Author Topic: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed  (Read 11531 times)

AlphaMirage

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The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« on: 01 March 2018, 11:01:58 »
Here is my home game mercenary faction, I'm posting it in Chronological order and as originally presented (to have a backup in addition to sharing) but it gets better as time goes on.

Begin from February 2015

Starwipe_________________________________

01/18/3061 Location - Westerhand, Capellan Confederation

The planet of Westerhand is a dismal place a place where hard luck mercenaries go for a final chance before being forced out the Inner Sphere to the Rim in order to join the other pirates.  The group of mechwarriors gathered don't even have a name just a bunch of also-rans from the Chaos March with broken mechs and dreams gathered from the WANTED ads with a promise of repair and potential salvage after a dangerous mission in the Capellan Confederation.  However the serene presence of Shonsa Kiang Shi Fang caught their attention not only was she beautiful, raven black straight hair, graceful curves accentuated by the Imperial Green Qipao she wore, the only thing that stopped a few of more anxious among them was a pair of bodyguards with Daos and Assault Rifles escorting her.  She beckoned them to sit at the table in the conference room and triggered the blinds while dimming the lights.

"I am glad that you accepted my gracious offer, I need your help. Two weeks ago, the mercenary unit 'Titanfellers' attacked a small holding of mine in the Periphery, the planetoid Creshan.  They attacked the defense team with a lance of Battlemechs and a reinforced company of armored vehicles and are keeping the remnants under armed guard in one of the habitats. 

The Titanfeller's Commander Capt. Jacovi Tun and I have a bad history and this has to be the reason he attacked the colony, it's hardly worth anything to him.  I need a group of mercenaries to remove his command from the planet, they don't need to be utterly destroyed just weakened enough to sue for peace. 

Unfortunately I cannot offer you a large monetary payment but I do have sufficient connections to get your mechs repaired and am willing to insure your mech's value should it be damaged beyond repair."

"Well if this isn't a paying job what do we get out of it."

"You will be allowed to salvage one of the Titanfeller's mechs from the field should they be incapacitated, any others will be claimed by my people.  I will be the one who decides how your unit will operate during this undoubtedly short campaign.  Your unit will be transported on a my dropship to the planet and I will cover all repairs and incidental expenses incurred during the length of the assignment.  You will get another mech and another chance with the high likelihood of additional work in the future if you do well."

"It would be good to get back in the fight Shonsa, I accept your offer."  The gruff nearly dispossessed mercenaries were just the kind of people she was looking for and they accepted the contract.

snakespinner

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #1 on: 02 March 2018, 16:22:32 »
A group of down and out mercs meet their beautiful employer.
What could go wrong.
Nice start. O0
I wish I could get a good grip on reality, then I would choke it.
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DOC_Agren

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #2 on: 02 March 2018, 17:28:02 »
A group of down and out mercs meet their beautiful employer.
What could go wrong.
Nice start. O0
Nothing, I'm sure she a nice women

 ::)
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed:And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!"

mikecj

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #3 on: 03 March 2018, 00:22:48 »
Here we go...
There are no fish in my pond.
"First, one brief announcement. I just want to mention, for those who have asked, that absolutely nothing what so ever happened today in sector 83x9x12. I repeat, nothing happened. Please remain calm." Susan Ivanova
"Solve a man's problems with violence, help him for a day. Teach a man to solve his problems with violence, help him for a lifetime." - Belkar Bitterleaf
Romo Lampkin could have gotten Stefan Amaris off with a warning.

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #4 on: 03 March 2018, 13:52:54 »
01/22/3061 Location – Keystone, Westerhand

Victory City still loomed large across the way from Keystone Bay to the industrial center and spaceport of Keystone.  The roar of dropship engines could be heard distinctively through the Mech Bay where a rag tag group of mercenaries from across the Inner Sphere were joined with a work crew of Capellans and Taurians.  Inside the hot and ramshackle Hanger sparks flew from welding torches leaving behind a acrid burnt metal odor, the intermittent and distinctive whine of pneumatic tools and alarms from the Buster XXI IndustrialMech filled the air.  The technicians were dressed in burnt orange work overalls with bright yellow helmets and communicated to each other in hand signals over the cacophony.  The Mercenaries were dressed in well-worn uniforms from the LAAF, AFFC, and FWL. Like Shonsa Kiang Shi Fang, who was dressed in much more utilitarian clothing, they wore earmuffs and their own helmets as they walked over to the main office that overlooked the hanger bay.

They walked in and went up to the supervisor's office where they stood eye to eye with a Devastator still raw metal and awaiting it's paint job, battle scars visible on it's opposite torso.  Shi Fang sat down opposite the Mechwarriors, “It is a very impressive mech Conner”

“Ah, it was right up until Capellan guerrillas broke him during GUERRERO, been saving up to fix him ever since.”


She curled her hand up displaying jade green nail polish before stretching it out again, “I hope you don't take it personally Mr Law.”

Conner crossed his arms, “I'm a mercenary I try not to take things personally, bad for business.  Enemy becomes Employer and so on.”

“I knew we wouldn't have any trouble.  We will be leaving in two days, so I wanted to give you a chance to address any lingering reservations you might have before you are on my ship.  We won't be turning around.  If you have any problems I can find other employers for you to pay off the repairs already conducted.”


One of the two brown skinned brothers from Islamabad, Ejay, spoke up, “We looked into your Captain Tun, he has a big bounty on him from the Chancellor.  Any chance we get a share?”  His brother Ejib nodded his head.

Kiang Shi Fang looked pleased, “I knew I found the right people for this job.  Yes Jacovi Tun does have a 'big' bounty and I am going to claim it but no you don't get a share.  You already are getting one of his mechs and will have a fresh mech and a solid reference at the end of this mission assuming you do well.”

She eyes Conner, whose Devastator repairs were very expensive, “I'm not doing it for the money anyway these Titanfellers have been nothing but trouble.  You surely noted the reason that he has a such a large bounty is because he is wanted for five War Crimes committed during his time in the Chaos March.  Not a very good example from your Federated Suns.”

The remaining three were a roughly middle aged Latino with graying hair but who still kept in great shape and a Merc couple from the Free Worlds League both brown haired and wearing matching gray and purple fatigues who looked toward the brothers. 

Ejay put his hands up defensively, “Hey we never bought into the Federated Suns being the best of people.  We are all Mercs here...a decent Mech split between us will go a long way to help my brother and I...at least dodge our creditors a little bit longer.  We're still in.” 

The other's nodded in agreement, it would be good to get back into the fight and even though their mechs were now guarded by the Shonsa's Guards (to prevent them from taking the repaired mech off-planet without paying, it's happened) if her intel was good this would be a cakewalk.

“That's good to hear, I am going to check with the supervisor, he has requested some things that I did not expect.  I don't want any delays, this mission is time sensitive.” Kiang Shi Fang left and one of the Mercs watched as she walked out with one of the Taurian Techs.  A Marauder, Stalker, Thunderbolt, Helios, and Devastator loomed large in the Hanger, still undergoing repairs and rebuilds to bring them back into shape for combat.

Morgan Patnum, one of the League couple, “I don't know if I trust her Celfina.”  The other half of the couple replied, “You never trust a Capellan or turn your back on a Lyran, that's just dumb.  However, it will be nice to be back in the fight after that mess on Small World...”  Morgan looked over at her, “You're still going to blame me for that, that's not fair Celfina.  How was I supposed to know that the guard wasn't on our side, you said you took care of it.”

“No I said I was going to take care of it, you didn't listen like always.”
  Morgan and Celfina continued their conversation much to the awkward unease of the rest of the mercs.  Conner looked over at the others, “Drinks?”

Bryan Hunt, the Latino from the Southwest League looked at him, “You buying?”

“I wouldn't be working for the Capellans if I had that kind of cred.”
  The other's looked over at each other, nodded knowingly, and quietly left.

Sir Chaos

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #5 on: 03 March 2018, 14:24:13 »
Nothing, I'm sure she a nice women

 ::)

What could possibly go wrong, eh?
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AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #6 on: 11 March 2018, 00:53:49 »
04/03/3061 04:17 Keystone Spaceport, Westerhand

The Union Dropship Hei Hua Long finished it's approach toward Keystone, it's imperial green painted stripes still bright having been repainted before it left the planet.  Westerhand's Sun lingered just under the horizon of Keystone Bay as the drop-ship decelerated and landed safely on it's landing skids, the ferrocrete still steaming as the fusion thrusters powered down.  The ground crew approached as four mechs stepped off the dropship.  A fifth mech, the Devastator, was being carried on a heavy tracked transport to the mech bay across the harshly illuminated tarmac, it was mostly undamaged but was lacking a head, a victim of a lucky hit from the Titanfeller's Von Lucker.  A small convoy of Pit Bull trucks were following it and the lance to the Mech Bay. 

A Caesar caught up to them, bare metal making the repairs obvious, the rest was still in Titanfeller livery, a flat brown-green with a steel-gray T and F at right angles to one another the short edges of the F being a stylized tank track.  The mech walked awkwardly over the Tarmac, it's pilot a rookie with only the few months of their contract term for training but it too safely made it within the Mech Hanger, although it nearly collapsed a section of catwalk after disregarding the warning signs.  The other merc mechs were immobilized in diagnostic mode but Ejib knew that they would have turned to face him, “Sorry Guys, I think I need more practice”

Ejay's voice came in over the short range radio frequencies, “I love you, but I totally agree.  That might be our ticket home after all.”

Chief Tech Codie Williams came in over the radio, his heavy Taurian accent always attracting the attention of the multinational mercs and he always sounded like he was drunk, “Cut the chatter guys, I've got to put a new head on this Devastator and that's gonna be a bitch.  So get out of my hanger, I've work to do.”

Bryan Hunt chimed in, “Alright Chief, have at it, we'll give you some space.”

The remaining Mercs gathered in a nearby restaurant afterward leaving the Mech bay, it was breakfast so there were eggs, bacon, coffee, and hash a plenty.  After living on powdered eggs, rice, mystery meat, and a uniquely bitter stew these past months they were happy to have decent food once again and the money to pay for it.

Ejay had elevated himself as the guy in charge mainly because he had the biggest mech now that Conner was dead.  “Fair share split between us, Conner's Mech and share are going to his brother Donovan.  Kiang Shi Fang apparently notified him of his brother's death once we returned to Confederation space.  He was on Northwind and apparently wants to be a Merc as well, not as experienced but a solid pilot nevertheless,” he eyed his brother who pretended not to notice.  “Anyone got something to add?”

Bryan Hunt cleared his throat, “I think we should sell the Caesar, settle the debts that can hurt our mechs or kneecaps, buy a few other mechs, hire some staff, and keep kicking ass.  Those guys didn't know what hit 'em when we showed up.”

Morgan and Celfina nodded in approval, “We're in.  Got plenty of opportunities here, not as expensive as Outreach or restrictive as Galatea.  Long arm of the Commie law can't reach us.  I'm happy to keep mercing with you guys.”

Ejay looked over to his brother, he was in they didn't have much better options on Islamabad not after the enemies they made. “I guess we just started a new Merc group and it ain't even ten o'clock.  Still got a long day ahead of us if we make it official.  Ejib and I will stop by the hiring hall, register, and check out the contracts; Morgan and Celfina you check the market to see what that Caesar will get us and what's for sale; Bryan why don't you see if Codie is looking for a new job and what his price is, the man stinks of moonshine but he is a wizard with the wrench.”

Westerhand Hiring Hall four hours later

The Westerhand Hiring Hall was large, not as large as the Merc Mart on Galatea or Harlec Central on Outreach but impressive nevertheless, a pyramid of glass and steel.  The inside however was less exciting it was too bright Westerhand's sun shined much brighter than those on Outreach or Galatea and the windows created numerous mini-greenhouses of the lobbies.  The inclinator was fun though, each one of the four worked their way up the superstructure of the facility which while filled was hardly the press of it's bigger brothers.  Large jade green banners with Chinese writing hung over the central lobby and there was a wing for the Free Worlds League, Aurigan Coalition, Magistracy of Canopus, and Taurian Concordat.  There were no banners hanging for the Combine or Commonwealth in this hiring hall which was oddly fine with the Federated Suns Expats.

The two men sat on sterile steel benchs backs sweating as the sun beat down on them even through the blinds in this suffocatingly small office.  “Ejay Bakshi?”, The Capellan clerk stumbled over the exotic name. Ejay had already forwarded most of the essential documents but the Capellan Confederation was a onerous bureaucracy and everything especially mercenary documents had to go through four different forms in two different places which took forever it seemed.  Ejay whispered in Hindi to his brother which had brought him a bowl of some kind of noodle while they waited, “No wonder Hanse Davion almost crushed them nearly thirty years ago.  I have to wait four hours to register to even get a chance to fight for them here.”

Ejib nearly coughed out the broth as Ejay walked up toward the plain black haired clerk wearing a jade green uniform.  A strong contrast to his saffron yellow jumpsuit with his father's former business logo on it's back. “Mr Bakshi, we have everything we need except a name for your unit.”  He quietly cursed having not thought to discuss the name of their fledgling merc unit over breakfast, “I have to choose that now I guess?”

“Yes unless you want to wait another three days to resubmit the paperwork.”  He sure as hell didn't want to do that but blanked before coming up with a name, “Mercs Unleashed”

The clerk quietly typed on the terminal, “Mercs Unleashed.” 

Ejay could hear the printer power up, “Mr Bakshi your paperwork is complete, please sign here.”  The man produced the print-out and Ejay signed it handing it back to him, “Congratulations.  Thank you for choosing Westerhand, Mr Bakshi, I wish you much good fortune.”  The phone on his desk rang and rapid fire Chinese followed, “A Kiang Shi Fang has requested an audience with you at her residence, here is the address.”  The man produced a small note with an address on it handing it to Ejay.

Ejay looked at the clerk confused, “Already?”

“Yes sir.  Please move along as we have other clients to process.”
  The Clerk waved his hand to dismiss the mercenary.

Ejib was still eating his noodles as his brother returned, “What was that about?”

“Can you walk and eat? because we have a house call to make.”

Dave Talley

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #7 on: 11 March 2018, 20:17:29 »
ooh all set up and legal by lunch,
they could be out of business by sunset  :))
Resident Smartass since 1998
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JA Baker

snakespinner

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #8 on: 12 March 2018, 00:22:22 »
Paperwork, in the future it will still be a pain. :D
I wish I could get a good grip on reality, then I would choke it.
Growing old is inevitable,
Growing up is optional.
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AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #9 on: 12 March 2018, 15:26:11 »
04/03/3061 17:13 Location – Kiang Shi Fang’s Residence, Westerhand, Capellan Confederation

Ejay and Ejib Bakshi exited the lime green taxi, it was an ugly vehicle but it was distinctive on the street.  The neighborhood they had ended up in looking out over Keystone Bay and Victory City but far on the outskirts and atop a series of sea cliffs, each house had a wall in front of it some were merely decorative others eyesores some a mix of both.  The address they had been given led them to a carefully manicured hedgerow behind a solid shoulder high concrete wall.  Wrought iron bars reached up and made it nearly impossible to climb and even if you could; you would end up in the wicked thorn bushes of the hedge. 

They walked up to the metal door that led inside, a pair of guards challenged them before allowing admittance.  As they entered the courtyard they were struck by the magnificent garden where peacocks wandered around under the bushes, and the elegantly simple residence that lie within.  An elderly gentlemen gray but still vital in a green outfit exited the house and approaching them, bowing slightly, “Greetings Brothers Bakshi, I am Shen, the caretaker of this residence, please follow me.”

The man walked them around the house on the cobblestone path through a twisting maze of a garden until they arrived at a sheltered area.  Kiang Shi Fang watched them enter from the hot tub. Her wet black hair gracefully falling over her chest concealing it from view, “Shen you should have told me we had guests.  I would have worn something.”

The old man bowed slightly, “Apologies Shonsa, they did not call ahead.  I will fetch your robe.” The man departed heading toward the house and around the other garden walls.

She looked over at them swimming so that she was against the near end of the steaming hot tub, “You seem to have caught me with my pants down as it were Mr Bakshi,” laughing, “please call ahead next time as I did not expect you quite so soon.  Have a seat over there, I will be with you shortly.” She motioned toward the nearby garden wall.  Ejay walked over to the wall and saw the patio table and chairs though he was careful not to stare at Kiang Shi Fang his younger brother though looked and was given a death glare.  They had spent two months on the dropship together but neither had never seen her quite this “exposed.” 

Shen returned bearing a robe and moments later he and Kiang Shi Fang rounded the corner, the woman with a towel in her hair.  “Tea?”  Both men nodded and thanked her, Shen returned with the tea service and a dish of sugar cubes and small pastries.  Kiang Shi Fang deftly took a sugar cube in her chopsticks and placed it in the green tea while the brothers kept theirs unsweetened. 

Ejay looked at her intently she was no ordinary Capellan noblewoman, they didn’t have planetoid colonies on an airless rock in the middle of nowhere, “Were you just waiting for us to register officially this afternoon?”

She took a gentle sip of her tea working the cup with practiced ease, “Well I didn’t expect you to work quite so quickly, most mercs have at least a week of hedonism in them before they need to skip out on a contract again.  Apparently two months of working together has truly inspired you to continue and like I said before I have plenty of work if you are interested.”

The elder brother was quick with a response, “You’re not just some ordinary noblewoman then are you?”

“Of course not, people would have to be a fool to think me so.  I’m a ‘talent scout’ typically I don’t go on operations though I am perfectly capable during one.  If you make it through the first challenge more opportunities await and you have impressed me thus far.  I would be happy to keep you in my employ.”

“So much so that you already have a contract drawn up for us.”

“Well of course, you seem awful eager to get off this planet Mr Bakshi, I am honestly a little upset.  One day in and then gone again.  Sure you don’t want to stay a little while?  Take in the sights.”


“What if we don’t wish to remain in your employ?”

“Then I will be more upset but our business was conducted as agreed and I’ve no wish to have unhappy mercenaries, far greater chance for misfortune to myself or the mission. You have a reinforced lance of functional battlemechs and I either have work for you or know someone who does.  In fact I have someone in mind I only ask that you speak to them.  They do work off the books, but it is quite lucrative and they come highly recommended.”

“We’ll consider it.”

“That is all I ask.  Shen please hand these men their new unit’s present.” The old man had remained silent and unnoticed by either brother during their conversation in fact they were surprised to see him when he presented them with an envelope tied with ribbon.  Ejib untied it cautiously, five VIP tickets to Mistress Tessa’s Pleasure Circus dated for tomorrow, ticket value 3000 Yuan (roughly 1500cb or a Mechwarrior’s monthly pay) were enclosed along with a full catalog of the acts, schedule, and address of the venue.  Ejib was engrossed in the tantalizing catalog while Ejay kept looking at Shi Fang, she seemed unphased “Would you like to stay for dinner Mr Bakshi?”

“No I think I’m good for Chinese today.”

“Pity.  Have a good evening then.  When you go there please tell them Jade sent you.  Shen please escort these men out and inform Li that I will be there in ten minutes.”

He bowed slightly again, “Of course Shonsa, please follow me Mr Bakshi.”

Nav_Alpha

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #10 on: 12 March 2018, 17:34:24 »
Enjoying this muchly. Good stuff - keep it up.


"Hold your position, conserve ammo... and wait for the Dragoons to go Feral"
- last words of unknown merc, Harlech, 3067

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #11 on: 13 March 2018, 10:56:15 »
04/04/3061 16:58 Location – Hanger and Pad #517, Keystone, Westerhand

All five Mechwarriors of Mercs Unleashed were dressed in trendy new clothes, their unit coffers flush with cash after the sale of the Caesar this morning.  Nearly ten million c-bills were left in the pool after they put in the cash transfers through the Word of Blake operated HPG to their debtors to settle some of the outstanding debt that they were fleeing but not all of it.  An older Vandenberg Mechanized Archer 2R was already bid for and Ejib keyed as its pilot but the sale hadn’t gone through yet, they would know by the end of the week.  The other three million were going to be used to restock, stack some pay, and offset the start-up fees that were required to license and operate a Private Military Company.

Now though they were riding on a bus from the ferry terminal toward the spaceport, the colorful dropships of Tessa’s Pleasure Circus (A Princess, Monarch, and Mule) clustered around a set of hangers on a stretch of ferrocrete nearby as police managed the flow of traffic.  Hours were sunset to sunrise although they did have a Breakfast buffet if you managed to make it through with enough points after a night of partying and gambling.  A big top tent and amusement rides were assembled in between these five points.  Their luxurious bus was filled with other Mercenaries as they were the only people capable of buying a VIP ticket to the event but did not likely own a car.  The Mercs Unleased team was seeing if any were interested in joining, but the typical responses were “Mercs Unleased, that’s a dumb name” or “You guys are too small right now, you should join us.”

Celfina looked over to Morgan, she was wearing a silvery dress that barely could be called such while he was dressed in a fashionable blue suit “I’m excited.  How about you dear?”

“You know I won’t look,” she let out a fit of laughter, “You better look because I am gonna.  Don’t worry though, I will still love you in the morning….probably but tomorrow night maybe not.”  Morgan’s face blanched although she kissed him and whispered something into his ear that made him red.  He looked at her, “really?” she nodded. “Well now that changes everything, I’m excited too Cel.”

Bryan Hunt decided on a charcoal suit, Ejib picked orange, while Ejay picked red with a distinctive fedora to match.  The bus motored up to the VIP entrance, a bare chested giant of a man stood off to one side of the gate taller and larger by a significant margin than the other security, bigger than anyone the shorter than average Mercs Unleashed team knew or had heard about.  A Smoke Jaguar Tattoo and Laborer brand adorned his dark skinned arms and bright intricate tattoos weaved along his torso, a recent addition to accentuate his musculature.

Bryan let out a whispered “An Elemental?”  The Canopian man checking tickets jogged over to them, “Don’t stare, it makes him angry.  That’s John, our resident Elemental, you’ll see him during the strong man act later.  John say hi to these people.”

A deep bassy rumble came right from his diaphragm, “Hello”

“See totally normal, now if you will just follow me and leave John to his duties.”


His deep voice came from behind “Goodbye, enjoy the show,” it terrified the others but Celfina lingered eyeing the impressive specimen until Morgan grabbed her hand.  The party worked their way back to the ticket booth, the man who introduced himself as Baron looked over their passes which were different than the others, “Where did you get these?”

