Cavalli’s Cavaliere

[Nav_Alpha]

Amateur drone footage obtained by the CCAF. Audio has been pulled together from intercepted transmissions

The shot shows a broad, flat bottomed valley. A four lane highway runs down the middle of the valley, keeping relatively straight.

The valley juts up dramatically about a kilometre or so on ridge side of the road, the grasslands quickly giving way to steeply rising, thickly wooded forest.

The footage dips and surges forward along the highway until it slows down.

It is obvious a battle has taken place - and in parts is still going.

A dozen hover trucks are scattered across the road, some parked while others have been overturned onto their sides.

Smoke briefly obscures the footage before it’s restored.

Now a Scorpion light tank, painted in Capellan green rolls down the tarmac, it’s autocannon winking flames.

Mechs move among the chaos – painted in a patchwork of colours and hastily repaired armour plates.

Voice one: They’re all over us, we’re bugging out – these bastards can have the convoy!

Voice two: Dammit, Oscar Lead. You can’t leave those trucks.

Static

After zooming above the smoke, the scene now shows the lance of Mechs carolling the remaining trucks. Several CCAF tanks lay burning on the highway as two Shadow Hawks and an Enforcer begin looting the trucks while a Locust stands guard.

Voice three: Unidentified Mechs, stand down! This is Sang-Wei Gibson, we’re moving to intercept you now. Power down immediately.   

The camera shifts, panning down the valley.

Four House Liao Mechs, backed by a lance of vehicles stride down the roadway.

-          Intercepted phone call
March 1, 3080

Voice one (heavily accented Asian accent, older): Larsen! You double crossed us, you’ll pay for-

Voice two (Slight FedSuns or possibly Taurian accent): I did no such thing. If anything, I double crossed Washington and his people.

Voice one: Enough of your games! Tell me-

Voice two: Alright, seeing as you need it explained. I reached out to a contact with Washington’s people, just like you told me too. But they needed a demonstration before they were going to trust me. So, I slipped them the location of that convoy

Voice one: Wha-

Voice two: And then, I told you guys the Coalition was planning on hitting said convoy. And then it was just a simple matter for me to warm up my Victor and join the fun. Now, you’ve got an agent inside Washington’s troops who has proved his worth. Exactly as you demanded.

-          Taigh Barrett
Well, call me a cynic but I never believed in Good Samaritans. Maybe I do now, though?

We got an anonymous tip off about the location of our stolen shipmen of Kallon equipmen. Turns out all the vehicles were loaded onto a merchant ship but it didn’t boost for orbit. Instead, the Dropship came down in the boondocks and is standing by to be offloaded by these so-called “Coalition” troops. This Good Samaritan filled us in on the details and suggested we strike in the next couple of days before Washington and his merry men make pick up.

It’s all very mysterious, but will get us back in Kallon’s good graces.

[Nav_Alpha]

 

Well, talks about pay back being a bitch!

Our mysterious benefactor shot us a decent mock up of the Ti-Sho civilian space port out in the middle of no where. It’s supposed to be a civilian port hat takes the minimal overflow traffic from the nearby Kallontown port. No military, nothing of interest.

Except, our recon put a lance of Mechs, backed by an armoured company with infantry support, guarding it. Just a little suspicious.

And best of all; sitting on pad one was our missing Dropper.

At 0300 our BA, who had spent the night infiltrating to within metres of the perimeter, called in an artillery strike on supposedly empty warehouses. Except we had discovered they were full of AC and LRM munitions. The place was lit up like a bonfire as my two Mech lances came screaming across the open field, artillery dropping ahead of us.

I called on the Dropship to surrender and empty up their cargo bays. The only response I got was a flight of LRMs and a brace of lasers into my torso. So we lit it up - not aiming to destroy it, even after the Jihad and the tech upheaval of the 3050s and 60s, destroying a Dropship is still taboo. No, we blew a couple turrets and started in on the landing legs.

Meanwhile, Mo took his lance and squeezed the enemy Mechs up against our BA - now dug in among the ruined buildings.

After one dropper leg started to crumble, the ‘Coalition’ called back saying they were willing to talk.

All of Kallon’s Partisans were on board. We also grabbed the logs and code books to turn over to Kallon. Seems like they have a traitor - a highly placed one who was actively working with the Davions of all people. Seems destabilising Nangking - be it Liao or Stone ruling it - is good for business.

That intel got us cleared and as a good faith offer, Kallon even sold us a pair of Ontos tanks at a discount.

But seems lighting up half a space port without even a by your leave has pissed off the Cappies. We probably won’t be showing our face in Liao space for awhile - they even escorted us to the jump point with a couple fighters.

Funnily, while we were desperately burning away our scopes picked up another ship. Seems the traitorous Kallon exec was also desperate to get the hell off world.

We’ve heading to New Canton - there is what passes for a hiring hall there. Hopefully we can get work quickly - this whole cloak and dagger fun has been costly.

- Taighe Barrett

[Nav_Alpha]

Cavalli’s Cavaliers TO&E as of March 3080

1st Demi Company

BKX-8D BattleAxe CPT Taige Barrett
GRF-4R Griffin Lt (Jg) Octavius Cavalli
AWS-9M Awesome Yasmin Keyes
BCN-3R Buccaneer Raita Mbugua
Black Hawk-KU (alt-A) Rex Manahi
GRF-6CS Griffin  Bruno Allegra

2nd Demi Company

MAD-5M Marauder LT (Sg) Moses Cavalli
WLF-2 Wolfhound Lt (Jg) Bjorn "Big Bear" Kramer
Firestarter (OmniMech) Primary variant Kylie-Leeza Smith
DV-1S Dervish Electra Reva-Singh
COM-7S Commando Sharni Kharti
CRD-6M Crusader Dillon Mosiro
 
Air Cavaliers
TR-13A Transgressor  Lt (Sg) Mira Fowler-Jenkins
TR-13A Transgressor Eryn Calosso

Cavalli’s Revenge - Lt (Sg) Roxane Kramer
1st Infantry platoon (Mechanised field artillery - Small Arms, semi-portable autocannons, 1 towed Thumper)

2nd Infantry platoon (Mechanised field artillery - Small Arms, semi-portable autocannons, 1 towed Thumper)

Lt (Jg) Hamish Basara
Purifier BA Squad
Longinus BA Squad

Saladin’s Skirmishers - Lt (Jg) Saladin

Ontos (Light Gauss)
Ontos (Light Gauss)
Phalanx Support Tank
Phalanx Support Tank
Zhukov (WoB)
Myrmidon

Chief tech: Lt (Sg) Krystal Calosso
Weapons Master: Sergeant Major Jorge Calosso


Naval assets:
Invader-Class Jumpship ‘Ramses’ - CPT Axl Larson

Union-class Dropship - ‘Hobart’ - Commander Meredith Schmidt

Union-class Dropship - ‘Damnthing’ - Commander - Commander Fran Molloy

[Nav_Alpha]

God bless Devlin Stone for toppling the Word of Blake - but he's sure not done mercs any favours! Work has seriously dried up.
We spent weeks on New Canton trying to line up a contract, but the pickings are slim and we were quickly racking up debt and bills.
Finally, we hashed out a deal to extract a corporate operative and some samples off Bernardo - just across the FWL border.

It's all very deniable: Seems our paymasters (who are Marik Commonwealth-based but desperate to hide that) were engaged in a little corporate espionage against EarthWerks FWL but got caught. Their agent has been languishing in custody for three months while they dither trying to hire mercs at cut price rates.

But it seems EarthWerks are now getting ready to move the agent to a more secure facility - read corporate black site where they can make her talk.
We are to swoop in, grab the agent and if possible crack open the EarthWerks site and grab whatever samples she was snooping on.
Easy, right?

Taigh Barrett

Bernardo is almost unique in high-tech planets with multiple manufacturing sites in that it survived the Jihad almost unscathed. The onworld 10th Marik Militia deterred raiders and pirates and the Word was happy enough to receive regular shipments of equipment from Kallon and EarthWerks in tribute.
However, the departure of the 10th Militia later in the Jihad left Bernardo vulnerable and it suffered several subsequent attacks.

WikiPlanet - INN resource, Jan 3081

Transmission intercepted by SAFE (Marik Commonwealth)

TO: Dela Cruz, Pieter
CC: Wing, Jefferson, Santos, Bradlee
SUBJECT: Bernardo Militia readiness

Gentlemen,

The deadline for presenting our readiness report to the Planetary Director is Friday, as you well know.
I’m still expecting certain reports from both of you and this is a gentle reminder to get them to me no later that 1700 today.

