume the author was mentally accustomed to the "modern" Sun-Tzu and Maximilian Chancellorships.

It still bugs me, somewhat, that the enemy is allowed to get within artillery range before any alarms sound.  No perimeter scouts?  No remote sensors?  No patrols?  Yes, it lets you get right into the drama of the scene, but there are so many sourcebooks that detail the commonly available tools that should prevent such surprises.  Heck, during the technological nadir of the early 3020s on Trell I, the "Oberon bandits" use sophisticated audio sensors to identify anyone trying to approach their stronghold.

For that matter, why is the repair bay open to the air and vulnerable to incoming artillery?  The MechWarrior RPG books indicate that it is traditional for garrisons to build heavily fortified structures called "castles" (albeit not anywhere close to SLDF "Brian" standards of durability) that can help an outnumbered defensive force hold out against a much larger attacking force for an extended period, unless someone on the inside opens the gates for the attackers.  I know they've only been on Phact for 2-3 years, but why haven't the Cuirassiers built such a fortified redoubt?  They had the time and resources to lay in ornamental tiles, why not ferrocrete walls with turrets? 
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: March 18, 2843
 
Location: Bryant

Title: Fates and Fortunes

Author: Darrell Myers
 
Type: Short Story (Legacy Anthology)

Synopsis: The Lantren factory complex domes are hammered by intense storms, grown steadily worse since the destruction of the global weather control system.  The factory itself has suffered sufficient damage that it can only manufacture parts and perform refits.  Jansen Rivetti sees crimson flashes amidst the lightning blasts, and tells his coworker, Rebecca, to contact security to report a possible attack.  Raid sirens howl as the two begin to seek cover in a coat closet. 

Halfway across the room, an explosion knocks him off his feet as the dome wall is breached and decompresses.  A Grasshopper leans through the hole and fires at the closet, killing Rebecca.  Rivetti's last thought before likewise being incinerated is on the irony of the Lantren factory being destroyed by its own progeny, never to be rebuilt due to the loss of Star League technology.

Notes: I'm still confused by the loss of technology during the First and Second Succession Wars.  Yes, lots of advanced systems made in the Terran Hegemony were wiped off the map by the Star League Civil War, and anything on border systems would have been considered fair game for a spare nuke or two during the First and Second Succession Wars.  But why would interior worlds have lost their databases and ability to manufacture pressurized domes?  New mining colonies are still being set up in the late Third Succession War using pressurized domes.  Sure, you aren't going to get city-sized habitats like the one Grayson Carlyle was accused of blowing up in the Sirius system with a population of 10 million without advanced construction techniques, but those techniques aren't Castle Brian level architecture.

ComStar's Operation HOLY SHROUD ran from 2838 to 2843, and focused on killing scientists and erasing technological databases.  That, more than anything else, could explain the rise of LosTech culture, especially how data was lost on worlds far from the front lines that were never invaded or even raided.  Given the timing, one might wonder if the unidentified attackers on Bryant were ComStar troops assigned to take out the Lantren plant as part of HOLY SHROUD.  Bryant wasn't involved in any of the major actions of the Second Succession War - just raids.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: April 23, 2843
 
Location: Phact

Title: Fates and Fortunes

Author: Darrell Myers
 
Type: Short Story (Legacy Anthology)

Synopsis: In the Cuirassiers' Memorial Halls, technician Carl Lipetsk says goodbye to his deceased assistant Andrea, looking at the freshly installed tiles commemorating the 2840 defense of Phact.  Since she was a technician, and not a MechWarrior, she was not specifically honored in the Halls.  Instead, he left a remembrance of her inside the Grasshopper where she died, where it will remain until it is destroyed or retired.

Reporting to the chief technician's office, Lipetsk is told that the refit on Bryant is no longer and option, due to the destruction of the Lantren factory by attackers in Marik colors. 

Lipetsk resolves that, if a full factory refit is no longer an option, he will personally oversee the complete refurbishment of Andrea's Grasshopper, even if it means reassembling the entire 'Mech one component at a time.  He explains to the other techs that he is restoring this 'Mech for the glory of the Chancellor, but truthfully, he's doing it to keep Andrea's memory alive just a little while longer.

