Alternate Timeline with Thanks (FULL)

[Dragon Cat]

Secret Fleet Anchorage, ComStar Controlled
Location: Somewhere in Lyran Alliance
4th March 3064

   In response for increased Word of Blake activities ComStar activated the first Intrepid-class Troopship in a hidden anchorage inside the Lyran Alliance.  The Saratoga, as the vessel was named, would move secretly to ComStar’s Ross 248 Anchorage and exercise with the fleet based there before joining one of the ComGuards Armies and working with them.  With the launching of the Saratoga ComStar take a massive step towards retaking Terra without the Word of Blake knowing a thing.  Because this is such a militaristic move ComStar do their best to hide the vessel’s activation from the rest of the Inner Sphere powers and even their own people keeping the existence of the Intrepid-class a guarded secret for as long as possible.

Draconis Combine/Lyran Alliance Border
Skye Province, Lyran Alliance
14th-24th March 3064

   In retaliation for the assassination of Omiko Kurita in 3062 and the assassins subsequent admission that he was hired by Duchess Margaret Aten of the Lyran Alliance’s Skye Province the Draconis Combine attacks several worlds along the border.  The Worlds of La Blon and Rigil Kentarus fall in quick succession however on Port Moseby the Draconis Combine troops led by the newly formed Third Genyosha Regiment, commanded by Duke Minoru Kurita, slam head long into the LAAF’s Third Royal Guards RCT and the Twenty-sixth Lyran Guards RCT two veteran commands.  The battle soon bogs down and threatens to spiral out of control as both sides commit more forces.

   On the 18th, the fourth day of the battle for Port Moseby, the Hyperion-class Heavy Cruiser LAS Cairo engages the Combine Kyushu-class Frigate DCS Draconis Rift while escorting the Seventh Alliance Guards RCT, a newly formed regiment formed from the ashes of the Federated Suns FedCom Corps.  In a six hour battle the two vessels are heavily damaged and both retreat allowing the Seventh to make landfall.

   On the 20th, sixth day of the battle, the Draconis Combine land the Elite Ryuken-Go Regiment on the planet after they enter via a pirate point deep inside the system avoiding Lyran Defence Patrols.

   On the 21st, seventh day of battle, Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion calls on the Star League Defence Force to intervene and stop this uncalled for aggression by House Kurita, although she publicly points out that with Hohiro Kurita serving as the current First Lord she expects no help to be forth coming.  Coordinator Hohiro Kurita publicly says he will not use SLDF troops to accomplishes his goal, and will not stop the SLDF deploying on Port Moseby as peacekeepers, he also releases information that Duchess Margaret Aten hired the assassin to murder his sister and that although it was not the Lyran Alliance who killed Omiko it was one of their citizens and the nation would pay.

   Following the Lyran Archon’s call for support and the First Lord’s declaration that he would not stop SLDF troops being deployed to Port Moseby Commanding-General Morgan Hasek-Davion of the SLDF deploys the 151st Light Horse Regiment or the Eridani Light Horse, based on Dieron, to Port Moseby on the 24th.  The 151st orders are to render humanitarian aide where possible and to stop the Lyran and Draconis Combine troops from fighting in urban areas, they are not to interfere with open country battles.  The Light Horse arrive on the 26th by that time the Twenty-sixth Lyran Guards RCT have ceased to exist and have been folded into the Seventh Alliance Guards RCT and Third Royal Guards RCT.

   With SLDF troops arriving on Port Moseby the Draconis Combine’s Forty-fifth Dieron Regulars strike at the Mobile Fire Mercenary unit based on the world of Accrington, within a jump of Port Moseby.  Officially this is in response to several raids by the Mobile Fire Mercenaries.  The Draconis Combine troops give no quarter to the Mobile Fire troops and although it destroys the Forty-fifth Dieron Regulars Mobile Fire are forced off the world with less than a single battalion of troops, from two regiments and a battalion.  The Combine troops quickly secure the world cutting Port Moseby’s Lyran defenders off from further support.  Star League Commanding-General Morgan Hasek-Davion calls for end to fighting.

Federated Boeing Shipyards
Port Simon Shipyards, Galax
Crucis March, Federated Suns
18th April 3064

   After a year of upgrading the Wolf’s Dragoons Congress-class Beowulf launches from Galax shipyards beginning a months trials which end with the Beowulf, accompanied by Epsilon Regiment and Zeta Battalion, return to Outreach ending the year long contract the Dragoons held with the Federated Suns.  The Beowulf passes all marks set leading to an acceleration and broadening of the Federated Suns plans for the Congress Block II-class.

[Dragon Cat]

York, Clan Stone Rhino Holdings
Kerensky Cluster
Clan Space, Clan Homeworlds
24th April 3064

   Clan Steel Viper becomes the first Clan to strike at York since Clan Stone Rhino assumed full control over the world they are beaten back by the Stone Rhinos troops on planet including entire stars of former Blood Spirit Warriors serving their Clan.  The Stone Rhinos begin building a Primary Genetic Repository on York intent on making York their new capital.  By the end of the month Clans Cloud Cobra, Goliath Scorpion and Snow Raven have all challenged for and lost areas of York.

Arboris and Genoa
Chaos March/Federated Suns Borders
4th May 3064

   With First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion seemingly unwilling to act and the Draconis March busy ensuring the territory they have seized from the Draconis Combine is safe Field Marshal George Hasek of the Capellan March orders his troops into action along the Chaos March borders.  The Lexington Combat Group, a three regiment mercenary unit, and the Illician Lancers Mercenary Brigade, four regiments plus support, drop onto the worlds of Arboris and Genoa two worlds sandwiched between the Federated Suns and the Capellan Confederation.

   The Lexington Combat Group encounters the Heavyhell Raisers on Arboris a battalion strength mercenary command with known Capellan Confederation ties.  Following a warning from the LCG’s commanders the Heavyhell Raisers attempt to wage a guerrilla campaign with aide from Capellan-sponsored Terrorist Organisations however against three elite regiments with full support the Heavyhell Raisers are no-more by the end of may and Arboris is mostly pacified and under Federated Suns, Capellan March, control.  On Genoa the Illician Lancers encounter Little Richard’s Panzer Brigade and an unidentified Battalion of troops, the mercenary unit and its supporting Battalion both refuse to surrender the world declaring that it is Capellan territory.  The four regiments immediately take the capital then over the course of the rest of the month destroy the Little Richard’s Panzer and the Battalion which are later identified as Bloody Hands Terrorists by Federated Suns DMI analysts.  Like Arboris Genoa is accepted into and added to the Federated Suns Capellan March.  The MRBC of Outreach take both Merc units off the books declaring them dead.  During these battles both the LCG and the Illician Lancers field two Stealth OmniMechs each, although it is believed that these OmniMechs are still under AFFS control and undergoing combat trials, none are lost in combat and all prove the design’s worth.

Lyran Alliance/Clan Jade Falcon Border
Inner Sphere
10th-14th May 3064

   Clan Jade Falcon strike over their Occupation Zone borders at the Lyran Alliance striking several worlds inside the so-called Arc-Royal Defence Zone as a diversionary tactic to keep the Kell Hounds and Wolf (in-Exile) Clan busy and off balance their real target become apparent when on the 12th the Jade Falcons launch and all out invasion of the Melissa Theatre taking control of Barcelona, Newton Square, Mogyorod and Kikuyu in several quick trials.  The Sixth Donegal Guards RCT are quickly beaten on Kikuyu forced into retreat to Melissa the theatre capital while the Fourteenth Donegal Guards RCT are routed when their commander Leutnant-General Adam Steiner, Katherine Steiner-Davion’s cousin, is felled in combat to the Jade Falcon assault forces.

   Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion orders her troops to abandon Port Moseby to the Draconis Combine and push back the Jade Falcon attackers, at the same time she asks for SLDF aid and opens a dialogue with Duke Morgan Kell for his aid.

   Star League Commanding-General Morgan Hasek-Davion deploys the 151st Eridani Light Horse currently on Port Moseby to the border and calls on the Nineteenth Cavalry Regiment from Dieron as well, with no Lyran or SLDF troops to oppose them the DCMS secure Port Moseby.

   On the 14th Clan Wolf (in-Exile) go on the offensive with Khan Phelan Kell leading the charge in a whirlwind attack his Clan’s Alpha Galaxy liberate the worlds Antares, Graus and Blair Athol from the Jade Falcons.  With the Exiled wolves only one jump from their Occupation Zone capital and more Lyran troops, and the SLDF, entering the fray the Jade Falcons stop their incursion for now securing the worlds they have taken.

Clan Occupation Zone
Ghost Bear Territory
18th May 3064

   Free of combat against the Draconis Combine the Ghost Bear Dominion turn their whole offensive might against the Hell’s Horses Occupation Zone retaking the three worlds lost to the Clan and all three worlds the Hell’s Horses occupied in the Inner Sphere annihilating the Hell’s Horses Gamma Galaxy in one short week.  The three Hell’s Horses WarShips assigned to the Inner Sphere are driven off all with heavy damage.  The Ghost Bears begin reprisal strikes against the Wolves striking Hermagor, Dawn, Nox and Balsta all worlds along the Wolf/Ghost Bear borders.  The Wolves hold Nox but loose all other three worlds to the determined Ghost Bear warriors.

   Just when the Wolves believe they have weathered the storm the Bears strike once more with Star Colonel Ragnar, former Elected-Prince of the Free Rasalhague Republic, present commander of the First Rasalhague Bears leads an attack against and quickly secures Rasalhague the former capital of the Free Rasalhague Republic.  With four worlds lost and eyes on the Jade Falcon OZ Khan Vlad Ward negotiates a cease-fire with the Ghost Bear Dominion, the Bears are more than happy with seven new worlds for their Dominion.

[Dragon Cat]

Devil’s Advocates Mercenary Command
Caph, Chaos March
12th June 3064

   The Devil’s Advocates a company sized Mercenary unit had been sent to Caph in late 3059 under contract with the Lyran Alliance.  Their job there was to defend what interests the Lyran nation had in the world, very little they just wanted the world, and resist any other interested parties efforts to take the world.  With the Word of Blake Militia units on planet and rumoured Capellan sponsored Mercenaries the Devil’s Advocates disappeared into Caph’s wastelands, devastated during the Succession Wars by the various states trying to secure the strategically spaced word near Terra at the centre of the Inner Sphere.  The Devil’s Advocates continued to resist the Word of Blake and other forces on the planet until summer 3064 when their contract was up with the Lyran Alliance, because they lacked JumpShips or DropShips of their own they sent out a message to their employers and asked for immediate pick-up.

   The Lyran Alliance under siege by the Draconis Combine and the Jade Falcons ignored the Devil’s Advocates plea for assistance leaving the company to fend for themselves.  Devil’s Commander Captain Charlene Cypher signed a temporary contract with the Caph Resistance continuing to use Caph’s uninhabited wastelands to hide from and strike the other numerically superior forces on planet.
 
Draconis March Militia Base
Royal, Raman PDZ, Draconis March
Federated Suns
23rd June 3064

   Following their attack on Harrow’s Sun in the Draconis Combine Graves’ Dancers Pirate Company arrives back in the Federated Suns dropping on the lightly defended insignificant border world of Royal.  The Dancers prove just how badly defended the world is by first destroying the company of Mechs and Battalion of defending Infantry then raiding their base for munitions and spare parts for the BattleMechs.  Again following the battle survivors report that once again Jean Graves Mech takes not one hit during the battle and they easily avoid the traps set up by local militia causing heavy damage in return.  The Department of Military Intelligence begins to look at the Graves’ Dancers Case more closely.  Interested mainly in Jean Graves phenomenal abilities.  However since the unit disappears as soon as they have their munitions and spare parts studying them becomes more difficult.

Briefing Room, Steiner Royal Palace
Tharkad, Donegal Province
Lyran Alliance
4th July 3064

   Rarely was Archon Katrina Steiner able to find complete privacy on Tharkad, there was so much worry that there would be an assassination attempt on the Lyran leader, today however she had been able to get two hours alone in one of the briefing rooms.  After Lyran Intelligence Personnel had scanned the room ensuring there were no bugs in the room she had been left alone in the room.  There was a click behind the Archon as Kommandant Konstantin Wolff-Ploetig entered the room via a secret passage way in the palace that she had shown him.  Konstantin was the commander of an Ultra Secret unit within the LAAF that reported directly to her.  Although technically a ceremonial guard unit they were in-fact her personnel enforcer unit in the LAAF and carried out dirty missions that the regular LAAF or LIC could have no involvement in, just in-case it became public.  If they were ever caught then Katrina would deny they even existed.  “Kommandant, good to see you again, how are your people.”

   “Good, you have a mission for us, Archon?”  He asked straight to the point, this was one of the reason Katrina trusted him and his people as much as she did they asked little questions and did the job.

   “Yes, there is a problem in the Skye Province that needs sorted.  I need the nation concentrating on the Jade Falcons not bickering with the Draconis Combine.”  She said handing over a pair of documents “these three people need eliminated.”

   “Any specific way?”  He asked looking at the picture, he recognised all three people instantly, the fact they were Lyran nationals made no difference to him.

   “The Draconis Combine has to be responsible.”  She said smiling, if she could blame the Draconis Combine then for such an act then they would be shamed into stopping their attacks on the Lyran Alliance, she might even get a couple of worlds back.

   “Collateral Damage limit?”

   “None.  If you need to destroy a whole building full of bystanders to crush them with it I don’t care, people are cheap a nation is not!”  She said, she was shouting before she even realised it.  “Although I would prefer if there was as little damage done to defence bases and systems just make sure the Combine are responsible.”  She said more calmly gaining complete control back.

   “Of course Archon” Konstantin said his voice still completely calm and controlled.  “I will reform the Unit and we will leave immediately.  We will need to make a raid into the Combine to gain supplies first to make things completely authentic” he said quietly Katrina did not bat an eye-lid at that thought.  “If that is all.”

   “At present, once you have completed the mission I will have something else for you.”  Katrina said turning back to her stack of paperwork Konstantin nodded then slipped back into the secret passageway without another word.

[Lord Harlock]

 [applause]

Honestly, I should have done this last night when I saw Cobb show up, but there should be more use of CEOs of companies in stories. And thankfully, Cobb didn't have the nervous tick that I gave him.

[Dragon Cat]

[applause]

Honestly, I should have done this last night when I saw Cobb show up, but there should be more use of CEOs of companies in stories. And thankfully, Cobb didn't have the nervous tick that I gave him.

I use what I find and what pops into my head ;) glad you've enjoyed

Next bit

Phillip Drummond City
Tortuga Prime, Nova Cat’s Den
14th July 3064

   With wedding plans progressing between Canin and Yvonne Khan Santin West had asked Yvonne if she wanted any of her family at the ceremony, when she had said she would messengers had been sent out and arrived at New Avalon inviting them to New Barcella.  The Federated Suns WarShip carrying them had been allowed into the New Port Royal system while the DropShip was carried by a Nova Cat WarShip the last jump to New Barcella.  Now escorted by an entire binary of Nova Cat aerospace fighters the Excalibur-class DropShip had been allowed to land at the sprawling spaceport, the sword-and-sunburst proudly displayed on the side of the vessel’s ovoid hull.  The class chosen had not been lost on the Nova Cats, a class of vessel named after a sword from the nation of the sword.

   A luxury hover limousine carrying the Federated Suns party departed the vessel and was escorted by a full star of OmniMechs through the city looking out the windows Isis Steiner, sitting beside Peter and across from Victor and Danai, was first to say anything since they had landed “hard to believe we are in the heart of Clan held territory, this reminds me of a hundred worlds” she said looking back to Peter who nodded silently.

   “Are you alright?”  Victor whispered leaning closet to Dania as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, she was heavily pregnant and Victor had asked her not to come but she had insisted she would be fine and she would not miss Yvonne’s wedding.

   “Yes, just tired, it has been a long trip.”  She whispered back kissing him gently as the limo pulled up beside the Clan Hall.

   “Wow, talk about making a statement.”  Peter said quietly.  At the front of the hall an entire star of twenty-five Elementals stood their armour painted from total black-to-white.  As the doors opened five more Elementals stepped clear of the building completing an unbroken line wall-to-wall.

   “Maybe they don’t want us inside.”  Isis suggested

   “I let them in the Royal Palace, they could show us the same respect.”  Victor said slightly annoyed about the idea of not being allowed inside.  Their fears were unnecessary however as the line of Elementals broke into two lines of fifteen flanking the main entrance way to Hall with perfect precision.  A single Nova Cat Clanswomen walked down path to the limo, she was dressed in an all white jumpsuit with her blonde hair tied up.

   “Welcome to New Barcella and the Nova Cat’s Den.  If you would like to follow me, I will lead you to the Khan.”  She said as Victor and Peter cleared the vehicle.

   “Danai and Isis will continue onto our accommodations if that is alright, it has been a long trip and my wife is tired.”  Victor said the Nova Cat Clanswoman raised a small communications device to her lips and informed the escort commander of the plan and the lead Mech began to move out.  She then headed off towards the Clan Hall Victor and Peter said their goodbyes then closed the limo door and the vehicle moved out following the Mechs.

   “Do you feel as exposed as me?”  Peter asked as he and Victor walked between the two rows of Elementals towards the hall.

   “Not really” Victor replied calmly as they reached the steps in front of the hall “from my dealings with the Clans, and the Nova Cats especially, I’ve come to realise they are a deeply honourable people ninety percent of the time.  And if they want us dead they will give us a weapon of equal or greater strength than their own before trying anything.”  Ascending the stairs they entered the hall and both almost immediately noticed the two statues of OmniMechs standing inside the Hall “reminds me of Tharkad” Peter said looking at his brother, Victor nodded the Steiner influence in the buildings interior was unmistakable perhaps somewhere in the Nova Cat‘s clan history there was some Steiner blood somewhere.  The clanswomen guiding them led the two men between the two statues under a massive Nova Cat banner and into the back office area where they saw several techs working on computer screens and the Khan and saKhan overseeing them.

   Although he noticed their entrance Santin West chose to ignore the two visitors from the Federated Suns, for now he had too much other things to consider.  An hour before a Buccaneer-class DropShip carrying two thousand tons of equipment and twenty-eight Nova Cat crew had been forced to make an emergency landing in the ocean following a mechanical error.  DropShips were not designed to land on oceans and the DropShip had immediately began to sink despite the crew sealing all hatches before they evacuated.  Now the DropShip was underwater and the crew were inside six small rafts the Nova Cats lacking any major naval vessels were using VTOLs and small hydrofoils they had captured from periphery worlds.  “Have the First Guards VTOL Star push through and find them then the Hydrofoils can go directly to them.”  Santin said his voice showed complete calm.

   “There is a storm brewing out there, Khan West, the hydrofoils and Hovercraft are finding it hard going.”  From behind Victor looked at the monitors and realised what the Nova Cats were doing, on any Inner Sphere world facing a crisis like this with limited resources there would be an element of panic but the Nova Cats were barely flinching.  Victor was unsure if that was because they didn’t care if the DropShip crew made it out of this or not or if it was because of superior training.

   “Inform them that they are the DropShip crews only hope of survival.”  Santin said coldly, there was no encouragement or despair in his voice, what happened would happen.

   “What we need is some Undine Armour” One of the techs was saying to Canin “if we had them and calm seas the Elementals could take down metal wires, attached to a hovering DropShip, attach them on strategic points around the downed vessel and haul it up.”

   “Put it up on the main holo-tank” Canin said turning to face Victor and Peter, Canin nodded once to both of them then pushed past activating the holo-tank which showed the Buccaneer lying in almost a thousand metres of water.  “Tech, where are our Undine armour?”

   “Upsilon Galaxy, saKhan, and we do not have the blueprints to manufacture more here in the Den.”  The tech answered after a moments checking records Upsilon Galaxy was one of their Homeworlds Garrison Galaxies and it would take months to get the suits to the Den.

   “Do you have regular breathing gear?”  Peter asked quietly Canin gave him a cold look, as if to warn him to keep out of this, then nodded.

   “Aff, but it is not rated deeper than eight hundred metres.”

   “We have Remote Operated Vehicles, ROVs, in the Federated Suns.  They can go that deep.”  Victor suggested.

   “We have such vehicles as well, just not here.”  Khan West said quietly “welcome to New Barcella First Prince Davion, intresting circumstances we find ourselves in.”  He said turning nodding once to Victor then looking at the holo-tank.

   “In more ways than one Khan West.  I am curious you do not have any major naval vessels, considering the planet’s vast ocean.”

   “The Clans have little in the way of blue-water navies.  The Undine Battle Armour is the newest and probably the most advanced blue-ocean weapon we have and that only caters for one person.”  Khan West said gravely, sometimes he wondered if living on New Barcella was worth the resources it cost the Nova Cats.  The Borealis Colony, being built on the sea, was costing the Clan every month and was months from completion.  “We also have specifications for Star League Defence Force submersible vehicles but none have been built.”

   “We have such vessels in the Federated Suns, they could get you started.”  Victor suggested, he was interested in increasing the trade with the Nova Cats if possible strengthening the alliance they had begun to form.

   “That would interest me, what would you want for such a trade?”

   “We would be able to provide you with two Rapier-class Patrol Destroyers and a Persecutor-class Hunter-Killer Submarine immediately possibly more in the future if it was needed.”  The Khan nodded “in exchange I was wondering if the Nova Cats could assist the Federated Suns with something?”

   “I am listening”

   “Khan West, rescue teams report they have recovered the rafts all DropShip crew accounted for.  They are going to land on Borealis until the storm has passed.”  One of the techs said.

   “Good news.”  West said “this way” he said turning back to the two Federated Suns people leading them back into the main room, Canin followed them quietly.  “You we saying you would need help with something?”

   “In the centuries since the fall of the Star League” Victor began both Santin and Canin were slightly shocked at where he had started mentioning the Star League to the Clans normally brought to mind the notions of the ilClan, the number one Clan, and the stavag new Star League that the other Clans wished to destroy.  “There has been an organisation in the Inner Sphere that has controlled nearly all the Interstellar communications.”

   “ComStar” West said, ComStar had approached the Clans with open arms only to stab them in the back when they discovered the Clans target, Terra, the ComGuards defeated the invading clans on the world of Tukayyid ending the invasion ending any chance of there being an ilClan in most current warrior‘s lifetimes.

   “Yes, that is right ComStar.”  Victor said “recently a second organisation has emerged, the Word of Blake.  Khan West, I trust neither organisation fully but am dependant on them for communication with my nations planets.”

   “We cannot base Nova Cats on every Federated Suns planet, or even in every region.  We do not have that many technicians ourselves.  And the other Clans or Inner Sphere states would notice such a deployment.”

   “Of course not, Khan West” Victor said nearly immediately he did not want Nova Cats permanently in the Federated Suns, that would be bad for the Federated Suns and for the Nova Cats if and when the rest of the Inner Sphere found out about it.  “If the Nova Cats could give us the specifications for a Star League-era HPG, how to operate it and build replacement parts then that would forward our plans by several decades.”

   “That is all you want?”  West said slightly shocked, he had not realised the Inner Sphere nations were that badly off when it came to HPG technology.

   “Perhaps the half dozen members of the Nova Cat technician and science castes to get us really started.  We could take a couple to NAIS to see how far the Federated Suns are along with its own research and a couple to Savonburg.”  Peter suggested, NAIS was well known for its attempts to break the HPG codes held by ComStar part of the reason Hanse Davion had poured so much money into the university was to break open the HPG, making the Federated Suns independent of ComStar and in the process improving the Federated Suns way of life.  Savonburg was a complete unknown however officially it was the Federated Suns only periphery university giving the people of the Outback (Federated Suns controlled Periphery) high class education.  Unofficially Savonburg was also home to half a dozen research labs one dedicated to breaking open HPGs and other secrets.

   “I could authorize this.”  West said to Victor’s surprise “I can give you the information now then in a couple of months send the Guiding Vision, one of our Merchant Carrack-class vessels into the Federated Suns.  On board I will place fifty scientists and fifty technicians all of whom have HPG experience, once in the Federated Suns their deployment will be up to you.  While the Merchant vessel will go on a tour of the Federated Suns, you may place a security force aboard to endure it does not go anywhere that my compromise your nation.”  West said, allowing Davion intelligence staff aboard was a risky move but the Federated Suns was little threat to the Nova Cats if they attacked or tried to steal the vessel the entire Touman could mobilize against them, something Santin knew the Federated Suns was not prepared for and even feared.

   “What will this merchant vessel do?”

   “What merchants do Prince Davion, trade.  It will start with a full cargo of clan technology and two DropShips also with Clan tech” one of those vessels would be full of fighters and Elementals West though but no need to tell them that “the vessel will travel into your Draconis March into major systems.  Travel into the centre of the Inner Sphere around the Chaos March?”  West said unsure of the correct name “then into the Capellan March and finally the Crucis March.  On each stop they will be required to trade for at least one item unique to that region.”

