The Wolves and the Dragons (AU)

[mikecj]

Ok, lets see how it plays out  :)

[chaosxtreme]

Exactly, and this is liable to start ANOTHER round of factory and infrastructure smashing that may well spiral out of control like in SW1 and 2.

Hell, really, what can the Dracs do if Hanse and Katrina starts deep penetration raids designed to
destroy factories at all costs even if it means suiciding dropships into them if they get pissed off enough by the attack on Tharkad.

And the Dracs have less industry it can afford to lose compared to the LC and the FS.

And well. The only one that would benefit from such a spiral would be Com*.

(Though I AM biased due to my dislike/hate of DC/CC and want the FC to crush them)

Except that it didn't. Remember in the OTL 4th Succession War the Capellan's A) Targeted Kathil and B) Burned the factory's on Styk's to the ground rather then let them fall.

No one said "Oh well then let's go all out then."

Potential for a planned counter attack to do the same? certainly but that will take time.

[Alexander Knight]

A.)  The Capellans targeted EASILY REPLACABLE power transmitters, not the actual factories.  (They also failed completely)

B.)  They owned the Styk factories at the time of destruction.  They didn't go raiding into enemy territory to smash something.

Analogy Fail.

[Headshot]

Actually they went after the geothermal powerplants, which weren't Lostech in any way, just hideously expensive to rebuild. After all Max wanted to use the yards for himself after he'd beaten the evil Fedrats...
The microwave transmitters were used by Morgan to give them a very warm Welcome!  ;D

[Wolflord]

I think maybe we should let the skald finish reciting the saga before we criticise the telling of it.

[Marwynn]

The Royal Court, Tharkad City, Tharkad
Protectorate of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
18 October 3028


Two massive Griffin BattleMechs flanked the throne of the Witch.

Frederick Steiner barely stopped as the doors swung open, a luxuriant fur-cape flowed behind him as he strode purposefully forward. The court had been dismissed but still handfuls of petty nobles and hangers-on clumped in small groups to gape and gawk at him.

Outside, Tharkad City burned.

Soldiers marched in two columns behind him, steely-eyed and armed. They smelled of smoke, ashes, and the blood of the 2nd Royal Guards that died at the footsteps to the Triad, the centre of Lyran government and authority.

Frederick couldn't help but smile as he stopped in front of Archon Katrina Steiner. To her side, the gallivanting noble-turned-mercenary Morgan Kell stood, disgust writ plainly on his face.

His soldiers ringed the throne, pointing their weapons directly at the Archon--the Witch--even as the two golden Griffins levelled their particle cannon at him. At this range, it would have killed Katrina, Morgan, and himself along with most of the people in the room with a single shot.

It was the first thing he'd change once he took the throne.

"It's a night for murder and treason," Archon Katrina Steiner whispered. "Congratulations, Frederick, you've succeeded where Aldo Lestrade and Alessandro himself failed."

He bowed mockingly. "My thanks," he said smiling. "Get off my throne."

She stood and descended, step by step, to face him on the floor.

"Not that it matters," the Witch said, "but what excuse will you be using?"

He laughed at her face. "You don't see it, do you? You really, truly, don't see it!"

Katrina Steiner didn't flinch and Frederick shook his head at her. "You sold your own daughter to the Fox, for a stronger realm. And what did he ask you to do? Invade the Draconis Combine so the DCMS won't snap his nation's back as he invades the Confederation."

Fredrick walked past her, taking slow steps towards the Throne as he spoke. "All for a better Lyran future!"

"I made the bargain, yes."

"And now the Federation of Skye calls itself a separate nation, Tamar is being gutted while you hopelessly try to pretend to be Federats against the Dragon. In case it missed your attention, dear Katrina, we didn't distract the DCMS at all! The Drac March is wide open. Caph, Fomalhaut, Quentin, and Northwind are all the Dragon's now. We're cut off from your allies."

Morgan Kell bristled at Katrina's side, but kept silent. Frederick eyed the elite, no legendary, MechWarrior. He was hollow now, a shadow, perhaps an echo of the talent that was. Why Katrina felt pity for the man and let his ridiculous Kell Hounds rebuild here, Frederick couldn't imagine.

"The Fox gambled. He risked it all, and lost. They are starving in the Federated Suns because of his war, did you know that? And you allied with him, this madman, and gave him your only daughter." Frederick Steiner stopped in front of the throne.

"You failed us all, Katrina. The Lyran Commonwealth is about to dissolve because of you. I will re-unite our nation and lead it."

