Awesome update! :D
On the units table, it's missing the 7th Rim Guards formed from the remaining Erdvynn Provincial Militia, consisting of 4 Battlemech Stars, 2 Infantry Stars, and one Aerospace Star, assigned to Armstrong.
Added
Let's start 3112 with a bang or two. Hope you all enjoy
3112
Command Bunker, 2nd Protectorate Guard
Spitz, Taurian Concordat
9th January 3112The office was filled with the smell of morning coffee and fresh toast Colonel Ian Milton sat at his desk and looked at the report with complete disbelief. Nearly a week ago the First Protectorate Guard, his unit’s sister command, had defended Erod’s Escape from a Clan Nova Cat attack with the use of Nuclear Weapons using such weapons to obliterate one of Clan’s WarShips and the Clan’s incoming DropShips and he was only hearing about it now. He immediately grabbed his desk phone and tried to raise the command tower “This is Colonel Milton” he said “I need you to put the base on an immediate alert and recall all leave” he commanded “what do you mean incoming contacts?” he said as the command tower relayed information to him “how the hell did we miss something that big coming in?” He demanded standing up from his desk the phone still in hand “that isn’t an excuse get our alert aircraft in the air…” he commanded “tower did you hear me?” He asked but instead all he got back was static instead he felt the ground move and the building he was in shake instinctively he dropped the phone the handset smashing on the concrete floor as he and everyone else in the office ran outside.
Stepping out of the main door of the Milton could barely believe what he was seeing as a little over a kilometre away the landing strip, command towers, hangers and the unit’s DropShips disappeared in a ball of flame. Suddenly further explosions leading from the spaceport to their position began to light up the ground. “INSIDE, EVERYONE INSIDE, NOW!!” Milton screamed in terror forcing the others that were with him back inside as the explosions closed. “Seal these doors!” He ordered moving over to a wall mounted communications station punching in his personal code he activated the PA system “All personnel seal external doors now!” He ordered hoping the bunker was reinforced enough to protect the personnel he had left.
For the next eighteen hours the bombardment continued causing two sections of the bunker complex to collapse but for the most part the complex held protecting the two hundred and seventeen inhabitants from harm. Unbeknown to Milton and the others in the bunker overhead a Nova Cat WarShip was taking its revenge for the nuclear attack on another member of it’s fleet the WarShip systematically destroyed every military facility and the planetary spaceport before leaving the planet behind broken.
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Thee days later Khan Canin Rosse spoke via HPG to the Taurian Concordat and surrounding areas. “I am Khan Canin Rosse leader of Clan Nova Cat. The incident at Splitz three days ago was an unfortunate consequence of Taurian actions over Erod’s Escape the use of nuclear weapons to destroy a Nova Cat naval asset was a deplorable act. We will not accept the continued use of weapons of mass destruction against out Clan in space or on planetary bodies will not be accepted. The first Star League Defence Force which our Clans descend from had a total war strategy for opponents who lacked honour we have dispensed with this in the past intent on allowing our opponents the chance of honourable combat. We are willing to allow you our opponents honourable combat, it is your choice.” He said pausing for a moment “the message that follows is for the current Star League council. Spitz was not Turtle Bay; casualties to the civilian population was minimised by our WarShip crew, Clan Nova Cat is not Clan Smoke Jaguar and the Clans are not divided in this.”
Across the Inner Sphere and Periphery, the nations of the Inner Sphere began to react to the Nova Cat actions and subsequent reactions with several Taurian worlds contacting Fronc and the Capellan Confederation for support. Both Capellan Confederation and Fronc Reaches take it upon themselves to take over the defence of the worlds contacting them in a remarkably bloodless manoeuvre the Capellan Confederation absorbs five Taurian worlds and one periphery world while the Fronc Reaches absorb four worlds with the Third Protectorate Guards switching loyalty to the Fronc Reaches. Hearing of the Nova Cat actions the rogue WarShip Sceptre jumps clear of the Joppa system heading deeper into the periphery intent on leaving the Clan and any fear of what could happen behind them.
Elsewhere the SLDF vowed to support the Taurian Concordat as a member state of the Star League however as they did this the Loremaster of the Clan Council Brennley Roshak announces the United Clan Council’s full support for Clan Nova Cat and that any combined assault will face the combined might of all the Clans.