Notes: This is a nice ending to Carl's story, but it further reinforces the question I had earlier about why the Grasshopper was left to languish after being messed up in 2837.  The Cuirassiers apparently had the resources, and could even hand fabricate the necessary parts, given enough time.  What was lacking was the will to restore the old machine.  I can see parallels to the Legion of Vega under Theodore Kurita's tenure - when the 'Mechs were broken down junkers that nobody took proper care of, but the Cuirassiers were listed as an Elite/Fanatical regiment during this story, and so such poor maintenance with years between active combat engagements remains inexplicable.  Given two years and sufficient resources to prepare, every 'Mech in the regiment should have been fully operational.  It simply speaks to a lack of will in the tech department and with the officers in charge of equipment readiness. 
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: June, 2859
 
Location: St. Ives

Title: Mission: Capellan Raiders

Author: Ben Rome
 
Type: Scenario (HexPack: Lakes and Rivers)

Synopsis: A company from the 7th Crucis Lancers is reassigned to the Capellan March and assigned to attack a firebase on St. Ives in hopes of stalling incursions against the Federated Suns.  The Lancers player may choose four units from a list of seven, including: Stinger, Mongoose, Phoenix Hawk, Griffin, Crusader, Warhammer, and Marauder.  Half the force enters from one edge of the map at the start, and the other half enters from another edge starting on turn 2.  The defender, a "Confederation Militia" unit, rolls on the 3039 RAT after making a force composition roll that will give them between 4 and 5 'Mechs of various weights.

Optional elements include impassible heavy woods, and night combat conditions.  The Lancers' goal is to destroy at least two Militia 'Mechs (ideally all of them) and exit at least one 'Mech off the Militia's home edge.  The Militia gets points for preventing these conditions from occurring.

Historically, this raid succeeded, boosting Davion morale and terrifying Chancellor Dainmar Liao, who signed a peace treaty in 2861, ending the Second Succession War on the Capellan/FedSuns front.  In honor of their actions, the Lancers company was officially designated "McKinnon's Raiders." 

Notes: This is an extra mission presented as bonus content to be used in conjunction with Starterbook: Sword and Dragon.  Of course, Starterbook Sword and Dragon takes place in the 3030s and 3040s, so I'm not sure how you'd use a Second Succession War scenario "in conjunction with" the campaign tracks from two centuries later.

Historically, this attack on a St. Ives firebase was not what brought Dainmar to the negotiating table.  That happened on July 5, 2861, when Colonel Melissa Davion led a strike against Dainmar's palace on St. Ives with the Davion Assault Guards, coming close to killing Dainmar before he escaped.  Dainmar immediately sent an emissary to New Avalon, seeking terms, and signed the treaty in January 2862.  The Crucis Lancers' strike against St. Ives could be considered a preliminary raid, one of many aimed at softening up St. Ives' defenses prior to the strike against the palace.

Ben Rome wrote HexPack Lakes and Rivers in 2010, while the Second Succession War sourcebook is dated 2017, so the dates and event sequence, for canonicity purposes, defaults to the more recent product.

The AFFS targeted St. Ives repeatedly during the Second Succession War, first hitting it in 2836 during Operation TIGER, raiding it with the Fourth Syrtis Fusiliers and the Bloody Suns, and then hitting it again with the Davion Assault Guards in 2861 during Operation WINTER GARDEN, which effectively ended the Capellan involvement in the Second Succession War.

This 7th Crucis Lancers raid on St. Ives isn't recorded in the 2nd Succession War sourcebook, and I have to admit, I overlooked the scenario myself at first, since it was buried at the back of the Lakes and Rivers hexpack pamphlet, behind the Rules section.  According to the AFFS TO&E chart in SSW, the 7th remained posted on Raman for the duration of the war, going from Heavy weight and 76% operational to Medium weight and 25% operational.  Raman is on the FedSuns/Combine border, but Ben Rome's foreword for the scenario does note that the company was transferred to the Capellan front for the raid.  Appropriately, the CCAF table shows that no front line forces were posted to St. Ives during the Second Succession War, explaining why the defenders are listed as just "Capellan Militia."  By 3025, Capellan militia units usually just have infantry and light tanks, but things were better for them (at least on regional capitals) in the 2800s.

Ben's setup is an adaptation of the history section of the "Fox's Teeth" scenario pack, which says that "During the Second Succession War, McKinnon's Company fought mainly on the Capellan front, spearheading several offensives deep into Confederation territory.  In one of the most famous operations of the Second War, the comapny launched a sneak raid onto Sian itself, the homeworld of the Capellan Confederation.  Although it did not inflict serious damage and the casualties were heavy, McKinnon's Raiders dealt a crucial blow to the Confederation's already sagging morale.  As a result, the House of Liao sued for peace just three months after the Raid, and McKinnon's Company acquired a new name, McKinnon's Raiders."

