Vass' Chindits: Second Chances

[gleamingterrier]

This is my new merc unit. I'm playing a solo campaign with them on MegaMek, where I'm planning on taking them through the major wars of the 31st Century, through the Jihad if they don't get wiped out. I hope to post additional info (supplemental readouts, interviews, other media about them in the JHS style). Comments are welcome!

Vass' Chindits: Second Chances



Major Jennifer Vass was the AFFS liaison to the Screaming Eagles during the Fourth Succession War. On New Canton, where a brigade commander from the Eagles was responsible for war crimes, she witnessed the honor of the mercenaries when his own unit stood against him to take him into custody. On Menkalinan, where AFFS quartermasters were attempting to punish the Eagles for this transgression by withholding supplies (despite the loss it would have caused to the overall war effort), she effectively ended her career in the AFFS by calling in every favor she had to get the supply chain moving.

Faced with a stalled career and a fear of the eventual results of the Davion-Steiner alliance, she gathered a few friends from her service in the Crucis Lancers, her roommate from Goshen War College, and assorted Screaming Eagles who wanted a fresh start and made her way to Galatea. Naming her command after her company's nickname in the Lancers, Vass' Chindits were formed in late 3031.

The Chindits made a splash immediately, mostly through blind luck. They were hired by Curren Maclaw, the governor of Leximon in the Lothian League. Raiders from the Marian Hegemony had taken his son Patrick, serving as an infantryman in the Leximon Citizen's Militia, as a slave in a raid, and the Chindits were hired to rescue him before the pirate realized who it was they had. The raid was a success, but it wasn't until the next year, when a documentary describing the raid, came out in the League. Although it focused on the harrowing ordeal of the slaves, the intelligence gathering leading to the raid and the heroics of the Lothian commando squads who cleared out the slave barracks, the Chindits did feature come across quite positively in the film. “For Freedom Yearned” won 'Best Documentary' at the prestigious Oriente Film Festival, and the Chindits have since received a number of enticing contract offers.

The Chindits have no standard paint scheme, preferring to use whatever camouflage is suitable for the mission. Their logo is a heraldic representation of a Burmese Chinthe, a mythical creature which lent its name to an ancient Earth military force.

Dragoon Rating: D

Tactics: Captain Vass was on the career track in the AFFS until the New Canton incident derailed it, so she is largely predisposed to standard Davion tactics. Maneuver is very important to the Chindits, and elaborate cat-and-mouse games are often played with opponents, waiting until kill shots are lined up and frustration causes enemies to make stupid mistakes.

Support: Vass' poor reputation with the AFFS logistics and quartermaster have made hiring former Davion technicians difficult. She has been relying on a few former Screaming Eagle techs, but her Mechs are chronically under-maintained. Transport is also an issue, inasmuch as the Chindits have none, and are forced to rely on their employer.

Officers: Vass and XO Toni Val were roommates at Goshen, and further bonded when both their Whitworths were assigned to the same fire lance. They are the core of the Chindits long-range fire support, and have had many years of practice in rapid switching of targets between them. Lieutenant Marcus Holland is the lone Screaming Eagle officer to join the Chindits at its inception, and was given command of the recon lance to maintain esprit de corps among former Eagles. Despite the affection his men have for him, however, he is only an average MechWarrior and leader, and Vass fears the day may be coming when he may need to be replaced.

Vass' Chindits
Company/Regular/Reliable
CO: Captain Jennifer Vass
XO: Lieutenant Toni Val
Composed of mostly light and medium Mechs of Davion origin, the Chindits have no advanced technology. There are an unfortunate number of missile boats of varying sizes in her command, which Vass would like to replace with energy-based designs, having seen the sort of havoc a lack of resupply can cause.

[snakespinner]

An interesting start to a merc's life.
Now you just need tech's and salvage. ;)

[Hawkeye Jim]

Isn't Jennifer a female name? You keep referring to Vass as he.

[gleamingterrier]

Isn't Jennifer a female name? You keep referring to Vass as he.

Er, no I don't. The only 'he's' in the write-up refer to the Screaming Eagles commander cashiered in the 4th SW and Lt. Marcus Holland, commander of the strike lance.

[Hawkeye Jim]

Nice save.  8)

[Tiki Monkey]

I like what you have going here, now please let us see a TO&E.

[Snimm]

I'm going to guess Valkyries, Javelins, Whitworths, Dervishes, and maybe an Archer or two for the bulk of this unit.

[gleamingterrier]

[Male Voice 1]...thing on? Okay, this is Major James Jones, representing McCarron's Armored Cavalry. Also present for the MAC is our contract negotiator, Karl Pioli.
[Pioli]Yes, hello.
[Jones]If you two could introduce yourself?
[Female Voice 1]This is Captain Jennifer Vass, CO of Vass' Chindits.
[Female Voice 2]Toni Val, XO of the Chindits.
[Jones]And we're here today to discuss the possibility of hiring the Chindits for some work.
[Vass]Before we get too far, I just want to make it clear that while we have a great respect for McCarron's Armored Cav, and appreciate the offer being made to us, it's very unlikely that we will accept it. There are a number of members of my command who didn't even want me to take this meeting...
[Val, sotto voce]More than a few.
[Vass]But we don't have the luxury of picking and choosing our potential employers.
[Jones]Ouch. And you're the diplomatic one? Okay, this is not completely unexpected.
[Vass]Really?
[Jones]You're both Davion nationals, with AFFS experience. Frankly, that's a large part of why we want you for this job. We're looking for former Davion officers who lead units based on AFFS doctrine. You both fought in the last war, and you know as well as anyone how it turned out for the Capellan Confederation.
[Val]Damn right.
[Pioli]Lieutenant Val, please contain yourself.
[Vass]Tor, please.
[Val]No, why should I? We spent half our lives preparing to fight Cappies, do you really think there's a chance in hell I want to work for them?
[Jones]Well, that's the first thing you've got wrong. You wouldn't be employed by the Confederation. This contract is with the Third Regiment of the MAC, to act as OpFor during a series of wargames on Menke. Your payment would come directly from our operational fund.
[Vass]And you get it from the Confederation. Forgive me, but I don't really see a huge difference.
[Jones]Then you need to look again. This contract is our own decision, part of a training regimen to prepare for the next conflict and minimize loss of life.
[Val]Loss of Capellan life, you mean. I'm sorry, and MAC, of course.
[Jones]Or you could say that a well-trained and prepared Liao force will discourage further Davion adventurism, leading to a long-term detente in the region, saving lives on both sides of the border.
[Vass]Is that really what you think?
[Jones]Actually, it doesn't matter what I think. I don't get paid to worry about politics, that's above my pay grade. I am, like you, a soldier, offering you a chance to get paid to help other soldiers survive.
[Val]Come on, Jen, we're done here. We are done here, right?
[Vass]Settle down, Tori.
[Val]No, I won't! I can't believe we're sitting here listening to this! If we take this contract, we're going to find ourselves in the hands of the Maskirovka the moment we set foot on Menke.
[Jones, laughing]Right, because after the Fourth Succession War, and all the prisoners we interrogated during it, we're going to get some great secrets from a former merc liason and her substandard XO.
[Val]Substandard?
[Jones]Your range scores don't lie. Now, shut up, Lieutenant, and let the big kids talk.
[Val]Jennifer?
There is five seconds of silence.
[Vass]Sit down, Lieutenant. Any further outbursts and I will have you confined to quarters.
[Jones]Okay, then, let's talk for real...

-Recording of a contract negotiation on Outreach, October 3033

[gleamingterrier]

Vass' Chindits TO&E, October 3033

Command Lance
Captain Jennifer Vass, WTH-1 Whitworth
Ambrosious Dell, RFL-3N Rifleman
Zachary Johnson, PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk
Michael Noordorvliet, HBK-4G Hunchback

Recon Lance
Lieutenant Marcus Holland, PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk
Felix Wooten, COM-2D Commando
Percy Cleveland, VLK-QD Valkyrie
Mathias Hector, LCT-1V Locust

Strike Lance
Lieutenant Toni Val, WTH-1 Whitworth
Seth Murtada, FS9-H Firestarter
Aurelio Galindo, HBK-4G Hunchback
Phil Thomas, TDR-5S Thunderbolt

Aerospace Lance
Lieutenant Finley Carmack, SYD-21 Seydlitz
Dane Hartridge, SYD-21 Seydlitz

Chindits SAR
Jump Infantry Platoon
2 Ferret VTOLs

Fire Support
LRM Carrier
LRM Carrier
Saladin Assault Hover Tank
Saladin Assault Hover Tank

[gleamingterrier]

Dress Uniform

For their first two decades of existence, there was no standardized Chindit dress uniform. However, when Captain Vass was called in front of the Mercenary Review Board on Galatea in 3048, to answer to charges of piracy made by the Free Worlds League, a more professional appearance was called for. When having the uniform made, Captain Vass wanted black for an appearance reminiscent of the Kell Hounds and Wolf's Dragoon's dress uniforms. However, the tailor who was able to make the uniforms in time for the hearing had only enough material in black for the slacks, and Vass was forced to choose crimson for the jackets.

Based on the pattern of the F3018 Federated Suns dress uniform (circa 3025-era), it dispenses with the sunburst over the left shoulder, replacing it instead with a button-up flap for the uniform jacket. Rank insignia based on classic SLDF insignia are displayed as silver pins on the high collars of officers, and as shoulder flashes on the right arm for enlisted and non-commissioned officers. The left shoulder displays the Chindit unit insignia. Any decorations earned in previous military service may be displayed on the left side of the chest.

The slacks are black, with a crimson stripe running down the outside of each leg. Rather than the long slacks of the F3018 dress uniform, the bottoms are tucked into black mid-calf riding boots. Mechwarriors who have served in the AFFS are allowed to wear their spurs. The Chindits bypass the traditional officer's sword on their dress uniforms. It is replaced by a kukri, the traditional knife of the Gurkhas, which is strapped to the left hip.

Headgear consists of a crimson beret, matching the color of the jacket, with the Chindit insignia displayed as a small silver pin on the front. When indoors, the beret is removed and placed under the right epaulette of the jacket.

The review board was presumably impressed by the uniforms. The Chindit's guerrilla campaign on Loyalty was declared a legitimate military action, even if the contract was not arbitrated by ComStar, and the Chindit's capture of the prototype Tramp-class jumpship, decried as theft by SelaSys and the FWLM, was classified as salvage, not loot. The testimony of Ria Tannon, former member of the 4th Oriente Hussars, captured on Loyalty and given limited parole by the Chindits, was a major factor in their favor, as she joined the Chindits on the day her military service to the FWLM ended.

The true employer of the Chindits for their Loyalty mission remains uncertain. The corporation that wrote the checks, RHF Heavy Industries, was found to be a sham. The trail ran cold after a number of shell companies, and analysts posit a number of theories, ranging from corporate espionage to the whims of Romano Liao. If Vass knows the truth, she's not telling.

[Dave Talley]

tag

[gleamingterrier]

Lieutenant Toni Val, Executive Officer/Strike Lance Commander (3030-?)

Toni Val grew up with what was commonly referred to as "old money". Her parents were the owners of the largest rail transport system on Robinson, though it had been three generations since any Val had set foot on a train for anything other than a publicity photo.

When Toni, on a whim, told her parents of her intention to join the AFFS, they forbade her. With a rebellious streak, she signed the paperwork, and they mourned her as if she was already dead. In a final attempt to dissuade her, they cut off her generous allowance. Her trust fund, however, couldn't be touched. She used these funds on the day she turned 18 to purchase a Mech, a newly-repaired Whitworth salvaged by the Robinson Rangers. The remainder of her funds went to the War College of Goshen, as a 'donation' to aid her mediocre entrance exam scores.