Katrina listened passively at his speech, one he had practiced in his mind for years. Even the lackwit courtiers were nodding at some of his words. He nodded at his men, and two stepped forward to stand beside the former-Archon who seemed in shock.

Morgan Kell growled as manacles were brought forward for Katrina gold-plated and bejeweled. The man carrying it stopped, as if hearing a distant sound.

Soon they all heard it. A siren wailed in the city, an air-raid, an air-invasion, was happening.

That's impossible! We've already invaded, there are no LCAF units rotating to Tharkad!...

Everyone gazed at the high windows, hoping for a view of the siren's cause. Even the symphony of gunfire beyond the palace slowed.

The Witch moved suddenly, her years of training and service never too far from her courtly, graceful movements. Frederick grimaced as he reached for his weapon, but the soldier's pistol was already in her hands and she fired one shot.

Frederick Steiner's vision exploded into blood and pain. He slumped against the throne, his vision blurred by shock but still he could see the silver streaks through the windows.

Dozens of DropShips were descending on Tharkad City.

Gunfire, laserfire, shouts and screams lullabied him to darkness. He felt the twin giants move, felt their fists smashing into the floor.

Then all was black.

[gladius]

Saved by the Snake ... :o

[mikecj]

Wonder who Watterly will get now?

[Marwynn]

Unity Palace, Imperial City, Luthien
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
18 October 3028


"---then I see no reason not to move the command post closer to the front. The Lyran front." The Coordinator said and Subhash Indrahar bowed and smiled.

Vasily Cherenkoff, the only other man seated in the meeting was nodding gravely as if it were the sagest of all plans. Marcus Kurita spoke over him, and Subhash didn't have to withhold smiling, as he already was, at Warlord Pesht's strangled squeak.

"Irurzun will prove to be an efficient location," Marcus pronounced.

"Forgive me, tono, but Irurzun's in the Benjamin district. They're lightly engaged, at best, compared to Rasalhague," Subhash reminded the Coordinator, knowing he was playing a part for Marcus to make another-seemingly-wise pronouncement.

"I'm aware, Director." The planet glowed on the floating holomap. "Irurzun lies on the tradelane established by Tai-shu Tetsuhara, so news from the Dieron front will hit us almost as fast as from an HPG." Left unsaid were unwanted hearers of any news. "And from it I can oversee the Davion front as well."

"It practically is on the Davion front, tono." The cohesive outburst from Tai-shu Cherenkoff threatened to surprise Subhash. He held on tightly to his emotions and sent a small burst of confidence to the usually-useless Warlord. "Would it not be more prudent to relocate closer to the Lyran front, tono? Alshain would make an effective command post."

Subhash's eyes narrowed. Rasalhague was Marcus Kurita's powerbase. Or was. With rumours of an uprising backed by heavy 'Mechs, the Rasalhague Military District was too volatile for the Coordinator to safely command from.

Yet unspoken was a challenge. Would Marcus Kurita continue to ignore his former district's woes or face it head-on as was expected from a warrior lord?

His scrutiny of Warlord Pesht elicited a smile from the larger man, and Subhash Indrahar adjusted his precautions regarding the man. The ISF had been unable to trace Cherenkoff's links to the district. It ran directly to Rasalhague, not just through Marcus Kurita as he previously believed.

What binds these two together?

"Alshain would make a fine command post," the Coordinator said politely, "but while it is on the Steiner front it is far too distant to the Davion one."

"Tok Do," Subhash said suddenly.

The other two seemed surprised he was still in the room. Marcus raised an eyebrow and lifted two fingers, an affectation--supposedly--of Shiro Kurita's.

"Tok Do," he repeated, "is on the Dieron tradelane on the leg from Benjamin to Luthien. It supplies the Buckminster Prefecture now, transporting through the tradelanes is faster these days, and more trade routes link it to Rubigen and then to Alshain. If we apply Tai-shu Tetsuhara's tradelane system into the Rasalhague district, for these two prefecture capitals at least, we'll have a centralized command and communications area."

Marcus Kurita stared at him for several moments, fury banked behind a veneer of thoughtfulness.

"See to it."

And with that, Subhash Indrahar stood and bowed. He knew when he was dismissed.

The Black Room was no longer sealed for these meetings, there hardly was any reason to with most of the Warlords busy on their own fronts. Subhash exited through the general entrance, disappearing into a false wall and rocketed upwards via a tubed-lift.

The lift stopped in between floors, in between walls, and with practiced ease he crawled, leapt, and slid to the other Black Room. His Black Room.

Three of his agents were gripping their weapons even as they listened in on mundane chatter. Guards, servants, officers, nobles, and even the birds flying over. All were being watched.

