Blood on the Horizon (Reimagined)

MarkWarrior · Sep 24, 2024

Date: January 1, 3008
Location: Taurus, Taurian Concordat

"You want to take everything in your fortune and invest it this way?" Thomas Calderon poured a drink for William Bruce and fished a cigar out of a humidor.

"I'm read-in on some of what's going on at WarWorks, Thomas," William raised an eyebrow. "Everyone in the business knows something's goin' on between your family, that Merc unit, and the revived WarWorks factories. I know that I'm not the smartest man 'round, but my folks raised me to see opportunity. All I want is the chance to see whatever find it is that led to this revitalization. That's all I ask," William puffed on the cigar as he gathered his thoughts.

"I've got the jumpships, and you know I've got the cash reserves to do something with whatever I find. I'm not even asking for the full navigational data on the system. I'd rather survey it myself, just in case whoever did it the first time missed something."

"Look," Thomas sighed, swirling his whiskey in a glass. "You know I can't promise anything straight up. I'm not the Protector yet; even if I were, I'd have to run it by some people."

"I just want the chance to take my case before Zarantha and whoever she's put in charge of this," William said, looking out at the city below, the fireworks beginning to light up the night's sky.

"I'll pass it up the chain," Thomas finally agreed, tapping some ash from his cigar into a nearby ashtray. "In the meantime, though, how's Robert getting along? I know his term of service isn't up yet."

"He's doing well enough," William shrugged. "Like most young men his age, he rarely writes home. But what letters do we get from him tell me enough. He's in love with his 'Mech, and uses it to great advantage when it comes to the local bars!"

"It's a good trick," Thomas defended his younger self. "You can't deny that it worked for both of us in college."

"It sure did," William took another puff of his cigar. "Shame they don't make the floors of the cockpits more comfortable. I'd have liked to avoid the back pain from some of the more entertaining ones."

"That's all you," Thomas laughed. "I found Katherine pretty quick."

"I didn't do too bad myself," William's gaze turned introspective as he swirled his liquor in the glass. "Well, let's drink. To the next generation, may they be better than we ever were!"

"To Edward and Robert, may they be as good friends as you and I!"

Date: May 28, 3008
Location: System Codenamed Eidolon

"Well, I'll be damned," William whistled as he glanced at the initial sensor reports. "There's a veritable goldmine here."

"Don't get your hopes up too far just yet," Captain Summers of the Footloose warned his friend and boss. "We've no idea if any of these are even worth salvaging, much less trying to limp back to Taurian space."

"You know that we're the best-damned salvage experts this side of the 'Sphere," William chewed on the end of his cigar. "Especially with equipment this antiquated."

"But even we don't make estimates until we've surveyed everything," Summers reigned him in. "Don't count these chickens yet. We haven't even put 'em in the incubator."

The two went silent as the Fancyfree and Worst Case detached from the Footloose.

"FancyFree to Footloose, how copy?"

"Solid Copy, FancyFree, we're receiving on all frequencies."

"Worst Case is going to head down to the surface, see if there's anywhere we can set up temporary shop. We're going to begin survey operations. My sensors officer tells me he's got a feeling that these old wrecks aren't the only thing out here."

"Understood, FancyFree, we'll stay in touch."

William simply gazed at the old Conestoga that hung in the distance, the white metal reflecting back through the viewport.

"You see that, Summers," Will reached for a pack of matches before stilling his hand and fiddling with the cigar instead. "That's not only history we're looking at. That, that's the future."

"Depends on whether we can get 'em up and running, doesn't it?" Robert Bruce floated onto the bridge. "It's not like these are functioning jumpships."

The younger Bruce paused and glanced at his father. "That said, the dropshuttles are ready with the Salvage and Recovery Teams if you want to head out with them. See for yourself if there's anything of value here."

William grinned and rubbed his palms together.

"There's always something of value when you're salvaging something," he laughed. "You just need to know where to look."

–
–

Date: June 21, 3008

"Will, the FancyFree just finished her survey of the local asteroid belt," Summers handed the reports to William. "Turns out their gut feeling was right. There is more than just wreckage here. There's a bunch of raw materials needed for manufacturing dropships and jumpships. Along with a handful of deposits of Germanium in the belt itself. But that's not the real prize."

"Then what's the real prize?" William asked.

"The damaged dropship maintenance facility attached to one of the larger Asteroids," Captain Summers pointed out the correct page in the report. "It's not a full manufacturing facility. It's mainly just the bays, basic repair facilities for dropshuttles, and the old jumpships that carry them. But the team aboard the FancyFree thinks that if we can get it working again, expansion to a full jumpship and dropship production facility would be possible."

"Then that settles it," William muttered as he reviewed the reports and the cost estimates for the repair facility. "Robert!" He bellowed, " Find my son and get him in here!"

"What's wrong?" Robert tried to catch his breath as he floated in a few moments later.

"You're going back to the Concordat," there was a gleam in William's eyes. "I'm putting together a list of equipment, personnel, and other assorted odds and ends that I want brought here."

The older Bruce's gaze turned serious.

"If any personnel don't pass our checks, they don't come. I don't care if we need a specialty or not. If any of this leaks, the Protector will yank this entire find out from under us. We're being given a chance here. Let's take it."

"When do you want me to leave, and what funds am I supposed to use?" Robert asked. "I don't think any of the accounts I have access to will be enough to cover anything other than the bare minimum of what I think you're asking for."

"I'll get what you need to you before you depart," William replied, rummaging through his desk. "Now, you'd best be getting ready."

William started scribbling furiously in a notebook, his gaze darting from the report to the paper and back as he chewed his cigar.

"Go get your bags, son," Summer glanced at Robert. "Knowing him," he nodded at William Bruce, "We'll be leaving within the hour."

Author's Note: Credit to Panther Al and his story The Bull gets its Wings (Battletech Non-SI) for the Bruce Family, their Jumpships, Dropships, and assorted crew. (I actually remembered to ask first before writing and borrowing characters this time.

MarkWarrior · Sep 26, 2024

Von Rohrs (Hebi) VON 4RH-6D
Mass: 65 tons
Chassis: Trevlu MechWorks Kankoku SP-VI
Power Plant: Durand Heavy Metals and Manufacturing Vox 325
Cruising Speed: 54 kph
Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Trevlu Mechworks Kemplar 5000
Armament:
1 Light PPC
1 MML 7
3 Medium Laser
Manufacturer: Trevlu Mechworks
Primary Factory: Brocton Bay
Communication System: Taurus WarWorks WarWorks VeraTech MilCom Suite 3
Targeting & Tracking System: Taurus WarWOrks WarWorks VeraTech MechTnT XVT205
Introduction Year: 3013
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-E-D
Cost: 6,215,110 C-bills

Overview
The resurgent Von Rohrs(Hebi) (Later renamed to something more in line with the Swordsman and other 'mechs that were manufactured by Trevlu and Durand Heavy Metals and manufacturing.) Was used as a prototype and testbed by the R&D team of Durand Heavy Metals and Trevlu before entering mainstream production.

Capabilities
It has a prototype Multiple Missile Launcher 7 and a Light PPC as its primary armament. This is supplemented by its high speed for a heavy mech, and the long-range punch is backed up by a trio of medium lasers and the SRMs of the MML-7.

Deployment
First deployed to militia units in the periphery for anti-piracy operations, it was later purchased and fielded by the Robinson Rangers as a direct insult and counter to the Draconis Combine.

History
Following the Battle of Nox and the failure of the Gladiator during that battle, Coordinator Yama Von Rohrs ordered the creation of a new manufacturing center with a new BattleMech. 2487 saw the first Von Rohrs step out of the factory. This new 'Mech was to be symbolic of the Dragon's steps forward, as well as the Dragon itself. Following the McAllister Rebellion that saw all of the members of the Von Rohrs dynasty killed, Coordinator Martin McAllister ordered the Von Rohrs renamed the Hebi. He further mandated that the BattleMech not be salvaged from the battlefield and instead chose to focus on newer designs, a situation eerily reminiscent of the fate of the Gladiator. Production ceased in 2510, and the last Hebi was dismantled in 2518. But the full blueprints and plans for the factories, fusion engine, and other parts were passed down. Eventually, they fell into the hands of an antiquities collector from the Federated Suns. After being sold at auction, the plans were copied and given to the Newly formed Durand Heavy Metals and Manufacturing as well as the Trevlu Mechworks factory that was on Brockton. Prototyping, building the factories, and testing the newly rebuilt 'Mech took several years. The Von Rohrs reentered the markets in 3013 to great success among the Fedsuns Periphery border.

