We start with 104 points. Let’s see what we can do with it:

We put up support first. They offer straight support, and I counter with 50% battle loss compensation. 69 points left.

They put up remuneration and pull out ten points for that.

I put up Support while we still have over 50 points, in case they offer Shared Rights. Then I can counter with full salvage. They offer Exchange, and we counter with Shared. 49 points left.

They offer us a 3.7 salary. 24 points.

I put up length. They offer a four month contract, and I dicker them to two months. 14 points.

They offer independent command to pull out ten more points.

Finally I put up transport rights. They offer 40% reimbursement, giving us 15 points and putting us at 19. I counter it up to 50%, and we end with 14 points, giving us a 7% signing bonus.

I take it.

Trinity Company:

Offer #1: Lyran wants a Garrison contract. No thanks

Offer #2: The Taurian Condordat wants a garrison contract. No thanks.

Offer #3: The Free Worlds League wants a Security contract. Hmm. Where?

Drusibacken, a minor planet is in the heart of the Free Worlds League is part of the Ohren Province, but past most of their holdings. It’s about eight jumps away. The FWL has had problems with small planets declaring independence in the wake of the Andurien declaration, and they expect that independently minded rebels to attack in the next few months due to the distance between the heart of the Ohren Province. It will take a while to get regular military to the planet, so Marik wants to get some mercenaries to secure the world until major troops arrive. There might not even be a rebellion, but if there is, we need to be there.

Since the other two contracts suck, we’ll be taking this one.

We have 66 points to play with. We start with length of contract. They offer six months, and we can drop that to four, but no further. 56 points.

They put salary on the table and immediately take out 25 points and give us a 3.4 salary modifier. 31 points left.

I toss up salvage before it comes off. They offer Exchange Rights. After consideration, I decide to take it. I want to save points for somewhere else. 36 points.

They put up Command rights, and offer a liaison, 36 points.

I put up transport. They offer 40% compensation. I counter it up to 50%. 46 points.

They put up remuneration and offer it to us. 36 points.

We put up support and they offer straight support. I counter with battle loss at 50%, 1 point left.

0.5% bonus.



Let’s play with the Trinity Company first, I want to get my hands wet.

March 20, 3035 - Trinity Company arrives at Drusibachen and is here for four months. Us and a local militia are the only forces on the planet. In four months, Marik forces will arrive to secure the location. What I will do is roll each month. On a result of 8 or higher, a result will take place during that month.

Month One - Rolled a 7. Nothing.

Month Two - Rolled a 10. Riot.

The local militia is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As such, they join the opposition and we have to fight against them.


We have the following enemies:

Chameleon
MAD-3M Marauder
Griffin
Wolverine 6M
Ostroc
Atlas
Hermes II
Stinger
Hunchback
Wasp
Locust 1M
Shadow Hawk
Rifleman

They have a company of mechs, and a local had found a Chameleon mech. I roll and the troops are regular (except for the Chameleon which is green). Chameleons are a 50 ton mech designed for training exercises. Simulation pods can only get you so for. The mech has long and short range weapons and good speed., plus jumping.

I’m surprised that it took me so long to roll up a Marauder. It’s a pretty common mech at 75 tons. It normally packs a pair of PPCs, an AC5 and a couple of medium lasers. It also lacks heat sinks with just 16. This variant swaps the PPCs for large lasers enabling it to add four heat sinks.

The Locust 1M variant is that crappy one with the two LRM5s and one ton of armor.

The Ostroc is the third of the rare Ostmann mechs, but it is more common than the other two, and the blueprints have been purchased by another firm, perhaps to build them again one day. It’s a 60 ton mech with an LRM5, two medium lasers, and two large lasers.

The 6M variant of the Wolverine sports a large laser instead of an AC5. It gets an extra ton of ammo, two extra heat sinks and a second medium laser from the switch. It’s a much better design than the normal one.


We are fighting by the swamps

Here we go.


On the first turn we exchange fire. I take attacks of opportunity instead of forcing our troops to fight in a certain direction.

Their Stinger skids and falls on the road going through the swamp when he tries to change directions while running. Looks like we’ll be concentrating fire mostly on their Marauder this round. The AC20 on the Atlas blows off the RA of their Ostroc. That’s all that happened.

This turn I’m focusing on the damaged Ostroc. A Trebuchet hit’s the Ostroc’s large laser and LRM5.

A Trebuchet takes out the RT on the Ostroc. Then our Ostsol destroys its Center Torso section and the mech is down. Our Ostscout falls after getting kicked, which is deadly for it. The Chameleon needed to roll a 9 to kick it, and then the Ostscout piloted needed just a 3 to avoid falling and he fell. Crazy.

I stand our Ostscout back up and run it into light woods. Their Marauder slices the head of the Hatchetman and it falls to the ground. That’s a mechwarrior who died in their first outing with us. A Trebuchet hit’s the Marauder’s hip actuator. The Atlas adds a lower leg and foot actuator. The Marauder falls and hit’s the hip and upper leg actuator on the other leg. That mech isn’t going anywhere.