A young woman, dressed in servants' garb, walked up to him and handed him a note. They didn't stand on formality in his Black Room.

The note was nothing more than two long alpha-numeric strings. Mentally, he applied several ciphers even as he made his way to a secure terminal. What he entered didn't match the string at all--most of it was junk, to throw off anyone like the Order of Five Pillars, from deciphering its meaning--and waited as the terminal verified it truly was him.

Takashi Kurita's autopsy file had been updated with links to other areas of investigation.

The crumpled printout in Takashi's hand was a mystery he had yet to unravel. Marcus Kurita did not deliver the message, as he initially supposed. It was a secure flexiprint medium, anyone who handled it left their fingerprints and small bits of DNA or whatever gloves they were wearing. It was formulated to melt through the most common attempts at disguising fingerprints.

The printout held only two sets of fingerprints, one was his late friend's, the other was the murderer's. An unwitting murderer, perhaps, but it was unlikely. A legitimate message would have more than just one other set of fingerprints.

The terminal flashed bits of data he didn't understand but he forced himself to read through it instead of just reading the conclusion. He tried to instill that need into his agents, but only Ninyu Kerai truly saw the value in doing so. It took longer, but a working knowledge of chemistry and biology was essential for a field agent.

Poison.

Genetically marked and triggered neurotoxin. A modified, natural neurotoxin discovered on Terra centuries ago. That alone meant nothing, the ISF could (and perhaps did) recreate the neurotoxin without need of an actual sample.

But this modified one was specifically targeted to Kurita DNA. If Marcus had handled it, he'd have suffered a stroke as well.

Curious. Who wields a subtle weapon so brazenly?

[Ajax_Wolf]

Yes, who indeed?  :-\

[snakespinner]

Who would want to kill such a lovable character like Takashi. ::)

[mikecj]

Snow Fire II would have been a bad idea...

[Marwynn]

Mount Wotan, Tharkad
Protectorate of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
18 October 3028

Mount Wotan jutted into the sky. Rough and jagged, stark and bitter, the mountain was home to Asgard, the headquarters of the entire Steiner military.

Tai-sho Goshi Tengwan knew his duty.

Asgard was unassailable. A massive spire, a tower, was flanked by four smaller ones; each was heavily armed and even more heavily armoured. He knew that, because he was about to order a third fuel-air explosive bomb at it.

So far, the fort's exterior was burnt and cracked. It was built to withstand orbital bombardments from WarShips of a bygone era--the primitive FAEs he used were literally just scratching the diamond-filament paint it used.

The countdown in his HUD reached the detonation point and a fighter at low-speed zipped overhead and dropped a parachuting sphere. In moments it dispersed its fuel payload and detonated.

The thermobaric blast rocked the mountain, threatening an avalanche from its snow-topped peaks. Even at a distance, Tai-sho Tengwan felt the concussion as it reached his cockpit. His 2nd Sword of Light were unfazed, row upon row of 'Mechs waiting patiently for the walls to fall down.

He didn't have the heart to tell them it wouldn't.

His Atlas's right arm chopped down and the blood-red 'Mechs suddenly dispersed. It had been less than a minute since the bomb detonated and already the towers were firing. At this distance, the black horns of the fort were sprouting needles, glistening silver that budded fire on their tips.

He was moving along with his troops as the artillery barrage fell on their positions. His artillery would respond in kind--having repositioned earlier--and the needles would retract lest a lucky hit would find an opening. And then he would repeat the process again.

Asgard was protected even from EMP blasts created by nuclear weapons. The only flaw of its impregnable defense was that it was impregnable even to its own forces. His engineers had cut the few lines they could, and the rest of the DCMS had been destroying any military comms station it came across.

And so he battered against the walls to keep the Lyran generals from coordinating much, though he knew it had little effect. There were underground cable lines that ran across the planet that he would never be able to cut, and other means of secure communications. It just made things slightly more difficult. Perhaps, even just inconvenient.

But he was needed here. His and the 2nd Sword's duty was to take on the enemy's strongest point; it was also his duty to be seen. Behind him, another pair of DropShips disgorged more 'Mechs and tanks in full view of the fortifications.

That damned mercenary even has me fooled. There should be three regiments here instead of just mine.

He crested a hill and zoomed again on Mount Wotan's horned fortress.

In the distance, blossoms of fire sprouted on the blackened towers of Asgard.

[Marwynn]

Tharkad City Outskirts, Tharkad
Protectorate of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
18 October 3028

The Revenant bent forward as an azure beam carved a molten line on its right shoulder, compensating for the explosive loss of armour without losing its stride.