Ejay spoke, “Jade sent us”

The man's tone changed, “We’re always happy to have Jade’s guests join us,” he snapped a wristband on each of them and handed them a small stack of the funny money used within the circus.  “Do you see that man over there?”  He pointed to a black haired man wearing a coat, hat, gloves, and sunglasses even as the sun began to set, “go introduce yourselves to him and he will show you to the Extra Special VIP Booth.  Best seats in the house for the main shows.”

The party walked up to the man, “Baron told us to talk to you.”

“I know, Jade sent me your profiles beforehand.”  He lowered the shades a moment and a chrome blue eye looked at them joined by a natural blue one.  Morgan, Celfina, and Bryan recoiled in fright, as Leaguers they instinctively hated cyborgs, Ejib and Ejay were merely surprised.  “I knew you were here as soon as you walked off the bus.”  He replaced the shades and tipped his hat to Ejay, “Follow me.”

The mystery cyborg worked his way through a series of temporary barriers that led up to the scaffolding that made up the main stage.  They could hear the sound of the casino on the other side of the bleachers one of the three gambling dens that were part of this pleasure circus and smell the perfume and cologne of the staff in their changing rooms.  The cyborg said something quietly into the radio on his shoulder in a language they didn’t understand.  He continued on until they were at the foot of a metal stairwell leading up into the balconies, a key-carded door was nearby.  “That is door 4A it leads to an express route that connects the casinos.  You can open any A door in the circus but don’t bother anyone or I will kick you out.  Up there is your booth.  Enjoy.”

The man walked out into the door which let a burst of the cacophony of slot machines and table games before closing again.  Bryan followed, “If you’re looking for me check the bars first.  I’ll call you if I get lucky and need a pickup,” he shrugged his shoulder, “or bail.”  Morgan and Celfina were next, Celfina pulling her husband along, “Strip club!”  Ejib looked at his barely twenty year old brother, “You can go, don’t do anything stupid.”  He pumped his fist and ran out the door, “Yes!  See ya bro.”

Now that his companions had departed, “Might as well take in the view.”  He walked up the sturdy metal staircase to a box hanging suspended from the ceiling, far above the normal booths with several monitors that were synced with the massive view screens.  It looked like it might even be the control booth but he could see that off to the side of the stage.  The booth had sixteen seats and two tables luxuriously appointed with a private wine cooler and bar, a touch screen in the back was glowing softly in the dim light, he figured meal service.  A woman sat in one of the seats her red hair against the white leather chair,  “and here I thought it would be a lonely night.”

Ejay was surprised not expecting someone else to be there, “I didn't know that Jade sent us an escort as well.”  A hearty chuckle emanated from the woman who stood up, her black evening gown flowing elegantly over her curves sharply contrasting her pale skin, green eyes lifted in bemusement.  “I assure you that had I chosen that particular profession I would be the best in the Inner Sphere,” she reached up and he reached his hand out before she poked him in the nose, “and my rates would be far to high for the likes of you Ejay Bakshi.  Unfortunately for you I am merely a spy, Commander Felicity Grey, MIM.”

DOC_Agren

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #12 on: 13 March 2018, 20:37:32 »
Tessa’s Pleasure Circus, I'm shocked that there is a MIM spy onboard..
Much like Captain Renault was shocked to find that gambling is going on at Ricks
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed:And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!"

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #13 on: 14 March 2018, 00:35:21 »
04/04/3061 19:37 Location – Tessa’s Pleasure Circus, Westerhand

After eating at the restaurant and talking shop Ejay Bakshi and Felicity Grey moved on to the casino, both of them were at the craps table, a thick stack of chips in front of Ejay courtesy of Felicity's recommendations.  Ejay was still facing the table while she leaned back and moved close.  There was a shift change in process so they were the only ones at the table right now as the pit boss and his people checked the cash box.  Ejay fiddled with the brightly colored chips, “How do you know so much about casino games?”

She raised an eyebrow, “Seriously?  My home base is Herotitus but there are agents in every pleasure circus.  Supposedly the Directors leave the Medical and Development teams untouched but that is just what I've heard.  The first and sometimes longest assignment for most of us is observation in one of these troupes, our training is quite extensive and...immersive.”

He turned and faced her, “What was your performance art?”

She waved her hands as if to brush that away, “Not me I was a diplomatic agent.  It didn't work out, I don't play well with others.  Now I just do field ops with my team.”

“Seen any of your other friends?”

She looked around the floor, “Not that I can tell, but their boss likely told them to give my people and I a wide berth.  We only share enough to avoid getting in each other's way.  You will have to be careful with what you say here though.”  She looked at the dome camera above them, “they watch everything.”

She smiled and put her hand around his shoulder, “Well it has been fun Ejay but I have to find some other entertainment.  There is a Regulan over your right shoulder that has been following us for some time now.  She's pretty enough.”

He began to turn,”Don't look, she's jealous but confused at exactly what we are, is looking to make a score but not bold enough to make a scene.  I've been messing with her most of this time and if looks could kill I'd be a dead woman many times over.  So you're going to have to make the scene and wait a little while.”   She gave a crude smile, “once she's sure I'm gone she'd be more than happy to blow on your dice, or well anything else you'd like.  Be careful with those Regulans have a tendency to be...extreme, personal experience you'll just have to take my word on it.”

Priya Katribi looked over from her lonely table at the bar, her fashionable sari draped over her legs as she watched the table where that red headed scank was still clinging tightly to the guy she wanted.  So many times she wanted to go up there and beat that bitch up but didn't want to get kicked out; she had paid good money for this ticket.  Just then he yelled and she stormed off in a hurry Priya watched her as she disappeared, the craps crew returned and the man was ready to play another round.  She looked into her compact, fixed her hair, and reapplied her lipstick, “Looks like it's my lucky night.”

21:49
The Arena was filled to capacity the three view screens behind showing the promotional image of “Mirror the Marvelous Canopian Catgirl”, green cat’s eyes with a stylized Venus symbol.  The main stage consisted of three circular sub-stages set out into the crowd with level bridges between them.  The void space was where the band played.  The rear of the stage had a series of stylized buildings and the floor was springy.  On the catwalk above dozens of riggers and crew were checking to ensure that everything would go smoothly. 

Ringmistress Tessa arrived with a group of performers to great fanfare and a little samba dance act, her beauty, moves, black leather corset, and open red skirt still turned heads even in her late 50s.  She had worked in a Circus before striking out and now her troupe was one of the largest traveling acts in the Inner Sphere but had never performed in the Capellan Confederation before.  “Hello Westerhand!  I am Ringmistress Tessa, your grateful hostess.  Thank you all for coming out this evening.”  The subtitles in Chinese were put up on the screen behind her.

A drunken mercenary heckler yelled from the stands, “Take it off!”  Without losing a beat Tessa pointed and a pair of security men grabbed the heckler and began pulling him out of the Arena.  Others filled in the space.  “How very rude, I will be sure to personally teach him some manners.”  A “Woot!” was heard in the crowd, “Back to the act that you have all been waiting for.  Mirror is getting ready right now to headline our show.  After which begins our late night programming that I'm sure you're all eagerly anticipating.”  she let the last two words roll for a while and gave a swing of her hips to accent them, “You’re all excited to see her perform right?”  She put the microphone out and a mild cheer erupted from the crowd followed by an jolt of surprise as the view screens came to life, green cat’s eyes moving as a chibi version of Mirror appeared on the view screen materializing like the Cheshire cat from the black screen eyes first.

“Tess are we almost ready? I can’t hear the cheer even with my cat ears.” The chibi version’s ears twitched and moved as if to hear the crowd better, “They don’t seem very excited to see me.  What if they don’t like me?”  The Chibi Mirror’s eyes went full Tareme and the creature looked like it was about to cry.

“Don’t worry Mirror I’m sure they are just getting warmed up.  Westerhand, Mirror traveled all the way from Vixen to perform for you.  You are excited to see her right!”  A much loader cheer erupted which caused spider webbing in the view screen like it was made of glass and the volume rose.  Eventually it shatters with a massive sound effect and the lights cut out.  Chibi Mirror grinning before her body dissipates followed by her eyes.

A lone spotlight appears on an elderly man playing a Guquin behind the center stage slightly elevated from the floor.  Some of the stage lights come on as two red and gold banners unfurl from the ceiling reading “Xin Sheng” in large golden calligraphy.  A petite and exotic woman with brown hair and cat ears lands from one of the unfurling banners.  With practiced grace she dips into a low four point stance before rising to a high one handed stand facing away from the crowd displaying the sign for “Cat” in brilliant silver on the back of her green Wushu silks.  She pulls her legs into a split before rolling out doing cartwheels from the right hand stage to the center, landing on one leg arms tight, she leans her cat eared head out to the crowd.  Several sections of the crowd applaud and yell as she transitions into a handspring toward left stage somersaulting and landing in a split raising her arms along the plane of her legs. 

More applause as the other sections of the band come alive with the sounds of traditional Chinese style music courtesy of the Sian Cultural Conservatory.  As the music becomes more layered her movements grow more complex crescendoing into parallel bars, impressive leaps from the buildings backstage, and trampolines and spring boards built into the stage floor, she scurries along walls, balances on slacklines and tightropes, performs aerials on the Chinese poles and utilizes every prop in a well-rehearsed three dimensional acrobatic dance routine.  All the while the camera carefully follows her as she moves along with masterful strength and agility.

In her final routine on the Chinese pole she threw a little sugar on it, abandoning gymnastics for a short pole dance to tease her later show before dismounting.  Canopian and Capellan dancers come in from the side stage and throw her a pair of fans which she catches in front of and behind her while spinning.  Opening the intricately crafted items in a en pointé worthy of any prima ballerina.  She holds the pose before shifting sideways touching her foot to the back of her head (dancer Yoga pose but hands free), her cybernetic tail unraveling from around her waist to move on its own before waving rhythmically, following the undulations of her body.

Shortly after that she joins the other dancers in a coquette pose fans closed.  The music changes tone to a quieter but intricate melody that sped up as she and her co-performers move the fans through the air, spinning in elegant patterns and shifting the sides of the fan in unison.  A large cylinder surrounded with display screens lowers from the ceiling, a trapeze bar originating from a hatch beginning to lower to the stage floor.  With a quick motion and musical flourish Mirror tosses her fans out to her co-performers and vaults off another into the trapeze, circling until she is hanging from her legs as the bar is pulled back up waving until she disappears inside. 

A five minute countdown timer appears on the displays which slowly turn into a translucent look through to Mirror within, showing her removing her costume the clarity of which is slowly increasing.  The stage crew below hard at work setting up for the second part of the hour long act.  The Xin Sheng banners are pulled up and ones with the Magistracy of Canopus flag and Tessa's corporate logo unfurl.

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #14 on: 14 March 2018, 20:20:36 »
Five minutes later the cylinder was on the stage floor nearly transparent now and the screens were pulled up to reveal Mirror in a strappy outfit within a go-go cage.  The band picked up the beat as she started belly dancing while the other dancers gathered around, her tail following in precise synchronicity with her movements.  Eventually the door opened and she joined the others in a high energy dance medley that kept going for the remaining half hour. 

META – Can’t describe the whole thing watch some Latin, R&B, and Rap music videos and take it to eleven for a half hour.

As the time drew near Mirror unhooked the straps of her top holding it in front of her while teasing the crowd then she winked and the lights went out.  When they came back on a moment later Mirror was gone and a load groan was heard from the crowd as Ringmistress Tessa returned to stand in the center of the assembled dancers with a whip wrapped around her waist, hands clapping “What an excellent performance as always.  Ladies and Gentleman, if you want to see more of Mirror…and I’m sure you do stick around to watch her show at two AM.  The first show in our late night programming block begins in ten so stick around if you dare.”

Up in the box the Mercs Unleashed team and ARC Team WILDCAT were equally disappointed but excited for the closing show.  Ejib chief among them having taken a major liking to the star performer, “I can’t believe Ejay missed that.”  Felicity looked over and said in a hushed tone, “I’m sure he has better things on his mind right now but I’ll tell you a secret,” she leaned over and whispered something into his ear causing him to perk up, “Really?” to which she nodded.

Twenty minutes later Ejib Bakshi used his VIP pass to get backstage stopping in front of Mirror’s door, the plain white door was only identified by the Venus symbol.  He took a deep breath and knocked. 

A few moments passed before she opened the door nonchalantly nude looking different without the cat ear headband.  Ejib could see numerous tattoos on her bare skin, Egyptian hieroglyphs mostly but a few other symbols popped out most of which were cat related.  He could tell she had showered due to the smell of her flowery soap and shampoo.  Without her makeup she was just very pretty instead of drop dead gorgeous like she was on-stage.  Her eyes were still catlike which meant they weren’t contacts but implants and her tail waved gently behind her.  “Can I help you?”

He took a second to compose himself, “I would like you to scratch my back.”

She gave him a wicked smile and a predatory look, “You know what you’re asking for right?”

Ejib paused a moment in doubt, however he was already here and she was just so there, “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”  He passed her a wad of c-bills which she quickly counted before looking him over. 

“Purrfect,” a well-manicured hand grabbed his orange tie to pull him into her room.  He looked around to see a costume and prop truck, mirrors on most walls, a brass pole, stretching machine, inversion rack, table, chairs, and sofa.  She closed and locked the door behind her, “Let’s get started.” 

Fifteen minutes later, Ringmistress Tessa and her assistant were escorting a handsome young man toward Mirror’s room.  His body language showed he was overcome with some manner of drug and was being led by the young woman to his side.  Tess stopped short seeing an orange tie on Mirror’s room.  “I’m sorry young man, it appears that Mirror already has an admiring fan in her room, Clara please make sure he gets a ride home.  I’ll ensure someone is nearby when Mirror goes to Makeup and Wardrobe.”

“Wardrobe?”

“Sorry, the two words are just so intertwined in my head, her second show doesn’t need a wardrobe.”


META - Mirror’s 2AM show is, far too…artistically erotic to describe on the forums lest the mods mob me.

04/05/3061 09:11 Location – Graham Plaza Hotel, Victory City, Westerhand

Ejay Bakshi stepped out of a bright red sports car with Principality of Regulus diplomatic plates onto the wide circular drive of the hotel.  His black suit and hair were messed up, red tie and hat missing, lipstick marked visible and hidden portions of his body, and many muscles hurt.  Priya gave him the 'call me' sign and blew a kiss his way before speeding off, her veil flying behind her in the early morning sky.  He walked up to the doorman who waited to open the door, “Rough night Mister Bakshi?” Ejay rummaged through his pockets pulling out his comm-pad and hotel key, “I have to get off this planet before that woman kills me.”

“I wish you good luck sir.  Miss Katribi has quite the reputation.”

“That would have been nice to know before I spent the night at her place.  Have you seen my brother Bruce?”

“He came in last night on a small ambulance, they wheeled him up to the room.”

“What!  Who wheeled him up?”

“Tessa’s people, at least that’s what the night guard told me.”

“Well that explains why he didn’t pick up.  Have a good morning Bruce.”

“You as well sir.”


Ejay keyed the hotel suite and walked into his little brother’s room.  The young man wasn’t wearing a shirt, his pants had been changed out for shorts, bandages covered a part of his back, ice packs and a heating pad were nearby while a small pill bottle and booklet were on the nightstand.  Wraps covered one of his legs and he had a variety of welts and bruises all over, “Oh man bro I was hoping you were going to show up soon.  I have this really bad itch but I can’t make my muscles move, I’m just so sore.”

He walked over to him and crouched down, “What happened?”

“Things got a little out of control.”
  He moved his head with a pained expression, “Is that lipstick on your collar?”

“Yeah”

“Way to go”

“Look I’m going to take a shower but I hope she was worth it Ejib.”


He smiled wide, “She was”

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #15 on: 16 March 2018, 21:21:50 »
04/09/3061 15:47 Location – Office 158A, Westerhand Hiring Hall, Westerhand

Joe Leeson walked in to the Mercs Unleashed office rented at an exorbitant hourly rate, he wore plain gray fatigues and the two men inside were wearing saffron yellow jumpsuits some logo in a language he didn’t understand was stitched in.  The one behind the stainless steel desk, covered in papers, old coffee cups, and an ashtray, stood up and extended his hand to him.  “Hello Mr Leeson, I am Captain Ejay Bakshi this is my brother Ejib.”  The younger man waved momentarily pulling himself from the computer set up on the rickety folding desk behind his brother Joe noticed he was sitting on a small refrigerator.  The shades were pulled tight against the glaring sun and office smelled of fragrant tobacco, the hustle and bustle of the low rent offices in the bottom of the pyramid was momentarily shut out, “please have a seat.”  Joe sat down in the poorly upholstered blue chair.

“I understand that you are looking for a job.”

“Yessir, I have mostly intact Phoenix Hawk 3M and three years of experience operating it.”


The man pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one looking his way as smoke curled into the vent above, “Mostly?”

“It’s missing a few pieces.  I have a complete spec sheet for your technical staff here, right from the DI.”  He pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Ejay, “Ejib scan this and send it over to Codie.”  Ejay passed it over his shoulder.

“Sure thing bro”

“I assure you all the numbers check out for the right people.”

“I’m certain of it.  I read the record you sent ahead of time, another one of the young deserters gone errant following Guerrero.”

“I trust that is not a problem Captain Bakshi.”

“You’ll be in plenty of familiar company, got a couple of Leaguers in the unit though I hope you can play well with others.”

“The only person I want a piece of is Katherine for leaving us all behind.”

“I don’t know if we can do that but it’s a paying gig and I like what I see but am in a bit of a cash crunch so I’ll call you tomorrow to see whether or not we have a slot for you.  I want to know how much it is going to cost me to bring your mech online.  We’re still fishing for some contracts.”

“Understandable.  I’ll be sure to check my Comm-Pad regularly.”


Joe departed closing the door behind and saw a cute girl in biking clothes with a bright yellow hat carrying a messenger bag coming his way.  He moved to block her path.  “Hi I’m Joe, what’s your name?”

“Mina,” she tried to work her way around him to the office but he kept getting in the way, “Can you get out of the way?  I’m kind of in a hurry.”

“What if I want you to take your time?”  She rolled her eyes before grabbing his forearm and slamming him into the wall with a load bang.  He was momentarily dazed and tasted blood in his mouth while she entered the Mercs Unleashed office.  “I’m seeing stars, I think I might be in love.”  He had to hang on to the wall for a little while as he walked until his equilibrium returned.

Back in the office Ejay was up, “Did you make that noise girl?”

“My name is Mina.  One of your mechwarriors got in my way.  I had to…move him.”

“You didn’t kill him right?”


She rolled her eyes again, “He’ll be fine Captain Bakshi.  Li asked that I give this to you and await a response.  I can answer most of the questions you have as she is quite busy right now.”  She opened the messenger bag to hand a manila envelope to Ejay who took it, opening it with his folding knife and looking it over.  Mina sat in the blue chair putting the bag in her lap and crossing her legs.  Ejib chimed in from the back, “Would you like something to drink while you wait?”

“I’ll take a Citrus or Mango soda if you have one, preferably with a straw.”

He returned with a soda and straw before returning to his work spending a little too much time looking at her.  Ejay looked over the contract and was punching numbers into a large calculator on his desk while writing on a piece of grid paper. “Ejib, did we get any word back yet from our contracting agent?”

He typed something on his computer, “Nope.”

“Take a look at this real quick.”
  The younger man stood up and looked over the spreadsheet.

“Yeah that could work. You sure about this though?  Felicity seemed to get us in more trouble the last time we trusted her.” He pulled his hand across his back, “My back still hurts from Mirror’s claw marks; I didn’t knew she actually was going to scratch my back.”  Ejay’s comm-pad chirped and he peeked, it was from Priya and it was not subtle.  “Shit!” He silenced the device and looked at Mina who was trying to hide her smile before taking another sip of her soda.

“Look I agree with you, but I really need to get off this planet and the numbers work.  Mina we’re willing to talk to your boss,” he looked over toward the comm-pad that was blowing up with messages. “Please tell me she is free tonight?”

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #16 on: 18 March 2018, 09:58:12 »
06/21/3061 04:48 Location – Above Lordinax, Occupied Lothian League

Commander Felicity Grey was dressed with a utilitarian gray jumpsuit red hair tied in a short ponytail swayed slightly in the low gravity, a small humming originating from the deck as the dropship transferred to a high polar orbit.  The rest of her ARC Team WILDCAT were in their winter battledress as were Mercs Unleashed and the MAF infantry soldiers on loan for the mission.  All were gathered around the portable projector currently set up in the spacious cargo bay of the Buccaneer dropship OAFT Ivana Naruu. 

Their Battlemechs were still on their transport cradles though the tech squad was beginning to prep them, a pair of Workhorse Utility vehicles and an Undertaker Heavy Transport were behind them.  Deeper in the hold a dozen Super Scorpion tanks (30t, 2 MG, AC/5, Ferro Armor) and crates of small arms, ammunition, and explosives were secured against abrupt acceleration.

Felicity pointed a laser toward the screen, “Here is your dropzone, it is a frozen meadow plenty firm for what we need.  Once off-loaded my team and I will go to our operations area and complete our mission.  Your job is simple raise hell with the local MHAF garrison until we are done, it should be about five days.  My sources tell me that the Second Legio’s Counter Insurgency commander was located here yesterday.” 

She highlights the area on the map, “The Marians are not known for their complex organizations or sophisticated COIN ops preferring atrocities so getting rid of this commander will be a triple strike at the threat to save the valuable lives of resistance fighters and their supporters. Afterwards I have reports of a prison work camp here.  I want you to liberate those people and protect them long enough to give them time to scatter and find safe haven among the resistance.”

“We will pick you up here once we are finished.  I have given you all a summary of the second legio’s organization table.  They are widely scattered and the resistance has been ensuring they cannot concentrate force on any one position without being vulnerable elsewhere.  If they come at you, guerilla fighters will come for them.”

6/22/3061
 
The Ivana Naruu dusted off at Lordinax to discharge the Merc Unit that will be 3rd Cohort's nightmare for the week while we are on-planet.  We then proceeded to A-89, one of the resistance's larger hubs to begin our training and outfitting of them. 

I directed the Mercs to Ordo Vigilis COIN director Andrew Wilkenson who our reports said is establishing a new signals station with Blake tech.  The Mercs killed him during their raid, destroyed the station, and routed his bodyguard unit.  This should slow their progress in uncovering our sleeper agents and keep our stations broadcasting to direct the insurgency.

Wilkenson did broadcast a wide-band alert to forces in the area to converge and box the Mercs in but Legatus O'Crey was overconfident and didn't respond with sufficient force to hold Youngman's Mine Labor Camp.  The Mercs hammered the reinforced garrison and liberated the prisoners including a team of resistance armor crews.

