Crossover BattleTech/NBSG

Spartan303

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So I had a thought and wanted to put it out as a challenge, but that of crossover story between BattleTech and NBSG.

I'm thinking this is a incredible setting for a crossover. Certainly I like the idea of a Pre-Fall colonies making contact with either the Star League or maybe the Federated Commonwealth. Thoughts?
 

Brutus

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Imagine Kerensky's exodus fleet jumping into the Cyrannus system thinking it's an empty system. It would be interesting to focus on the interaction between the Exodus SLDF and the Pre fall colonies.

Anytime before the 1st succession war when the houses still had warships. I can imagine any one of them jumping a large invasion force to claim the Gravity and jump tech by force.
 

Spartan303

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Imagine Kerensky's exodus fleet jumping into the Cyrannus system thinking it's an empty system. It would be interesting to focus on the interaction between the Exodus SLDF and the Pre fall colonies.

Anytime before the 1st succession war when the houses still had warships. I can imagine any one of them jumping a large invasion force to claim the Gravity and jump tech by force.


The idea I had wasn't so much to make the Star League and the Colonies enemies. Thats already been done. But a story where they might actually connect and get along.

Maybe its meeting the Colonials that gives Kerensky a kick in the nuts. Has him turn back and fulfill his duty if to no one else, then the Hegemony. The very Hegemony he left to be gutted like a fish to the Great houses as their insanity took hold.

Maybe with support of the Colonies they could stop the Star League from being torn apart and end the First Succession war in its tracks. There's no way the Colonials could hold onto any of these worlds. They're smart and practical about that. But preventing the complete collapse of a Civilization would have that civilization indepted to them. And that would be more than worth its weight in Battlestars. Especially if the Cylons come a calling.
 

Tryglaw

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So I had a thought and wanted to put it out as a challenge, but that of crossover story between BattleTech and NBSG.

I'm thinking this is a incredible setting for a crossover. Certainly I like the idea of a Pre-Fall colonies making contact with either the Star League or maybe the Federated Commonwealth. Thoughts?

nBSG FTL would break BattleTech as a setting, much like it would with Babylon 5.

oBSG would be better, since they jump system to system via jump corridors (Einstein-Heisenberg bridge).

With either the Rag-tag fleet reaching the Inner Sphere, or Kerensky ending up in pre-fall 12 Colonies. Years ago there was a very promising story called "Mission of Civilization" (or something like that) over on SD.net based on the first premise.
 

Spartan303

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nBSG FTL would break BattleTech as a setting, much like it would with Babylon 5.

oBSG would be better, since they jump system to system via jump corridors (Einstein-Heisenberg bridge).

With either the Rag-tag fleet reaching the Inner Sphere, or Kerensky ending up in pre-fall 12 Colonies. Years ago there was a very promising story called "Mission of Civilization" (or something like that) over on SD.net based on the first premise.

Well the idea is that the Colonials convince Kerensky and his fleet to go back and at least save Earth the Terran Hegemony. This does several things for the Colonials.

1.) It looks good and is a public relations coup for the Fleet. I mean helping to save Earth would certainly be a big win for them.

2.) It allows the more aggressive fleet elements an outlet to fight in such a way as to not antagonize the Cylons.

3.) Stabilizing the Hegemony ensures that Colonials have a very 'grateful' ally they can call upon later if and when Round 2 with the Cylons ever commences.

4.) Advanced technology and weapons to revolutionize Colonial society and the military ensures they're at least capable of defending themselves from some of the Great houses but also ensures they dominate against the Cylons in any real engagement.

5.) A Strong and recovering Hegemony keeps the Great Houses looking inward instead of outward towards the Colonies. This effectively has the job of keeping their focus inward. There is genuine worry that the Colonies would be gobbled up by one or several of the Great houses.
 

Tryglaw

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Well the idea is that the Colonials convince Kerensky and his fleet to go back and at least save Earth the Terran Hegemony. This does several things for the Colonials.

What it does is it creates long term problems the Colonies could do without.
For the following points, I'm assuming the Colonies replace the Pentagon Worlds.

1.) It looks good and is a public relations coup for the Fleet. I mean helping to save Earth would certainly be a big win for them.

Save Earth... From what exactly? Earth is in no actual danger, only it's political / economic / industrial domination of the IS is. And the downtrodden Colonies will see a lot of parallels between how Earth exploited the IS with their own situation...

2.) It allows the more aggressive fleet elements an outlet to fight in such a way as to not antagonize the Cylons.

Depending if Colonials moving past the Red Line to re-link with reminder of Humanity will antagonise them or not.