The Kell Hounds' Wolfhound sped away as the 75-ton 'Mech angled the cannon above its right hip and fired. The rush of particles slammed into the mercenary machine, crumbling armour and burrowing deep into its right leg. Its gait was thrown off by the hit, but the pilot was experienced and recovered his balance even though Theodore Kurita read hesitation in the pilot's body language.

His Orion ON1-K couldn't be restored to its original specifications, not with Kurita parts. Colonel--Tai-Sho--Wolf offered the use of his techs and spares, even as he stood in awe of General Kerensky's warmachine. He had refused it, for now; he'd devoted what little spare time he had to familiarizing himself with the Genyosha techs' work. Transplanting a Lord's Light PPC for the ruined and half-melted KaliYama Class 10 Autocannon was not a straightforward job--even after reassembling most of the torso.

The furnace-blast of heat into his cockpit was the price he paid for ammunition-independence for his main weapon. Still, he was thankful for it, as the additional heatsinks installed kept his 'Mech running cooler than it normally did.

The olive-drab 'Mech stomped forward, unhindered, cresting a wave of Heavy 'Mechs pushing against the mercenaries.

Five mercenary regiments, plus the Kell Hounds... Theodore repeated to himself. That alone matched half his strength. And four LCAF regiments. Split into at least three camps. He shook his head.

His contingencies, his subtle planning, his Operation never accounted for a civil war. Or a coup-d'etat.

And I, in my impeccable timing, ended their squabbling and united them against me. He laughed silently in his cockpt. The Archon should give me a medal.

His 11th Legion of Vega rumbled forwards, cohesive and a mob at the same time. The Genyosha instructors had done much to press in the finer points of Heavy 'Mech maneuvers to his motley band, but this was their first true test. Why did I think a Planetary Invasion was the best time to test out new tactics?

On the Legion's right, the Genyosha's 1st and 2nd Regiments marched in orderly lines. They were beating back two mercenary regiments who had been fighting each other less than a day ago. At a glance, Theodore could see the elder Kurita's mind in spreading out his forces. The two regiments, Theodore couldn't believe he was witnessing a battle of nearly ten 'Mech regiments, were steadily pushing the mercenaries away, curving them further south and away from the Kell Hounds.

On the his left, the Wolf's Dragoons tore into their opponents, their shared mercenary heritage notwithstanding. Tai-sho Wolf deftly handled the regiment's command through his aide, a Cameron no less. Alpha had a mercenary battalion in its jaws as its new tanks pressed forward and kept the other two battalions away.

A Kerensky and a Cameron... with more than enough spare parts for rare SLDF 'Mechs. I wonder where they came from? Theodore thought sarcastically. His father was prone to musing about the Dragoons' origins, but Theodore didn't care.

What danger would Kerensky's descendants ever pose to the Inner Sphere?

The Kell Hounds seized the higher ground and abandoned it as his Legion closed in. They had been fleeing since he dropped from orbit into the Triad itself, expecting to fight right into the teeth of the 2nd Royal Guards. Instead, he found the 10th Lyran Guards presiding over the Archon's bodyguard regiment's wrecks, fighting hard as the Kell Hounds assaulted the Royal Court.

Both recovered someone from the throneroom. Theodore was only interested in one, and his instincts lead him to pursue the Hounds.

The black-and-red tanks were new to the Kell Hounds who always preferred infantry over combat tanks. More than two regiments of tanks blocked their advance, but he pressed on as his Legionnaires called in artillery strikes to roll forward of their position.

He fired the particle cannon again, slamming the elongated bolt through a Rommel's turret. The tank whirred in circles as smoke leaked out from the wound. It exploded moments later as the ammunition finally cooked off, but Theodore was already firing his long-ranged missiles overhead as Hounds' aerospace fighters returned.

A lighter fighter turned aside, letting the LRMs pass beneath it even as the missiles looped around. He had been watching the skies; the last time he faced the fighters he nearly died and lost the battle. The fighter's wings shredded in fire and smoke and it flipped and slammed into the ground.

He had ordered Olivares to train the Legionnaires in proper air defense protocols and it paid off now as two battalions sent fire upwards, breaking apart the formations and dispersing the attack.

A cheer went up in the general comms frequency as the red-and-black fighters zipped away.

The cheer became cries as the Kell Hounds 'Mechs turned about and charged downhill. Theodore trusted Tai-sa Olivares to respond, and he listened as the man's gruff orders set the Legion to receive the charge.

He was still smiling proudly when the 4th Skye Rangers and 10th Lyran Guards appeared behind the Kell Hounds.

