Author Topic: Cavalli’s Cavaliere  (Read 82362 times)

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #360 on: 07 November 2017, 02:41:06 »
I should get this down on tape... while there's still time. My name is Adept Mary-Louise Yang. I'm an Adept with the Word of Blake's 4th Division. Praise Blake.
A week ago, my Level II and other elements were shuttled to Galatea as part of a counter attack - the unbelievers had assaulted the planet and our braves troops were forced into a bitter hit and run campaign of defence. We retook Galatea's system - destroying several heretic Jumpships and Dropships and even retaking the space station in orbit.

Hands of the Master then descended on the planet to punish the deserving.
My Level II and other elements drawn from the 4th and 3rd, as well as the remaining 11th fighter crews continued to hold the system until December 23.

A large fleet of this Devlin Stone's troops then dropped into the system and began their assault. My troops were in the van - ripping through fighters belonging to the Knights of St Cameron - Mercenary scum! As if they knew something the Blessed Order did not!
We held the advantage until more mercenaries arrived - Cavalli's Cavaliers or something. We sold ourselves dearly, but after learning the Bastion was destroyed, we were forced to pull back.

During the run for Galatea's orbit disaster struck as we were over taken.
My Rogue was critically damaged - and at least some of the missile blast tore into my cockpit, shredding my G-suit. With minimal power, no radio and little air..  I wait.
Eventually I'll freeze to death here, knowing we tried as hard as Blake could ask.
I'm so cold. So cold.

- the following was tendered at the hearing of Adept Yang during the Geneva Trials, 3080. Adept Yang was found by recovery crews about an hour after this recording.
She was sentenced to five years hard labour by the Geneva court, commuted to one year with time served on account of her disability sustained above Galatea.


We retoook space. With the jumpoint clear, more support is behind us, including the Tooth of Ymir. Normally, I'd say this was a good start - no losses, an easy drop into orbit. But Word from the planet sounds dire.
The ComGuard CO was killed in a Blakist head hunter attack last week and it appears the Word has dropped a good amount of their cyber soldier horrors on world.
It's still bitter house to house fighting and hit and fade actions on world.
In 11 days we'll be on the surface, dropping on the left of the ComGuards who are pressed very hard.
- Joe Paige


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #361 on: 12 November 2017, 19:35:33 »
So, I've killed for the first time. The pilot of that Mercury, the crew of that tank and I guess the Gurkha pilot too, although he ejected after I cored his reactor. He just didn't land right.
This is combat. It doesn't feel that different from the sims of the academy from like 10 years ago. The only difference is when you crack the cockpit later and smell that burned flesh and hair smell or see the bodies laying twisted where you killed them.

Our lance was tasked with pushing around the flank as the battalion pushed out from Galatea City - a couple Level IIs were playing hit and run in the muddy hills off the ComGuards' flank. Most of us assaulted them straight on, with ComGuard artillery support and even some heavy tanks. We got stuck with flanking - and ran straight into a Word Mech lance and some of those new stealth tanks and infantry.

It was only later we found they were defending a series of fortifications dug into the hills. They fought for as long as possible, even taking down the LT, but we pushed in close and then got some help from the ComGuards - a couple Demon tanks and BA.

Those Word stealth Bollas are damn nasty, at one point I copped a full burst of SRMs and thought I was done. Nyugen had my back and is probably the only reason I managed to get back up and send those fanatics packing.
Eventually they gave up and ran, we then helped the ComGuard troops engage the defensive positions - lost of spider holes and gun nests before we got the word: pull back.

Pull back, I said - unless you're dropping a company on this you're not cracking it. A half hour later these black VTOLs arrived and I shit you not, a bunch of leg infantry supported by honest to God Clan Elementals popped out. We heard the gunfire for a long time before they emerged and declared the place clear.
Just like that. The Colonel later told us we were getting credit for taking the complex out and finding a whole mess of intel and even POWs.
Funny... we got told to forget all those Clanners we saw. Hell, Clan special forces? No one would believe us anyway!
 
- Eli Moss

Camera focuses on short, stocky woman with dark brown hair and freckles. She's wearing LAAF field greens and a bulky flak vest with MEDIA stamped across the front in white letters.
Behind her, a half a dozen infantrymen crouch or kneel in a slit trench hastily dug into the brown desert rock. Camo netting has been thrown partially over the trench, only partially hiding the cluster of antennas sprouting from the trench

Reporter: in just a few minutes Operation Avenger will commence - the final Coalition push to liberate Galatea from the Word of Blake.

The journalist pauses to while sweat off her forehead - her uniform is stained with sweat around the armpits and neck line and behind her all of the soldiers in muted brown/grey body armour are obviously dirty and grimy. Many are unshaven and others sport hastily treated wounds.

Reporter: Behind me, infantry of the ComGuard 103rd Division hold the Green Line - the step off point for Avenger and will soon launch a broad offensive on the Pygmalion fortification - a stretch of Star League era fortresses and dug in positions, further developed by slave labour during the Word occupation into a massive strong point.

The camera pans to further down the trench. Just in shot you can glimpse the cloven metal feet of a Battlemech. Several figures stand speaking and peering out occasionally with binoculars.
One is a tall, lithe woman in a ComGuard jumpsuit, the other is an elderly man in a cooling vest marked with a fan of broadswords. Another Mechwarrior steps into frame - he's wearing a camo cooling vest and black shorts - with one arm replaced by a chrome prosthetic.
He's beaded and dark but grins at the pair as he nods his head out toward the desert.

Reporter: it's starting!

Suddenly, manmade lightening splits the air, followed by a series of booms and the flicker of laser light. All of it falling from the heavens.

Reporter: Coalition forces have commended orbital bombardment on the Blakist positions. And will shortly advance.
For Donegal Broadcasting, this is Phoebe Fox on Galatea.

Her last words are drowned out as dozens of Aerospace fighters scream overhead.

That fortress was a tough nut to crack. Three days of advancing through rubble, getting shot at the whole time. Orbital bombardment, arty and air support turned the whole mountain into a jumbled mess the fanatics could hide amongst.
I was talking to the ComGuard 1st Division guys and they were saying this was what Hersperus was like. I'm glad we missed that one.

We have orders to pull back to just north of Galatea City and wait for the inevitable breakout - the Skye Jaegers have one concentration of Wobbies bottled up, 1st Div the other. We have been pulled into a battle group that mixes us, some 1st Division infantry and the Battle Corps Legion, along with walking wounded from the Tooth of Ymir, ComGuards and those St Cameron guys.
If the Word tries to break out we are to move up asap and stop them.

Felix Cavalli, January 18 3076

We just got the word - saddle up. Blakist break out! We are going hunting
Felix Cavalli, January 21


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #362 on: 13 November 2017, 18:45:09 »
Situation:
27km north of Galatea City - "El Diablo's Gulch"
Galatea, Word of Blake Protectorate/Lyran Alliance
19 January, 3076
0455 hours

Voice one: Pickaxe Lead, that canyon is clear. The Robes are pulling back.

Voice two: Roger that Hammer, those Battle Corps boys still with you.

Voice one: Pick axe, this is Hammer. They're a little dinged up but still here. We're moving up on your three.

Burst of static and muted gunfire

Voice three: Stand by, firing now!

0605 hours

Voice two: Son of a bitch! That Bola just wasted Fabs, swing wide. The Robes are dug in like ticks!

Voice four: all unit, all units be advised we have Droppers lifting in grid references 210034 and 210153. Press them before they escape!

So, only a handful of the Wobbies escaped. We pursued them through the desert, heat through the roof and guns going the whole time.
It was nasty - we lost Fab from 2nd company's command lance to an ambush. Somehow a contingent of the Robes got past us and made it back to their hidden Dropships.

