Tribble #0002:
Aboard the McKenna's Pride, orbiting over Strana Mechty, the body of Aleksandr Kerensky lies in state within a glass tomb.
Except, one day, someone realises it's not a coffin: it's a cryo-tube.
Who resuscitates him, and when? What has become of the 'Star League in Exile' (or the Clans) by the time he awakes, and how does he react to what's happened while he's been 'sleeping'? How do the Clans react to his reaction?
If Nicholas is still alive, what does Aleks say to him? }:)
Trace, can you post a link to that spacebattles thread? Thanks!Lessee now: there's no dedicated Emporium for BT Tribbles over there (more's the pity), but I think I posted those two in the 'general purpose' Tribble Emporium #3 ...
Master Arminas
Tribble #17:That's pretty ballsy for the Capellens considering they still have Canopian and Andurien troops occupying several of their worlds. By March they where still holding Renown, Buenos Aires, Andermax, Palladaine, and New Roland. It will probably take a few months for the conlifct to occur, but still, pretty ballsy. The Anduriens are pretty much done for at this point, but a Canopian counter attack doesn't seem impossible.
Edward Calderon's DropShip accident in 3034 is narrowly averted by alert members of his Taurian Guards protective detail. Later that year, evidence emerges that the vessels engines had been sabotaged, and despite Protector Thomas Calderon at first blaming the Federated Suns and the House of Davion, it emerges that the conspirator was none other than Grover Shraplen, assisted by the Capellan Maskirovka! The 49-year old (at the time) Shraplen is revealed to be engaged in a long-term conspiracy to destroy and discredit the Calderon family and seize control over the Taurian Concordat. Thomas is stunned by the betrayal of one of his closest allies, and then enraged beyond all reason when Shraplen (informed of his iminent arrest for treason by supporters at Court) declares MacLeod's Land loyalty to Romano Liao and accepts a Capellan Garrison as Governor in her name. The Pleiades Hussars support Shraplen and quickly move to reinforce MacLeod's Land. Chancellor Liao names Grover Shraplen the true Protector of the Taurian Concordat, and begins to move troops to the border hoping to capitalize on the chaos. An amused Hanse Davion declares the Federated Suns neutral, but he too moves troops close to the Taurian border.
Tribble 0022
19th Century North America had it's fair share of strange cults, most of which vanished as soon as their founder did (often with bulging pockets). One of the stranger and most persistent of these was dedicated not to any God but to human longevity: membership was restricted to those with four living grandparents and in a complete reversal of all religious logic, members were paid - more specifically, were paid a bounty for every child they had with other members.
By the early 22nd century the group remained more or less intact, if unfortunately inbred: a few tens of thousands strong, possessed of an average life span of two hundred years and quite unable to share this blessing with with the rest of humanity. Unsurprisingly they were only too happy to take over a small colony fleet and set out for the far reaches of space, perhaps inspiring the usually fairy tales about planets where no one gets old.
Actually, of course, they set up camp on a handful of worlds a couple of light years towards the core and built up an industrial society to support their goals of:
1. More children
and
2. Not dying.
Unfortunately for a group (now numbering in the billions) who have taken to heart the idea that going to war will lead to regrettable termination of their precious multi-century lifespans and thus have little to no experience of it, they're about to be invaded by six million new colonists, in the form of Kerensky's Exodus...
Tribble 0027A new version of the Clans? Or is this the new WOB?
They came from the darkness and they brought it with them.
Their ships blockade worlds, slaying those who would reinforce the garrison or those who would flee before the conquerers. HPGs go silent where they pass.
Their Mechwarriors and Infantry are distant, faceless warriors who destroy all those who come against them, hunt down all that they seek.
Within a year hundreds of worlds have gone silent. Across the Inner Sphere fear grips a thousand worlds as rumours speculate as to who these invaders are and what they have come to do.
On those fallen worlds they are beginning to learn and their fears are better founded: they still have not met with the warriors but they have met their servants. Humans, or so they appear. Regulated and controlled humans, who impose those same regulation and control upon the worlds that have fallen.
Everyone knows someone who has been taken away by the invaders, and now a few have learned of people who have come back, preaching the virtues of the new ways.
A new word has come to describe this terrible new force in the universe: Harvesters. For they have come not to conquer or to hold, but to harvest: to take what they want away.
Tribble 0026 "Bandits" beyond the Rim capture Red Corsair and her entourage
What if, back in the dark day, Katrina Steiner and her travelin companions the Kells were met by some weird bandits, fighting with weird mechs never seen before... And winning?
No Peace proposal, no FedCom, no Kell Hounds, no Genyosha...
But maybe bloodname Kell earlier? Or would the Clans accept the young Kells?
Tribble 31Sailor Moon Battletech style! I like it! O0
It is 3051 and the House Lords have assembled on Outreach to unite their efforts against the Clans. Their children are trained by the Wolf Dragoons to be the leaders of their forces. But there was a B Class...
Usagi Davion, grand-daughter of Hanse Davion's first Champion. Ami Kurita, great-niece of Takashi Kurita. Rei Liao, Kali's twin sister. Makoto Marik, daughter of Duggan Marik. Minako Steiner, long lost daughter of Fredrick Steiner. Segsuna Hakondottir, younger sister of the Elected Prince. Hotaru Calderon, returing daughter of the lost Edward Calderon. Haruka Avellar, daredevil pilot from the Periphery. Michiru Centralla, who was visiting the local violin conservatory and got drafted as an ambassador.
These nine young women are being trained by Natasha Kerensky's pet surat to defeat the dark forces of Beryl Showers, the evil power behind the Clans and their Dark Khans. When the stars are right, the Great Father will awaken and shroud all the worlds in darkness unless the Senshi and their mysterious ally Endymion Focht can stop her.
Tribble 0030
SLS McKenna's Pride is lost with all hands during the Liberation of Terra. Including General Aleksandyr Kerensky #P. Although Amaris cackles with glee, he swiftly discovers that a furious Aaron DeChevilier is more than a match for his remaining forces. The Rim World defenders are defeated, Amaris is captured, the Court of the Star League unsealed, and Amaris is shot.
When the High Council meets, they refuse to appoint DeChevilier as the Commanding General of the SLDF . . . and they demand that the SLDF disband. DeChevilier complies . . . to a degree. Calling for volunteers within the SLDF to serve the Terran Hegemony in rebuiilding, he demobilizes every last non-Royal division and regiment that has survived to date. Those SLDF troops who wish to return home are discharged--the remainder, all volunteers are inducted into the reformed Hegemony Armed Forces, to which DeChevilier transfers all of the SLDF Royal Divisions, Regiments, and surviving WarShips. :o
In an orchestrated event, the newly reformed Hegemony Senate offers General DeChevilier the post of Commanding General of the reborn HAF. DeChevilier accepts. Sufficient volunteers (and surplus equipment) from the disbanded divisions and regiments are on hand to bring the newly constituted HAF to a force of 38 Divisions (14 BattleMech, 2 Infantry, 4 Jump Infantry, and 18 Mechanized Infantry), plus more than a score of independent regiments (total strength of around 180 BattleMech Regiments, plus about 120 Armored Regiments and more than 200 Infantry Regiments). Not to mention 400+ WarShips. :o [drool] }:)
The House Lords are furious; this was not what they had in mind. But it is too late. DeChevilier speaks to each of them in soldier's terms: if you want me, come and try it. >:D
There is no Exodus. Aaron DeChevilier becomes the Director-General of the Terran Hegemony and becomes romanticly involved with Elizabeth Hazen. The House Lords refuse to recogonize the new realm, and soon enough the Succession Wars begin . . . O0
Master Arminas
Tribble 0030
SLS McKenna's Pride is lost with all hands during the Liberation of Terra. Including General Aleksandyr Kerensky #P. Although Amaris cackles with glee, he swiftly discovers that a furious Aaron DeChevilier is more than a match for his remaining forces. The Rim World defenders are defeated, Amaris is captured, the Court of the Star League unsealed, and Amaris is shot.
When the High Council meets, they refuse to appoint DeChevilier as the Commanding General of the SLDF . . . and they demand that the SLDF disband. DeChevilier complies . . . to a degree. Calling for volunteers within the SLDF to serve the Terran Hegemony in rebuiilding, he demobilizes every last non-Royal division and regiment that has survived to date. Those SLDF troops who wish to return home are discharged--the remainder, all volunteers are inducted into the reformed Hegemony Armed Forces, to which DeChevilier transfers all of the SLDF Royal Divisions, Regiments, and surviving WarShips. :o
In an orchestrated event, the newly reformed Hegemony Senate offers General DeChevilier the post of Commanding General of the reborn HAF. DeChevilier accepts. Sufficient volunteers (and surplus equipment) from the disbanded divisions and regiments are on hand to bring the newly constituted HAF to a force of 38 Divisions (14 BattleMech, 2 Infantry, 4 Jump Infantry, and 18 Mechanized Infantry), plus more than a score of independent regiments (total strength of around 180 BattleMech Regiments, plus about 120 Armored Regiments and more than 200 Infantry Regiments). Not to mention 400+ WarShips. :o [drool] }:)
The House Lords are furious; this was not what they had in mind. But it is too late. DeChevilier speaks to each of them in soldier's terms: if you want me, come and try it. >:D
There is no Exodus. Aaron DeChevilier becomes the Director-General of the Terran Hegemony and becomes romanticly involved with Elizabeth Hazen. The House Lords refuse to recogonize the new realm, and soon enough the Succession Wars begin . . . O0
Master Arminas
Unbeknowest to Nicky and his band of Cultists, during the Exodus Civil War, naval Captain Jacob Davion (a member of a minor cadet branch of the House) sees the writing on the wall, and gathers his followers for a THIRD Exodus. Grabing what they can, they flee into the Black, seeking to find a place to begin again. They eventually settle on a planet Coreward of the Kerensky Cluster, and begin settling what will become known as the Kerensky March.Sounds very promising actually.
DUring the centuries that follow, they observe their cousins with a mixture of contempt, horror, and fascination. Many of the Bandit Caste raids are actually March units seeking samples of Clan technology.
When they realise that the Invasion is imenant, Duke Davion sends an envoy to his cousin in the Inner Sphere, containing all their data on the Clans and tech samples, along with a message: we can't stop them, but if you can hold them off, we can stab them in the back.
While the Invading Clans are getting mired down into an Inner Sphere that is more prepared than they anticipated, fleets of WarShips bearing the Sun and Sword start appearing in Clan space, devastating their orbital infrastructure and formentin dissent among the lower castes.
Dumb, or possible?
Tribble 31
It is 3051 and the House Lords have assembled on Outreach to unite their efforts against the Clans. Their children are trained by the Wolf Dragoons to be the leaders of their forces. But there was a B Class...
Usagi Davion, grand-daughter of Hanse Davion's first Champion. Ami Kurita, great-niece of Takashi Kurita. Rei Liao, Kali's twin sister. Makoto Marik, daughter of Duggan Marik. Minako Steiner, long lost daughter of Fredrick Steiner. Segsuna Hakondottir, younger sister of the Elected Prince. Hotaru Calderon, returing daughter of the lost Edward Calderon. Haruka Avellar, daredevil pilot from the Periphery. Michiru Centralla, who was visiting the local violin conservatory and got drafted as an ambassador.
These nine young women are being trained by Natasha Kerensky's pet surat to defeat the dark forces of Beryl Showers, the evil power behind the Clans and their Dark Khans. When the stars are right, the Great Father will awaken and shroud all the worlds in darkness unless the Senshi and their mysterious ally Endymion Focht can stop her.
Unbeknowest to Nicky and his band of Cultists, during the Exodus Civil War, naval Captain Jacob Davion (a member of a minor cadet branch of the House) sees the writing on the wall, and gathers his followers for a THIRD Exodus. Grabing what they can, they flee into the Black, seeking to find a place to begin again. They eventually settle on a planet Coreward of the Kerensky Cluster, and begin settling what will become known as the Kerensky March.
DUring the centuries that follow, they observe their cousins with a mixture of contempt, horror, and fascination. Many of the Bandit Caste raids are actually March units seeking samples of Clan technology.
When they realise that the Invasion is imenant, Duke Davion sends an envoy to his cousin in the Inner Sphere, containing all their data on the Clans and tech samples, along with a message: we can't stop them, but if you can hold them off, we can stab them in the back.
While the Invading Clans are getting mired down into an Inner Sphere that is more prepared than they anticipated, fleets of WarShips bearing the Sun and Sword start appearing in Clan space, devastating their orbital infrastructure and formentin dissent among the lower castes.
Dumb, or possible?
Tribble 0026 "Bandits" beyond the Rim capture Red Corsair and her entourage
What if, back in the dark day, Katrina Steiner and her travelin companions the Kells were met by some weird bandits, fighting with weird mechs never seen before... And winning?
No Peace proposal, no FedCom, no Kell Hounds, no Genyosha...
But maybe bloodname Kell earlier? Or would the Clans accept the young Kells?
only one hitch, Phelans Ward link was thru his mom not MorganWe're talking Morgan Kell here. Do you really think he's not badass enough to convince them to create a bloodname?
We're talking Morgan Kell here. Do you really think he's not badass enough to convince them to create a bloodname?
(besides which, IIRC Phelan's descended from the Wards on both sides of his family)
Tribble # 43I like this idea, I think I might borrow one of these tales.
In Clan space, we hear about the Dark Caste, the bandits who are outside Clan society. Yet since the Clans are ashamed/ don't want to admit that they have renegades. the Inner Sphere doesn't hear much about them. Certainly, some are regressed hunter-gatherers, or hill tribes hiding from the Clan forces, but others are better equipped and organised, with some operating like organised crime for the Kerensky Cluster. How about we fill in some of the blanks, tell the stories of the side of Clan space they don't want told?
*The decendants of a regiment who stay true to the SLDF, carrying out a centuries-long gurilla war against the degenerates who tarnish the memory of the Star League, tired and outnumbered, but never giving up hope ...
*A Norsemen style community of raiders, who espouse the ideal of Elemental superiority ... mostly operating as normal infantry, but with some stolen or heirloom suits, they raid Clan holdings for food, equipment, weapons and slaves ... females of Elemental bloodlines, whatever the caste, are taken as breeding stock ...
*An isolated world in the Kerensky Cluster where the Exodus Civil war is still going on, with the decendants of rival units have backslid over the centuries: now they fight their battles with flintlock muskets and sabes, a la the Raj Whitehall books ...
*An angry but frustrated bandit chief, sick of being hunted by the Clans, yet dependant on them, says 'enough is enough,' and strikes out for the Inner Sphere, both to find a new life and also to warn the Successor States about the Clans ... but when the Watch is informed of his plans, can his wiley band of misfits outrun and outsmart a Clan hunting party, desperate to bring him to heel and crush the hope of his followers?
*In the heart of Clan space, on Strana Mechty itself, a secret cabal of lower castemen, bandit chiefs and a few sympathisers from the Warrior caste, plots to bring down the rule of the Bloodnamed and their thugs. Their leader? A shadowy figure who remains anonymous, but many believe is a clone of Aleksandyr Kerensky himself ...
Tribble 41Is ROM going to remove Anastasius Focht as well and thus completely cripple their military arm?
The Clans never invade due to a failed consensus and in 3053, the Federated Commonwealth once again prepares to invade the Draconis Combine after learning of the massive bluff that the DC had initiated in 3039. However, Hanse offers Theodore a way out of war by demanding a Union between the two nations thru a marriage between Victor and Omi. Theodore agrees despite heavy resistance in his nation as well as from those living in the Draconis March which leads to massive rebellions all along the border.
Comstar, realizing war with the Commonwealth is inevitable, uses the rebellions distracting the FC/DC Union to prepare their own political block by secretly arranging Sun-Tzu to take the throne of the CC by assassinating Romano. A new military union is formed between the Capellans and the Comguard to bolster the CC military using Star League tech. ROM also secretly removes those within its organization that are from the Combine including Sharilar Mori in order to protect its secrecy.
Conspiring with Sun-Tzu, Myndo Waterly secretly travels to the Free Worlds League, Magistracy of Canopus, Taurian Concordant, and the Marian Hegemony in order to persuade the nations to join with the Capellan Confederation in forming a new Star League. To solidify the League, arranged marriages are used between allied states as well as Comstar opening up its tech base to the periphery states.
In 3058, the FC/DC Union crushes the last resistance group in the Draconis March only to face a new Star League ruled by a Council under a powerful Reagan SDS on Terra.
Sun Tzu is entirely capable of feats of basic math, and would milk C* for everything he could get out of them before selling them out in a heartbeat in order to arrange his own dynastic marriage to Yvonne Steiner Davion if he could possibly manage it, Angela Hasek if he doesn't quite bring enough to the table.Which actually would made quite a story in itself.
Tribble #49This caught me by surprise. :D
Shocked by the technological advances made by the House of Liao-Davion, the descendants of the Star League Defense Force make preparations to invade and subjugate the Inner Sphere.
Life in the Confederated Suns is about to change.
Trible #51
When in the employ of the FWL, the astute political general Jamie Wolf avoids a potential bloody confrontation with their employers. Instead the Dragoons pledge their loyalty to the Mariks in exchange for a homeworld and noble titles. As Dragoons cement alliances with marriage, Dragoon influence waxes over 40 worlds. By 3039 the first generation of cloned warrriors raised in the Inner Sphere is blooded as Dragoon Merc regiments "volunteer" in the 4th Succession war. By the Clan invasion, the Marik-Wolf house troops can field over one hundred regiments of mechs using second line Clan tech and several dozen newly built Warships. Under Dragoon leadership, a climactic battle of refusal is fought on Tukayyid and won. The Star League unites under the First Lord Marik. But unbenownst to the IS, a Comstar who sees their work rapidly undone falls under the influence of a heretofore small faction advocating "extreme" solutions.
No change to the timeline at all, but accelerates everything by a decade or two?
Tribble #53.And the world's champion is a 14-year old boy with pimples and a confident smile ...
Finding a new world nearby that seems to be a 1:1 copy of Terra, Clan Jade Falcon eagerly sends a Galaxy to conquer it. Issuing their batchall, they are suprised when, after consulting with local experts, the freebirth governments choose a tabletop wargame as the method of the Trial. The single Star Commander chosen will be given two weeks to familiarize themself with the rules and pick their forces, while the local experts hastily concoct their strategy and choose their representative to defend the planet.
Thus, with the eyes of the world upon them, the highest-stakes game of Battletech ever begins...
Tribble #56
Tribble 70 - One for the Dark Ages, to make them even darker. }:)This actually sounds quite interesting.
Low hanging fruit are generally picked first, but sometimes are concealed behind the leaves and last far longer than they have any right too. Ice Hellions are a prime example of this, and there are plenty of others.
Attributed to Samantha Clees, Khan of Clan Jade Falcon, dated post 3090 - exact date unknown.
The Green Ghosts have for years been a mystery. A group of 'pirates' famed for hitting Interstellar Expeditions archaeological sites on Lyran, Falcon and periphery worlds the subject for far more rumours than facts. Known only to have been seeking 'something' since their first appearance, the Ghosts are often linked to Clintons Cutthroats and other mysteries by conspiracy mongers.
The truth when discovered would be horrifying to the Inner Sphere and Clans as a whole.
The truth of the Green Ghosts goes back to the Brotherhood of the Republic, a society founded in the 1st Succession War by a group of treasonous Lyran Nobles intent on rebirthing the Rim Worlds Republic. Comparable to the Black Dragon Society in the Draconis Combine, these Nobles were remarkably unhappy with Lyran handling of their periphery border. Long merely a treasonous secret society, this would change in the early 3060s when the group was discovered by the Word of Blake who believed that the group would be a useful catspaw for their future plans. The Word of Blake secretly provided substantial military equipment to the Society and encouraged them to use this secret military to stir up any Lyran sentiments on the Periphery Rim of the Alliance.
However others were also watching. Only a few years later, communications between the group and several members in the Jade Falcon occupation zone were intercepted by Clan Jade Falcon scientists. Rather than report this to the Clans warrior caste overseers, Scientist Ettienne saw the group as an excellent set of catspaws for his own goals, and blocked the reports from moving up the chain of command, and additionally funneled off additional military hardware and research groups into the hands of the Brotherhood.
Equipped now with an eclectic mix of Inner Sphere, Clan and Blakist caste offs, the Brotherhood founded the Green Ghosts. There aim was simple, to locate sufficient viable DNA to bring about the rebirth of House Amaris. The Blakists didn't care, this would work well for them, the Falcons would go nuts, the Lyrans would need to fight in their own backyard. Ettiennes group didn't care, this would once again prove the idiocy of the warriors of Clan Jade Falcon.
However some things don't go as planned, it would be late in the 3090s before sufficient DNA was located from two well-preserved ex-amaris's on a distant Periphery world, by then Ettienne was gone, the Blakists were gone. All that remained was an old Brotherhood, an experienced group of raiders, several regiments of hardware, rogue clan scientists, a few Blakist survivors, a lot of patience and a plan.
The start date for the rebirth of the Republic was finally given a date in the Brotherhood, August 7th 3132.
Tribble #71Nondi and Ardan as roll models? Interesting.
Hanse Davion, Melissa Steiner and Katrina Steiner are all busy busy people, so while they love the Steiner-Davion children very much, the amount of time they can actually devote to them is limited. Thus others - trusted friends and relatives - naturally take up some roles that might otherwise fall to the parents. Rolemodels for example.
Katrina's sister Nondi is a mother herself, absolutely trusted and has no political ambitions whatsoever. She's also a skilled mechwarrior and honestly not a bad general. What could possibly be wrong with Victor wanting to be like his Nana Nondi?
Ardan Sortek is Hanse's little brother in all but blood, a fine mechwarrior, politically shrewd and absolutely loyal. His only known ambition is to serve well and one day retire to his family's estates and be rid of politics. Undeniably Kathy could do much worse than to model herself on him.
Right?
Well...
"What do you mean neither of them wants to be Archon-Prince?" Melissa asked in confusion.
Hanse looked concerned. "Well, they both know how demanding the job is. Each insists that the other is clearly far more suited to that responsibility and would have their complete support on the throne."
"But..."
"It may be hard to understand this, love, since you were always the heir, but I know I was relieved when I was younger that Ian would inherit not me. There's considerable freedom in not having that burden in your future."
"This is Victor's duty, and Kathy's if... well. If."
"Oh they do their duty. Serving in the AFFC, maybe a career in government... but Victor outright says he sees himself as more soldier than statesman."
Their eyes met. "And Kathy?"
"She's talking about a diplomatic career after she does her five years."
Several Years Later
"Royal's Pride is cancelled. There's no point making a show based on a fictionalised version of the Steiner-Davions when the real family get more drama than we're putting in the show."
"What's the latest event in the 'Civil War'?"
"Well you remember how Victor married Omi Kurita, hoping that the family relationship with Hanse's rival Theodore would bar him from succession?"
"Of course I remember it! The media was talking about it for months!"
"Well Kathy's dating her cousin Phelan's self-declared nemesis Vladimir Ward!"
"The CLAN WARLORD!"
"That's the one!"
"Ooooh!"
Tribble #73: The Lion and the VixenUmm...I'm confused as to what's going on.
The throneroom of the Triad is full of the elite of the Lyran Commonwealth. Everyone who is anyone and everyone who wants to be anyone is present to observe the first ever state visit of a reigning First Prince to Tharkad. Keen observers may notice that the Cardinal Archbishop of Tharkad is unusually nervous, perhaps at meeting a Archbishop of the New Avalon Catholic Church said to be travelling with the First Prince as a spiritual advisor.
As the great doors open to admit the First Prince, Archon Karl Steiner rises to his feet and walks to the front of the dais. His daughter Melissa is standing deferentially just a hair behind and to one side of him. Those at the front of the throne room can see that this is a smooth diplomatic move, coming forwards to meet the First Prince on equal terms. Still, he does seem to be standing just a bit off-centre...
Then the ripples of muttering from the back of the room reach them and heads begin to turn as Helene Davion walks down the central aisle. She is attended by a red-headed teenager who must clearly be her nephew Morgan. Shockingly, against all convention, Morgan is carrying a baby. Still, that's not the real headturner.
The First Prince is not in military uniform like the Archon.
She's wearing a wedding dress!
And as the political implications sink in (and Frederick Steiner glumly unfastens his hip flask and starts to chug) a few of the courtiers recognise the smile on the Lion of Tharkad's face. A smile not seen since the death of Guenivere Luvon, more than a decade before. A smile that says more clearly than words: "gentlemen, I'm going to lay that gorgeous woman tonight."
Umm...I'm confused as to what's going on.If I'm reading it right, it's an alt-universe where Katrina Steiner and Hanse Davion are gender-flipped and Archon Karl Steiner's 'Peace Proposal' has turned into a dynastic marriage between him and First Prince Helene Davion, rather than the OTL's marriage between First Prince Hanse Davion and the Archon's daughter, Melissa Steiner.
Tribble #73: The Lion and the Vixen
The throneroom of the Triad is full of the elite of the Lyran Commonwealth. Everyone who is anyone and everyone who wants to be anyone is present to observe the first ever state visit of a reigning First Prince to Tharkad. Keen observers may notice that the Cardinal Archbishop of Tharkad is unusually nervous, perhaps at meeting a Archbishop of the New Avalon Catholic Church said to be travelling with the First Prince as a spiritual advisor.
As the great doors open to admit the First Prince, Archon Karl Steiner rises to his feet and walks to the front of the dais. His daughter Melissa is standing deferentially just a hair behind and to one side of him. Those at the front of the throne room can see that this is a smooth diplomatic move, coming forwards to meet the First Prince on equal terms. Still, he does seem to be standing just a bit off-centre...
Then the ripples of muttering from the back of the room reach them and heads begin to turn as Helene Davion walks down the central aisle. She is attended by a red-headed teenager who must clearly be her nephew Morgan. Shockingly, against all convention, Morgan is carrying a baby. Still, that's not the real headturner.
The First Prince is not in military uniform like the Archon.
She's wearing a wedding dress!
And as the political implications sink in (and Frederick Steiner glumly unfastens his hip flask and starts to chug) a few of the courtiers recognise the smile on the Lion of Tharkad's face. A smile not seen since the death of Guenivere Luvon, more than a decade before. A smile that says more clearly than words: "gentlemen, I'm going to lay that gorgeous woman tonight."
If I'm reading it right, it's an alt-universe where Katrina Steiner and Hanse Davion are gender-flipped and Archon Karl Steiner's 'Peace Proposal' has turned into a dynastic marriage between him and First Prince Helene Davion, rather than the OTL's marriage between First Prince Hanse Davion and the Archon's daughter, Melissa Steiner.Largely correct but with one addition. They accidentally jumped the gun a little, note Morgan's burden.
Tribble #74: No Pentagon Colonies
The journey of the SLDF-in-exile was finally over. Aleksander Kerensky couldn't believe his luck when they stumbled over an already existing colony in the Tanis system. Sure, the colonists already living there were rather suspicious of the new arrivals, but over time this would surely cease, and giving his troops a military goal (forming a new militia for the colonies) would deter the more restless elements. Those that prefered to settle down into civilian life could settle into a preestablished society instead of trying to build their own. And he, he could finally spend some time with his family without the burden of command or - god forbid - political leadership. No, he had learned that lesson well enough and would stay away from any position of political power.
Surely this would be the peaceful life his tired soldiers deserved?
Tribble # 75 Blind sidedDarn it, you're not gonna tell us who it is?
Katherine Steiner Davion's moment of victory was at hand, smiling widely as she walked towards the throne room she reflected upon the success of her propaganda campaign that had broken little Yvonne's spirit, now was the time to sweep in and snap up what was always rightfully her's while Victor was off chasing after what was left of the Smoke Jaguars and hopefully getting himself killed in the process. Stepping into the chamber she came to dead stop as she spotted Yvonne standing beside the throne, wasn't she supposed to have fled to the Combine? That question was instantly pushed aside as she finally noticed the someone who was sitting on the throne "Why what a pleasant surprise Katherine, come to congratulate me getting trapped in this Regency job?" asked the last person alive she had dream t of sitting there smiling at her, and that smile promised not the celebration she'd been hoping for but long over due payment for her ambitions.
Darn it, you're not gonna tell us who it is?
Tribble # 75 Blind sided
Katherine Steiner Davion's moment of victory was at hand, smiling widely as she walked towards the throne room she reflected upon the success of her propaganda campaign that had broken little Yvonne's spirit, now was the time to sweep in and snap up what was always rightfully her's while Victor was off chasing after what was left of the Smoke Jaguars and hopefully getting himself killed in the process. Stepping into the chamber she came to dead stop as she spotted Yvonne standing beside the throne, wasn't she supposed to have fled to the Combine? That question was instantly pushed aside as she finally noticed the someone who was sitting on the throne "Why what a pleasant surprise Katherine, come to congratulate me getting trapped in this Regency job?" asked the last person alive she had dream t of sitting there smiling at her, and that smile promised not the celebration she'd been hoping for but long over due payment for her ambitions.
How about Hanse, after a decade in cryo, a bionic heart and a couple of years of physiotherapy? Since he 'died', he's out of the line for the throne, but should do as Regent for the reunited FedCom until Victor gets home ...
How about Hanse, after a decade in cryo, a bionic heart and a couple of years of physiotherapy? Since he 'died', he's out of the line for the throne, but should do as Regent for the reunited FedCom until Victor gets home ...
or Melissa is the one on the throne >:D
or Melissa is the one on the throne >:D
or Melissa is the one on the throne >:Ddamn, that makes MUCH more sense ... :D
damn, that makes MUCH more sense ... :D
My mind just went to batcrap insane territory and to have Melissa heavily cyberneticized from the assasination attempt...which may or may not mean... :D
My mind just went to batcrap insane territory and to have Melissa heavily cyberneticized from the assasination attempt...which may or may not mean... :D
I think Mr. Ikari's a little too out there for Victor to tolerate him.Just what's wrong with Evil Abe Lincoln clone?
Just what's wrong with Evil Abe Lincoln clone?
Tribble #77The question is, will the daughter feel a bond with her blood father, or will she resent him for being a reminder that she's a freebirth ...
During the Clan Invasion in 3049, a young woman was taken as a bondswoman by Clan Jade Falcon. She was pregnant, and her daughter was raised by the Clan. Said daughter became a freeborn Warrior in service of Jade Falcon, and was posted to face the Arc Royal Defense Cordon. Things go wrong, and she's captured by a mercenary group. Shortly thereafter, she's informed the commander of these mercenaries wishes to see her...
During the Clan Invasion, a young mercenary was forced to leave his lover behind when she was captured. He only learned she was pregnant when he was given access to her personal belongings. Now he hates Clan Jade Falcon more than anything else in the Inner Sphere. Eighteen years later, he's the commander of his unit, and taking part in the ARDC. His eye is caught by a young Jade Falcon who was captured in a recent battle, who has the eyes of the woman he loved...
Father and daughter have been united, and they'll need each other to survive the chaos of the Jihad...
The question is, will the daughter feel a bond with her blood father, or will she resent him for being a reminder that she's a freebirth ...
Another twist could be that they met while she was still serving in the Falcons: they meet across a battlefield and both their loyalties are tested ...
...
Tribble #79
Basically a story that follows the end of the MW4 game, and follows Ian Dresari after handing over the leadership of Kentares over to his sister. This is mostly due to my hatred of the story of the Black Knight Game, loved the game itself, but hated the story. I also didn't like that they didn't make any other game following the other end of the decision tree in Vengeance. /grumble/ Anyways basically this story actually becomes an AU version of the story of MW4: Merc where Ian and his team become a Freelance Merc Unit for some reason accepting contracts to defend helpless people caught in the middle of the FedCom Civil War. An interesting idea but trying to figure out a reason for Ian to go Merc instead of joining Victor's Forces. /shrug/ ...
I have seen a few good crossovers(and a few not so good) lol like group of merc battlemechs misjumping into the star wars, clone wars lol
Tribble #96
It's quite hard to believe, really. I lived my entire life glorifying Him, aspiring to be His ideal warrior, fighting by the creed of honour that He laid out. Such was how I became Bloodnamed, and such is how I live to this day. Maybe one day I would even do my part in fulfilling His vision by reconquering the Inner Sphere alongside my Star League brethren. Except it wasn't His will. Because He never existed. I recently came into possession of Isorla consisting of an old outpost full of records that point to a most disturbing history. The great Kerensky is a fraud, and all we live for is a lie. I leave this now as a record of my intention, that if I am killed or cast out for my actions, this may serve as some explanation for what I am about to do.