[Dave Talley]

a smiling Kurita??

thats never a good sign, whats behind the Lyrans? Natasha?

[Arvanna]

I thought the Dracs had already killed off the Kell Hounds in this story?

[Marwynn]

Never trust a smiling Snake... Or any Snake for that matter.

And Natasha's back on Dieron, so they're safe on that front.

Arvanna, nope, just bloodied them bad. They lifted off at the start of Book II when the Genyosha arrived. The 12th Star Guards were the mercs that got beat up badly.

They've spent the last few months in transit and rebuilding.

=======================================================
In Orbit, Tharkad
Protectorate of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
18 October 3028


Tai-sho Jaime Wolf nodded to his Kuritan aide as she finished her concise report. He hadn't had time to foster a working relationship with the DCMS team he had inherited along with the temporary rank. Tai-i Amanda Benson managed a bow in micro-g then turned away to manage her group.

Jaime knew she was ISF through-and-through, even the slight japanese accent she affected had a prepared sleekness to it. She stayed close by, respectfully distant.

William Cameron hovered right beside him, talking into his headset, filtering battlefield reports. The captain said nothing to him and Jaime knew that meant all was more or less proceeding as planned.

He swiveled to the holo of Tharkad hovering in the middle of the command centre. Red arrows were clumped into two groups, his two aerospace formations, spread out above half the planet.

He was reviewing more reports when William bent towards his ear. "General," the captain began, unwilling to address him by a lesser rank now that Theodore had granted him a DCMS rank, "the 4th Skye and the 10th Lyrans have linked up and are blocking the Kell Hounds' retreat."

"Show me, tai-i," Jaime said, pointedly using the Kuritan name for his rank.

Without missing a beat, William Cameron bent at the waist and whispered "Hai!" He tapped into his forearm-noteputer.

The high-altitude view was in realtime, and he saw the three regiments arrayed as edges on a triangle. He had dropped Alpha Regiment along with the Genyosha to secure the other points of the Triad and saw footage of the 10th Lyran Guards fighting the Kell Hounds just hours before.

The mercenary regiment slowed, and a caravan of vehicles became clear as the dust they raised settled. The scanners picked up broadcasts but they were heavily encoded. Suddenly, the triangle split and the two Lyran regiments moved to the Hounds' flanks.

"Tai-i! Send the Vixens," Wolf ordered calmly.

"You," he pointed to his cheeky aide, "warn Alpha--"

"--Already done--"

"---and call in the Cats."

His subordinates nodded and split off to each side of the command centre, leaving him to watch the ever-changing ground situation. He manually ordered another set of drops for the reserve regiment--the 2nd Dieron had accomplished their mission without much difficulty, everyone was out fighting in Tharkad City when they arrived, and they needed to be lifted off.

When Jaime Wolf requested several companies of Land-Air-'Mechs he assumed he was requesting aerocompanies--a half-dozen hybrids. Instead, the 5th Irece Irregulars donated a full 'Mech battalion, thirty-six LAMs, each company in their own converted Union-class DropShips.

The Vixens, the 5th Irece's third battalion, specialized in rapid entry attacks. Within seconds of receiving his orders, the DropShips began launching LAMs. They formed up and eased into Tharkad's atmosphere without delay. He suspected they raided far more often than they claimed, no amount of drilling could keep a unit that sharp.

A quartet of Leopard-class DropShips followed in their wake. The Cats were another independent DCA formation of heavily--very heavily--modified Leopards. They eschewed their aerospace fighter bays for heavier guns and armour. They carried more than just 'Mechs in their bellies too.

He waited as the minutes ticked by and as the Lyrans turned back to face the advancing Kuritans. The convoy of vehicles were bolstered by a lance of Light 'Mechs from each unit and began moving away.

Jaime turned to his Kuritan aide and she nodded, acknowledging that she had been feeding the Vixens the convoy's coordinates.

"Should I warn the... Coordinator?" William asked as he drifted closer.

"Why?" Tai-sho Wolf asked. "It's his plan."

[mikecj]

Funny Cameron, funny

[Marwynn]

Tharkad
Protectorate of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
18 October 3028


Two thousand tons of battle steel-composite, engines, and guns hurtled above Hauptmann-Kommandant Kathleen Heany. The Leopard's stately flight, along with three more, all in a loose V-formation, drowned the battlefield in roars.

The explosions they seeded on the ground seemed like whispers in comparison, even as the DropShips' guns strafed the 'Mech regiments.

She shook her head at the sheer numbers around her even as she tracked the Leopard with her Atlas's torso. Her command lance had the same idea, and soon the rest of the 4th Skye Rangers tracked the heavily-armed DropShip coming for them.