At this stage, I’m prepared to say that the Bernardo Legion (as we are now branded, following last week’s announcement) consists of four battalions spread across the planet.
With the final delivery from Kallon, we now boast two full Battlemech companies, which will be used to supplement our conventional forces.

Those new Mechs will be spread across  points on planet prepared to defend various crucial objectives.
As you know, the deal with Kallon requires us to supplement the security at a variety of their sites
- TRANSMISSION LOST -

The crucial part of the operation falls to my Demi-company. We’re going to ambush the Earthwerks convoy after it leaves the facility, snatch the prisoner and make a run for the extraction zone.
Our employers have managed to get the inside intel on the route and such and tonight we’ll be setting up in the El Ray Valley - we scouted it today and it’s this utterly huge valley with these towering rock formations. My plan is for our BA dig in, hit the convoy and then the Mechs will burst out of a steep sided wash nearby and smash the defenders.

In addition to some corporate goons driving Fleas, we know Earthwerks has hired some heavy armour, so we’re expecting some tanks.

Meanwhile, the captain is going to raid the facility the convoy just left. He’s going to have to move quickly so they don’t get a call for help off. Not only is there a militia post nearby, but if it the convoy gets a signal out when we hit it, we could be facing long odds.

Captain Barrett and his element are will drop fast and use a small town that skirts the facility on one side for cover. He’s hoping defences will be lighter there on account the locals don’t want mine fields and static gun emplacements in their backyards. He will then jump the wall and bring down the comm tower before snatching the samples.

This whole thing is going to take some precision timing.

- Moses Cavalli

We did it. If it's stupid and it works, it ain't stupid.
The kid's convoy ambush worked perfectly and as soon as he had the package he bailed.
My element came down on the facility like a thunder clap and quickly blitzed past the guards and grabbed the prototype.
We were on our way to the LZ when the local militia caught up with us - four pristine EarthWerks Mechs, which was nasty.
Those bastards pursued us for kilometres until we managed to finally throw them and link up with Mo.
All in all, a good result with no casualties.
Best thing, as we waited at the jump point to get out of Bernardo we got a message offering us a new job.
Seems the director of Orhensen wants to talk to us about some lucrative work chasing off some pirates.

Taigh Barrett

[Nav_Alpha]

From ‘Around the FWL - a brief look’
3087 edition, Marik Federal Press

[2941] Captain-General Samuel Marik was not above using subtle (some would say treacherous means) to win his battles for him. On the Liao front, the Marik scored a clever diplomatic coup when his agents convinced Vincente Sian-Marik, a distant cousin of the Marik line and Administrator of five worlds in the Sarna Commonality (Ohrensen, Ventabren, Suzano, Zion, Kyrkbacken) to sign a treaty transferring his allegiance to the Free Worlds.
Marik forces occupied these worlds in 2941, but not before the departing Liao garrisons made the Free Worlds League pay dearly for its cleverness. The Capellans conducted a brutal "scorched earth" operation that caused widespread destruction and saddled the Free Worlds economy with a major - and costly rebuilding effort.

[3025] One of the League’s youngest provinces, incorporated in 2941 by Samuel Marik, Ohrensen fought bitterly to maintain its independence. The result was a province culturally and politically related to nearby Zion (both regions being “liberated” in the same political gambit that centered on the defection of Vincente Sian-Marik from the Capellan Confederation to the FWL), but which retains control of its own political and economic affairs. As an added benefit, sundering the former Capellan worlds into competing provinces undermined Sian-Marik’s power base,

Brutalized by Capellan scorched-earth tactics during the secession period, when withdrawing CCAF forces razed almost a third of the towns on the main continent, Rossonia, Ohrensen received massive investment in the mid-30th century, though endemic corruption siphoned off much of the money that flowed into the region. The net result was a world (and province) with a functional industrial and economic infrastructure, but whose population subsisted in conditions well below the League norm. The criminal gangs that sprang up during this era came to dominate planetary politics on Ohrensen and neighboring Ventabren, though today these so-called firms hide their activities behind legitimate businesses.

Through divided by bitter infighting (which frequently leads to a high body count), these groups acknowledge an overlord, Director Loew, who serves as the de facto planetary and provincial leader. Loew’s enforcers maintain a semblance of order within the “thugocracy” (which the federal government regards as a civilian dictatorship), though recent years have seen growing conflict with Capellan criminal groups seeking to expand their operations into “traditional Capellan territory.” Only in the wilds of the Padderborn Highlands on Rossonia and on the wide-open continents of Ulm and Salva do the criminal gangs have no influence. Here, however, the gangs’ violence and intimidation give way to pure lawlessness that leads most farmers and miners to go about armed. The summary justice of these regions is a stark contrast to the peace-by-intimidation of “civilized” Ohrensen.

[3083] Reports published in late March 3079 indicate that Ohrensen was subjected to a raid by Word of Blake forces on the 6th of February, one of five worlds within the Duchy of Oriente to be raided in the space of a few weeks by a Blakist task force consisting of units from several divisions with WarShip support. The Blakists used nuclear weapons to destroy the defending Essex-class destroyer FWLS Schrack in the Ohrensen system before making a ground assault which badly damaged the 1st Marik Militia and destroyed the planetary HPG.

Current update: Following the almost total destruction of the 1st Marik Militia, Ohrensen considered itself an independent entity. The Blakist assault sparked a bloody round of political unrest, until Director Gustav Henderson, Director Leow’s handpicked successor and adopted son, managed to restore order.

The remaining 1st Marik Militia assets were absorbed into the Orhensen Security Forces and Director Henderson suppressed any pro-Oriente feelings among the population by a series of public executions and show trials. A hand was quickly extended to Ventabren, which joined in a political partnership dubbed the Orehensen-Ventabren Free Trade Alliance. Ventabren has long been a political dependant of Orhensen - mainly due to its shipments of grains and rice - and quickly fell in line.

Caught up in its own affairs, the Duchy of Oriente didn’t bother trying to regain the planets.

Director Leow had always held expansion plans and he passed those designs on to his adoptive son, who quickly embarked on a campaign to draw the old Ohrensen-Zion Province back together - pressuring neighbouring planets to fall in line under his leadership.

He had little success, with Kyrkbacken’s ruling count declining to meet envoys, while Suzano’s planetary congress voted to remain independent, with the option of later requesting admittance to the Duchy of Oriente.

Soon after, however, Capellan raiders stuck both planets - going after industrial and military targets. These attacks, plus the subsequent plague on Suzano, eventually saw the formation of the Ohrensen-Zion Province on January 30, 3081.

Critics did point out that before House Liao raiders even struck, both planets were suffering under Ohrensen’s draconian sanctions and tariffs on imports, which triggered the economic shutdowns on both worlds, along with widespread rioting.

Additionally, both planets quickly found themselves subject to Ohrensen’s style of leadership, which saw certain companies “nationalise” many of their critical industries such as public transport, water supply and  most of the media.

Count Barkos Nevare of Kyrkbacken resisted these measures, even after his planet had voted to join the province. He briefly mounted a resistance campaign until defeated by provincial forces with mercenary support. He escaped to take up exile on the Lyran world of Solaris, until his subsequent murder in 3082.

THE ORHENSEN-ZION PROVINCE - SPHERE INTELLIGENCE PRIMER

In mid-3081, most of the worlds of the Province were incorporated into the Republic of the Sphere as part of OPERATION GOLDEN DAWN.

Initial fighting on Orhensen was heavy as security forces bitterly defended the capital and surrounds. However, on adjacent planets Republic forces actually received assistance from the general population and even defecting defenders keen to throw off the yoke of Orhensen.

Later, for political reasons the Republic assisted in the easing in of Director Mary-Ann Berkowitz into Orhensen’s leadership role. Berkowitz is a former close advisor to Henderson and the Yeow leadership before.

While her election had caused widespread unrest across several adjacent planets because of her ties, Terra considers it the best option for moving forward.

<ENDS - NOT FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION>

It feels like we’ve been travelling at a snail’s pace - but we are finally on the last burn into Orhensen.

We stopped at Asuncion along the way to recharge, only to have an outbreak or electrical faults throughout the Ramses. While Larson’s people spent 10 days hunting down the issue and fixing it, I gave the crew some shore leave.

While dirtside, I had an interesting encounter with a wandering Clan Diamond Shark merchant. Tallulah Horn is a former Elemental turned merchant who travels the stars looking for profit.

Unfortunately for her, her jumpship had also blown a helium seal - something we had the tools, people and expertise to fix, while she was left with a depleted crew.

I offered her a good deal and over a lot of drinks and she told me what she knew about our new employer.