Probably it would trigger a war, the Cylons would understand that they must strike now while they still can, or otherwise they'll be out-massed and out-tech'ed far too badly.

3.) Stabilizing the Hegemony ensures that Colonials have a very 'grateful' ally they can call upon later if and when Round 2 with the Cylons ever commences.

Gratitude will last maybe a generation or two. At best. Also, Earth people were very contemptuous over the IS folk, never mind some far off "Colonials". It would grate too much for them to live with the notion of "owning" some backwater yokels. Best erase the notion...

Much more can be achieved by convincing Kerensky to settle in the Colonies and share / sell the goodies.

4.) Advanced technology and weapons to revolutionize Colonial society and the military ensures they're at least capable of defending themselves from some of the Great houses but also ensures they dominate against the Cylons in any real engagement.

With weapons and other tech from Kerensky, they can take the Cylons. They most likely could have taken the Cylons if not for the CNP backdoor.
Combining their space capabilities with SL tech, while keeping their FTL from the IS, they can fend off any of the Great Houses, since these simply can't afford to spare the military forces and logistics to go after such a far-away target, as the GHs must look to their own borders first and foremost.

However, a Star League reborn could spare the forces needed to reach and subdue the Colonies.

SL restauration is the worst possible outcome for the Colonies, as it's the one entity they can't hope to defend against. As long as Inner Sphere stays divided and fighting itself, no Great House can spare the forces needed to subdue the Colonies without critically weakening their strategic vectors.

Thus the Colonies can stay on the sidelines and build up / expand like mad.

5.) A Strong and recovering Hegemony keeps the Great Houses looking inward instead of outward towards the Colonies. This effectively has the job of keeping their focus inward. There is genuine worry that the Colonies would be gobbled up by one or several of the Great houses.

Until the next First Lord dusts off a tried and true speech:

"Furthermore, in consideration of the common goals we share, we must set aside our differences and pool our resources for the common good, once and for all.

The Star League stands for a unified Humanity. As First Lord of the Star League, it is my solemn responsibility to protect the welfare of that Humanity wherever it may be found, be it on Sian or Santiago, New Vandenberg or New Avalon, Andurien or Apollo, Castor or Canopus. Though me, the Star League assumes the awesome task of safeguarding the welfare of Humanity. It is a responsibility from which the League will never shrink, a responsibility it shall never lay down. The dark days of barbarism are over-we will not let them return again.

The only way to ensure equal protection for all, the only way to safeguard the liberties of each individual, is for every Human being to accept the benefits we offer, freely and openly. So long as a solitary individual of the most distant planet in the Periphery remains uneducated, impoverished, or disadvantaged, all are equally stricken.

We intend to see that the majority is not denied the benefits of culture and progress at the hands of a minority of radical isolationists. We intend to extend our benevolent protection into every corner of Human-occupied space, whatever the cost, until every man, woman, and child prospers and flourishes. Let no one stand in the way of Human progress. The time for reunification has come."


Bend over, Colonials. It's for your own good anyway...
 

Spartan303

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What it does is it creates long term problems the Colonies could do without.
For the following points, I'm assuming the Colonies replace the Pentagon Worlds.


The Colonials are going to get involved one way or another regardless of how many of them feel on the subject. If not them then the Cylons certainly will. And the Cylons will exterminate them. I know many dislike the Colonials in NBSG but they're not that heartless. Some would see it a duty to try and win over Earth as there is more of a connection there.

Save Earth... From what exactly? Earth is in no actual danger, only it's political / economic / industrial domination of the IS is. And the downtrodden Colonies will see a lot of parallels between how Earth exploited the IS with their own situation...

Some Like Sagittarian and Aierelon. But others like Caprica, Picon and Scorpia would see things differently.

Depending if Colonials moving past the Red Line to re-link with reminder of Humanity will antagonise them or not.

Probably it would trigger a war, the Cylons would understand that they must strike now while they still can, or otherwise they'll be out-massed and out-tech'ed far too badly.


My thinking is that the IS is on the other side of the direction of the Red Line. The Colonials I don't think agreed to being isolated to their home systems and its immediate surrounding space.

Gratitude will last maybe a generation or two. At best. Also, Earth people were very contemptuous over the IS folk, never mind some far off "Colonials". It would grate too much for them to live with the notion of "owning" some backwater yokels. Best erase the notion...

Much more can be achieved by convincing Kerensky to settle in the Colonies and share / sell the goodies.

A year plus of essentially being gutted for everything, raped and murdered as the other nations rip the meat from your bones would adjust anyones attitude. If anything Kerensky is going to have a lot to answer for by leaving the Hegemony so defenseless.


