Foresight (AU with Thanks)

[Dragon Cat]

This is a split off story of my Alternate Timeline with Thanks it explains a bit of backstory behind one of the ongoing conflicts in my AU and perhaps will indicate how things will change in the future...  I hope you enjoy.

Foresight

Khan’s office
Crofton, Nova Cat’s Den
1st September 3114

Khan Canin Rosse was sitting in the former StarCorps office on Crofton which he’d taken as his own after the Nova Cat conquest of the world.  He was reading combat reports on the Nova Cats Den’s successful defence against the recent Federated Suns invasion of three worlds as the Federated Suns tried to put his Clan on the defensive.  His people had repulsed attack with the assistance of capital missile carrying Verne submarines a weapon that the Federated Suns had not known his Clan had at its availability his Clan had utilised naval vessels since their colonisation of New Barcella but these craft were new and had been sent to many worlds since their first production.  He sat back in the overstuffed StarCorps CEO's chair and remembered how it all started and how it had led the Nova Cats to Crofton and where it would lead them in the future.

Training Yard, Clan Watch Command
Tortuga Prime, Nova Cat’s Den
3rd March 3099

Over 15 years before he had been on Tortuga Prime and had met the warrior who had brought this new tool into the Nova Cats hands.  That warrior was Star Captain Anna Devalis she was a member of the Nova Cat Watch and while she held a rank and a Bloodname she'd fallen out of favour after a defeat to Taurian forces.  Her resulting Circle of Equals loss against survivors from her own unit had seen her relegated her to the Watch.  As someone who had "suffered" a similar fate early in his career Canin Rosse had seen someone he could use.

Anna Devalis was thirty-two she had a lean frame with close cropped red hair when he’d first met her in person as she and the others of the Watch practiced small arms and knife combat.  Each member moving intricately as they danced and sparred across the training mats.  Rosse stood off to the side with Star Colonel Matias Winters a towering Elemental and the commander of the Watch.  "She is not our most skilled fighter or the most honourable."

"She will not have to be either for this operation."  Khan Rosse said watching as she spun away from her opponents continuing her spin, she rose her left leg and smacked the other warrior in the face knocking him away.

"In her unit she is the only Trueborn" he said as the freeborn warrior counter attacked against Devalis she used the warriors momentum against him pulling him towards her and flipping him onto his back with a heavy thud.  To his credit the warrior rolled over and came at her again not allowing Anna Devalis to pin him.

"Again, that will not hurt this operation.  And they are all Nova Cat freeborns not local born warriors Quiaff?"  He asked as the warrior this time knocked Anna Devalis to the ground.

Winters nodded he’d specifically checked that all the warriors Rosse wished to send on this mission had been born and bred in the Nova Cat system.  "And should she die?"  Winters asked Rosse looked at him surprised the big elemental would ask such a question.

"We are Clan warriors" Rosse said simply "it is a risk that we live our life by.  I would expect one of the others to take up the mantle of leadership and continue the mission.  It will be up to Anna Devalis to instil this in her people if she has not already.  We need these warriors to conduct operations that will break their own personal honour and serve our Clan like the Wolves Dragoons did for so long."

"Until Wolf turned"

"Aff, but the damage was done, his people opened the door and allowed the Clans to peak into the Inner Sphere.  The Clans still use information they provided us with and their responders still answer to our calls and continue to collect information after all these years, Jamie Wolf knew what he was doing when he came to the Inner Sphere and the damage that would be done, his attempt at helping the Inner Sphere stop our invasion was his attempt at personal repentance.  The Dragoons that left the transceivers are dead not even WolfNet has been able to track them all down."  He said watching Anna Devalis strip the weapon from her opponent then turn it on them, there was no guarantee that Devalis wouldn’t find freedom in the Inner Sphere as alluring as the Dragoons did but even if they sent the Nova Cats information over a short period it would help his Clan.  "Do you doubt her?"

"Neg, she can carry out this task and she is loyal, but isolation can do terrible things."

“Aff, it can” Rosse said watching the warriors end their drill.  “But so, can Clan life.”

---

An hour later Rosse was in Winters’ office as Star Captain Anne Devalis entered.  On seeing her Khan, she saluted him and Winters out of respect.  “At ease” Winters said in his deep voice “Khan Rosse has a mission for you, you will listen to him and decide.”  The Elemental said looking down at Khan Rosse nodding to him before leaving.  Anne Devalis watched as he exited then turned her attention back to the old Nova Cat Khan, she’d never met him in person he was clearly of Rosse stock with the handsome look they all shared despite his age his hair was still mostly dark in coloured instead of grey which other warriors had with age, she’d always found those of the Rosse line a bit full of themselves but then this man had a right to be he was her Khan.

“Star Captain, I have a mission for you.”  He said stepping around Winters spartan office leaning back on Winters raised table, as he was an Elemental just about everything in Winters office was a size bigger than in most offices.  “It will likely break your own personal honour but it is necessary for our Clan’s future.”

“Aff, Khan Rosse” she replied

“You will take your people beyond the borders and into the Federated Suns and collect information that will help our Clan.”  He explained “There is a conflict coming in the future between the Nova Cats and their neighbours, I can see it and I’m sure that they can see it too.  Your people will be the first step in the Nova Cats preparations that will help us mount a defence or take the offence to them.   Your unit will act like a mercenary command as the Wolf’s Dragoons once did, sending us back information on their troop deployments and collecting information for the Nova Cats.”

“I understand” she said her expression not changing.

“You will be given complete freedom in the missions you take.  Should they take you into combat against us you will conduct the mission like the Nova Cats are your enemy for appearances sake.  We will use these occasions to covertly keep in contact with your unit.”  He explained he knew that meant some of his own people may be killed fighting her people but it was a necessary evil.  “You are to send us back any information you find on weapons Clan Nova Cat could use to attack our enemies or defend our territory.”

“Aff, Khan Rosse.” She replied “do I have any particular target worlds.”

“Production sites would be good targets but it is unlikely you will be masters of your own travels as mercenaries you will go where your employers command, quiaff?”

“Aff, so we take advantage of their choices in our deployments” she said understanding his meaning.

“We will make you appear more attractive to production sites by littering your units with Clan technology, which you will allow them to study if they ask.”  He said he’d already ordered the techs on Tortuga to prepare the unit’s twelve BattleMechs and two aerospace fighters for this operation each was of Star League vintage but each was modified with a piece of Clan tech which the unit could call battlefield salvage.

“We will be giving them access to advanced technology, quineg?”  She asked surprised that the Khan was suggesting the idea.

“It is only technology they’ve seen for the last fifty years.” He said he noticed her eyes widen at his use of a contraction in his speak “you’d better get used to hearing them far more often, the Inner Sphere seems to have a particular fondness of them.”  He said doing it again his marriage to Yvonne had taught him long ago to be more tolerant of deviations in speech than some clansmen.  “Our technology has been studied by the Inner Sphere for years since the first salvage was taken by their people, the fact your people will have perfectly integrated it into your units will be of curiosity to the Inner Sphere but any good tech will be able to do the same.”

“Aff, Khan Rosse” she replied again.

“Good luck, Star Captain, our Clan trusts its future to you and to your people’s success.  We will use what you give us and take it to our enemies.”

Landing Site, Berkshire Spaceport
Warren, Warren PDZ
Capellan March, Federated Suns
8th May 3099

As the gasses vented from the battered Union-class DropShip Captain Anna Devalis stepped her Marauder C from the DropShip and walked onto the Warren Spaceport.  She checked the weapons both of the Clan-tech pulse lasers and the autocannon fitted to the ancient Marauder were perfectly aligned, not that she expected to need them today.  Ahead of her WorkerMechs and cargo vehicles moved things around the spaceport.  A Darter-class Scout Car approached her position “this is Harbour Master Sybil Glover please identify yourself and your business on Warren.”  The driver of the vehicle demanded in a strange accent Anna kept her Mech’s targeting reticule off the little vehicle.

“We’re Devalis’ Devils, I’m Captain Anna Devalis, we’ve spent the last few years helping the Taurians fend off Clan raids but now we’re here to work.”  She responded she’d chosen to keep her Bloodname it would raise questions but she’d be able to cover for it there were after all still Kerensky’s in the Inner Sphere who didn’t serve the Clans.  They had arrived on a JumpShip from the Taurian Concordat which had already left the system, the Nova Cat Watch had been for the last few months leaving mentions of her unit’s activities in the Taurian Concordat.  The Federated Suns and Taurian Concordat were neighbours that didn’t get on well enough for them to share detailed intelligence on mercenary units that served their nations and went on to serve their neighbour.

“Understood Devalis’ Devils, we’ll put you in hanger four while you are on planet if you’ll follow me?”  The driver said with the small Darter turning on its six wheels into the spaceport Anna throttled her Marauder forwards following the small vehicle “local commanders will be in touch should you wish to discuss contacts?”

“Af… Aye, we’ll be looking to speak to people who are ready to pay the right price.”  She said stumbling over the response for a moment she knew the background static of the communications channel would hide her mistake this time but she’d have to remember in the future.  She followed the Darter at a ponderous speed before arriving at the hanger which would be large enough to accommodate about half her twelve Mech at any one time.

“This will be home for a bit; payment is due at the front desk when you’re settled.  Welcome to Warren.”  The driver said cheerfully before driving off into the spaceport and just like that the Devalis’ Devils had arrived.

[MarikMilitaMan]

Interesting start, got to say i'm kind of surprised the clans that moved to the inner sphere don't have small watch units doing this.

[David CGB]

Interesting start, got to say i'm kind of surprised the clans that moved to the inner sphere don't have small watch units doing this.

It would be stupid not to....

[Wrangler]

Interesting.  Curious what this is about!

[DOC_Agren]

Interesting start, got to say i'm kind of surprised the clans that moved to the inner sphere don't have small watch units doing this.

Yeah but that would require the Warriors to trust the Watch

[Dragon Cat]

Small whoops from me, they land on Warren in 3099 not 3114 which I wrote, this whole story takes place before the current year of the story (I got a bit used to writing 3114  ;D)

[Dragon Cat]

Hanger 9, The Devalis’ Devils
Warren, Warren PDZ
Capellan March, Federated Suns
13th June 3099

The cup flew through the air and smashed against the far wall of their small office as Captain Anna Devalis entered the room.  Lieutenant Eric Storm was sat behind one of the desks and looked up “your meeting went well, quiaff?”  He asked as she slammed the door closed, they were the only two present so it would be good to maintain some speech discipline.

“Same as the last two!”  She stormed grabbing a chair she spun the seat around and sat on it leaning on the back the chair gave out an audible creak but held firm.  “Your name sounds like its from Clan Nova Cat, a few of your Mechs look very well maintained for being based in the periphery.”  She continued on her rant “I felt like saying yes I’m an ex-pat Nova Cat, I’ll happily shoot them for you you honourless bastard!  As far as he is concerned, we are an operational risk and he won’t let us leave Warren.”

“I had to sell a large laser this morning to pay for the rent on this place and the docking fees.  If we are stuck here for any length of time, we’ll have to call for evacuation.”  He said she glanced at him with the contraction but it was an acceptable slip, they had been encouraged to use them.

“I am aware, that will not happen however” she said without elaborating suddenly there was a knock on the door the two of them exchanged a glance then Anna called out “Enter!”  The door creaked open to reveal a visitor in AFFS duty uniform he was in his mid-forties there was a slight greying to his blonde hair but his uniform was impeccably kept.  Anna cursed under her breath firstly he’d gotten this deep into their base without being stopped and passed to her.  Anna rose from her chair “I am Anna Devalis, the commander of Devalis’ Devils, welcome to out hanger.”

“Thank you, I’m sorry to interrupt” he said in a particularly strong accent “I wish to hire your unit for a raid, if you are willing?”

“We’d be more than willing to listen but my unit is currently on a no-fly list thanks to local intelligence.”  Anna replied wary of this new stranger and wondering how much he’d heard.

“I have some pull with them” he said confidently taking that as permission to enter and grab a seat.  Anna did not stop him as he spun it and sat on it like she had her chair leaning on the back, like Anna’s chair it creaked but it did not give way.  “Allow me to introduce myself I am Duke Michel Arnaund of the system of Molino.  Clan Nova Cat are becoming more adventurous against Federated Suns worlds with what they call honour trials.  I assume you are aware of such events from your time in the Taurian Concordat, yes?”

“We are we faced a few of them before.”  She admitted having their first mission as a raid against her own people was not part of the plan.