A Trebuchet blasts the RL off their Stinger. The LA of the Marauder is destroyed by the Grand Dragon. Their Stinger falls and takes some damage.

The 7th round arrives. I order the Ostscout to charge the Atlas, it will deal 31 damage to the Atlas if it hits, and take 10 itself. Weapons fire happens first, so if the Ostscout falls or the Atlas does, the attack is canceled. Their Atlas manages to hit a 10 and hits with the AC20 on the Ostscout, tearing off the LT and leaving the LA on the ground. A Trebuchet destroys their Stinger. The Grand Dragon destroys the LT of their Marauder. Their Hermes II hits our Wasp’s RA lower arm actuator and medium laser. Their Atlas misses the kick on the Ostscout and it hits. 31 damage to the Atlas. Afterwards, we both fall down.. Charging is always exciting.

I order the Ostscout to jump up and flee the battlefield. It is far faster than anything else on the field and gets away easily. They are content to focus on me. Our Catapults hit’s the AC20 on the Hunchy. Exchange of fire other than that.

Our Phoenix runs behind their Rifleman’s back and hits an AC5, Large Laser and Medium Laser. Lieutenant Elizabeth Smythe destroys the Marauder’s engine, taking it out of the fight. The Ostsol destroys the Hunchy’s RT, causing its RA to fall off. Then he destroys its center torso.

The next turn, a Trebuchet lights the Hermes II ammo on fire and it explodes. Boom! Our Phoenix just fires two medium lasers and two machine guns at their untouched Locust and hit’s a gyro and engine. We savaged the Atlas that turn.

The next turn, the other Trebuchet destroys the Atlas’s head. More fire is exchanged.

And with that they surrender. The rebels just lost their leader, and have half of their mechs destroyed, with their Rifleman and Locust and Wasp all damaged significantly. Our Atlas is untouched, as is the Grand Dragon, both Trebuchets, and Locust. They know when they are beat, and as rebels, they won’t fight as long as others would. All surrendered mechs are turned over to Marik.

Nice win, ouchie about the Hatchetman dying so quick.

Yeah. I'm currently on an interview in Kuntucky, btw, so I won't be back until Thurs evening.

Computer broke down, porbably the power supply. Be back when it is.

Hope it's nothing more serious. Looking forward to more when you get back up and running again.

Tell

My desktop should be fixied tomorrow tnight and we can get this back on teh road.

Salvage:

Marauder - Engine x3, RT, RA, five actuators.

Hunchback - CT?, RT

Atlas - H

Ostroc - RA, RT, CT?





To Repair:

Hatchetman - H

Ostscout - LT

Wasp - RA actuator and ML.

It will take about 25 tons of armor and a lot of ammo to restock our squad.

25,000 armor
420,000 ammo
10,000 replace ML in Wasp
850,000 replacement parts for Hatchetman and Ostscout.

We have an Exchange Contract, so I’ll make this quick:

Current Value:

Marauder: 5,630,000
Hunchy: 2,450,000
Ostroc: 3,460,000
Atlas: 8,670,000

Total Value: 20,210,000

We get no salvage, but full value. Too bad I didn’t take full salvage on this one, I’d have gotten a decent Huncy, very good Marauder, Ostroc, and excellent Atlas. Ah well.

Since there was a rebellion and we put it down, the rest of the time goes smoothly.

Money Stuff:

Our Costs:

334,194 - Upkeep for unit for 7 months
675,000 there
675,000 back
1,305,000 ammo, armor and replacement parts

Our Wages:

20,210,000 for exchange rights
675,000 for transport reimbursement
652,500 for battle loss compensation
589,000 for salary
29,450 for remuneration
2,945 for signing bouus

Total Net Profit and War Chest: 19,169,201




July 20, 3035 - Trinity Company leaves for Outreach.

September 30, 3035 - Trinity Company arrives back on Outreach.

Glad to see it's back!

Money is good too, though those mechs would have been very nice.

Tell

Now we head back to Kilts Company, doing an objective raid for Davion against Liao.


March 3, 3035 - Kilts Company arrives at the No Return system. We begin to drop to the planet.

March 6, 3035 - We are scheduled to land in the forbidding mountains of the eastern continent. It is about a hundred and fifty klicks from the base we decided to assault. The landing is completely uncontested. Huh. I guess I thought we’d have a firefight on our way out.

We get all of our mechs out of the DropShip, and then begin to move down the mountain. All of the sudden, missiles and laser fire dart out from the adjacent hills and attack my troops. It’s an Ambush!


The forces we are facing:
Assassin
Raven x2
Locust x2
Phoenix Hawk
Enforcer
Vindicator
Charger
UrbanMech 60RL variant (packs an AC20 with one ton of ammo)
Warhammer
Rifleman

The Warhammer is another classic mech and I’m surprised that I didn’t roll one until now, but that’s how it goes. It’s a 70 ton heavy mech that features a PPC in each hand, SRM6, just ten tons of armor (its weakness), 18 heat sinks, two medium lasers, two small lasers and two machine guns. 4/6 movement. It was the original iconic mech, with a Warhammer on the first BattleTech basic set cover.