   “Why would you risk losing one of your merchant vessels in such a journey?  If a Clan vessel was discovered travelling through the Inner Sphere and near Terra then some of the other nations of the Inner Sphere may take offence and try and destroy or capture it and the crew.”

   “One of the reasons I suggested you have some of your people aboard, they will know danger spots where we should avoid, and they should know good places for us to set up trade opportunities.”  He said, at the same time he was seriously thinking of brining the Diamond Sharks in on this as well, they were far more merchant based than the Nova Cats.

   “Done” Victor said reaching out with his hand Santin’s massive hand completely swallowed it in a strong grip “now were we not here for a wedding?”

   “Aff, Yvonne should be finished by now, I think she said she was going to the guest quarters to see you afterwards.”

   “Afterwards?  Finished?  What do you have our sister doing?”  Peter asked looking at Canin with accusing eyes, he did not want his sister doing menial tasks for the Nova Cats.

   “Although she proved herself a warrior in our Touman she decided she did not want to be a warrior and asked to be reassigned.”  West said Victor and Peter looked back between the Khan and saKhan.

   “Okay so what is she doing?”  Victor asked slowly.

   “She is head administrator of New Barcella, she handles all civilian matters on this world allowing us to deal with Clan problems.  According to her staff they have never seen anyone who works so hard or so well under pressure.  In the last six months she has gotten several projects back on schedule by better organisation than the person who was doing it previously.”  Canin said

   “What happened to the guy who was doing it before?”  Peter asked.

   “That would be me.”  Khan West said lowering his head “your sister is quite an asset to my Clan.”  He said bowing his head even more briefly “the saKhan will take you to see her while I select techs, merchants and scientists for the exchange.”  Khan West said turning around heading into the rear office.  Once he was gone Peter was the first to speak.

   “It takes a big man to admit that someone else is better than they are at something.”  Peter said Canin was already leading Victor out another exit this one to the rear of the building.  Standing there were three OmniMechs.  “Now that is what I call transport, we should have taken our own Mechs Victor.”  Peter said looking at the Mechs a pair of Nova Cats and a Dragon Cat, Canin’s Mech.

   “You would allow us to take live Mechs through your capital?”  Victor asked looking at Canin who was already heading over towards a changing area.

   “The damage you could do is negligible Prince Davion, throughout the city there are Nova Cat units either on routine patrol or on special assignments ensuring there are no problems with our visitors, some of our citizens are former Tortuga civilians and harbour grudges against your people.  Also both your Mechs weapons arrays are disabled at present, I have the activation codes if you need to defend yourselves, however you will have to trust me for the most part.”  Neither Victor or Peter were completely comfortable with that concept but had little choice, apparently Yvonne had belief in these people.

[Dragon Cat]

Ways of Seeing National Park
New Barcella, Nova Cat’s Den
20th July 3064

   Because none of the Clansmen were religious and Yvonne was not a practicing catholic, and hadn’t been for years, Canin and Yvonne had chosen a simple ceremony that they would run themselves.  A small clearing about four kilometres from Alpha Galaxy command had been chosen standing there was Canin, Yvonne, Victor, Peter, Isis and Danai although Danai hadn’t been well since she arrived she had insisted on coming.  Finally Khan Santin West had also decided to make an appearance as had the commanders of the Watch Cluster now returned from the Federated Suns.  Around a wide perimeter Elementals of the Watch Cluster stood Guard just in case something someone tried something stupid, a possibility due to the controversy of what they were doing.

   “Yvonne, I love you and I love our Clan.  Will you accept that I will always love both with all my heart?  And accept to be my wife?”  Canin asked speaking loud enough for all to hear.

   “I accept.”  Yvonne answered.

   “Then I will accept you as my wife.” Canin completed his half of their ceremony.

   “Canin, I love you but I will always have ties that are not of our Clan.  Will you accept that I will always love you with all my heart and that I will always have links to the past?  And will you accept to be my husband?”  Yvonne asked also speaking so all could hear.

   “I accept” Canin answered.

   “Then I will accept you as my husband.”  Yvonne said.

   “In front of these witnesses we are married.”  Canin said then they embraced just then there was a growl from the crowd and a nova cat calmly walked through the crowd.  The Nova Cats were in awe of the animal’s confidence and grace as it passed through the crowd while the Federated Suns party stepped away.  Yvonne smiled kneeling down in front of it as the animal approached.

   “Yvonne…”  Victor said under his breath, the last thing he wanted was his sister to be eaten by big cat on her wedding to a member of the cat clan.

   “It is okay, Victor, this is an old friend.”  She said glancing at her older brother then back at the nova cat “I was wondering if I would see you again, thank you, you saved my life.”  The cat walked around her sniffed once then licked her face before turning growling at the gathering then running through the crowd disappearing into the Ways of Seeing Park.  Yvonne stood up to see Canin looking at her gob smacked, looking around she saw all the Nova Cats including Santin West were standing mouths open “what?  It is tradition for old friends to visit during a wedding” she said smiling she leaned forward kissing Canin.

   “Oh dear!”  Danai shouted loud enough to force Canin and Yvonne to break off “look at my dress” she said looking to Victor then Yvonne “sorry Yvonne.”

   “Are you hurt?  Did the cat harm you?”  Victor asked as Danai sat down on her chair.

   “No Victor, she’d doing the womanly thing that women in her condition do” Isis said calmly taking Danai’s hand seeing Victor’s confusion/shock “you’re going to be a daddy, very soon.”

   “What here?”  Victor said “in a park?  We are not even in the Federated Suns” he said sounding slightly panicked as he looked to Santin West who had stepped closer a smoking cigar in his mouth.

   “Just as well I took a VTOL, this way.”  He said leading the way as Peter and Victor picked up Danai and hurried after Santin West followed by Isis.  “Congratulations saKhan!  Or whatever the hell it is they say!”  Santin shouted.

   “Had to happen today didn’t it?”  Yvonne said looking to Canin, they were both routed in the same spot they had married on.

   “You want to go with them?”  Canin asked, by now almost the entire gathering had broken up leaving them alone.

   “Well since I am keeping in contact with my family before joining the Clan technically this will be my first niece or nephew.  Never know maybe they will come to stay on the summer holidays.”  She said giggling leaning in to kiss him, Canin returned her kiss as he thought about it.

   “Never know maybe, just maybe we will have a playmate for him or her by the time they are old enough to come see us.”  Canin whispered breaking the kiss briefly.

   “You want children?”  Yvonne asked, neither Canin nor herself had ever spoken about having children of their own.  Yvonne knew that freeborn children in the Clans were not treated as well as the genetically engineered trueborns like Canin, and that many trueborns didn’t want children.

   “If it is possible, I do not see why not” Canin said as the VTOL took off heading for New Barcella “many trueborns are sterile so I don’t know if it will be possible, but if it is why not?”

   “But they would be freeborn, I though the trueborns didn‘t like freebirths.”

   “They generally do not, but I am not your normal trueborn.  And the Nova Cats are no longer your normal Clan.  Ever since we came here the Clan has been changing your acceptance and this wedding are just the first steps.  If you want kids than I am more than willing to be the father and allow them to become warriors or whatever they want when they are old enough.”

   “I guess I do want kids, I just never thought of it before.  I’ve been so busy.”  She said her mind racing she really hadn’t though about children of her own but now that she was married she guessed that would be the next step.  “Guess we better make our own way back to the city.”  She said looking around a small 4x4 vehicle was parked at the corner of the clearing.

   “Guess so.”  Canin said taking her hand “then again, we don’t have to go now…” he said smiling at her.  Alone in the wilderness they remained that night, on the 4x4 they found a tent and bed rolls, the bedrolls came in handy but the tent was soon discarded as the newly weds spent their first night together under the New Barcella stars.

   By the time they returned to New Barcella the next morning they discovered that Danai had given birth to a healthy boy which she and Victor had named Burton.  Plans for their own family would be their secret for now, Yvonne and Canin had each other.  Victor, Danai, Isis, Peter and baby Burton all left New Barcella a few days heading back to the Federated Suns.

Spaceport
New Barcella, Nova Cat’s Den
31st July 3064
   
   Eleven days after his wedding to Yvonne Canin was ordered to take his Watch Cluster to Clan Space to secure a new resource for the Nova Cats.  Standing looking at the newly commissioned Vanguard-class DropShip Canin could not help but wonder looking at the vessel.  The Vanguard was based on the hull of a Conquistador-class DropShip the Federated Suns had given the Watch Cluster before they left.  It could carry the entire Watch Cluster including air support and a ProtoMech Star.  At over sixteen thousand tons the vessel was huge and a big target but now the entire Cluster could be transported by a single DropShip instead of using ten DropShips.

   Khan Santin West walked over to him and looked over the vessel “the Federated Suns said they wanted the vessel to go directly to your unit saKhan Rosse, you must have impressed someone.  Now you have to impress our whole Clan by gaining our prize in the Homeworlds.”

   “Aff, we will not fail Khan West.”

   “Of course, I have one last thing for you to do.  Protection duty for a member of our lower castes who will evaluate our resources on Barcella, in Clan Space and work out what can be of use here in the Den.”  Santin said, the last thing Canin wanted was civilians on-board but he nodded “protect her please, a valuable civilian resource for our Clan” Sanin said stepping aside to reveal Yvonne standing there a bag thrown over her shoulder.  Canin had left Yvonne in the city centre hours before and not expected to see her for over a year but now the Khan was sending her with him “enjoy yourselves.”  Santin said walking off.  An hour later the Vanguard took off and rendezvoused with the Spirit Sight, a Fredasa-class Corvette, in high orbit beginning their eight month journey to the Clan Homeworlds.

[Dragon Cat]

General Harry Sanders’ Office
First Battle Armour Corps Command
New Canton, Capellan Confederation
4th August 3064

   Sitting in his New Canton office General Harry Sanders looked at the most recent reports on the situation on New Canton the Capellan Confederation’s control had changed little on New Canton especially with the SLDF units on planet keeping order and protecting the rulers of the world’s cities.  Today was a special day for Harry he’d recalled the Third Royal Battle Armour Battalion to New Canton and called Lt. Colonel Wu Tsen Lo to his office.

   The Lieutenant Colonel had been Harry’s executive officer when they were mercenaries in the Stalwart Support and they both knew each other very well and considered each other as friends.  With their joining the SLDF and with the formation of separate Battalions of Battle Armour he had taken command on one of the units and become the SLDF’s trouble-shooters on New Canton and in the surrounding worlds of the succession states and the Chaos March.  Now however Harry had a new job for his former XO.  Wu entered the room dressed in full SLDF uniform and snapped to attention seeing Harry sitting there.  “Reporting as ordered General, congratulations on your recent promotion.”

   “Thank you, Lt Colonel, It’s strange gaining a promotion while doing little to deserve it however the Commanding-General said he needed a General to command a Corps so here I am.  And here you are.”  He said pushing a box across the table Wu bent down and opened the small box, inside he found two small blue circles with white stars in  the centre.  Colonel insignia.  “Congratulations!”

   “What’s this for?”

   “I’m giving you command of the Second Battle Armour Corps.”

   “Second…  when did it form?”

   “It hasn’t formed yet, Colonel, we are sending a set up group to Fletcher to begin setting up a primary base.”

   “Fletcher?  The Lawless world?  We do like picking endangered places don’t we?”  He said looking at Harry.  Fletcher had no HPG and no-one ruled the world, it sat on the Federated Suns border with the Chaos March and was frequented by pirates and down-on-their-luck mercenary troops.

   “When the Commanding-General hired me I told him I was dedicated to protecting people in trouble in the Chaos March.  New Canton was just the start, now the original plan was for our Battalions to be deployed in the Chaos March as peacekeepers but little wars have gotten in the way.  I am hoping that your Corps will be able to specialise in peacekeeping and anti-terrorist operations in the Chaos March, but we never know.  Do you accept?”

   “Aye, I’ll take my Battalion there in support of the engineering crews and hopefully bring Fletcher back into the civilized word.”  He said smiling, the very idea of dropping onto Fletcher and facing all the troubles that lonely world faced would be a challenge before they even got to form the Corps.

   “I know you’ll get the job done Colonel, good luck to you and your men.”

The Cave, George Hasek’s Office
New Saso, New Syrtis Command
Capellan March, Federated Suns
4th August 3064

   Deep under the frozen tundra of New Syrtis lay the Cave Headquarters of the Federated Suns Capellan March, from there George Hasek could wield power over the whole Capellan March giving orders to dozens of units based in the March.  Now the DMI Liaison assigned to his command was delivering a report that the Star League’s Battle Armour Corps was about to begin forming a Second Corps and that it would be on the world of Fletcher.  If the Star League controlled the world it would stall Federated Suns manoeuvres in the Chaos March worlds and make it difficult for them to operate in retaking the rest of the worlds.  The Star League already controlled the Sirian Concordance worlds near the Free Worlds League and New Canton in the Capellan Confederation, George did not want them controlling a Federated Suns world as well.  The First Federated Suns Armoured Cavalry were still on Ziliang one jump from Fletcher guarding the venerable Ziliang Salient ‘above’ the Capellan Confederations borders blocking House Liao’s charge into the Chaos March.  George would deploy a Battalion from the First Armoured to secure the world then back them up by sending a regiment of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers Mercenary Brigade currently under Federated Suns contract.  When the SLDF arrived the world would welcome them with open arms to a Federated Suns world and the Capellan March would have rights over the world.

Secret Fleet Anchorage, ComStar Controlled
Location: Somewhere in Lyran Alliance
8th August 3064

   Almost five months after the launch of the first Intrepid-class vessel the ComGuards launch the second vessel of the class, the Reliant.  The Reliant’s launch is secret just like the Saratoga’s was and the vessel heads for the Luyten 68-28 Anchorage to join the First ComGuard Naval Fleet based there.  With two out of the three vessels undergoing trials the ComGuards are even closer to being ready for a strike against the Word of Blake.  The ComGuards also officially bring the 473rd Division online bringing the Seventh Army back up to four Divisions of strength, this green unit begins practicing hard hitting moves against units using ComStar’s organisation structure despite most of ComStar’s assets being deployed against the Clans.

[Dragon Cat]

Press Deck, Gravity Deck Beta
Challenge Systems Shipyard, Panpour
Crucis March, Federated Suns
16th August 3064

   Panpour was an out of the way world in the Federated Suns Crucis March, in fact it bordered on the Periphery boundaries, the only reason it gained any attention was because there was a JumpShip Shipyard there producing valuable Star Lord-class JumpShips.  The Federated Suns New Avalon Press had been surprised when they had been invited to Panpour by the Federated Suns Royal Court, however they were guaranteed two events that would change the face of the AFFS and the Federated Suns.  For six hours they had been cooped up in a Gravity Deck Press Hall looking out at the spectacular sight of three under construction JumpShips, everyone of them hoped they were not here to see the launch of a JumpShip but none of these vessels looked ready for service anyway.

   First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion and Peter Steiner-Davion entered, there had been a slight media frenzy with Peter’s return but that was old news.  The fact that Victor had made him the Prince’s Champion was likewise popular but old news.  Victor took the small podium looking well rested and happy, rarely did Victor approach the press with a smile but today he was smiling quite broadly, he was also without dress uniform wearing only a day-to-day uniform even though it was a nationwide broadcast.  Maybe the news would be of Victor’s tardiness in front of the cameras!

   “Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to be the first to thank you all for coming today to and interesting and very joyous event.  We are once again at one the Federated Suns shipyards which even as we speak building JumpShips that will serve our nation.”  Victor said looking out at the under construction JumpShips there was some light polite applause from everyone in the room and Victor turned back to the gathered people.  “This is not why we are here however.  I would like to introduce Deniss Sona the CEO of Challenge Systems and the woman who was the brainchild of the current project.”  There was more polite applause as the woman in her early forties took the stand and Victor stepped to one side standing beside Peter.

   “Ladies and Gentlemen if I could direct you to projection tank.”  She said as a holo-tank raised out of the floor in front of her, it was impossible to miss it anyway.  The holo-tank activated and showed open space then a small vessel moved onto the display.  The holo-tank zoomed into the vessel and then brought up its schematics “allow me to present the Congress Block II-class Frigate the centre of our current development project and the reason you are here today.  The Congress II features a completely upgraded weapons suite, featuring the latest technology such as Kraken Teleoperated Capital Missiles and Rotary Autocannons.  It can carry twice as many DropShips and twice as many fighters as the original Congress and carries a vastly improved sensor suite ensuring it can stay in contact with any battle.”

   “What’s she called?”  Charlie Gunn of the Kathil Post asked.

   “It’s called the FSS Jason Hasek, named for one of the Founding fathers of New Avalon.”

   “Is it the only one or are there more?”  Frank Adams of Admiralty’s choice asked.

   “That’s classified information however we are hoping that the AFFS will choose to fully support the project now it has been made public.”  Deniss said as Duchess Isis Steiner entered the room a couple of the more gossip orientated tabloids took pictures of the young duchess as she walked up to Peter Steiner-Davion and gave him a kiss on the cheek before whispering something in Victor’s ear.  Maria Clarkson looked at her Tri-Vid camera operator and thought ‘at least we have something interesting to put in tomorrow’s paper, their paper the Avalon Gazette would put this story in about page fifty in a corner column that no-one would read or be interested in.  Victor then retook the podium and now wore a full born smile on his face, or maybe we‘ll get something more Maria thought quietly.

   “Ladies and Gentlemen, that is part one of our news for today.  I am sure that all of you will be glad to thank Deniss Sona and her people for bringing another WarShip into the AFFS Navy ready to defend our borders.”  This time there was more rousing applause from the military papers and magazines, ‘sure they will be happy the have a full magazine worth of stuff from this’ Deniss though shaking her head.  “Now for part two.”  Victor said smiling even more as Danai Centrella-Davion entered carrying something, the First Prince really was happy, something the Federated Suns did not see very often, he had a beautiful smile something the Tri-Vids would enjoy pasting over every paper tomorrow.  “Ladies and Gentlemen allow me to introduce Danai Centrella-Davion, my wife, and Burton Davion my son, and heir to the Federated Suns throne!”  Victor said bringing Danai and Burton up onto the podium his arm protectively around them both parents were all smiles but baby Burton was fast asleep, as if nothing had happened.

   Now he had all their attention and a rousing applause from the entire room, everyone had known about Danai’s pregnancy and everyone had talked about it but no-one had expected this.  Now everyone could go home happy and with full magazine, hell full book deals, Maria was jotting down notes like crazy as her camera man took as many Tri-Vid stills and film as he could.  She tried to take everything from the dreary start to the day to the launch of the Jason Hasek to the revelation of Federated Suns recent history.  Victor Steiner-Davion had given the Federated Suns exactly what was needed, an heir and clear line of succession.  Today he, Danai and baby Burton were all heroes to the Federated Suns.

Colonel Wu Tsen Lo’s Office
Second Battle Armour Corps Command
Fletcher, Federated Suns
18th August 3064

   Wu Tsen Lo slouched in his office chair on the newly secured world of Fletcher.  His command had taken over one of the old governmental administration office blocks after they had landed, it wouldn’t be a permanent move but would do for now.  All the excitement had gone from this assignment.  When he had arrived with the Third Royal Battle Armour Battalion he had expected trouble straight away and maybe even a fully fledged fight.  Instead he had found elements of the First Federated Suns Armoured Cavalry already in charge of the capital and a regiment of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers Mercenaries burning in system behind him, the Twelfth Vegan were a known Federated Suns mercenary brigade.  The Federated Suns would control this world and he would have to put up with their rules and officials.

   Already the First Armoured Cavalry had presented him with the Broadstreet Bullies commanders, the Bullies were a known rogue mercenary Battalion that he had expected to face on New Canton and take in himself but the First Armoured had beaten them into a pulp and now gave them to him allowing the SLDF to claim the bounties held on their heads.  The First Armoured commander General Rudolf Chapman had said it was a peace offering because they had done the job the SLDF wanted to do.  Wu Tsen Lo had accepted the prisoners and would collect the bounties but it wasn’t the point.  He sent a message to General Sanders informing him of the changes on Fletcher then decided there was nothing else he could do but to get on with it and begun forming his Corps.

[Dragon Cat]

HPG Compound
299th ComGuard Division Headquarters
Caph, Chaos March
8th September 3064

   The entire 299th ComGuard Division of ComStar was arrayed around the HPG compound on Caph they were preparing to move out to their DropShips and evacuate Caph.  Two days before the Caph Provisional Government had asked the Word of Blake to assume control over Caph’s interstellar communications.  The ComGuard personnel had gotten exactly one hundred metres before an entire Division of Word of Blake troops had arrived and surrounded them Precentor Peter Fedt ordered his ComGuards to retreat back to the compound until they could assess the Word of Blake’s intentions.  Sitting in the cockpit of his fifty ton Raijin looking at the white BattleMechs of the Word of Blake Fedt felt nervous, the Word of Blake Mech, vehicles and battle armour all stood weapons powered targeting systems active.  There were no equipment trucks or anything, this force was not going to take over garrison duties.  His communication gear bleeped nearly constantly Fedt keyed it in and Minister of Culture Joseph Coz appeared on the auxiliary monitor, Fedt hated the man he was always manipulating things changing things for his benefit.  “Minister, how can I be of service?”

   “Precentor Fedt, I want your people off my planet why are you still here?”

   “Minister Coz, Duke Gustafuson gave me seventy-two hours to clear Caph and now my forces have been confronted by forces of the Word of Blake.”

   “Yes, that is correct, however Duke Gustafuson passed away last night.  I have been made Duke pro-tem and if you are not off Caph within the hour then I have been given assurances by the Word of Blake that you will not leave Caph alive.”

   “Minister…”

   “Duke”  Coz corrected

   “Whatever” Fedt said “the only way my forces can be off Caph in an hour is if we abandon our supply vehicles and make for the Spaceport now abandoning over eighteen million C-Bills worth of equipment and our personnel belongings.  You cannot expect us to abandon such supplies.”

   “You will abandon these supplies or I will order Precentor Yoshizumi to kill you.”  Fedt looked out at the Word of Blake BattleMechs seeing a kneeling Exterminator BattleMech on each vehicle and Mech, this was the Word of Blake First Division the most elite of the whole Word of Blake Militia his troops were veteran quality and would put up a valiant fight but they had HPG techs and equipment to defend, they would be easy pickings.

   “You mean he can try to kill us.  Minister, if you take this action against us then ComStar will never let it stand.”

   “They will never know, Precentor, all they will hear will be that you resisted the Word of Blake occupation of your base and attacked them.”  The First Minister said smiling, moments later the entire Word of Blake line opened fire beginning a sixteen hour battle in which the Word of Blake unit destroyed the entire ComGuard Division and took the ComStar HPG techs and support staff as prisoners of war.

   Within an hour of the end of the battle First Minister Coz sent ComStar command word that the 299th Division had attacked the Word of Blake Division taking over from them and their support staff had been killed in the cross-fire.  Coz also claimed that heavy damage had been done to the south side of Caph’s capital and that he would be claiming damages.  The HPG techs and support staff were taken off planet and shipped to the Word of Blake ROM Headquarters on Mars for indoctrination in the Word of Blake‘s beliefs, the few who did not turn were thrown in prison two kilometres under the Martian surface.  ComStar log an official protest with Caph’s government and with the SLDF but nothing real happens for now.

Devil’s Advocates Mercenary Command
Caph, Chaos March
12th September 3064

   The Devil’s Advocates Mercenary Command are able to get another message off Caph by using what little contacts they have on Caph.  Instead of contacting the Lyran Alliance again they choose to contact the MRBC direct on Outreach using a merchant JumpShip man and what little capital they have left.  They claim to have proof that the Word of Blake attack on the ComGuard Division was unprovoked and that the Word of Blake are attempting to gain control of the whole planet.

Jump Station Avellar’s Hope
Alpheratz, Zenith Point
Outworlds Alliance
14th September 3064

   Ninety percent of the time the Jump Station that served the Outworlds Alliance capitol system was a boring place where traders traded what little they had with passing businessmen and Alliance officials.  Shop Owner Robert ‘Bob’ Gibbs was a Alpheratz national who had always dreamed of going to the stars and making his fortune.  He had tried at the Outworlds Alliance Military Corps (AMC) twice and been rejected twice, they said his hand-eye coordination was nowhere near high enough for him to be in the military.  Instead he had bought a shop on the JumpShip Recharge Station and tried to make a living for five long years.  Little happened there and Bob was ready to give up when in 3060 Cassius Lawson made contact with him and offered Bob another way to make money.  Cassius served ComStar, or so he said, and ComStar was a well trusted agency in the Outworlds Alliance so Bob had been interested.  The job was simple Bob kept an eye on who was entering the system and reported anything unusual back to his contact, in return he got three hundred C-Bills a month tax free even if he reported nothing.  This arrangement technically made Bob an agent of an outside organisation but he didn’t care it allowed him to stay in space and it hurt no-one.

