Alternate Timeline with Thanks (FULL)

[Dragon Cat]

Time for some 'combat'

Open Ground, Near Firebase
New Scotland, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
10th October 3062

   “By the numbers people, we do not want these folks thinking we are here to cause trouble but we do want to drop in the usual way.  DropShip commander over to you” Canin said as the Nova Cat DropShips entered the atmosphere over New Scotland, New Avalon’s most northerly and least populated continent.  Canin’s Watch Cluster was the first Nova Cat unit to enter the Federated Suns and the WarShip assigned to the unit, the Congress-class True Vision had secretly slipped into the Galax system two days before while the Nova Cat JumpShips had continued to New Avalon and released the ten DropShips of the Watch Cluster.

   Over the last six months the Watch Cluster had developed a new way of dropping onto the ground, while the aerospace fighters from the unit’s Carrier, along with the Carrier itself, maintained a high Combat-Air-Patrol (CAP).  The rest of the DropShips would orbit low over the landing zone while two DropShips would drop in release their cargo then take off, the sequence would continue until all nine Broadswords had released their Cargo then the ground forces would secure the Landing Zone (LZ) for all ten DropShips and the fighters to land.  Although it was in line with the Nova Cat High Risk Insertion Techniques it was experimental much like the make up of the Watch Cluster.

   “Drop Zone is hot” the DropShip commander said into the entire unit’s communication frequency, the hot part of the landing zone was the BattleMechs and vehicles of the Tenth Lyran Guards, although they would not fire real weapons at the Nova Cats and their DropShips they would engage the Canin’s people with simulated weapons fire.

   As the DropShips reached their insertion level a wing of Tenth Lyran fighters attempted to interdict them however the massed firepower of nine Broadsword A1-class DropShip, the official classification of the Watch DropShips because of their modified weapons and cargo capacity, the massed simulated firepower brought down ten of the twenty Tenth Lyran Fighters forcing the others into a massed retreat.  “Insertion Secure.  Lervoux and Bavros, you are clear for grounding.”  The overall DropShip commander Star Commodore Eric Bavros said naming the first two DropShips, all the Watch Cluster DropShip were named for the Nova Cat Bloodname Houses.

   From several hundred metres away Victor Steiner-Davion watched as two Nova Cat Broadswords dived down over the area Lyran and Davion units reported heavy simulated damage as the two DropShips fired constantly on their drop.  In all his fighting during the Clan War Victor had only ever encountered the Clans using their DropShips to secure a landing zone twice and on both occasions the Inner Sphere force had received heavy damage.  As the first two DropShips landed more DropShips appeared in the lower atmosphere diving quickly on the battlefield, they looked like huge aerospace fighters conducting strafing runs an extremely dangerous move.

   “What on earth?”  Marshal of Armies Jackson Davion exclaimed as the new DropShips strafed the ground one of the vessels, nearly identical to the landing vessels, soared over their position, all of Victor’s command group reported damage then as the DropShips were raising Victor’s own Dire Wolf, Prometheus, rocked heavily as a flight of missiles slammed into the Mech’s back forcing Victor to fight the controls just to keep the one hundred ton monster still standing.  On the ground the first Nova Cats led by an unknown type of Mech was approaching the assembled troops.

   “Let’s introduce ourselves.”  Victor said “Reinhart your company on me, Arden if you want to come you are welcome.  Jackson hold back and join the First Davion.”  Victor said throttling his one hundred ton OmniMech forward.  Beside him Danai Centrella’s seventy-five ton Falconer and Arden Sortek’s Atlas were keeping pace with him.  Further along the line General Reinhart Steiner’s Warhawk led a company of the Tenth Lyran Guard’s most experienced troopers stood providing long range sniper and support fire as they closed.  Behind them stood a company from the First Davion Guards, their commander Marshal Bishop Sortek and Jackson Davion and beside them were the Fox’s Teeth Company, newly outfitted in the latest OmniMechs, under the command of Major Ross McKinnon.  In the surrounding hills were the majority of the Tenth Lyran Guards RCT and a large portion of the First Davion Guards, these forces were partially there to ensure no New Avalon citizens wandered onto the field but also were there in case the Nova Cats decided they wanted to cause some trouble all the support forces were armed with live weapons just in-case the clan force did cause real unscheduled trouble.

   “Damn” Reinhart muttered.

   “What is it Reinhart?”  Victor asked, the General had fought with Victor throughout the Clan War and was his distant cousin on the Lyran half of the family.

   “Admiral Richards informed me that the Nova Cats have deployed fighters in the upper atmosphere and the DropShips are using massed long range weapons to keep her other fighters at bay.  We will be doing this without any aero-support.”  He said Rear Admiral Lisa Mae Richards commanded the RCT’s four Aerospace wings, for this fight two wings had been deployed and now Reinhart had informed him that all forty fighters had been intercepted, not a good start to the battle.

   “Well hopefully the Nova Cat fighters will decide not to interfere, we are having enough fun with their DropShips” Arden Sortek said his Atlas firing lasers and LRMs at the DropShips in a vain attempt to keep the strafing Broadswords at bay.  Unfortunately they had no idea how many DropShips the Nova Cats had as all the Broadswords were painted identically, because of the set up of the exercise Victor had said he didn’t want to know how many Nova Cat DropShips were inbound, on top of that thick cloud cover over New Scotland was limiting visual identification.  For all its beauty Arden hated this continent because of the weather, apparently it was almost exactly the same here as the original Scotland on Terra.

   On the ground clear of the DropShips Star Colonel Canin Rosse looked at the situation, fifteen Mechs were inbound mostly with Tenth Lyran Guards markings and most in the Heavy or assault category.  The Mech’s class and the muddy ground was slowing them considerably however Canin noticed that the Lyran Mechs were constantly looking to the air in anticipation of a DropShip attack.  Canin keyed in his comm. channel to the DropShip commanders “remember low over those troops keep their heads down.”  He said as the Elementals and vehicles of his star arrayed around him.  From the other DropShip Jennifer’s star made up of similar units to his were arriving.  “We hold this landing zone.”  He said as the two DropShips took off one headed straight for the incoming Lyran company while the other circled once then hit the company on the hillside before ascending to a higher altitude.  Just as the DropShips disappeared another two were coming into land and another two were beginning strafing runs.

   “Damn them” Victor muttered the Nova Cat ground forces were holding station and laying out heavy fire despite their small number, combined with the constant overpasses by the DropShips was making closing on the slow going.  As the second pair of DropShips landed doubling the Nova Cats number Victor activated his comm. channel “Jackson, we are going to need you.  Have the Fox‘s Teeth go around and try to flank them.”  He said as more Nova Cats began joining the firing line, Victor only saw a total of four Mechs but there was four times as well as vehicles and ten times as many Elementals giving them a lot of firepower.  Walking forward he triggered all four of his Extended-Range Large Lasers missing the intended Unknown class of Mech and hitting one of the taking off DropShip.

   Canin saw the laser blast at the last moment and stepped out of the way, two blasts struck the ground while another two slammed into the DropShip behind him.  Spinning around he could see the aggressor the charging Dire Wolf, lead Mech of the Lyran Guards “Capture a Clan Mech and think you can fight like a Clan Warrior?”  Canin muttered quietly, before the fight he had told his warriors not to issue challenges to the Davion troops time to break that rule.  Accelerating forward Canin activated the Dragon Cat’s wide spectrum communications system allowing everyone in the area to hear him.  “Dire Wolf pilot, this is Star Colonel Canin Rosse, Watch Cluster, Clan Nova Cat.  I challenge you to a circle of equals may no other enter.”

   Watching as this strange Mech approach the Lyran Guards alone Victor held his fire, mainly because the Dire Wolf was badly overheated, then he was shocked that the Nova Cat commander and he wanted to fight a one-on-one fight, momentarily forgetting it was the Clans he was fighting.  “Star Colonel Canin Rosse, this is First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion, welcome to New Avalon and the Federated Suns.  I will accept your challenge, if you tell us what class of BattleMech you are piloting.”

   “This Mech is a Dragon Cat it is an OmniMech not a BattleMech.  May no other enter.”  Canin answered quickly finishing the ritual, he realized that he had picked the perfect target taking out the First Prince would certainly make an impression on the Federated Suns Military.

   “May no other enter” the Prince repeated, Victor had fought the Clans often enough to know the Clan Warrior would not accept his challenge if he did not say on an open channel that no-other warrior would break their so-called circle of equals.

   “Seyla” Canin said then after a slight pause the Dragon Cat accelerated to eighty-four kilometres per hour suggesting the Mech was a heavy design.  Victor held his fire and tried to track the Mech and line up his shot but Canin did not wait.  Triggering the Dragon Cat’s arm mounted large pulse laser and two medium pulse lasers first tearing into Victor’s Dire Wolf’s left arm armour.  Then the Clan Star Colonel followed up with its missile launchers on the other arm, the Dire Wolf’s computers registered twelve high-explosive missile impacts also on the left arm disabling one of the large lasers.  Victor returned fire with the assault-class ultra autocannon, the Dragon Cat was moving too fast and only the first shells slammed into the OmniMech tearing up armour high on the torso causing heavy simulated damage.  Rosse’s Dragon Cat  did not pause to count damage and returned fire almost immediately with two pearl coloured heavy medium lasers slicing into the Dire Wolf’s torso, the two powerful weapons pierced the armour and damaged the Dire Wolf’s fusion core.  The cockpit temperature inside Victor’s Mech raised several degrees.

   Returning fire with the twenty-tube LRM launcher Victor watched as the Clan MechWarrior turned his Mech violently causing most of the missiles to go wide so only five missiles flew towards the Dragon Cat only to be cut down by the Dragon Cat’s central mounted anti-missile system ‘this guy is good’ Victor thought as the Dragon Cat lashed out again with its pulse lasers, missiles and then heavy lasers.  The pulse lasers again damaged the left arm knocking out another one of Victor’s large lasers, the twelve missiles did more damage than SRMs of Victor assumed they were the Clans new Advanced Tactical Missiles (ATMs) and the heavy lasers did twice the damage of normal weapons cutting deep holes in the left leg‘s simulated armour the computers registered all the damage as real and Victor was once again fighting for control.

   Triggering both remaining lasers Victor caught the Dragon Cat square in the chest with his fire however the Clan OmniMech shrugged it off showing it had strong armour as well as speed and hitting power.  The Clan warrior did not stop his assaults opening up with its missiles and heavy lasers this time cutting into the Mech’s left leg, the battle computers registered a damaged knee actuator and a damaged foot actuator, the Dire Wolf stumbled to one knee Victor barely kept the Mech upright as he used both arms to stabilise and pick up the Mech.  The computers registered the left leg was destroyed and he was barely keeping the one hundred ton Dire Wolf standing.  Victor twisted the assault OmniMech’s torso left tracking the Dragon Cat which once again was travelling at speed Victor fired the LRMs and the assault-class autocannon, the LRMs went horribly wide but the autocannon tore into the left arm disabling the limb and the weapons there.  The Dragon Cat pilot controlled the Mech trough the hit and twisted his own Mech to bring the ATM launcher into play the computers registered nine missile hits each tore into Victor’s autocannon disabling it.  Canin then followed it up with both heavy lasers more armour was registered as gone, a real hit would have boiled off over a ton of armour off the Dire Wolf‘s right torso the computer also registered another hit to the assault Mech‘s fusion engine again, the Dire Wolf stumbled even more as Victor began struggling with a heavily damaged fusion engine and damaged legs.

   Returning fire Victor tied the two remaining large lasers, LRM launcher and four torso mounted medium pulse lasers into a single trigger the lasers hit the Dragon Cat’s left arm again unfortunately the computers registered the limb as gone and the lasers did no damage, the LRMs all headed towards the torso the Dragon Cat’s anti-missile system cut down over half of the missiles so only six of the missiles struck the Dragon Cat causing little damage.  The pulse lasers struck the Dragon Cat’s torso causing the heavy OmniMech damage all over the Mech and two armour breaches.  Finally the autocannon struck the Dragon Cat as well finally finishing the Mech’s fight as the shells tore into the central armour and disabled the fusion engine, however Victor’s assault Mech was in no condition to continue the fight, it could barely move so the rest of the fight would continue without either commander.

   For the next hour and a half the Nova Cats continued to struggle along without their commander with near constant DropShip attacks keeping the Federated Suns troops and at a safe distance but eventually the combined Lyran and Davion Guard force charged the Nova Cat lines, at the same time the Fox’s Teeth attacked from behind mobbing the Nova Cat landing zone forcing the Clan force to surrender.  The damage simulation computers released the Mechs from their damaged state returning them to full combat effectiveness and the Nova Cats were allowed into the nearby firebase.

[Dragon Cat]

Nova Cat Staging Base
New Scotland, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
10th October 3062

   The staging base House Davion had given the Watch Cluster was large enough for a unit twice its size but was very basic in the utilities, it suited Canin fine.  The Lyran and Davion Guards along with the Fox’s Teeth backed off as the Nova Cats got settled.  With his troops secure and all ten DropShips landed Canin ordered the gates opened and Victor’s command lance closed on the firebase.  Reinhart Steiner and Bishop Sortek commanders of the two Regiments had stayed in the field marshalling their troops into DropShips, a battalion of First Davion Guards would remain in the area watching the Nova Cats just in case the Nova Cats decided to attack or cause trouble and keep all non-authorised personnel at a distance of twenty-five kilometres.  Regular aerospace patrols would keep atmospheric guests clear and the FSS Fox would watch the space over New Scotland, the Fox-class Corvette drew plenty of attention but kept everyone at a distance as well.

   With Elementals on the walls and two Athena Heavy Tanks on the main doors Victor’s command knew that they were in hostile territory, even though the Nova Cats were here to work with them.  Victor’s Dire Wolf, Danai’s Falconer, Jackson Davion’s Battlemaster, Arden Sortek’s Atlas, Ross McKinnon’s Black Hawk-KU and a modified Crockett were escorted into six slots in the Firebases Mechbay.  There Nova Cat techs were already overhauling the equipment making them ready for the next patrols or duties.  The group were shown to a clean up area and all, except Victor, were shocked to see Yvonne Steiner-Davion exit the Crockett along with a First Davion Subaltern.  “Yvonne?  I was not aware you piloted” Arden said Yvonne looked over at the young officer then back to Arden.

   “You give me too much credit Subaltern Thompson was the my chauffer today.  I just came along to observe the battle and to see how our guests were welcomed.”  She said each of the senior members nodded their acceptance of the young MechWarrior took cursory glances at the Crockett then wandered off following a Nova Cat elemental out of his Battle Armour.

   “Subaltern” Victor the young officer walked off and snapped to attention “how much did you do?”

   “Very little sire, although your orders were for us to remain out of the fight.  When your Mech was disabled following your fight with the Clan commander Yvonne… I mean the Duchess” he stammered, Victor could understand him using her first name at present they had just finished combat together so he nodded for him to continue “she said that it was not right for a Davion to be on the field and not in the fight.  She released the weapons controls to me and closed to firing range.”

   “Any kills?”

   “I think I got the kill shot on a Nova Cat Hovercraft but I am not sure.  Not enough to claim a kill.”  He said, they had entered the fight late and the modified Crockett’s weapons were not concentrated like other designs it was a pure training Mech.

   “Very good, get cleaned up and watch over the Mechs.  Have a look around if the Nova Cats will let you.” Victor said jogging along to catch up with the rest of the party who were almost out of the Mechbay.

   “Grilling my pilot for no good reason?”  Yvonne whispered with a smile on his face.

   “Just wanted to make sure he followed my orders and kept you out of the fight.”

   “We were fine enough.”  Yvonne said quietly, Victor nodded his sister seemed to have a natural flare for piloting, he wondered how it had been missed for so long and if she would use the talent but that could wait for now the Nova Cat commander was waiting.

   Upstairs in the main building Victor and his party were led into a large amphitheatre, probably the biggest briefing room in the entire base capable of briefing an entire regiments worth of MechWarriors.  They each made their way down the steps and joined Canin Rosse who stood at one end of a large table, Victor was unsure if the table was there before or not.  “Star Colonel Rosse, Welcome to the Federated Suns and New Avalon.”  Victor said giving Canin a slight nod Canin remained silent and returned the nod.  “Allow me to introduce my people”  He said moving from person to person “Marshal of Armies Jackson Davion, commander of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns.  Field Marshal Arden Sortek, Head of the Crucis March the area of the Federated Suns you are currently in.  Duchess Danai Centrella, Clan War Veteran and personal friend.”  Each nodded to Canin as their name was mentioned Canin noticed a slight smile on the Duchess’s face as Victor described her.  “And the last two people you know Duchess Yvonne Steiner-Davion, my sister, and Major Ross McKinnon.”  A smile blossomed on Canin’s face when that was read out.

   “Congratulations Major on the promotion and your upcoming wedding.  Did I not say we would meet again?”  Canin said stepping past Victor to shake Ross’ hand it was a total breach of diplomatic protocol but Canin did not care he knew Ross and Yvonne he didn’t know the others they could wait.

   “Aff, how do you know I am getting married? sir” Ross said, Canin noticed both Marshals shift uneasily at Ross calling Canin ‘sir’ Victor did not seem to notice.

   “Well it is one of the main reasons for us being here.  It is not often the Watch get asked to go somewhere.  Your invite was very generous.”

   “My invite?”  Ross was confused and now Canin was getting angry, if he wasn’t wanted at the wedding why did Yvonne have the invite, he looked at Yvonne.

   “My fault, Major, you never gave me any invites before I left so I made one up for the Star Colonel and his unit.”  Yvonne said explaining things to Ross, Canin‘s anger was beginning to evaporate but he didn‘t like the deception.

   “We are wanted, Quiaff?”  Canin asked looking back to Ross.

   “Aff, I just never realised that the Duchess would make it formal, or that your unit would be so large.”

   “Well a Star Colonel rank demands the troops to match.”  Canin said smirking turning to Victor “I hope our entrance was not too over the top.  Quineg?”  He asked looking back to the First Prince.

   “Neg, Star Colonel, the flare of your entrance and the use of your DropShips in the strafing runs was a surprise but a welcome one.  I believe it made us all re-evaluate your unit’s worth to this contract.”  Victor said, the tactics used only really worked when there was large open spaces for the DropShips to manoeuvre and act like massive aerospace fighters, you also needed the pilots to match the skill required, but he wasn’t about to knock back a complement.  “Where are the rest of your troops?”  Three Nova Cat WarShips and three ground clusters were expected.

   “The True Vision, a Congress-class Heavy Frigate, is waiting in an uninhabited system for clearance to enter the Galax system.  Next month the Blade and Remembrance, two Aegis-class Heavy Cruisers, with the First Nova Cat Guards and the Fifth Nova Cat Regulars will arrive and be ready for assignments.”  Victor nodded, he had hoped for another look at one of the Nova Cat’s new ships but the vessels provided would do very nicely especially the True Vision, combined with the data being gained from the Wolf’s Dragoon’s Beowulf the information on the Congress would be very interesting and helpful for the Federated Suns admiralty‘s future plans.  “Our original deployment plan calls for one WarShip to be deployed at each of your three shipyards, they will be hidden from public view but fully supported during their stay.  The three clusters will exercise with Federated Suns troops throughout the Federated Suns.  One Cluster per Federated Suns March sounds good to me.”  Victor nodded it would keep the Nova Cats apart if they decided to cause trouble and would allow more of his troops to work with the Clan force.

   “You understand the need for secrecy means that any Nova Cat force deployed in the Federated Suns will not be able to publicly wear its own insignia, or formally act as Clan troops.”  Victor said, if the other realms suspected the Federated Suns was working with any Clans there would be a heavy price to pay for the Federated Suns and for the Nova Cats.

   “Aff, all our troops have been briefed and that is one of the reasons for the delay some of our warriors want nothing to do with the Federated Suns unless they are facing them in battle.  The other two clusters are moving other troops into positions currently filled by these troops.”

   “And your own troops?”

   “They are Watch personnel, First Prince, they have to learn to deal with people they do not like.”  Canin said bluntly he had not checked his own troops but knew of at least four who would like nothing more than to enter this room and gun them all down, at one point the would have included himself in that but recently he‘d began to question some of his decisions, they did not like the path the Nova Cats were on and saw their presence here as allies to the Federated Suns as a corruption of the Clan way.

   “Well, we will give you a few days to settle into the base then your unit will be invited to the Major’s wedding on the Rostock continent, near Captain Montgomery’s home town.  At the request of Major McKinnon you will be able to bring a Trinary’s worth of equipment and two OmniFighters will be allowed to join the First Davion fighters for a flyby.”  Jackson Davion said Canin nodded his agreement to the terms but little else.

   “I will inform my people.”  Canin said to Jackson and Ross then turned back to Victor “when is the first exercise?”

   “Well your first exercise is tonight Star Colonel, at the Davion Royal Palace, we will give you a proper welcome.”  Victor said “I will send a VTOL to collect you, best dress please.  No need to hide who you are tonight everyone will know who you are and why you are here.”  Canin nodded, little did Victor know what the Nova Cat’s traditional best dress was, for a second he was tempted to wear that but ultimately he would wear a standard uniform with a couple of additional adornments ensuring he passed for normal for the night, he had never personally liked the traditional dress uniform anyway it was too over the top for him despite Clan tradition.

   “The first exercise for your people will be a training session at the Albion Academy.  Outside Avalon City” Arden Sortek said “we have a piloting and gunnery range there your people may find interesting and some MI6 troopers are wanting to challenge you Elementals with the new Infiltrator Mk. II.”  Canin found the idea of his troops being tested before combat annoying but said nothing, this was their playground he would comply with whatever they laid down for him and his people.

   That night Canin was dressed in a charcoal-Gray full body suit with leather collar, shoulder pads and cuffs, the shoulder pads were branded with the pattern of Nova Cat fur.  On the left breast sat the Nova Cat insignia while on his collar there were three pins.  The first was a full moon pin which designating him as Point One in his Star, the second was a yellow-sunburst set against a blue circle designating him as a Star Colonel while the final pin was a red daggered-star which said he was a MechWarrior, technically Canin didn’t need the final pin, because he was no longer a just a MechWarrior but it felt right to wear it as a reminder of what he was first and foremost a MechWarrior then an officer and member of the Watch so he continued to wear the pin.  Finally his pouch of vineers was attached to the left side of his uniform.  Following his vision of a woman who was not a warrior came from the people of warriors and became one in front of his eyes, which Canin believed could only be Yvonne Steiner-Davion, the vineers were depleted however as was the Nova Cat way he would begin collecting them again.  As he waited for the Federated Suns VTOL, which they could hear in the distance, Star Commander Jennifer appeared at his side.

   “You should not be going to this party, it is not right we socialise with them.”

   “Your opinion Jennifer, not mine.”  Canin said quietly “we followed our Khan’s vision, our Clan is prospering.”

   “Away from the other Clans, we are straying from the teachings of the Founder.”

   “No we are embracing his vision, we have returned to within striking range of the Inner Sphere and Terra.”  Canin said quietly, his voice but a whisper as the Federated Suns VTOL appeared “do you know that right now, we are the closer to Terra than any Clansmen other than the traitorous Wolf’s Dragoons have ever been?”  He said as the VTOL circled, Jennifer looked at him surprised she had not thought he believed in that kind of talk anymore. “And did you know that everyday, every contact we make gives us a better picture of how the Inner Sphere is set out and where would be best to strike?”  He asked as the VTOL landed “for example at present we know there are four WarShips under construction at the Galax Shipyards and two defending vessels?”  He asked walking towards the aircraft, Jennifer was left stunned despite outwardly appearances her commander was still gaining intelligence for their Clan in preparation for resumed operations against the Inner Sphere.  Even though she was totally against the Nova Cats association with the Federated Suns or any other state this relationship was perhaps beneficial after all.  The VTOL lifted off with Canin and began heading for Avalon City, never know he may even pick something interesting up there as well, only time would tell.

[Dragon Cat]

Main Dining Hall, Davion Royal Palace
Davion Royal Palace, Avalon Island
New Avalon, Crucis March, Federated Suns
10th October 3062

   The Federated Suns had gone to every effort to ensure Canin was welcomed by everyone important he may encounter in the Federated Suns baring the most important people of all, the Regimental Commanders.  Instead of them there was the Sandovals of Robinson, the Haseks of New Syrtis and the Sorteks of New Avalon.  Victor’s younger brother a cadet with the AFFS had been recalled to meet him and there was various Brigade and regimental commanders, luckily for Canin there was enough military personnel in the room to keep him sane and Yvonne Steiner-Davion had attached herself to his arm which was a pleasant and welcome distraction anytime, anywhere.  He was also pleased to see Ross and Rachel had been invited as had a good portion of their personnel.

   “So Star Colonel, how do you find New Avalon?  Better than what you may be used to I guess?”  Arthur Steiner-Davion asked as they ate, Canin cleared his mouth before speaking his manners shocking everyone he was sure.

   “Aff, New Avalon is a beautiful planet it reminds me of Barcella in the Kerensky Cluster during summer.  I do prefer the simpler battlefield of war, however, leave politics to leaders and wars to the rest of us.  War is easier to get around and you know who your enemies are, this is beautiful”  He said raising his arms slightly and glancing at Yvonne beside him “but it is complicated and not what I would describe as…”  He paused looking for the words “normal” he finished brining a could of giggles from around the table, including one from Yvonne, Canin could see Victor, Tarncred Sandoval, Arden Sortek, Jackson Davion, Reinhart Steiner and Bishop Sortek all nodding or smiling approving of his choice, he wasn’t really surprised House Davion had always been the most militaristic of the Succession States with the Davion Family had always been involved throughout the military this was possibly one of the unseen reasons the Nova Cats had chosen to talk instead of invade, respect between warriors went a long way for any of the Clans and House Davion was a warrior culture to the bone.

   “I thought we were all friends here.”  Arthur continued “you are here to assist us?”  He said obnoxiously Canin’s expression went a little sour at his attitude.  Canin did not like Arthur’s thought that the Nova Cats were nothing more than hired help the Nova Cats had more than enough power to fight off the Federated Suns if need be and although it would likely destroy the Nova Cat Touman it would also decimate the AFFS and probably dozens of worlds leaving the Federated Suns wide open for assault by its neighbours.

   “We are allies, that does not mean we are friends.  Because the Field Marshals…” he said indicating to James Sandoval, George Hasek and Arden Sortek, “…control areas of the Federated Suns would you say they are your best friends, First Prince Victor?”  Victor looked to them all in turn knowing he‘d successfully found a chink in the Federated Suns armour, politics.  Canin could tell that Victor’s brother and perhaps another couple of people around the table would be a problem.

   “We do our best, but not always.”  Victor said smiling as he agreed with Canin who nodded his thanks “people could be allies and not friends.  But I prefer to think that we will be allies and friends.”  Victor said nodding slightly to Canin remained impassive for a moment then mainly out of politeness he also nodded ‘keep them happy and ignore the little brat’ he thought silently seeing the look on Victor‘s face, the First Prince understood diplomacy Arthur didn‘t that was for sure.

   “That was an interesting insertion method this morning Star Colonel, is that standard among the Watch?”  Reinhart asked changing the subject to things more recent and more tangible Canin noticed Arthur was angry but Victor was happy with the switch in topic and was ready for his answer.

   “Neg, if I am honest the entire idea of a Watch Cluster is not standard either.  The Nova Cats are the only Clan, as far as I know, that has an armed force permanently attached to the Watch.  Most if the other Clans treat the Watch with complete disdain and assign old warriors to the task, the Watch gets little new technology and is left to do a job most of the Clans care little about.  I was the only Bloodnamed warrior to volunteer for duties within the Watch.  Khan West was impressed by the Special Forces of the Inner Sphere, mainly the Draconis Elite Strike Teams, of the Draconis Combine, and your own Rabid Fox troops, he wanted a force of his own so the unit was formed just before your Fox’s Teeth arrived” he said looking to Ross and Rachel. “If we had not been present then they would have faced a regular Battle Cluster and a whole different problem.  The insertion technique we used was something completely new, our pilots were only assigned the Broadsword A1 very recently so they were a little rusty.  They will improve as they get more practice.”  Canin noticed the Federated Suns senior military commanders around the table look slightly surprised and worried at that thought and suppressed his smile he didn‘t need to worry them he needed to gain their trust.

   “Well if you could please pass onto them, from me and the Tenth Lyran, that it was impressive.”  Reinhart said Canin nodded his thanks, the insertion method like the unit was completely new and untested in battle Canin was pleased to receive a plaudit from a successful military commander like the Lyran commander, the Tenth‘s Clan War exploits were well known among the Clans.

   “I will second that, and if I may the First Davion Guards Aerospace Forces and DropShip commanders may borrow some of your pilots for a spell?” Bishop Sortek asked to get such an ask from the Davion Family’s Elite House Guard was a major step forward.

   “My pilots would be happy to pass on what they know and how it could be adapted to your DropShips and units.”  Canin said having the Watch pilots train with the pilots of the AFFS could never be a bad thing, this was a major step whatever happened.  The rest of the meal went relatively quietly there was a couple of questions about the Nova Cat Clan and life as a Clansmen all of which Canin was able to answer easily.  Barring one from Tarncred Sandoval who had been watching him and Yvonne carefully all night.

   “So Star Colonel are you involved with anyone at present?”  Tarncred asked Canin noticed Arthur smirk Canin took that to mean romantically involved with someone, which officially he wasn’t.