Val was assigned to room with Vass, and as they both had Whitworths, they were also assigned to the same lance in most training operations. After graduation, they remained in touch, although Val had a series of uninspiring march militia assignments, while Vass was on the fast track to the general staff. When Vass formed the Chindits following the Fourth Succession War, Val had been informed that her recent re-qualification scores only barely passed, and that she was on probationary duty.

As a Mechwarrior, Val leaves much to be desired. She is, however, an excellent administrator, a role that, along with her friendship with Vass, keeps her an integral part of the Chindits. In 3052, following the Clan invasion and the destruction of her Mech, she retired from active MechWarrior duty to focus exclusively on the administrative side of the unit, as well as to raise her two children, Aurelio (b.3034) and Marcus (b.3039). Both were the product of her marriage with Chindit Aurelio Galindo, who was killed in action on Loyalty in 3047.

Lieutenant Sung-Hee Chang, Recon Lance Commander (3053-?)

In 3050, Sung-Hee Chang was a recent graduate of the St. Ives Academy of Military Science. She barely matriculated with her class, as her career was nearly derailed by a cheating scandal in her cadet company. Although a Board of Inquiry cleared her of wrongdoing, so St. Ives CO wanted her, and her stint in the Valexa CMM led to several fights, as she aggravated the warriors in her lance with pressure to perform up to line standards. As a final measure to keep her career afloat, she was authorized to be seconded into mercenary service with a unit serving the Federated Commonwealth. It was as a Chindit that Chang first encountered the Clans, first on Dompaire then on Blair Atholl.

Despite her issues, or perhaps because of them, Vass sees great potential in Chang. Her disciplinary issues seem to have been out of her control, and Vass feels that a more tolerant organization than the bloated FedCom and St. Ives alliance might allow her to flourish.

Edit: Corrected date of Marcus Galindo's birth (he was named after Marcus Holland).

[gleamingterrier]

Ambrosious Dell, Command Lance (3030-3046), promoted to Lieutenant, Fire Lance Commander (3046-?)

While most Chindits were former AFFS warriors or Screaming Eagles, Ambrosious Dell was the lone recruit from the independent Galtea circuit. He approached Vass prior to their first Lothian contract, offering his Rifleman and a set of of-the-chart gunnery scores. With claims of no prior military service and former MI2 analyst Aurelio Galindo unable to find mention of his name anywhere in the Successor States, it was clear that Dell was an assumed name, but Vass was unable to pass up his skills and machine, and signed him on, placing him in her command lance to keep an eye on him.

Dell proved his worth over the next two decades, fighting with skill and honor, earning a field promotion to Lieutenant and a captured Archer on Loyalty. He remained fairly solitary, making friends with other members of the Chindits, but rarely conversing with allied forces. He would, in fact, refuse to leave his cabin in the dropship when it was grounded on any world the Chindits were recruiting or trying to be hired, be it Outreach, Galatea, or Solaris. All this confirmed, in Vass' mind, Dell's status as a deserter.

His origins remained murky, however, until 3050, when, during the initial Clan invasion, the Chindits were assigned to garrison Dompaire. The Jade Falcons attacked the world, and the commander of the Dompaire Armored Cavalry didn't feel the need to include the Chindits in his plans for defense of the world. When the Cavalry was defeated and forced into guerrilla warfare, the Chindits performed a combat drop onto Dompaire Central Spaceport, in order to link up with survivors and lead them to the caverns the Chindits had found, where they planned for a guerrilla campaign of their own. However, as the Jade Falcons approached, Dell sent a tightbeam message to Vass, instructing her to "request a trial" for something he called "hegira." Confused, but trusting her officer, Vass complied, finding herself in combat with a Koshi whose pilot claimed to be the unit's commander. She won narrowly, despite the Orion she was piloting at the time outmassing her opponent by 25 tons. As they lifted from Dompaire unmolested with several squads of Dompaire infantry and vehicle crews, she pulled Dell into a wardroom, gun drawn, and got the whole story.

Ambrosious Dell was born in 2986, the father of a failed Elemental and a technician in the service of Clan Coyote. He earned a position as a MechWarrior despite his freeborn origins. When the Dragoon Compromise came about, it was to be staffed by Clan Wolf warriors. However, despite their primary composition being cast-offs and freeborns, five regiments of warriors was still a significant drain on Wolf resources. In response, they performed a series of harvesting trials against their allies, ritual trials in order to fill out the ranks with like-minded Wardens or troublesome warriors other clans simply wanted to be rid of. Dell was one of the new adoptees brought into Clan Wolf from Clan Coyote.

Ambrosious Dell, who is now suspected to have originally gone by Morris Astley, was a Sergeant in Wolf's Dragoons Delta Regiment, Able Battalion, LaSalle's Company. Reported killed on Misery, he actually went AWOL from the Dragoons, feeling that Jaime Wolf's feud with the Draconis Combine was a dilution of their mission from the Clans, and was a result of Wolf's corruption by the Inner Sphere. However, as he was taken into Vass' confidence, he fell victim to the same trust and bonds of friendship, realizing in the 3040's that he no longer felt beholden to the Clans: he was a Chindit.

In 3055, the Dragoons were on Outreach when the Dragoon Civil War broke out. Dell requested a leave of absence to reveal himself as a previous Dragoon and joined Alpin's forces. Although the survivors of Alpin's faction were pardoned, Dell was still a deserter, and faced a Trial of Grievance. He won the Trial, and though he would not face Dragoon justice, the Chindits were informed that they were no longer welcome on Outreach until Dell was no longer in their unit. When faced with loyalty to her unit versus potential patronage by the most powerful mercenary force in the Inner Sphere, the Chindits boosted for Galatea. All the Chindits, including Lieutenant Ambrosious Dell.

[gleamingterrier]

Just as an aside, Dell's background was an absolute B**** to do. I try to create my units in a way that they can be dropped flawlessly into canon, but Dell's was such that it required a whole lot of work. But in the end, there's nothing in it that can't have been said to have happened off-screen already.

[Nav_Alpha]

Just as an aside, Dell's background was an absolute B**** to do. I try to create my units in a way that they can be dropped flawlessly into canon, but Dell's was such that it required a whole lot of work. But in the end, there's nothing in it that can't have been said to have happened off-screen already.

I think it came out really well - it's always fun to fit your pcs in-synch with real life (well... Battletech canon real life) events.
As soon as I saw Dell was an ex-clanner I was a little leary. It seems every homemade merc unit has an elite clanner these days.
But his back story was great! Really liked the Dragoons' angle, especially the way that he deserted over Wolf going native.

Top unit - I'm really loving them so far!

[gleamingterrier]

Chindit operations, 3030-3049

Operation Hogtie - Recovery of Patrick Maclaw, extraction raid for Lothian League, 3030
Operation Corkscrew - Cadre training/OpFor for MacCarron's Armored Cavalry, Menke, 3031-3032
Operation Groundswell - Reconnaissance raid on Verlo for MacCarron's Armored Cavalry, 3032
Operation Title Card - Objective raid on Northwind for Capellan Confederaton, 3032
Operation Keystone - Pirate hunting near Lyran/Marik periphery for Lyran Commonwealth, 3033
Operation Blank Stare - Cadre training/OpFor for MacCarron's Armored Cavalry, Menke, 3034-3035
Operation Musketeer - Support for MacCarron's Armored Cavalry's assault on Texlos, 3036-3037
Operation Salamander - Garrison Duty on Holloway for Capellan Confederation, 3037-3038
Operation Hunker - Reconnaissance raid on Sadachbia for AFFS (preparation for War of '39), 3038
Operation Hexagon - Militia training for Free Rasalhague Republic on Goito, 3039-40
Operation Providence - Garrison/security duty on Illushin/Vandenburg Industries, Taurian Concordat, 3040-3043
Operation Smooth Pave - Mole hunting on Furillo, for Lyan Commonwealth, 3045-3046
Operation Blackpool - Guerrilla combat on Loyalty, for RHF Heavy Industries, 3046-3048
     -Operation Profound - Recovery of captured MechWarriors from 4th Oriente Hussars, 3047
     -Operation Javelin - Theft of Tramp-class jumpship prototype (later renamed Aurelio Galindo), 3048

Any operations sound particularly interesting for me to do a write-up of?

Edit: Corrected the dates for Profound and Javelin. These were both smaller operations that took place during Blackpool.

[Hawkeye Jim]

Sheesh, these guys have worked for almost everybody but Kurita!

Keystone, Profound and Javelin sound intriguing to me.

[Kojak]

Any operations sound particularly interesting for me to do a write-up of?

If it were me? Operation Hogtie, Operation Title Card, Operation Musketeer, and the last four on the list.

[snakespinner]

The Kojak 7 were the most interesting for me as well.
But if it came down to 2 Hogtie and Javelin intrigue me.

[Nav_Alpha]

Any operations sound particularly interesting for me to do a write-up of?

ummm..... all of them...
Blackpool, Hexagon and I'd love to hear more about Hogtie.

I find it interesting that this bunch of former AFFC mercs worked so heavily for the Cappies - especially following the XO's little outburst earlier
Seriously. Awesome stuff, love the unit

[gleamingterrier]

Rising Star: MechWarrior, film auteur... holovid actor?
by Michelle Restin

Vass' Chindits, a Mech company formed in the wake of Davion's war of aggression, made of officers and soldiers who could no longer stomach Davion warmongering, are currently providing opposition forces for MAC training exercises. The Chindits featured prominently in "For Freedom Yearned," last year's winning documentary at the Oriente Film Festival, detailing the rescue of a son of a prominent Lothian politician. Zachary Johnson was one of the darlings of the film, thanks to his charming interviews on-screen, not to mention his bravery during the mission. I recently had a chance to sit down with Zachary, where we discussed the mission, his time as a mercenary, and a potential new career.

MR: Thank you so much for sitting down with me! How are you enjoying Menke?

ZJ: It's been fantastic! Everyone's been great off the base, really taking the time to make us at home. You'd think we were the 21st Centauri Lancers, the way some of the restaurants treat us.

MR: Good to hear! From all reports, it's just returning the favor of your solid service for the MAC. You've been serving as training opponents for the units here, is that right?

ZJ: Well, I can't go into too many details. Suffice it to say, we're all coming away from the experience as better warriors.

MR: Of course, I wanted to ask you about the movie. "For Freedom Yearned" told the story of the mission your unit referred to internally as "Hogtie"?

ZJ: Right, Operation Hogtie. Well, as you know, in late 3029, raiders from the Marian Hegemony landed on Leximon, in the Lothian League. Typical pirate stuff, they were looking for whatever loot they could get away with, in and out. They ran across a company of the Leximon Citizen's Militia. The Militia had holed up in a building, and a Marian Firestarter had them pinned in place. Rather than let his men burn, the Militia Major surrendered. Which was the right move, by the way. The movie made the poor guy out to be incompetent, but if he'd held out, no one would have made it out alive. Anyway, he surrendered, and the Marians took slaves. Barbarians. What the didn't know is that one of the militiamen was Patrick Maclaw, the son of Leximon's governer Curren Maclaw.

MR: The documentary said that Corporal Maclaw tried to surrender himself to get the rest of his company released. But I've heard reports that version of events was embellished.

ZJ: Yeah, well, I wasn't there, so I can't tell you what really happened. The film says his men stopped him from revealing himself, and gave him the dogtags from a downed squadmate to hide his identity. But some of the talk on the burn away from Addhara... he didn't have the confidence of all of his men, let's just say.

