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Administration and Moderation => BattleTech News => Catalyst Asks You! => Topic started by: HABeas2 on 23 February 2012, 15:49:08
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Hello,
So, while lying awake last night, contemplating products whose deadlines are so blown that I could reasonably expect to have my pay docked--while also contemplating how in Cat's earth I managed to fit enough furniture, boxes, files, terrain, and leftover computer equipment in my bedroom closet to fill my dining room (and how much fun it will inevitably be to move it again, now that I have to change apartments)--it occurred to me that I had the inkling of an idea for a fun research project the BattleTech fandom could help me on.
I call it the "Ripke-McInnes Book of Inner Sphere Records (3100)"
It goes a little something like this: In all of BattleTech lore, writers past and present have slid in minor references to this thing or that thing being "the most [something] (in known space)", be it the biggest predatory mammal, the largest BattleMech ever, the oldest still-operating factory, the oldest example of X-technology still in service, the first true aerospace fighter ever flown, the last attempt to try and build a transforming tank while simultaneously rubbing one's own belly and patting one's own head in perfect rhythm. Whatever "it" was, the author (or authors) felt they had a great idea to slip in something that would thenceforth become the absolute limit of then-current maximums and minimums.
Your mission is simple, and there are no polls to speak of, so it ain't multiple choice: Seek out canonical examples of THE MOST [SOMETHING] THINGS IN THE INNER SPHERE (and Clan Space), with a cut-off date of 3100.
Now, before I get deluged with snide replies like "dumbest move Victor Steiner-Davion ever made" or "corniest use of a Jump Jet to kill a major character" or "most obvious case of author fiat", know that--for starters--I will be deleting those out of hand. For your submission to apply, all of your examples MUST be in-universe, and must not break the fourth wall. You must also include a product and page reference for your submission, so it can be verified by our committee on THE MOST [SOMETHING] THINGS IN THE INNER SPHERE (and Clan Space).
All submissions have to be made here, in this thread, on the official (and free-to-access) BattleTech forums. I don't like to hunt for this stuff. (It makes me cranky; nobody likes me when I'm cranky.) If you want some form of credit in any eventual product this may fuel (if any), I suggest providing your name with the post as well.
I'll be running this little survey for, oh, let's make it until 31 March. And, no, this isn't for April Fool's Day.
That's it, folks! Carry on, and have fun with it!
Thank you,
- Herbert Beas
BattleTech
Catalyst Game Labs
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"Maryanne Graham was six years old and the most beautiful little girl in the Inner Sphere. Hell, maybe in all of human space."
In The Color of the Sky, Page 13
Steven Mohan, Jr.
BattleCorps fiction
(Surely not what you're asking for, but someone has to break the ice).
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"The vessels of the Vengeance class are the largest dedicated fighter carriers in existence"
- TRO 3057, p. 56
"Mammoth class DropShips are the largest DropShips capable of landing on a planet"
- TRO 3057, p. 66
"The Behemoth is the largest DropShip ever constructed and is larger than many JumpShips."
- TRO 3057, p. 68
(Makes you wonder what other JumpShip types besides the Scout and Explorer exist that are smaller than 100,000 tons; the latter was not even invented yet when the TRO 3057 was written)
"The Monolith is the largest non-combat JumpShip ever built. It is also the most expensive."
- TRO 3057, p. 108
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"While a few specialized designs did emerge in industrial applications (typically relegated to use in low-gravity environments where their oversized mass was less crippling), the failure of superheavy ’Mech concepts throughout the ages were legion. By far the most infamous was the original Behemoth design, developed under the brief reign of Stefan Amaris in the final years of the original Star League."
~ Jihad: Final Reckoning; p.143 ~
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"We cover the Clan's earliest military action - their return to and conquest of the Pentagon Worlds." OpKlondike p10
"The Exituri settled on Shiloh, the fourth planet of an A8V-class star system almost 90 light-years from Terra, in 2138, one of the earliest (and then the most distant) of human colonies." ISP p68.
"The earliest known reference to the Steiner family from which we believe the Archons are descended places the group in the Schleswig-Holstein state of West Germany in the late 20th century." House Steiner p17
"With the Confederation's largest BattleMech manufacturer also within its confines [Tikograd on Tikonov]" 4th SW Atlas v1 p26.