Type: Von Rohrs (Hebi)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Tonnage: 65
Battle Value: 1,264

Equipment		Mass
Internal Structure		6.5
Engine	325 Fusion	23.5
Walking MP:	5
Running MP:	8
Jumping MP:	0
Heat Sink:	15	5
Gyro:		4
Cockpit:		3
Armor Factor:	168	10.5

	Internal Structure	Armor Value
Head	3	9
Center Torso	21	25
Center Torso (rear)		8
R/L Torso	15	20
R/L Torso (rear)		5
R/L Arm	10	15
R/L Leg	15	23

Weapons and Ammo	Location	Critical	Tonnage
2 Heat Sink	RT	2	2
2 Medium Laser	RT	2	2
Medium Laser	LA	1	1
MML 7 LRM Ammo (17)	LT	1	1
MML 7	LT	4	4.5
MML 7 SRM Ammo (14)	LT	1	1
Standard	HD	0	0
Light PPC	RA	2	3

Features the following design quirks: Rugged (1 Point), Bad Reputation (Inner Sphere)

MarkWarrior · Oct 1, 2024

Chapter 78

Date: November 26, 3007
Location: En route to Pierce, Federated Suns

“Four of a kind,” I laid my hand down to a bunch of groans. “They’re only nines, but that still beats out the rest of y’all’s hands.”

“Took you long enough to get a good hand,” Mathis chuckled as I raked in the small amount of poker chips. “You’ve been losing the entire time.”

“I’m better at Blackjack,” I shrugged. “Grandad taught me how to count cards for that and Spades. I never quite got it to work in my head for Poker though.”

“Good for us then,” Hober stroked his now clean shaven chin. “Major, you ever think of shaving off the beard? Put on some extra weight and dress in red and you’d look like Santa.”

“I need a bit of a trim,” I glanced down at what I could see. “But I don’t think I’ll ever fully get rid of it. My wife might come back from the grave to haunt me if I did.”

“It works for him,” Mathis shrugged. “Most nobles’ll think that he’s some hick from nowhere. You’d be surprised at how many of them, even in the Fedsuns think that people that look a bit different are stupid.”

“Meh,” I shrugged. “I just look super young without the beard and people don’t take me seriously. Although, the mismatch of colors in my beard throws me off sometimes.”
“It’s the streaks of blonde,” Kaylee finally spoke up. “It’d be fine if it were just the brown and red mixing. But the blonde hairs make it look like you’re graying early.”

“I blame genetics,” I laughed. “Now, we going to keep playing, or what?”

–
–
Two days later…

Henry Hober entered the gym of the King Henry V, a towel slung over his shoulder as he checked out the equipment he’d be using. There were people at most of the stations, each with a spotter barring one.

“Need a spot there, Major?” He set his bag down and walked over. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do legs before.”

“Because I fucking hate leg day,” Hull grunted as he hoisted the bar and began squatting with the weights. “Only reason I do it nowadays is because I finally got my knee fixed six months ago.”

“Mind if I ask what the problem was?” Henry moved in position to spot for his CO.

“Bone spur on the inside of my kneecap,” Hull finished the set and racked it, taking deep breaths as he continued the story. “I might not look it now, but I was a bit out of shape, and the spur had been bothering me for years but surgery wasn’t necessary as long as I was in shape. Well, the more mass I put on, whether it be in muscle or fat. The more pressure I put on the inside of my knee cap.”

“Which means that it was scraping against the joints and tendons there,” Henry winced as he helped Hull through another set. “Damn, that sucks.”

“The solution sucked too, but Doc said I wasn’t allowed to skip leg day anymore,” Hull finished up the squats and sat down, toweling off his face. “They had to go in and scrape the inside of my kneecap and get rid of the spur. Only had a couple of weeks of recovery, but it hurt like hell.”

“I bet,” Henry stretched before moving to add a couple of weights to the bar. “I’m glad I didn’t inherit anything like that.”

Hull moved to spot for the dropship pilot and they worked their way through the rest of the stations before ending up in the showers.

The Marksman wasn’t large enough for myths or legends to have really formed around Hull besides those about his time traveling origin. And given they were a military unit, the showers were one of the few places where everyone saw everything but oddly enough the most private place as well.

Most of the Marksman personnel had scars or tattoos that were kept carefully hidden by clothing or uniforms when in the field, but the showers were where you could finally see people’s true appearance.

For someone in charge of a near regimental Mercenary Unit, Hull didn’t look any different. If not for the beard, he would blend in as just another soldier in the unit. Average height, a soldier’s build, but nothing to write home about. He wasn’t even that outspoken, most of the time, he remained silent unless asked a question or telling a story.

So that’s what made the scars on his shoulders and chest all the more interesting.

“Hey, boss,” Hober dry swallowed. “What happened there?” He gestured at his chest.

“Turns out that you need to follow all of the instructions exactly the way that they’re told when maintaining a Jumpship,” Hull muttered. “You can do most of the maintenance by yourself, but it’s not necessarily easy or safe. And well,” he smiled sheepishly. “Some clothing is more fire retardant than others. I accidentally set myself on fire a time or three, and while it didn’t get my hair, it left a few scars. Honestly, it was more like a really bad sunburn more than anything else. I just didn’t take care of the skin all that well.”

Hull shuddered.

“I couldn’t stand it when it started peeling, and you can probably figure out the rest.”

“Fair enough,” Henry shrugged, his mind going to some of the stories he’d heard during his time in the Taurian Defense Force. “I’ve heard of stupider things that have happened.”

“You're telling me,” Hull agreed and finished up the quick shower. “Thanks for the spot, Lieutenant. I’ll see ya around.”

Date: December 14, 3007
Location: Marksman Mercenary Compound on Pierce, Federated Suns

“We need to start working on our Org chart,” Sheppard said, glancing around the table at the rest of the command staff. “Once LeAnn and her people get here we’ll have enough to fill out a full regiment.”

“Fuck,” Peterson sighed. “We’re going to have to figure out where she slots into our staff as well.”

“Integration is one of the things we’re going to take a look at,” I agreed. “We want to preserve the culture we’ve built up here, and even if her people are veterans, they’ll need to be trained in the way we operate.”

“We have the equipment for them,” Naomi Brown waved down a waitress for a refill of her drink. “At least for the Vics. It’s the ‘Mechs I’m worried about.”

“We don’t field Locusts or other bugmechs,” Sheppard leaned forward. “We’re working on expanding our inventory of other ‘Mechs, but that’s going to take time.”

“We can hold back a battalion for training,” I settled the concerns. “Keep them here training our new people until we’ve got the inventory to put them into the field. Now, I had some foresight on the organizational chart and had Captain Johnson and the admin people draw up a new one already.”

I pulled a stack of papers out of my bag.

“Here’s the responsibilities of your new ranks as well as the pay bumps and all of the other details of the organizational chart. Now, none of this takes effect until 3008, but we can start working on the practical aspects. In the meantime, let’s put the work to the side and eat. We haven’t been able to have a full meeting in months, and I’d like to have some fun and some damned buffalo wings. It’s time to eat!”

MarkWarrior · Oct 3, 2024

The Truth Will Set You Free. Part 1
Date: March 15, 3007
Location: Taurus WarWorks Facility, Taurus Taurian Concordat

“So, it’s obvious that they never finished these plans,” Alex Jones, the lead project engineer gestured to the blueprints of the ‘Mechthey were looking at. “There’s some obvious design structures and the chassis definitely originates from a Talos. But I hate the Ack-tens. The ammunition feeds look like they’d get mixed up with the missile feeds.”

“They clearly didn’t scale up the legs properly either,” a junior mechtech brought up. “Those won’t have enough structural support to work on a ninety-five tonner.”

“Why are we looking at this instead of building the second line for the Toro?” Someone raised their hands.

“Because WarWorks is expanding,” Jones explained. “We’ve got an ASF line being shipped here as we speak and we’re being pulled into R&D because we know how to prototype and build a fresh assembly line for something. We found this when rebuilding the facility in one of the underground bunkers. The plans are unfinished, but there’s the core of a good idea here. The Concordat currently has domestic light and heavy ‘Mech production. Where we’re lacking is good mediums and assaults.”

“The Talos doesn’t really cut it for a good trooper or decent medium,” the same mechtech from earlier explained. “But the chassis is well-known in the Concordat, so we can easily adapt it to what we need. But the Talos itself is too reliant on ammunition to be a viable platform in the wars of today.”

“So, our group is now in charge of figuring out how to turn that,” Jones gestured to the Tri-vid. “Into more than just a pipe dream. Our full budget runs through the end of this year. If we don’t have any results by then, then we get shut down as a group and transferred to the other projects.”

“And if we succeed?” The person who asked about the second Toro line asked.

“Then we get five percent of the total retail value of every one of these sold in perpetuity,” Jones grinned.

“So we’re talking about an entire extra year’s salary per ‘Mech sold if we do this right?” the Mechtech quickly did the math. “Fuck it, I’m in.”

“Might as well,” an older tech sighed. “I think I heard rumors about this shit before I got evaced and frozen. I’d like to think we can finish something that my generation started.”

“Alright,” Jones turned off the tri-vid and began to write on a whiteboard. “So, there are the six of us. I’ll work on figuring out assembly lines and parts production. I’ve got the engineering degree, but we all know that’s not where I shine. Mike, Louis,” the Project lead turned and nodded at the junior mechtech and the old man. “Both of you are on design and engineering. If you need anything, let me know.”

“Samantha, Frank, you two are managing the budget and ensuring that we stick to the deadlines, Adam will be our general floater and troubleshooter.”

“Everyone understand their roles?”

The room nodded.

“Good, let’s get to work.”