I’m not sure if we’ve encountered an Enforcer yet or not. They are a staple of the Fed Suns, but Liao must have taken one in salvage and now has one on No Return. This 50 ton mech moves 4/6/4, 12 heat sinks, an AC10, Large Laser and small laser with 9 tons of armor.

The Vindicator is the medium mech of choice in the Capellan Confederation. It has an LRM5, PPC and a small laser in the head. It’s alright, but nothing special.

This is a regular unit of experience.

We will begin in the center of the map, and they are on the edges.

There are no trees on the map. It will be hard to hide. We’ll need to push my mechs heat and end this quickly. We won’t have cover.

I always prefer materiel over money if I can get it. You can sell materiel (for about a 10% hit if you need the money immediately). That makes it solid as an asset and better as someone that can fire and destroy and get you more money.

They are smart. They spread their forces all around us. They could have deployed from just one edge or two, allowing us to create fronts. Instead they will force us to circle, hitting rear armor if they want to. Very , very bad.

I get an opportunity to jump the modified Phoenix Hawk behind the back of their Rifleman. Let’s see if it works as good as I expect it will. Our Phoenix Hawks hit’s the engine and gyro of the Rifleman after penetrating the rear armor. Excellent. First try was a success. Their Urbie destroys the LA of my Orion after hitting with its AC20. Our Champion destroys the LA of a Raven. Our Wolverine misses a kick and falls. The Phoenix Hawk, now with no weapons in its arms, punches twice, and hit’s the Rifleman pilot in the head.

I charge the Urbie with my Orion and blow off its LT, leaving its LA on the ground. The Wolfhound opens into the Urbie and hits its engine twice. The Champion destroys the RA of the same Raven he destroyed the LA of last round. The Phoenix Hawk moves behind the Rifleman again, firing with its lasers, and destroys the right torso, breaking off its RA. It also fires a medium pulse laser which seeks out the center torso rear and hit’s the gyro. Their Rifleman and Ravens fall, and the mechwarrior at the Rifleman blacks out. The Champions destroys the LT of the Raven on the ground.

Adele’s Firestarter jumps behind the Urbie and fires, destroying its Center Torso. Our Foot Platoon destroyed the Ravens RT. The other Infantry platoon blows the LA off one of their Locusts and its on the ground. The LL and CT of the Raven are destroyed by the Champion. Our Wolverine misses a kick. And falls again. Their Rifleman wakes up.

I stand up the Wolverine. Again. Our Phoenix Hawks jumps behind the Rifleman and attacks for the third and final time, hitting the engine once and gyro twice. That mech is out. Their Locust attacks my Orion and opens up the Left Torso, hitting the SRM and causing my mech to explode! I liked that mech too. Their Enforcer destroys the RA of our Wolverine. Our Archer hit’s the Warhammer’s engine twice, and destroys its LA. Then our Griffin destroys its LT. The Champion runs behind their other Raven and blows off its RA. Our Wolverine falls a third time under the onslaught of weaponry. The Champion kicks and destroys the RT of the downed Raven.

I stand up the Wolverine, Again, and order it to retreat. Let’s not lose another mech today. Our Champion hits two leg actuators on their Raven. It falls, destroys its LL and hits its gyro. It won’t be getting back up.

Their Warhammer is massively overheat so I order Adele there to try to amp up its heat to overload levels. Their Vindicator hits Adele’s Firestarter and gets the Limb Blown Off critical on its LA. The RA is destroyed by their Phoenix Hawk. Our Archer destroys the RL off their Assassin. Then our Mercury dices into the Assassin, hits its LRM ammo, and it explodes. Boom!

I’ve been trying to overheat the Warhammer, now I’m just going to destroy it. Our SRM Foot Platoon hits its ammo and the Warhammer goes boom! Our Awesome destroys the Enforcers RT, and its RA falls off. It falls down. The Vindicator pilot blacks out.

Our Griffin destroys their Phoenix Hawk’s LA. The Champion hits its machine gun ammo and their Phoenix Hawk explodes in a frenzy of body parts, weapons, and rock from the cliff face. The Awesome’s large laser lances out and hit’s the Vindicator’s Head, but its just a glancing blow, so the mech is not destroyed. Our Phoenix Hawk punches a Locust and hit’s its Hip Actuator, but it stays standing. The Vindicator pilot wakes up.

Their Enforcer tries to stand, falls, and hits it gyro. Our Phoenix Hawk destroys a LL of their Locust and it falls hard. The Vindicator falls after getting punched by the Archer. It destroys its LL and LT, so its LA falls off.

With most of their mechs destroyed, on the ground, missing legs, our opponents concede battle. We allow their remaining units to limp away as we scour the battlefield for salvage.

Salvage:

Urbie - LA, LT, CT?

Raven - LL, RT, RA, LT, LA, CT?

Raven - RL, RT, RA, engine x2, gyrox2

Rifleman - RT, engine, gyrox3


Urbie LA
Locust LA
Enforcer RA, LL
Vindicator LA
Phoenix LL
Warhammer H
Assassin LA

To Fix:

Wolverine RA

Firestarter RA, LA


We reattach the LA to our Firestarter.