   The morning of the 14th however something interesting happened the AMC security guards arrived in force and locked down the station beginning intense questioning of everyone.  After about sixteen hours they released the lock-down but kept a high presence.  Near midnight the reason for the sudden increase of scrutiny became apparent as a new type of JumpShip entered the system, everyone was talking about the vessel then it started to move in-system something JumpShips couldn’t normally do.  Bob knew exactly what it was when he had been a child his parents had bought him dozens of space books many spoke of leviathans of the deep that travelled into systems and could fight in space, they were known as WarShips.  Bob had never seen a WarShip before but as the vessel moved into the system he knew that was what he had seen a WarShip, a shiver ran through his body the AMC would never be able to afford one of these titans or have the strength to field one, who owned it?  And what were they doing here?

   The AMC security folk didn’t seem bothered by the vessel’s appearance and joined it heading in system and soon left the station.  An hour after they left Bob transmitted his information to his contact and by the end of the week the organisation he believed was ComStar knew of the vessel’s appearance in the system.  In fact Bob was working for the Word of Blake since the two organisations worked the same way the man from the Periphery never knew he was betraying his nation to a foe that could potentially harm them.

   Across the Alliance and Alpheratz Inner Sphere Intelligence Agents soon got hold of information similar to what Bob had reported confirming the information and letting the entire Inner Sphere know there was an unknown WarShip in the Outworlds Alliance.

   As far as the government of the Alliance was concerned this was a great day, the beginning of a new friendship and alliance with Clan Snow Raven, the WarShip Clan.  By the end of the week the Alliance Government had agreed to supply the Snow Ravens from several worlds in exchange the Snow Ravens would help them hunt for pirate forces and help the Outworlds Alliance build its first OmniFighter the Corax.

Devil’s Advocates Mercenary Command
Caph, Chaos March
16th September 3064

   The Devil’s Advocates do not have to wait long for a reply from the MRBC, Wolf’s Dragoons deploy the WarShip Beowulf to secure the system’s Jump Point and a pair of Wolf’s Dragoons JumpShips enter via a pirate point landing elements of Wolf’s Dragoons Alpha Regiment on the planet and help the Devil’s Advocates evacuate.

   The Word of Blake claim the Devil’s Advocates are criminals and pirates and that they have been found guilty by the Caph Government of crimes against humanity.  When Wolf’s Dragoons commander Colonel Maeve Wolf refuses to release the Devil’s Advocates the Word of Blake force attacks the mercenary force on planet.  The Wolf’s Dragoons fight a rearguard mission while the Devil’s Advocates load aboard Dragoons DropShip’s and escape the Dragoons then follow suit and evacuate the planet.  Two days later the Word of Blake broadcast images of the white units of the First Division destroying the Wolf’s Dragoons Alpha Regiment claiming they defeated the Dragoons when the mercenaries tried to invade the planet expanding their empire centred around Outreach.  The Devil’s Advocates travel to Outreach intent on charging the Lyran Alliance for breach of contract and to try and figure out a way to pay back the debts owed to the Wolf’s Dragoons.  The Dragoons meanwhile begin to see the Word of Blake for what they truly are and Supreme Commander Jamie Wolf begins to take steps to end the threat posed by the Word of Blake to the free worlds of the Chaos March, because the Dragoons do not trust ComStar almost as much as they hate the Word of Blake the Dragoons take actions totally independent of ComStar.

[Dragon Cat]

The Outback (Periphery)
Federated Suns, Crucis March
28th September 3064

   The Nova Cat Guiding Vision, a Carrack Merchant-class Transport, entered the Federated Suns full of supplies with the vessel is the Pathfinder, another Carrack-Merchant, the Nova Cats say the Pathfinder is carrying security personnel and more supplies the Nova Cat Merchants will want to trade with the Federated Suns.  The truth is more shocking however the Pathfinder, used to be a Nova Cat vessel, now it is a Diamond Shark vessel.  The Diamond Sharks have entered into a secret pact with the Nova Cats and will keep the dealings with the Federated Suns secret like the Nova Cats are, in turn the Diamond Sharks are able to sample further Inner Sphere markets increasing the possible markets they have available to them.  The two Clans keep the information secret from the Federated Suns in fear that they would not accept two Clans being in their territory.

Small World
Federated Suns, Capellan March
5th October 3064

   Following months of secret negotiations with the Federated Suns Capellan March the Duchy of Small, two worlds on the Chaos March/Federated Suns border, agree to return to Federated Suns rulership.  Current leaders of the worlds the Hasiendorfs are as promised made Federated Suns nobility, although they are looked down upon by other nobles because of their former status as citizens of the Chaos March.  Field Marshal George Hasek moves Alpha Regiment of the Twelfth Vega Mercenary Brigade to Small World and Ingress to ensure there are no troubles during the transfer of power.  A slight skirmish against an unknown mercenary force is reported on Ingress but the force slips away and is not seen from after the first engagement.

Royal Compound
Tian-Tan, St Ives
St Ives Compact
10th October 3064

   On the first leg of what would be a whirlwind tour of the Inner Sphere Precentor Martial, of ComStar, Anastasius Focht had travelled to St Ives the capitol system of the St Ives Compact.  Arriving at the Royal Compound he had been accepted in the Royal Palace by the Allard-Liao family and been taken to an auxiliary meeting room in the Palace as he waited for Duchess Candice Allard-Liao, Prime Minister of the St Ives Compact to arrive.

   The Duchess of St Ives arrived in the room about thirty minutes later with her son Duke Kai Allard-Liao standing beside her although in her late-seventies but every time Anastasius met Candice Allard-Liao he was in a slight awe, Candice had aged very gracefully and held herself with a great amount of dignity.  “Precentor-Martial I am pleased to see you again, and glad we do not have Confederation forces breathing down our necks this time.”  She said greeting him, the last time he had been here was to negotiate the end of the St Ives/Capellan Confederation Conflict, every day he had been here the fighting had continued until the last where the Confederation surprisingly left.  According to reports a St Ives hired mercenary unit had executed an attack against the Confederation and threatened to do the same to Sian, although the Compact had publicly denied any knowledge of such a force or threat Focht guessed they know something about what had saved their fate.  Anastasius had not been made aware of the attack or the force involved and had never been shown exactly what forces had been used.

   “We are, however, concerned by the forces you have in system Precentor, four WarShips, it looks awfully like an invasion force.”  Kai said cautiously remaining behind his mother who didn’t look amused at her son’s tone.

   “No need to worry Duke Kai, ComStar have no invasion plans for the immediate future” Anastasius said smiling, ‘wait a couple of years and you’ll see what an invasion looks like’ he though silently.  “The First Circuit believes I need a protection ring around me, with the Word of Blake becoming ever more adventurous, so I have three WarShips nearly permanently attached to my side.  That is why we have such a force in system.”

   “But there are four vessels in your party.  Are you saying that the fourth vessel is not ComStar?”  Kai asked becoming worried.

   “I am, however, you do not need to worry about the fourth vessel.  It is a St Ives Compact vessel, the Geneva.”  Anastasius said smiling broadly seeing their confusion “three years ago ComStar presented the Star League Defence Force with the Unity City, an Artemis-class Diplomatic Escort Vessel, now keeping with our promise we are presenting the St Ives Compact and the Free Rasalhague Republic with such vessels as well.”

   “We cannot accept” Candice said much to Kai’s horror “we have no facilities for such a vessel nor would I want a vessel of war in our realm.  We are dedicated to our own defence not conquest.”

   “I understand that fully, Duchess, however payment for the vessel can be arranged for as long as you wish.  ComStar is willing to offer full maintenance for the vessel and a crew temporarily until you are able to train up sufficient crew of your own.  Also the Artemis-class is not designed for conquest, in a military capacity its best use would be courier or scout, it has little capital weapons that could threaten a major WarShip.  We present this vessel to allow you to travel the Inner Sphere in perfect safety and to allow you to escape this world should anyone come looking to harm you.”  Anastasius said, if they took this vessel to war it would be suicide when faced with another WarShip.  If the St Ives Compact did not want the vessel then he would offer it to the Federated Suns, they were nearby and more than likely to accept a WarShip as a gift.

   “Mother, we should accept, it would take our military closer to the other Inner Sphere nations and it would secure your travel arrangements for the foreseeable future.  We will have to work out maintenance and repairs with ComStar but I believe we need this vessel.”  Kai said moving forward standing alongside his mother.

   “Very well” she said to Kai then turning to Anastasius “we accept the Geneva into the St Ives Compact Military, ComStar has our thanks.  Now would you like to travel with us to the Star League Conference?”  She asked, if they left soon they would reach Luthien in plenty of time for the next Whitting Conference and the next election of the First Lord.

   “Yes, I have the Terra with me to take for my journey back and most of the way we will have my other escort vessels as well, we should be plenty safe.  And I will be able to show you around your new nations vessel.”  Anastasius Focht said an that was it, no ceremony or messing around, just a simple hand-over the details could be worked out later.

[Dragon Cat]

Parliament Buildings
Orestes, Free Rasalhague Republic
15th October 3064

   Five days later Precentor Tharkad (Lyran Alliance) Gavin Dow arrived in the Free Rasalhague Republic capitol system and gave the Free Rasalhague people their first WarShip the Hilton Head.  Elected-Prince Regent Christian Mansdotter accepted the vessel from ComStar and praised the organisation for its continued dedication to the defence of the Free Rasalhague Republic and his people.  He then proceeded to hold Gavin Dow on Orestes for a further five days as they hammered out the full contract for maintenance and training of a crew for the vessel and then he presented the Precentor Tharkad to the public of Orestes, who were normally slightly hostile to ComStar personnel, today they gave him and the vessel he was presenting them with a rousing cheer.

Aten Royal Residence
New Glasgow, Skye
Skye Province, Lyran Alliance
2nd November 3064

   With the Star League Conference about to start on Luthien the citizens of Skye roused up by the Free Skye Movement stage a Pro-Independence March in the capital city of New Glasgow.  This march although completely peaceful in nature is massive and it takes the whole attention of the Thirty-sixth Lyran Guards RCT which had been redeployed to the planet from Hesperus II following the Skye Jaegers move to Ko in the Lyon’s Thumb worlds.

   With most of the Thirty-sixth deployed securing core manufacturing, government and military instillations a twenty ton military APC drives straight into the gates of the Aten family’s Royal Residence.  Although the APC fails to breach the gates it does bring a lot of attention to the front gates allowing a group of four soldiers dressed in Kage Battle Armour to cross the gates and enter the residence.

   Once over the wall the Kage armoured troopers were methodical entering each room of the palace and opening fire with Support Machine Gun fire.  The Guards who had been looking at the crashed APC were all instantly killed when the APC detonated itself destroying the vehicle, the gate house and thirty guards in a massive fireball.  The assassins found Duchess Margaret Aten in her bedroom killing the Skye leader with a burst of ten machine gun rounds.  Duchess Ilse Aten, Margaret’s eldest daughter, was killed in the corridor running to her mother with a snapped neck.  Unable to find the third target the assassin team left the residence without further incident, the only reason they were ever discovered was the residence security cameras and sensors.

   Upon hearing the news Skye began a national state of mourning and were thankful for the survival of Harmione Aten, the youngest of the Aten family, attending the opening of an art exhibit at the other side of the capital.  The people of Skye turn on the Thirty-sixth Lyran Guards blaming them for the attack on the palace, before the camera footage is made public, the Thirty-sixth initiate a martial law order on the planet of Skye until the public have calmed down.

Third Whitting Conference, Star League Council Chambers
Imperial City, Luthien
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
7th November 3064

   With the attack on Skye filtering through the Lyran Delegation refuse to attend the opening day of the Third Whitting Conference as Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion continued to receive information on the attack and suspected attackers.  The Lyran Authorities outside her inner circle suspect Draconis Combine involvement, none not know that she is the one responsible for the attack.

   Instead of the normal opening speeches of the Conference Colonel Neil Campbell, commander of the Royal Black Watch Regiment, announces the Royal Black Watch has begun expanding beyond Regimental strength.  He announces that during the fighting against Clan Ghost Bear, with First Lord Hohiro Kurita, he felt that his regiment was lacking in certain areas.  So the Royal Black Watch will add a Battle Armour Battalion, similar to other units of the Star League, and an Aerospace Wing.  These changes are to help the Royal Black Watch cover all threats to the future First Lords.  He also announces that the Royal Black Watch will now begin actively defending the First Lord’s family as well as the First Lord, following the assassination of Omiko Kurita.

   With these changes and the ever increasing Strength of the Star League Defence Force Chancellor Sun Tzu-Liao brings up the question of funding and Commanding-General Morgan Hasek-Davion confirms that the Star League will expect the Succession Lords to make a minimal increase of funding for the League to be able to complete these increases in strength.  Sun Tzu-Liao suggests that instead of further draining the current members of the Star League dry of capital that they increase the size of the Star League and nominates the Magistracy of Canopus for Star League Membership.  The Free Worlds League leader, Thomas Marik, seconds this call and adds the Word of Blake for Star League Membership and the Free Rasalhague Republic points out that ComStar has been defending the Inner Sphere since the start of the Star League nominating them.  Because the Lyran leader is missing the official vote for new members is postponed for three days.
 
Imperial Palace Gardens
Kurita Family Grave, Luthien
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
9th November 3064

   Leaving the guest quarters of the Royal Palace Victor Steiner-Davion had taken his Bushido Katana and Wakazashi, ceremonial weapons of the Draconis Combine with him he rarely wore these nowadays.  Gifted to him on Outreach all those years ago when Theodore Kurita, father of present leader Hohiro, named Victor and Kai Allard-Liao Samurai following their actions against the Clans to protect all the Inner Sphere.  Since that day he had worn the blades only twice, the leader of the Federated Suns could not wear such pro-Draconis Combine weapons publicly at home and expect to be leader the next day.

       Today however was special he was in the home of the bushido and the samurai and he was paying respect to a fallen member of the Kurita family.   At first the guards standing over the Kurita family’s resting place would not allow him to enter, especially since they knew who exactly who he was, Victor thought it almost laughable that once upon a time he'd been welcome in this house.  Hohiro Kurita soon arrived and found Victor sitting in one of the courtyards adjacent to the graveyard area in silence minus any guards completely trusting in the Kurita Household.  Sitting opposite Victor Hohiro looked over at the First Prince, Victor had been tactful and not worn AFFS uniform or anything that promoted his realm instead a simple black business suit, now he sat his bushido, the katana and wakazashi, held in his hand in front of him, his eyes only seeing the blades.  “Why did you come here Victor?”

   “Someone I loved has died, I wanted to pay my respects to the fallen.”  Victor said his eyes never leaving the blades.

   “She was of Kurita blood, you could have never had a future with her, you knew that you could not be with her which is why you married someone else.”  Hohiro said not even mentioning Danai’s name, it didn’t seem appropriate, especially considering the topic, although Hohiro had dissuaded the relationship between Victor and Omi he had been very surprised and slightly angry Victor had been able to move on so quickly following the end of the Clan War and the couples break-up.

   “I know there was no future between myself and your sister, Omi…”  His voice drifted off as he looked up at Hohiro, although the Draconis Combine Coordinator wore a blank stare he could see the hurt in his eyes.  “…we both knew there was no future.  But we loved each other, we would have been life long friends even if our nations came to blows.  And even though I thank the universe for every day I have with Danai, I curse everyday that Omiko is no longer with us.  May I pay my respects to your sister?”  Victor asked raising lowering the swords to his side.

   “You may” Hohiro said quietly “the guards will not stop you this time.”  He said as Victor began to move “I see you still carry the bushido.”  He said observing Victor for a moment.

   “Your father honoured Kai and myself on Outreach, I would not dishonour his grave by appearing without the honour he bestowed on me.”  Victor said moving past Hohiro quietly entering the graveyard.  Victor stood in front of Omiko’s grave for several minutes his head lowered muttering quietly, Hohiro watching from the gates was unable to hear what he said but Victor then moved to Hohiro‘s father‘s grave and gave the grave deep samurai style bow before standing up straight and leaving the grave.  Hohiro watched the First Prince leave and realised that this was not the same Victor Steiner-Davion he had fought with during the Clan War, the First Prince of the Federated Suns seemed far older now than he had ever seemed during those battles.  Hohiro wondered silently if he would show such respect to Victor’s family graves if he ever saw them before today he probably would not have however Victor had shown respect Hohiro would return this someday.
 
Third Whitting Conference, Star League Council Chambers
Imperial City, Luthien
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
10th November 3064

   The Succession Lords began the vote for increasing the size of the Star League.  First the Free Worlds League voted the Word of Blake for status which was quickly seconded by the Capellan Confederation securing the Word of Blake a position in three years if all checks passed inspection.

   Next the Capellans nominated the Magistracy of Canopus which the Free Worlds League seconded returning the Capellan support with the Word of Blake.

   The Free Rasalhague Republic then voted ComStar into a position as well intent on balancing out the Word of Blake seat the Draconis Combine, another long term ally of the ComGuards, supported the Free Rasalhague Republic’s nomination.

   The three new organisations/organisations would have three years to prove that they deserved to be accepted as a full-term member of the Star League.  During those three years Star League Intelligence Command (SLIC) would check into all three ensuring that they were not acting against the best interest of the Star League or the Inner Sphere as a whole.

[Dragon Cat]

Third Whitting Conference, Star League Council Chambers
Imperial City, Luthien
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
11th November 3064

   Nominations began early in the day with Victor Steiner-Davion nominating Duchess Candice Allard-Liao, or the St Ives Compact, for position as First Lord surprising everyone in the room.  The St Ives Compact was the second smallest of the Succession States and under constant threat from the Capellan Confederation, having the Star League’s backing would defend them against all foes their neighbours could field against them.  For a start there was no other nominations and it appeared that Candice would win an uncontested march to First Lordship.  Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion however had other ideas nominating the Free Rasalhague Republic leader Elected-Prince Regent Christian Mansdotter for the position.  Katrina eloquently pointed out that the Republic had been nearly swallowed by the Clans and that since the Truce of Tukayyid was quickly approaching its end and soon the Free Rasalhague Republic would face the full threat of Clan Wolf and Jade Falcon as the race for Terra renewed among the Crusader Clans.  With no-more nominations it would be a straight battle between the St Ives Compact and the Free Rasalhague Republic.

   Because he nominated them Victor Steiner-Davion put the Federated Suns vote behind the St Ives Compact.

   Not wanting his aunt to gain power before he had a chance at the crown Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao placed the Capellan vote behind the Free Rasalhague Republic.

   Always wanting the Capellans to be watching their back Captain-General Thomas Marik put his support and the Free Worlds League support behind the St Ives Compact brining the St Ives Compact into the lead at two-to-one.

   A St Ives victory was not to be however as both Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion and Coordinator Hohiro Kurita placed their support behind the Free Rasalhague Republic brining the vote to 3-2 in favour of the Republic and making Elected-Prince Regent Christian Mansdotter the third First Lord of the Second Star League.
 
Third Whitting Conference, Star League Council Chambers
Imperial City, Luthien
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
12th November 3064

   With a new First Lord elected as leader of the Star League the Third Star League Conference was almost over however there were a couple of things that still needed to be addressed.  First was information concerning the attack on Skye just before the beginning of the Conference and the assassinations of Margaret and Ilse Aten.  Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion stood at her table and addressed the other Succession Lords “Lords of the Inner Sphere Lyran Intelligence has uncovered evidence that the assassins that attacked the noble house on Skye, inside the Lyran realm were either members of, or sponsored by, House Kurita.”  There were several shocked expressions around the table, however, Coordinator Hohiro Kurita made no move of shock or surprise.  Allowing Katrina to continue.  “The LIC have analysed the Internal Camera footage of the Aten Household and the sensor logs of four Mechs from the Thirty-fourth Lyran Guards who were en-route to deal with the attack.”  She said holding up a still picture of four black Kage Battle Armour suits walking down the inside of a building gunning down everyone in their path.  “As the Draconis Combine leader was First Lord when this attack was conducted.  I call for immediate action to be taken against House Kurita and the DCMS.”  Christian Mansdotter raised his hands slightly and Katrina shut up hoping for action from the Rasalhague leader, his tiny nation needed all the help it could get, siding with her would strengthen his position as First Lord and show the Star League had some power.

   “We will wait for Coordinator Kurita to answer these claims before making any judgment.”  Christian Mansdotter said he realised that Katrina was trying to use the Star League to harm the Combine and although he was tempted to agree with her he wanted to try and flex his muscles First Lord slightly by giving the DCMS leader a say in the proceedings.  “Coordinator Kurita, if you would like to answer these claims please do.”

   “Thank you First Lord.  First I would like to point out that the Draconis Combine has sold several dozen Kage suits over the years, these could be in use with one of these customers”  Hohiro knew that was unlikely almost all the mercenaries who used Kage Armour still worked for the Draconis Combine. “And I would ask how the Lyran leader can live with her people’s actions and then support them at this council?”  Hohiro said Victor Steiner-Davion and Morgan Hasek-Davion both chuckled slightly seeing Katrina’s face when Hohiro spoke.  Hohiro did not, however, allow the Lyran Archon to speak “one of her nobles strikes down an innocent of another noble family, from another realm at that, and she ignores it.  Then when someone strikes back she attacks.”  Hohiro picked up a document “in this document there are receipts and explicit instructions to kill my sister.  These are signed and dated” Katrina quelled a small smile the assassin she had sent to the Draconis Combine to kill Omiko Kurita had no such documents “they are signed by Margaret Aten herself and dated three weeks before the assassination was conducted here on Luthien.  ISF have also been able to track the assassins trip into the Draconis Combine via the Free Rasalhague Republic using a commercial transport under ComStar’s colours.  As the leader of a State are responsible for the actions of their military and citizens, their especially nobility, I would ask if the Star League Council will also be charging the Lyran Alliance and ComStar for hiring and transporting the assassin?”  Katrina stared at Hohiro angrily she could not claim she knew the assassin contract documents and transport documents were fabricated because the other leaders would know she knew more about it than she claimed, her brother may even use it to claim control of the Lyran Alliance back, that she could not afford.

   “Archon Steiner?”  Christian Mansdotter repeated Katrina realised he had said her name twice already as she was lost in thought she closed her eyes composing herself then looked to the First Lord.

   “Yes, First Lord?”

   “Do you wish to continue actions to call for a vote in brining charges against the Draconis Combine?” he left out ‘and ComStar and the Lyran Alliance’ because he knew that Hohiro would immediately call for such a vote which would throw out the entire argument.

   “No, First Lord, the Lyran Alliance withdraws their charge against the Draconis Combine and offered its sincere apologies to House Kurita.”  She said sitting down angrily.

   “If that is all?”  Mansdotter asked, there were no more questions “then this Star League Council is ended.  I hope to see you all alive and well at the Fourth Whitting Conference in three years on Orestes inside the Free Rasalhague Republic.”  He said, as was the new tradition of the Star League the conference would move around the Inner Sphere until Terra was returned to Star League control, an unlikely possibility with the Word of Blake in firm control of the Sol System.

SLS Covenant (Covenant-class Heavy Cruiser)
Luthien System, Nadir Point
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
16th November 3064
 
   As soon Morgan Hasek-Davion arrived back on his WarShip sitting at the Nadir point of the Luthien System he began drafting orders for the Twenty-first Rim Worlds Regimental Brigade and the Avatars of Death Brigade, both were part of the newly formed Blue Star Irregulars Division (Third Royal Division).  These orders moved both units to the Lyran Alliance/Draconis Combine border.  He also drafted orders for the Eridani Light Horse Regiments based on Dieron to prepare to move in case of major trouble.

[Dragon Cat]

Jade Falcon Occupation Zone/Lyran Alliance Border
Arc-Royal Defence Cordon
Pandora Theatre, Lyran Alliance
19th November 3064

   To everyone’s surprise Clan Jade Falcon renew their incursions into the Lyran Alliance a bare six months after the end of their last incursion.  This time it seems they are only after reclaiming the lost territory from the first Incursion.   Jade Falcon units attack the three words the forces of Duke Morgan Kell and Khan Phelan Kell liberated.  They land the Jade Falcon Guards on Graus who face off against the Sixteenth Wolf Guards Cluster of Clan Wolf (in-Exile).  In a titanic battle in which neither Clan force uses Clan duelling rules the Sixteenth are effectively destroyed by the Jade Falcon Guards its survivors taken as bondsmen to Clan Jade Falcon.