MR: Interesting. What about the mission itself?

ZJ: Well, that was pretty much as seen in the movie. By the time the Chindits had been hired by Governor Maclaw and were making our way to the Periphery, Lothian intelligence showed that the militia slaves had been taken to Addhara. We met up with a Lothian strike team in between the Hegemony and Niops, and headed to a pirate point over Addhara.

MR: Then you split up?

ZJ: Right. Half of our Mechs, along with the strike team, which was mostly militia volunteers in repainted vehicles, landed the dropship and hit a silver mine on Kelton Island. We looked like typical pirate raiders. But on the way over the Toro Plains, the rest of us performed a cold-reactor assault drop.

MR: That mush have been terrifying.

ZJ: You have no idea. We'd practiced it before, in sims, when Captain Vass was my lance commander in the 3rd Crucis Lancers, but it's nuts for real. They basically just threw out Mechs out the bay doors, we dropped until we were clear on radar, then we quick-started our reactors to control our descent with jump jets. It was bad enough for me, and I've got a Phoenix Hawk. The Captain and XO both have Whitworths, and they've got notoriously weak leg joints. We're lucky we only had one 'Mech down at that point.

MR: The ROMs from Lieutenant Val's descent were nerve-wracking. She must be a great pilot to have landed that with as little damage as she did.

ZJ: (Laughs) Yeah, she's the best. Anyway, we made it down with no one on the planet being the wiser, and we linked up with the covert ops teams. They'd pinpointed the spot the militia were being held, this big barracks-slash-market near the ocean. It's kind of a country club atmosphere for the rich and famous: visit the beach, play some golf, come back with a few slaves to clean the dirty laundry you've accumulated.

MR: Disgusting.

ZJ: Different cultures, I guess. So, once we got there, the covert ops team took over. I know people roll their eyes, they're only Lothian. It's not like they're Death Commandos or anything. But still, these guys knew their business. They'd stolen two civilian APCs, these hover armored cars used to pick up money from banks, and they piled into the back. While the slow Mechs attacked a train station on the east side of the town, tilting over cars like they were looking for a specific cargo, the three of us, Lieutenant Holland's provo lance, raced in from the south, pacing the APCs, to storm the facility.

MR: Did you face any opposition?

ZJ: Not until we got there. It was as easy as pie until we were about three miles from the facility, then they realized what was up. We made contact six blocks before we arrived, and then we fought our way to the barracks.

MR: And then the infantry entered the building.

ZJ: And left almost immediately. I've seen my share of gun camera footage, but I've never seen anything like when they stormed that building. They were like those kids on the planetary networks and their video games, you know? The 13-year-olds who kill anything that moves, instantly? Just incredible. Lieutenant H. told us to guard the APCs for 15 minutes while they retrieved the prisoners. You know how long it took? I know exactly, because the moment they entered the front door, a Hunchback poked around the corner. I fired everything I had to drive him back into cover, and right as my temperature gauge dropped back into yellow, they radioed that they were coming out.

I tested it later, a dozen times, back on Galatea. Twenty-seven seconds. It took 27 seconds for my heat to drop from an alpha strike back to yellow, and 27 seconds for 14 men to clear out a two-story building of opposition and bring out their countrymen without a single casualty. Don't get me wrong, we Chindits did good work, but those commandos were [absolutely] incredible.

MR: That portion of the film was amazing. And the director says that was your idea?

ZJ: I have a good one every so often. (Laughs) After I did my interviews with him, I told Max that they should run each of the cams of the soldiers, one right after another, then play them all at the same time, in a grid on the screen. You don't realize how fast everything happened until you saw it all at once. He did a better job that I could have imagined, though.

MR: People loved you in the film. You've even got a fan club devoted to you on Leximon.

ZJ: Really? I didn't know that. I just tried to be myself on camera. Everything I said may have come across as really clever, but it's just the way soldiers talk. You've got to have a sense of humor when you do something so dangerous for a living. Some of the funniest things I've ever heard are about the unfunniest situations ever.

MR: So, with your screen presence and a built-in audience, at least back on Leximon, have you considered going into vids?

ZJ: (Laughs) No, can't say I have. I have enough of a hard time getting shot at. If you add in the pressure of staying one step ahead of the scandal vids? I don't think I could handle that kind of pressure.

MR: Wise man. Zachary, thank you so much for speaking with me. It's been a pleasure, and I know my readers appreciate it.

ZJ: The pleasure has been all mine, Michelle.
 

Originally Published in Menke Pulse, April 3032 edition

[Kojak]

Damn, this is some great fluff. You should be proud of yourself, I wish I could write this well. Looking forward to more.

[Cerberus]

Tagged for being a cool read.

[gleamingterrier]

Major Jennifer Vass, Commanding Officer, Vass' Chindits (3030-?)

Sergeant Peter Vass, Jennifer Vass' father, was a 26-year-old AFFS infantryman in 2997 when he captured a Kurita supply depot his squad stubled upon during a patrol. Awarded a severely damaged Whitworth, he spent the next decade sending money and scavenged parts to a friend in the Capellan Dragoons, a tech who promised to work on the Mech in his spare time. Back on Vass' homeworld of Ogilvie, Jennifer grew up knowing that this Mech was her birthright, and when it finally took its first unaided steps in 3009, twelve years after its capture, she knew she would pilot it for the Suns.

Following high school, Vass applied for a number of scholarships to academy positions. Lacking the connections for schools like Albion and NAMA, she applied to several smaller and private academies. Recognizing in her test scores and psychological profile a potential career officer, Goshen, seeking to expand its network of alumni further throughout the AFFS infrastructure, offered her a significant scholarship. She performed admirably, and upon graduation, received command of a fire lance in the 3rd Crucis Lancers in 3022. In 3024, she was promoted to Captain and received command of a company in the 3rd Crucis. In 3026, she was transferred to the 2nd Chisholm Raiders to serve as battalion XO, most likely to prepare her for a battalion command during the 4th Succession War.

While with the Raiders, Vass was injured during a training exercise in 3027. While she eventually made a full recovery, she was unable to reach full combat re-certification by the launch of Operation Rat. Instead, she served as the AFFS liason to the Screaming Eagles during the Fourth Succession War. After an Eagle officer committed war crimes, she witnessed the warriors under his command bring him to justice. Later, when AFFS quartermasters purposely withheld supplies to teach the Eagles a lesson, Vass called in every favor she had to get the supplies moving again. In doing so, however, she effectively ended her career in the AFFS.

Not wanting to give up military life, she gathered a number of friends from Goshen War College, her time in the Crucis Lancers, and several disaffected Screaming Eagles, made her way to Galatea and formed Vass' Chindits. Her career since then has been solid, and she faced down the demons of her past in 3040, when Opson Mathis, the former Screaming Eagles Colonel who instigated the New Canton massacre, located the location of her unit on Goito. Having turned to piracy, Mathis and his small band attacked the Chindits while they were training Kungsarme troops. The pirates were defeated, and Vass chose to face Mathis' Orion in a one-on-one battle that Ambrosious Dell would later describe as a spontaneous Trial of Grievance, and a major turning point in transferring his loyalty from the Clans to the Chindits. Vass defeated Mathis, who died from heat exhaustion after the running battle (Vass used the long-range capability of the Whitworth to wear down Mathis in a two-hour-long fight), and claimed his Orion as her own.

In 3041, Vass had a son, Jason, from a liason with a MAC officer. She is on friendly terms with the father, Captain James Jones (Jason is named after Jones' father), but she retains full parental custody.

[Nav_Alpha]

Can you tell us more about the former Screaming Eagles who came across after the 4th war?
I assume most of Marcus Holland's recon lance are ex-Eagles, seeing as he is.

Loving this unit by the way

[gleamingterrier]

Thanks! I'm about halfway through writeups on Marcus Holland, Mathias Hector, and the late Aurelio Galindo, so those should be going up in the next few days, along with another mission writeup.

For anyone wondering, Major Jennifer Vass is an actual canon character, at least the part about her serving as liason to the Eagles during the 4th SW. Something about her calling in all her personal favors in order to get the Screaming Eagles back in the fight really struck my sense of the dramatic while reading the NAIS 4th SW Atlas.

[snakespinner]

It is good how you integrated a canon character with the canon unit she helped.
Looking forward to seeing your write ups on the ex screamers.

[gleamingterrier]

Lieutenant Marcus Holland, Commander, Recon Lance, 3030-3039

Marcus Holland is a mercenary brat, born and raised. His mother was a MechWarrior in a merc lance optimistically named Langer's Legends. Not unexpectedly, it failed to live up to its name. After his mother was killed in action during the Third Succession War, Holland inherited her Phoenix Hawk, nicknamed "The Frog Prince" for its heavy-duty leg myomers, which gave it an appearance of powerful, bulky thighs. Holland was able to, despite his lack of experience, join the Screaming Eagles thanks to a contract stipulation in which he volunteered to will the Mech to the unit in the event of his death, rather than his family (of which he had none at the time).

Holland served in Opson Mathis' command lance during New Canton. Although he disagreed with Mathis at his order to seal enemy warriors in their cockpits and drown them, he did not stop the order from occurring. When warriors from Mathis' own unit confronted him on the battlefield, Holland did not, standing by his own commander despite his many misgivings. Mathis surrendered regardless, and Holland found himself in the uneasy position of appearing to be a Mathis supporter, even when he did not support his actions.

Afterwards, Holland was questioned by Vass, who wanted to ensure the loyalty of those troopers who stood by Mathis. Holland assured her that he had no hand in the orders, and did not support them, and was only maintaining the proper chain of command until his CO was relieved through proper channels. Vass was suitably impressed by the passion of his self-defense and honor that when she formed the Chindits, she invited Holland specifically to join her unit. Feeling the gaze of fellow Screaming Eagles on him every time his back was turned, Holland chose to accept the invitation.

Holland served as recon lance commander for eight years, masking mediocre leadership skills with superb teamwork among the other members of the recon lance, two of whom were former Screaming Eagles. In 3038, his lance was mauled during a recon raid on Sadachbia, however. Vass led the retreat from the planet on his recommendation without identifying the opposing unit, leading to a failed contract. Although records declassified by the DCMS in the mid-3060's identified the unit as the 9th Ghost, it was rotated off-planet prior to the War of 3039, leading to miscalculations by the AFFC, who invaded expecting a more significant defense, and were unprepared for the guerrilla conflict that followed. The Chindits were blacklisted once more by the AFFC, and Marcus Holland took the fall, being dismissed from the unit. Percy Cleveland chose to leave with his commander, and with the death of Felix Wooten on Sadachbia, it left Seth Murtada as the only remaining Screaming Eagle MechWarrior with the Chindits, although the technical corps remained more than 75% former Eagles.

Unfortunately, by the end of 3039, when it was assumed the Chindits had faced a previously unknown Ghost regiment on Sabachbia, Lieutenant Holland had been killed in a Class Three battle on Solaris. As he had no living relatives, Vass created the Marcus Holland Memorial Scholarship Program with his death benefits, a bi-annual scholarship to allow family-trained MechWarriors to attend the War College of Goshen's Reconnaissance Command Program.

[gleamingterrier]

Mathias Hector, MechWarrior, Recon Lance (3030-3049), Master Sergeant, Command Lance (3050-?)

