Infiltration
Forward Operating Base
Kassandra’s Memory, Magistracy of Canopus
1st February 3118It had taken Schuyler McCoy and his dismounted MechWarriors four days to walk to the forward operating base occupied by Magistracy of Canopus troops that they believed to be holding the three lost Malcontents MechWarriors. None of the four MechWarriors were commandos but they had camouflage gear and rifles taken from their Mechs before they abandoned them. Kassandra’s Memory was a warm world with long days and a lack of weather but there was plenty of shrubs for them to use as concealment. McCoy had deployed them around the facility and they’d spent most of the last week watching the temporary base and the movement of the troops now they were back together.
“What have we seen?”
“They are packing up the eastern flank, they must not be expecting anyone to cause trouble as they’ve taken apart some of the fortifications the troops are down to their hand weapons. There is still a lot more of them than us boss, it’s easier without the fixed weapons but a frontal assault is still out of the question.”
“Agreed, thanks Tom” he said the other MechWarrior was nearly ten years older than Schuyler, and would be fifty next year but thanks to modern medicine he was barely showing it only with some grey on the hairs on the side of his dead, they had known each other for years and Schuyler considered him to be his right hand in most matters.
“They are trying to repair the Cataphract” Faris Scherwiz naming Amanda Cavalcanti’s BattleMech “you can see it from the western side they have it standing in a temporary repair harness.”
“While it would be nice to salvage it, I wouldn’t call it a priority. Have they moved it?”
“Not on its own” Faris confirmed “they lifted it with cranes.”
“Which brings us to what I saw” Derek Lenihan said, “Schuyler these guys have Ebony BattleMechs and the patches that suggest they are Ebon Magistrate forces but I’m not sure if they are.” He suggested he was the youngest of the group just a couple of years short of his fortieth birthday but he’d seen plenty combat so they all listened “I saw some of their training drills in the court yard and runs, their sergeant was a lot harsher than you’d expect with an elite unit. He had them running full drills around the whole facility perimeter with their full kit in the blazing sun.”
“Play hard, fight easy” Tom Ayrton suggested “they have the equipment that suggests they are, but maybe this is a training mission or some sort of graduation mission. Giving them some practical experience.”
“Why would you take new recruits into an elite unit, that doesn’t make sense” Schuyler McCoy noted “maybe they were sent here to the back of nowhere to fly the flag keep the locals in check? These guys are training but whomever sent them didn’t want anyone interfering? So, they dressed them up as special forces”
“They did a good job if that’s the case those Ebonys are front line BattleMechs.”
“Indeed, so what do they have? We know they started with eight Ebony BattleMechs, a minimum of a dozen vehicles and a heavier lance but I’ve saw the heavier lance leave yesterday and it hasn’t returned and the at least half of the vehicles are gone.”
“I think we’re down to five combat vehicles one of them is an APC, the others are support Mechs. We destroyed five of the Ebonys all three that remained have been under repair for the last few days, they are probably functional or close to it.”
“There’s a minimum of three guards at the guard posts I’ve seen, sometimes as many as six during a shift change over” the others nodded suggesting they had seen something similar.” That suggests to me that they’ve got a minimum of twenty-four infantry troopers and an upwards figure of ninety-six.” Tom Ayrton suggested twenty-four would give them a two-shift rotation, the upper figure would give them a four-shift rotation.
“I think it’s only two shifts” Faris said seeing the looks from the other three “a girl notices when the same guys are in a post, they have the same habits.”
“It would go with only one APC and the deconstruction work; they must be preparing to move out.” Derek noted “if they move out, we can’t take on the mobilized convoy.”
“No, I agree, we are running out of time” Schuyler agreed “we need to hit them in the next day or two. Any sightings of our people?”
“I saw Amanda yesterday walking in circles in the exercise yard. She didn’t look badly beat up and they at least clothed her.” Faris said “when she was finished, she was taken to the south side into that complex of tents and fortifications that are there.”