The intention behind this one is that Kerensky was the public face for a ComStar black (white?) ops group whose assigned task was to draw off the defenders of the Inner Sphere and leave it wide open for conquest by ComStar, returning as a sort of second army to keep the Sphere subjugated. Of course, that particular plan didn't go as it was supposed to, and now the truth is unearthed, the Clans' political intrigue just took a major step up. After all, if you've built your way of life on a lie, should the truth ever be revealed?
Which Kerensky we talking about? It can't be Alexander as he was born and was Regent and Commander of the SLDF before Comstar ever existed.
I would think that Morgan Hasek-Davion would be heir at this point to the Fed Suns.I think he was Best Man
But I could be wrong. I do not think he was on Terra.
I think he was Best Man
I guess the idea needs to be refined a bit; should I edit and redo?It's a solid idea, just a few details.
But wasn't Michael Hasek-Davion still alive and Minister of the Capellan March during the wedding? >:D He's already tried to become First Prince once in his life . . . and you can bet he would jump on this chance. Maybe even trying to have the Argyle and Victoria branches killed.Alive, yes. Minister of the Capellan March, yes. At the wedding, also yes. So he'd be dead.
The Free Worlds League will decide quickly on successionI had initial doubts but on reflection I think you're right. The FWL has a means to resolve the succession, vote of Parliament. As soon as one Marik gets a majority there, the major issues will be closed although there will probably be some issues with unruly provinces but when isn't that the case? And the easiest way to quell those is to throw Catherine Humphreys support in attacking the Capellans rather than reining her in. This could be a good couple of years for House Marik since the Tikonov Free Republic won't be an issue (although resurgent Terra could be just as bad in the longer term).
and the Combine has Theodore who will probably be more inclined to reform the DCMS than immediately strike out at the Suns.I think you're over-estimating Theodore's position here. He's not got the credibility he built up during the Fourth Succession War (he's in semi-exile with the Legion of Vega, who are one step removed from pirates in the eyes of the rest of the DCMS). He's got the support of the ISF and O5P so there's very little chance he won't be rushed to Luthien, but he doesn't have Takashi's strong position to work with and may have trouble keeping the Warlord's under control. Also, Marcus Kurita remains a powerful enemy within House Kurita and may feel he has a strong chance to overthrow a young and in-experienced Co-ordinator. Particularly since Theodore's most recent military 'glory' was having to flee Marfik ahead of LCAF soldiers in the first wave of Operation Gotterdamerung, leaving most of his regiment behind.
The Lyrans would be in deep crisis since probably Katrina and her line would be wiped out leading to Ryan Steiner gaining the throne after large debate.Sorry, but right now Ryan is a minor player - protégé of Alessandro Steiner, but not really old enough to have a lot of credibility. He could become Archon but he's not yet got his connections in Skye (established after Aldo Lestrade was killed) or with Tamar (marriage into the Kelswa family post 4SW). I wouldn't count him out, but this isn't 3050s Ryan. The other near relatives are Nondi Steiner (Katrina's sister who has no political ambitions) and her children (who get little mention), Hermann Steiner (Alessandro's brother who retired to Zaniah) and Frederick Steiner who is Ryan's uncle with much better connections and military experience. I'd call it maybe 3/1 for Freddie over Ryan - although since Frederick isn't married, Ryan is his logical heir and Alessandro would likely advise him to take the long view.
As for the Capellans, Tormino isn't ready for the throne especially with as many decisions that the Celestial throne demands on its leader.This one is interesting - the Chancellorship is elective within the Prefectorate, although the claim to the Star League is contingent (due to various 26th century legal wrangling) on a member of House Liao being chief executive. However, of the six members of the Prefectorate in 3025 three are known to be attending the wedding: Maximilian Liao, Candace Liao and Elizabeth Liao. Unless membership has changed between 3025 and 3028, this leaves Chandra Ling (head of the Maskirova), Waldemar Teng and Victor Hargreaves as candidates for 'temporary' Chancellor. How long it would take for House Liao to reclaim the office would depend upon Tormano (and presumably any cousins he may have) wrangling a candidate onto the Prefectorate. If the temporary Chancellor cites military emergency in light of the invasion by the AFFS, they might be able to delay that for quite a while.
nd Frederick Steiner who is Ryan's uncle with much better connections and military experience. I'd call it maybe 3/1 for Freddie over Ryan - although since Frederick isn't married,
which also means Fred never gets captured by the Kuritans and never becomes Focht, granted if Hilton got nuked, a whole lotta mechs will go up in the blast
as to the HPG, terra probably has a dozen on its orbital station to recieve stuff from multiple directions at all times, and probably another dozen in various locations around the globe
With Jamie Wolf dead how will this affect the actions of Wolf's Dragoons? Who aside from Jamie knew about Kerlin Ward's secret orders?Natasha Kerensky takes command of the Dragoons, as she also knows of the orders. Never forget the Black Widow!
I think the result is basically a guaranteed win for the Clans when they show up. With nukes (possibly) back on the table and no way to replace losses, odds are very good that the IS will wind up totally wrecking themselves and leaving no one capable of making a serious attempt to stop the Clan juggernaut even if they do still get the one-year reprieve they did in canon.
Or, hey, nukes become the order of the day and, when the Clans return, they get canned sunshine too.
Actually, I suspect that, if the Inner Sphere went full WMD, yes, the Clans would bombard worlds, but they would still lose ships left and right. Inner Sphere aerospace fighters are actually less vulnerable to dying, and hordes of interceptors carrying Alamos would eventually wear the Clan fleets down.
The big thing protecting the Clans from WMDs in canon was more about the Inner Sphere's reluctance to return to First Succession War tactics than anything else. In this scenario, they've already abandoned that hesitation.
Sorry, but right now Ryan is a minor player - protégé of Alessandro Steiner, but not really old enough to have a lot of credibility. He could become Archon but he's not yet got his connections in Skye (established after Aldo Lestrade was killed) or with Tamar (marriage into the Kelswa family post 4SW). I wouldn't count him out, but this isn't 3050s Ryan. The other near relatives are Nondi Steiner (Katrina's sister who has no political ambitions) and her children (who get little mention), Hermann Steiner (Alessandro's brother who retired to Zaniah) and Frederick Steiner who is Ryan's uncle with much better connections and military experience. I'd call it maybe 3/1 for Freddie over Ryan - although since Frederick isn't married, Ryan is his logical heir and Alessandro would likely advise him to take the long view.
One other factor is that with Hilton Head, not only administrative capital of ComStar but also the Terran HPG station, destroyed and HPG stations likely being seized and/or destroyed, interstellar communications are going to be unreliable. It could be months before outlying worlds and troops are aware of their new rulers and any changes in policy.
And in a nuclear environment, the first group that's going to see renovation would be the fighters, not the BattleMechs. Expect ASF production to go up during this early Jihad.
Second, yes, the Clans have a hissy fit at the Inner Sphere use of unrestricted WMD usage, and decide to join the party by doing the same. Big deal: the Inner Sphere, since they're no longer practicing limited warfare, just throws more bodies at the enemy.
End result? The Clans don't come in and walk all over the Inner Sphere. They get bogged down in the same kind of warfare the Inner Sphere is facing, and the invading Clans end up getting plastered when the Inner Sphere falls back on the "We Have Reserves" concept.
That and worlds like Torrence that undermine the whole premise.
I see a possible AU story here with the Capellans leading the charge in the counterattack against the Clans.
Alternatively, with a more powerful CapCon allied with the FWL Op Guerrero could be much more devastating to the FedSuns half of the Federated Commonwealth c3057
Tribble 103(http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/6/66/Iffem_shut-up-and-take-my-money.jpg)
Hello,Well if this happens, you need to say where they go and what happens to them. Otherwise there will be the question on how ComStar's Explorer Corps will find them.
This is Ammonios, mostly an observer. I have just finished this section and found it interesting. So, I would like to make a contribution here.
Tribble No. 105 (I think):
Suppose the SLDF simply disappears after its last confirmed sighting in 2784. This means that it or any associated entities do not return, ever. Three assumptions can be made here:
Forces of the Minnesota Tribe do not raid the Periphery border of the Draconis Combine
Wolf's Dragoons does not appear at all
No invasion of the Inner Sphere by the Clans
Let me know if this is plausible and if I need to add some corrections to this. Thank you
Hello,
This is Ammonios, mostly an observer. I have just finished this section and found it interesting. So, I would like to make a contribution here.
Tribble No. 105 (I think):
Suppose the SLDF simply disappears after its last confirmed sighting in 2784. This means that it or any associated entities do not return, ever. Three assumptions can be made here:
Forces of the Minnesota Tribe do not raid the Periphery border of the Draconis Combine
Wolf's Dragoons does not appear at all
No invasion of the Inner Sphere by the Clans
Let me know if this is plausible and if I need to add some corrections to this. Thank you
Oh, I don't mean an alt-verse where he actually was an unwitting prophet driven mad by the visions he couldn't escape. (Canon already, at times, flirts with that being the case. "Wolves prowling Terra," indeed.) No, I mean a universe where he was mentally competent to sit as First Lord. Where he was able to act decisively on the Davion Succession issue and the Marik Civil War. Where the Space Defense Systems, if built at all, were not (quite) the nightmare-constructs that bedeviled Kerensky's SLDF during the Hegemony campaign.
Would a sane First Lord Jonathan have bought the League more than a few more decades?
I was thinking about that not too long ago. Imagine the SLDF intervening promptly in both conflicts. Kurita would certainly be peeved more so than canon and while Davion is grateful for the aid the Federated Suns never realizes its glaring shortcomings. It is possible that the AFFS without the installation of Prince John's Landwehr system is a total mess. Worse than its 1st Succession War version and when the next crisis comes to pass, yikes!
Meanwhile you pick a Marik and any which one you do guess what people from the Free Worlds League are pissed! A foreign government manipulating our internal affairs!!! How dare they!!!!
Thank god you didn't screw with Steiner or Liao. ;)
I have had further evil thoughts! :)) Lets say Jonathon Cameron goes in the opposite direction. Matter of fact the First Lord is talking of visions increasingly that predict the Star League's complete doom. There is hope that the sharks can be defeated but only with the help of two mighty dragons and soaring eagle. The War of Davion Succession and the Marik Civil War are clear signs to the First Lord that the SLDF needs to intervene on behalf of the Kurita-Davions and Oliver Marik. >:D
"I open nominations for the ilKhan of the Clans."Interesting thought. How things pan out depend on who is elected as ilKhan of course. If it's one of the hardliners then matters would diverge more slowly than if the new ilKhan accepted the Wolverine's practises as part of the natural diversity that should exist among the Clans - that being the next major crisis and not long in the making.
Aaaaand the whole thing goes pear-shaped. (Par for the course in BT-Land, but still!) I can only guess at the possible outcomes, but one possibility stands out to me: is there any feasible way for the Kurita-Davions to be enthroned without Luthien pulling the strings? Maybe a formal foreswearing of any rights of succession to the Coordinator's throne? (It's the only way I can even begin to think of a compromise solution that, in the best tradition of compromises, satisfies no-one fully, but it's neither fully formed nor bulletproof.)Given that the Kurita-Davions had formally foresworn the Davion throne, such an oath would be looked on with doubt. (It's also a dynastic shenanigan similar to that which formally brought Rasalhague into the Draconis Combine).
And of course, the tie can cut back the other way if a First Prince decides to sit one of his children on the Coordinator's throne...
Tribble #110: A Tale Of Two FleetsEh, maybe. One would hope not, but neither faction has a good track record.
It is the 24th of August, 2786, and the Exodus Fleet led by General Aleksandr Kerensky arrives in what, in another time-line, would have been known as the Pentagon Worlds. But instead of finding five marginally habitable but uninhabited worlds, they discover that another rag-tag fleet fleeing a distant war has already settled on one of them...
So basically, it's BattleTech meets Nu Battlestar Galactica, with New Caprica located in the Pentagon Worlds. Rather than strait up action, or just a rehashing of Hunted Tribes, I'd be more interested in how having an external threat to protect the Inner Sphere from would change the society that would otherwise have become the Clans we all know.
Would there still have been a Pentagon Civil War?
What would a melding of Star League and Colonial society be like?The RTF's survivors are what, 1% of the Exodus's numbers? Assimilated apart from a few quirks within two generations, with a few communities of holdouts.
Would Aleksandr Kerensky still die of a heart attack 15-years later?Depends upon the stresses hitting him, and all the small details of how things play out. He might have one in a week upon learning that a race of genocidal human haters with unstoppable ftl is out there. He might not have one at all, and actually hit that average lifespan that no named character ever seems to in the BT universe.
Would Andery Kerensky survive?Hopefully yes and no respectively. The second depends on whether he really is a megalomaniacal lunatic with a Mongol fetish, as opposed to someone just taking the best options from his limited perspective at each step along the way.
Would Nicholas Kerensky still go on to found something like the Clans?
How would their technology evolve?
LIAO, DAVION RENOUNCE CLAIMS TO STAR LEAGUE THRONE
(January 8, 2829.)
Lee, Capellan Confederation [INN]
Six days of intense diplomatic negotiations between the Capellan Confederation and the Federated Suns ended today with an historic joint statement that has rocked the very foundations of Inner Sphere politics. Speaking from the Paradise Hotel on Lee, both Capellan Chancellor Laurelli Liao and Federated First Prince Paul Davion forever renounced any and all claim to the First Lordship of the Star League by themselves, any of their heirs or descendants, or indeed any current or future member of their respective dynasties.
“It is the view of our respective governments that the first step towards ending the fighting between the Great Houses of the Inner Sphere is for all of us to stop lying to ourselves about why we’re fighting,” the Chancellor said. “While those self-delusions persist, the goals of any war we fight will always be obscured and unachievable. If we’re ever going to have a lasting peace, those lies are an insurmountable obstacle.”
Taking his turn at the microphones, Prince Davion added, “I’m going to say something none of my predecessors had the courage to admit: the Star League is dead. It died with Richard Cameron, and Kerensky’s Exodus buried the corpse. Any claim to be First Lord of the Star League, by any state ruler in the Inner Sphere, is completely meaningless, because the Star League has not existed in sixty years. Trying to rebuild the Star League would be like trying to make a live hen by waving your hand over a bucket of fried chicken drumsticks.
“Forswearing pointless pretensions to an empty title may not ensure a lasting peace between any two nations of the Inner Sphere, but Chancellor Liao and I agree that everything else we’ve done since the Exodus hasn’t achieved that end, so it’s worth trying a new approach. And we call upon Archon Marcus Steiner, Coordinator Jinjiro Kurita, and Captain-General Charles Marik to show the same moral courage and follow suit.”
[-> more]
...what the heck makes you say that? Man, it doesn't even accomplish the goals of clamping down on brushfire conflicts and feuds along their mutual border, does it?No, but remember your von Clausewitz: “War is the continuation of politics by other means.”
Tribble 119
Conrad Toyama overstepped his bounds when he declared interdiction on the Free World's League and the ComStar war began. Increasingly battered and bruised, the Free Worlds League forces now unite for one last offensive against those who have wronged them.
If Toyama thought that interdiction would protect him, he was sorely mistaken. Because in January of 2838, Garth Marrik comes to Terra with an Ultimatum-Restore service to the FWL and admit fault, or suffer the sack of Terra.
And he has an enough troops to back it up.
By November of 3047, the orgy of violence was at an end. And nine Clans remained: Blood Spirit, Coyote, Diamond Shark, Ghost Bear, Hell's Horses, Jade Falcon, Smoke Jaguar, Star Adder, and Wolf. Despite the damage wrought, all of these Clans had managed to take more abtakha and isorla AND resources than they had lost. Enough to expand their strength far beyond what it had been prior to the Wars of Absorption.
Tribble 122
We all know the story of how Kerensky fled the Inner Sphere to prevent the Star League forces from being used in the Succession Wars; but what if someone from the Successor States decided to follow their path? In other words, what if the Successor States sent spies to the Kerensky Cluster and Pentagon Worlds and kept track of the progress of the Clans? From the formation of the Clans, to Operation Klondike, to the Annihilation of Clan Wolverine, spies from the Inner Sphere kept the Successor States appraised of the situation with the Clans up until the mid-Golden Century and all contact was lost.
Almost a hundred years later, the descendants of these spies manage to re-establish contact with the Inner Sphere and warned them of the coming of the Clans. The Clans won't know what hit them before it's too late.
Problem is your assuming that knowing the Clans are out there and thus a potential threat won't effect how things go back in the IS.And you’re assuming that the Successor Lords will demonstrate a gift for sound, long-term, ‘big picture’ thinking and looking past their grudges to the real threats — a kind of thinking that has been conspicuous by its rarity since the fall of the Star League. ::) Even if they know the Clans are coming, I can easily see one or more of the Houses hoping to get in a ‘short, victorious war’ ahead of the projected arrival-date: “Don’t worry, boys: this time, we’ll roll right over those [slur for target faction] with minimal losses. It’ll all be over in a few months — we’ll be completely ready to smack down these ‘Clans’ when they show up in the aftermath!”
And you’re assuming that the Successor Lords will demonstrate a gift for sound, long-term, ‘big picture’ thinking and looking past their grudges to the real threats — a kind of thinking that has been conspicuous by its rarity since the fall of the Star League. ::) Even if they know the Clans are coming, I can easily see one or more of the Houses hoping to get in a ‘short, victorious war’ ahead of the projected arrival-date: “Don’t worry, boys: this time, we’ll roll right over those [slur for target faction] with minimal losses. It’ll all be over in a few months — we’ll be completely ready to smack down these ‘Clans’ when they show up in the aftermath!”
Five years later....
Actually no he's not. Diablo is the one saying "Well if the Clans know that the IS knows they're coming then they're going to be much stronger but the IS won't have changed."
That's unrealistic. Now, if we assume that the Houses beat each other up and destroy infrastructure despite knowing that Kerensky's army is getting ready to take them all out, that still leaves Comstar.
So, Clans invade with great force, smashing aside the unprepared House forces....
And the ComGuard counterattacks selected Clan forces with over two dozen Warships and 30-40 Divisions, trusting in the rebuilt SDS to protect Terra. (Yes, Clans have more than two dozen WS. However, they'd be spread across their invasion front. All the Comstar WS would be in one spot).
That buys the IS a short reprieve until the Clans bring their fleet to bear and crush the green ComStar fleet with many more ships and more experienced crews. The end result is unchanged because the Clans just have too much power for the IS to stop.
Tribble 124
Jack Burton was only on Solaris to pilot his 'Mech in a few bouts and build up some cash before heading to Outreach.
Wang Chi just wanted to forget his past with the Shin Legion, marry his girlfriend and run his restaurant.
Gracie Law was going to make her name as a journalist by busting open the Lo Pan tong's abuse of the citizens of the Cathay quarter of Solaris City.
Now the Lo Pan and their Mechwarriors (the Three Storms) have Jack's Mech, Wang Chi's girlfriend and Gracie Law in their clutches. It's up to Jack, Wang (with a little help from black market dealer Egg Shen) to recover all three - which means Big Trouble in Little Cathay.
Tribble 124
Jack Burton was only on Solaris to pilot his 'Mech in a few bouts and build up some cash before heading to Outreach.
Wang Chi just wanted to forget his past with the Shin Legion, marry his girlfriend and run his restaurant.
Gracie Law was going to make her name as a journalist by busting open the Lo Pan tong's abuse of the citizens of the Cathay quarter of Solaris City.
Now the Lo Pan and their Mechwarriors (the Three Storms) have Jack's Mech, Wang Chi's girlfriend and Gracie Law in their clutches. It's up to Jack, Wang (with a little help from black market dealer Egg Shen) to recover all three - which means Big Trouble in Little Cathay.
Awesome crossover! Where is jim raynor from?Working on that.
Tribble 126
It was the dawn of the 30th Century, almost 20 years since the Third Succession War began. Mankind was committing horrible atrocities over the title of an empty throne on Terra. But one day, something unexpected occurred; a fleet of ships not matching any known human design appeared over Terra, transmitting a message to all corners of the Inner Sphere requesting the leaders of every nation, be they Successor State or Periphery meet with them on Terra. These ships belonged to an alien race that had called themselves...the Protoss.
They appealed before mankind to aid them in a coming war; a war that would ultimately destroy all life in the Galaxy. The war...against the Zerg.
I want to read this stat! Also... personally I believe that for the most part BT mechs will massacre zerg except for a few units. Eather way it will be a great read! :D
Yeah, the thing is that there are so many Zerglings that they will literally force you to run out of bullets before they run out of Zerg-and then they'll send in a Infestor to take control of your mechs.
Khan Natasha Kerensky elected to adopt the name of one of the fallen Clans: the Widowmakers would live once more and she secured the appointment of Phelan Ward as her saKhan. Making their headquarters on Rasalhague, the Widowmakers began to rapidly incorporate inhabitants of their OZ into the new Clan, shipping entire factories from the Homeworlds to New Bergen and New Oslo.
I love it except for the Widowmaker return. Make it the Black Widow Clan named after its founder. Why not just start a new bloodname for Phelan, Kell. Wolf actually had 43 Bloodnames to begin with and with 40 more from Widowmaker you easily have enough to split Clans into 40 Bloodnames a piece. I would think one Kerensky heritage would go to the Wolves and the other to the Black Widows.
I love it except for the Widowmaker return. Make it the Black Widow Clan named after its founder. Why not just start a new bloodname for Phelan, Kell. Wolf actually had 43 Bloodnames to begin with and with 40 more from Widowmaker you easily have enough to split Clans into 40 Bloodnames a piece. I would think one Kerensky heritage would go to the Wolves and the other to the Black Widows.
I don't know, it also could mean more and earlier ships like the leviathan which was a completely built in the homeworlds. Or it could mean a radical redesign of their warships
Would the Clans not just jump in a WarShip and nuke whichever planet Amaris was on?
Amaris is probably on TERRA at this point.
Richard Cameron is going to shoot him /personally/.
how many clan warriors make a bee line for the great father , of the father of the clans lol
....
And what will be his reaction to his little boys future endevors >:D
just another thought lol
With Nicky Kerensky dead, that means...NO CLANS!!!
It will be broken earlier than that because Kerensky is sticking around to kick in the teeth of the house lords. I have my doubts about his ability to succeed unless he plays his political cards very carefully, but it will without a doubt entirely scrap all of canon after this point.I've little to no doubt the SLDF can fight with great success against the Great Houses.
I kinda have my doubts he can win in the first place. By that point the SLDF was actually close to outnumbered from memory. Especially in space.
IF I were the other Clans I would take them apart piecemeal by grabbing lightly defende/undefended enclaves and backing both Clans into a corner where they can choose to save what little they have left and be absorbed (rather peacefully), die in one final last stand or join together and form a new Clan (like the Stone Lions would two centuries later). Either way, both Clans are so weakened that they would likely wilt under a new assault by fresher troopsagreed
Wait. Is this the Conference that started the Second Star League? Then it seems Omi will still be alive (the pettiest of the assassinations Katherine ordered), which means that Victor might actually marry her in the future (perhaps when he feels it's time for him to step down?)
Tribble # 140
Honestly.... i wana see a good "what if" with Clan Widowmaker surviving somehow, As short lived as that clan was it is by far my favorite, not least for wich is the fact that, to me, they have the coolest emblem of all the clans and there name rocks.
I would do it myself but my writing skills are questionable lol #P
Tribble #142
Something different happens in the life of Katherine Steiner-Davion. Maybe her brain develops differently, maybe she has a different nanny, or maybe she just gets more hugs growing up, but whatever the cause, she fails to become the psychopathic megalomaniac we know and love. Instead, she's a loving daughter and sister, Victors closest supporter and advisor.
Little change up until the end of 'Assumption of Risk' (Assume Ryan Steiner assassinates Melissa alone this time around), where we DON'T learn that Katherine is a murdering psycho. She does actually fall in love with Galen, and within a year he's asking her brother for her hand.
No Lyran Alliance. No FWL and CC steamroller offensive. No Fed Com civil war. Victor has an advisor who actually knows how to deal with the press. Butterflies, butterflies everywhere ...
You might even see a new Operation Bulldog - a two phase offensive against the Smoke Jaguars on one side and Jade Falcons on the other. With the FedCom intact, you could easily free up enough forces for a two phase offensive against the two biggest Crusader Clans at the same time.
Interesting idea - I'm guessing based on the lack of the FWL/CCThat was actually Hanses plan, born of desperation, but yes, it's possible that Kathy could talk him out of implementing it. If not, not having her steal half his realm would mean he could better respond to the assault (that is, actually respond at all! Damn you, Michael Stackpole!).fiat awesomeoffensive that Katherine Gibs Slapped Victor on the back of the head when he got the idea for a double for Janos, pointing out that its an insane risk for highly dubious gains?
I seriously doubt that would happen. Besides the fact that that adds a lot of ground troops to the Clan side of the equation and the logistical headache or running two parallel campaigns, I seriously doubt the IS could defeat the Falcon's much more substantial fleet. It also makes it far more likely other Clans will decide to intervene because while the Falcons are not the most popular Clan, they did not piss everyone else off the way the Jaguars did and two Clans facing extermination makes the threat to the others much more plausible than wiping out the Jaguars to send a message.Agreed it would need a lot of help from the FWL rather then just those two.
Tribble #142
Something different happens in the life of Katherine Steiner-Davion. Maybe her brain develops differently, maybe she has a different nanny, or maybe she just gets more hugs growing up, but whatever the cause, she fails to become the psychopathic megalomaniac we know and love. Instead, she's a loving daughter and sister, Victors closest supporter and advisor.
Little change up until the end of 'Assumption of Risk' (Assume Ryan Steiner assassinates Melissa alone this time around), where we DON'T learn that Katherine is a murdering psycho. She does actually fall in love with Galen, and within a year he's asking her brother for her hand.
No Lyran Alliance. No FWL and CC steamroller offensive. No Fed Com civil war. Victor has an advisor who actually knows how to deal with the press. Butterflies, butterflies everywhere ...
Interesting idea - I'm guessing based on the lack of the FWL/CCfiat awesomeoffensive that Katherine Gibs Slapped Victor on the back of the head when he got the idea for a double for Janos, pointing out that its an insane risk for highly dubious gains?
You might even see a new Operation Bulldog - a two phase offensive against the Smoke Jaguars on one side and Jade Falcons on the other. With the FedCom intact, you could easily free up enough forces for a two phase offensive against the two biggest Crusader Clans at the same time.
I seriously doubt that would happen. Besides the fact that that adds a lot of ground troops to the Clan side of the equation and the logistical headache or running two parallel campaigns, I seriously doubt the IS could defeat the Falcon's much more substantial fleet. It also makes it far more likely other Clans will decide to intervene because while the Falcons are not the most popular Clan, they did not piss everyone else off the way the Jaguars did and two Clans facing extermination makes the threat to the others much more plausible than wiping out the Jaguars to send a message.
Would this be the substantial Jade Falcon fleet that managed to get two cruisers captured by Wolf in Exile prior to the Jihad?
All sarcastic belittling of the martial prowess of the Lime Emus aside, 31 ships of the Com Guard fleet, 6 from Wolf in Exile, 6 from Wolf's Dragoons, 15 from the FC presuming the lack of a split and the Sarna March still being in FC hands doesn't help move shipbuilding along . While ditching attacks on Huntress and Ironhold would certainly be advisable for the newly expanded campaign, the 23 ships of the Falcon Touman are by no means an insurmountable obstacle, with the actions of the two stars of Snow Raven ships on loan possibly being the dealbreaker for immediate operations.
Tribble #143:
In the vasty deeps of the Dark Nebula, 'Camelot Command' is not a mere space station.
It is a vastly larger, vastly older structure, once repurposed by the SLDF, then forgotten, never touched during the Exodus.
It is, in fact, an Utu-class planetoid... And Rhonda Snord arrives just as its main computer core is starting to wake up...
Tribble #143:
In the vasty deeps of the Dark Nebula, 'Camelot Command' is not a mere space station.
It is a vastly larger, vastly older structure, once repurposed by the SLDF, then forgotten, never touched during the Exodus.
It is, in fact, an Utu-class planetoid... And Rhonda Snord arrives just as its main computer core is starting to wake up...
If memory serves, most of those IS ships were very small and had inexperienced crews so the Falcon navy would be a serious problem on their own even before you factor in the admittedly pitiful Jaguar fleet. The situation might still be winnable for the IS if they are very clever, but it is far too close to count on.Experience in fighting extremely rigid limited trials doesn't seem to have done the Ghost Bears or Jaguars any good whatsoever in the engagements that happened in canon. Getting two warships taken intact by a 'Clan' with a quarter their fleet size also doesn't speak to any particular competence by the Avocado Dodos.
The Raven ships could definitely seal the deal and make an IS win virtually impossible if they get involved, however I would expect the Ravens to pull some contractual or political shenanigans to get their ships out of the line of fire because they contracted them out to support an invasion against an IS with no major naval assets, not repel a counter-invasion by a combined IS force with actual WarShips. That said, if they cannot pull them out for one reason or another then things are going to get very messy because the Ravens are going to want to protect/avenge their ships which means getting the rest of the Clan involved, and that will almost inevitably bring the Ghost Bears into the fight. With four Clans involved, it is very likely that more will follow, especially when the other Clans in the IS can use it as an excuse to take more territory under the guise of cutting IS supply lines and forcing them to divide their attention. It might even go so far as to have the Grand Council declare the invasion as invalidating Tukayyid one way or another which opens up even more fronts for the IS to deal with. The net result would be a total disaster for the IS with campaigns against most of the Clans on dozens of fronts while the bulk of their forces are too far away to effectively respond.
Experience in fighting extremely rigid limited trials doesn't seem to have done the Ghost Bears or Jaguars any good whatsoever in the engagements that happened in canon. Getting two warships taken intact by a 'Clan' with a quarter their fleet size also doesn't speak to any particular competence by the Avocado Dodos.
As to weight, four cruiser weight hulls from the FC, three from Wolf's dragoons, two from wolf in exile, nine from the Com Guards matches the JF's ships in that category with a hull to spare. Werewolf handily outweighs the Falcon's nest, leaving the Emerald talon to get viciously murderstabbed by the nineteen excess destroyer sized hulls, fifteen excess corvettes, two potemkins, and the one leftover cruiser from earlier.
The Snow Ravens actually lost warships to Olive Ostrich dickery in recent days, because no one ever accused the Envy turkeys of being particularly bright, and broke the deal themselves as the result of 3055 political chicanery, so they should very much be a non-factor. Sorry, digging through Clan histories in decades old sourcebooks can take a while.
Is that an anime reference?
I seriously doubt that would happen.
Besides the fact that that adds a lot of ground troops to the Clan side of the equation and the logistical headache or running two parallel campaigns, I seriously doubt the IS could defeat the Falcon's much more substantial fleet.
It also makes it far more likely other Clans will decide to intervene because while the Falcons are not the most popular Clan, they did not piss everyone else off the way the Jaguars did and two Clans facing extermination makes the threat to the others much more plausible than wiping out the Jaguars to send a message.
That was actually Hanses plan, born of desperation, but yes, it's possible that Kathy could talk him out of implementing it. If not, not having her steal half his realm would mean he could better respond to the assault (that is, actually respond at all! Damn you, Michael Stackpole!).
Tribble #143:Ooh, nasty.
In the vasty deeps of the Dark Nebula, 'Camelot Command' is not a mere space station.
It is a vastly larger, vastly older structure, once repurposed by the SLDF, then forgotten, never touched during the Exodus.
It is, in fact, an Utu-class planetoid... And Rhonda Snord arrives just as its main computer core is starting to wake up...
I call it Victors plan because while Hanse may have put the idea into place as a possible contingency, Victor was the one who ultimately had to give the go-order on it.Good point, Chris, which is why I damned Stackpole: we love him for giving us wonderful characters, but for fracks sake, he makes them do some damned stupid things!
And frankly, its still hard to see WHY he he went ahead with it. Short of just ... well, being an idiot.