"After 3025....He [Hanse Davion] became deadly serious about embarking on the largest military offensive in the Inner Sphere for hundreds of years." 4th SW Atlas p42
"The battle for Terra, called Operation Liberation...to date, this climatic battle remains the largest navel engagement in human history." Battlespace p11
"In the largest navel battle fought since Operation Liberation, the Commonwealth fleet clashed with a Draconis Combine armada above Skondia, devastating both sides." Battlespace p13
"The Olympus Class space stations, the largest stations operating in the Inner Sphere" Battlespace p28
"The Free Worlds League has pressed into service the largest fleet of any Successor State.." Blake Ascending p80 and "A year ago today, I was a citizen in the realm with the largest navy known to humanity." Blake Ascending p182
" the DSMC will suffer dramatically with the financial destruction of the Dragon's largest weapons supplier [Luthien Armor Works"]" Blake Ascending
"Peacemaker. The largest of the tactical nuclear weapons.." Blake Ascending p294
"the spaceport [Harlech Interstellar Dropport] will become the largest in existence by 3065" Chaos March p82
"Some...soon knew that the largest military force in the Inner Sphere was hidden on Terra." comstar p59
" Tukayyid represented much more than the largest military battle in three centuries." Comstar p72
"At the time, it [Age of War] was the largest, longest, most costly period of conflict in human history, but those superlatives have all long since been eclipsed" ED: Age of War p3.
"It [Jagaur fleet attacking Mongoose fleet above Circe] was the largest fleet battle in Clan history, with almost thirty WarShips involved.." ED: Golden Century p8
"The largest pirate organization was that of Hendrik Grimm's Oberon Confederation" ER: 3052 p20.
"The Coventry Relief Force..is the largest pan-national force assembled since the days of the first Star League." ER: 3062 p24
"They partnered with the Snow Ravens to complete the largest Warships ever built, the massive Levaithan-class" ER: 3062 p58
"the Sylph...in the largest jump radius of any battlesuit deployed" ER: 3062 p107.
"[Heavy APCs] are the largest dedicated APCs in modern use" First Strike p85
"[Konradd College] assembled the single largest collection of religious artifacts and relics" Handbook House Davion p141
"Festa Pieppa called the largest display of hedonism and vice in the universe" Handbook House Davion p137.
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"...to stop the best BattleMech regiment House Davion could field...The Attacker consists of...the First Davion Guards RCT."
- 4th Succession Wars Scenarios Volume 1 (BT 1654), pg. 6
"...the death of ilKhan Kerensky, the strongest representative of the Clans' Warden ideal."
- Invading Clans Sourcebook (BT 1645), pg. 5
"The original Khans of Clan Ghost Bear...their status as the only married couple to found a Clan."
- Invading Clans Sourcebook (BT 1645), pg. 17
"...for the first time in all the hundreds of years of Crucis Lancer history, all eight Regimental Combat Teams had been assembled for the invasion of a single planet."
- Battlepack, Fourth Succession War (BT 1705), pg. 16
"Of all the lostech skills, the ability to manufacture and repair the delicate machinery of jump drives was the most vital to sustaining human life...throughout the Inner Sphere's far-flung worlds"
- Battlepack, Fourth Succession War (BT 1705), pg. 34
"In the war-torn history of the Inner Sphere, no event has prompted the kind of wide-spread confusion, wholesale destruction, and rapid shifting of loyalties that followed in the wake of the Clan Invasion."
- Mechwarrior, Objective Raids (BT 1665), pg. 6
"A jumpship passes from one colonized system to another, arriving at the system's zenith or nadir jump point...This is the safest system of deployment."
- Mechwarrior, Objective Raids (BT 1665), pg. 7
"Defiance Industries is the largest manufacturing firm in the Inner Sphere."
- Mechwarrior, Objective Raids (BT 1665), pg. 76
"...the darkest and most painful chapter in the history of the Federated Suns or the Lyran Alliance"
- Federated Commonwealth Civil War (BT 10974), pg. 5
"...this (book) is your ultimate resource to the Civil War."
- Federated Commonwealth Civil War (BT 10974), pg. 5
"...the most infamous world in the Inner Sphere, Kentares IV..."