“Just one question,” Adam asked. “Did we get assigned a project name?”

“Aye,” Alex replied. “Project Veritas.”

April 27, 3007

“God fucking dammit!” Mike Jeffcoat swore, wadding up that copy of the blueprints and throwing it in the bin with the others.

“Still having issues with the proper leg strength?” Louis asked.

“According to the calculations, this should work, even with the ‘bird’ legs,” Mike growled. “But for some reason, when we try to assemble it with these legs, it can barely walk without shaking.”

“So beef it up more,” Louis leaned over and added thickness to the base skeleton. “We can use less armor on the legs if there are any issues, or change the planned armament. But we have to get the legs sorted out first.”

“You get the launchers fixed?” Mike asked, taking off his glasses and rubbing at his eyes.

“I cast the missiles from the same racks that the Talos used,” Louis shrugged. “The Six-pack was easy to cram in. And the ammo feeds were about the same as the medium too. Less to work around, but the twin ten packs will be a decent supplement to the main weapons.”

“Using the Toro’s PPC for the main armaments was inspired,” Mike agreed. “That the power feeds slotted in so well was perfect.”

“This is going to look like such a frankenmech when we first put it together,” Louis sighed. “Can’t wait for the others to explain how they’re going to figure out standardized parts for this.”

“We just have to put the initial design together and finalize it,” Mike turned back to his desk and began working on the leg supports again. “We can make it look scary later.”

–
–

June 8, 3007

“Whelp, she’s an ugly bitch,” Alex glanced up. “But she’s functional, and we can source all of the parts. You got a final shape we want her to look like when she comes off of the lines?”

“Here,” Louis handed the others a sheet of paper that had a sketch on it. “This is what the final product we ship should look like.”

“Alright then,” Alex smirked. “We beat the record for the design. Now we just have to figure out the assembly lines.”

“Estimated time puts us at 3012 for the first ‘mech to roll off of any new lines,” Samantha glanced at her clipboard. “That’s the best case scenario though. Worst case has us pushing it back to 3020. Most likely it is somewhere in the middle.”

“Regardless, we succeeded,” Jones began compiling their report. “Drinks are on me tonight!”

“Just let me secure everything in the safe, first,” Mike grabbed his own documentation. “The other corporations aren’t exactly fans of us upstarts.”

“Right,” Adam’s face turned serious. “We should have the main report for the head office, as well as backups of each of our sections just in case. I’ve got family in the Outworlds Alliance that are working on a project, they’ve experienced setback after setback of late, and while it’s not obviously espionage, it seems too coincidental.”

“WarWorks is fairly secure,” Alex sighed. “But if y’all think the extra effort is worth it, then we’ll do that before celebrating.”

“It’s definitely worth us doing the extra work,” Samantha agreed. “We’ve spent far too many hours working on this. I’m not getting those hours back if we lose the progress we’ve made.”

“Okay,” Alex looked down at the main copy. “I’ll make three copies of this, put them in our project safes, and backup our data. You each do the same, and we’ll meet at Miller’s in an hour and a half, deal?”

“Sounds good to me, boss,” Mike shrugged. “I’m good with whatever as long as I get a beer at the end of it.”

“Amen,” Louis grinned. “And none of that cheap shit. I want the good stuff!”

Inbredmartian · Oct 4, 2024

Comstar strike teams being perennially pissed off at Taurian Paranoia

MarkWarrior · Oct 6, 2024

Location: Tharkad
Date: February 3, 3008

“What’s on your mind?” Arthur asked his heavily pregnant wife.

“Something Hull said before we left,” Katrina replied, looking at the map of the Inner Sphere that hung on her wall.

“In the farewell? Or earlier on?” Arthur asked for clarification while moving to stand beside her.

“It was while we were on Eidolon,” Katrina rested her hands on her belly as the baby kicked. “I asked if he knew about any other abandoned locations like Eidolon.”

“And his response?” Arthur asked, stroking his beard.

“Let’s see if I can quote this correctly,” Katrina closed her eyes and tried to remember the exact conversation.

—
—

“There are always things that have remained hidden. Planets like this exist across the Inner Sphere and Periphery. Some of them were hidden for a reason, and others were simply forgotten, as this one was. There are some that are just rumors. But some contain more than just an element of truth.”

“Anything specific for a Lostech prospector to go off of?” I asked afterward.

“I remember something about Edwin Keeler,” Hull replied, stroking his beard in thought. “I know the Helm Cache has long been looked for, but I don’t think anyone has actually looked into his journal or anything. I recall that he was a prominent engineer who once worked with DoME. There might be something there. Aside from that, I’d check and see if there’s anything left of what Kerensky built in the old RWR before he retook Terra. That’s about all I can come up with at the moment.”

—
—

“That’s more than what I expected,” Arthur wrapped his arms around Katrina. “I take it you had the LIC go over those records?”

“I did,” Katrina moved to her desk and pulled out a report before handing it to her husband. “The Star League’s Department of Mega Engineering used Helm as a test bed for many future projects involving waterways and dams.”

“Huh,” Arthur sat down and read through it. “I can’t believe that we never checked this report before.”

“The Nagayan Mountain complex was buried in the rest of DoME’s reports that the LIC had,” Katrina sighed. “It took them six weeks to find anything that might be helpful in the first place. I’ve also directed agents to raid SAFE’s Intel center to grab anything they might have on Keeler and Helm. I think there’s something here. I just don’t know what it is yet.”

Katrina then yawned, blinking slowly as everything caught up to her.

“Alright, I think it’s time for a nap,” Arthur helped her over to the couch. “Let me handle the paperwork. If there’s Lostech there, it’ll still be there when we’re ready.”

Katrina tried to stay awake, but the warm blankets and cold pillow meant that she lost that battle before she’d even begun.

Date: March 25, 3008 (Ten days after Melissa Steiner is born)
Location: Tharkad, Lyran Commonwealth

“Katrina, you’re supposed to take a break after giving birth, not stressing out by doing more,” Arthur chastised his wife.

“It’s just a handful of reports I have to go over,” Katrina replied, “I personally have to sign off on these before passing them on.”

She held the sleeping Melissa against her chest with one hand while going over the few reports with the other.

“What reports could possibly be that important?” Arthur asked.

“Fixing Alessandro’s mistakes on the FWL and Drac border,” Kartina sighed. “I want to move Frederick away from Skye and the influences from that area, but I already have Nondi working as the General of the Armies, but despite my distrust of him, he’s one of our most capable generals and military officers.”

“Where do we need rebuilding the most?” Arthur asked. “We can at least trust him to see what will be best for the Commonwealth as a whole.”

“He’s done a fantastic job with the 7th Lyran Regulars,” Katrina replied. “I could try to rebuild the 6th and use it to showcase what needs to change within the LCAF for us to finally stop being on the back foot.”
“If you frame it properly, you can probably use this as a way of promoting him,” Arthur stood up and began pacing. “We can post them to Arc Royal or anywhere away from Lestrade’s influence. But we would have to ensure that they get proper equipment.”

“I was planning on expanding loans and other monetary assets to various entities,” Katrina flipped through her reports. “LIC has informed me that the Concordat has resurrected the Toro, and that there is development of several other ‘Mechs and factories within the Federated Suns.”

“There are quite a few older designs that could be resurrected,” Arthur agreed. “I can use my personal wealth to begin a company founded on Duran. That would ensure that this is more than simply political. But we’re putting our faith in him and his unit to protect another asset of the Commonwealth.”

“I thought you were going to be giving Morgan some assets?” Katrina asked.

“He told me that he and Patrick will finish their time among the LCAF. Then, they will decide what to do.”

“Then we follow your plan,” Katrina jotted down a note as Melissa began to wake up and cry. “But I add my assets behind it and ensure that Freddy is wholly behind us for the future.”

With the last few notes jotted down, Katrina began to feed Melissa while heading to a nearby rocking chair and slowly rocking the baby and herself to sleep in her office.

MarkWarrior · Oct 8, 2024

Chapter 79

Date: January 15. 3008
Location: Pierce, Federated Suns

“Mister Hull, welcome to the future Durand Heavy Metals and Manufacturing facility,” Countess Durand greeted me as I stepped out of the vehicle onto a massive construction site. “I figured you’d like to see what some of your people will be guarding in person.”

“Aye,” I replied. “I’ve not exactly kept the plans of the Swordsman a secret or anything, but given its negative reputation among the Federated Suns, I don’t think you’ll have to deal with too much corporate espionage, at least at first.”

“I’ve already discussed my plans with First Prince Ian Davion,” Durand walked me around areas where massive holes were dug into the ground. “Even if I hadn’t gotten anything from you, I would have still gone forward with something similar to this. If not quite so bold as to begin full ‘mech production so soon.”

“We’ve had plenty of time to tinker with some of the older designs we picked up in the periphery,” I noted that the underground parts were being poured with steel-reinforced concrete. “I doubt there’s only going to be one thing that my mechtechs come up with.”

“Regardless, I am grateful you took the time to meet with me while we were both present on New Avalon. While I didn’t expect help to come in the form of the Taurians, the people that I subcontracted from Taurus WarWorks have been nothing but professional.”