I can't believe I lost my mech, the Orion, to a LOCUST. That's embarassing.

Just have to find yourself a better mech to climb into now. I have to admit though, seeing that go boom was a bit of a surprise.

Tell

Told you Urbanmechs were underrated >.>

Yeah, yeah, yeah, a variant mech with just five shots of its only weapon is so good... ;)

Value:

UrbanMech 60L Normally: 1,581,125 To Repair: 1,025,000 Current Value: 576,125

Raven: Normally 4,550,000 To Repair: 2,750,000 (Fixed gyro) Current Value: 1,800,000

Raven: Normally: 4,550,000 To Repair: 2,250,000 (Fixed engine) Current Value: 2,300,000

Rifleman: Normally: 4,860,000 To Repair: 400,000 (Fixed gyro, engine) Current Value: 4,460,000


Value of body parts:

1,300,000


Total Salvage Value: 10,436,125

Half Salvage Value: 5,218,063

None of these mechs are good. The expensive electronics equipment in the Ravens were both destroyed, so I lost a lot of salvage value there, and I have no desire to grab them. Urbie’s suck. Rifleman has too many weapons and not enough armor, so its weak, but I guess I’ll take it. I also grab all of the body parts except the H of the Warhammer.

Cost of ammo, armor, and replacement limbs for Wolverine and Firestarter.

1,350,000

Cost to Fix Rifleman:

400,000

Upkeep on unit:

240,760

Transport Costs:

1,050,000



5,218,063 Salvage Compensation
675,000 Battle Loss Compensation
525,000 Transport reimbursement
197,999 salary
9,989 remuneration
13,858 signing bonus

Net Increase: 3,598,879

War Chest: 3,983,879

For now, until I can find a suitable replacement, I am personally fighting in an…ugh…Rifleman.

I order my light forces to penetrate into the now vacated complex and shot it down with their laser beams.


June 5, 3035 - The Kilts Company arrives back at Outreach. I can’t stand being in a Rifleman. The loss of the Orion, our second heaviest mech in Kilts Company, in a strong loss. I have an idea for a replacement, using the money we have and selling the Rifleman for cash, but I want to wait and see if the Commandos company brings back any tasty salvage. Perhaps they’ll salvage a Zeus or a BattleMasters or a Crusader or some such.

The beauty of having a merc company is that you can get a very cosmopolitan feel. If you are a commander of a unit in the Draconis Combine, for example, you will have one of three types of mechs in your command. You’ll have the basic common mechs like Phoenix Hawks, Griffins, Wolverines, Stingers, Locusts, Wasps and Shadow Hawks. These will make up a sizable chunk of your forces. Then you’ll have some house specific designs, like the Panther, Jenner and Dragon. You might also have one or two salvaged mechs from your enemies, the Lyrans and Fed Suns. You might have captured an Enforcer or Valkyrie for your unit. On the other hand, I can have mechs from any state. I have a Panther, Grand Dragon, Wolfhound, Catapult, Hatchetman, and even a few mechs like the Trebuchet and Cicada that lean a certain direction but are not exclusive (but are close).

February 18, 3035 - Ted arrives back at Outreach with the Commandos company after the loss in Drac space facing a new, mysterious mech design based on the Charger. He makes some recruit rolls.

I notch two elite dispossessed MechWarriors. I’ll take them. Say hello to:


Nadia Romanov, elite, dispossessed, Commandos

Katrin Magnusdottir elite, dispossessed, Commandos


Time for some contract action:

Offer #1: A Tiny Periphery World offers a garrison contract. No thanks.

Offer #2: A corporation offers an objective raid. Let’s see, it’s in the Free Worlds League. Military or no? Nope.

An industrial concern on the minor planet of Ellsworth wants to contract a company to go to the nearby system of Olafsvik, a major world with an independent streak of significance. A separatist group has taken over a medium sized island on the planet, and Marik is leaving them alone right now. However, this industrial company has several warehouse and industrial concerns on the island. They want to hire us to land on the island, smash through the defenses, destroy their fortifications, and then leave for other forces to finish.

Ted takes the contract.

We have 62 negotiation points. Ted puts up salvage. They offer full salvage right up. They don’t want to spend the money on Shared or Exchange rights. 52 points.

They offer remuneration to pull out ten points. 42 points.

I put up transport rights. They offer 40% compensation. Ted takes it. 57 points.

They offer independent command to pull another 10 points. 47 points.

I put up length. They offer 4 months and Ted reduces it to 2. 37.

They offer salary and pull 25 points out to give a 3.4 modifier. 12 points

Ted puts up support. They offer 74% straight support.

May 8, 3035 - Ted’s company arrives in Olafsvik on their island. I roll to see what sort of defenses we are going up against. Combined arms.

We are fighting on a small chain of islands.