“Then perhaps you will accept this contact?  We’ve learned that the Nova Cats have inhabited an empty system between their space and the Federated Suns we wish to make them rethink their plan with a raid.  My command lance will join you to ensure completion of the raid while your third lance will train with my militia on Molino.  On completion we’ll pay you at a competitive rate, you’ll be entitled to some of the salvage and I’ll send word to the MRBC of your successful completion of the objective which will help shut the intelligence pukes up for a bit.”

“We’re interested” Devalis replied looking at the Duke “if you can clear it with local intelligence my people can complete this type of mission.  We’ve fought the Clans before, we’ve lost people before, we can do it again.  One question why turn to us?”

“The Nova Cats raided my world several months ago killing my son, I want a piece of revenge.  You will be compensated handsomely for your efforts.  I will have you cleared to fly by tomorrow morning at the latest.  I look forward to working with you.”  He said raising from his chair Devalis did the same as he reached out with his hand, she did the same and shook their agreement.  “I’ll have my office forward paperwork this afternoon for you to sign off on?”

“We’ll be ready” she promised him as they broke off the handshake without further words, he turned to leave exiting the office carefully closing the door behind him.  “First shot at doing something in a month I’ll take it.”

“Against the Clan” Storm said looking up at her from his chair “will not sit well with all our people.”

“It is part of the job Eric” she said formally reminding him of who was in charge “the Khan said as much we need to accept that some of our people may die to forward the goals of our Clan.”  She said meaning that warriors on both sides could die.  “Ensure the beacon is safely buried.”

“It was last week” he said seeing her look “I’ll have Recon take their run through the area tonight make sure nothing is disturbed.”

“Thank you” she said finally sitting back down “finally a mission.”

Objective raid
Unnamed world, Periphery
21st June 3099

Things were going just how Anna Devalis had expected two of her Mechs were down possibly destroyed fighting the Nova Cat defences on this unnamed rock it wasn’t a particularly nice planet with heavy rain and a thin atmosphere.  Three of Michel Arnauld’s Mechs had also been destroyed with two of the warriors confirmed killed in action but they were holding the line.  “Cut to the right, bring down that Clint IIC!”  She called out making her two remaining lancemates combine fire on the Clint with herself to bring down the forty-ton BattleMech.  Pulse lasers, autocannons and missiles tore into the Clint IIC ending its fight rapidly.  From the otherside she saw Michel Arnauld’s Thanatos BattleMech step closer to an enemy Shadow Hawk IIC the Duke was pouring missiles and lasers into the smaller BattleMech as he closed on it the warrior stood up to the fire returning fire with short range missiles of its own but could not stop the heavy Mech as the Duke slammed its left arm through the cockpit without its pilot the Mech crumpled, another Nova Cat had died.  “They are withdrawing Duke Arnauld” she transmitted hoping to end the battle now as her Marauder C traded fire with a retreating Nova Cat Matador, probably the only example of the Steel Viper BattleMech in their touman, the ugly boxy BattleMech took her autocannon shells high in the chest before returning fire with a small cluster of long range missiles as it retreated the missiles flew over her Marauder C landing on the black rocks behind her.  “I have fought these people before, push them and they will hunt us down.  We’ve done what we wanted and we hold the battlefield I would suggest we take what we have won and leave.”

“Negative, we must push them further.”  He said stepping forwards putting a long range laser shot into the enemy Matador that she’d targeted hitting the sixty ton Mech on the left arm.  “Constant push forwards!”  He said firing again as soon as the weapon was recharged this time he missed his mark and noticed that the Devalis’ Devils had stopped moving.

“Captain, you said you would support this raid, I am this raid’s commander and I am calling for you to push forwards.”

“Negative, you are this contracts owner.  Your lance was here as a liaison force and one that would ensure we completed the mission.  Your mission criteria stated you wished to raid Nova Cat territory not claim their real-estate for your own.”  She responded as the Duke targeted the Matador again this time the Mech sidestepped his fire jumping closer it retaliated with missiles and a laser of its own causing damage to the Duke’s Mech with one missile slamming into the top of the Thanatos armoured head.  From her Marauder C she could imagine the Duke being thrown about the cockpit of his Mech from the impact a few feet above his own head.  Anna switched to her company’s channel “all units hold fire” she commanded them stepping forwards she raised her Marauder C’s arms and fired both pulse lasers into the enemy Mech both cut down the Matador’s right leg buckling one of the actuators there which forced the sixty ton Mech into retreat now with a new limp.  “Duke Arnauld are you ok?”

“Yes, I’m fine, you crippled him we can kill him!”  He said stepping forwards again this time Anna made her own move cutting over his line of sight.  “What are you doing!  I could have shot you in the back!”

“I had confidence you were skilled enough to stop doing that.”  She replied firing again at the Matador with the Duke’s view blocked she intentionally missed her target but knew that he would see the heat rise in her Mech, one thing she did plan to do was replace the Mech’s heat sinks with upgraded ones the Marauder C was a refit of an Inner Sphere design but she wanted more out of it.

“Very good, we’ve taught them a lesson” Arnauld replied “I’ll retain your contract after this raid we can do more together Devalis, mark my words.”  Sitting listening to his words Anna Devalis felt a little sick her unit had killed Nova Cat warriors today and all because an Inner Sphere Duke wanted a little revenge and a little personal glory.

“Affirmative Duke Arnauld, I’m sure we could.” She replied switching over to the join frequency “Devils we’ve taught these Clansmen a lesson today, our Duke has decided enough is enough.  Maintain security positions while recovery and salvage operations are conducted.”  She said shutting down the communication frequency “DAMNED STAVAGS!”  She cursed in her cockpit angrily, she’d made the Duke sound like he’d had enough she knew he didn’t, she’d make sure the transmitter they put on Molino was very well hidden.

[Dragon Cat]

Training Range, Devalis’ Devils Private Range
Molino, Minette Operational Area
Crucis March, Federated Suns
12th December 3099

The Marauder C plodded across the training range at a slow walk as it’s pilot Anna Devalis tested its new systems.  As part of the upgrade from single to double heat sinks, she’d requested the techs to reduce number of heat sinks and for them to fit two machine guns which were mounted along the Mech’s central line under its forward leaning nose giving her some heat free anti-infantry weapons.  Now after weeks of refit the Marauder C was ready for operations again and she was on the range.  As the Marauder C moved, she twisted the torso from left to right feeling a hitch in its turn when it twisted to the left “Box, this is Lucifer One, I have still got a hitch in the twist to the left.  Leave a note for the techs.”  She ordered

As the Marauder C continued along the route, she smirked at the callsign it was the same as a model of aerospace fighter if anyone ever cracked their communications, they could mistake her unit for aerospace units.  The Devil’s had two aircraft but neither were of the Lucifer model instead the Khan had allowed them to take two primitive tech Star Dagger Aerospace fighters which had been modified with standard armour and with a pair of extended range medium lasers which constantly threatened to overwhelm the aircraft’s heat capacity.  Anna had asked her Techs why they couldn’t upgrade the aircraft with double heat sinks like they had her Marauder their response in between the expletives was that “they were not miracle workers” or aerospace engineers after which she chose to leave them alone.  The pilots would just have to get used to the aircraft how they were until she could find a way to trade them for something better.

Twisting the torso of the Marauder C again to the left she felt the hitch in the twist but also saw on her sensors another contact.  “Box, I have something else on the range.”

“It’s not one of ours, Lucifer.”

“I know that!”  She snapped angrily she wasn’t sure if she was angrier at the non-professional response or the continued use of contractions.  They were Clan warriors in private they should act as such. “I am investigating, understood?”  She asked each of them had been briefed if you were asked if you “understood” something from a superior in this unit then it was the equivalent of a “quiaff?” interrogative and your response should be formal.

“Affirmative, Captain” Box responded as she turned the Marauder C to the right and throttled up to a full speed walk.  She reached the other contact within only a couple of minutes seeing it was a factory new Warhammer WHM-9D definitely not a local Mech.  On its chest on top of its standard urban camouflage was an orange starburst bisected by a sword with two stylized letters – StarCorps Incorporated insignia.

“This is Captain Devalis of The Devalis’ Devils please identify yourself.”  She said standing the Marauder C square to the Warhammer, if the pilot decided to do anything they would be in for a fight.

“I am Naren Shankar lead negotiator for StarCorps Industries” the pilot said identifying herself as the seventy-ton Mech stopped at just over one hundred metres her accent was thick and full of flavour like she was from a world far different from the one that Devalis was used to. “Are you enjoying your time here on Molino?”

“The cadre duty is a different pace than my people have been used to in the past” she said diplomatically, truthfully, she hated it as did the others in the unit.  To make matters worse the local duke was constantly trying to give them land grants to entice them to stay on the planet longer and make their time on the world permanent.

“I can imagine” he said his Mech circling around the Marauder C “an interesting modification you have made to your Mech, machine guns on a Marauder, well it was about time someone did it.”  Shankar said looking over the Mech “the ammunition feed must be causing some issues.”

“I was just working those out.”  She admitted the ammunition from the autocannon fed into its weapon perfectly her people would figure out the machine gun feeds.  She twisted the Marauder C’s torso to track the other Mech which walked with the confidence of a well-seasoned MechWarriors at the helm.

“We could possibly help you with that?” Shankar suggested “as you may have guessed my purpose here is to buy your contract from Molino and bring you to the world of Crofton.”  She explained Crofton was familiar to Anna Devalis she’d heard that it was a manufacturing world for the Federated Suns.  “You will serve as part of the defence of Crofton and you will allow us access to your unit’s impressive cache of Clan technology.”

“All taken as salvage it won’t be perfect.”  Devalis said trying to make sure they didn’t get too close attention other than the Shadow Hawk IIC all of their Mechs were refurbished Inner Sphere Mechs.

“The integration of Clan and Inner Sphere technology is important to my people as we move forwards and have access to more Clan technology.  We have gifted four Warhammer BattleMechs to the defence of this world to secure your contract, your unit will do great things for our company.”  Shankar explained as the Warhammer stopped Infront of the Marauder C “your unit could be very important to my company.”

Manufacturing Line, StarCorps of Crofton
Crofton, Anjin Muerto Operational Area
Crucis March, Federated Suns
3rd June 3100

Following their time on Molino and now here on Crofton the Devalis’ Devils had now been out of combat for more than a year and Anna Devalis was beginning to question her unit’s purpose they were not forwarding the goals of their Clan.  They had buried a transmitter here on Crofton as they had on Molino and on Brockton where they had stopped off briefly in each case it stated what the Devils had encountered on the world and where they had headed next should the Nova Cats lose contact with the unit.

Today was an important day as after nearly six months of training and research with the StarCorps Industries she had finally been given access to the StarCorps manufacturing line and been given a tour of the facilities there.  As she walked along the lines of Warhammer BattleMechs which were under construction there she thought back to the negotiators words when the Devils signed on with StarCorps your unit could be very important to my company.”  As she walked past the newly completed BattleMechs she spied a new model of Marauder which was in one of the Mech cradles it had lasers in its arms and an autocannon over its shoulder like traditional versions of that type of Mech but under its nose were a pair of machine guns like her own Marauder C.  She stopped as her guide continued to speak about the production line and where these Mechs would be going and all she could think of was “This place would be very important to her Clan” as she looked at the Mech that mimicked her own BattleMech.

[Rainbow 6]

I have always liked your side stories from the AU DC, looks like another winner.  :thumbsup:

[marauder648]

Aye! This is a goodun! But will they 'go native' and how will living amongst the Spheroids affect them?

[Dragon Cat]

There's a few more parts I plan to tell for this story I'm not going to tell every mission they go on but you'll get snapshots along the way

This break from the main story is intentional firstly it expands on why things develop like they do, second its allowing me to expand on future events in the timeline as I'm finding the 3120s are a bit threadbare and third it allows Vition2 to work on a new storyline too

I'm glad you're enjoying more to come

[Dragon Cat]

Next bit a specter from the timeline's past returns.  Also the Flagstaff III Hovertank at the end is from Fan TRO 3063

Combat Training Centre Supply Run, Sjardijin
Woodbine, Woodbine PDZ
Draconis March, Federated Suns
2nd September 3100

Still under contract with StarCorps The Devalis’ Devils had been given a combat mission following a near demand by Anna Devalis.  She’d stated rightly that her company could not be expected to continue to preform well in a combat situation without facing off against real enemies.  As a result of her argument StarCorps on Crofton had allowed her company to accompany a weapons shipment to the Woodbine Combat Training Centre which the Federated Suns used to train units in cohesive battle techniques.  Recently the region had been plagued by a pirate band which the Federated Suns believed was based on the planet but so far had been unable to track down.  The Devalis’ Devils had been accompanied by four Warhammers from StarCorps which the company was “showing off” to the AFFS hoping to encourage the state to buy more of the Mechs.