Given the SSW chronology, this raid is not the strike on St. Ives portrayed in this scenario, but would have had to happen in April 2861, three months before the Davion Assault Guards hit St. Ives and prompted Dainmar to sue for peace.  Ben seems to be conflating a May 2861 raid on Sian with a 2859 attack on St. Ives (and with the July 2861 attack on St. Ives).  My suggestion for sorting out the chronology is that McKinnon's Company took out a firebase on St. Ives in 2859, and then launched a raid on Sian in 2861, earning the right to do the Sian raid after success on St. Ives, and earning their "Raiders" moniker on Sian. 

As an introductory scenario, this one is fairly straightforward, though giving the Lancers the option of entering from two sides of a single map makes it ludicrously easy to get a unit off the defender's home edge, since, by definition, one of their entry points will be adjacent to the Home edge of the defender.  All they have to do is enter in the Hex next to the corner, turn one hex facing, and exit on the same movement phase.

Rolling on the 3039 RAT has the potential to create some anachronisms, since it might come up with a Hatchetman, Wolfhound or other post-2859 design, but I understand that the purpose was to cross-promote the products that had come out around the same time.
« Last Edit: 02 January 2020, 09:19:18 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: October 2902
 
Location: Goodna

Title: Your Land is My Land

Author: Ken' Horner
 
Type: Scenario (BattleCorps)

Synopsis: During an early Third Succession War Free Worlds League offensive against the Capellan Confederation, Goodna was invaded.  Despite the relatively minor value of the system, the fighting was fierce, and resulted in a year-long stalemate.  To try to break the deadlock, the Second Confederation Reserve Cavalry was directed to knock out a FWLM repair and refit center near the city of Wraveton, with support from militia tanks.

Liao's Legionnaires (a company from the 2nd CRC) attacks with a Warhammer, Flashman, Ostroc, Griffin, Champion, Firebee, Catapult, Crusader, Rifleman, two Koscheis and four Korvins.  The defending Tenth Marik Militia deploys a Guillotine, Cyclops, Shadow Hawk, Marauder, Awesome, Orion, Sentinel, Falcon, Hermes, Jackrabbit, Patron LoaderMech, Coolant Truck, two Icarus IIs and two Paramour Mobile Repair Vehicles.

The Liao forces score points for taking out the support vehicles and industrial 'Mech, as well as for destroying Marik 'Mechs, while the Marik forces gain points for destroying Liao 'Mechs and vehicles, as well as for any Liao forces that exit off their home edge under Forced Withdrawal.

Historically, the Marik 'Mechs sacrificed themselves to enable their support units to fall back, taking out 2/3 of the Reserve Cavalry force in the process.  The Capellan forces were subsequently cut off behind Marik lines and captured, accelerating the eventual fall of Goodna to the Free Worlds League.

Notes: The 10th Marik Militia is known for its use of a wide variety of 'Mech types, and using them as shock troops.  The 2nd CRC is described as "an odd combination of volunteer corps, training cadre and militia."  This goes a long way to explain why both sides are using such rarely seen equipment, some of it dating back to the Age of War.  Militias would seem to be a good dumping ground for ancient equipment, though at a certain point you'd think the maintenance requirements for a 500-year-old machine might exceed the cost of a new Scorpion light tank.

Tactically, it's hard to achieve the historical outcome.  Unless you're using the optional rule where a 'Mech can shield an adjacent unit with its mass, taking shots meant for the target, a few volleys of Capellan LRMs will smoke the lightly armored Patron, Paramours, and Coolant Truck.  (It's not mentioned in the scenario rules, but it would be highly appropriate to the situation.)

For the Capellans, I'd recommend charging in and massing long-range fire on the support units to take them down first, since they're your highest point scorers.  Once they're gone, start pulling back while concentrating fire on a few enemy units.  As soon as one takes internal structure damage, switch targets.  IS damage is worth 50% of a full takedown, and is easier to achieve.  Then flee of any map edge that isn't the northern one and hope you came out ahead mathematically.  If any unit starts getting chewed up, but before it's in Forced Withdrawal shape, pull it out to the east or west.  (Forced Withdrawal makes it retreat north, giving the Mariks a point.)

For the Marik forces, get the vehicles under cover ASAP, and have the Patron lie down behind something solid, then go hunting the Liao LRM boats.  If you can knock out their long range units and smack their flankers around, you might be able to open a safe corridor for your support vehicles to retreat, denying the Liao forces their points.  If you allow the optional "bodyguard" rule for blocking incoming damage, put guards around each of your support vehicles (Operation MEATSHIELD).
« Last Edit: 02 January 2020, 09:08:47 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: November 4, 2921
 
Location: Tokasha

Title: Opening Moves

Author: Luke Robertson
 
Type: Track (Turning Points: Tokasha)

Synopsis: The initial engagement of the Tokasha campaign was in orbit over the Weissenborn Morass, pitting the Ghost Bear 50th Striker Alpha Fighter Trinary against the Hell's Horses 333rd Mechanized Striker Trinary Delta under zellbrigen rules and Forced Withdrawal conditions.  While, officially, the goal was to scout enemy positions and engage in air strikes, the pilots of both sides were consumed with finding personal glory, and left both Clans' ground forces vulnerable to airstrikes throughout the campaign.

