Alternate Timeline with Thanks (FULL) Part 2

[marauder648]

Great updates, and I wonder whats going on with this nuclear attack, darn well written and yay that bit about the Nagasawa's here :D

I can kinda imagine the music for Clan Spaniel being more akin to a 1980s/90's cartoon (IE Pure ear worm) whilst Uhu The Peregrine would look a bit like Aggretsuko and its theme would be something like - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R-AVyXtonk

[Wrangler]

Nice story update!  I like the details on how they will build the new dropships

This is a canon dropship unless this new version of it. Sarna article

[Dragon Cat]

This is a canon dropship unless this new version of it. Sarna article

Canon design but I think Shadow_Wraith liked the details on how it was being built not just the design.

Time to end 3116.   It's been a slog but I've gotten here.  Housekeeping time as with the end of every year I'll be posting Active/Destroyed WarShips (the destroyed list is sitting at a scary 642 ships), Active Units and a map.  I'll also be posting Clan Sea Foxes Aumaku-class Destroyer and the Coyotes new Redemption-class Heavy Cruiser (details of its first outing below... enjoy!

Objective Raid, Urseinova
Emris, District of Regulus
Free Worlds League
3rd December 3116

   In his first “out of the Capellan Confederation” mission Duke Lei Ren Liao, the third and youngest child of Chancellor Dao Shen Liao, at nineteen years of age, joins they Dynasty Guard in a raid against Emris IV.  Unlike his two sisters Lei Ren had not showed any affinity to BattleMech piloting and had instead joined Battle Armour training being assigned to some of the Shen Long Battle Armour suits produced in the Confederation.  Following the death of Duchess Madison Liao fighting against the Federated Suns there had been some reluctance to allow him to join the raid but Duke Lei Ren dreamed of fighting for his nation.

   Now running the quad suit across ground beside the StarCorps Industries plant on the world with his squad as they ran in circles around a Longbow BattleMech the turrets on their suits backs turned towards the Longbow peppering it with slugs from their David Light Gauss Rifles.  Dozens of slugs slammed into the back of the Longbow as all four troopers fired in unison tearing open the lighter armour there and causing internal damage.  They continued to circle the support Mech as it tried to fire on them and missed with every shot.  Duke Lei Ren Liao smiled as he continued to fire his weapons into the face of the Mech as missiles from a Capellan Confederation Catapult II also landed on target.  Massive explosions rippled across the BattleMech the Shen Long suits continued their circular course firing again at the Longbow’s back causing more damage to the assault Mech’s back this time triggering ammunition explosions inside the Mech as the ammunition stores were damage.  The CASE panels built into the BattleMech stopped it suffering a catastrophic explosion but the damage was enough to take it out of the fight for the rest of today.

   Breaking away from the wreckage of the Longbow the Shen Long squad turned on a Stinger light BattleMech the light Mech opened fire on them with its machine guns and laser burning down one of the squad’s members but that wasn’t enough to save it from a volley of fire from the rest of the squad.  The damage tore through the Stinger’s left arm snapping it in two and then more damage was done across the Mech’s torso and head.  The Stinger staggered under the fire but continued to try and engage them so the remaining three Shen Long suits did exactly what they had done with the Longbow and continued to fire on the light Mech quickly bringing it down.

   “Duke Liao, return to our lines”

   “We are winning”

   “There are reinforcements coming we must retreat.”  His battalion commander ordered Lei Ren Liao looked at his suit’s sensor feed and saw at least a battalion of enemy troops closing on them.  The Dynasty Guard had already netted themselves several brand-new BattleMechs from one of the storage facilities but conquest was not their intention today.  “Duke Liao, did you hear me?”

   “Affirmative, I am falling back” he said turning the suit’s course away from the StarCorps plant in defiance he turned the suit’s turret into his aft arc and continued to fire all four gauss rifles as did the rest of his squad.  Several of the fast-moving Marik light Mechs were targeted but even the combined effort of their entire line didn’t do enough to bring any of them down.  “I will return to this world.”  Lei Ren vowed as the Liao line continued its retreat they would soon be off the world and heading home but it wasn’t in defeat.  Duke Lei Ren Liao’s star was rising slowly but surely in the Capellan Confederation.

Ghost Bear Retribution Strikes
District of Dieron
11th December 3116

   Despite an ongoing investigation in the Rasalhague Dominion into who and what had started the conflict that was at the back of the Ghost Bears minds as they dropped forces onto Rukbat, Shitara, Sabik and Atria.  The Rasalhague Dominion was a nation held in a delicate balance the Ghost Bears ruled with the strength of their Touman but also as the nation had evolved more resources and leadership had been passed into the hands of the civilian castes.  It was the only way for a nation the size that the Ghost Bears held to remain stable.  The Sea Foxes, Nova Cats and Coyotes had identified that and their nations were growing in strength.  The Jade Falcons and Wolves believed that their populations belonged on Terra and so they were constantly moving forwards deeper into the Inner Sphere abandoning previously held worlds.

   As a result of this greater civilian power and influence the Ghost Bear warriors who saw themselves as the core of the nation had been more and more pushed to the side.  The Rasalhague Dominion had intentionally avoided inter-clan conflicts maintaining their strength and only retaliating and blooding their forces against the Draconis Combine.  Now against a threat which had been identified as one that had harmed their nation the Clan warriors would not be stopped.

   On all four systems were targeted by at least two clusters due to the presence of three combined-arms regiments on Shitara the entirety of the Bear Essentials, Rho Galaxy, were deployed against them along with a WarShip to provide complete aerospace superiority.  The battle started with the Eight Rasalhague Bears Cluster and the Galaxy Command Trinary dropping directly on top of basecamp of the Third Arkab Messengers Regiment.   They found the base entirely unoccupied but it served as a good base camp for the Bears to operate from it also allowed the Bears to land an additional star of support DropShips unhindered by enemy fire.

   Instead of being in their base the Third Messengers had joined with the Twenty-ninth District of Dieron Regulars Regiment near the capital intent opposing the landings there while the Thirty-third District of Dieron Regulars Regiment held the main spaceport.  Having established air superiority within hours of their arrival Ghost Bear commander Galaxy Commander Chin Snuka ordered the spaceport bombed by aerospace fighters’ intent on picking away at the Thirty-third’s dug in defences.  Initially the spaceport’s defences weathered these assaults but then the troops and the spaceport itself began to be pounded by artillery missiles fired by the support star of Polaris-class DropShips occupying the Third Messengers base.  At the same time the remaining four Clusters of the Bears Essentials dropped right on top of the Twenty-ninth Regulars and Third Messengers Regiments.

   It was a heavy weight slugging match on open ground with one side having control of the air and having entrenched artillery pieces with the initial ground forces charging into the thick of the battle joining the rest of the Galaxy the two regiments were encircled and annihilated to the man.

   With cruise missiles falling all over the spaceport and two regiments completely the planetary governor attempted his escape heading to a DropShip located near the outskirts of the capital far from any Ghost Bears.  While the aerospace fighters had been dedicated to bombing operations the WarShip Akakabuto was not, the Bergan-class Destroyer, was holding position near the Battle of Tukayyid, one of the Rasalhague Dominion’s Leviathan 2-class Battleships.  Galaxy Commander Snuka had ordered that no DropShip be allowed to leave the planet, seeing the rising Bara no Ryu-class vessel the Akakabuto’s commander allowed the DropShip to rise to ten thousand metres of altitude before four heavy naval particle cannon shots sliced through the atmosphere with three connecting with the DropShip’s port side shattering armour and burning through several decks of the ship the hit killed dozens of people onboard the ship and completely severing the ship’s engines from its fuel supply.  A safety feature built into the class to protect the crew from damage in space caused the engines to splutter and stop sending the ship into a horrifying dive from which there was no recovery.

   The third particle cannon shot that missed the DropShip tore a three-hundred-metre-long scar across fields south of the capital striking just before the governor’s DropShip also slammed into the ground and exploded in a massive fireball.  The two combined acts as well as a continuous bombardment from the Bears broke the remaining defence regiment’s will to fight and the remains of the Thirty-third laid down arms rather than face the entire Galaxy arrayed against them.

   Compounding issues for the leadership of the District of Dieron was the Draconis Combine annexing the Umjiri and Junction systems with barely a shot fired as those worlds defences had been stripped to face the Rasalhague Dominion assault.  On the District’s other border, the Lyran Commonwealth’s Isle of Skye region launched assaults on Skondia and Alkalurops systems securing them both and isolating both La Blon and Dormini VI from the rest of the District.  While JumpShips could traverse the space in between border lines it was unsettling for Dieron as the year comes to a close to see its region of space carved up by its neighbours.
   
Trial of Possession, Redemption (Redemption-class Heavy Cruiser)
Engadin, Alshian District
Rasalhague Dominion
19th December 3116

   With the Rasalhague Dominion busy mobilizing for their conflict with the District of Dieron and the Hell’s Horses once more preparing for assaults against the Lyran Commonwealth Clan Hell’s Horses strike at the two Clans backs with Trials of Possession against a manufacturing plant on the world of Engadin in the Rasalhague Dominion and the symbolic target of Sudeten in the Hell’s Horses OZ.  Backing both of these attacks are the first two Redemption-class Heavy Cruisers built by Clan Coyote in an attempt to reinforce their naval arm.  Built on a sturdy frame weighing in at eight hundred-and-seventy thousand tons, protected by heavy duty ferro lamellar type armour and armed with primarily naval autocannons and naval gauss rifles supplemented by a bevy of advanced conventional weapons and defences the ship was designed to enter and dominate the battle space around it hammering enemy opponents at all ranges.

In the Engadin system the Redemption, the lead ship in the class, had battered the Rasalhague Dominion’s Norge, a Bergan-class Destroyer, allowing ground forces to move in and secure the planet for the Hell’s Horses.  The Norge and what was left of the Dominion’s Fifth Bear Regulars Cluster were now limping towards the jump point in defeat.
In the Hell’s Horses OZ the second Redemption-class vessel, the Vindication, had faced no naval forces but it had escorted the Forty-ninth Battle Cluster to victory over the Hell’s Horses recently formed Fourth Thunderflame Cluster.  Their prize for their victory Sudeten was not the manufacturing giant that it once was but it was still a symbolic prize showing that the Coyotes were not just making up the numbers within Clan space but a force to be respected.  In Coyote space two more Redemption-class vessels were under construction and being prepared to join their sister ships serving their Clan.

Sam Snell Trading and Warehouse Storage Depot
Algiers, Algedi
District of Dieron
22nd December 3116

Almost every house and mercenary MechWarrior and BattleMech on the planet of Algedi had been involved in the defence of Algedi as they pushed back the Ghost Bear invasion of the world holding onto it for another day.  The Ghost Bears controlled the space around the world their gigantic Leviathan 2-class Battleship Rasalhague and its Conqueror-class Battle-cruiser escort having slain both Tatsumaki II-class Destroyers assigned to the defence of the system.  The Bears would return to Algedi and when they did the remains of the three regiments protecting the world would more than likely fall.

For Bobby Winchester the survival of those regiments was not his concern, he’d never bought into the whole defence of a realm idea instead when darkness had fallen, he had used his Huron Warrior BattleMech to cave in the wall surrounding the Sam Snell Trading and Warehouse Storage Depot on the outskirts of Algiers, the capital of Algedi, and now he was standing guard as his employers stole several dozen crates of munitions and parts from the depot.  Sam Snell Trading was a subsidiary of the Scarborough Manufacturing Annex on Algedi and was used to store items before they were taken off world, today these items would pass through a few more hands before making it off world.

“Time’s money com’on, com’on” Winchester muttered watching the crates being loaded onto the three six-wheeled Prime Movers that had been brought on this trip.  Winchester wasn’t being paid by the hour he had insisted that his money be deposited into an off-world account as soon as they left this facility, he planned on staying with the Prime Movers until he’d confirmed his money was transferred and then he’d slip away to his own extraction point.

Unfortunately for Winchester and his associates the fighting for Algedi had ended far sooner than he had hoped and already he was hearing reports from the front lines that troops were returning to their bases most likely meaning that some might also be coming back here.  “One to ground troops move your arse we have incoming!”  He said just as his Mech was hit by four autocannons of an approaching Mauler.  “I haven’t got the weapons for that big bastard, get out now!”  He warned them seeing the ground troops scatter towards their lightly armoured vehicles.

So far, the Mauler appeared to be alone and it appeared like it had seen some fighting already with its armour pitted in several places, with luck it was also low on ammunition.  This gave Winchester an opening he accelerated his Huron Warrior to the right just as the space he had occupied was bombarded by long range missile fire from the incoming assault Mech “no joy!”  Winchester shouted twisting the Huron Warrior’s torso firing both his arm mounted weapons a pulse laser and silver bullet gauss rifles into the Mauler.  It was such a large target he couldn’t miss it the pulse laser burned down the big red Mech’s left side while the Silver Bullet shattered armour plates across the Mech with its fast-flying projectiles.

The assault class Mauler attempted to track the Huron Warrior but Winchester was already moving when the laser and autocannon fire tore through the space his Mech had occupied.  Activating his Mech’s supercharger, the Huron Warrior accelerated well over one hundred kilometres per hour and moved behind the Mauler giving Winchester a clear shot at its lightly armoured back Winchester quickly took a shot with both weapons neither could miss and they burned and tore open the rear of the Mauler exposing its ammunition bays and staggering the big Mech.  Winchester quickly lined up a second volley against the back of the Mauler and fired he could see secondary explosions rock the Mauler as his pulse laser found the ammunition bay and the autocannon or missile rounds inside began to cook off.  He savored the moment as he watched the Mauler die from within “ground forces withdraw at your leisure, I got…” Winchester never finished his sentence, he wasn’t an accomplished MechWarrior he hadn’t served in the military and hadn’t fought in any large battles, he was a criminal and he used his BattleMech as an extension of his criminal activities.  If he had been trained in the military, they would have taught him to always check his surroundings and never take your safety for granted.  The Mauler had been the first Mech to return to the depot for repairs but it hadn’t been alone behind it another damaged Mech was returning for repairs.  The second Mech was a smaller but capable Hitotsume Kozo clad in stealth armour which had held back when they detected Winchester’s Mech and the activity at the depot now with its lance mate dispatched the second Mech had moved in behind Winchester’s Huron Warrior and with a single swipe of its Hatchet caught the Mech completely unprepared and caved in the protective armour arranged over its chest and back.  The Hatchet enhanced by the Triple Strength Myomers which filled the Hitotsume Kozo’s arms dug through the Huron Warrior’s chest and into the cockpit slicing Bobby Winchester in half before he even realized what had happened to him.
As the Huron Warrior fell to the ground with Bobby Winchester either dead or close to death in its cockpit the criminals, he had been protecting had no chance of fighting off the Hitotsume Kozo and they had attempted to run into the night. With other District of Dieron forces returning to the area the entire criminal operation was hunted down and killed without any quarter given.