“We can’t take them on just the four of us, a direct assault we won’t have a chance, even having an idea where our people are.” Tom Ayrton cautioned
“We’re not going to hit them directly.” Schuyler said “we’re going to use their work against them.” He said “I’ve seen vehicles arrive the last few days Prime Movers and other support vehicles some of them taken in equipment. They are probably here to help with the removal of the base.” He said “tomorrow we’re going to walk off the road and watch for the next group to come through, we’ll find a choke point and ambush one of the vehicles then use that to get in.” he suggested “once inside I’m going to go for the Cataphract. My codes and patterns should still be stored in its memory bank, if they’ve cleared it, I’ll use the back-up code. You three will find our people and get back to the vehicle. Then when the time is right, I’ll surprise them, if I can take out the remaining Ebonys then you may all have a chance of escape.”
“If you can’t we’re all dead”
“No pressure, thanks Tom, I’ll do what’s needed.”
---
The four of them walked nearly four kilometres from the base following the roads finding a crossroads with a fuel station and shop. There were a few civilian vehicles parked not knowing where the vehicles would turn at the crossroads, they had no choice but to wait. They didn’t need to wait long within an hour two Prime Movers had arrived and the four crewmen filled their vehicles with fuel and used the facilities at the civilian shop. This far into the periphery there was little observance of protocol. “If they want to break the rules we may as well male them pay for it.” Schuyler said “we don’t kill anyone unless we have to.”
Moving quickly down towards shop Schuyler pointed at the two vehicles “Faris, Tom secure those vehicles. Derek with me, quick and quiet!” He called out the two of them half fast walked half ran towards the shop. The shop was like a thousand others which had been seen for over a century in human existence on hundreds of worlds it was filled with fast foods and other convenience goods which travelers would buy. Schuyler looked down one of the two aisles and saw two of the troopers hunched over a machine playing some form of two-dimensional game, Schuyler raised two fingers towards Derek who nodded and stepped past walking past the counter where a dark-skinned middle-aged man dressed in a white t-shirt and well-worn jeans stood looking nervous. Derek looked at him as he passed and shook his head then glanced at Schuyler and raised two fingers of his own indicating he’d seen the other two. In the end aisle stood the final two guards who were huddled over looking at some pornographic magazines laughing despite all of the advances that humanity had made, and all the light years they had traveled some impulses never died. Schuyler and Derek looked at each other one more time and raised their weapons.
“Hands in the air!” Both shouted advancing on the two men their rifles pointed at them “do nothing and you don’t die today.” The four men had no choice and raised their arms away from their weapons.
---
An hour later they were back on the road again the shop owner had been convinced to lock the four ambushed troopers in his basement minus their uniforms. Schuyler and Derek had put on a show for the shop owner by aiming their weapons at him making it look like they’d forced him to contain the four men.
The two Prime Movers were allowed into the fire base with the Malcontents troops showing their papers at the gate the guards waving them through and directing them to a corner lot of the base. Immediately the base inhabitants began to load the two vehicles “we’re not going to have a lot of time, let’s get some equipment make it like we’re helping out then quietly disappear.” He ordered his three lance mates they moved and gathered some equipment helping the base staff load equipment onto the Prime Mover as they did the others returned for more equipment instead of gathering more equipment, they disappeared into the tent city which made up quarters for most of the base personnel.
Schuyler McCoy headed off to the right of the others cutting between the tents until he could see the maintenance cradles for the Cataphract and the four remaining Ebony BattleMechs, it appeared the salvage crew had been able to repair one of the Mechs damaged during the battle with the Malcontents. While it still had some armour damage the Cataphract looked mostly operational, he hoped it wasn’t just for show. McCoy wore a Magistracy uniform and decided to try and make it look like he belonged slinging the rifle over his shoulder he walked over to a Tech’s table and glanced over some of the paperwork and notes left, from what he could make out basic repairs to the gyro had been completed and it was ready for a test run.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” someone asked off to his right-hand side Schuyler knew that his disguise would only pass so far and decided to take no chances spinning on the spot he brought the laser rifle down off his shoulder and pulled the trigger. The laser blast caught the older man, who was likely one of the leading techs on the Mech in the chest and he went down in a heap. Schuyler looked at the man for a moment then snapped out of it and reached for his radio on his belt clicking the transmit button three times to inform the others he’d made contact with the enemy. He then grabbed the tech and dragged him under the tech table placing boxes in front of the body to conceal it, beside the Mech cradle he found a coolant vest and pulled it on over his coveralls before beginning his climb up the Mech. He found the Cataphract’s cockpit was open and climbed onboard the seventy-ton BattleMech it was almost exactly like the last time he had been inside the Mech he reached behind the main computer screen and flicked a few of the controls there hoping the Canopian techs hadn’t questioned their purpose. He then reached up and to the side finding Amanda’s neuralhelmet pulling it down over his head he smelled sweat but also her scent. As reached over and began to bring the Mech online, as he did, he connected the coolant vest to the Mech’s systems the vest would keep him alive if the Mech got into a fight.