   “If you are asking am I having sex with someone on a regular basis” Canin said bluntly a couple of people coughed or choked with surprise at his bluntness not something someone would normally say at this sort of gathering, ‘good‘ Canin thought smiling it was time to show what he truly was and see if they would accept a Clan Warrior being a Clan Warrior in his truest form not some sort of diplomat. “The answer is no” he noticed the people gathered that had not dealt with Clan personnel looked shocked including Yvonne. “We approach relationships differently than you do, in the Clans our military Toumans do not grow naturally most of our warriors are born in Iron Wombs, using genetic engineering.” Several of the people around the table knew this of course they had fought the Clans and Victor’s head of security Tigret was a former Smoke Jaguar Warrior captured during the destruction of that Clan.  “This has made relationships redundant among our front-line warriors, some warriors are looked down on with disdain for forming lasting relationships and within other Clans a warrior could even face adjournment because of a romantic involvement.  The Nova Cats are not so strict but relationships are just as uncommon within my Clan as others many wonder what is the point as their children, if it was even possible, would be looked down on by other members of the Clan for not being Trueborn.  The genetic life of our clan is very important to the Nova Cats as it is with all the clans.”

   “So your single for your whole life, I can see a bonus in that, especially in my class!” Arthur said Tarncred, Victor and the senior Sandoval Duke James Sandoval all gave Arthur ’you idiot’ looks but it was Yvonne who spoke up.

   “You’re sick Arthur, this is not something to discuss on the dinner table with the leaders of any Succession State, more like on the battlefield between drunken warrior of the lower-class or in a Capellan hoar-house.”  She said storming out Danai Centrella left the room moments later as did a couple of the other women.  Arthur did not look bothered in the slightest but Victor looked like he was going to beat Arthur into a pulp, Canin‘s thoughts mirrored Victor‘s but he made sure he kept his thoughts buried under the surface, no weakness no emotion would be showed.

   “Damn Star Colonel, you made quite an impression” Ross whispered leaning in close Canin nodded, he didn’t really care what kind of impression he made on a social level, he cared about making an impact on the martial level.  Looking at the door in which Yvonne had left through he did feel some regret, maybe he had been a bit too blunt.  The rest of the night went smoothly and Canin was soon standing on the side of the palace on one of the many VTOL landing pads waiting for the aircraft to arrive.

   “You’re going to be waiting a while I’m afraid the last ride of the night doesn‘t arrive for a while.” Yvonne said walking out the glass doors her appearance brought a smile to his lips then he noticed the jacket he had given her on Tortuga was in her hands “I’m returning this” she said holding it out to him.

   “It is yours, Yvonne” Canin said refusing to touch the jacket, he would not accept it back, he had given it to her.

   “Star Colonel, I do not want to be just another notch on your bedpost.”  She said Canin didn’t really get what she was meaning but took a step closer she took a step back towards the building doors.

   “Yvonne” he noticed her flinch “listen to me, what we shared was something to be cherished by both of us.  I have never felt like that about anyone I have ever been with.  I don’t know how you felt but I really enjoyed being with you the whole time we were together and tonight when we were together.  I would like to perhaps explore it further”  he said his voice drifting off as the VTOL started to land Yvonne looked at the aircraft and Canin moved in closer, this time she did not retreat “whatever you feel about me, keep the jacket, you look better in it than I ever will.”  He said kissing her on the cheek before turning away and moving to the landed aircraft.  With one last look at her then at the surrounding palace he climbed aboard the VTOL and within seconds the aircraft was airborne whisking him away.

   The combination of the VTOL rotors and the cold midnight air made Yvonne feel cold so without thinking she pulled on the Nova Cat uniform jacket and zipped up the front it felt warm and smelled of Canin even though he had not worn it in months.  Walking back inside she headed to her quarters still wearing the jacket Yvonne saw the Sandovals moving up one of the staircases towards the guest quarters, Victor had invited them, George Hasek and the Sorteks to remain for a couple of days while the Nova Cats moved through Albion training ranges.  Tarncred Sandoval noticed her and hesitated for a moment waiting for her then noticed the jacket, so far Yvonne had told no-one of the Star Colonel’s gift, although it had no Nova Cat insignia on it the jacket was of the same design as the one Canin had worn tonight even down to the three pins on the left collar.  This was the first time she had worn it since returning to the Federated Suns and now that it was on there was no-way she was removing it just because Tarncred had seen her wear it the Baron nodded and then followed his father up the stairs silently, they had a budding relationship before she had met Canin, when the Nova Cats turned over the Fox‘s Teeth and the Thunderchild, she had drifted away from him and now he knew why.  Yvonne did not like the idea of being just another one of Canin’s conquests as Arthur had made it sound but she did not think that was what was going on with the Star Colonel, only time would tell.
 
Mech Piloting Training Range, Albion Academy
South Avalon City, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
11th October 3062

   After watching the cadets go through the obstacle course the Nova Cats were ready for their turn.  Canin’s Command Trinary were here today and he was up first.  For this he had the Nova Cat techs reconfigure the OmniMech’s weapons to the Alpha configuration, which gave him a massive Gauss Rifle, three Heavy Medium lasers, a six-shooter SRM rack and a TAG laser, one of the vehicles in his command star also carried Arrow IV Artillery Missiles and the TAG was aligned to its frequency.  The Dragon Cat Alpha also had five jump jets giving Canin unparallel manoeuvrability compared to the standard design, it was time to show off.  For today’s exercise the Dragon Cat and the whole command Trinary had been repainted in the Watch Parade colours an all-black base coat with silver highlights on the knee, elbow and head assemblies and blue marking the weapon ports.

   “Time to see just how our Star Colonel handles himself” Victor said looking at the assembled gathering “Arthur your lance went through here earlier what was your time?”

   “Four Minutes, twenty-three seconds” Arthur said proudly “I was within the top two percent of cadets this morning and beat all but two of the instructors in the medium weight class.”  He said continuing to boast, Arthur had recently been given his first permanent BattleMech, a gift from Duke James Sandoval, a brand-new fifty ton Enforcer III.

   “Well let’s see if the Star Colonel…” Victor said drifting off as Danai and Yvonne both entered, he noticed Yvonne wore a black jacket similar to the one Canin had worn the night before where she had got it was a mystery to Victor, but one he would investigate. “…let’s see if the Nova Cat Commander can do any better.”

   “Unlikely” Arthur whispered Victor could not wait until Arthur was gone, his time on New Avalon had not been productive.

   “Especially unlikely since the Star Colonel ordered the range techs to set the artificial targeting systems to their hardest settings.  I think the Star Colonel will be lucky to walk his Mech clear of the range.”  The range Commandant said Victor saw Arthur smile but thought that the Star Colonel was more likely to do something a little more impressive than lose to a computer program.

   “Star Colonel Rosse, you may begin when ready” Victor said into the comm.

   “Aff” Canin replied, the Dragon Cat shot forward towards the first obstacle a tunnel with a laser turret at the far end.  Crossing the mouth of the entrance the laser fired but missed the seventy ton OmniMech, crossing a second time Canin fired a blast of heavy laser fire into the tunnel the three opal coloured laser beams vaporised the turret in an instant.  Still in the entrance way Canin ducked the Mech to avoid the dying breath laser blast from the turret and charged down the entrance way, as he exited the tunnel Canin stomped down on the Mechs floor pedals and launched the Dragon Cat skyward the laser trap set outside the tunnel fired but missed the flying OmniMech burning the walls of the tunnel instead.  Twisting the Mech in mid-air Canin launched a gauss slug at one turret and a flight of SRMs at the other.  The gauss slug destroyed its target while the SRMs disabled the turret mechanism shutting down the weapon.  Showing he was an expert pilot Canin twisted the Mech in mid-air again completing a full 360 turn before bringing the Mech into a controlled landing and running on.

   “Wow!” Arthur exclaimed watching the Nova Cat Star Colonel control his Mech, Victor smiled perhaps now his younger brother would understand why the Nova Cats were here.  The Dragon Cat continued on blasting three more turrets in quick succession before reaching the last area.  Four turrets arranged in a semi circle right in front of the observation windows “there is no-way he will get past this without a fight, two turrets cover the sky and one cover each entrance, we all took damage doing this part.”  Arthur said, his own Enforcer III had lost its Ultra-class autocannon in this fight but the large pulse laser had brought him through the fight.

   The Dragon Cat appeared at the entrance and then dodged out of the way narrowly missed by a autocannon blast.  The second time he launched over the small gap using the Dragon Cat’s jump jets twisting the OmniMech’s torso he cut off a gauss rifle slug destroying the closest turret as a pair of PPC blasts and an LRM salvo flew past.  Now with the gap clear Canin stepped into the breach as the three turrets attempted to track his Mech a laser blast destroyed the laser turret, an SRM salvo destroyed the PPC turret and then Canin began running around the LRM turret, the Inner Sphere-tech LRMs unable to track the fast moving OmniMech “what’s he doing?  It has over ten tons of ammo.  He’s wasting time!”  Arthur said as the Dragon Cat twisted its torso still running at full speed “finally!”  Arthur exclaimed expecting Canin to fire, instead the Dragon Cat launched skyward way from the turret turning in mid-air “Fire!”  Arthur shouted, Victor felt slightly embarrassed by his brother Arthur was like a kid watching the display but Victor realised was barely stopping himself screaming the exact same thing.

   “Com’on Canin” Yvonne whispered just as the turret was hit by a missile from directly above, the turret was engulfed in a massive explosion just as the Dragon Cat landed its arms spread wide.

   “Time” the range supervisor said as the Dragon Cat with arms spread wide appeared to take a bow Victor often marvelled at how lifelike the Clan Neurohelmets could make Clan OmniMechs look even with all these years with his Prometheus the technology still surprised him.  “Three minutes, fifty-eight seconds a new course record for the heavy class.”

   “And within the top percent of the medium times” Victor said looking at the display “you see why the Nova Cats are here? Arthur”

   “The last shot was not from the Mech” Arthur said, “he broke the rules of the course” he had to find some sort of fault with an excellent performance although Victor was curious to hear where the weapon had come from himself.

   “We will hear from the Star Colonel when he arrives” Victor said as two Nova Cat Elementals and a small vehicle arrived at the Dragon Cat’s feet.  The Elementals remained guarding the Mech while the vehicles took Canin up to the observation deck.  Canin entered the deck wearing a black jumpsuit, his face and short hair was covered in sweat a towel was around his neck and shoulders.  “Well done Star Colonel, a very impressive score I’m sure it will take a while for our cadets and perhaps even the instructors to beat that time.”

   “Thank you, First Prince Davion, it was quite an impressive course and challenges many aspects of Mech piloting with plenty of gunnery challenges to keep things interesting.  However there are a couple of changes I would suggest starting with…”  Canin began but Arthur interrupted.

   “Hold it Colonel, how did you destroy the last target?  It looked a lot bigger than one of your SRMs.”  Arthur said accusingly.

   “Arthur…”  Victor whispered, he wanted his brother to drop it, this wasn’t the time, if there ever was a time for this not now.

   “It is alright First Prince Davion, Duke Davion” Canin said addressing Arthur with his title the young man seemed to like that further lowering him in Canin’s ratings “before the exercise began I checked with the course supervisor on the rules of the course.  He said that during the exercise they wanted to see MechWarriors fully utilising their Mechs and their personal abilities.”

   “That doesn’t explain why you called in artillery support” Arthur said looking at the data, the explosion could only have come from an Arrow IV Artillery Missile even Victor looking at the information had to agree with his brother, Canin had cheated which left him with a slightly sour taste in his mouth.

   “I am afraid you are wrong, Duke, you see the Dragon Cat carries a Light Targeting Accusation (TAG) Laser specifically tied to Arrow IV Missiles, one of the Epona Pursuit Tanks in my Star has an Arrow IV System currently fitted.  I simply used my OmniMech’s capabilities and my Star Mates capabilities, as any good commander does.  Now if there is nothing else I could suggest some improvements…”  Canin said Arthur remained silent as both Victor and the Commandant Major General Fredrick Hastings both slowly nodded their approval to the unorthodox tactic Canin walked off with Victor and the Commandant .  Across the College training grounds for the rest of the day Nova Cat warriors set records on every course they stepped on.  Arthur was on his DropShip a couple of hours later heading back to Robinson with one clear message ‘The Nova Cats are way better than us.’  It wasn’t a defeatist thought but more of a task Arthur would take on, before the Nova Cats left the Federated Suns he would beat them.

[Dragon Cat]

Robinson Battle Academy
Beuller, Robinson
Draconis March, Federated Suns
18th October 3062

   Merely days after Arthur and the Sandoval family had returned from New Avalon unknown Draconis Combine troops arrived.  The Draconis Combine troops made a direct line to the Robinson Battle Academy and destroyed the prestigious facility, destroying the Robinson Training Battalion in the process and heavily damaging the Second Battalion of the Second Robinson Rangers.  The only reason Arthur survived the attack was because he was on a training exercise with Baron Tarncred Sandoval and the First Battalion of the Robinson Rangers on the other side of the planet, they arrived a few hours after the last Draconis Combine Mech had been taken down.  None of the Combine MechWarrior survived the attack, any who survived their Mech’s destruction committed suicide instead of being captured.  Two days later the worlds of Breed, New Ivaarsen and Royal all Draconis March worlds report attacks by unidentified units of the Draconis Combine again all captured warriors committed suicide but are all Japanese of origin.

   Over the next few days the Draconis March demand retribution for these attacks.  With the Draconis Combine unwilling to apologies or even admit responsibility Victor Steiner-Davion authorises a punitive strike.  The Federated Suns will take seven Draconis Combine words in retribution for the Draconis Combine raids, just like the Combine did with the Lyran Alliance’s Lyon’s Thumb following Lyran attacks on Combine troops.   Victor releases five additional units, including the Davion Heavy Guards RCT with Wolf’s Dragoons Zeta Battalion supporting, the Fourth Davion Guards RCT, the newly commissioned First Federated Suns Lancers RCT, the First NAIS Training Cadre and the Second Crucis Lancers RCT.  Along with these troops Victor assigns two Fox-class Corvettes the Invincible and the Brest to the strike.  But he also warns the ‘Old Duke James Duke’ Sandoval that if the Draconis March over steps the mission boundaries he will come down on them just as hard.  With units moving towards the Draconis March the assaults won’t begin until late December.

Alshain, Ghost Bear Capital
Ghost Bear Dominion
19th October 3062

   Hours after the unauthorised attack against Robinson and on the other border of the Draconis Combine another attack was well underway the four regiments of the Alshain Avenger Brigade supported by the DCS Dragon’s Last Tear, a Tatsumaki-class Destroyer were in position to launch an attack on their Homeworld of Alshain, occupied by Clan Ghost Bear for nearly twelve years.

   The Alshain Regiments had been infiltrated by members of the Black Dragon Society at every level and under their own initiative had organised this assault alone out with regular command levels.  The Black Dragon Society was an underground movement within the Draconis Combine comprised of politicians, business men and members of the military who believed that the spawn of Theodore Kurita, including current leader Hohiro Kurita, were unfit to run the Draconis Combine.  The attack by the Alshain regiments was seen as a way for the Black Dragon Society to force the DCMS to send more troops to secure Alshain and the worlds around it beginning the end of the Ghost Bear occupation of their Homeworlds.

   Unfortunately for the Alshain Regiments Clan Ghost Bear had made Alshain their capital world, in orbit they found an expansive shipyard facility defended by the Nightlord-class Battleship Ursula Major.  The vessel tore into the Dragon’s Last Tear gutting the destroyer in less than twenty minutes, the Tatsumaki-class Destroyer remains slammed into Alshain’s southern plains before the Alshain Regiments made landfall.  The Ground Regiments were attacked in space with a third of their number destroyed before they even made landfall, on the ground the regiments met three Galaxies worth of Ghost Bear troops.  Although they fought valiantly and took down three clusters of troops they were overrun and destroyed after eight hours of fighting.

   Following this unwarranted attack the Ghost Bear Dominion officially declares war on the Draconis Combine and begins launching attacks all along the border, DCMS commanders redeploys units from Federated Suns, Lyran Alliance and periphery borders to counter this threat.  Even with these redeployments by the end of the month the Draconis Combine are under assault on ten worlds and have lost control of three worlds.
 
Wedding Day, Banchory
Rostock, New Avalon,
Crucis March, Federated Suns
31st October 3062

   Although not religious Star Colonel Canin Rosse a trinaries worth of troops attended Ross’ and Rachel’s Wedding on the Rostock Continent.  Instead of going into the church building the Nova Cats stood guard around the entire facility the equipment was all painted in Fox’s Teeth colours covering their identity.  About half the way though the morning a convoy of vehicles arrived and Victor Steiner-Davion, Danai Centrella and Yvonne Steiner-Davion arrived.  Even with wars breaking out all around them and with the entire Draconis March reading for an invasion of the Draconis Combine Victor was showing he still looked after his people.  With so much Clan equipment on hand there was a lot of media attention however when Victor arrived with Danai and his sister the media attention went through the roof.

   In the surrounding area Canin’s five MechWarriors, twenty-five Elementals and ten vehicles, the same type of Trinary Canin had commanded on Tortuga during the time the Fox’s Teeth were there, remained in position the entire day receiving the whole wedding service though their communication systems.

   Following the service the media went crazy again as first with the married couple leaving under the escort of two points of Elementals until they were clear of the town.  Before the media decided to leave completely Victor Steiner-Davion made an announcement to the press.  “Ladies and gentlemen of the press, people of New Avalon and of the Federated Suns in the greater beyond.  Today we have seen a beautiful ceremony and the beginning of a marriage I hope lasts until death parts them.  Witnessing this has moved me to make an announcement” he said reaching back behind him snagging Danai’s hand pulling her forward “I have asked Duchess Danai Centrella to be my wife and she has accepted.”  The cameras went mental in front of them as Victor and Danai sealed the announcement with a kiss.  Another three points of Elementals had maintained an exit corridor, no-one willing to challenge the massive armoured warriors to break the wall.  “Further details will be announced as time moves on” Victor said before he and Danai escaped the media to their armoured limousine, again Elementals escorted them clear of the small town then once clear two Nova Cat armoured vehicles in Fox’s Teeth colours escorted them further away.  With such a big announcement there was very little coverage of the fact the whole Fox’s Teeth was deployed with their commander getting married and that all their equipment was Clan made.

[Dragon Cat]

ProtoMech Trial of Possession
Huntress, Kerensky Cluster
Clan Homeworlds, Clan Space
2nd November 3062

   During a Trial of Possession for ProtoMech technology and a group of former-Smoke Jaguar scientists who worked on the project Clan Coyote Khan Sullivan Koga is killed during combat with Clan Star Adder.  Although the Coyotes are able to secure ProtoMech Technology and the scientists they have lost one of their most brilliant minds, following the loss of their Loremaster during the ill-fated attack on the Babylon Diet the Coyotes withdraw to their holdings as they lick their wounds.  Five days late after fighting off trials from several senior Galaxy Commanders saKhan Silas Kufahl becomes the new Khan of Clan Coyote.
 
Sirius
Sirian Concordance Worlds
Free Worlds League
6th November 3062

   Tensions between the Sirian Lancers and the Free Worlds League Militia had been high since 3061 when the Lancers broke all ties from the FWLM and travelled home.  To the  Sirian Concordance, first liberating the remaining two worlds of the Concordance and setting their leader, General Helen Thrall, as Primus of the Concordance.  The three Lancer Regiments had began cashiering out or transferring non-Sirian born warriors against FWLM regulations.  The FWLM under direct orders of Captain-General Thomas Marik had deployed the Fourth Marik Legionaries and the Thirty-seventh Marik Militia to the worlds in an effort to bring the Lancers to heal and being humanitarian aid to the population of the ravaged worlds.

   On the third November a brawl in a bar sparked the beginning of a fight that would eventually encompass all four worlds of the Concordance and break a relationship.  A Sirian MechWarrior had been in a bar following a long patrol and two Marik Legionaries along with two more cashiered Lancers had entered and assaulted the warrior, putting the MechWarrior in a coma and near death.  The Sirian bar staff and punters had taken offence to one of their own being attacked by the ‘outsiders’ and attacked the Legionaries and the cashiered warriors which resulted in the death of two men and the kidnapping of the other two.  General Adiss Sullivan had ordered her troops to lock down all Sirius towns and block all off-world travel including humanitarian efforts until her men were released.

   On the Fifth the two kidnapped men were found executed with the words ‘Independent Sirius Now’ burned onto their chests.  On the Sixth the three Sirian Lancer Regiments deployed with the Fourth Legionaries and Thirty-seventh Marik Militia on all four worlds as they began a hunt for the perpetrators and a total lockdown including widespread arrests.  The Sirian Lancers under direct orders from General Helen Thrall lined up with the two FWLM regiments but never went a step further, at almost the same time on all four worlds the Sirian Lancers attacked the FWLM units and General Helen Thrall sent a message to Atreus, the Free Worlds League capital, ‘Sirian Concordance declares independence, you are no-longer welcome here.’

   In a whirlwind campaign that lasted six days the Sirian Lancers destroyed the two FWLM Regiments, at the cost of the Third Sirian Lancers the least experienced or desirable Lancer Regiment.  In total they captured nearly one thousand prisoners.  To ensure there was no immediate retribution for these action General Helen Thrall sent a message to Northwind contracting the Stirling’s Fusiliers Regiment of the Northwind Highlanders for additional firepower and sent a message to New Canton requesting SLDF Humanitarian Aid and Protectorate Status saving them from retribution from the Free Worlds League.

   Lieutenant General Harry Sanders of the SLDF on New Canton immediately deploys the Fourth and Fifth Battalions of the First Battle Armour Corps to the Sirian Worlds without authorisation from the First Lord or Commanding-General.  The SLDF troops begin humanitarian aid as soon as they arrive.

Disputed Territory
Schuyler, Pesht Military District
Draconis Combine/Ghost Bear War Front
23rd November 3062

   During the battle for this world the Warlord of the Pesht Military District Tai-Shu Teyasu Ashona fell in battle battling Ghost Bear saKhan Aletha Kabrinski.  Twp days later Tai-sho Tomoe Sakade, the low-born wife of the old Draconis Combine Coordinator Theodore Kurita was elevated to the position by Theodore’s son Hohiro, the current Coordinator.  Although no regiment had fallen, other than those of the stricken Alshain Avenger Regiments, all DCMS troops on the Ghost Bear lines were now taking heavy damage at the hands of the enraged Ghost Bear forces.  Six worlds Maulang, Yamarovaka, Kanowit, Kiesen, Schuyler and Luzerne had all fallen to the Ghost Bears with another ten worlds under attack.  The Star Adders who still controlled three worlds of the occupation zone they once held with Clan Smoke Jaguar had also claimed Turtle Bay for their own however they appeared to be turning against the Ghost Bears instead of the Draconis Combine.

Constance
Ghost Bear Dominion
25th November 3062

   Following a successful trial against the Draconis Combine for ownership of the world of Turtle Bay, a world made infamous by the Smoke Jaguars for their Orbital Bombardment tactic, the Star Adders decided to leave the Draconis Combine to the Ghost Bears instead turning back on the Ghost Bears striking Jarett, Constance and Thule in quick succession.  This move took the Ghost Bears by complete surprise however the Ghost Bear rage soon turns on the Star Adders as they enter other systems the Star Adders find far stronger resistance including the WarShip Bear’s Den, a Black Lion-class Battle-cruiser, in the Pinnacle system.

   After vaporising the Eleventh Armoured Cavalry Squadron (Cluster) of the Star Adder’s Alpha Galaxy with a barrage of Naval Autocannons while the ground troops were still in their DropShips the Bear’s Den brutalises the Exodus Ranger, a York-class Destroyer.  The Ghost Bears claim the WarShip as their own and return it to Alshain for repair and refit.  Following this display the Star Adders hold their assaults into Ghost Bear territory and attempt to fortify their positions content with the new territory they have gained.  The Bears return their anger to the Draconis Combine, the Star Adders will wait for now, the Bears will to continue fighting the Draconis Combine is beginning to diminish.

[Dragon Cat]

Imperial Palace
Luthien, Pesht Military District
8th December 3062

   Despite the war threatening her realm Omiko Kurita knew there was nothing she could do, she was not a warrior at least not one that could affect the course of a battle more like a war.  She was Keeper of House Honour and she was head of the Order of the Five Pillars, a shadow intelligence organisation hidden so deep within the Draconis Combine that nearly no-one outside was aware of its even existence.  Omi had directed the OP5 to assist the Draconis Combine’s ISF as much as they could but there was little they could do against the Ghost Bears, the Clan wanted revenge for an attack on their realm, their capital Alshain a captured Combine world.  Omi understood their mindset and had tried to explain things to her two brothers before they had left Luthien to fight against the invading Clansmen however they did not listen.  Now Omi was reading reports of another potential problem the Federated Suns was preparing to attack, she had not expected Victor to authorise such an attack but according to the report he had assigned additional troops to the operation.

   Reading through the reports Omi was engrossed, although she did not interfere with military matters and would not know where to start fighting a war she found the psychology involved interesting and complex.  Omi was so engrossed she did not hear the attack outside her room which killed her two ISF guards or the assassin slipping into her room.  Just before he struck she sat up straight “why do you do what you do?”  She said making no move to defend herself or look at her attacker.

   “My boss wants to hurt someone” he said his voice muffled thought the mask as he leaned over her and brought the knife up in one swift movement slitting Omiko Kurita’s throat, as she died he held her for a moment “and because she pays good.”  He whispered before slipping out of the room leaving Omi in a pool of blood.  Within an hour a palace servant had found Omi’s body and gotten the word to the ISF who immediately took care of the servant killing her and killing any chance of the word leaking out.  The Palace was locked down by the ISF and everyone who worked there was arrested and taken to secure holding.  Within six hours the word had reached Hohiro and Minoru on the front-lines.

   By the end of the day the entire DCMS aerospace force from WarShips to DropShips to aerospace fighters was active and the borders were secured, vessels trying to leave were stopped and arrested.  Although Hohiro remained on the front with the Genyosha Regiment and the Royal Black Watch of the SLDF, protecting him as First Lord of the SLDF, he did loan the SLS Unity City, the First Lord’s personnel vessel to Minoru he set out to find and eliminate the assassin who killed Omiko.

Federated Suns Retribution Strikes
Draconis Combine Proserpina and Irurzun Prefectures
22nd December 3062

   In a move reminiscent of Hanse Davion and the Federated Suns of the Fourth Succession War Baron Tarncred Sandoval leads six House Davion RCTs, one Robinson Ranger regiment, two mercenary regiments and two mercenary battalions supported by two Fox-class WarShips across the border into the Draconis Combine in retribution for the attacks against Robinson and three other Federated Suns worlds.

   Like the Fourth Succession War attacks Sandoval drops units on all seven targeted worlds Marduk, Paris and Tripoli, in the Irurzun Prefecture, and Fellanin II, Sheat, Kathandu IV and Prefecture Capital Proserpina, in the Proserpina Prefecture at once overwhelming the Draconis Combine defenders with the sheer speed and power of the assaults.  On all targeted worlds the Davion forces neutralise communications first surrounding the ComStar HPG centres first without actively interdicting the sites, to avoid ComStar’s wrath.

   The only three worlds to put up any real fight are Fellanin II, Proserpina and Marduk, the DCMS has recalled most units to the Ghost Bear border to deal with what they saw as a greater threat.  On Fellanin II the Second Crucis Lancers RCT and Wilson’s Hussars, a mercenary regiment of low technological and experience value but under Federated Suns employ, encounter the First Shin Legion protecting a BattleMech factory and warehouses.  Surprised to find a Veteran DCMS Regiment the Second Crucis Lancer prepare for a long fight against the DCMS troops, unfortunately their mercenary allies charge in and are destroyed to the man in a fast brutal battle.  The Second Crucis Lancers ready for a long battle were surprised when the Shin Legion offered them a stand up battle, they were ready to die like true samurai.  The Second Crucis Lancers met them on the plains south of the capital city and in a four hour battle the Shin Legion was destroyed as was a regiment of armour and a regiment of Infantry from the Crucis Lancers, the world was now in Federated Suns hands.

   On Proserpina the First Robinson Rangers, Davion Heavy Guards and Wolf’s Dragoons Zeta Battalion encounter both remaining Proserpina Hussar Regiments the First and Fourth.  In Proserpina’s hostile environment, caused by centuries of war the two sides clashed several times over a week of fighting before one massive battle to end all battles two kilometres outside the capital Conqueror’s Pride.  In an epic battle of sixteen hours both Draconis Combine Regiments are devastated and destroyed, although roughly a battalion of Battle Armour escape into hiding following a mix-up between the Davion Heavy and Zeta Battalion.

   With the battle over and a Draconis Combine Prefecture Capital in their grasp the Federated Suns forces take stock of what they have captured a prefecture capital and two major defence industries for the Draconis Combine.  The cost however also hits home the First Robinson Rangers, Pride of the Draconis March, is destroyed Baron Tarncred Sandoval sends the survivors back to Robinson with one other casualty.  During the heavy fighting Leftenant Duke Arthur Steiner-Davion’s Lance and the adjoining company had been singled out by a Battalion of the Fourth Proserpina Hussars, somehow they had found out Arthur was there.  The entire company is destroyed and the surviving MechWarriors beheaded, Arthur is found hours later when a Robinson Ranger force arrives and secures the area.  Arthur is still inside his Enforcer III killed by a stray autocannon shell that had penetrated the cockpit.

[Dragon Cat]

One comment I'll make before posting the next bit, I know Clan Nova Cat and the Federated Suns get a lot of coverage in these early years.  There's big reasons:

number 1) I needed to build up a few characters within these two realms, Danai Centrella, Yvonne Steiner-Davion, my own character's Canin Rosse and Zane Carns (who is based off the canon character Zane from Path of Glory) and surprisingly Victor Steiner-Davion and Morgan Hasek-Davion, the first who is now cast as a working First Prince instead of the wandering warrior and the second who survives Serpent to become the first SLDF Commanding-General

The establishment of these characters in their differing roles from Canon I saw as important markers in where the story was going

number 2) the rest of the factions have a quiet time around now rebuilding mostly, and they get plenty play in the future, I realized myself that they had less development in the story than I intended (they are fully developed in my notes but less so in the posted stories.