   On Blair Atoll the Jade Falcons encounter the Twenty-third Arcturan Guards RCT a veteran unit only recently relocated there by Morgan Kell.  After a decade and a half of combat against the former-Federated Commonwealth RCTs the Jade Falcons are well aware of the destructive potential of an RCT, especially a combat blooded one such as the Twenty-third Arcturan Guards.  The Jade Falcon Khan leads the attack taking her own Turkina Keshik, the First Falcon Hussars Cluster and the Ninth Talon Cluster to the world with three WarShips in support.

   Khan Marthe Pryde initiated a Batchall as it the tradition of the Clans and the traditional minded Jade Falcons in particular.  “This is Khan Marthe Pryde, commander of the Turkina Keshik, vanquisher of Wolves and Steel Vipers.  We are here to reclaim the territory that was taken from us.  Who occupies this world and its population?”  Not expecting a reply she ordered the WarShips sitting just outside orbit to destroy anything that tried to run from the planet.

   “This is Major General Nadine Killson commander of the Twenty-third Arcturan Guards Regimental Combat Team of the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces.  We DEFEND this world and its Lyran population and will do so with our full force.  Any attempt to land on this world will be resisted and safcon will not be recognised.  If you want to face us in combat the RCT is based at the southern polar region, far from any civilian area to minimise collateral damage and any unneeded waste.”  The Lyran ground commander replied a few minutes later just as the DropShips were entering the atmosphere.  Already two aerospace fighter wings containing thirty six fighters were engaged with the Jade Falcon fighters and DropShips.  On the sensor screen Marthe could see three Leopard CV-class Aerospace Fighter DropShips and two Claymore-class Assault DropShips closing on the battle quickly.  This would a tough battle however she would answer the General’s reply.

   “Major General Killson, you honour us with your choice of location, you will make a good bondswoman when I have defeated your forces.  The Turkina Keshik, with one Elite Trinary, the First Falcon Hussars Cluster and the Ninth Talon Cluster, both containing three Veteran Trinaries each, will soon be with you.”

   “Well Khan Pryde, I have eight regiments of hurt waiting for them.”  Killson replied “and I won’t be your bondswoman, if anything you’ll be mine. Killson out.”  Nadine Killson replied almost immediately, Marthe Pryde was beginning to like this woman for a freebirth she certainly had spirit.  She keyed in a communication to all the Jade Falcons under her direct command today “Jade Falcons, they do not wish to fight us honourably.  We will have to fight to a landing zone and expect them to be waiting as we land.  Do your Clan proud and watch as the Lyrans scream with terror as they hear the Jade Falcon shrike!”  She said shutting down the system and without another word head to the Mechbay and her OmniMech, a seventy ton Summoner (Inner Sphere Designation: Thor).

   Nearly thirty minutes later the surviving Jade Falcons were landing on the frozen tundra of Blair Atoll.  They had lost on Union-C-class DropShip carrying a full Trinary of the Ninth Talon and over half of their fighters fighting off the Lyran Aerospace defenders but the Jade Falcons had emerged victorious and landed on Blair Atoll.

   Sixteen hours later the battle ended with Marthe Pryde’s limping Summoner was one of the few OmniMechs still moving under its own power.  Both Jade Falcon Clusters had been devastated with close to seventy percent material loss and eighty percent warrior cost.  The Jade Falcons took the remains of the Twenty-third Arcturan including a badly injured Major General Nadine Killson as Bondsmen and women making up for some of their losses and the Inner Sphere tech salvaged from battle would serve the Jade Falcons greatly in their second-line forces.  The saddest thing about this battle was just as the battle was ending several DropShips tried to make a run for it and ran straight into the Jade Falcon WarShip blockade.  The WarShips mercilessly gunned down the DropShips, which were all civilian and included two Monarch-class Passenger Liners with families on-board, and marked them down as casualties of war.

   In the Antares system the Jade Falcons experienced their worse losses.  They expected to find the Nineteenth Striker Regiment of the Eridani Light Horse in the system so they dispatched the First and Third Swoop Clusters of Alpha Galaxy with the Jade Solahma Cluster there to provide support if it was required.  Also included in the force was the WarShip Lightning Strike, a Vincent Mk 42-class Corvette, although not the most imposing vessel ever the Corvette‘s guns could easily swat aside the incoming Transport DropShips.

   Instead of only the Nineteenth Striker they encountered the Nineteenth Striker Regiment, the 244th Division of ComStar’s Seventh Army and the Eridani Light Horse Congress-class Frigate SLS Shining Claw.  The Lightning Strike quickly found itself hopelessly outgunned by the heavier and better armed Shining Claw and was quickly dispatched by the Star League WarShip.  The three Jade Falcon Clusters charged towards the planet hoping to outrun the Star League WarShip and hoping that it would not use naval weapons fire on their ground forces.

   On the ground the Jade Falcon commanders immediately called the Jade Solahma Cluster into action as well and immediately got to work on the two defending units concentrating on the lesser experienced unit the 244th they soon reduced it to a mere skeleton form of what it was.  This fight did however expose their flanks allowing the Nineteenth Striker to make a extremely destructive assault against the First Swoop Cluster crushing the Jade Falcon Cluster.  The counter attack from the Third Swoop and the Jade Solahma Cluster cut down two full Battalions of Eridani Light Horse before the Nineteenth and the remaining ComGuards could retreat.  With reports coming in that the Jade Falcons had launched a full assault into the captured territories Eridani Light Horse commander Colonel Paul Calvin called for an evacuation and the DropShips that had been secure on the planets moon landed quickly and picked up the remains of the Nineteenth Striker and the 244th Division, which had likewise decided enough was enough.  The two units rendezvoused with the Shining Claw and their JumpShips and made a hasty retreat heading back to Dieron surrendering Antares back to the Jade Falcons.  Commanding-General Hasek-Davion and ComGuard Precentor-Martial Focht decided to merge the 244th Division with the Nineteenth Striker brining the Eridani Light Horse Regiment back-up to just over half strength.  The new Nineteenth Striker vowed to return to Antares and take its revenge on the Jade Falcons but the Commanding-General vetoed such plans until the regiment was back up to full strength.

Jade Falcon/Clan Wolf Territory
Clan Occupation Zones
27th November 3064

   Although they had recovered all worlds lost to the Lyrans there was every indication that the Jade Falcons were preparing for further assaults against the Lyran Alliance when Clan Wolf decided to launch its own series of Trials of Possession for Jade Falcon Worlds seizing Steelton, Persistence, Winfield, Quarell (the second closest Jade Falcon World to Terra) and Jabuka (the closest Jade Falcon Worlds to Terra).  On Jabuka the Wolves destroy the Fourth Falcon Dragoons Cluster and the Gyrfalcon Solahma Cluster with little loss to themselves proving that Clan Wolf are back.  Marthe Pryde orders her own Clan to secure the three retaken worlds then rebuild lost units moving Clusters into the weakened Delta Galaxy.  The Jade Falcons begin planning another offensive this time against Clan Wolf.

[Dragon Cat]

Watch Cluster DropShip Vanguard
High Orbit, Strana Mechty
Kerensky Cluster, Clan Homeworlds
4th December 3064

   Leaving their WarShip at the Nadir point the Nova Cat DropShip Vanguard carrying the Watch Cluster, the saKhan and Yvonne had burned into the Strana Mechty system.  Three times the vessel had been challenged by other Clans wanting to know what the vessel was? And, possibly more importantly, what its capabilities were?  When they discovered that the vessel was of Nova Cat origin there was veiled threats against the Nova Cat Clan but no challenges, they would respect the Nova Cats superior Naval experience and attack them on the ground.

   Entering orbit Canin and Yvonne entered the DropShips forward observation lounge as the vessel began a slow roll before entering the planets atmosphere.  Artificial Gravity was marginal at best under these conditions so both wore gravity slippers over their shoes or boots, the slippers had magnets on them giving better grip against the decking during zero-g moments.

   On the trip here Canin and Yvonne had acted like a married couple and been all over each other every minute they were not on duty.  The Watch Cluster already highly experienced with Inner Sphere citizens had taken in Yvonne like any other outsider and had treated their marriage with more interest that anger or aggression.  They both knew however that Strana Mechty would not be so forgiving and that Yvonne would be a simple freeborn administrator once they landed.  The Watch Cluster personnel and DropShip crew had also been sworn to secrecy as well, hopefully the secret could be kept long enough for the Nova Cats to complete their short mission and get off the Clan Capitol World.  “There it is, Strana Mechty, capital of the Clans and birthplace of the Clans.”  Canin said pointing at the world a largely landlocked world there was only a small portion of the planet dedicated to water, which were held in several small landlocked seas, the word was the complete opposite of the Nova Cats new capital New Barcella.

   “It does not look much.”  Yvonne said flatly Canin looked at her not angry but curious.

   “All the way here you were asking me questions of Strana Mechty and reading data on the world and all you can say is ’it does not look much’ are you trying to wind me up?”  He asked a small smile creeping onto his face.

   “Oh look the city!” Yvonne said almost like a child seeing Katayusha City for the first time as the city appear over the horizon as the Vanguard manoeuvred.

   Katayusha City was the city the Nova Cats had based the design of Philip Drummond City on at its centre was a five pointed star, Old Katayusha was an area that had grown around the city was almost as big.  In all the City was over around sixty Kilometres in diameter and could rival any city in the Inner Sphere for size and presence.  At the cities centre was the Clan’s Primary Genetic Repository, where samples of the DNA of every Clan Warrior who had ever lived were kept.  Canin had told her that the building itself covered a vault under the city buried so deep that it could survive a direct Nuclear strike from the most powerful weapon ever created by man.

   In orbit directly above the city there were WarShip and DropShip servicing and construction yards and all over the place there were military DropShips and fighters intermingled with merchant and scientific DropShips a scene the same as seen on hundreds of different worlds.  “Now I’m beginning to feel impressed.”  Yvonne said quietly Canin looked over at her and shook his head noticing a small smile creep onto her lips she was messing with him again.  Ever since they had married Yvonne had been constantly testing his Clan beliefs, Canin found it annoying at times but also very entertaining as well.

   “Just a flying visit today.  We land you go off to the civilian administration sector with the orders and I head for the Hall of the Khans to see the Wolf leader.”

   “How do you think they will take the challenge?”  She asked, civilians of the lower caste did not normally ask such things but Canin was beginning to get used to her constant questions of the unknown.

   “Anger and aggression.  The Wolves will not like us trying to take something out of their genetic pool, especially not something they gained in combat but they will accept it eventually and then we will have a fight on our hands.  Knowing normal Wolf response to such a thing I will need the full Cluster and maybe some elements of the other Nova Cats in the Homeworlds.”  He said quietly, hopefully it would not escalate but he was willing to use all three Galaxies in the Homeworlds if he had to.  “Then we will have a trial, a location and a date.”

   “Then once you have won?”

   “If we win, we head to Barcella and ensure the Oathmaster can handle claiming all Wolf Genetic Material we are entitled to then we head for Arc-Royal for phase two.”

   “What if I need some things transferred from here to the Den?”  She asked not phased in the slightest by his mentioning of a Lyran world, she knew they Nova Cats were not invading Arc-Royal only claiming the Wolf (in-Exile) Genetic Material as well ensuring that the Nova Cats had full control over the Bloodname.

   “Make a list package it to the Oathmaster and the commanders on Barcella then they will take it next time they transfer back to the Den.”  He said as the Vanguard entered the atmosphere, the mission had begun.
   
Hall of the Khans
Clan Wolf Hall, Strana Mechty
Kerensky Cluster, Clan Homeworlds
4th December 3064

   An hour later the DropShip was secured at one of Strana Mechty’s many Spaceports and Canin had travelled to the Hall of the Khans first checking in on the Nova Cat Hall then heading to the Wolf Hall, he had not been in the Hall of the Khans before now and he felt it was an honour just to be in the Nova Cat Hall and now he was heading for another Clan’s Hall.  On the way to the Wolf Hall he was intercepted by the Nova Cat’s new Oathmaster, Zane Carns.  “Oathmaster, I am curious to know how you knew where to find me and what your purpose here is?”  Canin said stopping in one of the reception halls.  As far as he knew the Oathmaster was on Barcella tending to the Nova Cats only holdings remaining in the Homeworlds.

   “The Wolf will destroy us if we anger them.”  Zane said looking at Canin, there was no-way Zane could have known of the Nova Cat challenge to the Wolves only a select few Nova Cats knew and there had been no communication to Barcella about the challenge.

   “How?”  Canin asked covering both ‘how do you know I am challenging the Wolves?’ and ‘how will they destroy us?’

   “I had a vision.  It showed a nova cat attacking a wolf and savagely defeating it in combat, the wolf pack then chased the nova cat and destroyed not only the nova cat but its home and its young.”

   “My mission is to challenge the Wolves, Oathmaster, I will not fail in this mission.”

   “Of course not” Zane said dismissing failure with a flick of the wrist “however defeating the Wolves does not mean doing so militarily.  We could see what the Wolves want in exchange for our prize and deal with them with honour.”

   “What could the Wolves want from us?  We have little in the way of Homeworlds territory and we certainly will not let them know of the Den.”  Canin said his voice but a whisper.

   “I know this but perhaps the Wolves will be interested in something more material.  Nevertheless I suggest that we leave a fight to the last resort.”  Zane warned Canin could hear the threat in his voice but knew the Oathmaster was just looking out for the Clan’s best interest.  He nodded then continued down the corridor into the office of the Wolf Khans.

   The Wolf offices were very minimalist, perhaps even more so than most Canin had seen.  The room included a large wooden desk, four comfortable chairs, one placed behind the desk, and a Wolf Clan crest on the wall behind.  SaKhan Marialle Radick sat behind the desk, from what Canin knew of the Wolf Clan’s second-in-command she was like Canin before his dealings with the Watch and the people of the Inner Sphere an ardent Crusader.  According to rumour she was always looking for a way to get the Wolves to the forefront of Clan politics and military might.  Marialle did not even look up at Canin as he stepped into the room “what do you want?”  She asked, she sounded bored and not interested.

   “Some respect for a start.”  Canin said his voice devoid of emotion but firm Marialle’s head shot up as her entire body launched out of the chair to her feet.  Marialle was quite an attractive woman with long wavy blond hair allowed to grow, she had an athletic body and full breasts which she emphasised by wearing tight clothing.  Around her neck she had two golden chains and around her left fore arm was a coiled leather and fur band that overlapped several times as it circled the length of her arm from elbow to wrist.

   “Who the hell are you?”  She blurted out before realising that Canin was not just a symbol warrior and that he wore the insignia of the Nova Cat saKhan.  “saKhan?”

   “Canin Rosse, Clan Nova Cat” he said bowing his head slightly “should we start again?”

   “How the hell did you get in here?  That freebirth assistant knows better than to let someone important without announcement.”  Marialle said angrily.

   “Important? That is a start at least.” Canin muttered “He did not have much choice, I walked right past him.”  Canin said, he had done just that the lower-casteman now stood behind Canin looking worried.  “I am here to either negotiate for or challenge for a piece of Wolf property the lower-caste man had nothing to do with such business, I came to see you.  Now should we get down to business as a pair of saKhans or shall we continue cursing, I have all day.”  Canin said stepping closer sitting down on one of the seats, as he passed to the chair they passed very closely Canin could smell her perfume, something Clan Warriors rarely bothered with but Canin recognised because Yvonne always wore.

   “Of course, take a seat.”  Marialle said sitting down opposite smiling to cover her anger “Joshua shut the door, I will deal with you later!”  She shouted at the lower-casteman Canin knew the man was probably in trouble because of him but knew it would not be the first nor the last time that a freeborn Wolf had bothered the Wolf saKhan.  “What does the Nova Cat Clan want today?  Some help running from the Homeworlds again?  Or perhaps some ring seats to watch as brave Wolf warriors die in the Inner Sphere.”

   “It is not the Nova Cats’ fault that the invasion of the Inner Sphere has stalled, the Smoke Jaguars were too weak to have ever been allowed to join the Invasion, relying on Inner Sphere Mechs to defend their Homeworld was yet another sign that they were ready for annihilation and let us remember that soon the Tukayyid Truce will be over and invasion will begin again.”

   “True.”  Marialle said looking at Canin leaning over her desk at him, again he was covered by a wave from her perfume.  Canin guessed she did this to put Clan warriors in an uncomfortable position, as they were unfamiliar with such a strong scent, Canin had smelt far stronger however and sat there without a single motion.  Marialle leaned back in her chair realising the tactic was having no effect, she stood up and circled the desk leaning against the front of the table mere centimetres from Canin.  His initial thought on her had been correct, she was an attractive woman with a beautiful body and a willingness to use it to get what she wanted.  “So what do the Nova Cats want from the Wolf Clan today.”  She asked standing walking around Canin’s chair her fingers touching Canin’s braided uniform shoulders.

   “The Bloodhouse Leroux.”  Canin said getting straight to the point Marialle stopped fingering his uniform and walked back to her chair sitting down looking at him.

   “What happened to Karl Devalis?  I thought he was the Nova Cat saKhan.”  She said trying to get away from that topic to loose a Bloodhouse would not devastate a Clan but it would take some of the prestige away any Clan, even a minor house like the Lervoux house was for the Wolves.

   “He was.  He died in combat fighting against a group of Bandit Caste warriors.”

   “Bandit Caste?  I had heard no such report.”

   “It was not in Clan Space, so I am not surprised, I can forward you the data.”  Canin said the Nova Cats had falsified reports and locations creating data they could give the other Clans if asked. “The Bloodhouse Leroux?”  He said brining them back onto the topic and away from her trying to mislead him.

   “Why do you want a Widowmaker Bloodhouse?”  She asked naming the Clan that had originally owned the name before the Wolves had absorbed the Clan, its holdings and its Bloodnames centuries before.

   “The Nova Cats already control the Leroux Bloodname handed down from one of the original warriors of Nicholas Kerensky.  The Widowmakers also had a Leroux who helped guide their Clan’s genetic legacy.  The Wolves have controlled it since they were absorbed, the Wolves have rightly treated this name as a minor house as the Wolf Clan is a proud MechWarrior Clan.”  He noticed Marialle enjoyed hearing that both she and the Khan of the Wolves were MechWarriors as were most of the Galaxy and Cluster commanders.  “The Nova Cats have always had a strong Naval tradition and out WarShip fleet has always been given as much respect as our ground forces.  We want to honour and rejuvenate them with an influx of new genetic material.”  Canin said making his best case for the Nova Cats taking over the name as he could, the Nova Cats were still willing to fight for the Bloodname Legacy if it was required.

   “You are willing to trade for this, Quiaff?”  Marialle asked.

   “Aff, saKhan Radick.”

   “Call me Marialle” she said smiling Canin nodded and they got down to work negotiating.  Following six hours of negotiating the Wolf saKhan asked for the blueprints of the Nova Cat’s new Anna Rosse-class Battle-cruiser, information regarding the Stone Rhino Quad-OmniMech and a Cluster of Nova Cat OmniMechs.  Although Canin did not like giving another Clan access to the Anna Rosse-class due to the firepower available to the design compared to other modifications of the Avatar-class Cruiser, he saw it as a small price to pay for the information on the Lervoux Bloodhouse.  The same went for the Nova Cat OmniMech on his way to Strana Mechty he had found out the Diamond Sharks, Snow Ravens and Cloud Cobras had all won examples of the Mech in Trials of Possession so loosing it to the Wolves like this was a small price to pay.

Clan Nova Cat Administration Block Alpha
Svoboda Zemylya, Strana Mechty
Kerensky Cluster, Clan Homeworlds
4th December 3064

   When they had landed in Katayusha City Canin had told Yvonne that they would be entering the most protected and sacred place in all of Clan society and that no-one would allow her to slip up with the use of contractions or allow her to mention the Inner Sphere with anything but disdain.  He had also told her not to mention the Nova Cat’s Den or the new Nova Cat worlds outside their own Clan’s Administration area.

   Their small car had entered the Svoboda Zemylya and been stopped at the very first checkpoint.  The Svoboda Zemylya was a thirty kilometre diameter park that surrounded the Hall of the Khans and the Clan administration blocks.  The Black Armoured Elementals Guards had only allowed them to enter because of Canin’s rank and warned that his lower-castewoman better stick to the rules or else.  On their own again travelling into the park Canin had explained that they were the Ebon Keshik, the most elite force of all the Clans picked from the best warriors of the Clans for the sole duty of defending the Svoboda Zemylya and the Khans of the Clans.  And on these grounds their word was a strong as any of the Khans.

   When Canin had left Yvonne to go and see the Wolf Khan or saKhan, whomever was in residence, Yvonne had gone straight to the Nova Cat Administration Block there two Ebon Keshik Elementals had once again checked her identification tag ensuring she was authorised to enter the four storey building.  Canin had given her a document that upon handing it to the highest placed lower-castewoman in the building had placed her in charge and able to go anywhere in the building.  Several of the day-to-day workers in the administration block were openly hostile to Yvonne stating that she was no better than them and just because she was off gallivanting with the rest of the Clan did not put her at a higher position, ’if only they could know how high I am’ Yvonne thought quietly.  Although she knew she was only a civilian in a society dominated by the military she still held a MechWarrior rank and if need be she could and would defend herself.  Also she was married to the saKhan, something she and Canin would have to hide from the Clansmen here in the Clan Homeworlds, that position alone gave her the ear of the saKhan and the Khan and finally she was a member of the ruling family of the Federated Suns, an even bigger secret she would have to hide while here.

   For hours she had read though reports on what the Nova Cats had access to in the Homeworlds and what it was possible to acquire.  One thing that Yvonne had wanted was any equipment that could be used in a marine environment, mainly due to the water dominated New Barcella, the Nova Cats had little resources that would help with such things however the Goliath Scorpions had pioneered the Underwater-Manoeuvring Unit that propelled Undine Battle Armour under the water and they had developed several small submarines that could transport Cargo and Elementals over short distances.  Yvonne added them to the list and a couple of other things, she would suggest that the Nova Cats enter trials with the Goliath Scorpions for the equipment when she saw Canin next.  Some other things from Barcella, in the Homeworlds, were also ready to move to the Nova Cat’s Den.  One thing she did want to move was from this very building, in the basement of this very administration block the Nova Cats had a database on the whole Nova Cat Clan.  So far they had resisted moving it from the Homeworlds however Yvonne had another idea.  Instead of moving it she would suggest they copy it and take it with them.

   After almost eight years Canin walked into the office and crashed out on one of the comfortable sofas that was along the wall.  Yvonne grabbed him a cup of steaming coffee and closed the binds around the small compact office “you get what we need?”  She asked quietly stroking his arm in the privacy of the office.

   “Aff, the Wolf saKhan knows how to negotiate as well as fight.”  He said admiring the Wolf second-in-command slightly, Yvonne smelled the air and stood up.  “What is wrong?”

   “I can smell her on you.”  Yvonne said a tear running down her cheek she had feared this might happen, that the transition between being able to pick anyone they wanted at any point to being committed to one partner may be too much for Canin.

   “She has a very strong perfume.”  Canin said leaping to his feet putting his hands on her shoulders kissing her neck gently “nothing happened between us.”  He promised her “although I think she wanted something to happen, I never even thought about it.”  Yvonne turned back to him kissed him on the lips then moved away sitting behind the desk.  “You believe me, Quiaff?”

   “Aff” was her only answer as she got back to work, Canin shook his head and returned to the sofa laying back looking over at Yvonne who continued to work.  Over the next couple of days they finished what work that needed to be done on Strana Mechty then left the Clan Capitol heading for Barcella for a brief stop there before beginning the long journey back to the Inner Sphere.  Oathmaster Zane Carns could complete the trades with Clan Wolf and take custody of the Bloodhouse without Canin and Yvonne having to remain in Clan Space.  Leaving with Canin and Yvonne are the Homeworlds primary Garrison force Sigma Galaxy at the same time elements of Alpha Galaxy being to arrive.  The Khan would not arrive until mid-3065.

Borealis City
New Barcella, Open water
Nova Cat’s Den
28th December 3064

   As agreed the Federated Suns had sent the Nova Cats a specially modified Mammoth-class DropShip carrying three wet-navy vessels, one twelve thousand ton Persecutor-class Attack Submarine and two eight thousand-five hundred ton Rapier-class Patrol Destroyers.  Aboard the vessel were a crew trained to unload the vessels, the Nova Cats had taken steps ensuring that none of the Federated Suns personnel were allowed into the vessels bridge while it was in the New Barcella system ensuring they could not report back on the location or anything about the system.  The crew would be transferred aboard another vessel and shipped back to the Federated Suns ensuring any hidden recording devices aboard the vessel remained in Nova Cat control.