Trudging across the desert the augmented unit was arrayed around the supply convoy of eight Heavy Supply vehicles.  While it was a far cry from combat duty it was better than defending a factory deep within the Federated Suns Crucis March.  Anna Devalis sat in her Marauder C’s cockpit and thought about her plan of action the unit needed to find a way to break off from the convoy and deploy another of the Nova Cat’s transmitters she found it strange that was all her unit was doing, they weren’t running raiding operations behind the Federated Suns borders or leaving supplies for the Clan only leaving behind transmitters which held the information that her unit had collected to date and whatever the devices small sensor suite picked up.

“Sensor contact!”  Gerald called out from his modified Excalibur BattleMech while the long extension which protruded from the right arm looked like the Mech’s original gauss rifle in fact it as just an extended casing which covered the Mech’s extended range particle cannon.  Because her Clan warriors had no real need for money other than day to day living when they were on Crofton Anna had spent some of the unit’s money on upgrading the Mechs heat sinks to double strength as she’d done with her own Marauder C making the Excalibur, like her Mech, a far more potent fighter.

Anna turned her BattleMech towards the contact seeing the unmistakable silhouette of a Thunderbolt BattleMech the gauss slug that followed the image and slammed into Gerald’s Excalibur was again a signature intro from the enemy Mech.  Gerald returned fire with his particle cannon which missed the sixty-five ton BattleMech immediately both Mechs traded long range missile fire with Gerald’s larger twenty-rack causing more damage to the enemy Mech as more enemy units appeared into view a pair of eighty ton Awesome BattleMechs, what her sensors believed as a modified Black Knight and a huge Atlas II.

“Lucifer One to base, confirm contact with aggressor lance” she transmitted swapping to the shared StarCorps and Devils channel “alright Star Lance you stay beside the package we’ll fan out and take these guys on.”

“Captain, Lieutenant Dawson here our Hammers would be a good match against those assault units.”  The commander of the StarCorps security lance suggested.

“Negative!”  She snapped “the prize is the transports; you need to defend them.”

“Affirmative Captain, good hunting.”  Dawson replied almost cheerfully like he’d offered just to have her refuse him permission.

“Devils, Chevron Four formation let’s take hit.”  She said Chevron Four broke the company’s normal lancers into four groups of three they’d then arrange themselves in waves with each hitting the enemy one after the other.  Anna Devalis Marauder C, the unit’s own Awesome and Thunderbolt lined up first, followed by Gerald in his Excalibur, Eric Storm’s Shadow Hawk and the captured Shadow Hawk IIC lined up next.  Everardo Gout’s Hatchetman centred the third and was flanked by a Marshal and Valkyrie while the unit’s remaining three bug light Mechs a Wasp, Stinger and Locust lined up last.  Anna Devalis didn’t know who had come up with the formation of Mechs but apparently it was made up of Mechs readily available in the Taurian Concordat and Federated Suns periphery either way Chevron Four would protect her lightest Mechs from the heaviest damage of the initial encounters.  “Remember, no challenges we hit them hard and together.”

Marching forwards together the Devils came across a sand dune into a maelstrom of fire as the pirates responded with the Devil’s approach with the expected combined fire approach.  Fortunately, the modifications done to the Devil’s Mechs helped immeasurably with heavier hitting fire against the enemy targets.  As they moved in the first three Mechs of the formation concentrated fire on one of the two Awesomes punching through its torso armour severing one of its arms.  The second formation targeted the enemy Atlas with the same approach while the third struck the second Awesome while the last group of three light Mechs swarm attacked the damaged enemy Thunderbolt.

The effect of this wave approach was two-fold first as her Command group had taken a volley of fire from the enemy units the second missed out on the initial hit which allowed them to heavily damage both the first Awesome and the Atlas while also minimising the damage.  Unfortunately, when the third group of three moved into position they bore the brunt of another volley of fire and the Marshal took most of the damage with the Mech exploding into a thousand pieces as it was hit by almost every type of Mech made weapon ever devised.  Particle cannons, lasers, autocannons and missiles tore into the medium BattleMech ending its battle and its pilot’s life.

The Marshals sacrifice did allow Everardo Gout’s Hatchetman to close on the enemy units and swing its massive Hatchet striking the enemy Black Knight high on the chest.  Out of the corner of her eye Anna watched as the Black Knight’s right hand seemed to disappear revealing a blade which immediately plunged into the Hatchetman’s chest.  Everardo triggered his Mech’s torso mounted autocannon tearing into the Black Knight’s torso knocking the bigger Mech back off the forty-five-ton Mech unfortunately all that did was expose the Hatchetman to the Black Knight’s long range weapons.

Anna’s initial target was destroyed she twisted the Marauder’s torso and hit the Black Knight with a pair of pulse laser blasts but it wasn’t enough almost in slow motion the Black Knight seemed to look at her before hitting the Hatchetman with a particle cannon, autocannon and an assortment of lasers.  Anna could imagine the heat build up would be massive onboard the Black Knight but right now she couldn’t care about the effect it was having on the pilot instead all she could see was the destruction it wrought on the Hatchetman.  In almost a carbon copy as the Marshal’s death the medium Mech was torn to pieces by the assortment of weapons fire that tore into its chassis she did see Everardo eject from his Mech so there was hope they could recover him in the future.

“They are pulling back!”  Eric storm called out as Anna put another salvo of weapons fire into the enemy Black Knight as it turned fully towards her, she could see the unmistakable opal and sword insignia of the Word of Blake on the Mech’s thigh.

“I thought we were done with your kind!”  She shouted angrily not realizing she was transmitting over an open channel.”  Surprisingly the Black Knight stood upright at her words.

“There will always be Whispers of our order” a reply came almost as a whisper as Anna’s Marauder C was struck by an assault autocannon that came from the right of the Mech.  The autocannon bore into her Mech’s left knee actuator causing it to explode under the stream of weapons fire.  She fought the seventy-five-ton BattleMech as it stumbled then fell forwards.  Moments seemed to pass in slow motion as Anna continued to try and fight the fall, but it was a losing battle, moments later the Marauder C slammed into the ground.  She heard metal smash as her Mech impacted on the sands of Woodbine.

Vulnerable on the ground she scrambled to recover her footing which was a labourous task with a smashed knee actuator.  She watched on her screens and sensors as the Black Knight stepped closer oblivious to the fighting occurring around them, Anna triggered the overhead autocannon in a vain attempt to strike the enemy Mech but from a prone position the shot missed overhead.  The Black Knight stopped above her and used its blade to swipe the autocannon cleanly off her Mech with a single blow Anna was thrown around the cockpit as seven of her Mech’s seventy-five tons were ripped from its hull.  She then felt the thud of the blade touch her cockpit; she knew the Black Knight could kill her from this position but the pilot had kept his transmission line open.  “Not today MechWarrior.”  He said again almost in a whisper before withdrawing as Anna struggled to get her crippled BattleMech back onto its feet even as the remaining three enemy Mechs continued to fire on her unit from long range.

Surveying the battlefield, she saw that they had destroyed one of the Awesomes and the Thunderbolt but had lost the Hatchetman, Marshal, Locust and Valkyrie with three of the Mechs looking like they had burnt out cockpits meaning she’d lost people today.  Pulling their people back together the Devils turned back towards the convoy to find she’d been right to leave the Warhammers in position a lance of Flagstaff III Hovertanks had engaged the convoy in the Devil’s absence.  While all four light vehicles had been destroyed, they’d caused damage to each of the Warhammers with inferno munitions and damaged two of the transport vehicles before being destroyed leaving the convoy stranded in position for several hours before relief could attend.  She didn’t know who had attacked them but vowed to one day track them down and kill them.

[Dragon Cat]

Trial of Possession
Minette, Minette Operational Area
Crucis March, Federated Suns
8th November 3100

Anna Devalis screamed in anger and in pain as the short-range missile exploded just above her head as it slammed into the Marauder C’s head.  Despite the armour put onto a BattleMech’s head damage caused to it always had the tendency to throw a pilot around.  Devalis’ Devils had been busy over the last few months after the operation on Woodbine they had been officially hired by the Federated Suns as a pirate hunting unit.  They’d been shipped to Savonburg where they’d squared off against a raiding party there, they’d destroyed a small pirate unit capturing one of their Hammerhands BattleMechs along with several vehicles.  Not having the crews for the vehicles, the Devils had sold them back to the Federated Suns making a little extra cash while Tech Connie Neilson had been promoted to MechWarrior status to pilot the salvaged Mech.  “Ed, cut to the right!”  She commanded “rip into these Clanners!”  She said angrily she knew her transmission would be picked up by the employer but she wasn’t only playing for them the Nova Cats were causing her unit some serious damage.  As she spoke Everardo Gout in his brand-new Argus AGS-3H stepped past her Mech heading off to the right-hand flank of the Nova Cat star they were facing.

The Devalis Devils had been recalled to Minette following the action on Savonburg initially for some rest and refit but now they were facing off against their fellow Clansmen in battle in a surprise Trial of Possession launched by the Clan.  The Nova Cats often raided the Federated Suns and vice-versa the two sides had fallen into a routine of raid and retreat rarely exchanging large numbers of worlds.  Gout brought down a Nova Cat Hankyu with a heavy salvo of long-range missiles from its two arm launchers.  The thirty-ton OmniMech quickly picked itself up and began to retreat.  “We’re turning them around” Anna Devalis communicated to her troops seeing Nova Cats begin to retreat “push now!”  She ordered and her short company of Mechs stepped forward with militia forces either side of her unit, as the Marauder C moved forwards she activated a relay on her targeting system which would send information to the Nova Cats as she marched forwards ensuring at least some of their findings made it back to their Clan.  As she did another laser blast savaged the right-hand torso armour on her Mech Anna spun her Mech’s torso to the left seeing a Black Hawk BattleMech.  The recently produced fifty-ton BattleMech was built by Clan Hell’s Horses as a “cheap” version of the Nova OmniMech Anna hadn’t been aware of any in Nova Cat service but was read to answer the threat it possessed immediately letting rip with both pulse lasers and her Mech’s over shoulder autocannon.  She felt the familiar vibration as it unleashed fire on the enemy Mech, then the wave of heat rising through her cockpit followed by the satisfying impacts on the Black Hawk seeing both pulse lasers cut into the left leg while the autocannon cut across the Mech’s torso.

The Black Hawk pilot returned fire with both torso lasers hitting the Marauder with one weapon as the lighter Mech lit off jump jets to jump past her Mech only to be caught mid-jump by a huge volley of long-range missiles fired by her militia allies.  The missiles impacted all across the Black Hawk blowing through the right leg armour severing the leg below the knee and collapsing the torso armour.  Even as the Mech rose the sudden loss of so much armour and one limb threw off the jump causing it to lose control the pilot quite rightly ejected from the out of control BattleMech exiting the Mech as it rose into the air Anna could see the pilot eject clearly from the Mech and travel across the militia’s lines.  Should they survive, and be captured, she’d make a point at speaking to him the pilot had courage to engage a larger Mech even as his forces retreated.  For now, she had a raiding party to drive off.

---

Hours later Anna Devalis was in the militia base visiting the stockade to “gloat” over the pilot who stood up to her she was a young woman with long blonde hair which was tied back into a ponytail her Nova Cat issue black jumpsuit looked like it was in good condition while she had some small cuts on her knuckles where it looked like she’d been in a fight.  Her militia guard had escorted the victorious mercenary into the prison cells without issue and now she stood across from a Nova Cat MechWarrior who had been captured following the battle.  “MechWarrior, I am Anna Devalis, the commander of Devalis’ Devils you piloted the Black Hawk that engaged me in combat?”  She said Anna saw the confusion from the MechWarrior in her name.  “Answer me.”

“Yes, I did” she answered still looking confused.

“Very good, you will be taken as my prisoner” she said seeing the militia guard’s surprise “their culture has a right that allows a victorious MechWarrior to take their opponent as a prisoner.  I intent on personally dealing with this MechWarrior and I could use her expertise in maintaining her Mech which we have also taken as salvage.”  She explained

“You did not defeat me in honourable combat, you had assistance from the surat armour…” the MechWarrior began but Anna Devalis struck out with a punch catching her across the side of the face knocking her down.