Our foes:

Two Warrior Attack Helicopters
Peregrine Attack VTOL
J Edgar Hover Tank
Striker Light Tank
Scorpion Light Tank
Rommel Tank
Harasser Missile Platform
Skulker Wheeled Scout Tank
Predator Tank Destroyer
Devastator

Trebuchet
Goliath
Banshee
Whitworth
Locust x2
Shadow Hawk
Stalker

Four platoons of infantry


They have three assault mechs, an assault tank, but we are on islands and not all of that is mobile.

We are fighting in a series of five islands, connected by bridges. Each bridge cannot support more than 40 tons. You can jump over the bridge with heavier mechs like a Griffin. You can get int eh water. You can hover over the water if you are a hovercraft, and you can fly over the water if you are a VTOL. That means they have more mobility than us.

One of their Warrior attack copters slideslips into a hills and is destroyed. No weapons fire is exchanged.

Not much happens on round two., nor round three.

One of our Awesomes destroys a Peregrine Attack Helicopter’s front side. I destroy the bridge from their island to the next island. I am moving my Stalker and an Awesome through the water to the second island to get closer to my opponent.

I order the other Awesome to start moving towards the water, with the intent of getting to the next island.

Our new Javelin, the 10N, destroyed the J. Edgar Hover Tank. She hit the power plant. Boom! Unfortunately, it falls under an attack by various enemies.

Our Stalker and one of the Awesomes arrive at the second island from the water. The other Javelin, the 10F variant, destroyed a Harasser’s turret, and it is destroyed.

The other Awesome arrives at island #2. Their Trebuchet falls while walking through water. More fire is exchanged,

The next turn sees our Longbow sheer through the Shadow Hawks armor and hit its AC ammo. Boom! Dead mech. That’s the first kill for newer pilot Aaron Cohen. An Awesome destroys the Right Side armor on the Skulker and its dead.

We exchange more fire.

Their Locust is running through the water, falls down, and it is breached. Dead Locust. Ted destroys their Devastator’s power plant and it goes boom!

The following turn, an Awesome destroys the Rommel’s power plant. More boom!

More exchange of fire.

The Longbow hits and destroys their Warrior Attack Helicopter. That’s the final VTOL taken out. An Awesome takes out the front side armor on the Predator.

I was attacking their Trebuchet, but it is down to just one shot of LRM ammo, so I am moving to their Goliath.

More exchange of fire.

Their Banshee hits an Awesome in the head with a PPC and goes internal. The Head is not gone, but watch it for later. The Awesome falls under the onslaught.

Ted’s Stalker is out of LRM ammo and charges their position as a result. Melissa stands her Awesome back up. Another exchange of fire.

Our Rifleman destroys the Scorpion Tank’s power plant. Boom!

Another round of exchanged fire.

We blast their Banshee and it tumbles to the ground. Their Goliath, Stalker and Trebuchet are all out of LRM ammo so I hope to push the PPC advantage I have with my Griffin, Panther, two Awesomes.

The Banshee tries to get up twice and fails. More weapons exchange.

More exchange of fire.

Our Panther blows off the Banshee’s LA. An Awesome destroys its RT which causes its PPC laden RA to fall to the ground.

Our Griffin hit’s a leg actuator on the Banshee. It tumbles to the ground.

An Awesome hit’s the Banshee’s AC ammo and it splodes.

The Griffin destroys the Striker’s front side. It’s gone.

More weapons fire.

More weapons fire. Again.

Their Whitworth hit’s the Longbow while under water. It is breached. Out for the rest of the battle.

A couple more rounds of nothing.

Five more turns of nothing. Just exchange.

Our Griffin hit’s the Stalker’s gyro. It falls, hits its engine, and the pilot blacks out.

After a turn of weapons exchange, the Stalker wakes up.

Then it stands up. I hopped over our Javelins, hopefully they can exploit some holes. Our Stalker destroys their Stalker’s head with a large laser.

The Goliath tries to run away from my Javelins, goes into the water and falls.

It stands up the following turn. After taking some serious damage, it falls down, and the pilot blacks out.

With all three assault mechs down, all of their tanks destroyed, all VTOLs destroyed, and just a handful of remaining mechs, the Marik forces radio me and offer their surrender. We have devastated the rebel forces, and in fact, have ended the minor rebellion, so we don’t even need to continue. The rebels we did not destroy are picked up by the local Marik militia.

Salvage:

Locust - no significant damage. Breached.

Peregrine Attack Helicopter

Shadow Hawk LA, RA, RL
Banshee RA, LL, LA

Stalker H, actuators,

Goliath - tons of armor damaged, two actuators hit

Predator

Skulker

SRM6x2 (Striker failed but we got its weapons)


Since we have full salvage on this trip, I don’t need to account for total value and what not. I only need to come up with numbers to fix these.

Note that the Goliath and Locust are operational when taken out of the drink, drained, and rejuiced.

To repair the Skulker, Predator, and Peregrine. 70,000

I sell the Predator and Skulker for 950,000, and fix the Peregrine. I also sell the Locust. I’m tired of these dumb light mechs getting captured by my command.