[Dragon Cat]

Hope you enjoyed 3064 into 3065

3065

Militia Base
Clovis, Draconis March
Federated Suns
4th January 3065

   After going AWOL from their Federated Suns base then causing havoc on Harrow’s Sun in the Draconis Combine then Royal in the Federated Suns the Graves’ Dancers Mercenary/Pirate force decided to test their luck with a deeper strike into the Federated Suns targeting the Clovis Militia for food, water and technical parts for their Mechs.

   Landing the Graves’ Dancers, led by Captain Jean Graves, just south of the main base under the cover of darkness their plan was simple break through one of the perimeter walls with the command lance distracting the defenders while the others moved in an secured vehicles and equipment for a half dozen techs to grab the vehicles and drive out.

   Unfortunately the plan did not go as Jean had planned it.  Phase One went perfectly with the command lance destroying the out rider defenders of the base and crushing an entire section of perimeter fence and one of the guard towers but the rest of the Dancers separated from their commander for the briefest of times fell foul of trouble when a company of Mechs from the Second Robinson Rangers jumped them downing four Mechs before they could react.  Jean Graves sixth sense seemed to know there was a problem and she led her force to the exact location of the ambush.  Targeting the company and lance commanders of the enemy force first Jean’s heavier/more mobile command lance dispatched five of the Second’s Mechs in minutes allowing the remaining Dancers to evacuate the area and return to their DropShip, not the best day for the Graves’ Dancers but a valuable lesson to Jean Graves.

Clan Occupation Zones, Clan Wolf
Dell, Vulcan and Sevren
10th January 3065

   The Jade Falcons launch an assault on the Clan Wolf Occupation Zone taking Dell and Vulcan in quick succession as they drive towards the Clan Wolf Occupation Zone capital on Tamar.  Then on Sevren three freeborn clusters led by the Twenty-First Freeborn Cluster destroy the defending Fifth Wolf Battle Cluster.  The stand-out factor of this battle is that the Twenty-first Freeborn Cluster are commanded by Star Colonel Adam.  Adam is Leutnant-General Adam Steiner captured from the Lyran Alliance.  In record time Adam has adapted to the Clan way and risen to command of a Cluster within the Jade Falcons.  Upon hearing this development Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion leaves Adam with the Clans, if she was to rescue him he could become a potential political opponent to her rule.  A month later Victor Steiner-Davion also hears of Adam’s situation, Victor has other ideas than her sister.

Aten Royal Residence
New Glasgow, Skye
Skye Province, Lyran Alliance
12th January 3065

   Following a year of hurt for the Skye people of the Lyran Alliance they finally have something to celebrate when Duke Robert Ryan Kelswa-Steiner, heir to the conquered Tamar Province, marries his fiancé of two years Duchess of Skye Hermione Aten.  The Free Skye Movement celebrate as they get a new public face in Robert Kelswa-Steiner a man who wants freedom for the Skye people.  Lyran Intelligence Corps try to make widespread arrests of the Free Skye people but are unable to as the Skye people get fully behind the Free Skye Movement.  Robert also vows to use his newly found position of power to forward the long term goals of retaking the long conquered Tamar Province.

Robinson Standard Battleworks
Tiberias, Robinson
Draconis March, Federated Suns
21st January 3065

    The Nova Cat trading vessel Guiding Vision and the Diamond Shark’s Pathfinder had moved through the Federated Suns without incident then they reached Robinson, the first real trading opportunity in the Federated Suns.  The DMI Agents assigned to the vessels had asked the Clansmen to transfer units to a single DropShip before entering the system.  Moving in system they had landed beside Robinson Standard Battleworks there they are met by Countess Bella Sandoval, owner/director of the Battleworks.  During negotiations one of the Diamond Shark merchants let slip whom they were when explaining to the Nova Cat negotiator that they had different needs.  The Countess does not reveal that she is aware of the difference and for now agrees to the trade and the Clan traders are able to secure several Sagittaire, Sentry and Watchman BattleMechs all of which the Clans could reverse engineer easily and turn into capable second-line Mechs.

   When the vessel returned to the WarShips one of the Robinson based DMI agents sent a message to New Avalon regarding the identity of the two WarShips.  Federated Suns High Command assigns the FSS Admiral Corinne Donnings, a Fox-class Corvette, to escort the two vessels but trusted the Nova Cats knew what they were doing inviting the Diamond Sharks to join their trading mission.  The two Clans take little insult in being escorted by a Federated Suns WarShip, in-fact they take great pains to make the Admiral Corinne Donnings crew feel welcome and help the crew upgrade several of the Corvette’s recreational facilities to make the cramped Corvette more appealing to its crew.

Europa Spaceport, Melissa
Melissa Theatre, Lyran Alliance
28th January 3065

   Following the fall of the Clermont system to Clan Jade Falcon forces the defenders of Melissa, the Lyran Theatre capital closest to the Clan attackers prepared themselves for trouble.  Elements of the shattered Fourteenth Donegal Guards RCT, Sixth Donegal Guards RCT, Ninth Lyran Guards of the LAAF and the Avatars of Painful Death Brigade of the SLDF were ready for an attack but not in the way it happened.  Elements of Delta and Kappa Galaxy dropped onto the planet two Jade Falcon Clusters dropped straight in the middle of their forces in the northern hemisphere plains while another dropped into the city, another dropped into the Spaceport and finally one more landed in their rear areas striking directly at staging bases and supplies.

   It was not a typical strategy of the Jade Falcons and it paid off after sixteen hours fighting the Sixth and Fourteenth Donegal Guards ceased to exist and the other units were all heavily damaged.  The Jade Falcons had lost the Seventh Talon Cluster of Delta Galaxy and the Eighth Provisional Garrison Cluster of Kappa Galaxy.  However they still held the advantage.  As the most senior Inner Sphere officer combat capable Colonel Laura Ziskin, commander of the Avatars of Painful Death, contacted the Jade Falcons and organised a fight against one of the leaders of the Jade Falcon force.  If she won then they would be allowed to move to their DropShips and leave the planet unhindered, if she lost the entire Lyran and SLDF force would surrender to the Jade Falcons.  The Jade Falcons agreed and four hours later Laura approached the spaceport in her seventy-five ton Penetrator.  Against her stood Star Colonel Adam, commander of the Twenty-First Freeborn Cluster, the former Lyran General would be fighting to take control over the planet and maybe two regiments worth of Inner Sphere troops.

   In a six minute trial Laura expertly disabled the legs of Adam’s Mech targeting the knee and hip joints of Adam’s sixty-five ton Hellbringer brining the Clan machine crashing to the ground.  Although technically able to take Adam as a Bondsmen because she beat him in single combat Laura was unaware of the Clan custom and left Adam in Jade Falcon hands salvaging her own Brigade and the Ninth Lyran Guards from battle was enough for her.  When she heard that the SLDF and her Lyran troops had evacuated Melissa to a Jade Falcon assault Katrina Steiner-Davion was angry although she was secretly pleased that they had abandoned Adam to remain with the Jade Falcons.

[Ajax_Wolf]

another typo: Leroux, not Lervoux.

[Dragon Cat]

another typo: Leroux, not Lervoux.

wonder where I saw the "v"

more...

Hsien
Chaos March
10th-17th February 3065

   Hsien Hotheads Mercenary Regiment arrives on planet on the 10th under contract with the planetary Duke.  The Hotheads are the regiment of the Twohy Family the former dukes of the planet driven out by the Capellan Confederation in 2781.  Worried about the Twohys being back on Hsein the Dendeez Province and Baron Montong, two previously opposed factions on Hsien hire the Always Faithful Mercenary Regiment to counter the Hotheads.  To protect the HPG the Word of Blake deploys a Level III (Battalion) of their newly formed Seventeenth Division to the world.  Tensions run high with several bar brawls and minor fights between all three military forces on the world.  Calls for peace fall on deaf ears as personnel from the Hsien Hotheads and Always Faithful begin targeting each other.  Three Word of Blake officers are found murdered just yards from the HPG a direct indication to the Word they are not welcome on Hsien.

Kalskag, Planetary Capital
Acamar, Chaos March
21st February 3065

   On the 20th February in Kalskag, the capital city of Acamar the government, which was formed and is sponsored by two major Federated Suns military contractors, vote to join the Federated Suns Capellan March with an overwhelming majority supporting the movement.  Following the vote the government sends an HPG message to the Federated Suns declaring their wish to rejoin the Federated Suns fold after leaving following the break up of the Federated Commonwealth.  On the 21st February the Alpha Regiment (command regiment) of the Twelfth Vegan Rangers Mercenary Brigade jumps into system at a pirate-point and drops onto the planet securing the capital then the whole world for the Federated Suns without a shot being fired.  The Twelfth Vegan Rangers troops remain onsite helping arriving AFFS personnel to take over the defence of the planet and ensuring the world remains secure as the AFFS form their own militia forces and set up their own training programs a process that may take several years to complete.

Wolf’s Dragoons Hiring Halls
Harlech, Romulus
Outreach, Chaos March
27th February 3065

   In the highest level of security a Broadsword-class DropShip lands at the Harlech Spaceport and a small group in an unmarked Armoured Limousine is escorted through the city by elements of the Wolf’s Dragoons Elite Wolf Spider Battalion.  Disappearing into an underground parking garage the occupants are taken to the top floor of the MRBC Hiring Hall to a special suite owned and run exclusively by the Wolf’s Dragoons.  Stepping clear of the elevator are Victor and Peter Steiner-Davion who immediately entered and walked up to a table occupied by Supreme Commander Jamie Wolf, Colonel Maeve Wolf and two people Victor did not recognise, one of Japanese Ancestry with a scar running from his right temple through his left eye and cheek, Victor knew him from somewhere but couldn‘t place his name the other was a very plain individual whom neither Victor nor Peter recognised.

   “First Prince Davion, if we keep meeting like this people are going to believe the Federated Suns and the Wolf’s Dragoons are back working together.  You could spark another Succession War.”  Jamie Wolf threatened half in jest, half seriously the Federated Suns had welcomed the Wolf‘s Dragoons to the Inner Sphere in 3005 with a contract while the rest of the Inner Sphere had been very suspicious of their arrival worried about the arrival of four full regiments worth of advanced war machines and warriors then during the Fourth Succession War while the Draconis Combine threw regiment after regiment at the Dragoons attempting to eradicate them it was the Federated Suns that stepped in and save them.  It had also resulted in the Dragoons being given Outreach as part of their payment for services rendered to the Federated Suns.

   “Or I could stop one.  Who would be stupid enough to threaten the Federated Suns and Wolf’s Dragoons, the Draconis Combine already learned the folly in that course of action.” Victor said during the Fourth Succession War the Wolf’s Dragoons had stopped the Draconis Combine offensive against the Federated Suns nearly single handily on the world of Misery when the Coordinator at the time Takashi Kurita pursued a vendetta against the Dragoons.  Although it had nearly destroyed the mercenaries it had gained the Dragoons prominence throughout the Inner Sphere as the most powerful Mercenary unit and had gained the Dragoons enough respect for Victor’s father Hanse Davion to gift them the whole Outreach system.

   “Very true” Jamie said thinking about Misery brought back very bad memories, he had lost a lot of good friends that day.  “How can the Dragoons be of service today?”

   “I want to hire the Seventh Kommando.”  Victor said all of the Dragoons Officers looked shocked even the redoubtable Jamie Wolf showed surprise rarely did anyone ask specifically for the Dragoons special forces unit and even rarer did the Dragoons admit to their existence.

   “Why would you need such troops?  If they even existed?”  Jamie asked it was an open secret the Seventh Kommando existed and that they were amongst the most skilful special operations operators in the business but the Dragoons did not like to release any information about them or their capabilities.

   “I need a specialised team that could run a snatch and grab operation against a numerically superior force with as little fuss as possible.”  Victor said outlining the basic mission, it got a lot more complicated so he’d wait until he gained the Dragoons attention before saying more.

   “Your own Rabid Fox could complete that type of mission very well, do not tell me that a Davion Prince does not have the resources to complete any type of mission, anywhere in the Inner Sphere.”  Maeve Wolf said, she did not want the Seventh Kommando wasted on a mission house troops could accomplish, the Dragoons were not a plaything for the House Lords to use, except when the price was right.  Of all the Dragoons Maeve was the second-in-command of all the Dragoons although command of WolfNet, the Dragoon Intelligence Agency, and the Seventh were still under Jamie‘s direct command even if she protested all night if Jamie agreed to use the Kommando there was nothing she could do about it.

   “The Rabid Fox are more than capable.”  Peter said speaking up for the first time looking to Victor who nodded with a small smile, he was glad to see his brother was beginning to accept greater responsibilities, he would need this experience.  “However, to use the Rabid Fox would be politically unwise for the First Prince.  In fact to have any obvious Federated Suns involvement in this operation would cause trouble for the Federated Suns with the Clans and the Star League it could even spark another Clan Invasion let alone another Succession War.”

   “The Clans?”  Jamie said thoughtfully, Jamie did not like the Dragoons engaging the Clans it was bad enough that they had refused their recall order, sided with the Inner Sphere defending Luthien and training the Succession Lords how to fight the Clans.  To now think about attacking them was not on Jamie’s most wanted things to do.  “We will not be attacking them for you.”  Jamie warned whatever the money he would not allow his forces to engage the Clans in open warfare that could easily unravel the Dragoons and cause grievous damage to his forces.

   “And we would not ask you to do so.”  Peter continued “what we need is a covert team to infiltrate the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone.”  He said outlining more of the overall plan under Victor‘s eye he let Peter take some of the planning for this, so he may as well be involved explaining it.

   “The package is Adam Steiner.  A relation to the Steiner-Davion line who was captured by the Jade Falcons last year.  Since that time he has become a Star Colonel in the Jade Falcon Touman commanding one of the Clan’s newest Freeborn Clusters.  My sister has been willing to leave him rotting with the Jade Falcons, I on the other hand want him back.”  Victor said stepping forward “If I use Federated Suns troops on Lyran soil Katrina will say that I have invaded her territory so I need a mercenary unit.  The Dragoons are the only mercenaries I think that come anywhere close to being able to complete this job.”

   “Are you sure he will want to come back?  If he has been promoted to Star Colonel so quickly perhaps he likes the Falcons, perhaps he has totally embraced the Clan culture? Free of politics and names, he just gets to be a warrior, that can be very appealing to a man.”  Jamie explained thinking of himself before he was assigned to the Clan covert mission to the Inner Sphere, things had been so much simpler back then.

   “Also you have not said where the target is?”  The scared man said, to Victor it sounded like he would be taking out someone and Victor wanted to make sure it was a rescue mission starting to speak Jamie spoke up first.

   “Adam is on Melissa.  He recently led the Jade Falcons in securing that world.”  Jamie said noticing Victor’s surprise “we have our own sources.  We will complete this mission First Prince Davion, price to be negotiated after completion of the mission since we will need to factor in what the operation costs us.”  Normally a price was settled on before a mission was completed but Victor trusted the Dragoons and nodded, he was surprised that Jamie had agreed to the mission so quickly perhaps he saw that Adam Steiner would be more dangerous in Clan hands than Victor‘s, if Adam became a big name in the Jade Falcon Touman he could easily become the next Phelan Kell or Ragnar Magnesson which could help the Falcons conqueror another nation or tear another clan to pieces two things that Jamie would not want at least in Victor‘s hands Adam could only help start or end a Lyran Civil War.  “Give us eight months, full command rights and salvage.  You will either have Adam Steiner alive and well or you will have our sincerest apologies and a full refund.”  Jamie said, rarely did mercenaries offer to refund the cash obviously the Dragoons would want something big when all this was over, never know they may even ask for the Federated Suns permission for a Wolf’s Dragoons Prefecture or Protectorate in the Chaos March to counter the Word of Blake’s own moves Victor thought about that for a second then decided he’d rather have the Dragoons running the Chaos March than the Word of Blake and let them to it.

   “Full Command Rights, Salvage are yours however if you fail you will still be paid, Supreme Commander.  The Federated Suns does not take freebees, although I will expect a full report on why the mission was failed.”

   “Of course, with skill and a healthy portion of luck you will have a successful report.”  Jamie said walking around the table shaking Victor’s hand, although an old man Jamie still had a firm handshake.

   On the way back to the DropShip Peter turned to Victor “why did you not take them up on the offer for a full refund?  If they do not rescue Adam then more Lyran worlds could fall because of his knowledge and we will not have someone who can stand up to Katherine and be respected by the Lyran people.”

   “The Dragoons are one of the most respected mercenary brigades in the Inner Sphere, why?  Because they give their employers one hundred percent every single time.  They expect full the same from their employers.  If they did the mission and failed and the Federated Suns did not pay then they would see the Federated Suns as an unreliable employer, despite our past with them, and that is something that I cannot afford to happen the Dragoons could be helpful in the future.”  He said in the past he had alienated the Northwind Highlanders from the Federated Suns when the Federated Suns commander on Northwind had taken some of his orders too literally.  The Highlanders had not taken a contract with the Federated Suns since and Victor could not afford to loose the Wolf’s Dragoons as well.

[Dragon Cat]

Secret Fleet Anchorage, ComStar Controlled
Location: Somewhere in Lyran Alliance
4th March 3065

   After months of work the third and final Intrepid-class Troopship, the Dortmund, is brought into service with the ComGuard Fleet.  The Dortmund remains at the anchorage for several months as ComStar abandon the facility permanently removing all technology and personnel from the base before detonating self-destruct charges throughout the complex making it completely unusable by anyone who found the wreckage.  The Dortmund them moved to join the rest of the ComGuard Second fleet at the Ross 248 to begin perpetrations for full operations.  The personnel and technology was shared between Tukayyid’s Focht War College, Luyten 68-28 and Ross 248 Anchorages and the Explorer Corps Columbus Base.
 
Hsien
Chaos March
14th-20th March 3065

   After several weeks of minor skirmishes and bar brawls between Hsien Hotheads and Always Faithful Mercenary Regiments all out war breaks out when two Always Faithful MechWarriors are found dead, all evidence points to the Hotheads although they deny it.  The Always Faithful commander Colonel James Burrill Riel refuses to remain calm about the incident and orders his Regiment to assault the Hsien Hotheads taking the entire planet to war.  Two days after the commencement of hostilities the Capellan-friendly government call on assistance from the Capellan Confederation by the 20th March the First McCarron’s Armoured Cavalry Regiment and the Shin Legion supported by the Elias Jung, a Feng-Huang Cruiser, have arrived in system securing the world for the Capellan Confederation.

   The First McCarron’s lands on planet and orders the various warring factions to hold fire and withdraw, they ignore the Capellans.  The Capellans then call in orbital fire support from the orbiting cruiser.  The first shots land on the HPG blocking all communications to the world then on both the Hsien Hotheads and the Always Faithful Regiments.  In an hour both units are virtually wiped out by Capellan orbital bombardment the First McCarron‘s Cavalry then goes over the battlefields and takes out any survivors then annihilates the Word of Blake garrison as well blaming their loss on the warring factions and the HPG on ComStar loyalists intent on calling for ComStar troops to secure the HPG and possibly the planet.

   The MRBC lodge an official complaint with the Capellan Confederation placing hiring restrictions on the realm affecting any future hiring on Outreach.  The SLDF on New Canton also place a complaint to the Capellan Confederation for their breaking of international law and the use of orbital bombardment for mass destruction however with operations along the Lyran/Draconis border and the Lyran/Jade Falcon Border no action is taken for now.  Two days after Hsein has been pacified the Elias Jung travels to Elgin a nearby Chaos March world which capitulates to Confederation rule without a shot being fired then again to Hall the next closes Chaos March world again the world surrenders to Capellan Rule the use of a WarShip to force worlds to submit to the Capellan desires is a breach of international law however no-one challenges them over this action for now.  As with the Saiph Triumvirate and the Styk Commonality before them the Capellans execute the leaders of each world and place their own leaders in charge of the worlds and to put down any resistance to the new leadership the Capellans enact martial law on Hsien, Elgin and Hall for a period of three days straight as they search for and disarm any potentially hostile groups.

WarShip Holding Shipyards
Dieron, Dieron Prefecture
Draconis Combine
25th March 3065

   At one of the Draconis Combine’s premier WarShip Shipyards a spectacular lapse in security allows an ancient Vampire-class Infantry Transport DropShip to enter the shipyards.  The DropShip moves alongside one of the three Vincent Mk-42 class Corvettes, the Horizon, captured from Clan Smoke Jaguar during Operation Bulldog and being retrofitted before joining the DCMS Navy.  The DropShip transmits clearance codes to the WarShip and docks at its stern docking collar.  Moments after the DropShip docks with the Corvette an explosion rips through the DropShip, the Corvette and a portion of the Dieron Shipyards causing significant damage to all.  There is nothing left of the DropShip, the Corvette is so badly damaged all the DCMS techs can do is jettison it from the shipyard and scuttle it and the shipyards will need upwards of three years reconstruction before they can begin work on further WarShips.

   Three days later members of the Black Dragon Society release footage of the bombing throughout the Inner Sphere claiming they dealt the blow to the DCMS Navy to show how weak the Kurita Family’s grip on their armed forces is.  They claim that members of the Draconis Combine High Command gave them the data needed to get close to the shipyards and destroy one of the WarShips being built there.  Coordinator Hohiro Kurita directs the ISF to find and eradicate the Black Dragon Society.

[Dragon Cat]

Twycross
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
7th-12th April 3065

   In the early hours of the 7th April 3065 three Clan Diamond Shark WarShips and an entire Galaxy of troops enter the Twycross system right in the centre of the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone.  With all the fighting going on the Jade Falcons initially believe the Diamond Sharks are here to offer them with a deal to contract some Diamond Shark troops under Jade Falcon command however that soon changes when the Diamond Sharks challenge the local Jade Falcon garrison to a Trail of Possession for the world.  The Diamond Sharks vow to use only Second-Line BattleMechs in taking the world, not wanting to be made to look like they needed the technological advantage the Jade Falcons also use Second-Line machines as well.  After a five day trial the Diamond Sharks are victorious forcing the Jade Falcons to leave the world in Diamond Shark hands, that Clan’s first Inner Sphere accusation.

   Considering what the world has cost the Clan from the initial invasion where the Clan lost a chance to control the Heir-designate to the Federated Commonwealth and were made to look like idiots by the Inner Sphere to now where the Diamond Sharks have made them look like amateurish warriors again the Jade Falcons vow never to return to the planet.  The Diamond Sharks begin to build a trading outpost and a moderated sized colony on the planet supplementing the planets already sizable population and their sizable military presence.  They also settle a large force on the system’s other inhabited planet Reach for unknown reasons.

Europa Spaceport, Melissa
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
14th April 3065

   The five sneak-suit Seventh Kommando troopers moved like shadows through the Spaceport on Melissa the knew approximately where Adam Steiner was barracked but not the exact location.  Each man was armed with a silenced sub-machine gun, a silenced pistol and a knife and carried various other pieces of equipment.  They carried no electronic communications gear whatsoever all their communications were with hand signals or lights.  When they had secured Adam they had only one thing to do fire a flare gun into the air bringing in the rest of the team, then hope for the best.

   Sneaking up behind the Elemental Guard on duty one of the troopers activated his vibro-blade and struck the man in the back, the vibro-blade specifically tuned to slash through Elemental Armour cut into the back of the troopers neck cutting into his lower brain functions and severing his spine.  As the other Seventh Kommando troopers dragged him into the darkness the first trooper struck again aiming for the heart, it was no way for a man to live after being a warrior to be left a cripple.

   Sneaking inside they found no guards or anyone on duty, it was two in the morning local time so most troopers were on early morning patrol or asleep in their bunks.  Heading upstairs the Kommandos drew their silenced pistols and went room by room, if they found a Jade Falcon commander they shot him in the head until they found Adam.  While two troopers guarded him the other three finished off the other two rooms worth of senior Jade Falcons hopefully severing the Cluster’s head in one blow.  Something must have spooked Adam as he began to waken up, to ensure there was no resistance or noise from him one of the Kommandos injected him with a knock-out drug while a second trooper opened the rooms small window and fired a single green luminescent flare into the night’s sky.  Not only was this the signal the other troopers had been waiting for the flare would lighten the sky for several minutes just as the show was beginning.

   In the air five Cobra Transport VTOL aircraft flew in low dropping an entire Star of twenty-five fully armoured back-clad Elementals between them, the Dragoon Elementals began firing at everything that was not friendly creating a safe zone.  Between them the sneak-suit equipped troopers began to lower Adam’s unconscious form from the room window to the ground.  An Elemental burst through the ground floor door just as the last trooper reached the ground, the Elemental seeing they were not Jade Falcons opened fire with his suit’s arm mounted flamethrower setting one of the five troopers alight.  The other four troopers opened fire with their own sub-machine guns, for a start they seamed to do little damage but then as their clips ran out of bullets the Elemental fell to the floor dead. One Kommando picked up their dead colleague while the others carried Adam to the pick up point.

