There, I just spent a month binge reading this from start to finish.
I am very impressed with the scope of this AU. It is interesting to see the results when more of the leadership are rational actors instead of raving loonies.
SMc.
I'm glad you enjoyed it, the timeline would not be where it is without the support from the timeline, the parts written by others and the units designed for it, or just for fun, that I've used to expand it.
My thank's to James Tanaga for the Cauldron of Blood
Royal Birth, Halas Palace
Oriente, Oriente Protectorate
Former-Free Worlds League
3rd August 3096 The Halas family welcome two further members into their family as Captain-General Jonas Halas wife gives birth to twin sons Ralph and Javier following Sophie Halas to continue the family line. The two sons like the rest of the Halas family are placed under Le Grande Belle's protection.
“Cauldron of Blood”
Repair Base 77, Periphery
13th August 3096 Captain Canin McKinnon, the commander of Delta Company, looked out across the battlefield. The entire area was bathed in blood, bodies, and broken Mechs gaining it the name Cauldron of Blood. Yesterday’s battle had nearly destroyed the combined Federated Suns/Rim Collection force on the planet.
It had started with explosions throughout the cauldron, hidden in wrecked vehicles and Mechs, while the Elementals and Salamanders of the Rim Clanners that were set on the crests in the north and south were suddenly engaged in heavy fire from Stone Spirit forces. Quickly the forces at the north embankment were overwhelmed while the south fought for their lives. By the time the forces in the cauldron had collected themselves, they had Nicholas Lyndhurst themselves mostly surrounded by the Spirits in the crest lines of the cauldron, effectively creating a kill zone on the joint allied force.
It would have been a disaster if not for Captain David McKinnon and the Rim Collection’s Fourth Rim Regulars, Canin knew, thinking of his cousin. David McKinnon and the men and women he commanded were the first ones to recollect themselves turning on the threats all around them. Forming a line made up of what survivors of his Fox’s Teeth detachment and what Rim Clanners that were around them, David McKinnon led a charge up the southern crest line, reaching it just as it was about to fall and continued to hold the line despite heavy casualties.
At the same time, the Fourth Rim Regulars, the only Rim Collection cluster outside the cauldron, picked up its pace and circled around the Spirit’s forces in the north while the forces in the cauldron, including his own Delta Company detachment, slowly forced their way to engage the Spirits in the north. All this happened without any of the promised air support something had gone wrong which Canin was still waiting for an answer. If they had the air support promised by the Collection, and their pet clanners, Canin knew the entire battle would have been different they would have been able to roll over the Stone Spirits and maybe secure Repair Base 77.
Yet they didn’t have the promised air support and now, while the Rim Collection had its first major victory against the Spirits, it was a Pyrrhic victory, one that cost each side greatly. The Spirits of the north crest line ended up being torn apart as they were slowly sandwiched by the forces inside the cauldron and the fourth Rim Regulars, while the Spirits in the south were held just below the crest line. The battle lasted for hours, until the Spirits on the north crest line were finally destroyed, just as the promised air support, with large numbers of Clanner Elementals and Salamanders, had arrived, concentrating entirely in the south, encircling the Spirits there. By the time the joint forces moved to support the south crest line, the entire battle had finally ended.
Yet, Canin grieved, it had cost the Davion forces, including his own, greatly. Of the twelve MechWarriors and three squads of Battle Armour that had made up the Fox’s Teeth David led in attacking the southern crest, only two lances of Mechs and six Infiltrator III Heavy Battle Armour suits several of them were still in surgery. Rumors had David McKinnon dying of radiation poisoning from his Black Knight BattleMech’s fusion engine being cracked, he must have known his Mech was damaged but he had continued to the end, just as the Collection’s pet monkeys had arrived Canin thought angrily.
Of the Rimmers, it had cost them large portions of the monkey’s Third Battle Cluster and a smaller portion of the Fourth Rim Regulars, and the entire ground component of the First Striker Cluster, including Star Colonel Lopez.
But they had won in the end, he thought grimly, if this was the cost for every battle…Canin shook those thoughts away, refusing to allow them to even enter into his mind. For where doubt exists, death follows soon after, a saying his father, Ross McKinnon, had told him shortly before he had died.
His radio came to life “Captain McKinnon,” he recognized the voice belonging to Leftenant Sandy Hill, an assistant to General Redburn, the overall commander of the Davion forces in the Rim Collection. “Campfire roundup at the Crazy Horse in thirty mikes. Acknowledge.”
“Roger that, Control. Save me a seat, will you? I suddenly feel like having some fried monkey steak tonight at the campfire. Over.” As he waited for the Leftenant to confirm the last, Canin didn’t care if the general rebuked him for saying that loud and clear. After today, he was beyond caring if the monkeys heard him.
