Without delay we reach May, hope you enjoy what happens... small note I didn't write all this myself James Tanaga assisted greatly with the direction the Fire Mandrills are heading - I originally had written them off but they now have a place due to the efforts made.
Planetary Conflict
Menkalinan, Independent World
Former Free Worlds League
4th May 3090
With the fighting between The Arcadians and the Ninth Rousset-Marik Militia on Menkalinan getting out of control Colonel Carmen Lakewood, commander of the Fifth Royal Battle Armour Corps on New Canton, orders the deployment of the the Thirtieth, Thirty-First and Thirty-Second Royal Battle Armour Battalions as a peacekeeping force. Formed as the Third Royal Battle Armour Regiment under the command of Colonel Karen Middleton the unit is ordered ensure fighting does not continue within urban areas and to assist with clean up operations of the recent nuclear detonation on the world.
Making a quick jump from New Canton to a pirate point within the Menkalinan system The Thirty-second Royal Battle Armour Battalion of the Third Royal lands in public view of the population and of the two fighting units. Announced as a peacekeeping force Major Nicola Wittburn, commander of the Thirty-Second Royal Battle Armour Battalion, she calls on the units fighting over the city to fall back. Two days later as fighting continues all over the planet and in urban areas Colonel Karen Middleton lands her remaining two Battalions in the rear areas of the Rousset-Marik Militia and The Arcadians. The two Battle Armour Battalions disrupt both sides attack forces causing them both to fall back. Colonel Middleton informs both sides that should they continue to conduct combat operations then they would be considered hostile to the SLDF. Both sides agree to a cease fire that would allow the planet's population to recover from the nuclear detonation and the fighting.
On the 19th May following an extended cease fire the interim planetary government announces they would be seeking membership in the Star League Protectorate and that they would be calling for a permanent SLDF garrison. Colonel Karen Middleton announces that the Third Royal Battle Armour Regiment will stand by the government's decision and fight off any threat to these wishes, be they foreign or domestic. She gives both the Ninth Rousset-Marik Militia and The Arcadians Regiments until the end of May to remove their troops and equipment from the planet.
Invasion of All Dawn
Rim Collection
Periphery
8th May 3090
Star Colonel Aemelia patiently sat in her Great Wyrm, anticipating the coming battle. For the last two weeks, the Sea Fox traders had gathered the needed Intel on All Dawn’s defenses while she planned the upcoming operation. Her selection as mission commander by Kindraa Leader Cassandra Faraday was a shock to her Fire Mandrill brethren, though not to her. It made sense, she thought, for she was the lone member of the Mandrills to have participated in the Clan Invasion of the Inner Sphere decades earlier as a member of Clan Smoke Jaguar.
That last thought brought a grimace to her face. Nearly thirty years ago, she was left behind on a planet and forced to survive on her own when the Smoke Jaguars retreated from the Inner Sphere. For two years, she survived on her own, with just her Great Wyrm for company as she kept away from the population centers and the Inner Sphere mercenaries guarding them. Then, wanting to return to Clan Space, she undertook Trials of Possessions to return to Clan Space, eventually returning with one of the reborn SLDF units. Once home she finally accepted what she had refused until then to accept. Clan Smoke Jaguar was indeed dead. While she readied herself to commit seppuku, she was found by members of Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga who had heard of her escape from the Inner Sphere and had come looking for her. That day, she became a reluctant Fire Mandrill warrior.
For the last twenty-five years, Aemelia long kept to herself. Many within Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga were confused by her refusal many a time to compete for a bloodname. She knew the truth though. She was an utter failure of a Smoke Jaguar and should have died in the Inner Sphere, should have kept fighting even when it was only her and her BattleMech remaining. Her survival, a betrayal of everything her former clan stood for, only heightened that belief. In surkei, she had refused a blood legacy refused to allow her genes to be used to birth future traitors into the Clan's ranks. She was thrown out of her thoughts. “One minute to landing. Repeat: One minute to landing,” a voice called out in her earphones.