“There’s a lot of bad blood between the Concordat and the rest of the Inner Sphere. I won’t deny that. But even they understand that people on the periphery need to stick together. “

We walked through the rest of the area before reaching a small prefab that contained office space. Clearly, this was the area where the project manager and Durand herself worked out of while out here.

“I’m going to be honest,” I said as I sat in the mostly quiet room. “I didn’t expect you to actually come out here and work with your people on this.”

“When I went to the Warriors Hall on New Syrtis to study and receive my commission, I double majored in logistics and architecture,” She replied. “I served my term as a Leftenant for four years and intended to serve for another eight before my father passed away unexpectedly. So instead of reenlisting, I came home to put my studies to good use.”

“So, all of those,” I nodded at the blueprints for the factories being constructed around us.

“The preliminaries were drawn up by me,” she confirmed. “I had the chief engineers look and confirm the layout before we began clearing the property.”

“Right, I said after thinking about everything for another minute. “I suppose we should get down to the main reason we arranged a meeting.”

Yes,” She nodded. “I understand you secured multiple contracts and will be splitting your forces in the near future?.

“We’re about a regiment in size now,” I shrugged. “I’ve got plans for a training battalion to be stationed here on Pierce, but if I’m honest, it’ll probably be a mixed company by my unit’s standards, along with an aerospace wing.”

“Shit,” She swore. “I was hoping that you’d have more on hand locally.”

“Unfortunately, while I’ve got the manpower to operate four battalions and have one training rookies, I don’t quite have the equipment yet,” I sighed. “It’s a curse of the mercenary unit. Everyone wants to join up. But oftentimes, we have more people than machines to put them in.”

I stroked my beard in thought for a moment.

“That said, I can have multiple battalions of infantry here,” I held up my hand to stall the protest I could see brewing. “You’re not fully read into some classified material yet. But let’s just say they’ll be a nasty surprise for anything that shows up.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Elizabeth sighed. “Well, my personal detail is also designated as corporate security for this company. So It’ll have to be enough for now.”

“As soon as we can afford to get more machines and have rotating staff, we’ll have a full battalion of battlemechs and vics here,” I smiled. “It’ll just take some time. Besides, it will take you at least two to three years to finish this facility and get the fixed defenses in place. By the time you need the Marksman, we’ll be plenty ready for you.”

Date: February 28, 3008
Location: Marksman Training Facility, Pierce, Federated Suns

“It’s always odd seeing veterans go through boot camp again,” Sheppard glanced at where LeAnn and the rest of the Canopians were going through how the Marksman operated.

“Sure,” Peterson agreed, taking a sip of his coffee. “But we don’t operate the same way as most units. Larger formations, more people, and a helluva a lot more to keep track of when it comes to logistics and personnel. We’ve gotta work the old shit out of their system and teach them the new ways. They’ll adapt or wash out and go somewhere else.”

“Sure,” Sheppard agreed. “But they’ve got the skills on the battlefield, which is where this matters most.”

“What are we talking about?” Hull casually walked up to the two of them.

“Just discussing how strange it is to see veterans go through boot again,” Sheppard explained.

“It’s worth it if they can adapt their current skillsets to how we’ve changed things,” Hull echoed Sheppard’s earlier statement. “That said, we can still use them in defensive roles even if they don’t do too well at how we do things. The ELH has a dedicated unit to keep its dependents safe. I’m starting to wonder if maybe we should begin preparing for that.”

“Something come up?” Peterson asked.

“Nothing that popped out in Dunham's intel briefs,” Hull shook his head. “Just a gut feeling that we’ve stepped on a few too many toes of late.”

The Colonel then left them to their conversation.

“Capellans?” Peterson raised an eyebrow at Sheppard.

“Capellans,” Sheppard agreed. “They’ll be pissed off at either us or the Wolf’s Dragoons. And given we’re the smaller, easier target…”

The XO trailed off.

“Then we’re most likely going to get hit first,” Peterson sighed heavily. “I’ll have Dunham ask LeAnn if she’s got any contacts within MIM. I doubt she wants to be the subject of a Maskirovka hit.”

“I’m pretty sure Dunham is already putting together a comprehensive list of what the Capellans might be planning,” Sheppard smirked. “The man despises the Liaos, and I don’t doubt he’s got plenty of tripwires and intel assets in place that we don’t know about.”

“Still, it’ll make me feel better if I do something to help,” Peterson shrugged. “Especially with a newborn on the way.”

“Francesca’s pregnant!” Sheppard grinned. “You sonovabitch. Why didn’t you tell us sooner? We’d have thrown you a party!”

“Wanted to make sure it was viable,” Peterson sighed, “It’s not like we’re in a stress-free environment, after all. She even got a job working as the secretary for Johnson over in logistics because she felt like she wasn’t doing enough.”

“We both know that we’ve got the best medical care in the industry,’ Sheppard chided his friend. “Now let’s grab the Colonel and see if there’s any cigar stores in town. We need to find some of the good stuff to celebrate with.”

MarkWarrior · Oct 14, 2024

Sidestory: A ROMbuncuous bunch

Date: October 21, 3008
Location: Taurus HPG complex, Comstar

“Adept Reynolds,” Precentor Kooper once again flipped through a ROM report. “I am pleased to see that you take your duties seriously. Even potentially at the cost of your own life.”

“Yes sir,” Adept Kelly Reynolds nodded. “I managed to get the system scans and the jump path we took to get there.”

“I will personally see to it that this continues onto Terra,” Kooper smiled at the field agent. “Are you still secure in your position or will I have to arrange for you to be relocated?”

“TMI has gotten much better,” The Adept shrugged. “They plugged most of their holes.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Kooper sighed. “Do you require a reassignment and relocation?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I’ve not blown my cover yet. I’m secure in my position. I must cease communications aside from dead drops as we move forward.”

“Then I will leave that to you and my staff to arrange,” Kooper stood and helped her out of his office.

“Why is it that my peaceful, calm periphery station has become the hotbed of activity,” the Precentor sighed as he sent a coded message to a handful of his security staff. “The last thing that we need is ROM poking their noses where it will only lead to destruction.”

Kooper then grabbed the physical copy of the report and threw it on his ashtray, lighting a cigarette and setting it down on the papers.

They began to smoke and burn away as he smoked, the fan in his office removing the fumes.

Then his terminal beeped, the coded message indicating that his security team had done their job.

“One day, ROM will realize they are not perfect in their infiltrations,” Kooper smirked as he pulled out an original mint Taurian Bull and flipped it along his fingers. “It’s a shame that my own people will never know their greatest intelligence asset even exists.”

He finished his cigarette and emptied his ashtray. Then he stood and made his way to the Communications Center.

—
—

“Good, we now have everyone assembled,” Primus Rusenstein looked at the members who represented the First and Second Circuits. “Our current focus remains on discovering the Wolf’s Dragoons origins. Precentor ROM, your updates, please.”

“They remain insular at the moment,” Vesar Kristofur replied. “And have refused to recruit from the Inner Sphere and any of our agents.”

“So you have done nothing,” Tojo Jarlath crossed his arms. “There is much you could have found out if you arranged for one of them to disappear into our care.”

“Yes,” Kristofur snarked. “Because pissing off five independent regiments that you know nothing about is a wise choice. I have several plans in place and am working towards their completion. We will have the information one way or the other soon enough.”

“You all have the reports,” Rusenstein cut the two off before the argument could continue. “Now, we need to continue the rest of the reports from the Inner Sphere and Periphery. Precentors New Avalon and Sian, and Luthien, we will begin pulling back our assistance to the Federated Suns. The balance is shifting in their favor. So instead we will divert our resources and intelligence assets to ensuring that the Capellans and Combine are able to put pressure on them.”

“And what of the Free Worlds League and Lyran Commonwealth?” Precentor New Earth asked.

“Precentor ROM has assured me that he will be dealing with the Free Worlds League Directly,” the Primus responded. “And the Commonwealth is undergoing enough changes at the moment that I believe we need not directly interfere with them. Their nation is on the verge of splitting along various loyalties. After all, a bloodless coup is still a coup, and will lead to instability for long enough for us to manipulate to our advantage.”

“I have instructions for the Rom Departments of each of your Complexes,” Vesar spoke up. “They will be sent out as soon as our meeting is concluded.”

“And that merely leaves the Periphery,” Rusenstein folder his arms and nodded at Precentor Alpheratz.

“There has been nothing of note happening within the Outworlds Alliance,” Precentor Alpheratz shrugged. “There are a few of the military members that have left and gone mercenary, but that is business as usual among the Aerospace pilots here.”

“The Magistracy of Canopus has been dealing with the pirates that are along their border,” Precentor Canopus reported. “But there is some discontent among their military. The ability to purchase your rank is beginning to backfire along with their distrust of mercenaries.”

“I will examine your reports after the meeting is concluded,” the Primus nodded. “Now, I believe we have reports from Precentor Taurus?”

“Yes,” Precentor Kooper acknowledged. “As was reported previously, the Taurians are beginning to revive several older designs. The rebuilt Taurus WarWorks facility is continuing to expand and is growing. But the local ROM agents report that the technology base is far from that of the Star League factories that Kerensky relied on when he retook Terra during the Amaris Coup.”