Hell, I'm half convinced Katherine rebelled because his idiocy of going ahead with the plan proved he was such a moron it would be a horrible danger to the universe to leave him on the Throne :p
To answer your first point, the logistics are actually entirely doable, the Successor States have more than enough jumpships, munitions and transport available to sustain the tempo of operations and scale of operations needed to smash the hell out of the Clans. They have quite literally been able to sustain massive campaigns on multiple borders with each other in never ending back and forth wars for centuries after all. Bulldog wasn't even a blip on the inner sphere economically - hell it probably wasn't even matching up to the Galahad exercises in the scale of units moving around given that thanks to the Clans horrifically bad intelligence services, operational security was a much lower concern than a concurrent exercise against a Successor State.
Taking a glance at Sarna, Bulldog was pretty much entirely carried on the back of the DCMS. They committed something like 39 distinct ground units. ComStar committed 9 Divisions. The AFFS 8 (mostly RCTs). The FWL 3 (seriously, why did they even ask them?). The Crappies 5. Saint Ives 2 units (one being Kai so thats like worth 5 units alone against Clan targets to be fair). The FRR 1. And CWIE a Galaxy, as well as a couple of Merc units. Plus Serpant.
And bear in mind, that level of force ran over the Jaguars like a frigen steamroller, taking minimal losses all things being equal compared to the pain they dished out.
Thats still only a fraction of what kind of forces COULD be pushed forward. In this scenario, you would have the AFFC probably able to easily commit 50 RCT units to smash the hell out of the Falcons, while leaving enough to cover other commitments. ComStar could probably commit more units to the DC front to help make up for it, as well as leaving the CapCon and FWL units in place to help the Dracs, their sort of sometimes ally, and still be able to comfortably win. You'd certinally need to scrap Serpent, but frankly, you would not WANT a mission to the Clan Homeworlds, it runs entirely counter to what they should have done.
As for the naval question, I'm ... not convinced. We saw clearly through both Bulldog and Serpent that Inner Sphere warship crews were perfectly able to slug it out with Clan Warships on a more or less even basis. At Trafalgar against the Ghost Bears, it was noted that the Clans skill did give them a slight edge in handling their warships, but certinally nothing like enough to make them fight twice as well or anything silly like that. The Inner Sphere if it gathers the ComStar fleet, the CWIE Fleet, Dragoons Fleet, DC Fleet, the FedCom Fleet (which minus the schism, might just have bulked up a little more), and a couple of warships from the FWL and CapCon if possible ... should be able to fight on both fronts. Especially if the Inner Sphere fleet remains concentrated and gets some early blows in knocking off the scattered Falcon Warships. And I'd daresay that a lot of the Falcon Fleet is going to be also either back in the Homeworlds or on the Exodus road, so those numbers may well be pared back quite a bit.
Possible. But at the same time, if the attack is brutal and quick like Bulldog was, it could just as easily lead to a state of strategic paralysis. The Ghost Bears are notorious for their 'wait and see, take time to think' attitude, so I think its safe to say that they are going to not jump in anytime soon, if they ever do at all. The Nova Cats will I presume switch sides again. The Wolves are still pretty frigen weak after the Refusal war, I can frankly see Vlad moving to 'support the Falcons' ... by taking off their hands a number of worlds that they don't have to now protect! And I can't see Vlad wanting to jump into a fray on behalf of Khan Polly, no matter how good they are in bed. The Diamond Sharks barely have a presence and even then, there is a question mark on if they would really want to jump into the blender or sit back and watch.
The Home Clans, if any do decide to jump in, will need a great deal of time to gather their forces and charge down the Exodus road - and IMO, they are far more likely to just sit back and watch ... and then when the Inner Sphere finishes brutalizing the Falcons and Jaguars, at once start a frantic round of trials in the Homeworlds for all their assets. Its exactly what happened in the 3060s/3070s after all; for all their yelling about joining the invasion, they seem to much prefer hanging around the playpen and looting stuff.
Ground combat is different. The IS has been fighting on and off ground wars for centuries, but they have had almost nothing going on in space so they are trying to build and train a navy from nothing. The Clans on the other hand have maintained their navies in much less ridged trials than ground campaigns and completely unregulated fights when they deny safcon so they are perfectly capable of holding their own in space. They may not be the battle hardened SLDF veterans that first left on the Exodus, but they are far better than anything the IS has in that era.Check the descriptions in the relevant sourcebooks. Clan warship 'battles' are often formulaic engagements conducted in a strictly limited and controlled fashion, as is to be expected when their total build rate seems to be a single hull every few years at best.
That does give the IS an advantage on just that count, but the Jaguars have some naval assets as well which must be factored in if you want to attack both factions simultaneously. A quick check on the wiki says the Jaguars had another 15 hulls including another battleship and several cruisers which definitely shifts things in favor of the Clans when you factor in crew skills.
Ok, that confirms my first thought then. Those ships will not be participating in the fighting unless the IS does something supremely stupid so it is likely that it will just be the Falcons and Jaguars against the IS. Of course, the Falcons are not as universally hated as the Jaguars and having two Clans under attack makes the threat of further action more plausible so it is possible other Clans could come to their aid, but I do not think it is likely enough to worry about.
Those are good points and I am inclined to agree with you on the ground war, although that is meaningless if those troops get blown out of the sky so the navy is the real question.
Yes, but as I pointed out earlier, the combined CJF and CSJ fleet has a significant weight advantage over the combined IS fleet in addition to their more experienced crews even if the IS does have more total hulls. You might be able to take some of that apart piecemeal, but they will concentrate soon enough and become a real problem that I do not think the hodgepodge IS fleet with its divided command and inexperienced crews can deal with.
That only applies if they stop with the IS which really makes no sense. The whole point of smashing the Jaguars was to make it clear that they can destroy a Clan if they really want to so the Clans need to respect their power. Without that, the Clans will see that the IS has some power and should not be underestimated, but they are not a real threat because they cannot launch an invasion of their own. What that means is that the Clans will sit tight in their old invasion corridors until the truce is over, then every Clan will roll in in force with full knowledge of what to expect and what preparations need to be made resulting in a much more effective second invasion.
Good point, Chris, which is why I damned Stackpole: we love him for giving us wonderful characters, but for fracks sake, he makes them do some damned stupid things!
I'd have to disagree. Victor saw very clearly that with the bulk of the AFFC focused on the Clans, their other borders were vulnerable. In theory, with the Combine also looking at the Clans, the AFFC should still be too large and powerful to be vulnerable. However, the internal problems faced by the Fed-Com place this in doubt. (Given what happens, Victor was showing good levels of foresight).
With Joshua a patient on New Avalon there's no real likelihood the FWL will move. With Joshua dead, on New Avalon and implicitly under Victor's care... and with Sun-Tzu whispering in Thomas' ear? Very different. Victor knows this and - although it's never stated - he knows Joshua is dying.
Victor knows he can't avert this completely - as he says to Thomas, there's no chance of replacing Joshua in the long term. But replacing him for months, maybe a year or two, to buy time to deal with the Fed-Com's internal problems which should - in theory - leave him in a strong position even once Joshua is reported dead.
This is risky, yes. However, the worst case scenario for Joshua dead even by natural causes is that foul play would be suspected and the FWL would attack the vulnerable Fed-Com.
So the choice is do nothing, which has a risk of war with the FWL, or try the clone plan which if discovered guarantees war with the FWL and if not gives the chance of averting the war entirely.
I can see why Victor thought it was worth a try. The failure was that once Katherine learned of it - and she was supposed to be left in the dark - she used it against him, causing Thomas to verify Joshua's identity and then starting the war. Victor certainly should have been aware of this. The plan was a calculated risk but it wasn't doomed to failure. The key error was that with Katherine as a known adversary, Victor failed to have the plan sufficiently secured against her meddling.
Tribble 144: The Promise of Peace
Operation Bulldog and Task Force Serpent have gone off without a hitch, the Clans are stunned, and no one knows when they will gather the courage to attack the Inner Sphere again, if ever.
Victor's machinations against Katherine have yielded fruit, she is ripe to be deposed upon his return and the Federated Commonwealth finally reunited.
As the conquering hero, no one is any position to naysay Victor, and the announcement of his engagement to Omi Kurita produces only mild rumblings in the Draconis March, appeased by numerous public appearances and public relations campaigns aimed at helping the citizens of the Federated Commonwealth and Draconis Combine understand one another. Within a few years, Victor and Omi are wed, creating the. . . Federated Combine Alliance? Lyran Combined Suns? Federated Draconis Commonwealth?
Seeing the writing on the wall, Thomas Marik breaks off Isis' engagement to Sun-Tzu, and she soon marries either Hohiro Kurita or Peter Steiner-Davion. Sun-Tzu either capitulates or launches a last-ditch attack, which results in the Capellan Confederation being swallowed up and turned over to Candace Liao. As ComStar becomes the Ministry of Stellar Communications, and the ComGuard is rolled into the new Royal Armed Forces of the Inner Sphere, the Free Rasalhague Republic is effectively absorbed into a new de facto Star League, giving the Clans further disincentive to invade. Whether this new government returns to calling itself the Star League with Victor as the new First Lord, or goes by something else, like "The Royal United Inner Sphere," is up for debate.
(The promise of Grave Covenant was so awesome it seems a shame to have let it go, though of course, we'll always need someone to point our 'Mechs at so we can shoot them in the face with lasers.)
but its not the Dahak??
I can see why Victor thought it was worth a try. The failure was that once Katherine learned of it - and she was supposed to be left in the dark - she used it against him, causing Thomas to verify Joshua's identity and then starting the war. Victor certainly should have been aware of this. The plan was a calculated risk but it wasn't doomed to failure. The key error was that with Katherine as a known adversary, Victor failed to have the plan sufficiently secured against her meddling.
Tribble #148 - The Old Ways Are Dead
What if the Helm Memory Core had never been discovered in 3028 by the Grey Death Legion?
Isn't the answer to that question;bargain well and done, just the answer that I would give
"I am Ulric Kerensky ilKhan of the Clans and I hereby do issue a Batchall for the Terran System in the name of the Clans of Kerensky. Primus Waterly; what forces do you bid in your defense!?"
Isn't the answer to that question;Pretty much.
"I am Ulric Kerensky ilKhan of the Clans and I hereby do issue a Batchall for the Terran System in the name of the Clans of Kerensky. Primus Waterly; what forces do you bid in your defense!?"
Isn't the answer to that question;
"I am Ulric Kerensky ilKhan of the Clans and I hereby do issue a Batchall for the Terran System in the name of the Clans of Kerensky. Primus Waterly; what forces do you bid in your defense!?"
That is, more or less, what happened. Tukayyid was a proxy for just that battle. And the Com Guards would have remained more or less the same regardless of the Helm Memory Core.
So are you suggesting, in the end the discovery wouldn't have made much difference?
Actually the technological recovery had already begun. The Merlin, Cataphract, Raven, and Hatchetman were all new designs that began production prior to the Helm Core. House Davion was already experimenting with double heat sink technology in the 3020s. It would have been *slower*, but it still would have been there.
Actually the technological recovery had already begun. The Merlin, Cataphract, Raven, and Hatchetman were all new designs that began production prior to the Helm Core. House Davion was already experimenting with double heat sink technology in the 3020s. It would have been *slower*, but it still would have been there.
Now now AK don't go raining all over his Clan curb stomp the IS fantasy/fan fic :))
Well, it wasn't Katherine who told Thomas, it was Sun-Tzu, in a roundabout way. Sun-Tzu had a dream which gave him the idea that Victor COULD replace Joshua with a double. He immediately discarded the idea, because he believed there was no way Victor would actually be stupid enough to try something like that. But then Sun-Tzu though, accusing Victor of doing it would stir up trouble, and Sun-Tzu loves to stir up trouble, in case there's some meager advantage he can pick out of it for his realm. As it so happened, Victor had been stupid enough to go the double route, but not for the reasons everyone thought the had.
Stackpole really worked hard to, as they say, hang a lantern on the fact that the plan was dumb, bordering on vile, and Victor really had no business trying to go through with it. The whole book is more or less about Victor coming to the realization that he can't run the Federated Commonwealth the way his father had, because he isn't his father, and his leadership style is very different from Hanse's. Right off the bat, Victor is grumbling about the fact that he hates this plan, it feels wrong, and he doesn't feel he should be doing it. . . but it seems the best way to keep the FWL and CC at bay a little while longer. His concern wasn't so much that Thomas would attack him, but that Sun-Tzu, who everyone else sees as a power-hungry madman (instead of the power-hungry manipulative schemer he really is), would marry Isis the instant Joshua was out of the picture, have Thomas assassinated, merge the CC and FWL, and launch a full-on banzai assault. The FedCom could probably pretty easily slap them down, but that would weaken their ability to fight the Clans, costing everyone in the long run.
Would it have been better for everyone involved if Victor had trusted Thomas to keep Sun-Tzu in check, and just told him that there was nothing more they could do for Joshua and it was his call on when the shut off the machine? Absolutely. That's pretty much the whole point of that particular book. Victor made a dumb mistake, but his dumb mistakes are a LOT more costly than most people's.
Katherine spoke to the FWL ambassador, essentially saying: "LOL, pay no attention to the rumours Joshua's replaced by a double. tee-hee." in the most unconvincing of tones. That may technically not count as telling Thomas, but given no one had asked her about that...
Given the history of the Inner Sphere, trusting one of the Great Houses to leave a neighbour alone when they're in trouble would be the naive option.
Isn't the answer to that question;Bargained well and done my friend. The Clans would've MOWED over the IS defenders if that hadn't happened.
"I am Ulric Kerensky ilKhan of the Clans and I hereby do issue a Batchall for the Terran System in the name of the Clans of Kerensky. Primus Waterly; what forces do you bid in your defense!?"
Bargained well and done my friend. The Clans would've MOWED over the IS defenders if that hadn't happened.
Tribble #151
What if during the height of the Clan Invasion and after the election of Khan Ulric Kerensky to the position of IlKhan. The new IlKhan called for the cooperation of all the Clan’s by broadening the invasion corridor to the nearby periphery nations (Hanseatic League, Ummayad Caliphate, Nueva Castile and Jarnfolk) and all the way to the Federated Commonwealth/Free Worlds border (Circinus Confederation) and to the Draconis Combine/Federated Commonwealth border (Outworlds Alliance). The five invading Clan’s were excluded from these areas since they have conquered territory to garrison and managed. Also included was that a Clan will be added to the invasion corridor of the Clan's Jade Falcon and Smoke Jaguar since they were having too much difficulties. It was decided a new bidding and trial of positions will happen. The Trials will simply be a Star on Star battle, to expedite results and minimize the wasting of resources. The order of who will invade where will also be determined by how many forces they will bring to their respective invasion zones. The last caveat to the expansion of the invasion zone was that if the new invading Clan is not ready to start the invasion by themselves. They will share their zone with the next Clan that does not have an assigned invasion corridor.
The justification for including these new areas, IlKhan Kerensky explained to the Grand Council was to spread the Clan Way of life to these new areas. He used Clan Cloud Cobra conquering of the Tanite Worlds in the 29th Century as an example of how the Clan’s can improve the life of a periphery world. This might as well be done by the remaining Clans in the Homeworld's since they did not originally qualify in Operation Revival. The invasion of the six new areas would start in November 3051,at the same time as Wave 5 of Operation Revival.
The question for this would be; Could this have increased the cooperation within the Clans or would it have increased the fracturing of Clan Society between the Warden’s and Crusader’s? The Have's and the Have Nots?
I had no idea that it would be so close to the truth. Really, 2000 tons felt shamefully low, even if it is 100 locusts a year. I mean, in WW2, the US produced more than 50000 aircraft per year once the economy reached full mobilization. So I guess I figured...well DANG.
I don't think that 12,500 tons of Dreamliners alone is that bad, considering that we're, you know, not in any sort of war that uses up these things. And there's another 22,000+ tons worth of 777s out there as well.
I meant military aircraft.Not comparable to the figures from the Second World War because, there's no major arms race, no conflict eating up 5th generation jets, and no possible war that could really require a massive conventional battle of air forces without touching off a general nuclear exchange and the destruction of the entire military industrial complex that builds the things so WELP.
Too bad we don't have production numbers for Davion, Steiner, or Kurita.
Tribble #142
Something different happens in the life of Katherine Steiner-Davion. Maybe her brain develops differently, maybe she has a different nanny, or maybe she just gets more hugs growing up, but whatever the cause, she fails to become the psychopathic megalomaniac we know and love. Instead, she's a loving daughter and sister, Victors closest supporter and advisor.
Little change up until the end of 'Assumption of Risk' (Assume Ryan Steiner assassinates Melissa alone this time around), where we DON'T learn that Katherine is a murdering psycho. She does actually fall in love with Galen, and within a year he's asking her brother for her hand.
No Lyran Alliance. No FWL and CC steamroller offensive. No Fed Com civil war. Victor has an advisor who actually knows how to deal with the press. Butterflies, butterflies everywhere ...
Katherine not turning into Cerci Lannister I can get behind that concept. O0
You know, I really don't think that's a fair comparison. One's a completely amoral psychopath who wants all the power there is for herself and herself alone, will stop at nothing to get it, and had a child by her brother just to continue the "pure" family line. The other is Cersei Lannister.
Tribble #150
----
So that snippet was from the point of view of someone on the outside looking in as Satsuki and Ryuuko rage on one another. A few backstory alterations-the Kiriyuin conglomerate more or less owns Honnouji and uses it as their center of operations because the first settlers were almost wiped out by alien parasites that colonized the human nervous system. Ryuuko is an endosymbiote who isn't parasitized but enhanced by said aliens, thanks to experiments carried out by the leader of the family. Said enhancements include massive boosts to regeneration, strength and toughness, among other things. She's blatantly superhuman, so it's probably a good thing that she's only becoming aware of her powers as Smoke Jaguar closes in on Honouji.
As for Satsuki? Well, she's got to figure out how to stop her mother from taking control of the entire Combine using her mind-control clothing. (Nonon is currently itching for a chance to bring out her 'Superheavy Interceptor' to fight the Clans. It has 800 LRM tubes and lots and lots of pulse lasers.)
You know, I really don't think that's a fair comparison. One's a completely amoral psychopath who wants all the power there is for herself and herself alone, will stop at nothing to get it, and had a child by her brother just to continue the "pure" family line. The other is Cersei Lannister.
Katherine not turning into Cerci Lannister I can get behind that concept. O0
A few back of the envelope calculation indicates that if the entire production goes to regiments to make good their losses, and nobody actually gains numbers, then they can restore about 7-8% of their establishment strength in a single year. Since there are dispossessed, we can assume that they aren't making good their losses, let alone building up strength. It wouldn't take very many years with losses at 10% and replacements at 8 to utterly ruin an armed force.
You have done something that even Ben Rome could not do. Sure, he got me to care about some Clanners in Wars of Reaving, but you made me feel sorry for them. Honestly, there is no way to explain how a Clan Cluster was defeated by four Inner Sphere teenagers in what looked like cloth uniforms. Then again, it was Clan Smoke Jaguar, so my pity is limited.
Though the explanation of Nonon's fight probably would be pretty entertaining.
Galaxy Commander Howell: You really want me to believe that a teenage girl in her cadet uniform defeated two binaries on her own, queneg?
Star Captain Mudd Smoke Jaguar: Aff, the sheer horror that she unleashed on Alpha Binary is unthinkable if I had not seen it myself. Grown Smoke Jaguars were reduced to simpering sibkin after only a minute. Galaxy Commander, I never want to see that type of horror again or hear Sousa either. I will gladly take sohlma duty on Huntress or any other duty deemed necessary in the Clan especially cleaning toilets just to never set foot on that planet again. However, the horror unleashed by that one girl with half of pair of scissors on Gamma Binary might have been worse.
On the bright side, the Clans coming probably would slow down Raygo's plans for the Combine. Though as a Suns' fan, the destruction of the Combine by Raygo's plans would probably get rid of that problem, but then the horror would probably look for another target.
:D I was aiming more for a fusion than a outright crossover, and I was going to tone down one side a bit. Honnouji Academy is a fortress, not a [REDACTED]. Gamagori has an early suit of combine Power Armor or maybe a mysteriously funded Superheavy Mech prototype instead of a transforming uniform. Nonon still has a flying tank-but it's a Dropship that can outrun some aerospace fighters. Ruuyko can, at most, ruin the day for a Point of elementals, or maybe a single light mech. Unless you put her in a Mech with a Life Fiber enhanced control system so she can wear it like a second skin. Of course, there are dangers with using living organisms that can achieve self-awareness in large quantities in the control systems of such a warmachine...
As for Rayban, her plans are rather grandiose and probably doomed to fail-but the DEST ninjas sent to stop her are going to be in for a rude awakening when she starts ripping hearts out of chests with her bare hands and refuses to die no matter how much vibro-katana is applied. :D
interesting!But ... ?
I would read it.Before I start writing, I have just one quesiton.
Tribble #152this would have been a better story
It is the height of the Refusal War. On Wotan, Star Colonel Ulric Kerensky marches forward to find Jade Falcon saKhan Chistu waiting for him, apparently alone, having challenged the former Wolf Khan to meet him in a circle of equals.
Tribble #151
3053 was the year everything changed. Victor Steiner-Davion is dead assassinated by a presumely capellan assassin during a state visit of Hohiro and Omiko Kurita on Tharkad. His head was blow away while dancing with his sister Katherine, who was also gravely wounded and slipped into a coma for several months. But the assassin failed to murder the other members of the present houses.
But Tharkad had not been their only targets. They failed to achieve their goals on Luthien, St. Ives and New Avalon. But Captain-General Thomas Marik was killed. His wife and children only escaped because the assassin did not know that they were on new Avalon. Sun-Tzu was killed on Sian. It is rumored that Kali Liao did the deed herself, who then became the next Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation.
After the assassinations Hohiro Kurita cut the state visit short and returned but Omiko stayed behind, because she felt responsible for what had happened to Victor and Katherien or so she said, but the real reason was that she was pregnant with Victor's child. During her time on Tharkad she took care of the comatose Katherine and later helped her with the physical therapy. The events had changed Katherine. She began to train being a mechwarrior and she fell in love with Omiko. She also adopted Victor and Omiko's daughter Victoria as her own after learning that she can never get children of her own.
The Refusal War did still happen but with slightly different battles. Khan Natasha Kerensky was gravely wounded after one of the last battles of the war. Vlad, who already knew what this war was reaaly about, assumed command of all Clan Wolf forces present and ordered that they should join saKhan Phelan Ward, he will cover the retreat with some volunteers. During this final battle none of the volunteers survived but the losses of the Jade Falcons were enormous because of Vlad in Kerensky's Widowmaker. He became a phantom on the battelfield (like Morgan Kell and a few others) and eliminated nearly all of the Jade Falcon leadership before his mech had been destroyed and he was killed.
Natasha Kerensky eventually recovered from her wounds, but had to leave Clan Wolf and to join the AFFC as their new Marshal of the Armies. That was one condition for Clan Wolf to be allowed to settle in the FedCom. Archon-Prince Katherine Steiner-Davion wanted her in that position because she needed someone who knew both Clan and IS.
Before I start writing, I have just one quesiton.
Kiriyuin Satsuki does not exactly understand how Clan Bidding works, but she's willing to bid down her forces...if given some incentive. After all, if she wins, she gets to keep her planet. That's true no matter how many forces she bids.
So if she's going to play the bidding game, the Clan commander must first offer her something that will be Hers if she defeats them. Something of equal value to a planet. How mad will this demand make the poor Smoke Jaguars?
Tribble #152
It is the height of the Refusal War. On Wotan, Star Colonel Ulric Kerensky marches forward to find Jade Falcon saKhan Chistu waiting for him, apparently alone, having challenged the former Wolf Khan to meet him in a circle of equals.
****
The thing is that I doubt the FedCom officials would wait for nine months or longer for Katherine to recover from a coma and then allow her another five years to complete service in the AFFC all to become Archon-Prince. Instead, the office of Archon-Prince would probably pass in less than a second to Peter Steiner-Davion with Melissa Steiner-Davion still serving as regent since by that point he was already in service to the AFFC and she still lives, and at the time that was the official line of succession since Kat had not completed or started the five years of service requirement. Victoria being illegitimate would not be a factor in succession, but Melissa would probably like her. Now, you could add in Peter gets whacked too just to allow the rise of Kat, but considering that it is 3053, Kat had a change of heart, and there would be heightened security on Peter so probably no Skye situation, I really doubt assassination season on Peter would happen unless Kat goes back to her canon habits.Killjoy!
And even if you get rid of Peter, Kat only gained her unusual power in the FedCom by Victor giving it to her after the assassination of their mother in 3055 and the Skye incident of 3056. It possible that with Kat in a coma that the Regency of New Avalon would pass to Arthur Steiner-Davion or possibly Morgan Hasek-Davion. Thus, Kat would pretty much have no power in the FedCom by the time she woke up.
Killjoy!
You forget that Melissa is still alive and thus is still regent. Remember that in canon Victor refuse to accept her offer to resignate.
Easy she bids on the Smoke Jaguar warship that the Jags brought along.
Killjoy!
You forget that Melissa is still alive and thus is still regent. Remember that in canon Victor refuse to accept her offer to resignate.
Okay, but are they really going to hand that over when whatever elemental Star Captain she duels looses his head? And is this seriously something you can do with bidding, or would the Jaguars just allow it because they think they can win?
Smoke Nutcase I mean Jaguars only pay lip service to honor. To them everyone has no honor so they don't have to play by Clan rules.Which is why the first attack of the renewed invasion was taking Wolcott, and the Battle for Luthien saw the Jaguars pouring in forces until the defenders were crushed when their leaders tossed out the initial bid.
Tribble #143:
In the vasty deeps of the Dark Nebula, 'Camelot Command' is not a mere space station.
It is a vastly larger, vastly older structure, once repurposed by the SLDF, then forgotten, never touched during the Exodus.
It is, in fact, an Utu-class planetoid... And Rhonda Snord arrives just as its main computer core is starting to wake up...
Lord Harlock, your still a killjoy.
In my original concept Katherine did not slip into a coma, but in this concept the Clans also conquered Terra...
Well Terra is a silly place, and besides, I really can't judge the original concept because all I have to go by is the one that you posted that has Kat in a 'comatose' state.Here it is:
#152
LOLZ!Actually, they hate ALL the Successor States, including the FWL, or, rather, they see the SSs as being obstacles in the way of them achieving their goal, which is reducing the human race to pre-industrial communities ruled over by the high-tech theocracy of the Word of Blake ... For their own good, of course.
How fast can you shout 'ABORT! ABORT!' over a HPG exactly.
Presuming of course WOB will let Thomas and not suffer 'unfortunate technical problems' that prevent the messages from getting out. They do kinda hate the FedCom after all.
Yeah, but that can't be the end-goal of ALL of them. The Word was a really diverse group. I mean, seriously, who do they think is going to clean their space-toilets if they Go Galt?Why, the worshipful serfs who Know Their Place, of course, while chanting the proper prayers to Blake so that the magical commode is pleased with their service.
Tribble # 156.
Tribble # 156.
I'd buy that for a dollar. :) Nicely done, Chris.
MA
I'd buy that for a dollar. :) Nicely done, Chris.Dear Kathy getting what she deserves, and Sun Stupid getting the blame? Print it!
MA
Tribble # 156.
"Clearly Colonel ... my Nephew Sun-Tzu has a great deal to answer for" he started, his voice astonishingly level and clinical, even as his eyes suggested his mind was moving at a faster than light blur. "Sending a Death Cultist Assassin after the Archon during a conference to rebuild the Star League and take the fight to the Clans ... shocking"...
Here it is:
#155
3057
The Clans have conquered Terra.That's all of it.
- Victor Steiner-Davion had been murdered during the state visit of Hohiro and Omiko Kurita on Tharkad in front of his sister by a presumely Capellan assassin. Katherine Steiner-Davion had also been severly wounded and broke down.
- All of Tamar March and parts of Sky, Sarna and Draconis March had been conquered by the Clans. This split the Federated Commonwealth in two.
- Katherine Steiner-Davion became the new Archon-Princes after she recovered and her mother stpped down. Her sister Yvonne became regent on New Avalon in her place.
- Omiko Kurita stayed on Tharkad taking care of Katherine but also because she got pregnant by Victor. Both women fell in love with eachother and Katherine adopted Omiko's daughter as her heir because her injury made it impossible for her to get pregnant.
- Clan Wolf lost the Refusal War against Clan Jade Falcon and retreated completely into the Inner Sphere and settled on Arc Royal. This had been Ulric Kerensky's plan all along.
- Surprisingly Natasha Kerensky survived, but she will never pilot a mech again.
- The Free Worlds League lost several systems close to Terra. Among those are the Border Protectorate, the Sirian Concordat and parts of the Silver Hawks Coalition.
- Wolf's Dragoons evacuated Outreach before the Clans arrived and relocated to Arc Royal.
- Kali Liao had assumed the office of Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation after her brother died in a tragical "accident". She tried to intimidate her enemies with a series of assassinations targeting the other successor lords. Only the intervention of her aunt Cancade prevented that the other successor states annihilated the Confederation in retalaition.
- After returning home from Tharkad Hohiro Kurita had to learn that both the Coordinator and the Kanrei had been targeted by assassins.
- The Draconis Combine lost huge parts of the Pesht, Benjamin and Dieron Military Districts to the Clans. Luthien had become a border world.
- The Free Rasalhague Republic had been completely conquered by the Clans.
- Besides the Jade Falcons and the exiled Wolves following Clans now control systems in the Inner Sphere: Smoke Jaguars, Ghost Bears, Nova Cats, Hell's Horses, Steel Vipers and Diamond Sharks. Terra is controlled by all of them (except the exiled Wolves).
- The Show Ravens have allied themselves with the Outworld Alliance.
Sorry, that it took so long, but which one is better: #151 or #155?
Sorry, that it took so long, but which one is better: #151 or #155?
#158it would slow things down a bit, also might have other benefits.....
A variation of an earlier tribble.
Following the Fourth Succession War, House Steiner-Davion establishes new regulations for planetary militias, to the order that all worlds above a certain population must maintain a certain strength of conventional forces. Federal support builds up over the years, and by 3050, most worlds with more than a hundred million inhabitants maintain what amounts to a full RCT.
Three tank regiments
Five infantry regiments (including heavy APCs)
One artillary regiment
One fighter regiment
Mostly featuring low-tech gear, they're designed to tie up an invader, supporting any AFFC troops posted there until heavier 'Mech-equipped forces can arrive. It might not halt the Clan offensive, but it would make them work a bit harder for it.
#158
A variation of an earlier tribble.
Following the Fourth Succession War, House Steiner-Davion establishes new regulations for planetary militias, to the order that all worlds above a certain population must maintain a certain strength of conventional forces. Federal support builds up over the years, and by 3050, most worlds with more than a hundred million inhabitants maintain what amounts to a full RCT.
Three tank regiments
Five infantry regiments (including heavy APCs)
One artillary regiment
One fighter regiment
Mostly featuring low-tech gear, they're designed to tie up an invader, supporting any AFFC troops posted there until heavier 'Mech-equipped forces can arrive. It might not halt the Clan offensive, but it would make them work a bit harder for it.
Interesting idea.No, I don't think the Wolves would shift and point away from Terra. As you, undoubtedly, know the whole purpose of Operation: Revival was the capture of Terra. The conquering of the worlds in their path is just a bonus until after Terra is claimed by a Clan and is named the ilClan. Undoubtedly it would put the Wolves in a far better position to take Terra than either the Jade Falcons or Smoke Jaguars, but the Ghost Bears, if they started learning from the Wolves, would also be in the same position. It would make the Jade Falcons, Smoke Jaguars, Steel Vipers, and Nova Cats all the more desperate at Tukayyid to win on that world.
It could do quite a bit more then slow them down - it won't stop them from taking worlds, but it WOULD dramatically increasing the chewing up they take in doing it, especially after they wise up in to what defensive tactics to use against the invaders. Even if they are only taking say a Binary in non-recoverable losses from these additional forces, plus a another Binary or two knocked out temporarily (hardware, pilots whatever needing to be replaced and repaired) it would quite quickly start to grind down the Clusters from the Jade Falcons and Wolves. Then add to that the problem of some of these units breaking off and going to ground, or going to ground in advance to rise back up and savage the rear area garrison units. Then add to that laughable logistical support the invading Clans brought them them initially (except apparently Wolf).
And this isn't even going into what happens when these Militia units are backstopped with heavy frontline RCTs where they will act as a significant force multiplier...