Mathias Hector is a Shoreham native, and was assigned to Vass' lance in the 3rd Crucis Lancers straight out of boot camp in his family's Locust. He is a skilled 'Warrior, though not preternaturally gifted like some. Instead, he works harder than anyone in the unit, constantly clocking extra simulator time and always volunteering for extra duty if it allows him time in the cockpit. He is extremely well-read, consuming military treatises and memoirs in an attempt to keep up with those who may have more raw talent. While on active duty prior to the 4th Succession War, he earned a degree in economics from the University of Kathil, and earned a masters from that same institution via correspondence in 3044.

In 3038, Hector's Locust was destroyed by the 9th Ghost during the disastrous Sabachbia recon raid. Rather than replace his light Mech and operate in the rebuilt recon lance, he requested an opportunity to transfer to a heavier Mech. The Chindits had salvaged a Catapult in 3036, and although it was a much heavier machine, the similar physical configuration (notably the rear-canted legs) allowed Hector to quickly adapt to his new Mech. In 3050, as one of the remaining four active-duty Chindit MechWarriors who originally signed on with Vass, he was promoted to Master Sergeant and given a place in the command lance.

Aurelio Galindo, MechWarrior, Strike Lance (3030-3048)

Growing up on Mansfield in the Federated Suns, Aurelio was a juvenile delinquent. A gifted computerist, he was a hacker of note for several years, before being caught. Given the option of prison or enlistment (possible due to the non-violent nature of his crimes), he chose enlistment.

He was as surprised as anyone when he loved the military life, the discipline doing wonders for him. Originally signed as on an infantryman, he had decided to make it his career when was selected for Mechwarrior training. He was shipped to Albion Military Academy and succeeded despite his common origins, a fact that isolated him from many of his classmates. After graduation, he discovered that he had been selected by MI3 for intelligence training as a field analyst, with the feeling of isolation brought on by his attendance at Albion a standard recruitment technique. Aurelio's computer skills were already extremely advanced, and he was attached to the 3rd Crucis Lancers at the battalion level, where he first met Captain Vass. As a Chindit, Galindo's duties consisted of independent verification of employer intelligence. This required him to work closely with XO Toni Val, and the two formed a romantic relationship, marrying in 3032, and having two children: Aurelio Jr. and Marcus.

During the mission on Loyalty, it was Galindo's plan to hijack the prototype Tramp jumpship in orbit, as their contract stipulated full salvage on anything they could take out of the system. He programmed the computer virus that would allow the Chindits to take control of the Jumpships navigation systems, and led a mission to infect the SelaSys groundside facility with the virus, which would then be sent to the jumpship during the next routine software upgrade, a common occurrence on prototype vessels. His team succeeded, but was detected in the facility. A number of infantrymen were killed, and Galindo was captured along with two other members of the squad. A mission was launched to rescue them, and although the surviving infantrymen were recovered, Galindo sacrificed himself to allow them to escape.

When the Chindits left the planet, Galindo's plan, which involved a dropship landing on an airless moon and a decoy shuttle heading for a known pirate point, worked perfectly, drawing off defenders and allowing the Chindits to make off the the Tramp. As soon as the vessel was in orbit around outreach, Vass had the ship re-registered as the Aurelio Galindo.

[Nav_Alpha]

Another fantastic write-up!

Any chance we can see an updated 3050 TO&E?

[gleamingterrier]

Clarity of Purpose

Although hundreds of company or smaller sized units were destroyed during the Clan invasion, very few were able to turn that tragedy in their own favor. While the Black Outlaws are probably the best known, combining two shattered commands into one larger unit, some units went in another direction entirely.

Take the case of Vass' Chindits. Formed in the wake of the Fourth Succession War, the Chindits used AFFS doctrine of mobility and combined arms to make a name for itself as a light reconnaissance and special operations unit. Following their successful mission on Loyalty, a two-year stint of guerrilla warfare that culminated in the acquisition of the prototype Tramp-class jumpship, the Chindits were able to parlay that success into a significant expansion. Far from the expanded lance that many observers thought would merge into the 4th Battalion of MacCarron's Armored Cavalry in 3040, Vass used funds from corporate sponsors who wished to examine the new ship, expanding from a single Mech company with combined arms support into a full battalion.

Unfortunately, this quantity came at the expense of quality, relying on dispossessed MechWarriors and hiring smaller units whole cloth. Although Major Vass was apprehensive, she felt that the opportunities afforded to a larger unit would outweigh the risks, and that her core of veteran officers and noncoms would allow the unit to function as a cohesive whole with no more than two years of training. To that end, in 3049 Vass bypassed a number of combat intensive contracts with the Capellan Confederation in favor of a quiet two-year garrison contract in the Lyran periphery.

Although the Chindits escape significant action on Dompaire, their contract called for them to pull back to Blair Atholl and reinforce FedCom troops using it as a staging area. When the Jade Falcons attacked that world in October of 3051, the Chindits took to the hills, operating as an independent command in strike-and-fade operations. Very quickly, however, the Falcons realized what was happening, and set up a counter-ambush. More than 20 Chindit Mechs were destroyed, with most others sustaining significant damage. Personnel loses were equally high, with 18 Chindits killed or captured, including the commanding officers of the two additional companies, Captains Marinko Bogdan and Marlene MacNidder. The Chindits escaped Blair Atholl with barely the forces they had five years earlier, and those in significantly worse shape.

Although many units would have disbanded, the Chindits endured. Vass took a hard look at her decisions over the last several years, and realized that company command was her strong suit. To that end, the Chindits contracted, rather than expanding. A number of Chindit MechWarriors sold their older vehicles, using their personal funds and a contribution by Vass to purchase new Mechs better suited to both the new Clan battlefield and the Chindits revamped mission of special operations. Others simply refitted their Mechs with advanced technology as best as possible. The end result, however, was a newly rededicated Vass' Chindits, one modeled after independent company commands such as the Black Widow Company, Fox's Teeth and Second Chisholm Raiders doctrine. Although the Chindits would not face the Clans again until 3055, the result would be far different than their initial clash.

-Dr. Kyle Zarkas, Between the Cracks: Small Units During Large Wars, Hancock Press, Orkney, 3067

[gleamingterrier]

The ComStar logo appears briefly on screen before being replaced by the face of Major Jennifer Vass. Attractive, her once red hair is shot through with streaks of gray, and she has a thin scar running from the corner of her mouth down her chin. At 55, she's still quite physically fit however. She's looking down at the computer keyboard, then looks up at the camera and smiles.

Okay, hi James. I know it's been a while, and I wanted to say hello. Figured I owed you a face-to-face, or as close as I could, so I'm splurging for the vid transmission. Well, actually, you are; my old MAC account was still active. You really should shut those down as subcontractors leave.

First off, I appreciate the offer, of course, but you know what I'm going to say. The Cavalry is a great outfit, but I can't give up the Chindits autonomy. That was your promise back in the 40's, too, and Kung and I didn't see eye to eye on that. But we're doing okay, now. The consolidation has really been great for us. We had to let a few people go, though, so if they show up on Menke, give them a tryout, okay? No original Chindits, but some good people.

Anyway, Jason's doing good. Annette has him working as an Astech in non-combat situations, and he's picking things up pretty quickly. Mech piloting is going well, too. I've got him training on Tof's Centurion, but I might let him take my Orion out next week. We'll see how it goes.

Oh, but I'm going to kill you for that Y chromosome you gave him. Were you as bad as he was at 14? No, I know how bad you were at 30, so it must have been even worse. He's got a full-on crush on Sue Chang, remember my recon lance commander? And she knows it too. He does all the maintenance on her Stinger whenever he can. She's not leading him on or anything, it's just a puppy-dog thing, but he thinks he's hiding it, and imagines she doesn't see the stars in his eyes whenever she climbs out of the cockpit. She's the youngest woman in the Chindits, so I'm not surprised. But maybe he can come spend some time with you when we get back. I remember that Lieutenant you had, he's got those twin girls. I'll bet that'd get him looking at girls his own damn age.

So, that's other thing I wanted to talk to you about. We're going to be deploying in a couple weeks, and it's going to be a long haul. We'll be out of touch for a while, and we can't tell you where. It's not really that high risk, but we're going to be out of touch until mid-57. When we get back, though, I'm thinking of a few months of R&R, if you wouldn't mind the visit? You and Jason could bond, and, well, I wouldn't mind seeing you either.

Okay, so, that's about it. Jason's going to be sending you a vid of his own in a few days, and don't mention anything about Sue. You know how teenagers are. Take care, and don't let Sun-Tzu get you killed. I'm just kidding, Maskirovka censors! Captain Jones is a credit to the MAC and loyal to the Celestial Throne.

She rolls her eyes and flips the middle finger.

Love you, James.

The ComStar logo appears, filling the screen

-Transmission from Major Jennifer Vass to Major James Jones, MacCarron's Armored Cavalry, November 2, 3054

[gleamingterrier]

Lt. Sung-Hee "Sue" Chang, in Vass' Chindits dress uniform, 3055. Note the Silver Sunburst above her operational ribbons (awarded for her actions against Clan Jade Falcon on Blair Atholl), and the non-standard belt buckle displaying her nation of origin.

[Nav_Alpha]

Lt. Sung-Hee "Sue" Chang, in Vass' Chindits dress uniform, 3055. Note the Silver Sunburst above her operational ribbons (awarded for her actions against Clan Jade Falcon on Blair Atholl), and the non-standard belt buckle displaying her nation of origin.

yep... I see why the kid likes her.

[gleamingterrier]

Next on the plate, warrior profile of Ria Tannon, the 3055-57 missing time, Operation Smooth Pave and more crappy photoshop! Oh, and I'll try for a Clan Invasion-era TO&E.

[gleamingterrier]

MechWarrior Ria Tannon, Recon Lance, 3048-?

Ria Tannon was born to farmers on the tiny world of Sackville. Lacking any prospects beyond taking over her parents farm if both of her older brothers died, she spent everything she had saved over 19 years and paid her way to Maxwell, where she applied to the Hero Training Institute. Defying all odds, she made it through training, and the technological renaissance of the 3040's allowed her to break into the changing ranks of the MechWarrior elite.

After service with the 15th and 31st Marik Militia, Tannon was transferred to the 4th Oriente Hussars. Ostensibly a premiere posting, the 4th was serving on Atreus in order to keep potential political dissidents out of Andurien. When news of the Chindits' guerrilla war on Loyalty went up the chain of command, the 4th Hussars 2nd Battalion was sent to root out the insurgents. In the Hussars first contact with the Chindits, Tannon's lance was destroyed, along with her Hermes II. Tannon was taken prisoner, putting Vass in a difficult position; she had no desire to execute prisoners in defiance of the Ares Conventions, but a mobile guerrilla war could not be fought hauling a prisoner.

Ambrosious Dell was the primary interrogator during Tannon's captivity. He treated her kindly, in what Vass though was the traditional 'good cop' role. After a week, he shocked Vass by recommending Ria Tannon be given her parole, based on her word that she would assist the Chindits whenever possible. Days of arguments followed, with Dell insisting she was to be trusted. Finally, Vass staged a false rescue operation as a test, and Tannon fought back against supposed rescuers in FWL uniforms, shattering the wrist of a Chindit infantryman and securing a rifle (thankfully loaded with blanks) and opening fire.

Vass finally agreed to release Tannon, chalking her change of allegiance to Stockholm Syndrome. What everyone would realize years later was that Dell, as a former Clan Coyote MechWarrior, had years of experience in changing allegiances, based on his time as a Clan warrior and bondsman to Clan Wolf. Ria Tannon's acceptance into the Chindits was classic bondsman psychology. When the Chindits left Loyalty, Tannon came with. On the day her service with the FWLM officially ended, she signed a contract with the Chindits.