Seems Orhensen has dreams of expansion amidst the chaos of the League’s fall and is not above some pretty underhand things.

It looks like there is more to this straight pirate hunting op than though. We’ll keep our wits about us.

- Taigh Barrett

[truetanker]

What's their current TO&E look like? It's been awhile...

TT

[Nav_Alpha]

What's their current TO&E look like? It's been awhile...

TT

Top of the page

[Nav_Alpha]

They really did their best to try and convince us we were actually going to be chasing pirates on neighbouring worlds. But it was just so damn obvious. And our liaison quickly changed his story - instead of chasing pirates, we were carrying out preemptive strikes to ensure neighbouring worlds didn’t attack Orhensen.

I don’t know if they get it. We’re mercenaries - we don’t care who we’re fighting if you pay us!

- Bjorn “Big Bear” Kramer

First Demi Company will ship out straight away for Suzano. Our first jump will take us to an uninhabited system within spitting distance of the target where we’ll repaint our equipment in House Liao colours to throw the blame on them. Orhensen is also hoping the threat of the Cappies will see its neighbours ready and willing to join forces out of fear.

Suzano boasts about a company of older Mechs, a couple tank regiments and plenty of infantry scattered about. There’s reports of some mercs too, but we’re not too sure.

Not like Orehensen - that blighted place has been hiring mercs and building equipment seemingly without stop since the League crumbled.

They’ve got a good battalion plus of Mechs - some planetary militia, some mercs ok long term contracts and interestingly a lot of equipment salvaged from the graveyards left by the 1st Marik Militia when they got wasted by the Word.

That’s on top of a decent amount of conventional forces and some mercs, including a battalion of heavy/assault tanks called Dread Treads.

I hate splitting our troops like this - but while we hit Suzano, Mo will lead half his troops to hit Kyrkbacken. The other half has been tasked suppressing a minor revolt on Orhensen.

Kyrkbacken seems pretty split along feuding, feudal lines - I’m hoping Mo can drop in, carry out a very quick smash and grab and get away with almost no real fuss.

That’s splitting our Mechs, BA, armour and infantry three ways - which i don’t like - but Orhensen has set a strict timetable.

- Taigh Barrett

[Nav_Alpha]

Com message
APRIL-11-3080
ATT: Barrett, Taigh
FM: Kramer, Bjorn
Orhensen Central HPG

Boss, the techies tell me you’ll get this just before you jump. Here’s hoping.
So, Boss... we got a problem.

I led Electra and the new boy out to put down these rebels early yesterday as planned.
Rebels is a bit much - they are just a bunch of farmers who decide they were sick of paying taxes to the director, only to have then still buy off his cops and the local government man, and so on and so on on this wretched planet.

Backed by Saladin’s new pair of Ontos tanks we followed down an arroyo and popped up on top of the agro complex the rebels were using. Saladin blow holy hell out of the buildings while we charged in - I left a Scorpion burning and Dillon and Electra were laying down suppressive fire on their sorry excuse for infantry when more rebels burst from hiding - two Scorpions with an ancient Demolisher flanked by a couple clapped out hover trucks full of infantry.

But coming in behind them was a Marshall. All black and obviously mounting some serious mods.
The Mech then radioed us - telling us to hand Dillon the new boy over to her because he has a contact on his head and she was there to collect.
I obviously told her where to go, despite that rich throaty voice of hers.

She backed that up by saying our comrade was a Wobbie and that she’d even cut me in for 10 per cent.

I let her have it with a full salvo.

The Marshall was high tech - ATMs over pulse lasers and it kept jumping about. Electra knocked out one Scorpion but then got swarmed by the infantry. And that damn Marshall knew when to strike - she jumped in close to Dillon and fired off some sort of Taser.
I shit you not - a dart from the arm, attached by a cord and then Dillon’s Crusader just flashed with this blaze of lightning.

All the electronics blown. The kid was sitting in a metal statue.

But, while it shut him down - he’d fired off one last desperate burst of missiles that carried off the Marshal’s arm and ripped up its torso.

Not so gently I placed my ER Large Laser’s muzzle against her cockpit and told her Dillon wasn’t going anywhere.

Smart girl. She agreed and the remaining rebel tanks didn’t stand much of a chance without Mech support.

We let the bounty hunter go - but, I’m attaching a pic now.

The screenshot is very grainy but clearly shows a jet black Mech skylined against a dim sky and desert hills.

The machine is missing its right arm at the shoulder - leaving only a twisted mess of wires and blackened muscle.
Painted over the upper right breast is a red circle with a black snake biting its own tail inside.

Image fades out.

Afterward, I asked around. Turns out she’s called Le Serpent Noir - the Black Snake. A bounty hunter who started working FWL space a couple years ago, working for and against the Word. Rumoured links to Canopus - but that could just be the Mech. And that Taser is some sort of Blakist weapon she must have picked up along the way.

Anyway, the strangest bit is our new comrade - Dillon. He’s staying close lipped but he was obviously a Wobbie or worked for them previously.
I await your orders, Captain.

[truetanker]

I Likes this Dillon...

He needs any moderations??? 

TT

[Nav_Alpha]

I Likes this Dillon...

He needs any moderations??? 

TT

He does have a Dark Past. It was fun playing a Dark Age variant Marshal (and sharing the yet to be developed TSEMP was in fact a salvaged Blakist Taser).

[Deadborder]

Nothing like a good colourful Bounty Hunter to really get things going

[Nav_Alpha]

We burned into Suzano in Liao green. Hell, we even stencilled the Katana and fist and wrote crap like “Sang-Shao Khan” on our Mechs to complete the image.

The director wanted us to blow a power station connected to one of Suzano’s medium sized cities, show off the House Liao paintjobs and get out fast.
It went mostly right. Until it didn’t.

We dropped into the middle of a decent sized snow storm and used it as cover as we approached San Miguel, the target city.
We rolled through the outer suburbs, shooting up the regional spaceport and blowing a fuel depot as way of distraction before hitting the power station.
The Suzano militia managed to throw a lance of tanks into our way and some VTOLs made a couple passes but we easily knocked past them and blew the plant’s  control building and a couple pipe lines - not enough for the plant to go critical or anything like that.
But enough to plunge a million or so people into darkness for a couple of hours, and force the city to rely on back up generators and fuel cells for a week or so.

We’re mercs, not monsters.

As we retreated back through a frozen series of valleys, we ran into Mechs. Liao Mechs heading right at the city we had just hit.

I was confused as Hell, until I saw the insignia - green falcon in flight, tethered by a chain.
Ambermarle's Highlanders are about two jumps away and far down the Liao supply priority list.
Looks like they’d decided to go on a little smash and grab raid for supplies and loot.

Octavius was on the comm asking what we should do - the Highlanders were marching straight towards us through the snow, while we were holding cover among the tree line.

We could have walked away and left them be. But I  kept thinking about the city we had just left without power. A city, whose meagre defenders were probably now determined to fight to the last. With hospitals running on emergency power.

We let the Highlanders have it from cover. We put a Locust down and sent a Vindicator rolling down the hillside with a crippled arm.
I kept raining down until I ran out of LRMs, leaving the big Crusader at the centre stripped of armour.
Yasmin managed to headcap a Men Shen - putting three PPCs straight through the cockpit.
The double lance pulled back after that and we let them go.

As we were boosting for orbit, we learned  two other cities got hit by the Cappie raiders.
But, like I said: We’re mercs, not monsters.
All in all, our string of raids plus the actual Cappie attack was enough for Suzano and surrounds to start listening to Ohrensen’s demands for a mutual defence treaty - even if they don’t trust them.
Ohrensen offered us a retainer to stay with the newly formed Ohrensen-Zion Province, but we turned them down.
- Taigh Barrett

[Nav_Alpha]

We’re not working for the Regulans. We’re not working for the crazy, nuke happy Regulans.
The boss has repeated that so many times, he’s almost got me believing it.
Instead, we’re working for the Regulan Free States, who just happen to be a fully incorporated Protectorate of the Regulans. Ie: the Regulan Hussars have annexed all their worlds and the “free state” can’t do much about it.

Since the Ankh was firmly placed over these three worlds, the former Free Staters have been heavily restricted in what kind of arms their military has access to, not to mention its size and training.

That makes it extremely hard when separatists - including a decent chunk of former Free Stater militia - take to the hills of Diass and start trying to throw off the yoke of Regulus.
The 4th Hussars are on world, but they’re officially assigned as peacekeepers and security for the planetary government, key industries and alike - all desperate to make it feel like the Regulans aren’t occupying their bloody planet.