   In the air a pair of Aerospace Fighters were strafing the DropShips, Mechs and control towers keeping the Jade Falcons busy for now.  A sixth VTOL this one a Kestrel landed among the Elementals and collected the sneak-suit team before lifting off into the sky joining the orbiting Cobras then all the VTOLs headed south keeping low to avoid detection while the Aerospace Fighters continued to cause more distraction and damage to the Clan forces.  Now it was time to end this operation the Elementals began lighting up their Suits Jump Jets they began bounding clear of the spaceport’s perimeter fences.  Two Elementals were cut down as a fifty ton Nova opened fire with its massed arm-mounted Extended-Range lasers.  However the rest were able to get outside and into the open ground surrounding the spaceport.  Normally this would be an unforgivable mistake by the Kommandos as they would be exposing themselves to enemy fire from all angles but not tonight.  Before the Dragoons had come to Melissa they had contracted General Archer Christifori commander of the First Brigade of the Star League’s First Division and asked him if he’d be interested in fixing the loss of Melissa.  The Star League commander had been more than happy to oblige and over the two days before their arrival the First Brigade along with surviving elements of the Avatars of Painful Death had landed on the world quietly entering via a pirate point behind the world to avoid detection.

   As the Kommandos ran from the base the entire tree line erupted in weapons fire as the Star League troops charged out to engage the Jade Falcons who had been caught completely flat-footed finding their patrols eliminated.  Four Jade Falcon BattleMechs and a dozen Elementals fell in the first barrage and a perimeter defence tower ignited into a ball of flames.

   The Kommandos were not here for the liberation however and would take no part in the rest of the operation instead they headed through SLDF battle-lines and began joining up with the VTOLs which had landed two kilometres behind the trees.  The six VTOLs and the surviving aerospace fighter had then flow the eighteen kilometres south to their concealed DropShip which took off as soon as they were aboard and headed into orbit to join the Beowulf which was keeping the Jade Falcon Aerospace Fighter stars and DropShips busy.

   During the three day burn to the jump-point the Dragoons heard that the SLDF had gained control of Melissa back from the Jade Falcons destroying two Cluster in the process a great victory and one that had wiped the SLDF‘s blotched record clean, however, the Jade Falcons were not done with the Melissa system.  At the Nadir point the Beowulf found the Jade Falcons Green Lantern a standard Congress-class Frigate.  The newly refitted Beowulf immediately charged into combat, the crew eager to test the Block II configuration’s combat capabilities and show that the Dragoons’ navy was not just for show.

   The Jade Falcons expecting to trade blows at long range with the Dragoons Congress, as was traditional for the class, engaged at extreme range with a Killer Whale Capital Missile which slammed into the Beowulf’s forward armour which barely noticed the strikes.  The Beowulf returned fire with a pair of Kraken Teleoperated Capital Missiles, the vastly more powerful guided naval missiles slammed into the front of the Green Lantern destroying its long range sensor array instantly showing the Jade Falcons they were not engaging a standard Congress and that this could get very ugly.  Instead of running from a superior opponent the Green Lantern’s proud Jade Falcon crew attempted to close hoping their ten OmniFighters and pair of DropShips would be able to help them as they attempted to pass the Beowulf and bring their bigger rear guns into play.  The traditional Congress had always been a perfect picket or blockade vessel hovering near a jump-point or planet using its rear guns to gun down any DropShip or JumpShip that strayed into its line of fire while the forward guns were suited for protecting the vessel from any force that approached from the opposite direction or sniping at long range at anyone with short range weapons.  The Congress Block II was a totally different type of fighter and closing head on with the Beowulf was a death’s sentence for the Green Lantern.

   The Beowulf crew were very happy to close the paired forward heavy Naval Autocannons in each side arc opened fire targeting the two Jade Falcon DropShips.  The Autocannon salvos blew though the Union and Overlord-class DropShips armour shattering both DropShips in one single assault.  The Green Lantern crew now realised their mistake not only were they against a better armed vessel but they were hopelessly outgunned and in big trouble.  Turning they attempted to gain space from the Beowulf which would allow them to activate their K-F Drive and safely escape the Dragoon WarShip which was lining up for another salvo of Kraken Missiles and Naval Autocannons.  The Green Lantern gunners attempted to shove off the Beowulf’s shot and make them back off however even the superior rear facing weapons of the Jade Falcon Congress was not enough threat to dissuade the Beowulf as its armour was barely scratched.  With one final salvo from the naval autocannons and the Capital Missiles and the Green Lantern died as autocannons broke through the rear armour destroying the engineering deck, the two Kraken Teleoperated Missiles guided by their Dragoon gunners slammed into the front of the vessel this time hitting the bridge killing the command crew.  Without control and engines the Congress was as good as dead, although the gunners continued to fire for several minutes after the disabling of the vessel.  Around the two Frigates the Jade Falcon OmniFighters offered their surrender to the Beowulf.  Although the Dragoons did not have berths for the fighters in their fighter hangers they did have a massive cargo area that was barely full.  Clearing more space they dragged the fighters and the Jade Falcon escape pods aboard taking all the prisoners as bondsman and the fighters as Isorla, the spoils of battle.  As the Beowulf jumped clear of the system leaving the disabled Green Lantern to fall into Melissa’s Star exploding as the stars gravity crushed the vessel’s remains leaving little to ever say there was a WarShip there in the first place.

[Dragon Cat]

Hot Springs, Beta VII and Blackjack
Lyran Alliance/Jade Falcon border
16th-19th May 3065

   Following the success on Melissa the 1894th Light Horse Brigade of the SLDF along with elements of ComStar, the Lyran Alliance and Clan Wolf (in-Exile) assault three worlds inside the Jade Falcon OZ liberating them all from Jade Falcon hands with limited losses.  The seizure of these worlds make the Jade Falcons realise that they are not invincible and that the Lyran Alliance could hurt them.  It also puts at risk all the worlds they have taken over the last few months. 

Sudetan
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
1st June 3065

   Following several successful operations by the Lyran Alliance and its allies and some horrendous damage to the Jade Falcon front-line galaxies.  The Jade Falcons communicate to the Lyran Alliance that they are ready to cease attacking if the Alliance is.  Before anyone else can answer Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion steps forward and accepts the peace proposal without discussing it with her commanders or negotiation.  She is unaware of the Wolf’s Dragoons involvement in the Melissa system or the liberation of Adam Steiner.

Altenmarkt
Clan Wolf Occupation Zone
8th July 3065

   The Third Drakons of the Free Rasalhague Republic attack the Clan Wolf Occupation Zone intent on striking at Clan Wolf forces close to the Republic’s few remaining worlds and supplying what little resistance forces remained in the worlds lost so many years before.  Unfortunately Overste Joan Dahlstorm leads the unit on a hunt for Wolf Star Colonel Marcos Radick and the Thirty-Seventh Striker Cluster wanted by Rasalhague authorities for atrocities committed during the initial invasion of Memmingen in 3050.  The Third Drakons attacked four Wolf worlds doing little damage and getting little information on the Thirty-seventh, according to the Wolf authorities the Thirty-seventh Striker Cluster had been destroyed during the Jade Falcon/Clan Wolf Refusal War and the survivors had been split amongst several different units.  The Drakons, and specifically Dahlstorm refused to believe this and continued on their berserker drive across eight different worlds avoiding the Wolf forces by sheer sense of luck and unpredictability.

   The Third’s luck could not last however on the world of Thun Overste Joan Dahlstorm’s Axman was felled killing the Third’s commander nearly instantly.  The rage that had been driving the Third seemed to die with her and the unit threatened to rout before Overste-Lojtnant Gordon Jorgensson executed an impressive fighting withdrawal which saved the rest of the unit.  Upon returning to the Free Rasalhague Republic the unit was criticised for going off-mission however were commended for their bravery and the sheer amount of damage they inflicted on the Wolves, well over a cluster divided amongst six different Clusters.  For his bravery and brilliant tactical withdrawal Overste-Lojtnant Gordon Jorgensson was immediately promoted to full Overste and Third Drakons was ordered to rebuild to its full strength.

Trondheim
Ghost Bear Dominion
16th July 3065

   Following their taking of Twycross in the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone it came as little surprise to the Ghost Bears when the Diamond Sharks arrived in the Trondheim system and declared a Trial of Possession for the world.  The Ghost Bears however countered their Trial of Possession offering the Diamond Sharks something different in return.  The Ghost Bears would remain in full control over the population of the planet and gain a discount on trades with the Diamond Shark Merchants while the Diamond Sharks would garrison the world, have a say in how the planet was run and gain ten percent of the planets Gross National Profit (GNP).

   The Diamond Sharks eager to avoid another lengthy and costly trial accepted the Ghost Bear terms and began setting up their trading outpost and a small scientific research station just outside the planetary capital.  Some of the planet’s local population object to another Clan being on their soil after only recently getting used to the presence of the Ghost Bears however soon the Ghost Bear rulers of the world keep them under control and stop any violence against the Diamond Sharks taking place.

[Dragon Cat]

Fellanin II, District of Benjamin
Draconis Combine
2nd August 3065

   With several successful raids the Graves’ Dancers had been over confident with their attack on Clovis and paid for their troubles loosing an entire Lance of Mechs, although they had been able to recover three of the downed pilots.  This left them with a bit of trouble so Jean Graves ordered her mercenary/pirate force to attack the Draconis Combine border world of Fellanin II although a border world it was lighter defended than many others and according to one of Jean’s sources had recently received four brand-new OmniMechs to bolster their forces but none had been fielded yet by a commander too worried to field them in exercises in-case they were damaged.

   Playing on the commander’s weakness Jean inserted most of her remaining forces onto the world as a new exercise was about to start while leading the three dispossessed warriors into the base during the exercise to steal the Mechs.  The rest of the forces stayed at long range far from anyone who could blindside them while their commander was not there to watch their backs.  As the locals were using training weapons they could do nothing to resist the Dancers attacks and were soon in disarray.  At the base Jean’s sixth sense guided her people through the base to the four OmniMechs without coming across a single guard before all four Mechs calmly walked out of the base right in front of the base commander with Jean claiming they were the commander’s elite guard had been called to assist in defeating some Davion raiders.  The four Mechs then disappeared from sight rejoining the Dancers at the DropShip quickly leaving the world returning to their JumpShip before jumping to another system.

Khan Phelan Kell’s Office, Alpha Galaxy Command
Wolf City, Arc-Royal
Pandora Theatre, Lyran Alliance
18th August 3065

   When an unidentified WarShip had entered the system Khan Phelan Kell, leader of Clan Wolf (in-Exile), had expected the worse.  What he had not expected was for the WarShip to transmit a request for a single DropShip to travel in system to speak with both himself and his father Duke Morgan Kell, leader of Arc Royal and commander of most anti-Clan operations along the border.  After a brief talk they had agreed and a DropShip resembling the Conquistador recently fielded by the Federated Suns had travelled in system landing at the spaceport in Old Connaught, the planetary capital, then five Clan OmniMechs had moved to the capital of the Clan Wolf (in-Exile) enclaves, an area the locals called Wolf City.  The Mechs bore no markings except a single black cat peering into an upturned top hat on the left knee something none of the Wolf computers recognised.

   When the Mechs berthed in the Mechbay Khan Kell and his father had travelled upstairs to wait for the Clan Warriors waiting for the threat against Clan Wolf (in-Exile)’s existence, all of the Clans treated the Wolves on Arc-Royal with complete disdain and wanted to destroy them.  Sitting in the office Phelan and Morgan were alone “they will offer us redemption if we join them and become part of the Clan.  I will refuse and they with threaten us.  I will tell them that the Werewolf and Implacable are in position to destroy their WarShip if they do anything and they will back down.  With some harsh words they will leave.”  Phelan said looking over at his father when it came to general politics Morgan was king, when it came to Clan politics Phelan became king for a short spell.

   “We don’t even know who they are.”  Morgan said he noticed Phelan screw his face up at his use of a contraction, even though Phelan had been born and raised in the Inner Sphere since 3050 he had been a member of Clan Wolf in some form he was totally indoctrinated in the Clan system of beliefs.  “Don’t you give me that face Khan Kell.  You might act the Clanner, but you are still my son.”  Morgan said affectionately Phelan could not help smile “I don’t like it.  Normally when the Clans arrive they tell us who they are first and they don’t normally say they want to talk.  Nor do they offer to leave their WarShip behind and only take a single DropShip.”

   “The Clans always adapt to suit their environment.  The Inner Sphere is obviously changing them quicker than anyone could imagine, even them.” Just then the door swung open and a Wolf lower-castemen walked in.

   “My Khan, our guests have arrived.”  He said looking over his shoulder then back to Phelan then Morgan.

   “Show them in” Phelan said standing Morgan stood more slowly as the first visitor entered dressed in a charcoal suit with embroidered leather shoulder pads and a roaring cat insignia on the left breast.  Morgan and Phelan instantly recognised the woman.

   “Yvonne!”  They both exclaimed at simultaneously Phelan rounding the table to hug his distant cousin.  The Kells were related to the Steiner-Davion line through their grandfather on the Steiner side of the family Arthur Luvon.  The Kells had always been strong proponents of the united Federated Commonwealth Alliance and were close to all the Steiner-Davion children with the exception Katherine whom they blamed for the break up of the union.

   “How can you be here?  And in that uniform?”  Morgan asked watching as the second member of the party entered the room, the wolf lower-castemen left the room quietly closing the door behind him being in the room with a Khan was an honour but when there was other Clan Khans there too then it often got ugly which with the Clans turned bloody as well.

   “Allow me to introduce saKhan Canin Rosse of Clan Nova Cat, my husband.”  Yvonne said turning to Canin linking hands with him.  Now far from Clan space they could be a couple once more.

   “Husband?”  Morgan asked as he reached out to shake Canin’s arm, he shook with his left hand because his right arm had been lost in a bomb explosion that had also killed Yvonne’s mother Melissa Steiner-Davion many years before, another thing Morgan blamed on Katherine.  “What is going on Yvonne?  How did you become a Clansmen?  When did you marry? And when did you become a MechWarrior?  And why were we not invited?  Did Victor put you up to this?”  Morgan asked rapid fire questions Yvonne smiled broadly.

   “We are here on official Clan Nova Cat business, hence the uniforms and the WarShip support.”  She said looking up slightly as if looking for the next question asked to her “I became a Clansmen when we were married which happened about a year ago on the Nova Cats new Homeworld.  I became a MechWarrior while staying with the Nova Cats a couple of years ago but I do not regularly take to the field.”  She said forgetting the next question allowing Canin to get some words in.

   “You were not invited because it was a private ceremony and the Nova Cats like the secrecy of our new Homeworld.”  He said looking back to Yvonne who was smiling at him admiring his restraint.  In the Homeworlds he had been the one having questions thrown at him while she was largely ignored now he seemed to adapt easily.

   “And no Victor did not put me up for or force me into this, Morgan” Yvonne said looking at Canin while she spoke “I married Canin and left the Federated Suns, and my life behind, because I love him and the Nova Cat Clan.”  She said leaning in to kiss Canin who gladly met her lips.  Phelan and Morgan exchanged a glance both were completely gob-smacked.

   “Now we are a little pressed for time, could we begin Quiaff?”  Canin asked Phelan nodded and moved behind the desk once more while Morgan dropped into the chair looking at Yvonne not Canin he didn’t know what to say, it had been years since he‘d seen Yvonne and the last thing he had expected was this.  Canin led Yvonne to the chair and she sat while he remained standing behind her his lands laid protectively on her shoulders.  Yvonne noticing Morgan’s stare and chose to ignore it instead linked her right hand with his left hand crossing her arm over her chest.

   “saKhan Canin Rosse, how can the Wolves assist the Nova Cats today?”  Phelan asked the Nova Cat saKhan giving Yvonne a slight glance then looking directly at Canin now was the time for leaders to speak, other things could be sorted later.  For Canin's part he thought it amusing that the Exile Khan followed the same routine as the Wolves saKhan had perhaps the old phrase was right "all wolves think alike, even the foolish ones."

   “Khan Kell?” Canin asked testing the waters, Phelan had attained the Ward Bloodname once, Phelan nodded so Canin continued “We want the Leroux Bloodname held by your Clan.”  Canin said directly, no point in wasting time.

   “We lost all out Bloodnames when we were abjured for joining the Inner Sphere.”  Phelan said if the Clans believed they had kept all their genetic information it would make them even more angry.

   “Neg, copies of the Wolf Bloodnames were transferred to your WarShip, the Ulric Kerensky, before it left Clan controlled space and since then have been held here on Arc-Royal somewhere.  The Exiles have not built a Genetic Repository that can be seen easily but it exists as do three training sibkos.”  Canin said revealing exactly what the Clans knew and to be perfectly honest cared nothing for the Exiles clung to their Clan origins like children who had left home.  Refusing to give up their inheritance even if it could result in their destruction “would you like to know where we believe they are, Quineg?”

   “Neg, but we would like to know how you found out.”  Phelan would not be drawn on confirming or denying where the Bloodnames were housed.  It appeared the Nova Cats were well informed, Phelan quietly wondered how many of the other Clans knew the Exile's secret.

   “All the Clans have a Watch Division” Yvonne said quietly maintaining the secret.

   “Well if such a thing existed you must know that we cannot just turn it over to you.  The loss of a Bloodname is a large loss for a Clan to endure.”  Phelan said

   “The Wolves seemed to care little for the Leroux line, a Widowmaker line, they traded for it instead of fighting.  We are willing to trade for it or fight your choice.”  Canin said continuing on Phelan was slightly shocked that the Crusader Wolves had turned over the Bloodname so easily.

   “My Touman is small saKhan I cannot, I will not, just turn over a Bloodname without a fight, we will fight for the name.  A Star versus Star Battle?”  he suggested keeping the fight as small as possible without dishonouring the name with a meaningless one-versus-one fight.  Canin nodded a star versus star battle would be enough.

   “Something for tomorrow.  For tonight you will join us and some of the Hounds for a proper Arc-Royal dinner”  Morgan said to Yvonne who smiled politely ready to refuse, she wanted no special treatment just because of her old family ties.  “saKhan Rosse, you are also welcome” he said looking up at Canin.

   “I am afraid…”  Yvonne began before Canin stepped in.

   “We will be delighted, Grand Duke Kell, we will eat together tonight then tomorrow my warriors will defeat Khan Kell’s in honourable combat, a perfect visit.”  Canin said smiling Morgan shook his head slightly taken aback by Canin’s easy going attitude, he was like few Clansmen whom he’d ever met.

Kell Ancestral Home
Old Connaught, Arc-Royal
Pandora Theatre, Lyran Alliance
18th August 3065

   Later that night Canin and Yvonne made their way to the Kell Ancestral Home just outside the planetary capital.  As he had done when on New Avalon visiting the Davion Royal Palace Canin simply wore a clean version of the standard uniform of the Nova Cats while Yvonne wore a form fitting dark blue dress, entering the Palace they were welcomed by a pair of troopers one in a Kell Hound uniform and another in Clan Wolf infantry fatigues.  They were escorted to the main dinning room, inside the room already were Grand Duke Morgan Kell, Khan Phelan Kell, Lt Colonel Daniel Allard - the ground commander of the Kell Hounds, Star Colonel Ranna Kerensky - Phelan’s executive officer/lover - and Megan Kell - Phelan’s sister and Daniel Allard’s wife.

   They welcomed as foreign dignitaries with full honours and they got down to eating the meal with little ceremony.  As was protocol Canin sat opposite Morgan at the other end of the table with Yvonne on his right hand side while the others filled in the other places.  For the most part the small talk of the meal were directed at Yvonne, there were a couple of questions for Canin.  For his part Canin didn’t mind let the spheroids have their talk.  Throughout the meal Canin observed Ranna Kerensky keeping an eye on them and on Phelan Kell, he did not know what the relationship between the Star Colonel and the Exiles Khan was but from her interest in Canin and Yvonne meant there was something there or she hated their union, both very strong possibilities and both worth watching for, people could do strange things when they wanted or wanted to destroy something.

       Following the meal they all drank and talked about things that had been happening with the Jade Falcons and in general the Lyran Alliance, there were some questions about the Nova Cat’s new home however all Canin and Yvonne were willing to reveal was the name of their Homeworlds - The Nova Cat‘s Den nothing to do with its location.  Phelan guessed it was somewhere in the periphery near the Federated Suns, as somehow Yvonne had become involved with them, however neither Canin or Yvonne would be drawn on the subject and Morgan changed the talk before the Wolf Khan or Nova Cat saKhan came to blows.

[Dragon Cat]

Proving Grounds, Arc-Royal
Pandora Theatre, Lyran Alliance
19th August 3065

   The next day a combined-arms Star of Watch Cluster warriors engaged a star of three Wolf OmniMechs and ten Elementals.  After around twenty minutes the Nova Cat vehicles supporting the Mech overwhelmed the Wolf Mechs and the Nova Cat Elementals defeated the Wolf Elementals ending the fight.  Following the battle and their victory Canin suggests that they mend the wounds caused by the Nova Cats capturing the Bloodname and offered the Wolves a trade a Nova Cat OmniMech for an Arctic Hunter OmniMech and an Arctic Fox OmniMech two locally produced Wolf (in-Exile)/Kell Hound OmniMechs.  Khan Kell and Duke Kell agreed to the trade and with the Bloodname and two new Mech designs secured the Nova Cats had all the data on the Leroux line and data they could use to expand their Touman’s strength they retreated from the Lyran Alliance returning to the periphery as they returned to the Nova Cat’s Den.

Itabiana, Alberio Prefecture
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
26th August 3065

   Following Twycross and Trondheim the Draconis Combine border world of Itabiana, a lightly industrialised world controlled by Clan Star Adder prior to Operation Bull Dog, falls to Clan Diamond Shark following a brief Trial between the defenders and the Diamond Sharks Deathstrike Galaxy.  The Diamond Sharks allow all the defenders and anyone who wishes to leave to do so.  They inform the people leaving that they will open the world as a trading world to the Clans and the Inner Sphere and anyone who wishes to trade there will be able.  They do warn however that if anyone causes trouble the retribution from the Diamond Sharks will be deadly and swift.

Skies over Farmindas (Planetary Capital)
Alpheratz, Outworlds Alliance
2nd September 3065
 
   Pirate Attacks were few over the capital city of the Outworlds Alliance, most pirates knew that they would never survive the burn to the planet because of the heavy aerospace presence in the Alliance.  This particular pirate had however decided that they wanted to test the Alliance defences entering at one of the few pirate points the four DropShips, two Overlords, a Fortress and a Leopard CV had burned directly at the planet.  As the rest of the defenders of the First Alliance Air Wing, their ground support units and a Trinary of Clan Snow Raven Warriors engaged the landing pirates a special unit would engage the Leopard CV and its fighters which had been attacking several civilian cargo haulers.

   Director Liam Wilson lead his eight Corax OmniFighters up out of the planet’s atmosphere and headed for the engagement.  The Corax was a labour of love for the Outworlds Alliance military scientists and the military as a whole.  With some help from Clan Snow Raven they had developed their first OmniFighter which had been named Corax in honour of the Snow Raven help.  Liam had met dozens of Snow Ravens over the development of the Corax and discovered one thing over everything else, they liked aerospace fighters and WarShips over everything and respected them.  In Liam’s eyes that made them worthy of the Outworlds Alliance support and respect over everything else.

   At thirty tons the Corax was one of the lightest fighters ever to be built but it was nimble, well armoured and had decent punch.  Liam’s fighter and his wingman used a pair of medium pulse lasers mounted in the nose and pairs of medium lasers in the wings with small lasers aft giving them a constant barrage of weapons fire.  The other fighters carried three different weapons configurations as the Alliance tried to figure out the best mix of weapons one pair carried a nose mounted Large Pulse laser with wing mounted mediums for back up, the third pair carried two six-shot Short Range Missile racks on the wings with small lasers covering the rear while the last pair carried a single twenty-tube Medium Range Missile Launcher purchased from the Draconis Combine.  The Medium Range Missile was a rubbish weapon in Liam’s opinion because it lacked accuracy to make it useful in a dog-fight but it had a decent punch and if they got the chance Liam would release them on the Leopard CV where it would be nearly impossible to miss and their damage potential could be shown.

   “Okay people remember these birds are brand-new if any of your gauges go over safe limits call bingo and get out of the fight no reason to risk the bird or your life, copy?”

   “Roger One” his wingman Rebecca Delgado said instantly the other pilots came back more slowly but all acknowledged he was right, this would be the Corax’s first fight and the Alliance wanted none lost on the first fight, it didn’t mean that they wouldn’t throw them about just that they would be a little more careful.