Enough of that, hope you enjoy and back to the story

[snakespinner]

That was a pretty big update. Made my day. O0
I noticed Wilson's Hussars got killed again. No one likes them. ::) >:D

[Dragon Cat]

That was a pretty big update. Made my day. O0
I noticed Wilson's Hussars got killed again. No one likes them. ::) >:D

More of a fully telling of the story instead of bullets you get the full thing, I've always done it like this, the forum version was just for easy following

On the Hussars two words - Cannon Fodder  #P }:)

Into the next year...

3063

Robinson (Federated Suns)
Ghost Bear Front (Draconis Combine)
1st January 3063

   On Robinson hearing of Arthur’s death in combat and the success of the strike in general Duke James Sandoval calls for further assaults but Victor orders the troops to hold their ground in the captured territory and begin efforts to integrate the worlds into the Federated Suns Draconis March.

   On the Draconis Combine leader Hohiro Kurita, fighting the Ghost Bears, agrees that he has lost the worlds to the Federated Suns and for now he cannot recapture them refuelling the Black Dragon Society Movement within his realm.  He asks for Star League Observers and Star League troops to be sent to the region to ensure that Draconis Combine citizens and officials and any prisoners of war are allowed to return to the Draconis Combine.

Draconis March Militia Base
Bennet III, Draconis March
Federated Suns
8th January 3063

   An unknown reinforced Battalion of BattleMech and Battle Armour forces with heavy aerospace support assault the Federated Suns world of Bennet III presumably for the Federated Suns annexing of Proserpina months before.  During the fighting the enemy forces destroy everything in their path destroying large portions of the spaceport and the March Militia.

   Leftenant Jean Graves a skilled MechWarrior, graduate of the demanding and controversial Point Barrow Academy and a graduate of Officer Candidate School lead her company, The Graves’ Dancers, through the fighting against orders to a Union-class DropShip forcing the vessel’s commander to take off and get them off the world.  Although Jean says she does not remember what happened ever member of the unit tells the same story that Jean Graves knew exactly where every single shell was going to land during the chaos and saves ever single one of them from joining the rest of the militia in their deaths that night.  Their commandeered DropShip burns to the jump-point where they commandeer a Merchant-class JumpShip and force its commander to take them out of the system. 

   Following the end of the battle and the enemy forces retreat from Bennet III the AFFS Draconis March Command on Robinson declare Jean Graves and her unit a threat to national security and charge them with Disobeying a superior’s orders, being Absent Without Leave, Damage to National Property, Theft of Property Belonging to House Davion, Damage to Property Belonging to House Davion and kidnapping of the DropShip and JumpShip crews placing a One million bounty on Jean Graves head.

Star League High Command
Kittery, Capellan March
Federated Suns
15th January 3063

   SLDF Commanding-General Morgan Hasek Davion recalls the Third Brigade of the SLDF, the Twenty-eight Hussar Regiment plus attached units, to Kittery.  Attaching the Second Battle Armour Battalion, formerly attached to Second Brigade and the Second BattleMech Regiment, Morgan sends the Third Brigade to the captured worlds to ensure an orderly transferral of power.  The SLDF contract Group W Mercenary Regiment to assist in operations in the St Ives Compact following the end of their current Lyran contract on Solaris IV.

   Morgan Hasek-Davion sends a message to New Avalon and Robinson informing Victor Steiner-Davion and Duke Sandoval of the move, Victor announces approval for the inclusion of SLDF Peacekeepers while James Sandoval is not amused that the Draconis Combine do not believe his son Tarncred would not treat prisoners properly and lodges a formal complaint but allows the move.

   On Robinson Arthur Steiner-Davion’s body arrives, following approval from Victor his brother will lie in state on Robinson for a period of two months before being buried in the Robinson Royal Cemetery as per his wishes.  The Draconis March see this as a great honour and his body is visited by over one million inhabitants of the March.  Victor travels to Robinson with his sister Yvonne Steiner-Davion and in a private ceremony they say goodbye to their brother.  Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion is invited to say goodbye to her brother but refuses to enter the Federated Suns and Peter is unreachable on Zaniah.

Illyrian Palatinate/Marian Hegemony
Periphery
19th January 3063

   On the orders of his father Caesar Sean O’Reilly his son and heir to the thrown Julius O’Reilly leads a quarter of the Marian Hegemony Legions to the Illyrian Palatinate conquering the tiny group of worlds in just six months of heavy fighting.  Surrender June 30th 3063.  Although the more and more unstable Caesar had hoped this might get his son killed it actually rallied more support to Julius than he already had.

[Dragon Cat]

Training Grounds near Castle Barcella
New Scotland, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
21st January 3063

   With Victor and Yvonne both off planet visiting their brother’s body on Robinson Danai Centrella had decided that she would leave them to it, she had not known Arthur well and so had remained on New Avalon deciding to go and see the troops that had come with her from the Magistracy.  These troops had come through the Clan War and to the Federated Suns into exile, sometimes she thought she didn‘t spend nearly enough time with them.

   Being back in her Falconer and with the Magistracy troopers felt good there was none of the politeness of the palace just the troops and their equipment.  She had chosen to exercise on the New Scotland continent, as far from the First Davion and the Tenth Lyran Guards as she could get, they were near the visiting Nova Cats but she knew the Clanners would not interfere in the exercise without an invitation.  “Battalion battle-line north point four” she ordered the battalion formed up on her position but were so slow, even with better equipment, they had allowed things to slip when she was away.  “Com’on people battle-line south six” she ordered again the battalion turned and formed up “east eight” she said turning the Battalion again, they were beginning to show the speed they used to have.  Danai noticed the emergency communication channel for the First Davion was lit.  She keyed in the channel “this is Danai Centrella” she said completely forgetting who she was talking to, when she was with her troops she dropped the ‘Duchess’ and any rank, they were her people.

   “Duchess, this is Field Marshal Bishop Sortek”

   “Go ahead Marshal” she said the day-to-day battalion commander was continuing the drill.

   “Duchess, a group of DropShips bearing Capellan Confederation markings is burning towards your location.  They have destroyed the WarShip Murmansk and have avoided the Fox.  I have troops mobilising now but the will not get there in time.”  The fact the two Fox-class Corvettes defending the system had proven ineffective would trouble the Federated Suns admiralty for a while, and Danai would have quite a bit to say about it, if she survived this.

   “How large a force?”

   “At least a regiment.”

   “We will hold” she said, if it was a full regiment they could be in trouble, why would the Capellans want to attack New Avalon now?  And why would they be coming after her?”  Danai noticed another comm. frequency activated, an outside channel.  “Hold on Field Marshal, I someone else on the line keying you in.”  She said crossing the frequencies “this is Duchess Danai Centrella.”

   “Duchess Centrella, good to hear you are in good health and with your men and not the others prepare to surrender and join our forces.”  A male voice said as the DropShips prepared to land, the thickly accentuated English was decidedly oriental.

   “Who are you and what do you want?  This is Federated Suns territory and you provoking a War by attacking us.”

   “I am clearing up some family issues you have and rescuing you from the Davion Hoard.”  The voice said as the first of four Overlord-class DropShips landed.

   “I have no family issues and will not be surrendering.”  Danai said switching to open bandwidth communications “this is Duchess Danai Centrella of the Federated Suns" she stated clearly showing where her new loyalties laid "to the DropShips landing three kilometres north of my location on the New Scotland continent of New Avalon.  You are ordered to stand-down, surrender your personnel and equipment to my forces and submit to interrogation.”

   “We will not!” the voice said, his voice now taking on a even more mandarin sounding accent, very Capellan.

   “Then you are considered enemies of the Federated Suns prepare to be destroyed.”  She said “Field Marshal Sortek, having you people here would be good as quickly as possible.”  She said in the other frequency then switched over to her own troops before the First Davion commander could manage.  “Head south people, they outnumber us at least three to one, let’s not make this easy for them.”  She noticed another comm. frequency flashing “what is it?!”  She shouted activating the comm. channel.  As the Battalion began to turn and move away from the incoming enemy troops.

   “Duchess, this is Star Colonel Canin Rosse Watch Cluster, can my people assist?”  Canin Rosse asked, Danai had completely forgotten about the Nova Cats based on this remote continent.

   “We are under assault by an unknown regiment of troops who have already assaulted the Federated Suns naval defence forces in system and plan to land just north of my position.”  She said moving with her regiment south as the fastest elements of the enemy force charged forward.  Danai could see the regiment looked very Capellan in its make up and the lead light Mechs all had the stylised skull of the Capellan’s Elite Death Commandos she said just as a pair of Aerospace Fighters carrying Capellan Confederation insignia flew past.  “They appear to be the Capellan Confederation’s Death Commandos.”

   “Understood bring them to the co-ordinates I am transmitting and leave it to us.”  Canin said cutting the frequency Danai read the co-ordinates they were two kilometres south east near the mouth of a deep canyon.

   “People turn south east drive towards the canyon” she said her battalion began a fighting retreat targeting the Capellan light Mechs as they got close, Danai herself sent a Gauss Rifle slug and several laser blasts into a forty ton Snake disabling the Mech as the lasers weakened the left leg and the gauss slug ripped the limb clean off.  ‘If they are all like that I can take them myself’ she thought as they retreated, now heavier enemy Mechs were arriving led by a fast moving fifty-five ton Men Shen OmniMech.

   On the OmniMech’s back were four Fa Shih Battle Armour troopers who launched from the Capellan Mech onto her Falconer.  After fighting the Clans Danai and all her MechWarriors knew how to deal with Battle Armour as they began cutting into her Mech’s armour Danai forced her Mech into a controlled fall and immediately rolled over crushing three of the four Fa Shih troopers under seventy-five tons of moving BattleMech.  Picking herself she watched as one of her MechWarriors piloting a brand-new Templar OmniMech, the Federated Suns had gifted the battalion as a welcoming gift, die as a Death Commando Ti Ts’ang buried its massive axe in the Templar’s cockpit the Assault OmniMech fell backwards off the axe its cockpit nothing more than a gaping hole.

   Danai turned on the sixty ton Capellan Mech firing her Gauss Rifle, PPC and four lasers into the Mech as the Falconer’s weapons burned armour and the Endo Steel Skeleton of the Ti Ts‘ang so much damage near the Extra-Light Fusion Engine was too much and the Mech exploded turning sixty tons of equipment and a pilot into a crisp.  Although compromised with an overheating Mech Danai’s Mech was still faster than most Inner Sphere heavy Mechs and made it to the mouth of the canyon, there were no Nova Cat’s present.  “Star Colonel Rosse, we are here” she said there was no reply as she watched the Capellans fanned out three Battalions of Mechs and another battalion of Battle Armour.  The Capellans slowed to a walk as if savouring their victory “Star Colonel, we could really use your help here.”  She said more desperately still no response “damn, damn, damn!” she cursed the Capellan’s had tricked her, they had somehow faked up the Nova Cat commander’s voice and now her troops were stuck, how the Capellans had even known about the Nova Cat presence on the planet was a complete mystery.  Their only chance was to run into the canyon and hope there was an exit “in the canyon now!” She ordered the Magistracy troops retreated into the narrow canyon although it would allow the Capellans to move above them and behind the Magistracy Battalion would always have a way out at the far end for an hour they evaded the Capellans until they reached a box-canyon, the end of the road a few of the Magistracy troops could use their Mech’s jump jets, Danai included, to escape the Canyon but that would leave the others to be slaughtered and although the Magistracy troops could probably hold the Capellans in the canyon they could not hold the troops moving above the canyon.  They only thing they could do is try to survive until the First Davion or Tenth Lyran arrived to break the Capellan unit.

   Meanwhile the Jiang-jun Michael Hyung-Tsei was thinking this was his easiest job ever, whoever this Star Colonel the Canopian whore was talking about he wasn’t turning up and the inept periphery troops had driven themselves into a box canyon which although gave them good cover soon his troops would have surrounded them.  There was suddenly a scream on the Death Commando comm. frequency from some of the outlaying elements then dead.  “Report!” the commander screamed the Davions could not have gotten here yet their agents in Avalon City had disabled over dozen DropShips and ground transport was notoriously bad on this planet.  More of his troops disappeared from the screens someone was attacking them, probably just a passing Davion patrol or Aerospace forces on runs but he couldn’t see them or get an accurate picture of what was going on.  This left one thing for him to do “FOR THE CHANCELLOR!”  He shouted driving his ninety ton Yu Huang  forward at full speed into the box canyon “full assault I want the Duchess secured or dead now!”  The other Death Commandos quickly moved with him faster Mechs charging into the Canyon slower Mechs following him in.

   “Victor, I love you” Danai whispered her Gauss Rifle was down to the last three shots and many of her troops were completely out of ammo there was no help for them only for them to stay at the back of the Canopian lines and when the Capellans moved into melee range try to engage them in hand-to-hand combat.  As the next wave of Capellans moved forward Danai fired her last few shots then waited for the slaughter with only her PPC and three active lasers for defence most Medium Mechs would overpower that kind of armament and even her jump jets were now offline damaged in one of the running battles they had fought in the canyon and left unnoticed and unused Danai switched them to idle ensuring they would not be triggered in the damaged state which could end up killing her by her own battle educed mistake.

   Above Star Colonel Canin Rosse was ready for his big entrance however, the Duchess’ battalion had moved faster than he had expected and the Capellans had pushed them further into the canyon so he had to reorganise.  They were finally ready, the fighters and DropShips had gone to attack the Death Command DropShips on the ground and defenceless while his armour troops had began to systematically take out the two battalions deployed above the canyon.  Activating their jump jets Canin led a team of five Mechs and fifty Elementals launched into the canyon, using controlled bursts they landed just ahead of the Canopians “Battle-line now!  No-one gets through, full push move!”  Canin said the Nova Cats certainly did go to work led by five heavy and assault OmniMechs the fifty Elementals began swarming every Mech they could get close to, five troopers per Mech.  “Sorry we are late Duchess, stay behind me.” Canin said triggering both Heavy Large Lasers, the oversized opal-silver beams sliced into a Death Commando medium Mech like a knife in hot butter, they were the centre armament of the Dragon Cat Charlie Configuration and although they produced a lot of heat Canin liked them, guided by the Dragon Cat‘s standard targeting computer they could be used to their full potential and the oversized laser beams produced one of the highest damage ratios in all the Clans.  Against Clan opponents the Heavy Laser suffered from a lack of range however against the Inner Sphere most of the time they were equal in range leaving it down to the skills of the pilot to win the fight and Canin knew that ninety percent of the time Inner Sphere pilots had not chance in matching him or any of the other Nova Cats.

   “Better late than never, although I did begin to wonder” Danai replied tears were running down her cheeks, as she watched the Nova Cat Elementals and Mechs go to work she began to understand why Yvonne and the McKinnons trusted the Nova Cats so much.  She had seen the Clans fight on dozens of occasions during the Clan War and every time they had frightened her, this time included.  Unlike the Jade Falcons or Smoke Jaguars the Nova Cat Elementals did not sadistically move from cockpit to cockpit killing downed pilots who refused to surrender but their shots, especially their laser shots, were deadly accurate with almost every shot disabling a weapon or actuator on an enemy picking them to pieces.

   The new OmniMech the Nova Cat Star Colonel certainly did the job it was asked to she though watching as twelve missiles launched from deep within the Mechs chest and fire blossomed over the next Capellan Mech with twelve successful hits, she wondered if Victor could secure a couple of Regiments of them, that would give our enemies something to worry about she thought as the Dragon Cat tore another medium Capellan Mech to pieces with its lasers, these Nova Cats were not adhering to the duelling rules of the Clans, Zellbrigen, which made them even more dangerous.

   “Well we had a little trouble finding a good point to make a real entrance, you certainly do move quickly.”  Canin said triggering only one Heavy laser and one Extended-Range Medium laser to allow the heat sinks deal with the heat his Mech had built up from the first couple of salvos “also I had to direct some forces to their DropShips, would not want any of these dezgra escaping” he said looking at the comm. frequency it was set to general broadcast so the Death Commandos could hear as well ‘good’ Canin though keying in his Light TAG laser, the Dragon Cat was designed to be a command Mech and came with all the perks that involved including lots of electronics.

   Moments later an Arrow IV Missiles slammed into a Capellan Emperor flattening the Assault Mech.  Watching the Emperor explode the Jiang-jun Michael Hyung-Tsei heard this so-called Clansmen say the DropShips were under attack and began to pull back his forces, they were fanatically loyal to their Chancellor but being captured on New Avalon had not been part of the plan.  Four DropShips destroyed fighting the Murmansk was more than enough to capture this Canopian bitch.

   “We have them on the run, kill them all” Canin roared seeing the Capellan retreat driving forward firing at multiple targets as he went, the DropShips and fighters were under orders to disable or destroy the DropShips then hunt down every enemy Mech they detected, as far as the Nova Cats were concerned this was a Trial of Annihilation against the invading force.  Canin spotted a large Capellan Mech, about ninety-to-ninety-five tons he charged at the Mech firing both Heavy Large Lasers then both Extended-Range Medium lasers then both six-tube ATM launchers, the attack devastated the Capellan Mech although it did not fall instead as Canin’s Mech overheated and began to shutdown the Capellan Mech moved forward closer its big left arm raising, Canin was sure this was his end that he would be beaten in the background he could hear Danai Centrella and several other Nova Cats scream warnings but the Dragon Cat was severely overheated there was nothing Canin could do as the Capellan Mech finished raising its weapons to firing position he closed his eyes ready for the end.

   The pilot of the lead Clan Mech that had landed in front of Danai Centrella had charged forward and devastated the Jiang-jun Michael Hyung-Tsei’s Yu Huang however he had also overheated his own Mech as the Death Commando raised his massive assault autocannon to fire he took his time savouring the moment.  Just then the front of the assault Mech was engulfed in a massive explosion as a large missile slammed into the Mech.

   Canin felt his Mech buffeted by an explosion and was sure that was the Death Commando Mech firing however then there was nothing instead the Mech came back alive and Canin looked at the sensors of the cooled Mech, the Yu Huang lay dead on the ground “who the hell killed that Mech?”  He asked, his Mech had been in the way of a clear shot.

   “You did” Danai said “the TAG your Mech carries was still active” she said Canin looked at the Light TAG laser, the Dragon Cat’s systems showed the laser was dead damaged earlier in the fight.  “The loss of that Mech broke their backs the Capellans are in full retreat and I have word that elements of the First Davion and the Tenth Lyran are en-route and being directed to their DropShips by your armour forces.”  Danai said as she moved her Falconer up alongside Canin’s Dragon Cat.  “Thank you for the save Star Colonel, I can see why you have so many admirers among the people here, I just became one of them.”  With their DropShips disabled by the Nova Cat fighters and DropShips the Capellans had nowhere to run.  Thirty Death Commandos were captured over the next two hours, eight of them captured by the Nova Cats.  Two enemy warriors remained unaccounted for.

Front Lines
Ghost Bear/Draconis Combine War
23rd January 3063

   The Draconis Combine strikes at four Ghost Bear Dominion worlds Stemwerde, Ardoz Kernice and retakes Kiesen securing all in fast Trials of Possession.  Coordinator Hohiro Kurita standing on Stemwerde two jumps from Alshain sends the Ghost Bear capital a message via HPG that he wants to end the conflict began with the dishonourable actions of his troops.  The Ghost Bear Khans reply saying they will stop the conflict when they see fit and attack the world of Byesville, DCMS troops on planet hold firm.

[Dragon Cat]

Zi-jin Cheng, Forbidden City
Sian, Capellan Confederation
25th January 3063

   The Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation was not pleased the Death Commandos, his ‘elite’ guard had failed to secure one person from the clutches of the Federated Suns and his nemesis Victor Steiner-Davion.  To make matters the St Ives Compact was still holding out even with the Trinity Alliance support and the Capellan WarShip fleet.

   For now it was damage control looking at the Tri-Vid recorder he nodded and the tech switched on the recorder “In response for the accusations levelled at the Capellan Confederation that Death Commando troops invaded the Federated Suns, and even the capital system of that planet New Avalon, I prove to you this is a lie.”  He said stepping over to four guards all in Death Commando uniform “this is Jiang-jun Michael Hyung-Tsei commander of the Death Commandos” he said at the first man, who looked nothing like the Death Commando commander but then Death Commando identities were kept secret.  “As you can see he is here with three of his men defending the Forbidden City from Davion spies and would-be assassins.  This evidence the Federated Suns claim to have is obviously fabricated and I welcome Star League Observers to Sian to see the Death Commandos in their splendour.”  He said as the Tri-Vid recorder cut our, the Red Lancer Regiment was at this very moment repainting its equipment down stairs.  “Package that and post it following the Davion claims of the Death Commando raid.”  Sun-Tzu said glaring  the tech nodded and took the recorder away “get out!”  Sun-Tzu shouted suddenly at the four Red Lancers dressed like Death Commandos.  “Zahn!”  he shouted at the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces field commander.

   “Yes, excellency!”  Talon Zahn said stepping from behind the throne.

   “Strike the Death Commandos from the rolls permanently.  Burn all reference to them and form a new guard.”

   “What shall this new guard be called?”

   “The Anti-Victor Steiner-Davion Squad” Sun-Tzu said Talon didn’t question the name as he walked towards the exit, the Capellan Chancellor would change it when he saw fit, for now the name would be a state secret.  “On second thought” Sun-Tzu said “call it the Centrella Black Guards.”  Sun-Tzu said as Naomi Centrella entered in a beautiful silver dress.

   “What’s this?”  The Magistracy of Canopus leader asked hearing her family name, she knew nothing of the Death Commando raid.

   “The new name of my Death Commandos, the Centrella Black Guards” Sun-Tzu said walking up to her wrapping his arms around her waist “you like?”  He asked.

   “Yes” she said as he kissed her “Talon, you can leave” Naomi said it wasn’t a question Talon Zahn nodded and left, he didn’t like getting bossed about by the Periphery leader but had decided months before that there was no point in fighting the inevitable, Naomi Centrella and Sun-Tzu would marry and Naomi would become his boss, at least she would be more sane than Sun-Tzu sometimes was, then again recently Naomi had shown she had her own sadistic streak Talon stopped for a moment thinking about Naomi as worse than Sun-Tzu a shudder ran down his spine as he began hurrying along, that was a scary thought.  Sun-Tzu’s denial of Death Commando attack launched two days later when Victor Steiner-Davion complains to SLDF and increases Federated Suns presence in St Ives Compact to five Regiments increasing the resistance given to the Invading Capellan Forces.

SLS Covenant, Bridge
Nadir Jump Point
Sirius, Sirian Concordance
28th January 3063

   Morgan Hasek-Davion could feel he was getting too old for this constant travelling between planets, no sooner had he arrived on Proserpina with the Twenty-eighth Hussar Regiment and Third Brigade had a message caught up with him requesting his presence in the newly christened Sirian Concordance, a breakaway state of the Free Worlds League.  The Sirians were requesting immediate aid from the SLDF and in return they were willing to allow SLDF troops to be garrisoned on the Sirian Concordance worlds permanently.  This was an opportunity that Morgan could not allow to slip through his grasp so he had begun travelling to Sirius.

   En route he had been joined by the SLS Covenant, the Star League’s newest WarShip, the former Kirishima was now modified to Star League needs and Morgan had named it Covenant just before he had left Kittery.  The ship modified at New Syrtis shipyards and was near completion when Morgan had been asked to deploy forces to the Draconis Combine/Federated Suns border.  The ship’s new commander Commodore Anders Hellenic had put the ship into service and they had followed Morgan’s JumpShip, when Morgan had gotten detoured they had changed course and intercepted now he would arrive in the Sirius system in style.

   Now on the final leg of the journey the Covenant entered the Sirius system only to be confronted by a Free Worlds League Agamemnon-class Heavy Cruiser.  As alert sirens sounded throughout the ship Morgan moved to the bridge, despite his journey to and from the Clan Homeworlds he was still uncomfortable moving in zero-gravity.  Reaching the Covenant’s bridge Morgan took quick stock of the status screens and at the holo-tank which gave them a full three dimensional view of the surrounding space with the Covenant dead centre.  “Visitors, have they hailed us?”  He asked moving to the holo-tank.

   “Negative, as soon as we dropped in system they deployed all four of their DropShip, all Assault craft, and a squadron of fighters.  No sensor screens or weapon lock-ons.  I have DropShips ready and pilots in their fighters but nothing launched.”  Anders Hellenic said, Morgan could see the Commodore’s hand hovering over the comm. frequency one word from Morgan would launch everything the Covenant had and then they would be in a real stand-off.  Looking back to the holo-tank there was four medium-sized blips near the Agamemnon representing the DropShips and six smaller aircraft moving around in a large circular pattern.

   “Okay so they want us to play the first ball.”  Morgan said from what he could remember of the Agamemnon’s firepower it outgunned the lighter Covenant, had more DropShips and the same amount of fighters but lacked armour to survive drawn out combat and lacked speed to keep up with an opponent.  “They want us to hover here in a stand-off, there are people on Sirius that need our help.  All ahead full.”

   “Aye, sir.  Weapons status and fighter status.”

   “We are not here to make war Commodore.  All weapons stand-by, as soon as we reach flank speed stand-down your fighters and the DropShip crews.”  Morgan said Anders did not look convinced but gave the orders and the Covenant’s massive drive engines roared into life quickly accelerating past 1G, 2G reaching 2.5G its safe cruising flank speed if need be the Covenant could accelerate up to 4G however that kind of speed could stress the engines and was very uncomfortable for crew and passengers.

   As the vessel was passing the Free Worlds League Heavy Cruiser at under five hundred metres the crew held a collective breath if the Agamemnon wanted to attack now would be the time.  The Covenant accelerated past the vessel the Free Worlds League WarShip Skipper unwilling to start an interstellar incident held fire and the Covenant continued to accelerate.  Within the hour the Covenant was deep in the system and the Agamemnon was leaving the system, the Free Worlds League would have to rethink their strategy with the Sirius Concordance.

Primus Helen Thrall’s Office
Lost Hope, Sirius
Sirian Concordance, Chaos March
30th January 3063

   Three days later the Covenant established orbit over Sirius IV and Morgan Hasek-Davion’s DropShip dropped down on the battered world of Sirius IV-a, the moon of the planet.  Of the three settlements in the system Sirius IV-a was the most habitable and most populous and the location of system and Concordance government.  Landing Morgan could see that the moon colony was in bad shape and before he had even reached the government buildings he had decided that this would be a protectorate.

   Entering the building Morgan heard the door pressurise behind him before he, his bodyguard and two clerks were allowed in the main building, even with the breathable atmosphere the buildings were still pressurised due to the low pressure outside.  Looking at the living condition and standard of life reports on the system Morgan had wondered why anyone would want to live there then read deeper into the report although the system had nearly no heavy industries it made more gross national profit (GNP) than some of the Succession Lords major planets.  This was due to the massive natural resources the planets of the system had.  Because life was so harsh in the system its full potential had never been tapped out like so many other core worlds of the Inner Sphere.

   Clearing the airlock Morgan saw General Helen Thrall standing there waiting for them since the liberation of the Sirian Concordance worlds she had been holding political office however she remained in her military uniform effectively forming a military dictatorship.  “Welcome to Sirius Four Alpha, Commanding-General.  I hope our shadow did not interfere with your entrance” she said obviously referring to the WarShip.  As Morgan entered she indicated for them to walk.

   “They did not interfere, I think they realised who we were and what was going on, and thankfully they did not have orders to interfere with a Star League vessel.”

   “I am glad, perhaps you will be able to stay and see exactly what our needs are, and this is only the Sirius system.”

   “I will be here for as long is necessary.  On board the Covenant we have supplies that the DropShips will begin to bring down and the Battle Armour Battalions can distribute.”  He said Lieutenant-General Harry Sanders had deployed two Battalions of Battle Armour to the Sirian Concordance for humanitarian and security.  So far from reading reports Morgan feared that the entire SLDF could be based here and still it would take decades to sort out.  “On top of that I want to officially make the Sirian Concordance a Star League Protectorate and declare an immediate state of emergency.  As soon as possible I will call for the Advisory Council to direct full SLDF support to these worlds.”  He said as they entered an office.

   “We have not even begun negotiating yet” Helen Thrall said surprised sitting down behind the desk which was covered in reports.

   “You asked Lieutenant-General Harry Sanders for Protectorate Status I have confirmed it, now the SLDF troops based here are legally based here the Free Worlds League cannot say we have over-stepped our boundaries.  Now we can begin to negotiate.”

   “What should we negotiate over?  I wanted protectorate status and you have given it to me, I wanted Star League support and you have given that to us as well.  What more could I want?”  Helen Thrall said, she was obviously happy Morgan was giving her everything for nothing and now was looking for a catch.

   “How about membership in the reborn Star League?”  Morgan said getting straight to the point.

   “Membership?  The Concordance is far to small, too new a nation for such a move.”  She said the Concordance was four worlds, at present the smallest Star League nation was the St Ives Compact with seventeen worlds.”

   “It would not be full membership, you or any leader of the Concordance could not be First Lord.  However your military would be eligible for inclusion in the Star League.  The Star League would be forced to garrison your worlds and maintain your troops.”  Morgan said, he was looking to gain the three Sirian Lancer Regiments in the Concordance for his SLDF.  They would not be combat capable for another decade but it would increase the size, strength and prestige of the Star League making it a bigger force in the Inner Sphere and would allow him to concentrate forces making bigger better impacts in Inner Sphere politics.

   “My troops are fiercely loyal to their homes, they would not make good international organisations.”