She has become very close to Ambrosious Dell. Following her capture, he took her under his wing, showing trust in her and urging her to accept a role with the Chindits, not as a captive or slave, but as a fellow warrior. It seems to have worked, as Tannon has become a strident supporter of Lieutenant Dell and, through him, Major Vass. After his revalation to the unit as a former Clansman, she was the first to accept him, and he has come to see her as a surrogate daughter.



Master Sergeant Ambrosious Dell and MechWarrior Ria Tannon discuss the Mercenary Review Board case aboard the dropship Providence, Galatea, Lyran Commonwealth, 3048. Note that Tannon's only decoration is the Loyalty campaign ribbon, during which time she was not a member of Vass' Chindits, and was officially an enemy prisoner. Missing are her raiding and defensive operation ribbons from her time in the FWLM, as they were stripped from her in absentia because of her joining a unit labeled as a pirate band.

[gleamingterrier]

[Bombastic martial music plays, accompanying stock footage of Atlas 'Mechs firing and shots of Thomas Hogarth, always in full dress uniform, in a variety of situations: receiving promotions, staring off nobly into the distance, receiving decorations, pushing unit markers around a campaign map. After a full minute of credits, the word "The Armchair General" appear on the screen in an Olde Germanic font. It fades into Hogarth, dressed in a smoking jacket, sitting in a brown leather armchair in a wood-paneled study. Behind him is a framed portrait of himself in full Class A's, and a desk littered with maps, unit markers, and a set of ancient field glasses. Lying beside Hogarth's chair, either asleep or stuffed, is a Great Dane. Hogarth takes a drink from the rocks glass he's holding.]

Welcome, my friends, to The Armchair General, for the week of April 6th through the 12th, 3084. I am your host, Hauptmann-General Thomas Hogarth, Lyran Alliance Armed Forces, retired. It is, as always, my duty and my pleasure to present the current military actions from around the Inner Sphere and beyond, and explain it to you as only a professional soldier can.

The theme for this week seems to be insurgency. Recent advances by the Republic of the Sphere forces into Liao space have brought retribution in the form of Capellan resistance forces, and responsibility for the recent bomb set off in Chicago on Terra has been claimed by a Word of Blake-sympathetic force called "The Red Hand".

Now, when I was liberating Terra, there were none of these sorts of attacks. Then, the Blakists stood up and fought. But one man can only do so much, and after I left, insurgent forces popped back up. Mopping these units up will take time, and the Republic has opted to go a different route than simply stomping on their headquarters with a thousand tons of Lyran-built BattleMechs. Anti-insurgency and mole hunting operations are tricky, and often more trouble than they're worth.

I recall, back in '45 or '46, the FedCom high command was concerned about loyalties within my unit at the time, the Furillo BPM. Of course, this was typical Davion whinging and paranoia, but as we were giving that ill-fated alliance the old college try, we went along with it and brought in independent contractors to help root out the non-existent traitors. The unit they eventually decided on was Vass' Chindits, a unit with ties to the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. I always suspected a bit of favoritism in that assignment, there.

At any rate, I met their executive officer at the Midwinter Soiree at the late Duchess Iris Steiner's estate. Yes, now I remember, this was in '45, because I had the most fantastic bottle of Hare Hill Syrah '38. Lovely young woman, from good breeding, albeit in the Suns, if that counts for anything. Married at the time, and a mercenary officer, so she had quite a mix of respectable and risque. Not the type of woman you bring home to mother, but I was quite fond of her nonetheless. What was her name?

At any rate, I never saw these Chindits do much work. They spent most of their time trying to work their way into my social circles. So clearly they new good taste when they saw it, but there was a lack of breeding that simply couldn't be overcome. From the way they tried to insinuate themselves into the Furillo society, you'd have thought that I myself was the chink the AFFC suspected in the armor. [Hogarth chuckles to himself and takes another drink.]

At any rate, they were eventually released by Caeser Steiner. Rumor had it that he paid their contract out of his own pocket, most likely to prevent besmirching the reputation of my unit in the official records. I heard he gifted them with a number of vehicles from Furillo's Lockheed plant, although it always seemed like bad form to reward a unit for their failure.

We're going to take a break, but when we return, we'll have a representative from the Commonwealth's largest provider of field rations. I'm going to figure out why we can't get back to having a rum ration included in those tasteless sacks of protein.

-Excerpt from "The Armchair General", April 12, 3084, Donegal Broadcast Company

[Hawkeye Jim]

Finally Hogarth has found a position that is perfect for him...Armchair General!

[gleamingterrier]

Finally Hogarth has found a position that is perfect for him...Armchair General!

Not my idea, it was mentioned in FM3085. But the imagining of the format is strictly my interpretation. I particularly enjoyed writing the title sequence, especially the Great Dane. After all, what other kind of dog could Hogarth possibly have?

[snakespinner]

You could always have gone for a Labrador. For a fat social general retired that would be perfect. >:D

[Hawkeye Jim]

Or perhaps an expensive and spoiled lap dog.

[Nav_Alpha]

Not my idea, it was mentioned in FM3085. But the imagining of the format is strictly my interpretation. I particularly enjoyed writing the title sequence, especially the Great Dane. After all, what other kind of dog could Hogarth possibly have?

I would have thought a Wolfhound but then again, I suppose that would be about 70-tonnes too light for him, eh?

[gleamingterrier]

[Ria Tannon is lying in a hospital bed, absently looking at a tri-vid player in front of her. It's a horror movie, but she isn't reacting to any of the music or sight prompts; she's clearly tuned out. When the door to the room opens, she shifts in her bed, trying to sit upright.]

Tannon: Good afternoon, ma'am.

[Major Jennifer Vass and Lieutenant Ambrosious Dell walk into the picture. Dell walks over and holds Tannons hand, while Vass settles into a chair next to the bed.]

Vass: At ease. Sorry I haven't been able to see you yet. Lots of hoops to jump through with this Explorer Corps contract, and exposure to the air on LR-1192 meant you had to go through decon.

Tannon: I understand.

Vass: So, I know what the doctors told you: major concussion, medically-induced coma for a week and a half, myomer replacements for some muscles in your left leg. I know it sounds bad, but you'll be back in the cockpit again.

Dell: I had all that done to me before I was out of the sibko.

Vass: What else has Am told you?

Tannon [hesitates]: That my Archer is a total loss. I'm Dispossessed. [She looks at Vass] I mean, I know you treat warriors well, and that I'll get first shot at a replacement, but it's not quite the same as owning your Mech.

Vass: I get that, Ria. Believe me, when I was in the Suns, owning your own Mech was the only way to go. Ria, has Am showed you your BattleROM footage?

Ria: No, it hadn't been approved by ComStar yet for dissemination.

Vass [smiles]: Actually, that's not true. I've been in some negotiations with ComStar regarding our contract. Am, could you load it up for us?

Dell: With pleasure.

[Dell produces a disc and puts it into Tannon's tri-vid player. For about three minutes, the three watch the feed. Vass is becoming visibly excited. Finally, Tannon pauses the feed.]

Tannon: Ma'am, what just happened there? Time stamp 34:3232?

Dell: That, Ria, was both of your medium lasers hitting that Goshawkin the head. Burned his cockpit right out, not another scratch in sight.

Tannon: When that came out of the woods, I thought I was dead. My armor was down to the red from the rest of the Star.

Vass: You very nearly were. But you took it down just as it opened fire. [Vass rubs her hands together.] Now, the good news. I've had Captain Val looking over our contract with a magnifying glass since we got back to Columbus. Our salvage rider is pretty clear: 100% salvage, with exchange rights on all Clan 'Mechs. However, here's the thing. This contract was technically an extension of our previous contract, which had us on the front lines against the Bears. We were never going to come into contact with second-line forces, so they threw us a bone in offering us second-line salvage. When we accepted the E-C contract, it was out of our broker in Galatea, and in order to save on HPG data transmissions, they only sent updated information for relevant sections of the contract, while the rest remained on file.

Tannon: Wait, so you mean our contract gives us second-line salvage rights?

Vass: In part. They're not thrilled, but that Goshawk is now officially Chindit property. Actually, belay that. That Goshawk is Tannon property.

Tannon: I'm flattered, Captain, but I can't...

Vass: I'm not doing you any favors. Look at your own contract. If you, while operating under the operational restraints of the Chindits and are forced into combat without support, you are entitled to that salvage personally. It's meant to prevent me from sending you out as bait, but by a strict interpretation...

Dell: Congratulations, Ria. It's a lighter design, but you're driving the first Clan 'Mech in the Chindits.

[Tannon begins to cry]

Tannon: I thought I was dispossessed.

Vass: Didn't want to get your hopes up before it was a done deal. So, now that it is, I know you've got more hospital time, but Am... persuaded the docs to let you out for a few hours. Annette needs to get you attuned to the neurohelmet before we do much more than repair the armor. Think you can go take a look at your new ride?

-From the ComStar military hospital security camera, Columbus, Deep Periphery, September 2, 3056

[gleamingterrier]

After two days of work, Korsht and I were no closer to figuring out who the three bodies were. A gunfight in a relatively safe bar, three corpses with forged passports and IDs, and a merc unit that eyewitnesses said was involved boosting for a jump point at speeds that made it pretty obvious they'd had their hands in the cookie jar. We were sitting in the Lieutenant's office, going over the leads with him and waiting to get our asses chewed out, when Coombs knocked on the door.

"Hey, Lou, got a minute?"

The Lieutenant motioned to Korsht and I. "We're in the middle of this."

"The Herzog's shootings?" We all nodded. "That's what this about. I think I've got some news for you."

Tom and I looked at each other as Lou waved Coombs in. "Why are we hearing about this now?" I asked.

Coombs shrugged apologetically. "Personal contacts, and I didn't want to get your hopes up." He waited for a moment, and Lou motioned for him to continue.

"Okay, so back during the 4th Succession War, I was with the 23rd Emerson Motorized, as an MP. We were attached to the Screaming Eagles as infantry support, and I got to be friends with a couple of their guys. One of them is currently the aerospace commander of the Chindits."

Korsht pulled out his notepad. "What's his name?"

"Finley Carmack," Coombs said, "Lieutenant now, back then he was just a greenhorn. Callsign's 'Hammer'."

I rolled my eyes. "Thinks he's hot @^$#."

Coombs chuckled. "Actually, we stuck the name on him. Not for his piloting, though. He's got terrible taste in women, and ends up bringing the ugliest ones home. And you know the old saying: 'When all you have is a hammer...'"

"'...Everything looks like a nail.'" Korsht laughed. "Nice."

"Anyways, we kept in touch, and the Chindts have been working out of Galatea for a while."

"Why here?" The Lou interjected. "Why not Outreach?"

"Bad blood with the Dragoons, I gather."

I snorted. "Because that always works out well."

Coombs shrugged. "So, when I saw they were wanted for questioning, and their two dropships made it out before port control shut them down, I got him on the horn, off the record. He was one of the Chindits in the bar, and says the whole thing was self-defense."

"Well who wouldn't say that?" Korsht asked.

"Yeah, but I trust the guy. Here's the interesting thing. They were meeting with someone. Potential employer, new recruit, I'm not sure. But the name is Randall Maclaw."

"Maclaw. Sounds familiar." The Lou frowned, trying to place the name.

"Not local. He's the son of the governor of Leximon." Coombs glanced around the room, noting the blank expressions. "In the Lothian League?"

"Oh, crap." Korsht realized it a moment before the rest of us. This was September 3057, and most people still thought of the League as its own nation.