Kathleen was proud of her regiment's reaction. Unlike the Kell Hounds that just ran away from the DropShips, her Rangers would stand-and-deliver.

The 100-ton Assault 'Mech loosed a flight of 20 missiles, and it was soon joined by dozens more flights from the surrounding 'Mechs. Then streaks of autocannon shells and particle bolts rose into the air, slamming into the smoking prow of the Leopard. Kathleen could make out the tiger-stripes the DropShip painted on its hull amidst the dozens of explosions exploding on its hull.

It staggered and then began bursting apart.

Kathleen Heany watched in horror as the ship rocked from internal explosions, more than a few of her regiment's attacks burned through the obviously-thickened armour. Liquid fire was now pouring from its many wounds and its 'Mech bay doors were dropping metal spheres on the ground where they exploded in fireballs.

Hauptmann-Kommandant Heany realized too late why the Kell Hounds in front of her didn't try to bring the DropShip down.

 
=======================================================


Leutnant-Colonel Hans Lowe was screaming every curse he knew as the 4th Skye Rangers brought the Leopard crashing down amongst themselves.

The crash jarred him in his command couch; a few of the 10th Lyran Guards' lighter 'Mechs were sprawled on the ground. More than a third reported light armour loss and minor malfunctions thanks to the volcano of molten debris.

He scanned his unit quickly, then Colonel Frederick Steiner's allies, noting that less than a third were not moving.

Pity that idiot Heany lead from the front. If she commanded from the back like any inept social officer should, she'd be roasting right now and not her men. It was an unkind thought, but the journey to Tharkad from Skye and Summer had been torturous enough without her presence.

"Gene," he said, flicking the command channel. "Bring your battalion forward, I want the heaviest first. Mae, your battalion's 'Mechs have the most hands. Help our friends. Gabbie, with me."

The chorus of yessirs bolstered his confidence as the 10th Lyran Guards sprang into smooth action. Whatever momentum Morgan Kell wanted from a sudden charge was lost.

It was a foolish plan to begin with, why would Kell even think of it? He squelched the rumours of the man's unstable state after clashing with the 11th Legion of Vega before. Vengeance? Is that it? he asked as he tapped into the shared command comms circuit. The Kell Hounds suffered lightly from the strafing and were eager to charge into the Dragon's--and Dragoons'--teeth.

He was about to interrupt when a frantic voice broke through. "They're coming in again!"

The Leopards were back, and with the night-amplification he could see they were hurt. Debris was falling from their bellies.

"Why are they circling?" he asked without meaning to.

Morgan Kell responded. "I don't know."

One of the mercenary commanders on the flank screamed, "Mines! They're dropping mines!"

"Break out!" Morgan Kell yelled. "Back to the Archon!"

Leutnant-Colonel Hans Lowe repeated the order to his regiment even as the first artillery strikes pounded the hill.

He knew they'd never make it in time.


=======================================================


The black-and-blue Phoenix Hawk LAM leapt incredibly long distances in its Air-'Mech mode, and Tai-i Katalina Molonov rejoiced in it.

It took a special kind of pilot to conn a fighter or a 'Mech well. It took a better kind to pilot both, and a superior one to handle a machine that could be both at the same time.

The fighter-jet-with-legs hopped with bursts from its thruster jumpjets, easily keeping pace with convoy. Hers was one of the heaviest LAMs in the Vixens, and they couldn't take on both the company of 'Mech and tank escorts without severe damage and loss. LAMs were practically lostech, and she wasn't going to throw her company away to capture some convoy.

She settled the LAM down and fired her large laser at a waiting Griffin, already overheating from the run and firing its particle cannon. It backed away, just as a Stinger LAM landed on its left flank and blasted at it with green lasers. The pilot, overwhelmed and overheating, ran.

The rest of her lance repeated the pattern, and the 55-ton 'Mech was quickly isolated. That made room for another lance to carve at the convoy's defenses.

Katalina saw her commpanel light up again, the gaijin general had more orders for her. She ignored it once more. Whatever frivolous objective he had for her unit wasn't worth the loss of any one of her pilots.

Another light from her commpanel came through the emergency channels. "I repeat! Grab the armoured car now and leave, aerospace fighters are incom---" A warning alarm interrupted the rest of the message.

Black-and-red streaks fell from the sky, belching smoke and light from their wings. Tai-i Molonov felt the freezing night air on her face as her precious Land-Air-'Mech exploded underneath her.


=======================================================


Sergeant Roy Gladstone took out his marker pen and drew a line across four shorter marks. They weren't kill-counts, he wasn't a glory-seeking MechWarrior. Just a tank commander.