We have been shifted back to Galatea City for occupation duties - keeping watch, guarding against sabotage and handing out food and clean water to the thousands of displaced citizens.
We might have kicked the Robes off planet but plenty ave faded back into the population to hit back
- Eli Moss


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #363 on: 13 November 2017, 23:10:57 »
A reporter wearing LAAF fatigues and a black flak vest with PRESS written across the front in thick white letters walks down a dusty street. Many of the buildings behind her show signs of damage - blackened and burnt spots, collapsed roofs, bullet holes.
All are coloured brown and the street doesn't look paved

Reporter: Weeks after hostilities ended here in Galatea, the fight to help citizens goes on.

Picture cuts to a pair of LAAF soldiers handing out MRE ration packs to a crowd of children. The scene shifts to one of the troopers. She's taken off her helmet to expose a long mane of white blonde hair. Children are playing with her bulbous helmet - trying it on, flicking the night vision mono lenses up and down. She smiles and laughs but keeps a firm grip on her TK Assault Rifle.

The scene shifts again: a dozen men and women wearing various states of work clothing are carrying out repairs on a building. All sport an eclectic collection of tattoos and scars and most wear sidearms.

Reporter: Coalition forces are now desperate to help Galatea after years of Word of Blake occupation, including establishing food and water drop off points and dealing with left over ordinance. What's not being discussed by the Coalition is the fact that Blakist insurgents are still fighting back - using unwilling civilians as suicide bombs and frequently endangering non combatants by sheltering among them.

New picture of a Phoenix Hawk painted in urban camo standing in a city square. A grey and maroon Knight chess piece is painted on its right shoulder.
Picture pulls out to show infantry moving past it.
Suddenly, gunfire rings out - one of the infantryman throws us his hands and drops to the ground.
His comrades drop and return fire - the camera pitches and rolls, dropping behind cover before popping back up.
The Phoenix Hawk strides forward as tracers flicker about. The hulking Mech levels one arm and the while scene lights up as red tracers explode from its wrist.

Reporter: this morning, an insurgent blew himself up at a refugee collection point in Galatea Heights. Eleven civilians were killed.
Yesterday a sniper killed two Mercenary troopers and another five civilians.
Coalition forces assure us that Galatea is getting safer.
For Donegal Broadcasting Corporation, this is Phoebe Fox on Galatea.

Look, I'm going to admit... I didn't believe the new kid Eli when he was blabbing about "special forces Clanners". Yeah, until we got assigned to this new taskforce.
All week we have been running counter mortar missions and patrols as this Blakist insurgency frustrates the hell out of everyone. High command is very keen to,act like Galatea is safe and Robe free... but everyday a Coalition outfit will take casualties from a sniper or IED. Sure, the Word might not have any Mechs left on planet - but they certainly have infantry and tanks. And there is certainly MD cyber zombies about.
Just ask those poor morons from the 91st Division who ran into the suicide bomber who couldn't die last week.

Anyway, the only good news as January turned into February was that the rest of the unit and our Jumpship turned up. We are all one big happy family. Living in a bombed out barracks that insurgents constantly mortar.

Back to Eli's Clanners. We got orders tonight to saddle up to do security for a big anti-insurgency op in the northern suburbs.
My lance and some of our BA. We got to the mustering area and met the operators doing the actual work... yeah. Clanners for sure. But not what I expected. More ROM or DEST than honourbound Clanners.
They'll slip a squad of infantry in - and all of these guys bar maybe their LT and Sergeant HAVE to be Elementals - and grab the target. A couple more squads are on overwatch and then a full on Elemental in armour squad are the initial door hitters.
We are just there to form a blocking element - but I'm getting the feeling we are just along for the ride to make it all legit.

I caught a bit of their convo - the main sniper is Lyran I reckon based on that accent. But his spotter and security man are both Clanners for sure. I heard themselves as "Headhunters" or "the Headhunters".
Either way, if this is how we kill Wobblies.... I'm in

- Taigh Barrett


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #364 on: 16 November 2017, 21:26:25 »
More than a month counte-insurgency work has taken its toll on the Cavaliere. Casualties have been blessedly low - lots of wounds and near misses but we have only lost a handful of people.
Which is amazing, compared to some of the other units.

We have been pulling joint patrols with the Skye Jaegers infantry and its been rough. IEDs and snipers are the worst part. The tin men up there in their machines have got it easy.
The only good news is the unit's all back on the same planet and we have even expanded some more. We picked up some stragglers from the Tooth of Ymir and even those oddball Knights of St Cameron, not to mention POWs and locals from Galatea who were keen to get some pack back.

The Colonel has been in conference with Duchess Alys Rousett-Marik all day - rumour has it we'll be shifted off Galatea eventually to raid deep into the Protectorate
 - Captain Hamish Basara

Recording: 150376-xx-DELTA-GALATEASPCPRT
VOICE ONE: This is Magpie, I mark three Dropships breaking for atmo. Confirmed as two Unions and a Fortress. Crest is Silver chess piece on maroon. That's Cavalli’s Cavaliere.

VOICE TWO: Roger that Magpie. Makes sense, their CO was spotted with Marik all week. Passing on to the Precentor.
Out.


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #365 on: 01 December 2017, 02:49:08 »
 We are burning in for Dieudonne III. It’s a tiny, cold ball of ice with minimum atmosphere. But it’s out of the way and a good hiding spot.
The main planet is supposed to be beautiful and while nominally a Marik world, it has stayed pretty independent of the Robes, so hopefully no one will be looking to hard.

From here, we split up and strike into the Protectorate. Alys Marik’s Resistance wants us to hit multiple planets along the FWL side and determine force strength, defenses and generally keep the Word defenders off guard.
While the Resistance has a pretty well equipped base on world, we won't be staying long - just time to equip and move out. The best thing waiting for us is our mission liaison, one Force Commander Zoe del Toro, late of the Duchy of Tamarind. Guess she got tired of the Duchess and wanted to kick some Blakists with the FWL Resistance. Or maybe she just wanted to see me?
- Felix Cavalli

Voice one: In and out. Remember that - we keep it loose and get out as soon as we can.
Voice two: Roger that. Scan the buildings, find the team and haul arse.
Voice three: And hope like hell the Protectorate Militia don't notice us.
Voice one: C'mon, Eli. You wanna live forever?
- Bull session: Support Lance, Cavalli's Cavalliere, Dropship Hobart
April 2, 3076


SITUATION:
Mizar had not taken to the Word of Blake kindly and while active resistance has been minimal, citizens of the high tech world seethed under the yoke. That's why a nominally Lyran world was happy to deal with Alys Marik's FWL Resistance.
On world assets passed on intelligence and data to both Marik's Resistance and Lyran intelligence following the world's fall to the Word. But in 3075, Marik slipped a small team on world to step up anti-Blakist operations. Led by Captain Michael Burgh, "Burgh Team" carried out active sabotage and attacks on the Word garrison until it got too hot. They requested extraction in early 3076.
During the early hours of April 2, Mercenary assets slipped into the system to cover the extraction - Burgh team were holed up in an abandoned military base in the Solasia mountains.
Neither the Resistance or the Mizar Protectorate Militia were expecting a fight.

- Mizar: A planet's struggle. New Hope Press Inc, 3091
« Last Edit: 01 December 2017, 03:05:28 by Nav_Alpha »


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #366 on: 05 December 2017, 05:57:16 »
They made us all watch today while they hung two supposed saboteurs. I have no idea if the two men - both factory labourers - had ever been saboteurs. But it was an object lesson.
The whole facility was turned out to watch, while Precentor Zedtwitz told us all how if we wanted to avoid the same fate, etc, etc.
They’re stepping up production and forcing us to work longer and longer. It’s almost ok for us here in the lab. but I can’t imagine what it’s doing to the labourers.
I dread to think of what they do to those who can’t keep up. I wish there was something we could do to stop this madness - but then I think of those two men hanging above the factory’s main floor.
- diary of Dr Hannah Misovich, researcher at Facility 12 - “de Kasteel”, Van Diemen


Campaign update of Force Commander Zoe del Toro - Operation Polip

The image forms into a small, very attractive brunette with fine, porcelain features and glossy black hair. She’s wearing grey FWL spacer coveralls And behind her a metal bulkhead can be seen.

“I’m still amazed ComStar is lending us the tech to report like this. And they swear it’s encrypted, so...”