   “Lets get dug in there are six of them and eight of us a turkey-shoot.”  He said gunning the fighters engine forward the Leopard CV was sitting behind the fight out of the way a cautious skipper knowing his DropShip would be vulnerable to the cargo haulers guns if they closed, not that the cargo haulers could do any real damage just that this skipper was being extra cautious.  “Seven, Eight, One” he said talking to the rearmost pair of fighters “the DropShip is hiding at the back flank around the main spit-ball and hit them, see if we can get them to give up making the dog-fight a bit easier.”

   “One, Seven, Gotcha we’ll hit them and get the prize.”  The lead pilot said as the two aircraft broke off from the main group and headed to the DropShip, with luck the DropShip wouldn’t see them allowing them to get off a salvo or two before it fired back Liam thought quietly.

   “Two Flight, One, take the pair of Tomahawk above the Haulers.”  Liam ordered hoping that Two flights large pulse lasers would be big enough to give the Forty-five ton Tomahawk pair something to think about, it was a difficult job he had given them but if they used their fighters full mobility then they could stay in behind the Tomahawk away from the main guns.

   “Understood leader” Three, Pilot Samantha Walsh said as she lead four after the slow moving Tomahawk.

   “Three Flight, One, you have a tougher nut.  I read a pair of Sholagars out there they have better mobility but no back guns get in and give them a rear full of SRMs they’ll start running for mammy.

   “Five, One, hope not boss I want the techs to paint at least one on this baby when we get back to base.”

   “If the powers that be allow it.”  Liam said as the third pair of fighters moved in on the Sholagars they were faster and heavier but like the Tomahawks lacked rear guns so should be relatively easy kills the biggest problem for Three Flight was their weapons had limited range.

   “So we get the fun pair boss?”  Rebecca asked.

   “Roger that Becky, which do you want?  High or low?”

   “I always did like scraping the bottle, I’ll take bottom” she said angling her fighter towards the target Liam nodded this wasn’t going to be easy.  Against them was a pair of Sparrowhawks, the same weight but faster, their advantage would be in the weapons because of the Sparrowhawks massive engines they had little offensive weapons and normally nothing around the back.

   Liam angled towards the top Sparrowhawk all the time watching his fighters close Four Flight let of a pair of salvos of missiles striking the Leopard CV causing a slight decompression as they combined fire on a specific spot.  Liam keyed in his comm. system switching to broadband “Pirate Force this is the Outworlds Alliance Air Corps you are under arrest and ordered to stand down your weapons and throttle back your engines to safe.”

   “Negative, we are going to kill you then take what we came for.”  One of the pirates said as the pirate fighters began angling to engage the fighters.  Liam engaged maximum thrust chasing the Sparrowhawk which dived behind the cargo haulers knowing that Liam would not fire on them while they circled near the DropShip.  Liam activated his civilian comm. channel targeting it at the DropShips as he manoeuvred near the enemy Sparrowhawk which appeared to be trying to angle in on Four Flight who were continuing their attacks against the DropShip.

   “Cargo Hauler Maestro this is Outworlds Alliance Air Corps querying what are you carrying?  What are these pirates after?”

   “Alliance leader, we have six hundred Extended-Range Large Lasers aboard our vessels.”  The DropShip commander said as Liam passed the bridge of the lead vessel opening fire with his fighters forward guns catching the Sparrowhawk on the port wing.

   “Six hundred?  Where is your escort?”  Liam asked normally weapon shipments to the Draconis Combine or Federated Suns who both bought weapons from an Alliance company were escorted by at least a squadron of aerospace fighters until they reached the safety of the JumpShip and could get out of the system.

   “They got called into helping the ground fight.”

   “Great.”  Liam said as the Sparrowhawk attacked the two Medium Range Missile armed Four Flight “Four flight keep your runs going on that DropShip, I have the fighter.  Civilian Hauler pour on the power and get the hell out of here.”

   “Got a problem there the number two thrusters is critical already, meant to replace it but never got around to it.  If I push it then it could blow.”

   “If your don’t your dead.”  Liam said giving it to the man straight, there was a reply but Liam missed it as the enemy Sparrowhawk he had been chasing spun on the spot and opened up on him with his six small lasers.  One struck the edge of the canopy while the others hit the nose and the wings.  “Damn” Liam said spinning his fighter trying to make it a harder target, as he turned he straightened out and opened up on the nearly stationary Sparrowhawk the pulse lasers concentrated on the damaged wing while the others hit the body of the pirate fighter.  The pulse lasers must have hit a critically weakened part of the damaged wing as the entire assembly crumpled disabling the fighter.  Looking around Liam could see that Rebecca was driving the second Sparrowhawk towards him, diving into the fighter’s path he lined up on both craft and opened fire with a full laser and pulse laser barrage, Rebecca fired at the same time from rear.  The two barrages of weapons fire converged on the Sparrowhawk consuming it and the pilot in a ball of flame.

   With their targets eliminated Liam looked around for another target and found nothing hostile remained with both Tomahawks and the Leopard-CV surrendering under the guns of the Corax fighters.  Another bonus was all eight aircraft had survived their baptism of fire intact and combat ready.  On the ground the pirates had caused heavy damage to the capital and the defenders however they had also been defeated, the Outworlds Alliance’s Capital was safe once again.  "Cargo Hauler, we will escort you and your cargo to ground."

       "Thank you pilot, nice aircraft you have there, glad you are on my side."

[David CGB]

nice very nice

[Dragon Cat]

nice very nice

don't worry I'll find plenty trouble for those bears too  O0

more

Time to really throw the cat among the pigeons, plenty more trouble here...

Clan Snow Raven Capital
Lum, Kerensky Cluster
Clan Homeworlds, Clan Space
8th September 3065

   As their new allies come under assault from pirate forces in the Periphery Clan Snow Raven finds its own capital under siege by Clan Steel Viper angered at the Snow Ravens attacks against them when they were forced out of the Inner Sphere and back to the Homeworlds by Clan Jade Falcon.

   The Steel Vipers debuted several of their new Mercer-class DropShips and a sizable portion of their WarShip fleet to punch through the Snow Ravens defensive cordon.  The Steel Vipers did not bother to ask for safcon for their ground forces knowing the Snow Ravens would never grant it, they had always relied on their aerospace and WarShip forces for defence at the expense of their ground forces.

   Once on the ground the Steel Vipers got to work expanding their territory in rapid fashion.  Clan Steel Viper Khan Perigrad Zalman landed two days later with two more Cluster of troops as the Steel Vipers again broke the Snow Raven blockade.  The Khan ordered his troops to increase their trials for territory and resources intent on taking the Snow Raven capital world crippling their Clan for decades, if not destroying them entirely.

Diamond Shark Trade Holdings
Itabiana, Diamond Shark Occupied Space
12th September 3065

   The first Draconis Combine trade DropShip arrives in system, a Rose-class transport known for its impressive defensive capabilities as well as being a decent cargo hauler.  To the Combine traders/ISF Agents are surprised they find the Diamond Sharks more than willing to trade Clan technology with them.  After a week’s negotiation the Diamond Sharks and Draconis Combine agree to their first trade trading nearly a Battalion’s worth of Clan-built ninety ton Mad Cat Mk II and sixty-five ton Ha Otoko BattleMechs for raw materials and other supplies.  The Diamond Sharks also agree to trade the Ha Otoko’s design blueprints for extra raw materials and supplies going as far to show the Draconis Combine traders how to modify the design to make it easy to produce with Inner Sphere technology.  When the leaders of the expedition inform the Coordinator of what they experienced on Itabiana Hohiro Kurita lifts all trade bans with the world and encourages several of his military trading companies to travel to the worlds to see exactly what the Draconis Combine can get out of the deal.

Throne Room, Davion Royal Palace
Avalon City, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
16th September 3065

   Although he had been made aware of the Dragoons success on Melissa and their subsequent evacuation of Adam Steiner from Jade Falcon hands today was a big day for Victor as Adam arrived on New Avalon and was brought to the throne room of the Davion Royal Palace.  The Seventh Kommando escort brought Adam into the throne room and fanned out near the entrance as Jamie Wolf and Adam approached Victor who immediately rose form his throne.  “Congratulations and Welcome back to New Avalon, Supreme Commander Wolf.”  Victor said moving over to Jamie first, he noticed Adam was walking around in a slight daze “your payment has been prepared and is ready for pick-up.”  Victor said the Dragoons had requested a new Conquistador-class DropShip and licences to build the Federated Suns Targeting Computer and Rotary Autocannon on Outreach freeing the Dragoons from needing to always import technology to keep their forces operational.  Victor had been happy to trade this with the Dragoons and even got them to agree to allow the Federated Suns to buy some of the exclusive Dragoon produced Mechs at Blackwell Industries on Outreach.

   “Thank you, First Prince Davion” Jamie said shaking Victor’s outstretched hand then stepping away from Adam Victor followed and Jamie continued in a hushed voice.  “He is not the same man he was before being taken by the Falcons.  It appears they used some sort of hyper-accelerant methods of indoctrination on him that took quiet quickly, he believes he is still a Clansmen and that he is my bondsman.  He does not believe that he was once a member of the Lyran noble family and was very hostile when we mentioned Katherine’s name.”

   “He’s among family, we’ll make him better, Supreme Commander.  Thank you.”  Victor said nodding to Jamie who returned the nod and without another word left the throne room.  Victor stepped back over to Adam “welcome to New Avalon, Adam.”  Victor said stepping in front of him, Adam still wore the off-duty of a Jade Falcon officer.

   “New Avalon?  I know you, sire?”  He said looking at Victor for the first time “Victor?” Victor nodded “you ordered my capture?”

   “I ordered your rescue” Victor corrected “because my sister Katherine, Archon of the Lyran Alliance, was willing to leave you with the Jade Falcons.”

   “Katherine, that bitch” Adam said dismissively looking around. “What am I doing on New Avalon, sire?”  He asked Victor still very formal.

   “If you had been taken to Tharkad then you’d likely be in even more trouble now.  I asked the Dragoons to return you here so you could regain your strength.  We have set aside some land in a secluded spot on New Avalon.  You won’t be bothered and you’ll be able to recover.”  Victor said placing a hand on Adam’s shoulder.  “The Guards will take you to your aircraft.  If you need anything don’t hesitate to ask.”  Two guards in Davion Guard uniform approached silently from the doors.

   “Thank you Victor.”  Adam said his voice almost a whisper as he followed the guards out Adam turned before he left the room “it’s good to be free.”  He said quietly before walking back out of the throne room.  Victor crossed the room and returned to his Throne and sat down to think.

   “You think he can be saved?”  Peter asked moving out of the shadows behind the throne.

   “You better hope so.  You will need his support.”

   “Me?  I thought you wanted him to challenge Katherine for the Lyran throne?”

   “No, Peter, It is our blood rite for the Lyran throne.”  Victor said quietly his father and mother were leaders of the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth before the Federated Commonwealth merger.  Victor wanted that legacy to remain, Adam was a member of the family but a cousin not a direct member of the ruling line.  “I want you to challenge for the Lyran throne and I believe that you can win the Lyran people with Adam’s help.”  Victor said turning his chair to look at Peter.

   “I don’t know the first thing about leading a nation.”  Peter said quietly very honestly

   “You know more than me, you’re older and wiser than I ever was and I think you can lead the Lyran people well.”  Victor said looking at his younger brother move into the room there was conflicted thoughts on his face as he thought about what Victor was saying.  As the Federated Suns’ Prince’s Champion he had learned a lot, but he was not sure if he was ready.

   “If… if I do what you are saying” Peter began “I will rule the Lyran realm as I see fit.  The Lyran Alliance will not be an extension of the Federated Suns.”  He warned Victor he would not be Victor’s pawn, if he had a nation it would be his to do as he saw fit.

   “The Federated Commonwealth is dead Peter.  My actions and Katherine’s decided that.  I have no wish to rule the Lyran Alliance, but I do not want Katherine remaining in that position either, she is an unfit leader as Romano Liao was an unfit leader of the Capellan Confederation.  The Lyran people need a strong leader, Adam was once that man but he has gone through a lot, Morgan Kell is another but I know he would never accept the post even on a temporary basis, he believes in the Steiner-line too much, so that leaves you.”

   “What about Caesar Steiner or even Reinhart?”  Peter asked naming two other prominent members of the Lyran noble family.

   “I have been unable to contact Caesar to see his point of view but according to Reinhart his father has no wish to lead the Alliance or oppose Katherine, she has left him alone and he has left her alone despite her politics.  Reinhart abandoned the Lyran Alliance when he and the Tenth Lyran Guards agree to join the Federated Suns signing on with the AFFS to stop Katherine recalling them to the Alliance.”

   “But I am the Federated Suns Prince’s Champion and a Major in the AFFS.  How could the Lyran people accept me?”

   “Your commission with the AFFC still exists.”  Victor said quietly Peter looked at him more closely “when you asked me for a job I gave you a commission in the AFFS but your Federated Commonwealth rank of Leftenant is still yours.  You have spent the last ten years in the Alliance, the Lyran people will still see you as having a right to the throne.”

   “You’ve thought about this a lot haven’t you?”  Peter said a small face crossed his face Victor similarly smiled, a polite smile to cover his worry that Peter would refuse his plan.  “It seems we have some planning to do.”  Peter said quietly.

   “No, we wait until the Lyran Alliance calls to you.”

   “Calls to me?  How will it do that Katherine is solidly in charge.”

   “No, according to DMI reports the attacks on Skye by the Draconis Combine and the assassinations of the Aten family have weakened her standing as have the attacks by the Jade Falcons and the loss of Adam to their offensive.  The Lyran people do not see her as the person to keep them safe any longer the cracks are beginning to show.  Katherine left Adam with the Jade Falcons to alienate a political opponent but she alienated her own people.  Soon you will give her another opponent one the people will rally behind, hopefully Adam will make a recovery and then he can help you his name still pulls a lot of weight in the Alliance.”

HPG Broadcast
Inner Sphere, Clan Occupation Zones and Periphery
21st September 3065

   Across the Inner Sphere and the surrounding Periphery Hyper Pulse Generators controlled by ComStar the Word of Blake and the Clans all activated receiving the same message over and over on dozens of worlds this message went instantly onto the planets information and for six hours the Inner Sphere was paralysed as the HPGs continued to receive the message over and over.

   “People of the Human Race, today I bring you grave news.”  A white cloaked man said his eyes covered by the cloak “we have been lied to by the very people who claim they no longer interfere with Inner Sphere politics and the Succession States.  The Information I present comes directly from the information vaults on Terra and Tukayyid.”  The figure said activating a holo-tank brining up a picture of Captain-General Thomas Marik, Leader of the Free Worlds League.  “This man is a fake.  The man the Inner Sphere knows as Thomas Marik is not the same man who joined ComStar.  The bomb blast that our Captain-General claims he was disfigured by killed the real Thomas Marik and ComStar used it to place one of their ROM Agents at the head of a Succession State.”  The man said bringing up two DNA files “these files show that these two men are two different individuals.  Unfortunately for ComStar the man they turned into Thomas Marik refused to be their puppet and instead served the Free Worlds League loyally.  Despite this loyalty he is not a member of the ruling family of House Marik and his continued support of the Word of Blake will bring the Free Worlds League’s people to ruin.”  The man said pulling his cloak back behind his head his eyes were circled by large black patches indicating he had not been sleeping properly “people of the Inner Sphere, people of the Free Worlds League I plead with you renounce this man and bring ComStar’s and the Word of Blake’s influence over the Succession Lords to an end.  Death to the Children of Jerome Blake!”  He shouted over and over.  For six hours the same message was played and across the Inner Sphere there were attacks against ComStar and the Word of Blake.  For a start it was thought this was a coordinated attack however soon people realised that they were dealing with angry nations.  The Free Worlds League military began sealing its borders as Parliament met to look over the data, discuss their response and allow Thomas Marik to answer the charge.

[Dragon Cat]

Star League Emergency HPG Broadcast
Inner Sphere Wide
28th September 3065

   The leaders of the Inner Sphere are asked by the Free Worlds League to hold an HPG conference following the announcement that Thomas Marik was a fake.  Instead of Thomas Marik representing the Free Worlds League Paul Marik the Captain-General’s brother and Minister of Free Worlds League Intelligence represents the League.  As the representative of the party that asked to hold the Conference Paul Marik begins.

   “Leaders of the Inner Sphere as you are aware Information attaining to the true Identity of the man we knew as Thomas Marik was released to the Inner Sphere.  Following an Investigation the Free Worlds League Parliament have found this man guilty of impersonating a Succession Lord and he has been executed.”

   “Executed?”  Candice Allard-Liao said startled “he was the First Lord of the Reborn Star League and probably the most stable leader of all the Succession States and you have had him killed?  Are you insane?  What about his family?”  she asked Thomas Marik, or at least the man who had been known by that name had children.

   “At last we may gain some respect.”  Sun-Tzu Liao whispered just loud enough for all to hear.  In Inner Sphere politics the Liao’s had always been seen as the crazy family.

   “He was an agent of a foreign power who had infiltrated the Free Worlds League with the intent to leading the nation under orders of another.  He was a criminal and punished for his crimes.  Parliament has dissolved Resolution 288 giving all power to the Captain-General and has chosen to withdraw the Free Worlds League from the Star League Defence Force.  His family have been placed under house arrest here on Atreus until their fate can be decided”  The Free Worlds League had been the one of the strongest supporters of the Star League their loss was a big one for the League.  “All contracts the Free Worlds League held with the other nations of the Inner Sphere are hereby cited as being null-and-void.  These terms are non-negotiable, I thank you for your time.”  Paul said cutting the Free Worlds League HPG link, the Free Worlds League had been fulfilling contracts with the Lyran Alliance, Draconis Combine and Federated Suns to supply them with technology and equipment to be used to fight the Clans since the early 3050s an agreement brokered by Thomas Marik.  The Free Worlds League’s withdrawal from Inner Sphere politics and now Inner Sphere trade was a worrying trend.

   “I call for a vote of no-confidence in the Star League, the Clan threat is over we do not need it.  The Capellan Confederation votes no.”  Sun-Tzu Liao said if less than two thirds of the Star League member states voted yes the Star League would be dissolved.

   “The St Ives Compact votes yes, the Star League still has a place in the Inner Sphere and despite the loss of the Free Worlds League is still a powerful organisation.”

   “The Federated Suns also vote yes and dedicate an increased percentage to the Star League to cover the loss of a member state.  The Star League showed its worth on the Jade Falcon Border and the Lyran/Combine border, it still has a place.”  Victor said the Star League was also controlled by Morgan Hasek-Davion a stanch supporter of Victor and the Federated Suns.

   “The Draconis Combine also vote yes.  The Star League personnel aboard Unity City and the Intelligence assets made available to me were instrumental in helping find the killer of my sister Omiko Kurita and ending the Ghost Bear War.  The Star League has my nations full support and I am also willing to increase our support to match the Federated Suns to maintain and expand the Star League.”  Hohiro Kurita said Sun-Tzu Liao looked as if he would explode, things were not going to how he had foreseen them.

   “As the sitting First Lord I will put full support behind the Star League from the Free Rasalhague Republic.”  Christian Mansdotter said.

   “The Lyran people will also support the Star League, the Star League Defence Force was instrumental in returning Melissa to us, our support is the least we should offer.  I will match the Federated Suns and Draconis Combine in increasing support to the SLDF.”  Katrina said.

   “Fine the Star League is upheld.  If there is nothing else?”  Sun-Tzu Liao said quickly “fine, good day.”  He said cutting the Capellan link to the net the other lords soon cut their own links ending the Emergency Conference.  The Free Worlds League had been lost but the Star League was still strong and still very much in power.

Free Worlds League
Across the Nation
31st September-7th October 3065

   With the truth about Thomas Marik out and the Parliament unable to reach a consensus on anything Civil War breaks out across the Free Worlds League as the military tries to find its own resolution to the problems.  Duchies once allied under the Free Worlds League begin fighting each other.  Word of Blake troops and personnel in the Free Worlds League become favourite targets for Free Worlds League troops wanting to vent their aggression and anger on someone other than their own people.

   On the 1st October the first signs of unrest begin to show as the Thirteenth and Fifteenth Marik Militia both go Absent Without Leave (AWOL).  Both units refuse all communications travelling out of the Free Worlds League Claimed space landing on Terra pledging their loyalty to the Word of Blake.

   Assuming much of the Captain-General’s duties Paul Marik sends the First, Second and Third Free Worlds Legionaries to Gibson launching a retaliatory strike against the Word of Blake for circumventing the Free Worlds League’s control over the two Militia units.  As the regiments are supported by the WarShips Delphi (Thera-class Carrier), Bors and Kay (Eagle-class Frigates) Paul is confident that they can break the Word of Blake’s hold on the world.

   Three days later only a heavily damaged Kay and the battered remains of the First Free Worlds Legionaries returns to Atreus Intact both the Second and Third are destroyed as were the Delphi and Bors.  The Kay’s crew report that four Word of Blake WarShips and at least a Division of ground troops were destroyed however the loss of one of the Thera-class Carriers, on the classes first taste of real combat, is a major blow to the Free Worlds League navy and its shaken people.

   Following this failed assault the WarShips Liberty (Vincent Mk-39-class Corvette), Raven and Schrack (Essex-class Destroyers), Nueva Badajoz and Olympic (Aegis-class Heavy Cruisers) and the Xanthos (Black Lion-class Battle-cruiser) all hulls the FWL reactivated from mothball from the First Star League-era all go AWOL from their posts reappearing over a month later in the Terran system.  This loss guts the FWL Navies back causing the leaders of the Free Worlds League’s states to take drastic action.

   On the 7th October Paul Marik is murdered by an unknown individual on the floor room of parliament and the Free Worlds League Parliament dissolve, possibly permanently.  The Free Worlds League ceases to exist as a functioning nation.

   The WarShips Santorini (Thera-class Carrier) escorted by the Lancelot and the Galahad (Eagle-class Frigates) make a run at Atreus collecting the Gold and Silver Regiments of the Knights of the Inner Sphere and Sherryl Halas, Thomas Marik’s wife, accompanying her are Thomas’ three children Jonas, Christopher and Jessica.  The three WarShips refuse all communications and orders from the Free Worlds League Militia commanders on the ground and threaten any WarShip, DropShip or fighter with destruction if they close.  The WarShips then take their precious cargo to the relative safety of the Halas holdings on Oriente.

Sandoval Family Residence
Castle Robinson, Robinson
Draconis March, Federated Suns
7th October 3065

   Following a massive stroke James Sandoval Duke of Robinson and Field Marshal of the Federated Suns Draconis March lapses into a coma on Robinson.  Baron Tarncred Sandoval, his son assumes the position of Minister of the Draconis March from his father, the rank of full Field Marshal and command of all AFFS and Afflicted Mercenary troops in the Draconis March.  Because James is still alive Tarncred does not yet assume the hereditary title of Duke of Robinson.

Coventry, Coventry Province
Lyran Alliance
8th October 3065

   The Krushers Mercenary Regiment commanded by youngest sister to Thomas Marik hears of troubles in Free Worlds League and informs Coventry Duke Thomas Fredrick Bradford that she is activating her Regiments emergency escape clause and taking her people back to the Free Worlds League in an attempt to stabilise the nation.  Although Bradford attempts to get her to reconsider he is a supporter of Victor Steiner-Davion, over Katherine, and when he receives a message asking him to honour The Krushers decision Bradford steps down and allows The Krushers to leave unmolested.

Wasat, Independent Member
Free Worlds League
11th October 3065

   The Black Lion-class Battle-cruiser Xanthos reappears in Free Worlds League space entering the Chaos March border world of Wasat on October 10th.  The FWLS Jonas Marik, an Impavido-class Destroyer, is dispatched to intercept the vessel as it recharges its Jump Engines.

   When the Jonas Marik arrives the Xanthos immediately launches all DropShips and fighters and attacks the Destroyer and its own auxiliary craft.  In a short one sided battle the much larger Xanthos annihilates the FWLS Jonas Marik and its support with its massed Naval Autocannons and Naval Missiles.  On the 12th October the Xanthos leaves the system not seen again for eight days when it reappears briefly in the Caph system before finally appearing in the Terra system.

[snakespinner]

The FWL at it again.
No peace it that part of the inner sphere, thankfully. >:D

[FedSunsBorn]

More updates! Yeah!

Hmmm...an Impavido vs a Black Lion....Yeah, I would have told command to shove it and just retreated from that suicide run.

[Dragon Cat]

The FWL at it again.
No peace it that part of the inner sphere, thankfully. >:D

It gets worse for the League...

More updates! Yeah!

Hmmm...an Impavido vs a Black Lion....Yeah, I would have told command to shove it and just retreated from that suicide run.

I thought the FedSuns just said ram it   :)) (I agree with you though, a miss-match for sure)

More!!