“I have defeated you in combat.  You will serve my mercenary command now.”  Anna Devalis said forcefully

“Seyla” the young woman replied as she began to get back up, the guard looked confused at her response but Anna Devalis did not, stepping forwards she kicked the MechWarrior in the stomach as she began to rise knocking her down again.

“Its Clan speak, we’ll knock that out of her trust me she’ll learn how to speak properly.”  Devalis sneered looking down at the downed MechWarrior as she coughed trying to grasp breath.  Devalis leaned down so she was close to her “trust me, stay down, we will make sure you understand how things work from now on.”  She said before standing down “my people will come over this afternoon after they have picked up the Black Hawk and collect her, if that is ok?”

“Affirmative, Captain, we look forward to seeing you again.  Personally, I’m glad you know how to deal with these Clanners, if you’re looking for recruits, I’m sure we could find you some on Minette.”  The guard said enthusiastically he was young and no doubt was born and bred on Minette and full of pride that he served his home planet.

“That may be something we look at.”  Anna Devalis said stepping out of the cell trying to hide her disgust at the young man’s disdain for her people and at how she’d had to deal with a fellow Clan warrior.

---

Hours later Anna Devalis was at her desk with Lieutenant Eric Storm at the other desk adjacent to the door when the office door opened and in entered the newly captured MechWarrior her right eye was turning black as a bruise formed from the punch Anna had inflicted.  “Welcome to Devalis’ Devils camp tech…” Anna Devalis said standing up and around the table to greet the newcomer.

“Kathryn” she answered glancing at Eric “I assume since I have been left unshackled or escorted since I entered this base and treated with more respect than I have been shown all day, we are all Nova Cats here quiaff?”

“Aff, tech, I am Anna Devalis Nova Cat Watch.”  Devalis explained “we are on a mission from the Khan to scout the Federated Suns for future operations.  You have been taken as a Bondsman to this command you will officially serve as the Tech on your Black Hawk however as we are short on qualified MechWarriors I would expect you to fit into this command quickly, quiaff?”

“Aff, Captain, I will do what I can.  Tell me do we observe any Clan customs within this unit?”

“Only when in private otherwise we act like the mercenaries the Federated Suns expect us to be.”  Anna Devalis explained “which means our entire time here on Minette is as mercenaries which is why I treated you as I did…” Devalis began to explain only to be interrupted as Kathryn swung and punched her back, Devalis had half expected the punch and did not lose her footing but Eric did rise from his chair ready to react but Anna waved him off.

“I owed you that, Captain.”

“Aff, you did, next time I’ll deal with you in our way.”  Anna promised her Kathryn nodded her understanding they were even for now.  “Your Black Hawk needs rebuilt, we have parts to rebuild the leg, the cockpit should be repairable and fortunately the engine was not destroyed.  Do you understand?”  Kathryn nodded “very good, get to it tech” she said dismissing the young woman Eric smirked as she left.

“She should be fun” he said watching her go.

“She has not been trained in the ways of the Watch, she is a Clan warrior, much of our behaviour will be alien to her.  We need to mould her into our ways.”  She explained understanding the behaviour.

“She’s our Clankin” Eric said looking at Anna Devalis after a moment of thought “if she reacts to us like this how will the rest of our Clan react to us when we return?”

“That will be up to the Khan, when in private we must remind each of our people where we came from.”  She said Eric nodded in agreement “we need to perform a Chronicle of Battles once we are able, it will bind our people together and to our beliefs.”

[Dragon Cat]

Strike Lance Deployment, West Sopron
Metter, Minette Operational Area
Crucis March, Federated Suns
3rd February 3101

Piloting his Shadow Hawk Eric still felt his hangover from the Chronicle of Battles three nights before.  The reintroduction of the ceremony had helped bind the Devils together more than ever unlike a traditional Chronicle which told stories of Clan Nova Cat’s history and had the occasion of Nova Cats sacrificing their vineers over the ceremonial fire Anna Devalis had instructed that it be a party and that locals were invited in by the unit.  She’d ordered that the only stories told were those that fit the Devils cover story of being a unit that had served in the periphery for years if Davion intelligence ever infiltrated one of these parties they’d be able to cross check the Devils information against those that would match a unit that served in Taurian service and had helped defend against Clan Nova Cat attacks, a unit of Battalion strength that was still serving in the region and had been implanted into the Taurian region years before.  Why the Devils were now a separate outfit was up to anyone else to decide but it was an entirely plausible explanation.  The Chronicles were also happening on a different scale and pace than traditional events with Anna Devails ordering the unit to hold one with each deployment bringing their unique party to each place they landed and alloying hundreds of civilians into each event.

Some of the unit had joked that the Devalis Devils should become a party tour operation bringing joy to the Inner Sphere one settlement at a time.  Now however they were doing their regular job patrolling searching for the pirates who had arrived the day before and begun operations the Devils’ aerospace fighters had located their DropShips now it was down to Eric and his lance mates to locate the ground forces.

Glancing out of the ferroglass cockpit window he saw MechWarrior Kathryn Nova Cat’s Black Hawk move alongside his own the hunched over BattleMech showing none of the damage which had left it crippled on the battlefield and in the Devils’ hands.  Kathryn had served as the Mech’s tech for several months and now was officially the pilot of the Mech in his lance.  While they were all Nova Cats by birth due to the Devils cover story only Kathryn was allowed to keep her Nova Cat name the others, except for Anna Devails who still held her Bloodname, lived each day with a fake surname which had been picked out of a hat.  Eric classed himself as a lucky man Storm was simple a couple of the others like Inokashira or Gunnarsdóttir were mouthfuls to get used to as Anna Devails’ XO Eric had to file fake pay records for each of them to show where the Devils were spending their pay checks should they ever be audited by their employers, it was a part of the job he hated but a necessary part of it and one the Nova Cat Watch had planned for and included in the unit’s extra training.

Crossing over a small fenced area the Shadow Hawk’s sensors suddenly pinged into life “Angel to Lucifer One, contact with eastern elements enemy forces” he communicated seeing an Anubis light BattleMech run into range launching long range missiles at its maximum range one of the missiles striking his Shadow Hawk’s torso while the others slammed into the fence they’d just crossed through smashing it to pieces. Eric returned fire with his own long-range missiles which completely missed the fast moving enemy target he saw Kathryn was also in position to fire but had not fired.  “Angel to Novacat, let him have it” he commanded.

“Aff” Kathryn replied she was reluctant to engage multiple targets as willingly as other members of the unit were.  Unlike them her training had been along Clan lines where combining fire was frowned on and seen as dishonourable, now in the Inner Sphere she needed to learn that it was all or nothing.  The Black Hawk dropped its crosshairs over the Anubis and let rip with both torso mounted large lasers both of which hit the Anubis squarely in the chest Eric combined with her to hit the target with more long range missiles and this time adding in his ultra-autocannon.  The excessive a damage was too much for the light Mech which staggered and fell to the ground just as Everardo Gout’s long-range missiles also slammed into and around the light Mech the pilot ejected from the stricken BattleMech and was out of the fight.

Next came a pair of heavier Mechs a Catapult and an Uziel “Angel to Novacat, take the Uziel, Tabbycat we take the Catapult!”  He commanded smirking as he did he knew Evarardo hated the callsign even more than his fake surname.

“Confirmed” Gout responded triggering his paired long-range missile launchers at the target showering the Catapult with thirty missiles even as the Catapult targeted them with its own paired long-range missiles and paired autocannons the majority of the Catapult’s thirty missiles slammed into Eric’s Shadow Hawk quickly followed by the autocannons.  Armour all across his Shadow Hawk was shredded by the assault while the autocannons pinked further away causing Eric to stumble and almost fall under the assault glancing at his systems, he saw his own long-range missile system was destroyed as was one of his medium lasers in the attack.  Triggering the ammunition dump for the long-range missile launcher he glanced back at the Catapult again seeing that Everardo had hit the Catapult again with long range missile fire adding in his large laser causing the Catapult to re-evaluate targets and launch an attack against the heavier target.

“Tabbycat, keep him busy!”  Eric ordered running his Mech around the targets avoiding the long-range slugging match between the Uziel and Kathryn’s Black Hawk he ran quickly towards the rear of the Catapult which was distracted by the assaults by the Argus.  The two Mechs matched each other in size and speed with the autocannons of the Catapult bringing the Mech close to matching the Argus in raw firepower as well but Eric’s Shadow Hawk shout tip the balance even in its damaged state.  Continuing his run, he got behind the larger Catapult and aligned his remaining weapons triggering the short-range missiles, autocannon and remaining laser into the back of the Catapult.  “Should watch your back!”  He called out triumphantly seeing the damage wrought on the heavy Mech’s internal systems only to feel the tap of a heavy strike on his Shadow Hawk’s back as the fourth Mech of the enemy lance revealed itself the stealth armoured Snake BattleMech which had stayed out of sight until Eric’s attack on the Catapult.  The assault on the thin rear armour of the Shadow Hawk was devastating penetrating the armour and ripping through the internal structure blowing through ammunition bins in the process.  The Shadow Hawk’s CASE system activated saving the Mech but also catapulting Eric clear of his Mech as the BattleMech’s systems made it clear the Shadow Hawk was dead as he flew across the battlefield he left his two lance mates to the battle they were outnumbered but before they left his view Eric saw Kathryn defeat the Uziel which would even the odds significantly.

---

Hours later Eric was in the medical bay of their DropShip when Everardo and Kathryn entered “my victorious lancemates, well done” he greeted them.

“How is the leg?”  Everardo asked glancing at his encased leg.

“Broken from the landing, I was never very good at landing those damned things” Eric answered “it will heal but the old-fashioned way no short cuts.”  He said refering to Clan medical techniques which would have cut his healing time to only a few days instead of the weeks he’d now have to go through.

“Plenty time to do paperwork then” Everardo teased him “I am glad it will heal”

“Aff, it will give us time to repair your new Mech.”

“New Mech?”  Eric asked looking at them confused he knew his Shadow Hawk had been destroyed even the CASE systems were not enough to stop the extra damage done by the Snake’s attack.

“Affirmative” Kathryn answered “it will take us weeks to repair it but we believe we should be able with the other salvage we took today.”

“What other Mech?”  Eric asked frustrated by their non-answers.

“The Snake, combined with salvage taken from your Shadow Hawk and the Anubis we believe we can come up with something for you.”  Everardo answered finally ending the game “what you did not think we would leave you dispossessed, Quineg?”  Everardo asked in Clan speak Kathryn could get away with such at any time and in the confines of their own DropShip so could they “remember Eric we are not any other mercenary unit.”

“Aff, thank you Tabbycat” Eric said deciding to tease the other man equally a scowl played on his face for a moment and he faked a swing of a punch at Eric but stopped.

“Watch your mouth or once your healed we’ll have to sort it like old.”  He joked Everardo and Eric had worked together for years the teasing and threats would never come to anything and they both knew it; Kathryn would learn their ways whether she liked it or not they were Nova Cats but they were also Devils.

[marauder648]

Excellent stuff as always, it seems they might be going a bit native too!

[Wrangler]

Always love your writing!

[Dragon Cat]

Transport Link, SS Vintage Russian Soul (Verne-class Submarine)
Hahira, Anjin Muerto Operational Area
Crucis March, Federated Suns
9th March 3101

The Devalis Devils had been deployed to the backwater world of Hahira in the Anjin Muerto Operational Area helping local militia forces prepare their defences as part of their deployment the unit had taken advantage of one of the militia’s Verne-class Submarines which was a ten-thousand-ton submarine capable of transporting more than three thousand tons of cargo.  Standing at the foot of her Marauder C Captain Anna Devalis stood on the cargo deck of the Verne’s massive cargo bay, it felt strange to be underwater inside such a large vessel the Goliath Scorpions deployed submarines like this in the Clan Homeworlds but she wasn’t a great fan.  She knew vessels like this had been around since humanity was restricted to Terra but hadn’t spent too much time onboard them, here on Hahira with its extensive waterways and large polar ice caps she saw the utility of them for this particular deployment they were travelling under the northern cap.

As she leaned against the foot of her Mech Eric approached “an old ship but capable one” he reported “speaking with members of the crew apparently House Davion has modified some of these in the past as artillery batteries sitting off the coast of a battle and pounding the enemy.”

“Before they disappear beneath the seas when a counter attack arrives.”  Anna Devalis commented it was not an honourable method of combat but it wasn’t a surprising tactical option given the methods she’d seen the Inner Sphere use before.