Notes: This Track introduces rules to reflect the benefits of airspace control.  Depending on how much of the enemy's force is destroyed/retreated, that Clan gains up to +3 on all initiative rolls and can call in a certain number of airstrikes in future Tracks.  This is a nice arrangement, because it makes it makes this Track matter more for the outcome of the overall campaign. 

The battle setup is designed for use with the Alpha Strike ruleset, and the setup refers to "inches from the home edge" rather than "hexes on the BattleSpace map." 

At this point in the campaign, the Horses are operating from fixed airstrips behind the Koche Mountains, while the Ghost Bear fighters are coming from DropShips in high orbit. 

The description of the mission profile as "scouting and airstrikes on rear areas" seems unusual.  Are there any recorded instances of Clans (especially Golden Century Clans) striking at the means of production or logistics nodes, rather than facing enemy warriors head on?  Blowing up supply depots and repair gantries seems legitimate, given the stakes, but would appear to be antithetical to the Warrior ethos.  Kerensky's Clans don't want to destroy the enemy's ability to fight.  They want to give their enemy the ability to make the best fight possible, and then shave the odds to make it as close to even as possible, thereby to gain greater glory for themselves when they triumph through sheer skill and gumption.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: November 4, 2921
 
Location: Tokasha

Title: Holding the Line

Author: Luke Robertson
 
Type: Sourcebook Fiction (Turning Points: Tokasha)

Synopsis: At the River Elb, in the Hell's Horses enclave, Tikki directs the fire of her Kokou's Kolibri Delta pulse lasers according to the commands of the vehicle's commander, Anouk, coordinating with a nearby Ishtar to destroy a Ghost Bear Thresher.  Infantry squads check wrecks for survivors as a new report comes in of a Ghost Bear force massing on the other side of the swamp.  While waiting for their arrival, Tikki muses on how little respect Tankers get compared to MechWarriors and even Elementals. 

The first sign of the Ghost Bears is a Star of Fire Moths scouting ahead of the main body.  They race past the Horse tanks and drop off Elementals, then retreat into the jungle as a wave of Ghost Bear 'Mechs emerges.  The Horse tanks withdraw, trying to shake off the Elementals, then regroup at a fallback position.  The Kokou rocks as its armor is pounded by heavy fire, but it isn't breached. 

At last, the Horse line holds, and the Bears retreat into the jungle.

Notes: Tikki is given a recurring habit of claiming various downed 'Mechs as salvage, to which her crewmates generally respond with a patronizing "Yes, Tikki," knowing that the Horses will never allow a mere Tanker to claim 'Mechs as isorla.

This scene nicely showcases a lot of standard battle tactics vis-a-vis Elementals - first the Ghost Bear high speed delivery into a line of entrenched vehicles and subsequent retreat after dropping the kids off to play, and then the vehicles supporting each other by shooting the Elementals off each others' hulls.  A lone vehicle in this situation would be doomed, which may be why a standard Clan Vehicle Star consists of ten elements.

Tikki's obsessions confirm that, despite their reputation as being an egalitarian Clan that gives opportunities for glory to all branches of service, the Horses (at least in 2921) are still dominated by MechWarriors at the top.  The loss of Tokasha is stated to be what caused them to re-evaluate the hierarchy and give vehicles more of a starring role, since they'd lost their main 'MechWorks. 

Watching Arrow IV rounds land on the battlefield, Tikki notes that being an artilleryman is even lower than being a Tanker.

The Kokou's first and only appearance is in this Turning Point book.  It is statted as a 70 ton ClanTech tracked tank with three LPLs and an LRM-10.  Given the silhouette used for it, and the speed, it appears to be a Clan-Tech refit of the SLDF's Burke.
« Last Edit: 03 January 2020, 02:35:11 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: November 4, 2921
 
Location: Tokasha

Title: A Trip Up The Elb

Author: Luke Robertson
 
Type: Track (Turning Points: Tokasha)

Synopsis: Ghost Bear Khan Jorgennson's first gambit was to use a rocky pass through a thick jungle to push through to the factory, avoiding the heavily defended main approach.  The Third Bear Regulars 215th Assault Supernova won the honor of forcing their way through the pass, which was guarded by Trinary Alpha of the 333rd Mechanized Strike.