Military Spaceport
Station Rubicon, Lesnovo
District of Lesnovo
15th January 3112 As they had been promised the Liger Warriors had been returned to Lesnovo by the Smoke Jaguars on Twin Sons but without the majority of their equipment. According to their captures that was being held as Isorla, a Clan word for Spoils of Victory, so instead the Liger Warriors were being returned to Lesnovo with the majority of their personnel intact but without a single Mech between them, a deathkneel for any unit in the Periphery.
Stepping off the Seeker-class DropShip into the late evening sun of Lesnovo Colonel Dominic Nostra felt the cool breeze and knew there was a storm in the air. As he descended down the ramp several armed District of Lesnovo soldiers “Colonel Nostra by command of Duke Brewer-Cameron-Jones you are to be placed under arrest and your command restricted to quarters.” The Force Commander in charge of the unit said.
“On what charge?” He demanded feeling his people tensing up around him.
“Causing unnecessary harm to citizens of the District of Lesnovo, specifically to the people residing in the Southern region of Twin Sons, which has been levied at your entire unit. And for multiple counts of murder, namely the Southern region’s command on Twin Sons, a charge that is solely placed on you.”
“Understood Force Commander” Nostra said he’d known such a charge was coming he just hadn’t expected it to land on his door step so quickly. “Stand down people follow your orders we followed the orders we were given.” He said evenly trying to ensure no incidents resulted in his arrest they had been told to end the fighting on Twin Sons and they had, not perfectly he’d be the first to admit, but they’d done the job they were given.
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Several hours later Colonel Dominic Nostra remained in the same room he had been escorted to in the command complex on Lesnovo. It was a non-descript interview room with grey walls, a two-way mirror, one door in and out a table and four chairs he’d been allowed to retain his personal effects so he’d so far tidied out his travel bag and read half of a fiction novel he’d started on the DropShip trip in system. The door swung open and in entered General Sanyam Dandekar immediately Nostra motioned to stand to attention but the dark-skinned man in full dress uniform waved him off. “Aren’t you a sorry state, what you got to say for yourself? Colonel”
“Sir, my orders were to end the fighting on Twin Sons due to our shared Clan heritage I challenged their leader to a personal battle and lost. As a result of this loss they used my unit’s superior firepower to overwhelm the Southern Region’s forces and force them to the negotiating table thus ending the conflict.”
“Costing hundreds of lives” Dandekar pointed out “you missed that part out, Colonel, carry on.”
“Yes sir, following this I was sent as an emissary to the Southern Region to accept their surrender. I then carried out my orders and executed the leadership of the Southern Region.” He said in a cold matter of fact way he could tell that Dandekar hated that admittance of guilt by him “sir, they had a gun to my people’s head they said that I follow these orders or my people would be killed.”
“Who’s orders?”
“Colonel Petra Furey, sir”
“So you went to the Southern Region and executed them bringing an end to the fighting.”
“After the Badlands leadership inprisoned all officials from the Southern Region yes sir it ended all of the fighting.” He said “my unit was then released from their bonds however the Badlands forces have seized all of our equipment and are using it as their own.”
“So you were sent to this planet to bring peace instead you create a bloodbath and give them more weapons than they had before? That about sum it up.”
“Sir, what other choice did I have?”
“Resist, resist the urge to cause death and mayhem, do what Furey has done in the North of Twin Sons.” He suggested giving Nostra options
“Sir?”
“She has brought peace to the entire planet she brought Northern and Southern realms to the table with her own people and have created a ruling council. The loyalties of the past have been outlawed and now they are wholy loyal to Twin Sons. They did that peacefully after the ‘warmogers’ we sent in did their damage.”
“They are lying through their teeth, sir, those people are not loyal to the Twin Sons they are loyal to the Smoke Jaguars” he corrected the General “sir, Furey is a dangerous woman she wants to see the rebirth of that Clan. The frakking Smoke Jaguars sir! The most hated Clan in the history of the Inner Sphere.”
“Well at the moment that’s debatable” Dandekar commented confusing Nostra even more. “It doesn’t really matter what you think or what I think Colonel the facts speak to themselves. Petra Furey has brought peace to Twin Sons and now instead of three governments we have one to deal with which Lesnovo thinks they can handle.” He said from his tone Nostra didn’t think the General agreed with that statement. “As for the facts surrounding your case your people did open fire on people of this district, you yourself did become judge, jury and executioner for citizens of this nation. That alone costs you your commission and your freedom.”