   “I have not heard one bad report about them working with my Battle Armour Battalions.”  Morgan pointed out, the reports actually said that the Sirian Lancer Regiments were going out of their way to accommodate the SLDF troops.  “And there would be provisions for your regiments.  They would not be deployed away from the Sirian Concordance until all are brought up to full strength a process I am told will take a minimum of six years.  Even when they are deployed away from the Concordance one Regimental Brigade will always be left in the Concordance.  The Sirian Division will be commanded by a Sirian Concordance born where possible.  And if the Sirian Lancer regiments do not want someone in their unit, that person will be transferred into another unit with no question asked and no posting on that persons SLDF Record.”

   “You have obviously thought about this for a while Commanding-General” Helen Thrall said quietly thinking.

   “Allow me to take your troops off the wage bill and resource drain and you can put your full attention to rebuilding your worlds and if the Free Worlds League or anyone else decides to cause trouble the Star League can put its full force behind defending you.”  He said the argument was promising and two days later the Sirian Lancers and the Sirian Concordance as a whole accepted Star League membership.  Morgan Hasek-Davion made the announcement to the entire Inner Sphere of the step forward the Inner Sphere had taken today and welcomed the Sirian Lancer Regiments into the SLDF placing all three Regiments in a separate Division from the other SLDF Units Morgan’s first act was to announce General Helen Thrall as commander of the Division.  His second act was to warn the Free Worlds League and any other nation to stay away from the Sirian Concordance unless they were delivering humanitarian supplies and he calls for the Star League Council to immediately offer aid to the Concordance worlds.

[Dragon Cat]

Half-forgotten, half-buried Supply Depot
Astrokaszy, Periphery
5th February 3063

   After spending months jumping from system-to-system avoiding Inner Sphere and Periphery forces Clan Nova Cat’s Delta Galaxy under the command of saKhan Karl Devalis arrives in orbit of the pirate world of Astrokaszy with four Nova Cat WarShips in support Delta Galaxy secure spaceborn supremacy in the system quickly and begin scanning for a specific signal.  Buried deep in the vaults on Strana Mechty the Nova Cat Khans found something when they were looking at the Periphery near the Inner Sphere as a new home.  The desert world Astrokaszy used to be used as a weapons proving ground by the first Star League and so on the world there were hundreds of weapon vaults.  One in specific the Nova Cats wanted to find intact and deal with themselves quickly and efficiently.

   After six hours of scanning and fending off three attacks by groups of fighters and DropShips the Nova Cats discover what they are looking for.  A depot directly below a large pirate encampment although interrogating the depot’s defence systems proves the base is still secure the Nova Cats cannot take the chance that it will remain so.   The whole of Delta Galaxy drop on the pirate base, four Elite Clusters of troops go to work annihilating an entire combined arms regiment of troops calling themselves the Order of the Faithful and a Cluster of former Clansmen who had been attracted to the area by the signal and began unearthing the place with the aid of hundreds of slaves.  Evacuating the slaves the Nova Cats pull back to a safe distance while the Lucian Carns, Clan Nova Cat’s second Anna Rosse-class Battle-cruiser, moved into position.  With thunderous destruction and accuracy the Lucian Carns Naval Lasers cut a path directly to the depots heavily armoured doors.  SaKhan Karl Devalis keys in the correct code and the doors spring open.  Inside they find a Divisions worth of Nighthawk XIX Power Armour (Light) Suits once used by the special forces of the original Star League Defence force.

   These suits although a bonus are not the main target with the Nighthawks are two hundred nuclear warheads each capable of doing massive damage to military or civilian targets.  Karl Devalis orders his troops to initiate ‘Nova Cat General Order 000’ and order that has existed since the Not-Named Clan used a Nuclear weapon to level the Snow Raven Genetic Repository Centuries before.

   As the Nova Cats load the weapons onboard one of their Overlord-class DropShips an unknown force, at battalion strength, piloting advanced BattleMechs, vehicles and battle armour all painted white attack and try to seize the DropShip.  With most of Delta Galaxy securing the Nighthawks and the nuclear weapons saKhan Karl Devalis leads his command Keshik and the 119th Striker Cluster against the force intent on holding the enemy force back the Cluster takes severe damage.  When a laser penetrates Devalis’ OmniMech’s head injuring the saKhan, this drives the Nova Cat Cluster into a frenzy eliminating the entire force although it destroys the remains of the cluster.

   Once all warheads are aboard the DropShip and the Nova Cats have loaded all the Nighthawk suits they offer as many of the slaves as possible a chance at a better life, three hundred-and-fifty accept the call.  The Nova Cat DropShips leave the planet and the entire force heads for the systems sun.  En Route saKhan Karl Devalis dies onboard the DropShip carrying the nukes, his wish is for his body to be buried aboard the nuclear DropShip.

   Three days later near the star the Nova Cats evacuate the DropShip carrying the Nukes and send it on a course to impact with the star - General Order 000 is the destruction of all Nuclear, Biological and Chemical weapons ever discovered by a Nova Cat force.  The one of the Carrack Merchant-class ships that had accompanied Delta Galaxy, the Pathfinder accompanies the vessel to the star where it will evacuate all Nova Cat personnel and shoot down the DropShip burning it and its deadly cargo up in the Star‘s fiery core.

   For six hours the journey goes smoothly then trouble erupts when a Riga-class Frigate enters the system and tries to intercept the DropShip.  The Pathfinder although not a proper combat WarShip engages the Frigate trying to buy the DropShip crew time as they gun the engines and try to destroy the DropShip and themselves.  The Pathfinder is destroyed in a single volley from the Riga’s main guns and the Frigate moves in on the DropShip intent on capturing the vessel and its deadly cargo.  Although there is little hope the DropShip crew continue towards the star setting a direct collision course and smashing all control that could turn the vessel around.

   The Riga soon catches the Overlord and marines quickly board the vessel killing the skeleton Nova Cat crew and detonating charges around the ship engines cutting thrust long enough for the Riga to move in for the capture.  Unfortunately for the Riga that gave the Lucian Carns time to close in with its massive fighter screen fully deployed the mighty Anna Rosse-class Battle-cruiser obliterates the Riga in a very one sided fight and then the Lucian Carns sends the DropShip into the Star with the enemy marines still aboard destroying the destructive cargo and the would be thieves.

   At its heart the Lucian Carns although transformed into the Anna Rosse-class by the Nova Cats was still an Avatar-class Cruiser that had served the first Star League checking thought records the Nova Cats find the enemy vessel was registered as the Red Angel.  Knowing of only ComStar and the Word of Blake to field Star League-era vessels the Nova Cats declare the ComGuards and the Word of Blake as Rogue agencies and declares that any Nova Cat force that encounters them is to destroy them on sight.  As far as Delta Galaxy survivors are concerned a State of War exists between the Nova Cats and both ComStar and Word of Blake.

Detroit
New Colony Region
Periphery
13th February 3063

   Following heavy raider activity, rumours of heavy combat on Astrokaszy, a degenerating relationship with the Taurian Concordat and the New Colony Region making noise about their independence the Magistracy of Canopus garrisons Detroit the site of a Capellan BattleMech factory situated inside the New Colony region.  The Taurians protest however the Capellans support the move making Taurian wants and needs a distant noise.

Snow Raven Controlled Space
Lum Shipyards, Lum
Kerensky Cluster, Clan Homeworlds
15th February 3063

   After over a year of refit Clan Snow Raven’s Nightlord-class Battleship Snow Raven slips out of the Snow Raven’s Lum Shipyards in the Kerensky Cluster, the shipyards the largest in known space are reputed to be the best in human space.  The Snow Raven immediately fights and wins several trials against the Snow Ravens neighbours showing the new Nightlord II’s potential.  The other Clans that field Nightlords immediately attempt to gain favour with the Snow Raven Clan hoping to gain access to this new upgrade or attempt to fight trials for the plans.  Unusually for the Snow Ravens they flatly refuse to help any other Clan with their upgrades of WarShip fleets, or use of their shipyards, instead keeping to themselves and putting extra resources into hiding their own movements forcing the other Clans to fight trials over the use of the shipyards and for the redesign.

[Dragon Cat]

First Prince‘s Office, Davion Royal Palace
Avalon City, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
23rd February 3063

   Following the Death Commando attack Victor had returned to New Avalon and was relieved to see that Danai was fine, although the battalion of troops that had accompanied her from the Magistracy had been devastated by the battle.  Without reinforcements from home there was little choice but to fold it into the Tenth Lyran Guards RCT.  Fortunately as the Tenth was also a unit far from home the merger of the two units brought the Revenants back up to full strength.  Following a DMI report on the battle Victor had been surprised to hear that the Nova Cats who had been instrumental in protecting Danai had only taken some Capellan Mech salvage and six of the Death Commando pilots as bondsmen as a reward, also two Magistracy MechWarriors had asked to join the Nova Cat Watch Cluster and Star Colonel Canin Rosse had accepted them as Nova Cat abtankha warriors, loosely translated as "adopted warriors."  Talking to Danai and other members of the AFFS on New Avalon Victor began to see that despite all the fighting of the Clan War, even she had accepted the Nova Cat troops.

   Sitting in his work office above the throne room was reading various reports on the newly captured Draconis Combine worlds, which had switched hands dozens of times over the centuries, seemed to be adjusting the Federated Suns rule well.  The presence of SLDF troops had ensured there was no trouble from either the population or the Federated Suns troops.  The Davion Heavy Guards and Wolf’s Dragoons Zeta Battalion were continuing anti-insurgency missions as there was still several platoons of Draconis Combine battle armour loose on the planets.

   The office doors opened and his aide Leftenant Carmen Ibanez stepped in “sire, General Steiner to see you.”  She said Victor nodded and Carmen fully opened the doors allowing Reinhart Steiner into the office.  With the commander of The Revenants in the office Carmen closed the door behind her.

   “How can I help you Reinhart?”  Victor asked as Reinhart moved closer to the table but remained at attention.

   “Sire, the Tenth Lyran Guards are proud to have served you and will continue to do so” Reinhart started Victor nodded, he didn’t know where this was going and remained silent. “We are also very proud of our traditions and history, the Tenth Lyran have traditionally been the Guard unit of the Lyran Archon, it was the main reason you joined us in the first place.”  Victor nodded he had been brought up to be Archon-Prince of the united Federated Commonwealth, because of his Lyran education he had been assigned to a Lyran RCT, the Tenth Lyran was the unit of Lyran Nobility, unfortunately his birthright as Lyran Archon had not panned out the way he'd wanted largely to his own mistakes.

   “You should be proud Reinhart, the Revenants have a long tradition of service and I am very proud you have chosen to remain with me following the Clan War.”  Victor said, the last thing he wanted was for the Tenth Lyran to decided that they wished to return to the Lyran Alliance to serve the Archon.

   “And we will gladly continue to serve the Federated Suns, this is our home now” Reinhart said for a Steiner Victor could see the pain it caused Reinhart to admit that the Lyran realm was no longer home.  He wondered quietly if Frederick Steiner had thought something similar in the past but that wasn't for Reinhart's ears. “Its just the Lyran designation reminds us of our failure to the Lyran realm" he continued "and sets us apart from the other units of your… our realm.”  He stammered, in all the time Victor had known his Reinhart Steiner did not stammer or become flustered so immediately Victor knew how much this troubled his friend.

   “It is not your failure Reinhart.  If anything it is mine” Victor admitted, it had been his choices that had opened the door and allowed Katherine to take control of the Lyran realm forcing Victor and the Tenth Lyran into exile.  “The High Command have been discussing the Tenth Lyran, especially since the RCT is over strength there has been talk of cashiering the unit” he notice Reinhart did not like the idea, the Revenants were like family to each other with most of the unit originating in the Lyran realm they held each other together and fought best together.  “However, I put an end to those plans the Revenants will never be broken up as long as I am First Prince.”  Victor promised “leave this with me Reinhart and I will find a solution personally.”  Victor said standing behind the desk Reinhart nodded saluted, with a traditional Lyran open palm salute to the forehead then left, Victor returned the salute, using the traditional Suns salute finger-tips to the forehead, then watched the Lyran general leave he sat back down.

   To be honest Victor had thought of this before and there were a few different solutions, with one that Victor personally liked, first thing he did was recall Marshal of Armies Jackson Davion to the Palace then recall Field Marshal Bishop Sortek from the First Davion Guards.  After six hours of discussion Victor recalled Reinhart Steiner to the palace with him Marshal James McFarland the overall commander of the Tenth Lyran RCT also came.  They were joined by Leftenant-General Russell Payne, commander of the New Avalon Militia.  “You came to me and asked for a solution to the Revenants solution.”  Victor said raising “so I have decided to merge the Tenth Lyran with the New Avalon Militia effectively forming a double Mech regiment.”  Reinhart, James McFarland and Russell Payne looked at each exchanged glances.  “We will then split the unit into two Regimental Combat Teams which will be named the First and Second New Avalon Guards RCTs.  Both units will be risen to full strength and be directly attached to the Davion Royal Brigade of Guards, they will also share duties with the First Davion Guards RCT in defending the Royal Palace and other locations on New Avalon.”  The officers all looked at each other.  “James, I need you to take command of the Second RCT with Russell here commanding your Mech Regiment.”  He said turning to the Tenth Lyran commander, James McFarland, James had been Victor’s choice for command of the Revenants when he left and the previous commander retired he was the perfect RCT commander good in the field and perfect in administration.  James looked to Russell shook his hand and saluted Victor without saying a word.  “Reinhart Steiner, congratulations” Victor said stepping forward in front of the General “when you talk to your father next make sure to mention it is Marshal Reinhart Steiner who is calling” Victor said handing over the epaulets and the Marshal baton making him commander of the First New Avalon Guards RCT.  Reinhart’s promotion, at twenty-eight years old, made him the youngest Marshal, outside the Royal family, in the history of the AFFS the fact he was a Steiner by blood made it even better as far as Victor was concerned.

   “Thank you, sir, I won‘t let you down” Reinhart said looking at the shoulder epaulets each with four bars and the marshal baton.  Reinhart had been happy commanding the Tenth Lyran Guards Mech Regiment but knew he was ready for command of a full RCT.

   “I know, I’m certain that both New Avalon Guards RCTs will prove to be some of the best units in the AFFS.  You all have my full support.  The Tenth Lyran Guards RCT will be removed from the rolls of the AFFS, but it will not be forgotten.”  He promised, all the officers in the room saluted the Tenth's banner as it was rolled closed for the last time.

Avalon Hussar Command, Fox’s Den
Davion Mountains, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
26th February 3063

   The Fox’s Den was the command centre of the whole AFFS, the hub of all activity in the Federated Suns, named for Hanse ‘the Fox’ Davion was the command centre the Fourth Succession War was planned and controlled from and where the Federated Suns received all data on the Clans from during the Invasion in 3050.  Although there were command centres in the Draconis March and Capellan March and there were individual commands in Regional Command Centres, normally covering every six to ten worlds, the Fox’s Den was the centre of all command near the Davion Royal Palace the Fox‘s Den received orders first and distributed it throughout the Federated Suns and beyond.

   Inside the Fox’s Den each Regimental Brigade was represented and many of the overall Brigade Commanders.  Inside the office of the Avalon Hussar command Field Marshal Roger William Waters sat reading the report delivered to each brigade commander from the First Prince, Waters had commanded the Avalon Hussars for nearly a decade and was probably the most secure of all the AFFS High Command members.

   The document covered news relating to the Tenth Lyran Guards RCT.  The Lyran Regiment, that had accompanied Victor almost since the beginning of his career and had chosen the Federated Sun over the Lyran realm, was to be merged with the New Avalon Militia and then broken into two brand-new veteran commands under the name First and Second New Avalon Guards.  Because of the name Field Marshal Waters expected the regiments to fall under his Brigade Command.  The Avalon Hussars had seven Regiments each building to Regimental Combat Teams, roughly five were now RCTs, to have two more RCTs would have made the Avalon Hussars the biggest, most powerful and most prestigious in the entire AFFS.

   Reading further Waters noticed that Reinhart Steiner, the upstart from the Lyran Alliance half of Victor’s family had been promoted to full Marshal and would command one RCT while Victor’s lackey Marshal James McFarland would control the other RCT meaning the First Prince would have a lot of command and sway over both units.  Then Waters noticed the last part just as an applause entered the main command room, the two RCTs would fall under the Davion Royal Brigade’s purview and would be commanded by Field Marshal Bishop Sortek!

   Looking out he saw that Bishop Sortek was taking his applause well, Waters refused to join the applause remaining within his office the formation of two new RCTs under the Avalon name and not placed under the Avalon Hussars command was a direct affront to the Brigade and him.  The Avalon Hussars were one of the oldest and most professional military organisations in the entire Federated Suns if not the entire Inner Sphere and now the First Prince was shutting them out of a new development, this wouldn’t be the last thing that would be heard about this.

Kraken, Potemkin-class Troop Cruiser
Tortuga Prime, Nova Cat’s Den
Periphery
12th March 3063

   The first wave of Diamond Shark ground troops and scientists arrived in the Nova Cat’s Den and the Tortuga system one of three systems that the Diamond Sharks would help the Nova Cats terraform and the world they would at least temporarily land a garrison on.

   The Kraken and the Potemkin-class vessels like it were designed as a Troop Carrier for up to twenty-five DropShips and over one hundred thousand tons of cargo.  The Star League had used them like massive spaceborn cities during their travel to the worlds that would become the Pentagon Worlds, the first worlds colonized by the Star League Army in Exile.  The Clans had modified them back to their Troop Carrier configurations and Clan Diamond Shark controlled the most of the vessels.  The Kraken still carried equipment that the Clans used in the first major terraforming work done on the Pentagon Worlds just after the Star League had arrived.

   SaKhan Angus Labov and Star Colonel Hanna Coston, commander of the Seventy-sixth Strike Cluster, stood on the observation deck as they watched a Nova Cat Aegis-class Heavy Cruiser enter the system joining the Fredasa-class Corvette already in system.  “Our shadow” the saKhan muttered watching the Aegis extend its jump-sail.

   “Cannot blame the Nova Cat for wanting to defend their new home, especially considering the location.”  Hanna Coston said “I will take a the cluster down to Tortuga, set up our base and start work on Tortuga.  In a month we will begin on another world then a month after that we will move to the last world.”

   “Very good Star Colonel, stay good friends with the Nova Cats on planet, the more information we can get from them the better position we will be in for the long term.  Kraken will be available.  I am going over to the Nova Cat JumpShip and then onto the Nova Cat capital, apparently they will not give even us the location of the world.”

   “Paranoia, you would almost expect this to be the Blood Spirits or Fire Mandrills instead of Nova Cats.”  Hanna said Angus sort of understood it, the Nova Cats had everything out here they were very exposed.  The Diamond Sharks would never betray the Nova Cats but he understood their reluctance to allowing others into their capital system.

   “Good Luck Star Colonel” Angus said, an hour later she was on her way in-system with four Diamond Shark DropShips beginning their work in setting up a terraforming station and setting up a small base for their cluster and their scientists.

[Dragon Cat]

Farstar Colony
Periphery
21st March 3063

   Travelling to the Nova Cat’s Den from the Clan Homeworlds was the Nova Cat’s Sigma Galaxy.  Originally the Diamond Shark Kraken would have accompanied them but the vessel was called to do a job for the Sharks before being handed over the Nova Cats.  Because the WarShip would need clearance one of Sigma Galaxies two WarShips had been called away to escort the Diamond Shark Potemkin leaving only a the Vincent Mk-42 Corvette Righteous Return in escort duty.  There was little worry with the Draconis Combine fighting the Ghost Bears none of their WarShips or military units would be searching the far periphery borders and Sigma Galaxy were far closer to the Draconis Combine this time than they were last time, far from Columbus Base.

   Galaxy Commander Kelly Hardo, commander of Sigma Galaxy, was in one of the Righteous Return’s zero-gravity gyms that had been set up in the vessels carnivorous cargo bay because the gravity deck was small on the Vincent.  Bondswoman Kamesota walked up to her, she was short but strong with strong Japanese features, she had been taken captive when the Galaxy was travelling the other way from the Nova Cat’s Den to the Homeworlds when they had encountered a small DCMS Explorer Corps vessel, Kamesota had adapted well to the Nova Cat way.  “What is it Kamesota?”  Kelly asked not angrily but harsher than she would have meant.

   “Sumimasen” she said in her native Japanese it meant ‘I am sorry’ but it annoyed Kelly when she reverted to Japanese, mainly because Kelly did not speak the language herself “Galaxy Commander, my apologies the ship’s commander sent me down to see you.  The Righteous Return detected a small vessel watching us, when our fighters gave chase it ran.”

   “Where did they come from there are no vessels in the system, no inhabited systems on record.”

   “Exactly.”  Kamesota said quietly.

   “From your time in the Explorer Corps did you know of any deep space colonies or anything strange happening in the deep?”

   “Columbus is the obvious one, but we are several light years from that system.”  Kelly smiled Kamesota knew where Columbus was but has refused to tell the Nova Cats the exact location just confirm they were right about the general area.

   “Anything else?”

   “Antallos, is a pirate colony nearer the Outworlds Alliance and another world named Razek’s Hole another pirate world.  Both I have locations of this is neither.”

   “Anything else?”  Kelly asked she was not surprised the samurai still in Kamesota was willing give up pirate locations.

   “There is…” she muttered quietly then shook her head “nothing concrete.”

   “On what?”

   “A House Davion run facility on a planet named Farstar presumable because of its distance to the Federated Suns.  Although set-up to appear like a civilian the base is used by the Federated Suns to infiltrate the Draconis Combine and Outworlds Alliance and was a launch off point for the search for the Clan Homeworlds before Operation Bulldog and Serpent.”

   “How long until the JumpShips have recharged their K-F Drives?”

   “I do not know the Star Commodore did not elaborate other than to come and tell you what he had found.”

   “Fine tell him we are going to investigate the little ship.  Tell him to tell the JumpShips to continue to recharge their drives and that we will be back in a couple of days.  We will burn in-system for one day check things out then if there is nothing we will come back.”  Kelly said getting back to her exercises tightening the hair bobble she wore another trophy from the encounter with the DCMS Explorer Corps vessel.  Unlike other warriors who took vineers that would allow them to see a vision Kelly took things she could use.  The bobble kept her long golden hair under control while she exercises and when she was in her Mech.

   “Yes, Galaxy Commander, sorry for the interruption.”  She said giving Kelly a short bow before rushing off, Kelly had stopped asking her to stop bowing before she left and using Japanese because it seemed that they were ingrained in Kamesota‘s very being and to change it would change her.  Kelly had taken her as a Bondswoman to the Nova Cat Clan because she fought so passionately for her crews safety before surrendering to the Nova Cats even though her JumpShip was no match for the Nova Cat WarShips and DropShips.  Kamesota had a chance of being a decent Nova Cat Naval Warrior she just needed time.

   As it turned out she would have a couple of days more time, the JumpShips still had over a week to recharge their depleted Jump-Drives.  It was strange that JumpShips and WarShips could jump system-to-system in a blink of an eye but before that they had to wait for days recharging their engines with the solar power of the star they orbited.

   The Righteous Return would, with its two DropShips holding a Cluster of Sigma Galaxies elite warriors including Kelly’s own command Keshik, burn in-system and scan for the unidentified craft and any colonies.  If they discovered anything Kelly would lead an investigation of the planet.

   After two days of burning into the system they were ready to give up when Kamesota, observing the crew on Kelly’s order, noticed something a low frequency radio signal.  Closing on the fifth planet the Righteous Return found that the Farstar Colony was in the centre of a massive meteor stike crater on the fifth planet.  Landing with Sigma Galaxies Command Keshik the colony surrendered to Kelly Hardo exactly six minutes after landfall, as the first Nova Cat BattleMech entered the colony.  After a quick batch of interrogations Kamesota’s belief that it was a Davion spy colony was confirmed and Kelly Hardo decided that the best way to contain the threat posed by the Nova Cats striking a potential allies colony was to transport the whole population off planet then level the colony.  Fourteen hours later the three hundred colonists/Davion Intelligence Staff were transported aboard the Righteous Return making for a cramped journey back to the JumpShips.  The Righteous Return then levelled the colony sight with Naval Autocannon and Capital Missile fire before leaving the colony.  The data gained on Farstar was worth about eight years of spying the Nova Cats could have done and they gained accurate information on both Razek’s Hole and Antallos setting up Sigma Galaxies next operation.

Razek’s Hole/Antallos
Vance Razek’s Estates
Periphery
28th/31st March 3063

   Working on intelligence data gained on Farstar Colony and from interrogations of captured Davion personnel Clan Nova Cat’s Sigma Galaxy strike Razek’s Hole and then three days later Antallos’ city state Port Krin.  On Razek’s Hole the Nova Cats encounter significant resistance.  On their first landing they encounter a company of BattleMechs all of Draconis Combine manufacture and all using advanced weaponry.  Supporting these Mechs are two Battalions of armoured vehicles.  These forces put up a brave fight but a quickly dispatched costing the Nova Cats two trinaries from the 179th Striker Cluster and one star from the Lachesis Keshik.  Galaxy Commander Kelly Hard orders her troops to salvage as much as possible and search the compounds for intelligence data.  During the search the Nova Cats are attacked by a group of white Mechs and Battle Armour, at least Battalion strength, supported by white aerospace fighters, at wing strength.  This shatters the 179th Striker and the Lachesis Keshik killing Galaxy Commander Kelly Hardo in the process.  The rest of Sigma Galaxy descend on the enemy force looking for blood, after six hours of bloody fighting the Nova Cats take no prisoners but do net themselves nearly a battalion of Inner Sphere Mechs and some of the latest Inner Sphere Battle Armour designs.  From the salvage and the bodies of their attackers the Nova Cats are able to positively them as Word of Blake forces.

   Three days later the Nova Cats attack Antallos striking the city state of Antallos there they destroy Vinston’s Vigilantes defending the city and destroy the rest of Vance Razek’s forces, including Vance Razek himself, along with roughly a battalion of other pirate forces spread throughout the city costing Sigma Galaxy the 189th Battle Cluster in the process.  They leave Antallos after eighteen hours leaving Port Krin a free city for the first time in decades.  Sigma Galaxy then intent on avoiding all contact with further Periphery troops heads into the Deep Periphery before returning to the Nova Cat’s Den three months later.  Because of losses there is talk of disbanding the Galaxy however Khan Santin West chooses to merge Omega Provisional Galaxy with Sigma Galaxy bringing the unit back up to full strength.

[Dragon Cat]

Draconis Combine/Federated Suns Border
Proserpina and Surrounding Worlds
Draconis March, Federated Suns
14th-21st April 3063

   With the Ghost Bear Dominion still attacking their borders three regiments worth of rogue Draconis Combine troops operating in Battalions attack the seven worlds seized by the Federated Suns the year before.  Although they do light damage and have no chance of recapturing the worlds it appears these attacks were a smoke screen for the Combine’s real move against the Federated Suns.

   On the 18th the Federated Suns Fox-class Corvette FSS Invincible is attacked and destroyed by the Tatsumaki-class Destroyer DCS Lair of Mighty Wyrms in the Marduk system allowing the Draconis Combine raiding party to capture over a Battalions worth of equipment from the planetside factories.  On the 21st the Fox-class Corvette FSS Brest is attacked and destroyed by a Tatsumaki-class Destroyer in the Proserpina system again a large quantity of equipment was captured although the Davion Heavy Guards was able to bring down one of the raiding Rose-class DropShips, which exploded on impact.  The Tatsumaki was later confirmed as the Lair of Mighty Wyrms.

   Although they Federated Suns was able to hold onto the worlds it had captured the less than stellar performance of the Fox-class Corvette in this conflict, in Operations Bull Dog and Serpent and in the recent Death Commando attack on New Avalon worried the AFFS High Command and Admiralty.  On the order of Fleet Admiral Andrea Petain all work on the all four Fox-class Corvettes under construction was halted with crews transferred to other Projects until designers could look at the Fox design and make it a more effective fighter a process that would take well over a year.

Davion Royal Palace, First Prince’s Office
Davion Royal Palace, Avalon Island
New Avalon, Crucis March, Federated Suns
13th May 3063

   It seemed that every time Victor attempted to get some work done in his office he got interrupted either by one of his officers or by an event to hit the Inner Sphere, then again at the moment his reading was grim the Admiralty had suffered a humbling defeat in the worlds taken from the Draconis Combine and the St Ives Conflict seemed to have no end.  This time his interruption came from Star Colonel Canin Rosse, although the Watch Cluster were due to leave New Avalon the Star Colonel had requested an audience before leaving.  Walking into the office Canin was supremely confident, analysing the reports his troops had come up with a near full proof plan to help the Federated Suns end some trouble along their borders.  Now all he had to do was convince the First Prince to go for the plan.

   “Star Colonel this is quite a surprise, I thought you would have been getting tired of New Avalon, ready to take on the Federated Suns best.”

   “We are.  However I came here to make a request.”

   “A request?”

   “Aff, when the deal was initially made the Nova Cats were given rights to be involved in Federated Suns operations against its neighbours if the situation fit.”  Canin said Victor had been dreading this trust the Clanners to want real combat.

   “The situation has not fit, Star Colonel, your presence here is Top Secret.  If you had been involved in the Draconis Combine Strike something would have been noticed.”

   “Aff, I was not thinking about that mission.”  Canin said he noticed Victor was confused “your troops are involved in St Ives defence.  We have the firepower to end that fight.”

   “End that fight?  How so?  We have been fighting a holding action since day one.  To do more would invite all out war a direct violation of the Star League Agreement.”  Victor said, he had been looking for months to find a way to end the St Ives Conflict, several of his regiments were under near constant attack as was the St Ives Compact a close ally.  Technically the presence of the AFFS forces in St Ives were a violation of the Star League but they’d been there since the signing of the agreement and Victor wasn’t ready to withdraw them yet.