“Schuyler… the movers are gone we’re coming to you” Amanda’s voice crackled over the communication frequencies.
For a moment he was stunned she was alive, let alone on the radio “Amanda what do you mean?”
“The Prime Movers pulled out; another crew must be driving them in tandem with the one we replaced. We’re coming to you cover the Mechs.”
“The Mechs… oh frack!” Schuyler cursed he glanced at the BattleMech’s computer and noticed that the fiddling he’d done with the computer had swapped it over to his patterns and the neuralhelmet had recognised him. While the Cataphract was battlefield salvage like all of the Malcontents Mechs it technically belonged to Schuyler McCoy and so he had the techs load his neural patterns on to its systems. Normally they’d sit in the background and make no difference but today he needed the controls. “Time to cause some noise” he said grabbing the controls forcing the Cataphract into action.
The seventy-ton BattleMech stepped forwards its arms flailing out smashing the maintenance cradle to pieces in one move. He then lined up the torso mounted autocannon and fired a salvo of LB-X Cluster munitions straight into a communications dish shattering it blowing it into hundreds of pieces. He twisted the torso and fired a particle projection cannon shot into a parked LRM carrier blowing the lightly armoured support vehicle to pieces.
Small arms fire exploded all over the vehicle with the occasional high explosive shot grenade launcher or short-range missile added into the mix for a fully operational heavy Mech they were of little threat but with the damage the Cataphract had already taken Schuyler didn’t know how much more it could take. “Status!” he called into his handheld radio not trusting the inbuilt radio on the Cataphract.
“We’re boarding the Mechs we’ve got a group of infantry closing from the east, we could use some cover!” Derek called out twisting the Cataphract’s torso Schuyler laid down a volley of fire from all four of the medium pulse lasers breaking up the infantry formation. He side-stepped the Mech to the right and laid down some more fire cutting down dozens of troopers’ missiles and small arms fire continued to hit the Mech then a flight of long-range missiles slammed into the Mech from another vehicle one of the crews had somehow got online. Schuyler hit the vehicle with an autocannon round but didn’t disable the vehicle which began to move launching more missiles. More than half of the missiles missed their target but nearly a dozen still slammed into the Cataphract.
“I can’t take much more of this… guys” he said firing the particle cannon at the active vehicle missing his shot completely. Moments later another particle cannon shot fired this time from one of the Ebony BattleMechs.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this!” Tom Ayrton shouted as the twenty-five-ton BattleMech ran into combat its particle cannon blazing at the missile carrier. The fast-moving Mech was too quick to be targeted by the tank and as he ran behind it firing the particle cannon shot into the tanks back before following it up with a kick against one of the vehicle’s tracks disabling it. The turret began to track but Schuyler finished off its fight with another autocannon salvo. “We must be the only ones who can turn a jail break into a heist, what the hell were we thinking.”
“No idea” Schuyler said twisting his Mech around cutting down more infantry with the pulse lasers as he saw another of the Ebony Mechs come online. None of them had anti-infantry weapons but their size alone was intimidating to most MechWarriors. A third Ebony stepped forward.
“I’ve just about got this thing going…” Derek Lenihan said before Amanda broke in.
“Derek on your back!” She shouted into the radio but it was too late suddenly there was a large explosion from the back of the Ebony. The explosion exploded forwards breaching the cockpit’s armoured doors and blowing through the front of the light BattleMech instantly killing Lenihan, there was no point even calling to him as the headless BattleMech fell forwards to the ground. “Oh my god…”
“There’s nothing we can do, let’s get out of here before they get anything else going, cut to the east as soon as we leave the base we don’t stop until sundown.” Schuyler ordered looking at the downed BattleMech one more time “sorry Derek” he whispered as the four operational Ebony BattleMechs ran clear of the base all four stopped outside the base and turned firing their particle cannons into the base covering Schuyler’s retreat flattening many of the remaining structures.