With weapons and other tech from Kerensky, they can take the Cylons. They most likely could have taken the Cylons if not for the CNP backdoor.
Combining their space capabilities with SL tech, while keeping their FTL from the IS, they can fend off any of the Great Houses, since these simply can't afford to spare the military forces and logistics to go after such a far-away target, as the GHs must look to their own borders first and foremost.

However, a Star League reborn could spare the forces needed to reach and subdue the Colonies.

SL restauration is the worst possible outcome for the Colonies, as it's the one entity they can't hope to defend against. As long as Inner Sphere stays divided and fighting itself, no Great House can spare the forces needed to subdue the Colonies without critically weakening their strategic vectors.

Thus the Colonies can stay on the sidelines and build up / expand like mad.


NBSG Jump drives and artificial gravity systems will make it to the IS eventually. Its just a question of how and when.

Until the next First Lord dusts off a tried and true speech:

"Furthermore, in consideration of the common goals we share, we must set aside our differences and pool our resources for the common good, once and for all.

The Star League stands for a unified Humanity. As First Lord of the Star League, it is my solemn responsibility to protect the welfare of that Humanity wherever it may be found, be it on Sian or Santiago, New Vandenberg or New Avalon, Andurien or Apollo, Castor or Canopus. Though me, the Star League assumes the awesome task of safeguarding the welfare of Humanity. It is a responsibility from which the League will never shrink, a responsibility it shall never lay down. The dark days of barbarism are over-we will not let them return again.

The only way to ensure equal protection for all, the only way to safeguard the liberties of each individual, is for every Human being to accept the benefits we offer, freely and openly. So long as a solitary individual of the most distant planet in the Periphery remains uneducated, impoverished, or disadvantaged, all are equally stricken.

We intend to see that the majority is not denied the benefits of culture and progress at the hands of a minority of radical isolationists. We intend to extend our benevolent protection into every corner of Human-occupied space, whatever the cost, until every man, woman, and child prospers and flourishes. Let no one stand in the way of Human progress. The time for reunification has come."


Bend over, Colonials. It's for your own good anyway...


There isn't going to be a Star League for a long long while. You might save the Hegemony, possibly the Federated Suns and the Capellans. Beyond that? The other great houses aren't having it. The Star League, as was envisioned by the Camerons is quite quite dead.
 

Knowledgeispower

Ah I love the smell of missile spam in the morning
Anytime before the 1st succession war when the houses still had warships. I can imagine any one of them jumping a large invasion force to claim the Gravity and jump tech by force.
Laughs in the Colonials using nuke spam and the fact that something like the Galactica has more mass devoted to armor than the combined mass of a dozen Battletech battleships and is faster and more maneuverable to boot
 
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Spartan303

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Laughs in the Colonials using nuke spam and the fact that something like the Galactica has more mass devoted to armor than the combined mass of a dozen Battletech battleships and is faster and maneuverable to boot


Fear of the Great houses doing something like that are one of the reasons they push to have Kerensky go back and do his duty.
 

The Whispering Monk

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What if Kerensky unites with Colonials and they return to the Inner Sphere because the fall of the Star League is 'revealed to be the fault of the Psilons'.

Return of the 'Clan/Colonial Invasion'
 

Doomsought

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Actually, I think it would be more interesting if they made contact with the Star League intact. Both intact actually.

There could be a bit of Brinkmanship where the star league really wants to incorporate all of humanity. But the colonies have superior FTL, and much more cost effective warship construction techniques. The colonials for heir part discover that the 13th tribe are nearly as threatening as the Cylons, and has a much broader industrial base.

The Cylons for their part rethink their plans when there are more planets full of humans than they can manufacture nukes.
 

Aaron Fox

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The thing about Battletech is that... the Colonials are outmatched. I've -and others- looked at the known quirks of the nBSG FTL system and it isn't as broken as people think it is (it's still broken pixie dust FTL mind you, but not 'lol' broken as we once thought), especially since Deadlock directly showed us what happens if you're even one tiny bit off on your FTL coordinates (basic gist is, warship and station occupying the same space at once, big, instant, fiery explosion and everyone in both dies). Basically, a combination of fuel consumption, calculation crunching time, not wanting to go boom if they occupy the same space with a mountain or an asteroid, maintenance of not only the computers but also the FTL drive infrastructure, allowing them to 'recycle' (likely cooling off and inspection) after multiple quick jumps (it must be noted that in Deadlock, multiple repeated short-jumps across the battlefield was causing the FTL drives in the fleet you sent to that mission to start redlining, they couldn't keep up with the tempo), among other factors, make using it requires a lot of caution. In addition, there are likely megastructures on planets that can disrupt FTL jumps (the reason the Cylons got so close in the opening salvo? They managed to shut these down) but require a significant industrial base and population to build and maintain (hence why there wasn't one on New Caprica, they didn't have the equipment, resources, and population to build one of them).