“As long as they stick to older technology and act as a counter to the Federated Suns then we will allow them to continue as they are. As the opportunity comes, please begin embedding agents among the Taurus WarWorks so that in the event of any Star League rediscoveries are made.”

“I feel I must also report that the Taurians have returned to investigating the outer reaches of the Periphery for lost colonies and may stumble upon some older jumpships from before the Reunification War.”

“Such technologies and ships aren’t worth the time and effort to hinder rediscovering,” Precentor Tharkad laughed. “They can barely make a 20 light year jump if I recall properly. As are most dropshuttle capable Jumpships.”

“As Precentor Tharkad pointed out so eloquently,” Rusenstein nodded. “That is not something we need be concerned with at present. Even if the Taurians were capable of building Jumpships again due to this, I think we would be willing to accept it.”

“Submit all of your reports to Terra and we will go over it,” Precentor ROM replied. “For now, stay vigilant and keep us informed of any possible information that you may find regarding the Wolf’s Dragoons or Lostech finds that may impact the balance of power.”

With that, the HPG call disconnected and Comstar returned to business as usual.

MarkWarrior · Oct 14, 2024

Marksman Organizational chart 3008-3012

1st Regiment

CO: Colonel Mark Hull

Aide: Captain Alice Johnson

Alpha Battalion

CO: Major Jack Sheppard

Bravo Battalion

CO: Major Thomas Peterson

Charlie Battalion

CO Major Juliana Rose

Delta Battalion (Training Battalion)

Captain Raymond Packer

Notes: The Marksman operates off of a different unit structure despite using much of the same nomenclature.

Each Company of the Marksman consists of eighteen to twenty-four ‘Mechs or combat vehicles. This adds up majorly in combat capability for them as you move up into the larger unit formations.

Also, this organizational structure doesn’t account for the Aerospace assets nor the dropships and jumpships that are attached to said battalions.

MarkWarrior · Oct 14, 2024

Chapter 80

Date: March 14, 3008
Location: Pierce, Federated Suns

“Alright, we’ve finished restructuring the unit,” Sheppard had his hand clasped behind his back as we briefed everyone. “And the Colonel is finalizing three contracts as we speak.”

The slide changed showing the three potential contracts that they were working on.

“Two of our contracts are among the same as we have been doing currently. One Battalion will relocate to a base in the Taurian Concordat, while the other will be heading into the Federated Suns to serve against the Capellans or the Combine depending on where we’re needed.”

“And the third contract?” Peterson asked.

“That’s where things get interesting,” Sheppard smirked. “We have two options for a third contract. One of them has us subcontracting to assist the Wolf’s Dragoons. And the other has us working with the Lyran Commonwealth. Regardless of which one we end up with, we’re also going to be running a local long-term contract with our training battalion.”

“Right,” LeAnn nodded, her dyed hair catching the light in an odd way. “We’re to assist with training militia forces as well as defend Durand Heavy Metals if things happen to go south.”

“Hopefully it won’t come to that, but that is the fourth contract we’ll be picking up,” Sheppard gestured for Captain Alice Johnson to stand and take his spot. “But Captain Johnson here has information that will be critical to our decisions.”

“So, regardless of the contract we pick up, whether it’s with the Wolf’s Dragoons or the Commonwealth, we’re going to run into logistical issues. Currently we’ve been able to maintain our supplies because the Phoenix traveled with the unit as a whole, and her stores as well as her facilities aided with repairs,” Alice paused and clicked a slide, showing the repair gantries that they’d pulled off Artru. “Unfortunately, the Argo-class vessel can’t be with all three battalions at a time. She’ll only be able to work with one at a time. With that in mind, we’ve divided up the automated gantres we acquired from Artru and have dispersed them among the dropships in each battalion. While you won’t have the fullscale facilities of the Argo, you’ll have at least something comparable when you consider that we’ve now got one Jumbo per battalion.”

“Are there any questions?”

“What about Jumpships?” Victoria Jewel asked. “Last I checked, while our Leviathans have eight collars, we’ve only got the two of them and the King Henry. We’re going to be short more than a few collars.”

“We’re going to have to bargain passage for one of the battalions,” Alice replied. “Recent purchases and investments have meant that we can’t afford to outright buy or get a loan for another jumpship at the moment. But a part of the negotiations that the Colonel is undertaking involves the contract holder allowing us the use of a jumpship.”

“Anything else?” Sheppard stood.

“Who is going on which contract?” Peterson asked.

“I believe I can answer that,” Colonel Hull walked into the room, a tired but triumphant expression on his face. “Alpha Battalion’s going to be working two contracts. We’re going to be subcontracted to the Wolf’s Dragoons through the rest of this year and half of three thousand and nine. Then we’re going to be heading into the Lyran Commonwealth to work for the Archon. Bravo’s heading to work with the Fedsuns,” he nodded at Sheppard. “And Charlie’s with the Concordat. Delta, you hold down the fort while we go collect the nice paychecks.”

“So, why work with the Dragoons for only a year and a half?” LeAnn asked. “I’m still getting used to the mercenary life, so maybe it’s something I’m missing.”

“Contracts are usually measured in months,” Sheppard explained. “At least for a unit that’s somewhat smaller like our own. Once you break the single regiment stage, you sign on for multi-year contracts. But we’re still fairly small-scale.”

“In this case,” Hull moved to the front of the briefing room. “It’s because the Wolf’s Dragoons contract with the Federated Suns will be up. And they’re planning on moving into service with the Capellans at that point.”

“Ouch,” LeAnn winced. “Yeah, that wouldn’t work out very well for us.”

“If the Capellans are still holding a grudge, it would definitely end poorly for us,” Hull replied. “So Colonel Wolf and I agreed to a smaller term contract in the hopes that we can avoid some of the greater issues that might come up from a smaller unit attempting to swap sides like that,” the colonel shrugged. “Besides, I’m not one to play both sides like that. I wouldn’t work for the Fedsuns and the Capellans at the same time. It’d leave a sour taste in my mouth.”

“That makes sense,” LeAnn nodded. “So then we shift and you work with the Lyran Commonwealth until?”

“All of our contracts will end around thirty-twelve,” Hull answered. “There are some extension clauses. But I expect we’ll need the time to regroup and reorganize around then. Whether it will be from losses or expansion. Only time will tell.”

Date: March 29, 3008
Location: Pierce Jump point, Federated Suns

“Well, Sheppard,” I looked at the brief that I had been instructed to not open until this date. “I think that we’re going to be working together for a little while.”

“Looks like,” Sheppard read over my shoulder as we read the orders. “I hear New Aragon’s nice this time of year.”

“I’m sure it would be if it weren’t currently buried under metal rain,” I snarked. “The Fedsuns just hit it with ten Regiments. We’re to go act as reinforcements and back fill any losses the Dragoons or other RCTs took in the process.”

“It’ll take us two months to get there,” Sheppard pointed out. “Fighting might be over by then.”

“Might be,” I shrugged. “But I doubt it. The Capellans are feeling the pressure right now. They’re going to be fighting hard right now and The Fedsuns are going to take advantage of the Capellans being on the backfoot for as long as possible.”

“That’s right,” Sheppard’s eyes glinted murderously in the artificial light. “They are down a regiment of the Big Mac, and that’s before getting into the losses they took on Tybalt, Halloran V, or other places.”

“Ayup,” I nodded. “There’s going to be a lot of work in the future as the Fedsuns solidify their gains on that border while supporting the Combine side of things.”

“Blood and cred, Colonel,” Sheppard grinned. “That’s our business. Blood and cred.”

Author’s Note: A bit shorter as I wrote a sidestory and informational piece today. (BTW. Read the Sidestory bits. They sometimes contain things that are important to events that happen in the main threads. I’m not saying you have to, but you should if you want a more complete story)

MarkWarrior · Oct 20, 2024

Sidestory: Dragoons at New Aragon

Date: April 1, 3008
Location: New Aragon, Capellan Confederation

“Colonel Wolf, we’re taking severe damage from Capellan Aerospace assets,” Marshal Vernon Fredricks's voice cracked through the static. Half of our dropships are damaged, and we’re going to be delayed in any assistance we can provide.”

“Our aerospace support has been weakened, but we will push forward regardless,” Jaime replied. “Beta Regiment has taken the most damage, but Alpha and Gamma will push on to our objectives.”

“Watch the skies,” Fredricks cautioned. “We didn’t pinpoint where their ASF assets came from.”

With that, the two of them cut their communications. Leaving Jaime Wolf to begin coordinating the offloading of the rest of his forces.

“So, what’re we up against?” Natasha leaned over the desk as the comms shifted into static. “I slept through the briefing.”

“1st and 2nd Kearny Highlanders,” Jaime replied, a sigh escaping his lips. “They are a step up from everyone we’ve faced so far. Professionals and veterans in every definition of the word. The MRB lists them as a Veteran unit, but Wolfnet reports that they are more likely being underestimated.”

“Then it’ll be a good fight!” Natasha grinned. “I’ll make sure my company is ready for a fight.”