The Mercs seem to be holding strong, if they keep up the good work we may be able to offer them additional contracts.  Our latest intercepts from the MHAF are very promising, Legatus Oliver O'Crey is throwing everything he has at the Mercs to protect his future career.  This will cause him to make bad choices, just the kind I need him to make.

Training of the Lothan Resistance proceeds smoothly, they are well-motivated and capable of performing basic tactical maneuvers and some complex skills.  Our team is working 18 hours a day training and drilling the resistance in all manner of skills.  Inform the MAF that I appreciate their loaned personnel, they are performing better than anticipated.

ARC will get it done

Sincerely,
Cmd. Felicity Grey


ARC Team WILDCAT SIGINT Intercept forwarded to Merc CommNet
Origin – Blackwell, MHAF 2nd Legion, 3rd Cohort HQ

Watcher Breslan – At 10:14 yesterday we received a transmission from my colleague reporting an attack on the new listening post in the hinterlands.  The garrison at Youngman's Mine was alerted but they were overrun by the hostile force whom they damaged. 

Legatus O Crey - Current reports indicate that their force is under repair at that location.  Is that still true, Watcher?

Watcher Breslan – It is but they were reinforced with another group that had been attacking secondary targets and the Lothan League resistance is currently on the move harassing our forces.

Legatus O Crey – Principes O Mar how many units will you need to ensure the resistance can be kept in check.

Principes O Mar – I will be able to do it with our auxiliary century and several mechs.

Legatus O Crey – Inform Legatus Connerly of 2nd Cohort to reinforce us with any men he can spare, he owes me.  I will take the rest of my force to crush these impudent bandits once and for all.

ARC Team WILDCAT Final Debriefing 6/24/3061 TST
Author - Commander Felicity Grey
File Code -  U73-RIM-218
MIM Directory - OP:BROKEN SHARD, Arc Classification F87
Decrypt Key - 12-BO-71-IN

You engaged the majority of ii Legio's 3rd Cohort at Easton Pass with assistance from a group of Lothan Resistance fighters.  They managed to kill Legatus O Cray and several other centurion mechwarriors.  Most of the 3rd Cohort has been destroyed now which should reduce the attrition in the Resistance.  Congratulations on your hearty salvage a Guillotine, Hunchback, and Griffin will be fine additions to your unit.

FLASH TRANSMIT
Lothan Resistance this is Sean O'Rielly, son of the Caesar. I have captured your leader Elizabeth Lothan and am holding her hostage until your unconditional surrender.  Any attempts to continue this resistance will result in her death and severe punitive measures against your planets.  You have until the end of the month to lay down your arms and accept our Hegemony.

END FLASH TRANSMIT

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #17 on: 18 March 2018, 10:52:04 »
08/11/3061 08:17 Location – Mercs Unleashed Office, Westerhand, Capellan Confederation

With a successful covert operations contract on the book and another reference Ejay Bakshi rented a nicer office on the second floor of the Westerhand hiring hall.  Mercifully Priya had seemed to forget about him during his few months off world just as he had hoped, her clinginess transferred to some other poor sap.  They had found pilots for the new mechs and another solo operator joined them bringing with him a Dervish.  With ten mechs and a group of support vehicles he was going to have to hire more staff to and increase the parts and tools needed maintain his command.  Three laser disks had been dropped off in his corporate box from a Paradiso Armor Works so he put one in and watched.

The video opens with a montage showing various tanks firing their weapons and maneuvering around a sand quarry, near and distant explosions blast your senses.

Narrator: "What you need is more Firepower"

The scene blurs our as the P.A.W. logo (A bow horizontal on top with a sword and spear crossed below)

The shot opens on a Latino man wearing a tan suit with stunning beach vista in the background

"Greetings all, I am Enrique San Marco, President of Paradiso and CEO of Paradiso Armor Works." 

he puts away an umbrella drink and stands up before turning over to a massive yard of vehicles with large industrial structures in the background

"I am pleased that you have decided to view our tape and am certain you will find something of interest from our Long War product line.  Through my nearly thirty years in Industry, I have found that many solutions are simply lacking for budget-conscious combat units.  Everything was simply larger, flashier, and more expensive so I came upon a solution."

He walks to an elevator which opens onto the tarmac below where dozens of tanks fresh from the factory are being warehoused

"That solution was to go back to basics; When we unveiled the Longspear Main Battle Tank in 3042 everyone laughed at us.  They thought there was no way this tank could be a game changer. 

All it took was a couple of foiled pirate raids and then people started to pay attention. After watching this video I am sure you will find that Paradiso Armor Works has a tactical combat solution right for you."


Narrator: "It all started with the Longspear Main Battle Tank, a simple but robust design composed of a Mydron Class X Autocannon with eight and a half tons of Starshield A armor.  The first six Blocks used imported weapons and equipment but now everything is made under license on Paradiso to ensure quality.

While lacking anti-infantry weapons this tank was designed to work with infantry and fellow armor according to combined forces doctrine.  The latest Block 18 designs use the Paradiso Power 180 Tri-fuel I.C.E. with the proprietary Lucid Dream Comm and Catseye Fire Control systems giving it great situation awareness and long legs.

The Longspear has no variants nor does P.A.W. intend to change that anytime soon, the standard design has been left unchanged but updated since it was first made."


Cut to montage of the Longspear firing on the move over a sand dune firing its cannon at a distant target which then explodes.  That explosion fades to reveal the Mongol tank as it begins to maneuver around the dusty plain.

Narrator - "After the Longspear P.A.W.'s next best seller is the Mongol Fire Support Tank, the base model is armed with six Delta Dart 5 Long Range Missile Racks but everything else is the same as the Longspear including the electronics.  These missile racks can keep firing constantly for nearly two minutes.

The Mongol has two variants the Mongol Short has four Harpoon 6 Short Range Missile launchers packing a mighty close range punch and the Mongol Rampage has fourteen Death Blossom 15s for a staggering 210 rockets giving the Rampage a truly terrifying first strike potential."


Cut to a montage of the Mongol Long firing its missiles and saturating an area with explosions while a Mongol Short launches missiles in a simulated city and a Mongol Rampage launches its full volley creating a massive smoke cloud which then cuts to the Longsword tank.

Narrator:  "The latest tactical vehicle in the line is the Longsword Close Combat Tank, this tank uses paired Mydron Snakekiller Lightweight Autocannon Vs and four Death Blossom 10s to own close range.  Everything is common with the other tanks and in fact all of these tanks are merely turrets that can be changed out with the proper tools and training.

The Longsword has two variants the Longsword Torch and Blitz combine the Snakekillers with a pair of Flame Tech 135-K Flamers in the Torch or a pair of LFN Linbald Machine Guns.  They are the perfect vehicle for forested or urban combat against infantry and fellow armor.  The Longsword's secondary weapons can be changed in any Block 7 or modern within an hour, allowing you the customer to adapt it to any close combat situation."


Cut to a Montage of the Longsword launching its forty missiles while firing its guns at a target building while a Longsword Torch moving through a simulated town sporadic gouts of flame firing out to deal with "targets" and a Longsword Blitz fires its Cannons and Machine Guns utterly destroying a platoon of targets on an open gun range.  The picture cuts out to a strange looking tank with no gun but with a massive grappling hoist.

Narrator:  "That is not all P.A.W. has recently added a new design, the Ranger Remote Armored Recovery Vehicle.  This modified Longspear turret contains the remote operation equipment and three Talon Grenade Launchers capable of firing various grenade payloads around the vehicle but typically smoke. 

The main feature is its Heavy Lift Hoist capable of lifting and dragging a damaged P.A.W. Medium Tactical Vehicle from the field safely while under fire.  It does this by connecting to the control suites (Lucid Dream and Catseye) and synchronizing them to the remote users.  Firmware 17.5.3 allow the remote system to synchronize with all standard communication protocols while 15.8.7 units must use the older SMCS (Secure Military Comm Standard) 109.21 protocol common to P.A.W. Tactical Vehicles."


Cut to a video feed being streamed to an operator you watch as the operator aims the lift hoist at a damaged Longspear, the unit connects before grappling the tank and dragging it along to safety.

The Longspear is dropped off and you can see all six of the P.A.W. Medium Tactical Vehicles lined up in a phalanx wedge position.  The camera fades out into the setting sun of Paradiso before returning back to Mr. San Marco


"I hope you have enjoyed our little informational video, please contact your local licensed P.A.W. dealer for our catalog which contains more information, we certainly welcome your business."

Dave Talley

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #18 on: 18 March 2018, 11:32:59 »
planning on posting the vehicles?
Resident Smartass since 1998
“Toe jam in training”

Because while the other Great Houses of the Star League thought they were playing chess, House Cameron was playing Paradox-Billiards-Vostroyan-Roulette-Fourth Dimensional-Hypercube-Chess-Strip Poker the entire time.
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AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #19 on: 18 March 2018, 20:24:12 »
planning on posting the vehicles?

I attached the base units to the post, couldn't upload the .saw files however which is kinda annoying

Next Disk

The video opens up to a Latino man in a tan suit walking along the beach.

"Greetings, I am Enrique San Marco, President of Paradiso and CEO of Paradiso Armor Works and Utilitech Industrial.  Now you may recognize me as the man who played Anton Marik on the telenovela Bloodlines or perhaps from a Forbes article about my life, but more likely you know me due to my long history with industry.  Well I am coming to you from Caponde Beach, a part-time training area for my crack contract garrison and volunteer defense force to show you something new.  When I founded Paradiso Armor Works in 3042 I made it the goal of that company to solve problems sort of a continuation from Utilitech.  That is why I build companies on efficiency and cost effectiveness with techs and crew in mind every step of the way. 

Considering you are watching this video you are likely a Supply Sergeant, Quartermaster Officer, or Procurement Agent for a large firm.  Either way we have a cost effective combat support solution for you.  With pleasure I would like to introduce you to the MULE series of vehicles."

Thirteen tracked vehicles crest over the sand dune in unison with the ocean glimmering behind them.  Several of the vehicles move off but some remain.

"All Modern Utility, Logistics, and Engineering vehicles or MULE for short are built using as many of the same parts as possible.  All of them run on rugged tracks supporting their 20 ton chassis and are powered by by a Paradiso Magna 100 Tri-fuel Engine allowing them to reach 83 kilometers per hour.  There are three model series available for purchase.

The Logistics Series, consists of the Cargo, Chow Wagon, Escort, Medical, Independent Cargo, and Freezer series.

The Cargo series have a ten ton internal cargo bay capable of accepting inner Sphere standard containers, Utilitech Synco™ 5 ton liquid storage cylinders, or loose palletized cargo.

Utilitech manufactures a wide range of Synco™ liquid-gas storage cylinders, coming in a variety of shapes, sizes, and build thicknesses depending on your desired cargo.  Everything from Ammonia and Liquid Petroleum Gas to Cryogenic Hydrogen and Jet Fuel has an appropriate and industry standard tank variety available to you.

The Escort variant is equipped with four LFN Lindbald Machine guns, one on each side with increased armor.  You can rest easy knowing that the MULE escort has your back, side, or front.  These machine guns are operated behind a heavy duty bullet resistant window and bump turret allowing superior situational awareness while ensuring safety."

A MULE Escort speeds along the beach its four machine guns ripping through a series of targets while travelling at high speeds

"The independent Cargo is useful in small operations, it has an integral material handling crane capable of lifting ten tons while having a roomy seven ton cargo bay.  It can carry and off-load its payload without requiring additional vehicles or personnel or assist dedicated material handlers.  The Independent Cargo can be configured as a technical workshop by installing tool lockers into the frame, most Paradiso Armor Works heavy weapons are easily lifted with the medium weight crane already built it.

The MULE Chow Wagon is a personal favorite of mine, not only is it easily customizable depending on local tastes and capable of feeding 150 men for a week on its own internal Icebox™ Refrigerated storage with a built in LP storage tank but it comes with an Oriente Express Espresso machine."

Enrique shows off the stainless steel commercial-grade kitchen of the Chow Wagon and draws a cup of Espresso before moving on, "delicious

The Freezer configuration includes a Utilitech Synco™ liquid-gas storage cylinder, a chiller, re-circulation pump, and four BM-3K Coolant hookups with an additional seat for a Coolerman.  It is capable of simultaneously pumping into two heavy battlemechs within two minutes of deployment.  If the tank runs out it can simply be rolled off using the dump mechanism and replaced within a minute."

Two Paradiso Defense Force mechs, a Thunderbolt and Awesome, walk up to the vehicle and are hooked up and cooling within a minute, steam rises off the Freezer's relief valves as it cools the mech using water

"For your people we manufacture a Medical variant including a full field surgical theater and paramedic equipment as well as storage for supplies and room for the medical staff to ride along.  It has become one of our best sellers courtesy of our good relations with the Magistracy of Canopus Development teams, I'm afraid the nurses don't come with the vehicle however.

The MULE (Modern Utility Logistics and Engineering) series of vehicles continues with the Engineering and Utility lines.

The Engineering series consists of the Bridgelayer, Minesweeper, Minelayer, Hostile Environment Transport, Earthworker, and Wrecker series."

Cut to a larger desert training area with Enrique wearing Tan Fatigues and walking along a raised path while tanks and mechs maneuver

"The MULE Bridgelayer carries a heavy bridge allowing nearly any unit to cross rivers or other obstacles.  It carries four Talon Grenade Launchers to cover its advance and retreat on an active battlefield."

The Bridgelayer drives through a cloud of smoke and deploys its bridge over a trench which is then crossed by a pair of Longspears

"The MULE Minelayer can cover slightly more than a half kilometer with a variety of mines in four minutes, enabling you to deny your enemy ground.

The MULE Minesweeper uses a front-mounted mine flail or its rear mounted Harpoon 6 Short Range Missile launcher loaded with mine-clearing munitions to breach any minefield quickly and safely.  Again one of our best sellers courtesy of the MAF and CCAF."

The Minesweeper powers up its flail and explosions show the effectiveness of it, the vehicle then turns around and launches six missiles destroying more mines

"The MULE Hostile Environment Transport is a remarkable new design that is finally ready for use.  It can be sealed against any environmental hazard from extreme heat and cold to space or hostile environments.  The patented ZOX™ Air Independent Propulsion allows its Paradiso Magna 100 I.C.E Tri-Fuel engine to keep going where others fail using Liquid Oxygen or Hydrogen Peroxide and allowing for nearly 12 hours of continuous use.  It can transport fourteen people or 2 tons of cargo and is heavily armored with either an integral N.B.C. Positive Pressure or Closed Cycle Rebreather system.

The Tactical Earthmover variant includes a bulldozer blade with a rear mounted back hoe and increased armor protection.  Utilitech has long been known for our fine industrial vehicles and this is one we are proud of.

The Wrecker variant includes a rear mounted twenty ton lift capacity crane and a transport bay capable of being configured as a tool locker or passenger bay.     

The Utility series includes the Command Post, Expanding Van

The Command Post variant consist of a standard MULE vehicle and a folding radio tower attached to the right side.  Inside is the Hard Target™ Communications system capable of monitoring 15 remote sensors, operating four drones, satellite communications, and electronic warfare with appropriate software modules.

The Expanding Van configuration has comfortable if sparse quarters for four soldiers.  While not up to par with a five start hotel It beats sleeping in tents or under the stars.

Stop by your nearest authorized PAW dealer for a test drive and full selection of models and keep it moving trooper."

DOC_Agren

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #20 on: 18 March 2018, 22:18:36 »
I like the MULE family of designs
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed:And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!"

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #21 on: 21 March 2018, 11:12:04 »
I like the MULE family of designs

I enjoyed writing them out as well, support vehicles are the unsung heroes of the modern battlefield.  It also greatly simplified my logistical calculations if they were all rather similar.

Context - The St Ives War is now in full swing and the Mercs rather than continue to work with Felicity Grey (she left to pursue her own personal objectives) moved on to a larger contract to assist the MAF in it's obligations to the War on Nashuar.  Home to some of the fiercest fighting in the whole conflict.

10/14/3061 07:47 Location – Starbow, Nashuar, St Ives Compact

The Buccaneer IMT Five O'Clock Special burns out of the skies; from your view port you can see the sun reflected back from the vast inland sea.  Banking the aerodyne moves in to a landing spiral burning off excess velocity as it does.  Finally the lights of a rough airstrip come into view as the thrusters fire and dozens of wheels roll across the recently constructed spaceport.  A small group of orange fire engines arrive and spray the dropship with water which instantly bursts into steam.  Once the fuselage cools the hatches open and Captain Ejay Bakshi and the rest of Mercs Unleashed disembark with their heavy steamer bags adorned with the Mu glyph (Mµ) on their shoulders.

A small group of green-brown wearing MAF soldiers wait at the bottom of the ramp and the Mercs snap a quick salute, one of them a grizzled older man, “Greetings Mercs Unleashed I am Colonel William Sangrey, Commander of the 3rd Canopian Fusiliers.  This is Commander Helena DuChamps.”  A blonde woman in her late thirties stepped forward, “You will be working with her during your contract here.  Across the inland sea is your objective, the 7th FedCom RCT.”

“Commander pleasure to be working with you.”

“You too Captain, you come highly recommended despite your meager record or perhaps in spite of it.  I’ll show your people to your temporary quarters before we launch the operation by week end.”

From the Journal of Corporal Mark Oldin, 7th FEDCOM RCT

10/17/3061
Location - Brightstone, Nashuar, St Ives Compact
Week 57 of Deployment

Another day of fighting, the lieutenant launched a quick raid with the choppers to the Liao rear again.  Fortunately there weren't as many casualties this time and they managed to raid enough to keep us supplied for a few more weeks.  The captain must be preparing a large raid tonight since he pulled Lt. Collin's mechs off guard duty and replaced it with Foxtrot platoon.  Until then we are simply on guard duty making sure the Liao aerospace fighters stay away, the war machines can keep stomping and crushing, and Jojo can keep flying out of the airport.

It is strange really; this city was designed to be a new start for so many people but now it is abandoned, bombed out, and shot up.  It's only going to get worse though; that is what the Major says, I hope he is wrong but I don't think he is.


10/18/3061 Location – 3rd Fusiliers Briefing Room

Portions of the 3rd Canopian Fusiliers occupied a small soccer stadium and its adjacent buildings, a few MULEs plied chow and medical attention to the soldiers stationed in the tent city, which was a relatively small group, mostly new transfers and units cycled back for R3 (Rest, Relaxation, and Repair).  A squad of MAF infantry were playing game of soccer on the pitch and holding their own against the visiting McCarron’s Armored Cavalry.  Mercenary armor and infantry crews had been retained under the initial “peacekeeping” contract as base security freeing the elite Fusiliers to launch offensive actions against the 7th FedCom and their allies.  Two Canopian Military Police battalions formerly undertaking “stabilization” actions in the Chaos March were stationed at the displaced persons camp nearby.

The briefing room was aboard the militarized ferry NHG On Rising Tide, the Canopian forces had rigged 53mm Autocannons and Long Range Missile launchers on the former car ferry for self-defense, the Inland Sea was a dangerous place to operate with the 7th‘s Aerospace still in play.  Its crew consisted of volunteers, there was no press ganging of the former operator and the MAF had promised to return it as soon as the hostilities ceased in good condition.

The tied up ferry rocked gracefully underfoot as the Command Staff (Captain Ejay Bakshi, Lance Lead/XO Marcus Brandt, Commander Helena DuChamps, and Lieutenant Commander Derrence Thomas) looked over the map of their targets.  “Your men can do a combat jump right?”

Marcus Brandt was a rather plain looking but very serious man formerly of the AFFC which made him a potential liability in the eyes of the Canopians, “Sure can Commander, it’s not something we relish but everyone can land safely then march into danger.”

“Well good that will make things much simpler, Lieutenant Brandt I want you to take your jump capable mechs and drop them near this power plant.”

“Looks like a lot of Flak”

“Yes according to our latest satellite sweep there are about six Snapjaw
(50t wheeled, 2 LB5X, 3 tons ammo, ferro armor) AAA tanks nearby but they shouldn’t pose much of a danger to your battlemechs.  Secure the plant and hold position long enough to get our combat engineering team in place to secure the power plant.”

“Better than walking in I suppose.”

“Captain Bakshi your heavier non-jump capable mechs will transfer aboard hover landing craft and take the spaceport with assistance from the first lance..”


Transmission from Corporal Leonard Teiner

Commander Duchamps, my platoon has secured the Cold Creek Power Station and sent the mercenaries along.  RED HORSE team has broken through the power station and discovered a large quantity of explosives; far more than would be needed to actually blow this place up.  They are working to remove them to a safe area for disposal.  The rest of the platoon is clearing the station and shutting the gas valves according to our reach-back contact until it can be evaluated and put back into service safely.

Lastly, we have captured a FEDCOM mechwarrior he identified himself as SGT. Weston Puls, we will hold him until intelligence can interrogate him.  However the vehicle crews that abandoned their AAA vehicles are still at large

Corporal Teiner out


07:21 10-22-3061 Brightstone Spaceport

Commander Igor Olav of the 3rd Infantry Guard puts his rifle down for a moment as the subcommanders check in.  “Commander Duchamps we have secured the spaceport, the tower and terminal have been cleared of FEDCOM soldiers.  They put a few pistol rounds into the tower console so we will need pathfinders from the regiment until it is repaired once we go off station in 16 hours.”

Loud explosions are heard through the hanger

“Report! Where did those explosions come from?”

Lt William Horn came in over the CommNet, “Commander the seventh had planted cratering charges along the runways and set them off.  They will need to be repaired before we can land any fighters at this position.”

“Jumpshot Flight this is Starquake how copy?”

“Starquake, this is Jumpshot Actual we are tracking no targets in your vicinity how goes the spaceport operation?”


“We have a problem you will not be able to safely land at the spaceport, the seventh has cratered the runway.  What is your remaining station time?”

“Starquake, we have another five minutes before we are bingo fuel.  I will inform the first
(McCarrons Armored Cavalry) that we will be returning to base.  Commander Duchamps you will be without air support for the final push into the city, my scopes are currently clear good luck.”

Meanwhile at Forward Rally Point Echo-Sixty-Three, the Overlord MCN Spiteful Ghost of the 3rd Canopian Fusiliers was unloading DuChamps Task Force.  “Overlord Spiteful Ghost has completed off-loading procedures we will be on station for three hours before returning to regimental command.”

Commander Duchamps sat buckled into her Thunderbolt 5SS ready to move out, “The final plan is being sent via datalink to all operating units.  We are moving to take Brightstone from the seventh with all due haste.  Move out.”