- Federated Commonwealth Civil War (BT 10974), pg. 25
"...the Wolf's Dragoons created Wolfnet, an intelligence organization whose capabilities even today surpass those of any other organization in the Inner Sphere."
- Intelligence Operations Handbook (BT 1673), pg. 8
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STC-2C Striker
"It gained that distinction by being the first assault ’Mech commissioned by the SLDF Quartermaster Command for specific use with non-Terran Hegemony SLDF forces."
Thunder-Hawk
"General Aleksandr Kerensky used all Thunder Hawks produced and eagerly took the surviving ’Mechs with him into Exodus."
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"As previously noted, the biggest advance in the period was the development of the BattleMech, at first in “primitive” form but rapidly growing to maturity (the last notable primitive ’Mech of the period, the DV-1S Dervish, was introduced eighty years after the Mackie)."
ED: Age of War, p. 10 (35ED002)
"The 1C’s lack of ammunition-based weapons made it one of the earliest “flashbulb” BattleMechs in existence."
ED: Age of War, p. 27 (35ED002)
"The Atlas is a familiar ’Mech in the Lyran Armed Forces. One of the many BattleMechs built in the massive foundries of Hesperus II, it is perhaps the most commonly-recognized BattleMech on the field (although the Clan Mad Cat is challenging that title)."
Starterbook: Fist and Falcon, p.16 (35SB001)
"Whatever his mental proclivities he was also one of the most deadly MechWarriors to emerge from the sibkos."
Starterbook: Fist and Falcon, p.24 (35SB001)
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"the largest volcano in the Inner Sphere Mount Vesuvius Major is over 10 kilometers tall" House Kurita SB BT1620
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"The Triumph [class DropShip] is the largest aerodyne vessel still in existence."
In DropShips and JumpShips, p. 32 (FASA 1619)
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"The Court of the Star League, once called "the brightest jewel worn by Mother Earth" pg 178, The Star League (FASA 1630)
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TRO 3039
p. 156:
"Luthien Armor Work’s biggest failure, the CGR-1A1 Charger."
p. 276:
"What makes the Highlander stand out among its peers is that it was the heaviest design at the time to incorporate jump jets"
TRO 3026R
p. 80:
"The SturmFeur is the largest missile-carrying tank available in the Inner Sphere."
[Surpassed by variants of the Ontos and Morgan since then]
p. 104:
"The Aquarius, a typical “heavy escort”, massed a full 200 tons—the largest of any “small craft” in existence—and was protected by more armor than some military DropShips."
p. 106:
"In reality, however, the Vampire was the smallest DropShip ever to see combat."
p. 120:
"At the time, the Elephant was the largest Tug-class DropShip ever built."
p. 122, Colossus:
"It was a bold design massing 20,000 tons; the largest Assault DropShip ever built."
p. 124:
"Though many have regarded the Scout-class JumpShip as the smallest in use today, such claims have long overlooked the tiny Explorer-class, a civilian JumpShip that enjoyed a long—if uncelebrated—history in almost every Successor State."
TRO 3057R
p. 16:
"The Fury-class DropShip is one of the smallest DropShips operated by the armies of the Successor States."
p. 52:
"The Overlord is the largest ’Mech carrier in service with the Successor States."
p. 54:
"The vessels of the Vengeance-class are the largest dedicated fighter carriers in existence and probably the deadliest craft in regular use by the Successor States."
p. 60:
"The largest military DropShip in common service, the Excalibur can transport a complete combined-arms regiment, comprising a full infantry battalion, two tank battalions, and a BattleMech company."
p. 74:
"The formidable Noruff-class vessel is one of the most powerful DropShips ever designed."
p. 92:
"The 273-meter Scout is the smallest JumpShip in common use in the Inner Sphere."
p. 136, pertaining to the yet-unpublished Riga II which was turned into the York:
"These compact and sophisticated vessels formed the largest single contingent in the fleet and subsequently became the primary patrol vessels of the Exodus fleet."
and on that... p. 140:
"A large number of Lolas survived the campaign to liberate Terra. It comprised the second largest WarShip class in the Exodus fleet."
p. 162:
"The McKenna-class battleship was the largest jumpcapable craft built during the Star League."
p. 176:
"The largest factory station in existence is a germanium-ore refinery at Federated-Boeing Interstellar's Galax Megaplex."