“Aff,” the old warrior answered back. Switching channels, she spoke. “One minute to landing. Are you monkeys ready?” As the warriors in her supernova answered back, some with some rather colorful epithets, she couldn’t help but smirk. Calling a Fire Mandrill a monkey was suicide to those outside the clan the members of Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga had long grown used to her humor though and seemed to thrive on her words. That didn’t mean she was not looking at a few Trials of Grievances when this battle was over. Alone in the BattleMech's cockpit she allowed herself a small feral smile the Jaguar spirit still burned within her. When the monkeys figure out she did this on purpose just for the Trials of Grievances, she knew she was going to pay for it. Now, though, she couldn’t care less.
“We still going with this dezgra plan of yours Jaguar,” asked one of her nova mates.
“Aff,” she answered back, not the least put out by that nickname many have for her. “It is the only way to minimize casualties, on both sides.” She knew full well her mission. Her forces were charged with the capture of the planet’s spaceport and its HPG station and the SLDF personnel with as few casualties as possible. Though the HPG was operated by the SLDF Department of Communications, a mercenary crew of fourteen medium and heavy BattleMechs called Kirk’s Devil Dogs was contracted with protecting it. Unfortunately, that meant they too were technically SLDF personnel and had to be treated as such. For that reason, she had been given strict orders to minimize their casualties if at all possible.
As she felt the DropShip land, she spoke into her radio. “Alright monkeys. Remember. No killing the Sea Foxes they are as close to an ally as we may have in this region." If allies were even possible after the troubles in the Homeworlds. "And try not to kill the dezgra mercenaries.” She said nearly as an afterthought, she could see in her scopes the DropShip doors opening slowly, she led her warriors out.
On the tarmac, she could see two mercenary Mechs, a Panther and a Phoenix Hawk, standing at attention besides a car with military flags and black utility vehicles. Zooming in on the car, she could see two Sea Fox merchants and a pair of Elementals in Battle Armour beside a man that, if she remembered correctly, was Governor Von Hauss. Zooming out, she saw roughly twenty men and women standing in front of him in two signal file lines and some personnel manning some sort of communication instruments. Must be members of All Dawn’s militia forces, she thought.
At this, her feral smile broadened. The Sex Fox Star Captain had ensured her that he and his senior merchant had managed to trick this Governor Von Hauss into thinking a Sea Fox Khanate wanted to establish an enclave on the planet. She was skeptical of the merchant clansmen, but seeing was believing, she knew that Loremaster Faraday had promised the Sea Foxes access to any and all Rim Worlds caches the Kindraa discovered in the region from now and for the next fifty years hardly a partly price.
As she stopped her Great Wyrm about a hundred meters away from the two Mercenary Mechs, she aimed her full complement of weapons at the Phoenix Hawk. Just as the governor stepped into a full salute, she fired a full alpha strike of lasers and pulse lasers at the Mech in a surprise attack. Everything within her screamed at this attacking being wrong but it had to be this way together with the Mechs in her supernova, she quickly crippled both old Mechs. As both Mechs fell, she looked towards the ground and could see her Elementals marching in around the Governor and his honor guard no-one was fighting which pleased her the plan had worked. Looking more closely she saw the two Clan Sea Fox Elementals stood their weapons raised at the Governor and his aides the Sea Foxes had done their part too.
“Get them lined up on the ground. Star Commander Brian, assign a point to watch over them. Quiaff?” Not waiting for an acknowledgment, she switched frequencies. “The stravag governor is in custody. Specialist Trinaries commence phase two.” Looking at the ground, she could see the Sea Fox star captain give her a thumb’s up, signifying his personnel now controlled the air tower. One less obstacle to worry about, she thought.
She quickly led her supernova into the city while the Third Battle Cluster landed. She and her warriors were heading to the primary base the mercenaries used when a voice called on her speakers. “Tau Echo Two here. The base is under our control. HPG secured.”
That was fast, she thought. “Tau Echo Two confirm the last.”