Jaime nodded and waited for her to leave the Command Center of the Dire Wolf.

“Keep an eye on her,” he commanded his brother. “Try to prevent her from doing anything too reckless.”

“We both know that keeping her on a leash is a dangerous game,” Joshua smirked. “It’s part of what makes her so attractive.”

“What happens between the two of you can remain private,” Jaime replied. “Now, I’ve got a battle to command.”

Date: April 4, 3008
Location: New Aragon

“Colonel Wolf, we are getting hammered by presighted artillery! 3rd Battalion has taken heavy casualties, and I am pulling back to navpoint delta!”

Colonel Jeremy Ellman’s voice was calm despite the chaos and destruction that could be heard in the background. The former Elemental was no stranger to harsh combat.

“Pull all of Beta out,” Jaime replied. “I will rotate Delta into position, and Gamma will begin flanking maneuvers.”

“Aff, Colonel,” Jeremy’s Black Knight shuddered under a flurry of LRM fire. “Beginning withdrawal now.”

—
—

“To advance again at their defenses would be suicidal!” Colonel Travis King opened a private comms channel to Jaime. “I will do it, but we will be forced to withdraw afterward.”

“I know,” Jaime’s voice was firm. “I just need them distracted while Beta pulls back. They’re getting hammered by artillery.”

“Shit,” King swore. “I will handle this, but it will cost a heavy price. King, out.”

He tuned his Battlecomputer to the rest of his regiment, noting the details being fed to him from their local comms and battlenet.

“Delta, we are being ordered into the breach once more,” he nodded, realizing the command battalion was the most intact.

“Open fire with artillery on my command; we will advance under the cover that it provides.”

With a sharp command, King stomped onto his pedals, driving his Archer forward, leading the charge into the mountain pass guarded carefully by the 1st and 2nd Kearny Highlanders.

As the artillery fire died off, the heavy Mechs and vehicles of Delta began to suffer heavy damage, and the wireframe diagram on King’s own Archer began to glow a dull orange from all of the damage.

Craters pockmarked the ground, and tanks stopped in the cover they provided as the volume of incoming missiles and PPCs intensified.

“Fall back!” King commanded, swinging the fist of his ‘mech back towards the entrance to the pass. “We will take no more losses today!”

Standing firm, the Archer was shrouded in smoke as missiles flew and impacted on a fixed emplacement, shattering armor and stopping at least one point of fire.

“Colonel, get out of there!” Major Sarah Weisz called. “We have enemy aerospace assets pushing in!”

Turning, King accelerated and moved to full speed, the pair of medium lasers on his rear torso reaching out at extreme range one last time as fighters streaked overhead.

A burst of autocannon fire echoed through the pass as a Transit punched through the rear armor of King’s ‘Mech. The rounds found an ammunition bin and sent the Archer stumbling as the secondary explosions began to ripple through the torso.

Slamming his fist down on the big red button, Travis held on tightly as his command couch rocketed through the cockpit, sending him free and clear of the ammo detonation and into the sky.

A few moments later, just as the acceleration stopped and gravity began to take hold, his parachute deployed. Leaving him at the mercy of the winds.

Date: April 30, 3008

“We are deadlocked,” Jaime looked around at the faces of his command staff. “Their positions are well defended, and we have failed to breach their lines.”

“We need something to break through,” newly minted Colonel Weisz sighed, a defeated look on her face. “And Zeta isn’t here to do something stupid.”

“Both Zeta and the Marksman will be here in two weeks,” Jaime replied. “I have a plan to break through the lines, but it will require careful coordination with both. Unfortunately, we are only getting one Marksman battalion to assist with Zeta. The other battalion contracted with the Davion’s is arriving later. Only one of their jumpships possesses a Lithium-Fusion battery and they are hot-charging to ensure they arrive in time.”

“So what’s the plan?” Natasha Kerensky asked. “You’re leaving us in suspense here?”

“Zeta and the Marksman will be dropping on the now identified bases where the aerospace squadrons are stationed,” Jaime touched a control, and the table produced a holographic map of the area. “They will then move to attack the fortified positions from the rear while Alpha and Gamma regiments punch through the weakened defenses.”

—
—

Travis pulled the thin jacket closer around his body as he walked through the mountain's snow.

“I should have paid more attention during evasion training,” He grunted, pausing to peer through the scope of his rifle to scout ahead.

He had been walking through the mountains for two weeks, and his small Comms unit could not breach the enemy jamming to reach the rest of the Dragoons and request pickup.

But this was also the first time he’d had a clear spot to attempt to reach through, and kneeling on the side of the cliff, he began to tune into the proper channels.

“Marksman ***dr** sta**** f*r ***sault!”

The radio crackled.

“Come on!” He slammed a fist on the device, and the static cleared up.

“Colonel Mark Hull of the Marksman Mercenary company, we are currently subcontracted by the Wolf’s Dragoons. Surrender, and you will be treated as prisoners of war in accordance with the laws of war.”

“Or don’t,” the familiar voice of Frank Wells chimed in. “It will be more fun that way!”

The voices broke up once again as the glow of dropships and ‘mechs “falling” from the sky began to take shape. The external jump pods fell off both battalions as they began wreaking havoc on the Highlander’s lines.

“This is Colonel Travis King to any friendly forces; I am in need of assistance!”

MarkWarrior · Oct 21, 2024

Chapter 81

Date: April 19, 3008
Location: Jumpship King Henry V, en route to New Aragon

“What do you need me to do?” I asked Kaylee, the toolbag floating beside her as she looked over the L-F battery.

“Shine the light over here,” She replied. “I’m checking over the maintenance on the battery before we start hot-charging the drive and the battery. Regardless of how things go, we’re going to need a partial overhaul after this.”

“I thought everything was in good shape,” I replied, shifting the light where she asked me to.

“It is,” she checked a seal, her tools showing a green light before she pushed off and floated to another part of the L-F battery and K-F Drive. “But we’re going to be putting a level of strain on it that’s not the normal wear and tear of use.”

“But it can be done?” I asked.

“You’re asking for us to get to New Aragon from here by the middle of May,” she sighed. “It can be done, but we’re going to be working around the clock to make sure that nothing critical breaks in the process.”

“I’ll make sure y’all get bonuses, rest, and that the King Henry gets yard time if we can afford it.”

“It’s our job to get y’all from point A to point B,” Kaylee shook her head. “We don’t need bonuses to do what we love doing. Just make sure that the old girl’s taken care of and we’ll keep doing our job.”

She looked up at me.

“Now, I need the light, you’re still holding onto it and I can’t see over here.”

–
–

I watched the holographic representation of the simulated drop, Captain Alice Johnson’s Toro leading the ‘mechs of the battalion in the drop in conjunction with the modified DroSTs.

The simulated forces of the 1st Kearny Highlanders and Waco Rangers began to open fire, their fixed defenses having issues turning to compensate for the new threat as the Dragoons began to push through the other side of the mountain pass.

The rest of the forces were dropped off and the tanks and Mithril began to advance, the DroSTs taking fire from Capellan aerospace assets before fleeing back to friendly airspace.

Even knowing it was just a simulation, my hands tightened on the holotable until it creaked as losses were simulated.

I watched as my forces were whittled away at until the Dragoons broke through and the Highlanders began to retreat, the Waco Rangers and assisting Capellan forces falling as well, the fighting retreat back to their dropships concluding with the salvage left behind.

As the simulation resolved, the pods began to gradually open, the mech pilots pulling themselves out, covered in sweat, and exhaustion evident on their faces.

“Go get cleaned up,” I locked eyes with Captain Johnson as she caught her breath, her once neat hair and uniform now showing the stresses of combat. “We’ll hold the debrief in an hour.”

Date: May 21, 3008
Location: New Aragon, Capellan Confederation

“Follow your training!” Captain Alice Johnson’s Toro rattled around her as she fell through the atmosphere. “Deploy the jets when prompted, no one needs to be paste across the mountainside!”

Alice’s battlecomputer lit up with the surrounding sky and ground below as they broke through the cloud cover of the mountains, her comms device lighting up on the open bands as the Colonel began to transmit.

"This is Colonel Mark Hull of the Marksman Mercenary company, we are currently subcontracted by the Wolf's Dragoons. Surrender, and you will be treated as prisoners of war in accordance with the laws of war."

“Or don’t,” the cocky voice of the Zeta Battalion CO laughed. “It will be more fun that way.”

The Capellans didn’t respond, and so both forces continued on towards the battlefield.

Hull’s Warhammer shone brilliantly as its external jump pods ignited and slowed the drop from lethal to survivable. The flash of manmade lightning illuminating crackling as a PPC impacted a Waco Ranger Wasp, the ‘Mech falling limp after the impact as the ‘Hammer dropped to a knee and began to clear out a space for the rest of the ‘Mech company.

Then Alice’s focus shifted to the more pressing matter of making it to the ground intact.

Smashing the controls, the external pods deployed, upward thrust seizing her momentum and driving the straps of her command couch into her shoulders.

“Always hated drops,” she grit out as she watched the altimeter begin to slow, hitting the controls to detonate the explosive bolts as her ‘mech dropped the rest of the way, her knees bracing and absorbing the shock. “Rifle Company, sound off!”