Amenemhat (Invader-class JumpShip)
Uncharted system, Deep Periphery
31st December 3116

Since his escape from Clan Mountain Wolf’s holdings on Gallery Scientist Riko Danvers had been at the mercy of his Society handlers he had been bundled from one DropShip to the next as they travelled across House Steiner and into the periphery.  Now beyond the grasp of the Lyran Commonwealth or the Clans he had betrayed he had been taken several jumps into the periphery and felt like he was beginning to feel the effects of long-distance travel in space.  Riko Danvers was now sixty-two years old even by Clan scientist standards he was old while Clan medicine could easily extend his life span over one hundred years and he’d used what drugs he could get his hands on still the effects of aging were catching up with him.

The Society had invested a lot of resources in his extraction and Danvers was not entirely sure why, his research into viruses’ augmentations had already been transmitted to his handlers, he didn’t have much more to give.  The Mountain Wolf experiments had served their purposes they had shown that done correctly a virus could target specific genes and cripple a Clan.

Now standing in the Invader’s gravity deck he waited for his handler to arrive, the whole crew served the Society but none of them were willing to speak to him so he waited, on the monitors in the room he watched as the JumpShip’s massive jump sail unfolded.

“Riko Danvers, how are you doing?”  His handler Joseph finally asked as he entered the room.  Joseph was half his age standing at average height with short dark hair, he had a well-maintained beard and his clothing would match any traders in the Inner Sphere, he would disappear into any crowd.

“Bored, watching the lifeblood of humanity unfurl.”  He said indicating to the sail without jump sails humanity would never have expanded as far as it had, while a JumpShip could use other means to charge its jump engine each of them came with additional risks of damaging the drive.

“Yes, a grand sight, but you’re watching the wrong thing.”  Joseph said he smiled noticing Riko’s flinch in his use of a contraction “you’ll have to get used to lots of those where you’re going.”  He said laughing at Riko’s discomfort as he reached out and changed the monitor which showed the blackness of space.  On a planet you could look into the sky and see the stars and know there were systems beyond your own but here the stars were tiny compared to the black.  The isolation out here must be maddening he thought.  “Computer isolate area forty-two on display eight and enhance one hundred times.”  Joseph ordered as he did the screen changed to show more black but this one showing a large space craft.

“What is that?”  Riko asked not knowing the class of vessel it looked massive with dozens of DropShip collars and a large open area at the front which appeared to hold another vessel.

“The future” Joseph said “you’ll learn soon enough about its purpose but on that ship the Society will build a new and our dominance will stretch from the Homeworlds all the way to Terra.”  Joseph boasted as the DropShip began to exit the internal bay onboard the vessel, the DropShip appeared to be covered in weapons.

And finally a Special Thanks to Maingunnery for providing us with the Society ship at the end (yes it's an Alexandria-class CoreShip)

[Wrangler]

Another exciting entry in universe of AT w/ T!  I'm finally going start arching this thing, which will be PROJECT.   Hopefully it will be okay, I may just put it all on PDF instead posting it all the Fanon Wiki, it maybe too much.  2ndArc's The Quest & 1st Book of Fate is Cruel were as long as War & Peace.  I can't imaging how big this thing is going be.   xp

[Dragon Cat]

I can now spell the classes name (I looked it up)

The Aumakau-class Destroyer fielded by Clan Sea Fox and the Free Worlds League's District of Bowang

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/aerospace/aumakau-class-destroyer-au-with-thanks/new/#new

[Dragon Cat]

I Found the Redemption-class from Clan Coyote it was designed by The_Caveman and can be found on the below thread.

The fluff doesn't match the design presented as my AU is different but the design is the same.  (I reserve the right to use the other two later...)

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/aerospace/a-clan-warship-post-wor-coyote-heavy-cruiser/msg1166133/#msg1166133

[Dragon Cat]

Active WarShips and Units at the the end of 3116

[Dragon Cat]

Map at end of 3116

[DOC_Agren]

Active WarShips and Units at the the end of 3116

wow they are still here
Korbin's Kommandos

[Wrangler]

How did ever get make these maps? I have difficult time as is using old pdfs of them try show troop movements/border changes.

[Dragon Cat]

How did ever get make these maps? I have difficult time as is using old pdfs of them try show troop movements/border changes.

I try to keep it as simple as possible I use paint to change the borders it doesn't look as pretty as a PDF but it works

The excel sheets seem to be way more efficient in tracking unit movements than anything else I've tried so I'll stick with them for now

[Rainbow 6]

wow they are still here
Korbin's Kommandos

Miller's Mailed Fist as well  :)

[Dragon Cat]

Rainbow 6 and DOC_Argen yeah they are both active and both on Skye I believe... fun place to be

Short but fun start to 3117

Castle Dieron, Empress’ Briefing Chamber
Dieron, District of Dieron
11th January 3117

In the carnivorous round chamber deep within Castle Dieron Empress Emiko Kurita stood with former Coordinator Akira Kurita and Warlord Akira Tormark.  Both men were her closed advisors and wore full military uniform.  The District of Dieron had not been around long enough to develop an entirely unique uniform so it followed the traditional lines of the Draconis Combine’s uniform with the Dragon replaced with Dieron’s Castle emblem on the shoulder and right side of chest.  Emiko herself wore a traditional green and red silk kimono all three of them stared up at the holo-projector as the connection was made and the image began to settle.  The holo-map of the District of Dieron was replaced with the emblem of House Steiner, the clenched chainmail fist before being replaced by the multi-pronged halberd insignia of Skye.  Finally, the image changed to an image of Duchess Ilse Kelswa-Aten, now in her forties she still looked fit for her age with her thick dark straight hair cut short into a bob which was arranged around her face.  She appeared to be wearing a business suit with a light blue shirt which was open at the top underneath.  “Greetings from Skye, Duchess Emiko Kurita, Duke Akira Kurita and Warlord Akira Tormark, I hope this communication finds you all well.”

“Well enough given the circumstances Duchess, we wished to enquire why Isle of Skye JumpShips have appeared in the La Blon and Dormini systems?”  Emiko asked cutting to the chase immediately.

“We are there to support the forces of the District of Dieron, nothing more.”  Ilse said simply with a smile “my regiments and their supporting auxiliary forces wish to provide you with the necessary manpower to hold La Blon and Dormini while also defending your District from Clan attack.”  She explained further “like your nation mine is under threat from the Clans, we have faced five Clans assaulting our borders at different times and Skye stands strongly.  We wish to see Dieron do the same.”  She said, she neglected to mention in her statement that Skye stood with the full backing of the Lyran Commonwealth and SLDF while the District of Dieron had neither support.  The Draconis Combine was opposed to the break away state's existence and they had also opposed the inclusion of the District into the Star League with the presence of SLDF forces on Dieron a holdover from previous agreements, not an official defence agreement.  Emiko Kurita had no idea how the Eridani Light Hoses based on Dieron would react to an invasion against her world.

“By offering to garrison our cut off worlds?”  Akira Tormark asked speaking up, recent Ghost Bear assaults had cut off both systems from the rest of the nation.  While JumpShips could cover the gap it was only a matter of time before their position became untenable.

“We are offering peacekeeping troops which will free up several of your ground forces regiments to be used elsewhere.”

“It is an unprovoked…” Akira Kurita began but Empress Emiko Kurita silenced him with a single raise of her arm.

“Such assistance would greatly help our District.”  She said smiling an unhappy smile “and tell me Duchess would Dormini and La Blon be the only worlds you would suggest were occupied by your peacekeepers?”

“As you ask no, we believe Ko and Lyon would be benefit from the presence of our troops too.  Perhaps if we are there, as neutral forces, the Ghost Bears would realize those worlds did not need to suffer due to the host nation’s actions.”

“We did not attack the Rasalhague Dominion!”  Akira Tormark snapped “we have been set up; we are just unable to provide the evidence of this because of the actions of the true culprit.”  He said indicating they had their suspicions without actually naming anyone, there was only one nation it could have been that conducted the attack but that did not have to be said.

“Of course, a nuclear bomb will do that.”  Ilse suggested “still my offer stands do you wish the assistance of our peacekeeping troops?  If not, they will leave without incident.”

“We will contact…” Akira Tormark spoke first but like Akira Kurita he was silenced by a single wave of Emiko Kurita’s hand.

“I accept, on one condition my regiments and any civilians who wish to leave are allowed to leave.”

“Of course, our forces are not an occupation force they are simply here to support you.”

“You have my thanks Duchess Ilse Kelswa-Steiner, I will not forget what you have done for the District of Dieron today.”  Emiko said finally bowing slightly to the other woman who simply smiled on the holo display.  Before another word could be said Emiko cut the Interstellar link connecting Dieron to Skye.

“We will never recover those worlds.”  Akira Tormark said quietly walking around the table facing the Empress “the Lyrans will dig into those systems and we will never pries them out.”

“It matters not” Emiko said dismissively seeing Tormark’s anger “we will not be able to recover anything if the Rasalhague Dominion conquer Dieron and Dyev is an opening to Dieron.  Warlord redeploy all of our troops from those four systems to Dyev, they will guard us from the Bear’s invasion forces.”

“They could Passover the system” Akira Kurita suggested “come directly here, they are within range of a Lithium Fusion Battery.”

“Not likely” Tormark admitted, “the Bears like to be systematical.  Look at their most recent reinforcements they hit Dublih, Albali and Ashio instead of pressing the attacks they had already made.  They are seeing targets in front of them and firing, hiding nothing about their intentions.”  He said the holo projector showed the Rasalhague Dominion’s most recent assaults Dublih, Albali and Ashio had all fallen within days of the invasion beginning.”

“We must stop them, bring them to the table and force them to listen to us.”  Akira Kurita said “We did not start this war, individually our units cannot defend the District from the Ghost Bears, the Rasalhague Dominion invasion has proven that.  But concentrated into one mighty block our forces could stop them.”

“On Dyev?”  Emiko Kurita asked she did not have the military mind of the other two but could see the beginnings of a concentration of units.”

“No, too close to Dieron.”  Akira Kurita suggested

“I agree” Tormark said nodding his head “we need to bring them to a world of our choosing.”

“Algedi?”  Akira Kurita suggested, a heavily fortified world already it also had the manufacturing facilities to supply the defenders for a long campaign.

“Agreed, but how do we bring the Bears to that world?”

“We go there ourselves” Akira Kurita said “we inform the Rasalhague Dominion that we are ready to answer for the District of Dieron’s defence and we will defeat them and prove their accusations are wrong.”

“Challenging them will not be enough, you will need to offer them something in defeat.”

“Algedi?”  Akira Kurita suggested

“One system when they are already taking many systems every month, I do not believe they will take that challenge for that prize.”

“Then there is only one solution” Warlord Akira Tormark suggested “if they defeat us the Rasalhague Dominion will have all of what is left of our nation.”

“The ComStar option” Akira Kurita commented but he saw Empress Emiko Kurita did not look happy as she read the data pad in front of her “it is the only way.”

“It is not that.”  She said glancing up “the Federated Suns have landed troops in the Towne, Helen, Quentin and Murchison systems.”  She said she didn’t even have to mention that House Kurita had this very morning secured control over the systems of Minakuchi, Waddesdon, Katalpha and Sutama.  The troops from those systems were already in full retreat.

“The bastards have no honour.  Attacking a target in the back.”  Akira Tormark said angrily “we should withdraw our units if we wish to preserve our strength to use against the Rasalhague Dominion.  We have three regiments worth of troops in that region.”

“Route them to Algedi” Akira Kurita ordered “Empress, with your permission we will submit our challenge to the Rasalhague Dominion and make preparations to move to Algedi?”  She nodded both men bowed deeply to her authority.  Akira Kurita was a former Coordinator of the Draconis Combine but everyone knew Emiko Kurita held the power on this world.

As the two men left her the Empress looked at the map, almost thirty worlds had been lost already and with their forces concentrated on Dyev and Alegdi more worlds would be vulnerable to attack.   She knew what she needed to do, and she knew both men would struggle to forgive her should they survive their encounter on Algedi but it had to be done.  She needed to explore options other than resisting the collected powers around her.

Border Fighting
New Samarkand Prefecture
District of Midway, Draconis Combine
23rd January 3117

With the Draconis Combine launching assaults on targets within the District of Dieron and remaining on guard against the movements of both the Federated Suns and Rasalhague Dominion attack comes from the other side of the nation as Clan Snow Raven attacks.  On Zalaf the First Ghost Regiment are wiped out by the attacking clansmen on Sinope while the Twentieth District of Midway Regulars are sent reeling from Zalaf.  While there are only two attacks, they rock confidence in the DCMS defences.

As the Ravens launch attacks against the Draconis Combine the Nova Cats also cause problems on the border of a Succession state winning two Trial of Possessions against the Federated Suns.  Unlike the full assaults against the Draconis Combine the two battles between the Nova Cats and the AFFS are limited to a Battalion against Cluster battle with the Nova Cats victorious in both of the fights on Davisville and Mermentau.  The Nova Cats invite the Federated Suns to enter in Trials of Possession against them while both were technically in conflict the Nova Cats would allow Federated Suns citizens to leave their occupied worlds should they wish and allow companies to continue to trade non-military goods with the Federated Suns.

Loading Entrance, Tower of Fronc
Paradise, Fronc
Fronc Reaches
31st January 3117

The world of Fronc was the capital of the Fronc Reaches and seemed to be a world away from the Clan invasion and any external threat.  Pirates had long decided that the world wasn’t worth the effort to invade while the Taurian Concordat, Magistracy of Canopus and Capellan Confederation were little threat to the world or its nation with all having non-aggression pacts with the nation.

The Tower of Fronc sat at the middle of Paradise.  It had been constructed following the independence of the Fronc Reaches from the Magistracy of Canopus and Taurian Concordat.  When described as a “Tower” it was infact five buildings in very close proximity.  The four corner buildings were curved on the outside and each was twelve stories high while the fifth central tower was three stories higher at fifteen.  On the top there was an observation balcony which allowed the government to look over their city and look at the sand-dunes which dominated the landscape beyond the city.

As mercenary contracts went this one was easy for the Pebal Court Jesters their combined arms regiment had accepted it after a year and a half on the Canopian/Free Worlds League.  During the fighting there they had salvaged multiple weapons and pieces of equipment fielded by the District of Lesnovo and now on Fronc they were slowly fitting them into their TO&E and training new recruits.  The presence of an additional combined-arms regiment on the planet had allowed the Colonial Marshals to spread out and protect easier to target worlds while the Jesters provided garrison and training support.