All five BattleMechs then ran for their lives in silence both because of the shock at Derek’s death and to keep their radio traffic to a minimum hoping that would make them harder to detect, the four Ebonys had stealth armour but the Cataphract would stand out if a powerful enough sensor suite was turned towards it. They ran throughout the day secreting themselves in a cave where they could rest and gather their thoughts after the events of the day. Schuyler discovered that Amanda had been the only survivor with both of his other MechWarriors killed in the initial battle and now Derek was dead as well. It appeared that every effort he made to defend Whittington either ended up with his people being killed at home or away. The group stayed hidden for nearly a week on Kassandra’s Memory hiding from the Magistracy of Canopus troops before finally escaping from the world heading for home their newly captured BattleMechs in all.
Clan conflict
District of Regulus, Free Worlds League
9th February 3118 While there was little evidence solid proof to show that the Clans were coordinating their activities by agreement there was little question when it came to their actions. While the Wolves were struggling to make an impact on the Star League Protectorate the current change in targets had taken the Free Worlds League by surprise and within days Ariel, Asellus Australis, Asellus Borealis, Gallatin and Autumn Wind had all fallen to a series of lightning assaults by Assault Clusters as the Wolves attempted to isolate Marik and the systems near it.
For years the Clan border had felt so far away for so long but today they had arrived on the world of Sophie’s World. Now sitting in the cockpit of his ZU-G60 Anzu BattleMech twenty-one-year-old Caden Cameron-Jones waited nervously as the Wolves approached. The Anzu’s sensors pinged moments later “here they come!” He called out stepping the sixty-ton BattleMech forwards. “Give them hell!” He said pulling the trigger for the long-range missile launcher and particle cannon sending ten missiles and a particle beam towards the enemy a Clan Wolf Thirty-fourth Champions Cluster Linebacker OmniMech. Less than half of the LRMs hit the sixty-five-ton Linebacker while the particle cannon missed the hunched over OmniMech completely.
On the torso of the OmniMech a hatch opened and five long range missiles fired in return towards the Anzu while both arms fired lightning bolts at the BattleMech. The particle cannons were about three times as devastating as the one the Anzu carried and they fired at greater range. Fortunately for Caden Cameron-Jones only one of the particle cannons struck catching the Anzu high in the chest while the other fizzled out overhead, the five missiles fired by the Linebacker missed completely tearing up the ground beside the BattleMech.
Caden launched his forwards into a run launching more missiles and another particle cannon shot at the Linebacker, the Clan Mech dodged out of the way of the particle cannon shot while the missiles caused minimal damage. Caden had prepared for the dodge however and the Linebacker dodged straight into an autocannon volley which walked its way across the heavy OmniMech’s torso. Missiles and more particle cannon shots returned fire against the Anzu both slammed into the Anzu high on the torso the first vaporising armour there the second came in even higher slamming into the charging Anzu’s cockpit.
The impact of the oversized extended range particle cannon against the Anzu’s cockpit was devastating, the armour there was melted away in seconds while the combined kinetic force and heat of the man-made lightning cannon burned though the cockpit behind it seconds later killing Caden Cameron-Jones instantly. The command less Anzu staggered forwards before falling half burying itself in the light sand of Sophie’s World’s surface. Duke Caden Cameron-Jones was the first person to die on the world but he wasn’t the last for hours the Wolves and Regulan troops engaged each other before finally the Free Worlds League troops gained the upper hand driving the Clansmen from the world but the damage was done and the heir to the District of Regulus was dead.
Aftermath, Andrea Moreira Firebase
Tarncredi IV, Tarncredi IV PDZ
Draconis March, Federated Suns
11th February 3118 In the history of Tarncredi IV Andrea Moreira was a name as well known as the planetary dukes during the Davion Civil War Moreira had been a minor noble woman who had taken up arms to join Alexander Davion’s forces and fought in the final battles for control over Tarncredi IV and to end the Civil War. The firebase occupied by the victors of the most recent battle were a command which while in the service of House Davion were currently working without command authority Leftenant Laure Bieganski of the Order of Sortek had come to Tarncredi IV to assist in the defence of the system fighting against a Clan Snow Raven raid.