“Mostly green, ma’am,” her XO replied, his voice a bit shaken at the battlefield around them. “A bit of actuator damage but we’re intact.”

“Rifle, we have their attention,” the Colonel’s voice broke through on the command line. “Let’s hold it while the Dragoons do their work.”

“Captain,” the S-2 officer broke through on a private channel. “I’m picking up a Dragoon distress beacon two clicks into the mountains to the north. Message reads as follows. ‘This is Colonel Travis King to any friendly forces; I am in need of assistance!’”

“Fuck,” She breathed as she dodged a handful of LRMS. “Wait one, I’ll see what the Colonel wants to do.”

“Colonel,” she returned with a volley of her own missiles, cratering the armor of the enemy Phoenix Hawk. “Dragoon distress call, it’s in our AO, Zeta won’t be anywhere near it in time if the Capellans realize that he’s there.”

“Copy that,” Hull replied, his Warhammer almost dancing through the enemy’s fire. “Direct one of our fireteams to assist, I’ll fill in where I’m needed.”

“Mason, what’s left of your fireteam is with me,” Alice changed frequencies, wincing as she glanced at her wireframe. “We’re going to pull a Dragoons’ ass out of the fire.”

“Understood, ma’am,” the man’s gruff voice belied the lethality of his Thunderbolt. “I’ll provide covering fire as we advance.”

They pulled back into the mountains as the twin DroSTs descended, clearing out space while tanks and Mithril-clad infantry began to disembark.

“Get clear!” the Colonel barked, his searchlight being shattered by a burst of autocannon fire. “Go!”

The dropships left, their weapons firing in arcs as they left, shattering defensive emplacements even as Capellan ASF began to give chase.

“Colonel Hull,” Jaime Wolf’s voice came across the channel as an Archer led the way through the pass, its missile racks blossoming smoke as a swarm of missiles began to strike. “Thank you for the assist.”

“You’re signing my paycheck right now,” Hull’s Warhammer seemed to shrug. “Not like there’s a lot of other opportunities around here.”

Alice watched the readouts as Woods’s Griffin knelt, picking up the stranded Dragoon Mechwarrior and loading them into his cockpit.

“Colonel, asset is secured,” she sent a text message over as her fireteam moved to rejoin the rest of the battalion.

As the rest of the Wolf’s Dragoons poured through the gaps in the defenses, the Highlanders and their assets began to retreat, leaving a lone Battlemaster painted in Waco Ranger colors standing at the rear of the formation.

It paused, and for a moment Alice feared the mercenary would charge their lines, but a pair of Vindicators physically wrestled the command battlemech into the lines as they fell back to their dropships.

“Activate Salvage and recovery teams,” Alice ordered. “And get the Messenger landed, we’re going to need her medbay.”

MarkWarrior · Oct 28, 2024

Date: August 9, 3008
Location: Eidolon, Taurian Hidden system

“Captain Thomas, I’ve got good news and bad news,” Doctor Carter’s voice echoed through the bridge of the Worst Case.

“Go ahead,” Thomas glanced at the excited face of William Bruce as he listened in.

“The repair station’s life support and internal structure are worse than we first thought. Fixing and reinforcing the structure’ll take six months to a year; the life support has to be completely redone because the scrubbers are completely shot.”

“You said you had good news?” Thomas sighed.

“The repair facilities aren’t as bad as we first thought. They’re fully intact, aside from a few parts that are worn out. Once we repair enough of the internals, we should be able to start repairs on the ships and expand the facilities.”

“What do you need to begin repairing the internal supports?” William Bruce cut in.

“I need all the personnel you can spare,” Carter replied. “We’ll repair the life support systems first and begin working around-the-clock shifts. The real issue is going to be manufacturing new supports.”

“There is a decent set of metalworking factories planetside,” Captain Thomas stroked his chin. “We’ll have to split our people between the factories planetside and the repair facility.”

“The station needs a name,” William chuckled. “I’m tired of calling it the “facility”.”

“Bodach,” the sensors officer spoke up. “The system is named Eidolon because it’s the Greek word for mirage or illusion. Bodach means old man or spectre in old Irish.”

“I like it,” William grinned. “Now, let’s finish getting everything sorted regarding the workforce. I’m about to head over and begin surveying those Conestoga clones.”

Date: August 18, 3008
Location: Taurus, Taurian Concordat.

“I apologize, but most, if not all, of the people with the right clearance to be hired, were recently acquired by another organization,” Elayne Fitzgerald smiled at the young heir before her. “You can try again in another three to six months or you can review the applicants we have available.”

“Who hired them?” Robert asked, his frustration evident.

“Taurus Warworks is undergoing expansion and snatched up all of the people who were both qualified to work on their projects as well as those who weren’t but had the proper clearances.”

“Dammit,” Robert exhaled. “Give me what’s left, I’ll see who’s worth hiring.”

“I’ll go get the reports and CSVs,” Elayne stood and walked over to a filing cabinet. “Now, these are not allowed to leave the building, but we can supply a small office or conference room if needed as you review everything.”

“Thank you,” Robert replied. “I’ll take the conference room. I might be hiring some people today.”

“Let me arrange that for you,” Elayne picked up her phone and quickly rotated the dial through the numbers.

“Mike, please have someone set up conference room 13B for our guest and activate the secured line in there for the afternoon. Thank you.”

She hung the phone up with a sharp click and slid the CSVs over.

“I wish you the best of luck, Mister Bruce. Mike Williams will assist you with finding the conference room and help organize whatever you need while you’re here. Unfortunately, I have a meeting to attend and will have to leave you for now.”

—
—

“Well, shit,” Bruce sighed. “I’ve got maybe thirty people that are capable of doing what we need, and half of them aren’t going to be willing to leave because they’ve got families here.”

“That’s the nature of working with classified projects,” Captain Summers agreed, standing up from his chair and stretching. “HIre the fifteen to twenty that are willing, and then we can make the offer to those with families. It’s not like we don’t have room for the families on the planet. The facilities are there. We’ll just need to expand our operations if families come onboard. This means that we need to discuss things with the government in the long term.”

“Right,” Robert nodded. “We’ll have to start the process of getting schoolteachers and others the clearance to come with us. Some of these people are beyond qualified to work with us, but there’s no reason for them to put their families so far away with no contact for years at a time. The younger Bruce chuckled. “After all, not everyone can be spacers like most of our crew.”

Date: September 11, 3008
Location: Eidolon, Hidden Taurian System

“This one might be beyond our capabilities to repair,” William chewed on his cigar as their small shuttle surveyed the damaged Aquilla. “You see that,” he highlighted one of the sections they were scanning. “That looks like the keel is nearly broken, and it’s been that way for a looong while. It looks like weapons fire started the damage, and the crew did their best to keep it together for as long as possible.”

“And once they had the time, they simply abandoned ship,” the shuttle pilot agreed. “Probably easier to strip it for what useful components are there than it will be to restore it.”

“Now, that Conestoga, on the other hand,” William smirked. “That beauty’s nearly perfect on the outside. And our initial crew onboard said that the dropshuttles were all intact.”

“There are dozens of jumpships here,” the shuttle pilot shuddered. “We’re going to have a lot of surveying to do.”

“Aye,” William pulled his cigar out of his mouth and held it in his fingers as if to light it. “There are three Conestoga’s in the void ‘round here. If we can fix those three, we’ve already done more than break even here. If we get the repair facilities up and running, we’ll turn a profit…” he trailed off.

“And if we can fix the rest of these Jumpships?” the shuttle pilot tapped on the screen, showing the various “modern” style jumpships. “There’s at least five Liberty’s, twenty collars of space. And I don’t even know what the rest of these are called, given they seem to be old manufacturing.”

“They don’t have IFFs because the only jumpships that we were allowed to keep records of were the ones that came from the Star League,” Bruce muttered quietly. “The Columbus-Class Jumpships were our first native designs after the Liberty was manufactured. But you wouldn’t be taught that in schools because we’ve all forgotten that. We once had a significant shipbuilding industry, but it’s all gone now. We made the Columbus, the Tecumseh, and a handful of other Jumpships. But now, we’re lucky if we manage to make a handful of Unions a year. We’re a pale shadow, an imitation of what we once were.”

His fist was now clenched tightly around his cigar, the smell of the rolled tobacco filling the air as it was crushed in his hand.

“The Davions warred against us, yes. But they’re not to blame for our continued faults. We took the sucker punch and stayed on the ground like helpless children. Instead of clawing our way back into prominence through our own skill, trade, and strength of arms, we have stewed in our own mess, content to be mistreated at every turn.”

He let the remnants of the cigar fall.

“This is the chance to begin restoring what we once had, our pride as a nation. One that stands on its own merits instead of playing the victim. To be more than the disaster that we have been for centuries. So, we’re going to fix this Aquilla, not because we have to. But because if we can fix something this broken, restore it to its former glory, and even upgrade it to a modern jumpship. Then, we’ll have proven that we can do this for each and every vessel in this system. That the Concordat isn’t another victim of the Succession Wars. That we’re capable of rising above it all. And if we can manage to make some money along the way? Well, that’s just good business sense. No one said that being a patriot can’t be profitable.”