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #22 on: 25 March 2018, 20:23:45 »
06:18 | 10-22-3061 (2h to Target Zone) | Aboard NMV On Rising Tide, somewhere on the Inland Sea

The On Rising Tide used to be a fast cargo ferry plying the inland sea before the 1st McCarron's Armored Cavalry and 3rd Canopian Fusiliers landed in Starbow near the Inland Sea.  The small port town of Cylion was militarized and expanded to support their operations against the 7th FEDCOM here in defiance of the Star League non-aggression mandate and Princess Yvonne's orders.  This was one of the rapid car ferries that got converted and is carrying elements of the 67th Canopian Infantry Battalion and 52nd Support Corps plus Mercs Unleashed support personnel and spare parts.  Its large vehicle deck is currently packed with light armored vehicles and cargo containers all bound for Brightstone.

The techs have been on high alert since early yesterday to ensure that this operation would go smoothly.  They were brought ground-side to get some shut eye in the sleeper cabins while the ship finished prepping.  Chief Tech Codie Williams and Astech Ashley Turner wake up and met in the staff room due to rough seas in time to see the sun rise over Nashuar and get some morning chow at the mess during which they overhear the Canopian sub-commander going over battle reports and the details of their attack with Force Commander Duchamps in the radio room.  They picked up some information from the one way conversation they were listening in on.

“Morning Chief, sounds like we still have employers”
“Yeah well that is a relief, probably the only one we will get all day”

The Canopian Infantry officer was a striking figure in his gray-green field uniform, brown hair close cut and sleeves rolled up to show tattoos and impressive biceps, “Commander Duchamps we have two hours at current speed till we reach Brightstone.  How long until you launch the main assault?”  He waited for a moment receiving the response, “Roger that Commander, inform us if there is any need to change the timetable, Thoms out”

Ashley stopped in her tracks as she passed the open door, “Wait Thoms? I know that name, I am going to take a look”
Codie stood there confused, “Why? I'm sure he will stop by later and give us any relevant details, let the man work”
Ashley fluffed her hair and was looked unhappily at her functional coveralls, “I'm going to say hi and you should come with me”
The Tech Chief shrugged his soldiers, “Fine, don't make a scene though we have to work with these people”

The two walked into the screened off area where four Canopian Infantry ensigns were standing around a table, one having a Lieutenant Commander's insignia attached to his helmet although his cuffs had ensign markings.  The men turned toward the pair of Mercs Unleashed techs momentarily annoyed at the interruption before recognizing the Mu insignia on their coveralls.

Lt. Commander Thoms - “Hello, you must be the mercenary techs.  I am Derrence Thoms aka “Blackout”, and he introduces the others (Ensigns “Splitter” Riggs, “Lipstick” Caron, and D'Armitz)  Pleasure to meet you, we will be seeing a lot of each other I imagine”

Ashley tried to hide a blush, “Oh I hope so, are you the same Derrence Thoms that won STARS Man of the Year award two years ago?  Oh and I'm Ashley and this is Codie”

The others looked at him with barely concealed bemusement, “The very same I see you are familiar with my work,” with that he does a quick but impressive modeling pose.

“It has been a pleasure to meet you both but I have to go and make sure everything is prepped. Commander Duchamps expects this will be a tough fight to remove the 7th from Brightstone”

As he leave he kisses Ashley's hand “Enchantè, my dear but there is work to be done" 

Standing up again and putting on his helmet, "Chief Williams I suspect that your people have work to attend to as well.  See you all once we are done with this”

Thoms and his subordinates walked out of the room to check with their platoons currently berthed in the ferry's hold to ensure that everyone is briefed on the current plan

Codie looked at Ashley beet red face and wide smile, “Is this guy for real?”

“No he's dreamy”

“This is going to be a long day, go and wake the others Ashley.  We need to make sure we can put everything back together tonight. Right now though I need to finish this coffee, probably with some whiskey.”


10-22-3061 | 08:52 Local | Location - Somewhere N of Brightstone, Nashuar

A full battalion of grey-green uniformed Canopian soldiers boarded landing craft that had been positioned next to N.M.V. On Rising Tide.

Lt. Commander Thoms was in full battle gear his rifle slung over his shoulder and battle armor in place, "Echo Lead, we are departing for our objectives on schedule, status update"

Commander DuChamps lyrical voice came in over his earpiece, "Echo-Two, the 7th's heavy assets are out of the city, report when you have the objective."

"Affirmative"  The city of Brightstone loomed large in the distance, the harbor had been mined and minesweepers summoned but they needed to take the warehouses and cranes before the 7th or their partisan forces sabotaged them.  The small landing craft engines powered up and pushed the small vessel a Capellan combat engineer monitoring the waters in front of them with a sensor kit.

09:11 Local | Location - Narik Industrial Harbor, Brightstone, Nashuar

Lt. Commander Thoms leads the charge off the Landing Craft crashing through the cerulean waters of Nashuar's inland sea a pair of King Scorpion light tanks and the rest of his infantry followed him.  It is eerily silent as the city and this Harbor facility were completely shut down.  Huge Cranes, Barges, and Large Trucks remain motionless against the blue sky but most importantly were intact.
 
"All elements get moving we need everything cleared."

The soldiers of the 67th Battalion sweep the mostly bare industrial warehouses and wharves of the Narik Industrial Harbor, expertly clearing the industrial spaces and container yard.  They moved silently across the permacrete while the attached light armor and APCs rolled off the larger landing craft onto the sandy beaches before rumbling to take positions near the entrance and exits out of the port facility. 

The scout element deployed a trio of small helicopter drones to begin a grid by grid search of the complex and map good observation points. The Infantry personally led by Thoms move out to clear interior spaces remaining vigilant for ambushes.  The combat support team checked to make sure the wharves and infrastructure have not been sabotaged by FEDCOM. "Commander Thoms, no signs of sabotage in the port"

"Roger that Riggs, did you contact RED HORSE about the mines?"
"Ah sir, we are their next assignment once the power station is clear."
"Affirmative Echo-Eight."
"All Call-signs I want the support weapons deployed ASAP and the tanks in improved positions, we will maintain a perimeter until RED HORSE team arrives"


09:40 Local | 10-22-3061

Ensign Caron came in over the makeshift command post that Derrance Thoms had set up, feeds from a dozen remote sensors were linked via thin cables, "Echo-Seven to Echo-Two I am reading movement around a nearby office building, Am I clear to engage?"

Lt. Commander Thoms looked over the drones orbiting that area, "Weapons Ready Echo-Seven, don't engage yet, it could be a false positive"  No sooner than he said that then a pair of mortar bombs strike the center of the facility causing noise and smoke but no casualties, "Ranging shots!  Every get overhead cover right now!  I'm calling in backup.  Fire at Will!"

The Scorpion Light Tanks begin firing off 57mm shells at suspected enemy positions and re-positioning themselves to avoid being pinpointed by mortars.  The Canopians broke windows and blasted walls to get their heavy weapons in the best positions to fire.  FEDCOM units across the channel split up before opening up with small arms fire and their own light tanks.  They were staggering their fire to disguise their true numbers and location, the Canopians were bottled up in the industrial yard. 

Lt. Commander Thoms took cover behind a concrete wall before a mortar blasted the window over him and embedded deadly shrapnel into the wall, It destroyed the sensor station and sparks exploded around him, "Echo-Lead this is Echo-Two, we are under heavy fire and need back-up"

Commander DuChamps picked it up in her Thunderbolt at the center of a demi-company of Battlemechs currently watching the 7th FedCom's Mechs looking at her from across the river, the bridge they needed to cross to reach them having been blasted. "Copy that Echo-Two we are moving to your position now."

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #23 on: 27 March 2018, 15:08:48 »
10-22-3061 11:08 Local | Location - Narik Industrial Harbor, Brightstone, Nashuar

Several hours after receiving the distress call Strike Group Echo forces their way into the city past barricades and concealed SRM wielding infantry.  Commander DuChamps leads the assault and her unit scatters the light infantry and small artillery pieces that were firing on the 67th's position.  With the heavy weapons gone it is finally safe to bring in RED HORSE Team 218 by VTOL from the power station.

On Rising Tide is at the edge of the harbor keeping her sensors active to make sure the 7th doesn't sneak any aircraft or hovers into the battle and the replacement flight of the 1st Air Wing has finally shown up to make sure the 7th's Air Wing or artillery cannot make a difference.

Strike Group Echo regroups at the Harbor victorious but Commander DuChamps receives unpleasant news from 3rd Regimental Command. "Commander this is On Rising Tide, we have a priority message from Command, opening a secure channel to your Thunderbolt.  Commander DuChamps congratulations on your successful operation, unfortunately Strike Groups Sierra and Papa were unsuccessful in Breaking through the 7th's lines and they were forced to withdraw.  Continue to secure the city and stand by for further orders, Colonel Sangrey Out"

"All Channels this is Echo-Lead, secure a perimeter and begin roving patrols to keep the FEDrats' heads down.  I want everything set up and squared away before nightfall."


Now freed from the firepower coming down on them the 67th Canopian Infantry Battalion supported by Battlemechs and Combat Vehicles quickly secured the streets of Brightstone.  By Nightfall RED HORSE Combat Engineer team had cleared the harbor, repaired the power station, and made the spaceport somewhat operational again.  The On Rising Tide docked and unloaded its cargo before returning to Ceylion with wounded and damaged equipment. 

FEDCOM howitzers made some far shots around dusk and had some spotter plane fly-bys but nothing serious, it did make bringing Echo's howitzers ashore and deploying them in Ashlow Park a priority.  Overnight Echo Group received sporadic missile fire and a brief bombing run but the quick reaction force chased the enemy away before they could cause any real damage.

The remnants of Strike Groups Sierra and Papa showed up at the damaged but serviceable Brightstone Spaceport early in the evening aboard a Buccaneer-class drophip I.M.V. Hot and Ready and the Planetlifter M.A.F. D-90709.  They were not in great shape; it had taken much longer than anticipated for the 1st and 3rd's air wings to reduce the pressure on them long enough to safely evacuate.   Many needed to go to regimental HQ in Great Bay for medical or technical support, these were the reserve elements that would have supported an initial breakthrough but had been torn up in a fighting retreat.

Among them though were the rest of the 52nd Combat Support Company, RED HORSE Team 578, 67th Canopian Infantry Battalion's Bravo Company, The 412th Pathfinder Team, 15 medium combat vehicles, 8 light combat vehicles, transports, engineering vehicles, light attack VTOLs, and an additional lance of very heavily damaged but mobile Battlemechs.  The damaged mechs and vehicles were sent to the repair depot that was being set up by the 52nd at Narik Industrial Harbor.  The infantry established a temporary billet at the Spaceport and assisted in unloading the rest of Hot and Ready's cargo.

On Rising Tide left for Cylion overnight to pick up materiel to supply these additional units for an extended fight.  Spiteful Ghost and Starquake both returned to the Starbow Marshaling Yard on schedule to be available should the 1st need them.

10-23-3061 | 09:27 Local | Location - Fairkeep Operations Base, Nashuar 168km NNE of Brightstone

Fairkeep was long a small valley town right off the White Moon Canal, FEDCOM soldiers had evacuated the civilians two weeks ago and spent that time turning it into a fortress.  Units from the West Line (7th FEDCOM, Tango and Juliet Company) were called back along with their support units to reinforce 2nd Battalion under Major Moss.  A full squadron of conventional aircraft, an additional reinforced company of combat vehicles and Battlemechs, and a company of infantry have arrived and are currently finishing up repairs.  Two Nikos River Monitors were anchored in Lake Fairchild providing a rare naval component and heavy supporting firepower from their Long Tom Artillery Cannons. 

Major Moss stands with his command staff, forest green uniform dirtied by weeks of combat, a gnarled and fresh scar visible on his face where an IED nearly killed him on this planet.  He was looking over a set of smart displays revealing useful tactical data from sensors scattered across the AO including current weather, topographical maps, friendly unit locations, and reports of enemy activity while his subordinates prepped their latest reports.

"Gentleman we have managed to contain the Third Fusiliers on this front by destroying all the crossings on the canal.  They won't risk another drop-ship to assault our position directly considering we damaged two Unions and a Gazelle yesterday.  This means they will come at us via more conventional means.  That will be complicated by the upcoming rainy season, our defenses, and the fact that we control the canal locks.  I have been briefed by General Williams that we are to hold the Canal Zone and prevent the third from taking control of the Southern Province and threatening The Arcadians on our Southern Front, all our defenders are already engaging the Cappelans on at least two fronts."

There is a slight pause as Major Moss pulls up data from his battle plans into the display

"Captain Helms, what is the status of the defenses between us and Brightstone?"

"The canal is currently being rendered impassable by debris and likely ground approaches to Fairkeep have been mined and are being monitored.  The Outer Defensive Ring is not yet complete and we are still establishing Outposts on the other side of the canal.  These should be completed by the end of the month.”

"Excellent work Captain

Captain Dierson how goes the battleplan"


"Major we have been continuing the artillery barrage of Brightstone and scouts report that the Spaceport is at least somewhat operational as of last night.  Sporadic counter-battery fire is coming from the city but we moved the howitzers to avoid it.  I sent the Maxims in last night to recover the wounded infantry still left in the city and inserted a fresh platoon who are leaving mines and other explosive surprises on the streets to keep the Canopians busy for at least a couple of days.  Our opponents appear to have occupied the Port Facilities but I haven't been able to get a clear picture from the drones due to flak.  I think the current plan should work for a while at least until they get a proper runway established at the spaceport but that could take a while.  Those cratering charges really did cause a lot of problems."

Major Moss looked over his current battleplan rather pleased with himself, "Lets move on to Phase Two then."

10-25-3061, Location - N-09 TV Station, Brightstone, Nashuar

The past few days in Brightstone have been marked with sporadic firefights with the 67th Canopian Infantry Battalion engaging the remnants of the 7th's Infantry.  That ended yesterday but the air raids and artillery strikes keep coming at irregular intervals denying the Canopians sleep and safety.  Commander DuChamps opted to move the bulk of her forces into the city for protection.  The repair depot was moved to a parking garage and Task Force Echo moved their HQ to the local TV station as it was the only building still standing with a decent radio antenna.  All combat stores were moved to a variety of smaller buildings to reduce damage from artillery and air attacks. 

A contingent of troops protects the spaceport but the FEDCOM air raids continue to do major damage to the landing strips.  Echo Lead has pleaded with the Force Coordinator to station more air power in the area to fight back but her pleas have been ignored, Colonel Sangray said the same thing each time, "These assets are currently needed elsewhere but will be available once the canal campaign begins."

11-1-3061 Location - N-09 TV Station, Brightstone, Nashuar

Colonel Sangray's grizzled face appeared in the view screen where the Ejay Bakshi, his XO Marcus Brandt, Commander DuChamps and Lt. Commander Thoms were sitting in the beige painted and sandbagged production room of the TV station.  "Commander DuChamps, your strike group is to hold position, we have orders from the Liao Combat Coordinator.  The Federated Commonwealth has called for a cease-fire during the Whitting Conference and the Confederation has honored it.  Your units are to remain in place and await further orders."

"Colonel with all due respect you can't just expect me to wait while the Seventh reinforces their positions along the Canal.  Positions I will likely have to assault in the near future."

"Commander you are to do just that.  You don't call the shots here the Cappelans do and they have ordered you to stand by until they say otherwise.  Your unit is only to respond in self-defense and are to conduct no offensive operations."


"Yes sir"

"Damn him this whole campaign is going to be doomed if we have to put everything through six gatekeepers before doing anything."
She turned toward Ejay who was randomly munching on a ration bar in the back  "Mercenaries you are to garrison the spaceport and move your support units there, my group will continue to hold the city.  I suspect that FEDCOM will honor the cease-fire to take advantage of their superior positioning at the very least.  The Spaceport needs you there in case they don't.
 Understand?"


Ejay swallowed , "Yes maam, we'll be settled before nightfall"

02/12/3062 | Location - Strike Group Echo HQ, Brightstone, Nashuar

Major Allen Ellis, Subordinate to Colonel Sangray is presenting the plan to take the 8th Prefecture; it hinges on capturing Fairkeep and getting rid of 3rd Battalion.  Ejay, Donovan, Joe Leeson, and Marcus Brandt are in attendance along with Commanders DuChamps and Thoms of Echo and Commander Ilven of Sierra Company located in Sienvel 37km to the North is present via datalink, his command will also participate in the attack. 

"The attack on Fairkeep will come at three fronts, 7th FEDCOM's 3rd Battalion is heavily dug in and the geography is difficult.  There is also the matter of the many displaced persons fleeing the fighting in the Prefecture.  They will be an unfortunate variable and I have requested additional soldiers to deal with them as we tighten the noose around 3rd Battalion.  You will all have a Psy-Ops, Medical, and Genderarme unit attached to evacuate the locals in order to get them out of the Line of Fire, we don't want to cause undue collateral damage. 

The strategy is thus,
Commander DuChamps you will take a portion of your Strike Group and attack from the West of Fairkeep over the Chu Lin Gap.  Recent reports show that it is well-defended but it should be achievable with your current forces.  We have managed to free up some conventional aircraft from the 3rd to assist you in that matter but the terrain is hazardous.  New Callsign Haymaker.
Commander Ilven you will take Sierra Company from the North-East along Imperial Ridge and fire down into Fairkeep.  That route is currently lightly defended but is close to Fairkeep so we expect that it will be tough to hold.  That is why we want to hold your unit at range until Commander DuChamps and the Mercenaries have taken their objectives.  New Callsign Backhand.
Your Mercenaries will attack Wei Shun Village and then follow the Shu Yen river North pushing any FEDCOM soldiers back to Fairkeep.  We haven't been able to get good situational awareness of that area due to weather.  Expect heavy resistance throughout the push towards Fairkeep.  Your new Callsign will be Uppercut. 
Commander Thoms you will command the defense of Brightstone and your troops will reinforce any territory taken from FEDCOM from the West and South.  We have reports from the 1st McCarron's Armored Cavalry that they have pushed the Arcadians out of that area so you should only have raids and probes to contend with,
Check your specific briefings for more details, any questions?"


Meanwhile in Fairkeep

Major Moss stands in the map room with his unit commanders looking over the situation. "Captain Wells your reports state that there are enemies on the move towards Fairkeep"

Captain Wells, MIIO "Sirs, we have reliable reports that the 3rd Fusiliers will soon begin a major offensive on our position.  My scouts report that a company of combat vehicles will come from the North and that the MAF units near Brightstone have reorganized and have begun preparations to move out."

Lieutenant Hesh formerly a signals officer had been put in command of a combat unit after it's LT was assassinated by a Cappelan sharpshooter, "Well that is not good we still don't have word from Central Command on what to do right now."

Major Moss looked at the young man, "That is true Lieutenant but we have orders to hold the Canal Zone and until we receive orders to the contrary we will do that."

Captain Helms pulled out a game piece and put it over the map, "Major I think that we should activate the 1st St Ives Legionaires, the MAF will be forced to allow the refugees to evacuate the Yun Shi Valley and we can sneak them out with the masses."

Major Moss stroked his chin, "That is a good idea Captain I will think about it, make sure they are on alert to bug out at a moments notice.  Captain Dierson, what is your assessment of our defenses?"

Captain Dierson loomed large over the crowd the large Combat Pioneer was buff and ready to break things at a moments notice, "Major I think we are in a good position, over the rainy season our engineers and infantry have completed all the planned fighting positions, including mech blinds, hull down positions, trenches, minefields, and bunkers.  We are ready for anything the 3rd Fusiliers can throw at us.  I don't know about Wei Shun village though we couldn't deal with that terrain it was to open.  The Canal is mined along that stretch but we focused on Fairkeep with our limited time and resources."

"That will have to do, I want everyone out and on patrols we don't want to give the Canopians any more territory than we have to.  We are the only thing that is stopping this planet from being brought under the brutal tyranny of Sun-Tzu Liao.  So we fight smart and hold firm until George (Hasek) gives us any other orders."

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #24 on: 01 April 2018, 00:35:47 »
02/14/3062 15:21 Location - 32km W of Fairkeep, Yun Shi Mountains, Nashuar

Captain Wells was on edge, Outpost Clearwater had just been attacked and recent reports showed that a large force of Canopians was closing on his position.  Meanwhile a Boomerang Spotter Plane flies near the advancing column keeping out of LRM range.

Captain Wells - "Windjammer, are these reports accurate?"

Windjammer - "Yes sir, we have confirmed with the 1st Legionaries and I have done a flyby, a reinforced company of Canopians are headed to Fire Bastion."

Captain Wells - "Damn"

"All sectors Red Alert, this is not a drill, enemy inbound"

"Sergeant, get my mech ready?"


Sergeant Weln - "Yes sir" 

A flurry of activity broke the relative monotony of waiting, field guns and artillery pieces are brought to battery, tanks start up, and mechs wait patiently in their blinds for the Canopians to arrive.

Captain Wells was set up in his Penetrator alongside several other mechs still in the blinds monitoring the remote sensor array.  The 14th Mechanized Infantry (dismounted) were slowing down the Canopians with ambushes in the hills but they couldn't really damage them without taking unsustainable casualties.

15:41 Location - Chu Lin Gap, Nashuar

Commander DuChamps' Task Force HAYMAKER (8 mechs, 10 tanks) was making their way through the Chu Lin Gap, for the past ten minutes the vanguard tanks had been harassed with infantry hiding in the woods.  They never fired a second shot and finding them was difficult even with the Raven's sensors. The damage was mostly superficial so it wasn't worth the effort to seek them out.

The Task Force had to follow the lower ground due to the tanks, the 7th's defenders didn't have the trouble they were already in fighting positions along the slopes.  The Canopians were forced to run right through the line of fire, Captain Wells opened up with the 14th Mechanized's field guns and tanks to pull the Canopian armor support away.

While the 14th and 3rd's armor units engaged each other Captain Well's Mech lance (Penetrator, Juggernaut, Griffin, and Thunder) engaged DuChamps Command Lance (Thunderbolt, Thug, Huron Warrior, and Marauder).  His Lieutenant's Lance (Javelin, Commando, Dragon Fire, and Lineholder) engaged Ensign Holms (Raven, Shadow Hawk, Phoenix Hawk, and Hunchback) on the other side of the Hill.