The Bears win points for taking out 25-50% of the Horses, while the Horses strive to withdraw at least 75% of their forces intact.

Historically, the Horses fled at the Bears' approach (to lure them into an ambush further up the pass).

Notes: While it certainly makes sense as a tactic, setups like this don't make for a good Scenario/Track.  The Horses don't have any incentive to engage the Bears - their only way to score points is to pull out at least 75% of their troops, so they'll just start the battle and immediately walk off their home edge, winning with a score of 600 to 0 every time. 

It would have been better to say that the Horses only score their points if they withdraw after Turn X ("Make it Look Good (Defender Only) Retreat with 75% of Alpha Trinary operational after the end of turn 5.").  That, at least, would give the Bear player an opportunity to bring the hurt on the Horses and give the Horses the challenge of maneuvering defensively until the time limit was reached. 

Otherwise, there's 30 minutes of setup, 30 seconds of play, and then 30 minutes of teardown, followed by some serious questions of why they even bothered to play such a scenario.  (The British Isles campaign in "Fall of Terra" suffers from the same problem - giving strong incentives to run away and not fight at all.)
« Last Edit: 03 January 2020, 02:36:32 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: November 4, 2921
 
Location: Tokasha

Title: Hitting the Wall

Author: Luke Robertson
 
Type: Track (Turning Points: Tokasha)

Synopsis: In pursuit of the retreating Horses, the Ghost Bears push up the pass into a marshy swampland, where they come under Arrow IV artillery bombardment and face concentrated fire from dug-in tanks.  As before, the Attacker is the Third Bear Regulars' 215th Assault Supernova, while the Defender is Trinary Epsilon from the 333rd Mechanized Strike (having swapped in for Trinary Alpha).

Historically, the 215th Assault was wiped out by Trinary Epsilon, repulsing the initial Ghost Bear push towards the MechWorks, though with Horse attention on the doomed 215th, the 50th Striker Cluster was able to flank the 333rd by pushing through the dense jungle.

Notes: This Track is directly linked to the Sourcebook Fiction "Holding the Line," which is told from the Horse POV.

It's not explicitly stated what Trinary Epsilon's force composition should be, but if you want to match the fiction, it should be mostly, if not entirely, vehicles.  While not explicitly stated, it is incentivized by the presence of 10 fortified hexes that can only be used by tanks or infantry, making them useless to Epsilon if their player opts for 'Mechs.

The 215th is a strategic distraction at this stage, and gains the most points by dying gloriously according to strict zellbrigen.  If things are turning against either side, they can withdraw, denying the other side 600 warchest points for not completely destroying the other force.  But what Clanner with any hope for an outstanding codex and a new sibko birthed from his/her giftake would contemplate retreat for mere points?  Glorious death it is!
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: November 4, 2921
 
Location: Tokasha

Title: Chops and Change

Author: Luke Robertson
 
Type: Track (Turning Points: Tokasha)

Synopsis: Back up in the airspace over the Weissenborn Morass, Theta Fighter Trinary of the Ghost Bear 17th Provisional Garrison Cluster engages the fighters of the Hell's Horses' Trinary Delta (77th Mechanized Cavalry).  Both sides can call on Arrow IV flak support from the troops in the jungle below.  As with "Opening Moves," the amount of damage inflicted affects the availability of airstrikes in subsequent scenarios and determines initiative modifiers.  Bonuses gained from "Opening Moves" expire as of "Chops and Change."

Historically, the Bears were forced from the Horses' airspace and the survivors retreated to their airfields in the west of Lazuk.

Notes: Lazuk is the main continent on Tokasha, with (as of 2921) the Bears controlling the western portion, the Goliath Scorpions the south, and the Hell's Horses dominating the eastern Trojan Peninsula.  (The Jade Falcons are based on a trio of island continents and the continent of Manadou, sharing it with ruins of Clan Mongoose settlements.)
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: November 4, 2921
 
Location: Tokasha

Title: The Green Wall

Author: Luke Robertson
 
Type: Track (Turning Points: Tokasha)

Synopsis: In the Weissenborn Morass jungles, Hell's Horses 888th Mechanized Assault Cluster Trinaries Gamma (Battle Armor) and Epsilon (unarmored infantry only) engage the First Bear Guards' 23rd Elemental Support Binary.  In addition to battling each other, the infantry must contend with attacks from native wildlife, including the Tokasha Cassowary, Hansen's Gecko, and the Tokasha Stone Lion. 

Historically, the Ghost Bear Elementals, deprived of 'Mech support, were isolated and neutralized by their Hell's Horses counterparts. 