   “If you were to attack it would be a direct violation.  If we were to attack then it would not.”

   “How would you attack them?  Your technology and Mechs put you as a definite Clan force.”

   “Last year a Draconis Combine periphery world was attacked by an unknown foe” Victor nodded he had read the report an entire Combine unit had been wiped out.  By an unknown raider force using Mechs painted in the various colours of the Inner Sphere states and major mercenary units.

   “That was the Nova Cats.”  Canin admitted immediately noticing Victor’s scientism “it was not the Watch Cluster, just a Nova Cat unit.  We would use the same strategy and cover they did.”

   “The Capellans have a WarShip fleet that has threatened action against all forces involved in St Ives how will you prevent your unit being annihilated by a chance encounter by a Capellan WarShip?”

   “We will need to borrow one of the Nova Cat WarShips defending your shipyards.  The Blade would make the perfect vessel.”  Canin said naming the Aegis guarding Kathil shipyards.

   “Can you guarantee the success of this mission?”

   “Nothing is guaranteed in life First Prince, sometimes you just have to roll a hard six and lash out”  Canin said using one of the phrases he had learned while in the Federated Suns, he had no idea what it meant but it sounded good.

   “How long will you need to prepare?”  Victor asked, he wasn’t about to stop the Clansmen trying to kill some Capellans.

   “We are ready now.  My DropShips are loaded and ready for lift off.  We will begin the burn to our JumpShips if you will send us data on Kathil allowing us to jump in close to the Blade then we will hit the Capellans.  The next time you hear from us will be when we have returned to Federated Suns territory after a successful mission.”  Canin said confidently.

   “Good luck Star Colonel.”

   “We make our own luck First Prince”  Canin said leaving the office Victor shook his head maybe after the Capellans gave the Nova Cats a bloody nose the Clansmen would listen to him, they could not fight everyone.

[Dragon Cat]

Hustaing
Sian Commonality
Capellan Confederation
26th May 3063

   After rendezvousing with the Blade the Nova Cats had chosen their target, the world that had started the St Ives Conflict, Hustaing just over the St Ives/Capellan border.  After repainting all their equipment including JumpShips and the Blake’s identification markings the Nova Cats entered the system.

   Burning in fast and hard the ten DropShips and the WarShip had encountered no naval presence in the system but on planet they detected there was a major unit on planet the Capellan Confederation’s Sixth Reserve Cavalry.  From the records provided by the Federated Suns intelligence the Sixth was a Regimental command with a regiment of armour and a battalion of infantry giving them a huge number advantage over the Nova Cats but according to the intelligence reports the Sixth had never faced the Clans and mostly fielded technology from the Succession Wars giving the Nova Cats a serious firepower edge.  As the approached Canin opened up a communication frequency to the planet in traditional Clan manner “this is Khan Kane Kotare of the Star Nova Galaxy Mercenary Regiment what forces will defend this world?”  He asked Kotare was an actual Clan Bloodname, just not a Nova Cat one, if the Capellans checked or had records on such things.

   “This is Sang-shao Ni Tehn Do commander of the Hustaing Reserve Cavalry, you are who?”

   “I have told you who I am, what is your bid to defend this world.  Shall I need to use my WarShip or not?”  He asked being as dramatic as possible, he’d seen some of the Khans do similar things and hoped he was being effective enough.

   “WarShip…?”  The man asked shocked.

   “Are you completely deaf or are you just being this way because you are an idiot?  Since we detect no WarShips we will leave the Bloodcovered-Talon in orbit with its four assault DropShips ready to shoot down anyone who tries to run.”  He warned in fact if anyone ran the Nova Cat DropShips were under orders to get a close as possible and fire wildly at the DropShips but cause as little damage as possible allowing them to spread the word of trouble.  “I will take my ten DropShips to the location we are transmitting now and you will meet us there or we will run rampant in your cities.”  Canin said cutting the comm. off turning back to the Nova Cats “how was that?”

   “For being completely crazy and over the top you would do the Smoke Jaguars proud.”  The ships commander said Canin nodded not sure whether that was a complement he was pleased to have.

   “Maintain a high-orbit over their capital, we won’t be long, but keep an eye out for Capellan WarShips.”

   An hour later the Nova Cat ground forces had landed and the nine Broadswords and single Carrier were circling high in the atmosphere with the Nova Cat’s ten OmniFighters.  So far the Capellans had not sent up a single aerospace fighter to try and stop them and Canin wondered if the Capellans would put up any defence looking out he began to see Capellan Mechs and vehicles, roughly a regiment of troops move onto the plains.  “Hawk-Eye One do you have a fix on their command?”  Canin asked the aerospace commander.

   “Aff, we have three bases around the city, ready for the command.”

   “Are they away from civilian areas?”

   “Aff” the pilot said continuing to circle.

   “Good stand-by” Canin said switching to general broadcast “Ni Tehn Do this is Khan Kotare, I am glad you decided to come and face us.  Now order your bases evacuated before I bomb them with fuel-air bombs.”  He said “Hawk-Eye flight clear to proceed, bomb in four minutes.”  He said in the air two Sabutai OmniFighters broke formation and headed for the bases, under their wings they carried four low yield fuel-air bombs each.  It was not Clan practice to bomb an enemies base but they needed to prove they were not Clan just mercenaries with lots of Clan technology.

   “You can’t” Ni Tehn Do said his voice but a whisper.

   “I can and will” Canin said looking at the range-finder to the Capellan battle-line normally an Inner Sphere force would be firing by now but these Capellans had not fired a shot meaning they were scared or did not have the technology to answer to the Nova Cats.  “All Star Nova Galaxy forces fire at will” Canin said as the entire Nova Cat Battle line erupted Canin saw four Capellan Mechs fall before he fired a single shot.  High in the sky the remaining eight fighters and DropShips began diving preparing for their attacks.

   “All forces attack!  Kill these Clan Bastards” Ni Tehn Do said his own Mech Canin’s targeting computers identified as a seventy ton Grasshopper.  Canin took his time lining up the shot, the Grasshopper engaged its jump jets Ni Tehn Do trying to make his Mech a difficult but as it raised all it did was make itself a target, one of the diving Nova Cat OmniFighters put a Extended-Range PPC blast and a Gauss slug unto the flying Mech.  The man-made lighting and the supersonic slug knocked the Mech off balance and as it landed the seventy ton Mech landed on one foot, all the weight on one leg broke the limb in half sending Ni Tehn Do to the ground.  Moments later an Arrow IV Artillery Missile slammed into the downed Mech obliterating it and the pilots inside.  Just at that moment the two Nova Cat OmniFighters began their bombings taking out all three bases in quick succession they then did a low pass over the Capellan Battle-line dropping their last two fuel-air explosives on the Reserve Cavalry’s ground troops.  The bombs were devastating against ground troops wiping out the infantry and almost the a whole battalion of vehicles.  When the smoke cleared Canin could see three standing Mechs remaining out of a regiments worth of troops, none were firing, looking at the chronometer he noticed that exactly eight minutes had gone by.  His ammo bins were full his lasers still cool.

   “Khan Kotare this is Soa-wei Carol Wade, I am the most senior officer remaining and I am willing to offer our immediate surrender” one of the Capellans said over the comm. as two of the three Mechs fell under Nova Cat fire “I said we SURRENDER!”  She screamed “please hold your fire!”

   “All Star Nova Galaxy units hold your fire.”  Canin said.

   “Thank you Khan Kotare.”  Carol said “what are your terms?”

   “No terms Soa-wei just a message we would like you to give your Chancellor.  The St Ives Conflict ends or the next time we do real damage to a world, and a unit, he actually cares about.  Take care of your people.  Star Nova Galaxy Move out.”  Canin said the DropShips were already landing in the nearby fields.

   “You wiped us out to give us a message?”  Carol Wade asked shocked “you have killed over eight hundred people and all you want to do is give us a message.”

   “We do what our employers tell us.”

   “And who are your employers?”  Wade asked she was getting confident now seeing the Nova Cats leave Canin stood his Smoke Jaguar-Gray coloured Dragon Cat on the hill and looked at the only remaining Mech a forty ton Snake very similar to the one he had killed on New Avalon.

   “The St Ives Compact, they are tired of your Chancellor’s war and you gave us no sport.  Next time we will not be so lenient.”  Canin said firing both his twelve-tube ATM launchers twelve missile landed either side of the Snake “this is the big leagues and your tiny nation is nothing to us.”  Canin said as the first Nova Cat DropShips began to take off, they had been on planet for a total of thirty minutes.  Canin turned around and walked back to his DropShip taking off.

   Two days later the Blade was out of the system, the Nova Cats made a point in jumping into a couple of St Ives systems on the way back to the Federated Suns ensuring the Capellans noticed realising they would be watching.  By the end of the week five days after the Nova Cat attack the Capellan Chancellor had recalled all his troops from the St Ives Compact and signed the peace agreement, the Watch Cluster had just ended the war with a single threat.  Davion Intelligence places the entire Capellan WarShip fleet in orbits around Sian, Liao and the manufacturing world of Victoria for nearly a whole month.   The Sixth Capellan Reserve Cavalry are stricken from the Capellan rolls for their dishonourable defeat that had cost the Capellans their war.

Clan Wolf Command
Tamar, Occupation Zone Capital
6th June 3063

   Deep in Clan Wolf’s Occupation Zone Khan Vladimir Ward welcomes Khan Malaveri Fletcher leader of Clan Hell’s Horses to the Inner Sphere.  Khan Ward manipulates the Hell’s Horses hatred for the Ghost Bears to convince the Clan’s Khan to attack the Ghost Bear Dominion telling the Hell‘s Horses Khan that the Ghost Bears are over confident in their hold over their territory and that the Draconis Combine attacks are causing heavier damage than is actually being reported.

   Khan Ward has already allowed the Hell’s Horses to gain three Wolf worlds along the Ghost Bear border and wants to increase the size of the border protecting his Wolves as he attacks the Jade Falcons and plans to invade the Inner Sphere.

   Across the Inner Sphere there is a spate of terrorist attacks all claimed by the Sixth of June organisation.  Although none of these attacks cause major casualties or damage they do heighten tensions in the Inner Sphere and cause trouble where there was none.

[Dragon Cat]

Parade Grounds
Wernke/Talon System
Capellan March, Federated Suns
22nd June 3063

   Following a year in the Lyran Alliance under Star League contract the Blue Star Irregulars returned to the Federated Suns in style landing on Wernke in the Capellan March all three Regiments were welcomed by the First Prince, Marshal of Armies Jackson Davion and Capellan March commander Field Marshal George Hasek.  Within the Federated Suns High Command there was high hope that the Blue Star Irregulars would accept Victor’s offer of becoming house units following the loss of their WarShip during the one year they served as SLDF troops on the Jade Falcon Border.

   The Blue Star Irregulars landed a single Union-class DropShip and three massive Overlord-C class DropShips all captured from Clan Jade Falcon, one even had the Jade Falcon emblem a Jade Falcon clutching a sword against a green rectangle, still on the hull.  The Blue Star Irregular commander Colonel Wu Sen Tang exited the Union piloting a captured Jade Falcon Turkina assault OmniMech.  The Mech reminded Victor of a big Mad Cat with big weapon arms and over shoulder missile launchers, just like the heavy OmniMech except the Turkina came in at a whopping ninety-five tons and could match Victor’s Daishi for firepower.  The Turkina stalked up to their observation dome and the Colonel lowered himself from the assault Mech dressed in a Star League Uniform, the Blue Star Irregulars had made their choice, this was just a courtesy call on their part.  Victor had wondered why all three Regiments had not travelled from the JumpShips this was why.  The Blue Star Colonel presented himself to Victor and saluted, Victor noticed he had Lieutenant-General rank tabs on his uniform “General?  Welcome to Wernke.”

   “Thank you First Prince Davion, I am sorry I did not tell you this before landing but the Blue Star Irregulars have chosen to travel to Kittery and join the SLDF.  The Commanding-General confirmed my promotion on the way here and authorised our detour and gift.”

   “Gift?”  Jackson asked surprised.

   “Aye, Marshal, the Blue Star Irregulars have decided to honour the Federated Suns for the years they have trusted us to get the job done despite our Mercenary Status.”  He said raising a small communicator to his lips “command one, begin” he said quietly the doors on the three DropShips opened and Mechs began rolling our.  From the first DropShip there were about thirty Clan Battle and OmniMechs and a couple of dozen Elemental Battle Armour suits followed by three flatbed trucks full of parts.  Then out of the other vessels walked Hauptmann OmniMechs, followed by an Artic Fox and finally a Stiletto OmniMech all Lyran designs, all designs the Federated Suns had been barred from buying by Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion because of her hostile relationship with Victor.  The Hauptmann was one of the most impressive Inner Sphere OmniMechs while the Stiletto was brand-new, the first only walking off Coventry Metal Works Assembly Lines at the start of 3063, and the Artic Fox was limited to the Kell Hounds Mercenaries and Clan Wolf (in-Exile).

   “What is this?”  Victor managed.

   “One moment sire” Tang said raising the communicator one more time “surprise package” he said at that moment two Fafnir Assault Mechs walked clear of one DropShip and two captured Clan Scytha OmniFighters were towed out by trucks.  The Fafnirs were factory new with just a grey base coat and were examples of one of the Lyrans most deadly BattleMech designs carrying two Heavy Gauss Rifles in their torsos they were slow but could floor any Mech with one hit from the rifles.  While the Scytha was one of the heaviest and deadly Clan OmniFighters in existence this was more than an impressive gift it was beyond that.

   “A gift from us and your friends in the Lyran realm.”  Tang said continuing when no-one said anything, “The Stilettos come courtesy of Duke Bradford of Coventry, he didn’t want them falling into the hands of Katherine so he bought the first run himself and sent them to Morgan’s ARDC with a note saying you needed to get a companies worth.  While the Artic Foxes are from Phelan Kell, the Wolf Khan just wanted to make sure you realised his Clan were contributing and to make sure you remembered that next time the Jade Falcons came knocking.”  Victor smiled trust the Kells “while the DropShips and the Fighters come courtesy of the Jade Falcons they just like giving us stuff.”

   “The DropShips too?”  George Hasek said astonished.

   “All except the Union, that’s mine” Tang said, the Blue Star Irregulars really were becoming SLDF troops if they were giving away so much so easily, any Merc unit in the Inner Sphere would kill to have that tech.

   “Well on behalf of the Federated Suns I accept, but you must accept something from me also.”  Victor said turning to Jackson “Jackson release the first three Conquistadors to the SLDF to the Blue Star Irregulars specifically.  George give them a company of Templars.”  Victor said the next generation of command DropShip and the first Federated Suns OmniMech were worthy gifts but Victor felt small giving so little.

   “Thank you sire” the Blue Star Commander said saluting Victor.

   “No, thank you General” Victor said offering the man his hand as they shook “and good luck.”  Victor said and he actually meant it.  Although having the Irregulars added to the AFFS would have been a bonus they had just done the Federated Suns a great service.

FSS Hanse Davion (First Prince-class Battleship)
Federated-Boeing Shipyards, Galax
Crucis March, Federated Suns
14th July 3063

   Standing inside the command bridge of the newly commissioned FSS Hanse Davion high above the hull of the First Prince-Battleship in a specially armoured and defended Command Bridge Victor Steiner-Davion stood beside Jackson Davion, Fleet Admiral Andrea Petain and Danai Centrella in front of the entire Federated Suns press.  The announcement that this vessel had been constructed has set the media crazy with questions such as where the vessel had come from and how long the Federated Suns had been developing and building it and how the money spent on the project had been hidden.  To their credit Jackson Davion and Andrea Petain had deflected most of the questions however when Victor had announced that he would personally launch the vessel in the Galax system there had been calls for it to be as public as possible.  Now standing in front of the media Victor wished he had not invited them aboard, Danai Centrella stepped up beside him and offered him her hand which he took gratefully she then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek sending the media tri-vid cameras wild, the first public kiss of the engaged couple.  Some of the media began asking questions immediately about their planned wedding, but Victor began to speak about the launch instead.

   “If I could have your attention.”  He said the room went silent almost immediately, there were some perks to being the First Prince in a crowded room, despite their personal feelings towards Victor good or bad he was their First Prince, their leader, and in the Federated Suns that alone demanded respect.  “Thank you.  This vessel was constructed in secret at the same location the Davion-class Destroyers were completed the basis of this design and who designed it are a closely guarded secret.  This vessel is designed to show the people of the Federated Suns that we are taking great steps forward in naval technology and as a warning to our enemies that if you attack us you will face this vessel and the best crew the Federated Suns can field.”  Victor paused “when the Federated Suns began taking the great step back into constructing WarShips the first vessel was named the Fox for my father’s famous nickname.”  He said including his father as much in this as possible would garner the respect the occasion, and the vessel, merited.  “When naming this vessel and its class I decided what better way of honouring the man who delivered us Victory in the Fourth Succession War and the all too brief Alliance with the Lyran realm was to name a vessel after him.  So ladies and gentlemen of the press and the people of the Federated Suns allow me to reveal to you the FSS Hanse Davion, the first vessel of the First Prince-class Battleship to enter the AFFS Admiralty.”  He said again the press went crazy with questions however Victor raised his hands instead of speaking he pulled back a ribbon on the back wall of the bridge to reveal the name and class name.  The Media cameras went crazy, Victor gave them a few pictures then turned back to the press.  “I will now take some questions” he said the media went crazy but Victor pointed out one Maria Clarkson of the Avalon Gazette, not really a naval or even a military newspaper but still a face he recognised, the Public Relations team had always said go for someone you know first so Victor had picked about four he knew relatively well and picked them at random first for every press conference, some media studies had noticed this and claimed the First Prince was showing favouritism to certain papers but no-one had mentioned they were unhappy with this so he continued.

   “Sire, although this vessel is very impressive and we are very glad to welcome this vessel into our military.  I have a personal question, if I may?”  She asked Victor fought the urge to roll his eyes ‘typical press‘ he thought, Victor glanced at Danai Centrella who smiled, Victor turned back to the cameras and nodded.  “We were wondering if you and Duchess Centrella had set a date and a location for your wedding?”

   “We have and it will be on New Avalon” Victor said turning to another reporter Charles Gunn of the Kathil Post a proper military paper.  “Charlie” Victor said hopefully he would change the subject.

   “Sire, I was wondering what your reaction was following the end of the Capellan St Ives Conflict?”  Victor almost said ‘no comment’ but decided he had something he wanted to say so said it.

   “I am glad that the St Ives people have been allowed their freedom from the Capellan Marauders.  I am glad that the Confederation has decided to stop using Biological Weapons, a direct violation of the Ares Conventions which the Confederation originally spearheaded, and I am glad that the Capellan Chancellor saw sense in stopping his ill-planned war.  We re-created the Star League to create a new age of peace, I am unhappy that one of the Succession Lords almost tore down all our hard work, some say the Federated Suns is the warmonger of the Inner Sphere.  I believe people should look beyond our borders every now and then.”  Victor said another military newspaper Frank Adams of the Admiralty Choice Magazine on Galaxy “Frank” Victor said looking directly at him perhaps someone would actually ask something about the FSS Hanse Davion.

   “Sire, I was wondering what your reaction was to reports that a mercenary regiment fielding a WarShip stopped the St Ives Conflict and that they did so by threatening Sian with attack from orbit.”  Once again the press had pressed a button that Victor had no intention on touching on, instead of digging deeper into the vessel they were standing on they wanted to push for answers about things that had almost nothing to do with the Federated Suns.  Considering the true origin of the Hanse Davion Victor silently thanked them, if the truth ever did come out that would be a dark day indeed.

   “The only mercenaries that I know fielding a WarShip are the Wolf’s Dragoons and at present all baring one of their vessels are in the Outreach system, the other vessel is here under refit.”  Victor paused “I do not know who these mercenaries were.  Only that they were not under Federated Suns employ and that they are not registered with the MRBC on Outreach.  If they were to enter the Federated Suns, our navy led by the FSS Hanse Davion would be ready for them.”

   “Thank you ladies and gentlemen, I think that is enough for now, let’s get this ship in space.  Fleet Admiral Petain please.”  Jackson said stepping forward pushing Victor out of the way slightly allowing the Admiral forward, Andrea Petain had been in charge of the Navy since the FSS Fox had been launched and was the most experienced space officer the AFFS had, now her navy had some proper teeth to meet threats to the Federated Suns.

   “Helm, confirm we are clear of the docks and bring engines to one-quarter thrust.”  Admiral Petain said the helm officer nodded he was ready “engage main engines” Petain said the Hanse Davion’s massive engines stroked into life and the massive battleship creped forward clear of the bay officially entering service, outside an aerospace fighter flew past at high speed dropping a bottle of champagne against the vessel as was customary, the bottle shattered on impact showering the hull with champagne, completing the ceremony.  As the vessel safely cleared the dock two flights of fighters flew acrobatic displays over and below the vessel detonating fireworks.  Around the Shipyards were DropShips and other stations with photographers taking pictures that would be broadcast across the Inner Sphere.  Across the Inner Sphere naval experts were trying to work out where the vessel had come from and what its capabilities could be as no-one else had any vessel that even came close to matching its size or possible power.

[Dragon Cat]

Abandoned Block, Downtown
Kazenjov, Kazenjov Prefecture
Draconis Combine
23rd July 3063

   After months of tracking and with assistance from every intelligence agency in the Draconis Combine and Star League Intelligence Duke Minoru Kurita tracks down the assassin who killed his sister Omiko.  Finally finding the man on the world of Kazenjov near the Outworlds Alliance border, the assassin trying to buy transport out of the Draconis Combine.

   After several hours of torture and interrogation the unnamed assassin admits he was hired by Duchess Margaret Aten of the Lyran Alliance’s Skye Province, for a one-off job to kill Omiko in retaliation for the Draconis Combine’s seizing of Lyon’s Thumb.  With the information they wanted from the beginning Minoru kills the man with his personal Katana.  The very next day the abandoned tower block is levelled with high explosive charges making room for a new shopping complex, the assassins body is never found.  Using the SLS Unity City once more  Minoru returns to Luthien, on Minoru’s return trip word is broken to the public that Omiko Kurita is dead murdered on Luthien and the Draconis Combine enter a national state of mourning.  The Internal Security Force (ISF) breaks news two days later they have captured the assassin responsible on Luthien and expose a member of the Black Dragon Society for Omiko’s death.  The framed man is publicly executed on Luthien for his crime against the Draconis Combine and the ISF begin a clamp down on the Black Dragon Society.

   In fact the assassin was hired by Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion and killed Omiko Kurita to hurt Victor Steiner-Davion but the Draconis Combine never find this out.  When he hears of Omi’s death Victor is hurt by the news and sends his personnel condolences to the entire Kurita family but following the recent hostilities between the nations he is unable to visit Omi’s grave to pay his respects to the first love of his life.

Command Base
Third FedCom Guards RCT
Sarna, Sarna Supremacy
29th- 31st July 3063

   The final Federated Commonwealth Guards RCT is destroyed on the world of Sarna by angered Capellan Confederation troops.  Unable to conqueror the St Ives Compact they turn on the two worlds of the Federated Commonwealth’s Sarna March that they have never been able to conqueror.  Even with the former members of the Third FedCom Guards RCT protecting them and regular drops of aid from friendly units in the Federated Suns the RCT and the two regiments of troops raised on the Supremacy’s other world Sakhalin are destroyed in three days of heavy fighting.  Marshal of Sarna Supremacy Charles Finnigan dies defending his troops outside his command base on Sarna.

   Two days after the conquest Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao arrives on planet and personally executes the leaders of the breakaway Supremacy, sending a clear message ‘Leave the Capellan Realm and you will die.’
 
Caesar’s Palace, Nova Roma
Alphard, Marian Hegemony
Periphery
8th August 3063

   Instead of returning to a hero’s welcome Julius O’Reily is almost assassinated by his father’s Legio (Legion) I Household Guard.  Julius’ Elite Legio II veterans of the llyrian Palatinate eliminates most of Legio I easily brushing them aside using their superior skills and battle cohesion to totally outclass Legio I.  Not one of the Legio I MechWarriors surrender to Julius’ forces dying to the man. Julius then kills his father Sean in the Caesar’s Palace in the capital city Nova Roma on Alphard.  Julius proclaims himself Caesar of the Marian Hegemony and begins reorganising his forces.

Proving Grounds
Talon, Wernke System
Capellan March, Federated Suns
12th August 3063

   During manoeuvres with the newly reformed First Kathil Uhlans Regiment Clan Nova Cat’s Watch Cluster is interrupted as an Excalibur-class DropShip lands in between the two units.  General Andrew Redburn, commander of the Uhlans called an end to the exercise and the two units line up either side of the DropShip as Victor Steiner-Davion’s Dire Wolf, Danai Centrella’s Falconer, Capellan March Field Marshal George Hasek’s Templar all exit.  “Atten-shun!”  General Redburn said into the comm.  both units snapped their Mechs, Battle Armour and vehicles as the three visitor Mechs turned to face the Nova Cat line up, battered and bruised after their trip to the Capellan realm and after several days exercise on the frozen ball that was Talon the Nova Cats looked a right state.

   Victor walked his Dire Wolf forward in front of Star Colonel Rosse’s Dragon Cat “Star Colonel Canin Rosse of the Watch Cluster Clan Nova Cat.”  He said on the general frequency, everyone on Talon knew who they were and what they were doing here the Nova Cats had already helped techs at Talon’s Kallon Industries solve several problems with their next OmniMech Design advancing the project several years closer to completion.  “It is my honour to award you and your unit the Limp Sword Award for service against the Capellan Confederation.”  Victor said as another Mech, a Capellan-built Snake walked from the DropShip, painted in a mishmash of Capellan Camouflage patterns attached to the Mech’s back was a flagpole with a drooping sword held by a smashed Mech hand set against an inverted orange triangle with a black-background.

   “Uhlans honour detail!”  Redburn shouted in precession three Uhlans Mechs walked forward raised their left arm and fired the weapons mounted on each Mech in three synchronised blasts.

   “This is not how the Nova Cats celebrate a victory.”  Canin said for a start, Victor thought the Clansmen may refuse the Award for a moment but then he spoke up again “however, we will respect your ways and this award.  I thank you on behalf of the Cluster.  However, you must allow us to show you how we celebrate.”

   “It would be my honour” Victor said after a moments hesitation slightly worried what the Clansmen might have in mind.  “May the others join us?”  Victor asked it felt strange asking for something while on one of his own worlds but this was the Nova Cat’s party and he’d respect their wishes.

   “Of course, however I would ask we do this on the other planet, it is rather cold outside and we need fresh air in our lungs and time to prepare.  I would suggest six days time on the other planet.”  Canin said thinking quickly, six days should be plenty of time for the Watch to find a location and make preparations, assuming they were allowed to do things their own way.

   “Six days time on Wernke, then we can present you and your men with the other awards as well.”  Victor said, Canin shook his head the Inner Sphere was like the other Clans they did like drab awards to symbolise victories.  Canin had not even considered the battle against the Capellans to be a true victory for his troops, it had barely been a fight before it was over.  None of the Nova Cats had wanted to take vineers from the battle and he would have not allowed it if they had.

[Dragon Cat]

Nova Cat Camp, Chronicle of Battles
40 Kilometres from anything, Wernke, Wernke system
Capellan March, Federated Suns
18th August 3063

   In six days the Nova Cats had turned a square kilometre of Wernke’s Vesper continent.  In those six days the Nova Cats had completely locked down the area not allowing a single Federated Suns citizen in civilian or military, noble or commoner, no-one had been allowed in.  During this time the Nova Cat warriors of the Watch Cluster and the DropShip crews had constructed a mammoth bonfire with a raised platform several metres above it, on top of this platform was a huge drum.

   During the preparation time Victor had been told by Canin Rosse to come in comfortable clothing, so he had ordered everyone else to do the same.  No-one wore anything formal and all the Federated Suns personnel were excited about something, it varied from person-to-person but for Victor it was everything.  From his initial contact with the Clans in 3051 a year after they first arrived all he had done was fight them, he’d never been allowed into there society without forcing his way in.  He understood some of their military traditions and beliefs and even had a group of Smoke Jaguar Elementals who had pledged their loyalty to him, following the defeat of their Clan, forming a bodyguard point attached to him at nearly all times

   But he had never seen the Clans socially, this would be very interesting even from this distance, some five hundred metres away he could smell and feel the heat from the fire.  On the surrounding hills the Nova Cats had erected a wooden wall and at even intervals stood Elementals in full Battle Armour painted black with blue highlights their V-shaped visor was coloured in a deep red when he had first saw them Victor had been taken aback by the ferociousness of the paint scheme, it looked threatening and deadly.

   The Federated Suns party consisting of: Victor, Danai, George Hasek, Andrew Redburn, half a dozen officers from the First Kathil Uhlans and Tigret, Victor’s former Smoke Jaguar elemental Bodyguard, all were allowed in the main entrance by two armoured Elementals.  As they walked towards the fire Victor turned to Tigret.  “Have you ever heard of this before?”

   “Aff, the Nova Cats call this either the Ritual of Battle or the Chronicle of Battle, I am not sure which.  It is a regular occurrence and unique to their Clan.”  She said after a moments thought, her eyes alert ready for trouble she had wanted to bring her own armour or some personnel weapons but Victor had refused trusting the Nova Cats tonight was one more way of getting close to them.

   “Anything else?”

   “No” Tigret said quietly not surprising since her Clan had been the Nova Cat’s greatest enemies.  Just then an unamoured, barely clothed male elemental raised up onto the platform above the flames with a massive jousting stick used for elemental hand-to-hand combat training, Victor had seen elementals train with them and felt their strike they were heavy pieces of kit.  The elemental began smashing the drum in a timely fashion with complete ease.  Victor counted twenty beats before the elemental lowered himself from the platform.  Other than the crackling of the fire there was near total silence, the Federated Suns group stood together several meters from the raging fire.