Lum, Kerensky Cluster
Clan Homeworlds, Clan Space
12th October 3065

   Following weeks of prolonged heavy combat the Steel Vipers begin to pull back to their initial landing sites following a threat from the other force on Lum, Clan Jade Falcon, that if they remained the Jade Falcons would being assaulting Steel Viper claimed territory.  Pleased with the supplies they have gained from the Snow Raven factories and the damage they have caused the Steel Viper Khan chooses to retreat instead of carrying on with the attack.

   Without Hegira to cover their retreat however the Steel Vipers are forced to run the gauntlet of eleven Snow Rave WarShips that are parked around the planet ensuring that no-more Steel Vipers can land on the planet.  Picking an area defended by the Avalanche, a Sovetskii-Soyuz-class Heavy Cruiser, and the Huninn, a Vincent Mk-42-class Corvette, the Steel Vipers hope to break past the two vessels with sheer massed numbers as everything launches off Lum at the same time and Steel Viper WarShips attack in space.

   Everything appears to be going well until the Avalanche lashes out with its full destructive might at the Steel Viper ground force transports.  Whether it was deliberate of just chance the result of the attack was devastating on the Steel Vipers as a Naval Laser Barrage hits Khan Perigrad Zalman’s DropShip annihilating the vessel its crew and passengers in a ball of flame.

   Following a series of Trials Steel Viper saKhan Brett Andrews becomes Khan on the 22nd October and his first act is to promise the Snow Ravens that he will have revenge for the previous Khan’s death.

Brigadier Corporation Shipyard
Mackenzie, Independent Member
Free Worlds League
20th October 3065

   In the early hours of the 20th October a unidentified four vessel flotilla entered the Mackenzie system.  The four defending WarShips the Impavido, the first of the class of the same name, the FWLS Attica, a Zechetinu-class Corvette, the FWLS Haptopodar, a Zechetinu II-class Corvette and the FWLS Aeneas, an Agamemnon-class Heavy Cruiser.  All moved out to intercept the unidentified group of vessels.  With both groups moving in on each other the distance between the two armadas rapidly closed the defenders found three Zechetinu II-class Corvettes, the Acari, Scorpion and the Ixodida and a Impavido-class Destroyer, the Phrgia.

   Without warning the unidentified WarShips opened fire destroying the Attica in a concentrated opening volley, the Corvette was torn to pieces by a myriad of Naval Weapons fire.

   The Impavido and Aeneas moving close together covering each other from a cross-fire from the enemy Corvettes concentrated on the enemy Impavido, Phrgia, using their superior firepower to crush the destroyer quickly eliminating the most dangerous of their opponents.  Unfortunately for the defenders their Zechetinu II-class Corvette, the Haptopodar, activated its Jump Drive and left the systems as soon as the enemy Zechetinu IIs moved in leaving the Defending two WarShips against five WarShips.

   Instead of sticking around to fight the Acari, Scorpion and Ixodida poured on the speed heading for the shipyards.  The Impavido able to match the Corvette’s speed gave chase while the slower Aeneas executed a dangerous inter-system jump reverting to real space just as the Corvettes were moving in on the Shipyards.  Caught between a Destroyer and a Heavy Cruiser the Corvettes expected strategy would be to surrender however this was not on their mind.  The Acari turned on the Impavido in an attempt to slow the Destroyer.  The Ixodida charged at the Aeneas while the Scorpion continued on to the Shipyards.

   Although the Impavido out massed the Acari by a ratio of almost three-to-one the Acari still carried a significant weapons punch and as it constantly tried to stay at maximum range firing capital missiles at the Impavido just outside the own maximum range of it big guns the fight was quite evenly matched for the first couple of minutes.  After that however the Acari charged forward at full speed taking the Impavido gunners by surprise, this momentary surprise was enough for the Acari crew to ram their speeding Corvette into the Impavido destroying both vessels in a massive fireball, no survivors made it off either vessel although DropShips and aerospace fighters continued to fight on the battle was over there.

   The Aeneas was a far superior to its opponent the Ixodida and following a brief exchange of firepower the Ixodida crew appeared to realise this and signalled their willingness to surrender.  The Aeneas crew unwilling to kill their fellow Free Worlds League troops despite their betrayal moved alongside the Ixodida and one of the Heavy Cruiser’s DropShips began to move over to the vessel.  The Ixodida crew had one last act of treachery to unveil however activating their K-F Jump Drive Core.  With the vessels less than one hundred metres apart the Ixodida’s K-F Core interacted almost instantly with the Aeneas’s own K-F Core.  Two active K-F Cores in close proximity means only one thing ninety-nine percent of the time and this occasion did not disappoint with both vessels destroyed by the resulting explosion.

   The remaining Zechetinu II Scorpion continued onto the shipyards.  Instead of capturing the shipyards the Scorpion had other plans opening fire on the Shipyard with four nuclear tipped White Shark and Barracuda Capital Missiles.  The missiles detonated throughout the complex destroying the shipyards, three under construction Impavido-class Destroyers and the orbital factories.  The Scorpion was not finished there however moving in on world of Mackenzie itself the Scorpion unleashed barrage after barrage of naval weapons fire and nuclear tipped missiles striking several places on the planet.  Although the first strikes were targeted on the newly arrived Romanov’s Crusaders Mercenary Regiment destroying the mercenaries in a single strike the follow up strikes were targeted on Civilian centres and industrial zones.  These strikes were meant of one thing destruction and they did just that killing millions instantly.  For half an hour the Scorpion remained in orbit shooting down any DropShip that tried to escape and destroying every one of Mackenzie’s cities before leaving orbit and the system.

   A week later FWL Humanitarian Relief forces arrived and found the world was beginning to fall into a nuclear winter such was the radiation level on the world.  Of the billions of people that called the planet home only a couple of million were found huddled in sports arenas all suffering from the effects of radiation poisoning and shock.  The Free Worlds League authorities ordered that Mackenzie be abandoned and all survivors to be evacuated.  By the end of the month Mackenzie is no longer an inhabited world of the Free Worlds League with anyone refusing to leave forcefully removed by FWL Militia troops.

Andurien, Duchy of Andurien
Free Worlds League
24th October 3065

   Starting on Andurien and quickly spreading to the rest of the Duchy forces loyal to the Humpherys family systematically destroy all Federal Troops on Andurien worlds.  The Free Worlds League had been keeping the state under Federal Control since its last succession attempt but secretly the Humpherys family had built up a five Regiment strong force of troops loyal to them alone.  The Fifth Free Worlds Legionaries recently transferred to Andurien, to cover the First Legionaries assault against Gibson, become the first casualty quickly followed by the Ninth Legionaries on the same planet as they face five Andurien regiments, the Andurien take no prisoners and refuse to allow the Legionaries to retreat safely.

   Following this victory Dame Delma Humphrey gives all federal troops and personnel thirty-six hours to leave before she begins executions.  When the Thirty-first Marik Militia refuse to leave Shiro III in the allotted time Delma Humphrey unleashed two of her regiments on the unit destroying it to the last man.  With the Free Worlds League falling to pieces no-one attempts to stop Humphrey’s forces for now.  Two days after driving out Federal troops from their nation the Duchy of Andurien land troops on the three worlds of the Mosiro Archipelago securing all three with little resistance and absorbing the tiny state.

Second Battle Armour Corps Command
Fletcher, Royce
Capellan March, Federated Suns
28th October 3065

   Following months on the run from people they used to work for the remains of the Blackhearts Mercenary Regiment arrives on Fletcher on the 21st October, asking for sanctuary at the Star League Defence Force Compound before they are targeted by a faction from the Free Worlds League, other mercenaries or the Federated Suns.

   With only a short delay time Colonel Wu Tsen Lo, the on hand Star League commander and commander of the Second Battle Armour Corps agrees to the grant the Blackhearts sanctuary.  Placing a call to Commanding-General Morgan Hasek-Davion who immediately travels to the world.  Landing soon after Morgan immediately headed for the Blackhearts command DropShip to meet with Blackhearts commander Colonel Marcus Johnson.  The word professional was sometimes overused to describe people who were nowhere near professional however Colonel Johnson and the entire Blackhearts were professional clean-cut soldiers.  Morgan was given a full escort to the Commander’s wardroom and then the two men were left alone, for a few seconds they just looked at each other then Morgan spoke up “how bad is it in the Free Worlds League?”

   “Getting worse by the day they are tearing each other to pieces.  That is why we are here.  My people have no interest in getting involved in a Civil War however we have not ended out contract with them.  We needed a safe place to regroup.”  Johnson said explaining their actions but apologising for nothing.

   “Understandable.”  Morgan said quietly “Colonel your unit used to be know by a different name didn’t it?”  Morgan said testing the boundaries the Blackhearts were former SLDF troops.

   “Aye, but that was a long time ago, Commanding-General.”  Johnson said “I’ve noticed that the new SLDF seems to be taking in a lot of mercenary commands to build itself back up.  I’m not sure I like that strategy.”

   “We have not company stored any unit.”  Morgan said slightly more defensively than he had meant to it was true however that a lot of the new SLDF were former mercenaries.  “And we have only accepted mercenaries with impeccable records and standards.  Allow me to be completely frank with you Colonel, the reason I came here is because I want the Blackhearts to rejoin the SLDF forming the core of what I hope will be a new SAS Division.  Your unit has a direct tie to the Star League’s old Special Armed Service Division and your inclusion would be invaluable to my plans.”

   “What would our expected duties be?  We are not what you could call line troops, our operations are more cloak and dagger.”

   “Of course.  For now your unit would be assigned to the Focht War College training new Star League Recruits and protecting the Advisory Council.  In time however I would expect your troops to become the Star League’s anti-terrorist/special operations unit supporting other units when it needed and finding and disposing of forces that are contrary to our goals like Free Skye, Free Capella organisations, the Black Dragons.  You would have full support from the SLDF and house states but for the most part once you were given a mission you would be on your own.”

   “I would have to discuss this with the other members of the Blackhearts many are career mercenaries and I would not want to force anyone to do anything they did not want.”

   “Of course take the time you need Colonel, I will be here as long as you are perhaps longer.  As a member unit of the new SLDF you will be assigned a Battle Armour Battalion as soon as possibly and all your equipment will be upgraded to Star League or Clan standard.  And since your unit will be the core of a new Division, it will be Lieutenant-General Johnson.”  Morgan said as he was leaving.  Four days later the vote was in and the Blackhearts became members of the SLDF officially reverting to their old designation the Seventy-seventh Special Operations Group initially assigned to Tukayyid‘s defence and defence of the Star League Advisory Council.

[Dragon Cat]

Second Battle Armour Corps Command
Fletcher, Royce
Capellan March, Federated Suns
4th November 3065

   Just as the newly christened Seventy-seventh Special Operations Group are leaving the system the planetary defenders and the orbiting WarShip Covenant are put on high alert as two badly damaged Free Worlds League WarShips enter the system along with four Invader-class JumpShips.  The Covenant’s sensors identify the vessels as the Sparta, a Zechetinu-class Corvette, and the Troy, a Agamemnon-class Heavy Cruiser.  Both vessels are unaccounted for since the break up of the Free Worlds League and there is a worry that they are here to blame the Star League for not stopping the Free Worlds League’s fall by destroying the Covenant and killing the Commanding-General.  A communication from the vessels request that a DropShip, the Golden Sabre, is allowed to land on the planet to allow direct communication with the Commanding-General.  Morgan Hasek-Davion convinces the Davion planetary leaders to allow it and the DropShip travels in system.

   Four days later on the 8th September the DropShip lands on the planet and a single Grand Titan BattleMech is escorted to the SLDF Command Bunker.  Colonel Dame Clarisse Boyer commander of the First Knights of the Inner Sphere, also known as Gold Regiment, exit’s the BattleMech and travels inside to speak with Commanding-General Morgan Hasek-Davion.  As the Colonel entered Morgan nodded briefly she had fought on Huntress with the Star League Defence Force during Operation Bulldog, Morgan knew of her but had never spoken at length with her, she had always remained in Sir Paul Master’s shadow.  “Welcome to Fletcher.  If this is a request for aid in the Civil War that has erupted I regret to inform you that the Star League cannot get involved, the Free Worlds League withdrew from the SLDF before the outbreak of hostilities for us to interfere could be taken as an act of war and would open the door for the Lyran Alliance and Capellan Confederation to also invade.”  Morgan said raising to his feet looking at Clarisse noticing that her uniform was tattered and battle-worn, even on the Hell that was Huntress the Knights had somehow kept nearly in impeccable condition.

   “Sir, I am not here to request help in the Civil War, I believe we are beyond help.”  She said grimly there was no pride in her words or confidence, just dejection the Knights always inspired confidence not the other way around.

   “Well if you are pursuing the Blackhearts for their contract breach I must inform you that they have rejoined the SLDF.”  Morgan said figuring that the Knights would want to try and find some justice in the midst’s of the civil war.

   “We do not pursue the Blackhearts.”  Clarisse said quietly, there was a slight edge to her voice indicating she knew of their contract breach and breach of honour but would do nothing about it, for now.

   “Well then why are you here?  This world is out with Free Worlds League authority.”

   “Which is why we have come here.  Commanding-General, Sir Paul Masters sent us here with his dying breath.”

   “Masters is dead?”  Morgan said his own voice hollow although he had found the founder of the Knights of the Inner Sphere to be annoying at times he had always been a sounding board for the SLDF on Huntress and had served as the first SLDF Ambassador to the Clans.

   “Yes, he died six days ago when both our regiments were ambushed by the Fifth Free Worlds Guards, the Eighth Free Worlds Legionaries and the Tenth Marik Militia on Oriente.  Although we were able to destroy or drive back all three units we knew more would come and that eventually we would fall.  We evacuated the world coming here because we knew this would be your location.”  She said to Morgan it sounded like she was giving a report to a superior officer, but he was not in her chain of command… then it hit him, he knew why she was here why the Knights were here.  “Under orders from General Masters I present you with the four Battalions that remain of the Knights of the Inner Sphere and the WarShips Sparta and Troy two vessels that have agreed to join us.  We would like to petition to join the Star League Defence Force.”  She said making Morgan’s thoughts a reality suddenly he had been given an Elite regiment of warriors and two combat tested WarShips, doubling his navy’s strength.

   “If I was to agree to this acceptance of your regiment we would still not strike at the Free Worlds League, you understand that we cannot break international law and I will not allow the Second Star League to fall for the same mistake the First tried to accomplish.”

   “I understand, sir, my people understand as well.  We do not want our forces wasted in a civil war and we will not be targets to hate filled attacks.  With the Star League we can do what Thomas Marik created us for, to protect the Inner Sphere from external and internal threats.  Hopefully the Free World League will see the mistake it is making and someday the Knights can reform once more under the Marik banner but for now the future is with the Star League.”  Morgan did not like the sound of a potentially rogue regiment being under his command however the Knights of the Inner Sphere were one of the Inner Sphere’s most elite units and he could not turn them away nor could he afford to loose two WarShips.

   “I agree to your inclusion in the SLDF on a pro-tem basis Colonel.  We will see how things progress and hopefully we will be able to work together.”

   “Understood” Clarisse said “thank you, sir.”

   “Thank Paul Masters and Thomas Marik, they created your regiments to serve the Inner Sphere.  Although I don’t think they ever imagined that you would be serving the Inner Sphere quite like this I am glad to have you.  And hope that your example can lead the Inner Sphere down a righteous path.”  Morgan said, it was the closest thing he could do to a speech and noticed that it brought the Colonel back into the room slightly however she was still distant.  A couple of days later Morgan took the Knights with him when he left for Kittery sending the two WarShips to Lyran and Federated Suns Shipyards for refit and repairs from battle damage.

Arcadia, Cavanaugh Theatre
Bolan Province, Lyran Alliance
18th-25th November 3065

   En route out of the Lyran Alliance and back to their native Free Worlds League The Krushers Mercenary Regiment are forced to land on the world of Arcadia when a freak accident purges all drinkable water aboard their command JumpShip.  In what should have been a simple supply operation The Krushers landed on Arcadia only to find the Second Donegal Guards RCT waiting for them, not only had the Donegal Guards been sent to intercept them but a Lyran Agent had caused the accident.  With seven conventional regiments and a Mech Regiment supported by two Aerospace Wings against them The Krushers were heavily outgunned however Colonel Kirsten Marik refused to surrender her command to the Lyran Authorities and led her Regiment into the Arcadian Countryside intent on fighting in open ground away from population zones and with plenty of moving room.  The Donegal Guards charged forward in the unpredictable style that set them apart from nearly every other Lyran Regiment however The Krushers heavier style of fighting with a preponderance of heavy machines with heavy guns made them more a match for the Lyran unit.

   For six days The Krushers led the Lyrans through the Arcadian countryside smashing through any blockade set up to catch them.  However on the morning of the 24th Lt. Colonel Jiri Rousset, the unit’s executive officer and husband to the unit’s commander, was badly injured when his BattleMech suffered a head breach.  Unwilling to move her husband and risk killing him Kirsten ordered her Krushers to dig in and hold praying for a miracle that she doubted would be coming.

   In the early hours of the 25th however their miracle arrived in the form of the Sixth Marik Militia, under the command of Marshal Jeremy Brett, supported by the Eagle-class Frigates Tristram and Bedevere and the massive Thera-class Carrier Sardis.  The Sixth begin landing around the Second Donegal hammering them from all sides securing the aerospace around Arcadia quickly using the Sardis‘ massive fighter screen.

   In three short hours the Second Donegal Guards RCT are hammered into nothing by the Sixth Militia and the remaining Krushers however at a dear cost.  During the fighting a Lyran Mech breaches The Krushers lines and strafes the command tents with fire killing the already injured Jiri Rousset.  Then just as Marshal Brett arrives to rescue his sister-in-law Kirsten a Lyran Fafnir Assault BattleMech beheads Kirsten’s Albatross with a headshot from one of the Mech’s massive Heavy Gauss Rifles killing Kirsten Marik instantly.  Marshal Brett pulls his unit, the remaining Krushers and the three WarShips from the Lyran Alliance in short order ensuring they are no longer at risk of attack from Lyran authorities.  The Krushers under the command of Kirsten’s three children return to Augustine and their families holdings to begin the next phase of their civil war.

Illium Naval Engineering Shipyards
Ionus, Marik-Stewart Commonwealth
29th November 3065

   Construction site of one of the biggest WarShips ever built the Thera-class Carrier before the break-up of the Free Worlds League security around and inside the yards would have been nearly impossible to break however with the break-up of the league and the constant fighting security had become slightly more lax.  In fact the security had become so lax that three members of the Capellan Confederation’s Maskirovka (Intelligence) command to infiltrate the shipyards.  This is the farthest reaching Capellan Intelligence Operation ever conducted from the Capellan realm and is so important the Capellan superiors allow their agents to remain in the shipyards posing as engineers and designers for nearly a month before acting.  This latitude in operations shows the Confederation being more lax with operatives than they had ever been in their entire history.

[Dragon Cat]

Marik-Stewart Commonwealth/Skye Province
Free Worlds League/Lyran Alliance border
5th December 3065

   With the Free Worlds League in turmoil and the recent operation against the Lyran Alliance by Jeremy Brett the Skye Province launches an unauthorised attack against the Marik worlds of Alula Australis, Zosma, Wing, Rochelle and Uhura.  Only Uhura fell without incident the others attempted to resist the Lyran troops offensive.

   On Rochelle the Fourth Skye Rangers RCT encounter the Eleventh Atrean Dragoons Regiment routing the Marik-Stewart unit in less than six hours.  The commander of the Fourth Leutnant-General William Harrison Von Frisch allows the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth unit to retreat following some heavy fighting.

   On Wing the Third Tikonov Republican Guards, which have thrown in with the Free Skye Movement of the Lyran Alliance, encounter the Thirtieth Marik Militia.  The Thirtieth had joined the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth on the outbreak of the Civil War and was fully prepared for the attack but not the ferocity of the Tikonov Republicans the Thirtieth stood their ground to the Lyran troops and were annihilated to the man by the 10th December.

   On Zosma the Tamar Cavaliers personally loyal to Duke Robert Ryan Kelswa-Steiner assaulted the Steel Guard of the Duchy of Oriente which had refused a recall order defending the world in case of such a Lyran Attack.  Following a game of cat-and-mouse the numerically superior but less experienced Steel Guard are quickly crushed by the Free Skye troops with the few warriors taken as Prisoners of War thrown in planetary prisons with common criminals.  A Reinforced Battalion supported by a Battle Armour Company then jumped to Alula Australis and beat the Haematite Guard of the Duchy of Oriente, another unit which had refused a recall order.  All captured words begin the indoctrination process placing Lyran/Skye friendly governors in charge of the world.  The Free Skye forces also make sure local militia forces are raised with known Lyran supporters placed in command positions.  This ensures that the main Lyran force can be redeployed and that if the Free Worlds League forces return they will face armed opposition not just a hostile government.

Hesperus II, Skye Province
Lyran Alliance
12th December 3065

   Free Skye Movements actions did not stop on the Lyran/Free Worlds League border however.  Free Skye had always been about freeing the Isle of Skye from the Lyran Alliance’s yoke and the only way to do that was attack the forces within the Lyran Alliance.  The only way to do this was securing Hesperus II, site of the largest Inner Sphere BattleMech factory, and Skye itself.  While the under strength First Skye Jaegers dropped onto the nearly undefended Skye.  The Seventeenth and Twenty-second Skye Rangers assaulted the Under strength Fifteenth and Thirty-sixth Lyran Guards RCT on Hesperus II beginning the Fifteenth Battle of Hesperus II.  Only Hesperus II’s impressive defences allow the two Lyran Guard units to hold against the driven Skye Ranger units.  Archon Katrina Steiner-Davion places a call to the Gray Death Legion Mercenary Regiment on nearby Glengarry to assist on Hesperus II however the mercenaries will be unable to mobilize until January.

Illium Naval Engineering Shipyards
Ionus, Marik-Stewart Commonwealth
25th December 3065

   Capellan Confederation Agents who have been in place for nearly a month operating under the noses of the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth Security guards act firstly by allowing two unmarked, unregistered, DropShips to dock with the shipyards.  The DropShips do not unload any cargo or personnel just sit there, the Capellan Agents meanwhile set off dozens of fire, intruder and malfunction alarms keeping station security busy and buying them time for phase two.  In the early afternoon they detonate several explosives vaporizing a half finished Eagle-class Frigate docked at the yards.

   In the confusion surrounding the explosions the Capellan WarShip crew and marines charge from their DropShips to the Thera-class Delos which is nearing completion in one of Illium’s largest shipyard docks.  Gaining control of the lightly defended vessel quickly they use the vessel’s turreted conventional weapons to blast away the construction scaffolding before igniting the main manoeuvring thrusters moving into open space.

   In open space the defending WarShips Kay, an Eagle-class Frigate damaged in combat earlier that year moving in for repairs and refit, the Kustarachnae, a Zechetinu II-class Corvette, and the Menellaus, an Agamemnon-class Heavy Cruiser all move to block the Delos’ escape.  Without a full crew or fighter support the Delos has no chance against one vessel let alone three however suddenly around the stolen carrier appear three Capellan Feng-Huang-class Cruisers the Franko Martell, Aleisha Kris and Sundermann Rhys.  These three vessels immediately engage the three lighter Marik-Stewart vessels creating a wall of WarShips, fighters and DropShips around the Delos as the Carrier brings it K-F Drive on-line ready to leave the system.

   The Kustarachnae, smallest of the defenders is cut apart quickly by the massed firepower of the three Capellan Cruisers and their massed fighter and DropShip screen while the Menellaus finds itself fighting an internal conflict as ninety-six battle armour troopers from the Franko Martell board the vessel and attempt to seize the vessel.  The Kay attempts to ram the Delos denying it to the Capellans however the Aleisha Kris intercepts it ramming the lighter Frigate destroying both vessels in a massive fireball leaving no survivors.  With two vessels and one boarded the Capellans have time to recall their DropShips and Fighters as the Free Worlds League WarShip forces have been taken care of.  As the Menellaus crew continue in their attempt to fight off their Capellan boarders the two remaining Feng-Huang Cruisers and the Delos Jump from the system leaving the Capellan Marines to capture or death.  The fanatical Capellan Marines continue to fight aboard the Menellaus despite the loss of any hope of rescue or escape they fight to the vessels main magazines and detonate a bomb consuming the vessel in a horrifying explosion.

   The two Capellan Cruisers and their Thera-class prize travel back to the Capellan Confederation using uninhabited systems to ensure they come across no Marik-Stewart Commonwealth or other Free Worlds League nation’s patrols.  Although the loss of a cruiser is a heavy loss for the Capellan’s small WarShip fleet the capture of a Thera, one of the largest modern WarShips, from such a long distance is seen as a massive victory by the Capellan people.

And so ends 3065, a bit short on depth but not action, hope you enjoyed