Now she and the two MechWarriors of the lance were repairing their three BattleMechs. Unfortunately, MechWarrior Jochen Stuppacher had been killed in the fighting and his Catapult BattleMech was nothing but a wreck. As thanks for their assistance in the Trial the commander of the First Dragonlords Regiment had authorised the surviving MechWarriors to each select a single piece of Clan built salvage from the battlefield so each of them was fitting these weapons into their BattleMechs. Laure’s Enforcer III’s Extended-Range Large Laser had been replaced with a Clan made model with an additional Extended Range Medium Laser mounted beside it increasing the Mech’s hitting power.
Standing away from the lance’s Cuirass Laure Bieganski watched as the Mech’s pilot and a tech continued work to replace the torso mounted laser system with a salvaged laser when she became aware of two people approaching her from the right. Laure was forty-two years old and had served with Warrior House Sortek for twenty-four years and had remained with the House when it had come to this universe thirteen years before she still believed in the warrior-monk ideals of the Warrior Houses she had learned in the Confederated Suns which was why Grandmaster of the Order Imarra Sortek had deployed her with this lance to screen recruits before they arrived on Murduk. As she turned her hand drifted to the sabre which hung from her belt out of habit rather than the threat.
“Leftenant, I am Scott Kelly and this is Charlie Johnston we both served with the Dragonlords but have been given permission by our Colonel to speak with you. We wish to apply to join the Order of Sortek.”
“You have jobs in the service of House Davion, why would you want to transfer to another command?”
“We wish to serve the whole of House Davion, your mission will take you across the Federated Suns. We wish to train with the best and progress our careers. Neither of us could afford to go to one of this nation’s prestigious schools we have learned on the job throughout, we wish to bring that to your command.” Charlie Johnston explained.
“You do know that once our mission is completed, we will be heading back to Murduk and we’ll primarily serve as the defence of that world.”
“Yes, but we’ll learn from the best warriors on the Draconis March and join something bigger than us.”
“I will speak with your Colonel and confirm your attachment to my lance, neither of you will immediately serve as a MechWarrior you will go back to being apprentices that is understood?” She asked both nodded “assuming your transfer is confirmed I will assign you to one of my MechWarriors and your training will begin. You will be tested on academic study, BattleMech piloting, gunnery and maintenance. You need to understand this will be a lot of work.” Both nodded their acceptance of the terms within hours Laure had spoken to the Dragonlords Colonel who explained that while he’d have liked to keep the two MechWarriors both had lost their Mechs fighting the Ravens and he had no other BattleMechs available at present so he was ready to dispossess them as he had no means of transferring them to another unit. Both MechWarriors were capable if not stellar Laure hoped that with training the two would become productive members of the Order of Sortek, if not they would be cut.
Meanwhile the Snow Ravens border raids had been cut short by a Draconis Combine offensive at the far side of the Raven Alliance. In a coordinated offensive launched with WarShip support the entire Ryuken Brigade of regiments invaded the systems of Tabayama, Suianeer and Kazanka with two regiments hitting each of the systems capturing all three within hours from the Ravens driving back their forces.
Ruling Council Meeting
Jetheitania, Zeta Atheni
Zeta Quadrant, Periphery
28th February 3118 It was a wet day on Zeta Atheni and the capitol city Jetheitania was suffering from minor flooding as the planet’s primitive drainage system was struggling with the rain. This hadn’t stopped the Ruling Council from meeting in their chambers on the outskirts of the city. The design of Jetheitania City was that the Ruling Council Chambers were located out with the city so not to distract the people from their daily lives. At this session while the flooding had come up more important was the issue on Zeta Minoris where a viral respiratory disease was passing quickly and according to recent reports had spread to Zeta Parada. The Speaker for Zeta Minoris Rachal Marchand was speaking she was in her thirties and young to represent a world but was dressed impeccably in a navy-blue business suit. “Ladies and gentlemen, it is important that medicines arrive as quickly as possible to Zeta Minoris, already the death toll on my world is in the hundreds. In weeks it will be in the thousands. And now according to reports a similar or the same virus is passing quickly on Zeta Parada. We need help.”