"Right, political exile on the run from that damn jumped-up bandit kingdom." Coombs tapped the open file on the desk. "Hammer says Maclaw the younger spent the last six months on the run, and the year before as a guerrilla fighter against the Marian occupation. And the Chindits first mission, back in the 30's, was saving Maclaw the elder from Marian slavery."

I massaged my temples. "How much do you want to bet that there are three widows back in the Hegemony about to get condolence letters from the Caesar?"

Coombs nodded. "That's my thought. I looked it up, the Marians have an intelligence division now, they call it 'Ordo Vigilis'."

The Lieutenant snorted. "My cat had kittens in the oven, that doesn't make them muffins. They can call themselves a nation all they want, they're still pirates and thugs." He drummed his fingers on the desk, thinking. "Okay, let's file against the Chindits for leaving the scene of the crime, and they'll get a slap on the wrist when they land here again. As far as the three bodies, they all did for each other, right? Call it a Marian standoff." He looked at all of us, and we nodded.

"Okay then, this case is cleared, and I don't have to get LIC involved. Hope the rest of the year goes as smooth. Good work, all of you."

-Except from Green Nights: Policing Galatea, by Detective Sarah Lounden, ret., Galatea Press, 3064

[Nav_Alpha]

I think a noir crime story set on Galatea would be fantastic!
So the Chindits are heading back into the League? Interesting

[gleamingterrier]

A few more missions, post-Loyalty:

Operation Plantain - Garrison duty on Dompaire, turned into defense of Blair Atholl from CJF, 3050-52
Operation Fjord - Garrison duty on Grumium at the bequest of ComStar, 3053-54
Operation Strongarm - Explorer Corps duty for ComStar, 3055-57
Operation Brushfire - Relief Duty for Capellan Confederation during Operation Guererro, 3057-58
Operation Candlestick - Extraction Raid for Lyran Alliance into Wolf OZ, seeking captured/missing metallurgist to assist with Mjolnir warship, 3059

I'll be writing up a bit about Brushfire soon, because that led to a few major changes in the unit...

[gleamingterrier]

Vass' Chindits, 3059 TO&E

Command Lance
Major Jennifer Vass, OK1-K Orion Jennifer
Master Sergeant Mathias Hector, GHR-5N Grasshopper
Joan Saraphis, FLC-8R Falconer
Phil Thomas, WHM-7S Warhammer

Fire Lance
Lieutenant Ambrosious Dell, GAL-1GLS Gallowglas
Roman Borkowski, HGN-732 Highlander
John Boden, BNC-5S Banshee
Randall Maclaw,ARC-4M Archer

Pursuit Lance
Captain Sung-Hee "Sue" Chang, SCB-9A Scarabus
Ria Tannon, Goshawk 2
Roland Chacic, STH-1D Stealth
Esmail Visweswaramurthy, NGS-4S Nightsky

Chindit Search & Rescue
Captain Ahmad Malik, Motorized Infantry Platoon (Rifle)
2x Ferret Scout VTOL

Aerospace Lance
Lieutenant Finley "Hammer" Carmack, TR-13 Transgressor
Dane "Kroner" Hartridge, TR-13 Transgressor

Fast Response Force
2x Cavalry Attack Helicopter

Stronghold Company
2x Demolisher
2x Schrek PPC Carrier
2x LRM Carrier

Chindit Armored Infantry
Lieutenant Joyce Kohara
3 squads I.S. Standard
1 squad Grey Death Scout
1 squad Elemental

Transport Command
Tramp-class jumpship Aurelio Galindo
Union-class dropship Providence
Modified Seeker-class dropship Four Winds

Notes

• XO Toni Val has retired, and Captain Chang has assumed all XO duties.
• The Highlander was a gift from ComStar for service during Fjord and Strongarm.
• Four Winds has been modified to hold a company of heavy vehicles.
• A number of advanced FedCom 'Mechs were recovered during Brushfire, when the Chindits provided relief duties and guerrilla hunting on Liao and Hsien during Guerrero.

[gleamingterrier]

Lieutenant Joyce Kohara, Commander, Battle Armor Detachment, 3058-?

Joyce Kohara was born on Calloway VI, in the Free Worlds League, which is renowned for not having any true night; so much sun is reflected off the worlds three moons that there is never any darkness. Her parents were poor, and when Joyce was born with a severe allergic reaction to sunlight, they were unable to treat her. To help her, Joyce was given into ComStar's custody at age four. She was taken to Terra, where she was given gene therapy to correct her allergy (though she retains an almost eerily pale complexion), and then began to serve the Order from a young age. She was inducted into the ComGuards, where she served as an infantryman in the 9th Army's 379th Division (Blessed Thoughts).

At 20, she faced the 13th Wolf Guards on Tukayyid, as the Wolves pushed towards Brzo. Her Level III was ordered to retreat to the edges of Brzo and hole up in a series of warehouses that engineers had built hastily-dug tunnels underneath. As Khan Natasha Kerensky's 13th Wolf Guards entered the city, her unit attempted a series of hit & run sapper attacks on the Wolf forces. Though it ultimately failed, Kohara learned the ins-and-outs of cityfighting, and was briefly a bondswoman of Khan Natasha Kerensky herself (although she chose to be repatriated with most other captured ComGuard personnel, and she never came into any personal contact with the Black Widow).

After Tukayyid, she remained with the reformed 379th Division (Hawks of the High Wind IV-pi), being selected for battle armor training. Though she was tempted to join the Word of Blake, she stayed with the ComGuards until after the Marik-Liao invasion. When faced with a choice between continuing her service with ComStar and fighting her former comrades in the Chaos March versus leaving the service, she chose to resign from the ComGuards to become a mercenary. Major Vass hired her in late 3058 on Galatea to head the Chindits fledgling battle armor detachment. Her skill immediately proved itself on Suk II, as her squad swarmed and incapacitated a Linebacker. Though the Mech was later destroyed, it played a key role in the subterfuge that allowed the extraction of Dr. Hans Weistrand, a noted metallurgist captured by Clan Wolf in 3050. Although he had been merely Hans of the Scientist Caste for nearly a decade, he was needed in order to troubleshoot the superstructure of the Lyran Alliance's Mjolnir-class warship.

[gleamingterrier]

Okay, let's give this a try. The Major next kept a journal, and neither did Val, but she says it's a good habit to get into. Keeps you honest with yourself. One of those cases of do what I say, not as I do, I guess. Well, if you can't give your XO useless crap to do, who can you give it to, right?

Yeah, I'm now the XO. Complete with promotion to captain and everything. God knows I was never the biggest fan of Lieutenant Val, but she was the Major's friend, and they got through some tough spots together. But she's retiring, heading to Mansfield to be near her son. Well, the one who's not at Goshen. I hear that one, Marcus, is a great instinctive pilot.

So yeah, just before Guerrero, when I heard we had a contract with the Cappies for a relief duty, I immediately thought that they were attacking the Compact. This was before Marik's big declaration of the Archon-Prince's deception. So, who else are the Cappies going to attack but St. Ives.

Well, I walked into the officer's briefing and gave it to the Major with both guns. "I'll resign before I fire on a St. Ives unit, before Sun-Tzu makes me one of his puppets, et cetera." Vass sends everyone out of the room but Val, Heck and Dell. Original Chindits, all, and I wonder if they're about to murder me.

"I don't ever want to hear you speak like that in front of anyone but me again. The next time, you will be out of this unit so fast, you won't even know what planet we've dumped you on." She walked up to me, and I don't even remember coming to attention. "You are a mercenary. That means you serve who the contract is for. You are under my command, so you follow my orders. Everyone in this room has fired on fellow countrymen, and come to terms with it. If you're going to be my XO, you're going to have to do the same."

"Ma'am?" I asked. "XO?"

"I'm retiring at the end of this contract, which I will add, we don't know is in the Compact," Val said. ""You're going to take over my spot, if you're up to it."

"Why me? What about Dell, or Heck?"

Vass looked at the two senior warriors. "Dell is at least 70 years old, and though he's going to die in the cockpit, he doesn't want the job. Heck is my senior enlisted man, and is far too valuable in that role. Those are the reasons why not them.

"As for why you, there are lots of those. You're young, energetic, and a good warrior. You're from the Compact, and that bridges the cultural gap between the FedSuns natives I started with and the Capellan influence from all our contact with the MAC. Jason is too inexperienced to serve as a MechWarrior, let alone my XO. And if something happens to me, I trust you to keep the unit running and make good decisions until he's ready to take over."

I didn't know what to say. There was more, of course, legal stuff about officers voting once per year on Jason being allowed to take over the unit, typical stuff to keep the Chindits in the family without impairing a replacement CO. And I got my ass chewed out, and we never even went to St. Ives: the relief duty was on Liao, then Hsien.

So here we are, my first mission as XO. The Major has finally given in and taken one of these Word of Blake contracts they keep offering us. It's bad karma, though, I just know it. We're raiding Devil's Rock, getting something from some spaceport warehouse. But Devil's Rock is a Marik planet, so they should just be able to take what they need. Plus there's the fact that we're officially still pirates as far as the League is concerned, but the Word doesn't have us on their own piracy watchlist. Very weird. I guess we'll see what happens.

-From the journal of Captain Sung-Hee Chang, 3059

[gleamingterrier]

The ComStar logo appears briefly on screen before being replaced by the face of Major Jennifer Vass. She's shaking her head as the recording starts.

Okay, I'm sorry I didn't call earlier. It was just a lot to take in, you know. I know the MAC has been in Capellan service for decades, but I never though of you as... well, you know, we were always just mercs. And now, a Capellan citizen. I mean, it's good, I'm happy for you. I really am. It was just a shock. And Zhong-shao? Very snazzy.

Things are getting crazy here. I'm not exactly sure what to do. Jason is insisting that I let him take over a spot in the Mech company. He's good, but I don't know if I'm ever going to be okay with him going into combat with me. Not that he's bad, but I don't know how I won't watch him like a hawk. I should have let him deploy with us on Sabik. Easy duty, cadre, he could have learned as much or more as the Lyrans irregulars getting trained up.

About halfway through the contract, we got word of what Sun-Tzu was up to in the Compact. Sue actually wanted to break our contract and return home to volunteer the unit for the defense of the Compact. Thankfully, I was able to persuade her to see reason.

However, we're heading back to Galatea now, and I'm afraid. If St. Ives offers us a contract, I'm going to have to take it. If I don't I'll likely lose Sue as my XO, and definitely as an officer. I also know, and I don't need any confirmation to know it's true, that the MAC has lots of active units in the Compact. I'm not looking forward to it.

One lesson I've learned, though, is that if you don't want to lead your unit into battle, you shouldn't be leading. I think my time in the field is just about over. After this St. Ives contract, I'm going to try for something nice and quiet, cadre or garrison duty, and hand off the unit to Sue, a nice quiet contract for her first as CO. Once we get her out of the SIC, I think she'll be fine.

Which means, then, that I'll no longer be on active duty. So, if the offer still stands, and you're willing to retire as well, my answer, finally, is yes. It would have been 'yes' years ago if we could have been sure we wouldn't face each other on opposite sides. So let's get this last one out of our systems, try not to kill each other, and then, yes, I will marry you.

Take care of yourself, Zhong-shao.