ATP · Oct 28, 2024

i like his attitude.

The Whispering Monk · Oct 28, 2024

Right man, right place.

MarkWarrior · Oct 28, 2024

Chapter 82

The trails of LRM and SRM smoke filled the atmosphere. Exhaust from the ICE-powered vehicles mixed with the smell of ozone from the PPCs.

“Smells like shit around here, Jaime,” Natasha was leaning against the leg of her Marauder. “Nice of you to join the afterparty though.”

She held up a bottle of scotch she’d liberated from one of the officer tents.

“Say what you will about the Highlanders, but they’ve got good booze.”

“I will take your word for it,” Jaime chuckled. “Now, did you get an ID on where the Marksman and Zeta are?”

“Marksman set up a med tent over there,” Natasha jerked her head over towards where a Warhammer was kneeling. “Zeta stripping whatever remains of the material here. The Highlanders managed to pull a bunch of their gear out, but the Waco Rangers weren’t as good at salvaging their own kit.”

“Major,” Jaime nodded at his brother.

“I will ensure that the salvage is divided appropriately,” Joshua nodded.

“Good, I will meet with Colonel Hull and see what damage he has taken.”

Jaime walked across the battlefield, burnt out craters and large shells of autocannon littered the ground, the fallen ‘Mechs of the Waco Rangers and Northwind Highlanders towered above him.

At the foot of a nearby Wasp was the tent that Natasha had pointed out earlier. The golden “M” of the Marksman logo hung on a nearby flagpole and the screams of pained soldiers echoed through the fabric.

“Just breath, soldier,” Colonel Hull was packing a leg wound with gauze. “What’s your name?”

“Clint Sullivan,” the man’s bit out through clenched teeth.

“Well, I’ve managed to stop the blood loss,” the Marksman CO finished packing the wound before wrapping the gauze and pressure bandage around it. “You got lucky. The shrapnel missed the artery. We’re going to keep you restrained for a little while though.”

“Why? Don’t trust a Highlander to keep to his word once captured?” he grit out.

“No,” Hull smiled darkly. “Soldiers always complain about the pain of the tourniquets.”

The bearded Colonel tapped gently on the windlass of the medical device. “For some reason, they think that it’ll be fine if they loosen their tourniquet. Only for them to bleed out a short while later. So the straps stay on until you’re seen by a surgeon or more experienced Corpsman.”

After standing up and peeling the gloves off of his hands, Hull noticed the Wolf’s Dragoons CO.
“Colonel Wolf,” he nodded. “Just give me a minute and I’ll be free to speak. I’d rather not walk around with blood all over me.”

“First a technician, and now a medic?” Jaime raised an eyebrow as Hull washed his hands.

“Everyone gets basic medical training,” Hull’s eyes turned to steel. “I’m just doing basic stop the bleed until they can get more qualified help.”

Turning, Hull wiped his hands off on a clean towel before placing it in a bin for laundry.

“Now, before we get into anything else, you’re going to need to walk with me,” Hull gestured for Jaime to follow him.

“What did you find?” Jaime raised an eyebrow.

“Something that you lost,” Hull grinned and held open the door to the mobile HQ.

“Colonel Wolf!” Travis King stood up and snapped to attention.

“Colonel King,” Jaime’s face twisted into a cautious smile. “We thought you dead.”

“I managed to bail out ahead of the ammo detonation,” the Delta Regiment Colonel sighed as he recalled the actions. “Turns out I broke my arm when I hit the ground and didn’t realize it until picked up by the Marksman.”

“We’ve already given him his pick of our salvage for a replacement ride,” Hull sat in a seat around the holotable and Jaime did the same. “I know you were counting on us to be able to provide a mobile QRF to assist with the rest of this op, but we got demolished. We’re down half of our battalion. If y’all hadn’t pushed up when you did we’d be dead.”

“I think you’d have been just fine!” A redhead poked her head through the door, a slightly older redhead just behind her.

“Sorry, sir,” Alice gasped. “I couldn’t stop her from barging in.”

“I heard you made Mech Ace today,” Natasha grinned at me. “You up for a friendly spar yet?”

“After a battle that wrecked half of my forces?” Hull’s voice was sharp. “I know you’re a bloody fucking Kerensky, but even The General wasn’t this insane.”

“Natasha,” Jaime’s voice held a note of warning.

“Fine,” she sat down next to King. “So, what’s the plan from here?”

“Capellan forces are retreating from New Aragon,” Jaime replied. “We have been tasked with ensuring that they continue to retreat. Beta and Gamma regiments are going to keep the pressure on them while the rest of us consolidate here until the Highlanders and other forces are gone.”

“And after that?” Hull asked.

“We are here or on New Valencia until 3009,” Jaime replied. “After that our contract with both you and the Federated Suns will be completed.”

Author’s Note: A bit short, but I’ve got a migraine, and I put out a sidestory chapter yesterday. November is going to be iffy on updates given I’ll be working extra days and assisting with disaster recovery for Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

ATP · Oct 28, 2024

Natasza like Hull...think about their future kids !

The Whispering Monk · Oct 28, 2024

ATP said:
Natasza like Hull...think about their future kids !

Nah...she's still all in on Joshua.

ATP · Oct 29, 2024

The Whispering Monk said:
Nah...she's still all in on Joshua.

Pity.Their kids would be very interesting!

MarkWarrior · Nov 5, 2024

Part 2

Date: May 28, 3008
Location: New Aragon, Federated Suns

“Alright,” Jaime looked around the conference room table. “We now have total control of this section of New Aragon. Our objectives have not yet been accomplished, however. There is still the question of intelligence. The Marksman were badly damaged in their drop, but the rest of their forces that are under contract with the Federated Suns are on route and will be available to provide relief in two to three weeks.”

“I thought most of his battalion already dropped,” Colonel Ellman commented.

“They use slightly large formations.” Jaime explained. “Their companies are nearly double the strength of another unit. So, his forces that dropped were half of his battalion. Approximately 80% of his vehicles and ‘Mechs were rendered combat ineffective.”

“Damn,” Joshua whistled.

“It is to be expected when throwing units that are less experienced against elite units such as the Highlanders,” Jaime sighed. “Colonel Hull expects that he’ll have restored approximately 75% of his damaged ‘Mechs and vehicles back to operational readiness by the end of the week.”

“Are the Deneb Light Cav back on their feet yet, sir?” Major Sarah Weisz asked.

“They are beginning to circle the mountain range. The plan is to encircle the Capellans and either force them to flee or destroy them,” Jaime replied.

“I can push forward with Zeta and elements of Gamma,” Colonel Wells offered. “Keep the pressure up on the other mercs>”

“We have plans,” Jaime exchanged a glance with Joshua. “But first we have to go over our losses, what can be repaired quickly, and what must be replaced.”

Three hours later…

The room had been cleared out, leaving only a few occupants.

Colonels Travis King, Frank Wells, and Jaime Wolf were present along with Stanford Blake, Natasha Kerensky, and Joshua Wolf.

“So, I went through all of the records we had available from the time before the Exodus,” Blake set a report on the table. “Turns out, the King Henry V once belonged to the SLIC. Unfortunately, while we have the records on the Jumpship itself, we don’t have any crew records or manifests. They are either lost or misplaced.”

“It is possible that Hull served in the SLDF at some point,” Jaime concluded for all of them. “Or that he worked in Intelligence prior to the Exodus.”

“He wasn’t intelligence,” Natasha smirked. “No one who drives a Warhammer like that was intel.”

“Regardless,” Joshua sighed at his lover’s antics. “Knowing more about the Inner Sphere is our mission. While Colonel Hull’s tale is interesting, it is not something that we need to be focused on.”

“I just want to see how he holds up in a fight,” Natasha grinned. “But I suppose I’ll have to wait for now.”

“If I may,” Travis King rested his broken arm on the table, the cast a dark gray in contrast to his battle dress uniform. “The more interesting thing about Hull and his Marksman is not their skill level or their unit size. But is how much they have invested into infrastructure and logistics. The Argo was hidden beyond even the Clan’s records keeping, and yet a random Mercenary unit manages to find what could only be a prototype escape vessel for the Camerons? No,” Travis shook his head. “There are few coincidences there in life when it comes to these sorts of things.”

The Delta Regiment Co sagged in his chair a bit.

“The Dragoon Compromise was intended for us to be scouts, to obtain information on the rest of the Inner Sphere,” he continued. “We already allowed Cranston Snord to begin gathering information independently. Why not see if we can leverage our other relationships for similar gain?”

Stanford and Jaime exchanged glances before Jaime nodded at the Intelligence CO.

“There is already a plan in place for beginning to establish a network among mercenaries to share information,” Stanford explained. “We are still working on a way to benefit more than we lose from the sharing of information between us and other merc units; but there is something in the works.”

“Good,” Travis stood. “Major Weisz is going to retain command of Delta until I’m combat-capable again. I will follow the med-tech’s advice and rest while my arm heals.”

“If we’re done here, then it’s time for a drink,” Natasha set a bottle of Glengarry Reserve on the table. “Who’s going to drink with me?”

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