And he was counting the number of drops he had made in the last six hours.  It was almost unheard of to reposition 'Mechs using DropShips, let alone tanks in battalion or heavier strengths.

He had spent most of that time strapped in the belly of a DropShip as techs quick-sprayed his tank and reset his IFF.

As his Manticore Heavy Tank rumbled down the ramp, he had to pretend that he was the 11th Legion of Vega's armoured regiment again. Like he was before he had to be the 2nd Sword of Light's reinforcements as some Benjamin Regulars unit.

He didn't care.

Tai-sho Wolf even had him confused, and the battle so far had just been him and his crew playing cards as they drove around the countryside. This was going to be more of the same, he was sure.

The tank in front of him suddenly stopped and Lester, his driver, cursed as he stopped too. Roy popped the scanners up, looking beyond what the lead tank saw.

It was a small mountain, or a large hill, according to his maps. But it looked like a volcano with the flames spewing from--

"--Dear Buddha, is--was that a DropShip?"

His commtech, Sal, nodded his head. "One of ours, apparently."

Overhead, his scanners were warning him of incoming hostile fighters bearing down on them and their DropShip. He swerved the Manticore's turret up, waited for the targeting system to lock, and fired.

"Gents," Sergeant Gladstone said. "Welcome to Tharkad."

[mikecj]

Interesting shell game

[Marwynn]

Always imagined Jaime Wolf to be a bit of a showman...


========================================================

Tharkad City Outskirts, Tharkad
Protectorate of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
19 October 3028


Theodore Kurita watched at a distance as his combat vehicles sent a storm of PPC and missile fire at the Lyran fighters.

More than a few had a wing, or a control surface, badly mauled. They crashed all around, though one Lucifer slammed into a transport. The explosion killed a tank and infantry regiment that had yet to debark and damaged the other two that it landed with. Still they swarmed above him, raining death so that their comrades could break from his trap.

The twilight was limned by the fires of nearly irreplaceable machines. Rows of tanks and APCs were roving about, trying to steer away from the strafing runs ruining their comrades. He had not more fighters to send against them, but the Lyrans were already climbing high and burning away.

He knew he had crossed the line.

For decades now, the Inner Sphere had fought wars of maneuver. Complicated tactical dances that saw little in the way of damage and death amongst the Great Houses, and only unleashing true violence against pirates and bandits. For centuries, JumpShips had been sacrosanct, DropShips were left untouched lest humanity as a whole lose the stars in their fighting.

Even war factories were left standing, successful raiders taking only spare parts or copying specs and equipment. Always there was an intent to slow production, to save it against the day when the factory could be taken whole.

Theodore had lost two DropShips in the space of an hour, and another two were no longer functional. He had captured, like a pirate, a few dozen JumpShips and DropShips. Even now, one of the few naval yards left in the Inner Sphere was being wrecked.

He crossed that line deliberately, focusing all of that damage against the most industrious realm.

It was a warning, an unsubtle one. And he knew it had been heeded.

Archon Katrina Steiner stared at him from a panel. It was a repeat of the broadcast sent just as the fighters dove in.

"To the military commander of the DCMS forces on my world, I demand your surrender. I have recalled LCAF regiments nearby to Tharkad and they have just now jumped in-system."

She blazed triumphantly.

"I demand you withdraw immediately. Victory is not within your grasp this day."

The message continued on in the same fashion, and Victor tuned it out. His commanders were all linked to him, waiting for his orders.

Another of his DropShips exploded in the distance, hurtling massive chunks of burning metal at the tanks caught near it.

"We're leaving."

He sighed. He had one card left to play.

[Marwynn]

LIC Headquarters, Beneath Mount Wotan, Tharkad
Protectorate of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
19 October 3028


Archon Katrina Steiner sat, sipping a cool glass of water. Her hair still smelled of smoke, her ears rang from the mad dash away from the Royal Court, and her heart was still beating strongly.

They had made it to an underground supply tunnel after the Kuritan LAMs descended on the convoy were wiped out. The train took her quickly to Asgard, where the 2nd Sword of Light and apparently another two 'Mech regiments still battered uselessly against its walls.

If that Snake general only knew how much he outnumbered our forces... Was it stupid to bluff like that?

A hauptmann approached and bowed. "We've received a response... from---well," he cut off then as the flatvid started playing.

She knew what the cockpit of a 'Mech looked like, and something tickled at the back of her mind at its layout. The man seated on the command couch wore a Kuritan mechwarrior combat suit--one of the few things that had technologically improved during the Succession Wars. The neurohelm he wore had its faceplate lowered.