That’s where we come in -  RSS agents reckon Diass is the main separatist stronghold. We’re to work closely with the local militia, such as it is, and destroy the rebels.
All in all, looks like a nice easy six month job.

Of course, being Regulans, our employers’ overlords have made us sign all kinds of insulting agreements and waivers stating that if we overstep our brief the Hussars will take us down and our equipment is forfeit, etc.

Crazy Regulans.

- Roxane Kramer
APRIL 3, 3080

[Deadborder]

I see nothing that can go wrong here at all

[Elmoth]

Indeed. They are not working for the regulans after all.

[Nav_Alpha]

Indeed. They are not working for the regulans after all.

No problems what so ever...

[Nav_Alpha]

Recording, April 5 3080
JUMPSHIP RAMSES
Zenith jump point, Diass
Regulan Free States (under Regulan occupation)

***ALERT***ALERT***ALERT***ALERT***

Voice one: We’re being pinged, 10 seconds into the system and we’re getting pinged like crazy.

Voice two: Bogies coming in hot - I spy two, no, three making a hard burn right for us. And they’re reaching out with active sensors.

Voice one: Who the hell are they?

***Alarms wail***

Voice two: Sensor lock! Sensor lock. One of them has painted us with something.

Voice three: Captain, could we jump out of here?

Voice one: Is this old tub? The Ramses is barely holding together, Barrett. Trying a hotjump would rip us apart and spew us into the void.

Voice two: They’re hailing us!

SIGNAL: Unknown jumpship, this is Commander Lanba of the RPS Tulwar, you have unlawfully invaded Regulan space and we have capital weapons locked onto you.

Voice two: Holy crap! That’s a Leopard Pocket Warship, and it looks like a CV and another Leopard behind it-

SIGNAL: Tulwar, this is the jumpship Ramses, owned and operated by the mercenary unit Cavalli’s Cavaliers and we are under contract to the Regulan Free States. I’m squirting our credentials to you now.

Voice three: They’re deploying fighters. Interesting they’ve parked a whole battle group over this planet. The insurgency must be stronger than they’re letting on.

SIGNAL: Stand by, Ramses. We are assessing your credentials.

Voice two: Four fighters on approach, here’s hoping they’re just getting visuals.

Voice one: We’ll find out in a second.

SIGNAL: Stand by, Ramses. You’re verified but we’ll be conducting a routine sweep with our marines. Stand by and prepare to be boarded.

Regulans! Mad, bad and dangerous to know! The bastards are probably reading this and plotting how to paint me as a Toaster lover right now!
As soon as we dropped into the system they were painting us with capital weapons.
The Regulan Navy have parked their Shiva’s Swords squadron over the planet - a Leopard PWS, a CV and some sort of retrofitted Leopard with a full complement of marines.
Something tells me this “low key separatist group” is anything but.
Me and Roxie are shuttling down to the planet ahead of everyone else to meet the liaison and get the ball rolling.
Turns out we’ll be working with both a Lieutenant Shan Abdulin from the militia and a Captain Indira Singh, from the RSS.
This is going to be a fabulous balancing act, I’m thinking.

- Taigh Barrett

The boss and I are shuttling down dirtside now. The Regulans kindly “offered” to escort us down in one of their shuttles, complete with a squad of marines and a very young midshipman named Hansen. Turns out Hansen is practically a local - he’s from one of the “loyalist” families on Olafsvik that actively welcomed the Regulans seizing control. There’s loyalists here too.
Wheels within wheels.
Stupid kid didn’t know when to shut up (until the marine noncom politely suggested he do so) and told us all about how the 4th Hussars are hamstrung by orders and can’t put the rebellion down - they’re out on hearts and minds patrols wearing no armour and carrying no weapons bar their fancy knives.
Seems high command is desperate for this to be a Hand’s off occupation.
- Roxane Kramer

REGULAN FREE STATES
This tiny federation has a similar history to Gibson, with one major difference. Following the “scouring” campaign of Gerald Marik in the Principality of Regulus, this three-world province broke off and established a pro-Marik civilian government. Over the course of time, however, Regulan intelligence has infiltrated the government to the point that the province is no more than a Regulan satellite today. As such, it belongs to the opposition coalition in Parliament.
ROM report, 3025

UPDATE: During the later half of the Jihad, Regulan forces took all three worlds by force, quickly defeating conventional forces and urging the planetary governments to toe the line.
However, anti-Regulan and pro- nationalist sentiment would continue to run high for several decades.

The Regulan Free State - WikiWorlds Compendium
Born from Captain-General Gerald Marik’s war against the Selaj’s that he believed killed his family, this small federation bought its loyalty to the Mariks and hastily installed a pro-Marik government. The Free States soon discovered, however, that freedom on paper was worth little against constant meddling in their politics and economy by their former parent province. Not until Thomas Marik passed the Addendum to the Incorporation in 3037 did the Regulan Free States finally gain the power to chart their own course.
Since then, local cultures and planetary economies have undergone a vibrant renaissance. No longer strangled by Principality trade embargoes, Free State industry and exports are thriving. The Mongol and Kazhak languages, outlawed in the early days of secessionist rumblings and then rendered virtually irrelevant by Principality dominance of local life, have made a striking comeback to become the primary languages in this tiny province. Norwegian is also widely spoken on Olafsvik, site of a sizeable Norwegian enclave since the earliest days of human settlement.

Diass is governed by a feudal autocracy and the centre of Kazhak nationalism.

3079 UPDATE: While Prince Khalid El-Aliyev formally accepted Regulan rule over Diass, he attempted to milk numerous concessions out of his new overlords - namely that Diass would continue its free practice of Islam and Kazhak culture without interference.

While the mostly Hindi occupiers found local customs slightly distasteful, they largely obeyed directives from command to let the locals do as they liked.

However, hardline elements including Count Askar Telpekbaaya (who was also a well regarded Mullah) and Colonel Mohamed Omar - the Commander of the planetary militia’s famed 1st Cossack Regiment - railed against Regulan “interference” and quickly began a campaign of protest. When Colonel Omar’s son’s religious school was raided by troops from the 4th Regulan Hussars during a bungled arrest warrant, the militia officer was pushed over the edge.

After gathering a local corps of militia officers, he attempted to seize power but was quickly arrested by loyalist elements.

Within the week Omar was cashiered from the Militia and, along with his family, vanished from Diass City.

It’s suspected he, Count Telpekbaaya and Mohamed Ospanov (the former Defence Minister, prior to the Regulan invasion) then established a separatist organisation, calling themselves the Free States Liberation Army.

The FSLA has climbed credit for dozens of bombings, shootings and cyber attacks across the planet’s major cities, as well as several ambushes of Regulan troops.


FSLA carry out ‘coordinated attack’ on Diass Militia compound: Exclusive Photos
9NEWS LinkNet online news, April 4

Separatist troops from the Free State Liberation Army have handed the planetary military a bloody nose, overrunning a major military facility and then defeating a subsequent counter attack.

Early Tuesday morning FSLA fighters killed 27 Militia troops in the initial assault on the base in Shindand District.

Najibullah Mohebi, a member of the BenRaat ProvincialCouncil, said the fighting lasted for six hours, with the FSLA using infantry and several heavy tanks to overrun the facility.

Troops from the 4th Armoured Battalion and 1/21st Mechanized were dispatched to the scene a short time later, but quickly came under attack from IEDs and ambushes, Mr Mohebi said.

A government spokesman said 18 militia troops were killed in the series of clashes with infantry.

However, 9NEWS has obtained exclusive footage of separatist Battlemechs and tanks shattering both battalions

VIDEO BEGINS:  A dozen or so soldiers are huddled in a ravine. None are firing, instead they’re clutching their rifles and looking terrified.

The camera pushes up over the lip of the trench to show a dusty expanse, broken up by occasional scrub patches. Mountains dominate the horizon.

Two tanks rumble past - both Scorpions sport a mix of rusted plates and new ones, paint applied to some bits, while other bits are just sprayed with grey primer.

Both are firing their machine guns full blast

Suddenly, a Jagermech comes charging up behind them - Autocannons blazing.

The image fizzes into static.

A later push by militia forces managed to reach the braided base, but  not before rebel forces had captured 19 troops, Mr Mohebi said.

A FSLA social media channel posted video of several captured militiamen being held in a room later that night.

Some of the troops appeared wounded. 9NEWS could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

[DOC_Agren]

Oh this will just be an easy mission, I mean how difficult could this be to deal with a simple religious separatist movement in only 6 months.   

after a cake walk like that, you guys might want to face off against TT designed force   

[Nav_Alpha]

Free States Liberation Army - Force assessment, 3080

The following is considered TOP SECRET and should not be distributed to anyone without DELTA level clearance. The attached brief is up to date as of March, 3080. However it has made significant use of secondary sources and intelligence subject to change.