She tucks an errant hair behind her left ear.

“Two days ago, a  Cavaliere lance hit Mizar to extract several operatives. They’ll be an excellent font of intel on defenders there. Unfortunately the lance was badly damaged during the mission. My understanding is the operative and his team were already under attack by infantry when the lance emerged, and stumbled right into a Protectorate lance.
Somehow we got everyone out."

The image shifts to show Del Toro holding a small plastic tablet. Its display shows a map of the Blakist Protectorate. Several worlds burn red.

“Further elements will now recon New Hope and Wing. We hope by spreading out we’ll throw off the Robes.
I’ll accompany the New Hope raid. Cavalli has given one of his lance commanders, Barret, an independent command to see how he goes. Two mercenary lances, a lance from the 12th Atrean and SF elements from Taskforce 101.
Their job is to slip into the system and test the defences by conducting a series of strikes.

“Colonel Cavalli will lead the Wing group. With a FWL rather than a Word garrison, he’ll attempt to avoid direct combat while scouting the terrain and delivering supplies to the on-world rebellion.

“Finally, we will strike Van Diemen IV with Taskforce 101 support. The resistance has reports of some sort of missile factory on world. Plus, there’s an unusually high amount of space traffic for a backwater. We are to determine what the Robes are up to in possible preparation for a further surgical strike.”


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #367 on: 07 December 2017, 04:05:17 »
After action report - Force Commander Zoe del Toro

I want to go on record and say that Barrett did everything right. It was a classic case of wrong time, wrong place.
On April 3 we dropped onto New Home. A storm front rolling in from the arctic circle hit us as we broke atmosphere and the whole drop was off target - we were supposed to come down in a tight grouping on a beach, but ended scattered badly.
After hiding the Damnthing in a jungle cove, it became apparent not everyone had made it - one of the 12th Atrean Mechs was last seen way off the coast, falling towards the ocean and we couldn’t make any contact.

After a detailed search, Barrett decided to push on - hiking the three Mech lances and the attached infantry through the jungle and into the Sel Trev Highlands. Our objective was a geothermal plant used to power several military installations.

With Black’s Pursuit lance in front, we moved in. Only for Black to come face to face with a company sized Blakist unit on the move.
Barrett’s lance moved forward to provide covering fire, while he sent the Dragoon lance around the left flank. This lance quickly ran into a lance of heavy and assault tanks dug in along the woodline.

It soon became apparent that we were facing both Protectorate Militia and a full Level II from main line Blakist Militia - I estimated we faced a level II from the 12th Division, based on the paint scheme, plus two lances from the local Protectorate Militia (one Mech, one conventional).

While Barrett worked to extract the besieged Pursuit lance, I accompanied elements of Task Force 101 forward to carry out sabotage on several of the plant’s outlying buildings. But it quickly became apparent we were overmatched and the Mech forces began a fighting withdrawal - with Barrett’s heavier lance holding the rear guard.

My infantry laid several demolition charges and retreated through the forest - allowing me to see what happened next.
Facing a King Crab, a Thunderbolt and a Crocket, Barrett singlehandedly advanced to draw fire and allow the rest of his lance to flee.
After destroying the King Crab, he attempted to fall back with supporting fire from his lancemates but was slowed by a destroyed foot.
Surrounded and badly damaged he ordered the rest of the unit to flee while he again threw himself at the enemy.
I didn’t see his Thug’s final destruction, but radio chatter captured from the Word later on indicates he valiantly kept up his attacks until destroyed.

It’s my belief that Lieutenant Barrett bravely sacrificed himself to ensure the rest of the unit could retreat.
All up, the Dragoons lost another Mech and all of the Cavaliere Mechs sustained major damage.

Interrogation log 4459-ALPHA-09

Camera zooms in on figure restrained in a metal folding chair. The prisoner is naked, exposing numerous scars running across his stocky, muscular torso. His right shoulder and arm are heavily tattooed.
His hands are bound behind him.

It's obvious he's been beaten - one eye is swollen shut and blood cakes the whole side of his face. Blood runs from his nose into his thick, dark stubble.
He's missing his left ear lobe - it's now just a bloodied nub.

Voice one: Barret, Taigh. Middle name Trevor. Lieutenant, Cavalli's Cavaliere. Trevor? You kidding me son! Daddy not like you?

Barrett rolls his head up into the light and then spits out a bloody mess.

Barrett: Yeah, he was a real prick. Gimme one of them hooded bathrobes and I'll sign up and we can go kill the bastard.

The camera blurs as swings as a fist whips forward and smashes into Barrett's face. A figure then blocks the view but the audio records several meaty crashes.

Voice one: you're going to tell us everything you know. Let's start with the bitch we found you holed up with in Outer Volga? Want to tell us about your little safe house?

The prisoner bucks almost out of his chair, straining against the restraints.

Barrett: you leave her out of this!

Interrogation notes prepared by Adept IX Curtis LeGrange
Precentor, the audio and visual of our session with the captured Mercenary are attached. After ejecting from his Thug, he managed to elude capture by our infantry and make his way through the mountains to the rural community of Bowral-Al.

Wounded during the encounter with our forces, we believe he then sought out the town's physician  - a Doctor Tamara Grace for medical assistance.
After several days of recovery she spirited him to an outer suburb of the planetary capital, possible in an attempt to escape off world.
That's where we caught them. Neither revealed anything particularly interesting - the Mercenary refused to talk - and will now be transported to the work camps on Van Diemen IV.
Peace of Blake


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

truetanker

  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 9901
  • Clan Hells Horses 666th Mech. Assualt Cluster
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #368 on: 07 December 2017, 14:34:56 »
Oh... my MD services might be needed again?

 :))

TT
Khan, Clan Iron Dolphin
Azeroth Pocketverse
That is, if true tanker doesn't beat me to it. He makes truly evil units.Col.Hengist on 31 May 2013
TT, we know you are the master of nasty  O0 ~ Fletch on 22 June 2013
If I'm attacking you, conventional wisom says to bring 3x your force.  I want extra insurance, so I'll bring 4 for every 1 of what you have :D ~ Tai Dai Cultist on 21 April 2016
Me: Would you rather fight my Epithymía Thanátou from the Whispers of Blake?
Nav_Alpha: That THING... that is horrid
~ Nav_Alpha on 10 October 2016

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #369 on: 18 December 2017, 18:40:46 »
Contrary to contemporary claims that Stone's Coalition had no foreknowledge of the Word of Blake's Space Defence Systems prior to Operation Scour, several early intelligence gathering operations exposed the deadly system. Somehow, the intelligence gathered by these raids was seemingly overlooked or intentionally buried, leading to significant causalities at the hands of these SDS on several Word of Blake Protectorate worlds.

Take for example Diemen IV. In May, 3076 a Mercenary unit in the employ of Alys Rousett-Marik conducted a punitive raid - striking several Word positions and then Evading pursuit and retreating off world.
That unit's findings caused enough of a stir among the FWL Resistance high command to warrant a second attack - this time in force - in mid-July, with  the same unit supporting elements of the well known Kell Hounds Mercenary regiment.
Following a bitter fight, on world Blakist forces abandoned  Van Diemen IV and fled off world.

Coalition forces found evidence of an incomplete ground-based system defence setup, including hardened launch sites, radio and guidance equipment and generators. A factory had also been setup to build missiles capable of being guided into orbit to strike at intruding starships.
All of this setup was hardened, underground and built by slave labour at a terrible cost. After discovering the thousands of prisoners - some military, most civilian dissenters - being forced to work under these shocking conditions, the Mercenary commander of the initial raid clamoured for a follow up strike.
Somehow, this intelligence was not shared throughout the rest of the Coalition, despite the proliferation of similar sites throughout the Protectorate.
The Blakist in charge of running Van Diemen was killed in that July attack, however many victims of the work camps and factory allege the real masterminds were never prosecuted (or escaped with short sentences) in lieu of providing the Republic with their knowledge.