After an extended campaign defending Bayindur from raids Infantryman Olivia Baddeley was bored she and her infantry squad had fought off a Clan invasion from the forces bringing down one of their Cheetah BattleMechs.  It was only a fifteen-ton ultra-light BattleMech but they’d brought it down and now it was part of their regiment.  Now she was bored guard duty of the government centre on Fronc was the complete opposite of combat.

Sitting at the gatehouse at Corner Four she was checking in vehicles to the dock it was 09:04 she was two hours and four minutes into a twelve-hour shift, the sun was beating above and it was another beautiful day on Fronc with the weather expected to hit 29C today, perfect for anything but work.  Each vehicle had to be checked with a scanner and physical check before it was allowed into the service yard.  She’d worked this detail for two months already and it was monotonous, the same vehicles entered the facility on the same schedules like clockwork.  She looked up from her desk and saw the next truck approaching, it was a blue and green painted Iveco Burro II Super Heavy Support vehicle with the Bull logo of Taurian Freshwater Suppliers Limited.  She looked up and saw the driver Randall, the same man who came in every week, heading out of the guard house she headed over towards the box truck.  “Hey, hero how you doing today?”  He called out of the cab window they had begun speaking during his multiple visits to the building he seemed happy to see her.

“Bored senseless” she replied heading out towards the truck looking up at him, Randall was nice on the eyes he had smooth dark skin, short cut hair and well-maintained facial hair.  He had ambitions beyond Fronc and delivering fresh water unlike many on the world.

“You just want to get out there and get shot up again, don’t you?”  He asked keeping things light.

“Well, you know what it’s like.”  She said searching her pockets realizing she’d forgotten her scanner; it was still in the guard post.

“Yeah, it’s dangerous out there…” he said looking at her “you never know when you could have trouble.”

“You going to cause me problems Randall?” She asked half seriously, what trouble could a truck of water cause.

“I really don’t want to” he said seriously

“Good, I hate trouble” she said beginning to walk around the vehicle, she didn’t have her scanner but at the very least she could check the vehicle and have a look around.  She got to the back of the vehicle and toggled the open control located there it asked for a passport and she entered the code Randall had given her the day before, it wasn’t standard procedure but they saw each other every other day and he trusted her.  The door opened up and it showed a wall of water containers behind there was another line and then another line.  She toggled the close and lock control before continuing to walk around around to the cab and looked back at Randall.

“No scanner?”  He asked looking her over, he’d obviously expected it and the delay its use cause “hope you didn’t see anything that might worry you?”

“Nothing today, you wouldn’t cause me trouble, would you?”

“I really don’t want to” he repeated he looked more nervous this time.

“You alright Randall?”

“Yeah, I’m fine just a warm day, a lot to day no rest for the wicked” he said smirking looking up, the sky was bright above and it was warm.

“You trying to wind me up because that could be just as dangerous, you know fine I'm stuck in my little box for the next nine hours.”  She warned him smiling back

“I wouldn’t do that” he said “you know what it’s like Olivia, busy, busy non-stop in my line of important work.”  He said sounding like he only was half joking, they’d talked a lot she knew exactly what he thought about his job and its lack of importance, “if you’re not scanning then I guess I can continue?”

“Absolutely, carry on with your busy day, until tomorrow Randall” she said turning towards her guard post again walking away as the truck began to move again the hum of its fusion engine the only sound it made as it passed by.

Olivia Baddeley watched Randall’s vehicle continue down the slope beside her heading towards the underground loading bay before heading back towards her guard post.  She barely got into the small booth and picked up her scanner when the blast wave ripped through the guard post and through the building above.  The fireball moved quickly enveloping the lower area of Corner Four and the Central Tower of Fronc, while well built the Tower wasn’t designed to resist an explosion especially one from within its own basement or one quite as large as the one inside Randall’s truck.  The blast quickly extended through the basement sections of all four buildings shattering the foundations of the complex and causing massive damage.  Further damage was done to all five buildings as fire ripped through them overwhelming the built-in sprinkler and fire suppression systems.

   All around the Tower of Fronc the blast wave shattered windows and caused minor structural damage but the damage to the Government’s centre of authority was huge.  Despite the efforts of Fronc’s emergency services and the additional assistance provided by the Court Jesters the entire complex collapsed in on itself three hours after the initial explosion.  By 12:32 there was nothing left of the Tower of Fronc and 80% of Fronc’s Leading Council were dead or in critical condition included in that number was Prince Marshal Dirk McEvens and his wife Edre McEvens, who were both dead, and their daughter Colonel Emma McEvens who was so badly injured she needed to be placed in a medically induced coma.

[Dragon Cat]

This update sort of just flowed out of me, seemed to work pretty well and sets up a lot of things to come in the future

The next few updates will show exactly where things are going.  If anyone wants to see what's happening in a specific area of the Inner Sphere, periphery or Homeworlds feel free to ask either in a comment or PM.  Same with any contributions feel free as always you will have my thanks.

Border conflict
District of Dieron   
2nd February 3117

   As the District of Dieron calls on regiments to dig into Algedi the Draconis Combine takes advantage of the errant state’s concentration on the Rasalhague Dominion by landing troops on Shimonita, Peidmont and Chichbu taking each away from the local militia troops who have been left behind.

   On Algedi Duke Akira Kurita and Warlord Akira Tormark challenge the Rasalhague Dominion to come to the system and engage the District of Dieron in an honour trial to end the conflict.  They state that if the Rasalhague Dominion are victorious on Algedi then the Rasalhague Dominion will gain control of all remaining District of Dieron worlds.  With the Draconis Combine, Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth all already taking worlds from the District of Dieron this may be the only way for the Rasalhague Dominion to gain control over the remains of the small state.  Arrayed waiting for the Rasalhague Dominion in the Algedi system are eight regiments worth of troops and three WarShips along with several support squadrons of Pocket WarShips.

Tower of Fronc VTOL Port
Paradise, Fronc
Fronc Reaches
21st February 3117
   
   Less than half a kilometre from the rubble that was the remains of the Tower of Fronc the VTOL port had been a hive of activity since the terrorist attack which had leveled Fronc’s Parliament and killed 80% of the world’s leadership.  There was a constant stream of VTOLs and ground ambulances evacuating the wounded and dead from the field hospital which had been erected at the site, around the area was an entire battalion of the Fronc Household Guard, Colonel Emma McEvens regiment, who were guarding the evacuation.  Since the destruction that had been wrought on the Tower riots and internal fighting had begun threatening the security of the site.  While both Dirk McEvens and his wife Edre had been found dead in the rubble while Emma McEvens had been recovered, she was badly injured was in a medically induced coma.

   On the main pad of the VTOL Port there was a Cal-Boeing Swiftran.  The Swiftran was a large twenty-five-ton VTOL.  On each of its four upward tilted engine nacelles the four propellers turned slowly as the aircraft waited to take off.  Above the Swiftran four Lamprey Transport Helicopters hovered waiting for them to be ready to move out already the infantry the Lamprey’s had brought here were moving towards ground vehicles.

   Sitting in his Hound BattleMech Major Jakub Zboril monitored the situation “All Guards, the Colonel is coming out be on your guard, no-one comes through the perimetre.”  He ordered as he did, he saw a group of doctors and medics moving quickly from one of the tents towards the Swiftran, already the VTOL held a half a dozen other patients all crammed in together.  As the group entered the rear the four propellers began to spin quicker lifting the aircraft off the ground.  “Straight to the DropShips” he commanded the pilots as the Swiftran joined the Lamprays and headed across the city.

   “Guards” he said addressing his MechWarriors and ground troops “let’s get out of here, we don’t know who may still be gunning for the Colonel or for us.  She needs care off world, let’s get the job done.”  He commanded moving his BattleMech towards the city all around him the Guards defence lines fell into formation around him and the ground vehicles.  Fronc General Hospital could care for Colonel McEvens but the world was quickly slipping into a state of Civil War and the Guards couldn’t stand against every civilian, it would turn into a bloodbath, a lot of the Guards were from Fronc and the surrounding worlds and none of them wanted to engage in combat action against their own people.

   The convoy passed through the city without major incident.  The streets were lined with civilians who were screaming insults and throwing items at their units but thankfully nothing that could harm an armoured vehicle or BattleMech.  Fronc was a prosperous world and the Reaches had done well in recent years but without leadership, and with the massive loss of life and damage done by the bombing, uneasiness was quickly turning to fear and anger.  The Guards were an easy target even though mercenaries had filled guard duty at the Tower of Fronc the Household Guard were the world’s primary defence force.

   Once at the spaceport the Household Guard almost wordlessly filed into the unit’s DropShips and boosted off the planet leaving Fronc to continue to fall into disarray.  The Household Guard’s plan was to take Emma McEvens out of the Reaches completely and into the Capellan Confederation to neutral ground where she could receive care away from potential threats, while many would see this as cowardice in the face of the enemy Emma McEvens, her daughter and son were the legitimate leadership of the Fronc Reaches and at the moment there was a threat against them all.

Trading Hall
Trading Post P62, Falakuma
Sea Fox Territory, Periphery
28th February 3117

While not on the grand scale of a gathering of the Clan Council on Tukayyid the small insignificant periphery world of Falakuma was the site of a gathering of the largest concentration of Clan leaders in several years.  Khan Canin Rosse, the leader of Clan Nova Cat and the oldest of all the Khans, entered the chamber buried deep within the Sea Fox Trading Centre and he saw the young Khan of Clan Snow Raven Porter McKenna, the Khan of Clan Lynx Katrine Devalis and Sea Fox Snapping Jaws Khanate leader ovKhan Brad Hammond already waiting for him.  Canin Rosse had taken longer to travel to this system but had also come from further afield to this meeting of the Clans.

“Khan Clan Nova Cat arriving” one of the Elemental Guards announced as he stepped into the room the man was unarmoured but still towered over Canin Rosse as he entered.

“Finally,” Katrine Devalis muttered looking up at the older man, he guessed the five years she’d had control over the Lynx Clan hadn’t mellowed her opinion towards him, he looked at her she had dyed her dark hair bright green which Canin found slightly off putting, for a woman her age she seemed to be trying to prove she was still interesting to look at. 

“Welcome to our little party Khan Rosse.”

“Thank you, Khan Devalis” Canin said respectfully “Khan McKenna, nice to meet you.”  At thirty-eight years old he was half Canin’s age, of average height and of an athletic build with a full head of blonde hair, unlike Canin who had now fully lost his hair.  While he was advancing in age Canin still walked unaided and regularly joined his troops on the field.

“Khan Rosse welcome”

“OvKhan Hammond thank you for hosting us here.”

“It is Clan Sea Fox’s pleasure” the man said he sat in between Khan McKenna’s and Khan Rosse’s age in his early sixties maybe from his build Rosse assumed he was of an aerospace fighter pilot phenotype by birth.  He was small with a larger head than naturally born humans.  “Why did you want to bring our four Clans together Khan Rosse?”

   “The Succession States are a problem” Khan Rosse began moving to the oval table in the room he sat down at one end of the table while Khan McKenna and Khan Devalis took either side of the table and ovKhan Hammond took the far end chair.

   “Really? You brought us all that way to tell us that?” Devalis said angrily standing up her green hair moving creating a wave of hair over her head.

   “The Draconis Combine detonated a nuclear bomb on the soil of the Rasalhague Dominion” Rosse said bluntly, Devalis and the others looked stunned and she slowly sat down again.

   “You cannot know that; I do not know that yet and I am closer to the Bears than you are Rosse.”  Hammond stated his voice raising slightly he sounded angry thinking that Canin would be willing to lie to get them onboard with a plan.

   “Your Clan may be closer to the Bears than the Nova Cats are but we have capable people in the correct places.”

   “Spies” Devalis almost spat angrily, she knew exactly what Rosse was referring to, she knew where Khan Rosse had come from and what he had fostered within the Nova Cat Clan.  “The Watch have eyes and ears everywhere as always Khan Rosse?”

   “Not spies, they are capable people and they mean no ill to those that they observe.”  He said both Khan McKenna and ovKhan Hammond looked equally annoyed and concerned about the revelation by the Nova Cat Khan, just how far this “network” extended.  “Some of our observers in the Rasalhague Dominion space have confirmed with the Dominion’s own Watch that the nuclear bomb originated within the Draconis Combine.”

   “If they have concluded their investigations and found this, why are they continuing to hammer Dieron?” McKenna asked confused

   “Many reasons namely they are able to test their new weapons, blood their newest warriors and close on Terra.”  Canin said pointing out the three obvious reasons to pursue an assault on Dieron.

   “But the Dominion do not want to conquer Terra” Katrine Devalis stated Canin Rosse smiled

   “Publicly” Canin answered “the Bears have a similar view on the ilClan as the Nova Cats, the Sea Foxes, the Horses and…” he said looking at the new Raven Khan not knowing his beliefs “at least until recently the Ravens.  The ilClan is a title and it takes Terra off the table as a target but otherwise life goes on and the Clans continue to do what we do.”  He said seeing Katrine Devalis disgust at the attitude towards the highest honour that could be achieved by a Clan.  “The Founder was very clever when he formed our Clans.”  He said each of them nodded their agreements “while we have a lot of joint heritage and shared history, he made sure that each of us was able to grow independently of the shared cause.”

   “Except the Not-named” Hammond noted there was silence between the gathered four for several moments before they spoke together “Seyla” before several more moments of silence.

   “So, the Succession States are a problem, Quiaff?” Devalis said bringing them out of their silence and back to Canin Rosse’s original point.

   “Aff, the Bears are dealing with Dieron and then they will more than likely turn their attention onto the Combine and ensure they cannot prosecute a war of aggression for some time.”

   “Aff, you would not want to be their long-term neighbour and enemy” Canin Rosse said remembering when the Clan Invasion corridors were originally being drawn up.  Clan Nova Cat was due to join the Smoke Jaguars in fighting the Draconis Combine before a vision had led them to their new home in what was then the Tortuga Dominions on the periphery region of the Federated Suns where they had prospered.  “The Combine will be very busy in the coming months allowing us an opportunity to strike.”

   “Us?  You do not share a border with the Combine Khan Rosse, my Lynx do.” Devalis said almost as if she needed to remind him, she took part of his Clan and their territory away from him.  “What is the Nova Cat’s part in this assault?”

   “Technical expertise and supply, as well as keeping the Federated Suns busy on the Raven’s back.”  Rosse said “I am willing to release enough forces for you to create four combined arms Clusters Khan Devalis in exchange for materials.”  He said looking at Katrine he was offering her a chance to build an entire Galaxy worth of troops.  “I know the Lynx plan to abandon several of your deeper periphery holdings.”  He said seeing the surprise on her face “with these additional forces you can greatly expand you, Clan.”  He suggested

   “And how do we benefit?”  The Sea Fox ovKhan asked

   “I am willing to release a Nova Cat holding to Clan Sea Fox.  Specifically, to the Snapping Jaws Khanate.”  He said seeing the man’s face light up, the Nova Cats had jealously held their territory only allowing a small trading enclave on Tortuga Prime until now, having an entire system would greatly benefit the Sea Foxes.  “And we will assault Federated Suns targets between the Nova Cat’s Den and Snow Raven space keeping their attention on us instead of on your forces.”