This could lead to a very skewed invasion corridor. With the Jags and Nova Cats doing much the same, if the DCMS hasn't matched the program and so chugging along normally. The Wolves sticking to the FRR and doing as well as they did in the OTL ... and the Falcons falling increasingly behind so that when Tyria plays kamikaze, the Falcons are looking almost sluggish as they struggle to keep their Frontline clusters strong AND their rear areas secure AND put down resistance at an acceptable rate. Could lead to huge frustration where they start breaking out the Ortillary to get some traction, which might provoke a far more violent response back from the FedCom.
The Vipers will of course be activated, and will probably try to show up the Falcons after the Year of Peace. Of course, IF the FedCom had any sense, they would strip the militias from deeper in the Commonwealth to double up the next lines of planets with twice the forces, as they move up more regular units as well, so things actually get even harder. Especially with the trickles of field refit kits coming in. Could see the Falcons essentially reduced to the level of the Smoke Jaguars post Battle of Tukayyid - or even lower, with less forward progress. Which would probably suit the Wolves just fine.
Or it could mean that the Wolves are diverted much earlier to shift and point away from Terra towards Tharkard - something I'm sure that would involve major trials of refusal and all manner of infighting, dito any thought of bringing in more Clans.
No, I don't think the Wolves would shift and point away from Terra. As you, undoubtedly, know the whole purpose of Operation: Revival was the capture of Terra. The conquering of the worlds in their path is just a bonus until after Terra is claimed by a Clan and is named the ilClan. Undoubtedly it would put the Wolves in a far better position to take Terra than either the Jade Falcons or Smoke Jaguars, but the Ghost Bears, if they started learning from the Wolves, would also be in the same position. It would make the Jade Falcons, Smoke Jaguars, Steel Vipers, and Nova Cats all the more desperate at Tukayyid to win on that world.
Wait, Phelan was bid into the battle that took Tamar?I don't know if he was bid into the battle, but his unit sure as hell went.
Seriously?
And he didn't immediately get flagged as persona-non-Grata to the Federated Commonwealth???!!!
But it would be hilarious if the Nova Cats were activated, but assigned to the Falcons along with the Diamond Sharks and Vipers. I'm sure the four of them would get along just swimmingly. As Ulric sits back in his cabin and does a Xanatos 'just as planned' sort of look as the Smoke Jaguars invasion increasingly slows down without anyone backing them up. While the Wolves and Ghost Bears merrily sail onwards ...
I don't know if he was bid into the battle, but his unit sure as hell went.
Heh. Can you imagine the Jags trying to take Luthien on their own? Considering their one sane man got killed on Wolcott, they probably wouldn't have the troops left to participate on Tukkayid.
On the other side of things, Clans Nova cat and Diamond Shark get along, as does Diamond Shark with Wolf. They could pretty much leave SV and JF to bicker futilely and forge ahead on Wolf's flank.
#160Hmm...interesting question. One that I don't think the warrior caste members will not like answering.
Read a source a little while ago, can't remember where, that stated that, at the inception of the Clans, the Warriors were the only ones intended to fall under the divisions of Clan, with the lower castes forming a sort of "Clanless" gestalt to support the different Warrior Clans. It didn't take long for the lower castes to start considering themselves a member of a specific Clan, and things just eventually settled into how we know them now.
My question is. . . what if that didn't happen? What if, instead of Jade Falcon Techs and Wolf Techs and Smoke Jaguar Techs, you just had Techs? And Scientists and Laborers and so on. What if the Warriors are the only ones with a sense of individual Clan identity, while the lower castes consider themselves of the Clans as a whole? How would Clan society be different?
#159
Following her accession to Archon, Katrina Steiner devotes her well known military expertise not only to repairing the damage done by Alessandro Steiner to the Lyran Commonwealth but also to a complete reform of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. By the 3020s the LCAF isn't fully reformed but the four Guards formations and their supporting units have been restructured into a highly professional formation of permanent combined-arms brigades and semi-permanent divisions.
Can the Kapteyn Pact survive the Federated Commonwealth combining the two finest militaries in the Inner Sphere?
Wow. I wonder how many Social Generals she had to make an example of before she could get away with that!
Or perhaps she just handpicked the worst 20% of the LCAF, regrouped them into a single unit and sent them on a 'milk run' mission that happened to run smash bang into a couple Sword of Light regiments. I mean the material loss would be regrettable, even more when the DCMS salvage most of it, but...
Some units would remain as 'sinks' for traditionalists - 'promoted' into the Skye Rangers, Lyran Regulars, etc while the Guards (Royal, Arcturan, Donegal and Lyran) receive new officers and the best people moved out of the rest of the LCAF. The way I was thinking to structure this, about half the Brigades* would be commanded by Leutenant-Generals who are tankers or infantry rather than Mechwarriors.
This may require some sleight of hand, suggesting to the nobility that it's the Rangers and Regulars getting the Archon's favour while the Guards are being 'diluted' with non-mechwarrior peasents.
* Going with something like the Demi-Brigades from Davion and Davion (Deceased) where a Brigade is made up of two halves, each a regiment reinforced with two battalions from other services. This would also allow many mercenary units made up of a regiment and support elements (see the 3028 Kell Hounds with 3 Mech Battalions, a Jump Infantry battalion and aerospace wing) to be brigaded with a LCAF Demi-Brigade and fit in as a Brigade.
#161
In 3035, a small, rag tag flotilla of JumpShips arrives in the Commonwealth, clustered around a battered, battle-scarred and barely functional WarShip. The fleet is made up of descendants of veterans of the Pentagon Civil Wars and Dark Caste renegades, under the command of the scion of a Davion cadet branch who's ancestor was a SLDF officer who originally joined the Exodus.
At first disbelieved, they share a tale of survival and escape, with the crew of the cruiser fleeing the maddened forces of Nicky's cult into uncharted space. A missjump stranded the WarShip in a distant system, which fortunately had a habitable world. It took decades of work, half-cannibalising the ship and a lot of luck to build up an industrial base to repair it, work that was sped up by the arrival of a group of renegades similarly fleeing the Clans.
Introduced to a distant relative with an incredible story, Hanse and Melissa take the refugees in and are horrified by what is lurking in the Deep Periphery. The War of '39 is called off, because the Commonwealth suddenly has bigger problems. The WarShip and all remaining Star League tech, as well as the crews, are escorted to Tharkad where a crash program of reverse engineering is launched.
:D
I was never clear: was Outreach a FedCom planet held in feif by the Dragoons, or was it an independant state in its own right?
If you had read my tribble I said no more than a BINARY! That's 10 mechs, 20 aerospace fighters and vehicles, 50 elementals, and 250 standard infantry. That's the Inner Sphere equivalent of a light company. Each Clan would send their best Binary to the Inner Sphere, meaning 17 light companies and their support techs and whatnot.
If you had read my tribble I said no more than a BINARY! That's 10 mechs, 20 aerospace fighters and vehicles, 50 elementals, and 250 standard infantry. That's the Inner Sphere equivalent of a light company. Each Clan would send their best Binary to the Inner Sphere, meaning 17 light companies and their support techs and whatnot.
Sounds like the entire force could emerge as a plausible regiment of Mercs.Finally, someone who understood what I was getting at.
The Steel Vipers and Smoke Jaguars don't have freeborn warriors so they provide the technicans and laborers.
The Cloud Cobras and Smoke Ravens provide an aerospace binary each, which approximates to two wings of fighters.
The Hells Horses send about 250 infantry, enough to comprise a convincing infantry battalion.
The other twelve clans send 10 Mechs, each, which can reasonably re-organise into a regiment - 9 line companies and a command company.
If anything that'll look less suspicious than the Wolf Dragoons did, emerging with enough forces to be the largest mercenary force in existence. That wouldn't have as much impact on the Inner Sphere as they did originally, certainly, but the different complement would undoubtedly change things anyway.
Finally, someone who understood what I was getting at.I got precisely what you were getting at, it just doesn't work if they actually want to accomplish the mission. With just one regiment, if they bring the proportion of lost designs and little tidbits like Natasha's royal marauder and the hephaestus station that they did in OTL, the Haseks will instigate an 'incident' which results in the Syrtis Fusiliers killing them all to take their stuff to see where it came from. If they don't have any interesting tech and capabilities, they have no prospect of making partnerships with blackwell and GM to gauge IS industrial ability, or corresponding with Doctor Banzai to track their technological accomplishments. That's before you even get into the military section, where one regiment is simply completely insufficient to get a handle on how the Houses manage large scale warfare.
By the late 3rd Succession War, a regiment of 'Mechs is considered large scale war. Sure, there are battles where more than one regiment was deployed but that was relatively rare. In fact, during their early years in the Inner Sphere the Dragoons virtually never deployed as a single force - they were operating with one or two regiments per planet and usually had some of their forces in reserve.Except for all those times that multiple regiments were beating the snot out of each other until one side or the other ceased escalating and backed down. One of which involved fielding the Dragoons as a single formation only constituting half of the davion forces engaged.
(Also, in this era the Capellan March is run by George Hasek not Michael Hasek so there would be much less likely dickery going on.)Considering the lack of support the Dragoons received in OTL, and that Michael is entrenched in the intelligence apparatus without having to phone in the mismanagement of his demesne, I think you are being highly optimistic.
I'm not saying things will go as canon, that would be ridiculous with these changes, but a regiment of mercs would still be a survivable force. You're right that the Davions are the best House to be their first employer - they're not hooked up with ComStar's Mercenary Review Board when they arrive and the Davions are the least likely to screw them on the contract in that regard. They won't get such good contract terms since a smaller force has less bargaining power but they're not really in this for the money.A regiment that acted cautiously and with proper consideration would have a one in five chance of surviving the term of the Dragoons first employment. The Dragoons were not even remotely cautious in their operations in OTL, only two or three of the sub components having a chance of being more aware of their limitations than the Wolves, with entirely too many scream and leap types even with the SJs presumably kept in the mech bays away from polite company. Somehow I am doubting the training by Jade Falcon is going to improve matters.
They may even avoid the whole mess with the Marik Civil War since Candace Liao won't be trying to subvert them, thus Maximilian won't be looking for an excuse to unload the contract elsewhere while still getting his benefits and if they do wind up in Anton's employ they won't be so strategically important.They were looking to get out of the Capellan contract anyway in order to actually accomplish their mission instead of sitting pointlessly in garrison, and with Marik next on the list the odds are that they would be involved in the civil war in some way presuming it still goes off. Of course with the way things would butterfly from their altered arrival they might end up working for Janos against the MAC operating as the centerpiece of Anton's Revolt.
ComStar shenanigans are quite likely, I'll admit, but the most likely scenario barring some C* scheme (the canon ones are tailored to the Dragoons, something more like what was used on the GDL is more applicable here) is that the Falcon Dragoons work for Davion 3005-3010; move to Liao for another 5 year contract but since they're not as financially stable have to let their clause about not fighting their previous employer go; then get hired by Janos Marik after he's dealt with Anton, possibly getting worn down as part of an attack on Hephastus; enter Steiner employ in the early 3020s (with some resupply); and finally take employment with House Kurita, get company-stored and finally flip the board, retreating back to the Periphery to make their report to the Clan Homeworlds which would probably amount to "those ****** deserve everything we can do to them. how soon can we invade?"
Tribble #162
The House Lords are leaked SLDF reports on RWR military capability in the early 2763. At an emergency Star League Council session the Council Lords vote 5-1 that the SLDF will damn well disarm Stefan Amaris before they even think about a military deployment against the Taurians. Richard Cameron is politely informed to he can shut up about the virtues of his friend there's no way the Council will tolerate a territorial state having armed forces that can curbstomp any one of them. Make it happen, Kerensky.
Tribble #163
Wolfnet lives up to its hype
Starting in 3005, events play out as if the feat the Dragoons made in pinpointing Halloran V was the default state of Dragoon Intelligence. When the MAC attacks their base, they find an abandoned town at the described location, only to return home to a multi regiment ambush as they get off the dropships. Seventh Kommando infiltrates Anton's palace staff and extracts Joshu and Jaime's family from captivity. The Dragoons notice the protracted campaign to get them repeatedly ambushed in Draconis service, and adjust their deployments accordingly, including unilaterally forbidding non-dragoons access to Hephaestus. And in 3051, Jaime takes Thomas 'Marik' aside and explains how he's going to send a tithe of federal units and call for provincial volunteers to support his Kapteyn partner the Combine if he doesn't want to return home to a civil war.
Extrapolate and nitpick to your hearts' content.
163 is interesting as you have any number of things that WolfNet could pick up on to change stuff for the better or worse. Only problem is the Dragoons become even more munchtastic and fanboys will only increase their whining to glass shattering proportions.
They'd still take losses, but somewhat lessened. Or maybe a lot lessened considering the way that one company from Alpha apparently tore through two companies of veteran Sword of Lighters in rapid succession without losing anyone.
You want to make the Wolf's Dragoons even munchier?!
I don't actually mind, I rather like them
If Wolf's Dragoons are so awesome then there is a question of how their motivations will be changed by not experiencing the losses in the Marik Civil War, Misery etc
Marik forces supporting the Draconis Combine would be interesting but how long would they take to get there are how would they be deployed against the Clans?The Dragoons made it to Luthien starting even later, that was the major substitution I was weighing in my head. .
More interesting in some ways would be the effect of some WolfNet snipers quietly taking out key players in the opposition to the leaders that are so effective against the Clans - the Black Dragon, Catherine S-D, Ryan Steiner etc
For this to happen SLIC needs to lift its game in the Periphery massively above their performance in canon. Remember that they had SAS and the Blackhearts running around the various Periphery states disappearing any suspected dissident they could get their hands on, Kerensky had his personal suspicions of Amaris (and while he couldn't act on them in the political arena as Commanding General of the SLDF he could sure allocate SLIC's best and brightest to checking out the RWR and the Amaris family themselves) and they were still blindsided by fifty divisions of BattleMechs when the balloon went up. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the Star League Intelligence Command.I don't mean knowledge of the Secret Armies. FR 2765 shows the forces Amaris admitted to having with the forewords confirming that the units listed don't include the full strength Amaris actually showed in the Coup or committed to supporting the Periphery Uprising.
On the other hand if the SLIC did manage to get enough evidence to persuade the House Lords to move against the RWR this would mean they'd have the details of the Secret Army plan, seeing how many BattleMechs the Usurper managed to divert to the Secret Army training camps and storage caches throughout the Periphery. As the Secret Army was operating with the support (or at least the complicity) of their governments and that Amaris had held meetings with at least some of the national leaders to offer them Mechs -Handbook: Major Periphery States contains a snippet of a meeting between Stefan Amaris and Nicoletta Calderon - the SLIC getting hold of enough information to implicate Amaris would mean they had enough information to nail the leaders of the Taurian Concordat, Magistracy of Canopus and the Outworlds Alliance. So basically if the Star League was to broadcast this knowledge and move against Amaris it would mean they would be forced to move against all the Periphery states in a second Reunification War.
You appear to be conflating Draconis Combine of Kurita with their ISF (and O5P) and Capellan Confederation of Liao and their Maskirova
No, he is intimating that Maskirovka infiltrated Myndo Waterly into the Combine, with handlers (who all died) and from THERE infilitrated Comstar. Creating an extra layer of secrecy for them.
Hmm. Too bad he didn't have 800 or so of those transmitters. Enough for (almost) every world and some ships.
"By the way I'm transmitting my wedding speech to the entire Federated Commonwealth Alliance in realtime without paying ComStar a penny. If anyone else wants to cut their communication budget to less than 1% of their net worth, contact your local Federal Communications office."
And so, at the end of FY 3033, June 30, both Katrina and Hanse receive their First Circuit Precentors where, as always, they are expected to smile and sign the yearly service renewal with ComStar for the coming year, codifying the various charges, legal liabilities and so on. Its all a very nice ceremony that is all polite and smiling for the cameras and so on, but every House Lord hates because of the sheer smugness of the Precentors gouging them with one hand while selling them out with the other...That's so beautiful. I may have tears in my eyes.
Except, wonders Precentor New Avalon, why the devil is the Fox grinning like a madman ... and why is there a large holovid being projected of Katrina Steiner ... that says 'Live from the Triad' ... damnit, Myndo needs to tell me when she authorizes realtime HPG links like this!!!
Tribble #166
What if Nicholas Kerensky founded more than twenty Clans? What if more than 800 warriors went with him on the Second Exodus? What would these Clans be called? What would be their specialties? What would be their position in returning to the Inner Sphere? Which of them would accompany the Jade Falcons, the Wolves, the Smoke Jaguars, and the Ghost Bears in Operation: Revival? Such questions have been answered before, but who would be among the many non-canon Clans? Among these new Clans is Clan Stone Lion, but who will be the remaining 3?
Tribble 168
What if the people of the FC act in character in the wake of the Joshua double being revealed?
Victor, having been raised essentially Lyran, and having fought and bled for the Commonwealth, finds himself with solid support of a people that recognise that they are surrounded by hostile powers, and who remember that they really do in fact hate the Mariks enough to not really care about the disposition of one of their spawn. At the same time, the Fed Suns, primed by rumors of what exactly had been done and a strategically edited copy of Hanse's gloating at max at the end of 4SW, unhappy with the losses and strain of seemingly continuously having to carry a bunch of useless social generals, and pushed by the Sandoval to regain critical list ground and not follow a dirty kuritan lover, breaks away.
Morgan is loyal to Victor, if not particularly happy, but is constrained by the chaos erupting in the Sarna March. Sandoval is pushing his agenda as hard as he can. The other members of the Steiner Davion brood are their usual selves. Where do things develop from there?
(Emphasis added for clarity.)Quote from: smthngApparently I had managed to miss several updates. Oops.Its a fair point - although mostly that was just to set up the Duke as something more than the very 1D psudo secondary villain he was in the film. We won't actually be seeing terribly much of him, but I wanted to flesh him out a little more than the film as the 'I want to exploit this Kingdom ... somehow!' guy, without having to explain it later.
Well, now I just had to read several chapters in a row. The story continues to be awesome, except for the annoying infodumpy parts that still plague it. For example, the introduction of the Duke of Weselton was such. You could have dropped the whole scene and the story would not have suffered at all. In fact, if you ask me, it would have made it flow better, as the good duke had no part in this chapter.
But I do get carried away when thinking about Btech history and weaving him into the timeline and major economic events :p
There should be a lot less of this kind of stuff moving forward though, now that everyone is pretty well established.
The last of it will be next chapter with Victor going through the forwarded paperwork and messages which will show a little slice of the wider FedCom and Inner Sphere. Or more specifically the small butterflies from the AFFCs Army Group Sudeten not vanishing into a half year long missjump, as well as making the most of the year of peace to shuffle more forces around, resulting in a somewhat more beaten up Jade Falcon Clan with a thinner OZ.
[SNIP]
Sorry, Army Group Sudeten? I think I missed this part of the fluff ...
Its a running joke on SB and some other boards. In the Clan Invasion, a whole slew of crack AFFC units seemed to magically vanish in between the Clan waves and then either not appear at all again for some time, or were sort of vaguely mentioned as having been hit somehow. Among the huge amount of other units that no-one bothered to shuffle around during the Year of Peace in favour of humoring Romano on Outreach.
Sudeten fell to two Clusters despite being what appears to be the primary staging ground for AFFC units coming into theater. It had multiple crack RCTs and line regiments including, IIRC, a FedCom RCT, the two Kell Hound Regiments, the 10th LG, the GDL and the ELH when Victor launched his attack on Twycross, presumably most units rotated back to there. Mostly because it was conveninet to do so, keep the Clan invasion rolling by fiat by not allowing the AFFC to concentrate forces and counter attack or anything like that.
In THIS universe at least, the AFFC remembered that said units actually existed and Morgan pulled off one of his CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED moments by suckering in the Falcons on Sudeten and then dropping the hammer on them, as well as launching a limited counter attack while the Falcons were busy grinding with the ComGuards on Tukayyid. Which also ran partially into Operation Scorpion, which helped out a rather large amount.
Essentially if you want to picture the Jade Falcon OZ in this universe, take the standard one and take away Parakoila, Antares, Graus, Sudeten, Blair Atholl, Benfled and Orkney, all firmly held by the AFFC and a big morale boost that instead of just loosing more planets, the AFFC managed to hold the line and give the Clanners a very bloody nose.
We won't really see much of this in this fic though - as its not really relevant. Perhaps the squeal if I decide to write one.
Problem Katherine believe she was Born to be First Lord. She wouldn't be Regent she would declare herself Princess as usally.And she's less likely to get away with it. Part of her appeal to the Lyrans was in playing up her name similarity to her grandmother. It's why she started calling herself Katrina, an attempt to connect with those longing for the good old days of not being permanently saddled with the FedSuns. Nevermind that the Lyran half of the realm wouldn't have managed as well against the Clans without FedSuns military knowhow. And in fact she took the effort to make sure some of those units stayed on her side rather than returning to the FedSuns when the civil war broke out.
Tribble #169: “Where is Army Group Sudeten? The Inner Sphere wonders”(Emphasis added for clarity.)
Credit for this one properly belongs to Chris OFarrell, who happened to mention it in the SpaceBattles.com discussion of his fic The Ice Princess of the Federated Commonwealth, specifically here (http://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/15932351/), here (http://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/15933020/) and here (http://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/15933730/).
Its a fair point - although mostly that was just to set up the Duke as something more than the very 1D psudo secondary villain he was in the film. We won't actually be seeing terribly much of him, but I wanted to flesh him out a little more than the film as the 'I want to exploit this Kingdom ... somehow!' guy, without having to explain it later.
But I do get carried away when thinking about Btech history and weaving him into the timeline and major economic events :p
There should be a lot less of this kind of stuff moving forward though, now that everyone is pretty well established.
The last of it will be next chapter with Victor going through the forwarded paperwork and messages which will show a little slice of the wider FedCom and Inner Sphere. Or more specifically the small butterflies from the AFFCs Army Group Sudeten not vanishing into a half year long missjump, as well as making the most of the year of peace to shuffle more forces around, resulting in a somewhat more beaten up Jade Falcon Clan with a thinner OZ.
[SNIP]
Meh, I just put it down to the fact that FASA and Catalyst had/have the strategic acumen of a kindergartner. Seriously, I have a hard time figuring out how to justify the FedCom not having 500 regiments of battlemechs. Seriously, 2.5 trillion citizens x 1 c-bill in taxes per year equals 1000+ new regiments of Atlases per year. The FedCom should have been able to steamroll the Combine while keeping enough RCTs on the opposite border to make it impossible for even a joint FWL/CapCon attack to succeed.That’s as may be, but this is a thread devoted to Plot Tribbles, not having a go at FASA/CGL or revisiting the issue of Fasanomics. ;) Capisce? [copper]
That’s as may be, but this is a thread devoted to Plot Tribbles, not having a go at FASA/CGL or revisiting the issue of Fasanomics. ;) Capisce? [copper]
I remember that in canon Nicholas Kerensky picked up some sort of fever on Eden that caused some sort of brain damage, but did it get to the point that sociopathic behaviour was confirmed?The disease in question either killed you or drove you mad. He survived. Draw your own conclusions. :D
The disease in question either killed you or drove you mad. He survived. Draw your own conclusions. :D
And seeing as nobody would dare question the word of the Great Father his ravings were treated as divine revelations and gospel ::)I always said the Clans were founded by a group of hardcore untreated PTSD cases who had seen their world collapse around them, fought a decade long war of unimaginable brutality, fled into the Black at the behest of a General they basically worshipped, forged a new society, then watched that society collapse too!
Then again it's a given that the Clans don't perform psych evaluations on their warriors - 99.9% of Clan Smoke Jaguar's touman would have flunked the first exams :p
I remember that in canon Nicholas Kerensky picked up some sort of fever on Eden that caused some sort of brain damage, but did it get to the point that sociopathic behaviour was confirmed?
I think it's genetic, to be honest. The sociopath part, anyway. The violence, who knows?
EDIT: Posted more, btw.
The disease in question either killed you or drove you mad. He survived. Draw your own conclusions. :D
Seriously? I have no trouble believing Nicky was a sociopath in his ilKhan days - hell, considering his actions in setting up the Wolverines for Annihilation and then bragging about it to Sarah McEvedy I think he's a candidate for a Messiah complex feeding into full-blown megalomania, exacerbated by the blind adoration of the 800 Bloodnamed who participated in Operation Klondike. But the sociopathy being a genetic thing? I dunno. ???
General Kerensky had the entire Amaris clan gunned down, to include innocent children, for simply being related to Stefan Amaris. Everybody that was even involved in that order should've been hanged.
There probably wasn't anything wrong with Andery, but that's genetics for you.
If you want to talk about War Crime What Ifs...
Durring the Kentares Massacre, a DCMS command unit used by him was so disgusted that they broadcast video of the horrors to a Comstar informant.
What if instead they had called in an artillery strike on their own Coordinator-and themselves? Jinjiro Kurita is killed by friendly fire, along with his killers. He is lacking an heir, so the command immediately passes to his brother-the massacre probably halts, but the DCMS have turned on the hand that feeds them and killed a Kurita.
If you want to talk about War Crime What Ifs...
Durring the Kentares Massacre, a DCMS command unit used by him was so disgusted that they broadcast video of the horrors to a Comstar informant.
What if instead they had called in an artillery strike on their own Coordinator-and themselves? Jinjiro Kurita is killed by friendly fire, along with his killers. He is lacking an heir, so the command immediately passes to his brother-the massacre probably halts, but the DCMS have turned on the hand that feeds them and killed a Kurita.
But the sociopathy being a genetic thing? I dunno.I've said it elsewhere so I'll say it here...
General Kerensky had the entire Amaris clan gunned down, to include innocent children, for simply being related to Stefan Amaris. Everybody that was even involved in that order should've been hanged.
There probably wasn't anything wrong with Andery, but that's genetics for you.
As far as I can see the Amaris extermination was a single incident rather than a sign of ongoing sociopathic behaviour on the part of Aleksandr Kerensky.
I think we're going to have to agree to disagree. I could list my reasoning, but as this isn't a debate thread I don't want to receive a reprimand from Trace.
I'm not sure basing your military-industrial endeavours on Cosara would be a terribly safe bet, given their... um... issues in bringing the Crab to full production.
I'm not sure basing your military-industrial endeavours on Cosara would be a terribly safe bet, given their... um... issues in bringing the Crab to full production.With a couple of centuries to get in shape, one would think it inevitable.
Honestly... it probably won't change ruler life expectancies that much at the highest level. Largest causes of death for rulers in Battletech seems to be foul play or stress induced bad health.That, or combat.
That, or combat.
Tribble 173:
A day in the life of a Solaris VII Metro PD officer includes dealing with drunks, busting drug kingpins, shutting down underground betting operations, and many other things.
Except trying to match wits with a psychotic serial killer who thinks she's been contacting the long not-so-dearly departed spirits of both Katherine Morgan Steiner-Davion and Kali Liao.
It's a race against time before she strikes again, but the bodies are piling up faster than anybody can keep track of. It'll take a combination of both blind luck and time-honed skill to catch her...yet luck can run out and skill only goes so far.
Tribble 175:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/BattleTech crossover. That's all that needs to be said, really.
No, "Roundabout" by Yes didn't just come on my Pandora station, stop implying such a thing!
Uh, that’s Tribble #177 there, drakensis. ;) But I have to admit, it’s an... interesting one. Certainly his subordinates will wonder where Caleb suddenly got his sudden injection of sanity. :DInjection? More like an overdose if he suddenly starts channeling Hanse.
From the description I assume Caleb Davion is basically Caligula Davion?The Davions would probably have been better off with Caligula.
Tribble 178: I always wanted to be . . . a lumberjack.Won't make a difference. Whoever gets saddled with his OTL job still dies of mysterious circumstances and is deified by Toyama and his followers. Atrocities are still going to be committed, though no longer in his name.
Jerome Blake, famed for his work with first the Star Leagues Department of Communications and later on the restoration of infrastructure following the fall of the Star League.
But what if when he was hired he wasn't put to work on the HPGs?
What if Jerome Blake's skills were focused elsewhere, say on water supply technologies?
Won't make a difference. Whoever gets saddled with his OTL job still dies of mysterious circumstances and is deified by Toyama and his followers. Atrocities are still going to be committed, though no longer in his name.
Now if you were to butterfly away Toyama...
Tribble #180this does make more sense then what had happened in real life game, why why did this not happen...
Contrary to popular belief (and Katherine's claims), Victor Steiner-Davion was always going to do the smart thing and return Joshua Marik's body to the Free World's League. It was intelligence agents loyal to Katherine who pulled the body double fast one, which gave Katherine the justification she needed to secede from the Federated Commonwealth once she shifted the blame (which was her plan all along).
However, this particular plot has just been exposed, and Thomas Marik is furious at having been duped into attacking an honorable man. He not only launches his own invasion of the Lyran Alliance, but he reinstates the armament shipments at cost, exclusively for Pro-Victor forces.
Tribble #180
Contrary to popular belief (and Katherine's claims), Victor Steiner-Davion was always going to do the smart thing and return Joshua Marik's body to the Free World's League. It was intelligence agents loyal to Katherine who pulled the body double fast one, which gave Katherine the justification she needed to secede from the Federated Commonwealth once she shifted the blame (which was her plan all along).
However, this particular plot has just been exposed, and Thomas Marik is furious at having been duped into attacking an honorable man. He not only launches his own invasion of the Lyran Alliance, but he reinstates the armament shipments at cost, exclusively for Pro-Victor forces.
Very interesting - and quite a few issues to consider.
First is that while Katherine sliced the Lyran half of the FedCom away, Victor STILL considers it his nation and WILL fight to defend it. He even said as much to Thomas on Tharkad during the Whiting Conference. He probably won't look terribly fondly upon the FWL launching a full scale invasion. He MIGHT be able to get away with it if he justifies his aims as simply seizing former FWL worlds - but IIRC, in the previous invasion the FWLM managed to take back every single world it lost in the 4th Succession War already.
Second is as Drac pointed out, when this happens. If the LA gets caught between the Falcons and the FWL, with the LAAF still somewhat in chaos - and with plenty of the good officers either forced out or returning to the Federated Suns half of the Commonwealth- they are going to be in an incredibly poor position. Especially as Katherine is busy screwing Vlad over the other side of the Inner Sphere (I'm still half convinced she had all the crew of her jumpship/dropship shot to keep the secret, there is no other way it wouldn't possibly leak out). Indeed, with the situation suddenly a lot grimmer, it would be vastly harder for Nondi and Tormano to keep up the whole 'maximum radio silence!' act. The odds of everyone finding out Katherine isn't in the LA rapidly scales up here - and if they find out, then the Estates Generals find she has run off to try and ally with the Smoke Jaguars? This won't end well.
The whole basis as well of Katherine seizing power was that Victor he betrayed the Lyran People with the whole body double plan. If Thomas then publicly makes a statement ComStar broadcast across the entire LA and FS, that he now knows that this was a falsehood and that Katherine played him for a fool, it could have HUGE consequences. Especially with the double whammy of the invasions and triple whammy of Katherine being found AWOL. Add on to that the fact that I'm sure in this TL Victor didn't make a speech trying to justify his actions, but made one firmly denying them, making him look like a frigen saint compared to his sister and there is even money that you'll have the Estates Generals on their own declare the Archonship of Katherine void and ask Victor to please come back ... and bring like 80% of the AFFS with him?
Hell, you might even get Thomas making a limited invasion just to stir the pot FOR Victor, then when Victor starts his soon to be legendary 'Long March' (aka jumping from system to system to Thakard picking up RCT after RCT from the LAAF who re-swear their loyalty to him) Thomas withdraws back across the border, Victor recognizing the reestablishment of the pre 4th Succession War borders, perhaps in exchange for a concession that he will look the other way when the AFFC storms back into the Chaos March and reimposes order on everything still in flux followed by seizing a new border with the Cappies between say Second Try - Jonathan?
So when Victor finally hits Thakard with like 50 RCTs behind him, Nondi is quietly shot in the head by an LIC agent who suddenly remembers that he is totally loyal to Prince Victor allowing a smooth transition back to FedCom. Giving Victor just enough time to put someone with half a brain (counts out Yvonne at this point...) on the throne while he takes his amassed army and lands on the Jade Falcons like a Trial of Annihilation.
Hopefully then after doing that, reversing course and kicking the damn Wolves out of his realm unless they are willing to swear loyalty to the FedCom. They don't like it? Go live on Outreach or see if Terra will take you...