“Yes, so do the people of Zeta Parada” Romy Monteiro said standing for her world while Rachal Marchand was young for her world Speaker Romy Monteiro was on the other end of the spectrum and was in her seventies wearing a red velvet dress with frills around the shoulders, it was like something some people would wear to a formal dance. “While Zeta Minoris is already showing hundreds of cases and by the figures, they are presenting suggests community transmission has begun, our world’s still at single case transmission we could stop it quickly if we get the medicines we need.” She suggested “my planetary council have initiated a social lockdown and are trying to limit community transmission.”
“There is a DropShip at present taking commercial JumpShip to Buena to purchase medicines from the Lyran Commonwealth.” Council Leader Ingvar Lofgren the leader of the council said. The male was in his fifties with a full head of grey hair a black business suit, white shirt and green tie. “We will buy enough to inoculate all of Zeta Minoris, treat all of those on Zeta Parada and have enough to treat more on other worlds should we need it. Each world with infected cases should identify those who have this disease and isolate them to the best of their ability until the vaccines arrive from Buena.”
“And should this virus get out of control what will we do then?” Richard Madisha the representative of Zeta Shimae V asked his was the least populated and least capable of protecting its population. “Can I suggest to this council that the Mandrill Collective is closer than Buena…” he began like Rachal Marshand he was young and was willing to take risks the others began to try and drone him out. “May I suggest that the Mandrill Collective is closer than Buena and we should turn to them for help” he said continuing on “if this virus spreads to the Mandrill Collective, then they will have as much trouble as us, they do not need transmission on the scale of Zeta Minoris any more than we do.” He said “Ladies and gentlemen while I agree with this council’s previous judgement against approaching the Mandrills, or the lack of until now, but in this case, we may need it.”
“I strongly object to this course, the vaccines will arrive from Buena before it gets out of hand.” Lofgren said looking at the others “we have worked this out together up until now and will continue to.” He said Lofgren’s words swayed the council and kept a deal with the Mandrill’s off the table, at least for now.
After the meeting Lofgren retreated to his nearby office there a figure who wore a green pants suit sitting in a comfortable red chair. “I did what you wanted. Now what?” He said looking at the woman she was in her thirties she had brown bobbed hair, almost delicate features, beautiful red lips, piercing green eyes and with a green shirt of the same ton as her suit underneath.
“Now we wait until the other penny drops” the woman said “your DropShip will not be returning from Buena…”
“There are twenty-four of our people onboard that ship! The ship itself is worth a great deal to our nation!”
“The DropShip does not matter” she said quietly “as for your people I am sorry about them, but they are going to be the last that you need be worried about.” She said “the virus is going to get worse; it will spread quickly to all of the worlds of the Quadrant and the outer stagers of the Cirincus Federation, the Mandrill Collective and Buena Archonette of the Lyran Commonwealth.”
“Buena Archonette?” Lofgren repeated not being familiar with the name.
“It is a recent development internal to the Lyran Commonwealth it won’t affect your relationship with them in the slightest, the Lyrans will be scrambling about to counter the virus like you currently are.”
“Without that DropShip our nation will be on its knees without those vaccines!” Lofgren said recovering from what she was saying.
“Yes, it will” the woman said “your nation will suffer Council Leader Lofgren, they will need a strong leader and they will need someone willing to take chances to get you through the next few months. Someone willing to make a decision that will protect what is left of your nation and your future.” She said standing up “be strong, your nation will suffer but it will come through this stronger than ever and in a superior position. That is what you have been promised and that is what we will deliver.” She said leaving the room leaving Ingvar Lofgren alone with his thoughts. As promised news of the a JumpShip’s disappearance along with Zeta Quadrant’s DropShip filtered through to the nation in May with the virus spreading throughout the nation’s four worlds and slowly into nearby systems just as the figure had promised, the virus also began showing up on worlds nearby which have trade with the Zeta Quadrant in the Mandrill Collective, Buena Archonette and Cirincus Federation.