   “Where would you have us strike?”  Khan McKenna asked deferring to Khan Rosse’s judgement “you are both already doing it.  Katrine your Lynx are placed to attack Herndon?”  he asked looking at her, she nodded again annoyed the Nova Cats had picked up a couple of details about her Clan.  “And from there you threaten Pesht with direct attack.”  He said glancing over at McKenna “your forces recently won two battles near New Samarkand which is already drawing additional forces to the region.”

   “And we support” Hammond said he didn’t look happy with the arrangement.

   “You are welcome to join the attacks if you wish ovKhan” McKenna suggested “your Sea Foxes would be welcome to join us.”

   “A trade world close to New Samarkand would benefit Clan Sea Fox greatly.”  He noted, we could coordinate with your forces on a target, quiaff?”

   “Affirmative, ovKhan, what do the Nova Cats get out of this Khan Rosse?  Your Clan will likely make negligible moves against the Federated Suns, even with them being distracted currently with Dieron.”  Katrine Devalis said wondering what Rosse’ endgame was.

   “Affirmative, we will make slower and steadier progress than your Clans should but with the new WarShip we’re building with the Ravens perhaps our time will also come.”  Rosse suggested “until then we’ll continue to make slow but steady pace. In your attacks the Nova Cats will assist with intelligence and supplies for the most part.”  He saw their faces realizing that he knew that they didn’t like that the Nova Cats would be sitting on the sidelines “none of you need to make these assaults, the Rasalhague Dominion will likely assault the Draconis Combine in the few months.”  He suggested “given what we know of the attack against them the Bear retribution will come swiftly and be dramatic.  Having this information gives you an advantage when the attack comes.”  He stated simply “I am placing this information in your hands it is up to you if you wish to use it.”  Canin Rosse had the experience to know when he had someone’s attention.

   “When did the Nova Cat’s become the spy, Clan?”  Hammond wondered out loud, he saw that Canin Rosse did not take offence to the statement.  “You appear to have access to quite a bit of information.”

   “That is all he has but none of the guts to act on the information on his own.”  Devalis stated “that was always your problem, it is why you lost us.”

   “I lost you because you are a manipulative bitch.”  Canin snapped breaking his cool “Katrine, I knew about your moves within our Clan.  I sent what became the Lynx Clan away because of your plans and the plans of others within the Clan.  A direct confrontation with the Federated Suns on the scale you wanted would have destroyed out Clan.”

   “And now you are pushing us to act against the Combine in the same way? Quiaff” She asked angrily thinking she had exposed an opening.

   “Neg” he responded looking at the others “to attack the Federated Suns en masse brought a reaction our Clan could not handle, we all witnessed that when we took Crofton.”  He stated the counter attacks by the Federated Suns caused heavy damage to the Nova Cats.  “The intelligence I am providing you with will allow your Clans to strike when the Rasalhague Dominion does.  Our Clans are powerful, but we cannot take out an entire succession state alone.”  He pointed out what should be obvious to the others.  “We saw that when the Clan Invasion initially occurred the Clans that invaded invaded together and they won more than a fifth of the territory in the Inner Sphere.  However now that there is no combined invasion our progress has stalled.  If you want to cause irreversible damage to the Draconis Combine you will strike together when the Dominion does.”

   “There is too much territory” Hammond agreed “the Sea Foxes have found the same since we took control over portions of the Jade Falcon OZ.”

   “Exactly, our Clans can win the territory but we also need to learn how to garrison huge areas of territory.  We need to build Auxiliary forces willing to defend their homes while we take our wars to the enemy.  The Rasalhague Dominion has done that faster than our other Clans, the Fire Mandrills on the other side of the Inner Sphere appear to be well on their way to that as well.  The Wolves and Falcons sacrifice their territory to move forwards, none of you want to follow that model.”  He suggested recent intelligence suggesting that the Lynx Clan planned on abandoning several of their systems to move forwards as they did not have the manpower to garrison all their worlds.

   “And where are your Nova Cats?”  Katrine Devalis asked

   “We follow our visions, and our intelligence, you are correct ovKhan Hammond my Clan has begun to rely on the intelligence, it is the best way for success until there are others in the position to crush the Federated Suns.”  He said glancing around the room seeing their surprise his old face cracked into a smile “we are Kerensky’s Clans, while some of us believe that there are better options rather than full invasions, we all hold the same dream an Inner Sphere enlightened by the guidance of the Clans.”  He said all of them nodded at that agreeing with the statement “we just need to fight smart.”

   While on Falakuma Khan Canin Rosse confirmed a trade agreement with the Lynx Clan where the Nova Cats would trade four clusters worth of equipment in exchange for additional natural resources.  They also signed a deal for access to the newest Snow Raven aerospace fighter the Navajo, a ninety-ton aerospace fighter designed to engage the heaviest enemy fighter, DropShips and WarShips, and the rights to build it.

   Rosse also negotiates the trade of Memphis from Clan Nova Cat to Clan Sea Fox ownership in exchange for the Sea Fox Clan supporting any offensive actions taken by the three other Clans and supplying them with munitions where required.

Note: the Navajo is from marauder648's Project Nelson

[marauder648]

Great updates and it seems that Canin and co are planning seeing the Combine in the middle of a feeding Frenzy.

[truetanker]

Ooh... Homwworlds.

What's up on them?

Something nasty, I hope...

TT

[Rainbow 6]

Another great update.

I'd be interested in seeing what's happening in and around the Taurian Concordat and the Clan Homeworlds.

[Dragon Cat]

Well you're in a little luck

There's more to come from the Taurian Concordat in the March, April and May updates including a new Mech they are producing

As for the Homeworlds next we'll here from them is in October 3117, it's a really exciting update where... iath... son... ety... Bearclaw... discover... BattleMechs [Error Code 303... attempting to reengage with server... Error 303 HPG Service Interrupted please contact your local provider]

[Dragon Cat]

I become single and suddenly I have lots of time to write... you'd think they were connected  ;D honestly I've got the flow to a tee right now I know exactly where this is going

Negotiation
District of Dieron, Federated Suns
9th March 3117

While Duke Akira Kurita and Warlord Akira Warlord attempted to repel the Rasalhague Dominion in the Algedi system already reports suggest that three WarShips from each of the Rasalhague Dominion and the District of Dieron had been destroyed and Rasalhague Dominion troops had landed on the planet.  Even with eight regiments on the planet victory was not assured as the Ghost Bears had dedicated two full Galaxies to the planet’s conquest.

Empress Emiko Kurita stood alone on Dieron looking at the holo-tank ahead of her waiting for the connection.  She hated what she had to do but it was the only way especially with the Draconis Combine already exerting their authority on three more systems of the District Tannil, Lapida II and Kurhah.  The District’s agreement with the Rasalhague Dominion stated that should the Clan force be victorious then all of the District’s systems and worlds would be turned over to their control in the meantime she was duty bound to defend their territory.  Either Combine rule or Dominion rule the results would be similar the local government would likely be imprisoned or worse, she had taken them out of the Draconis Combine with a promise of more freedoms but she had led them to ruin.

The holo-tank finally activated and the face of Duke Jerome Sandoval the duke of the Federated Suns’ Draconis March.  “Duke Sandoval, thank you for speaking to me on such short notice.”

“My pleasure Empress” he sounded pleased to speak to her Empress Kurita had dark hair the sides of his head were completely shaved while the top was grown longer and tied at the back in a topknot.  He wore the uniform of a Field Marshal of the Federated Suns.  “How can we be of assistance?”

“I want you to engage the Draconis Combine units on Tannil, Lapida and Kurhah” she said she felt like she was making a deal with the devil and it was a devil that laughed at her for several seconds before calming down.  “You don’t need to take the systems

“And why “Empress” would we help you?” he emphasized her position almost to the point of making it a joke, she was begging another state for help, and she knew it.

“Because I will legally cede those systems to you if you are victorious.”  She said willing to give up control over the three systems.

“Not enough” Jerome Sandoval said “you want me to risk my people’s lives for three worlds we could win ourselves there has to be an intensive.”

“What do you want?”

“Galatia to Sadalbari.”

“That is seven worlds!”  She said angrily “none of them have been threatened by the Draconis Combine.”

“Yet” Sandoval said “Empress, admit it your nation is in the twilight of its existence.  You can accept our assistance, buy your people time, and I will deploy house and mercenary units along with WarShips to Tannil, Kurhah and Lapida within an hour of this transmission ending.  But I could lose those house, mercenary and navy units, I need to give First Prince Davion something in return.  Your worlds are all threatened.”

“That is a third of our remaining systems.”

“Save your nation or surrender to the Bear or Dragon, your choice.”

“A list of bad options Duke Sandoval.”  Emiko said angrily, this felt like her conversation with the Duchess of Skye the other side held all the cards.  If her people could defeat the Bears on Algedi they might be able to salvage some of their nation but right now things looked bad.

“Our conversation is wasting time; do you want my troops or not?”  He asked leaning back away from the camera as if what he wanted was not all that important when in fact it would be a great win for the Federated Suns.

“I agree” she said through gritted teeth

“Very good, our units will be deployed by the end of the day.”  He said within hours of House and Mercenary units each supported by at least one WarShip were deployed from the Draconis March into the three contested systems.  Landing quickly on the worlds the Davion and Mercenary forces engage both the House Kurita forces and the militia forces of the Distict of Dieron turning the fighting into a three-way battle for dominance.

Landing Operation
Talltsa, Deep Periphery
23rd March 3117

   With the Fronc Reaches falling deeper into a state of civil unrest the Taurian Concordat had decided to expand back into systems that they had abandoned previously starting with those closest to the Concordat and then spreading further out.  On the world of Talltsa Subaltern Dwain Murphy strode his sixty-ton Oryx BattleMech through the undergrowth towards to small town ahead of him.  He saw a pirate Wasp charging towards him and fired both of the LB-X class autocannons mounted on the rifle arms of the BattleMech.  The Wasp was pelted by armour piercing pellets which caused damage across the BattleMech while the light Mech accelerated towards his position, he sighted the Mech again with the autocannons targeting the camouflage Mech.  Only one of the autocannons splashed over the Wasp while the other tore across the ground beside it tearing up the dirt.

   The Wasp retaliated by firing off a medium laser which burned across the Oryx’s chest burning away some of the BattleMech’s standard armour.  As the Wasp closed on the Oryx’s position Dwain fired again but missed the fast moving twenty-ton BattleMech which cut to his right.  As it closed Dwain added in his two medium lasers and two short range missile racks from the Oryx one laser burned down the Wasp’s left leg while half of the twelve short ranged missiles slammed into the small Mech while the rest exploded harmlessly on the ground around the BattleMech tearing up the landscape.  So much damage was too much for light BattleMech which staggered forwards for a few more steps then it collapsed and staggered into a fall.

   As the Wasp was taken out of the fight, he saw another Mech moving from the city his Oryx’s battle computer quickly identified it as an Argus BattleMech.  From Dwain’s right flank a brown Shadow Hawk raised and fired its autocannon and missiles into the target, moments later on his left an Enforcer engaged the Argus with a laser while the lances fourth BattleMech a Watchman also stepped forwards and added another large laser to the mix.  The Argus was heavier than all three of the Oryx’s lance mates but combined it struggled under the combined hits.  Dwain added in both of his light autocannons causing further misery to the BattleMech’s plight.

   Despite the damage wrought on the Argus the heavy BattleMech was still able to open fire firing its long-range missiles and its rotary autocannon tearing into the Enforcer on Dwain’s left.  The medium Mech staggered under the fire but remained standing.

   “This is Subaltern Murphy of the Taurian Guards we are here to bring order to Talltsa and bring it back into the Taurian Concordat.  Stand down.”  He ordered on an open channel in all Dwain’s dozen years in the military the Taurians had taken hits and retreated from enemies attacking, it felt good to be on the attack.  There was silence to his call “Battle engage and bring down that BattleMech, fire at will.”

   The three BattleMechs on Dwain’s flanks charged forwards engaging the Argus from all angle’s lasers, missiles and autocannons bore down on the BattleMech causing heavy damage.  To the pilot’s credit he tried to fight back but he was one BattleMech against three.  From behind Dwain Murphy watched their backs and saw the incoming threat a lance of wheeled short range missile carriers.  “Watch your six!  They’ve set a trap.”  He called out opening fire on one of the short-range missile carriers hitting it with autocannon fire causing heavy damage to the side of the small vehicle.  As he did the Enforcer turned and launched itself into the sky on jump jets and engaged a second SRM carrier with its autocannon and laser.  The laser burned away armour while the autocannon blew open the front of the small vehicle causing huge internal damage and blowing the vehicle up from the inside out.  The third missile carrier peppered the Watchman with missiles blowing away pieces of armour and causing internal damage blowing away the BattleMech’s left arm.  The Watchman staggered under the blows but remained standing long enough for the rest of the lance to destroy the remaining SRM carrier.

   The resistance here on Talltsa was over but the Taurian Concordat forces extended their reach to Davetall II and III, Acidalla and Charion VI bringing them all back into the periphery nation, all of the systems had once been part of the Concordat and would be again as Protector Sonja Calderon flexed her nation’s muscles once more.

Landing Zone
McCoy’s Malcontents Homebase
Whittington, Periphery
29th March 3117

   They had seen the destruction from above, and seen the condition of the remains of the planet’s defenders as they approached the base from orbit.  Schuyler McCoy exited the unit’s DropShip Conte Rosso and walked down onto the torn-up ground of Whittington.  Less than one hundred metres from the DropShip’s LZ he could see a destroyed Emperor BattleMech, one of the Mechs he’d left here when the unit was deployed, beyond the Emperor laid a Mackie while closer to the base stood the remains of a Banshee BattleMech.  On the courtyard three more BattleMechs that he had left behind stood in various states missing limbs and suffering armour breaches.  Also littered around the battlefield that had been their home was a destroyed Centurion BattleMech, two destroyed Fulcrum hovercraft and several smashed-up weapon carrier vehicles.

   As Schuyler McCoy moved through the base seeing the Marian Hegemony insignia on several pieces of destroyed armour.  Moving over to one of the bodies he bent over and flipped the man over revealing the Marian Hegemony’s insignia engraved on the man’s head.  “Cohors Morituri” McCoy grumbled angrily, the Marian Hegemony was gone but their remnants still survived.  He looked up and saw the survivors of his base coming out, many of them were wounded.