Hey thats another point; especially without the Chaos March to worm their way to Terra, WOB probably won't be happy with this. Or the Master with Thomas...
Yep. Even odds that Katherine will simply be shot when she gets back, especially if it gets out that she was also behind her mother's assassination (which she tried to manipulate the media into thinking was Victor's fault, too).
Can the Estates-General impeach the Archon for failure to fulfil the duties of his or her station?
So the reason she took off on her trip to Wolf territory to try to recruit allies against the Jade Falcons - how would this play in the Inner Sphere once the truth about her plans came out? Could she spin it so it would be seen as Clanners killing Clanners and leaving the Lyran Commonwealth to rebuild?
If Thomas then publicly makes a statement ComStar broadcast across the entire LA and FS, that he now knows that this was a falsehood and that Katherine played him for a fool, it could have HUGE consequences.The weak point here is that this would require Thomas Marik to admit he committed the FWLM to a costly war by mistake. That's going to weaken him politically and he's not necessarily going to be willing to do this.
I think at this point the new Star League should focus on hitting both the Jade Falcons and the Smoke Jaguars. Give them both a beating they'll never forget and show the Crusaders the error of their ways.
It's quite simple.
The Capellan Confederation falls to the Federated Suns in that case. IIRC, one of the reasons ComStar doesn't interdict them is because it would change the balance of power game they are trying to play.
Presumably, the Interdiction is cancelled following a few choice resignations and reshuffling of various staff.
This does make the first few weeks easier though.
What this might spur is Michael Hasek-Davion realising there's no hope of getting anything useful from Max so it's time to cut his losses and unleash his regiments to seize low-hanging fruit from the Sian, Capellan and St Ives Commonalities while Hanse crushes Tikonov and Sarna.
Beyond that, the quickest response Mad Max would have to try and mitigate Michael's betraying him would be to find a way to rapidly leak to the entire Federated Suns media the complete files showing that Michael has been betraying the Federated Suns for a long time. Hope that the very public outage will cause a little civil war to break out that might distract the AFFC from swallowing the hell out of the Capellan Confederation.
Or ComStar leaking the same.
are you people seriously that deprived of BT history? ??? Hans had planed that by the time he made his big announcment that his units would already be attacking capcon planets. It was all pre planned and nothing needs to be replaned or anything. If anything the plans would simply be moved up. the Capcon would survive but even smaller than in OTL. maby losing half again as many worlds as in the otl.
This is one of those things that never made sense about the whole deal. What the heck is Michael going to get out of treating with the only major enemy on his borders that couldn't be better achieved by competently managing his military and slicing off worlds to either add to his own holdings or award to secure the loyalty of officers, zillionaires, and other nobles for his scheming against Hanse? What's his insurance policy for Max narcing him out?
Important question for 187: has anyone figured out double heat sinks?
Bah. Coolant Pods and Radical Heat Sinks. No doubles.
I'm thinking we need a design thread.
Tribble # 188 - Nightmare of the Folly
Hanse Davion looked straight at Quintus Allard, his eyes occasionally flickering to his recently exposed Doppleganger who was currently chained to a chair and looking utterly exhausted. Quintus was currently doing an excellent C Montogomery Burns impression, Ardan Sortek meanwhile lent against a wall wearing a smirk that promised chaos in the style of a blonde haired ninja from a manga Hanse read on occasion.
"Let me get this straight, you two, in your infinite wisdom, instead of going through and trying to break all of mad Max's programming decided to put him through every test that the NAIS and Albion have to compare him to my skill levels?"
Ardan and Quintus nodded.
"And he came out roughly equal to me in all areas".
Again, they nodded.
"And now you want to steal the scientists and technicians responsible to see if they can repeat it?"
Another nod.
"Why?" Hanse was thoroughly confused by this point.
"Let us put it this way Hanse" Ardan started "Imagine Max's reaction to 300 Hanse Davion doppelgangers invading Sian. Or to us staffing the Fox's Dens with clones of you."
"It would take a lot of pressure off the boys down at the Fox's Den" Quintus added.
The whole premise of this one, Hanse decides (after much cajoling) to use Doppelganger to produce multiple clones/body doubles of himself after realizing that if they can match him in most areas, that using them in those roles may well be beneficial.
Tribble #189
Almost a century and a half later, five regiments of mercenaries appeared out of the Periphery, expecting to find the Inner Sphere torn by constant warfare and deprivation. What they found were five robust states with advanced military technology that the Clans - whose scientists had focused largely on genetic work since the completion of the various SLDF projects brought with them on the Exodus - would be hard-pressed to match...
Without Comstar to render interstellar communications neutral, how many HPGs would survive? I suspect you'd also see a fair bit more fragmentation outside of primary communications routes.While border HPGs would probably be destroyed, the Successor States would have access to dozens of interior HPGs to study to get to grips with the technology. Given a couple of centuries, I can't see them not managing to duplicate or even improve on the technology. They might even weaponise them.
Unless each House unlocked the secrets of the HPG, they may end up with 3060s weapons tech, but 2500s communications via jumpship and Black Box. So the Inner Sphere would react slower, but would be more dangerous on a regimental level, which would give one hell of an advantage to some of the less rulebound and more flexible clans like the Wolves and Diamond Sharks if they are willing to mass sufficient forces to overrun their opponents with minimal losses and bring forward Clan HPGs quickly if few HPGs survive.
I must admit I would love to see what the Taurians or the Canopians got up to in that sort of scenario, particularly if they started manufacturing jumpships and warships again. It could well be like the Clans running into the Inner Sphere just prior to the Reunification War without the Terran Hegemony, more capable military technology and crap communications.With the Inner Sphere rebuilding and not raiding the Periphery for equipment they can't build themselves, the major periphery states would probably be better off.
;D Tribble #190 is funny and interestingAgreed.
....what. ???Clearly the master plans of the feline race are finally being implemented and he must take action to prevent their complete control of humanity.
why does no one ever talk about the catboy plague??? :DBecause we're smart enough to kill them on sight.
To be honest, I wanted more women, but couldn't find a great match for the OA-it really doesn't have enough 'personality' as a nation other than 'used to be pacifist and now has a great aerospace arm'. Maybe she would have been better suited to the FWL? But that still leaves the problem of nobody really fitting in with the OA. Similarly, I thought that the challenges facing Donaldo might be better tackled by Bismark, while Donaldo might better be able to exploit crushing economic superiority in Lyran space, but cultural afinity for Bismark trumped where his personal skill could best be played. Napoleon in the Suns was deliberate however, as was Oda in the Combine.
Ghandi had to go with the Taurians though. Nuke-lovers have to stick together.
Leonard Cheshire VC
Saddly, disqualified for never having lead a nation. A fine fellow, but lacking the political chops to roll with Ghengis Khan or the man who made the German Empire.
There is always the option not to limit yourself to famous historian figures. I do like the thought of 'Precentor Martial Gandalf'.
Tribble 193
Tucker Harwell makes a devastating discovery: the virus that disabled the majority of HPGs is nothing of the kind. The HPGs are simply unable to provide coherent signals due to damage caused to hyperspace itself.
And the cause of that damage, which only coincidentally happened at the same time as several sabotage attacks?
Hyperspace is known to violate causality with K-F jumps detectable at the destination before the jumpship has even activated its engines.
The cause of the Blackout was/would be the raising of the Fortress Republic.
They are the victims - but they are also the culprits!
(MageOhki must take credit/blame for putting this idea together when we were discussing causes for the Blackout).
Given the blackout happened before the raising of Fortress Republic, wouldn't it be more logical that the machinery required to raise the fortress would cause the blackout? Sort of a reward for completion of your ultimate defense/doomsday weapon rather than actually using it 'Congratulation, you now have crappy communications'.Hyper-physics break causality in a way that probably killed off entire generations of physicists through sheer trauma.
Ugh, now I'm picturing whatever causes Fortress Republic has some type of hyperspace draining power sink.
#197
-snip awesome-
You know... I would love to see this written. If only for the look on Hanse's face.... when he realize he is now in competition for audacity.
Tribble 199 hmm... sounds like a very interesting. I could it see it resulting in the FS being undermined by Comstar and/or in a brief civil war that would weaken the FS and only strengthen their enemies.
That would not be good for the FS if Ian survived.
A few spelling mistakes but otherwise a terrifying thought. O0
Tribble 200
Hanse Davion was on top of the Inner Sphere
The Federated Commonwealth was the Dominate power in the Human Sphere and it was well on its way to establishing a lasting peace with the Steiner-Davion Dynasty as the rulers of a new Star League. The Dragon had been tamed in the War of 3039 and a friendly Head of State sat on the Capellan Throne in the form of Candace Liao. Only the Free Worlds League remained an obstacle but daily raids into their territory would soon bring them to the table. By 3047, everything was falling into place and his eventual dream would become a reality. Even Comstar had been humbled with many of its ComGuard made to go home except the bare minimum to maintain a defense of the HPGs in FC Space and beyond.
Then one day, something happened; all the HPG's in the Inner Sphere went dark.
At first, it seemed that the HPG on New Avalon had closed for a day with no visitors allowed inside. Chucking up to some sort of maintenance by Comstar, Hanse and his staff just waved it off. As time went by, it was discovered by Jumpships traveling within the FC Territory that New Avalon wasn't the only one that had gone off the grid as it appeared that every world with an HPG in the FC, CC, and DC was no longer active. Wanting to know what was going on, Hanse ordered an incursion on the New Avalon HPG facility; only to find it abandoned and its HPG sabotaged without any hope of repair. Reports from other facilities all over the FC as well as those in the CC and DC report similar fates.
Comstar managed to leave them in the dark without the three Successor States from even realizing it before it was too late.
Realizing that this might be a prelude to an attack, Hanse and his Generals ordered all available forces into the Terran March in case of an hostile incursion while the best minds in the Federated Commonwealth tried to bring the HPG Grid back online; stripping outlying worlds on the peripheries of their regiments and sending them coreward. The Black Boxes were used to coordinate forces the best they could but the delay still left them vulnerable. By the time early 3048 came around, the largest gathering of military forces since the 4th Succession War surrounded Terra, ready to drive back any attack.
The Draconis Combine, uder treaty, also moved forces to support the Commonwealth and the Capellans launched deeper raids in the Free Worlds League after finding out that their HPG Grid was still operating. There was no activity from Terra though and every message that was sent to the system was ignored as well as the messages sent to Atreus. For weeks, the Regiments in the Terran March were on full alert and ready for war at the given word. The Scientists on New Avalon managed to get its HPG online from cannibalizing other facilities, only to encounter some sort of while noise.
After another month, Candace gotten word to Hanse though her husband that her raiding forces were starting to encounter Star League Era Mechs with the Comstar Logo fighting along side FWL forces. Even worse, Comstar WarShips were hitting Capellan Worlds in which she had no defense for. It was reported that Commonwealth Forces were also dealing with the same activity on the Lyran Border as well. A few of his Generals argued that they should invade Terra since open war now existed between the Federated Commonwealth and Comstar. Hanse and his Inner Circle believed that to be madness though they drew up the plans for the invasion just in case.
Unfortunately for Hanse Davion when the Clans arrived, they found a stripped border lacking any sort of defense; all which went according to Comstar's plans
Tribble 201this could lead to lots of fun, and who knows what weapons could be created from this information.....
Ides of March 3020
a lot of those names tickle my memory for some reason, like they are coming from somewhere other than BTAlpha Centauri pc game
Alpha Centauri pc game
206: On May 16, 3020, the heart of the Inner Sphere is torn out. In it's place, the Terran Supremacy appears. Basically just an ISOT fic. Can you guys come up with plot threads from this?The Terran Supremacy would be in a very strong position, without any technology back-sliding and holding many of the Successor State's industrial worlds (Skye, Tikonov, Irian, etc.) as well as the regiments that were holding them. Meanwhile the Successor States are just coming out of the Third Succession War and haven't built up the reserves that would have fought the Fourth.
206: On May 16, 3020, the heart of the Inner Sphere is torn out. In it's place, the Terran Supremacy appears. Basically just an ISOT fic. Can you guys come up with plot threads from this?
#209. Because infantry needs love, too.who????
An Act of ROB strands Tony Stark (perhaps, say, from the wormhole at the end of the first Avengers movie) in the Battletech 'verse.
Fortunately for him, he's found a backer to help him get on his feet and start working towards establishing himself in the lifestyle he prefers.
Unfortunately for the Battletech 'verse, the backer in question is Liz Ngo.
who? ???
Nah
Let Stark show up in 3020, and be a battletech fan,
" and for you my love, I give you the Capellan Confederation"
A hundred Iron Patriots rise from the water at Hilton Head,
" oh and Earth also " as Hanse smiles and nods to the bearded man
in the crowd
The point wasn't to learn those skills. It was to do them together, trying to force them to bond through shared experience and hardship.
At the end of the FedCom civil war, as the book finishes, we come to see Katherine throwing down her pen in disgust, and tearing out the pages. She had started her little future-fic as an exercise she started at the suggestion of her therapist, as a way of dealing with the shock of her fathers heart attack and near-death experience. She posted it online under a pseudonym and received a great deal of good reviews, and has had a lot of fun letting her id out, playing the manipulative, megalomaniacal villain, but she feels she's written herself into a corner, and tosses her notes aside, to concentrate on her dad, who's bedside she's sitting next to, and smiles as he starts to come around, still groggy from his latest, and hopefully last, heart operation. Calling out to her mother and siblings, she reflects on how lucky she is that the horrific future described in her story would never actually occur ...
"Katherine: Greetings from Arc Royal. Just finished your latest chapter. Loved it. Hope you don't mind, I showed it to a few people. Morgan and Salome agree you've got his character and reactions right, but he insists that Candace isn't his type at all - Salome disagrees, and jokingly approved. Galen had a blast, and thanks you for some brilliant scenes (don't tell him I said this, but the last three girls I've seen him date have been leggy blondes, nudge nudge: you're a better judge of character than you think). Aunt Nodi says she's happy to support you for Archon-Princess, as soon as you finish up your Five and qualify. Phelan reached out over the HPG and says he enjoyed it, and he showed it to his friends and co-workers: Ulric says your interpretation of Clan politics is 'insightful and not entirely wrong', which is high praise for him. Natasha says she's pissed that you had her offed by a 'two-bit birdie bird,' but agreed that it was generally a badass way to go. Vlad was flattered, but insists you're not his type (he may have matured and mellowed, but he still has the warrior-caste prejudices Phelan hasn't managed to break him of yet). You'll probably hear back from Kai before this message reaches New Avalon, but last I heard he was complaining that he didn't get more than a few cameos, and not enough chances for Yen Lo Wang to shine.
"One thing: why did you press the Omi relationship so hard? I mean, she's a nice enough girl, and I'll admit there was some attraction on both sides on Outreach, but it was hardly a Sphere-shattering love affair, and killing her off that way was a bit crude: faux-Victor didn't deserve that!
"Anyway, gotta go: the 10th is slated to go up against the 12th FedCom RCT, and we're playing the Red (or rather, Jade) team, so I've got to go pretend to be a Clanner for a while and try not to get splatted by artillery. Love to Dad, Pete and Yvonne (and give Joshua a hug for me: you owe the kid at least that much after you had him die off-screen and replaced by a double! He's already dealing with chemo, surgeries and living in the bubble that is the life of a Successor State heir: he didn't deserve that, you witch! :) ).
"Love, your big (yeah, yeah, except vertically) brother, Victor."
Based on a SB sort-of-ideaSome sort of infotech or sysadmin perhaps, shades of wikileaks or Snowden? Wonder how many separate attempts on this poor tech's life there will be over the course of such a story-I'd be betting on at least one a chapter.
The Knights of the Inner Sphere return from Huntress, in triumph. Mauled, but unbroken and whole new reputation (and enough Clantech to rebuild themselves to full strength as an Elite among the Elite). Having successfully done their duty and kept Serpent from becoming rampaging monsters in their quest to destroy a brutal foe. Kudos and all that.
They shortly after rebuilding from the cadre they left behind specifically for this eventuality and integrating them, then have a defector from the WOB approach them with a data dump on pretty much all of the Words plans to destroy the Great Houses, the 'heretics' in ComStar and rebuild mankind under a Blakest 'utopia'.
And you know, that the Captain General is not actually the Captain General; HE is the hidden leader of the WOB and probably the most fanatic believer of this.
Sir Paul Masters confronts the 'Captain General' privately about all of this and Halas admits the truth, but is deeply shocked by the WOBs true plans. And so charges Paul Masters with finding the 'real' Thomas Maraik and bringing him publicly to account for all of this.
And so begins a shadow war through the FWL of the Knights and more than few other units who join their banner conducting 'military exercises' as they play cat and mouse with the WOB as they hunt their prey on this 'Great Quest'...
Oh and the Wolves have to TOTALLY steel the McKennas Pride and take it with them :D
You would still have an alliance but the Fedcom fast paced change for the LCAF would be slowed.
So the Lyrans get nothing? Sounds fair!
What do you think of the Dragoons signing on with the Free Rasalhague Republic instead of the Federated Commonwealth after the war? So instead of Outreach they head to Rasalhague to help train their new military?
Or what if the Dragoons say to the Federated Commonwealth give us Apollo and the ancient worlds of the Rim? They could start trying to develop their own buffer state out in the Old Republic as Kerensky did many years ago.
In either event the Dragoons could draw in ancient Star League mercenary commands to assist them with their new nation building project.
What do you think of the Dragoons signing on with the Free Rasalhague Republic instead of the Federated Commonwealth after the war? So instead of Outreach they head to Rasalhague to help train their new military?
Or what if the Dragoons say to the Federated Commonwealth give us Apollo and the ancient worlds of the Rim? They could start trying to develop their own buffer state out in the Old Republic as Kerensky did many years ago.
In either event the Dragoons could draw in ancient Star League mercenary commands to assist them with their new nation building project.
What do you think of the Dragoons signing on with the Free Rasalhague Republic instead of the Federated Commonwealth after the war? So instead of Outreach they head to Rasalhague to help train their new military?
Or what if the Dragoons say to the Federated Commonwealth give us Apollo and the ancient worlds of the Rim? They could start trying to develop their own buffer state out in the Old Republic as Kerensky did many years ago.
In either event the Dragoons could draw in ancient Star League mercenary commands to assist them with their new nation building project.
It would strategically make sense in terms of Anti-Clan work ... but Rasalhague;
1. Hate Mercs as a general rule.
I'm not going to belabor your other points, they're generally valid.
This issue, however, can be defused depending on the timing. Rasalhague's dislike for mercs arises out of the Ronin Wars, when numerous merc units lawyered their way out of actually fighting when the Draconis renegades invaded the place. If the Dragoons provided an example and some enforcement to stop that from happening, it could definitely lead to a very different attitude.
Getting back to the Dragoons setting up shop in the Free Rasalhague Republic I think the biggest factor to overcome is Mansdotter himself. He seemed to expertly (diplomacy wise) steer a neutral course between the Combine and the Commonwealth wary on pissing off either. Another ruler or different version of Rasalhague could change that equation setting them on a far more militant/ aggressive path. Of course there are consequences for that.....
I'm not going to belabor your other points, they're generally valid.
This issue, however, can be defused depending on the timing. Rasalhague's dislike for mercs arises out of the Ronin Wars, when numerous merc units lawyered their way out of actually fighting when the Draconis renegades invaded the place. If the Dragoons provided an example and some enforcement to stop that from happening, it could definitely lead to a very different attitude.
Wasn't it Haakon Magnusson who ruled the FRR until the Clans showed up? I thought Mansdotter was head of the Kungsarme at the time.Mansdottir was considered the front runner for whatever was likely to happen until Theodore and Myndo made their deal with Magnusson behind his back, presumably while in possession of verigraphed evidence of Katrina Steiner molesting farm animals. He remained about as relevant as it was possible to be in FRR politics for as long as Rasalhague continued to delude itself about their necks not being someone's footrest.
I've been lurking here since 2011(?) and finally came up with something to post. Thank you to Cannonshop, Drakensis, Master Arminas, and others for many hours of enjoyable reading.
Tribble # 471: Trial of Position
Outreach, 3051. Sun-Tzu Liao fires a missile salvo that hits some of Kai's opponents in their 3v1 trials, breaking zellbrigen, before punching out. Faced with a 6v1 match, Kai uses firepower, maneuverability, and intelligent thinking (seismic data) to split, find, and defeat 5 of his 6 opponents, before facing off with Jaime Wolf's Archer in a canyon.
He hesitates, trying to find the optimal solution, but only for a split-second. Planting his mech's feet, he sprints towards the Archer at an angle; most of Colonel Wolf's LRMs crash against his left arm or miss entirely. At close range, he has the advantage and is able to defeat Colonel Wolf.
When the mechs are parked, Kai climbs down the ladder from his Battlemech, sweaty and tired but elated. In addition to the royals standing around, he's confused to see all of the on-planet regimental leaders of Wolf's Dragoons present. Jaime Wolf, standing in front, renders him a formal salute. "Congratulations, Kai. Never in our history has a warrior defeated six foes in a Trial of Position. You have proven yourself worthy, and defeated me. Wolf's Dragoons are now yours to command, sir."
(based on something Jaime actually said, about the Dragoons being a few seconds away from having new leadership)
St. Ives collaborating with FC forces I can see, but Genyosha? ???
Soooo much backstory to this one.
1) FedCom here isn't what it was in cannon. Each former nation is a Grand Duchy, which is further divided into Duchies, etc. Basically the asinine confusion for military and civil organization zones is gone. Oh yeah, and sane tax codes that can't be cheated, so even relatively little in the way of taxes means a HUGE military.
2) There aren't any Clans, as yet. Nor Wolf's Dragoons. Kerensky's Dragoons, OTOH...
3) St. Ives is correct but isn't. There isn't strictly a Capellan Confederation anymore. Something about the FWL briefly falling apart, the DC having a bit of a ronin problem plus a general rebellion in Rasalhague, and the 4th Succession War kicking off all around 3040. Did I mention it's the Grand Duchy of St. Ives?
4) DC and FedCom are permanently at peace. The price of the FedCom not turning around and making Takashi a eunuch was Omi marrying Victor and their heir inheriting Combine throne as well.
5) Katherine's dead and that's precisely why Terra's about to get the asskicking of a lifetime. The public attempted assassination of a ruler and offing one of his heirs will do that.
6) Oh, about Omi? She and Katherine were friends (the irony...). Omi is offended. When Omi is offended and the offender is a nation you can bet a few regiments answering to Luthien are going to move.
It sounds like you really need to do an 'Of Wolves and Falcons' style introduction chapter so that we know what the heck is going on before any reasonable criticism or analysis of the idea can be attempted. Because right now with what's been said there's no way of knowing who owns what, who's still alive, and who died when that we might think is alive if not specified otherwise.
Or he could carefully build up the ComGuards for five years, mould them in his image and then Primus Anastasius Focht could take over. Deeply saddened by his predecessors' lapses, of course.
I'm halfway convinced a ship finding the Kerensky cluster and then escaping would send the Clans into even more of a tizzy than the capture of the Outbound Light actually did. The Clans were absolutely terrified of having their homeworlds discovered by the Inner Sphere. In canon Showers stressed the possibility of other explorer ships finding the Clans and not being captured, leading to some sort of invasion from the Successor States. One possible outcome is that Showers, not being the brightest bulb in the batch, takes the news to the Grand Council anyway, but loses the ilKhan vote. No other Khans from the period stand out as being particularly inspiring replacements. Ulric is a warden. Yvonne Hazen is ancient and about to retire, and Elias Crichell is a newly-minted saKhan. Ursula Jorgensson and Nornian Tseng don't seem to have wowed anyone with any particular brilliance, since they both got themselves offed by Ulric Kerensky in canon. Cassius N'Buta is Khan of too small a clan and thinks too differently from the other Crusaders to be realistically appointed. Stephen Tyler is a parody. Din Steiner is very charismatic, but the Cobras are too small and too political for anyone to trust them. What happens if the Clans are united on the idea that they should invade the Inner Sphere, but can't agree on anyone to lead them? Do they go piecemeal? Does that mean they do worse than canon or better, since presumably more clans would be showing up? So many butterflies!
Tribble #475Someone did a fan sourcebook a few years back about that. Anyone got a copy?
In Lethal Heritage, Focht theorises the Clans are non-humans who more or less consumed Kerensky's Exodus and have now come to the Inner Sphere to do the same to the Successor States. What if he was right?
Tribble #475Barring something quite weird happening, Spores Fall, Everyone Dies would be my guess. It would take quite a lot of work to plausibly have an invading power that managed to not progress at all from the point of having Star League prototype technology, on top of being resource poor and incapable of supporting enough of a population to create a situation that would give the Inner Sphere any kind of chance at all.
In Lethal Heritage, Focht theorises the Clans are non-humans who more or less consumed Kerensky's Exodus and have now come to the Inner Sphere to do the same to the Successor States. What if he was right?
Someone did a fan sourcebook a few years back about that. Anyone got a copy?That was ColBosch’s work, IIRC. Try hitting him up over PM and see if he kept anything. ;)
Interesting for sure. I was always under the impression that the Outbound Light was sent by the hidden rulership of ComStar (The Blood) so maybe they do not report to Waterly. But lets say they do, I don't think she is the type to play the long game and wait. More likely she makes a big showy ComGuard backed entrance (which Focht get your plans in order) before too long. From there a couple of things could happen. How about Operation Scorpion without the invasion? Focht studies the Clans and comes up with a brilliant Trail (like Tukayyid) to win them over. Waterly says great (you naïve moron) I am going to have ROM execute a Coup at the same time.
Well the obvious way to ensure that your people will be unbroken by such methods is to give them an injection of a lipid soluable molecule that will accumulate in brain tissue until it encounters the metabolized Clan narco-interogants. At that point, it combines with them and forms a very quickly lethal neuotoxin.This relies on them knowing what the heck is in those compounds 200 years after breaking off contact. There are ways to make that happen, but tend towards the heavily contrived.
Really, it's the only way to keep your operatives from spilling their gust and I don't see why everyone doesn't do that.
So what happens when the Lords together fire Kerensky, his general staff and order the SLDF to heavily demobilize?
Just to clear any preconceptions when they refuse of course, that he is acting as anything but James McKenna / Richard Cameron Mk II?
I doubt the SLDF pulled off that operation without taking stuff losses (plus a lot of defections and mutinies from Combine members of the SLDF who objected). They probably have enough forces left to garrison the Hegemony, but the Hegemony is in very poor shape. And especially as the other houses are presumably still not paying monies to the BSLA + the Hegemony probably backsliding as all the other states withdraw their units, humanitarian aid and economic aid ...
It would take very little for the SLDF to end up trying to impose law and order at the point of a Mech given the situation, which is not going to end well, especially if the economic situation doesn't improve quickly. And you can bet the other houses will bring all their forces to maximum alert and shift assets around to try and prevent the kind of crippiling strike Kerensky launched against the Combine, probably move to full scale war production if they are not there already.
Although I'm sure the Steiners and Davions would be sorely tempted to at the very least 'correct' their borders and settle all outstanding claims they have in their favor, which could buy time...
So what happens when the Lords together fire Kerensky, his general staff and order the SLDF to heavily demobilize?I suspect that question is very much on their minds. After all, neither they nor their governments want to be the next target.
Just to clear any preconceptions when they refuse of course, that he is acting as anything but James McKenna / Richard Cameron Mk II?
Tribble #478:
"Awkward..."
Inspired by the time between the scenes of Warrior:Coupe.
Outbound, Sian
Sian Commonality, Capellan Confederation
25 October 3029
The gantry over the 'mech bay echoed softly from the footfalls of a lone man returning from his 'mech. It was a task that Justin Allard had repeated many times, both in AFFS and Capellan service. The signage on the walls of the dropship was an odd pastiche of Capellan ideograms and the more recent English labels, written on tape to give directions to the soldiers of the 1st Kathil Uhlans.
"My life is summed up on a piece of gun tape." The thought amused Justin as he made his way to the infirmary to check up on his former aide, Alex Mallory. "It kind of applies to him too, doesn't it."
A large figure shot out of an adjoining gangway and Justin found himself pinned against the wall, his feet kicking a foot off of the floor while his windpipe was being slowly crushed. He was eye to eye with a very tall, very strong man with his red hair caught back in a border braid. One arm casually pinned him to the bulkhead, the other hand rose to reveal a Comstar vid-disc labelled "M. Hasek-Davion".
"Alright 'Changeling', let's talk about my father."
....
You know, it always bothered me that those two seemed to be too buddy-buddy after the pick up on Sian, at the end of Warrior:Coupe. Something like this must of happened on the 20 day trip back to New Avalon; an Overlord dropship is big, but not big enough to avoid that discussion.
SMc.
Tribble #479
In the wake of the Amaris Coup, the Great Houses were poised to strike at one another in what would become the 1st Succession War. But instead of leaving the Inner Sphere as he originally planned, Aleksandr Kerensky decided to stay and discussed things with a few of his people on Terra in talks of how to prevent the Succession Wars from happening. The answer comes from a little known diplomat named Jonathan Sheridan who offered up an idea of a space station located in Neutral Territory where representatives from the Great Houses and Periphary States can come together to sort out their differences peacefully. Kerensky, interested in the idea, quickly requests that the station be built. Within a month, the station is completed and Kerensky reveals it to the rest of the Inner Sphere and calls it mankind's "last best hope for peace."
Tribble #479
In the wake of the Amaris Coup, the Great Houses were poised to strike at one another in what would become the 1st Succession War. But instead of leaving the Inner Sphere as he originally planned, Aleksandr Kerensky decided to stay and discussed things with a few of his people on Terra in talks of how to prevent the Succession Wars from happening. The answer comes from a little known diplomat named Jonathan Sheridan who offered up an idea of a space station located in Neutral Territory where representatives from the Great Houses and Periphary States can come together to sort out their differences peacefully. Kerensky, interested in the idea, quickly requests that the station be built. Within a month, the station is completed and Kerensky reveals it to the rest of the Inner Sphere and calls it mankind's "last best hope for peace."
"It was the dawn of the Second Star League – ten years after the 3039 War.
The Babylon Project was a dream, given form. Its goal: to prevent another war, by creating a place where Great Houses and other powers and aliens can work out their differences - peacefully. It's a port of call – home away from home – for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers.
Nobles and Criminals, wrapped in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal . . . all alone in the night.
It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last best hope for peace.
This is the story of the first of the Babylon stations. The year is 3049. The name of the place is Babylon 5."
The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace.
A self-contained world five miles long, located in neutral territory. A place of commerce and diplomacy for a quarter of a million humans. A shining beacon in space . . . all alone in the night.
It was the dawn of the Second Star League – the year the Clan War came upon us all.
This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 3050. The name of the place is Babylon 5.
The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace.
It failed.
*Que montage of shots of Clan Omnimechs blasting everything, Tyra Miraborg smashing into the Dire Wolf, Victor fighting on Twycross and Hohiro on Wolcot ... and finally, Jamie Wolf showing up on B5*
But in the years of the Clan War, it became something greater: our last, best hope – for victory.
The year is 3051. The place: Babylon 5.
Morgan Kell: It was the year of fire (shot of his Archer blazing away at Nova Cat Omnimechs)
Nondi Steiner: The year of destruction (looking over the red dots on her map showing the Clans progress)
Sun Tzu: The year we took back what was ours (as he plots and schemes over his mothers corpse)
Hanse Davion: It was the year of rebirth (as he and Theodore shake hands)
Candace Liao: The year of great sadness (grief stricken looking at her husbands body)
Shin Yodama: The year of pain (as he he forcibly loaded onto an evac ship to go to Luthien and leave Hohiro behind)
Omi Kurita: And a year of joy (secretly kissing Victor in the launch bay)
Focht: It was ... a new age (pistol pointed squarely at Myndos head)
Takashi Kurita: It was the end of history (shaking hands with Jamie Wolf)
ilKhan Kerensky: It was the year everything changed (looking at the ruins of the Clan Invasion force on Tuyakyid)
Hohiro Kurita: The year is 3052
Victor Steiner-Davion: The place? Babylon 5!
I thought, what the heck and blend the two somehow.Generally, tech levels aren't all that different.
I got about one chapter into writing a FanFic about a cross over - a misjump of a Star League ship to the wrong Epsilon Eridani. Then my inability to write kicked in!I hate it when that happens!
IIRC the factories for several key components are on Terra as a security measure. A rational Primus might use this to bargain with Hanse. Unfortunately the current Primus is Myndo Waterly....