“Affirmative, they’ve also weather proofed it for the colder than normal oceans here on Hahira so there is a little over-engineering in this ship to protect it further from the elements.  They have a construction facility for them on the southern continent.”  He explained “it’s based on a Star League-era base which originally served the Star League as the wet navy’s construction and maintenance facility for the region.  House Davion only use it locally” he said glancing around them to see if anyone else was nearby “but from what a few of the techs said the facility is capable of servicing any navy vessel currently constructed on Hahira and then some.”  He said joining her leaning on the foot of the Marauder glancing up at the roof of the vessel almost picturing the water and ice above them the additional construction capabilities which were on Hahira suddenly made the world sound interesting and useful.  His words trailed off as one of the crew of the submarine moved past pulling a pallet truck with supplies built up on it.  “I personally wouldn’t want to spend time in them, with the water above, not a nice feeling.”

“Agreed, even though we spend much of our lives on DropShips, I’d much rather the fast-cold death of space than the slow water grave you’d face on this thing.”  She said “I was speaking to the Captain he has agreed with my plan to surprise the militia have everyone check their environmental sealing before deployment.”

---

Hours later the Verne arrived in the port of Franzika which served host to a large shipping port and was home to part of the planetary militia with multiple blue water naval vessels, large hovercraft and smaller water-based vessels calling the port home.  For this three-month deployment the Devils had been tasked with learning how these integrated into the militia and helping local forces, who lacked BattleMechs of their own, track down a group of raiding BattleMechs which had caused issues recently.

The main cargo bay doors of the SS Vintage Russian Soul opened and Captain Anna Devalis took charge of the BattleMech moving it from its position in the cargo bay towards the doors behind her three other Mechs followed.  They stepped out of the cargo bay onto Franzika’s primary harbour pier, when Devalis said primary she noted there were half a dozen piers with various types of vessel in the harbour including a large military dreadnaught covered in artillery cannons.  The ship looked like it was straight out of an ancient war film and that it belonged in a museum but also looked deadly.  Turning down the pier she marched her Marauder C towards the collection of militia vehicles while sending an encrypted message to Eric Storm as per Devalis’ agreement with the submarine’s captain seven of the Devils had been deployed off the ship before they’d arrived in port and circled around the militia.  Now with her message sent Anna Devalis approached the militia battalion that was arrayed waiting for them she didn’t understand why the full battalion of armour and infantry were here waiting for them it was a critical defensive error in her mind.  Reaching the militia force the three Mechs with Anna deployed on her flanks her own Marauder C and the Awesome on one side the Hammerhands and Thunderbolt on the other.

“Welcome to Franzika Devalis’ Devils” the militia commander transmitted “I am Major Megan Brands, we expected more BattleMechs?  Still what you have brought will be enough to counter the enemy forces we have had trouble with.”

“And we did not expect to be met by your full Battalion given recent pirate activity I deployed Mechs before arriving here, as an enemy force could do if they had a DropShip.”  Devalis explained “now as you are arrayed here your territory is left undefended.”

“We have had no reports of pirate activity today…”  She began as the other seven Devalis’ Devils BattleMechs arrived around the militia force surrounding them.

“BattleMechs allow you to deploy anywhere, in any environment, each of our Mechs are capable of traversing various hazards to get to a target’s location.  Major today you have placed your forces at my mercy, fortunately we are friendly but your people must be careful.”

“As should your own, check your back Captain” Brands suggested from her transmission Anna Devalis believed the woman was smiling, given that she’d just surprised them that shouldn’t be the case.  Turning her Marauder C she saw the dreadnaught’s turrets were turned towards her four Mechs with enough firepower on them to wipe out her lance the firepower would heavily damage the port as well but it made attacks against the port very costly for any opponent.

“Impressive display” Devalis accepted turning her Marauder back towards the militia forces “hopefully they are ready for some action, let’s hunt some pirates.”  She made a mental note that the naval forces on Hahira were not just for show and transport.

---

Hours later Anna Devalis was heavily engaged with at least a company of enemy BattleMechs of various size and capabilities.  Even with the militia forces in support they were being pressed to destroy the enemy forces they were fighting so far, she’d only lost MechWarrior Hattie in her Wasp which had been caved in when it encountered an enemy Enforcer the larger Mech demolishing the Wasp with its autocannon, but it was only a matter of time before she lost more.  “Lucifer One, Major Brands we need artillery assistance to break their line!”  Devalis called out glancing over at the Major’s Demolisher Tank.

“We do not have artillery ready.”  Brands replied Anna Devalis quickly glanced at her range to the harbour it was less than three kilometres well within the range of the cannons on the dreadnaught still parked there.

“What about that damned Warship of yours?”

“We don’t generally use it…” she began to explain before Devalis interrupted.

“Do the guns work?”  She asked as a particle cannon slammed against her Marauder’s armour Eric Storm stepped his recently salvaged Snake between her and her targeted enemy giving her time to talk to Brands.

“Affirmative, but the crew are inexperienced in fire support missions.”  Brands reported which infuriated Anna Devalis having such a resource available it would make plenty sense to use it in all situations it was needed not just as an intimidating force in port.

“Time to rectify that, send them the coordinates of the enemy’s lines and those trees on the eastern flank.  I want a volley of fire on that line then we’ll adjust their fire accordingly.”  Anna Devalis ordered.  Within a few minutes Anna Devalis was closer to the enemy’s lines than she’d have probably liked as the artillery barrage began slamming into the ground all around the enemy BattleMechs the fire was inaccurate but they made up for it with firepower.  “Lucifer to Brands, have them vary fire between that range and five degrees upwards and fire for effect along the same line as previously requested, we’ll hold them in place with the artillery as we drive home the attack.”

Within a couple of moments, a near continuous barrage of fire began landing between where they’d tested their fire and across the enemy lines.  Some of the shots appeared to cause more of an explosion than others but they all did enough to keep the enemy forces uncomfortable.  With an obvious and determined force against them the pirates kept trying to disengage but the artillery was holding them in place.  Between a rock and a hard place several of the pirate Mechs were disengaging their targeting systems giving up on the battle walking through friendly lines under the guns of the militia.  As soon as pirates began to surrender the battle was over in the end it came down to the pirate leader and one of his lieutenants who fought to the end before their Mechs were completely destroyed by the massed firepower of the militia and the Devils.

Following the battle Anna Devalis claimed one of the pirates’ Mechs for the Devils, as per their contract agreement with the Federated Suns, a Bushwacker BattleMech.  The Devils didn’t have a MechWarrior for the Mech with the death of Hattie in her Wasp but Devalis would find a way to use the Mech.  As they had additional time on Hahira the Devils spent time rotating through the various facilities and settlements on the world including the submarine production and maintenance facility.  Eric Storm’s findings during their trip on the SS Russian Vintage Soul were correct the facility was capable of maintaining several water vessels at the same time and during their visit a new submarine was under construction for civilian use on another of the Federated Suns worlds.  Anna Devalis could see both a civilian and military use for the vessels and for the facility on several of the Nova Cat worlds there were bodies of water which could be used for transport by her Clan with the right tools.

[Dragon Cat]

Trial of Possession
Mararn, Nova Cat’s Den
Periphery
22nd February 3102

The Devalis’ Devils had a busy year assisting several Federated Suns worlds with pirate hunting and anti-Clan raids against Clan Nova Cat.  They had travelled through the systems of Cogdell, Filtvelt, Baxley, Gillingham and they had raided several Nova Cat worlds.  During their time on Filtvelt Anna Devalis had made the decision to hire Matt Wilsbacher a local born MechWarrior to pilot the Bushwacker the unit had captured on Hahira.  He had proved himself in battle several times against pirates and while he was inexperienced in fighting the Nova Cats he’d proven he wished to help the unit as a warrior and an able technician, the unit had now spent months dancing around Wilsbacher hiding the unit’s origin from him.

As part of their Federated Suns contract, they were now on the world of Mararn, which was held by Clan Nova Cat, engaged in a Trial of Possession for a pair of OmniMech that the Clan had targeted.  Both OmniMechs were actually Inner Sphere models a Blackjack and an Arctic Fox that the Nova Cats had captured from the Federated Suns which is most likely why the Clan had entertained the Trial of Possession, or at least how the Devils would explain it if they were ever asked, as part of the Trial Anna Devalis had requested and been granted safcon which brought them to the surface safely.

Now standing on the warm desert world of Mararn the eleven active members of the Devalis’ Devils stood waiting for the battle to begin.  Anna Devalis dialled into the third lance to listen in on the conversation between the MechWarriors.

“Boss, why did they let us land, it disnae mak’ sense, we’re mercs?  The Clanners hate mercenaries.”  This was Matt Wilsbacher his Filtvelt accent was unmissable with cut off and merged worlds as were his contractions.

“The Captain asked for Safcon, it’s a Clan thing that allows us to land without harassment.”  Lito explained his own use of contractions surprised Anna as she listened. “The Nova Cats have fought us more than a dozen times they know who we are, and they know we’ll fight them the way they want, so you need to fight the way we taught you.  This is the Clans we’re fighting we need to fight them their way.”  Listening to her fellow Nova Cat Anna was surprised by the contractions used by Lito, it made her realize her people were becoming more like the people they were living with.  It wasn’t a surprise she had expected her people to become more mercenary like and with the addition of a Federated Suns born MechWarrior in their ranks the change would be accelerated.

“I got ye Lito, ye dinae need to worry about me.”  He responded before Anna cut off the feed seeing the Nova Cat commander had answered them.  As part of the trial Clan Nova Cat had sent against them a single star of Mechs and a mixed star of vehicles and battle armour which Anna had split the command star would target the enemy Mechs while the second and third stars would be going after the mixed vehicle and battle armour star.

Anna targeted a Nova Cat Hellbringer with her pulse lasers and fired her challenge at the enemy, playing the part of mercenaries they did not call out challenges like a Clan warrior would instead it was all done by targeting data.  Each of the Devalis’ Devils had their own targets and each of them had been instructed not to target anyone else until a free target came up or the Nova Cats challenged them to a fight.

---

Deeper in the battle Eric Storm ran into battle with his modified Snake BattleMech he’d been directed as part of the battle to target a point of Nova Cat Elementals and then clean up the vehicles if there were any left and his forty-five-ton Mech with its ultra-class autocannon, short range missiles and medium laser was perfect for that task.  His first missiles struck several of the warriors while his autocannon blasts exploded around.  The Clan warriors weathered his returning fire with their short-range missiles several of which slammed into the Snake.  Feeling the impacts of the missiles Eric didn’t stop his Mech moving instead he leaned into the hits before jumping his Mech around them continuing to pour weapons fire on the point.  Against a fast moving BattleMech while the Elementals were tough, they couldn’t keep up with his movements or his fire and after expending their second volley of missiles, of which only two struck his stealth armoured Mech they were now reduced to short range lasers.  He had no intention on closing to a distance where the armoured warriors could jump up onto his Mech instead his longer ranged weapons would finish them easily.

---

While new to the Devalis Devils Matt Wilsbacher had fought the Nova Cats before, on Filtvelt, during a Clan raid against his homeworld he had fought as an infantry man for the Filtvelt Citizens Militia in support of the Third Filtvelt Guardians Regiment his unit had been a missile support unit and he was certain at least one of his short range missiles had struck one of the invaders BattleMechs but otherwise he’d had a quiet day as the battle was concluded miles from his position.  Today he was fighting them in a fifty-five-ton Bushwacker BattleMech armed with a fast firing anti-armour autocannon, two small racks of long-range missiles, machine guns and an extended range large laser.  Stalking forwards he targeted the pair of forty-ton Joust Main Battle Tank he’d initially been assigned to target.  He hadn’t liked that he’d been assigned to mop up armour but he’d decided to take the challenge in his stride.  As he closed both tanks opened up on him with their large lasers and missiles one laser scored a hit while the other flew through the air beside his Mech while the missiles peppered the torso armour of his squat Mech.  As he closed in on his targets, he opened fire with his own missiles and large laser striking one of the vehicles with his laser burning an ugly scar over its left side while the missiles missed.  He’d worked hard to get used to firing missiles from his new platform but still he struggled with the targeting system for them.  “Practice makes perfect” he thought and fired another salvo of missiles this time seeing at least one missile struck one of the tanks.  As he entered his autocannons range both tanks fired again this time both lasers struck staggering his Bushwacker into a stumble while some of the missiles struck.  Suddenly Matt went from being on the offence to trying to keep his big BattleMech standing he fired his autocannon defiantly at the two Mechs but missed completely watching the shells rip up the ground beside the two vehicles which were now charging forwards confident.