   “Do you hear that?”  Danai whispered to Victor, Victor listened more closely it was music something resembling Scottish bagpipes, a saxophone and a dozen other instruments all playing together all playing the same tune but it sounded so strange so foreign to hear these instruments together.

   “What the hell is this?  Look at them, they all look like they are in some kind of trance, I thought you said they didn‘t take controlled substances.” George said Victor and Danai looked around and saw the Field Marshal was right the entire Cluster of Nova Cats, and the DropShip crews, were all around them they had appeared from nothing.  Some were dressed in uniform, others in white gowns while yet others wore a mishmash of clothes, most wore very little it was quite a sight and reminded Victor of the Festa Piepa, Festival of the People, celebrated by Roman Catholics on New Avalon every year however he decided to leave that little analogy out of this night.

   Victor looked to Danai and noticed she had her eyes closed and a smile on her face “are you alright?” he whispered moving closer to her, the heat was immense he hoped it was not overpowering her.

   “Fine, wonderful…” she said quietly her eyes never opening “just let yourself relax, stop thinking of things that are happening and let them happen” she said her voice becoming a whisper.  He guessed she recognised this from something of her childhood in the Magistracy of Canopus where social gatherings were ’fluid’ to use a polite word.  Victor closed his eyes and tried to relax, he was just beginning to relax when the beats began again, this time the beats did not come from the drum but from recordings from every single Elemental suit’s loud speakers the beats were in perfect time with each other, Victor could feel them penetrate him, move him the beats were oddly relaxing.  Then as soon as they had began, they ended and a voice appeared Victor’s eyes shot open as did others of the Federated Suns party who had shut their eyes.  Victor looked around for the voice and saw that the Nova Cats either still had their eyes closed or were looking up at the platform, there stood Canin Rosse dressed in his full uniform with a long leather cloak behind him and a full fur Nova Cat headpiece.

   “And so we remember the Father’s children and the Founders creation” the Star Colonel shouted, his voice could be heard everywhere but Victor saw no microphones of speakers or anything.  “Tonight is a time of remembrance, telling of battles and secrets.  We remember the Cloud Cobra, the Coyote, the Fire Mandrill, the Ghost Bear, the Goliath Scorpion, the Hell’s Horse, the Ice Hellion, the Jade Falcon, the Mongoose, the Nova Cat, the Sea Fox, the Smoke Jaguar, the Snow Raven, the Star Adder, the Steel Viper, the Widowmaker, the Wolf and even the Not-Named, the Wolverine.  We honour them all.”  As Canin spoke each name there was a drum beat, each signifying one of the twenty Clans originally formed by Nicholas Kerensky all those many centuries before.  “We remember! Seyla!”  Canin shouted, in unison the Nova Cats all replied in one voice “Seyla!” Victor looked around for Tigret looking for clarification of what he was witnessing however she was gone, looking around Victor noticed her with the Nova Cat warriors even though they were of different Clan, enemy Clans, Tigret seemed to fit-in and be accepted by the other clansmen immediately.

   “From Kerensky’s Stars came the eight hundred, Beneath a banner of Truth and Righteous Light To Lift up those who had suffered and to smite down with fearful vengeance those who had ruled in the name of Vanity and Greed.  The thunder of their BattleMechs’ feet, the lightning from their weapons and the blood spilled in their name.  Created the Clan Spirit, the forge on which we have fashioned ourselves to be the weapon.  Of the resurrected Star League, honed to a razor’s edge by the Trials, By the Remembrance and by the word of the Great Kerenskys, our sires, our saviours.”  Canin said quoting a passage from the remembrance he had committed to memory when he was a small child.  All at once together the Nova Cats chanted “Seyla!”

   “The Great Father planned for his Army, his people, to live on the Pentagon Worlds in peace away from the corrupt Inner Sphere a Star League in Exile.” Canin said Victor realised that Canin was talking about something that had happened centuries ago before the Clan had even formed just as the First Star League’s Army had reached the worlds that would become Clan Space.  He had read about the events that followed the Exodus Armies flight from the Inner Sphere but never directly from a Clansmen, even Tigret had never spoken of those events.  “Unfortunately the people of the Exodus would not let go of the Inner Sphere and fragmented.  The Founder led the warriors that would become the Clans to the new Homeworld and formed the twenty Clans” Canin said pausing again the twenty beats were played to the same timing and rhythm, every time they played Victor felt new, reborn, refreshed it was a strange feeling.  “The twenty Clans returned to the worlds we would know as the Pentagon Worlds twenty years later.  The Nova Cat, Mongoose, Snow Raven and the Not-Named were tasked together to wipe Circe clear of all that opposed our order.  On the planet we found a devastated world bombed and destroyed by every weapon mankind had ever devised to harm another.  We found hundreds of men and women claiming to be warriors of the nations of the Inner Sphere and even more others claiming to be from nations they had created for themselves in this ravaged war-torn world.  We found our way on the world led by our Founder and found great success.  All were enemies of the Clans, all were destroyed with no quarter offered or given.”  Canin said as Victor listened he realised, he was hearing of how the Clans killed hundreds of enemy troops without taking a single prisoner of war it was shocking but something he could believe considering what the Clans were and what they had been originally formed to do - conqueror the Inner Sphere.  Again the Nova Cats chanted as one “Seyla!”  Victor looked into the bonfire still raging below Canin and thought he could see Mechs, ancient Mechs battle scarred and beaten being torn apart by Mechs that looked brand-new undamaged and deadly.  It reminded him of when the Clans had first returned to the Inner Sphere.  The armies of the Inner Sphere battle ravaged and beaten by centuries of Succession Wars once more torn apart by the armies of the Clans.

   “Over time the Clans took their own path.  Some chose the Crusader path deciding that the Founder created the Clans to teardown the nations of the Inner Sphere and reform the Inner Sphere in our own image.  Others Chose the Warden path choosing to seek peaceful paths back to the Inner Sphere, to make alliances and guide the Inner Sphere nations to a better standard of life.”  As Victor listened to the Nova Cat Star Colonel he wondered what path the Nova Cats were on, it looked like they were a Warden Clan but several of the Nova Cats harboured crusader viewpoints and a deep hatred for the Inner Sphere, all it would take was for one to topple the current leadership and the Nova Cats would be poised at striking the Federated Suns weakly defended periphery belly.  In the Tortuga Dominions the Nova Cats were in a perfect position to play both games.  As if Canin was thinking the same thing “The Nova Cat was destined for greatness, the Touman was ready to participate in Operation Revival but the Khans foresaw our destruction with the other Clans and a white light, we now know to be ComStar, so the Nova Cat refused Revival and instead have walked a different path transporting nearly everything they had from Clan Space into the depths of the Periphery where they have begun clearing up the trash of the Periphery and making contact with the Inner Sphere.  Only time will tell how far the Nova Cats and the Inner Sphere will walk together.  The Other Clans so strongly believed in Revival that they continued on despite the Nova Cat warning only to be stopped by the white Mechs of ComStar.  The Inner Sphere States reformed the Haloed Star League and used it to strike back at the Clans showing the Crusaders the folly of their course killing the Smoke Jaguar Clan.  Now the war has ended but soon it will begin again, how it will end no-one will know but only that our way must survive.”  Canin said there were several moments of silence then as one everyone present, Nova Cat and Federated Suns Officer alike chanted “Seyla!”  By the time Victor looked back up at the podium Canin was gone from the platform.  All around the Nova Cats began dancing wildly with little coordination as the music that had been in the background came to the fore and the Warriors followed the music.  Tigret was lost in the sea of Nova Cats, she would find her way back but for now she was with her own people fellow Clansmen and in her element.  Several members of the AFFS party were moving on the spot slowly, Victor realised he too was swaying back and fourth.  Canin appeared beside Victor from nowhere “First Prince” he said bowing slightly, it was a polite acknowledgement nothing more.

   “This is quite something” Victor said watching as the officers of the Uhlans and Danai were swept up by the Nova Cat dance “it’s almost hypnotic.”

   “Aff” Canin said quietly he was not looking at Victor instead deep into the flame “some Nova Cats use the fire to concentrate on their quest of a vision, it is not unheard of warriors to ascend the podium and cast their vineers into the fire I doubt that will happen this far from home but it may, the flames have a strange power.”

   “Vineers?”  Andrew Redburn asked quietly watching the dance, he to was swaying slightly, beside him stood Field Marshal George Hasek who did not look impressed with the proceedings although Canin could see his right foot tapping on the ground as he followed the music, his mind may not approve but his body did.

   “Our vineers are our Souvenirs of Battle, unlike the other Clans and the Inner Sphere nations we do not take decorations for our achievements, our rank, names and vineers are enough.  Following a battle or a significant event in a Nova Cat warriors life they take something from the scene, something that will invoke an emotion during their Rite of Vision.”

   “You have done this?”  Victor asked curious by the whole idea as he watched Danai dance, she was enchanting, her pure while dress spinning as her body twisted and turned she was as happy with these Clansmen as he had ever seen her adapting so easily with so much fluidal it made Victor slightly envious.

   “Once before, just before Yvonne arrived in the Nova Cat’s Den” Canin said naming Victor’s sister.  Recently Victor had noticed Canin and Yvonne almost constantly referred to each other in first name terms neither had said anything about it but Victor had noticed.

   “May I?”  Victor asked indicating to the platform, he wanted to climb it and get a private moment with the Nova Cat Star Colonel.

   “Aff, it will support two people comfortably, the fire should have dimmed by now.”  Canin said glancing at the fire, from what Victor could see the fire had not changed from when he had first seen it.

   “Sire, I do not think that is wise…”  George said quietly.

   “Nonsense, Star Colonel Rosse and I will be fine.”  Victor said walking off with Canin, within a few minutes they were at the very top of the podium above the dimming fire, they could see for miles all around “amazing” Victor said looking out they were higher than the tallest BattleMech and their view was totally unobstructed.  Looking down he saw how smartly the Nova Cats had built this site the walled perimeter was a prefect circle around the fire which was placed in the lowest part of the base ensuring that the fire could not escape the area the Nova Cats had set up.  “You do this often?”

   “The Chronicle of Battles takes place every month, a different story is told each time and warriors are free to tell their own stories as they dance.  I have told the story I told tonight before but thought it would be appropriate again due to your involvement.”  Canin said, he had sat down on the wooden podium and crossed his legs, his eyes half closed “shall we talk now First Prince Davion?  Quiaff?”  Cain asked quietly and slightly more formally.

   “What is going on between you and my sister, Yvonne?”  Victor asked as he turned back to Canin deciding a direct and simple approach was easiest, he knew the Clansmen would appreciate that.

   “I do not know” Canin said honestly.

   “You don’t know?”  Victor said walking back and fore on the platform, it was sturdily built but creaked and moved every time he took a step.  “When I read the reports about your first visit I thought you were playing a game with Yvonne taking her on a little joyride, but then I discover that you continued in the same manner when she traveled to the Nova Cat’s Den, letting her pilot a Mech when she has no previous experience, and you gave her one of your uniform jackets.”  Victor said sitting down “then I hear you believe you had a vision about her before she arrived on Tortuga” he saw Canin about to protest that he had a vision not specifically about Yvonne just a vision and he raised his hand.  “It was about Yvonne” he said looking at Canin who nodded “now since a vision put your Clan on Tortuga in the first place I would like to know where this is going.”

   “I gave her the jacket on Tortuga” Canin admitted plainly “I have feelings for Yvonne, strange, confusing and wonderful emotions that I have felt for no other in my life.  And I had a vision about her.”  He said confirming the vision Victor believed he had experienced.

   “What was the vision?”  Victor asked, he barely believed in the Nova Cat visions but after what he thought he saw in the fire earlier and the obvious complete belief in visions amongst the Nova Cats he thought he would indulge Canin.

   “In the vision I met a woman from a nation of metal warriors, but she was not a warrior herself.”  Canin said trying to explain it to someone other than the Oathmaster was strange, to Victor the description matched a thousand women on a thousand worlds throughout the Inner Sphere, very thin ice to proclaim it was his little sister. “During our time together we became close and she proved that she was a warrior, just a reluctant one.”

   “Is that it?  You saw that my sister had raw MechWarrior talent and thought that meant something more?”

   “Neg, after this was revealed the female warrior and the nova cat in my vision merged into one and two Nova Cats came from the merging, both with swords instead of claws.  Tell me First Prince Davion who is the nation of the sword?”  Canin asked opening his eyes looking at Victor who took a step back in surprise, the Federated Suns had always been the nation most closely associated with the sword, the King Arthur Camelot legend and the ancient belief that MechWarriors were modern day knights, although the Word of Blake and the Free Worlds League had both tried to cash in on the beliefs the Federated Suns still held the strongest, longest claim to the heritage.  In the AFFS there was a medal, the Medal Excalibur, which was the highest medal anyone could gain and had only been awarded thirty-four times in history it was directly associated with the sword and there was the title Knight of the Realm again associated with swords and knights of ancient Terra.

   “So what will you do?”  Victor asked, it was obvious to Victor that Canin felt something for his sister and from what he had seen the Clan commander was an honourable man worthy of his sister.

   “Nothing, I am a Clan Trueborn Warrior she is a Federated Suns Duchess, we are from two alien cultures both human but far different.  There would be no future for either of us in pursuing it.”

   “Never believe that, Canin”  Victor said using the Star Colonel’s first name for the first time, he was now considering this Clanner to be a real human being not just an enemy to be destroyed “if you feel strongly about Yvonne and she feels the same way don’t allow politics to get in the way.  I did and now I have lost her forever.”

   “Duchess Centrella is happy with you.”  Canin pointed out.

   “And I am happy with her, but before Danai there was another woman whom I was very close with.  She was recently killed by an assassin.  I would never consider Danai to be a replacement or a substitute they are totally different women and I love them for different reasons but I will never know if the other relationship would have worked because of politics.  Don’t allow yourself to fall into the same pit.”  Victor then lowered himself from the platform without another word and sought out Danai, Victor and Canin did not speak for the rest of the night until right before the Federated Suns party left when Victor presented Canin with a St Ives Diamond medal and George Hasek presented him with a Syrtis Medal of Honour.  Canin accepted both as medals for the unit instead of for himself, if he had taken them he would have only destroyed them in a Rite of Vision, at least now they would last as long as the cluster lasted.

[Dragon Cat]

Precentor-Martial Cameron St Jamis’ Office
Sandhurst Military Academy, Terra
Chaos March
22nd August 3063
 
   The Word of Blake hear of attacks by foreign troops on their staging bases in the Draconis Combine and Federated Suns periphery.  Following news on the attack on Astrokaszy Cameron St Jamis orders the Word of Blake militia troops based in the periphery to give no enemy unit a wide-berth to instead destroy on sight.

   Within twenty-four hours of this order two WarShips one ComStar vessel, the Brandenburg Crusader an Essex-class Destroyer, and a Draconis Combine WarShip, the DCS Dream of Kessel, a Kyushu-class Frigate are destroyed in the Draconis Combine Periphery or just beyond Draconis Combine space.  Salvage found near the destroyed Dream of Kessel suggests the vessel that destroyed the Draconis Combine vessel was the Hidden Meaning a known Word of Blake Essex-class Destroyer.  This is confirmed when the Hidden Meaning is found two jumps away destroyed by a miss-jump.

   Following the recovery of a Draconis Combine black-box recorder from one of the downed fighters belonging to the Dream of Kessel and a fragment of an HPG message from the Brandenburg Crusader both Draconis Combine and ComStar declare the Word of Blake a rouge organisation however with Clan Ghost Bear causing trouble and ComStar’s forces wrongly placed throughout the Inner Sphere the choice is made not to make a move against the Word of Blake on Terra.

   Instead ComStar begins re-arming three ancient Intrepid-class Troopships hidden at a secret base for centuries, this is seen as the first step toward curbing Word of Blake activities and a step towards the invasion of Terra.  The Word of Blake know nothing of Intrepid-class vessels and publicly challenges ComStar to face them in combat if they believe the Word of Blake is in the wrong, because ComStar refuse to take the bait the Word of Blake believe they have won Public Relations victory although they get little support from any Successor state other than the Free Worlds League.

Clan Blood Spirit Holdings
York, Kerensky Cluster
Clan Homeworlds, Clan Space
28th August 3063

   In the early hours of the 28th August Clan Star Adder and Clan Stone Rhino launch full scale attacks on the world of York, Homeworld to Clan Blood Spirit and that Clan’s only holding.  For a start it appears that the two Clans have arrived at the same time and the Blood Spirits have only the Star Adders their biggest enemy to fear.  However mistake is soon realised when the Stone Rhinos join the Star Adders in attacking the Blood Spirit WarShip fleet near York.

   Although it costs the Star Adders the Pegasus, a Vincent Mk-42-class Corvette, and the Stone Rhinos the Red Rhino, a Essex-Mk I-class Destroyer, the four vessels of the Blood Spirit fleet are swiftly destroyed or disabled.  The Stone Rhinos with less resources available to them spend time salvaging the Ensanguine, a heavily battered Aegis-class Heavy Cruiser and the Stooping Kite, a similarly battered York-class Destroyer/Carrier significant boosts to their tiny WarShip fleet.  As a result the Star Adders lead the first assaults on the world of York at the cost of almost their entire Gamma Galaxy, later folded into other unit’s, the Star Adders land a force on York and secure an area of the planets surface to begin operations.

   Unable to resist the two Clans landing more troops on York Khan Karianna Schmitt contacts the Star Adders and Stone Rhino commanders.  She is surprised to find that both Star Adder Khan Stanislov N’Buta and Stone Rhino Khan Elizabeth Radick are both present with the invading forces.  The message from both Khans is clear they are here to absorb or annihilate the Blood Spirit Clan, there will be no trials or bidding the entire Blood Spirit Clan is threatened.  Faced with this prospect and two Clans bearing down on her Clan Karianna Schmitt attempts to contact the other Khans on Strana Mechty and find support somewhere the Invading Khans are however all in the Inner Sphere and their Clans are unwilling to interfere, the Hell’s Horses, Diamond Shark, Snow Raven and Nova Cat Khans are similarly missing for various reasons and the other Homeworlds Clans are unwilling to get involved lest they become the Star Adders next target.  The Blood Spirits are alone.

   In the first forty-eight hours Beta, Sigma and Tau Galaxies of Clan Blood Spirit are all destroyed by the Star Adders Alpha and Delta Galaxies at heavy losses, it appears the Blood Spirits legendary tenacity will allow them to hold on for at least a short time.  The Stone Rhinos land two days later with two full Galaxies of troops, the Blood Spirits brace themselves for the end however it never comes, the Stone Rhinos instead begin securing the captured Blood Spirit Infrastructure.

Delta Galaxy Command, Port Royal
New Port Royal
Nova Cat’s Den, Periphery
29th August 3063

   Arriving on New Port Royal Khan Santin West could see that the Nova Cats of Delta Galaxy who occupied this base had lowered their Galaxy Flag to half mast, this was an ancient tradition to honour the fallen, although the Clans did not generally honour their dead this way he did not look down on the tradition and would not order it ignored.

   The Khans motorcade entered the firebase, four APCs were ample protection on this world which the Nova Cats had turned over to food production and almost nothing else.  This was partially due to New Port Royal’s moisture rich atmosphere, which although perfect for food production caused a nightmare for anything technical, the Nova Cats had also chosen this world for food because of the strain having their entire population here together in the Nova Cat’s Den was causing on the Nova Cat Economy.

   Stepping clear of his APC the Khan had expected saKhan Karl Devalis to meet him instead Star Colonel Cassin Drummond commander of the Forty-forth Nova Cat Guards “Where is the saKhan?”

   “Khan West we assumed you had been told.”

   “Told what?”  He asked, his DropShip’s long range communications were down so since entering the New Port Royal System he had received no news.

   “The saKhan was killed.”

   “Killed?  How when?”

   “On Astrokaszy we were ambushed by a force of White Mechs and Battle Armour.  The saKhan led his Keshik and the 119th Cluster against them and they were able to hold off the aggressor until we had cleared the NBC weaponry and moved to support.  Unfortunately the saKhan was injured during the fight.  He died en route Astrokaszy’s star, his body was aboard the DropShip when we dropped it into the star along with its Nuclear cargo.”  West nodded, the loss of the saKhan was a hard blow to take, Karl Devalis had been his saKhan for three years and would be a hard man to follow.  West moved onto his next line of trouble he had noticed on the way in.

   “I only noticed one Carrack Merchant, where is the other?”  Santin asked beginning to think the worse of the situation he had seen at the Jump Point.

   “On our way to the Jump point a Riga-class Frigate we identified as a Star League registered vessel jumped in and destroyed the Pathfinder, the missing Carrack Merchant, they then attempted to steal the nuclear cargo aboard the DropShip however we were able to intercept them and kill them.”

   “The cargo was destroyed, Quiaff?”

   “Aff, along with the enemy Marines aboard the DropShip.  The saKhan declared that ComStar and the Word of Blake are enemies of the Nova Cat before he died.”  West nodded, ComStar and the Word of Blake both fielded Star League-era equipment and from what intelligence the Nova Cats had gained from Tukayyid and from other sources ComStar used a white paint scheme.

   “And we will honour his order as you have honoured him” West said looking up at the flag briefly “now the Nova Cat must move forward.  I want you to go to the jump-point and take the Lucian Carns to New Avalon.”

   “The Federated Suns capital why, to attack, Quineg?”

   “Neg, enter New Avalon via a pirate point and send a message to their high command using the frequencies we used before.  I want you to find the Watch Cluster and return Star Colonel Canin Rosse to New Barcella.  The Watch Cluster is to temporarily folded into the First Nova Cat Guards and Star Colonel Kalvin Rosse’s command.  Do you understand?”

   “Aff, what if we are challenged or attacked by Federated Suns units?”

   “That should not happen but avoid conflict at all costs, the Federated Suns is currently home to nearly a Galaxy of our troops and three WarShips.  I do not want them isolated and destroyed, we cannot afford those kind of losses.  I want Star Colonel Canin Rosse here as soon as possible.”

   “Aff, my Khan I will leave at once.”
 
Tall Trees, Saiph, New Canton
Saiph Triumvirate, Chaos March
31st August 3063

   Following successful operations in the Sarna Supremacy the Capellan Confederation drops onto the three worlds of the Saiph Triumvirate.  In three hours Tall Trees is conquered in six hours Saiph is under control and New Canton puts up no resistance after being held in check by the presence of the SLDF’s First Battle Armour Corps.  Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao arrives the next day and after executing the leaders of the various states on New Canton, minus Count Balantine protected by the SLDF.  He announces that he would welcome the SLDF remaining on the world maintaining order and offers to permanently cede the world to the SLDF.

   Lieutenant-General Harry Sanders commander of the First Battle Armour Corps accepts for the SLDF ensuring the Capellan occupiers do not trouble the worlds population for leaving the Confederation during the Fourth Succession War.  The populations of Tall Trees and Saiph are not so lucky with the SLDF troops on both worlds ordered to leave by Capellan troops.  The SLDF units retreat to New Canton Lieutenant-General Sanders unwilling to push a conflict by using the Racicre River Raiders Regiment, Second Brigade, First Division to force the issue with the Capellans.

   Sun-Tzu Liao travels to Tall Trees and Saiph to welcome the new worlds into the Capellan Confederation and deal with their leadership. Meanwhile Count Steven Balantine becomes Duke of New Canton under SLDF command with him seeing to running the planet and forming a government while the SLDF see to the defence of the world.  The Racicre River Raiders and the three Battle Armour Battalions keeping orders and security, several raids are reported and dealt with by the SLDF troops.  These raiders are using Capellan and Davion tech however that is no shock considering where they are and there is no proof to show who is responsible for the raids.

   Three days later the Styk Commonality, two worlds ‘next door’ to the Saiph Triumvirate falls to the Capellan Confederation with little resistance.  Again the Capellan Chancellor oversees the execution of the leaders of these two worlds.  Although the entire Inner Sphere and SLDF speak out against these executions nothing is done about them.

[Dragon Cat]

New Avalon Rivers Football Team
Avalon City, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
4th September 3063

   While most of the Inner Sphere and even the Federated Suns called the game Soccer due to the amount of football teams in common usage the population of New Avalon and Avalon City called the game by its traditional European name, Football.  Jacob Varnay held shares in one of Avalon City’s biggest teams The Rivers, although he held those shares under an assumed name, the Varnay family had not been popular in the Federated Suns since the failed coup and following Civil War in the late Twenty-fifth Century.  First Prince Alexander Davion the leader of the Federated Suns following the Civil War had tried to eliminate all Varnays but he had been unsuccessful.  Over time the Varnays had began to rebuild their strength and power but were still hated by the vast majority of the Federated Suns population, only the influx of Lyrans and money into the Federated Suns had opened more doors for the Varnay family, something Jacob would be eternally thankful to Hanse Davion for.

   “I was wondering if you saw the new ship that Victor launched last month?”  His contact said as they watched the game unfold it was a Cup Game The Rivers against a tiny team from New Scotland, The Celts.

   “No I didn’t.  You called me here to talk about one of the pint-sized prince’s new toys?”  He said mocking Victor’s short height at the same time as showing his anger, he had not expected to be called down here for something so small.

   “Well no, I was hoping your daughter would be here, Tera is so much easier to talk to her than her old man, and is far better to look at.”  Jacob did nothing, Tera his eldest daughter was on assignment inside the Eleventh Avalon Hussar RCT under an assumed name.  According to Tera, the Hussars were not happy at the current Princes policies or changes he was making to the military.

   “Tera, is busy Franklin.  Although when I see her I will tell her you were looking for her.  Now business.”  He said as The Rivers scored their first goal, the stadium with over twenty-four thousand people inside went crazy, fortunately their box was insulated from noise.

   “As I was saying the Hanse Davion, was launched last month by Victor.”  The man said “all very patriotic enhancing his image as a family man and such.  Thing is the ship used to be the FSS Thunderchild, don‘t know where they got it…”

   “Wait a minute!  The Thunderchild!  The Thunderchild is my families flagship missing for almost six centuries!  Are you certain?”

   “Oh yes, a salvage crew found it, apparently the new merc unit the Star Nova Galaxy group brought it in.  Scared little Katherine away when they jumped in system at the start of the year with it.”  He said as The Rivers scored their second “the Thunderchild was taken to Galax and given a substantial upgrade and some cosmetic changes to hide its real heritage and then re-launched to an unsuspecting public.”

   “Unbelievable!”  Jacob exclaimed as The Rives scored another in as many minutes the crowd went crazy again covering his shouting “Victor, the pint-sized prince has just given me another weapon to use in his own downfall.  Is there anyway we can get people onboard it?”

   “It is possible, for the right price.”

   “Anything, I want that ship.  And contact Field Marshal Waters again, see if he is interested in my proposal.  At least one of his RCTs have fallen for Tera’s charms…”

   “Not difficult” the other man said Jacob ignored him, he knew his daughters reputation before secretly joining the military and it wouldn‘t surprise him if she had continued to use her unique charms to get what she wanted.

   “…having the oldest AFFS units on our side will confirm our right to the throne and a new Golden Age for the Federated Suns.”

   “It’s possible, and you won’t forget your friends.”

   “I never forget my friends, Simon, it‘s bad for business and my name makes that hard enough as it is.”

   “Of course, sire, I meant no disrespect.”  He said smiling, Jacob and his entire family were the perfect tools.  Simon Gallagher would report this to his Archon and she would be very pleased by how things were proceeding.  If things went well the Varnays would attempt to gain control only to be beaten by Katherine and troops loyal to the Federated Commonwealth.  Victor Steiner-Davion and his brood would be dead and Simon would be back in charge of the AFFC as he was destined to be.  A week later Simon contacted Field Marshal Roger Waters and found the commander of the Avalon Hussars was very happy to help Simon and his client deal with Victor, he was also quite confident that the entire brigade of seven RCTs would be strongly behind their cause.  Seven well equipped and trained Regimental Combat Teams and a Battleship were not bad place to begin.

Uninhabited Island
New Hebrides Isles, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
28th September 3063

   Knowing that there would be a media and public frenzy around their wedding ceremony Victor and Danai had decided to hold a small private ceremony on the island he had proposed to her just over a year and a half before.  Because they were both military officers they had both chosen dress uniforms for the ceremony although Danai had worn a long dark green dress under her uniform jacket and skirt and she had a Vail covering her face as was tradition.  As was the tradition of the Davion family Victor wore the full dress uniform of the reborn AFFS green jacket with gold cuffs, and gold piping highlights decorations on the left breast and rank insignia on the shoulder epaulets, because there was no rank for First Prince Victor had chosen Field Marshal ranking strips.  Danai’s jacket was exactly the same as Victor’s except it had Marshal rank epaulets and less campaign ribbons.

   The guest list for the ceremony was wide and pan Federated Suns there was the Haseks of the Capellan March and the Sandovals of the Draconis March had joined them as had Arden Sortek and his wife as representatives of the Crucis March and personnel friends of Victor.  The commanders of the Tenth Lyran Guards, Victor’s Revenants, were also here in the same uniforms they had worn during the Clan War this would be the last time they would be able to wear these uniforms before officially transferring to the New Avalon Guards units.  Marshal of Armies Jackson Davion was here as was a couple of other members of the High Command.  Danai had invited her sister Naomi but she had refused.  So from outside there was the Allard-Liao family Candice, Duchess of St Ives Compact, Kai, heir to St Ives Compact and Cassandra, with her fiancé Tamas Rubinsky of Rubinsky’s Light Horse a long-term Mercenary Regiment of the St Ives Compact.  Beside them stood Commanding-General Morgan Hasek-Davion of the SLDF, here as a Hasek of the Capellan March and as a friend to Victor and Danai.  And finally standing beside Yvonne at the front was Star Colonel Canin Rosse, dressed in his Black embroidered Nova Cat dress uniform with full insignia and cape, although the head-piece was missing.  Victor had not been planning on inviting the Star Colonel, maintaining the secrecy surrounding the Nova Cat involvement in the Federated Suns however Yvonne had invited him and demanded he be allowed to be a Nova Cat, since there were no reporters present and the entire area had a fifteen kilometre seclusion zone around it.  Danai had agreed with Yvonne and Victor had finally agreed with them.