Which probably doesn't change much since once the Federated Suns seizes the HPGs the other states likely do the same so as not to lose the 'advantage' of their own HPGs.
Except the current Primus isn't Myndo Waterly. It's Julian Tiepolo. Myndo was the one constantly agitating for direct action, and was responsible for forcing the Interdiction through. Julian was the one who tried to stop her. And what was the result of her plan? Comstar lost their hold on the Federated Suns. They are almost certainly gonna loose their hold on the Lyran Commonwealth.
This could be a death blow for Myndo's reputation and power-base.
Or for Myndo herself.
On the other hand, the news that the Federated Suns has managed to restore the HPG network throughout their territory could bring on the heart attack that removed Tiepolo from the office of Primus. With Tiepolo gone could Myndo make a bid to secure herself as Primus before her power-base dissolves? Did she have any support from or contacts within ROM?
This seems like a recipe for a ComStar Jihad 40 years early, given ComStar has active WarShips, the ground-based SDS batteries, a decent-sized ground arm, and undoubtedly has WMDs in 3029.A grand total of 3 Warships.
A grand total of 3 Warships.
Ground-based SDS batteries which, while formidable are just a small part of a comprehensive SDS, and were unlikely to have ever been fully restored since Kerensky's departure.
A decent sized ground arm that is nowhere near competence or possibly even size of 3020's AFFS.
Hanse even gets a whiff of the possible loot to be had at Earth, and Mad Max can wait. He's gonna get him some of that. What's more, if this is after the black flag raid at NAIS, then there's certainly bad blood enough to justify it.
The other Houses, it's a toss up as to whether they secure their HPG's first, or come into Earth for a free for all.
I wonder how this change in history affects the Clans.The notion that Davion was one step closer to conquering the other Successor States and reestablishing the Star League without them was enough make them come calling.
Falcon Corridor: Jade Falcon, Steel Viper, Cloud Cobra, Star AdderBatCrap Insanity :D
Wolf Corridor: Wolf, Coyote, Hell's Horses, Nova Cats
Bear Corridor: Ghost Bear, Snow Raven, Diamond Shark, Blood Spirit
Jaguar (Or BatCrap Insanity) Corridor: Smoke Jaguar, Ice Hellion, Goliath Scorpion, Fire Mandrill
BatCrap Insanity :D
Can somebody say temper tantrums galore? Scorpions are gonna be the only sane guys in there. When they aren't doped to the gills with necrosia.
Falcons are gonna be feeling the pressure having to deal with the snake alliance.
Nope even Doped to the Gill's their still saner then the Jaguars. The Ice Hellions would be Sane then they were in Canon since their part of the Invasion. Your guess is as good as mine with the Mandrills.Weren't the Ice Hellions labeled as Clan Temper Tantrum at one point by one of the other khans?
Weren't the Ice Hellions labeled as Clan Temper Tantrum at one point by one of the other khans?
Wouldn't the Invasion of Neuva Castile be the last straw that revealed the Clans to the Inner Sphere. By that point Inner Sphere Merchants were trading directly with the Hansa open worlds, the Hansa supplying Mercs to the Castilians and Umayyads (probably from the IS) and Hansa themselves in contact with both Neuva Castille and the Inner Sphere?It's certainly a risk. However, the Clans may not be aware of how much or little contact there is and more to the point the potential rewards may have them being reckless and greedy.
I love Drak's Tribbles as they are very in depth. This latest is very interesting. I can see the OTL invasion being delayed until well in the 3050s as the Clans reconquer recently lost colony worlds and rebuild the forces lost in this Reconquista.Thanks.
An then either the Smoke Jaguar's or Ice Hellion's will make the dash to destroy the "Weak" Scavenger Lords an declare then themselves the IlClan. Remember there was a Inter Hellion Fight because of the Dragoon Compromise. The Khan an atleast 2 Galaxies want to still Invade the Inner Sphere.
Tribble 489
The Clan genetic programmes take slightly different directions. They develop mechwarriors who are tall and slim to handle high temperatures, with ears adjusted for better balance. They develop muscular and thick-skinned infantry with immense stamina and broad environmental tolerances. They develop short, broad pilots who can cope with the strain of powerful acceleration and whose bones and muscles suffer minimal decline in low gravity. By the 31st century the Warrior Caste of the Clans is dominated by trueborn elves, orcs and dwarves. (The Laborer Caste has significant minority of large, not too intellectually impressive 'trolls' - not all Clans think this is a good idea).
Keeping their warriors viable has led the Clans to invent extensive cybernetics, and electronic warfare has been honed into a major facet, with the development of a genuinely immersive mind-machine interface. While formal, honourable combat is their ideal, there's a sub-culture of low-grade warriors supported by the more ambitious civilians that embrace low intensity warfare - espionage in all but name - for the sake of their Clans.
Break out the shadowrun sourcebooks...
Question is, how long will their campaign work? I doubt they'd make the entirety of the Inner Sphere capitulate or acquiesce to their demands.
Anyway, I've been thinking of getting my tribble of a Babylon 5 crossover with Battletech to start; but the problem is, where to begin? Which episode would be the best start off point? Furthermore, how will I incorporate the different B5 characters into the series? I can't exactly have Londo, G'Kar, Delenn, or the various species from B5 be in this. All of the human characters will be no problem, just gotta adjust their histories and exclude any telepaths.
"There are those who believe that life here began out there, far across the universe, with tribes of humans who may have been the forefathers of the Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. They may have been the architects of the great pyramids, or the lost civilizations of Lemuria or Atlantis. Some believe that there may yet be brothers of man who even now fight to survive far, far away, amongst the stars."
"There are those who believe that life here began out there, far across the universe, with tribes of humans who may have been the forefathers of the Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that there may yet be brothers of man who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the heavens."
I won't give up on the idea that Clan Wolverine is still out there somewhere. I refuse to accept the idea that they joined Comstar and the remnants of their forces were integrated into the Word of Blake.
I am just wondering about omnimechs.That's assuming they can salvage anything from whatever wreckage is left once the battle is done. Besides, WD doesn't have anything except SL quality kit at their first arrival. Clan grade manufacturing specs came during a later resupply, IINM.
Apparently WD had the schematics, the Wolverines could have retrieved them and by the time the clans arrived they would be on an even footing.
I got nothing left for ideas. Anyone have anything?
Von Strangs World.IF he was able to ship out enough materiel to build an SDS what else could he have lying around? Brian Caches?
Von Strang gives his glorious Scum of the Star League Speech ... then when the Falcons swarm forward reveals the REAL reason the Inner Sphere really just left well enough alone. The fact that ole Gunthar Strang had been quietly during the Star League Civil War shipping no small amount of gear secretly out of the Hegemony to construct a fallback position. But everything went to hell and it was forgotten about when he died ... except his relative Nico Von Strang who quietly shipped the stuff to his little mini empire.
Long story short come 3049 and Von Strangs World is protected by a fully armed and operational surface to space SDS system that would have rivaled that of the Hegemony. Pretty much never used but found out about some time in the 3rd Succession War its still nicely intact and has been maintained and jealously protected against Great Houses trying to take a peak inside, but still not known about really beyond the intelligence services in the FedCom and DC. 80% of it in mothballs with just a handful of currently active ground bases covering the major population centers.
And so Clan Jade Falcon come wandering in and declare their intentions to kill all their asses arrowing for the capital city ... and when they start to edge into the upper stratosphere, the naval lasers open fire, blowing first the Falcon dropships out of the sky, then their warships in low orbit and finally the fighters that had desperately scrambled to shoot up the SDS, doing some damage but dying anyway.
And of course the rest of the invading Clans (except the Wolves who get bidded out of the attack force by the Crusaders, Ulric merely having a 'fine then, have at it you guys!' Just As Planned look on his face) storm in a few weeks later, by which time all the other SDS batteries have been hurriedly brought online.
Several Galaxies and warships destroyed later in exchange for a few good sized cities being plastered from orbit because the Clans are really sore losers that way, the invading Clans have run into just a little bit of a spot of bother on their attack...
IF he was able to ship out enough materiel to build an SDS what else could he have lying around? Brian Caches?NO Brian Caches are Clan Only. Maybe a Few Von Strangs Castles.
I got nothing left for ideas. Anyone have anything?
That would give the Clans even MORE incentive to invade. With the Inner Sphere in the state it's in, it would be easy pickings to get to Terra.Well then why have the Clans at all? How much extra intercine strife, disease and famine would it take to topple the fledgling colonies and knock them back on their heels technologically as well? The Clans suffering a radical contraction in population as the SLDFiE burns itself out to forge them would certainly leave them without the scientists to advance the tech level, or the technicians to even maintain what they have. If, in fact, the Clans smash up the Kerensky worlds too baddly to salvage much from those societies, or the arrival of Nicky's Warships triggers a nuclear exchange... Well how much would it take to tip their society over from 'technological dynamo' to 'techno barbarians?' And if you want to keep the mad-max feel, have no fear. Is it not very much a Warrior's way to speed off into the desert after your favorite breeders who have scrawled WE ARE NOT THINGS (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEJnMQG9ev8) onto the wall?
That would give the Clans even MORE incentive to invade. With the Inner Sphere in the state it's in, it would be easy pickings to get to Terra.
See what you think the impact of this will be.much, much more fun for the Clans
Tribble #504: On their final supply run, rather then being given specs and tooling for a variety of Clan Omnimechs (Dire Wolf and Kit Fox I know for certain, don't know about any others) Wolf's Dragoons are instead given a Hegemony Memory Core -essentially the same as that found on New Dallas in OTL, with full data on the Royal SLDF machines, and how to build everything required for them. At first the Dragoons do nothing with the Core, seeing no way of sharing the data without being forced to reveal where/how they got it. However after the GDL discover the Helm Memory Core in '28; and the Dragoons receiving Outreach in '30 and with the help of Blackwell Industries rebuilding the extensive Star League-era industrial facilities on the world, Jaime along with the other surviving original Clansmen though it time to carry out Kerlin Ward's final orders to prepare the Inner Sphere for the Clans.
The Dragoons shared most of the Cores data with Blackwell for them to keep the Dragoons equipped, and as production picked up allowed Blackwell to sell in small numbers to Dragoon-approved mercenary units, and also to the Federated Commomwealth and Free Rasalhague Republic as Jaime knew they stood in the most direct path of the Clans push to Terra. The Draconis Combine also stood in their path, but despite his orders to prepare the Inner Sphere, after Misery Jaime would not help Takashi Kurita.
No Star League: An expansionist Terran Hegemony crushes all five houses. Remnants of the five must learn to work together to resist their terrible foe, led by an unlikely general named Kerensky.It's not implausible that an extended Age of War could lead to such a scenario although if you mean Aleksandr Kerensky then it's hardly unlikely - his family had long military traditions.
No compromise: The Clans launch an immediate invasion in 3005, facing a divided Sphere without the Helm memory core advances.Definitely possible. ComStar would be no more trustworthy but the Clans would likely face the same logistical problems. It's not as if the Successor States defeated the invasion through military might.
Anton victorious: Anton Marik's revolt succeeds. A much more vigorous FWL closely tied to the CC turns the fourth succession war into a bloody stalemate.It's hard to say if Anton would have been able to make the FWL more vigorous - personally he might be more dynamic but keeping the FWL on point tends to rally the provinces and while Janos wasn't a world beater there, he did manage it at times. Anton never seemed that politically astute.
Slaughter on Hesperus II: Wolf's Dragoons are annihilated in the attack. The Fed Suns suffers heavily in the 4th war, but there is nobody to rally the Sphere when the Clans come calling.That's certainly a lack of the nail - the AFFS would doubtless deploy other units to the Draconis March but that would then weaken the push against the Capellans.
Melissa's groom: In 3028 the five houses gather on Terra to witness Melissa Steiner's wedding to...That would be a very tense marriage between rival houses - the FWL and LC have a long and brutal hatred. The struggle in such a story would be far less about war against Combine and Confederation and more about the struggle to keep the allied realms on the same side.
Thomas Marik -- The united realm invades the combine and Confederation.
Melissa's groom: In 3028 the five houses gather on Terra to witness Melissa Steiner's wedding to...This is a much more plausible alliance - House Liao and House Steiner have at least some history of working together. Whether the Suns and Combine would 'co-operate' by facing off against each other or if they'd hammer their respective neighbour is an open guess. Neither the LCAF nor the CCAF is generally considered the sort of force that could hammer another realm the way the AFFS did the Capellans. On the flip side, Katrina Steiner has serious military credentials and Max Liao is very able to come up with destabilising schemes to undermine his enemies.
Tormano Liao -- The united realm invades the FWL.
It's not implausible that an extended Age of War could lead to such a scenario although if you mean Aleksandr Kerensky then it's hardly unlikely - his family had long military traditions.
It's not as if the Successor States defeated the invasion through military might.
That's certainly a lack of the nail - the AFFS would doubtless deploy other units to the Draconis March but that would then weaken the push against the Capellans.
Not really. Leave the LCG and Illycian Lancers in place to pin down St Ives and any southern garrisons, and redeploy the vast pile of other unused mercs across the Combine border. Twelve or fifteen more regiments to hold the line should either discourage or heavily punish any kind of hasty offensive like the DCMS pulled in canon.That'd be nice, if the Suns had a few dozen more JumpShips. The invasion of the CC stretched their carrying capacity to it's limit and beyond and the FedSun economy was shattered until the late 30s, thanks to the stresses of the invasion, the necesity of diverting JumpShips from civilian to military transport, and the Pony Express made things worse after Interdiction.
There's also the lack of effective pressure on the Combine border from 3023-3027, lack of supporting thrusts to the Galtor Campaign(presuming that doesn't get derailed), and lack of five elite regiments with character shields holding down a section of front during the initial FC tag team action. On the other side of things the DCMS should have somewhat better reserves without having spawned five or six more new regiments, unless they take a heavy enough beating without the Dragoons to lose that much in addition to their canon drubbings.
Keresnky being "unlikely" is a reference to his backstory as a poli sci major turned reluctant warrior. Anyway, the key is to have him fight against unification instead of for.Ah, I see. Mis-read that. Well yes, that would be quite unexpected.
Definitely possible. ComStar would be no more trustworthy but the Clans would likely face the same logistical problems. It's not as if the Successor States defeated the invasion through military might.
No compromise: The Clans launch an immediate invasion in 3005, facing a divided Sphere without the Helm memory core advances.
As far as the last tribble goes, the Fed. Suns had alexi as a spy as well.
That'd be nice, if the Suns had a few dozen more JumpShips. The invasion of the CC stretched their carrying capacity to it's limit and beyond and the FedSun economy was shattered until the late 30s, thanks to the stresses of the invasion, the necesity of diverting JumpShips from civilian to military transport, and the Pony Express made things worse after Interdiction.
Legend Killer: Justin Allard/Xiang is killed by Gray Noton on Kittery. Robbed of their mole in the Maskirovka, the Fed Suns must rely on brute force to conquer the Confederation.
The lack of jumpships didn't exactly stop them from shuffling units all over the place during Galahad 26 and 27, which is when the setup for most of this would take place. A detailed accounting of how many regiments got moved how far over the course of that and the immediate prewar setup in 3028 will have to wait for later in the week, but if nothing else they could just leave some more of the units on the border instead of rushing almost absolutely everything over to the CC.... There wasn't an Interdiction during Galahad, so there wasn't the need for the Pony Express: just keeping sorta in contact with the front chewed up most of the Suns reserve fleet, with not enough left over to keep the economy running. Jumpers that were supposed to be transporting vital cargo were diverted to ferry messages, so those cargoes weren't delivered. People died, companies went bankrupt. That one mission you mentioned probably killed a few million FedSun subjects when teraforming parts, fusion engines and vital medical supplies weren't delivered on time.
It also didn't stop them from reinforcing one Kuritan hit world in OTL with two separate RCTs.
Jumpers that were supposed to be transporting vital cargo were diverted to ferry messages, so those cargoes weren't delivered. People died, companies went bankrupt. That one mission you mentioned probably killed a few million FedSun subjects when teraforming parts, fusion engines and vital medical supplies weren't delivered on time.Citation request :-\
Citation request :-\Okay, that part is supposition, but it's based on the idea that most cargo runs are high-value, low mass, so only the most important goods are shipped: vital stuff, urgent medicines, spare parts for important infrastructure. If those cargoes don't arrive on time ... people die.
#515 (by my best count)A union between House Liao and House Davion? I dunno if I can ever see that happening. The animosity between the two houses has been pretty strong for many years. Not as strong as they were with House Davion and House Kurita, but close enough.
The year is 3015 CE. The Third Succession War is over.
Four years ago, Prince-Chancellor Maximilian Liao-Davion issued his famous peace proposal, which could be summarised as 'let's stop squabbling like children' with a subtext of 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough'.
To be fair to the DCMS and the FWLM they really tried and for a while it looked as if they might have had a chance. After two years of fighting, however, they accomplished the square root of nothing. Actually, from their point of view it was worse than that. If Yvonne Liao-Davion hadn't raided the DCMS supply base on Halstead Station she probably wouldn't have uncovered the lost university or taken its library back to New Avalon.
Archon Frederick Steiner couldn't have signed up to the offered alliance fast enough. (Unless General of Armies Katrina Steiner had hold of his ear, which may have been the case). And now wedding invitations are being issued: the heir to the Confederated Suns to wed the ruler of the Lyran Commonwealth.
And the only question left is: 'What now?'
(Detailed timeline how how this situation was reached (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BudYZu5bgc4WXSZNzVDIsig1UpOcq_sblvCIm-zRf80/edit?usp=sharing))
... There wasn't an Interdiction during Galahad, so there wasn't the need for the Pony Express: just keeping sorta in contact with the front chewed up most of the Suns reserve fleet, with not enough left over to keep the economy running. Jumpers that were supposed to be transporting vital cargo were diverted to ferry messages, so those cargoes weren't delivered. People died, companies went bankrupt. That one mission you mentioned probably killed a few million FedSun subjects when teraforming parts, fusion engines and vital medical supplies weren't delivered on time.
Sure, Hanse could divert more JumpShips. It all depends on how many of his own people he was willing to kill, and how long he was willing to take rebuilding his economy afterwards.
GDL reboot, interesting.Better than their canon fate: seduced by Katherine, shattered in the Second Skye Secession and with only some of their tech staff surviving to carry on the name building battlearmor ...
Is this before or after the return of the Clans? Because if it is before, I would love to see them learning of how the barbarians from the periphery rebuilt the Star LeagueSince it's Thomas, probably before. But not before the Wolf Dragoons begin their recon mission. For maximum hilarity, the Dragoons have at this point been working for one Periphery Nation or another and have been sold on the benefits of this New Star League, slowly sharing their skills and tech and totally not telling their old masters.
and took over much of the inner sphere. You would be able to hear them screaming in outrage over it all the way to Earth.
#522Sounds like he wants humanity to go back to exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life and new civilizations.
In the year 3015 two LosTech discoveries rocked the Inner Sphere and the Periphery.
Hanse Davion personally lead the Federated Suns forces in raiding Halstead Station to seize a fraction of a Star League University at great personal cost. From this he would go on to found NAIS, a centre for ground breaking recovering of scientific research.
Deep in the Periphery however close to the Magistry of Canopus a derelict Aquilla jumpship was found slowly coasting into an uninhabited system nearby the Zenith jump point by a free trader named Robert April. A relic from the Re-unification War the TCN Constitution was a military cargo hauler that had suffered a mass blow out of its hydrogen supplies in the black.
Bravely venturing abroad the Constitution revealed that it was chock full of Toro's and Talos Battlemechs, alongside full loads of spare parts, field tools and manuals. Fortunately the breached fuel tank had been properly patched in a desperate attempt to refill it and survive, an effort that had sadly failed given the minimal amount of hydrogen left in the tank.
Filling the Constitution with enough fuel to jump into the Magistry Robert April kicked off what came to be called the Constitution Crisis. A crisis forged with calls from those within the Magistry and Taurian Concordat to seize the Constitution and its cargo or destroy it to ensure the other didn't benefit. Even as calls for espionage and violence started gaining traction within the two Periphery nations Captain April stepped in with a personal plea to both Kyalla Centrella and Zarantha Calderon.
"Are you squabbling House Lords, so greedy to seize the legacies of the past that the notion of cooperation and sharing is anathema? To forget what the men and women of the TCN Constitution worked and fought so hard to prevent; that insatiable Terran greed to control all of mankind's destiny.
I should have left the Constitution to soar into an unmarked star to lay its valiant crew to rest! A fitting end for good ship from a time when humanity strode boldly towards the stars and left Terra in its dust never to return. Or will you prove me wrong and live up to the ideals of Samantha Calderon and Kossandra Centrella!"
Captain April's personal plea to both leaders produced unexpected results when Zarantha Calderon called for a conference on the planet Detroit to discuss the equitable sharing of the recovered TCS Constitution but of further and deeper co-operation between the Magistry and the Concordat. Sensing an opportunity to further her reforms and begin advancing her schemes to shatter the Free World Leagues the Magestrix agreed
In early 3016 a deal was struck between Kyalla Centrella and Zarantha Calderon on the planet Detroit with the TCN Constitution looming over head. A comprehensive deal spanning trade, technological support, military aid and agreements on a full range of other issues the Detroit Accord was a smashing success much to outside observers dismay. Included in the Detroit Accord was the provision for establishment of an Unified Space Survey corps, funded by both governments with the goal to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and found new colonies, to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Assigned to this corp was the refurbished USS Constitution and Captain Robert April who volunteered to captain her, passing along command of his jumpship to his son.
Twelve years later the newest vessel of the Space Survey has slipped the docks from Taurus, filled to the brim with the latest recovered technologies even as war rages across the Inner Sphere. A marvel of 160,000 kilotons with the latest in recovered jump core technology the USS Enterprise is setting out on a five year mission to search for a better future for the Periphery! At its helm is Captain J. T. Kirk, son/daughter of Admiral April’s XO George Kirk.
#522
Twelve years later the newest vessel of the Space Survey has slipped the docks from Taurus, filled to the brim with the latest recovered technologies even as war rages across the Inner Sphere. A marvel of 160,000 kilotons with the latest in recovered jump core technology the USS Enterprise is setting out on a five year mission to search for a better future for the Periphery! At its helm is Captain J. T. Kirk, son/daughter of Admiral April’s XO George Kirk.
Ahem. Indoor voice.Agreed on all points
Interesting idea, but keep the font size under control.
Ok, so this is a crazy one, even by my standards: Girls und BattleMechsI actually read that one somewhere, can't remember any specifics thou...
Basically, take the basic premise of GuP, but translate it to BattleTech. Rather than tanks, it's BattleMechs, with the nation themed schools replaced with Successor State/Clan themed ones; St. Gloriana becomes New Avalon, Saunders becomes Steiner, things like that.
Anyway, have fun.
You may think of Kikō Sentō (BT GuP SI) (https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/kik%C5%8D-sent%C5%8D-bt-gup-si.331451/).
Very Interesting
#527
There's been a degree of speculation that Jennifer Winson, one of the founders of Clan Wolf and the wife of Nicholas Kerensky, was really Amanda Cameron, daughter of Richard Cameron. However, what if the Blakist records released during the Jihad revealed evidence she was actually a grand-daughter of Stefan Amaris, spared the purge of the family due to her youth.
How would the Clans react to learning that the Kerensky Bloodhouse is, without exception, descended of Stefan Amaris?
#527
There's been a degree of speculation that Jennifer Winson, one of the founders of Clan Wolf and the wife of Nicholas Kerensky, was really Amanda Cameron, daughter of Richard Cameron. However, what if the Blakist records released during the Jihad revealed evidence she was actually a grand-daughter of Stefan Amaris, spared the purge of the family due to her youth.
How would the Clans react to learning that the Kerensky Bloodhouse is, without exception, descended of Stefan Amaris?
Not sure if this one has come up before but if not:
#528 - Loyal Dragoons
What if somewhere between Wolf's Dragoons leaving the Clan Homeworlds and their second resupply run (and secret orders) in 3019, Kerlin Ward is killed, and replaced by a Khan who either doesn't know about the planned secret orders, or doesn't want them carried out...
So instead after Misery, with their reconnaissance of the 5 Great Houses complete, the survivors return home, and try to persuade whoever is Khan of Clan Wolf to go for the Draconis Combine invasion corridor, so the Wolf Dragoons Cluster can score themselves some vengeance.
You can make a firefly class (as in serenity) dropship easily enough ;)Already done in canon, it's called the Drost IIa (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Drost_IIA).
Suggesting names for four Saturn-scale gas giants:Already got a naming schema set up. The residents of the Jackpot are aware of their semi-legendary status in the rest of the galaxy and thusly decided to name their worlds after famous lost/legendary cities and countries, and the people who told stories of lands over the horizon. To wit:
| Herodotus | Mandeville | Scheherazade | Ruzhong |
| Halema'uma'u | Yomi | Xuthal | Takama-ga-hara |
| Lemuria | Westernesse | Akkad | Dilmun |
| Tikal | Hyperborea | Nysa | Arimathea |
| Brahmapura | Xak Tsaroth | Vineta | Shambhala |
| Camelot | Annwn | Ma-i | Cíbola |
| Herodotus Leading Trojans | Mandeville Leading Trojans | Scheherazade Leading Trojans | Ruzhong Leading Trojans |
| Valyria | Yamatai | Xuchotl | Penglai |
| Charn | Hawaiki | Ys | Agartha |
| Herodotus Trailing Trojans | Mandeville Trailing Trojans | Scheherazade Trailing Trojans | Ruzhong Trailing Trojans |
| Tmutarakan | Lyonesse | Hy-Brasil | R'lyeh |
| Jabulsa | Kitezh | Gangga Negara | Kadath |
You can make a firefly class (as in serenity) dropship easily enough ;)Yeah, if the Firefly jokes aren't flying fast & furious when working with this setting you're doing something wrong. :)
Already got a naming schema set up. The residents of the Jackpot are aware of their semi-legendary status in the rest of the galaxy and thusly decided to name their worlds after famous lost/legendary cities and countries, and the people who told stories of lands over the horizon. To wit:El Dorado?
Herodotus Mandeville Scheherazade Ruzhong Halema'uma'u Yomi Xuthal Takama-ga-hara Lemuria Westernesse Akkad Dilmun Tikal Hyperborea Nysa Arimathea Brahmapura Xak Tsaroth Vineta Shambhala Camelot Annwn Ma-i Cíbola Herodotus Leading Trojans Mandeville Leading Trojans Scheherazade Leading Trojans Ruzhong Leading Trojans Valyria Yamatai Xuchotl Penglai Charn Hawaiki Ys Agartha Herodotus Trailing Trojans Mandeville Trailing Trojans Scheherazade Trailing Trojans Ruzhong Trailing Trojans Tmutarakan Lyonesse Hy-Brasil R'lyeh Jabulsa Kitezh Gangga Negara Kadath
(Source: A big list ripped off Wikipedia then randomized two dozen times. :) )
Most of these are of course mix-n-match and can be changed around on demand, I just lost patience and decided to go random for most of the names. I think the whole Lost World theme works well with the intended purpose of the setting, but other naming schema can be used if that ain't your jam.
Add Illuminati and/or secrets of the Hidden Masters at your own peril.
Yeah, if the Firefly jokes aren't flying fast & furious when working with this setting you're doing something wrong. :)
Here's an idea that comes from the concept of automated factories.That would be the largest nightmare for the combine and CC since the birth of the Star League
Say one day the Corean factory on New Avalon has an issue: the assembly line is jammed. People scream in horror, due to its black boxed nature, and how vital it is for the AFFS. Then the top manager notices a warning light on his master display, one that he's never seen before.
"Storage area full: empty before production can continue."
It's a mystery and a puzzle, but the clues are there, and eventually an expedition into the subterranean maze beneath the factory makes a huge discovery:
A vast cavern packed with 'Mechs of Star League vintage.
As it turns out, early in the Succession Wars, an earlier manager programmed the factory to skim off part of the production, to build up a stockpile of mechs, planning for a time where the Suns would need a large injection of fresh mechs to save the day, with the best tech the Suns had access to at the time. Unfortunately, he died before telling anyone about it.
So, for centuries, small numbers of mechs have been slowly produced and stored by automated systems that had never been told to stop, until there was literally no space left in the buried deep bunker. Until now ...
That would be a mix of Valks and Centurions. Solid trooper designs that have served as the back bone of the AFFS for centuries.
Still, shouldn't be that bad unless the factory has also been stockpiling ammunition.
IIRC, the depot on helm had battlemechs in it that were destroyed when the facility went up; what if instead the Grey Death wound up with them intact, as well as a couple dropships? Royal designs, better than the dragoons were using.You mean saved just two dropships of mechs? Because IIRC all of them would require much much more... how much is unclear, but IIRC there was at least regiment.
Instead of the canon 2000 worlds across a sphere 500 lightyears in radius, you'd have those same 2000-ish worlds in a 220 light year radius. No successor state would be more than 8 jumps from end to end. A tighter, more compact inner sphere would make travel times much shorter, in turn doing interesting things to interstellar shipping of goods and armies.1. There wouldn't BE Successor States in such scenario. It's much easier for Terra to control things if everything is 2 months of travel away.
1. There wouldn't BE Successor States in such scenario. It's much easier for Terra to control things if everything is 2 months of travel away.Well, the thing is, why did Terra let people get 'as far as possible from those arrogant asses'? Why not simply exile them to the desert or bogs of otherwise perfectly fine planets inside the already developed area? After all, they built the Jumpships. They can probably program them to only have a limited number of valid destinations in their computers. And why let the disaffected and rebellious off Earth in the first place? Why not keep them where you can keep an eye on them, and let more trusted political movements and people leave? Who cares if the Quebecois are still agitating for a free state-that's no reason to give them a whole planet to turn into Neu-Quebec. More than ten planets is spreading your first century of colonization and development effort WAAAY to thin, in my opinion.
2. Such scenario is implausible as in big part colonization was fueled by "as far as possible from those ******".
In big part colonization was "as far as possible "
Although Takashi's wife was alive in the 3050s so there would need to be some adjustments to canon.Or she could be dead as result of said assassination attempt.
Or alternatively, Ulric winning the bidding if only to yell at Natasha asking 'What were you thinking'.Ehhh... It seemed like a good idea at the time.
#536
The Mutinies of 3028
Fascinating! So is this what you were alluding to after The Day That Heaven Was Falling?Right, exactly. That story is a first-person recollections of one individual though, so I couldn't really see how to incorporate it. So, I'm releasing it into the wild and putting it here instead.
As a concept for a single House perhaps two I think the mutiny storyline could be a very solid one. If the historic parallel is the 1st World War then the Russian Revolution is a good model for one House, while another could be France after Verdun (I see the Lyrans here where they just quit and say we will defend ourselves but advance no further), Germany signing the armistice (perhaps a sovereign is forced from the throne and tries to return after the war), or Austria-Hungary (hi Free Worlds League) just shattering into pieces.Bingo. If my Verdun reference wasn't clue enough, I was very much thinking of the historical precedent of 1917-18, including both the Russian Revolution and the French army mutinies, as well as the Italian battles of Isonzo-Caporetto. The collapse of A-H is a good angle--hadn't thought of that aspect, but it fits the pattern, doesn't it!
Since when does Felsner run the Draconis March?What the h*ck was his name. Fenlon? Sandoval? Hyphenated-Davion? Whatever.
What the h*ck was his name. Fenlon? Sandoval? Hyphenated-Davion? Whatever.
1. The rest is details, getting the bits to fit the story you want to tell
Do you not even begin to see the irony of saying that after saying:K.
Without getting into excessive nitpicking:
1: There is a profound difference between a pirate nation out past the back end of nowhere in hard scrabble often barely habitable worlds, and a mercenary unit trying to carve out a warlord fiefdom from prime real estate that is completely surrounded by people who will want what they have.
2:Any mini nation without serious military production is going to die a miserable screaming death in pretty short order.
3: You have to change the history leading up to 3028 too much to make the FC, and in fact everyone taking the same actions remotely believable. Okay, I lied about the lack of nitpicking, because:
A: in no conceivable reality does Max Liao allow a defensive strong point to be built that can meaningfully impede the Canon AFFS pain train, precisely because he is too paranoid about the prospect of anyone(aka Ridzik) doing what he did to his father( aka just like Ridzik helped him to do).