Unfortunately for the two Jousts Matt kept his Mech standing and was ready for the two tanks as they closed he heard an audible click as the autocannon reloaded and fired again this time scoring a hit on the left vehicle, he noticed his long range missiles had reloaded and his laser was ready to fire again and let rip against the right hand vehicle scoring hits with the laser and most of his missiles.  The brave vehicle crews continued forwards firing lasers and missiles as they attacked Matt instinctively ducked his Bushwacker and was rewarded watching the missiles fly over his Mech but both lasers again struck the armour this time penetrating the armour on his Mech’s right arm fortunately the Bushwacker had no weapons or equipment there he needed to worry about.

The two Jousts were trying to move either side of him as they closed and Matt let them running directly at the one on the right while twisting his Mech’s torso to track the other he fired his autocannon and laser adding his machine guns as the range closed to fire on one vehicle while literally running his BattleMech into the other vehicle delivering a crippling blow to the vehicle shredding its track.

Machine gun salvos, missiles and lasers filled the air between the two vehicles an his Bushwacker as Matt Wilsbacher delivered a killing blow to the tank, he’d kicked by punching it with his BattleMech’s left arm.  The Bushwacker’s battle fist went straight through the top of the crippled tank causing the armour to fail crushing the top of the turret.  The Bushwacker was rocked by another laser blast and more missile hits from the second Joust as Matt pulled the left arm out of the Joust and turned towards the other target.  With one enemy down he now had the task of tracking down the other vehicle.

---

Elsewhere in the battle MechWarrior Gerald stepped forwards against the enemy Nova Cat OmniMech.  As the heaviest Mech of the second star he’d been selected as the Mech to take on the fifth enemy Mech which just happened to be a Nova Cat.  Gerald thought it was poetic he’d fought for Clan Nova Cat for thirty years but had never proven himself more capable than being a MechWarrior, in other Clans Gerald would have been resigned to being a solahma but the Nova Cats allowed him to remain as a MechWarrior respecting that age brought wisdom and experience.  Now he was fighting against the Clan as part of a mission for the Clan, it made little sense, but perhaps it was how it should be.

As he marched his Excalibur forwards, he struck the Nova Cat with the Excalibur’s particle cannon and long-range missiles while the Nova Cat’s paired particle cannons struck the Excalibur in return.  His seventy-ton Mech shuddered and buckled under the double particle cannon hit as nearly two tons of armour was shredded in a single attack.  The Nova Cat OmniMech was a hard hitting Mech designed to engage and destroy Mechs of all sizes and Gerald knew he was out matched but he was at peace with it, he knew what was needed of him from this battle.  Stepping forwards he fired his particle cannon and lasers again striking the Nova Cat causing damage but not enough to faze the Clan warrior instead it raised its other arm which held three large lasers and engaged him with another salvo of weapons fire.  All three large lasers struck his Excalibur’s right leg burning through and shattering the armour and structure underneath causing the heavy Mech to stumble forwards Gerald fought the Mech with all his strength returning fire but missing with his missiles with most of them slamming into the ground all around the Nova Cat as he tried to control the Excalibur.

Regaining control of his seventy ton Mech Gerald raised the Excalibur’s particle cannon to engage the Nova Cat again but saw that the Nova Cat was already in position “I live in service of Clan Nova Cat, I die in service…” he whispered as both arms of the Nova Cat lit up at and engaged the Excalibur with a full alpha strike.  Particle cannons and lasers tore through the Excalibur’s armour and structure shattering any remaining resistance that was left in the Mech the combination of weapons fire tore through the structure which held the Mech’s extra light fusion engine and caused a minor internal explosion.  The feedback through the neuralhelmet caused by the explosion knocked Gerald unconscious meaning he had no defence nor did he feel the follow up particle cannon blast which consumed his cockpit killing the MechWarrior.

---

One the sunbaked plain of Mararn the words had come through the communications system quite clearly.  “In battle I have defeated them, I claim these tanks as Isorla for Devalis Devils” the from Matt Wilsbacher could be heard for all on the field.  They had been transmitted after the second Joust had surrendered after being disabled by the Bushwacker.

Now that the battle was over and the words were said Anna Devalis would have to add the surviving six crewmen from the Jousts and the single salvageable tank to their number as was Clan tradition.  The Devalis’ Devils had been victorious over the Nova Cats she’d received a communication from Star Colonel Alex Drummond the commander of the Nova Cat’s Eighth Roar Cluster thanking her for giving their older warriors honourable deaths, granting the unit Safcon to leave and wishing them well for the future.  The border commands of Clan Nova Cat would by now have been made aware of the Devalis’ Devils mission, Alex Drummond would have been well aware that they were fighting another Clan unit and had used it as an opportunity to allow the older members of their command to die with honour.  The Devalis’ Devils had secured their victory and the two targeted Trial OmniMechs, while losing two of their own MechWarriors in the battle but claiming one Nova Cat MechWarrior and two vehicle crews overall a net increase in personnel and equipment for the command.

Before the command’s Union-class DropShip left Mararn Captain Anna Devalis mustered them all in the DropShip’s Mechbay standing in front of the captured Blackjack and Arctic Fox OmniMechs which had been delivered by the Nova Cats.  “Congratulations of a victory against Clan Nova Cat on this world, it was a hard-fought battle and we lost a couple of friends but we have gained what we came for and we have added several new members to our command.”  She began “to the new members of this unit only one of the main battle tanks we captured is salvageable, in the meantime we will use each of you to crew the operational tank and all of you will be welcome to fight simulated Trials of Position for a position to become the pilot of one of the two Mechs behind me.” She said surprising them while all the warriors were middle aged or so most of them had likely been trained in sibkos as MechWarriors initially before dropping down to the armour forces once they failed their Trial of Position.  “Count this as a second chance at a way of service, you are among friends here many of this unit originate in your former Clan. Get used to your new surroundings and your new unit mates.  We have a lot of travel ahead of us.”  She said dismissing them everyone filtered away from them except Matt Wilsbacher while only in his early twenties he was tall and broad shouldered with a thick mop of dark hair on the top of his head while the sides were shaved to the scalp. “I apologise for not being honest with you when you joined us, are you alright?”  She asked him following the revelation that many of them were former Nova Cats.

“I sort of guessed, your family names, some of the vague origin stories the people in the unit came up with.  I’ll tell you this boss there were rumours of it before I joined up on Filtvelt, lots of things didn’t add up about you guys.”  He said honestly “but you got me off Filtvelt and put me in a BattleMech on a regular basis so I’ll take it.  You guys aren’t Clanners anymore if I needed anymore proof of that I only have to look at today.”  He said Anna remained silent for a moment as he glanced at the two OmniMechs.

“Because of our Clan origins I am ready to accept those tank warriors into our ranks without question, I know how they will react to my command, we defeated them in battle and now they are members of this command.  Your recruitment was a little different we needed to get to know you before letting you in on some of our secrets.  You understand?”  She explained he nodded “do you wish to be included in the Trials for piloting one of these Mechs?”

“No, I’m happy with the Bushwacker, I need to get used to it before thinking about something that can carry different weapons.”

“Very good” she responded, “as I said before only one of the Jousts is repairable the other will be salvage so if you wish I have authorised the chief tech to put parts of the tank onto your BattleMech.”  She explained which brought a smile to the young man “we look after our own Matt Wilsbacher, you are part of Devalis Devils and if you serve us, we will serve you, you understand?”

“I do, Captain, thank you” he said continuing to smile as he walked off, she knew she couldn’t tell him the full truth of the unit, that they still worked for the Nova Cat’s Intelligence Watch but releasing some more information about their command would help him settle in more while giving him the first choice of salvage from the Joust would also make him happy while the unit headed to its next job.

[Dragon Cat]

Pirate Raid
Malagrotta, Malagrotta PDZ
Crucis March, Federated Suns
18th April 3102

   “Push them now!”  Anna Devalis called out as the Devalis’ Devils pushed the pirates back once more.  Already the enemy unit’s Awesome lay dead but so did her own command’s Thunderbolt.  The Devalis’ Devils had been engaged by a unit they believed to be the Frightful Authority which had been augmented by several platoons of additional armour and a light Mech lance made up of modern Wasp and Stinger BattleMechs.

   Already the Devalis Devils had destroyed all of the light Mechs and most of the armour but it had come at a cost both of the command’s aerospace fighters had been shot from the sky by the combined firepower of the Authority’s Awesome and Atlas while three of their Mechs had also been destroyed before the Atlas went down.  Anna Devalis believed that the Atlas may be salvageable but first they had to get through the next several minutes as her Devils struck forwards with only the Black Knight and the Awesome remaining of the enemy force.  “I have the Black Knight; I will make him pay for what he has done to our people.”  She transmitted marching the Marauder at the enemy Mech the seventy-ton BattleMech stood still firing its left arm mounted particle cannon and autocannon into her Marauder’s chest armour causing some damage but hitting nothing critical inviting her to close.  “You want me to get closer to you” she said to herself watching the Mech turn its torso towards her adding a pair of medium lasers to the mix.  One burned down her Marauder’s left leg while the other missed wide burning some of the shrubland beside her burning the plants to a cinder as it struck them.  She watched as her own pulse lasers worked their way across the Black Knight’s torso leaving pot marked burns in the armour as the individual pulses stuck home.  “Something I won’t give you” she said cutting the Marauder to the right firing her autocannon at the Black Knight as the enemy Mech’s large laser burned through the space she’d been in moments before.  With a burst of speed, the Black Knight surged forwards twisting its torso revealing its retractable blade as it came turning its body down on the Marauder trying to cut into its armour.  Anna Devalis was ready for the move and had prepared she cut the Marauder in closer behind the charging Black Knight exposing her back to the enemy Mech if the Black Knight had rear weapons, she’d have worried but she knew this one didn’t have any.  As soon as she was behind the Mech she began her Marauder’s turn coming back towards the Mech as more autocannon and particle cannon fire burned and battered her Mech’s armour.  She’d turned just enough to avoid the fire hitting her Marauder’s weaker rear armour “not today” she said hitting the turning Black Knight with both pulse lasers and the standard medium lasers beside them all four weapons cut into the Black Knight’s left torso cutting deeply into the internal structure there damaging the light engine but missing the ammunition bay.

   Even as the heat inside her Marauder rose at firing all four laser weapons, she saw the heat blossom inside the Black Knight from the engine hit.  The Mech continued to try and charge in on her Mech using the heat produced to charge its triples strength myomer and energize its movement speed beyond normal levels but each time Anna moved out of the way just far enough for her to be away from the Black Knight’s blade but each time also ensuring that both of her Mech’s machine guns were blazing fire at the enemy Mech causing hundreds more tiny hits on the seventy ton BattleMech one of the salvos struck the Black Knight’s head battering the armour that covered the cockpit and protected the Mech warrior.  The machine gun was probably the least thing to worry about striking the head of a Mech but it was still unnerving to any MechWarrior, only a single bullet needed the breach the armour in the right place to severely injure or kill the pilot.  Anna added in her autocannon and standard lasers to cause more damage but the shots from the overhead cannon and arm lasers went wide striking the ground between the Mechs exploding on impact throwing dirt into the air.

   The Black Knight seemed invigorated by the pilots brush with death and her miss charging through the flying dirt it struck out with both the large laser and particle cannon which slammed into the standing Marauder.  Caught flat footed for a moment Anna triggered both pulse lasers and the machine guns hoping to get a lucky hit unfortunately neither hit the already damaged left torso instead burning the Black Knight’s legs which did nothing to stop the Mech.  Bracing herself Anna saw the Black Knight’s right arm rise and then fall on her Marauder slamming into the right side of her BattleMech.  The Marauder briefly recoiled from the impact only for it to be lanced by the retractable blade which punched into the armour causing a breach Anna recovered from being jostled around the cockpit to reach over and dump the machine gun ammo before there was any chance of an internal explosion.  There was a sickening sound of twisting metal as the Black Knight withdrew the blade from her Marauder the Mech remained in place Anna knew he was ready to strike her Mech again but didn’t intend on turning her Mech’s back to the enemy nor going down without a fight.

She started by kicking the Black Knight with her right leg then swinging the left arm around and over punching the side of the enemy Mech causing more damage and causing the Black Knight to wobble backwards she hated physical combat in a BattleMech but she knew how to fight when she needed to.  The impact battered the front of the left arm but the designers of her Mech had recessed the emitters of the pulse laser to try and protect them from damage when the arms were used as clubs.  Before withdrawing the arm, she triggered the pulse laser and standard laser at point blank range trying to cause crippling damage.  Only the pulse laser fired her standard laser suddenly showing as offline damaged by the physical blow, even without the laser the dozen pulses fired from her weapon pitted the armour further with superheated laser fire.  The Black Knight staggered backwards from the physical hit but the pilot returned fore with its particle cannon the man-made lighting cannon sending electrical discharges across her Marauder’s torso.  Anna noticed the autocannon was now also offline, she needed to finish the fight before she ran out of weapons.