   The St Ives Compact delegation and Morgan had to be let in on the relationship the Federated Suns had began to form with the Nova Cats much to their shock, and slight horror, although after Victor explained exactly what the Nova Cats were doing and what they had done in St Ives/Capellan Confederation Conflict they had calmed down dramatically.  With the St Ives Compact dependant on the AFFS to hold their independence against the Capellan Confederation and the Star League basing its biggest training base on a Federated Suns base plus Morgan being a former AFFS Marshal of Armies and a Ducal leader of a Federated Suns world Victor and the others were confident that they would remain quiet about the secret arrangement.  Although peace rained between the guests and the Canin all were wary of the Nova Cat Warrior.  Yvonne had shown her feelings for Canin however and the two had been together throughout hands linked, Canin for his part had taken Victor‘s advice to heart and had barely taken his eyes off Yvonne.

   As the ceremony got underway, a traditional wedding ceremony despite the guests and the location, Victor felt strange looking at Danai, there was something not right.  He would have liked more family to be here but that wasn’t it, there was something wrong.

   At his seat Canin took his eyes off Yvonne for the first time since arriving, they were together now and although he wasn’t sure what was going on between them or what the future held he knew he wanted to be with her always, Canin looked straight up and suddenly Canin stood up, there was a gasp from all around Victor looked at him angrily.  But then before anyone could say a word two Aerospace Fighters flew overhead with a shuttle between them.  The shuttle landed behind the tree-line and a few moments later the occupants of the vessel arrived Peter Steiner-Davion, his surviving brother in full AFFC Dress Uniform, and to Victor’s surprise holding his hand Isis Marik who was dressed in a beautiful dark blue dress with her hair tied up.  On Outreach during their training to fight the Clans Victor had been interested in Isis but found her slightly too arrogant and too naïve of Inner Sphere politics to seriously consider her as a potential mate, his father had liked the idea of Victor and Isis together and their marriage would have brought the Free Worlds League into the Federated Commonwealth but as far as Victor was concerned that was never on the cards and something between Victor and Isis could never have worked.  “Peter!”  Yvonne shouted running grabbing her brother, it had been ten years since they had seen each other.  Victor broke from Danai and walked over to his brother.

   “Sire, it is good to see you again” Peter said bowing slightly “sorry for my lateness, but finding out you where you were being married was not the easiest thing ever.  I also have to apologies for the uniform, it isn’t my fault things changed when I was on leave” he said with a boyish smile on his lips, Victor was barely keeping a straight face himself and grabbed his brother hugging him “it’s good to see you too!”  Peter said returning the embrace.  As they broke Peter pulled Isis forward into the group as Danai joined them as well linking arms with Victor “please allow me to introduce, my wife Isis Steiner.”  He said smiling as Victor looked dumbfounded as Isis curtseyed deeply.  Danai noticed Victor wasn’t going to say anything so she spoke up.

   “Peter, Isis, welcome to New Avalon.  I am glad you could make it.  Now dear” she said turning to Victor “I don’t want to rush you but we are supposed to be getting married ourselves.”  Victor looked to her and turned her to face the priest who had re-appeared at their side.

   “Victor Ian Steiner-Davion do you take Danai Kyalla Centrella as your lawfully wedded wife?”

   “I do” Victor said smiling looking deeply into Danai’s deep green eyes

   “Dania Kyalla Centrella do you take Victor Ian Steiner-Davion as your lawfully wedded husband and accept to be the wife of the First Prince of the Federated Suns and to honour him and the nation.”  The last bit was because she was from another realm Dania had not liked its addition to the proceedings but decided to forget it, she knew what she was doing and what she wanted.

   “With all my heart, I do” she said.

   “Then with these witnesses present…”  The priest said as more fighters passed overhead and another shuttle began to land.

   “Finnish it” Victor whispered “before something else goes wrong.”  Victor said angrily.

   “… and with the power invested in me I now pronounce you man and wife” the priest said “you may kiss the bride.”  He said Victor raised the Vail and kissed Danai in a long embrace before breaking to see who the newcomer was.  Three individuals approached keeping a distance off, two were in Elemental Battle Armour while another was in standard Nova Cat Uniform, Victor glanced at Canin who nodded and headed over to them.  After several minutes of discussion Canin returned.

   “First Prince Davion, Duchess Centrella, I am sorry for the intrusion however it appears that I must leave the Federated Suns earlier than previously planned.”

   “Leave?”  Victor asked quietly

   “Leave…” Yvonne said in but a whisper she was shocked and hadn‘t expected this day to come but not today of all days.

   “Aff, the saKhan of the Nova Cats has been killed in combat and Khan West wants me to return to New Barcella immediately.  There is a WarShip in system waiting to collect me.  My cluster will fold with the First Nova Cat Guards for the rest of their mission here, Star Colonel Kalvin Rosse will be your new Nova Cat Liaison.”

   “I’ll be sorry to see you go, thank you for your time and skill Star Colonel.”  Victor said.  Canin nodded and turned to Yvonne.

   “Duchess, I am sorry things between us were not realised sooner” he said kissing her gently on the cheek “I hope to see you again.  Unfortunately, I do not know when that may be.”  He said

   “I do not want you to go” she said tears running down her cheek lowering her head.

   “And I don’t want to leave” he said smiling as he used a contraction deliberately to make her more comfortable.  "But I am a Clan Trueborn warrior and I have duties to follow."  Tapping her cheek he smiled and she returned it then without another word he turned to leave walking off to join the other Nova Cats walking back to the shuttle.

   “Victor” Yvonne said Victor and Danai turned to face her as did just about everyone else “I love you and I hope you are so happy, Danai make my brother happy, goodbye” she said kissing both her brother and his wife then turning to Peter “great seeing you again Peter, I hope you found what you were looking for and are happy” she said enveloping her brother in a hug “he’ll need you, congratulations” she said kissing Peter on the cheek then rushing forward as fast as her dress could carry her shouting at Canin.

   “Yvonne…” Victor said, his own voice a coarse whisper, as her sister reached Canin there was few word spoken between them before Canin lifted her up and twirled her around before kissing her, the other Nova Cats looked completely shocked and did not know what to do.  Canin lowered Yvonne to the ground and with a wave to the wedding party they began to disappear into the wood “…be happy” Victor finished glancing down at Danai giving her a long kiss.

   “Okay, are we the only ones here totally confused?”  Peter asked quietly glancing at Isis who looked just as confused “what is a Clanner doing on New Avalon?  And why is Yvonne going away with them?”

   “That Clanner as you call him, saved New Avalon from Katrina’s machinations when I was fighting the Smoke Jaguars, saved Danai when the Capellans tried to kidnap her and ended the St Ives War.”  Victor said looking at Peter who was beginning to realise how stupid his question had sounded, warranted but stupid. “He deserves our respect.”  When the Nova Cats had first agreed to come to the Federated Suns and Victor had first thought he would never respect a Clansmen or count them as an ally they were just a tool he could use in the here and now something he could get rid of when the time came however, Canin Rosse was his ally and friend.  He also realized that if things continued to blossom between his sister and the Nova Cat Star Colonel that they’d also be related.

   “And Yvonne is going with him because she is in love with him, and he loves her.” Danai said as the Nova Cat Drop-Shuttle took off and began to climb.  Victor leaned in and kissed her again as the Nova Cat vessel disappeared.

   “Now let’s celebrate and catch up!” Victor said as a mammoth beach party began on the island, Victor only hoped Yvonne had made the right choice.  The Lucian Carns was soon spiriting Canin and Yvonne clear of the Federated Suns and back to the Nova Cat’s Den.

[Dragon Cat]

Floating Tower
Federated Boeing Shipyards, Galax
Crucis March, Federated Suns
8th October 3063

   Just over a week after Canin and Yvonne had left New Avalon it was time for the Nova Cat Contract with the Federated Suns to end.  There had been no further attacks on the shipyards and eighteen Federated Suns Regiments had gained valuable experience in fighting a Clan opponent.  Before they left Victor called the Nova Cats all to Galax for one final goodbye.  There at Galax he presented Star Colonel Kalvin Rosse commander of the First Nova Cat Guards with the first Conquistador-class DropShip to come off the assembly line.  Victor had ordered this one specifically modified to transport the Watch Cluster as payment for their actions in the St Ives Compact.  Kalvin promised Victor that the Watch would receive the unarmed hull and would arm and use it as they saw fit.  And with that the entire Nova Cat Force began the steady withdrawal from Federated Suns space.

   In the meantime Victor had been catching up with his brother Peter and Isis.  Although they had known each other only a short time Victor had to admit they were a good couple together, far better a match than Victor and Isis could ever have been.  Peter seemed calmer and far more in control now than he ever had and he seemed to be able to analyse things with just a split second thought, similar to what his father used to do and Isis seemed far more knowledgeable of the Inner Sphere, politics and people, than the last time they had been together.  Peter explained to Victor privately that it was the Lyran priest on Zaniah that had proclaimed Isis Steiner that he had not asked her to forgo taking his full surname.  Victor understood it fine and quietly told Peter that he thought it was good they were playing up his Steiner heritage as it would make Katherine constantly look over her shoulder.

   Victor had offered Peter a position in the AFFS at least on a temporary basis until he and Isis worked out what they wanted to do, Peter had accepted and Victor had given him a commission as a Captain, one rank above his previous.  Peter’s first assignment would be to be Victor’s eyes and ears in the Fox’s Den, it was not a great job but it would give Peter valuable experience at high level command material, Peter would be Victor’s Prince’s Champion.  The Prince’s Champion was one of the most coveted positions in the entire AFFS and in some cases was equal to the Marshal of Armies second only to the First Prince, Peter had resisted since he had been out of the loop for so long but Victor convinced him that it was for the best to accept this position, at least for now.  He also assigned Peter one of the Mechs the Blue Star Irregulars had delivered from the Lyran Alliance, initially he had wanted to give Peter a Hauptmann OmniMech however Peter had said he would prefer one of the Fafnirs which Victor had no problem with.  As far a Victor was concerned it was only a matter of time that Peter would be ready to challenge Katherine for the Steiner throne and with Isis at his side the Lyran people would see someone who could deal with the Clan threat personally, mend the wounds caused with the split of the Arc-Royal Defence Cordon and with Isis they would see a leader who could provide the Lyran People with an Heir, something which Katherine could not promise.

Davion Family Dining Room, Royal Palace
Avalon City, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
10th October 3063

   The Davion Royal Palace had several dining areas however the one favoured by the Prince was one on the first floor adjacent to his work office, it was small and simple and easily fit Victor, Danai, Peter and Isis without it feeling too big.  As they ate Victor noticed Danai had hardly eaten her meal but had a smile on her face.  “Are you alright?”

   “Sort of” she said, that wasn’t an answer Victor liked so he put down his drink and looked at her deeply, she seemed fine.

   “What do you mean ‘sort of?’”  He asked reaching out laying his hand on hers.

   “It’s not a bad thing really, it’s just I won’t be able to pilot my Mech for a while and then there will be the lack of sleep but I’m sure I can handle that…”

   “What are you talking about?”  Victor asked he was beginning to worry now, there must be something wrong with her for her to be talking about things she couldn’t do. “Is there something wrong with you?" No answer "Danai, are you alright?”  he asked kneeling in front of her, he prayed she was, in Danai he had found someone he could act as he wanted and would be totally accepted, she was his sole mate in so many ways.  Across the table Peter and Isis had both stopped eating Peter gently holding Isis outstretched hand as they waited for possibly bad news.

   “I’ve never been better” Danai said slipping off her chair kneeling beside Victor “I’m pregnant!” She whispered to him smiling kissing him gently, Victor was shocked for several moments he did nothing and Danai began to get worried.  “Are you alright?  You're not mad… I think this is great but we have talked about this…”  she said thinking that maybe Victor didn’t want kids of his own, he was First Prince of the realm but technically he could name anyone to be his successor for as long as she‘d known him he was a man of action not really the homely type, but he was her sole mate and she would support him with whatever he wanted.

   “Mad?  Mad?…”  Victor said quietly then noticed Danai’s shock in his reaction “No, no, no!  A baby” he said lifting her chin with his hand “US! A baby!” he said smiling kissing her “you and me…” he said his voice full of wonderment.  Suddenly he was on his feet pulling Danai to her feet as he looked at Peter and Isis “we are having a baby!”  He virtually shouted despite them being less than a metre away.

   “Congratulations, I‘m…”  Peter began as Victor leapt into the air punching the air “…happy for you both.”  He said still holding Isis hand tightly.

   “We both are, very happy, for both of you” Isis said reaching out to squeeze Danai’s hand.  Victor was not listening though he walked into the corridor and grabbed one of the two guards, both guards immediately thought there was a problem.

   “I want you to be the first to know” he then looked at Peter and Isis “well third and fourth to know” he said looking at the two troopers pulling them in close putting an arm around them as if he was back in the field heading for the bar “we” he said pointing to Danai then himself “are having a baby!”  He said knocking their helmets off messing up both men’s hair, both men tried to maintain their discipline however neither could stop themselves smiling “com’on” Victor said slipping out from the guards grabbing Danai’s hand the half walked half ran down the corridor with Peter and Isis in hot pursuit along with both Royal Guard troopers.  Victor and Isis came out of one of the palace’s many balconies.  “You want this?  Don’t you?”  Victor whispered to Danai.

   “With all my heart, yes” she said rubbing her belly, there was nothing there but she felt a strange sense of energy and growth.

   “Then Duchess, I believe it is time that we told the world that” he said quietly looking at her smiling, Danai broke into a broad smile as they linked both hands and looked into the sky then they both shouted together.

   “WE ARE HAVING A BABY!”  They shouted together before embracing each other tightly, the future started here.  Peter, Isis and the two guards looked on with a slight sense of bemusement and a slight feeling of awe, the future started here and they were witnessing it unfolding.  Within the hour the whole of Avalon City knew about Victor and Danai’s happy news, by the end of the day the whole of New Avalon knew and by the end of the week the entire Federated Suns and beyond knew that Danai was pregnant and that Victor would have an heir.  Soon the entire Inner Sphere knew as well and messages of encouragement began flooding in from people all around the Inner Sphere.  Even Victor’s sister Katherine sent them a message of congratulations but from the way it was worded and written Victor knew it wasn’t Katherine that had written the message either an aide or member of the LAAF had sent it to allow the Lyran Alliance to keep face.  Although Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao sent a message as well Victor saw it he deleted it he had not interest in what a Liao wanted to say, he was almost tempted to share that information with the Haseks, it might get them off his back, then he thought about sending the entire AFFS after the Capellan leader another thing that would make the Hasek family happy, he and Danai would have to be extra careful from now on.

[Dragon Cat]

Lucian Carns (Anna-Rosse-class Battle-cruiser)
In System Burn, New Barcella
Nova Cat’s Den, Periphery
14th October 3063

   Since leaving New Avalon Canin and Yvonne had been together nearly constantly officially Canin had passed off her presence as the Nova Cat’s First Official Ambassador to the Federated Suns.  Some of the crew had resented having a ‘Spheroid’ in their midst’s and when they had been told to take Canin to New Barcella they had suggested dropping Yvonne off somewhere.  Canin had almost challenged them to a Trial of Grievance however Yvonne had beaten him to it and challenged the warriors herself, to the surprise of all Canin included she won all three trials - one Mech battle, one chess game and one arm wrestle, these successes had gained her acceptance and respect with the Nova Cat crew something Canin could have never won for her, he was immeasurably proud of her actions.

   Walking Canin and Yvonne into the Lucian Carns’ forward observation lounge hand-in-hand they looked at the planet below “welcome to New Barcella, the home to the Nova Cat Clan.”  Canin said Yvonne released Canin’s hand and looked down at the globe.  In high orbit ahead of the Lucian Carns there was a big Nova Cat WarShip standing guard and what looked like an under construction naval yard which were the first two things Yvonne saw and found herself immediately impressed, already there were two construction yard slips each large enough for the largest WarShip and another four under construction, none were filled with vessels but Yvonne wondered how long that would last.  She looked down at the planet below and saw a planet covered almost entirely in water with only a small landmass.

   “Oh my lord!”  Yvonne exclaimed looking down at the planet as Canin stepped up, from orbit they could see everything through the crystal clear atmosphere including the outline of Philip Drummond City the planets largest land based settlement, from orbit it looked like a massive star reaching out of the planet’s crust, at sea the Borealis Settlement, a water based settlement was under construction twenty kilometres from Philip Drummond City, its sheer size clearly visible from orbit against the blue back-drop of the ocean.  “It is beautiful!” She exclaimed looking at Canin who smiled looking at the Nova Cat’s Homeworld, it certainly was a wonderful world.

   “Nearly eleven million Nova Cats reside there.”

   “Eleven million… eleven million Nova Cat Warriors and little me.”  Yvonne said looking into space, she had wondered several times if she had made the right choice, Canin looped his arm around her back.

   “Hey, you have me” he said quietly kissing her on the cheek.  Once she had gotten past the cold warrior exterior that surrounded Canin she had found a romantic and warm man, something no-one could have thought looking at a Clansman.  “And they are not all warriors.  The only warriors on New Barcella are Alpha Galaxy, around four clusters of troops, the rest are trainee warriors, scientists and the lower castes.”

   “And you just found this world?”

   “Aff, we spread out from Tortuga and this gem laid for all to see. Sometimes I think it found us.”  He said, an hour later with the Lucian Carns in high orbit Yvonne and Canin were on their way down to the planet.  Their DropShip landing Philip Drummond City’s massive spaceport, since colonisation the spaceport had grown with the city and was now almost eight square miles, a quarter the size of the city and more than capable of holding more than twenty DropShips and an entire Galaxy of Aerospace Fighters with over a dozen landing pads and six criss-crossing runways.  From their DropShips they were collected by a multipurpose land vehicle and taken down town.  Because they had built this city from the ground up and not had to use another city as a template everything was ultra modern and clean and organised.  Although the city was based on Katyusha City on Strana Mechty the Nova Cats had allowed the castes to mix more freely which had improved the Clan’s workings.

   Unlike the approaches to the Davion Palace which was several kilometres outside Avalon City the Nova Cat Clan Hall in the centre of Philip Drummond City.  Across from the front of the building was a statue of Nicholas Kerensky, founder of the Clans, while at one side was a statue of Philip Drummond, one of the Nova Cat founders, on the other side was a statue of Anna Rosse, the other Nova Cat founder, while behind the building was a statue of Alexandr Kerensky, Commanding-General of the Star League‘s Exodus Army that had become the Clans.  The building itself was surrounded by a square kilometre of knee level hedge rows, there was no surrounding walls or fences only a pair of armoured Elementals at the front door.  The Hall itself was about six stories high and had a neo-gothic feel to it.

   Canin and Yvonne stepped out of the vehicle and looked around them “this is amazing” Yvonne said “it’s beautiful!”  She said spinning around her long blue dress spinning around her.

   “You sound surprised” Canin said, Yvonne closed on him and kissed him lightly on the lips.

   “I am sorry, it is just I never expected anything like this on a Clan world.  The Clans always seem so clinical and cold.”

   “We admire beauty, it is just we are also practical.”  He said holding her hand he led her inside past the two guarding Elementals who stood straight like statues allowing the two to enter the Hall.  Immediately inside the doors were another pair of armoured Elemental warriors these with their SRM racks removed from the Battle Armour.  Walking inside the room they were immediately taken aback and Yvonne was flooded with memories of the Royal Throne Room on Tharkad.  Standing behind the Khan’s desk were two massive statues of Mechs one a Nova Cat, the pride of the touman, and the other the Dragon Cat, sister design to the Nova Cat and personal ride of Canin Rosse.  The similarities to Tharkad’s two BattleMech guards was startling however the Lyrans had real manned Mechs defending their throne and these Nova Cat Mechs were only marble statues.  As they closed Yvonne marvelled at the detail seen on the Mechs, it was so detailed right down to individual nuts on each panel.  Between them hung the insignia of Clan Nova Cat on a massive twelve metre tall banner.

   “Beauty of the Mech, practicality of the statue” Yvonne said smiling “I like it” she said looking over the Mechs as Khan Santin West entered from one of the side doors.

   “My Khan, you called” Canin said addressing Santin, he looked at Yvonne then to Canin slightly confused.  “Allow me to introduce Duchess Yvonne Steiner-Davion, sister of First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion.”

   “Your bondsmen, Quineg?”  Santin asked looking at Yvonne he saw no bondcord as was tradition for anyone captured and taken as abtakha and Canin had used her full name again against tradition.

   “Neg, she came here as my guest and unofficially as ambassador to the Federated Suns.”

   “Officially?”  Santin asked, he didn’t want anymore connections to the Inner Sphere power, things were moving too fast an ambassador was far too official for him.

   “Officially I would like to join the Nova Cat Clan.”  Yvonne said speaking before Canin could, Canin looked over at her surprised, she had never said such a thing before.  “Khan West, I have been impressed with the warriors of your Clan and by Star Colonel Rosse especially.  I have chosen to come here by my own free will to join Canin here on a permanent basis, and if the only way I can do this is to join the Nova Cat Clan and give up all my previous ties I am willing.  I can fight if you wish however I am better at administration, I will do as you wish.”  She said bowing slightly Santin looked to Canin.

   “You are involved with this woman?”  Santin said asked reading the situation almost straight away there was no disdain in his voice only a little surprise.

   “Aff” Canin said there was no point in denying it he loved Yvonne and if it meant losing his rank and being abjurned from the clan he would take it.

   “We will see how you do in a trial of position, if you pass then we will see where we can find a place for you, Yvonne Nova Cat”  Santin said accepting her into the Clan stripping her of title and family names.  “Star Colonel Canin Rosse, in the meantime I have a new duty for you.  With Karl Devalis dead I need a new saKhan, I want to offer you command of Delta Galaxy and the position as saKhan.”

   “Should there not be a Trial of Position for the position?  Quiaff?”  Canin said Yvonne had a huge smile on her face.  Canin would soon be saKhan second-in-command of the entire Clan!

   “Aff, I cannot say with absolute certainty that you will not be challenged for the position, however, I need someone that I can trust and that knows the path our Clan is on.  I believe you are such a man.  Do you accept, Star Colonel?”

   “On one condition, my Cluster joins me in Delta Galaxy as my command Keshik.”

   “A cluster as a Keshik?”  West said quietly mulling it over for a moment, it certainly would surprise anyone who engaged the Keshik, he nodded his agreement and extended his hand.  Canin shook the Khan’s outstretched hand and in an instant became Clan Nova Cats next saKhan.

Ways of Seeing
New Barcella
Nova Cat’s Den, Periphery
21st October 3063

   After a few days wandering around Philip Drummond City Yvonne was beginning to wonder why she was here with the Nova Cats.  Canin had been sent to see Delta Galaxy on New Port Royal leaving her very much alone.  She had discarded the few items of clothing she had taken from the Federated Suns and wore a simple green jumpsuit adding the jacket Canin had given her when they were on Tortuga.  In the morning of the third days Khan Santin West had come to her quarters and asked her if she could pilot a hovercraft, she had said she could and he had given her the keys to a Savannah Master Hovercraft.  At first Yvonne had been surprised to see the five ton Inner Sphere built Hovercraft and wondered what Santin West’s giving her one had signified, did he want rid of her so badly?  Instead Santin had said she could use the craft to get around the city and the surrounding area on her own and that he was recalling her escort guard giving her full freedom.

   At first Yvonne had driven around the city fully exploring the Nova Cat Capital however after a week in the city Yvonne had decided to travel north of the city into the Ways of Seeing National Park.  The Nova Cat warriors that had heard she was heading there alone thought she was crazy however Santin West had authorized it giving her a laser pistol and a vibro-blade for personnel protection and making sure she had full provisions with her.

   Now several kilometres from the city Yvonne felt completely free, something she wondered if she had ever been, even on New Avalon she could never have been this free and alone it felt very liberating.  Slowing the Savannah Master to a stop she climbed out of the small vehicle and looked around, she was totally alone.  Hearing water down a small hill and baking in the heat Yvonne decided to climb down the hill ‘what’s the worse that could happen’ she thought - famous last thoughts.  Leaving most of her things in the Savannah Master Yvonne had climbed down to find a that she was beside a lake connected to the seas, on all sides there were trees hiding it from everything, if she hadn’t stopped she would never have seen it.

   In the baking New Barcella heat Yvonne stripped off her jumpsuit, her senses were screaming ‘what are you doing, someone may be watching’ but she really did not care diving in the water she laughed and enjoyed swimming in the warm water of the cove it was wonderfully relaxing and liberating to be able to swim surrounded by such beauty and not have to worry about anyone seeing her, who would care?  After swimming for half an hour she climbed out and dressed back in her jumpsuit, without a towel it made the clothes slightly damp but the sun’s heat would soon dry her.  As she dressed Yvonne turned startled seeing something out the corner of her eye, she was not alone!  Someone had seen her!  Someone was still watching her!  “Hello!”  She called “Who’s there?”  She shouted suddenly there was a growl from behind her.

   Spinning around Yvonne saw a black cat the size of a Terran Lion which was growling and snarling at her, as it growled at her its mane stood on end making its entire head look like a sun going nova.  Yvonne quickly realised that this was a nova cat, she knew the Nova Cats had released them on the world but never expected to come across one, this was why the Nova Cats thought she was crazy.  Bending down slowly she pulled on the black Nova Cat uniform jacket she'd kept since Canin gave her it, if she had to run for it she would be taking everything she could with her.  The animal seemed to see something in the jacket and almost in an instant stopped acting aggressively, it leapt down from the rock it was mounted on and as it landed its mane lowered disappearing in it’s black hair.  Yvonne stood completely still as the nova cat walked around her mewing like a domesticated cat as it sniffed her, from what she had read the nova cat was not an aggressive animal but it was a predator and it did eat meat so she kept an eye on the cat.  However her concern was unwarranted as the cat growled one last time then disappeared into the trees, when she had read about the nova cat it was not a forest animal, why was it hear hunting her or anything else?  Perhaps the species was changing to match the new environment of New Barcella.

   Deciding to count her lucky stars and not ask questions Yvonne began heading back to the Savannah Master.  After about ten minutes she realised she was not any closer to the vehicle, had she made a wrong turn or was she just further away than she had thought?  With darkness beginning to close in Yvonne began to worry, everything was back in the hovercraft.  Suddenly there was a growl behind her turning she saw the nova cat, or at least a nova cat she had no idea if it was the same one that had watched her before.  The nova cat walked past her and into the woods, Yvonne’s first reaction was to walk the other way but the nova cat turned and growled at her.  She decided to follow the beast, whether it was the right choice or not she would soon know.  For nearly an hour she followed the animal every time she thought of changing her direction the cat growled, deciding to keep it happy she continued to follow.  Nearly another hour passed and with near total darkness enveloping the area Yvonne though everything was lost when the nova cat leapt out of the trees onto the track right beside Yvonne’s Savannah Master.  Yvonne ran to the hovercraft touching it to make sure it was real then looked back towards the nova cat to see it was gone, she had no idea where it had gone but there was no trace of the animal.

   Yvonne climbed back in the craft and headed straight back to Philip Drummond City.  When she arrived it was completely dark, she stored the vehicle then made her way into the command building heading for her guest quarters.  Reaching the top of the stairs she saw Khan Santin West leave his office.  “My Khan” she said quietly heading past the massive elemental, seeing Elementals around all the time had been strange to her for the first day or so but now she could see them as people it was perfectly normal.

   “You are up late Yvonne, been on an adventure, Quiaff?”  He asked closing the door walking with her down the corridor.

   “Aff, I went to the Ways of Seeing Park as I planned and discovered a secluded cove, I went for a swim then as I headed back to my hovercraft I encountered a nova cat.”

   “A nova cat.  Are you sure?” he asked quietly stopping.

   “Aff, a black cat slightly smaller than a Terran lion with a mane that stands on end when it is angry.”  She said describing the cat she had seen, Santin nodded it was a nova cat she had encountered, “it walked around me then disappeared.”  She said continuing “I headed back to my hovercraft but I seemed to loose my bearings and after half-an-hour I was lost.  I didn’t know what I would do, or what would happen.  Then the cat reappeared it snarled at me then led me around for a couple of hours before leaving me beside the Savannah Master.  I turned…” she stopped smiling slightly embraced “…I was going to thank it or something, but when I looked I saw it was gone, I do not know if it leapt back into the trees or disappeared into the night but there was no trace of it.  So yes you could say I had an adventure.”  She said smiling then noticed Khan West had a strange look on his face and in his eyes “what is it my Khan?”

   “We only released the nova cats held in captivity a day ago and that site was over twenty kilometres from here, you travelled only a few kilometres?”  She nodded “how did it travel that far and find you?”  He asked his voice filled with wonderment “I think perhaps you experienced a living vision.”

   “A what?”  She asked, she had heard all about Nova Cat visions and doubted that she would ever experience one of her own, she was an outsider in the clan and possibly would be forever.  Canin had said that it would take time for her to fit but if she wanted to it would, she was willing to give it time for her love for him was strong.