“What about my people?”
“They have no equipment and now no commander they will be broken up and sent to other commands. Any found to have commited further crimes on Twin Sons other than those already put on them will likely face your punishment. Colonel Dominic Nostra as of this moment I am stripping you of your rank, command and freedom. You’ll be shipped out to a military detention facility until your trial and sentence can be heard.”
“So much for being innocent until found guilty.” Nostra muttered under his breath
“What was that?”
“Nothing, sir” he replied deciding that giving the General more now would not be a good idea. Everything had gone wrong in the span of a few weeks and now his nation’s future could also be in the balance with the rise of the new government on Twin Sons.
Warlord’s Personal Residence
Imperial City, New Samarkand
Military District of Midway, Draconis Combine
28th January 3112 Warlord Hirohito Kurita stared at the tri-vid screen open mouthed his young daughter sat on the floor in front of him playing with toys. On the screen the message from Dieron continued to play “…my given name is Emiko Kurita I am the daughter of Vincent Kurita and the younger daughter of the true Coordinator Akira Kurita.” The woman on the transmission said she looked to be around her twenties age wise which fit and looked very similar to her mother when she was around that age from the pictures Hirohito had seen. She wore a scarlet Kimono with her hair tied up in a bun in traditional Japanese style her make up was minimal showing her natural complexion which all fit with traditional Kurita family style as she spoke Hirohito reached for a mobile communicator.
“Are you seeing this?” He demanded as the message continued. “It can’t be her I was told there was not a sign of her anywhere!”
“…I disappeared from the Imperial City and many believed that I had been killed but in fact I was protected from assassins under the hire of Minoru Kurita, the current Warlord’s father, who intended on removing my line of our family to allow his own to gain control.”
“What do you mean Dieron is refusing communications? They cannot ignore us we are New Samarkand I want that woman in chains. Contact our units on other worlds have them communicate with those on Dieron and demand her unconditional surrender. I will be there soon.” As the Warlord rushed to get ready the message continued.
“Hirohito Kurita has continued this trend by imprisoning Akira Kurita and his wife Julia in the Imperial Palace on New Samarkand.” Emiko continued “I have lived and worked with many of you under an assumed identity travelling across our nation as assassins continuously searched for my trail I have seen and felt the suffering that Warlord Hirohito Kurita’s rule has brought on our people. Which has led to my decision today to reveal myself to our people and to announce that the District of Dieron is succeeding from the Draconis Combine until Hirohito stands down from his position as Warlord of this nation and Akira Kurita is released from the Imperial Palace.” She said breathing deeply Hirohito stopped and looked at the screen in complete shock with Benjamin in enemy hands and now this from Dieron she may get exactly what she wanted. “I regret this action deeply but I will not allow our nation to be led by a tyrant I will do all that I can to ensure the Draconis Combine acts for its people. To the best for our nation.” She said finally before the message ended only to be replaced with the logo of the Military District of Dieron three red triangles set in formation forming a larger triangle with several small triangles extending from the base three behind them a yellow field. As an addition to the insignia the camera seemed to pull out showing a stylized Dragon held the insignia in its front paw with the Dragon’s head turned towards the camera.
Immediately following the message by Akira Tormark the Warlord of Dieron announced that he would be fully supporting Empress Emiko Kurita that Dieron would be set up as an independent nation until Hirohito Kurita left the throne on New Samarkand and Akira Kurita was released from custody. He added that all DCMS and DCA units in the District of Dieron had pledged loyalty to Dieron and to Emiko Kurita.
It would not be until the 30th January that Hirohito Kurita responded to the claim by Empress Emiko Kurita the Warlord claimed that she was a fake and that the real Emiko Kurita had died years before a fact that had been hidden from the public to save their nation’s morale. Behind closed doors intelligence officials were unsure of Emiko’s claim but also could not confirm her death from any source. The reason for Hirohito’s delay had been due to the High Command attempting to contact the unit’s and WarShips based in the region of Dieron and receiving not a single reply from these units it appeared the planning behind this had been quite thorough in clearing out those who were not willing to pledge loyalty to Dieron first and the Combine a distant second.