“Take this you freeborn bastard!”  She screamed firing all three of her remaining weapons into the Black Knight both pulse lasers slammed into the Black Knight’s damaged left torso.  Under the pounding of the laser weapons the structure seemed to give way literally vaporizing under the hits the entire side of the Black Knight seemed to sag the arm attached to the torso at the shoulder falling limp its controls severed.  Now the Black Knight was reduced to only its blade and torso laser weapons which it fired trying to stop the charging Marauder but Anna was not finished she gave into the rage that had been building insider her and she ran at the staggered Black Knight continuing to accelerate as she charged into the Mech.  The Black Knight had wanted a physical encounter with her Black Knight and now he was getting an up close and personal one unfortunately it wasn’t on his terms and the Black Knight’s retractable blade was out of position.

All across the battlefield the remaining fighting seemed to stop dead as the combined tonnage of one hundred and forty-five tons of BattleMech and their two pilots fell towards the ground entangled with each other.  Even as they fell Anna Devalis triggered both pulse lasers striking the Black Knight with one while the other burned into the ground beside the Mech.  The two Mechs slammed into the ground and each other a second time as they both landed heavily on the ground.  Anna could see she’d done gyro and heat sink damage to her own Mech with the attack as she fought the seventy-five ton Marauder and got it back into the standing position once more walking away she saw the Marauder’s right ankle actuator had also been crushed by the impact limiting the Mech’s walk.  She turned to see the Black Knight also rise from the ground now it was also missing its retractable blade which was stuck in the ground where the two Mech’s had landed.  The Mech only had a large laser left from what she could see the two stumps that had been its Medium Lasers crushed by her charging attack.

“MechWarrior, stand down I do not want to kill you.  You have fought well.”  She said transmitting on an open frequency the Black Knight stepped forward and fired its large laser which went wide and missed her even at this short range the pilot likely dazed or even concussed she noticed a limp in its walk the Mech had little left in it.  “Surrender” she warned aiming her pulse lasers on target as the Black Knight struck her with its large laser burning away the last of her centre torso armour “no more chances” she finally said as she thumped down both triggers sending two pulse laser blasts into the target.  Both struck home on the heavily damaged Black Knight penetrating the centre torso armour destroying the safety protocols on the Mech’s engine sending it into emergency shut down more the Black Knight suddenly went ridged then keeled over unable to stand given the damage it had taken slamming into the ground with a thud the Mech laid where it had been destroyed the battle over.

The Devalis’ Devils had been victorious.  Hours later they prized open the cockpit and found the pilot a cybernetically enhanced woman who had died by her own hand.  The cockpit was tiny and nothing like a traditional one with the pilot wired into its systems in several places.  The Devils took photos and tested the equipment before choosing to salvage the Mech’s weapons and destroy the Mech.  The two extended range medium lasers were deemed suitable to go on Anna Devails’ Marauder cementing her victory over her opponent.

[Wrangler]

Interesting entry....Manei Domini rearing their heads once more or have they ever shown themselves in this AU?

[Dragon Cat]

Interesting entry....Manei Domini rearing their heads once more or have they ever shown themselves in this AU?

They've been in it but nowhere near as well resourced as in Canon

When the Master died there was a bunch of attacks but they for the most part died out

[Dragon Cat]

Anna Devails office, The Will (Union-class DropShip)
Torrance, Crucis March,
Federated Suns
28th May 3102

From Malagrotta the Devails’ Devils had been taken from the Periphery March by the Federated Suns and informed that they were being taken to the Capellan March to join an offensive against the Capellan Confederation.  Planners hoped that the Devil’s Clan technology would be a nasty surprise to the Capellans.  As part of the plan the unit was taken through multiple other systems to the staging world of Torrence in the Crucis March only a single jump from New Avalon.

Torrence was a beautiful breadbasket world in the heart of the Federated Suns having never faced external invasion and only rarely seen pirate activity.  The population lived rich and comfortable lives which was in stark contrast to any of the worlds that the Devils had previously visited.  One of the main employers on the planet was Veridian Dynamics which had a massive combat vehicle factory on the planet.

“I said no” Anna Devalis said looking up at Eric Storm.

“Anna…” he begun, if looks could have killed Eric knew that he’d be dead “Star Captain, please listen” he said using her official rank only he was ever allowed to use it and only when they were in private.  The two of them had agreed that if he decided to use her Clan rank then there was a reason for the good of the Clan for him to be using it.  “Kathryn’s Black Hawk was crippled on Malagrotta, we had no choice but to scrap it the weapons have already been salvaged.  She will pilot the Atlas II in your lance and I am joining it as all of my Mechs are now gone.  I was a MechWarrior with the Watch, I have led men into battle and I have failed them, I will not command men once more but I can still fight.  This is my surkai to this unit.”  He said invoking the Clan Rite of Forgiveness.

“This is not what I am not agreeing with” she admitted while she was sad that Eric was willing to give up on commanding a lance of his own in battle, she understood his choice.

“With our reduced Mech numbers it makes sense for us to pad out our firepower with what we can.  We can afford the vehicles produced here on Torrence and Veridian Dynamics will give us a discount if we feed performance back to them.”  He explained his idea with less Mechs in the unit they had room to reconfigure the Union-class DropShip making it easier for them to deploy the armoured vehicles as well.

“We do not serve for House Davion!”  She snapped although it was in their contract the unit was still on a mission from Clan Nova Cat, something she did not want to let go.

“Neg, we do not however this deal will serve this unit” Eric Storm countered “and we could serve our Clan with this deal.  The T-21D Tiger II is based on the T-12 Tiger which has served the Federated Suns since the Reunification War.  Our Clan would be well placed to understand what it could face in the future.”  He explained the fifty-five ton tank was a solid desig with a Rotary Autocannon, Multi-Missile Launcher, machine guns, a magshot gauss rifle, heavy armour and an ECM suite unfortunately they were slow only capable of sixty-four kilometres per hour.  The Devils would have three of them to back up their single Joust Main Battle Tank and provide a fire support role for the BattleMechs.  “The two Vali’s are a new take on the Star League’s support tank but instead of using a weapon we are familiar with, the Arrow IV Artillery Missile, the engineers at Veridian Dynamics have sunk two Extended Range ten-tube Long Range Missile launchers into it.  They have superior range to any Clan missile in service presently something else we need to understand.”

“Again, you make a fine argument Eric, which is why you make a good XO for me and for this command.  You fought well in the battles that have brought you here, it is not your fault that the warriors under your command died.  I will accept your surkai, however, I still do not agree with your final decision.”

“We need the BattleMechs," he explained their previous fights had shown how easy it was to lose them and their pilots. "We are currently a short company if you include the vehicles.  Adding the four Mechs will bring us up to a full company and they come with their own Leopard.  These mercs do not want to fight on their own and they are willing to follow our lead, we can keep them isolated on their own DropShip and tell them exactly what we have told Wilsbacher about our past.”  He explained during their time on Torrence a small mercenary command known as Sanderson’s Rebels made up of six warriors had approached them and requested to join the Devalis’ Devils after hearing about the command’s battles against the Nova Cats and their successes against various pirate bands.  The unit came with its own Leopard-class DropShip which would make keeping the unit’s Nova Cat mission under wraps easier, though the addition of the armour crews onboard The Will would make that more difficult.  They would tell the newcomers the same as they told Matt Wilsbacker that the unit originated within Clan Nova Cat but has been caste out and were now alone, now that they were going to be far from the Nova Cat’s Den sending secret messages to the Clan would be near impossible anyway they’d have to play a longer game in their contact with the Clan.  “We could use their scouting expertise and they have two Mechs that could come in useful defending our armour’s flanks.”

“Those murder machines are no BattleMech, when faced with a real target they will fall immediately.  We would be better with a pair of IndustrialMechs!”  Anna Devalis complained “you neglect to mention their real ‘prize’” she said sarcastically.

“Their prize is exactly that Captain” Eric said trying to remain calm.  “They have not one but two Land-Air-Mechs” he saw Anna’s face twist in disgust “I know this Clan’s founder hated the LAM program, I know it has been instilled in Clan Nova Cat ever since, but the beasts are on the rise again in the Inner Sphere.  Entire regiments of the dezgra machines are in service with various nations.  The two Screamer LAMs in Sanderson’s Lance are cutting edge machines built within the last ten years they have improvements the Inner Sphere has made to the technology hardwired into them.  We will be at the front research into them, we could learn a wealth about their capabilities.”

“Most likely as much as I could learn shooting one from the sky.” Anna Devalis said still angry at the thought of having them in her command.  She looked up at him “you really think they could be an asset to us, quiaff?”

“Aff, I do” he answered “we cannot afford to pay for four Mechs and yes two LAMs on our own nor can we hire more pilots and still be able to get the armour lance and pay for modifications to this DropShip.  We need to compromise and since losing our own fighters this is what we need to do for the good of the command.”

“LAMs cannot defeat aerospace fighters in open combat, you know this, quiaff?”  Eric nodded “I hope Sanderson’s people know how to use their machines as I have no idea how to utilise them nor do I particularly wish to learn.”  She admitted glancing down and then back to him “but then this unit was not created to do things I wish to do.”  She said standing up reaching out with her hand “Eric, you may doubt your capabilities as a commander but listen to me now, your argument for these ‘changes’ our unit is going through are for the good of this unit and for the good of our mission.  Those are hallmarks of a good leader.”  She said shaking his hand “you are good for this unit and I am sure, eventually, we will find that these additions you have made here will be good for it as well.”

“Thank you, Star Captain” he said using her true rank as a reflection of his respect for her and his thanks for her agreeing to his suggestions.  Administering a unit and making decisions for the good of its future were easy but leading men into battle, that was still something that Eric would be wary about for some time.  “Now let’s meet these new additions.”

[Dragon Cat]

Been a while since I've updated this story as I've honestly struggled with it.  I know exactly where this story is going and how it ties into the main AU thread but writing this one wasn't fun even if I am more pleased with the result than I thought I would be.

Recovery Operation
Masterston, Glasgow Commonality
Capellan Confederation
27th September 3102

The Federated Suns commanders had refused to authorize the recovery operation for Anna Devalis who had been shot out of her BattleMech and the members of her command were furious.  So furious that they were capable of anything including things that could jeopardize their contract with the Federated Suns force.  Anna Devalis was the leader of the command, to many she was secretly their only command link to Clan Nova Cat while to others she was simply a likable commander who stuck by her troopers.  To Lieutenant Tom Sanderson, a man who knew nothing of the unit’s Clan heritage, she had given his lance a home after money troubles had seen them on the brink of liquidation and he felt he owed her a lot.  He was thirty-six years old and had his unit been liquidated the debts he’d built up over the years would have cost him his BattleMech as well, he’d have been dispossessed and no-one wanted to hire a MechWarrior without a BattleMech.

Watching Lieutenant Eric Storm literally Storm past him angrily heading into their DropShip after the Federated Suns commander refused their rescue mission Sanderson knew what he had to do.  Heading over to a small arms locker he grabbed an assault rifle and body armour kit.  “Eric, what are you doing?” Sarah Hoffmann, another member of his lance, asked watching him.  She was young compared to him she had a future beyond this place with the Devils.

“I’m going for a walk” he said almost cheerfully adding ammunition to his belt.

“Without your Phoenix Hawk.  Isn’t that a little risky?”  She asked reaching out to touch his shoulder, he could hear the concern in her voice.

“They’d see a Mech walk out, but they won’t see me” he said turning to face her.  Sarah Hoffmann should have been the face of a MechWarrior recruitment campaign she was beautiful with a heart-shaped face her blond hair was cut just below the ear and at the moment it was tied back.  “Now go back to your Mech.”

“Where are you going?”  She asked staying in his way he noticed behind her several of the armour crewmen had joined her each of them had small arms and armour already.

“You already know, I’m doing alone if anyone asks it doesn’t blow back on the unit.”

“Alone, how exactly will that work?”  Lieutenant Cameron Novacat, one of the unit’s Clan bondsmen asked he commanded the armour lance, he was a big lump of a man who no doubt had some Elemental blood in him that hadn’t served him well enough to be a power armoured trooper.  Sanderson was pretty sure he could knock him down if it came to it but he really didn’t want to especially seeing the other three members of his crew behind him.