It's leagues better than the K-F drive, but then again practically everything is better than the K-F Drive.

So it is most likely that if it came to war, the Star League or Warship equipped Great Houses will simply steamroll the Colonies. Their armaments are at Mk1 Eyeball visual range capability (so less than 25km), while a 'Small Laser' -one of the weaker weapons in the BT arsenal- is capable of hitting up to 54km.

That means they'll likely be off the mark when they try to jump in close to BT warships (so it would likely be the situation that the Cylons and Colonials had in the first war, they have to actually meet each other to do combat) and basically get chewed to hell in trying to get into their combat range.
 

S'task

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3.) Stabilizing the Hegemony ensures that Colonials have a very 'grateful' ally they can call upon later if and when Round 2 with the Cylons ever commences.
There isn't a Hegemony to stabilize. The government and institutions of the Terran Hegemony were already gutted and destroyed by Aramis and its various planets and regions were left to their own devices. That's a large part of the reason Kerensky left to begin with, the SLDF literally had no civil government oversight and unless he wanted to set himself up as a military dictator (something he DIDN'T want) and was willing to wage a bloody war within the Hegemony and on the Successor States to enforce his claim, there was no way to stabilize and restore the Hegemony. You also have to bear in mind that Terra proper already has a man who has been universally given authority over it to rebuild and stabilize it: Jerome Blake, who was very quick on his feet in laying plans to secure Terra WITHOUT Kerensky, and likely someone who would have balked at Kerensky taking power.

You're also assuming a level of hindsight that is unfair to Kerensky. Operation Exodus took place in 2784 and while tensions were rising at the time, the Great Lords were still talking with each other and coordinating the rebuilding efforts for the most part. Further, bear in mind that Kerensky had been stripped of his title of Protector in 2780, meaning he lacked any real standing within the Inner Sphere or Hegemony to take authority. Thus him taking the SLDF, the single most powerful military of the time, though not powerful enough to take on all the Great Houses and win, was a measured plan to attempt to deescalate the situation and prevent the SLDF from tearing ITSELF apart (remember, it's made up of individuals from across the entire Inner Sphere, many whom saw their loyalty with their nations of birth now that the Star League was functionally defunct). He had no way of knowing the level of conflict that the First Succession War (which would not begin until 2786 and the escalation to total war would not take place until 2789 with the New Delos Massacre by the Capellans) would bring.

Long story short, I think you're being too harsh on Kerensky. Him keeping the SLDF in the Inner Sphere at the time would not have prevented the First Succession War, only amplified it and spread the conflict INTO the SLDF as individual units began picking sides (as happened with the SLDF forces that remained). He'd need a VERY good reason to come back to the Sphere with the SLDF and unless the Colonials can somehow see the future (which, to be fair, given the occasional supernatural elements of BSG and BattleTech, you could perhaps swing him having a vision of the horrors of the Succession Wars...) I'm not sure their mere existence would be enough to get him to turn around and be willing to carve out what amounts to his own empire. Without that kind of foresight and assurance of the depths to which the Succession Wars would go, Kerensky's understanding of the situation is hard to entirely argue against.
 

Spartan303

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So a vision of the future maybe? Something to spur him to turn around?
 

S'task

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So a vision of the future maybe? Something to spur him to turn around?
Yeah, you'd need something major like that. Kerensky's hope in pulling the SLDF from the Inner Sphere was that it would serve as an act to deescalate the rising tensions. He and the SLDF were being HEAVILY courted by the various Great Houses to come to them and back their Great House with the understanding that once they did the united SLDF/House military would basically curbstomp the other Great Houses and install that Lord as the new Star Lord. Without the power of the SLDF available to them, he hoped that the Great Lords would instead look to their own borders and engage in diplomacy with each other since nobody would have military dominance or, if they DID engage in conflict with each other, they would keep the scale small and contained, since they couldn't really afford to escalate up to total war without MAD kicking in and getting double teamed by the other houses.

Basically, he expected the Great Lords of the time to have enough sense to not trigger a MAD scenario like most major political leaders throughout human history had been. He was wrong, granted, but there was no leading indicator that he would be wrong. After all, not only were the Great Lords ostensibly competent rulers, they're literally just seen what the full scope and scale of a modern conflict could be under the Aramis Coup where Kerensky did, in fact, engage in total war against Aramis and his followers. Give the guy a break, he didn't know that the Capellans and Dracs would eventually just start having a "here, hold my beer" contest when it came to massacring civilians...
 

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