FORCE COMPOSITION:
The FSLA is believed to operate approximately eight Battlemechs. This number is a combination of Diass Militia defections and Mech owning nobles who have disappeared (with their equipment) from our radar.
Additionally, Count Askar Telpekbaaya (see below) has access to a lance of four heavy Battlemechs we believed have joined the insurgency.
Recent intelligence suggests, the FSLA may have also hired a lance of mercenary Battlemechs. Our forces are yet to confirm this.

In addition to BattleMech assets, milita defectors made off with a full company of armour - mostly Scorpions, Galleons and a handful of heavier machines.
A recent audit or militia artillery assets found two Sniper pieces and a supply of ammunition had vanished from stores. It’s presumed these items are now in insurgent hands.

Our best guess puts infantry numbers at a reinforced battalion of defecting or retired militiamen and recently recruited insurgents. Most of these troops operate purely as light foot infantry equipped with a range of small arms, mortars and anti-tank weapons. However, we have noticed a recent upsurge in the number of “technicals” - wheeled or hover civilians vehicles with support machine guns, recoilesss rifles or light missile launchers bolted on.

We estimate the FSLA also have close to full battalion of poorly trained - but fanatical - volunteer troops who make up the bulk of the urban ambushes and attacks and operate in a cell structure. These irregulars routinely conduct bombings and attacks on “soft” targets, such as banks, markets and shops.

Count Telpekbaaya also operates a full company of household troops, who utilise APCs and even some VTOLs. It’s unknown if these have been actively committed to the insurgency however.

LEADERSHIP: Count Askar Telpekbaaya portrays himself as the “loyal opposition” and has so far been careful to not overtly throw in his support for the insurgency. However, intelligence suggests that from his fortified, mountain landholding, he coordinates the entire separatist operation.

A skilled Mechwarrior, Telpekbaaya served initially with the 25th Marik Militia and later the 1st throughout the 3050s and even took part in Operation Bulldog. Returning home after the death of his older brother in a hiking accident in 3066, Telpekbaaya underwent religious training and was considered a wise but relatively moderate mullah until the death of his father, requiring him to take up the mantle of leadership.

As a count, he advocated hard for the Regulan Free States to seek true independence and financed extensive  natural gas exploration and mining throughout his fiefdom.

Rejoining the militia late in the Jihad, Telpekbaaya played a key part in the fight against the invading Regulans and lost his right eye when his Orion was knocked out. Retiring to his fortified holding, Telpekbaaya continued to preach (literally) for an end it Regulan rule, but has so far avoided implicating himself too far.

Colonel Mohamed Omar is the public face of the insurgency. Former commander of the milita’s 1st Cossack Regiment and has held a variety of infantry and special forces commands within the militia.
He coordinated the ultimately fruitless defence of the planet against the Hussars and quietly stewed about the indignity of serving the invaders, until his son was injured in a botched Regulan counter terror raid. The 14-year-old was blinded by a Regulan commando’s grenade, when the unit mistakenly stormed a school instead of the house next door.

After his aborted coupe, Omar and some loyal officers fled to the Swaa-At Valley to begin their insurgency. His record and charisma was key in swaying many defectors to the insurgents.

Mohamed Ospanov, despite being the former Regulan Free States’ defence minister, is not a military man. Instead, his extensive business connections, family network and ability to wheel and deal has helped fund and maintain the insurgency.

Ospanov grew up poor - intelligence suggests he grew up in a mud hut with no running water in the Swaa-At Valley. Obviously intelligent, he was picked for a scholarship in the capital at a young age and quickly worked his way up through the planetary government, holding a variety of roles before moving into politics in the early-60s.

Morbidly obese with a limp, Ospanov serves as the money man and backroom dealer for the insurgency.

[Nav_Alpha]

FSLA audio intercept #3300A

Voice one (rough and masculine with a hint of Taurian or FedSuns’ Capellan March accent. FSLA intelligence suggest this is Captain Taigh Barrett):
Sit down, sit down. It’s bad enough this place doesn’t have any climate control, don’t be standing.

Voice two (feminine, heavy Germanic accent. FSLA intelligence suggests Lt Roxane Kramer):
Ja, most of my boys are wilting in this heat.

Voice three (masculine, no noticeable accent): It’s only going to be hotter up north.

Barrett: Exactly, that’s why you’re here. You know most of this already and it all be detailed at the 1600 briefing, but I figured we should go through it now. First up, drinks?

There’s a series of thumps and the sound of ice clattering and liquid pouring.

Voice three: Gods, this planet doesn’t have much to recommend it. Chiefly, that most of the population thinks alcohol is forbidden.

There’s a chuckle and the sounds of glasses clinking.

Kramer: The local boys are coming along well. I know the Regulans don’t like us training with them, but it’s obviously working - they’re improving each day we work with them. I’m assuming it’s time they’ll put that practice into action?

Barrett: correct. The day after tomorrow at 0545 we’ll move on the Swaa-At Valley, the effective home of the separatists. We’ll be teamed with three battalions of militia infantry and some limited armour. Every half day’s March or so we’ll stop at the most likely, easy to hold spot, and drop off a half company of infantry and attached artillery. I’m hoping that very quickly we’ll have developed a series of interconnecting strongpoints that can support each other with artillery.

Voice three: and what about us?

Barrett: We keep advancing until these rebels face us. It’s either directly hit us or let us overrun their holdings or attack into the teeth of a dug in position that can call in artillery support. Plus, we’ll be able to wheel back and support. And on top of that, as we go in the militia will mobilise just south of us and secure an old airstrip. Our fighters, plus a squadron of local conventionals will be able to run bombing support for most of the valley within a day or two.

Voice three: But why this valley - why do we think they’ll fight here and not just keep moving like they have for the last few years? There’s a reason the locals haven’t sorted this out yet.

Kramer: But they never hit them where it hurts.

Barrett: The XO’s right, Moses. The Swaa-At Valley means something to this insurgency. Half their leadership has family ties here and can’t be seen as weak among those clans. It’s a matter of pride - for what, two to three years, even the Hussars have not dared enter the Swaa-At it’s that in the hands of the rebels?
Plus, our good count has extensive farming, grazing land and natural gas exports throughout the valley. We figure he’s feeding and funding his insurgency largely from this valley. Take it and he’s suddenly desperate.

Kramer: ok, but how come we came take it? You just said even the Hussars didn’t go into bandit territory - since when are mercs like us the shit?

Barrett: (laughs) I figure no one else made the rebels play by their rules. They always ended up dancing to the enemy’s tune. We’ll be different, we’ll keep our cool. Plus, Hamish’s battle armour and some of your better men are going in tonight and will truely show these bastards what war is.
(Recording ends)

[Deadborder]

Yep, this will all end in tears

[Nav_Alpha]

Lieutenant Junior Grade Hamish Basara used his tongue to toggle between night vision and MADSCAN and then back again, depicting the rough, broken, terrain ahead in various shades of greens and blacks.

He looked at the top left of his Purifier suit’s HUD. 0328 hours, according to the clock - coming upon time to report.

"Andy, rig the tightbeam," he said. Andrew Debass was a Cavaliers veteran, who'd previously spent most of the Jihad fighting with Duchess Alys’ FWL resistance.

"Isn't that a risk?" one of the squad’s newbies, Johns, asked; in a whisper - they were using external speakers turned right down to maintain radio silence.
“Not much," Hamish said. "Line of sight from the blimp."

There were several patrolling along the valley. "Nothin' sent back or forth except clicks, until they lock in—feedback loop. And it's all coded anyway." Tightbeam to the blimp, blimp to satellite, then satellite to whoever needed to hear it.”


“Ready to go, sit,” Andy handed over a thread-thin optical fiber link; he plugged it into a socket on the inside rim of his helmet, and then ducked back outside to the watch position.

 "Close the tarp," Hamish ordered. They made sure it was light-tight, and then the Lieutenant touched the side of his helmet. It projected a low-light map of the terrain on the poncho folded over the uneven dirt floor of the hollow.

"Archangel? Archangel? Mic-four-niner, location"— he touched the map his helmet was projecting, automatically sending the coordinates—" over.

 "Reading you, Mic-four-niner. Signs of life?"

“Roger that! We are dug in on a rocky outcropping above Map Reference Birddog and I count upwards of 40 bad guys camped out in the open, all laying outside their bunkers asleep.
“Just where we thought they’d be.”

"Call it off."