B: What conceivable forces is Samsonov using to hunt down loyalists?
C: Comstar providing military garrisons in this scenario that somehow don't get gassed in their barracks and their equipment reappropriated after any of a half dozen local enemies are blamed. Hahahahaha. No.
D: Why has every single intelligence agency in the IS failed utterly? If using the obvious copout of Comstar, why does Comstar then reveal they have a military at all instead of having ever so helpful new mercenaries sign on to quietly tighten the noose?
3000, maybe. 2950, sure, you even have Primus York to try blatant military presence against all good sense. 3028 is an indescribably bad time to try to have this happen, because everything is so well defined in relation to everything else. You have to carefully change everything so much that you might as well just set it earlier and save yourself endless accusations of out of character writing.
#538
While I'm on this...'nother weird idea I had. Sort of a Mirror Universe idea.
Finally, the Capellan Confederation of Max Liao has found new strength thanks to its alliance with Anton Marik. Max Liao recently issued a peace proclamation, offering alliance with the other great houses, but this has generally been ignored—only young Hanse Davion has shown interest, in exchange for Romano Liao’s hand in marriage…
Meanwhile, from beyond the periphery, a great host is approaching, like the Mongol Hordes of medieval Terra, ready to sweep down on the divided Inner Sphere.
Hanse and Romano... interesting so we will get Sun Tzu without the rumors... but will she go down the insane rabbit hole she did canon
i think she started in the insane rabbit hole but still managed to rebuild the CCAF and hold onto the Chancellorship so good raw materialand just think how motivated that could make Hanse, to stay on the offensive to stay away from home!!! Con Fed to rule the IS
She might drive Hanse crazy though,
Crazy like a Fox...
Yeah I just did that deal with it Forumites
and just think how motivated that could make Hanse, to stay on the offensive to stay away from home!!! Con Fed to rule the ISYes I doubt any of us would want to come home to that sort of crazy. No, let my trusted advisor handle domestic stuff, we need to reach further into enemy territory, take more systems! Of course I have to be near the front, order decision loops get too long to the capitol!
Yes I doubt any of us would want to come home to that sort of crazy. No, let my trusted advisor handle domestic stuff, we need to reach further into enemy territory, take more systems! Of course I have to be near the front, order decision loops get too long to the capitol!
Hmm...basically it's a conspiracy that's pretty much dumbing down the warrior caste. That sound about right?
#548 - Probably been done before but this is something I'm working on for a new campaign at some point.so good, it could lead to something which would be very good
In 3013 Hanse Davion becomes First Prince, and Michael Hasek became Duke of New Syrtis/Field Marshall of Capellan March. Both men don't like each other, and Hanse has Michael placed under surveillance.
As a result of this, proof of Hasek dealing with House Liao is uncovered, along with proof that Liao is working with Anton Marik against Janos Marik, the ruler of the Free Worlds League. This information is shared with Janos, and both realms get rid of the family black sheep. Overall this fosters a lot of goodwill between the FedSun and FWL.
Fast forward to 3020 and Katrina Steiner sends out her "Peace Proposal" to the Inner Sphere. Hanse sees this and tells Janos he's got an idea to get rid of the Capellan Confederation once and for all....
So two ideas that sees a firm alliance between the FWL and FS. Before their own versions of the FedCom Civil War.
549:Why?
The year is 3050. Northern edge of the inner sphere. Pyramidal shaped warships approach a number of worlds, landing troops armed with man portable ppcs. Their rulers demand that humanity now down before the Gods, and the Kuritans, Steiners and Free Rassalhauge all mobilise to defend against the invaders.
Meanwhile, in the Pentagon worlds, il Khan Leo Showers finishes his bargain with the free Jaffa rebellion... the galaxy will not be the same...
#550He ****** them all over anyway years down the line when they elect him First Lord.
At the Outreach conference, the heirs of the various Successor States are brought together for ‘special training’. And when they’re interacting for the first time ... Sun Tzu is the rational one who encourages everyone to work together. It seems he’s completely sane, realises his mother isn’t, and really wants the Clans stopped, preferably before they reach Capellan space. “Because there’s literally no evidence that they won’t attack us when they’re finished with your nations. Call it enlightened self interest ...”
Oh, and he facepalms when his mother embarrasses the Confederation during the conference by acting insane (because she is) ... honestly, he wishes she’d act more like Aunt Candace ...
Basically, Sun Tzu is not only sane and rational, but actually closer in temperament to his cousin Kai ... without his antagonism during and after their first meeting, he becomes the mortar that links the heirs together ... and their parents look on in a mixture of amazement and horror as the next generation of Successor Lords get along and become friends and comrades ...
He ****** them all over anyway years down the line when they elect him First Lord.... why? If he’s genuinely a good guy who gets along well with the others, what reason does he have to turn on them? Hell, playing nice could lead to reunification with St Ives, and negotiate return of many worlds lost to previous generations ...
... why? If he’s genuinely a good guy who gets along well with the others, what reason does he have to turn on them? Hell, playing nice could lead to reunification with St Ives, and negotiate return of many worlds lost to previous generations ...Even based on self-interest alone if he manages to get elected as First Lord he would joyfully try to manage things to stay First Lord in perpetuity.
From: Sylvester Irwin Cameron
To: Marina Akkayev-Cameron
Distant cousin, you barely know me, but as you follow your duty to suppress the Taurian uprising I must offer a warning. Some months ago I had a dream. I dreamed it was the early twenty-first century, but it wasn't our early twenty-first century. There was no second Cold War. Crippen Station never existed. Australia never declared neutrality. No Western Alliance. No interplanetary space travel. The waking world was the background for a miniature wargame. Absurd, yes? A time of peace makes a poor wargame. And that peace is unraveling right now just like in the game's backstory. Stefan Amaris is about to murder Richard and all his family and declare himself emperor. You're the only one to escape other than the Cameron-Davions and they're outside the succession. I don't expect you to believe me, but heed this: If Terra falls you must assume you are the last Cameron. Don't let yourself be risked. Without a Cameron to claim the Director Generalship and First Lordship the council will tear civilization apart over a throne none of them can seize. In the dream you didn't make it to the end of the Civil War, though I don't know when or how you died. Taking some risk you're too politically indispensable to take no doubt.
If General Kerensky is willing to listen to dreams tell him that Amaris is forced to destroy the SDS controls and the people who know how to restore control die defying him. There's a period of vulnerability that closes when the General moves on the Rim Worlds Republic first. I can't remember anything else that might be useful.
I'll try to be out of Amaris's reach when I think the massacre happens, but I don't have much hope and even if I do I won't have the political capital that comes with an admiral's streamer. Please keep yourself safe for the sake of all humanity.Brian Cameron? Cant remember him.
Tribble #552
Inevitably they do speculate amongst themselves as to who the royals are. Their theories are that 2 (decent fighter and solid leader) and 9 (self-centred bitch) are from the same royal family given slight resemblence, and that 5 (youngest and least skilled) is probably from another royal family. Similarly 13 has no significant combat training but does seem to be good at working with people, so she's a likely candidate. 11 would be rated similarly but she's clearly related to 10 who's so hyper aggressive they just can't believe she'd have been allowed to develop that behaviour.
6 and 7 are probably older aides or bodyguards they think, with 1 likely to develop into a similar role since he's very reliable as back-up but doesn't take the lead much. 3 and 14 are pretty much the two ace combatants and commanders, with 4 and 8 seeming to be good strategists but not so skilled as warriors so they could go either way. Best guess on 12 is that she's some sort of assassin/bodyguard because she's got lethal instincts.
The participants are:
1 Victor Steiner-Davion, 2 Galen Cox, 3 Kai Allard-Liao, 4 Sun-Tzu Liao, 5 Ragnar Magnusson, 6 Hohiro Kurita, 7 Shin Yodama, 8 Brian Cameron, 9 Katherine Steiner-Davion, 10 Cassandra Allard-Liao, 11 Kuan-Yin Allard-Liao, 12 Omi Kurita, 13 Isis Marik & 14 Maeve Wolf
And then the drugs wear off (or the counter is applied) and they and their families have to assimilate what they've learned about the trainees.
Fund it!
At least Victor will not be only a warrior Prince. And Melissa won't be murdered by her own child. I would read it.
At least Victor will not be only a warrior Prince. And Melissa won't be murdered by her own child. I would read it.
God Emperor of Mankind from Warhammer 40K reincarnating into Battletech?
"And now in Star League Wide News, the Attorney General for the Star League had a fatal heart attack while in conference with the Commanding General of the SLDF, and first Lady, Shandra Noruff-Cameron. Our condolences go out to his family."
You don't really believe that the entitled, powerful, elite of the Star League, follow the rules that they made, do you? That's for the peons. And anyone thinking differently, will learn they're entirely mistaken. xp
I'm just imagining that the Clan scientists are the ultimate spindly nerds and the warriors are the meat-headed jocks. It would explain so much about the Clans. Thank you for this tribble. Really needed a good laugh.
"Did they ever consider including the same genes for intelligence in the warrior caste?"
Scientist caste: why would we want to do *that*?Because if we did, then they might figure out they aren't really in charge, and no one wants the Muscle Bound Jocks to beat us up. :thumbsup:
Did the sniper miss on Kentares? Were the Davions still around or were they captured? I believe there are also Kurita-Davions running around too you could have placed on the throne too bud but this is very nice.
ComStar? The Clans? Who knows perhaps the Minnesota Tribe won its place with Nicholas' new society and will return at the head of a far different looking Clan force. ;)
You say this as if House Kurita are the only ones using nukes like nutcrackers.
Given what we're told about the First Succession War, it's likely House Davion has been trying to use them against the DCMS... which in the circumstances means they've been using them tactically on Federated Suns worlds as well as hitting strategic targets in Capellan and Draconian space.
Tribble 567
The Heretic Monkeys merchants produce a range of dramas based on such ideas - dramas banned in many other clans.
Would one of the Heretic Monkey bloodnames happen to be "Macleod"?I don't believe that's a canonical bloodname. Am I missing something?
Would one of the Heretic Monkey bloodnames happen to be "Macleod"?There's a McCloud bloodname in the Cobras. That's as close as you're gonna get
Well I have to say first off that I love maps and that is beautiful.
While I could see a revolution by the people to throw off the aristocracy of the Great Houses it would be pretty tough given the feudal structure has the BattleMech and that is the 'King of the Battlefield'
I could see Hanse throwing his lot in behind one of them in the manner of focusing on the other twoAaahh... but will he back the moderate that he can make peace with, or will he instead back the ****** that he knows will cause even more trouble for the Combine down the line? Decisions, decisions.
Is it wrong I'm mentally calling 571 the Dance of the Dragons? ;D
How would the Combine be generally divided up?
I could see Hanse throwing his lot in behind one of them in the manner of focusing on the other two
Aaahh... but will he back the moderate that he can make peace with, or will he instead back the ****** that he knows will cause even more trouble for the Combine down the line? Decisions, decisions.
Quietly switch between em all to keep the war going?
This makes for a real interesting War of 3039 ;)
Oh, yes. My initial thoughts go along the lines of Isoroku getting knocked out of the Dance of Dragons by getting dogpiled by everyone else (Theodore hitting Benjamin in coordination with an AFFC offensive to take Dieron, with Marcus jumping in late to grab a bunch of Benjamin territory to limit Theodore's gains).
This would result in Marcus warcrime-happy thugs taking the brunt of the Clan offensive. Assuming the Year of Peace happens like in canon, then Theodore, having the strongest position, could use that year to sweep in and finally knock Marcus, who's taken a severe battering from the Clans, out of the civil war, then settle his forces in to hit the Clans with a completely different DCMS than the warriors of Kerensky were expecting...
At which point, the traditionalists which went to ground when Isoruku went under rise up to cause trouble just when he's starting to get a grip on the Clan threat ('cause it isn't the DC without Black Dragons out of nowhere just as things might be starting to go good)...
The really hilarious thing would be if this actually managed to result in functionally zero macro scale changes to the timeline. The really hilarious thing would be if the whole hearted support of Michael Hasek for crushing the Cap Con resulted in an even bigger stomping than OTL 4SW.
Tribble 576 . . .
Well, you'd need to posit that MSD would have been willing to respond positively to Katrina Steiner's 3020 peace proposal, and that Katrina wouldn't have twigged him as the untrustworthy slimeball he seems to have been. I don't think it's a controversial thought that the 4SW beatdown of the CapCon wouldn't really have been possible without the FedCom alliance.
It's certainly a disputable thought. Using a 2.4 to one numerical advantage to achieve crushing local superiority while actively hobbled by having to work around the top man on the border isn't exactly something that required Lyran intervention. With Michael actively plotting against the CC, that adds more units, assets, and transport to the table, and without him selling out troop movements to make Hanse look bad the 5th Crucis are less likely to lose their mech regiment, the Kestrel Grenadiers might not get chewed up, and assorted other reverses might not happen. The only real impediment would be a potential lack of vision keeping him from running the numbers on shipping availability and realizing he can simultaneously crush about a quarter of the CCAF as his opening move while seizing up to six of the ten or so critical industrial targets.
With regards to Katrina, as seen by her using Freddie's message to Allessandro as delivered by Ryan, she is completely willing to make use of slimeballs, and if Michael manages to restrain himself from demanding that she kiss his feet while making Melissa his concubine, he will still be far and away the least awful option.
It's certainly a disputable thought. Using a 2.4 to one numerical advantage to achieve crushing local superiority while actively hobbled by having to work around the top man on the border isn't exactly something that required Lyran intervention. With Michael actively plotting against the CC, that adds more units, assets, and transport to the table, and without him selling out troop movements to make Hanse look bad the 5th Crucis are less likely to lose their mech regiment, the Kestrel Grenadiers might not get chewed up, and assorted other reverses might not happen. The only real impediment would be a potential lack of vision keeping him from running the numbers on shipping availability and realizing he can simultaneously crush about a quarter of the CCAF as his opening move while seizing up to six of the ten or so critical industrial targets.
With regards to Katrina, as seen by her using Freddie's message to Allessandro as delivered by Ryan, she is completely willing to make use of slimeballs, and if Michael manages to restrain himself from demanding that she kiss his feet while making Melissa his concubine, he will still be far and away the least awful option.
(it was a nigh-Dark Age fic, so Phelan Kell was raised as an example)Even if it was feasible for the Nagelring to be corrupt as hell(and I can certainly see it) I am unsure if Phelan Kell makes for a valid example of having been forced out in favor of better connected noble scions. Unconnected Phelan is not.
I recently recalled reading one of Cannonshop’s Ngo-verse fics where a Kowloonese cadet’s atypical performance in an exercise led inspectors to realise that the Nagelring was, and had been for decades, rigging exercises and skewing evaluations in what was functionally a grades-for-sale scheme, artificially inflating the performance of noble scions while unconnected cadets with actual skills and instincts (it was a nigh-Dark Age fic, so Phelan Kell was raised as an example) were either sandbagged-to-hell or just plain forced out in favour of their ‘betters’. I think it was even hinted that this went as far back at the twenty-seventh century, and that a certain A.S. Kerensky might have benefited from such ‘over-polished’ evaluations.A similar subplot showed up in the Bruce Quest, with a Dukes people screwing with Nagalring applications, failing low class people who actually passed, and demanding bribes to ‘retest’.
Even if it was feasible for the Nagelring to be corrupt as hell (and I can certainly see it) I am unsure if Phelan Kell makes for a valid example of having been forced out in favor of better connected noble scions. Unconnected Phelan is not.
and Phelan is an arrogant jackass, who in his families regiment wasnt even a lance commanderI’m still trying to find the story in question to confirm, but IIRC, Cannonshop’s ‘Word of Author’ on the matter was that at a remove of a century or so, the details had gotten a little blurred; Phelan’s actual history and tale-of-woe had been pop-culture-distilled down to “A guy with enough chops to become Khan of Clan Wolf got turfed out of the Nagelring to go merc because the faculty Did Not Like His Style”.
I'll point out, according to intelligence operations handbook, that assassination that just "Hanse, in the spaceport, with a laser rifle" was supported by the Cappies. MHD had been turned already.
Just some real life lessons I've learned the hard way which impacts your wonderful Nagelring purge twist. The 'Betters' will fight back anyway they can and after the reform Archon is gone these establishment types and their kin will be back. I'm not saying they will violently resist mind you but using their strengths (connections, wealth, etc.) to make life difficult for the Archon's new pets and weather the storm. Remember they are good at doing nothing and sitting bye watching time go bye. Purging them completely from the Lyran state means you'd fundamentally have to alter it at [its] very foundations.Oh, I don’t doubt there’d be all kinds of passive resistance and active pushback. Would it get to Black Dragon levels of subversion or even open rebellion by the nobility? We’d have to write/play it out and see, I guess. Hell, it might even spark a full-blown popular uprising and overthrow of the established aristocracy, in the style of the French Revolution or the English Civil War....
Incidentally one of my favorite movies is In Harm's Way which is another John Wayne wins WW2 piece. Way dated nowadays the theme of said pic could be very helpful to your concept Trace. Basically an inept prewar Admiral ain't getting the job done but he has powerful connections that the higher ups realize can't simply be overcome. Their solution is to basically keep him in his position as strategic commander but place Wayne's character in full tactical command. I won't ruin the movie for you if your interested (I know the battle are toy boats, it's a black and white, etc.) but suffice it to say things work out. I've always thought the them plays out in real life as corruption is tolerated in peacetime but when stuff hits the fan well it's time to get someone in here who can do the job no matter how gruff they are.I remember seeing parts of that movie as a kid, though I was too young to understand the full context and was mainly there for stuff blowing up. I’ve actually been trying to find a copy on DVD that won’t kill me with the shipping costs/exchange rate/Region-locks. :-\
Of course with my alternate loving self and Battletech I did create a setting were a Steiner Warlord created a far different nation rather than suffer Lyran military ineptitude any further. The Teutonic [Domains] was essentially the Protectorate of Donegal that went hardcore militarist inspired by historic examples of the distant past. Think Prussia and WW1 era German Empire. A rump Skye Commonwealth remained however with much of the wealth, culture, and industry of the Lyran state intact.Sounds like something worth reading — did it ever get posted anywhere?
Oh, I don’t doubt there’d be all kinds of passive resistance and active pushback. Would it get to Black Dragon levels of subversion or even open rebellion by the nobility? We’d have to write/play it out and see, I guess. Hell, it might even spark a full-blown popular uprising and overthrow of the established aristocracy, in the style of the French Revolution or the English Civil War....Oh it would very much take a conflagaration resembling those two to make such reforms stick. The Black Dragon after all waited a generation to make their move. This aristocracy has been entrenched for far longer. Their means of accumulating and exerting influence deeply ingrained into Lyran society. I can easily see them splitting between reformist and traditionalist lines. With several families including possibly the Steiners themselves likely splitting as well, thus creating a Wars of the Roses scenario as well.
#579Cue the Dracs trying magic bushido hands. And hilarity ensued.
Her later Peace Proposal had very little to do with ending the Succession Wars and everything to do with trying to achieve some sort of reconciliation with the mighty neighbours who are increasingly aware that the Inner Sphere has no way of oppressing them again.
drakensis... shut up and take my C-bills!
Of course with my alternate loving self and Battletech I did create a setting were a Steiner Warlord created a far different nation rather than suffer Lyran military ineptitude any further. The Teutonic Domains was essentially the Protectorate of Donegal that went hardcore militarist inspired by historic examples of the distant past. Think Prussia and WW1 era German Empire. A rump Skye Commonwealth remained however with much of the wealth, culture, and industry of the Lyran state intact.
Sounds like something worth reading — did it ever get posted anywhere?
#580I saw this plot in a movie somewhere. One on one mech combat in place of large generational conflicts.
Not so much a tribble, but for some reason I want to see a story with the federated suns going over the line of righteous and well into the territory of self-righteous
gyrobot said:
So in a hypothetical universe where Tukiyyad ended with the more militant clans winning (aka smoke Jaguar, Diamond Shark, Steel Viper and Nova Cat ) winning or stalemating and Ghost Bear, Jade Falcon and Clan Wolf losing badly against the forces. How does that affect the clan political climate as smoke jaguar argues that the progressive clans caused the downfall of the Clan Invasion?
Captain Orsai said:
I can't really see how that would happen, as it would require the rabidly Crusader Jaguars to acknowledge that the Wolves have a better idea of what's going on than they do; and not only hold their bidding to the same level as Ulric Kerensky's, but fight vastly, vastly more cautiously than they have ever demonstrated the ability to.
So, yeah, first we gotta establish just how the hell that happens.
If Hanse lives, things go VERY differently in all kinds of ways... Katherine might have been able to assassinate her mother, but her father was a rather harder target.
#587 - How Much For Just The Inner Sphere?
I spent part of yesterday looking at possibilities for shaking up the Clan Invasion set up, starting from the trials to decide which clans would participate. the mechanism would be adding one Clan warrior who was sufficiently skilled to tip the balance a little in these trials. After some reflection I decided to add the warrior to Clan Diamond Shark.
. . .
I did consider the Nova Cats - my original concept was sticking an OC in to change the course of events through the Trials, so I considered all the Clans.
. . .
Ultimately the Diamond Shark needed the smallest changes to put them into the invasion force.
#589
During the 2960s, Archon Giovanni Steiner had a command centre established on House Steiner's homeworld of Gallery to completely mirror all facilities and staffing of the LCAF High Command. The (comparatively minor) expense was sold to the Estates-General as a contingency in case a deep raid on Tharkad left the LCAF Command in some way incapacitated. In fact it was more a response to a small but vocal minority of officers concerned with the ossification of Lyran tactics and the gentrification of the officer corps. Posting them to Gallery for a few years where they could 'prove their theories' - more accurately to be buried in pointless bureaucracy* would hopefully convey the message to shut up and soldier
* literally pointless: they simply received duplicates of any request sent through/within the LCAF Command on Tharkad and their responses were filed and summarily ignored.
Under the reign of Giovanni's successor Alessandro, this dumping ground - Gallery Command Centre - received not only the assignment of outspoken junior officers but also a crop of whistleblowers and of any officer who drew negative attention from socially connected officers (or senior nobles) whose support the Archon desired. Morale on Gallery itself was, as might be imagined, rather poor. LIC therefore maintained a presence and caught several attempts by foreign agents to turn officers there since they would still have access to genuine military data. This then led to a byproduct where an entire office of the LAAF High Command did nothing but alter the data sent to Gallery to make sure it was of no use should it fall into the wrong hands.
Many expected that Katrina Steiner would reverse this practise after she took power. She was, after all, one of the military heretics who could have very easily wound up on Gallery if it wasn't for her family name. However, she never made any mention of the Gallery Command Centre. Some insiders assumed that she actually thought the publicly stated purpose was actually genuine and snickered at the ignorant soldier playing at politics.
They were, of course, completely wrong. Over the first twelve months of her reign, Katrina redirected the actual work of the LCAF High Command to Gallery and the doctored reports they once received are now sent to the official buildings on Tharkad. Over fifty years of inertia has thus far managed to deceive essentially everyone - even the lavishly uniformed officers in the luxurious buildings around Tharkad City sincerely believe that they're running the LCAF, as do the myriad SAFE and ISF agents who have them thoroughly penetrated.
Meanwhile, quietly and efficiently, sharp young officers lacking military connections sit at unadorned desks on Gallery and get the actual work done.
#589
*snip*
Meanwhile, quietly and efficiently, sharp young officers lacking military connections sit at unadorned desks on Gallery and get the actual work done.
#589Well... They're gonna be good at the analysis and long term strategic planning stuff, but I struggle to imagine how well that would carry over to tactical battlefield performance.
During the 2960s, Archon Giovanni Steiner had a command centre established on House Steiner's homeworld of Gallery to completely mirror all facilities and staffing of the LCAF High Command. The (comparatively minor) expense was sold to the Estates-General as a contingency in case a deep raid on Tharkad left the LCAF Command in some way incapacitated. In fact it was more a response to a small but vocal minority of officers concerned with the ossification of Lyran tactics and the gentrification of the officer corps. Posting them to Gallery for a few years where they could 'prove their theories' - more accurately to be buried in pointless bureaucracy* would hopefully convey the message to shut up and soldier
* literally pointless: they simply received duplicates of any request sent through/within the LCAF Command on Tharkad and their responses were filed and summarily ignored.
Under the reign of Giovanni's successor Alessandro, this dumping ground - Gallery Command Centre - received not only the assignment of outspoken junior officers but also a crop of whistleblowers and of any officer who drew negative attention from socially connected officers (or senior nobles) whose support the Archon desired. Morale on Gallery itself was, as might be imagined, rather poor. LIC therefore maintained a presence and caught several attempts by foreign agents to turn officers there since they would still have access to genuine military data. This then led to a byproduct where an entire office of the LAAF High Command did nothing but alter the data sent to Gallery to make sure it was of no use should it fall into the wrong hands.
Many expected that Katrina Steiner would reverse this practise after she took power. She was, after all, one of the military heretics who could have very easily wound up on Gallery if it wasn't for her family name. However, she never made any mention of the Gallery Command Centre. Some insiders assumed that she actually thought the publicly stated purpose was actually genuine and snickered at the ignorant soldier playing at politics.
They were, of course, completely wrong. Over the first twelve months of her reign, Katrina redirected the actual work of the LCAF High Command to Gallery and the doctored reports they once received are now sent to the official buildings on Tharkad. Over fifty years of inertia has thus far managed to deceive essentially everyone - even the lavishly uniformed officers in the luxurious buildings around Tharkad City sincerely believe that they're running the LCAF, as do the myriad SAFE and ISF agents who have them thoroughly penetrated.
Meanwhile, quietly and efficiently, sharp young officers lacking military connections sit at unadorned desks on Gallery and get the actual work done.
As long as their recommendations for field commanders are taken, the odds are in their favor.And therein lies the rub.
Granted, the officer on the ground should have discretion to amend plans as the situation on the ground demands.Whether the 'amendment' is for the better remains to be seen.
#589
During the 2960s, Archon Giovanni Steiner had a command centre established on House Steiner's homeworld of Gallery to completely mirror all facilities and staffing of the LCAF High Command. The (comparatively minor) expense was sold to the Estates-General as a contingency in case a deep raid on Tharkad left the LCAF Command in some way incapacitated. In fact it was more a response to a small but vocal minority of officers concerned with the ossification of Lyran tactics and the gentrification of the officer corps. Posting them to Gallery for a few years where they could 'prove their theories' - more accurately to be buried in pointless bureaucracy* would hopefully convey the message to shut up and soldier
* literally pointless: they simply received duplicates of any request sent through/within the LCAF Command on Tharkad and their responses were filed and summarily ignored.
Under the reign of Giovanni's successor Alessandro, this dumping ground - Gallery Command Centre - received not only the assignment of outspoken junior officers but also a crop of whistleblowers and of any officer who drew negative attention from socially connected officers (or senior nobles) whose support the Archon desired. Morale on Gallery itself was, as might be imagined, rather poor. LIC therefore maintained a presence and caught several attempts by foreign agents to turn officers there since they would still have access to genuine military data. This then led to a byproduct where an entire office of the LAAF High Command did nothing but alter the data sent to Gallery to make sure it was of no use should it fall into the wrong hands.
Many expected that Katrina Steiner would reverse this practise after she took power. She was, after all, one of the military heretics who could have very easily wound up on Gallery if it wasn't for her family name. However, she never made any mention of the Gallery Command Centre. Some insiders assumed that she actually thought the publicly stated purpose was actually genuine and snickered at the ignorant soldier playing at politics.
They were, of course, completely wrong. Over the first twelve months of her reign, Katrina redirected the actual work of the LCAF High Command to Gallery and the doctored reports they once received are now sent to the official buildings on Tharkad. Over fifty years of inertia has thus far managed to deceive essentially everyone - even the lavishly uniformed officers in the luxurious buildings around Tharkad City sincerely believe that they're running the LCAF, as do the myriad SAFE and ISF agents who have them thoroughly penetrated.
Meanwhile, quietly and efficiently, sharp young officers lacking military connections sit at unadorned desks on Gallery and get the actual work done.
#589
During the 2960s, Archon Giovanni Steiner had a command centre established on House Steiner's homeworld of Gallery to completely mirror all facilities and staffing of the LCAF High Command. The (comparatively minor) expense was sold to the Estates-General as a contingency in case a deep raid on Tharkad left the LCAF Command in some way incapacitated. In fact it was more a response to a small but vocal minority of officers concerned with the ossification of Lyran tactics and the gentrification of the officer corps. Posting them to Gallery for a few years where they could 'prove their theories' - more accurately to be buried in pointless bureaucracy* would hopefully convey the message to shut up and soldier
* literally pointless: they simply received duplicates of any request sent through/within the LCAF Command on Tharkad and their responses were filed and summarily ignored.
Under the reign of Giovanni's successor Alessandro, this dumping ground - Gallery Command Centre - received not only the assignment of outspoken junior officers but also a crop of whistleblowers and of any officer who drew negative attention from socially connected officers (or senior nobles) whose support the Archon desired. Morale on Gallery itself was, as might be imagined, rather poor. LIC therefore maintained a presence and caught several attempts by foreign agents to turn officers there since they would still have access to genuine military data. This then led to a byproduct where an entire office of the LAAF High Command did nothing but alter the data sent to Gallery to make sure it was of no use should it fall into the wrong hands.
Many expected that Katrina Steiner would reverse this practise after she took power. She was, after all, one of the military heretics who could have very easily wound up on Gallery if it wasn't for her family name. However, she never made any mention of the Gallery Command Centre. Some insiders assumed that she actually thought the publicly stated purpose was actually genuine and snickered at the ignorant soldier playing at politics.
They were, of course, completely wrong. Over the first twelve months of her reign, Katrina redirected the actual work of the LCAF High Command to Gallery and the doctored reports they once received are now sent to the official buildings on Tharkad. Over fifty years of inertia has thus far managed to deceive essentially everyone - even the lavishly uniformed officers in the luxurious buildings around Tharkad City sincerely believe that they're running the LCAF, as do the myriad SAFE and ISF agents who have them thoroughly penetrated.
Meanwhile, quietly and efficiently, sharp young officers lacking military connections sit at unadorned desks on Gallery and get the actual work done.
Get writing.
#589:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Meanwhile, quietly and efficiently, sharp young officers lacking military connections sit at unadorned desks on Gallery and get the actual work done.
Okay you need to write that oneThe day the books went out
Kerensky was leaving the inner sphere. The news hit last month.
Not that the average 'mech tech cared, until the pocket-comps with the repair manuals on them dumped their contents due to identity lock violations, despite no such violations occurring. Same with the scientific journals, university libraries and corporate archives across the inner sphere. Backups, their architecture carefully controlled due to the McKenna Data Piracy Act of 2560, are not spared either. There are no paper copies due to the same act and proprietary hardware and software allowing none.
Across the inner sphere, people struggle to preserve what their memories hold, and to teach it to the next generation in the middle of a war.
The Star League went a little overboard on their DRM. But hey, it's worth it if it brings an end to the Age of War, right?
Also, an explanation for how they lost so much so fast. Halstead Station was breaking all kinds of laws with their little bibliophile cache.
The day the books went out
Kerensky was leaving the inner sphere. The news hit last month.
Not that the average 'mech tech cared, until the pocket-comps with the repair manuals on them dumped their contents due to identity lock violations, despite no such violations occurring. Same with the scientific journals, university libraries and corporate archives across the inner sphere. Backups, their architecture carefully controlled due to the McKenna Data Piracy Act of 2560, are not spared either. There are no paper copies due to the same act and proprietary hardware and software allowing none.
Across the inner sphere, people struggle to preserve what their memories hold, and to teach it to the next generation in the middle of a war.
The Star League went a little overboard on their DRM. But hey, it's worth it if it brings an end to the Age of War, right?
Also, an explanation for how they lost so much so fast. Halstead Station was breaking all kinds of laws with their little bibliophile cache.
Have it as a 20 year authorisation expiring. It had been last renewed just before the Amaris coup in late 2766 (usually an annual process), so the books cut out in 2786, two years after the Exodus. For extra pathos, have this also affect the books of the exodus fleet, so this hits them right as they're trying to colonise the Pentagon worlds.
Yes but in a total war the Inner Sphere just plain wins because they can pump out more nuclear armed fighters than the Clans can stop. It would turn into ugliness on par with the First Succession War but at the end the Inner Sphere would have utterly destroyed the Clans.