Notes: The aggressive wildlife on Tokasha is a nice callback to a scene in "Way of the Clans," where Aidan, delirious after wandering in the jungles while on the run from Joanna, tells Peri "I had been in the jungle.  There were...terrible things there."  Now those "terrible things" have names.  And fangs/talons.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: November 4, 2921
 
Location: Tokasha

Title: Breakthroughs?

Author: Luke Robertson
 
Type: Track (Turning Points: Tokasha)

Synopsis: Undetected due to the chaotic battle conditions and the dense foliage, the Ghost Bear First Bear Guards 312th Assault Trinary penetrated all the way to MechWorks Alpha without opposition.  The 666th Mechanized Assault Trinary Alpha was rushed from the reserves to protect the factory.

Historically, the 312th had been lost, rather than on a planned deep penetration mission, and withdrew back into the jungle after a brief skirmish, since they lacked the necessary support to invest the MechWorks.

Notes: The ability of the Ghost Bears to get lost implies that they were in a communications blackout and couldn't access any Ghost Bear satellites for navigation coordinates. 

That begs the question - to what extent do the Clans attack the local infrastructure when they Trial?  The opening cinematic of MechCommander shows aerospace fighters taking out Clan satellites to disrupt their communications, but when the Nova Cats and Smoke Jaguars attacked Luthien in "Crescent Hawk's Revenge," the defending forces still had access (albeit intermittent) to satellite relays, implying that the Clans didn't take any action to degrade Luthien's communications or other satellite networks. 

If that's the case, then why weren't the Ghost Bears able to pop an antenna up and get a sit-rep?  A stealthy insertion isn't what they would have wanted, and they shouldn't have cared whether the Horses knew where they were - they should have relished a good fight, and relied on communications to be directed to the best battlefront.  Despite the scope of the battle, both sides usually adhere to zellbrigen and uphold Clan honor.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: November 4, 2921
 
Location: Tokasha

Title: Hounded Bear

Author: Luke Robertson
 
Type: Track (Turning Points: Tokasha)

Synopsis: As the Bear offensive falters, Khan Kilbourne Jorgensson's Ourse Keshik tries to plug the gaps and rally the Touman.  However, when he joined the 87th Assault Trinary's fight against the Horses' 99th Mechanized Cavalry's Trinary Alpha, his luck ran out. 

The Bears get +5 to their initiative roll while Jorgensson is present, but the Horses get 500 points for taking him out.  Wildlife rules from "The Green Wall" apply to infantry (opening the possibility that the great Khan could end up as a gecko's lunch).

Historically, when Khan Jorgensson's battle armor was crushed, the Ghost Bears froze.  The Horses sensed victory, and prepared to make the final push to force the Bears out of the Horse enclave.

Notes: If the Horses earned any airstrikes, this would be the time to use them. 

Fortunately for the Bears, Jorgensson is hidden among the other Elementals, so identifying and squishing him will be harder, depending on how much Elemental glory (soon to be using the new molds from the Kickstarter) the Bears bring to the table.  For the Bears, needle in a haystack tactics are recommended, though the utility of that gets offset by the wildlife harassment rules, so an all-Elemental deployment will quickly be up to its ass in stone lions.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Kit deSummersville

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Date: October 2902
 
Location: Goodna

Title: Your Land is My Land

Author: Uncredited
 


Oh hey, that was me.
Looking for an official answer? Check the Catalyst Interaction Forums.

Freelancer for hire, not an official CGL or IMR representative.

Everyone else's job is easy, so tell them how to do it, everyone loves that!

Millard Fillmore's favorite BattleTech writer.

Mendrugo

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Oh hey, that was me.

Excellent - I've updated the entry and the index.

Looking at the other "Uncredited" BattleCorps products, what about:

Hidden Talons? (Jade Falcon scenario on Coventry in 3074)
Tech Journal Doucette?
The Kentares Massacre Journal?
Precentor Zucker's Log?
Boot Camp Basics (the in-character narrative in TechManual)?
Return of the Wolves (Tracks on Outreach circa 3070)?
Vengeance Gambit - The Third Battle of New Avalon?

"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: November 4, 2921
 
Location: Tokasha

Title: To the Wind

Author: Luke Robertson
 
Type: Track (Turning Points: Tokasha)

Synopsis: Rather than breaking and running after the death of their Khan, the Bears became raging berserkers, pushing forward towards the Tokasha MechWorks so fast and furiously that the Horses were often forced to abandon tanks and other equipment that couldn't pull back fast enough before being overrun.  Horses Khan Aaron Cobb realized that his forces couldn't stop the Bears, and attempted to save what he could.