“Fire mission. Offset three hundred forty, bearing two-niner-five, moving. Offset four hundred forty-five, bearing one-seven-five, stationary. More to come."

“On the way." A long pause, then a flare of light somewhere off toward the distant, advancing friendlies.

A big rocket flashed high, arced toward them. "Comin' in, peg 'em."

A timer glowed softly on his sleeve. Fifty-five seconds. Fifty-four. "Impact in fifty seconds. Estimate where they'll be when the balloon goes up."
He grinned wolfishly.

Dropping special forces deep into enemy-held territory and infiltrating under the cover of darkness, Regulan and mercenary forced quickly seized the initiative over their FSLA opponents.

Two mercenary battle armour, along with four squads of mixed mercenary and Diass military infantry were dropped deep into the Swaa-At Valley by VTOLs and then proceeded to stalk and monitor insurgent positions and patrols.

At 0330 they unleashed hell. Artillery hit eight FSLA positions scouted out by these special forces teams, destroying key command and control positions, hidden radar arrays, munitions dumps and large concentrations of troops.

Almost as soon as the bombardment ceased, mercenary aerospace fighters and militia conventional craft began their own attack runs on known insurgent positions - destroying several bridges and command positions. In a stoke of luck, Lieutenant Basara - fresh from calling in a strike on an insurgent position - and his men were falling back through the valley’s north when they spotted a convoy of trucks and cars.
After identifying the vehicles as FSLA, they called in a strike from militia fighters, providing accurate TAG guidance.

Four fighters dropped three laser guided bombs and several tens of thousands worth of cluster munitions on the convoy, destroying three trucks, four “technicals” and three jeeps.
Oscar Saayid, the FSLA number three - and a former militia major - was in one of the vehicles. His death played a major role in our success in the Swaa-At Valley operation.

Fighters continued to hit targets of opportunity throughout the morning , guided by special forces teams and at 0415, a militia airborne attack seized three key passes leading into the Swaa-At Valley. Infantry then established a perimeter and began an interdiction of all traffic.
This seizure also captured a stretch of the M-93 Highway, which would serve as a makeshift runway and advanced base for mercenary and militia aircraft as they provided further air support.

At 0545, the bulk of Cavalli’s Cavaliers, supported by three battalions of militia infantry and an armoured company began advancing into the Swaa-At Valley.
This column quickly brushed aside some limited resistance and pushed deep into the enemy’s heart.

Of course, these tactics were not without casualties. Once alerted to the effectiveness of the special forces teams, the insurgents struck back in force. Two infantry teams were overwhelmed and destroyed, while two battle armour troopers were killed when the VTOL they were attempting to board was hit by volley of rockets and destroyed.
Three militia conventional fighters were also shot down later in the morning.

- unofficial Regulan Free States after action report

"Every half-day's march we drop off one company and two mortar batteries on these locations,” Barrett said, looking around at the circle of kneeling officers.
It was just getting light outside, but here underneath the tent it was daylight bright thanks to the various electric lights.

Hilltops with good fields of fire, available water, and favorable placing to act as patrol bases.

"With rocket-assist, the heavy mortars will give overlapping fields of fire all along the route. As reinforcements come in, we feed them up the line and relieve the dropoff units to rejoin their battalions.
“We are calling this here Forward Operating Base Alpha.”

The fighting so far had been easy. A dozen roadblocks and some scattered insurgent units who had been swept over quickly. No tanks or Mechs so far.

And there was little chance the counter attack would fall here. Barrett had 12 Mechs standing around the fire base, plenty of infantry while his armour pushed forward.

 "By the time we reach here"—he placed a spot of light about three hundred and twenty kilometers north, the enemy'll have to either fight or run; in either case, our satellite observation will spot them as soon as they're forced to move substantial units and we can reconcentrate and either destroy them or chase them west into the Salabur  foothills.”

“Sir!” The runner shoved her way through the assembled officers, raising grumbles and complaints.
“Sir! Task Force Scorpion reports FSLA BattleMech advancing across the valley towards them. A full lance, with armoured support.”

[Nav_Alpha]

Small Wars Journal - 3080 edition

The growing phenomenon of smaller conflicts, marked by increasingly combined arms actions was demonstrated recently during the fighting in the Regulan Free States.
Mercenary Captain Taighe Barrett and his Cavaliers were attempting to dislodge insurgents dug in in the Swaa-At Valley when they encountered insurgent Battlmechs, armour and infantry.

Outnumbered, the mercenaries and their Free State allies pinned two insurgent Mech lances in place with artillery and armour while they concentrated on the third insurgent Mech lance.
Mercenary and Free State infantry advanced rapidly across the open ground, supported by armoured lances.
They were soon joined by Mechs advancing across the dusty valley.

In the end, combined arms tactics carried the day with the insurgents losing five Mechs, two tanks and close to 50 infantry.



The high-pitched whine of a busted servo has started a half an hour ago as Bunny Montaigne painstakingly dragged her Enforcer back to camp, its insides howling like a wounded WazzaBack Ape.

“Good thing, the Regs aren’t tracking us by sound,” Butch Ballantine quipped from his perch atop a crate of small caliber auto cannon ammo.
Sitting up, the mercenary captain caught his first glimpse of the damaged Enforcer as it dragged itself into the wadi they were using as a forward operating base.

The Medium Mech was dragging its left leg, each stumble-step kicking up a cloud of fine brown dust.
“Or sight for that matter,” Butch growled as he hopped down from the crates.

Around him a beehive activity had been stirred up as grey coverall-clad techs scurried forward, some directing Bunny’s Mech to park by the others, other techs snatched up tools and gear.

With a great sigh the Enforcer shuddered to a halt next to Butch’s Awesome. The Banshee  was missing its left arm - cut off brutally at the elbow where a bunch of wires and ropy muscle now hung. There were also great rents across its torso and legs.
Hui’s Jagermech lay facedown a short distance away, technicians crawling all over it and the massive still glowing  hot crater where it’s gyro used to be.

Arthur hadn’t made it back. His Centurion was still out there in that ****** valley and they’d all heard Art’s screams as the flames engulfed his cockpit.

“Butch?”

The mercenary watched Bunny climb out of her Enforcer’s cockpit, careful not to touch the hot metal around the hatch rim, as she delicately kicked out the chain ladder.
Lacking almost any new equipment, the tall blonde was wearing just her cooling vest, tall plast-Steel boots and a pair of high cut black briefs and her commander watched her climb down the ladder with great interest.

“Butch, call for you.”

He turned to find his XO Jerry Sanders holding out a handheld comm array.

The conversation was brief. And heated.

Throwing the comm back to Sanders, Butch swore.

“Fanatic bastards. They want us to rearm and go straight back in there. Looks like this push has seized half the valley and they need us to save their arses.”

Sanders shifted awkwardly. He’d been with Butch when the pair had fought the Word and their mercenary proxies in the Chaos March, he’d been there in the camps with Butch and throughout the Jihad. Even when Butch went merc, Sanders has stuck with him.
“Did you remind them we just took a beating too. And none of their promised supplies have reached us.”

There was fury in Butch’s eyes when he turned on his XO. But it quickly faded.
“Yeah, and the fact that they technically only hired us as a cadre and rear area security force too.”

“What’s the score, sirs?” Bunny practically bounced up to the pair.
Behind her, a tech had pulled open an access panel on her Enforcer’s damaged leg, letting out a cloud of black oily smoke that saw the workers recoil in horror.

“We’re pulling out. That’s the score. If these idiots want to fight a holy war like this, they’re welcome to it,” Butch said.
He turned to Sanders. “I want this camp packed within the hour and we pull back to our last jump off point. At Least that we can hold while we repair.”

There was a sudden sonic boom and two aerospace fighters streamed overhead. Butch has never been great with fighter recognition and they were moving too damn fast, but he caught a brief glimpse of the black horse’s head chess piece on the tails to know who they belonged to.

There was an explosion to his rear, followed by a caustic wave of heat.
Screams followed.

Sanders and Bunny has hit the deck, but Butch remained standing as more explosions boomed.

“Butch? You got another call,” Sanders yelled, holding the comm overhead.

“It’s the CO of Cavalli’s Cavaliers. He’s offering terms.”

As Butch watched a string of explosions flare across the valley, he nodded

[Nav_Alpha]

Colonel Mohamed Omar raised himself to his hands and knees. His ears were ringing and he could taste coppery blood in his mouth. He could feel something warm and wet rolling down his shaved head and when he reached up to cuff it away his hand cams away slick and red with blood.

Around him his headquarters staff were doing the same, righting pieces of equipment that had toppled when the salvo landed practically right outside the cave.