- Military Affairs Journal, Volume IVX, New Earth Publishing, 3095

The following is a download taken from our snatch and grab team off Van Diemen. A joint Task Force 101 and ComGuard unit carried out the operation, with a Mercenary Mech unit providing support.

********************************************************************

The image is a sickly green, shot through night vision goggles. It shows rough terrain - rocks and tangled, stumpy trees. In the distance there's bright sparks of light that show up white hot in the googles.

"Van Diemen IV" glows in the top right corner.

Suddenly, the image is moving - it bumps and stutters as the wearer crawls through the long grass.
Slowly it refocuses on the light sources: buildings, ringed by a chain link fence topped with razor wire.
There's movement inside and outside the wire - several cowled and cloaked figures patrol, carrying rifles and wearing bulbous, enclosed helmets.

A text box opens. In June, the Resistance made the decision to raid Van Diemen IV. After Mercenary elements under Colonel Felix Cavalli made contact with the on world resistance and learned of large scale prison camps, a small special forces element infiltrated in to take prisoners.

One of the Guards has stopped nearby. He's clutching his carbine loosely and appears casual. Suddenly, there's an explosion and the vision briefly blinks to compensate for the influx of light.
When it resumes, the guard is standing and staring towards the main gate which is a smoking ruin.
There's a distinctive THUMP, CRUMP of mortars and more explosions hit the compound

A gold reticle centres on the gaping guard. And then the top of his head explodes off and he slumps to the ground with a clatter.
The images surges forward as more mortar shells hit.

Now the image shifts. It's a top down view, showing 10 or so buildings laid out in a grid pattern. Figures dart between the buildings and there's the occasional flicker of tracers.

DRONE 001 flickers in the top left corner.

The image zooms down to where two figures are pulling an unwilling third along, one of the armed men turns on the third and cuffs him with his rifle butt.

NOTES: Your Grace, attached is the download of our operation on Van Diemen. Based on initial interrogations I'd recommend returning in force as soon as possible.
Our snatch and grab was carried out by a jointly commanded unit made up of our Eagle Corps and some of the ComGuard's remaining SF troops - our man LaCroix shared joint command with the ComGuard's Demi Precentor Nate Dexter - and for the most part was an overwhelming success.

After receiving intel from the local resistance they pinpointed an outlying facility as an easy target. It was a processing centre for raw materials being routed to the massive industrial project the Word has just outside the capital. Using mortars and recoiless rifles as a distraction, several teams moved in and took prisoners.

Three of the four detained were Protectorate Militia, but we have suspicions about the fourth woman - unfortunatly, she took the first opportunity presented to cut her own wrists and later died in surgery.

That level of fanaticism is usually reserved for ROM and suggests we are dealing with a bigger threat on planet that guessed.
The three remaining POWs were very helpful and I've attached all the relevant intelligence.
- General Nguyen Ngai

Flat 2D image shows a tall, thin and haughty woman with long blonde hair pulled back into a severe ponytail.
She's wearing the white robes of the Word of Blake and appears to be in a busy office - she's holding a noteputer in one hand and pointing with the other.
A giant Blakist broadsword is displayed behind her

We have a positive ID on Precentor Taya Mattihorn. Van Diemen IV's Word appointed governor. She appears to be a long term Blakist bureaucrat and held a variety of positions throughout the FWL and FedSuns. She arrived in Van Diemen in late 3074 but we believe she's little more than a figurehead.

The next image is a shorty, stocky man with jet black hair slicked back. He's got piggy little eyes and a mean mouth. In the picture he appears to be berating someone off screen.

This is Precentor Gustav Zedtwitz - we are fairly certain he's the real power behind the throne. He's also almost certainly ROM.
Born to Marik nobles, passed out of Sandhurst in 3049 and saw action against the Clans. Trained as a Mechwarrior, we're not sure when he defected to the Word but there's almost no records on him for the next few decades, suggesting he soon joined ROM.
We believe he's in charge of security for the Word's big project on world.

Third image is of a tall, blonde man wearing dark green fatigues and battle dress. He appears to be directing troops.

General Martin van Joop is a local native, appointed to command the Van Diemen Protectorate Militia. Previously a FWL officer, he readily joined the PM when his homeworld joined the Protectorate. We believe his appointment and rank is based more on loyalty than actual skill.

The last image shows a bullish, bulky man with a shaved head. He's wearing a lab coat and is talking with Zedtwitz. The Blakist broadsword is displayed prominently on his coat.

We have a name but not much else on this one: John Garrick. High ranking Wobbie who appears to be in charge of the actual goings on at this mysterious factory site.
« Last Edit: 18 December 2017, 23:24:37 by Nav_Alpha »


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

Lamont-Cranston

  • Corporal
  • *
  • Posts: 50
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #370 on: 18 December 2017, 23:20:23 »
Quote
twll, thin, and naughty woman

How lewd.

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #371 on: 18 December 2017, 23:24:06 »
How lewd.

Ha! Love it. This is what happens when you write using iPad notes - it’s predictive text is rather... interesting


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #372 on: 25 December 2017, 19:09:58 »
It was like a scene from one of those sci-fi movies or a TriVid about the Planning of the War of '39. All of the bigwigs gathered in the huge command centre of the Duchess' Dropship.

The Colonel, Joe, me and Asha along with Colonel Joey Nicole and her exec from the BattleCorps Legion representing the mercs. There was the hulking special forces officer, Dexter, from the ComGuards, plus enough FWL officers and civilians to reform the parliament back on Atreus.
Most interestingly, I noticed this much older gentleman turn up late and take the Duchess' elbow. Snowy hair to his shoulders and a long white beard - he was dressed as a civilian in hose, tunic and half cape but he held himself like a soldier.
Later on the Colonel mentioned he was a former FWL Marshall - Albrecht Kiel - he'd been in forced retirement since the Blakists took over but had recently slipped his minders and pledged aligned to Alys.

We were all there to talk Van Diemen IV. The Colonel and everyone who hit that world wanted to go back desperately and finish off that SDS setup, while a lot of the inner circle were saying we needed to keep to the original plan. Rumour had it we were ready to deliver a series of deep strikes.

The argument had been going back and forth when I saw the Colonel's woman - Zoe -  slip in through a side entrance and she was leading a group.
Argument stopped as they stepped into the inner circle - it's not often people will talk over Kell Hounds.
Turns out Stone - the Man Himself - had heard about our little problem and allocated resources.
We're going back to Van Diemen.
- Amber Mori-Paige

Merlin Lead: Stay on it two, stay on target!

Merlin Two: Lead! They're all over me! I've got AC towers putting up flak and that damn Capitol is lighting me up!

Lead: Calm down Two! We need to burst that balloon or the whole fleet has had it! Now cover my arse, I'm going in
Magpie, Merlin flight is commencing attack run on the Capitol. Out.

Lead: Arming missiles! Oh, blutige Hölle! Fighters fighters! Two, get them off me!

Merlin Two: I see them, Karl. Wait! What?
The transmission dissolves into static

Lead: Merlin Two, this is Lead? You there? Hans? Shit, they're all over me!

Knight lead: Merlin, this is Knight. We've got your six - commence attack run.

Lead: Roger that! Thanks Knight, on way. Missiles away!

There's a burst of static.

Knight two: Merlin, I see your pups - they're both good hits! Good hits Merlin!

Knight Lead: Roger that, now lets get the hell out of here.

- audio recording above Van Diemen IV, Word of Blake Protectorate
July 10, 3076


The image shows a short, thick set man with a thatch of blonde hair and beard. He's strapped into a webbed chair and is wearing a pressure suit. Behind him is a grimy and rusted bulkhead.

Reporter: This is Simon Canning for Irian Broadcasting aboard the FWL Resistance troopship Penguin in close orbit above the Word of Blake Protectorate world Van Diemen IV.
For close to a decade this world has been in the clutches of the Word fanatics since they snatched it from the Free Worlds League.
Today that changes as a combined -

The whole camera junks about as the ship shakes. There's a guttural groan from deep within the ship.
The reporter wrestles the camera back around.