An actual intelligently prosecuted total war results in every Inner Sphere jumpship and shipyard dying for acceptable Clan losses, and then they take a world at a time at whatever rate they can sustain. Fortunately the Clans probably aren't going to go into an icy calculated rage after the provocation offered, so a more likely result is them burning Terra and requesting safcon to kill every member of Comstar.
Even if they go stupid, the Clans have omnifighters, working AMS that they can cram into them in nearly arbitrary numbers, and LFB on everything they are likely to use. The Inner Sphere has fixed known targets, and functionally defenseless jumpships that have to move between them to keep their economy going. Oh, and Comstar just wrote across the sky for anyone who had somehow missed it that they can not be trusted at all.
"[E]very Inner Sphere jumpship and shipyard" is a pretty tall order, even for the clans, and don't think for a minute the Periphery (especially the Taurians) would support that.
#597 (2) - 596 got skipped by accident and the numbering must be exact!
This is part of another project I've spent the last two weeks dabbling in, but this works as a stand-alone. Call this, "A Tribble in One Image:"
(https://i.imgur.com/D85FUEs.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/ImRSGRH.jpg)
The POD is roughly around 3000. It's been a very eventful couple of decades for the ol' Inner Sphere...
(click for the very big and fully readable version)
#597 (2) - 596 got skipped by accident and the numbering must be exact!Now this is an interesting idea. The fact that one planet's uprising would change the history of the Inner Sphere forever. Makes me wonder how the Clans would react to this change in regime.
This is part of another project I've spent the last two weeks dabbling in, but this works as a stand-alone. Call this, "A Tribble in One Image:"
(https://i.imgur.com/D85FUEs.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/ImRSGRH.jpg)
The POD is roughly around 3000. It's been a very eventful couple of decades for the ol' Inner Sphere...
(click for the very big and fully readable version)
Now this is an interesting idea. The fact that one planet's uprising would change the history of the Inner Sphere forever. Makes me wonder how the Clans would react to this change in regime.They might consider the fractured status prime for invasion. The Dragoons wouldn't lose contact until after both the Lyrans and the Dracs have fractured.
I'm really not sure why Andurien hasn't joined the Shining Coalition, and more importantly, why the Capellan Confederation still exists. If it won't join the Shining Coalition, I can't see the Pax allowing it to continue it's totalitarian ways."Andurien for the Anduriens" is the watchword; the rest of the galaxy can go straight to hell. As for the Cappies, the current Liao-in-residence is playing the Davion need for a counterbalance on their border against the Pax need for revolution sort of similarly to how China navigated the waters during the OTL Cold War. (What is BattleTech without cod-historical parallelism, after all?) In the end though they're going to have to engage properly with the universe outside their borders or they'll end up the playing field for the inevitable hellwar.
Now this is an interesting idea. The fact that one planet's uprising would change the history of the Inner Sphere forever. Makes me wonder how the Clans would react to this change in regime.It's not like this is a unique event in BT history or anything. A tax revolt on Freedom VI shattered the Terran Alliance and created the modern Inner Sphere. As Charlton Heston said at the beginning of Armageddon, "It happened before; it will happen again. It's just a question of when."
If the Anduriens are that determined to go it alone, I could see the Capellans conquering them pretty quickly...Well maybe, but I can see Anduriens playing 3 sides against the middle to keep their existance, kinda like some African nations did during the cold war. A friend now past to the beyond talked to me about about 1 nation who used to "flip/flop" so much that the "American" and the "Soviet" advisors used to leave notes for each other about what places in town were safe and not.
Have it as a 20 year authorisation expiring. It had been last renewed just before the Amaris coup in late 2766 (usually an annual process), so the books cut out in 2786, two years after the Exodus. For extra pathos, have this also affect the books of the exodus fleet, so this hits them right as they're trying to colonise the Pentagon worlds.Made it about 200% better, here.
#599
Mount Davion, New Avalon
18 September 3057
The media had gathered in the Royal Court for what was expected to be a mostly pro forma announcement from a spokesman of how the Archon-Prince would respond to the Marik-Liao invasion of the Sarna March and the supporting Taurian attack on the Pleiades.
What they got was Katherine Steiner-Davion, wearing her uniform as an AFFC infantry captain. She looked tired. It wasn't until she reached the podium that sharp-eyes noticed that the patch on her uniform wasn't the fist-and-sunburst.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she said without preamble. "I have a short statement. I will not accept questions, but there will be data available to you all within the hour to expand on what I am about to say."
The obvious question: why are you wearing the sword-and-sunburst? died on a dozen lips.
The young woman took a deep breath. "Whatever the actual motives, the casus belli for Captain-General Marik's invasion is the cover-up of his son's death, here on New Avalon, and the substitution of a doppelganger. As my brother Victor has admitted, these allegations are essentially correct."
"Around thirty years ago, this was fundamentally my father's reason for deciding to prioritise the Capellan invasion over a combined assault on the Draconis Combine: a little known incident where the Maskirova very nearly managed to replace him with a pawn under their own control. While I will oppose his actions, I can understand them."
"I can similarly understand my brother's actions. Victor was born on Tharkad and raised there. He has spent little more than a year on New Avalon in total, predominantly his junior year at NAIS. His understanding of the Federated Suns is fundamentally limited."
"Since the death of our father and, even more so since our mother's assassination, Victor has focused entirely on the threat of the Clans. A threat that, through no action of his own, is largely neutralised for another ten years. He has prioritised the military defence of the remaining Tamar worlds. He has prioritised an alliance with the Draconis Combine, both militarily against the Clans and personally with the Coordinator's son... and daughter."
Faces went white around the room. There had been rumours about Victor and about Omi Kurita before. But for the Royal Court to openly address it, however unclearly...!?
"Ladies and gentlemen, Victor is the Archon-Prince. Since he assumed the title he has never laid eyes on the throne here in the Royal Palace, nor been crowned as First Prince. He has been Duke of Sarna since 3039 - and yet his response to the current situation is to require that military units be further stripped from the interior of the Suns in addition to the large number of our regiments already facing the Clans."
Katherine Davion gripped the podium with both hands. "As we speak, the Crucis March Militias are being mobilised to join task forces moving into the Capellan and Sarna Marchs. This is the last order I will accept from the Archon-Prince. I am the Duchess of Avalon and after discussion with the High Council, who are fortunately in session at this time, I am formally declaring myself First Prince of the Federated Suns. And..." Her pale face twisted with visible anguish. Then she gathered her will. "And our secession from the Federated Commonwealth."
"I love my brother. But he has failed the Suns for the last time."
Follow on thoughts:They barely made use the far more complete Clan data base in canon. Kept all the goodies for themselves rather than release it for general use.
• How would the brothers Wolf, as Joshua is still alive here, make use of the memory core?
• This would be before their final re-supply run/information exchange with the clans. How would that impact events?
Severe vengeance because the Kuritans are still at least 79 hours away from a safe recharge? Presuming they actually track down Melissa in the first place, instead of it being a Newt in the airducts scenario?
Tribble 608
Alexander Kerensky is advised about events by the (recently deceased at the end of 3057) Ulric Kerensky and Natasha Kerensky, perhaps a better name would be "A Wolf On Each Shoulder"?
Tribble 609
Just like in canon the GDL dicovers the Helm depository. But Grayson is killed by a rock and Lori is shattered. Knowing that the Marik forces are out to kill them Lori enters the cave system with a squad and after consulting the maps she orders the rest of the GDL to head for another hidden entrance. Then she closes the main gate and the GDL breaks camp. The Marik and Comstar forces never understand the significance of the place where the GDL made camp (the pyramid) and continue hunting the GDL. And then the GDL disappear. No trace is found.
Marik and Comstar squabble and their fragile alliance breaks.
Meanwhile nobody notices that a small village more than quintuples in population. And this village is close to one of the hidden entrances.
While the captured members of the GDL are executed, Lori swears revenge.
While the mystery of Helm reaches nearly the same as the Bermuda triangle of Earth the survivors of the GDL learn from the Helm core and use the space inside the depositoy to build industrial factories. They have children and in 3130 they emerge with all reactivated Mechs from the depository and a few new ones build. They even found the hidden spaceport and build new dropships (It is mentioned that every SLDF facility had a spaceport therefore I concluded that Helm should also have one. I don`t think that Major Keeler wouldn`t build one or make some preparations for the establishment of one).
I like the concept, but have some quibbles with your plan. First off, a spaceport is just landing/cargo handling - it doesn't build new dropships (lots of cities have airports, but you can't use one to build 747s). Similarly, I don't see them being able to build new factories for mechs - or need to, given the existing stocks! Aren't there something like 400-500 mechs in the total Helm Cache? The GDL isn't going to breed fast enough to need more!
I think you'd be better off with them as a horror/ghost story - mysterious Mechs emerge from the various well-hidden entrances, f*** up Comstar or someone else they blame, then disappear into the night (ECM and Active probes help). Before long, the new landholder is convinced the place is cursed, and Comstar has gone through 6 preceptors either dead or gibbering in fear.
Tribble 610
Melissa survives the bomb (maybe loses an eye and now has a noticeable resemblance to Focht) and holds the FedCom together.
After the Refusal War she gives Phelan and the Wolves-in-Exile a choice:
Tribble 611 (crack warning)
At one of Richard Cameron's wild parties, an Elemental with a flux capacitor in place of one of his SRMs appears, crushes Amaris's head like a grape while laughing maniacally, and fades away like Marty Mcfly.
Richard Cameron descends into paranoia and shows that he can destroy the Star League all on his own without any help from anyone else.
Tribble 610
Melissa survives the bomb (maybe loses an eye and now has a noticeable resemblance to Focht) and holds the FedCom together.
No
Keep them in cells near each other, no other interaction with any people or animals, they only have each other for company, but they can't physically touch each other because of the bars
For those two egomaniacs to be unable to validate themselves and put up with each other's whining would be a deserving sentence
I have only one question: What does she do after she is informed that her own daughter and Ryan Steiner were the ones who tried to kill her?E) sent to a maximum security New Avalon Catholic convent on an ice moon with an ex FedCom drill seargent as the Mother Superior.
OK, Ryan is toast, but Kat?
Will she
a) not wake up one morning?
b) be put into a room with a ticking bomb and yes, she may beg for her life, but Mel will tell her flat out that she cannot trust her ever?
c) the Triad gets a few subbasements and there on the lowest level a prisoner with an iron mask lives out her life, while the entire IS thinks Kat died in a dropship accident / jumpship misjump? (Imagine that Ryan is put in the cell next to her and is not killed)
d) transported to a planet in the very deep periphery to play Adam and Eve with Ryan?
On the other Hand, there are things men is not meant to know...
I just like that there was a world in the Commonwealth named ‘ Warrumbungle’. It makes my inner Aussie smile.
You’re describing the Combine and Confederation: having any kind of public opinion that disagrees with the State is likely to land you in hot water.This is more disagreeing with reality then the government
This is more disagreeing with reality then the government
My thought that it wasn't REALLY Nicky but a 'something assuming the form of someone Trent would respect' whatever.
Or just a board Random Omnipotent Being wanting some entertainment.
Hmm...Imagine if you were Minoru Kurita just before landing on Kentares IV...Stay in my cockpit. Weld it shut from the inside if I have to.
I don't think it would necessarily be awkward, after all, one of the leaders of the Terran Hegemony was a lesbian.
You can't have a dynastic union between two lesbians. The heir has to be descended from both of them and that requires two different kinds of gamete. Adoption is not an option with all the would be usurpers floating around the Lyran Commonwealth. Also, Melissa is too young to have a solidly established sexual orientation, but statistics say the safe money is on her being heterosexual, which is thus how Katrina has to negotiate the treaty.Yes you can. One of the ladies, preferably the dynast, has a baby via IVF (anonymous) and then declares the child her heir. Sure, it's technically a bastard, but still her child. As the Dynast, she can declare her own heir. Until Hanse got Melissa as his wife, Morgan Hasek-Davion was his designated heir. This has happened often in our history, so why should the fake future be any different?
Yes you can. One of the ladies, preferably the dynast, has a baby via IVF (anonymous) and then declares the child her heir. Sure, it's technically a bastard, but still her child. As the Dynast, she can declare her own heir. Until Hanse got Melissa as his wife, Morgan Hasek-Davion was his designated heir. This has happened often in our history, so why should the fake future be any different?Or, the technology exists to create an embryo from the DNA of two women. At worst, a trip to Canopus for the procedure, or the NAIS could handle it.
You can't have a dynastic union between two lesbians. The heir has to be descended from both of them and that requires two different kinds of gamete. Adoption is not an option with all the would be usurpers floating around the Lyran Commonwealth. Also, Melissa is too young to have a solidly established sexual orientation, but statistics say the safe money is on her being heterosexual, which is thus how Katrina has to negotiate the treaty.
Yes you can. One of the ladies, preferably the dynast, has a baby via IVF (anonymous) and then declares the child her heir. Sure, it's technically a bastard, but still her child. As the Dynast, she can declare her own heir. Until Hanse got Melissa as his wife, Morgan Hasek-Davion was his designated heir. This has happened often in our history, so why should the fake future be any different?
Or, the technology exists to create an embryo from the DNA of two women. At worst, a trip to Canopus for the procedure, or the NAIS could handle it.
Tribble #614
You wake up as one of the founders of one of the Great Houses - Lucien Davion, Shiro Kurita, or whichever faction you like best.
Instead of death, you find yourself as yet another leader of the house, a few generations removed. This continues over and over until the 31st century is reached.
How do you direct the nation, especially once you realize you are leaping through time?
*inspired by the Davion & Davion (Deceased) story from Drakensis, the current crop of SI stories and watching a re-run of Quantum Leap.
Tribble 617
Imagine waking up in someone else’s body shortly after you died. Imagine if they were a fictional character. And imagine...if if were Stefan Amaris? Yep, you woke up in the body of a very young Stefan Amaris decades before his coup to overthrow the Terran Hegemony and the Star League. So now what do you do? Do you let history run it’s course and become the most hated man in the history of the Inner Sphere? Or would you rather change history and become a benevolent leader that he could have been?
The problem was that the plan was generations in the making. If you tried to go against it as Stephen, you might well just be heading towards your own assassination and replacement. Of course, that would be a good story in itself, fighting to reform the RWR, get equal rights for the Periphery under the Star League, work to evolve it into something closer to the noble purpose it purported itself as. Big list, fun times.Also, the tribble still doesn't handwave away the actual coup attempt. Which will still automatically draw a hostile reaction from the SLDF no matter how benevolent in truth if not in propaganda Amaris turns out to be. And if civil war does erupt, the Council will no doubt still be up to the same shenanigans they were in canon.
Tribble 618For all the screaming though, the FWL section will still be almost ungovernable from either Tharkad or New Avalon. It was barely governable from Atreus as it was.
...
A few years later, Janos suffers his stroke. And a truly astonishing number of Parliament agree that the Marik they should offer the Captain-Generalcy to is Hanse Marik-Davion. After all, he did point out that this would neatly end the emergency and mean that the position of Captain-General could then be voided, restoring executive power to Parliament after almost three centuries...
One can only imagine the screaming from Hilton Head on Terra and the Imperial Palace on Luthien...
#622
As a result of Clan breeding programmes, the scientists of some clans skew gender balances based on observed results. (It doesn't matter for trueborn reproduction, after all). As a result, some Clans' warrior castes are exclusively a single gender. (although some Clans don't do this).
If Clan Wolf followed this pattern then Phelan's either surrounded by amazons, or the 'Black Widow' is more a Black Widower and his grandson probably isn't going to end up as Phelan's lover.
I'm less sure about that one... the warrior caste is more than just elementals, after all. I could see 100% male elementals and 100% female aerospace pilots (and thus protomech pilots) in the same clan. I don't think the statistics would push 'mechs to one or the other exclusively.
#622
As a result of Clan breeding programmes, the scientists of some clans skew gender balances based on observed results. (It doesn't matter for trueborn reproduction, after all). As a result, some Clans' warrior castes are exclusively a single gender. (although some Clans don't do this).
If Clan Wolf followed this pattern then Phelan's either surrounded by amazons, or the 'Black Widow' is more a Black Widower and his grandson probably isn't going to end up as Phelan's lover.
#624This is what should have happened!
On 30 May 3029, ComStar orders an interdiction of the Federated Suns, citing an alleged attack on their Sarna HPG station and the deaths of fifty members of their order. The AFFS wasn't unprepared and the ongoing fifth wave of attacks continued while Jumpships were commandeered to courier key messages. Trusted officers had orders to act at their own discretion in the absence of orders from New Avalon.
Based on the reports being received, the Marshals on the frontlines were confident that the Sixth Wave, scheduled for August 3029, could take place only shortly behind the expected dates. There was concern that the FWLM or at least provincial units might move opportunistically, seeing the Capellans as easier prey after their reverses in the Terran Corridor. Reports were that many Capellan worlds viewed House Liao as a lost cause and worlds along the border with the Free Worlds League would - if they had to surrender - welcome a foe they had had less direct conflict with over the regiments of House Marik moving into a collapsing Confederation.
The Confederation was a house of cards, needing one solid push to make it tumble. But there was real doubt whether the AFFS, worn down by a year of war and with communications in poor shape, could deliver that push.
Sealed orders from Hanse Davion reached a handful of key officers during late June, advising them that losing relatively unimportant worlds of the Sarna March to House Marik was acceptable. The Capellan Confederation surviving as a threat to the Federated Suns was not.
Bypassing worlds defended by nothing but militia, two task forces were hastily assembled. Their arrivals would be delayed further, but it was believed (correctly) that any apparent slowing of the offensive would be ascribed by the Maskirovka to the effects of the Interdiction.
On September 7, the same day that the young Duke Morgan Hasek-Davion would carry out his famous defense of Kathil, a fleet of jumpships emerged from a pirate point over Capella, using a pirate point that the AFFS had data on from a long ago invasion attempt during the Age of War. Blandford's Grenadiers, garrisoning the heart of the Capellan Confederation, were barely out of their barracks before they found themselves under attack with the Davion Light Guards coming down practically on top of them. Fighting free, the Grenadiers discovered the Light Guards withdrawing in good order and leaving the field to the two RCTs whose more orderly landing they had been covering for.
Unable to withdraw without exposing themselves to attacks from the rear by the Light Guards, one of the finest regiments in the CCAF was forced to stand in place and take the full might of the Davion Heavy Guards and Seventh Crucis Lancers. The battle could not last long and without the Grenadiers, the collapse of the conventional forces stationed on Capella was only a matter of time - particularly as warehouses of supplies near the capital fell quickly, the security not expecting that the Grenadiers would be so easily defeated.
Only a miracle could save the Capellan Confederation now. Fortunately for the Chancellor, he believed he had two trump cards: the advanced myomers captured earlier in the war and now fitted to the elite forces garrisoning his capital on Sian; and the capture of Morgan Hasek-Davion on Kathil.
On October 24 the Sian garrison paraded in honour of the returning 4th Tau Ceti Rangers and their illustrious prisoner, the Chancellor already plotting how to use his control of the Capellan March's leader to swing the entire tide of the war.
He would be brutally disappointed in both, for the dropship landed not the Rangers but Morgan's Kathil Uhlans, and a mysterious gas delivered by special warheads in the dropship's missiles quickly crippled the defending 'Mechs. Outnumbered four to one, the Uhlans cut through the Red Lancers and House Imarra with ease, searching through the Forbidden City for the Davion agents who had engineered this triumph.
And as the Chancellor cowered, Capellan air defenses were in no position to do anything about more jumpships delivering their cargos via a pirate point over the Capellan capital. The Ulhans were joined rapidly by the conventional regiments of the Fifth Crucis Lancers, combat commands from the three RCTs still clearing away resistance on Capella and the full might of the Illician Lancers and Lexington Combat Group: seven crack mercenary regiments.
As the sun rose on October 25, 3029, Acting Chancellor Candace Liao formally offered a conditional surrender to Morgan Hasek-Davion, who accepted on behalf of his uncle. Before ComStar HPGs could be instructed to shut down, extending the Federated Suns' interdiction to its new conquest, priority messages rushed out from Sian to every world still answering to House Liao, carrying two simple facts.
The war was over. The Capellan Confederation had been defeated.
2 years and the IS may well be embroiled in a Fifth Succession War.Canonically no one (major) in the IS was spoiling for a war at this time (because that would make setting things up for the anti-Clan alliance harder) and I didn't change anything there in my post (It's part of a bigger idea with lots of changes).
Drakensis: BRILLIANT! 8)Not to mention the FWL can't provide even the limited support they did provide to their Kapteyn Accords allies.
For #625, I think that means the Lyrans have even less to worry about on that flank, and can throw a few extra regiments at the Dracs...
#627:Epic!!!
The General pushed the file folder across the desk, and Snord picked it up and flicked it open, looking the new officer's records over. "Definitely impressive, General..." That was the man's name. "... von Lergen. I'm sure Hauptmann Degurechaff will have quite the educational time with the Irregulars."
I'm missing something, who's Degurechaff? The only guess I've got is it's Katherine.The name-character of The Saga of Tanya the Evil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Saga_of_Tanya_the_Evil). I haven’t seen it myself, so.... [shrug]
629 The Kerensky Coup
In 2765, Aleksandr Kerensky finally reached his breaking point when it comes to Richard Cameron's blind stupidity, the Council's naked avarice and the corruption inside the Terran Hegemony. With the Periphery ablaze as a direct result of all three, he decided to apply James McKenna's solution.
For more than a year, SLDF forces were funnelled out into the Periphery, but rather than moving entire armies, Kerensky strips regiments, brigades and divisions from the Corps, masterfully rushing task forces out faster than anyone thought possible... and entangling the House Cameron's most loyal officers and men in the bloodbaths of the Uprising.
When Stefan Amaris offered his forces to garrison the Hegemony, Kerensky feigned reluctance and used it to send more of the ultra-loyal First Army away into the fires of war, leaving only a small cadre to control the SDS networks.
On 25 December 2766 (days before Amaris' own coup could take place), SDS systems began to blockade key systems, while covertly redeployed elements of the SLDF from systems around the Hegemony moved to secure less well-guarded worlds. Caught offguard and dispersed, the Rim Worlds fleet was slaughtered and the Hegemony went dark. Only reassuring messages from Kerensky kept the House Lords and SLDF Generals from panicking: the HPGs had been sabotaged by Periphery sympathisers, the General assured them. Routine traffic would continue shortly.
And then, one month later, HPG traffic resumes, with an announcement from the First Lord's throne... on which sat a grave-faced Aleksandr Kerensky. The Protector solemnly offered his deep apologies to all ten states for the serious failures of the Star League towards them and pledged his intentions to make matters right. In token of this, the main architects of the last two years would face summary execution and he asked the Star League Council to convene under his leadership to make matters right.
After a momentary pause to allow children to be sent away, Kerensky personally executed a grovelling Stefan Amaris and a hysterical Richard Cameron. And plunged the entire Star League into civil war.
I figured you (of all people) would, but didn't want to say anything until you weighed in... ;)
I honestly can't see Kerensky pulling something like this.
DeChevalier, though... to borrow a sig line, "I'm with Drunk DeChevalier" (Davion & Davion (Deceased)).....
Or perhaps, to continue the metaphor of recent stories, have an SI, or Hanse's Ghost, or Liz Ngo, replace Keresnky as CINC-SLDF.....
Drak, HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD AT COMING UP WITH THESE THINGS?!Mild case of obsession with the universe and a brain that doesn't want me to sleep at night.
Been reading Scalzi lately? ???
Ah, naw, I think this is a mix up of BattleTech and Halo ;-)
No Clans...the question is, when the defending IS forces learn who they’re fighting what will they do? Will they accept the idea of rebuilding the Star League or will they defend their sovereignty?
Here is a planning stage for a Book that got a author put on the 'Intelligence Agencies' watchlist and aBest seller.Hunt for Red October
Research at a University on High Pressure Nuclear Reactors, then on liquid metal cooled reactors, their operation cycle, then write in a book generally, the operation cycle of a Russian Victor class submarine.
there you have it, the information you can get at a University Level library and a New author Best Seller, even to this day.
The Author: Tom Clancy
The Book:
#639Oh god, it explains so much.
"Tell me what we're looking at," Hanse Davion requested solemnly. He'd read the summaries but something might have been misunderstood, and Ardan hadn't been briefed yet. He wanted the younger man - the nearest thing he had left to a brother - to give his own opinion.
"Eight hundred years." Hanse's voice was ugly. "Eight centuries that we've been... lobotomised. And we didn't even know."
Oh god, it explains so much.yes it does, so much information is now explained
#639
"I hope so." The scientist looked frustrated... and angry. "We're working on it, but this field has been neglected for centuries. And what it'll take to break this is exactly the sort of creativity that it is meant to stiffle."
"Eight hundred years." Hanse's voice was ugly. "Eight centuries that we've been... lobotomised. And we didn't even know."
The real question is who has a genetic mod that prevents the disease from affecting their population?Well if you've ever wanted to do a story where the deep dark villains are the Magistry, we do know that Canopians have had the best life sciences tech of the larger powers for a long, long time...
Interring twist , the only people with an immunity are the Taurans, they spiked the punch before they left the IS......Only to get infected anyway when the Reunification War erupted.
#640
During the second week of August 3029, the AFFS was facing a ComStar interdiction as they carried out the sixth wave of Operation Rat. Rather than try to coordinate operations over many worlds of the Sarna Commonality, many of which were already eager to surrender with only token forces, the local command force simply accepted such surrenders as they were offered - usually on quite generous terms for the planetary governments, and focused on a key target.
Self-governing districts of the Federated Commonwealth would remain under effectively Capellan government for decades, but for the first time since 2786, one of the major states of the Inner Sphere... had ceased to exist.
Had a thought after reading Welcome to the Jungle over on spacebattles.
This discussions made me think about one of the Cameron’s had visions of the TH being destroyed, or some such, which led to the drones and space defense systems.
Would it not make sense to have fall back plans, and colony / rebuild packages ready to bring your civilization back from the brink?
The SL DOME teams create time capsules in asteroids in various TH systems.
The time capsules are filled with data cores, forges, and machinery To jump start tech recovery.
Each time capsule is overseen by an AI that is capable of monitoring the system it is in.
Waiting for the signal to announce the time capsule is their and ready to relaunch 28th century Tech and revive the TH.
unfortantly the story will take forever to be completed
Oh boy,
there is an awesome premise here. I'd love to see a story spun out of this! 8)
644
As the Clan Invasion was halted in 3052, another invasion occurred. This time, from the other side of the Inner Sphere. At first, the invaders were believed to have been the Clans circumventing the Inner Sphere to launch another invasion; but when the reports of the invaders came back, it brought more confusion than answers. The Battlemechs these invaders used were too slow and easy to destroy; their soldiers wore white armor and had very poor aim; the only advantage these invaders had was in space. Their warships and fighters had what could be described as powerful pulse lasers. But what these invaders lacked in the method of warfare the Capellans, AFFS, Taurians, Canopians, Free Worlders, and Aurigans had, they made up in sheer numbers and their lack of hesitation to use orbital bombardments on military AND civilian targets. These invaders identified themselves as the Galactic Empire, and they had given the Inner Sphere an ultimatum: surrender, or be destroyed.
I can't see how this would be made to work. The space superiority gap is too large just on the basis of more flexible FTL even if the firepower scaling is matched.
Origional Mica technology: Super-heavy Battle Armor.
Battle Armor, as produced by the Clans and the Inner Sphere, would fall into one of 5 weight classes.
Exoskeleton: 80-400kg
Light: 401- 750kg
Medium: 751-1000kg(1ton)
Heavy: 1001-1500kg
Assualt: 1501-2000kg(2ton)
The Mica Majority, lacking need for (or room for) battlemechs or conventional vehicles, created a new class of Battle Armor- the Super Heavy. Beginning at 2.5 tons, and up to 5 tons in weight, these battle armors were powered by dedicated fusion reactors, instead of battery packs. They used many of the same technologies used in Battlemechs.
Super Heavy battlearmors are created using Protomech rules. They can be 2.5 - 5 tons in weight, in increments of 0.5 tons. They can mount not more than 3 weapons- one in each hand (battle armor weapons only) and one in the Main Gun (Battle Armor or mech weapon). (Quad Super Heavy Battle Armor can mount 2 weapons in the Main Gun of Battle Armor or Mech classification, and no weapons in the hands)
(And none of this 'curl up into a ball and control it with the cybernetic implants that drive you insane and kill you' bullshit either. I get that the Devs want to push Protomechs out of the way, but if you can find room in a 2ton batle armor for an actual cockpit, you can do the same with a 5ton protomech.)
I can't see how this would be made to work. The space superiority gap is too large just on the basis of more flexible FTL even if the firepower scaling is matched.
Use the Galactic Empire in Welcome to the Nebula California and completely ignore the SW extended universe that claims that Star Destroyer cannons pump out equivalents of multi-gigatons of energy per second?
With how SW FTL hyperlanes work. Till Lane mapping is done. SW FTL could be slower
Of course, that means no Whiting Conference, no Second Star League, no incentive for the Clans to stop. either. Man, that'd be a knock-down, drag-out brawl.Doesn't matter what incentives they have, once they got far enough the Inner Sphere would break out the Strategic Nuke stockpiles and make like it was the First Succession War again on the Clans. Qualitative superiority doesn't matter when the other side can throw a ton of cheap nukes at you and simply overwhelm you.
652
Everyone knows the history surrounding Stefan Amaris, his rise, and eventual fall. We all know who he had to kill in order to become the man who is universally hated by Inner Sphere, Periphery, and Clans alike. But what if history took a different turn? What if Stefan's rise to power...failed?
When he was just 13, Richard Cameron woke up in the middle of the night from a horrific nightmare. One where he saw himself dying at the hands of his "best friend" Stefan Amaris; Terra and the Hegemony being ravaged by a war that would leave the Hegemony destroyed; and his "friend" killing all who opposed him. Shaken to his core from this dream, he could not sleep the remainder of that night. The next night, he had the same dream again and again the following night and so on. Each time it would show more horrific details, including his extended family dying with him. Deciding to find someone who would decipher those dreams, he turned to a few religious figureheads on Terra; many of whom told him the same thing: his dreams were a warning. After being plagued by these dreams and hearing that they could be warnings, Richard decided to ask Star League intelligence to look into any inquiries concerning his "friend's" nation.
After hearing all of this, Richard decided to subtly ask Stefan a few questions and even told him only bits and pieces of his dreams. Amaris simply shrugged them off as mere dreams and he "reassured" his young friend that he had no intention of ever killing him. But for some reason, Richard couldn't believe him. So he then turns to the only other person who had his interests at heart, Alexandr Kerensky. After telling the General of the nightmares that had been plaguing him, Kerensky immediately saw the warning signs and after also going over the intelligence reports he had been getting concerning the Rim Worlds Republic, Kerensky knew that he had to act before time ran out.
But rather than immediately arrest Amaris for crimes he hadn't committed...yet, Kerensky started to send a few of his trusted commanders to other worlds within the Republic and Hegemony where they would start secretly training their forces to counter any military opposition coming from Amaris' forces. Hopefully, by the time Amaris figured out what was going on, he would ultimately fail in his attempt to usurp the Star League and House Cameron.
In the meantime Richard, after finally being convinced of Stefan's duplicity, began to listen to his advisors more often and began lifting some of the edicts Amaris had suggested to him; especially on the Periphery realms. He only listened to a few suggestions the would-be usurper made, but made inquiries to others regarding them. In doing so, he not only expanded his political and economical education; but he also began to subtly increase security measures when it came to Amaris.
When the time came, Amaris would find that it was he at the end of a laser pistol and not his would-be victim.
I want to see this one.Yes Please :thumbsup:
Living in the Lyran Commonwealth is hell.
Post-capitalst nightmare. Water and often air are budget-breakers; there is no credit or government aid.
Paranoid police. Judges that accept low burdens of proof. Secret police that need no proof.
Corporations that casually twist the law. Nobles completely above the law.
When a planet is conquered by the FWL it’s cause for a week long celebration. Conquest by the Combine... is business as usual.
Just because I wanted to look at the good guys on a bad hair day.
That...just describes a lot of the Alliance period Lyran state under Nondi.
Yeah... but imagine if Nondi did that because it's the default state.
The Taurian Concordat makes a good try at getting out of that mold. It's a little on the unstable side at times but it's the closest state in the BTU to a present-day government.