The Black Lions (Redux-Post Fortress Republic)

[E. Icaza]

Alpha DropPort, Verlinshire Industrial Center
Ruchbah, Republic Territories
11 January 3137

Janis could see the blizzard raging outside through her Koshi’s cockpit and shivered, grateful for the warmth pumped up through the ‘Mech’s fusion reactor in at least this one instance.  She’d been surprised when Czerwinski had informed her that Hana’s orders were for the recon lance to carry out its usual perimeter patrol.  With temperatures approaching -50 celsius and winds gusting at almost 60 kph, she figured that only a lunatic would be out in this weather, and even then they'd froze solid in no time.

With a sigh, she turned her ‘Mech to its assigned patrol route and started it loping forward.  She glanced at the sensor read-outs only out of habit and with half-interest until an anomalous reading caught her eye.  The advanced sensor equipment on the Koshi had registered a brief heat signature, but now showed clear.  Stopping, she turned her ‘Mech back towards the signal even as she adjusted the sensor.  A few careful adjustments picked up a jamming signal and she quickly keyed her comm.

“Lieutenant, I’m picking up jamming at 183 by 27.  My sensors are useless, so I’m moving for a visual.”  She started towards the jamming zone in a steady stride, still working to keep the wind from throwing off her balance as she did so.   The last of the Prince’s Men had supposedly lifted off two weeks ago, but it was theoretically possible that they’d left behind a small spoiling force.  Janis unconsciously narrowed her eyes in angry anticipation at the possibility of getting some payback for the Demon crews and the Captain.

After a few seconds, her comms popped to life.  “Negative, Janis.  I’m near that position and I’ll take a look.  It’s probably nothing.”  There was a pause.  “And you’re off your assigned patrol schedule, so get back to it Corporal.”  Janis slowed her ‘Mech down and almost obeyed, but something other than the chilly landscape outside brought goosebumps up on her arms.  “Something’s not right here…” she thought to herself as she throttled the Koshi back up.  With the blizzard, she didn’t dare risk putting the ‘Mech in a run, but she rushed towards the area of the jamming as quickly as possible.

Visibility was still poor, but she arrived just in time to see Czerwinski’s Ghost striding up the loading ramp of a merchant DropShip that had arrived just a few days ago.  The DropShip had started its massive drives and billowing clouds of steam were beginning to rise up around it as it vaporized the ice and snow from the ferrocrete around it.  Seeing the loading ramp close behind Czerwinski’s ‘Mech, she swore and slapped her weapons online as she realized what was going on.  She had time to fire off a single quick volley at the DropShip before it rose on a column of superheated thrust.  Combined with the gale force winds, the force from the DropShip’s thrust was sufficient to send her 'Mech off-balance and cause her to tumble.

Throwing one arm out, she was able to arrest the Koshi’s fall with little more than some warped armor and a bloody lip where she’d bitten it in the fall.  She swore as she struggled to bring her 'Mech to its feet, switching to Hana’s frequency to give her the bad news.


[OOC:  So, after some discussion with friends and the like, I figured that this would be a perfect time for Czerwinski to betray the unit and skip out.  I also decided that he had enough charm and influence to convince some of the others to go with him, so he'll head off to make his own merc unit.  Maybe the Black Lions will face them on the opposite side of the battlefield someday.  ;)

I'm not intending for them to end up as a "hard-luck unit" like Wilson's Hussars, but it seemed to me that it would be Czerwinski's logical move.  So, he cut a deal with a DropShip captain who could get him to a JumpShip and out of the system.  He deserted with the Ghost, Stinger, Wasp and Hatchetman and their pilots, so he's got a decently swift lance to start up with.]