Reporter: a combined force made up of FWL Resistance, ComGuard and Mercenary forces assault the world. Above us, the battle still rages. Early this morning fighters from the famous 2nd Kell Hound regiment destroyed the deadly and heavily armed space station holding the Zenith jumppoint.
However, the fight continues with another Blakist base discovered on a nearby moon.

Below us, battle has commenced as Mercenary troops clear the way for the full invasion force.

New voice: Would you shut that thing off already?!

The camera pans to show a dozen men and women similarly webbed in, all clad in combat space suits, their rifles and equipment secured next to them.
There's a chorus of boos and groans from the troopers.

Camera fades to black



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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #373 on: 25 December 2017, 19:23:54 »
Forcing the front door was the hardest bit - I can't tell you how glad we all are we had those Kell Hounds.
Three of our fighters were junked helping take out that damn space station, but thankfully we didn't lose anyone.
Other units weren't so lucky - and I heard the defences on that moon base were nasty too.

The whole burn down I was just waiting for the Word to fill the sky with nukes and Naval grade weapons - but looks like intel was right for a change. They still hadn't got that setup online.
We were supporting the Hounds' 2nd battalion outside the capital when we came across one of the camps. It was hell. After we chased off the guards we found the real horrors.
Mass graves in the nearby jungle and a couple hundred prisoners stuffed in huts which would normally only fit half that number.

From there we got news of another nearby complex - a work site where prisoners were tasked with assembling components for the big SDS missiles. So we saddled up and found the Hounds already heavily engaged with a Level II of tanks and Battle Armour.
Afterwards we found all the missile components stacked and ready - had we attacked in say a month or even a couple weeks, we could have been facing a working space defence system that would have gutted our taskforce.

And that's when we came across the real prize - Taigh Barrett. Our wayward lance commander, feared dead on New Home was among the prisoners.
I've got to say: he don't look good

In a couple months Barrett had lost almost half his body weight and had a nasty looking, unhealed leg wound.
But there was still a fire in his eyes. As soon as he recognised us he ambled over and saluted.
- Felix Cavalli
July 12, 3076


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

snakespinner

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2688
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #374 on: 25 December 2017, 22:45:44 »
You have my regiment involved the Battlecorps Legion.
Good to see more toasty arse being kicked. O0
I wish I could get a good grip on reality, then I would choke it.
Growing old is inevitable,
Growing up is optional.
Watching TrueToaster create evil genius, priceless...everything else is just sub-par.

truetanker

  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 9901
  • Clan Hells Horses 666th Mech. Assualt Cluster
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #375 on: 26 December 2017, 01:00:07 »
I think it's time for Whispers of Blake to show up... or at least a Level III of them!

 }:)

TT
Khan, Clan Iron Dolphin
Azeroth Pocketverse
That is, if true tanker doesn't beat me to it. He makes truly evil units.Col.Hengist on 31 May 2013
TT, we know you are the master of nasty  O0 ~ Fletch on 22 June 2013
If I'm attacking you, conventional wisom says to bring 3x your force.  I want extra insurance, so I'll bring 4 for every 1 of what you have :D ~ Tai Dai Cultist on 21 April 2016
Me: Would you rather fight my Epithymía Thanátou from the Whispers of Blake?
Nav_Alpha: That THING... that is horrid
~ Nav_Alpha on 10 October 2016

snakespinner

  • Captain
  • *
  • Posts: 2688
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #376 on: 26 December 2017, 02:29:50 »
Precentor TT coming to share some toasty love. }:)
I wish I could get a good grip on reality, then I would choke it.
Growing old is inevitable,
Growing up is optional.
Watching TrueToaster create evil genius, priceless...everything else is just sub-par.

truetanker

  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 9901
  • Clan Hells Horses 666th Mech. Assualt Cluster
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #377 on: 26 December 2017, 16:43:00 »
Precentor Pi coming to share some toasty love. }:)

There... fixed!

TT

No seriously, Ippopótamos is ready for deploymet.
« Last Edit: 26 December 2017, 16:49:29 by truetanker »
Khan, Clan Iron Dolphin
Azeroth Pocketverse
That is, if true tanker doesn't beat me to it. He makes truly evil units.Col.Hengist on 31 May 2013
TT, we know you are the master of nasty  O0 ~ Fletch on 22 June 2013
If I'm attacking you, conventional wisom says to bring 3x your force.  I want extra insurance, so I'll bring 4 for every 1 of what you have :D ~ Tai Dai Cultist on 21 April 2016
Me: Would you rather fight my Epithymía Thanátou from the Whispers of Blake?
Nav_Alpha: That THING... that is horrid
~ Nav_Alpha on 10 October 2016

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #378 on: 02 January 2018, 02:37:18 »
Punisher three: Those pirates are running, area secure.

Punisher one: Roger that three, dog them - but don't get to close.

Three: After what these bastards have done we should kill ‘em all!

One: A lot of people feel that way, but orders are orders kid. Out.

- audio recording, March 7, 3076
Remagen CrMM, Gronholt


General Francis,

I'm sending this straight to you because I'm not exactly sure what to do with it. It seems someone among the Death Consorts wants to give up his or her brothers. They've sent very informative data directly to me (suggesting they have a sophisticated level of data slicing knowhow) that reveals where the Consorts and their pals are. Gronholt
I've attached all the data, but we need to be quick. The traitor is going to slip away in a few days and the departure will probably tip the pirates off

MIIO internal memo intercepted by CCAF Counter Intelligence

Merc update MRBC Review - 3090
Barton’s Boozefighters/Duggan’s Dingoes


While this is an update report on Duggan’s Dingoes, one cannot mention “Black” Frank Duggan and his unit without discussing his origins with the now defunct Boozefighters.

While few - outside of bounty hunters, Republic intelligence and a handful of busybodies in the MRBC’s archives department care about the Boozefighters, a brief primer may be required.
A second string merc outfit which served dutifully but unspectacularly between its 3030 inception and the mid-60s, The Boozefighters took on a more sinister guise under the command of Brett Barton. He was an early employee of the Word of Blake as the fanatics expanded their Protectorate and during  the first few years of the Jihad, the Boozefighters were accused of atrocities on Direon, Hamilton and across the Protectorate.

In 3074, Barton’s actions would come to haunt him. Not only was the mercenary leader more than happy to turn a blind eye to the Word’s atrocities, he’d engineered the “friendly fire” death of a rival for the unit’s leadership some 10 years before. The deceased’s brother - Francis Duggan, who was serving as a lance commander in the unit - eventually puzzled that fact out and fled.

The next two years saw the Boozefighters sink lower and lower following a string of defeats and by early 3076, the unit was a mere combined arms company barely able to repair its equipment and regulated to the Circinus Federation for cadre duty.

That’s when Duggan returned. In March, 3076, the Federated Suns were handed an inside tip that finally brought their bloody, longterm border war with the pirates operating out of the Malagrotta Collective to a close. A traitor revealed the location of much of the Death’s Consorts, along with inside information about several supporting pirate gangs.
It’s believed Duggan had truly washed up with humanity’s worst in the form of The Rotten and their pirate queen Bonnie “Rotten” Raynor. And after two years, reportedly as Raynor’s lover and lieutenant, Duggan wanted out.

Frank Duggan was next sighted on Circinus, challenging his former commander for ownership of the unit. Barton was slain, the unit put through a strict new training regime and Duggan went on to lead them throughout the rest of the Jihad.
While maintaining the Boozefighters name, Duggan’s unit performed extremely well on the Capellan front and throughout the crumbling Protectorate.

But it was all for naught.
Effectively destroyed by Capellan forces, the remnants of the Boozefighters fought the Coalition one last time on Terra before vanishing.
It wouldn’t be until 3080 that Frank Duggan and his Dingoes (which sported much of the same equipment as the now destroyed Boozefighters) reappeared fighting for the Taurians.
Now running a single demi-company the Dingoes can’t be considered much of a threat.