The faceplate rose and the man spoke.

"Archon Katrina Steiner, I am Coordinator Theodore Kurita. There will be no surrender."

He smiled. Katrina felt no warmth from the dead man's grin. "I hold your starports, your bases--what your traitors left of them--and your factories. I hold your city, and your world hostage, Archon."

"As I was unable to attend your daughter's wedding, and since we've accidentally killed the double pretending to be your daughter at the Palace, I offer you a gift." The image dissolved before Katrina could gasp.

It was a control room running under emergency power.

Horror began edging out shock.

"This is Tharkad City's underground fusion plant. Heavy fighting, with the troops from the Federation of Skye and the LCAF, damaged several of the coolant systems. Our techs have repaired what they can, but it is still overheating."

Theodore returned to view. "Here is my wedding gift to your family: I will give you time to repair the damage you have caused in exchange for the cessation of all hostile actions against the Draconis Combine. You can stop your people from being killed, Katrina, if you stop killing my people."

Archon Katrina Steiner sat back, and started when a medtech touched her hand. She had crushed the glass in her hands without feeling it.

The gaggle of officers watching her looked as helpless as she felt.

"Send word to General Nondi Steiner: Operation Götterdämmerung is cancelled. Hold position." She blew out a breath. "And forward it to that--Coordinator."

"Archon, we have to send armed escorts with the engineers."

"Why?"

"Theodore Kurita broadcasted your message and his reply. The people are fleeing Tharkad City."

[LightGuard]

[Insert: Orson-Welles-Clapping.gif]

Magnificent. One daring assault and the Fourth Succession War as we know it has been turned into a rout, putting the Lyrans on ice and leaving the Federated Suns bereft of support. Is Operation Rat still progressing or has that stalled as well due to forces being redeployed to retake worlds lost to the DCMS assaults on the Draconis March?

Bravo!

[afterthought53]

Excellent, Theodore just turned the war around. At least if Katrina decides to abide by her agreement.

[mikecj]

Gloves off, the damage he's doing to the Realm is back to 1st Succession War standards.  Its time to break out the nukes & flatten Luthien, and Pesht, and New Samarkand...

[Marwynn]

I'll be detailing Operation Rat in an upcoming string of stuff.

This marks the end of Book Two by the way.

Oh, and perhaps I was unclear, but Theodore didn't do much damage to Tharkad. I wrote Asgard as some sorta impenetrable Castle Brian-ish fort and had the 2nd Sword dance around it.

Tharkad City was already like that when he got there... Apart from the Nagelring, and some light pillaging and accidental killing of Jeanna, very little of what happened on Tharkad is Theodore's fault.

Now, how much they'll blame on him and how much he'll claim is something else.

[afterthought53]

Gloves off, the damage he's doing to the Realm is back to 1st Succession War standards.  Its time to break out the nukes & flatten Luthien, and Pesht, and New Samarkand...

I highly doubt it. Liao didn't nuke New Avalon, New Syrtis, and Robinson in a last blaze of glory despite being the craziest of the Succession Lords and suffering far worse damage than Steiner has.

[Alexander Knight]

I highly doubt it. Liao didn't nuke New Avalon, New Syrtis, and Robinson in a last blaze of glory despite being the craziest of the Succession Lords and suffering far worse damage than Steiner has.

Davion didn't set out to deliberately destroy factories either.  Davion played by the established rules during the 4th War.  Teddy-boy isn't.

[Arvanna]

At the very least they're would already be some manner of retaliation going on for the stolen jumpships.

[chaosxtreme]

At the very least they're would already be some manner of retaliation going on for the stolen jumpships.

Logistics.

Thing is the Lyran's are already invading and interfering with the grand offensive for Jumpship raiding would be counterproductive. Especially if the LIC thinks captured jship's will be put to use in those border system trade route's they are about to lay into.

As for the Federated Sun's their transport capacity is being directed towards smashing the Capellan Confederation flat.

Everything else the Fed's had as far as military transport  on the Draconis front was probably committed(this is in my opinion) when Sandoval launched his spoiling attack. Now is he probably seizing every merchant jumpship in the system's he attacks, sure. But that is not the same as launching specific attack's against the jumpship route's of the combine.

Now once the war settles down into a period of raid and reprisal's the Lyrans and Fed Sun's are more than likely to begin targeting Draconis Shipping route's in earnest but it is not strange that in my opinion that it hasn't already happened when both military's were focused on getting their invasion's put together which includes not just the multi-system invasion force's but logistic supply train's to support them as they moved forward.