"Location - find who the hell just hit us,” he barked. His face was once again impassive, a square chiseled blank.

"Here, ah, here, sir," the plotter said, drawing a black circle on the plastic cover of the map, once the easel was back up. The young insurgent officer was very pale and wide eyed.

There were screams from outside, from men and the worse sounds of wounded mules and horses. They grew louder as wounded were dragged inside and carried over to the improvised aid-station on the other side of the big cavern. Corpsmen with red crescent symbols on their jackets scurried among them, sorting them for triage and slapping on hyposprays of anesthetic. Outside a slow series of rifle-shots gave the pack animals slashed by shrapnel or pulped by blast their own peace.

“Too damn far away,” Omar said. The militia didn’t have much in way of artillery - mostly heavy mortars on par with his own equipment. But the damn mercs had brought heavier gear and it appeared their Regulan paymasters had even loaned them some Arrow IVs. That would explain their devil’s own luck.
That and their damned special forces teams deep in our rear, Omar mused.

Watching aides plot the enemy advance with red marker pens across the liquid display, Omar sighed. It had been easier when it had just been the lick spittle loyalists to fight.
Now, these mercenaries had changed everything. Now, there were just too many of them, and clearly they intended to pound him to bits before advancing.

They'd be inserting those Battle Armour teams across his retreat routes, too. No dangerous subtleties or daring sweeps, just a straight hammerblow, rolling northwest and then veering northeast toward the exact location of his position here in the Nazir Hills. The loyalist columns were coordinating well, with intensive patrolling between.

Mostly they were bypassing or punching through any screen he put into place, the lead element of Mechs and tanks encircling the FSLA blocking forces for the foot-infantry marching up behind to eliminate.

And the whole time, artillery or fighters swooped in on any gathering of his forces. That’s why they were using horses, mules or even those three horned Vtechs off Lopez as pack animals. Apparently ANY vehicle was open season once spotted by the enemy.

It shouldn’t be like this, he thought. When the enemy had started its big push into the valley the FSLA should have dispersed and scattered - striking back in piecemeal. He’d argued hard for not playing the loyalists’ game but he’d been overruled.

He remembered his last communication from Count Askar. The Mullah had remained cloaked in darkness during the audio recording and there’d been a distortion program making his voice and of Omar was being honest, he didn’t appreciate the theatrics while he was on the line getting shelled and dodging gunfire.
The rebel leader had ordered him to delay and hold the loyalist for as long as possible. He’d then dropped the bombshell that he was pulling their remaining lance of Mechs back to his estate as a “critical reserve”. Plus his own household lance, that gave Askar two lances.
Meanwhile, Omar was left with little more than a battalion of infantry and three tanks that had all been earlier knocked out and rushed back to the front with minimal repairs.

Small arms fire crackled outside, followed by the bass roar of a grenade’s explosion.  Omar looked up sharply, estimating distances.

“Evacuate," he snapped. "Major Gimbowitz."
The chief of the field-hospital looked up. "You have the enemy wounded here as well?" The doctor nodded, swallowing; he knew as well as the commander what came next.

"We cannot take prisoners or wounded with us," Omar said regretfully. "I must ask for medical volunteers to remain with them until the enemy arrives. They will have permission to contact the loyalist commanders once their troops are in the immediate vicinity. Unofficially, I’d recommend contacting the mercenaries over the militia.”

That made it unlikely the FSLA wounded would be slaughtered. For the most part wounded men and medics in an organized setting were reasonably safe. But who knew how the militia would feel about them. The mercs had already show their willingness to accept surrender.

He turned. "Quickly, please," he said. "Sandina, please see to the demolition charges on the equipment we cannot remove."

Omar buckled on his pistol belt, glancing around at the chaos. Few of his troops would survive the attempt to fall back, he knew that.

We are most certainly winning. We effectively hold the entire Swaa-at Valley and have defeated the majority of the rebel FSLA army in the field. They started strong. - we’ll dug in and determined, but that quickly changed. And it wasn’t until we debriefed those surrendering mercs that we worked it out most of their leadership has bugged out.

The troops left behind were supposed to sell their lives dearly. Some did, but it's beginning to sink in that they're fighting for a lost cause, and leaders who've run away.
When the mercs surrendered, they were bitching that rebel leadership wasn’t supporting them and didn’t seem anywhere near the front. Three days later POWs were furious that most of their leadership had literally done the bug out boogie and left them.
We are seeing both individuals and organized groups looking for amnesty - whole platoons dropping rifles and surrendering. Others have scattered into the wastelands, but with not much more than they can carry.

The planetary government are dead keen on going after Count Askar, convinced he’s the head of this whole insurgence but the Regulans are dragging their feet. Desperate not to rock the boat and have the whole planet rebel.
So, for now, we are holding position and rounding up die hard insurgents and any left overs.

For the most part, the fight is out of them. Colonel Omar, the leader of the FSLA military wing is dead. We over ran his CP and found him nearby. He’d been shot in the head in what looked like an assisted suicide. Poor bastard couldn’t handle losing, I guess.

But for now, this previous insurgent hot spot is all but pacified.

Taighe Barrett

[Nav_Alpha]

April 19

A wave of bombings have struck Dias City, in the wake of the operation against the FSLA insurgents in the Swaa-At Valley.

Two car bombings struck the government sector, killing 11, this morning. While a third car bomb struck the Municipal Court building, killing three after the driver was spotted and shot dead by security forces as he approached the building.

The attacks follow the bombing of the Anchor Tavern - a known hangout for mercenary troops from Cavalli’s Cavaliers last night, which saw seven mercenaries and five militia soldiers killed.

Mercenary and loyalist units have remained on high alert since their return from combat operations in the Swaa-At Valley three days ago. A considerable amount of troops remain in the former insurgent stronghold, but for the most part combat operations are over.
A FSLA spokesman declared the recent spate of attacks were in response to the recent “aggression and unlawful occupation of the-

April 23

BREAKING NEWS ALERT
Prince Khalid El-Aliyev wounded in sniper attack, FSLA launch major assault on capital

April 24

NEWS ALERT
The FSLA have claimed responsibility for a wave of suicide and car bombings that killed at least 100 in early morning attacks on government buildings and military facilities.

April 27

NEWS ALERT
Prince Khalid El-Aliyev has made his first public statement since emerging from a coma after a terror attack, urging the entire planet to “resist the fear and hatred peddled by the so-called FSLA and their leader Count Askar Telpekbaaya”.

April 27

BREAKING NEWS ALERT
The Regulan Free States have issued an arrest warrant for Count Askar Telpekbaay, accusing him of murder, terrorism and crimes against humanity.

April 28
We are going back. This time, via our own Dropships to link up with militia forces in the valley and then we keep marching to take the good Count into custody.
He’s dug in, on his own terrain and knows we are coming.
But here’s hoping it brings a close to this wave of terror attacks.
Taighe Barrett

INN Exclusive interview with Count Askar Telpekbaay, April 28

Camera shows first a middle aged man. He’s dusky skinned and has a thick, black beard and dark hair pulled back in a tight bun. Both are dusted with silver.
A black, silk, patch, covers his left eye and he’s wearing simple, brown robes.
Overall, he’s handsome, warm and smiling.

The shot shifts to a woman with grey eyes and considerably fairer skin. Her hair is hidden by a dark blue hijab. She holds a microphone in her hands.

Reporter: Count Askar, the Regulan Free States have declared you a terrorist. Are you a terrorist?

Askar: A terrorist? No, Kimberley I am a patriot - the same kind of patriot I was when I served in the Marik Militia against the Clans and the Federated Commonwealth. I’m also a father, a husband, a member of this planet’s ruling landholders and occasionally a pianist. The last one, not so much in company.

Both laugh

Reporter: You’re accused of orchestrating bombings across the planet, not to mention violence in the Swaa-At Valley. How do you respond?

Askar: Several years ago, Regulan forces invaded our home. They took our planet from us. They killed protesters to their occupation, seized political prisoners and made anyone even accused of resisting vanish without trial. I have always been vocal in resisting the illegal Regulan occupation and the rule of the collaborative regime they installed. I have never advocated violence over negotiating for freedom, but if brave citizens choose to become martyrs or take up arms, that is their decision.
I will always support them with my prayers.

The count stands, the camera tracking him. It becomes obvious now that he’s rather tall. The robes have fallen open slightly to reveal the cooling vest underneath.

Askar: And now,  government forces and their mercenary lackeys are coming to invade my lands. Illegally. This shows us the true face of the Regulans.

Reporter: So, what is your response to the planetary council issuing a warrant for your arrest? There’s also talk of stripping you of your title, even before court proceedings are underway.