STATUS: Wanted. Duggan is specifically wanted by the Federated Suns on multiple counts of piracy, slavery and murder alleged to have been committed between 3074 and 76.
Additionally, Republic intelligence still has an outstanding warrant for Duggan’s arrest over  his 3076-79 employment by the Word of Blake but has not rendered any specific charges.



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

Deadborder

  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 7881
  • Technical Victory!
    • Elmer Studios Blog
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #379 on: 02 January 2018, 04:24:47 »
Duggan’s Dingoes is the best merc unit name ever
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



How to Draw MegaMek Icons the Deadborder Way. Over 9000 so far. Determination or madness?

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #380 on: 02 January 2018, 05:08:42 »
Duggan’s Dingoes is the best merc unit name ever

Why thank you! I've been sitting on that for... a very... very long time.


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #381 on: 08 January 2018, 18:15:13 »
When we arrived on New Hessen, first thing we saw was the charred remains of the spaceport buildings and blackened Tarmac. The Word smuggled in a nuke about a month ago and let it off as a Militia tank battalion was rolling onto some droppers. They got the Dropships too - blackened bones scattered about are all that remained.
When we hit the deck, they still had the HaZmat crews out.
So much for a quiet garrison gig here on New Hessen.

Stone has us on retainer - sit tight and wait we got told. In the meantime, to pay the bills we've taken work with General Pat Hampton. I thought it would be a nice little security gig watching the New Hessen WorkMech facility they’ve retooled, instead there's a serious Blakist-backed rebellion going in here.
Good news is we managed to buy a fair bit of Hampton's Retrotech up at discount prices.

Bad news is: Hampton seems to be certified out and proud crazy. The former merc took over New Hessen in a supposedly bloodless putsch early in the war. Since then he's nationalised almost all of the on-planet industry, suppressed numerous groups he thought didn't like him, including the unions, students and the Buddhist temples and spent billions on military hardware.
- Felix Cavalli

MERCS SEE OFF WOBBIES, REBELS IN DELTA ATTACK
- Buchvaal Examiner, 4th September 3076


Less than a month after arriving to assist in General Hampton's valiant efforts to make New Hessen a safer place, Mercenary battalion Cavalli's Cavaliere have blunted a serious Word of Blake push in the Niu Nat Delta region.
Early this morning Word of Blake regulars, supported by a large element of insurgents probed a Firebase X-Ray held by the mercenaries and New Hessen Militia.
At 0330 a heavy artillery barrage hammered X-Ray, destroying several Militia artillery pieces and killing six militiamen.
A short time later insurgents charged the base's main gate, overrunning several bunkers after an intense firefight, while Blakists Mechs and tanks started their attack.

A Word Exterminator, a Mercury and Gurkha pushed through the wire, while a pair of Bolla Stealth Tanks charged ahead. It was then that the valiant mercs struck back.
A medium Mech lance led by Lieutenant Esmeralda Rico moved to intercept the approaching Mechs.

In the ensuing battle, the  Mercury and Gurkha were destroyed, along with a squad of the Word's advanced Purifier battle armour. The mercenaries also managed to disable and capture a Blakist Bolla tank.
All up, Word casualties are estimated at 35 killed in action and another 12 captured.

MORE NEWS: Labour strikes bring Buchvaal monorail to a halt/Blakist insurgents nabbed in downtown attack/Imperial Flower Festival opens

So, that was a classic recon attempt by the Word on Support Lance. The way Rico tells it, the light show and mass of infantry were just a smokescreen for those Purifiers to snatch intel from the command bunker. All four Mechs are badly banged up (young Moss has been promoted to Sergeant after learning the best way to kill Battle Armour) but the Militia took a real beating.
We holed one of those damn fast Bolla stealth tanks bad with PPC fire and Rico said a whole mess of imsurgenta came boiling out equipped with Jump Packs and heavy weapons - thankfully, Moss' Ph-Hawk was about 90 m away engaging the advancing Purifiers.
Smart kid, he turned and oped up with those big .50 cals and chopped through the infantry like Branth Burgers out of Lopez.
That did however give those damn stealthy suits the chance to swarm him and he was forced to pry them off.

We came damn close to allowing the Wobbies the chance to ransack the command post but at this point they lost sight of their objective.
After that they started to fall back - the damn Mechs got stuck in the adjacent rice paddy and were easy shooting for Rico's lance.

I'll give Hampton one thing - he's generous with salvage. We're now the proud owners of one very badly used Bolla and four Purifier suits. Of course, everything needs a good hose out and God knows if we can actually get that fancy tech to work.
- Felix Cavalli

Writer's notes:
So, yeah. The Purifiers and the Bolla are a little munch.  But as you'll see soon, we've reorganised with a lot of Retrotech. I figure that mix of old and new balances out. Plus... that Track went very badly for the Word and they left a lot of equipment!

- Hampton: I'm portraying him as a bit whacko. Come on, he's a military dictator who freaked out New Avalon - and there's gotta be more to his sudden split with Stone.
Not to mention a portion of his own people actually sided with the Word of Blake against him.

- there will be a new To&e very shortly. We're now reorganised as a combined arms battalion


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #382 on: 15 January 2018, 22:21:13 »
"Seven years bad luck."
Teige Barrett let out a bitter snarl of laughter as his warped reflection grinned wolfishly back at him from the shattered mirror.
It took him a moment to link the stinging pain in his right fist and the growing pool of blood on the bathroom floor.
With another mirthless laugh he picked up the whiskey bottle and stalked from the room. His quarters were in disarray - the big lounge overturned, a table shoved hard against the wall and his Tri-Vid set rested amid a pile of pillows and spilled nicknacks on the floor.
Taking a long chug from the bottle Barrett surveyed the damage.
It had been like this since they'd sprung him from the camp - the only way he could sleep was to drink.
If he didn't, the  dreams came - twisted dark dreams mixing fact and fiction. The thing was... he didn't know where reality began and nightmare took over.

The things the Blakists had done to him were not unexpected. He'd known the beatings, starvation and windowless cells were coming when he'd been cornered by the pursuing Blakists.
It was the other things - inserting things into his brain and elsewhere that left deeper scars.

He'd talked. Of course he had. At first they'd worked him over with fists and sticks. A stun stick had been applied to sensitive areas.
But the drugs and things in his brain... there'd been no defence.

Later when they'd sent him to the work camp it'd been better - but also worse. Every day they grabbed someone for a random interrogation. And the waiting and anticipation had been almost as bad as the leather belt to the back, the cold, dark room where you lay in your own piss or the electrodes they wrapped around you.

Barrett drained the bottle as the knock at the door sounded.
He'd not every realised he was still wearing his big M&G Automatic in its shoulder rig - but he'd drawn it, chambered a round and centred it on the door without thinking.
The whiskey bottle dropped to the floor with a clatter.
"Lieutenant Barrett? Is everything alright in there?"

We've really kicked the hornet's nest. So, the 33rd Division and their local insurgents have been content to play hit and run with us since August. Early this morning more Blakist elements broke through the space defences and grounded near Buchvaal in an apparent attempt to help the on world forces break out.
They deployed, light fast movers tasked with assaulting the Munich spaceport, several outlying military bases and even went straight for the capital.
This coincided with a string of suicide bombers across the capital and insurgent attacks at numerous critical spots.
Overwhelming insurgent attacks hit the main base out in the delta again, while the capital descend into bitter street fighting.

I sought General Hampton's permission to launch an assault directly into the enemy advance. Once we secured the capital slightly, he agreed and 1st company, all of our infantry and BA hot dropped into the foothills of the Harz Mountain chain. Almost straight away we made contact with Blakist elements.
So, we stopped, dug in, called in fire support and made the Word break their teeth coming to us.
And we continued to do it, with other elements drawn from the Militia and Irregulars moving on both our flanks doing exactly the same thing.
Within 24 hours we had established five firebases - often not much more than a ring of wire, a cleared area and artillery dug in deep - that were all mutually supporting each other with guns.