“We captured the base with no casualties. Eight Mechs, repeat eight Mechs are out of the fight. Also captured are techs and most of the pilots. Be advised, techs report they are not, repeat not, part of the mercenary force. All SLDF personnel have put up no resistance.”
“Roger. Sending Beta Nova over to you.” After sending Beta Nova to strengthen the star of Elementals, she switched over to the radio frequency used by the mercenaries. “Attention remaining mercenary elements. This is Star Colonel Aemelia of Clan Fire Mandrill. Governor Von Hauss has been captured, as have most of your comrades and the HPG. Surrender now or be destroyed. This is your only warning.” She didn’t have to wait long, for the remaining four Mechs were already under heavy fire from a trinary of Fire Mandrill aerospace forces.
With their beachhead established the rest of Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga began their landings Loremaster Cassandra Faraday continued to defer to Aemelia's command of the invasion allowing her to direct the conquest. It took the warriors of Faraday-Tanaga another two weeks to put down all the resistance on the world however as the Clansmen allowed the locals to continue their own lives mostly unmolested the people of All Dawn accepted their presence. At the Nadir and Zenith points the Kindraa's WarShips interdicted any Civilian trade JumpShips further increasing the Kindraa's pool of transport vessels while keeping the Fire Mandrill presence a secret.
With this concealed presence the Fire Mandrills were able to land their civilians onto the world of All Dawn occupying one of the old abandoned Rim Worlds Republic settlements. The buildings were hardly perfect but they were a true second start for the people of Kindraa Faraday-Tanaga. Crucially they also kept the Clan population separate from the local population preserving both cultures. Standing in what was now her new office and home Loremaster Cassandra Faraday wondered how her people would maintain their culture so far from the worlds they were born she did not know where next to go but she was determined to make it happen.
Negotiations, St Ives Compact Embassy
Avalon City, Crucis March
Federated Suns
14th May 3090
The Embassy of the St Ives Compact was not used as often today as it once was during the time of Melissa Allard-Liao's grandparents the Embassy was like a home away from home for the St Ives's leaders. During her father's time the Embassy had been used occasionally but had mainly been maintained by the diplomatic staff today and for the last two months it had been like another home for Duchess Melissa Allard-Liao.
Today the Embassy played host to a foreign visitor for the first time in years the Embassy was being used for an official function with the visit of Star Colonel Grayson Nova Cat. Officially they were meeting to try and resolve the issues between the Nova Cats, the SLDF and the Taurian Concordat instead they'd ended up speaking more about each other. Melissa had convinced herself that the more she knew about the Nova Cats the better she would be able to resolve the conflict. “So you're a freeborn warrior?” She asked reaching for her glass of St Ives Royal Wine she had imported for the Embassy she was surprised a freeborn had been given such a position on New Avalon.
“Aff” he answered trying to ignore her contraction as he studied his own glass of wine. It was a strange tasting drink but as his Khan, his father, had instructed him before this assignment he was sampling Inner Sphere society.
“Is it not strange for a freeborn to raise to such a rank and a position in the Clan world.”
“The 'Clan World'” Grayson repeated amused at the terminology. “In some Clans freeborn warriors have no limits on their rank. It is the warriors capability that determines where and how high they can raise. Since the Clan's return to the Inner Sphere such practice has become far more common.” He said thinking of Phelan Kell nee Ward, Diana Pryde and Ragnar Magnesson as prime examples each was a freeborn that had risen to leadership positions within different Clans through various means. Grayson hoped that some day he would raise to such a position, but first he needed to win a bloodname, unfortunately so far the Clan Council had so far refused either him or his sister Sonja a Trial of Bloodright although they had not forbidden them either. “I also had more motivation than many to succeed.” He explained
“How so?” She asked moving her finger around the rim of her glass.
“My father is an important warrior, my mother is part warrior, part explorer and part administrator...”
“Sounds like quite a woman” Melissa admitted.