“I’ll figure it out.”  He said admitting he hadn’t figured that out yet.

“You need a plan” Sarah Hoffmann said “a plan we can provide.”  She suggested Sanderson glanced between the faces who had surrounded him he saw Eric Storm standing at the top of their DropShip ramp.  The unit’s XO nodded towards him, he knew exactly what he had planned but hadn’t said a thing, he’d respected the choice he was making.

“What’s your plan?”

“There’s an armed medivac going out for in twenty minutes” she said “the Sunners are looking to recover some troops and have been looking for volunteers.”

“Storm volunteered our entire unit and was turned down!”  Sanderson said angrily not understanding how one mission could be authorized and how another could not.

“Yes, because we wanted to go after Anna Devalis.  The Federated Suns commander cannot afford another offensive, he simply wants to go after a pinned down infantry unit, it is his own troops he wants to recover.”  Cameron Novacat explained his face turning angrily as he spoke the words.

“And this is our commander!”  Sanderson snapped

“Who we don’t know is alive.”  Hoffmann said “we don’t know if Anna is alive.”  She said quietly reinforcing the fact “they know these troopers are alive and they need to be recovered if we are to be successful.”

“We will be” he said glancing back up at Storm who had remained at the top of the DropShip ramp the two shared a nod of agreement.  “Let’s go, anyone who wants to join me is welcome but I’m going regardless.

An hour later Tom Sanderson was in a strange position he was sat in the command chair of a Goblin X Infantry Support Tank which had been released to the unit for this mission and they were a dozen miles behind Capellan lines.  The Goblin X was a forty-five-ton tracked vehicle with an experimental engine, experimental guns and two turrets.  Sanderson knew very little about the vehicle but he knew how to command and that was all that was needed for this mission.  Below him in the hull Cameron Novacat sat at the driver’s seat in a reclined position he drove the vehicle using monitors and sensors.  Alongside him sat Sarah Hoffmann, like Tom she knew little about a vehicle but today she only needed to know how to fight as she controlled the vehicle’s rear turret while at the front one of Cameron’s tank crewmen controlled the front turret.

“Break, Break, Break, Adder One from Devil One, how do you read?”  Sanderson said into the radio system as the tank crept forward in the darkness.  The infantry platoon was pinned down in the ruins of a burnt-out warehouse where half of the building had collapsed under the fire from the Capellan forces.  Fortunately, due to the Federated Suns still having forces on the world Mechs had not been deployed to wipe out this platoon yet.

“Devil One, Adder One, we’re alive and giving these bastard’s hell, confirm authentication Nutmeg” the infantry trooper called out.

“Dry skin” Sanderson said using the code phrase he’d been instructed to use when he reached the troopers, he had no idea who came up with these things but it seemed to work.

“Confirmed, come into us from the right part of the building is down there I’ll collapse my defences there and you can back out of dodge?”  The infantry commander asked.

“Agreed” Sanderson replied “Cameron can you get us in there?”

“Aff, Lieutenant” the Nova Cat born man responded Sanderson had struggled with some of the former clansmen initially when he’d joined the unit which had fought Clan Nova Cat so often but he had to admit he liked how they operated.

“Mike, Sarah we’ll need cover fire for the troopers I don’t want to fight for too long.”

“Understood” they both responded.  The Goblin X surged forwards moving around the ruined building Sanderson felt strange housed deep inside the vehicle and the constant movement instead of feeling his BattleMech’s familiar movement but he knew what they needed to do.  His thoughts were shattered as he heard the rapid “ting-ting-ting!” sound as the vehicle came under fire from enemy forces.

“Contact left!”  Mike shouted out a warning the front turret turned to the right and the two Magshot Gauss Rifles housed there opened up on the enemy troops engaging the enemy troops who were hidden in the undergrowth.

“Engaging” Sarah Hoffmann responded the Goblin X was filled with noise as the rear turret turned and opened fire with a flight of nine short range missiles flew from the Multi-Missile-Launcher housed there.  The missiles crossed the short distance rapidly and exploded in and around the trees blowing troopers to pieces and showering others in explosions.

Behind Sanderson he heard the rear door of the Goblin X lower and troopers begin to stream in.  There was a surge inside the Goblin X as the particle cannon overcharged and within moments it launched across the space between the vehicle and the Capellan troops.  “They don’t like that!”  Sarah shouted adding another salvo of short-range missiles to the fire.

“Neg, nor these!”  Mike laughed opening fire with his Magshot gauss rifles to the attack cutting into troopers. More return fire slammed into the Goblin X with a huge bang going off against the right-hand side of the vehicle.  The damage on Sanderson’s screen suggested it was a short-range missile glancing off the vehicle’s hull and exploding.

“Get on board!”  Sanderson shouted back into the bay.

“Adder One to Devil One, I’ve got three injured men being taken in we’re holding the line at the moment!”  The infantry commander responded a moment later.

“Understood, shift your arses!”  He said Sanderson hoped they were not badly injured as the troopers had a detour to go through before going home.  There was another explosion nearby the Goblin X which caused no damage to the vehicle but worried them a little more.

“We’re aboard get us the **** out of here now!”  The infantry commander screamed a few moments later from the infantry bay as Sanderson heard the rear door begin to close.

“Cameron get us out of here and toward our coordinates half this mission is done now our part!  Sarah, Mike keeps up suppression fire!”  He ordered getting up from his chair and squeezing down through the vehicle and in between his two gunners into the rear compartment.

In the rear area of the Goblin X there was a large cargo bay with nearly two dozen troopers cramped in on the ground there were three troopers receiving first aid.  In the middle overseeing everything was a grizzled old AFFS Major who had commanded his troops through the fighting.  Balancing as the vehicle moved at high-speed Sanderson approached “Major, your people alright?”  He asked the older man turned towards him he was at least ten-maybe-fifteen years older than Tom Sanderson and his full beard was turning greyer and the dark it naturally had.  An old scar added a strange twist to his left eyebrow.

“We’re fine?”  He asked seeing no insignia on his chest “thank you for pulling us out of there son” he said still obviously searching Tom Sanderson for a rank or an insignia.

“Happy to help!”  Sanderson shouted over the rumble as more fire impacted the Goblin X.  “I’ve got some good and bad news for you Major, you’re not going straight home” he warned the man seeing immediate anger rising from his and a few of his troopers but he wanted to be honest with them.  Sanderson raised his hands trying to calm the anger that was rising “we’re recovering a downed MechWarrior, my commander from the field.  We don’t know her condition.  My crew can recover her but you’ll be a little delayed.”

“We’re in this together, son, we’ll do our part.  These men and women have bled for each other we’ll bleed for those who pulled us out of the fire.”  He said reaching out with his hand “Major Conner Hall.”

“Lieutenant Tom Sanderson of the Devalis’ Devils” he said hearing Sarah call his name from the front cabin “glad to have you aboard Major, we’re coming up on drop two, I’ll pass the word.”  Sanderson said as he headed towards to front of the Goblin X.

“Understood!”  The major called as the vehicle continued to move and be hit by weapons fire.  In the front cabin Sanderson saw that both Sarah and Mike were engaged with the enemy as the vehicle moved.

“Status?”  He asked crawling into his chair.

“Particle cannon’s bust the capacitor blew taking it out too, waste of space tech!”  Sarah said angrily “I’m burning through missiles fast.”  She said launching a group of missiles at an unseen enemy.

“Magshots half capacity, we are in the thick of it.”  Mike replied from the front not looking away from his screens as he targeted a closing Capellan vehicle.  The Magshots had superior range to machine guns but they were little better than machine guns against armoured units.

“We are also almost at our target too.”  Cameron replied “I will park us facing the enemy to cover our recovery operation.”

“Major Hall has agreed to help us in the recovery.  We just need to cover his people and they’ll do the job.”  Sanderson confirmed seeing the relief on the faces of his three companions none of them had relished the idea of trying to defend themselves against the advancing Capellans and trying to recover Anna Devalis.  Cameron brought the vehicle into a turn facing their pursuers even as a laser blast burned across the left-hand side of the vehicle.  Sanderson could see the armour was weakened by the attack but importantly it held.  Before the vehicle had even stopped the rear doors was opening and infantry troopers were pouring out.

“I lost a weapon!”  Mike shouted from the front meaning he was down to one Magshot.

“Short range ammo down to 25%, Long range ammo still 60%, but these guys are closing” Sarah reported.

“Keep firing, we may as well use it all!  Even if your LRMS are at point blank fire them we’ll go down swinging!”  He said defiantly as a particle cannon blast washed over the front of the Goblin X burning armour off the front of the vehicle.  “That was a Mech!”

“We need to go!”  Tom said hearing infantry men and women pile into the rear of the craft on a stretcher laid the still form of Anna Devalis who joined several other troopers on the deck.  Tom caught the eye of Major Hall who gave him a thumbs up and slammed the retract button for the cargo bay ramp.  “Go! Go! Go!”  Tom shouted hearing the door begin to close Cameron didn’t waste anymore time and accelerated the Goblin X turning tightly away from the enemy forces.  “Sarah concentrate on the Mech if you still see it.”

“Still see it?  It’s an Anubis and it’s barely beyond our short!”  Sarah said continuing to fire long range and short-range missiles at her target.  The Anubis was a thirty-ton Mech anything bigger and they would have already been dead.  Missiles exploded either side of the Goblin X as the Anubis pursued them but fortunately most of them missed.  Cameron wasn’t being fancy with his driving other than to avoid obstacles he kept the Goblin X’s speed up heading for friendly lines slowly but surely the Anubis was losing ground on them despite being capable of far faster speeds than the tank.

To start with Tom was confused he’d expected the Mech to run up beside them and deliver a sharp kick that would cripple the tanks tracks then Tom realized why as a pair of particle blasts followed by several autocannon salvos reached out from the Davion lines and peppered the Anubis shattering the light Mech before it could get too close.

The battered Goblin X drove straight into the Davion encampment and then up onto the unit’s DropShip ramp entering the Union-class DropShip’s cargo bay.  Within five minutes the DropShip was taking off heading into space.

The Will, Union-class DropShip
Jump Point, Masterston
Glasgow Commonality, Capellan Confederation
4th October 3102

While the Devalis’ Devils loss had not been the last straw for the AFFS assault on Masterston the arrival of the Red Lancers Regiment had been.  Nor had the escape through the atmosphere been easy as aerospace fighters assaulted the AFFS and mercenary DropShips retreating from the planet but they’d made it in one battered shape or another.

Laying on a medical bed barely conscious even after a week according to the medics she’s suffered a severe concussion and had lost a lot of blood leading to severe weakness.  Without the full medical facilities of a planetside hospital the unit needed to make do with what they had.  In her weakened state Anna Rosse was still in command as she listened to Eric Storm and Tom Sanderson give their reports four dead MechWarriors from the unit and their Mechs lost.  Anna’s own Marauder had also been lost on the battlefield.  They were carrying an AFFS APC and a platoon of AFFS infantry who would need to be offloaded when they reached the Federated Suns.  “We are not sure how to proceed next?”  Storm asked looking for guidance.

“Spica” Anna croaked “it’s time we called in what we are owed.  You understand Eric, Quiaff?”  She whispered before falling unconscious.  The last word was the kicker anything else Eric could have possibly explained but that word could only have come from one place.

Eric Storm stood there for a moment looking at his CO then saw Tom Sanderson’s face of surprise “Spica’s a Clan world?”  Sanderson said “and this unit we’ve all heard the stories she shares a name with the Clanners or she ran away from them to become a merc but “Quiaff?”  What the hell Eric?”  He asked angrily looking at Anna Tom and his people had only been with the unit for a short period of time but even in that time he had begun to feel at home and feel like he wanted to know the mysterious Anna Devalis better.  Now he did know her better and wondered what he’d let himself in for.

“She’s the CO Tom the woman that you swore loyalty when your Rebels joined us and the woman you risked your life to save just one week ago.”  He said responding to Tom.  “She knows what she’s doing and if we are going to Spica, she will explain to us before we get there, that I am sure of.”  He said trying to sell that while he didn’t understand where Anna was going with this, he was willing to trust her plan.

“I hope to hell you’re both right because the Clanners don’t normally react well to mercs, especially ones that just happen into their systems.”  Tom said obviously worried about this new development Spica was held by the Sea Fox Clan who were known to be traders but still they were unlikely to treat a mercenary unit any differently.