The Word was desperate to escape - but to do it they needed to push past us. Meanwhile, General Hampton had encircled the new arrivals.
Desperate to push past us, the 33rd unleashed a massive assault along our left flank and when we didn't budge resorted to chemical weapons. Some sort of nasty blood agent gas that chewed through filter masks quickly and killed quickly - but not painlessly.
My men were lucky - we were all carrying decent NBC gear, but the Militia were woefully unprepared and died in droves.
It also allowed a small portion of the Word to slip by and link up with the new arrivals before that unit boosted.

Reinforced the next day, we assaulted deeper into the mountains. The Word seems to be on the run - but who knows what horror weapons they have waiting for us.
Tomorrow, we are going to strike at a Blakist-held village down just out of the mountains. We think a few Level IIs have been using it to repair and rearm their Mechs. I'll lead 1st company, while a Militia infantry battalion and attached armour will support.
- Felix Cavalli, September 3076

I was invited on one of General Hampton’s so-called “Eagle Missions” three days into the offensive against the Blakists. Mercenaries, backed by Militia troops has succeeded in pushing deep into the insurgent heartland but had run into trouble outside a village called Innesdrak. Heavy weapons dug in, plenty of anti-air and the ground was soggy and hard to move on after days of rain.

I went in in the first wave of the relief force. The mercs has been stopped hold about a kilometre outside the village and two companies of New Hessen Irregulars were dropped to their left to back up the next assault. I was with the infantry battalion that would drop on the far side of the village.

It was the 3rd Airborne - an elite militia unit mainly made up of light, air mobile infantry backed up by jump pack equipped troopers.
Big, heavy Torrent bombers had been dropping loads in the area for a day and a half and then our first couple helos in were gunships and they rocketed the hell out of dug in positions outside the village.

When we came into view it was just a charnel scene - blacked stretches of jungle and dead livestock. Even though we’d not been aiming for the ville, several buildings were just blacked remains or craters.
Several were on fire.

As we began our descent we took fire - the helo in front of ya just exploded and I felt our one shake and jerk.
We took several more rounds coming in before mercifully we landed.
Our company had come down in the edge of a rice paddy about 200 metres out from the village and the unit formed up and advanced - the Torrents had laid a smoke screen in front of us to provide cover - but the wind was up and soon tracers were reaching out from the buildings at us.

I had been told the plan was to assault the village in an arrow head - each company taking one edge - while the Mechs would provide a distraction on the far end.
But taking both small arms and light artillery from the village, the wind pushing the smoke into our face and the wet terrain soon turned the whole thing into a farce.
Eventually the infantry made it into contact with the fixed positions outside the village, but the Blakists has already fallen back and melted into the village.

I didn’t see one cowl wearing Blakist during that whole battle. Later I managed to talk to some of the prisoners before I was warned off by the officers. None of them were Word - all local insurgents.

As the sun set, the Mechs shifted north to clear the highway. Pickets were set and we dug in.
Then I heard the rapid “crack, crack” of gunfire, followed by the crump of a grenade and then more fire. I ran through the buildings and found the source.
A sniper had holed up and capped one of the combat engineers moving through the village disabling various devices left by the insurgents.
An infantry section managed to wound the sniper as she dropped from her spot and flee.

She was about 17, with big almond eyes and dark hair. One of the NCOs tried to interrogate her - slapping her, even though she’d been shot twice in the stomach.
When she spat at him, he calmly pulled his knife and stuck it into her gut. He kept asking her questions but she just ignored him.
He kept sawing until she suddenly died.
Afterwards, they spotted me and demanded my camera’s memory card.

- report from freelance reporter Cei Richards filed to Federated Broadcasting. The report was field at the New Hessen HPG centre but never transmitted.


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

truetanker

  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 9901
  • Clan Hells Horses 666th Mech. Assualt Cluster
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #383 on: 15 January 2018, 22:29:14 »
Ooh!

Update!

Niice!

TT
Khan, Clan Iron Dolphin
Azeroth Pocketverse
That is, if true tanker doesn't beat me to it. He makes truly evil units.Col.Hengist on 31 May 2013
TT, we know you are the master of nasty  O0 ~ Fletch on 22 June 2013
If I'm attacking you, conventional wisom says to bring 3x your force.  I want extra insurance, so I'll bring 4 for every 1 of what you have :D ~ Tai Dai Cultist on 21 April 2016
Me: Would you rather fight my Epithymía Thanátou from the Whispers of Blake?
Nav_Alpha: That THING... that is horrid
~ Nav_Alpha on 10 October 2016

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #384 on: 25 January 2018, 20:48:59 »
Happy birthday, happy birthday... to me.
- Felix Cavalli, November 20 3076

The Word caught us with our pants down - no doubt about it. Most of the unit is still supporting firebases north of the capital, with only the command lance and a ready reaction force back at Fort Berkenshire. On the 20th we pulled back for a special occasion - the Colonel's 40th. We left a skeleton force in the field and most of us gathered for the festivities - the local Porkers on spots, New Hessen greens, some sort of Capellan March chicken delicacy, and all the booze we could cram into the courtyard of a Star League era Castle Brian.
By mid-morning the next day, most of us could still barely move - which was not ideal when the Word of Blake attacked.

Command Lance, some BA and infantry and Saladin's assault tank lance saddled up (somehow... I've never wanted to throw up inside the cockpit of an Awesome so much before) while all our dismounted troops set up a scratch infantry perimeter with whatever they could find. We joined the base security element -  a reinforced company of Retrotech Mechs and tanks and infantry as insurgents, backed by Word regulars assaulted.

There were some... wild scenes. A "bunker" of Mech armour and scrap metal being defended by half a dozen Astechs, dismounted Mechwarriors and tankers blazing away with SMGs and carbines bringing down an insurgent conventional fighter. Command Lance with almost no ammo and maintenance hatches open and internals exposed squaring off against Blakist Mechs. And the local cooks atop the mess hall's roof armed with a pair of Spanner Heavy Machine Guns as insurgent infantry attacked.

We stopped a Blakist push going for the Castle's generator and fuel tank farm and then shifted around to cut off another attack as it overran a sensor cluster. Later we learned it was all a ruse - the Word were going for the Mechworks to snatch a heap of gear before lifting off.
- Joe Paige

Reporter: Behind me, as you can see, war has once again come to Buchvaal.

The camera pans to show a row of burning buildings, thick, black smoke pouring towards the overcast sky. In the foreground stands a small, petite blonde woman wearing a olive green flak jacket and speaking into a microphone.

Reporter: in a daring, daylight raid the Word first assaulted Fort Berkenshire outside the capital and then moved on the nearby New Hessen Mechworks. Casualties were high and fighting continues across the city as local forces root out hold outs

Camera shows a long line of soldiers walking past gutted buildings. All are grimy and smeared with soot and dirt. Several sport bloodied bandages hastily tied around d limbs or under helmets. Most also seem to be carrying a bewildering array of frightening close command weapons, including axes and swords, in addition to their rifles.
Several also have grisly trophies - necklaces of ears, severed heads, etc.
All wear a silver Knight's chess piece on a maroon shield stitched on their upper shoulder.

Reporter: its feared the Word of Blake made off with a great deal of equipment, including a company of Retrotech Battlemechs.

Camera pans to a row of prisoners clad in a mix match of uniforms. They're roped together and forced to kneel by several infantrymen. Suddenly, a broad form obscures the camera and a hand pushes the lens away.
The sound goes out just as the first gunshots ring out


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #385 on: 26 January 2018, 00:44:39 »
TO&E - on the eve of Operation Scour, this is how the unit's 1st Battalion looks. It's backed by a mixed light battalion of armour, infantry and BA and a squadron of aerospace fighters.