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Black Lions TO&E


Command/Strike Lance (short)

Captain Rachel Ritter-Rodriguez (P4/G3) Mad Cat III
Lieutenant Hana Nova Cat (P3/G2) Black Hawk (Standard)


Battle Lance (short)

Sergeant Devon Sandusky (P4/G4) BL-KNT-3A Black Knight
Corporal Evelyne Willet (P5/G4) RFL-7X Rifleman
Corporal Joseph Bridgeman (P5/G4) Stalking Spider II

Recon/Pursuit Lance  (short)

Lieutenant Janis Willoughby (P4/G4) Koshi (Standard)
Private Corbett Ferguson (P6/G5) OTT-11J Ostscout

Vehicle Strike Lance (short)

Ranger AFV
Ranger AFV

Support Lance Alpha

JES II Strategic Missile Carrier
JES II Strategic Missile Carrier
Maxim Heavy Hover Transport (C3M)
Zibler Fast Strike Tank Prime

Support Lance Beta

Padilla Tube Artillery Tank
Danai Support Tank
MHI Defense AA Tank
MHI Defense AA Tank

VTOL Lance

Yellowjacket Gunship (P5/G4)
Yellowjacket Gunship (P5/G4)
Hawk Moth Gunship (P5/G4)
Hawk Moth Gunship (P5/G4)

BA Transport Lance

Pandion WiGE
Pandion WiGE
Giggins APC
Trireme Infantry Transport (CS)

Armored Infantry Platoon Alpha

4 Cavalier
4 Hauberk
4 Grenadier

Armored Infantry Platoon Beta

4 Cavalier
4 Hauberk
4 Grenadier

[E. Icaza]

Black Lions HQ, Verlinshire
Ruchbah, Republic Territories
19 April, 3137

"So, they're stiffing us?"  Hana paused at the interruption from the Captain.  She had listened with seemingly uninterested silence as Hana had read off the memorandum that they had received from the newly elected planetary government of Ruchbah.  The Captain was seated behind her desk and Hana couldn't help but think that she looked awful.  Dark circles under Rachel's eyes indicated a lack of sleep and her normally lustrous dark hair was limp and tangled.  A half-full bottle of vodka sat on the desk along with a disorganized pile of papers.

Hana sighed.  "Neg.  Well Aff, but only partially.  They indicate that when they originally hired us, we had 8 'Mechs.  With Czerwinski's desertion, we have only 7, so the new government is paying us, but they are reducing the agreed upon payment amount to reflect the 'reduced defensive capabilities' of the Black Lions."  Hana scowled.  "It is blatantly illegal, but our options are limited in the absence of any recognized authority for the mercenary trade.  The entities to which we would appeal no longer exist." 

Rachel didn't respond, just staring at the glass of vodka in her hand.  Hana was born into the Merchant Caste of Clan Nova Cat, and in her position as Rachel's XO was well aware of how much it cost to keep the unit running.  The shortfall would be minor, but it was still a shortfall.  No unit could continue operating at a deficit forever.  As she waited for Rachel to respond, she was even now making calculations and projections in her head on how to allocate the funds that they would receive.  Her parents had called it 'keeping the sharks and foxes from the door' and they had been very good at it.  Hana knew that she would have made a fine Merchant, but had instead taken a different path.

Rachel drained the vodka at a gulp.  "Make up any shortfalls from my personal accounts."  Hana winced at both the drink and the comment.  While Rachel's family had been extremely wealthy and much of that wealth had passed to Rachel, it was not inexhaustible, especially now that the family's holdings were in the hands of the CapCon.  On top of that, everything was more expensive these days thanks to the Blackout.  The economies of most of the remaining abandoned worlds of the Republic teetered on a knife edge and Hana could not imagine that it was any better anywhere else.  She opened her mouth to make the observation to her Captain, but promptly closed it again.  'We will not do what we can, but what we must', was another of her parents teachings.  "Aff, Captain.  I will do so if necessary."

Rachel poured herself another glass of vodka.  "We'll be taking the contract on Sheratan.  The counter-insurgency one."  She smiled sadly as she stared at her now full glass.  "After all,  unless we want to work for those Liao bastards, it's not like we have much choice in the matter anymore."

[OOC:  The Black Lions will be moving to Sheratan for a counter-insurgency campaign against filthy Cappie sympathizers.  I've spoken with Nav_Alpha and hopefully we'll be able to get some nice MegaMek games in!]