Captain Wells - "Major Moss we have engaged the Canopian forces and would appreciate some air support"

Major Moss - "Captain Wells I vectored Twister-Two and Whirlwind-Six to your position upon hearing the recon reports, they should be overhead soon for a bombing run"

Captain Wells - "Roger that"

Fire Bastion Sensor Ops - "Captain Wells I am detecting four Guardian Strike Fighters burning towards our location right now, ETA 4 minutes"

Captain Wells - "14th Gun Command I need AAA over our position, load flak and prepare to engage"

14th Gun Command - "Roger that Commander"

The hill top gun positions stopped firing while their crews reloaded their long range guns.  The heavier Anti-Tank positions lower on the slope continued unabated firing shells into Canopian armor.

The Mech Battles occurred near hill 515, Commander DuChamps' air support succeeded in dropping the Juggernaut and the Thug brought down the Thunder but DuChamp's lance was destroyed.  On the other side of the hill Ensign Holms managed to rout the other mech lance but lost the Heavy LRM carrier and its elite crew to a Fire Javelin. 

The Hawk mechs pursued the retreating mechs destroying the Penetrator (and Captain Wells) but losing the Shadow Hawk (and Ensign Holms) in the process.  Overhead the FEDCOM Dark Crow fighter and AAA dropped two Guardian Strike Fighters while the Dark Crow was downed and the Vulcan bomber was forced to hit afterburners to escape.  The remaining Guardians, Phoenix Hawk, Hunchback, Raven, and Armor (3 out of 10) destroyed the FEDCOM field guns and armor company but left the infantry alone as they retreated due to serious damage.

After Action Report

Task Force HAYMAKER will need to be reinforced in order to take Fairkeep but we have destroyed 7 enemy mechs.  Unfortunately we didn't have enough infantry support for our salvage and recovery crews in the area.  A Duskbat recon plane has confirmed that FEDCOM has mobilized their salvage teams to the field.

02/14/3061 16:12 Location - 22km NNW of Shu Wei Village, Nashuar

Canal Barge Sustainer-71 had deployed in a small inlet right off the Canal, the 52nd Support Corps and 67th Infantry, Charlie Company had deployed to start the search and salvage portion of their jobs.  RED HORSE 578 was deploying their portable shelters and preparing the area for further operations.  That all changed quickly after Commander DuChamps' Task Force:HAYMAKER was defeated in the Chu Lin Gap and they received word that a company of mechs and vehicles were advancing on Brightstone with no other friendlies nearby to help.

In one of the portable shelters Lt. Commander Josette Baker, MAF Military Intelligence was holding a quick briefing of the mercs and the remaining Canopians on their current situation while pneumatic tools and heavy equipment noise filled the background.

"Everyone our situation is tenuous and I wish I knew the right path, I have been in contact with Commander Thoms and all of Echo is on full alert.  I have also talked to Sang-Wei Chen of the 1st MAC and he tells me the enemy inbound are 5 light mechs, 3 medium mechs, and 6 light tanks. 

We have 8 medium tanks and 6 light tanks in Brightstone right now with others being recalled from the field.  There is no way the 7th FEDCOM can hold the city especially with a friendly light mech company coming up from the South hot on their tails.  They can bloody us and inflict damage on our unit and bases in Brightstone but that is all.  Commander Thoms would welcome aid but believes he can hold his positions. 

However, right now we are already in position to lead the assault on Fairkeep, I have talked to Commander Ilven of Sierra Company and his unit is near their position.  The 7th's 3rd Battalion has deployed a large enough force nearby that he cannot handle it alone due to their lack of heavy armor. 

The 7th's salvage crews are not done with Chu Lin yet and you scattered them at Shu Wei but they won't stay away for long unless we occupy the ground.  If we push forward the 7th will have to redeploy their forces expecting an immediate attack on Fairkeep and we can claim the fallen salvage.  The fallen equipment might be enough to offset the loss of our men at Brightstone but I can't say that with any certainty.

Command has left it to you Mercenaries while they come up with a new plan of attack but we need to decide soon or it won't matter."


02/14/3062 16:21 Location - Narik Industrial Harbor, Brightstone, Nashuar

Commander Thoms had a lot to do and not enough time.  Once he heard the warning a full recall was issued pulling back all Canopian soldiers in the hinterlands.  Everyone had drilled for this possibility and that made it easier but not by much. 

Light Gun Battery 78 had been deployed in the stadium, RED HORSE teams were emplacing the field guns and constructing barricades. Alpha, Bravo, and Delta companies were busy constructing fighting positions and deploying their support weapons in concealed positions. 

The 52nd Support Corps were preparing aid stations and had commandeered another Karnov already on-station from Battalion HQ.  Their Quartermaster detachment was staging ammunition and preparing litters behind the lines next to the reserve unit. 

The lines were built around the few tanks in the city two Longspear tanks, a Longbow tank, and two King Scorpions.  Four regular Scorpions and convoy escort trucks formed a reserve while Infantry held smaller roads with their support weapons.  It was the best Commander Thoms could hope for, perhaps it would be enough.

Meanwhile at the Spaceport, 40 km South of Brightstone, the two remaining Guardian jump jets of Halo squadron had landed to a mess of ground crew on the tarmac.  Corporal Adams and his crew had pulled the few bombs they kept on hand (this was only an auxiliary support field) and had everything fueled and armed within a half hour.

"Commander this is Sergeant Tunil of Halo squadron we are armed and ready"

"Excellent Sergeant stay on standby until you hear otherwise"

"Affirmative, Halo out"


02/14/3062 17:34 Location - Arcadian Fast Company, SSW of Brightstone along the Inland Sea

Captain Dakarai Rain raced along Nashuar 795 in his Phoenix Hawk.  He had decided to stick to the Inland Sea and avoid the terrain in the 8th Prefecture while giving his wheeled trucks an advantage.  With him were two Commandoes, a Javelin, a Wasp, a Thorn, a Clint and curiously a Wolf Trap along with some light missile carriers and gun trucks all blitzing along the highway passing abandoned checkpoints on their way North.

02/14/3062 17:23 Location - Fairkeep Operations Center, Fairkeep, Nashuar

Major Moss stood in the middle of his command room looking over recon reports, the Mercenaries had taken the field in force preventing his rapidly diminishing unit from attacking and reclaiming that salvage. 

Meanwhile the 14th Mechanized kept a close eye on them from their woodland bunkers but stood no chance while the Merc units escorted the tech teams.  A recon plane kept an eye on the Canopian unit to his Northeast, a Canopian unit that he couldn't attack without weakening his force to an unsafe degree and inviting an attack on his position.  He had seriously thought the Breakthrough to the South would lure them away but that didn't happen, clearly he underestimated their resolve to take Fairkeep.

The only positive thing was that the techs would be busy and require constant guard for at least several hours.  He called out to Lieutenant Wilburn and his mech group

"Lieutenant take the mechs and do a presence patrol.  Do not engage, just show the flag and keep the mercs busy and off-balance."

Meanwhile he called up Supply Sergeant York at the battalion supply depot,

"Sergeant I want all our excess equipment packed for transport and on trucks within 4 hours.  Do the same with our unneeded personnel, if you need drivers grab some.  Keep the runway clear, I will be sending for Planetlifters to do the heavy lifting."

Major Moss turned to his signal team leader Corp. Oldin,

"Corporal get me 1st Battalion in Wong Lu"

"A Captain Jaxon on the line for you Major"

"Captain Jaxon this is Major Moss of 3rd Battalion, I need airlift to move our excess equipment and personnel to your position"

"Major I don't think I can grant clearance for that, I will get Colonel Sullivan as soon as he returns"

"Captain, I need these aircraft right now.  We are in immediate danger of being encircled by enemy forces.  A convoy is being prepared and is coming to your position whether you are ready for it or not.  If you don't want our excess equipment is of no consequence, if you don't send us those Planetlifters I will have to blow our ammo depot up when the Canopians come."

"Alright Major I will send two Planetlifters within the hour"

"Corporal, I want everything classified packed up and on a truck or destroyed before that convoy leaves"

"Yes sir"


02/14/3062 19:57 Location - Fairkeep Operations Center, Fairkeep, Nashuar

Major Moss had Captain Wilson of the 14th Mechanized, Saber Company, and Lieutenant Dayaram of D.M.I. Blitz Team 17 in a covert briefing while his signal team were packing up most of the classified electronics forwarding all comms through the Major's Zeus.

"Alright men there are two major forces arrayed against us, we can't fight them on the field but Mechwarriors and Armor crews die of bullets and need to sleep like the rest of us." 

"There is a company of infantry and a platoon of tanks protecting the Canopians to the South, they will get no support from Brightstone considering it is burning to the ground as we speak.  Captain Wilson you will launch quick raids and probing actions to keep the defenders off-balance, blow up some of the salvaged mechs and shoot some mechwarriors if you can but don't get tied down.  Keep your light mortars shooting flares and airburst rounds at their position make sure they don't get any rest."


"Lieutenant remember when you put those pitons on Imperial Ridge?  I want you to launch a raid on the Canopian unit there, the scout plane identified them as an artillery and air defense company.  That means there are ammo trucks somewhere close by, blow those trucks up, wreck their pieces, and kill some soldiers then get out.  I will maneuver the Nikos ships and use some mechs to draw the defenders out of position.  That should buy us time before we are taking artillery fire within the city."

"Roger sir"

02/14/3062 21:37 Location - 3rd Battalion Supply Depot, Fairkeep, Nashuar

Sergeant York and his quartermaster platoon had just spent four hours packing everything onto fourteen trucks, six escort vehicles, two Karnovs, and two Planetlifters.  It was intense he had to pull a platoon from Rapier Company to get it done. "Major this is Overland-One we are ready to depart to Wong Lu"

"Roger that Overland-One you are cleared to leave"


With that the twenty vehicle convoy departed from Fairkeep heading north in darkness along the highway to Wong Lu.

02/14/3062 22:16 Location - 14th Mechanized, Saber Company south of the Chu Lin Gap

Captain Wilson and Saber Company slowly marched across the mountains toward the Canopian field base, they pulled six light mortars and four semi-portable machine guns from the weapons flown in from 1st Battalion, their original support weapons having been destroyed by enemy jets earlier in the day. 

The captain set up three mortar and four machine gun teams breaking the rest of his forces into 5 man fire teams.  Their recon team had not detected any remote sensors and linked up with 1st St Ives Legionaire Partisans already in the field.  Saber crouched in the rice fields around the enemy base drawn to their work lights and the sound of technicians.

02/14/3062 23:14 Location - Field Base Echo - 42, 22km NNW of Shu Wei Village

Corporal Germain of Charlie Company was on patrol with his fire team, he didn't like this position one bit.  The Field Base had been probed by Compact infantry throughout the day and now they had to guard this growing scrapyard as well. 

At least the Mercenary tanks were operational and nearby, their insect-like silhouettes moving between the work-spaces and scrapyard.  Hammerhead gunboats floated silently nearby almost invisible in the dark and still canal, searchlights occasionally activating to illuminate the far side as their crews moved to inspect the far shore. 

The horizon to the west was glowing red as a massive firestorm engulfed Brightstone, the radio descriptions they heard described it as hell. His own senses were overwhelmed, the work-lights ruined his night vision, he couldn't hear anything but pneumatic tools and portable generators or smell anything other than acrid smoke.  He didn't even see the Commonwealth soldiers crouching near his position until he turned to see a knife stabbed in his neck.

A Canopian machine gunner in a portable watch tower nearby saw it and opened fire "Contact, we have enemies in the wire” Soon afterwards the Canopian work lights were hit by Sharpshooters and parachute flares launched from Commonwealth mortars illuminated the battlefield in a bloody red light as smoke rounds landed in the field base separating the Magistracy squads from one another.  That was followed swiftly by airburst rounds falling on their positions. 

Caught unawares but acting quickly Canopian infantry began sweeping and clearing the base in fire-teams looking in and around the scrapyard for hidden forces.  The base was attacked from the far side of the Canal as well, Hammerhead gun boats fired their autocannons and machine gun into suspected enemy positions denying that valuable fire support to the main fight. 

The Mercenary tanks advanced and fired their weapons into the fields as friendlies used them as cover against Commonwealth machine guns.  They couldn't be everywhere though, several dull thumps originated from the scrapyard as satchel charges detonated.  Soldiers engaged in close range combat, tracers arced between machine gun nests, small fires were set and grew larger. 

The techs and Mechwarriors were in a secure perimeter, RED HORSE team had pulled the portable shelters and barricades into a horseshoe configuration shielding them from the worse of the withering fire.  The mercenaries jumped into their mechs and powered up, this show of force caused the gunfire to settle down.  Sporadic mortar fire continued through the night but Kingfisher scout VTOLs showed up from Brightstone Spaceport to chase out the Commonwealth forces.   

02/15/3062 01:21 Location - Lake Fairchild, NNE of Fairkeep, Nashuar

Blitz Team 17 had boarded zodiac rafts rowing them silently across Lake Fairchild toward a small stream leading from Imperial Ridge.  After reaching their destination half the team stashed the boats and the other half began ascending the promontory via the pitons already in place. 

The unit ascended in silence lit only by moonlight invisible against the rock until they crested the ridge.  In unison the whole unit drew their suppressed sub-machine guns and begun creeping toward the Canopian position. 

The teams followed a wide arc surrounding the camp watching for their targets. Lt Dayarum spoke quietly into his radio headset transmitting a picture from the camera attached to his scope, "Major we are in position and have spotted their ammo trucks"

The Major returned to his Zeus when the ops center was packed up it was now the central radio node in the area.  Its battlenet console picked up remote sensor readouts and I.F.F. relays.  "Sergeant Loren, move the Mechs into position against Imperial Ridge" and keying in another channel "Captain Norton move your vessels to firing range." 

Three mechs, a Griffin, Wolfhound, and Battle Hawk moved north while the Nikos Assault Ships moved within bombardment range.  This drew the full alert of Sierra Company's armor and artillery battery.

Blitz 17 saw the Canopians moving into their intercept positions.  The Canopians had just a platoon of soldiers and a King Scorpion to defend the side currently facing them.  The Blitz team moved into position, searching for remote sensors or serious obstacles but found none.  The enemy hadn’t had time to secure the perimeter. 

The commandoes crossed into wire without much trouble and dispatched the sentries guarding the ammo depot with knives and bursts of suppressed gun fire.  The satchel charges were placed on remote detonation before Blitz 17 was moving against the artillery. 

While on their way they were detected by Sierra's soldiers who engaged them in a brief firefight.  The Lieutenant detonated the bombs and his team shot their way outside the perimeter; quickly moving back to their fast rope positions. 

The dull thump of ship's guns, artillery, and tank fire resounded over the lake as the Canopians and Commonwealth opened fire on one another.  The exchange lasted several minutes before the Commonwealth disengaged with minimal damage, Blitz team was back in their boats with their dead and wounded slowly rowing back to Fairkeep.

"Major, Mission Success"

"Excellent work Lieutenant but I need your team to get on a plane out of here, you have been reassigned to First Battalion"


02/15/3062 02:28 Location – Aboard On Rising Tide 20km West of Brightstone, Nashuar

Commander Naomi Roxane had seen the growing red smear on the horizon from far away but was unprepared for the full horror.  Brightstone was still burning hours after the Arcadian raid as they neared the smoke was quickly becoming unbearable for everyone. 

Her Task Force: LIGHTKEEPER consisted of the 17th and 21st Magistracy Genderarme Battalions and they were quickly moving to relieve the now nearly destroyed Strike Group Echo.  Her first objective was to make contact with Commander Thoms and Lt. Commander Baker, she did so and sent the L.C.A.C.s out toward Narik Harbor to pick up and transport the 62nd Supply Corps' wreckers and heavy cargo haulers to the North Harbor.

The On Rising Tide deployed the L.C.A.C.s before moving to final approach where CTF: LIGHTKEEPER were greeted by a weary garrison.  Commander Roxane walked off the ramp with her unit close behind; all of them were using wet shemaghs and balaclavas to filter the hot, smoky air.  Commander Thoms and most of his unit were similarly dressed due to a shortage of filter masks.  The two units met at the end of the wharf,

"Commander Derrance Thoms of Strike Group Echo, I am Commander Naomi Roxane of Task Force LIGHTKEEPER.  By orders of Colonel Sangray my unit will assume this station."

"Commander Roxane, I cede control of this station to Task Force LIGHTKEEPER."


The two exchanged salutes, formal command exchange would have to wait until there wasn't a firestorm behind them.  Commander Thoms went to assist the 137th Canopian Medical Corps' evacuation operation making sure he was the last one to board On Rising Tide. 

The 17th helped the 62nd Supply Corps load their transports onto L.C.A.C. Gold before shuttling them across the harbor.  Brightstone was to be abandoned until the blazes died down; and she was eager to leave the hell-scape behind.

Infantry units of the 1st MAC were being deployed to take over the Southern Canal Zone freeing up LIGHTKEEPER to support the attack on Fairkeep and finish off the Commonwealth forces.

02/15/3062 03:35 Location - Field Base Echo-42, 22km NNW of Shu Wei Village

The 17th, 21st, and 62nd arrived at Echo-42, Charlie company was relieved and put on convoy duty to regroup with their unit.  The remaining Strike Group Echo Mechs and Tanks joined the convoy as well.  Sustainer-71 was loaded with the rest of the salvage and the Canopian techs returned with their fallen vehicles. 

Commander Roxane came in over the comms, "Mercenaries I am now your commanding officer, we are going to take Fairkeep and get rid of the Commonwealth forces in this area."

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #25 on: 05 April 2018, 00:43:49 »
02/15/3062 06:15 Location - Combat Field Base:HUNTER, 8km SW of Fairkeep

The 21st Magistracy Gendarme deployed along the northern arc of the 4km Exclusion zone manning checkpoints all the way back to the main highway.  They were widely dispersed in order to not attract the attention of Commonwealth forces but able to respond if anyone tried to leave.

The 17th Magistracy Gendarme and Detachment-81 (The Mercs) had marched up through the pass and established a Combat Field Base in the woods outside the city.  The 17th consisted of police commandoes and more experienced soldiers from the ready reserve.  They were also supported by seven Longswords (4 Torches and 3 Blitzes) from the Special Executive of Justice in addition to their Nomad armored transports.

Commander Roxane, Lt. Commander Baker, and the Merc Command Team stand under a camouflage net looking over a map. 

Cmd. Roxane "In light of the recent offensives from the Commonwealth the Liao Coordinator has suspended all Rules of Engagement.  Our intelligence tells us that 7th FEDCOM, 3rd Battalion has forced the civilians out of the city so if it moves go ahead and shoot it."

LCmd.  Baker "I can verify that, we have spoken to Fairkeep residents in the Comstar refugee camps, 3rd Battalion forced everyone out then put a minefield around the city with only two ways in or out.  By Boat or via Highway N-882, by all appearances the highway checkpoint has been abandoned recently and the area around it has likely been mined or booby trapped."

Cmd. Roxane "We have instituted a 4km Exclusion Zone around the city to keep us out of artillery range.  There are three Sniper pieces, two Thumpers, and three Arrow 4 batteries located near the airport.  Unless something has changed in the past two days there are two aircraft we also need to worry about, a Forger Tactical Bomber and a Dark Crow Fighter.

Based on reports we suspect there is probably a company of infantry and mechs scattered throughout the city.  The reports are sketchy though, we cannot verify any of it and Sierra Company reports they detected four cargo aircraft making two trips last night so they might have been able to reinforce their positions.  Expect anything to happen."


LCmd. Baker "Speaking of Sierra Company was hit by a commando raid last night this destroyed most of their ammunition, their battalion supply deport was damaged as well so they have only enough ammo for six salvos with everything.  Their four Thumper and two Sniper pieces were undamaged during the attack and are ready to fire.

I am working with the Ministry to get an active satellite link overhead so I can spot for targets and provide communications support.  When you are ready to go I will call it in and we should have an overflight within ninety minutes."     

Cmd. Roxane "You mission is rather simple mercenaries destroy 3rd Battalion's heavy weapons so my command can enter and secure the city.

Everyone is dismissed, form up and get ready for action"


02/15/3062 16:21 Location - Fairkeep, Nashaur

Major Moss and his unit escaped to the south covered from the water by the assault ships.  The remaining artillery units were abandoned and their crews got under cover.
 After that Commander Roxane and her group advanced through the cleared path and entered the city.  The Merc technical teams (Junk Dogs) came forward under their cover.  The 21st swept through the city in a loose arc with their tanks and soldiers advancing cautiously to avoid ambushes. 

The Commonwealth infantry and battle armor forces surrendered after the Canopians burned a building down "for safety" with one of their Torch tanks.  The units trapped under the buildings were rescued by the Gendarme and evacuated to the Brightstone Spaceport under guard.

02/16/3062 04:58 Location - Lock 14, 8th Prefecture, Canal Zone, Nashuar

A daring paratrooper raid by the 131st Canopian Airborne Infantry on Locks 14 and 15 managed to isolate the assaultships forcing them to surrender, the vessels were boarded and moved to Narik Industrial Harbor for use by Canopian forces.

02/21/3062 08:14 Location - Camp Venom HQ, Brightstone Spaceport, Nashuar

Commanders Roxane and Baker stood over the folding table with Detachment-81's command staff and Twin Swords Private Security.

"Alright this is our new deployment table, Sierra Company and a portion of 81's force will garrison Fairkeep to provide heavy support.  The rest of the 81st’s mechs will remain stationed here, Command has authorized a pair of Leopard Dropships to be stationed at the Spaceport full time to provide quick reaction forces. 

Major Kiran your Twin Swords forces will be responsible for base security of the Spaceport and Harbor, the 17th and 21st will establish checkpoints and operating bases in the following places to root out irregular forces in this area.  We will clear the Commonwealth out of this area then move on the support 1st Battalion."


02/28/3062 10:14 Location - Camp Venom HQ, Brightstone Spaceport, Nashuar

Corporal Jeran and Commander Roxane looked over the inventory sheets from Narik Harbor the engineers had been forced to clear the debris from the blaze in order to get things semi-functional and get a full accounting of what remained

"We lost so much material in that blaze, The Strategos has informed me that the St Ives Lancers have been causing problems in the rear. They have delayed our supply dropship but according to MIM the Commonwealth forces are equally starved of parts.

Corporal I need a full inventory assessment"

"Yes Maam"

The Corporal looked over everything and brought the Tech Sergeants over before returning to the commander,

"So you're saying we can only bring maybe four or five of these mechs back to combat effectiveness!?"

"Yes Commander, we don't have the proper parts to rebuild and rearm all of them, we came here without enough spares.  Some of the artillery and tanks from Fairkeep are salvageable and we seized the assault ships but our mechs are heavily damaged."