The ComStar logo appears, filling the screen

-Transmission from Major Jennifer Vass to Zhong-shao James Jones, MacCarron's Armored Cavalry, April 16, 3061

[Sir Chaos]

They´re going up against each other during that contract and will end up killing each other, won´t they?  :'(

[gleamingterrier]

They´re going up against each other during that contract and will end up killing each other, won´t they?  :'(

I don't actually know yet. Jones is with the 3rd MAC, which was on Denbar. I'm doing a random roll to determine where the Chindits are deployed. I imagine even if they aren't facing the 3rd, they're going to be up against one regiment of the MAC or another, and they've been closely intertwined for 30 years. It's not a situation which can end well for everyone involved.

[Nav_Alpha]

I don't actually know yet. Jones is with the 3rd MAC, which was on Denbar. I'm doing a random roll to determine where the Chindits are deployed. I imagine even if they aren't facing the 3rd, they're going to be up against one regiment of the MAC or another, and they've been closely intertwined for 30 years. It's not a situation which can end well for everyone involved.

Thems the breaks in the merc trade I guess. But nothing worse than looking at the father of your child over the gun sights though...

Seriously though. I am loving this unit. Really great work

[gleamingterrier]

Well, the good news is that they're not heading to Denbar. Brighton, however, where they are going, has the 2nd MAC, as well as the Taurian Velites. On the St. Ives side, there's Raymond's ACR and Marcella's AIR, but the real interesting ally is the St. Ives Academy of Martial Sciences training battalion. Chang is most definitely not the favored daughter there. Should make for an interesting deployment.

[Nav_Alpha]

From what I've read Brighton was a pretty big loss for the Compact.

http://isatlas.teamspam.net/planet-detail.php?planet=2744486

"The loss of this important world, of prevalently rough and mountainous terrain, and which also hosted sizable supply stores as well as one of the Compact's larger training centers, was a critical blow to the St. Ives front."

[gleamingterrier]

...When we arrived on-planet, we relieved the Raman DMM, who were there as representatives of the Star League Defense Force. They had been skirmishing with the Brighton Home Guard since their arrival, as well as numerous smaller units: mercenaries, retirees and survivalists, Free Capellan wannabees. We took custody of their prisoners, who seemed none the worse for wear, for the most part.

However, I do have some bad news, and I feel like you deserve to know it first. One of the units the DMM faced was Vass' Chindits. I know they served in your regiment for a few years back in the '30s. I took custody of two prisoners, neither of whom were old-timers, but they were clearly not new arrivals. We'll repatriate them when the conflict is over, minus their 'Mechs, which the DMM took. Damned FedRats.

The thing of it is, Otto, not everyone from the battle survived. Their command lance was caught out of position, and two 'Mechs went down. It was Major Vass who fended off a lance of the FedRats to give their SAR a chance to recover the pilots. Unfortunately, her Orion went down with a laser to the cockpit. I've reviewed the BattleROM footage, and it's confirmed. I'm so sorry.

Unfortunately, I know you're also going to have to break the news to Zhong-shao Jones. I've issued standing orders to the rest of the regiment that any Chindits encountered are to be given an offer of truce to allow Jones and Vass' son access to the HPG station should he wish to contact his father. Awful news, but that's the business we're in.

-Excerpt from private message between Sang-shao Angel Bodez and Sang-shao Otto Kung, McCarron's Armored Cavalry

[Nav_Alpha]

That's devastating - I was loving the Chindits and Major Vass. Damn!

It will be interesting to see if her son takes over the command now

[gleamingterrier]

This was really tough for me. I'll be honest, I teared up when this happened in the game. I've created over 30 years of in-game history for this unit, and Vass is a huge part of my personal BT canon. The unit will endure, with Sue Chang as CO, until Jason Vass is ready, but things are never going to be the same. It'll be interesting to see what happens next: Vass kept the unit pretty FedSuns cultured. Now, the CO is from St. Ives, and the eventual heir has spent more time in the Capellan Confederation than in the FedCom. Although I imagine between Chang's politics and Jason Vass' loss of his mother, there's going to be a distinct freeze in relations between the CapCon and the Chindits, and with the FCCW coming up, who knows what will happen?

[Nav_Alpha]

This was really tough for me. I'll be honest, I teared up when this happened in the game. I've created over 30 years of in-game history for this unit, and Vass is a huge part of my personal BT canon. The unit will endure, with Sue Chang as CO, until Jason Vass is ready, but things are never going to be the same. It'll be interesting to see what happens next: Vass kept the unit pretty FedSuns cultured. Now, the CO is from St. Ives, and the eventual heir has spent more time in the Capellan Confederation than in the FedCom. Although I imagine between Chang's politics and Jason Vass' loss of his mother, there's going to be a distinct freeze in relations between the CapCon and the Chindits, and with the FCCW coming up, who knows what will happen?

It's always tough when characters you've grown to love die.
As you say, it will be interesting - I could see Sue Chang leading the Chindits in a series of retaliation attacks against the Cappies - even post St Ives war.

[Kojak]

I have to hand it to you, it takes a lot of cajones to kill off your CO like that. A lot of players would have handwaved that result away, kudos to you for not taking the easy path.

[Sir Chaos]

It's always tough when characters you've grown to love die.
As you say, it will be interesting - I could see Sue Chang leading the Chindits in a series of retaliation attacks against the Cappies - even post St Ives war.

... and perhaps kill Jason´s dad, this Jones fellow, in the process?

[Nav_Alpha]

I'm really excited for the next chapter of this saga.

[gleamingterrier]

The aide opened the door to the conference room and saluted the General. I felt a slight pang at the crispness of the salute; if the Valexa CMM had been this squared away my first time here, I might never have ended up a Chindit.

"Major Sung-Hee Chang, of Vass' Chindits, General," the aide announced. The woman at the table stood up, returned the salute and dismissed the Captain, who took two steps back, pivoted sharply on his heel and left the room.

"Major Chang, a pleasure to finally meet you," said Leftenant General Sarah Delittle, commanding officer of the Valexa CMM.

"The pleasure is mine, General." I returned the handshake, and when it finished, I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "I do feel I owe you an apology."

Delittle's brows narrowed in honest confusion. "Whatever for, Major?"

"When you extended your invitation for me to rejoin the unit in '58, I now feel that I wasn't properly appreciative of the offer. I do hope..."

Delittle smiled and waved me off. "No apologies necessary, truly. When I was getting this unit whipped into shape, Mac Bolan said you'd had the right idea years earlier and had gotten a raw deal. Said I'd be an idiot if I didn't try to get you back, not just to get back a quality officer, but to show the rest of the unit that it's not just from the top down. But you've clearly found a family in the Chindits; far be it from me to deny anyone the chance to find the place they truly fit in."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I was worried that Delittle was going to be confrontational over my brusque communique five years earlier. I didn't recall the exact wording of the message, but I remember being very proud of using the phrase "now that the pigs have been slaughtered, the survivors want the sheepdog back before it turns feral." I had a lot of unresolved issues at the time.

"General Bolan was one of the officers I found truly supportive during my time here, ma'am. I'm glad you kept him during the reorg."

Delittle sat down, motioning for me to sit down next to her. "His men certainly aren't, not after the five-day "Crucible" training exercises he subjects them to every six months or so." She poured coffee into a mug from a carafe sitting on the conference room table, then poured me one without asking.

We sat for a few moments in companiable silence as I sipped the coffee politely. "I was very sorry to hear about Major Vass. I never knew her personally, but I know she had more than a few friends still scattered through the old generals brigade here in the AFFS."

I nodded my thanks, making silent note of the 'S', rather than 'C', in her mention of the military she served in. "She was truly incredible. She devoted her life to the Chindits, to just such a..." I broke off, trying to find the words. "Did you know that I didn't even know her homeworld until she died? I mean, she was proud of her FedSuns heritage, but she was, as much as it's possible to be, a citizen of her unit. When we went to Ogilvie for her service, her son Jason had never even been there, and suddenly he's seeing streets with his last name in the capital city." I shook my head. "I know there's now way I can replace her."

"Don't try," Delittle said. "Just do the best you can, and honor her in that way."

After some more small talk about the Chindits, Valexa's turnaround and other things, she broached the subject of my arrival on Valexa.

"So, after Ogilvie, you headed to Novaya Zemlya?"

"Right," I replied. "we were outbound from Ogilvie when Prince Victor made his announcement, so we were going to head to Northwind to get on some neutral ground and see how things started to play out."

"Why not Outreach?" Delittle asked.

"We have a 75-year-old Lieutenant who's persona non grata with the Dragoons."

She raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like quite a story."

"You'd better believe it. Anyways, our admin pulled a few strings and we stopped at the NovZel Reclamation Facility to pick up a bit of decommissioned AFFC salvage and get back up to 100% capacity for our Dispossessed pilots. While we're there, one of my other officers, who was born in the LC, gets approached by this mystery employer. The Chindits would get a hell of a lot of cash to start causing problems for the various FedCom units on NovZel, and he also kind of suggested a change in leadership that put a Lyran national such as Lieutenant Chacic in command would also be highly rewarded."

Delittle nodded, steepling her fingers together. "And he came to you with this, your Lieutenant Chacic? You still trust him?"

"Of course I do," I snapped. "He's a Chindit." I took a breath. "Sorry."

"Don't worry. So, he informed you?"

"Yes, and he swears up and down that the guy smelled like LIC. We've had our share of clashes with intelligence agents over the last few years, and I'm inclined to believe him on that. So, we boosted first chance we got. Maybe that puts us on the Archon-Princesses shit list, but I'm not going to string it out and see how badly I can screw up the Chindits in my first contract as CO. So, Valexa is on our path to Northwind, I let General Bolan know what happened, as a heads-up to an old friend, he contacts you, and here we are."

"And here we are," sighed Delittle. She turned the chair to face the window; looking out onto the parade ground, we could see two lances of Mechs practicing synchronized movements, a parade function that could actually be applied to combat. Far below, infantry squads swarmed between the Mechs, practicing combined arms coordination.

"Major, I'm not sure if you realize it, but this unit is at war. A single shot hasn't been fired, but war has already come to this planet. I don't suppress what I let my troops say, which it makes it ironic that it lets them espouse support for a ruler that would suppress them."

"Is it that bad?" I asked.

"Not as bad as many, I suppose. None of the officers, not that I know of, but up to a fifth of the enlisted men, including a few higher-ranking non-coms, are hoping we throw in with the Archon-Princess."

"And your take?"

Delittle turned and looked me in the eyes. "I'll be damned before I take another order from that traitorous bitch. She screwed over the entire Sarna March, its people and its defenders, just to gobble up power for herself. And when my rightful lord Prince Victor issues a command for the Valexa CMM to fight, we're going to show the so-called 'Archon-Princess' what true loyalty means."

As she finished, I couldn't help myself. The hair on my neck stood up. "Fei chang hao," I muttered, loosely translated as 'Excellent' or 'Outstanding.' I owed Katherine Steiner-Davion a fight. There was no way in hell I was going to support a ruler who had allowed her unit to be used so casually to crush her own ally, my homeland, and get my commander killed, just to support her own power play.

She grinned at my tone. "I would like to offer the Chindits a contract, open-ended, directly with the CMM. You'd stay independent, you wouldn't be broken up to fill in my other units. We'd pay you out of our operational fund, so it might not be as much as you're used to, but you'd have direct access to our supply lines and logistical network. No company store BS. You'll be an independent command, no liason, reporting directly to me. Missions will vary, but will be suited to your skills and equipment. We'll hammer out the details later, but what do you think?"

"I think Katherine Steiner-Davion shouldn't get too comfortable on New Avalon, General." I held out my hand.

The General shook it firmly. "Welcome back to the Valexa CMM, Major Chang."