p. 177:
"At Gulf Breeze in the Lyran Alliance, for example, formerly known as C.M.O. 26, a single large habitat houses 50,000 military and civilian personnel, making it the largest manmade construct in the Inner Sphere."
and
"The largest habitat ever constructed was the massive O’Neil station. This cylindrical habitat measured 7 kilometers long by 1 kilometer wide and housed more than 1 million people. This engineering marvel was destroyed during the war following the Amaris Coup, however."
p. 178:
"The Olympus-class recharge station is the largest and most common station still in service."
and
"The Olympus’ massive grav deck is the largest ever constructed in the Inner Sphere, measuring more than 1,200 meters in diameter."
TRO VA
p. 30:
"Galaport, outside of Galatea City, was one of the largest DropPorts in the Inner Sphere."
p. 32:
"Though initially a small cannery to compete against Olympica’s larger Kondon Fisheries, it would eventually
become DuraPaq Solutions, one of the largest manufacturers and shippers of foodstuffs in the FWL."
p. 40:
"Within two whirlwind generations, Contard became the second-biggest supplier of raw ore to the Davion military machine"
p. 166:
"Of these potent, yet often overlooked, ships, by far one of the largest carriers known to exist today is the Luftenburg-class, the 100,000-ton floating city built in 2741 by Tatyana Trans-Oceanic Shipyards of Tharkad."
p. 190:
"StarCorps Industries is one of the biggest interstellar corporations in the Inner Sphere."
[duh.]
TRO 2750
p. 144, the Texas' battlecomputer:
"The Communal XXX designed by the Nirasaki Computers Collective is one of the largest computers ever built, as powerful as planet-based machines that control communication and power grids."
p. 150:
"One of the largest of the Star League's fighter carriers, the Titan can transport the entire fighter complement for a battalion ."
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TRO 3025
" The Atlas was the first 'Mech to mount such a large and devastating autocannon. Even though it carries only ten rounds for its Class 20 AC, the mere threat of such a large autocannon "
(Which is odd since the Cyclops, Victor, & Hunchback predate the Atlas by decades & centuries)
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TRO 3025. Some other favourite fluff-based superlatives, giving old legends their due:
p. 8:
The Locust was one of the most produced and common BattleMechs of the fallen Star League."
p. 38 (Clint), on the Sloane 220 Lockover targeting system:
"This simple-to-use system is one of the most advanced designs available in the Successor States"
(this is backed up by 3060's Clint IIC, p. 150, which "still uses the original Sloane 220 Lockover TTS system.")
p. 66 (Shadow Hawk), both excellent life support and strong hands:
"The Sparrow 300J life support system is considered one of the most advanced, as it allows the MechWarrior to operate his system in comfort for an average 30 percent longer than other 'Mechs of the same weight class."
and
"The Lang hand actuator system was one of the most powerful available up to the time of the fall of the Star League."
p. 68 (Scorpion):
"As the first of the four-legged 'Mechs, it was called the "whitel elephant" of the military corps."
p. 92:
"The ARC-2R Archer is one of the best-known designs still in use today. First produced in 2474, the Archer quickly earned respect and popularity among BattleMech regiments that was unequalled by any other type."
p. 98, definitely an in-universe view:
"The MAD-3R Marauder is considered one of the most effective BattleMechs in existence."
p. 100, included because it seems to be an in-universe label:
"The ON1-K Orion is an ancient BattleMech design. Created by the Terran Hegemony as the first truly heavy 'Mech"
p. 104, for the official psychological evaluation:
"The AWS-8Q Awesome is one of the most feared vehicles on the battlefields of the Succession Wars."
p. 116, so sadly forgotten in so many places:
"The Stalker is the most famous and most common heavy assault 'Mech."
I left out some obvious truisms which reference the stats like the Banshee being one the heaviest designs at 95 tons, or the Jenner one of the fastest. The same applies to 3057(R) - there are several descriptions which state that stuff like the large NAC classes are the biggest built, etc.
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House Liao p. 83
The 1st Chesterton Voltigeurs "defended Westphalia against a mercenary unit hired by House Steiner (the only recorded instance of Liao forces going up against Steiner proxies)" prior to 3025.