"The loss of a company of mechs by the 1st Battalion is going to make it difficult for them to hold the northern areas." 

"I understand Maam, but the 1st MAC has been footing the burden for our repair parts and they are running low with the problems behind the lines."

"Those Mercs have an extra mech and some parts; we can probably work something out with them.  I will talk to Command and see if we can work something out until then they are our most cohesive force so make sure they are kept in top shape.  Our allies might depend on it."


02/24/3062 07:14 Location - Camp Venom, Brightstone Spaceport, Nashuar

The 3rd Battalion Prisoners, 7 Mechwarriors, 24 Tankers, and 84 Infantry were housed in a secured facility at the Spaceport.  A MIM team was working its way through them one at a time asking various questions.  Some of them were classified as "Interesting" and got airlifted out to Regimental HQ (including 3rd Battalions XO and their Infantry commander) most were just random grunts though more useful for exchange than of any intelligence use.

Detachment-81 returned to their standard quarters and the Canal occupiers had to fully abandon Narik Industrial Harbor due to structural damage.  The Gendearme had reestablished the checkpoints in the hinterlands keeping an eye out for 3rd Battalion.  Regimental Airborne Surveillance was watching for the Nikos assault ships.       

Break____________

03/14/3062 02:54 Location - Erinye, Zaurak, Disputed Territories

Ever since the Death Commandos had taken Wei nearly a year ago the Maskirovka was looking for the missing nerve gas that the planet had once stored.  Pulling everyone running non-essential operations to pursue leads across Confederation and Compact space. Kiang Shi Fang and her small team had decided to start in Erinye.  This city was a rough place, even for seasoned Mask operatives but ripe with opportunity.  It was very close to Wei so it is possible that whomever had stolen the nerve gas might have it stashed here or they could find a lead with some knowledge on the subject.  Of course it could all be a fool's errand, the nerve gas could be anywhere in the Inner Sphere by now.

Shi Fang departed the Buccaneer dropship IMV Over and Under, Erinye was the central rail hub on Zaurak and supplied all manner of goods to factories and mines that were fronts or facilitators to the underworld here.  The mines were of particular interest; chemical warfare containers could be easily stashed there.  The group checked into a small hotel used mainly by remote factory owners and administrators while they were conducting business with the brokers and factors in Erinye.  Papers were shown and Yuan was exchanged to the satisfaction of both parties and the Mask agents got to work.  Sticking together they began the long investigation of every broker, factor, and merchant in the city.

04/10/3062 01:16 Erinye, Zaurak, Disputed Territories

Kiang Shi Fang and her group had spent a month on Zaurak.  During which time they had chased more false leads than she could count.  There were too many false positives when looking for criminals in Zaurak's Badlands.  This lead was different though; something felt off as they went to the meet (at the Bar called Meeting Place, very unimaginative on this planet).

The Mask group walked into the bar in twos and threes to avoid attention, they spread out to strategic points around the bar and waited.  Shi Fang was last in with her trusted adviser Patime Chen. 

She walked up to the bar and gave the proper code phrase to the barkeep along with a roll of Renminbi, he looked around and signaled one of the serving girls to guide the pair into the back.

Inside was a man sitting at a metal desk his head was covered and he was wearing loose clothing, goggles, and gloves; standard badlands attire that everyone on Zaurak wore.  A light-bulb lent an off yellow light to the rather industrial and empty looking room.  Shi Fang walked up and the man signaled her to sit which she did.

"Greetings, I am Mr. Q.  I hear you are looking for something special what do you have to trade?"

"Yes, we have goods but not until we see the merchandise"

"Ah of course a discerning customer, you will not be disappointed with my selection"


He hands her a comm-pad with a catalog on it, stands up and beckons them to follow him.

Kiang Shi Fang knew that her team would track her and she still had Patime with her so why not, she paged through the catalog while trying to discern where he was leading her.  They walked through the warren that is Erinye and stopped at a gated tunnel.  Mr. Q produced a key and opened the gate for the trio to enter.

"This is my display location but there is much more perhaps these will pique your interest."

He turned on the lights and dozens of crates filled with Small Arms, Explosives, and Heavy Weapons, everything you would need for a real army.  Mr. Q's catalog was equally vast but still didn't reveal what she wanted.

"This is all very nice but I am looking for force multipliers, my group cannot overcome our challenge with force of arms alone."

"Ah yes a small but well funded group, I might have something of interest for you, give me a few days to bring it in, and I will contact you"

"Yes that would be best, I will of course purchase all of these items to show you that we are quite serious"


Kiang Shi Fang returned the Comm-Pad with several dozen items selected on it, The Mask could certainly find a use for them.  Purchasing them from a known arms smuggler would add deniability for future operations.

04/12/3062 02:52 Location - Erinyes, Zaurak, Disputed Territories

Kiang Shi Fang and her team continued their exhaustive search for everything about Mr. Q and his peers.  There were a few more leads that needed chasing but nothing compared to what was offered.  A professional night owl Shi Fang was awake when Mr. Q contacted her with a time for the next meet.  She had two hours to prepare, not that she hadn't already searched out every little warren and den of infamy on this miserable dustbowl of a planet.  Mr. Q was pushing her very close to the limit, their jumpship was due to arrive in six days or they would have to wait another month or so before they could book passage off-world.

04/12/3062 05:00 Location - RatHole, Zaurak, Disputed Territories

This terrible place was used for a variant of animal fighting with the huge rodents native to Zaurak, the Munchers were built like badgers and fought like them with incredibly sharp teeth, they ate every piece of their prey including the bones.  The Hole was empty now, Mr. Q and a pair of local gangsters were here; no doubt they were going to lead her on a merry chase once more.

She wasn't wrong Mr. Q and his crew walked her and her bodyguards through the tight passageways around The Paveway near the spaceport.  The gangster opened the door and revealed several large canisters and some bizarre looking technical equipment. 

"What is this Mr. Q?"  She waited a moment before shining her flashlight on it for a closer look

"Well you were looking for force multipliers, this is the best stuff.  The Canisters contain Urbstryc-A nerve gas and those containers contain sophisticated electronic warfare equipment capable of jamming or intercepting microwave and radio transmission.  I have the equipment necessary to utilize both of them as well.

Now these will cost you but considering how well funded your group is I am sure we can make a deal."

"Yes what do you want for all of this"

"20 million c-bills total of gold, platinum, and germanium"

"We can work something out" Kiang Shi Fang signaled her crew who silently dispatched the hired thugs as she restrained Mr. Q and injected him with a quick acting sedative.  He was out in moments

"Get everybody on containment, call up C.J. and tell him to prepare, we have a guest"


03/18/3062 07:15 Location - Displaced Person Camp 501, 6th Prefecture, Nashuar

The Mule dropship IMV Samarang burned out of the rising sun, landing 14km Southwest of Camp 501.  Ping Yefram and his team drove their Pit Bull truck out to meet it along with several other civilian trucks.  The group met up with the Dropship captain which directed them to the containers of food, water, industrial and medical supplies. 

Ping's cargo was very special though he met with the captain and exchanged a badge.  Captain Anjung directed Ping to their container which had a crewman standing nearby with a concealed sub-machine gun. 

"May our enemies face the judgement of Kali"

"Their next breath will be their last"
, he motions to the guard and reveals several large containers marked CWA/US-A (Chemical Warfare Agent Urbstryc-A).

The containers were loaded into the Pit Bull marked as refrigerant and the men headed west toward Commonwealth held territory.  Ping and his team discussed their final preparations to remove the Thuggee's enemies in one decisive blow when the time was right.  The containers were stashed in his company’s warehouse.

He pulled up several hours later to the gates of Camp Tariwon, the Nashuar Home Guard's main base and was stopped by one of the NHG guards. 

"Identify yourselves"

"I am Ping Yefram with Unity City Refrigeration and these are my new techs"

"You got papers?"


The three men all presented their papers, they had all been cleared by the NHG to work on the base's HVAC systems. 

05/07/3062 22:48 Location - Warehouse VKT-503, Unity City Wharf, Nashuar

A group of black clad figures gathered in the poorly lit warehouse filled with crates and some vehicles.  These figures gathered around a cleared area with a powerfully built man,

"Brothers and Sisters, I know you are eager.  I know that our Mistress has grand ambitions for this attack; she wishes to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies.  The Enemy is unaware and gathers nearby; we are already prepared, tomorrow we will strike."

The Whole Group chants in Unison, "Their next breath will be their last!" 

05/08/3062 06:30 Location - Cape Stalwart Military Complex, 42km ENE of Unity City, Nashuar

Sergeant Trev Rowley had only just walked out of his car when PFC Polk ran out to him,

"Sarge, everyone is assembled for the VIPs"

"Thank you Private, I will join you all momentarily"


Sergeant Rowley had spent all night shining his class-A uniforms up for the Nashuar Planetary Assembly and Commonwealth Command Staff.  A Commonwealth team came in last night and kept him up late making sure everything would go smoothly for the meeting tomorrow.  Thirty-Two Dignitaries including the entire Planetary Assembly and most of the 7th RCT's Command Staff were flying in this morning and everything needed to be on point.

He entered his office and noticed it was rather hot, someone must have changed the thermostat overnight.  He changed it back and went out to meet the Assembly, the office should have cooled down by the time he was done.

The VIP's arrived via a Zanadu Airliner at Cape Stalwart with the entire Nashuar Home Guard ready for inspection.  Everything went well and the Home Guard went back to their normal duties after a brief rest.  Sergeant Rowley returned to his office which was still uncomfortably hot and changed into his BDU, he picked up the phone and rang facilities. 

"I understand Sergeant we've been having problems with the climate control throughout the Complex, probably a burnt out Thermocouple or something dumb.  We have called Unity City Refrigeration for service they should be arriving soon."

The contractors arrived and Sgt. Rowley escorted them to the maintenance level.  The pair got to work and "fixed" the problem attaching several hoses, wires and plugged a diagnostic computer to it.  They checked some things and ran a computer program to "debug" the system.  After a few moments they unplugged it and faced the Chief. 

"You should be good now Sarge"

"What was the problem?"

"Someone reset the settings, we reinitialized them and recharged the system"

"Recharged the system?  The whole thing worked fine yesterday, there is no way those canisters could recharge this system.  Whats going on?"
  He reached for his radio

"Judgement Day” The one worker had him from behind with a garrote in an instant

His training kicked in and he shifted his weight throwing the attacker to the ground.  The main worker pulled a heavy wrench from his tool kit and everything slowed down.  Before he knew it Sgt. Rowley had pulled his sidearm and put six rounds into the wrenchman and four into the man on the ground.

It wasn't enough, the wrenchman was mortally wounded but still dangerous and coming. Rowley evaded slamming the man into the wall behind him, bones cracked, pipes burst, and steam hissed before the man recovered Rowley slammed the pistol butt into the man's skull deforming it with the impact.  Still in shock from the unexpected encounter Rowley dropped his sidearm and slumped down against the wall.  His shoulder burned, he must have hit something hot; reaching down he felt that his radio had broken during the encounter. 

Snapping back to his senses he stood up and recovered the sidearm, something bad was going down and he needed to tell the others, he reloaded his sidearm and began running to the security office.   

Meanwhile at the Security Office, Hwar Nijong had spent years as a sleeper agent, he worked his way up and finally hit the big leagues.  Yesterday he got a message through his Handler, "Wait for the signal; do as they say" He received the message a few minutes ago and had killed the security team in the office and initiated a lockdown.  He patched the various subnets through the office and opened the port to an external user handing over his username and authorization.

05/08/3062 10:28 Camp Venom Intelligence Office, Brightstone Spaceport, Nashuar
 
 Lt Commander Baker and her support team were monitoring everything like they always did, one of the analysts was monitoring a feed from Unity City listening in on the Planetary Assembly and Commonwealth Command Staff.  Her feed went dead unexpectedly and she tried to bring the signal back.  Soon afterwards everything out of Unity City went dark, this caught LCmd Baker's attention and her team went into high gear.

They checked everything and found that the Network Node from Unity City went dark, then their Satellites started to blink out.  Checking groundside sensors they discovered something that sent a chill down their spines.  The network attacks matched a Charybdis Electronic Warfare Suite like the ones used by the Fourth of June that caused so much trouble from MIM less than a decade ago.

LCmd Baker informed Cmd Roxane who put D-81 and Axis-2 and Axis-6 on Immediate Alert.  The phones still worked and LCmd Baker confirmed what they suspected, Nashuar's Planetary Network was under attack and so were Commonwealth and Capellan forces.  Unity City was home to the largest Compact and Comstar Garrison on the planet and the largest displaced persons camps.

"Stand by for Ignition" Axis-2 and Axis-6 started up and the techs began their final checks on the battlemechs in the Leopard's Bay.  Taxing out onto the Tarmac the ground crews and ship crew started down their checklists. 

"Opening Intakes" the Leopards' intake doors opened and the fusion powered turbojets started to ingest the air providing basic handling thrust. 

"Raise the Blast Shields" The Leopards taxied to their takeoff spots and clam-shell style blast deflectors raised out of the tarmac to redirect the super-heated steam. 

"Nav Deck online, Flight Path in AR" The Nav Computer crunched the numbers to provide a perfect parabolic shot to Unity City for both ships.

"Flight Deck online, all hands prepare for takeoff"  The Flight team did their final system checks and all crew had to get into their acceleration chairs, the mechwarriors in the bay just have to hang on their own way.

"Open Circuit, Throttle Up" With a final push of the system tons of water and air were passed through a super-heated coil wound round the fusion reactor heating the material up to thousands of degrees Celsius before expelling it out the rear.  Brightstone Spaceport was engulfed in a boiling cloud of water vapor whose plume was taller than a 20 story building and the Leopards were in the sky.

11:15 En Route to Unity City

"Detachment-81 we have confirmed that Unity City is under attack by unknown forces.  Sporadic reports claim everything from terrorist car bombs, aerial drone attacks, extensive cyber-sabotage, and chemical weapons use.  The Camp Stalwart Military Complex is home to the Nashuar Home Guard if their units are hijacked there will be massive casualties.

Your objectives are simple, secure the Camp Stalwart Military Complex and prevent its weapons from being used on civilians.  We are sending a pair of Longswords and a company of Gendearmes via Airlift to assist the Home Guard but they will arrive later we need you there now.  I have communicated with the Civil Emergency Board via unofficial channels they are aware of you and will cooperate but you cannot issue orders to them."

05/08/3062 15:13 Location - Camp Stalwart Military Complex, Nashuar

After the mercenaries took care of the enemy mechs the UCAP personnel regained control of the compound clearing it of the remaining Thuggees still in the compound.  1st Sgt Rowley had maintained control of some portions of the complex but was unable to save the Senior Commonwealth Command Staff and Planetary Assembly.  They were overcome by the nerve gas during the opening attack, some outlying staff managed to survive the gas and 3rd Fusilier Combat Medics were treating the casualties.  The emergency response managed to save the refugees, the UCAP and Home Guard forces took moderate casualties but are grateful for the assist.  A Canopian medical convoy arrived to lift some of the burden from the Unity City medical services.

05/12/3062 16:27 Location - Camp Venom, Brightstone Spaceport, Nashuar

Hanger GX-879 was a den of activity in addition to the merc techs the Canopian techs and transport crews were busy.  Two Planetlifters from Regimental Refit arrived with four mech chassis and transported them to the hanger.  The Crusader and one of the Riflemen were activated by Canopian mechwarriors and walked onto Leopard Axis-6 to join the 3rd Fusiliers already in orbit.  A major operation was underway and any combat-ready mechs were needed.

The Canopian techs were also being pulled back leaving Detachment-81 to their own devices with the Twin Sabers security team and a Leopard Axis-2 as the only allied forces on-planet. 

Codie walked into the mech hanger and looked over the new acquisitions, four bare skeletons and actuators with no weapons or armor. 

"Man it is times like this where I hate being salaried"

Vanjay one of the junior techs piped in "Well at least we will have easy access" that elicited a giggle and laughter

Break____________

Since the Xin Sheng front moved toward Teng Nashuar has been rather peaceful.  Some remnants of the 7th RCT are still active but it was mostly the 1st St Ives Legionaires raiding for basic supplies.  Their mechs had been inactive for weeks now as far as MIM could tell likely due to the shortage of materiel to maintain and operate them.  This reality made it easy to hand Fairkeep back to the planetary government who was grateful the Canal Zone was no longer a battlefield, the harvest would be soon and there was not enough food or shelter to go around in the camps.  Narik Industrial Harbor was repaired and the refugees were allowed to return to their homes.

The Liao Reconstruction agents wanted the command to sign on for another year, keeping them in the St Ives Compact but the Merc Commanders inked a deal with an agency to represent them on Outreach in a bid to widen their network.  They had contracted with them to order the supplies needed to refit their mechs and perhaps acquire something new that they could get shipped to Nashuar. 

The 21st Gendearme maintained order in the Canal Zone and were the only Canopian combat command still active on-planet.  Liao reserve forces took control of the other areas, the Davion forces on-planet awaited new orders and no one wanted to risk reigniting the conflict that had cost billions of c-bills and tens of thousands of civilian lives.

08/14/3062 14:28 Location - Camp Venom, Brightstone Spaceport, Nashuar

This morning the Mule drop-ship IMV Thirty Minutes or Less arrived with goods for Nashuar and your merc command at Unity City Spaceport.  The withdrawal of most of the Allied forces had made On Rising Tide available to Merc's Unleashed and the planetary assembly, making the rounds between the two cities regularly.  The tech office received a message from the Liao Customs Officials that several containers and packages had arrived for them.  Codie called them up and asked what it was, the Customs Official gave him the brief.

Codie - "Finally it takes five weeks to get these items in and that's considered good"

LCO - "You may pick them up whenever you are able, i am faxing the manifests to you"

Everyone not on alert in Brightstone took the day off and boarded the recommissioned ferry On Rising Tide, the ship had been returned to its normal configuration, the 3rd Fusiliers having taken their weapons and armor with them when they redeployed to St Ives. 

Everyone dressed nicely Unity City may not be the ritziest city in the Confederation but it was better than the spaceport.  It was a wonderful day for a boat ride, the trip from Brightstone to Unity City took about six hours across the Inland Sea and down the Hwa Fan Channel.  On Rising Tide had been refitted with nicer cabins than they had slept in the first night on-planet and the command passed the time with the gendearmes and construction crews.  The Unity City to Brightstone route was always packed, with only seventy people on this boat it seemed like there was nothing but open space and ocean breeze.

Upon arriving in Unity City Codie, Vanjay, and the Merc Command team hopped into the Wujing Motors SUV they had "acquired" from the Brightstone spaceport.  It was a short drive to the Custom House where they were taken to the yard.  Codie and Vanjay checked the cargo, clearing it and authorized the final payment.  The Command team picked up the other packages (care packages from home mostly) and brought them back to the others.  UCSP transports would make transport the cargo onto On Rising Tide and the Mercs would move it once it got to Narik Harbor.

Looking over the boxes when they returned to the hotel East Short Magnificence everyone was rather excited.  Mail service had been suspended during the hostilities but was resuming in the Compact.

One of them was a particular oddity, addressed to the Commander from the Magistracy Armed Forces.  It contains a note and smaller box

"Ejay Bakshi,  I am told that your command served valiantly alongside the 3rd Canopian Fusiliers during the Battle for Nashuar.  By order of her Radiance Magestrix Emma Centrella you are each awarded a Ribbon of the Magestrix for your gallant service alongside our forces. 

With Regards,
Major Lane Meisel, MAF Deputy of Staff"


Inside the smaller box is 41 Small Green and Black Ribbons with a Magistracy of Canopus Enamel Emblem on them. 

One for every mercenary that was on your Roster at the start of the mission but there would be six remaining for those who didn't make it to the end of the contract.

11/29/3062 | 02:48 | Location - Drop/Pad AXO-1458, Harlech Spaceport, Outreach

The Mule dropship OAFT Next Round lands at Harlech Spaceport on a tail of atomic fire.  The ground crew arrives to begin the unloading process and off-load the 8,000 tons of cargo to various warehouses and prepare the Next Round for their next trip.  The passenger shuttle snaked its way quietly through the tunnels beneath the tarmac.

Sgt Codie Williams and his Taurian tech team glared silently at the mercenary mechwarriors the entire way to the passenger terminal, making the vehicle crews and non-Taurian techs rather uncomfortable.  They were the only ones with bags on the tram at non-to-subtle reminder to everyone present that they weren't sticking around as soon as the doors opened.

A tense twelve minutes elapsed before the shuttle bus arrived at the terminal, two of the Taurians loaded a trolley with their bags while Codie and Vanjay stepped up into the face of the Merc Command Staff

"This is why we Taurians don't trust mercenaries!  You just fought against the Federated Suns then you sign on to fight alongside them.  How dare you choose the Davions, we had better options!  Those ******' FedRats could use a good war against each other it might do them so good!  Eyeballing the Command Team, You all disgust me." 

Codie spits on the floor and turns his back on them, the others do the same and walk out

The Taurians walk out and encounter a group of other men, Codie grabs the lead one and slams him into a terminal wall.  There are a tense couple of moments and it appears whispered words were exchanged between the two of them.  Their companions draw weapons but Codie lets the man down and continues walking, the two groups look warily at one another.  The man gets back up with the help of a large Sikh man and brushes himself off before continuing to walk towards your bus.

"Greetings I am Arum Shayama.  I understand we will be quite busy working with you." 

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #26 on: 05 April 2018, 00:49:30 »
05/14/3062 / Day 468 / Creshan Black Site

Lieutenant Thomas Brekard did what he always did when he woke up, he exercised, his extended stay in the low gravity of Creshan would no doubt have a long term effect on his health.  While he went through his routine he thought about his situation.  He had likely been imprisoned more than a year now, he wasn't sure why his captors wanted him alive still they had pried everything from him and his cellmate months ago, names, sources, whatever they wanted to know they got just to stop the pain.

They never spoke unless you were being interrogated but that was only for special occasions.  Captain Tun had been killed months ago, tortured to death by the sadistic Capellans.  The Titanfellers had been hired to search for a Maskirovka Black Site, it seemed they got too close.  Had someone followed them?  Would they ever be rescued?  He didn't even know how many of his men were left or who else might be imprisoned here.  That was worse than the actual torture his mind raced at possibilities most of which were unpleasant.