Askar: Come and get me!

[Nav_Alpha]

The last push, eh?
The Captain is banking on that - he’s hoping.
The militia have lost numerous VTOLs to anti-air missiles trying to get over those mountains and into the good Count’s lair, so we decided to drop on the closest side and march.
We don’t know if they’ve got anything that can hurt the Droppers, but the Captain didn’t want to find out.

The militia, along with our infantry and armour will keep pushing out of our AO and straight over the mountains - they’re already facing IEDs, sniper attacks and, ambushes as they push forward. Our infantry and armour will support them. I know Saladin is getting mighty sick of catching ambushes.
Meanwhile our Mechs flank around, hopefully drop in behind Askar and take him from behind.
He’s still got eight Mechs. But we have 12. I like those odds.
- Bjorn Kramer

****
Diass Militia recording #303_TY01

Grainy black and white image shows a man kneeling, head down to the ground. The image is bad, but you can see he’s wearing dark robes and a small skull cap.
Another man enters, takes in the scene and hesitates in the doorway.

There’s a long pause before the kneeling man sits up and nods.

Voice one: Forgive me, pasha. No one told me you were at prayer.

The kneeling man unfolds himself so that he’s seated comfortably.

Voice two: It’s fine Abdul. You have news of the invaders?

The second man steps into the view of the camera now. He’s wearing a light tan uniform, pistol belt and boots under dark brown robes. His beard is cut short and it’s obvious he’s very young.

Voice one: Pasha... the mercenaries have come over the mountains. While the Regulan lapdogs continue to grind against our troops on the valley floor, the mercenaries have landed a starship on the mountains and march here.

The bigger man stands, revealing his height. He quickly sheds the robe so that he’s clad in only a cooling vest and shorts. His limbs are dark brown and traced with old scar tissue across both biceps.

Voice two: Ready my lance. We hunt.

*****

Crosshairs scan across a desolate mountain range. It’s brown and rocky, with the occasional sprout of brown/green foliage amid the rocks.

The crosshairs swing back, zooming in on a speck of haze.
That haze rapidly becomes thick, brown  dust, billowing heavenward. Similar dust clouds appear on either side before the crosshairs zoom in closer, revealing Mechs striding across the ridgeline.

Voice one: Cloud Control, this is Watchdog three - I see four Mechs at grid reference-

As the voice speaks, the four machines become clearer: A Hermes II, a Spider, a Flea and a Clint. All painted in desert camouflage of browns and greys.

Voice one: hollleeeee crap - correction, Cloud Control. I see four more of ‘em! Make that eight Mechs on the move. Looks like Count Askar is coming to visit.

[Nav_Alpha]

I am writing this webbed up like some sort of fowl in the butcher shop. The medics had me sedated for 36 hours and only now, two days later, am I in enough shape to write this.
I’ve got a cracked collar bone and my right arm snapped like a twig. Apparently I broke the hand too, but the whole limb is so wrapped up I have no idea.
Oh, and a decent dose of radiation poisoning from rising a Mech with a crippled reactor to the ground.

It is done. The insurgency is effectively dead. We met Askar and his two lances - one light led by a medium and one all assault and heavy - on the slopes outside his compound. Not much cover and lots of broken ground that can easily trip you up.
We had the numbers, but they knew the terrain.

In the first couple salvos we had pretty much stripped the light lance down to the bone but that heavy lance was dishing it out. Rex stopped at least two gauss rounds and a couple PPCs and was hurting.

I pushed Bjorn, Sharni and Kylie forward and they pretty much broke the back of the lighter lance’s charge. We poured on the LRMs at that point and it all sort of degenerated into a brawl.

I gutted the Spider - SRM barrage in close and then double tap from my lasers. It sort of exploded and fell down hill like a windmill, one arm flying off, while both legs seemed to crumple up as it rolled. Then I got hit with what felt like God’s own hammer.

If that was the hammer, then the anvil came next - LRMs tipped me over on my arse and I did my own stumble down the hill.
Spitting blood out from a bitten tongue I managed to right the Battleaxe, but the cockpit was lit up with failure lights.
Seems that first shot nicked the engine shielding.

It was Count Askar himself in his Orion. Only this was no standard model. It looked brand new and my computer was struggling to ID it.
It pegged the giant gun that dominated the right/centre torso as a heavy gauss rifle and the missile launcher as some sort of extended range thing. So I was well outclassed.

We both hooked into each other and I had managed to wear one arm down to the bone when Askar started backing up. First on step back, I hit him with another full spread of missiles, then another and then he was in full retreat.
I burned off some of his rear armour and gave chase, only to get blind sided by a Banshee.
The assault Mech had been mixing it up with Yasmin but saw me and decided to help the Count. The Banshee ripped through my damaged side and then charged, putting two giant battle fists into my head and shoulder.
I went down hard.
Taighe Barrett

The camera has been set up in a Mech bay. Grease and coolant stains the concrete floor and in the background a Marauder is hunched over, access panels across its torso and legs open. The harsh light of an arc welder flashes across the bay as coverall wearing techs crawl over the Mech.

Voice one: What a butcher’s bill.

Voice two: At least we won, Krystal.

Voice one: Yeah, but at some cost. Three Mechs trashed - including the Captain’s.
And Rex is missing an arm AND an eye. They’re saying he might even have to retire.

Voice two: At least everyone came through the fight. The way things have been playing out the past few weeks - suicide bombings and snipers, I figured it was a matter of time.

Voice one: Yeah. Hand me that alignment level. No, the big one.

Several grunts. There is the high pitched whine of a drill.

Voice three: Lieutenant Colosseo! Lieutenant!

Voice one: Settle down kid. We are not much one for rank in the bay. You’ll learn than.

Voice three: urrrr.... yes ma’am. But Lieutenant Kramer set me over. He said to get a crew together.

Voice one: What in the hell? Bjorn knows how busy we are. You sure it’s not one of the Cavalli boys trying to yank my chain?

Voice three: No ma’am. The LT said they’d found an Orion intact in the enemy encampment. Looks like that count ran back home and just ditched it. It’s not even fully shut down.

Voice one: And?

Voice three: And and he told me to tell you it’s an ON3-MX. Brand new.

Voice one: Why didn’t you say so, lad? Marcus, get a team together. We are rolling

[truetanker]

Ouchie... Broken collar and hand, now that's got to hurt and a free sun tan.

TT

[Nav_Alpha]

Minutes from Cavalli’s Cavalier company council meeting, June 6 3080


Voice one: “Well Captain, it’s more about the families hoping to put down roots somewhere. They’re tired of dragging their children everywhere across the old League. Apart from the price, Westover it perfect.  It is close to ideal here. Not just the weather and the food—"

There’s a round of chuckles

Voice one: “And no religious restrictions like on Diass. The Regulans treated us well, but Diass was not somewhere we all wanted to stay.”

Voice two: “Very well, Mrs Allegra. I think those are all valid points. It seems the council is overwhelmingly against the motion to head to Galatea?”

Voice three: “T, as much as opportunities would be better there I think we are agreed.”

Voice one: “Captain, we like it here. In fact, we've made more friends here than on planets we've stayed on for years. If it wasn't for the break up of the Free Worlds League . . ."

Voice two: “We wouldn't be here”

Chuckles

Voice two: “Based on this, I strongly suggest the Cavaliers leave their dependants here on Westover while we carry out our upcoming contract but actively look for a source of income that comes with a more permanent home.”

This Maxwell job worries me. Brooks Inc is very upset an upstart company called the Maxwell Planetary Defence Consortium decided to rip off a lot of their designs. Through the Jihad they didn’t notice and then later when they did there wasn’t much they could do thanks to a total lack of government oversight and no interstellar communications.
Now the matter is locked up with lawyers. But management figures it will be years before anything happens.
And they might not even win.
Instead, they decided to hire some mercs to shoot up the Maxwell plant.
A sort of ultra violent cease and desist letter.

My main concern is that the Duchy of Tamarind obviously values the equipment they get from Maxwell, regardless of the legality. Plus, elements of the 2nd FWL Guards are stationed on planet.
I’m just hoping we can get in, hit the facility and get out before the 2nd even notice.
Taighe Barrett


Amazing news! We just got word the 2nd FWL Guard have rotated off Maxwell, apparently bound for the periphery to hunt Blakists.
This makes the job a hell of a lot easier.
We are linking up with a Brooks Inc team half way there. They’ll make the actual in person assault on the facility and grab the data core and her generally mess up the main building while we blow up other stuff.
No one expects Maxwell to stop ripping Brooks off. But they’re sure as hell going to regret it after this.
Taighe Barrett