   “Schuyer are you alright?”  Amanda Cavalcanti asked walking up behind her during their trip away from Whittington she’d taken a pair of hair clippers due to an out-of-control hair day, he wasn’t a huge fan of her close-cropped hair but it did the job. 

   “Do I look alright?”  He snapped back towards her “they came here when they knew we weren’t!”  He said angrily “these people are my people Amanda, I brought most of them here and I left… I left them with the scraps of our equipment while we were out adventuring.”  He stated the best practice was to take the best equipment you had but it had left Whittington with barely enough for a solid defence.

   “We were doing what we needed to.  You keep saying if we sit on our asses here then one day someone will come and we’ll lose it all!”  She responded

   “We need to defend this world better” he said turning to the others “we’re the ones they rely on.”  He said turning back to her “tell the Front Two to stay buttoned up in the DropShips, we need food and spare parts, Backdoor Squad are staying behind to reinforce things here.  We’re leaving half the unit behind to reinforce things here.  Tell Sabrina and Stephanie to acquire themselves something that’s functional they can help with the defence” he said naming the newest two members of the unit.

   “Shouldn’t we help them?”

   “We’re going after those who did this.  We’re going to Marius’ Tears.”

   “That hellhole” he said Amanda commented Marius’ Tears was a barren volcanically active world, no-one went there intentionally.

   “We’re going in, and we’re going to clean it up.  And either they come out or we do.”  He said angry at what had happened to his home, he didn’t even want to see the mess the ex-Marian warriors had made of the collection of Mechs his father had left them, that would be a discovery for another day for now he planned on taking two lances off the planet after almost a battalion of enemy troops, they had to do it right.

The Oryx is borrowed from the rather good fan-TRO Operation Lancaster

[truetanker]

As for the Homeworlds next we'll here from them is in October 3117, it's a really exciting update where... iath... son... ety... Bearclaw... discover... BattleMechs [Error Code 303... attempting to reengage with server... Error 303 HPG Service Interrupted please contact your local provider]

( Sends a disquised WoB repair person to " help " with repairs to the local HPG. )

Precentor Pi
Zeta Alpha Epsilon

[namar13766]

( Sends a disquised WoB repair person to " help " with repairs to the local HPG. )

Precentor Pi
Zeta Alpha Epsilon

It’s those bird aliens from Far Country, isn’t it?

[Rainbow 6]

Just looked the Oryx up, not a bad mech.

[Dragon Cat]

Just looked the Oryx up, not a bad mech.

Similar to the Rifleman but yes not bad at all

Back to work in two days I wonder how much more I can write... honestly this week its been fun, time for April 3117 - the first part is not at all inspired by an old TV show I've been watching honest (I say old it's like a few years old)

Hostage Situation, Detroit Consolidated Mechworks
Deerborn, Fronc Reaches
Periphery
1st April 3117

   The Fronc Reaches was spiralling out of control fast with the lack of leadership following the attack on the Tower of Fronc.  The bombing had happened at just the right moment taking out the majority of the government, the knock-on effect had been to destabilize the entire nation with people not knowing where their nation was going.

   The Colonial Marshals, which were the glue that held their people together, were fighting fires and dealing with issues throughout the Fronc Reaches.  On the industrial world of Detroit, a team Marshals known as Team Flashpoint had been sent to Detroit Consolidated Mechworks, one of the most important places in the entire realm, due to an armed incident inside the works.

The Flashpoint Team were known as the Special Reaction Unit and the Marshals job was to defuse the situation, and if they needed to eliminate the threats.  The situation on Detroit was a fluid one with angry workers holding several of the plant managers hostage until they got answers.

“Listen my names Sergeant Grieg Parker of the Detroit Marshals Special Reaction Unit, we want to resolve this situation peacefully” from within the Quaestor Mobile Tactical Command HQ which was parked behind the line of Cellco Ranger Law Enforcement Vehicles and the Zhan Heavy Transports which ringed the entrance of the plant.  Between him stood eight Amazon Battle Armoured troopers ready to infiltrate the facility while behind the Quaestor, the Cellco’s and Zhans stood the unit’s six BattleMechs.  Above the facility several helicopters monitored the site watching for anyone trying to sneak through the

“You cannot help us, we’re all doomed, soon the signal will come and we will all be bathed in the inferno of death.”  Came a response over the radio “Fronc was the first sign”

“What do you mean you’ll be bathed in an inferno, we’re all going to be alright” he responded swapping communication channels “Raymond, anything out there?”

“Negative, no sign of contacts” his twin brother Raymond Parker responded from his Wyvern City BattleMech which stood on the outskirts.

“Boss! We might have a problem”

“Go ahead Spike” Grieg called the younger man who was in his Raven II BattleMech he was the units electronic warfare specialist.

“My Mech just picked up an attempted transmission sent to the facility.  My Raven’s ECM is set up for a broad-spectrum block, it didn’t get through but someone tried to blow this place to pieces.”

“Any idea where it came from Spike?”

“Planet side, probably within a few kilometres given the strength of the signal.”  Spike said his forty-ton Mech carried a lot more than the standard electronics suite “Boss, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to keep it covered if things move.”

“What’s your plan?”  Raymond Parker asked from his Mech

“We use the choppers ECM, blanket the area, link them to me and I’ll coordinate positions, it’ll be like a poor man’s C3.”  He suggested

“You’re not a poor man, Spike, brains are worth more than money.”

“Tell my banker that” Spike commented

“Do it Spike, take the units” Grieg Parker said from the command vehicle “Eddie, if this goes sideways leave Spike and the helos.”

“Understood” Edward Laing said from his Quickdraw BattleMech on the field he was in charge of running any battle that occurred.

“Boss!  We have another problem” Bradick called from his Gravedigger BattleMech, Bradick was an ex-member of the Rasalhague Dominion military and his mixed tech BattleMech was probably the most advanced one in the entire periphery.

“Go ahead”

“I have movement near the Mech entrance.”  He said Bradick and the unit’s Anubis BattleMech piloted by MechWarrior JC were checking the perimeter of the building.

“Maybe some employees trying to break out?”

“Only if that break out includes weapons fire!”  Bradick called back ducking his Gravedigger away from a salvo of weapons fire. “We’ve got enemies on the move, weapons fire incoming two Ostroc!”  He said both were bigger than the two Mechs around the back.

“Wordie, Ed, Raymond go!”  Greig Parker ordered the three Mechs began running around the facility leaving the vehicles and battle armour to hold the front door.

“We’re fully defensive!”  JC called out her light Anubis was running at full speed putting out long range missiles and laser fire while Bradick’s heavier Gravedigger was firing a combination of its particle cannon, missiles and autocannon into one of the Ostrocs.  From the facility two Anubis BattleMechs were joining the breakout.  “We need help here”

“You called!” Wordie called out his Marshal landing behind the Ostrocs and in front of the two Anubis which he engaged with his particle cannon and three pulse lasers.  Moments later Laing arrived as well his 8X variant Quickdraw raising the hand-held autocannon which burst out hitting one of the advancing Ostrocs. At the same time Raymond Parker added in his laser to the attack engaging the same Mech.

“Boss, we’ve got these guys pinned, there was a report of four attackers we should have them all here now.” Laing communicated seeing one of the Ostroc

“Understood, I’m sending in the Amazons” Grieg responded BattleMechs fall under a hail of fire.  The Special Response Unit quickly moved onto the next target combining their fire to bring down the target while the Marshal contained the two Anubis BattleMechs.  At the front of the facility the eight Amazon Battle Armour suits launched into the air jumping straight into the building smashing their way through facilities metal frontage shattering the glass.  Shards of glass showered the ground in front of the building.

“Four Mechs down!”  Bradick called out as the fourth Anubis fell under the heavy weapons fire weapons fire.

“Facility clear, no more subjects inside.” Greig reported after hearing from the Amazons.  “Spike anymore signals?”

“Negative, but I wouldn’t drop the ECM net until we search the facility completely.  These guys were willing to die when the first signal was sent.”

“Understood, good job team” Parker said from his command vehicle they would check the facility and find the explosives that had been left they also continued to protect the facility while intelligence teams searched for the culprits who attempted to blow up the facility.  The intelligence teams eventually found a repeater in the facility which had been set to auto repeat, the owners of the equipment were gone.  From the four BattleMechs they found that the four pilots had committed suicide in their cockpits, none of them carried identification of any type the mystery of who had attacked the BattleMech plant remained a mystery while the Fronc Reaches continued to spiral towards chaos. The only defenders of the Reaches, the Colonial Marshals, were fighting the issues but they couldn’t stop everything without politicians to help them the nation couldn’t recover.  On multiple worlds individual planetary leaders were trying to gain enough favour to establish some control.

Parliament Meeting
Atreus, District of Marik
Free Worlds League
5th April 3117

   The united Free Worlds League was still fractured in a dozen different ways and every time the Parliament met the fractures came to the surface.  One of the main divergence points for the FWL was military strength and deployments of the units in its defence of all their differences one of the few things all of the Districts of the nation agreed on was that military forces should remain in their hands not parliaments.

While the Free Worlds League was different now than it was during the times that the Captain-General held all the power there was a still a fear of a collected military.  The Free Worlds Protectors regiments had been seen as a compromise by all of the districts each unit had a combined-arms regiment which had a BattleMech Battalion, a battalion of vehicles, a battalion of battle armour and a regiment of infantry troops.  Over time the brigade had grown to ten regiments in strength and they were under the direct command of Marshal Monica Meio and of the Free Worlds League parliament their job was to defend all of the FWL and support the combined defence of the nation.

   Monica Meio had been born in the District in the Ionus system on one of the orbital habitats there but she had become a MechWarrior in the service of the District being drawn away from space.  After years of service to the District of Marik she’d transferred from the District military into the Marik Protectors intending on creating a true Free Worlds League Armed Forces once more.  The problem she found was that not everyone in the reborn FWL believed in a combined military force for the entire nation.

Now it was time for her to convince them in front of the gathered parliament she was dressed in her purple dress uniform waiting to be called.  “Marshal Monica Meio” she heard her name called; she gave them several moments then stepped up onto the podium.

The Free Worlds League Parliament building was a large bowl-shaped arena with multiple levels of chairs overlooking a pit like area on the “floor” of the room.  In all more than two hundred people could be arranged around the facility.  In front of her speaker’s podium were tables and chairs for several of the staff members who kept the facility and the briefings going and at the far end Captain-General Joseph Marik sat listening.

“Elected members of parliament thank you for granting my audience today.”  She said glancing around the room but attempting to maintain contact with the Captain-General she continued “it has been my honour to see the Free Worlds Protectors Brigade grow to ten regiments in strength, and we have now begun to roll out aerospace fighter wing and Pocket WarShip support to all regiments.”  She explained “but we are asking for more.”  She said “if we encounter an enemy WarShip my commands do not have the firepower to counter those forces.  Each of your districts has WarShips but they have orders to protect your areas of interest, we are asking for integral WarShip support to be added to each Free Worlds Protector Regiment.  We want the power to truly defend the nation and provide the defence that this realm and this parliament deserve.”  She said before stepping down even as Monica marched from the Parliamentary Room, she could hear shouts of support and shouts against the plan, she had done her bit, she would spend the rest of 3117 ensuring that each of her regiments had at the very least an aerospace wing attached to them and preferably a squadron of Pocket WarShips as well.

The Parliament would discuss the proposal made by Marshal Monica Meio for the next week before an agreement would be reached.  Instead of agreeing for each of the nations to donate a WarShip to the regiments a new design based on the ancient League-class Destroyer would be designed and built at each of the shipyards around the Free Worlds League.  While this was considered to be a win for the Free Worlds Protectors the first of these new WarShips would not be available until at least 3122 leaving the protectors to continue to rely on District WarShips and Pocket WarShips for support.

Brunswick Flight Range
Camblam River, Brunswick
New Avalon, Crucis March
19th April 3117

   High above the continent of Brunswick on New Avalon two Cutlass OmniFighters flew in tight circles after taking off from an airfield near Winchester now they were above the river of Camblam.  “Time to show what you are capable of cadet the hard deck is one hundred metres.”  The lead pilot Captain Sabrina Rodzik said glancing over at the other seventy-ton OmniFighter off her wing the pilot didn’t respond instead she saluted and then the other Cutlass began to pull up and to the right Rodzik pulled her own fighter up mirroring the other fighter’s movement.  The lead fighter then began a steep dive towards the raging river.  “Remember the hard deck is one hundred metres” she said diving her aircraft after the lead aircraft.

   “Keep up, Captain” the lead pilot said following the raging river the two fighters banked heavily to the left side and then sharply to the right passing over pleasure boats and swimmers.  They then banked sharply left again angling towards a river tunnel which would take it through the Omni Fighter side of a mountain.

   “If you fly through that tunnel, you will fail your training, I don’t care who your father is.”  Rodzik warned the lead aircraft.  The aircraft continued to dive towards the tunnel but veered off to the right before it got within one hundred metres instead of following the river tunnel, they followed the open river rapidly banking to the left and right moving at pace towards their goal Brunswick City.

   The two aircraft traveled quickly down river heading towards a series of bridges “this is not a good idea cadet.  We’re well below the hard-deck!”  Rodzik warned as the lead fighter continued to accelerate pulling out a lead from her fighter the lead Cutlass swing to the left as the river opened wider to show a group of bridges and merchant boats.  Rodzik was unwilling to chance colliding with any of them but the lead pilot full of confidence and sure of her capabilities continued accelerate the Cutlass dived under the first bridge before swinging to the left turning the aircraft up on the edge of its wing as it traveled between two transport boats.  The aircraft spun one hundred and eighty degrees placing the aircraft in a vertical position on its right wing as it passed under the second bridge.  Finally, the aircraft accelerated quickly diving under the third and final bridge before pulling back upwards joining Rodzik in perfect formation.
   “Was that entirely necessary Cadet?”

   “Not entirely” she admitted “but it was a lot of fun.”

   “Know this Cadet Davion your father may be the First Prince but those antics will not be accepted when you are serving this great nation.”  Rodzik said she knew she was speaking Princess Leah Davion, the second in line to the Throne of the Federated Suns, but she needed to understand as she grew up there were rules that would need to be followed.

   “I know, Captain, this was the last time I would have this chance to have a bit of fun with the job.”  Leah Davion replied as the two aircraft banked over Brunswick City “I chose this life, Captain, I want to serve our nation and support my father’s rule.  I know what comes with this job.”  She said she’d heard stories all of her life from her parents and grand-parents about the life of service that she was joining she had life easy until now and now she’d serve the nation.