Cavalli’s Cavaliere  - 1st Battalion

1st Company - "i Vecchi"
Command lance
Marauder II MAD-4S Felix Cavalli
Awesome AWS-9M Joe Paige
Nightsky NGS-5S Raita Mbugua
Guillotine GLT-5M Aleksandra Lee

Support Lance
Icarus ICR-1X Esmerelda Rico
Icarus ICR-1X Helena Polo-Cruz
Vindicator VND-3L Janos Nyugen
Phoenix Hawk PXH-3S Eli Moss

Juggernaut Lance
Thunderbolt TDR-9M Jenna St George
Rook NH-1A Gustav Henrig
Rook NH-1A Marius Bertram Tung
Rook NH-1A Marius Bauer

2nd Company
Command Lance
ArcherARC-8M Peder Hammarskjold
Dervish DV-1S Electra Reva-Singh
Griffin GRF-6CS Bruno Allegra
Bandersnatch BNDR-01A Henri Chamoix

Assault Lance
Victor VTR-10L Yevgeny Yulik
Atlas AS7-K Isiah Hendrix
Warhammer WHM-6Rb Yuri Nikolayev
BattleMaster BLR-5M Benji Sukumaran

Security Lance
Avatar AV1-OA Conal Blair
Vulcan VL-2T Rex Manahi
Strider SR1-OG Kyle Manahi
Osprey OSP-25 Charity Lauber-Smyth

3rd Company
Command Lance
Lynx LNX-9Q Asha Akouayn
Hussar HSR-500-D Cal Sampson
Wasp WSP-1D Kylie-Leeza Smith

Pursuit Lance
Wolfhound WLF-2 Lucuis Black
Commando COM-7S Antinious Cezar
Commando COM-7S Sharni Kharti
Panther PNT-10KA Bjorn " Big Bear" Kramer

Battle Lance
BattleAxe BKX-8D Taige Barrett
BattleAxe BKX-7K Octavius Cavalli
Marauder MAD-5M - Moses Cavalli
Dragon DRG-5N Yasmin Keyes
« Last Edit: 28 January 2018, 19:53:46 by Nav_Alpha »


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

Deadborder

  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • *
  • Posts: 7881
  • Technical Victory!
    • Elmer Studios Blog
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #386 on: 26 January 2018, 07:03:39 »
Lots of lovely Retrotech
Author of BattleCorps stories Grand Theft Agro and Zero Signal



How to Draw MegaMek Icons the Deadborder Way. Over 9000 so far. Determination or madness?

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #387 on: 28 January 2018, 20:22:52 »
2nd Battalion
 Major Amber Mori-Paige

1st company

Sprint lance - Maj Mori-Paige
Pegasus Scout Hover Tank (3058 upgrade)
Pegasus Scout Hover Tank (3058 upgrade)
Savannah Master Hovercraft
Savannah Master Hovercraft

Crusher lance - LT Saladin
Zhukov Heavy Tank (WoB)
Brutus Assault Tank
Brutus Assault Tank
Zhukov Heavy Tank (Standard)

Support lance - Lt Mostafa Mirza
Heavy LRM Carrier (Standard)
Heavy LRM Carrier (Standard)

Infantry company - CPT Angus "Gus" Howell

Headquarters squad + Saxon APC (HQ variant)
Scout foot platoon + Saxon APC (Standard)
Mechanized Field Artillery Infantry Platoon
Mechanized Field Artillery Infantry Platoon

Commando company - Captain Hamish Basara

1st Platoon
Purifier BA Squad
Gray Death Scout squad
Gray Death Scout squad

+ Bolla Stealth Tank "Invictus"
+ Saxon APC
+ Saxon APC

2nd Platoon
Longinus Battle Armor [David]
Gray Death Standard Suit [Laser]
Gray Death Standard Suit [Laser]

1st Squadron - The Flying Knights
Captain Mira Fowler-Jenkins

Alpha Flight
TR-13A Transgressor - Mira Fowler-Jenkins
TR-13A Transgressor - Eryn Calosso

Bravo flight
SPR-7D Sparrowhawk - Lena Goldsmith
ZRO-114 Zero - Boris Jazenko

Charlie Flight
TR-15 Transgressor - Abdul Bin-Nadizir
TR-15 Transgressor - Roland Von Jankmon


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #388 on: 28 January 2018, 23:39:10 »
Stone’s Sellswords - special MRBC report, January 3, 3077

- the next unit is Cavalli’s Cavaliere, a mid-sized element raised by a former Marik nobleman who has served as a soldier for hire since his teenage years.
The Cavaliere have been expanded significantly since the dawn of the Jihad and now boast a full Mech battalion, a mixed armoured/infantry battalion and an Aerospace squadron.

Known for their hatred of the Blakists and their ferocious approach to combat, Cavalli and his men have been associated closely with Stone since the 3076 Galatea assault.
Previously, the unit was best known for its CO’s closeness to Duchess Alys Roussett-Marik (and his possible intimate relationship with the Marik Resistance’s leader following her husband Christian’s death).

ASSESSMENT: the unit suffered greatly in recent conflict with the Word of Blake and as such has made do with a great deal of replacement Retrotech gear (mostly purchased on New Hessen) and new recruits. While this has brought the overall unit readiness and skill level down, the close bond between officers and subordinates and strong leadership keeps the Cavaliere in good shape. We award the unit a Regular rating, but would happily upgrade that to veteran following further review.

FORCE COMPOSITION: Despite including the unit command lance, 1st Company is largely an untested quality, complete with new recruits and Retortech. Colonel Cavalli has spent much time drilling the company, but only combat will be the true test.

2nd company, under veteran Lyran officer Peder Hammarskjold is adept at defensive and assault tactics and has shown a particular skill at urban warfare. This company typically makes use of Thunder LRMs and even defensive fortifications.

3rd company is an experienced raider and flanker, Complete with lighter elements and the ability to fight in poor weather conditions.

2nd Battalion is a mixed bag and typically doesn’t fight as a whole. The two armoured lances frequently split off to support 1st Battalion Mech elements, while the standard infantry are usually kept back as rear area security or defensive troops.

Of interest is the specialist BA company, complete with a captured Bolla Stealth tank.
These BA suits are typically tasked with scouting and ambush missions, while the heavier suits frequently join the leg infantry as defensive troops.
Despite the best efforts of the Cavaliere techs, the Bolla is frequently down for maintenance or repair.

MISSION: Rumour has it Cavalli’s Cavaliere, who have been in retainer with Devlin Stone since last year, will be assigned to the Marik front of the supposed secret upcoming offensive into the Word of Blake Protectorate.
This would make sense based on the unit’s earlier dealings with Alys Marik and their CO’s lineage.


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

Nav_Alpha

  • Major
  • *
  • Posts: 3679
Re: Cavalli’s Cavaliere
« Reply #389 on: 30 January 2018, 19:17:18 »
The Manovota Mutiny, sometimes called the Mercenaries' Mutiny, was one of the last occurrences of resistance to the Word of Blake in the Protectorate before Operation Scour.
Disgruntled mercenaries (in the form of Holt's Bird Dogs) started rioting on December 1, 3076 after learning their pay would be delayed. Fuelled by copious amounts of alcohol following the Cor Caroli Craft Beer Festival, the mercs burned down their own barracks in Manovota.

While the Bird Dogs' officers desperately tried to restore order, they had little chance: the Blakist-employed mercs had suffered a serious defeat at the hands of Stone's allies earlier that year and upon learning they wouldn't get paid, tensions were high.

As the riot spread, Bird Dogs' officers inevitably threw in with the rebels. A Protectorate Militia lance tried to contain the situation on the morning of December 2, only to be defeated, stripped naked and marched outside.
Now starting to sober up, the mercenaries realised their predicament but later saw off another Militia push.

The next two weeks were tense: the mercenaries now controlled Manovota, while the Militia crouched outside unable to break through. On December 14, Duggan's Boozefighters dropped from a pirate point and descended on the city.
The Boozefighters refused all incoming calls and the entire world held its breath, unsure what side they'd come down on.

With a new commander and recently whipped into shape, the Boozefighters hotdropped on Manovota and smashed through the mutinous Bird Dogs. Over the next 12 hours, the Bird Dogs were utterly destroyed, with the remains folded into the Boozefighters who then boosted for orbit.
The destruction of the Bird Dogs and the damage done to the Protectorate Militia, left Cor Caroli vulnerable to Coalition attack a month later.
- The Manovota Mutiny: Big Book of the Jihad, New Earth Press 3086


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

 

Register