“She is” Grayson admitted he wondered if Melissa knew his heritage, he wondered if many within the Federated Suns knew. Grayson's mother was Yvonne sister to Victor Steiner-Davion First Prince of the Federated Suns he knew in some circles of Inner Sphere society that would make him a challenger, or a threat, to Prince Burton Davion for the right to lead the Federated Suns. It was something the Watch had cautioned both he and Sonja on before they came to the Federated Suns and something he was keenly aware of, even tonight, he represented his Clan at all times.
“So is it true that...” she said pausing wrinkling her nose slightly as she thought for the words “that Clan warriors care nothing for relationships or love just combat?” She asked glancing away Grayson laughed immediately covering his own thoughts before noticing she looked annoyed at his response.
“I apologies” he said reaching over to touch her hand before pulling his hand away “I am a product of one of those relationships” he explained “my father despite his position within our Clan loves my mother. Everyone knows that within the Nova Cats” he said, he left out that few outside the Nova Cats were aware of Canin Rosse and Yvonne's true relationship or at least they didn't flaunt it. “I know about these things, I feel those emotions, just like any other man.”
“Perhaps we should move to one of the study rooms, they are more comfortable?” She suggested raising Grayson rose instantly from his chair immediately ready to move. “Relax Star Colonel the enemy Cluster is resting at the moment” she said laughing Grayson joined her in what he assumed was a polite laugh. He had left out that although he understood what love was he had little experience with it.
Melissa quickly led him to the study area it was an extravagant waste in Grayson's opinion with wooden paneling along the walls, thick curtains, several book cases packed with paper books that had likely never been read a roaring fire provided all the light for the room while a single brown leather sofa sat in the middle of a deep green carpet. Either side of the sofa was a glass table no doubt for the books that whoever was “studying” in the room. “Impressive” he lied glancing around the room.
“I always thought it was an underused waste, when I was a child I suggested to my father that he should tear it all out and replace it with a Mech simulator.” She said sitting down on the sofa pulling her legs up under her.
“Kai Allard-Liao hardly needed a simulator his exploits in the cockpit were well known throughout his life.” He said glancing around the room seeing only the entrance they had come in.
“I didn't want them for him, I wanted it for me.” She said smirking he could see the look in her eyes that what she had said was truthful.
“And what do you pilot?” He said trying to keep this meeting focused on business.
“I have piloted many BattleMechs in my time” she said “my father's Centurion once or twice when I was younger but primarily I have used a Men Shen OmniMech.”
“A Capellan design” Grayson pointed out placing his glass down on a table the wine was too sweet for his tastes.
“And what of it?” Melissa demanded placing her glass on the table beside her “a Mech is a Mech” she said grasping Grayson's hands with her own “in the hands of the right warrior it is a killing tool like no other man has ever created.” She said continuing to hold his hands
“Hands can also be used for building” Grayson said turning his own so his fingers matched hers “and many other things” he said looking straight into her eyes.
“Many other things” she repeated together they reached forwards with their hands, their bodies and hearts each grasping at the other for companionship and company. Together in the room they were undisturbed by anyone else within the Embassy although most must have known what they were doing. Their bodies interlocked in love and lust they slept on the sofa not moving as the flames of the fire died out their bodies spent.
In the morning their professional hats returned no agreement had been made regarding the fighting on New Aega but a connection that was not there before had been made. Grayson bid Melissa a polite goodbye before returning to the Nova Cat base on the New Scotland continent leaving the St Ives Duchess to her own thoughts.
State Expansion
Former Free Worlds League
19th May 3090
Since the break-up of the united Free Worlds League a small corridor of nine independent planets had existed between the Rousset-Marik Alliance, The Oriente Protectorate and the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth. These worlds had been in no mans land within none of the three states staking a claim on them and the worlds befitting from the increase trade from the nations around them. This arrangement was shattered by the Rousset-Marik Alliance moving onto Bernardo, Ibstock and Holt. Officially this is due to increased amounts of Capellan raiding on those three worlds in recent weeks, raiding that neither The Oriente Protectorate or Marik-Stewart Commonwealth had seen any evidence.