To repair Goliath - 160,000 ammo and armor to repair Goliath

To repair Stalker - 888,000

Costs:

70,000 fix vehicles
160,000 to repair salvaged Goliath
888,000 to repair salvaged Stalker
300,000 for LRM ammo alone
28,000 for SRM ammo
16,000 for AC5 ammo
300,000 for replacement armor
675,000 transport there
675,000 transport back
326,934 upkeep of unit


Gains:

950,000 sale of Skulker and Predator
1,325,000 sale of Locust
381,300 salary
19,065 remuneration
24,154 support
540,000 transport reimbursement


Even with the sales, we went -199,415


I transfer three million from the Trinity company to us.

Stalker for your new command mech?

Nah, I've got a better idea...


EXPERIENCE: Ted notched his twelve kill and Martin Fitzgerald got his eighth. Martin is going to second a second point of edge and Ted raises his piloting skill to 2.

Nadia Romanov is given the Stalker. Katrin Magnusdottir given the Goliath.

August 27, 3035 - Ted arrives back at Outreach.


June 5, 3035 - Braham Essex arrives back at Outreach and I want a new mech, because I am not happy with the Rifleman. I make a few calls (roll the dice), but the mech I wanted, a common heavy Thunderbolt, is not available. I look for some other good mechs. How about a Crusader? I’ve been trying to avoid a Crusader for my main guy, because my main guy in my first run through had a Crusader, and my very first mech in BattleTech was a Crusader. (And my very first shot of an LRM15 killed a clan mech).

Still, I don’t have too many choices. Are there any Crusaders on the market? Nope.

What else? How about a Catapult? Yes. I can find a Catapult. Hmm. After reviewing the company, I believe a Catapult would be a poor choice. It’s a great fire support mech, but I already have those. What I need is a nice anvil mech. What anvil mechs are available, in my price range, and good?

I do a search for a Warhammer variant, the Warhammer 6D. It pulls off the machine guns and SRM6 for more heat sinks and full armor. With no ammo to explode, full armor, and more heat sinks to fire double PPC action, the 6D is a strong 70 ton mech. And it is available (I rolled a ten).

It’s also in my price range.


I sell the Rifleman for 10% under price at 4,400,000

I then purchase a Warhammer 6D (The Federated Suns version) for 5,945,000. Excellent. Easily a mech for a battalion commander.

I then make some recruiting rolls.

Edgar Steinbocker, regular, Assassin, Kilts Company
Mary McDonnell, veteran, Falcon*, Kilts Company
Latasha Jenkins, elite, dispossessed, Kilts Company


I asterisked the Falcon because it is a very rare mech. Very rare.

It is believed that Wolf’s Dragoons found some significant supply caches from Star League holds, because they have designs that no one else has. The Imp, Annihilator, Falcon, Firefly, Shogun and Hoplite are some examples of their virtually exclusive mechs. Some of those mechs, like the Annihilator, have no existing record from Star League times about them.

The Falcon is a 30 ton light mech believed to be largely extinct from the Star League era although the odd model appears every now and then. It surfaced in large numbers in Wolf’s Dragoons, and our Mary McDonnell is a dissenter from their unit. It moves 6/9/6, carries six tons of armor, and wields two small lasers, a medium laser and two machine guns, while having two extra heat sinks.

The Assassin is a 40 ton mech with 7/11/7 speed but just 4.5 tons of armor and a poor payload featuring an LRM5, SRM2, and Medium Laser. The weapons are poor, but it is a design with potential, and I might modify it later when I have the inclination. I’d pull off the SRM2 and LRM5 and ammo and add some lasers and armor. I’m not sure in what numbers for each, but that’d be my plan.

Time for Contracts:

Offer #1: A Corporation wants us for an Objective Raid

Offer #2: Fed Suns offer a Recon Raid contract

Offer #3: Fed Suns offer a Objective Raid contract



A recon raid contract is simple. We are to infiltrate a world, and inspect its defenses, test its mettle, and get pictures. Then we send them back to our employer. Davion wants us to Recon a Draconis Combine world.

One of the Inner Sphere’s worst kept secret is that Davion views the Draconis Combine as weak right now. With 20% of their forces turning traitor, a significant chunk of its territory now in the hands of the Free Rasalhague Republic, and it still reeling from the quick but decisive Fourth Succession War, Hanse Davion is looking to finish off the Dragon.

However, the Federated Suns are not ready for another war. The vast number of planets taken from the Capellan Confederation five years ago still require large numbers of garrison and pacification troops. The infrastructure needs to be built up. Intel needs to be gathered.

As such, a negotiator from the Federated Suns is offering us a contract to investigate the defenses and preparedness of the Draconis Combine defenses on a system.

The targeted system is Sadalbari. One jump away from Davion system David, Sadalbari is a world that must be garrisoned by the DCMS. It is seven jumps away, and we will be swinging past my home system of Epsilon Eridani on the way there and back.

Negotiate the contract time:

110 points

We put salvage up first. They offer Exchange rights, and we counter with Shared rights. 100 points. Hopefully we won’t battle much, if at all.

They put up rights and offer independent command. 90 points.