“This is Redburn,” he was shock to hear General Redburn come into his radio and was himself monitoring the comms. “The monkey steaks are already on the grill. See you at the campfire. Redburn out.” Canin allowed himself a small shrug after Redburn ended the radio connection on his end. It really shouldn’t have surprised him, really.
An hour and a half later, the battle reports from the battle had finally ended. The cause of why the air support was so late was reported by the lone Rim Collection warrior, the star colonel of the Fourth Rim Regulars, an Able no less and apparently the highest ranking Rim Collection officer planet side at the moment. A solar storm in system had reportedly caused much havoc in the atmosphere. While ground radio still worked, it meant radio contact in orbit was sketchy at best. Canin found this excuse to be just too laughable if they couldn't communicate by radio why the hell hadn't they sent down recon patrols, and was about to comment on that, yet General Redburn had seemingly acquiesce to the Rim Collection warrior at least publicly accepting their reasons.
Only after she left did Redburn speak openly to Canin and the other Davion commanders. “If they expect us to believe that pile of horse manure that woman just fed to us, they’re crazy,” he loudly stated. Turning his head to Light Commodore Matthew Davion, who was reporting via HPG, he continued. “Commodore, I want answers, not the Rim’s excuses. Understand?”
“Yes sir,” Canin heard the Victorian Davion report to their commander. “You want me to use the proper channels or do some side checking?” Canin didn’t know what he was talking about.
“The back door if you trust the source. The front door if you don’t.”
“Understood Sir,” the Light Commodore responded back to Redburn.
“Get to it. Redburn out,” Redburn grunted out before shutting down the comm station, shutting down communication with the commodore. “I need everyone’s opinions. Can our forces maintain combat effectiveness after today?” He asked everyone around the comm table.
As everyone else reported their opinion on that matter, Canin himself stayed quiet, listening to each one and all basically said the same thing. The AFFS ground forces needed weeks to refit and wait for reinforcements from the Federated Suns.
“I believe we can still maintain our commitment to the Collection sir,” he advised the general. As the others in the room looked around each other as if he lost his head, Canin continued. “I need to travel to Arc-Royal.” He said “there are a couple of my family contacts there, I think I can convince them to re-up with the AFFS.”
“If we want them to re-enlist?”
“We do, sir, they should have never left” Canin reported “they were handed a short stick back home but with your authority I can convince them.” He said
“That's an interesting position to put your CO in Captain” he said sternly
“Sir these people are very good at what they do and would be worthy additions.”
“Okay what about the rest the Fox's Teeth and Delta Company we all took losses?” Captain Olivia Foreman commander of Delta Company's second company.
“We will need to recruit from the Collection, though I believe after today, the Collection will give us the leeway to do so, sir.” Canin said refocusing on Redburn
“Why would the Rimmers do so, Captain McKinnon,” asked Leftenant Sandy Hill.
Canin was about to answer when Redburn instead did so. “Because the Collection owes us, Leftenant. At the moment, we’re their only real allies and they know we’re pissed at what their incompetence after this last battle has cost us, especially after showing us how well they could operate with us since we have arrived here to aid them. They will do what they can to keep us here, so long as it doesn’t violate their military agreements with the monkeys and raptors.” He said “if Canin is able to recruit who he wants we can supplement our lances with these new recruits and anyone from the Collection who wishes to join up with us.”
“Yes sir,” Canin agreed with him.
“And what if they don’t sir,” the Leftenant asked.
“They won’t" Redburn assured them confident now after thinking over Canin's idea. "But if they do, we’ll decide then and only then on what to do. Am I clear?” General Redburn eyed the entire table as everyone, including Canin, acknowledged him with a yes sir. “Good. Get back to your units and keep calm around the monkeys. Captain McKinnon, stay behind.”
After they were alone, General Redburn looked him up and down. “You look like you just went through hell, son.”
“With respect, sir, you heard the battlefield reports, both ours and theirs,” he kept his anger just at bay as he reported to his superior. Damien Redburn could see the turmoil in the man, maybe some time away from the Collection would do him well.
“I did. Yet no one else under my command had a family member assigned to this mission,” Redburn reminded him. “I am sorry for your loss, son. And I will find out what the hell happened to our air support. However, I need your word as a soldier and an officer of the Federated Suns not to react violently against the Rimmers and their clanners.”
So this is what this was about, Canin seethed, as he balled his hands. “You have my word I will not lash out at our supposed allies, sir. Yet I don’t make any promises not to demand a Trial of Grievance for whoever screwed us royally over in the battle. Sir.”
Redburn nodded his head as he leaned against the comm table. “David was a good officer and a better soldier,” the general reminded him. “I won’t stop you from doing what you must, son. Just make sure you come to me so I can hammer out the details first to ensure no blow back comes your way from the Rimmers. Clear?”