   As Leah Davion joined the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns the military of their nation secured control over Tannil on the Draconis Combine border.  The defenders also faced Combine troops on their own soil Reisling’s Planet, Barlow’s Folly, Matar and Homam as the Draconis Combine began a counter attack.  On the other side of the realm the Fifth Tikonov Cossacks Regimental Combat Team win a Trial of Possession against Clan Nova Cat for control over the Steinhatchee system.

Reinforcements, SLDF Forward Operating Base
Horseshoe Valley, Freedom
Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth
29th April 3117

   The Collosus-class DropShip landed along with several others bringing reinforcements to the 208th Hussar Regimental Brigade which was based on Freedom supporting the planet’s resistance to Clan occupation.  The BattleMechs and vehicles began to file out of the DropShip and were directed to their spots on the massive Forward Operating Base a thirty-five-ton BLD-XR Blade BattleMech filed out of the DropShip along with the others.  Inside the cockpit recently graduated Lieutenant Ezekiel Crow guided his BattleMech towards its berthing with its new unit.  Lieutenant Crow was older than most new pilots at twenty-eight years old but as an immigrant from Liao he had several loops to jump through before joining the Star League Defence Force and now he had graduated he was ready to serve in the defence of the Inner Sphere.

[DOC_Agren]

You got Team Flashpoint right  :thumbsup:

[Dragon Cat]

Time for some pay off on what has been set up to date.

Counter-attack
Marius’ Tears
Periphery
2nd May 3117

   In the battered volcanic landscape of Marius’ Tears Captain Schuyler McCoy brought his modified Archer BattleMech down on top of the Fennec BattleMech cutting down through the air with the Mech’s hatchet decapitating the arm less BattleMech, it was his fifth Mech kill as his unit’s McCoy’s Malcontents counter-attacked throughout the canyons that the Cohors Morituri made their home.  Already his unit had destroyed more than a company of enemy BattleMechs and more than a company of vehicles during the fighting he had lost three of his own ten MechWarriors, and he knew he would lose more in the course of the day.

   He pulled his hatchet from the downed BattleMech and he turned towards their goal, the enemy encampment, he raised his particle cannon which was mounted on the underside of the opposite arm firing a bolt of lightning into the enemy base blowing apart one of the rooms.  “Continue to pour it on!”  McCoy shouted moving his Mech forwards a Javelin BattleMech ran past him peppering his Mech with short range missiles blowing open the armour on the Archer’s right side but not causing an armour penetration, McCoy returned fire with his own short range missile launchers and added in all four medium lasers as well.  The return fire tore open the lighter Mech and the Javelin fell to the ground.  The heat produced by the lasers and missile fire roared into the cockpit of the Archer as he continued forwards.

   “Two, we need cover!”  He shouted angrily at the second lance which were about two hundred metres behind his lance, both units were short on Mechs due to combat losses but they had all of the unit’s Ravager Battle Armour and their six vehicles.

   “Affirmative Captain, there are a dozen alleys that they can come out of, the faster more mobile units are causing trouble for us.”  Leading Gunner Faris Scherwiz replied, “I’ve staggered the unit to cover more ground but the faster units are passing quicker than we can react.”

   “Do what you can, One move forward obliterate the base and barracks.”  He ordered there were three BattleMechs left in his leading lance and all three moved forwards he saw Amanda Cavalcanti bring down a pair of Flea BattleMechs with heavy blows from her Cataphracts autocannon and then particle cannon.

   From behind the base a Firestarter BattleMech ran out and began spraying the command lances Highlander with several flamethrowers.  The Highlander’s pilot Tom Ayrton returned fire with a devastating volley of eighteen short range missiles which blew the Firestarter’s leg completely off the BattleMech.  Two laser blasts cored the Firestarter’s cockpit killing the downed pilot.

   “THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED!”  McCoy said angrily walking up the building firing a volley of short-range missiles into it.  He raised the Mech’s hatchet and brought it down on the side of the building caving in the side of the building.  “You came to my home; you killed my people.  Today you pay the price.”  He said slamming the BattleMech through a wall moments later the Cataphract fired its autocannon into another part of the building dozens of people were running from the far side of the building.

   “They are evacuating” Amanda Cavalcanti said seeing people escaping from the building Tom Ayrton’s Highlander stepped up and suddenly spat eighteen more short range missiles targeting the running people the ground exploded all around them and the civilians stopped moving.

   “Mercenary HOLD FIRE!  Those people are helpless.”  Another male voice came on McCoy’s Archer’s sensors it registered behind his position turning he saw a lance of BattleMechs remained all of them ancient designs a Galahad, a Talos, a Pheonix and a Hammerhand all Mechs that used to be housed in his father’s hanger.

   “Thieves, rapists and murderers all of you” Schuyler McCoy seethed over the radio angry at the sight of the Mechs in enemy hands and the memories of all the losses they had taken.  “Stand down immediately and I’ll grant you a quick death.”  He cursed

   “We are… we are willing to surrender in exchange for safe passage to a neutral system…” McCoy didn’t know who fired first only that it was not him.  The Hammerhand went down first in a hail of fire, the Galahad followed quickly after it as gauss rifles, missiles, autocannons and particle cannons tore through the fifty-ton Mech.  The Talos turned and tried to run only for a gauss rifle slug from Ayrton’s Highlander to tear through the back of the Mech and tear out the gyroscope.  The Pheonix was last another fifty-ton Mech like the Talos and Galahad had no chance against five enemy Mechs, the pilot at least tried to fight back but he had no choice.

None of the remaining Malcontents stopped firing until the entire base was torn down to rubble and not a single survivor remained alive.  In all the Malcontents had lost half the personnel they had brought to Marius Tears but they had destroyed more than three times their number, with much of it salvageable, cutting down their enemies in a hail of vengeful fire and hopefully safeguarding their home for the immediate future at least.

Later that night the DropShip laden with salvage lifted off from Marius Tears and began heading back towards their JumpShip.  In total the Malcontents had lost more than twenty members of their unit and support staff, Schuyler McCoy had no idea how many of the civilians on Whittington had been lost sitting in his quarters onboard the ship he began to try and figure out what he could have done differently, it was the largest loss he’d ever had and far larger than anything his father had lost.

The alarm bell rang he got up and crossed the small quarters, the door slid open.  “Amanda” he said seeing Amanda Cavalcanti standing there in a navy set of work coveralls, she’d been helping the techs repair their remaining equipment and she was covered in grease.  Her hair was beginning to grow back and tied at the back of her head.  “Come in please” he said crossing the small quarters he sat at the corner table while Amanda crossed the quarters and sat on his bed

“how go the repairs?”

“Messy” she said raising her dirt covered hands “how are you?”

“Trying to make sense of all of this, we haven’t even crossed paths with them before and they come to our home and they kill our people.”  He said angrily

“We have done the same Boss” she said looking at him with hard eyes “it’s how I joined this unit.”  She said harshly she saw him looking at her angrily “I know, you didn’t target civilian settlements and I know you wouldn’t but we do attack others and take what we need.  Perhaps they needed our Mechs, the ones we encountered in the final battle, Whittington is a valuable target.”

   “But to target the civilians…”

   “Some people don’t care who they hit.”  Cavalcanti said “listen Shu if I found out that you were that kind of man after you’d captured me, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”

   “So why are you here?”

   “You got me a better Mech” she said smirking looking at him “I wanted to serve in a unit, this unit has slowly become home.  I’ve found a reason to stay.”

   “So why are you ‘here’” he asked meaning his quarters this time.

   “Well, you have a working shower” she said smirking opening her coveralls raising to her feet Schuyler also rose to his feet he couldn’t help himself, he moved over to her.  “I’m covered in dirt”

   “I have a shower” he said reaching out to her.

   “Yes, you do and we’ll definitely need it” she said joining him in an embrace giving in to the basic needs of companionship, love, lust and shared grief.  They had all lost friends and family when Whitting had been attacked and in their revenge mission on Marius Tears but perhaps these two also gained something.

Planetary Assaults
Fronc Reaches
Periphery
10th May 3117

   As the Fronc Reaches continues to fall further into a confused state its neighbours, the two nations that supported its founding as the “New Colony Region” fall on the state like wolves attacking cornered prey.  From both sides of the nation troops land under the guise of peacekeepers with the Magistracy of Canopus deploying its four newest regiments, the Canopian Lancer Brigade.  These units have been raised using equipment purchased when the Canopian Magestix has served as the First Lord of the Star League Defence Force with each of the units trained against the best the Magistracy has to offer.  The four regiments have also been reinforced by dozens of ex-Clansmen mainly from the Mountain Wolf Clan in the Lyran Commonwealth who have fled prosecution by the Lyrans and are hiding in the Periphery.  Most of these warriors simply wish to die an honourable death and happily throw themselves into combat against the Fronc Reaches defenders as the Magistracy annex Joppa, Ur Cruinne, Cygnus and Addisar.  During the fighting the Fourth and Eleventh Colonial Marshals are completely destroyed while the Twelfth are forced to retreat.

   On the other side of the Fronc Reaches the Taurian Concordat follow a similar strategy to that taken by the Magistracy landing troops on several worlds in rapid succession but unlike the bloodthirsty Canopian units the Taurians allow the defenders to leave challenging them to make the right choice and defend worlds they can hold.  In all Carthage, Asphode, Hellespont, Miridem and Argos fall to the Taurian forces with skirmishes only taking place on Carthage and Argos.

   Within the Fronc Reaches news of what exactly happened on Fronc begins to cascade through the nation as courier JumpShips and HPGs carry messages between the stars.  Follow up news stories of these attack from outwith the small periphery nation further begin to galvanize the population to take up arms and defend their homes from outside aggression in the nation’s time of need.

Clan Invasion
District of Midway, Draconis Combine
21st May 3117

   The plan drawn up by the four Clans on Falakuma is brought into reality as Clan Snow Raven, Clan Lynx and Clan Sea Fox all assault the Draconis Combine.  With the defenders already heavily engaged with the District of Dieron, Rasalhague Dominion and Federated Suns in various systems the last thing they are prepared for is another three Clans to attack them.  The forces that the Draconis Combine did have in the area were concentrated around New Samarkand and Midway giving the Ravens almost unhindered access into the territory capturing the Tiflis, Goubellat, Budingen and Valentina systems.

   On the back of the Raven assaults Clan Sea Fox move their trading hub from Falakuma to Sverdlovsk landing two Clusters of troops on the world seizing it for Clan Sea Fox.  They offer the one consolation to the Draconis Combine that they will continue to trade with them.  As for the people of Falakuma they are completely freed from Clan rule and given their own system back but without any defences, as the Sea Foxes took all of their own manufacturing with them there is little to take from Falakuma except the people.

   As the Ravens and Sea Foxes assault the Draconis Combine from one side the Lynx Clan, reinforced by several clusters of equipment that come from Clan Nova Cat’s factories, invades from almost the complete other striking at the Herndon Prefecture driving through the Chupadero, Jeanette, Matamoras, McAlister and Herndon systems in a series of rapid attacks driving towards Pesht.  Only in the Herndon system do the Lynx Clan face serious opposition, the Nineteenth Pesht Regulars, a brigade of three combined-arms regiments.  While the Lynx lose two Clusters of troops, they are able to overcome the Nineteenth and capture the world.

   While the Rasalhague Dominion had not been part of the discussions between the four Clans on Falakuma there were troops within the Rasalhague Dominion itching to get involved in the fighting but had not been called to serve on the District of Dieron front.  Now with Watch agents informing them of the Lynx movement on the border the Rasalhague Dominion garrison troops take it upon themselves to move against the Draconis Combine flooding the area between them and the Lynx Clan.  In all six systems are attacked by seven Clusters of the Rasalhague Dominion with all six falling to the invading Clan forces.  While the Third Kavalleri Infantry Cluster are completely destroyed on Wolcott the Cluster of primarily Infantry and Battle Armour troops is the only total loss for the Rasalhague Dominion as Wolcott, Bangor, Byesville, Jeronimo, Marshdale and Labrea all fall to the Clan forces.

   In all by the end of June, when the last assaults on Labrea and Sverdlovsk are completed, the Draconis Combine has lost seventeen systems.  True to their word Clan Nova Cat supplies each of the three Clans it met with additional war material to support their assaults on the Draconis Combine.  In exchange the Nova Cats are given access to multiple mining sites within Clan Lynx’s territory.

The Nova Cats also keep the Federated Suns eyes focused on the Nova Cats instead of attacks against the Ravens back by declaring Trials of Possession against Azeban, Okenfenokee, Offerman, Shawnee, Anjin Muerto and Tsamma.  All of these Trials are at the most a reinforced battalion against a front-line Cluster the Nova Cats are successful in four of the Trials capturing Azeban, Okenfenokee, Offerman and Shawnee but they are forced off Anjin Muerto and Tsamma.  Into June and the Federated Suns return the favour against the Nova Cats striking at Des Arc, Metter, Brockton and Crofton.  They are beat back off of Crofton, Des Arc and Metter but Brockton falls to the Federated Suns forces, the Nova Cats block every jump point out of Anjin Muerto intent on starving out the defending regiments.

Unknown invader
Kane, Cirincus Federation
Periphery
26th May 3117

   On the virtually barren windswept world of Kane at the far edge of the Cirincus Federation Hawke’s Horde were trying to go straight for the first time in their career.  They had for a long time been guns for hire on the Free Worlds League periphery border selling their services to the highest bidder and taking advantage of those who couldn’t defend themselves.  But now they’d signed on with the Cirincus Federation to try and hold the small battered nation together.

   Kane wasn’t a nice place to live but the materials the locals dug from the ground, sometimes using their bare hands, was very valuable and they tried to make the most of their lives.  Now the Hawke’s Horde called the planet home as well and so far, the only thing going for it as far as Fellnir Hawke was concerned was the air was breathable.  Now it appeared his company of BattleMechs would actually have to fight a battle for the planet as the base’s long-range sensors detected incoming BattleMechs, at least a company of them thundering towards their position.

   Sitting in the heaviest Mech his unit had an aging Warhammer Hawke waited for contact the sensors registered the incoming Mechs and he warmed up the two particle cannons ready for combat. Suddenly his visual sensors showed him what his sensors had been seeing twelve identical BattleMechs each with stylized armour making them look like an ancient warrior from old Terra each of them was identical each carrying a sword and shield and each was eighty tons in weight, each was also charging at more than ninety kilometres per hour.

   “Let them have it!”  He screamed into his radio firing both particle cannons at one Mech one of the cannons went wide while the other struck the left leg of one of the approaching Mechs.  Across his battle line lasers, autocannons and missiles flew towards the incoming Mechs each hit causing minor damage but the enemy Mechs continued to charge.

   Almost as one the twelve Mech fired opal coloured pulse laser blasts; every shot hit their target on one of the Firestarter Mechs of Hawke’s company the left arm completely disappeared under the hit then the machine gun ammunition inside the BattleMech exploded causing the entire thirty-five-ton Mech to explode in a ball of flames.