05/15/3062 04:18 Aboard Fury-Class Dropship Grau Habitch

Gerhard Kay and his Loki team double checked everything, a concerning number of Loki agents in the Chaos March worlds had gone missing.  MIIO had been working an angle on the Capellans within the past two years according to their moles.  The Lyran Intelligence Corps needed everyone, he certainly couldn't let the Capellans keep operating without doing something.  They had managed to follow a hot lead through Capellan space sneaking through during their engagement with the St Ives Compact from the League Border.  It was so close now.

The Captain came on the speaker, "All hands prepare for jump!" The jumpship blasted a hole through space and showed up in a supposedly uninhabited system, the Eisenfaust gunship disembarked heading toward the outer planet to scan their moons and the Grau Habitch went to the lone rocky planet tidally locked to a red dwarf star.

05/18/3062 02:48 Aboard the Grau Habitch in orbit around Creshan

The Grau Habitch was no ordinary Fury dropship it was equipped with a powerful electronic warfare and communications suite, hyperspectral imager and look-down RADAR with several satellites in its cargo bay.  This one also had a 50 man Loki Special Operations Team equipped with battle armor, sneak suits, and powered exoskeletons aboard.

The dropship entered into a polar orbit and began their search

Meanwhile at the Black Site Lieutenant Brekard had settled into a common routine despite his gaolers attempt to disrupt his internal clock.  He knew something was out of place when the guards didn't show up.  The Black Site guards were busy, an alert had been issued, no resupply ship had been due to arrive but they detected an emergence wave.  It was a smaller jumpship likely a Scout which meant someone had found them.  Drive plumes indicated a small craft and Fury dropship were inbound which means they had to put everything in low power mode.  Their aerospace fighters had been destroyed when the Titanfellers had attacked so only stealth could protect them.

Back in Orbit, the Grau Habitch scans indicated that the planetoid likely was inhabited recently, there is evidence of construction on the surface and some evidence of past habitats. 

"Sir I believe we have found something, very weak non-natural magnetic, radiological, thermal, and gravimetric signatures on the southern pole"

"Let’s check it out, launch a probe"


The Fury launched a slender probe which de-orbited and crash landed near the Black Site's regolith covering. 

"Bullseye, there is something there Commander, something we weren't meant to find, the feed was shut down though before it could finish the transmission.  We are getting spiked by radio and microwave; I've lost comms with the Eisenfaust and Vanguard Raider."

"Tell everyone to prep and get me a map of that area, de-orbit and land right on top of that facility before they can do something drastic"


In the Black Site the guards went along with their standard detection protocols, all classified data was purged and they were to begin preparations to secure the facility.  Normally they would execute the prisoners as well but Kiang Shi Fang had ordered them to keep them alive as long as the facility could be held.

The Loki teams disembarked from the Fury; the Battle Armor that the team had led the way leaving the space suited commandos behind, where they would be safer.  They destroyed external arrays and the team moved to the hanger port in complete and silent darkness broken only by the hand held lights of the commandos and the head lights of the armored fire teams.  The airlock was prepped with explosives and the armored infantry moved into position to rappel into the breach and engage whatever defenders were on the other side.  The charges detonated silently melting the airlock door before the Battle Armor ripped it open. 

The defenders launched anti-armor rockets at the massive beast punching through and killing the first armored soldier but were ripped to shreds by his partner.  The Loki team fought their way through the base losing five troopers and they found sixty-two dead prisoners.  The Loki team killed thirty-six staff and rescued fifty-eight prisoners from the compound.  The computers and physical media were destroyed during the assault but the human intelligence was sufficient.  Eight LIC agents, Eleven DMI or MIIO agents, and Thirty-Nine Titanfellers (down from their initial number of Sixty).  The dead included SAFE agents, rogue MIM and TMI agents, and various other people who might pose a threat to Liao that the Maskirovka had rounded up and thought they could get away with interrogating.

The Loki team debriefed the prisoners and went back to Lyran Space which took several months.

08/14/3062 Galatea City, Galatea

Captain Thomas Brekard had reinstated the Titanfellers and drew heavily on its old accounts with some assistance from wealthy Lyran patrons to rebuild the previously dead unit. Personnel joined up and equipment seemed to appear out of nowhere into the Titanfeller’s mech hangers. Every tech they could get their hands on was working and modifying things where the Captain requested. It attracted attention but no one on Galatea cared what went on.

The Steiner forces were contracting mercenaries to deal with the constant Anti-Katrina forces that popped up everywhere so there was plenty of work and equipment flowing onto the planet. Captain Brekard and Case Officer Kay worked closely to screen out problem cases from the recruit pool. They needed dependable and amoral mercenaries to execute their missions no flakes were to be allowed past the first round of interviews.

CO Kay hired on some of the small-timers that Loki normally employed in twos or threes into this command allowing them to rapidly expand. Loki was getting hard pressed to tamp down the many small uprisings, the Guards were dealing with major threats but smaller theaters still needed attention. The Titanfellers would provide more muscle than his Loki SpecOps and better yet they were all deniable.

The Captain rather quickly built a square company of both mechs and armor, a conventional fighter squadron, and six gun artillery battery. Nearly a light battalion worth of forces within months. Loki was working on armored infantry support but couldnn’t find enough trained candidates to do any more than replace their losses. The command was even larger than the Titanfellers during their height but still small enough that Case Officer Kay could get them anywhere on a single dropship.

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #27 on: 10 April 2018, 14:08:52 »
12/11/3062 Zenith Jump Point, Zavijava, Lyran Alliance

The Merchant Jumpship LARM Hanz Brekar with the LAI Grau Habitch Fury and LAI Höhlentrol Triumph drop-ships arrived at the Zenith Jump Point of Zavijava.  This volcanic world has been gradually dying out but occupies a strategic position with easy access to the Chaos March, Combine, and League Theraters. 

The dropships detached and began their burn towards Zavijava II.

The Triumph's briefing room was packed with the newly recruited but experienced Titanfellers command element, Case Officer Kay took the floor.

"Alright men as you may know the Federated Commonwealth is effectively no more.  The riots on Solaris, the announcement of Prince’s Champion Bishop Sortek against Archon Katherine Steiner, open rebellion on no less than twelve worlds, and the assassination of Arthur Steiner-Davion have all happened recently.  Increasing uncertainty has caused the LIC Directors to go on high alert and make sure we can win any fight. 

Our first part in this war is relatively simple:

When the Kapteyn Accords were signed a plan was floated in the LCAF about positioning a large cache of strategic weapons on Zavijava.  These were to be used in a potential future war with the Combine, League, or Confederation.  As Zavijava was such a minor planet it would be easily overlooked by the Combine or League. 

These plans never made it out of committee but would be eventually implemented by Loki.  A large number of strategic weapons were "moved" to Zavijava under PROJECT:HALBMOND.  They were ultimately not used during the Fourth Succession War and War of 3039 but we did reactivate them during the Clan Wars and OPERATION: GUERRERO ultimately we were not given proper authorization from the Directors.

Unfortunately the immense secrecy of the cache means it cannot be guarded by a large force lest anyone get suspicious.  There are only a few agents on-planet working undercover just keeping an eye on the facility.  That is where you come in, ywo months ago we found out that a mole had infiltrated our headquarters on Tharkad and logged into our databases.  We checked the entry logs and realized they had accessed files referencing the cache although they might not have decrypted everything.  We have to assume that they might send a force to secure or deny those weapons to us. 

An advance probe has mapped the area the cache is located in, we have to hold that area until other forces arrive.  I don't have the proper authorization codes to access the facility or arm its weapons but my superior is on his way here from Solaris.  That is all we will hit orbit tomorrow I want everything ready there can be no mistakes"


12/13/3062 04:28 Location - Field Base BernJäger, Schleier Range, Zavijava

"Sir we have picked up an emergence wave from an Invader-class Jumpship, The Hans Brekar informs us that they have been hailed and are picking up drive plumes from a Leopard, Union, and Mule dropship along with some unidentified small craft traveling from the Invader."

"Well this is what we have been preparing for right, I want defensive positions around the Cache.  Put Green and Silver Lances along the river and Blue and Gold Lances along the pass with their associated support.  There are no good positions for a Spheroid to land in this broken terrain so they will have to come along one of those ways. 

The Battlemechs we will hold until they are closer so we can meet them in the field.  Make sure to position the aircraft and artillery out of sight we will call for them once the enemy has landed."


12/13/3062 01:38 Location - Nadir Jump Point, Zavijava, FSS Light of Renewal Operations Center


Major Moss, Squad Leader Wyld, Captain Bakshi and Commander Brandt stand in the Ops Center around a rotating holographic image of Zavijava.

Principal Special Agent Bernard Price opened the briefing.  "Several months ago we received data from an agent that had infiltrated the Loki HQ on Tharkad and pulled a large cache of their operations briefs off the database.  She transferred them to her handler and the files were split between us and MIIO.  We have spent a lot of NAIS/MIIO/and DMI supercomputer time decrypting them and found something important.

Apparently the Lyran High Command wanted to establish a strategic weapons depot on Zavijava.  The Armed Forces couldn't swing it with their budget but Loki apparently took it upon themselves to secret many tons of strategic weapons inside what we believe is an extinct volcano on-planet.  From what we can discern the cache is located somewhere here in the Schleier Range."


Major would you like to take it from there?"

Major Moss stood up and zoomed in on the Zenith Point a RADAR and LIDAR signature was visible along with the telemetry data.  His leg was braced where it had been shot and he wouldn't be disembarking from the jump-ship during this time due to his injuries.   

"Certainly Special Agent, right now there is a Lyran Merchant-class Jumpship on station at the Zenith Jump Point which means someone else is here.  Right now the Light of Renewal's sensors read that there are no dropships docked. 

We can't pick up any dropship drive plumes leaving Zavijava heading that way but we will keep an eye out.  Once you head toward the planet I will get the Osiris Operations Craft to scan the area.  The RedTail Orbital Bomber will stay with the jumpship in case we need to move cargo from here or if there is an intractable position that requires its bomb bay."


12/17/3062 11:52 Location - Titanfellers HQ

The Titanfellers base was built into an old Geothermal Power Station which was right now full of their mechs to protect them from the acidic snow and volcanic terrain.  Their communications and sensor support staff occupied part of an old maintenance room.  Captain Brekard was nearby with CO Kay, the station was hardwired into an extensive sensor net designed and built by Loki when they first installed the cache. 

The Phone rang, "Sir, the invading dropships have landed to our Northeast near the old spaceport."

"Alright tell Commander Devankor to take a squad of Battlemechs and reinforce Northface, inform Lieutenant Yao to move his vehicles back to the station from Riverside."

"Yes sir, anything else"

"No that is all"
Captain Brekard was feeling confident that his new team had this under control.  They had two weeks of advance work done to fortify this position.

12/17/3062 12:45 Location - Merc Unleashed Landing Zone

The Light of Renewal and Mottled Fool were coming in for a landing near what appeared to be an old airport of some kind.  The Drop Company disembarked from the Union and Arun and his tech team were unloading the other units from the Mule's Cargo Bay under the watchful eye of the Drop Company.

Sergeant Wes and his combat engineers confirmed the Osiris' initial scans this was definitely an airport or spaceport but it hasn't been in use in years.  The Union and Osiris' sensors hadn't been able to track down the missing drop-ships from the Merchant but they weren't here. 

"Ground Team, we have detected mech engine signatures moving to reinforce the combat vehicles, they must be getting ready for you, we are trying to find an alternate path but this geography is very difficult you might have to fight your way through."


12/17/3062 15:14 Location - Field Base NORTHFACE

Sergeant Raul Cortez sat inside his Light Missile Carrier waiting for the enemy to arrive, right now their sensors indicated their enemy was a reinforced mech company with some vehicles.  Commander Devankor's Battlemech Squad was nearby in low-power mode eager to get into the fight.  The Captain was against launching an attack on the enemy position right now and that didn't sit right with him, they could easily send the whole Battlemech unit out there and overrun their position.

Maybe he had something else in mind for them.

12/17/3062 17:08 Location - Grid 1824, Zavijava

The Titanfellers cautiously withdraw keeping their guns aimed back at your unit until they are several kilometers away.  The mission killed vehicles and mechs were abandoned as per the terms of the withdrawal, the Titanfellers recovered the bodies of the Hetzer crew and aliving but mildly hypothermic pilot, taking their MULEs back to their base.

Your armor team and helicopter arrived with the engineers to help secure the site.  The infantry take control of the remaining light array and hitch it to a Workhorse to help with the Salvage and Recovery Operations.  The Combat Engineers began sweeping for mines with help from the Guillotine's Beagle, they found a lot of them and safely detonated them with Satchel Charges causing blasts to echo off the rocky formations.

Dr. Alicia Westcastle set up the aid station out of a Workhorse starting oxygen for Ejay and checked the other pilots that got knocked around during the fight.  Ejay got lucky this atmosphere could easily have killed him where the enemy didn't after his life support was hit,

"Wow boy you are lucky that hit could have killed you for real.  Take it easy for a little bit, we are going to keep you under observation.  We will get Terry to suit up and take the Atlas back to the Dropship."

The Titanfellers had left their handheld weapon systems where they lie and the techs recovered them.  All the fallen units and remaining mech parts were loaded up by the Undertaker and transported back to the Mule's cargo bay by your transport element under guard.

I was an odd sight to see a pair of Workhorses cart off a trashed Valkyrie and Thunderbolt Limbs, while a Grasshopper and a partial Thug were transported by the Conestogas.  The whole ordeal took nearly 8 hours of work and transport. 

11/07/3062 01:53 Location - Feintuch, Port Moseby, Lyran Alliance-Draconis Combine Border

Colonel Juthro Gaines sat in the Hard Time Haus with the rest of his band of misfits, the DMI, MIIO, NAIS, and various staff from other alphabet soup agencies were under his command for this deep clan raid trying to capitalize on their recent success. 

The NAIS Strategic Studies Think Tank had been planning something like this for some time and with the return of BULLDOG and SERPENT and their new intelligence they were finally ready to pull the trigger.  He had spent two years working with them trying to keep it out of the eyes of the Ways and Means Ministry so they didn't need to share their findings unless they chose to. 

Dr. Onshoa was betting a lot of political capital on the success of this raid and the Colonel was responsible for achieving the objective.  She even managed to get some more advanced tech to equip his raiding team.  Unfortunately the only constant is that things don't go as planned. 

One of his signal team corporals had just received a coded message and burst into the room.  "Colonel bad news" before handing him the decrypted memo

'Colonel OP: BAD OMEN has been postponed, you are to immediately report to Zavijava to assist an MI6 Alpha level operation already underway.  Override Code T6U7Y8Z2L4IOM.  Details will follow on-station'

"Damn, she is going to kill me"


12/18/3062 00:52 Location - in Orbit around Zavijava

The Osiris OOV-87426 was still watching the Schleier Range trying to discern more intelligence about the area.  Their LIDAR array and hyperspectral imagers were actively working trying to find alternate routes of attack through the formidable terrain.  The area was dark now, it had been a while since they picked up any signals or thermal hits.

Then the space sensor terminal picked up a hit, a small emergence wave was detected nearby.  Analyst Crowel checked the signal from one of their constellation sensor satellites, "Well that was bound to happen, Price we have a Scout jumpship emerging at a pirate point near Zavijava.  There is a Fury dropship docked to it and a Thunderbird ASF both of which are burning towards the planet.  We are going to de-orbit and land near the operations center, inform Squad Leader Wyld that her command should reinforce the jumpship and let the merchant go."

"Affirmative, de-orbit until Wyld can reinforce our position there might be more on the way."

Meanwhile on the Fury drop-ship

Director Alfons Bosch and his Loki crew headed out from their personal jumpship.  The Thunderbird Fighter went into pursuit of the small craft that had been orbiting over the Black Rock Facility.  A FedSuns Invader class Jumpship was in system which meant that the facility was under attack, even without the full defensive power of that facility that wouldn't be nearly enough to Break through. 

Data was being broadcast by Mr. Kay about their current situation.  A meager company of mercenary mechs would not be enough once he gave the access codes to Kay.  He transmitted those codes to him and the Fury began its descent to the Facility's Aerospace Hanger. 

The small dropship maneuvered expertly through the narrow canyons as the blast doors opened to the hanger where there was already another Fury, Triumph, and a small squadron of aerospace fighters.  Field Base Bernjäger was moved inside the facility along with the Titanfellers and Loki support teams.  The Titanfellers Command Staff and Loki Senior officers stood in a relatively clean and utilitarian command center. 

"Gentleman this facility is quite old and valuable to Loki, we afterall found and renovated it.  Once I power it on we won't be able to keep this a secret anymore.  Therefore we need to make sure that no one leaves, reinforcements are in route but we expect that MI6 and MIIO have put some amount of forces behind this mission. 

Mr Kay I am assuming control of this mission and your forces, once I input this code you are going to see something very few have lived to tell about."


With that he inputted a 32 digit alphanumeric code and the entire command center lit up, Loki technicians staffed the various terminals as they came online and began diagnostics as a low hum was felt throughout the facility. 

The Loki Tech Commander looked over the rapid fire lines of code, "Sir, the Castle Brian is in shakedown it should take a day to come up to full power and run diagnostics."

"Roger that, Captain Brekard I want your people at the following points, with the firepower of the Castle Brian we should be able to hold off a regiment.  You will make sure they don't make it back."


Aboard the FSS Light of Renewal, Major Moss looked over the latest recon reports, the Lyran jump-ships had exited the system so that was positive but the latest reports from his spy ships were not encouraging.  Special Agent Price was also looking outwardly concerned.

"Major it looks like they activated a Castle Brian, these power signatures can't be anything else.  There is no way we can take that with our current forces, even with the 92nd Armored Task Force it would be difficult.  The current reports indicate that the facility is 50% capable that Fury must have been filled with the staff necessary to operate their systems.  We are working overtime to come up with targeting and routes but the Mercs are not going to like this."

"I understand, I am going groundside with the Redtail, I do have authorization from Central to use the Alamos maybe we can even the odds enough with them.  Concerning the Mercs, I am going to have to talk to them about this.  This wasn't part of their contract."


12/07/3062 01:45 Nusakan Nadir Point, Aboard the invader-class FSS IVORY PEGASUS

Colonel Gaines and Dr. Onshoa were looking over reports, the DCMS had launched an attack on the Ghost Bear and the Ghost Bear responded with great ferocity.  According to the reports from their sources inside the Combine the clan forces they would have had to fight off were now busy killing DCMS soldiers.

Dr. Onshoa was furious "Dammit Colonel this was our best opportunity to get inside the Ghost Bear Dominion.  Now were are headed in the opposite direction to some backward border world to support an operation that might already be completed!  I have spent years working on the retrieval mission of a lifetime."

Colonel Gaines had been trying with little success to calm her down.  He was a soldier who understood that orders are orders even if the civilian scientists were very disappointed, he was in fact the commander of the operation and the crews would follow his orders.

"Doctor we don't know what caused Command to bring us back.  It must be a large operation or they would have moved assets already in the Federation for support rather than make us jump six times and abandon such an important mission."

"It doesn't make sense though Colonel you haven't received any additional information from Command on this operation.  How do you know what to expect?"

"Ah that's where we are different Doctor, I am an intelligence operative, I never know what to expect ...except the worse."


Captain Prech of MI-2 walked in to the situation room where the two of them were talking. 

"Sir, I want to run over situations that we might be encountering.  We have currently lucked out avoiding Lyran Guards units but my analysts have been running over potential situations that would require our large force to intervene.  Something that Command would not have taken into account on Zavijava."

Colonel Gaines asked Dr. Onshoa to leave before Captain Prech began talking

"Looking over the intel reports I found something about a strategic weapons cache on Zavijava from a mole the MIIO planted in Loki.  It was a minor item in a daily report we would have easily overlooked it considering it previously had no impact on our operation.  Loki certainly would protect that cache with everything they can get their hands on, although our force would easily overwhelm anything short of a regiment."

"Well of course a battalion of mechs, tanks, and battle armor and a squadron of aerospace fighters and small craft most of which have clan-tech weapons is a massive force multiplier.  What could Loki possibly have that could stop us?"

"Well that's the thing commander, this weapons cache reference is very vague maybe the unit on site already ran into trouble and we have to clean up the mess."

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #28 on: 12 April 2018, 14:42:56 »
9/22/3062 04:38 Location - Tzion, Zavijava

Alois Kenrick arrived aboard the Buccaneer-class dropship IMV Igner K Toleir with the rest of his MIIO observation team and disembarked aboard a covered transport.  Once at the spaceport he met with his predecessors and they exchanged appropriate information before switching positions. 

The team exited the spaceport through the subway to their habitat, this was going to be a long deployment but someone had to count jumpships crossing through the Chaos March and report them to Command.  The short straw was unfortunately theirs to pull but at least the next deployment would be to a nice central world.

Venture-KC/187963 was online as soon as they reported to their remote mining facility.  Most of the actual work was done by mining drones but it was a good excuse to have a sophisticated sensor array in a Hot-Shot small craft (for "surveying" purposes).  It was expected to be an easy six months on-planet you know as long as you ignored the toxic atmosphere or large swathes of empty terrain between the two main cities on the planet.

10/12/3062 03:28 Location - Grid 1973, Zavijava

Venture-KC/187963 received a curious HPG from command, after decrypting it with their one time pad they looked over the message.

VKC/187963 Command needs you to do a recon mission looking for a hidden facility on-world.  Intercepts indicate that Loki has a large strategic storage facility on Zavijava.  A mission is incoming provide first contact recon.  Authorization KJ85AS56JM3

"Maybe this won't be a boring deployment after all team. Let’s look into it"

The team spread out in Tzion and Noe asking sources handed over to them from the previous team.  They even checked out Haldana with their survey craft but didn't find anything unusual there.  The observation team wasn't scientists but they could take gravimetric and hyperspectral readings to at least find anything curious. 

They found it in the Schleier Range, although they didn't really have any old data to compare it to their intelligence instincts just kicked in when they were orbiting the volcanic range.  The area had been off-limits to most miners considering it was such forbidding terrain and located so far out of the way. 

The recon team noticed though that a feature north of the range on a volcanic flatland could have been a spaceport at one time, it was much flatter more than most of the other terrain.  They orbited it closely several times and compared the data to another large volcanic formation something didn't match up. 

"Alright this is something that warrant's investigation, take it in for a landing next time around"

"Roger that commander"


The Aerodyne Small Craft landed on the plain, the crew exited and looked over the area while unloading their Eriksson explorer vehicle. 

"Definitely not natural, it looks like whoever made this tried to conceal it from orbital surveillance"

"Yeah I don't have a great feeling about this but let’s take a look around"


The recon team drove the explorer around taking soil samples and sensor readings keeping in contact with the Hot-Shot at all times.  Everything looked normal but their intuition was blazing and then they ran into a mine which destroyed the vehicle’s tracks. 