Canin instinctively stood at attention. “Is that an order, sir,” he asked his superior.
“Only if it needs to be, captain.”
“Yes sir. May I be excused, sir,” Canin asked.
“In a moment son. With David’s death, our ground component no longer has a commander. You’re it. I would usually say congratulations are in order, Major, but not after what happened today.”
“Yes, sir” Canin replied
“Get yourself cleaned up, you ship out tomorrow for All Dawn, you'll hook up with the FSS Zibler and the Warsaw. You'll transfer to a civilian transport at Halfway and be re-routed to Arc Royal from there. We'll begin recruiting efforts here.”
“Yes, sir” Canin replied curtly before heading off Damien would keep an eye on the young McKinnon officer as well as many of the other members of their command.
Border Reinforcement
Draconis March, Federated Suns
22nd August 3096 With Sterling McKenna's defacto defection to the Federated Suns the Snow Ravens had communicated less and less with the Succession State and their traders had crossed the border far less. To account for this cooling in the relationship between neighbours the AFFS had send four additional WarShips and three additional Regimental Combat Teams into the Draconis March stationing them within distance of worlds on the Raven Alliance border. On top of this they assigned three more mercenary commands to the Crucis March worlds near by ready to jump to worlds attacked by the Ravens. This additional firepower in the region had a by-product effect with pirate raids in the region being far less effective.
Skada Ravine Memorial Centre
Megrez, Independent World
Former Free Worlds League
26th August 3096 The world of Megrez had benefited from the break-up of the Free Worlds League in ways similar to that of Bowang. Situated between the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth, the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey and the Lyran Commonwealth the system had become a place where the nations around it could meet, discuss their issues and trade goods. Unlike Bowang the people of Megrez had no ambitions beyond their own world benefiting from the three nations around it being unwilling to make an offensive move on Megrez and those around it.
On Megrez there were several beautiful places for people to enjoy and explore one such place was the Skada Ravine on the northern continent. During 3018 during the Third Succession War the Ravine on the northern continent had been the sight of a battle between the Marik Militia and forces of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. As with many battles of the Third Succession War the Battle of Skada Ravine had turned into a deadly close quarters brawl as both sides ran low on ammunition several of the Mechs had been destroyed by physical blows before the end of the fight. In the years since the end of the Fourth Succession War the Skada Ravine Memorial Centre had been built as a reminder to the world that Megrez had a brutal past.
Unlike many worlds while Megrez past was brutal its present had been relatively peaceful leading to many visitors to the memorial centre especially through the planet's summer months, between July and October. Making it the perfect target. The Mauler BattleMech marched down the side of the grassed Ravine immediately missiles and autocannon fire slammed into the defenceless Memorial Centre. A second and third salvo of fire slammed into the facility shattering walls and starting fire then as quickly as the Mauler had begun its attack the Mech executed a perfect turn and heading into the planet's countryside leaving the memorial centre to burn.
Several hours later as the Mech continued away from the destroyed Memorial Centre a green Marauder II stepped out ahead of the Mauler. “MechWarrior halt!” the Warrior called out because of the distortion the Mauler pilot could not tell if it was a man or woman on board the Marauder II.
“Do you wish to die?” Gunther Dudsen asked looking over the Marauder it was bigger than his Mauler but the assault Mech was a tough Mech one that could take the beating that the Marauder could dish out.
“That is a question that you should ask yourself, Mr Dudsen” the other MechWarrior replied as an Ebon Jaguar stepped out from the Mauler's left hand side while a Javelin walked out on the right and a VTOL buzzed overhead suddenly it was three Mechs and a vehicle against his Mech.
“I have many times” he replied concentrating on the Marauder II he knew the Mech, who didn't “am I your Bounty?” He asked
“Not today, you haven't reached that level quite yet...”
“Then why?”
“I'd like to help you reach that level” the Bounty Hunter replied “it's simple, you join us today and tomorrow you fight across the Inner Sphere.”
“And if I don't?”
“Then we part ways with our best wishes for your future success.” The pilot replied the Marauder II was not standing weapons ready to engage instead it simply blocked his path, the others were ready for a fight and in one the Javelin would easily be the best choice but then there was the offer.
“What would be my cut?” He asked
“Equal share in what you are involved in”
“And should there be... collateral damage?”
“The more the merrier, Herr Dudsen.”
“And I can go my own way if I choose at anytime?”
“We'd prefer you stayed within our group but if you chose to leave you would not be stopped unless it was during a contract.”
“Understood” Dubsen replied “deal” he replied a moment later agreeing to the Bounty Hunter's terms, perhaps now he could extend the body count.