We put up support and they offer 50% straight support. I counter with 50% battle loss compensation. 55 points.

They put up remuneration. They offer it to us. 45 points.

I toss transport on the table. They offer 40% reimbursement. I counter by raising it to 50%. 50 points.

They pull out 25 points and offer us 3.7 salary. 25 points.

We put up contract length, but they are just interested in a month, so there is nothing to negotiate here.

12.5% signing bonus.

Before we leave I place a few phone calls. I drop 250,000 on a Boomerang Spotter Plane.

The Boomerang Spotter Plane is a 13/20 conventional plane/glider with a half ton of photo equipment and some armor. It weighs 5.5 tons. The Boomerang is collapsible and can fit in the tinier spaces in a DropShip. We head out with our company of mechs and Boomerang and infantry.

July 17, 3035 - We arrive in the Sadalbari system.

July 19, 3035 - We land in the smallest city in the system to have a DropPort. I will leave our mechs in the DropShip, and hopefully we will not need them. My men assemble the Boomerang.

The defenders on Sadalbari are a regiment strong. I order my infantry squads to separate places on planet. There are three continents on planet, and the defenders are split with one regiment on each planet.

One platoon of infantry gets through with no problems. They are also to establish a perimeter near a Draconis Base and snap some pictures. The other main base is a large fortress overlooking the capital city. That’s too guarded for now.

Our infantry at the other continent also get some information and pictures.

After two weeks on planet, we have a good estimate of their forces. Infantry disguised as peasants have snapped pictures of mechs on patrol, so we have a good indicator of their individual mech counts. However, we have been unable to penetrate the defenses around the fortress.

With out infantry back, I use our aerial asset, the Boomerang. I need to fly the Boomerang over their base, perhaps several times, snapping pictures with its systems. Then we can leave the planet.

As the Boomerang approaches the base’s airspace, it gets a radio. Apparently, it is a no-fly zone over the fortress. The Boomerang goes over the base, snapping pictures, dodging gun emplacement fire with its speed. Anticipating a problem, I order our mechs to warm up.

The Boomerang flies back over their base, and again takes more pictures. I believe I’ll need two more sweeps. It heads back for a third sweep and makes it over, but we see fighters launching from the fortress. As the Boomerang comes back over for a fourth time, it has two Sholagar fighters on its tail. As the Boomerang nears our position, the two fighters open up. I order my men to fire on the Sholagar fighters. One is destroyed while the other is damaged and returns to base. I expect Drac attention anytime now.

Our Boomerang lands behind us, and our infantry begin disassembling it and storing it in the DropShip. This will take several minutes. In the meantime, mech forces are beginning to leave the fortress and should arrive at our position at the DropPort in a few minutes.

SCENARIO:

We must fight a rearguard action against their mechs until our Boomerang is disassembled and stored in the DropShip. Rules:

On the first turn, any 7 speed mechs or faster are deployed. On the second turn, any 5 or 6 speed mechs are deployed. On the third turn, any 4 speed mechs are deployed, and on the fourth turn, any subsequent mechs are deployed.

One company at the fortress is currently on patrol. The other two companies are heading towards us.

Starting on turn five, I will roll 1d6 and add the turn number. If we get 10 or higher, then the Boomerang is assembled and we can move off. Any mech given a “flee” action at the edge of the map is considered to be boarding. I cannot flee with more than one lance of mechs per turn. (Four mechs).

The Drac forces are numerous, and I will not count them to you now. Suffice it to say that we are fighting a lot of mechs.

Only two Locusts and a Jenner are on the map for turn one. They retreat behind some buildings for some protection until their friends get here next turn. Smart. I spot with my Spider and fire a lot of LRMs at their Jenner. Our Awesome sends two LRM15s over the buildings and destroys the Jenner after hitting it’s ammo.

Nice that we got a kill so quickly. A bunch of their mechs are deploying this round. We’ve got Wasps, a Stinger, Phoenix Hawks, Griffins, a Javelin, a Charger, a Dragon, and more. A Wasp jumps on a nearby building, and it collapses, unfortunately. We could have used the cover it gave. Our Awesome hit’s a Wasp of theirs in the head with a large laser. Dead. Two mech kills in two turns.

The third turn brings some of their slower designs such as a pair of Panthers, a BattleMaster, Rifleman, and such. Another couple of large buildings are being destroyed by mechs jumping on top of them. They just jumped a Quickdraw on top of one. I believe they are doing it on purpose to create clear lanes of fire so that they can take me out quickly and get to the Boomerang. That’s smart. I wouldn’t have thought of it. Our variant Awesome hits their Dragon’s ammo and it is destroyed. Three mech kills in three turns for this guy. Our Griffin kicks and destroys the LL of one of their Panthers.

The fourth turn brings the final mechs like a Stalker. Our Wolfhound destroys the RT of their Stinger, dropping its RA to the ground. Our Archer hit’s the engine on one of their Phoenix Hawks. I fall down in my Warhammer. Our Archer kicks and destroys the LL of their Locust.