-Major Sung-Hee Chang, personal memoirs, 3063

[gleamingterrier]

It's funny how characters you write become your favorites. I like everyone in the unit, but I freaking love Sue Chang. More than Vass, even.

Out of idle curiosity, would anyone here actually read a Chindits short story on the FanFic board here, or if I submitted it to BattleCorps? Is there enough interest in small merc unit stories? I'd hate for anyone to ever compare the Chindits to the Black Thorns. :)

[Kojak]

Out of idle curiosity, would anyone here actually read a Chindits short story on the FanFic board here, or if I submitted it to BattleCorps? Is there enough interest in small merc unit stories? I'd hate for anyone to ever compare the Chindits to the Black Thorns. :)

Hell yes, I would. And I'd honestly try for a BattleCorps submission, this stuff is definitely at that level of quality. Although if you do a submission, I'd probably start with something non-Chindits-related first, to test the waters.

[Nav_Alpha]

As discussed in my reply earlier, gleamingterrier - go for it. I think your stuff is certainly worthy of BC.

[Orion]

Small merc units define Battletetch for me, so I hope you do write more stuff.  I'd much rather read about a small merc unit that yet another multi-battalion or regiment command, regardless of faction.

I have always felt about half or so of the Chindit stuff should have gone on the Fan Fiction board to start with.  No idea what the official difference is, but it seems to me this board is more for TO&E listings and discussions on how to tweak the unit into whatever you want it to be, while the Fan Fiction board is for all the history, battles, and character interaction.  Descriptions of people could be in either, depending on how they are written out.  I'll read it either place, however.  Highly unlikely to see it on BattleCorp though, as I have never subscribed to it, and don't see me doing so any time soon.  I wish you luck though.

[snakespinner]

Small merc units i enjoy reading.
I would like to see more stories on BC about them. O0

[gleamingterrier]

Christ, but I hate Tikonov.

-Major Sung-Hee Chang, personal memoirs, 3064

Been extremely busy, writing my first novel, new job, et cetera, et cetera. But the Chindits are alive and kicking! Keep your eyes peeled for an update soon!

[Nav_Alpha]

Christ, but I hate Tikonov.

-Major Sung-Hee Chang, personal memoirs, 3064

Been extremely busy, writing my first novel, new job, et cetera, et cetera. But the Chindits are alive and kicking! Keep your eyes peeled for an update soon!

About damn time! Just joking - glad you're back. And it sounds like your personal life is going well - but sometimes they do get in the way

[gleamingterrier]

From: Leftenant General MacKenzie Bolan, interim CO, Valexa CMM
To: Major Sung-Hee Chang, CO, Vass’ Chindits

I’m starting to think that you’re my albatross, Suzie. It’s bad enough to wade through the ocean of crap that Tikonov left behind, but I just spent six hours arguing with DMJ lawyers why you shouldn’t be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act.

It’s all horseshit, of course. Some junior prosecutor saw an opportunity, and didn’t count on someone like me sticking up for you. Don’t worry; his boss was so embarrassed, he’s in for an epic ass-chewing once they get back to the Kathil regional offices.

Here’s the long and short of it: although the bulk of the CMM was destroyed at Tikograd, your stunt in the industrial section of the city kept enough of the brigade alive that DMI wanted to know how you worked your magic. Hector told them that the battleROMs from the 4th Succession War, in particular the 7th Crucis Lancers failed drop into Tikograd, had formed a large part of the Chindit’s doctrine on defensive city-fighting during the unit’s early days.

(DMI Analyst note: This much is true. The Chindits, at the time operating as an independent company of the 3rd battalion Valexa CMM, found themselves occupying almost the exact same position as Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Lancers did on October 11, 3028. Though some changes had been made over the years, the terrain was still easily recognizable to the Chindits, who had been fighting in sims of that same factory for nearly 30 years.)

Basically, you mirrored the best parts of Colonel Ridzik’s escape from Tikonov, and DMI didn’t want to admit that you’d learned more from history than they had. So, they tried to get you under a technicality. (DMI Analyst note: We had nothing to do with the DMJ investigation.)

What it boils down to is, Hector, Vass and other members of the Crucis Lancers during Operation Rat took their battleROMs with them when they became mercenaries. At the time, this wasn’t considered out of the ordinary. All their Mechs were privately owned, so the data was, in general, considered part of their property. Of course, with the massive expansion of the industrial base following the war, and Mechs becoming more commonly issued within the armed forces, rules were changed, and starting in 3034, the battleROM footage taken during AFFS operations was subject to approval before dissemination or use by non-AFFS contractors.

What I pointed out was that, by the time it actually came into play, you were operating as AFFS personnel. Also, besides Matthias Hector, all the Chindits who had served in the Crucis Lancers during the war were either dead or retired, and Hector is an adjunct professor of economics at Sayer College on Belladonna, who has had dinner at the home of Mel Aleixandre on multiple occasions. (DMI Analyst note: There is no proof of a friendship between Field Marshal Melvin Israel Aleixandre, head of the Department of the Quartermaster, and Matthias Hector; the use of Hector’s theories on supply chain management and faster-than-light communication are common within both the AFFS and LAAF, and are not in themselves necessarily proof of a personal relationship.)

In the end, I think they’re just going to chalk it up to chance, presuming you don’t pull another one in a million shot like that again. Then again, I don’t know if I’d put it past you, Suzie.

[Daryk]

Welcome back!  And that's a fairly accurate portrayal of bureaucratic warfare there...  ^-^

[Nav_Alpha]

Good to see you back! Here was me thinking we’d never see the ending to this. Welcome back!

[gleamingterrier]

The following audio file was found on a WoB hard drive following the liberation of Achernar in the Free World League in 3078. It appears to have been gathered by a sound-activated bug; metadata places it as having been generated at several times throughout August of 3067.

[Voice 1 (Identified as Roland Chacic, Vass’ Chindits)] I don’t know how you can eat that, it’s just salt.
[Voice 2 (identified as Ambrosious Dell, Vass’ Chindits)] Why must you be so intransigent about it? I enjoy the spice.
[Chacic] It’s spicy, but there’s no flavor. It’s just salt and heat.
[There is a loud thunk, several beeps, and a thrum: a microwave being opened and operated.]
[Chacic] You should try it with some Sriracha.
[Dell] If one more of you freebirths suggest Sriracha, I am replacing the gel in your cooling vest with it during our next field op.
[There is a beep, the sound of the microwave door opening, and the sound of noodles being slurped. The recording goes silent for several moments; presumably, the bug went dormant, and the next sounds were days, perhaps weeks, later.]
[Voice 3 (identified as Jason Vass, Vass’ Chindits), subvocalizing off-key singing] Lisa from Tharkad, Rachael from New Avalon, we had all the time in the world. I should have known we’d never go dancing.
[Several cabinets open and close.]
[Vass, now mumbling; he clearly has food in his mouth] The summer of ’49 [unintelligible] This can’t just be summer love, you’ll see [unintelligible]
[The recording goes silent; another passage of time. When the recording begins again, there’s a murmur of multiple voices. In addition to those notated below, analysis identifies Chindits Matthias Hector, Randall Maclaw, Roland Chacic, Ria Tannon and Marcus Galindo as present]
[Voice 4 (identified as Sue Chang, Vass’ Chindits)] I don’t like our options right now. There’s no shortage of jobs, but I’ve got a bad feeling about them.
[Vass, no longer eating or singing] Because they’re Word of Blake? No offense.
[Voice 5 (identified as Joyce Kohara, Vass’ Chindits)] None taken. The Word isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
[Chang] We have a few other offers, but we’re not a good fit. The Blakists are trying really hard to hire us for one job or another, and it’s not feeling right to me. Jason?
[Vass] It’s not my decision to make, but all things being equal, no, I’d rather not work for the Word.
[Vass] Anyone disagree? [silence] Suggestions?
[Dell] The Mac?
[Chang] They’d take us, but… it might not…
[Vass clears his throat] I… uh… don’t think it would…
[Dell] Ah. [silence] I apologize. After all this time, I still forget…
[Vass] It’s different from the Clans, Dell.
[Dell] Perhaps not as much as you may think. One need only look at me to see how long hurt feelings may last.
[Chang] Look at you…
[Dell] Pardon?
[Chang] Something you said. Dell, Major Vass never asked you to try to reconcile with the Dragoons.
[Dell] No, she did not.
[Chang] Would you have? If she’d asked?
[Silence stretches out for almost 30 seconds. The only reason the bug doesn’t shut off is because it picks up the murmur of Hector explaining Dell’s situation to one of the more recent recruits]
[Dell] I think I would have, yes.
[Vass] Well, then…
[Chang] Jason, shhh. [silence] Dell, you know we haven’t been offered any AMC contracts. Partially because they tend to go through Outreach rather than Galatea, but also… [She trails off]
[Dell] I am aware.
[Chang, after another long silence] I think she didn’t ask you, because it wasn’t her business. It was about you, and the Dragoons. Not the Chindits. Not her place.
[Dell] I believe that to be true.
[Chang] I’m not… I’m not the friend she was to you, I know that.
[Dell] Major, I respect you…
[Chang] But she was your friend. I think I could be, one day, but we’re not at that place yet. Our friendship isn’t what’s preventing me from asking you.
[Vass] What is?
[Dell] Nothing is, Jason. Nothing is stopping the Major from ordering me to…
[Chang] Except that’s what it would be. An order. I wouldn’t ask, I don’t have the right. But if I ordered…
[Dell] You could.
[Chang] But could I? Would you want to be here after I gave that order? Who would? Everyone has a past. Maybe not quite as colorful, but still. Major Vass never ordered me to reach out to the Valexa CMM. This whole conversation started because I wouldn’t reach out to McCarron. [silence] No, it’s not fair, not to anyone.
[Kohara] Maybe one of the short term contracts with the Word. Three months of cadre duty, and we could see how everything looks then.
[Chang] We might have to do that. Let me take one last pass through the MRBC contracts first.
[Dell] I’ll do it.
[Kohara] If not, let me come with. Maybe I can help with the Word.
[Dell] I will do it.
[Chang] No, Dell, I’m not going to order it.
[Dell] I know. I will do it anyway.
[Chang] Are you sure? It’s been a long grudge, on both sides.
[Dell] They will not gainsay me a Trial of Grievance.
[Chang] No, I wasn’t thinking clearly. Look at the economics. We’d have to jump all the way to Outreach, and if we can’t use the hiring hall there, we can’t afford to go all the way back to Galatea or Northwind.
[Dell] You will be able to use the Outreach hiring hall.
[Chang] I appreciate the vote of confidence.. in yourself, I guess? But honestly, I have to consider what happens if you lose.
[Dell] If I lose, you will still be able to use Outreach as a base of operations.
[Chang] Oh.
[Vass] What?
[Dell] Either I win my Trial of Grievance, and we can be evaluated without prejudice by the Dragoons. Or I lose…
[Chang] And his presence in the unit is no longer a sore point.
[Vass] Oh.
[Chang] Yeah.
[Vass, after a moment of silence] Well, shit. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.

[Nav_Alpha]

There’s a couple references to MAC that I think are meant to be AMC.
But, otherwise - interesting to see Dell willing to heal that hurt with the Dragoons.

[gleamingterrier]

The MAC is actually meant to be Mac, lowercase: McCarron's Armored Cavalry. Jason's father still serves there, but there are lots of complicated feelings since Major Vass was KIA against them.

[Nav_Alpha]

The MAC is actually meant to be Mac, lowercase: McCarron's Armored Cavalry. Jason's father still serves there, but there are lots of complicated feelings since Major Vass was KIA against them.

Ah, fair enough.
Glad these guys are back