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TRO 3050, p. 32 (p. 30 in 50R):
"The huge Thor, which stands at least a meter taller than most other 'Mechs"
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Historical, Liberation of Terra Vol 1, p 122:
"As the largest of the SLDF’s three task forces, Admiral Brandt’s
Task Force Commonwealth was responsible for the largest front,
with target worlds ranging from Bordon along the Free Worlds"
Historical, Liberation of Terra Vol 1, p 127:
"The battle for Nusakan was without a doubt the largest
naval battle fought since the Reunification War, ..."
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"In the case of the Masakari, the primary emphasis was on long-range stopping power. As a result, the 'Mech mounted four of the single most powerful weapon available to modern man: the extended-range particle projection cannon."
In D.R.T., Page 187
James D. Long
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"Almach is unusual in its ethnic makeup, being the only planet in the Inner Sphere settled almost entirely by Argentineans."
Original Liao Housebook, p. 163
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"Throughout the years, the Clans expanded Outpost One, which still serves as their largest and busiest spaceport within their homeworlds." -- OpKlondike, p. 44 - 2nd column, 4th paragraph
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"It was ironic that Kyeinnisian, lawless as it was, had the lowest crime rate of any Free Worlds League planet, including Atreus."
In Star Lord, Page 214
Donald G. Phillips
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Gladiator entry from TR3075 p206.
"Merryweather was the first company not intrinsically linked to a large government to attempt to build a BattleMech,"
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"Defiance Industries. Every MechWarrior knew about Defiance Industries. It was one of the largest, perhaps the largest, of all ´Mech manufactory complexes."
In Operation Excalibur, Page 185
William H. Keith, Jr.
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"Olympus stations possessed the largest of all known grav carrousels, wheels measuring a good twelve hundred meters across and rotating several times a minute to provide a constant out-is-down artificial gravity"
In Operation Excalibur, Page 287
William H. Keith, Jr.
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TRO 3085 Supplemental, p. 48:
Faced with the challenge of creating the Jade Falcons’ first original combat vehicle, a skeptical Merchant Factor Daniel named the project “Chalchiuhtotolin.”
Emphasis added.
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Okay, this one is a bit over the top...
"Grayson Carlyle had just turned her Caliban* into a half-kilometer-long particle projection cannon, the biggest damned PPC in the Inner Sphere. 'You're crazy, you know,' she told him."
In Operation Excalibur, Page 301
William H. Keith, Jr.
* Merchant-class JumpShip
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"The enormous machine, heaviest of Clan BattleMechs, lumbered around the curve and then came to a stop facing Joanna's Summoner. The Dire Wolf had never been to Joanna's taste. It was too big, too thick."
In I am Jade Falcon, Page 241
Robert Thurston
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"The Savannah Master is the only vehicle produced by S.L. Lewis, Incorporated."
"The Savannah Master uses the most efficient fusion engine ever manufactured - the Omni 25."
~ TRO3026 p.6 ~
"The Warrior is designed around the SarLon AutoCannon. Firing a ten-round burst of 30mm hyperverlocity slugs with each pull of the trigger, the SarLon AC/2 is the most accurate direct fire weapon in any arsenal, which makes it one of the most deadly."
~ TRO3026 p.16 ~
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"Even though Hachiman was the richest planet in the whole Combine, just this one facility handled space and atmospheric traffic for both spaceport and capital."
In Hearts of Chaos, Page 21
Victor Milán
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"With the exception of Chandrasekhar Kurita, who was probably the richest man in the Combine, and quite possibly in the whole Inner Sphere, Kuritas where not known for their largesse."
In Hearts of Chaos, Page 73
Victor Milán
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Not quite sure if this falls under the purview of this thread, but the old Marik Housebook has a textbox on p. 9 bemourning that Romanian, Bengali and Hindi were counted as dead languages, lost as living tongues "less than a century after the accords established English as the FWL's official language" (this was apparently shortly after 2271 according to the chapter "Humphrey's Initiative" on p. 10).
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Tormano pointed at the map. "CMW is the second-largest 'Mech production facility in the whole of the Inner Sphere. We cannot afford to lose it."