At the MechWorks Alpha factory site, a randomly rolled Ghost Bear star (all sense of unit cohesion went out the window when Khan Jorgensson died) engages Khan Cobb's Alpha Keshik Trinary, with Cobb in a Nova.  New random Stars enter the board every other turn until the Horses withdraw or are wiped out.

Despite their rage, the Bears continue to observe the tenets of zellbrigen.  Points are awarded to the Bears for each dead Horse, and to the Horses for each Horse unit that makes it off the board.

Notes: Once again, we have the problem of the Track scoring mechanics undercutting the scenario's playability.  If the Horses only score points for getting units off, they'll sprint from one edge of the map to the other and exit most, if not all, of their units to score maximum points, leaving the Bears in their dust.  There won't be much of a fight - just an equine skedaddle. 

To make this more of a real battle, the Horses should have a point tracker that rewards them for how long they stay on the board before pulling back.  Since there are unlimited Bears coming, the Horses can't retain control of the MechWorks Alpha facility, but it should be rejiggered to make it mathematically impossible for them to win by simply running away right off the bat.  (The Remembrance, Verse 35,697: Khan Cobb bravely ran away, away!  When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled!  Brave, brave, brave, brave Khan Cobb!)
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: August 13, 2952
 
Location: Homer

Title: Seeds of Loyalty

Author: Philip A. Lee
 
Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis: At the command HQ of the 214th Cobra Fangs Cluster in El-Ghaza, Cloud Cobra Pilot Samson strips all Coyote regalia from his newly acquired Pilot bondsman, Tomas Masino.  Samson regards Tomas as valuable isorla due to the skill demonstrated crashing his damaged fighter survivably into Homer's desert wastes.  Samson tells Tomas that to cut the bondcord and truly join the Cobras, he must learn all aspects of "the Way": faith, knowledge, understanding, courage, peace, justice, loyalty, martial prowess, and political excellence.  Tomas responds that those attributes are not the Clan way.

Samson inquires about Tomas' beliefs, and is unsurprised to find that, like most who do not follow The Way, Tomas has none, other than a belief that his role is to wage war until death.  Samson tells Tomas that without some sort of faith, he will not have the necessary courage to be a true Cobra.  Tomas requests that he be given bondsref or be released back to the Coyotes.  As a final tack, Samson asks if Tomas believes life is important.  Tomas answers affirmatively, but cannot answer Samson's follow-up question - Why? 

Samson takes Tomas to the ferroglass dome's arboretum - shriveled and desolate, due to long neglect.  Tomas says he sees in it his future in the Cobras.  Samson assigns him to tend to the arboretum - watering it and planting one new tree, shrub, or flower for each Cobra in the 214th who dies, and for each enemy they kill.  Tomas does not understand the point, but accepts his task.

Notes: Phil Lee set himself the task of trying to write at least one short story or scenario for each of the Clans.  This is his Cloud Cobra entry.  Given the Cobras unique philosophy - "The Way" - the story focuses far more on fleshing that out through the process of teaching it to an outsider than on traditional Clan story fodder of battles and glory. 

A key element of the relationship between Tomas and Samson is that Tomas is Bloodnamed, yet has been defeated by a non-Bloodnamed warrior.  Tomas initially dismisses the defeat as a fluke, noting his prior perfect record of successive victories since his Trial of Position, but the fact of the bondcord clearly states that perhaps the non-bloodnamed Cobra may have something to teach him after all. 

Reference material from the 3060s doesn't show any Coyote presence on Homer.  However, the Coyote entry in Field Manual: Warden Clans shows that the Coyotes had enclaves on 20 worlds in 3000, but lost 3/4 of their holdings by 3045.  Homer was likely one of the worlds where they had a presence in 2952, during their Golden Century ascendancy.

Bondsref is ritual suicide, carried out when a Warrior feels his personal honor will not permit him to serve in the capacity of a bondsman.

The Masino bloodname is from Clan Coyote.  During the 2976 Blood Scandal, its members were part of the rebellious Crusader bloc that schemed with Clan Star Adder.  When that political scandal erupted and the treason was quashed, the Masino bloodline was one of those Reaved, effectively being annihilated.  Given his attitude towards being bonded, Tomas certainly seems Crusader in his outlook.
« Last Edit: 02 January 2020, 10:16:17 by Mendrugo »
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: August 13, 2953
 
Location: Homer

Title: Seeds of Loyalty

Author: Philip A. Lee
 
Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis: Over the year following his bonding, Tomas carries out his orders.  One one night, he defended the arboretum against a group of insubordinate pilots ordered by Samson to attack it as part of their surkairede.  Samson regarded the outcome as ideal - the pilots were beaten and suitably punished, and Tomas demonstrated the fighting ability to cut the first of his bondcord strands. 