   “You know of Nova Cat beliefs and visions, Quiaff?”  Yvonne nodded “a living vision is very rare, when a nova cat is lost mentally or physically they give themselves over to the nova cat within them and it guides them back to the right path.  I have only met one person my entire life who has experienced one” he reached out and touched her chest closing his eyes.  Removing his hand he opened his eyes “perhaps Rosse saw more in you than your beauty.  Goodnight Yvonne.”  He said walking off smiling as he lit a cigar, in the week she had been here she had never seen Santin West smile.  Nova Cat inside her or not Yvonne was tired and headed to bed, she would sort this out later.

[Dragon Cat]

Nova Cat Command Base
Barcella, Kerensky Cluster
Clan Homeworlds, Clan Space
12th November 3063

   At the yearly Oathmaster’s grand melee Oathmaster Jal Steiner stuns the applicants by refusing to stand for the position of Oathmaster telling the applicants that he believes that if he continues any longer than the four years he has served he will loose his objectivity and be unable to guide the Clan effectively.  He returns to his previous rank of Star Colonel, however has no current assignment.  After a gruelling five days of combat and testing Star Commander Zane Carns becomes the new Nova Cat Oathmaster, in his acceptance speech he vows to step down like Jal Steiner did when he believes he has outlived his usefulness as Oathmaster, he then moves into a weeks worth of seclusion on Barcella.

Ghost Bear Dominion
Clan Occupation Zones
17th November 3063

   With Clan Ghost Bear attacking the Draconis Combine Clan Hell’s Horses strike them from behind the Hell’s Horses quickly seizing Spittal, Goito and Radstadt destroying the 566th Provisional Garrison Cluster, of Clan Ghost Bear’s Xi Galaxy, which was tasked with defending those worlds.  The invasion stalls however when Khan Malavei Fletcher leads an attack on Predlitz a world defended by a single Ghost Bear Trinary led by Star Captain Jake Kabrinski.  The Ghost Bear warriors find help from the local population during the Hell’s Horses invasion, something they had not experienced on other worlds, and the Hell’s Hoses themselves quickly bogged down.  The Hell’s Horses route when Star Captain Kabrinski engages and kills Khan Malavei Fletcher in personal combat despite his Elemental suit being lighter than the Khan’s Gnome Suit.  Unable to continue without Fletcher’s drive and passion/hatred for the Ghost Bears the invasion stalls.

Trial of Position
New Barcella, Dagda Continent
Nova Cat’s Den, Periphery
28th November 3063

   After training on various Clan OmniMechs and some BattleMechs Yvonne had chosen to use a ninety ton Kingfisher.  The Kingfisher was an old Mech but a solid one.  Looking at the standard weapon configurations available Yvonne had asked for and gained permission to fully customise the OmniMech to fight like she wanted it to.  In the right arm she mounted an Extended-Range Large Laser while in the left arms she mounted an Extended-Range PPC.  The left torso was home to a pair of Extended-Range Medium Lasers while the centre torso mounted a Streak SRM launcher with six-tubes and finally jump jets were fitted on the Mech’s back, a feature not common to the design.

   Across the Circle of Equals stood a ninety ton Supernova BattleMech, the Khan had explained that because Yvonne was not another Clan Warrior and admitted herself she had no command experiance that she would fight one opponent in combat.  Victory would grant her a place in the Clan, failure would be her death.  Although the Supernova was a standard design the Mech easily had three times the Kingfisher’s long range firepower with a blistering array of six Extended-Range Large Lasers.  Before the fight Canin had told her the only chance she would have was to get in close and make the Supernova pilot to fire his weapons too often causing the Mech to overheat.

   “I, Yvonne, call this circle of equals and challenge for the right to serve within Clan Nova Cat.  May no other enter.”  She said into the communication system beginning the traditional trial.

   “I, Star Colonel Neil commander of the First New Barcella Guards Cluster, refute your challenge to enter the Nova Cat Clan.  This is a solemn task, may no other enter.”  Her challenger said then they both chanted together “Seyla!” into the comm. system beginning the trial.

   After a brief pause the trial began with the Supernova pilot, Neil, launching his BattleMech into the air towards Yvonne’s location.  Yvonne ran her Mech forward as well firing both the PPC and the large laser the PPC slammed into the Supernova’s left arm while the laser went slightly wide.  The Supernova, still mid-flight, struck out with three of his own large lasers however the blast of the PPC threw the shot off-line and Neil barely controlled the Mech’s landing.  Yvonne knew she had a chance keeping the pace up she opened fire with both the PPC and the laser again, the Kingfisher’s heat sinks dealing with the heat produced easily.  This time both weapons struck low on the Supernova’s right leg melting away most of the armour there.  Neil returned fire with the Supernova’s six large lasers four slammed into the Kingfisher throwing Yvonne around as the Mech lost over two tons of armour.  The Kingfisher slammed into the ground and Yvonne could hear armour being crushed by the impact of ninety tons of Mech hitting the ground.  Rolling over she tried to pick the mighty OmniMech up, she had trained doing this a lot and was able to raise the mighty machine in one try.  Turning she was pleased to see that the Supernova was locked in position overheated from constant firing.  Triggering the Streak SRM launcher and both torso mounted medium lasers she was pleased to see the laser carve into the Supernova’s left torso while the SRMs struck all over the Mech.  As the Supernova began to cool and power back up Yvonne launched the Kingfisher skyward over the Supernova, clear of the Mech she cut the jets and landed, as the ninety ton Mech landed there was a slight stumble but she was able to keep control turning around she noticed the Supernova was now almost fully powered up raising its arms looking for her Kingfisher.  Aiming low on the Supernova’s back Yvonne triggered the PPC, Large and medium lasers and the SRM rack in the classic ‘alpha-strike.’  Every single one of the weapons slammed into the Supernova’s back the lasers melting what little armour was mounted there then the SRMs hit burrowing deep inside the Mech taking out the Mech’s gyroscope.  Without the powerful piece of balancing equipment to keep the Mech upright the Supernova keeled over disabled.

   “MechWarrior Yvonne, you are victorious today.  Welcome to Clan Nova Cat!”  The comm. system announced, it took Yvonne several moments to realise it was Canin speaking “I am proud of you.”  He added then the signal went dead.  Yvonne nodded looking at the downed Supernova ‘that wasn’t too difficult, but I don’t want to do this with the rest of my life’ she thought, she wasn't a warrior at heart, probably never would be.

Merchant Sector Administration
Philip Drummond City, New Barcella
Nova Cat’s Den
30th November 3063

   Although Yvonne had been accepted as a freeborn warrior in the Nova Cat Clan and had proven her worth in a Mech she had made it clear to even Khan West that she was not a warrior by heart.  To her surprise, Khan Santin West had respected her position and had her removed from active service in the Nova Cat Touman almost immediately, instead of being a warrior she was transferred to the New Barcella Civilian Administration in the Merchant Sector of the city.  From there Santin explained that she would be able to oversee all operations on New Barcella and that she would be in charge of making sure the lower castes stayed out of his way and out of the way of his troops.  “Wait I’m in charge here?  I just arrived.”  She said looking over at the Khan, the rest of the civilian castes looked shocked that she a lowly worker was questioning their Khan’s wishes and with contractions.

   “First drop the contractions.  Second you ran the Federated Suns for a whole year, I am sure you can run this planet.  There is a mountain of paperwork in that office” he said pointing to a closed wooden door “it was mine it is now yours.  Any major plan you have gets cleared with myself or the saKhan is that understood, Quiaff?”

   “Aff, my Khan” Yvonne said quietly lowering her eyes in acknowledgement.

   “Good, saKhan Rosse will be your liaison with me, I am sure he will be able to cater to your every need.”  Santin said lifting a cigar to his mouth lighting it to cover the smile that had slowly appeared “I shall take my leave” he said stepping out of the room “saKhan?”

   “I will remain a while and ensure she has everything that is needed, Quiaff?”

   “Aff, I shall see you in the morning.  Do not keep him up too late Yvonne” he whispered bursting into laughter as he walked down the corridor, Canin shook his head slowly surprised at the Khan's reaction to recent events.  Yvonne walked into the office Santin had indicated to as they opened the door some paperwork fell off the table joining the massive pile of paperwork currently covering nearly all the floor of the room.

   “Great, looks like I am in for an all-nighter” she said stepping into the office, it was only about three o’clock in the afternoon, that was the scale of the task ahead of her.  Despite the technology of the Clans it appeared that paper followed everything, it also appeared the Khan had no time for it.  Picking up a letter she noticed the date on it “this is dated 3061 it has sat here unopened for two years!  Has the Khan not heard of delegation?”  She asked looking at Canin as he closed the door behind him, a small smile crept onto his face.  “What?”  She asked looking at him standing up straight “What is so funny?”

   “You” he said “most Clansmen would look at this and have a heart-attack.  I think West ignored it for so long because of that reason.” he said stepping into the room over a pile of letters “you look at it and say ‘it will take all night’ you are amazing” he said kissing her forehead.

   “You know everything to say” she said kissing him back “you know your people can see us?” she said nodding her head to the glass panel windows and the six open mouthed clerks.

   “Let them watch” he said lowering his head to kiss her, Yvonne returned his kiss but broke off after a couple of seconds “What is wrong?  Had enough of me now you have a new job?”  Yvonne punched his arm playfully then kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear.

   “The Khan gave me a job and you are getting in the way.  So either help or go.”  She said turning to the papers picking some up shifting though them.

   “Yes, wife.  I will get some coffee then we can get started.”  He said, Yvonne froze in space “something wrong?” He asked walking up behind her placing both hands on her shoulders “Yvonne?”  He asked getting no response.

   “What did you call me?” She whispered softly.

   “It was nothing, I am sorry.”  He said breaking off realising his joke was the wrong type of one to make.  He’d heard men in the Inner Sphere say that all the time when given an order by a woman they were involved with but perhaps his use of the words was wrong.

   “Would you marry me?” She asked still staring away from him into space.

   “Are you proposing?”  He said jokingly stepping to the door opening it leaning out, “we need a pot of strong coffee and several boxes.”  He said to one of the civilian clerks, she nodded and rushed off, it wasn’t every day a saKhan gave them orders.  When Canin turned around Yvonne was standing right there pushing him into the door closing it.

   “If I was proposing, would you marry me?”  She asked again, Canin took a deep breath and looked away. Yvonne broke off and stepped into the room “so that is what I am to you a plaything from somewhere far away.”  Canin stepped into the room behind her and grabbed her arm spinning her to face him, tears were running down her cheeks.

   “There has not been a Trueborn involved in a marriage for centuries not since the earliest days of the Clans has such an event happened.  It goes against hundreds of years of tradition.”  He said trying to rationalise it Yvonne’s tears became denser and denser.

   “So that’s it then?  We’re done.  Because if you want nothing more then I need to be alone, I need to find a way to fit.  I left everything to be with you, Canin!”  She shouted throwing down a bunch of papers as she broke loose from his grip turning away clearing space on the desk by brushing everything to the floor, she was crying pretty constantly now, her entire life had revolved around being with Canin and now that seemed very unlikely, she didn‘t even want to look at him.

   “Ask… Ask me again…”  Canin stammered sounding unsure of himself and what he was saying.

   “Ask you what saKhan?”  She asked formally wiping her face clear, she still refused to look at him.

   “Yvonne, will you marry me, Quiaff?”  Canin said in an equally formal voice, now steady, confident.  Yvonne turned to face him Canin was looking right at her a tear running down his own cheek.  There was a slight nod between them confirming that he was serious.  “You want to get married?”

   “Aff, I will marry you” she said stepping forward kissing him long and passionately, Canin broke off.

   “I do not know if the Khan will let me marry you, he has allowed us to remain together as lovers, I do not know what his reaction to a formal arrangement will be.  Santin West is unpredictable and Clan Law leaves little support for us.”

   “But you are seriously committed to this?”  She asked whispering.

   “If you are, I am one hundred percent committed to this, one hundred percent committed to you.”

   “Then that is all I needed to hear, let them do their worst.”  She said kissing him again the clerk came in put down the steaming pot of coffee and the four boxes and left again and they never broke off the kiss, no doubt their involvement would be around New Barcella‘s civilian castes in a matter of hours.  They finally finished sorting the documents eight hours later splitting them into the four different boxes separated by year and by category i.e. City Business and Non-City Business on New Barcella.  The saKhan declared victory Yvonne knew differently, it would take weeks to sort through everything and no doubt more paperwork would follow, but she had to agree it was a start.

[Dragon Cat]

Clan Nova Cat Hall
Philip Drummond City, New Barcella
Nova Cat’s Den
31st November 3063

   When Canin informed the Khan of what had happened the night before following his departure the Khan had laughed not believing something like that could have happened, an hour later he was not laughing.  “You are the saKhan of this Clan!  You cannot get married like some freebirth!”

   “I cannot and will not abandon or ignore my feelings.  I love Yvonne.”

   “What of the Nova Cats?  Your loyalties to your Clan, to me, mean nothing because you have met some freebirth woman?”

   “Every fibre of my being believes in our Clan, but every fibre also believes in my love for Yvonne.  I will fight anyone who challenges me over this my Khan and I do not care if this causes my Bloodname, rank and place in our Clan.  I will be a Nova Cat in heart and soul even if you caste us out.”  Canin said passionately Santin West looked into his eyes and could almost see the Nova Cat spirit trying to break out of the saKhan, rarely did he encounter a warrior that embodied the Nova Cat spirit so much.

   “We would have to rationalise this” West said quietly sitting down behind his desk, the last thing he wanted was to loose another saKhan it would add support against him and possibly put the Nova Cats down a more dangerous path.  “You said to me you had a vision on Tortuga that said you met a woman from a nation of warriors and that she was a warrior as well, but she was not a warrior of heart.”  Canin nodded barely believing that Santin West was thinking about allowing this to go on “you forgot to mention that at the end of the vision you and this woman merged as one and had offspring who guided the Nova Cat Clan into a difficult but prosperous future.”  He said, Canin had seen none of this.  "And you forgot to tell me that Biccon Winters witnessed this and confirmed this path before you met Yvonne and Winters died."

   “My Khan… I cannot…”  Canin began not knowing how to word it but West beat him to it.

   “You will do as I say!"  West shouted raising to his feet "you love Yvonne?”  Canin nodded, that he was sure of “her ties to House Davion make a powerful ally for our Clan, one I cannot afford to lose.  If I was to cast you and her out then I would create a powerful enemy.  You got me into this position, you are going to help me control it or by the Kerensky's I will make you and her suffer."  West threatened his anger steadily growing, turning away from Canin he looked out the window.  "You experienced the full vision that I laid out.  And when I am gone you will be the one to lead our Clan into the future and your offspring with Yvonne will mark the beginning of a new generation, a new way of life for Clan Nova Cat.”  Santin West said Canin’s head was swimming, could what Santin was saying work?  And had he just suggested they have children?  Freeborn children who would be symbols of the Clan?  The other Clans would caste the Nova Cats out for such actions, his own Clan could caste them out!  West's plan was a dangerous one, Canin wondered exactly what he'd gotten himself and Yvonne into by accepting her into the Clan.

   An hour later Santin West was announcing it to the Clan via HPG informing the Clan of a vision experienced by Canin and witnessed by Santin that Canin was destined to be with Yvonne for the rest of his life and that by a Decree of the saKhan Canin Rosse and Yvonne had a right to be married.  The Nova Cat civilian population, mostly freeborns lauded over by Trueborns all their lives, went slightly wild with celebration of this change in Nova Cat philosophy while the Warrior population were convinced to hold their reservations for now because of the vision, one confirmed by an Oathmaster.  How long that lasted was in the eye of the beholder.  Santin also authorised Yvonne to send a message to New Avalon via courier vessel informing her brother of her impending marriage and inviting a small party to New Barcella for the big event.

Imperial Palace
Luthien, Pesht Military District
Draconis Combine
15th December 3063

   Unable to find a way to turn around the Clan Ghost Bear aggression and with the DCMS loosing ground on several worlds Tai-shu Tomoe Sakade commits seppuku unable to live with the dishonour of her failures.  Coordinator Hohiro Kurita temporarily takes over the position of Warlord of Pesht District.  The DCMS successfully push the Ghost Bears off Luzerne reclaiming the world.  Hohiro Kurita contacts the Ghost Bears and offers them a way to end the War with on honourable fight.  The Ghost Bears agree and the world of Courchevel is chosen if the Bears win they will keep Courchevel but return all territory gained and be returned all territory lost and vice versa.  One stipulation by both sides is that every unit involved in the fighting send a group of warriors to the battle meaning that every unit has its honour and martial prowess acknowledged for all to see.

Trial of Possession
Courchevel, Pesht Military District
Draconis Combine
22nd December 3063

   Following a gruelling battle which batters all forces involved the Ghost Bears win the Trial of Possession for the world of Courchevel.  As agreed the Ghost Bears retain the world but return all other territory and equipment, including two WarShips, to the Draconis Combine.  The Combine similarly return all territory and personnel to the Ghost Bears.  The Ghost Bears turn their full attention on the Hell’s Horses who have struck at their other border.

Eagle’s Nest Watch point, Jade Falcon Territory
Barcella, Kerensky Cluster
Clan Homeworlds, Clan Space
31st December 3063

   With most of their assets deployed in the Inner Sphere Clan Jade Falcon weaken their defences of a small enclave on Barcella, gained when the Smoke Jaguars retreated to Huntress before their demise.  Believing that no-one will notice this they leave a second-line cluster, the 109th Striker Cluster of Zeta Galaxy, in charge and abandon the outpost moving critical assets to their Inner Sphere Occupation Zone and other more secure Homeworlds territory.

   The Nova Cats notice this move, however, and newly elevated Oathmaster Zane Carns leads the Ninety-ninth Battle Cluster of Upsilon Galaxy and his Bodyguard Trinary against the defenders.  The Jade Falcon commander, Star Colonel Fresic Irons, angry that his unit has been abandoned on a worthless piece of territory deep in the Barcella mountains broaches a deal with Oathmaster Carns.  He will fight a one-on-one battle with Zane Carns, if he wins the Ninety-ninth Battle will become Jade Falcons and they will leave the territory.  If he looses his 109th Striker will become Nova Cats and the Nova Cats will secure the territory.  Either way the Nova Cats secure a significant portion of Barcella and over four million inhabitants, many former Nova Cats lost when the Smoke Jaguars and then Jade Falcons secured the territory.

   Zane agrees to the battle then defeats Fresic Irons’ Summoner in one-on-one combat.  The 109th Battle Cluster becomes part of Upsilon Galaxy serving the Nova Cats much to the anger of the Jade Falcons, however since it was within Clan rules and law there is nothing they can do about it.

   In other places in the Homeworlds the Star Adders loose the 212th Battle Cluster of Epsilon Galaxy and the 884th Gatekeeper Cluster of Kappa Galaxy while the Stone Rhinos loose the Twenty-eighth Striker and the Forty-first Battle Clusters of Alpha Galaxy defeating the five clusters of Clan Blood Spirits Upsilon and Sigma Provisional Galaxies.  Following the battle the Stone Rhinos accept the reformed Blood Spirit 181st Crimson Guards Cluster as abtakha while the Star Adders take the Eighty-eighth Crimson Guards, this is a Trial of Absorption not annihilation.

The end of 3063, hope you enjoyed

[Ajax_Wolf]

You've really fluffed out the story, nice.

3 small typos: at the wedding scene, you have the 11th Lyran Gaurds attending and Peter looking up at Victor, the runt.
And in the Eagle's Nest scene above, you've mixed up the Falcon and Nova Cat units.

[Dragon Cat]

You've really fluffed out the story, nice.

3 small typos: at the wedding scene, you have the 11th Lyran Gaurds attending and Peter looking up at Victor, the runt.
And in the Eagle's Nest scene above, you've mixed up the Falcon and Nova Cat units.

Nice catches, glad you like

1) it's always been fluffed like this I just posted the timeline short so it was easier to read/post - this time I wanted to show the whole thing - so everyone could see how I developed it.

2) fixed the typos, technically the 11th Lyran Guards hadn't been stricken by this point, they'd only begun their transition so I'll leave them as attending, Victor and Danai met while he fought with the Eleventh so nice symmetry

into 3064

3064

Draconis Combine Staging Base
Harrow’s Sun, Matsuida Prefecture
Galedon Military District, Draconis Combine
4th January 3064

   In the early morning on the northern continent the Graves’ Dancers Company under the commander of renegade Federated Suns officer Jean Graves launches an unprovoked attack on the DCMS Garrison killing the mainly armour and infantry force to the man taking no prisoners or salvage from the battle.  Observers of the battle claim that Jean Graves’ Penetrator BattleMech takes not a single hit during the battle and every time her unit appears to be boxed in or walking into a trap they suddenly turn unexpectedly throwing their opponents into complete disarray.  The unit, now officially classified as a pirate unit, leaves Harrow’s Sun within an hour of the beginning of the attack rejoining their Merchant-class JumpShip leaving the system.

   This assault threatens to start a second border skirmish between the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine however negotiators on both sides are able to avert further crisis a bounty is placed on Graves’ Dancers as a unit and Jean Graves as a person.

Trial of Position
Engadin, Hell’s Horses Territory
Clan Occupation Zones
15th January 3064

   Following the death of their Khan Malavei Fletcher on Predlitz during the offensive against Clan Ghost Bear’s Dominion Star Colonel James Cobb beats all comers to become Clan Hell’s Horses new Khan.  He immediately begins preparing his Clan for the inevitable Ghost Bear counter-attack finding that the support the Hell’s Horses have been receiving from Clan Wolf has dried up.

[Dragon Cat]

Proving Grounds, General Motors
District City, Kathil
Federated Suns, Capellan March
22nd January 3064

   Unlike the other nations of the Inner Sphere the Federated Suns had been dedicated to upgrading all its conventional BattleMech force instead of creating many brand-new OmniMechs giving them a larger overall upgrade percentage to Mechs than other nations, only outstripped by the Free Worlds League.  The only reason the Templar, the nation’s first OmniMech, had came into being was because of Field Marshal George Hasek’s desire for an OmniMech designed and built in the Federated Suns and had been willing to spend his own families money to give the Federated Suns the Mech.  Following this debut two years before First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion had authorized more national money and resources transferred to the OmniMech development.  Kallon Industries, creators of the first OmniMech had received more money and resources, however so had their rival General Motors of Kathil had gained more tech and resources with some help from the visiting warriors and techs of Clan Nova Cat had finished their initial project two years early.

   “Field Marshal Hasek, Marshal of Armies Davion, you presented us with a challenge to provide the Federated Suns with a unique OmniMech that would be a worthy successor to the Templar.  As a base we decided that we did not want another assault Mech, the Templar is already a worthy entrance to this class” Hoban Cobb, Chief Executive Officer of General Motors said giving Kallon Industries credit was difficult but well deserved in his opinion.  “With the Federated Suns tradition of mobile warfare and a recent study of the AFFS which showed they were them most popular class of Mech we chose an entrance to the medium-class.  This was a difficult but worthwhile…”

   “Get on with it Mr Cobb.”  Jackson said, trust a CEO to make things sound a million times more difficult that they were, all he was interested in was seeing if the Mech they had paid millions for already was worth it.

   “Of course” he said reaching over to the communication system “bring out the X-1” he said.  The first Mech moved clear of the factory.

   “It’s a Stealth!”  George Hasek shouted “we were looking for the new OmniMech Cobb, don’t waste our time!”

   “Yes, sire it is” Cobb said he did not seem that bothered by the Field Marshal’s distaste for the Mech, the Stealth BattleMech had been debuted almost ten years before.  He saw that Morgan Hasek-Davion’s son was not amused at the company had shown them a decade old BattleMech and carried on forward “the Stealth is one of the Inner Sphere’s most successful BattleMechs it is fast, manoeuvrable and carries a decent array of weapons for a design of its size.”  He said touching the comm. system “bring out X-2 and X-3” he said two more Stealths walked out they all looked physically similar but had different weapons.  “The X-1, 2 and 3 Designs all use the weapons configurations already seen on the various Stealth BattleMechs.”

   “No offence intended Mr Cobb but we wanted an OmniMech not a Mech that could emulate our successful BattleMech design.  Now if you are unable to give us an original design perhaps we should have gone with Kallon as the Field Marshal suggested.”  Jackson said, although impressed with the Stealth in general he had expected something more than a simple upgrade of a current design.  It was exactly like the original Draconis Combine OmniMechs all copies of successful Clan or Inner Sphere BattleMechs.

   “Marshal Davion, that is the first three configurations, all designed to be test beds for the design and to give MechWarriors a touchstone with the design.  Also on the field an enemy would not know if he was facing the same Mech in three engagements or facing three different designs, allowing a unit to hide its numbers at least in the short term.”  Cobb pointed out Jackson nodded seeing some worth in the design after all, but still it was not as impressive as he was hoping “also we have three new design configurations all showing a new aspect to the Stealth design.”  Cobb said smiling touching the comm. system again “bring out X-4, X-5 and X-6” he said three more Stealths walked out, normally a company made two or three prototypes not six this showed General Motors commitment to the design.  “This first makes use of the new C3 Master computer making it an effective company or lance Mech we combine that with five brand new Extended-Range medium lasers, the second uses the smallest of the new Rotary Autocannons with plenty of ammo and the third uses an experimental light autocannon, a four-tube SRM rack, a Slave C3 unit and a targeting computer module.  Mixing this with the Stealth’s inherent features these all make the Mech a very effective OmniMech design.”

   “Nice idea, if a little premature on the NAIS’s new light autocannons, I was not aware NAIS cleared them for deployment.”  Hasek said admiring the six Mechs, all were a variation of the Stealth BattleMech, thinking about what Cobb said he was right the Stealth was an impressive design already giving it OmniMech characteristics made the design even better, even more impressive.

   “They haven’t, but I know someone” Cobb said boasting before he realised who he was boasting too “the light autocannon is a decent weapon and on the Stealth it shows that it makes a decent fast attack weapon on a medium design.”

   “No weapons on the arms” Jackson said looking over the Mechs arrayed in front of him.

   “There is space, but we chose to keep to the Stealth’s basic structure with fully useable arms on each OmniMech, arms are something you don’t see a lot on OmniMechs, we aim to buck that trend and it gives us a unique aspect to an OmniMech.”

   “I like it and it will be a proud addition to the Capellan March armies.”  George Hasek said smiling proudly.

   “You mean it will be a proud addition to the Federated Suns Armed Forces Field Marshal?”

   “Of course, I just meant it is nice to see that we are keeping on the cutting edge and that with the deployment of the Capellan Men Shen we will need this Mech more than the other Marches, this Mech should make a nice foil to the Capellan OmniMech.”  He said, Jackson nodded the new Stealth would match the Capellan OmniMech quite well and had little to oppose it from the other armies of the Succession Lords, the new Stealth may even challenge the Clan Shadow Cat.”

   “I agree, a nice addition.”  Jackson said “from a shaky start Mr Cobb you have produced a worthy design and I will happily welcome the Stealth OmniMech into the AFFS.”

Command Deck, White Cloud (Sovetskii Soyuz-class Heavy Cruiser)
Outworlds Alliance, Baliggora, Periphery
18th February 3064

   Scouting the periphery regions of the Inner Sphere’s Draconis Combine and Outworlds Alliance Clan Snow Raven had found several colonies which had been scoured of all life, attacked by an enemy.   The commander of the WarShip White Cloud, Star Admiral Shu, entered the Outworlds Alliance against Clan orders with the intent on gaining intelligence on the Outworlds Alliance by capturing one of the periphery nations JumpShips.  Encountering an Outworlds Alliance vessel in the Baliggora system the Star Admiral contacted the JumpShip’s commander and arranged a trial.  Two Snow Raven fighters would fight against two Outworlds Alliance fighters, if the Snow Ravens won they would take the JumpShip its crew and both attached DropShips as Isorla if they lost the Outworlds Alliance crew would be free to go and would gain one of the Snow Raven’s Titan-class DropShips.

   In a reversal of fortunes the Snow Raven pilots were defeated by the Outworlds Alliance flyers and the Snow Ravens lost the trial.  Handing over the Titan to the periphery victors the Snow Ravens were intrigued by these ‘barbarian’ flyers from the periphery and gained a massive amount information from the Outworlds Alliance crews as they took over command of the vessel.  Star Admiral Shu contacted Khan Lynn McKenna and related his pilots failures and his intrigue caused by the contact with the periphery warriors.  Lynn McKenna informed Shu that she wanted the White Cloud crew to contact the Outworlds Alliance leaders and open a dialogue with the nation as it seemed that they valued the aerospace fighter and the naval arts just as the Snow Ravens did.

York, Kerensky Cluster
Clan Homeworlds, Clan Space
28th February 3064

   Clan Star Adder and Stone Rhino conqueror York with Star Adder Khan Stanislov N’Buta killing Blood Spirit Khan Karianna Schmitt in personal combat.  Clan Stone Rhino absorbs the entire Omega Galaxy almost without a shot being fired however during the fighting against the Blood Spirits Alpha Galaxy the Star Adders loose the 193rd Dragoon Cluster of Epsilon Galaxy and the Eighty-fifth Adder Cavaliers Cluster of Alpha Galaxy while the Stone Rhinos loose their entire Gamma Galaxy.

   After taking their salvage and a large amount of on-hand equipment from the planet the Star Adders make the most surprising move of all, they turn the entire planet of York over to the Stone Rhinos almost doubling the Stone Rhino population.

[Ajax_Wolf]

Nice catches, glad you like

1) it's always been fluffed like this I just posted the timeline short so it was easier to read/post - this time I wanted to show the whole thing - so everyone could see how I developed it.

2) fixed the typos, technically the 11th Lyran Guards hadn't been stricken by this point, they'd only begun their transition so I'll leave them as attending, Victor and Danai met while he fought with the Eleventh so nice symmetry

ummm, shouldn't they be the 10th LGs?

[Dragon Cat]

ummm, shouldn't they be the 10th LGs?

It was....  :-[ didn't you hear about the transfer?  :-[ fixed  ;D