In Malicious Intent, page 192 (Spanish edition, Ed. Timun Mas)
Michael A. Stackpole
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Cassie could almost see the little logic-gates clicking behind Kurosawa's anthracite eyes. Here was Johnny Tchang, the most famous martial artist in the known universe. And here on the other hand was a little near-eta scrap of fluff, who had a mean rep but couldn't mass more than 45 kilos in a wet bathrobe and was, after all, only a girl... He stepped back.
In Black Dragon, page 105
Victor Milán
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"You know we report the lowest crime rate of any Successor House," he said. "But how safe do you feel when you walk our streets? This is how we keep our face, how we keep the low crime stats the FedRats and the Mariks are so envious of. Natural causes."
In Black Dragon, page 114
Victor Milán
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He had been a Takashi man, had risen to command of the First Sword of Light Regiment - considered by many the lead unit of the whole Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery - under Theodore's father.
In Black Dragon, page 125
Victor Milán
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Scorpius Mons is Thuban's highest volcano, according to "Damage Control" by Ilsa Bick, "The Corps: BattleCorps Anthology Vol1", p. 18 (third paragraph of the story).
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His Warhammer erupted from the far side of the building amid a final shower of rubble and timbers. The enemy JagerMech stood less than thirty meters off, turned slightly away from Marcus as it faced the direction from which the explosion had come. Marcus floated the gold targeting cross hairs over the enemy 'Mech even as it began to react to his presence. The primary triggers on both control sticks were configured to fire either all left-side or all right-side weapons. Marcus pulled back on both, treating the JagerMech to one of the most destructive light shows an Inner Sphere BattleMech could deliver.
In Double-Blind, page 28
Loren L. Coleman
Half a kilometer to the east, directly opposite where he stood, the city of Shervanis sat squat and ugly. It was Astrokaszy's largest city, but looked like little more than a kilometers-wide sprawl of light-colored adobe buildings and dark, narrow streets.
In Double-Blind, page 175
Loren L. Coleman
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Ion Rush was a thirty-year veteran of those ongoing wars, a MechWarrior who piloted one of the ten-meter tall ’Mechs. He was also Master of Imarra, the most prestigious of eight Warrior Houses supplementing the Capellan military.
In Binding Force, page 13
Loren L. Coleman
The rest of the land mass has been cultivated into some of the most productive agricultural land in the Inner Sphere. Kaifeng feeds itself, Sarna, and Sakhalin, as well as some nearby worlds.
In Binding Force, page 84
Loren L. Coleman
At four hundred million metric tons, rice is Kaifeng’s number one export.
In Binding Force, page 86
Loren L. Coleman
With an LTV 385 Extra-Light fusion engine at its heart and Curtiss jump jets mounted just behind, the Wraith was the fastest, most maneuverable ’Mech design possible for its weight class.
In Binding Force, page 90
Loren L. Coleman
The 45-ton Hatchetman was one of only five such ’Mechs Justin knew of in the entire Capellan Confederation, this one a leftover from back in the late 3020s when Richard’s Panzer Brigade came from the Lyran Commonwealth to serve House Liao.
In Binding Force, page 96
Loren L. Coleman
Not that House Hiritsu stifled its warriors — man for man the Warrior Houses turned out some of the best troops in the Confederation, in the entire Inner Sphere.
In Binding Force, page 195
Loren L. Coleman
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These were the descendants of the legendary Aleksandr Kerensky and his Star League army, the greatest military commander and force in the whole history of warfare. Their heirs were the finest genetic warrior stock ever conceived—the Star League Defense Force.
In Impetus of War, page 197
Blaine Lee Pardoe
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During the Star League era, Quantico had been a thriving metropolis, the second-largest city on Hyner.
In Exodus Road, page 120 (Spanish edition, Ed. Timun Mas)
Blaine Lee Pardoe
They had almost all seen action against the Ghost Bears on Tukayyid, been tempered in the fires of the gratest battle in the history of mankind. The First Army of the Com Guards were almost all veterans of the Ghost Bear assauts - hence their nickname "The Bear Maulers".
In Exodus Road, page 282 (Spanish edition, Ed. Timun Mas)
Blaine Lee Pardoe
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Katrina Steiner had been his grandmother, an Archon and undoubtedly the shrewdest and most powerful woman ever to rule one of the Successor States of the Inner Sphere.
In Grave Covenant, page 15 (Spanish edition, Ed. Timun Mas)
Michael A. Stackpole