Months later, Tomas demonstrated that he had memorized the lore of the arboretum, identifying a randomly chosen flower by the death it represented.  At the end of the first year since his bonding, Samson notes that the arboretum has become greener under Tomas' care, which included taking the initiative to design and build a more efficient irrigation system.  Samson notes these achievements as sufficient to cut the fidelity bondcord, leaving only the one for integrity.

In Samson's experience, this is the hardest one for Cobra bondsmen to achieve - requiring that they acknowledge any aspect of The Way.  Over the course of a year he has shared tea with Tomas every morning and engaged in philosophical debate, but always leaves frustrated at the ex-Coyote's refusal to bend.  Samson sees the desire to return to a Warrior's life in Tomas' eyes, yet notes that he refuses to lie about his beliefs simply to return to the cockpit.  He acknowledges Tomas' honesty, but notes that even bandit caste scum can be honest when necessary.

Notes: Some Clans are obviously less stringent about the need to demonstrate various qualities before removing the bondcord.  I find it hard to believe that Ciro Ramirez demonstrated sufficient integrity, combat ability, or fidelity to get his bondcord cut during the month or two he was bonded to Clan Jade Falcon in the BattleTech animated series.  (Of course, that was a Solaris Broadcasting program that only loosely adapted the actual missions of the Somerset Strikers.)  One would expect a Clan so focused on philosophy to take it more seriously than most.

I wonder what contact Samson had with the Bandit Caste that led him to know anything about their capacity for honesty under duress.  As he previously noted, most AeroSpace duels end with the death of the loser, due to the harsher environment.  (Ejecting doesn't help much if you're on a trajectory to burn up in orbit during re-entry.)  We've seen a wide variety of Bandit Caste groups - neo-savages riding horses through the wilderness; mafia-style organizations that blend into the civilian castes and operate black markets and smuggling rings; murderous psychopaths that lurk on the edges of training camps hoping to kill Warriors in training; whole tribes of exiles working hand-in-hand with Clan Burrock; etc.  Given that the original Bandit Castes were founded by elements of the Pentagon Powers that managed to flee to offworld bases (either before or after Operation KLONDIKE), those must have had JumpShips and the fighters to defend them.  New Bandit Caste members are probably mostly maladjusted Warriors who defect with their equipment and join existing Dark Caste bands.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.

Mendrugo

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Date: September 9, 2954
 
Location: Homer

Title: Seeds of Loyalty

Author: Philip A. Lee
 
Type: Short Story (BattleCorps)

Synopsis: During a morning discussion over tea, Samson asks Tomas if he would consider himself to have won if he killed Tomas in a Circle of Equals over Samson having said something to upset Tomas.  Samson is surprised that Tomas answers 'Neg,' explaining that only an insult to his genetic heritage would merit death.  Samson follows up by asking why he would deserve to live.  He is disappointed by Tomas' straightforward answer that Samson's death would mean the end of his chances to become a Pilot again, then pleasantly surprised when Tomas adds that Samson's replacement would not take the time to debate him every morning. 

Taking this as a sign that Tomas has, indirectly, acknowledged that he would miss Samson, he cuts the integrity bondcord and ends Tomas' period as his bondsman.  Samson welcomes Tomas to the Black Sheep, and instructs him to report for duty at 1300 hours for a special assignment.

Notes: This is yet another reminder of how different the various Clans are in both outlook and ritual.  When Phelan was elevated to Warrior status in Clan Wolf, there was a whole ceremony with advocates and challengers, masks and cloaks, and clashing weapons in the dark.  In the Cobras, he's simply told to draw a sidearm and uniform from the quartermaster and report for duty.  The Diamond Sharks probably welcome abtakha Warriors to the Clan with a three-martini (three-fusionnaire?) lunch and the key to the executive washroom.

The "Black Sheep" is the nickname of the 214th Cobra Fangs - the largest aerospace organization in any of the Clans, known for mass strafing attacks.  The unit descends from Marine Attack Squadron 214, created on July 1, 1942.  Presumably there was a "Black Sheep" squadron in the SLDF, elements of which joined both Aleksandr's and then Nicholas' Exodus.
"We have made of New Avalon a towering funeral pyre and wiped the Davion scourge from the universe.  Tikonov, Chesterton and Andurien are ours once more, and the cheers of the Capellan people nearly drown out the gnashing of our foes' teeth as they throw down their weapons in despair.  Now I am made First Lord of the Star League, and all shall bow down to me and pay homa...oooooo! Shiny thing!" - Maximillian Liao, "My Triumph", audio dictation, 3030.  Unpublished.