"Oh shit this isn't a good thing. We are going to need a pickup with the quads Egret. Watch out for mines"

Alois unloaded the Eriksson's data core and put it in a Sleeper intending to put it on top of one of the promontories.  Although it wasn't a promontory that he found when he used the rock axe it hit metal instead of basalt. 

"That's not right, Louis take a look at this, bring the scanner"

Louis walked over from the Eriksson "What is it Alois?" 

They checked it out with the portable scanner, "Its Battlemech armor, what the hell is going on here, mines first now a metal bunker.  I don't like it we should get out of here after concealing the Sandman."

"I agree, although I think we know where the Loki cache is."

"Yeah but what are they hiding, this planet has no strategic purpose other than as a way-station on the way to somewhere else."

"Yeah but it is a little more than one jump from Terra and on the borders of the Hegemony, it was a useful world at one point in time."


Egret showed up twenty minutes later and picked up his compatriots before returning to their Hot-Shot and taking off again.

10/13/3062 14:39 Location - Grid 1849, Zavijava

Heinrich Volker arrived from his mining camp near the facility.  He had received a sensor hit from the passive sensors that ringed the facility, someone had trespassed and he was the closest agent at the time.  The Kingfisher landed near the hit, an Eriksson survey vehicle unusual as there were no ores of commercial value here.  He walked up to the vehicle and checked its ID number, it was registered to a Venture Exploration Group of Tzion.

Well surely they would want their property returned. it was only right that he go and talk to them about it.  He boarded the Kingfisher and returned to the mining camp to catch the next shuttle to Tzion.  He would have to inform the special agent in Tzion to put Venture Exploration under observation and make sure they don't skip town, a dropship was scheduled to head out tomorrow.

Fortunately Alois had already beamed his initial report inside the dropship's navcom system. He was in a fatal and utterly tragic industrial accident the next day while working at the Venture Exploration Group's main office.  Authorities are still investigating

12/20/3062 10:14 Location - FSS Hwasong Ready Room landed on The Star Flats, Zavijava

Major Moss arrived on planet along with Squad Leader Madeline Wyld and her aerospace fighters.  They had been forced to make a hard burn to the FSS Light of Renewal to pick up the Red Tail Orbital Bomber and bring it to Zavijava as it was not designed for a trip from the jump point to the planet. 

The Bonesaw Gunship took up a forward guard position with the Mercs Unleashed Rear Guard Detachment.  The FSS Guilty Conscience.and Osiris Operations Craft were orbiting and turned their sensors downward over the Schleier Range keeping a vigilant eye and hot aerospace fighter ready to respond in moments.

Major Moss had touched down with Squad Leader Wyld on the spaceport before moving to the Union's cramped ready room. 

"Here's the latest intelligence.  We have been watching this area for two days.  I have been assured that the 92nd Armored Task Force is on the way by Command but they will arrive in a few days. 

The problem is that time is not our friend, you have had time to repair and refit your equipment.  However, you didn't sign on to fight against a Castle Brian filled with a defending force of unknown size, I can't make you fight but I can try to make a deal that is satisfactory to all.

Right now here is what we know, clearly this facility is important to our enemy otherwise it wouldn't be in a Castle Brian.  The problem is that we don't know how big the defending force is or the exact location of the defenses.  As best we can tell based on known Castles Brian this facility is 50% operational but we can't risk our Blitz team or an Aerospace fighter to do a proper recon. 

We can provide bomber support to your operation though, if one of those heavy Castle Brian turrets presents itself we can blow it up within minutes.  We are limited though the Red Tail is an easy target for their AA turrets so clearing them out is of paramount importance not only for the bomber but Ms. Wyld's Aerospace Fighters might be able to give us the decisive advantage we need against our enemy.

Our enemy is dug in and has had time to prepare, I am not going to lie to you this will be a difficult objective to crack but we can't leave until we Break____________ through.  What do you want?"   


12/18/3062 22:15 Location - BLACK ROCK Facility, Zavijava

The loss of Commander Devankor hit the Titanfellers hard, he was an original Titanfeller with Captain Tun in the Chaos March.  Nevertheless the few originals continued their work of breaking down their field base and moving into the Facility.  One of the Loki techs showed them their new quarters and produced a list of things that would require the Titanfeller's tech and idle crew's attention.  Loki techs were in constant motion via the facility's tram system making sure the heavy defensive elements were 100%.

The Captain attended a meeting with Kay, Bosch, and the more senior Loki staff.  It was a quick one but informative in the standard Teutonic way.  This was the first time the facility had been brought to full power since the facility was constructed so there were all manner of problems:  Some of the remote turrets weren't working, important sectors were locked, internal security systems were off-line, some of the hard lines to the turrets and sensors were damaged, etc... 

The Titanfellers were deployed in the larger transit tunnels to reduce response time.  Most of his vehicle crews and technical personnel had been reassigned to assist the limited Loki personnel but his Mechwarriors and Pilots were on high alert and based near the machines in cots put out in the open tunnels. 

His XO Commander Andrea Weber and he were the only Mechwarriors right now in proper quarters near one of the command rooms on the other side of the base from one another.  She had been promoted to Commander Devankor's former spot and they had to pull their spare mechs out to replace the losses of Bravo Squad.  They were back to running both squads with a command element.

His armor command was currently idle, only assigned to operate several of the weapons bunkers.  Considering they were manning fixed defenses as tough as a mech carrying firepower that assault mechs could only dream it was a fair trade.  When they were needed they could just hop back into their tanks. 

Artillery crews had been deployed to man the fixed guns rather than their mobile units, this facility had two Long Toms in hardened bunkers and six Thumper mortars.  His own crew was four Snipers and two Thumpers so that wasn't a hard decision to make either.  His flight crews had loaded heavy bombs waiting for the opposition to make their move; Loki got their hands on Altex TBAM-60s, they were going to mess up someones day.

12/21/3062 08:12 Location - FSS Hwasong Ready Room

Major Moss stood in front of a map showing enemy positions, smaller images showed a 3d representation of the enemy defenses up close.  Madeline was present from the FSS Guilty Conscience via telepresence.

"The enemy defenses are coming back online at an alarming rate.  Every day we detect more activity and still don't know where the entrances to the facility are.  Engineering vehicles have been active on the surface repairing gun emplacements and digging fighting positions but we haven't seen any combat vehicles or mechs in several days.

I have drawn up prospective bombing corridors with the assistance of Squad Leader Wyld, this one valley the Major zooms in on the topographic map showing red forces which later coalesce into false color images we have nicknamed "Flyswatter Valley" controls a commanding position capable of shooting down any air power approaching the central cordon. 

You need to disable these Anti-Air positions (three towers light up), the Red Tail will bomb this one (showing another tower up valley built into a mountain).  They are defended by a pair of heavy weapons bunkers and more than a dozen smaller gun emplacements which appear to be armed like a medium tank.  We are unsure of what the OPFOR's Mobile team has to throw at us but expect them to come out of their hole to stop you.

Aerospace support can be on station once the flak towers have been destroyed in case you run into trouble with the mobile force.  Once these defenses are offline we can push further into the cordon and begin to uncover the entrances.

That is all gentleman, Mission begins in one hour"


Mechwarrior Morgan "A9" watched his sensor scopes vigilantly he expected that his lance would be doing the same. While his team stuck in low power mode on the other side of the ridge the Valkyrie and Dervish were standing in the midst of their Merc techs in their salvage trucks waiting for a call that they hoped wouldn't come.  A pair of tank convoy guards brought up the other side turrets their IR searchlights traversing to see through the low light of Zavijava. 

The rest of the command went in to clear the objective but this whole area was enemy territory and they could pop up anywhere.  Celfina's mech watched the skies the command had bad luck with Air power and her Rifleman "Annie" was keeping watch.  Ryan idled his mech resting off the watch shift he had been posted to near their drop zone.  Things had been quiet and unsettled.  Their opponents weren't on the clock as much as they were, help was supposedly on the way but a dreadful feeling was that the enemies might get help first.

Morgan's magsensors picked it up seven strong readings later confirmed by RADAR, definitely hostile.  Snapping into action he and the others throttled their battlemechs into full power mode ready for battle.  Chief Tech Arun was informed and he moved his vehicles back further followed by Bloodletter and The Green Machine which took up defensive positions near a choke point.  Morgan mustered up his reinforced lance and split them up to play zone defense until the main force returned.  Seven mechs wouldn't be enough to take him down.

AlphaMirage

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Re: The Tales of Mercs Unleashed
« Reply #29 on: 12 April 2018, 15:02:47 »
12/21/3062 11:58 Location - In Orbit around Zavijava

Squad Leader Madeline Wyld and KINGBREAKER squadron gazed out of their cockpits at Zavijava, it was a grey depressing world that had seen better times.  Her squadron was waiting for fire missions from the mercenary ground team currently engaging the enemy below.  They were working their way through the objectives.

Their dropship the Leopard-CV FSS Guilty Conscience, a Redtail Orbital Bomber, and an Osiris Operations Craft "floated" lazily several thousand kilometers away, their sensors and comm arrays pointed toward the surface and supporting the ground elements. Based on recent reports, the mission was going according to plan. On her sensor readout she saw the bomber start up its main thrusters and begin it’s de-orbit burn.

Everything was going well until she began to hear static on her comm and saw that the Dropship and Ops craft's data feeds went dark, someone was jamming their BattleNet. 

She warmed up her own Aerofighter completed a system check and boosted comm power but couldn't reestablish contact with either craft.  Her squadron recognized that something was wrong and did the same, they managed to patch together a Squad Datalink and tracked the signal to the fortress below.  The Dropship Captain and Ops Commander were able to reestablish patchy radio contact but couldn't get sensor links back online and had lost Comms with the Ground Team. That was never a good sign.

Her Aerofighter's passive sensors picked up four heat plumes coming from the surface, three Aerofighters and an unidentified larger craft likely a Gunship but her targeting computer couldn't verify.  The three fighters were heavier models designed to slug it out with Dropships and Gunships in planetary orbit.  Her own squadron was of similar make and purpose so this was going to be a slugging match.

She started her controlled breathing and with practiced calm slid her helmet's visor into combat position keying her mic, "All fighters turn it up to full power, we have four jokers incoming.  Stand by for intercept pattern."

Her Slayer Aerofighter rolled ventral "down" and checked vital systems before powering up weapons.  "Switch to delta five formation, I want KB-five and KB-three to take the flanks, KB-two you are with me, KB-four look for opportunities."

KB-four was the fastest fighter and piloted by a three ace, she should have no problem finding an opportunity to exploit.  The formation spread out covering hundreds of cubic kilometers of space, a “zone defense” play.

Meanwhile the hostile flight maintained a tight surface to space burn and attack pattern.  The three ship squadron was escorting the larger but slower gunship. A classic Steiner Wrecker formation capable of punching through anything that got in their way. 

Finishing their initial burn they discarded their fuel tanks the liquid natural gas inside burned up in the thick atmosphere of Zavijava, her combat computer plotted a course to intercept and transmitted it to her flight.  Four green lights confirmed and they started their burn.

Break____________

Aboard the FSS Guilty Conscience

Captain Aaron Cook sat in the CIC of his drop-ship looking over sensor reports with great concern, three assault Aerofighters and a Gunship could easily destroy his ship if the Merc Aerospace Squadron didn't deal with them in time. 

He sounded General Quarters, multiple klaxons and strobes came on and the ship's lights turned red.  His crew and the attendant technical staff for the Mercs locked down all hatches and evacuated non-essential compartments before suiting up and reporting to their damage control stations. 

The gunnery and flight crews reported to their terminals in the CIC bringing all systems up to combat power.  His XO and 2nd Watch crew would stand by in Engineering to take over if needed.

“Get Comms online, fight through this jamming and tell the Redtail to knock out the point source.  I want firing solutions right now on those hostile fighters.  Engineering bring thrusters up to full power and start moving out of our current orbit.”

Back in Space

KINGBREAKER flight moved in a tight intercept trying to bring their weapons against the hostile Aerospace flight burning valuable reaction mass to speed up the intercept.  They hoped to keep the enemy out of weapons range from the vulnerable drop-ship.  The Osiris was up to full power, but unarmed and would need to react quickly if anything moved their way. 

Madeline's sensors picked up that the carrier drop-ship was beginning to take evasive action, drawing at least the heavy Aerofighters out of their comfortable re-mass limit and forcing the Gunship to overextend its own albeit considerable fuel reserves. 

Her flight moved closer but were forced to change course several times due to the enemy adjusting their course and velocity trying to force her to overshoot.  If she missed the intercept they could burn hard and severely damage the carrier before she could recover and pursue.  Her Slayer's protective covers withdrew revealing her LB-X autocannon and lasers as her combat system came online, her visor showed everything was ready for action.

They overshot the initial approach but flipped their Aerofighters and burned back toward the hostile squadron.  The Gunship launched missiles and its heavy gauss rifle at KB-3 the Thunderbird did the same.  Some missiles found their way to KB-3 causing minor damage but it fired back with a PPC at the Gunship missing but KB-4's light autocannons hit barely scratching the paint off the craft's heavy frontal armor

The hostile flight continued its burn heading on an intercept with the carrier dropship, fighting velocity KINGBREAKER was barely able to close the distance.  The gunship engaged KB-1 with its missiles and gauss scoring hits to the Slayer's frontal armor.  Madeline steeled herself and continued accelerating, her weapons were not optimized for this range.  KB-3 continued firing its PPC missing as it dodged missiles from the Thunderbird, KB-4 scored a hit with its light autocannons on the Thunderbird's nose but the assault fighter was barely scored.

Finally breaking free of their approach velocity KINGBREAKER moved within its primary weapon range as the hostile flight continued to burn toward the dropship.  "KINGBREAKERS Engage that gunship we need to bring it down, attack fighters if they make themselves targets."  Her autocannon fired a canister shot at the gunship hoping to score a hit on something critical with the spread, KB-5 and KB-3 engaged the gunship as well KB-5's lasers scorched a pattern on the armor but it held firm.  KB-4 engaged the Thunderbird scoring a light autocannon hit to its wing and lasers burned away pieces of its right wing armor.

The Thunderbird scored a series of hits to KB-4's nose and Left Wing causing minor damage.  The enemy Hellcat (Joker-3) engaged Madeline and scored hits across her Aerofighter's wings.  The Eagle (Joker-2) engaged KB-3 its lasers burning away the Stingray's frontal armor.  The Gunship's weapons failed to achieve lock causing all of them to missing KB-4.

Wyld’s flight used its superior acceleration to close the gap allowing them to bring all their weapons to bear.  They split the enemy force causing them to cross the Gunship with their firing arcs.  KB-1 and KB-3 engaged the Gunship scoring hits across its heavily armored fuselage but not enough though.  KB-4 and KB-2 engaged Joker-3 scoring hits across the fuselage.  KB-4 engaged the Eagle scoring hits across the front and left side of the hostile fighter but not degrading its fighting ability.

Joker-3 fired back at KB-4 scorching frontal armor and passing the axis of attack onto her right wing.  Joker-2 engaged KB-5 burning large armor panels of the front and wings of the Outworlder's Hellcat.

The Gunship engaged KB-5 barely missing the hellcat with the heavy gauss slug that would have put a massive hole through her fuselage but instead peppering its nose armor with missiles.  It fired its close defense lasers against KB-1 scoring a laser hit to the front.  The Thunderbird followed up the attack with a blistering series of attacks tearing large armor panels from Madeline's Slayer destroying her autocannon and forcing her to blackout from the concussion. 

Lina Kunimoto (KB-4) saw that her squad-mate Madeline took major hits in the last pass, her fighter was leaking coolant and her air-frame was heavily damaged.

"KB-1! KB-1 you are drifting, please respond!” she was concerned but there were still too many Jokers around for her to think about it right now.

"I am assuming squad command, focus on the fighters and try to avoid that gunship's primary weapons."

KB-3 and KB-5 engaged Joker-1 with the Stingray's PPC and a variety of lasers scoring hits on frontal armor and punching holes in its left wing.  KB-4 pushed the flank and engaged Joker-3 with her autocannons and lasers scoring hits on the same.  KB-2 engaged Joker 2 with its lasers hitting it in the front and right wing.

The Gunship engaged the drifting Slayer but only hit with some missiles and lasers as it was forced to evade friendly fighters.  Joker-1 and Joker-3 engaged KB-4 scoring multiple hits across the entire Aerofighter savaging its right wing in particular.  Joker-2 engaged KB-5 burning away armor along its front and right side.

Madeline woke up to her squadmate's chatter and missile impacts, something was burning in her cockpit, she put it out with an emergency extinguisher and looked over her sensors. She had been out for a nearly a minute and noticed coolant leaking out from one of her wings, her heavy autocannon was heavily damaged and exposed but her lasers were still online. 

"KB-1, squadron continue pursuit, I am pushing to catch up"

After taking serious damage the squadron was scattered and lost distance, the Jokers continued toward the dropship.  Madeline and her Slayer Aerofighter were at Max Burn attempting to catch the squadron which continued to maneuver jockeying for shots on the hostiles.

KB-3 engaged Joker-3 with its PPC and Large Laser, Joker-3 evaded the PPC but took a laser strike to its front.  KB-5 engaged Joker-1 with its Large Lasers but was in a bad position while closing scoring only one laser strike.  KB-4 engaged Joker-2 scoring a small hit to the Eagle's left wing and nose. 

The Gunship and Joker-2 engaged KB-3 with but KB-3 managed to break contact suffering only some damage to the left side and front.  Joker-1 and Joker-3 engaged KB-5 invisible laser strikes burned away armor throughout the front and wings of the Outworlder's Hellcat 

The friendly flight pushed their damaged Aerofighters into high gear, leveraging their superior thrust while trying to stop the enemies from damaging their dropship and one another.  Madeline finally caught up with her squadron as they closed in short range with the Loki Aerospace units.

The Gunship turned putting itself in a perfect firing position, its point defense lasers burned holes along Madeline's fuselage before the 220Kg gauss slug ripped through the fuselage like paper sending the Slayer into a tight fast spiral that caused her vectored reaction thrusters to fire in careful harmony in an attempt to bring her back to a stable flight path but nearly caused Madeline to pass out again. 

Regaining control she and Paula (KB-3) engaged Joker-2's Eagle with medium lasers scoring hits along its front and left wing.  KB-3 and Joker-1 were locked in a tight dogfight carefully adjusting their vectors to score hits on one another, Joker-1 managed to avoid most of the fire but suffered hits to its right wing and nose while scoring hits against the Stingray's left wing and nose. 

KB-5 and KB-4 engaged Joker-3 scoring multiple hits across the Hellcat's fuselage.  Joker-2 managed to score a killing blow to KB-5 while it was engaging his wingman melting the craft to slag as fuel and coolant leaked from the stricken Hellcat.

Even with the loss of the KB-5 KINGBREAKER squadron continued to keep tight to the Loki attackers.  "Come on squad, we can't let them get within weapon's range of our people"

KB-1 engaged Joker-2 scoring hits to its frontal armor and right wing, KB-2 appeared from below firing its lasers at Joker-3 hitting the underside of its right wing.  KB-3 and KB-4 engaged Joker-1, KB-3 was running hot so it had to hold its PPC but hit with several lasers severing coolant lines running to its opponent’s left wing and the autocannons impacted the nose armor.

The Gunship managed to score another perfect firing solution its lasers cut through both wing armor and its heavy gauss slug punched through KB-3's front, forcing the Stingray's attitude thrusters to fire preventing Tai from passing out.  While in its uncontrolled spin Joker-3's large lasers burned frontal armor and blinded some of his sensors. 

Joker-1 engaged KB-1 burning more of the Slayer's frontal and right side armor, Joker-2's lasers burned through Lina's Shilone knocking her out of the fight as well, her Shilone drifted leaking coolant and fuel as her reactor died.

Aboard the FSS Guilty Conscience

Captain (LCmd actually) Aaron Cook watched the battle unfold, unable to help his dropship was not in any position to help the escort fighters as it struggled against the gravity well of Zavijava.
 
"Damn, Ensign Break through this jamming and get me in contact with the Osiris and Redtail so they can assist in Search and Rescue.  Gunners I want tracking on those fighters if they vector to engage us finish them off then focus on the gunship."

In Space

The remnants of KINGBREAKER squadron maintained their superior thrust and pushed cautiously to turn the tides of the battle and save their friends and colleagues aboard the dropship..

KB-1 engaged Joker-2 with its weapons causing major structural damage.  KB-2 engaged Joker-1 with its lasers critically damaging the Thunderbird's avionics package, forcing the pilot to rely more on manual controls as hydraulic fluid and fuel leaked from the Aerofighter.  KB-3 engaged Joker-3 with everything but missed as it had incurred heavy damage during the fight.

Joker-1 and the Gunship engaged KB-1 as they passed one another the combined firepower of their lasers punched through the Slayer and slagged it.  Joker-2 engaged the remnants of KB-1 but it was too late its squad-mates had already destroyed the fighter.   Joker-3 engaged KB-3 with its lasers, one struck right through the cockpit of the Stingray the others ruined the Airframe.

KB-2's Sabre disengaged; bleeding velocity and returning to the ground.  The hostile fighter squadron bled off their velocity as well having suffered critical system damage.  The Sabre's superior speed prevented them from closing with weapons.

The Gunship continued towards the Leopard CV which was forced to move out of position.  After several minutes of high-g maneuvering it turned back before getting into weapons range delaying Search and Rescue.

Back within the BLACK ROCK facility

Captain Brekard was strapped inside his running mech following the lights toward the hostile force, the soldiers that were manning the turrets had abandoned their posts to get back into their vehicles.

"Titanfellers get the lead out!  All forces move at max speed, the enemies are fully engaged in the field."

Combat vehicle tires squealed as they moved under and past his King Crab.  He came upon a merger where a Starslayer and Thunder were threading through the tunnels.  A Blackjack, Hunchback, and Archer were running further ahead, the Javelin was long ahead keeping pace with the wheeled vehicles.

Within SIDEWINDER canyon

Commander Weber's group was engaged in a war of maneuver with Commander A9 and his force.  She knew that friendlies were on the way and the enemies had no more backup, not from space or the ground.  Her force just needed to keep them out long enough for Henrick's bomber squadron and the Captain's portion of the Titanfellers.

"Henrick, what is your status"

"Commander we are moving at full speed, ETA forty seconds.  We are standing by for targeting."