   The remains of Hawke’s Horde continued to fire against the incoming Mechs Hawke included causing damage to the enemy Mechs.  Several of the enemy Mechs deflected heavy hits intended on causing heavy damage against them by using their huge shields before twisting and firing again.  Within moments the enemy Mechs were in among the Horde firing their pulse lasers and torso mounted short range missiles into their targets.  Explosions rocked the defending BattleMechs and these were quickly followed by the slice of a Mech sized-sword which cut through BattleMech armour and structure like a knife through butter.

   Hawke tried to defend himself from attacks by two enemy Mechs he fired his particle cannons, lasers, missiles and machine guns trying to hold back the targets but everything he did didn’t matter.  He was unable to hold them back and the two enemy Mechs swung their swords almost as one the first sword cut through the left arm mounted particle cannon shattering the weapon causing an electrical explosion which rocked Hawke’s Mech on its footing.  The second sword swung low slicing though the right knee of the Warhammer taking the limb off at the knee.  Hawke fought to control his Mech but it was a fight against gravity and he couldn’t win it both enemy Mechs peppered his with short range missiles as it fell before plunging their swords into the Warhammer again.  Hawke had no chance of winning this battle and tried to surrender by shutting down his systems but one of the enemy Mechs stood over the Warhammer’s cockpit and fired its pulse laser into the head of the Mech.

   Hawke’s Horde as a unit tried one-by-one to surrender as a form of survival but there was no chance and the company were all killed. Under orders from their new occupiers the population continued to mine minerals from the planet preparing quantities to go back into the Cirincus Federation. However, without Cirincus knowing the new occupiers also brought new mining equipment in making the process easier on the population, they also brought in supplies that made the people’s lives easier essentially buying their silence but allowing the new occupiers to remain in charge.  Because life was hard on Kane none of the population were willing to speak out about the change in regime and because materials continued to flow Cirincus did not question what had happened.

[DOC_Agren]

so what did the Hawke’s Horde run into??

[Rainbow 6]

so what did the Hawke’s Horde run into??

Who knows, going to be interesting to find out though.

[Dragon Cat]

so what did the Hawke’s Horde run into??

Who knows, going to be interesting to find out though.

They've featured before just not so public.  Nor the whole taking territory thing that's new

Bombing Range
Outskirts Montenegro, Solaris VII
Independent Clan Space
8th June 3117

   Following two years since the successful introduction of conventional fighter races on Solaris VII the Solaris Racing League Commission introduce a bombing competition as another form of entertainment featuring conventional fighters.  In the inageral competition Claudia Dreyfuss from the Lyran Commonwealth piloting a Defender Medium Strike Fighter is victorious winning the competition.  In the days following the first bombing competition the first race of the new Solaris Racing League season also takes place long term racer Jonnie Mjalby is victorious once again at the San Bardo Racing Circuit.

Trials of Possession
Rasalhague District, Rasalhague Dominion
Periphery
11th June 3117

   With the Rasalhague Dominion continuing to strip its Touman from defensive positions on their inner worlds moving them to forward operating positions against the Draconis Combine and District of Dieron the Clan’s at their back see an opportunity for expansion of their own.  Coordinating their attacks so the two Clans do not strike at the same worlds Clan Hell’s Horses take control over the Rasalhague Dominion systems of Kirchbach, The Edge, Rodigo, Alleghe, St John and Liezen only being stopped by a spirited defence on New Bearclaw by the Sixth Claw Cluster.  In a similar move the Coyotes take control over the Hohenems, Kufstein and Radstadt systems in Trials of Possession against what little troops have been left to protect they systems.  The loss of the Radstadt system is particularly hard for the Rasalhague Dominion as it is a system deep inside the nation, the site of a massive aerospace construction facility and of a large creche training facility for the Tseng Bloodhouse.  In the process of the Coyote victory three warriors with Tseng Bloodnames are captured by the Coyotes giving the Clan access to the Bloodhouse into the next generation.

Trial of Possession
Basecamp, Algedi
District of Dieron
22nd June 2117

   Warlord Akira Tormark marched into the Headquarters hut of the District of Dieron’s forces on Algedi.  For three weeks the District’s forces had fought and died on Algedi trying to hold back the Rasalhague Dominion’s forces.  Four regiments of District of Dieron forces had already died while an estimated three Cluster’s of Bears had also been lost.  Walking up towards the portable holo-tank Tormark looked at the deployments of his remaining forces almost all of his remaining regiments were at most seventy-five percent in strength and now they’d suffered a morale loss with the death of former Coordinator Akira Kurita.  The former Draconis Combine Coordinator had led the defence of Algedi from the front and been killed when his Sunder OmniMech had been ripped apart by a Kodiak II BattleMech, he had fought the Bears to a standstill allowing several others to escape, Tormark hoped that he would find peace now in death after being haunted for so long since his family’s death when he was replaced as Coordinator of the Draconis Combine.

   “Activate the HPG link to Dieron” he ordered the staff who were manning stations around the room within moments the image of Empress Emiko Kurita appeared.  “My love, it is my duty to inform that Akira Kurita has been slain in battle.”  He said she was somehow able to keep her composure “we have lost two thirds of our forces and I would suggest we will face our final battle within the coming weeks.  I will fall in the defence of our nation, but remember I love you; it is now up to you to ensure our children grow up in freedom.”

   “Fight well and with honour” she said addressing him directly, “serve our nation and understand we are all within you.”  She said “I will do what is necessary to protect our people.”  She promised him before the link was cut.

   “Transmit to all forces, we hold as long as we can.  Continue to try and raise the Ghost Bear Khans on the comm.  I want to speak to them and discuss our final battle, we will give them time to face us and we will bring them to a final defeat.”  He ordered he knew his remaining three regiments couldn’t hold back the Bears but he had decided he would try.

Objective Raid
Manufacturing Plant SSF-SP2
Ideyld, Sea Fox Controlled Space
28th June 3117

   The combined-arms mercenary battalion known as Wyld’s Jokers, under the command of Tassa Kay, raids the Sea Fox manufacturing plant on Ideyld challenging the Sea Foxes to a Trial of Possession over what was being manufactured at the plant.  The Sea Fox commander accepts the challenge and the First Starstrike Shoal Cluster was arrayed against the Jokers on an open field.

   “We hit them hard and fast” Kay ordered her troops, they trusted her and she believed they needed to engage in this raid to keep the unit alive. “The Shoal Clusters are garrison units’ older units and failed warriors who don’t experience facing a frontal assault often.  They are used to facing raids from pirates not an organised assault force.  We hit them and we keep going, hovercraft maintain the flanks, Battle Armour initiate swarm attacks as you come to targets.”  She ordered the units without giving them a moment longer she activated the comm again “Charge!”

   The Wyld’s Jokers moved forward quickly with Kay’s Ryoken II moving quickly at the front its particle cannons alive as she charged the enemy.  One blast and then another ripped across Clan Sea Fox units burning away armour and pitting the enemy targets.  Kay’s particle cannons found the cockpit of two BattleMechs in a row as she reached shorter range, in among the Sea Fox BattleMechs, vehicles and infantry Kay unloaded volley after volley of short-range missiles taking out several other units as her command pushed through their lines.

   “Come around, we’re going through them again!”  She ordered looking at their losses she’d lost two Mechs, four vehicles and six battle armoured troopers in the initial encounter.  “Swift Wing, strike them now!”  She ordered switching the comm to a secondary comm circuit.  From above the Sea Fox unit four aerospace forces dived through the clouds blowing through the picket aircraft deployed by the Sea Foxes.  Only two of the Jokers made it to their target but their attack led to the entire Sea Fox force being carpeted by inferno jelly setting BattleMechs, vehicles and infantry on fire with sticky burning jelly.  “Back through them!”

   The remaining Jokers charged together breaking through the Sea Fox lines taking out several more of the enemy units who were weakened by the inferno attack.  Several of the Jokers also fell but the mercenary command remained intact coming out the other side.  “This is Tassa Kay to Sea Fox force, I understand there is a clan ritual known as Hegira.  I offer you that now before you completely lose your command.”  She broadcast as the Jokers came around for another pass through the crippled Sea Fox Cluster.  “Jokers prepare for another pass!”  She ordered in the last attack several of the Jokers had combined their fire taking out extra Sea Fox units but it also meant the next time they attacked the Clansmen would also be released from their dueling laws.

   “Mercenary force, we accept Hegira, the field is yours” a male Sea Fox warrior replied a few moments before Kay ordered another charge.

   “And our Isorla?”

   “When you are ready, we will release a Trinary of Stalking Spider II BattleMechs as agreed” the Sea Fox commander said.  The salvage from the held battlefield would make up for their losses while the Trinary of Isorla would allow the Jokers to form a second combined arms battalion making them an even more potent force.  As the Jokers had held the field, they were allowed to leave unmolested by the Sea Foxes.

[Wrangler]

Wow, these past years have been brutal and intense.

[Dragon Cat]

Wow, these past years have been brutal and intense.

You want intense?  To quote Sir Michael Caine it's time to "Blow the Bloody doors off" and have a bit of fun.  There are moments in this next update I have planned for years and I mean years.  And there are surprises in this update that aren't even the biggest ones to come. >:D

Battlefield
Algedi, District of Dieron
2nd July 3117

   In the last month two additional regiments of District of Dieron warriors had been killed attempting to hold control of Alegdi from the Rasalhague Dominion, it had resulted in the deaths of Rasalhague Dominion Khan Michael Hawkins and Loremaster Boris Jorgensson gutting the Clan’s leadership.  Unfortunately, all of the defenders’ efforts had been in vain and among all of the death and destruction around them Warlord Akira Tormark had been forced to admit defeat.

   Walking through the wreckage the Warlord approached a small clearing in front him stood saKhan Angela Bekkar, the now de-facto leader of the Rasalhague Dominion.  “Warlord Tormark, are you ready to end this trial, Quiaff?”  She asked as he approached in a half moon crescent around his position, he saw several more Ghost Bear warriors stood watching.

   “I am” he said keeping his head bowed low

   “And with it the District of Dieron will also surrender as agreed?”

   “What’s left of it will surrender.”  He spoke carefully picking his words not announcing a full surrender, which was what the Ghost Bears had demanded.

   “Which means what exactly?”

   “You have targeted us when we were not the aggressor who started this war.”  He said “the Draconis Combine have claimed many of our worlds, the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth have also taken many worlds.”  He explained

   “And the remains will be turned over to the Rasalhague Dominion without a fight, Quiaff?”  She repeated becoming frustrated

   “Aff, the District of Dieron will not resist you further on our remaining worlds.”  He said “but I cannot be held accountable to the actions taken by those individual worlds.” 

   “What does that mean?”

   “I was informed before coming here that certain worlds have already decided that the Rasalhague Dominion will not be their new leadership.”  Akira Tormark finally said looking up seeing Angela Bekker’s face he smiled

   “And who will they now answer to?  Your nation has been torn into by all of your neighbours, you have fought against them, now what will they do?”

   “Turn to another nation.”  Tormark said drawing it out further “the Star League Protectorate have taken over stewardship over the systems of Dieron, Styx, Atherny, Pike, Kervil, Telos and Al Na’ir.  All the defence forces for those worlds will answer to the SLDF.”  He said “the other worlds, what’s left of them will be yours.”  In total including the world they stood on the Rasalhague Dominion would take control of ten new systems but the two prizes of the nation Dieron, with its shipyard, and Al Na’ir, with its multiple BattleMech factories would not go to the Rasalhague Dominion.

   “You cannot do that!”  Bekker shouted angrily her Clan had been hurt in this war, and there was more fighting to be done even after today, the factories and shipyards of the remaining systems would make the prize worthy of those sacrifices and fuel the Dominion’s continued battles.

   “I did not, Empress Omiko Kurita, the guardian of Dieron has decided the fate of her people.”

   “I will make the rest of those worlds surrender to us.”  She snapped angrily

   “But as of this morning they are not part of the District of Dieron which was party to your trial Clanswoman, they are part of the Star League Protectorate now, good luck in…” Tormark didn’t finish his taunt instead there was a crack of a sidearm firing and Akira Tormark was taken down by a shot to the head.  Angela Bekkar stood there in stunned silence as she stared at the corpse beside her, she saw Star Colonel Ruben Mansdotter holding his weapon.

   “What have you done?”  She snapped angrily he looked at her stunned at her reaction and began to speak “we were in a Circle of Equals! He was under a flag of truce!”  She said turning towards him “now you have you broken a Circle, marking my honour and putting at risk our agreement with the District!”  She continued he began to speak “words cannot answer for this Star Colonel, you will meet me in a Circle of Equals!”  She said looking at the corpse once more before moving away.

   The Rasalhague Dominion took control over the remaining worlds within the next few days ten systems in total with little to no resistance from any of the worlds.  True to Tormark’s words the remaining seven worlds now benefited from SLDF reinforcements both on the ground and in space.  While the Rasalhague Dominion most likely still held an advantage over the Inner Sphere defences the combined strength of the Protectorate forces and its navy had given them a significant boost in strength.

   On Algedi the Rasalhague Dominion allow the remaining two regiments of District of Dieron forces to retreat from the world among them is Tai-sa Harold Nakayama of the shattered Forty-third District of Dieron Regulars he was pryed out of the cockpit of his broken Akuma BattleMech and evacuated into the Protectorate alone with the remains of his battalion which had taken the name Nakayama’s Blood during the battles on Dieron.  The unit had a hatred of all things Clan from its warriors to its technology refusing to take any within their command instead of signing on with the Star League forces the unit goes independent and becomes a mercenary command.

   From the forces the District of Dieron provide the Star League Protectorate there is enough to field a heavily under-strength Division of troops for the SLDF when reconstituted to Star League standards along with five WarShips.  The shipyard and factories taken as part of the District would in time help reinforce these units but the once powerful District’s forces had been reduced to an almost negligible strength.  Under Star League Protectorate governance, Dieron and its other worlds are added to the Northwind EDZ initially until a decision was made on how the worlds of the former District would be treated.

For the Rasalhague Dominion’s part the nation had lost nearly three Galaxies worth of troops along with four WarShips, their Khan and Loremaster.  Once dispatching Star Colonel Jorgensson in a Circle of Equals Angela Bekkar became the next Khan of the Rasalhague Dominion and the rebuilding began.  In an effort to recognize the newly captured worlds new position within the Dominion but also their previous position the new Khan names Algedi as the capital of a new Algedi District which will administer the worlds around it for the Rasalhague Dominion and institutes a massive rebuilding and investment program in the newly captured worlds.  The Rasalhague Dominion also now has to contend with a longer border with the Draconis Combine than ever before and new borders with the powerful nations of the Federated Suns and Star League Protectorate.