In an effort to maintain border security The Oriente Protectorate moved troops onto the worlds of Ling, Gomelsa, Sorunda and Lungdo. While the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth moved to secure Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis again in the name of border security. Because all of these worlds had enjoyed trade and defence from each of their surrounding nations on several of them there was economic, social and defence changes causing severe friction with their new owners. On the worlds of Holt and Sorunda especially so bad were the riots and problems that the Rousset-Marik Alliance and The Oriente Protectorate were forced to declare martial law on both worlds to put down the riots with military troops. Word of these crackdowns leaked back to the other nations of the former-Free Worlds League leading to several military operations being launched between the former Free Worlds League states although none become full blown incidents the raised tensions in the area do not go unnoticed by the neighbours of the Free Worlds League.
Dominion Terminal One
Rasalhague, Rasalhague District
Rasalhague Dominion
26th May 3090
Recently returned to the Rasalhague Dominion capital from Tukayyid Khan Bjorn Jorgensson was even more focused on getting back to Rasalhague Dominion based achievements the Sea Fox Clan could be pleased with their endeavors but so were the Ghost Bears of the Rasalhague Dominion. In an effort to build up his nation's sense of achievement Khan Bjorn Jorgensson called a Clan Council onboard the Ghost Bears most recent addition a Dominion Terminal space station based at the Nadir Point of the Rasalhague system. At 1.75 million tons the Terminal was on the large scale of space stations produced by anyone covered in thick armour with multiple weapons the station was an important part of the system's defence however it also served as a way point and repair facility for cargo DropShips and a recharge station for WarShips and JumpShips.
“This station is the future of the Rasalhague Dominion” Bjorn Jorgensson explained standing on one of the ten massive gravity decks that ringed the station “with them we will be able to defend our systems without the need for having WarShips in each system. The first and in most cases battles in a system will be on board one of these stations.”
“Even given the firepower of this station it cannot hold off a dedicated assault force.” One called out.
“Neg it cannot, but it can delay an invasion force long enough for defenders to react instead of our civilians paying for the cost of invasion.” He rebutted.
“Until one is lost then we will all have to pay the cost” another said
“Only a dedicated assault or nuclear weapons would destroy one of these stations. Even the Draconis Combine are not stupid enough to employ nuclear weapons against us.” Jorgensson pointed out becoming annoyed at the Council's obvious opposition. “These stations will not just be places of defence. With their energy banks these stations can facilitate rapid movements of our JumpShips and WarShips, if you will imagine these stations could form a visible spine of our nation, rapid movement of ships and trade can only bring economic benefits.” He said few could argue with that the idea of moving supplies from one side of the Rasalhague Dominion to the other in days instead of weeks using single JumpShips as transport instead of multiple vessels was not something many could ignore.
“Constructing these stations means that our JumpShip, WarShip and ground force production will fall.” Ragnar Magnesson the saKhan pointed out loudly, a lot louder than he needed to than just for the Khan to hear, Jorgensson allowed him to continue “however I believe it is something that we Ghost Bears can endure. Our Clan is proud of our commitments to each other, our feeling of family, these stations will defend our Clan, they will support our Clan and they will bring our Clan closer together. I cannot see any reason why anyone would oppose them.” He said allowing his points to sink in before speaking again “I will also answer all Trials of Refusal regarding plans of their deployment – Personally.” Everyone knew of Ragnar's capabilities in a Mech cockpit there were no further complaints as the saKhan retook his seat.
“Our next station will be constructed in the Radlje system” Bjorn Jorgensson announced “Dominion Terminal Two will be online by mid 3094. From there we will move to Predlitz and so on until our nation is linked Rasalhague to Orestes, our nation will be one.” Despite the Ghost Bear Khan's predictions and deep seated belief in the project following the meeting the Ghost Bear Labourer castes confirmed they expected the project of uniting the District Capitals of the Rasalhague Dominion to take 40-50 years assuming the project continues without delays or conflict problems.