Bridge, Spirit of Northumberland (Endeavour-class Exploration Vessel)
Uncharted System
Deep Periphery
18th July 3117

   At just over two hundred light years from the Free Worlds League’s periphery border and probably close to fifty light years from the Magistracy of Canopus the Spirit of Northumberland, the one and only Endeavour-class Exploration Vessel in operation, was at the point of turning around and heading back to the Inner Sphere.  So far while they had ventured deep into the periphery and found many things, they had not discovered anything that would radically benefit the District of Lesnovo or the Free Worlds League.  On the vessel’s command deck Captain Bruce Barnes watched his displays light up as the ship’s powerful sensors detected almost two dozen ships in close proximity to the jump point alarm bells sounded loudly.  “Report” Barnes said from his command chair.

   “We have three ships that can only be described as WarShips one of them is over a million tons!”  The sensor operator Zhi Wei said looking up from his station before looking back at the sensor screen “the other two are smaller, but still approximately eight hundred thousand tons in gross weight.”  He said looking at the data “the rest are no larger than twenty-five thousand tons… that can’t be right…”

   “What is it, Wei?”

   “Sir, I’m detecting Kearny-Fuchida readings from all of them” Wei said, jump core signals, from that number of small ships was unheard of.  “All of them also have at least some damage.”

   “Someone has access to some serious manufacturing capabilities.”  Barnes said

   “Aye, sir.”

   “Captain, transmission coming in from the large ship an Admiral Alessandra Schiavon representing the Amaris Empire Remnant.” Lieutenant Eric Labotka from communications said.

   “You’re fraking kidding me?”  Barnes said stunned the Amaris Empire fell during the First Star League’s Civil War when the SLDF took revenge on Stefan Amaris the Usurper for his murder of the First Lord Richard Cameron and his family.

   “Negative, sir”

   “Put them on” he ordered

   “I repeat this is Admiral Alessandra Schiavon of the Amaris Empire Remnant we are ready to offer our immediate surrender to the forces of the Star League Defence Force.”  The voice said

   “Hell” Barnes commented as Schiavon continued.

   “We warn you that this system is not safe and we require immediate supplies, support and evacuation when possible.”

   “What have we walked into?”  Barnes wondered as the message began to repeat.

   “Sir, further contact!  Burning towards the Jump Point at maximum range, I count four, five… no six capital contacts!  At their current speed they’ll be here in fourteen hours”

   “What in the…” Barnes began but Wei interrupted “sir, they are Casper Drones!”

   “Get me on line with Schiavon now!”  He ordered “Engineering, this is the Captain, I want you to begin a slow charge of the KF drive the minimum needed to ensure we can jump in fourteen hours.”

   “It’ll risk the drive but we’ll do what we can.”

   “Captain, I have Schiavon on comms” Labotka said

   “This is Captain Bruce Barnes of the Spirit of Northumberland to Admiral Schiavon please respond.”

   “Captain, welcome to the Illion system, what’s left of it anyway.”  Schiavon began “do you represent the Star League?  Our sensors recognize the design of your vessel as a prototype Star League vessel.”

   “Negative, we represent the District of Lesnovo of the Free Worlds League.”  Barnes replied letting it sink in for a moment “we are here on a peaceful mission of exploration.  How did you get here?”

   “The Free Worlds League has expanded this far?”  Schiavon said surprised “can you offer us assistance?”

   “We are exploring space we don’t have the resources to fight off six Casper Drones.”

   “We will be ready to jump to Cydonis in fourteen hours if you are?”  Schiavon asked

   “Yes, we’ll be ready.”  Barnes replied confident his engineering team would be ready “at Cydonis will we be safe?”

   “For a period of time” Schiavon said “we should be able to resupply at one of our repair caches before the Caspers track us.  Captain, I need to attend to my people if you cannot assist us militarily, then we can discuss this further when we are at Cydonis?  We’ll transfer you the jump coordinates.”

   “Of course,” Barnes replied cutting the link “I want sensors to check every single ship in this flotilla and prepare an inter system probe send it towards the Caspers see if we can glean some information on them too.”

---

   Fourteen hours later the Caspers entered range of the weapons of the fleet both of the smaller ships of the Remnant fleet which the Spirit of Northumberland had been informed was classed as a Grozny-class Frigates had turned their broadsides towards the Caspers each ship acted like a small McKenna-class Battleship, their sides lined wth Heavy Navy Particle Cannons.  Together they began to fill space with weapons fire trying to bring down the incoming Caspers.  The Fearless-class Assault Ship, which was Schiavon’s flagship, did the same adding Medium Naval Particle Cannons to the mix.

   “Incoming return fire” Wei reported the three capital ships countered the incoming capital missiles with their own Barracuda capital missiles while the capital lasers and particle cannons weren’t as accurate at this range.  All around the Spirit small ships were jumping in groups to escape the system.  The approaching Caspers had done something that the Star Leagues couldn’t, each of them had launched a wing of aerospace fighters which were also charging towards them.

   "We are being ordered by Schiavon to jump clear.” Labotka commented from the side of the bridge.

   “Negative, we remain until the last of the small craft are clear.”  During their time in the system with the fleet Barnes had learned that the small craft all carried civilians, what was left of the Empire’s civilian population.  They had also learned that the “Empire” once had four well developed systems the people all of them descendants of the people who had once populated the Terran Hegemony when it was ruled by Stefan Amaris, they had left during the Liberation campaign sneaking through SLDF’s lines with three WarShips and half a dozen JumpShips.  Amaris wanted them to set up before he arrived, the plan being for Stefan to retreat from Terra should the SLDF reach the planet on his dedicated WarShip RWS Stefan’s Audacity.  Amaris had never arrived instead the people had settled on the worlds and built up the four colonies breaking up their JumpShips for parts while keeping the three WarShips as museum pieces.  Like the people of the Star League, they had built shipyards and vessels able to transport their populations between worlds but they had also built Casper drones fearful that the Star League would find them.  Everything had been peaceful in the systems for centuries until about twenty years ago when something had gone wrong with the Caspers and now they were hunting the civilian population with only the three WarShips capable of defending them.

   As one of the Caspers exploded in a ball of flames one of the two Grozny-class vessels took a particle cannon hit from the approaching Caspers armour burned and fell away from the WarShip as the last civilian ship jumped away.  “Fortuna is jumping” Wei said naming the damaged Frigate, “Medea is also charging its drive” he said looking over.

   “Navigation, lock course, helm, jump when ready” Barnes finally said watching the two Grozny-class ships jump clear.  As the enemy fighters descended on the Calypso, the Fearless-class Assault Ship, which would be last to leave the sensors on the Spirit registered two particle cannon hits on the vessel before the Spirit itself jumped clear.

   Moments passed and there was no sign of Schiavon’s flagship then finally the battered WarShip appeared.  “Message from Calypso, they welcome us to the Cydonis system we should have at least a week before local patrols find us, meanwhile we are to fall in with the fleet as they head to one of their supply depots.” Labotka said Barnes sat shaking his head at what they had witnessed, they were on the run from drones built by an Empire long thought extinct it was like something out of a science fiction movie.

Inbound flight
El Dorado, Markesan Operational Area
Crucis March, Federated Suns
19th July 3117

   In the heart of the Federated Suns the system of El Dorado had little to fear from external threats but as a jewel of the Succession State and the heart of technology and manufacturing it was also a prize worthy of defence as a result the Sixth New Avalon Guards RCT defended the world.  As her carrier craft had required maintenance at a different base Leftenant Duchess Leah Davion and her wingman had launched before they entered the atmosphere and now the two Cutlass OmniFighters were cruising over the beautiful world.

   Cruising her aircraft over the ground below Leah hated that she’d been deployed to a “safe” world knowing her father had something to do with it ensuring she’d gone somewhere trouble wouldn’t follow.  “Tower this is Cutlass Flight, inbound on base from east requesting permission to be allowed to land.”  She called out on the radio but there wasn’t an immediate answer.  “Tower this is Cutlass flight copy?”

   “Affirmative, Cutlass you are cleared to land at runway one, traffic is clear.”  The tower finally responded.

   “Received Cutlass One and Two inbound” she said turning the seventy-ton aircraft towards the planet behind her the second Cutlass followed closely maintaining formation “down we go Two, stay on my wing.”

   “Affirmative One, I’m on your wing.”  Both aircraft continued to descend towards the surface their landing gear lowering as they closed on the surface, the two Cutlass landed within moments of each other touching the hard ferrocrete rolling to a stop.  Leah was surprised that no-one had approached them on the runway.

   “Guess we’re taxing” she said glancing over at the other Cutlass.  The two aircraft rolled across the runway onto a taxi lane and towards one of the massive hangers at the entrance of the hanger there was a Rapier Aerospace Fighter so she guessed this was the right place.  The two aircraft entered the hanger and Leah saw a group of people were gathered around a holo-tank “Two, stay with the aircraft, I’m going to find out what in New Avalon’s name is going on.”  She said releasing her harness and opening the cockpit, standing up she triggered the automatic ladder which dropped a chain ladder from the side of the aircraft which allowed her to get to the ground.

   Walking across the ground she headed to holo-tank “what is going on?” She asked expecting to know why everyone’s attention had been drawn away from work.  Looking up at the holo image she realized it was a news broadcast from the Draconis March News Service, the headline at the bottom ready “Anjin Muerto falls to Clan Nova Cat” however the image was most startling.  The Hologram played an image of a large battle-damaged Federated Suns WarShip, an Indefatigable-class Battleship Leah believed, taking a series of heavy hits to the rear of the ship the last was most definitely a naval gauss rifle shot.  The twisting slug slammed into the upper port side of the WarShip tearing down through the ship’s hull one of the massive engines was blown completely off the vessel’s hull by the hit.  As the WarShip continued to take hits it began to roll over onto its port side and then dive into the atmosphere Leah Davion stood like the others transfixed on the image for several moments before the video cut away.  She knew that even though the WarShip was 1.8 million tons in weight that there was no way that the ship was surviving the re-entry nor were any of the eight hundred crew that were on board.

Leah had seen simulations before showing what happened when a WarShip entered the atmosphere, the ship would burn, its ammunition would cook off and more than likely explode ripping the vessel apart from within destroying the ship long before it made it to the ground.  An area of the ground would be showered by wreckage from above probably killing dozens more if it happened over a populated area.  While it was horrible to see Leah wondered if her assignment here would last very long if the Nova Cats were continuing to be so active.

Trials of Possession
Lesnovo, District of Lesnovo
Free Worlds League
29th July 3117

   While a District Capital of the Free Worlds League Lesnovo also had a growing population that considered themselves to be Clansmen.  It had started with the arrival of refugees from the destroyed Smoke Jaguar Clan, the former Nova Cats the Liger Warriors and then over the years more clansmen exiled from their own Clans or survivors from the Homeworlds had made their way to the back reaches of the Free Worlds League and Periphery.  When Khan Petra Furey had become Khan of the reborn Clan Smoke Jaguar on the Lesnovo world of Twin Suns and then later leader of the entire district it had added further legitimacy to the Clansmen there.  While news of the reborn Smoke Jaguars had passed around the Inner Sphere quickly few had taken notice of a group of “wannabees” the real Smoke Jaguars of old were long dead and the new Clan was not a threat.

   To the Clans the reborn Smoke Jaguars were more of a curiosity than anything serious and they weren’t powerful enough to rejoin the other Clans, they were too far from the other Clans to be part of their society and their subservience to the Free Worlds League system of Government made it impossible for them to be classed as Clan.

   Not all of the Clans thought of the Smoke Jaguars as insignificant however the Sea Foxes actively traded with them from their two trade systems on the border of the District of Lesnovo while the Loremaster of the Clans Sandra Ward wished to know more about them to see if they fought like Clansmen or the Inner Sphere forces they were allied with.  Dispatching the Tenth Ebon Guard Cluster to the region she had ordered them to engage the Clansmen on their own territory and see exactly how the “Clan” fought.

   The Tenth’s Batchall was heard by all of the world of Lesnovo as the unit approached the planet but it was answered by one voice Khan Petra Furey herself.  The Ebon Guard Cluster’s commander Star Colonel Dwyane Shaw explained exactly why his unit were approaching Lesnovo to engage the Smoke Jaguars in a series of honour Trials and Trials of Possession to answer questions the Loremaster of the Clans had placed on their existence.  Khan Petra Furey accepts the challenge and informs the Tenth that the First Jaguar’s Fang Cluster and the Clusters of the Liger Warriors Galaxy would meet the Ebon Guard Cluster in any trial they called for she also grants the Ebon Cluster Safcon allowing them to land on the planet unmolested.  On the planet’s surface and in its atmosphere over the course of the next month the Ebon Cluster engage the Smoke Jaguars in various Trials of Possession winning the majority of them but also losing several trials.  The Smoke Jaguars win a lot of honour by fighting completely within the rules of Zellbrigen and are able to capture several Clan OmniMechs during the Trials including a Tomahawk OmniMech.

Before the Ebon Guard Cluster leave Lesnovo members of the unit that had survived the Trials of Possession are invited by Khan Petra Furey to a reborn Hunting Ritual which new Smoke Jaguars, born or adopted, must undertake before joining the Clan.  The Hunting Ritual involves hunting down several large predators that roam the land on Lesnovo, most of them are native to the world but the Jaguars have imported several from the system known as Twin Sons, where the Clan was reborn.  Several of the Ebon Guard warriors are successful in the Hunting Ritual however several more fall in to the beasts.  The Ebon Guard Cluster leaves again protected by Safcon impressed with what it had experienced but confused that the Smoke Jaguars remain working with the Inner Sphere forces around them.

Author note: Some housekeeping which I'm putting here and not at the start for a reason.  Firstly my thanks to marauder648 for "Delranes Fighting Ships" as you probably guessed quite a bit of the above piece in the deep periphery was borrowed from there given that the Endeavour, Fearless and the RWS Stefan's Audacity are all from that fantastic piece of work. PS, I also know exactly what I'm doing with them don't worry this is going to be fun.  Second inspiration (which you might have got vibes from is the Re-imaged BattleStar Galactica it's been done to death in BattleTech but I really couldn't help myself) (remember the years I mentioned at the start Delranes came out almost 5 years ago, the Grozny was posted 5 years ago - I plan ahead)

Second note the other WarShip the Grozny was designed by Liam's Ghost and can be found in the below link

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/aerospace/groznyy-class-heavy-frigate-like-a-cannon-made-of-glass/msg1327386/#msg1327386

Third note about the last bit (I know where that's going too and I'm going to be throwing some curve balls so be prepared to catch)

All that and I had a Davion Princess involved in this update and she wasn't even the star  ;D