If I was with my Commandos company and its four assault mechs, I’d be loving this, going up against big odds and hoping against hope for a win. However, I have one assault mech, and three heavies, and one heavy took some damage earlier and the other is on the ground. I will be leaving when I get the chance.

The 5th turn has arrived. I roll a four. Not a ten (4+5=9), so we cannot begin to evacuate this turn, they are still working on the Boomerang. I stand my Warhammer back up for another round. Adele destroys a Locust with machine guns. She hit its machine gun ammo with a machine gun. Battlefield irony there for ya. Their Stalker hits and destroys our Awesome’s H. Our mechwarrior who killed three people turned around and died. Damn. Our Champion hit a Phoenix hawk’s engine. I ordered my Spider ot pick up the Stinger’s arm.

The 6th turn arrives and I roll a 5. The Boomerang is now stowed away. Well, we lost the Awesome variant, which I really liked. We need to get off this map. I order the Falcon, Assassin, Wolfhound, and Archer to leave. We hit a few foot and leg actuators but nothing serious.

The 7th turn arrives. I flee with my Firestarter, Spider, Mercury, and Phoenix Hawk. They open up my Champion’s arm, hits its AC10 and shoulder. Our Centurion destroys their Phoenix Hawk’s engine, it goes down. Our Champion destroys another Wasp’s head.


I flee with the Champion, Griffin, Centurion and Wolverine, leaving only my Warhammer on the map. My Warhammer manages to destroy a Stinger with its two PPCs and two medium lasers. It’s right arm is destroyed in the barrage. The next turn I flee.

Salvage

Stinger RA


To Fix:

Warhammer RA

Champion actuator, AC10


150,000 in armor
188,000 in ammo
8,500 shoulder actuator
325,000 RA of Warhammer.


We lost an Awesome and the pilot. That sucks


Total Costs:


250,000 Boomerang
671,500 for ammo, armor and replacement parts
226,000 for upkeep
525,000 transport there
525,000 transport back



Total Reimbursements:

50,000 Shared salvage for Stinger RA
525,000 for transport reimbursement
205,687 salary
10,250 remuneration
25,000 signing bonus
335,750 battle loss compensation


Total Loss: -1,045,800

EXPERIENCE: After five years with the company and a founding member, Adele Thompson has finally notched four kills. Her gunnery pops up one.

I drop off the Boomerang when we stop at Epsilon Eridani.

This was a lousy contract. We lost money and our only assault mech in the company. Even if we got the info out, it was still a bad contract.

EVENT: June 1, 3035 - While at the war conference to discuss the new war against the Duchy of Andurien, Captain-General Janos Marik, his son and heir, Thomas Marik, and generals Duggan and Duncan Marik are on Atreus. While Duncan steps out to speak with some military advisors, a bomb goes off, killing all on the conference room. Duncan plunged back at the rubble and video feeds show him frantically digging with hands at the rock, extricating the bodies of Janos and Duggan, although Thomas was too close to the blast and all that was left of him was blood.

Duncan Marik declared himself Captain-General of the Free Worlds League and was confirmed b Parliament when the remaining children of Janos Marik showed little desire for the throne.

June 27, 3035 - Just nine days after being declared Captain-General by Parliament, Duncan Marik addresses his nation. He claims to have proof that the bomb was planted by secessionists in the Duchy of Andurien. Duncan has declared war on the wayward Duchy and is beginning to build the Marik armies and infrastructure.

August 28, 3035 - The Kilts Company arrives back in Outreach. Yesterday the Commandos company arrived.

Ted’s Recruiting:

Clyde Naller, elite, dispossessed
David Bengurion, elite, Striker, assigned to Kilts.

Since we have a hole in Kilts Company made by the destruction of an assault mech, when Ted is able to recruit an Assault mech, it makes sense to add it to the hole in Kilts company. The Striker is an assault mech typically assigned to garrison duty. It was the original assault mech developed during the Star League, and the Awesome was based on it. Strikers are around, still getting made at a trickle a year, but that is enough since most don’t see heavy combat action. The Striker is not an amazing mech, and if you want an assault mech to go one on one with an opposing assault mech, it might not be up for that.

The Striker weighs 80 tons, and moves 4/6. It has five extra heat sinks, 13.5 tons of armor, and wields an AC5, PPC, large laser and three medium lasers. The locations for the medium lasers are very smart, one in the head and two in the center torso, taking up valuable critical space (decreases the chance of an errant shot hitting vital components when there are more components in the space, plus those are always operational sections of the mech if it is operational. You can lose a leg, arm and left or right torso section and still fight, but you cannot lose your CT or H and keep fighting in the current level of technology).

Like I said, the Striker is not bad, but it’s not great either. It doesn’t have the heat dissipation for the PPC and large laser and AC5 to all be fired at once, so occasionally you have to not fire one of your main weapons

Adele’s Recruiting:

Eleanor Bates, regular, Catapult - unassigned right now

Braham Essex’s Recruiting:

Miguel Juarez, elite, Banshee, unassigned

The Banshee is a 95 ton mech that is crap because it wastes so much space on its engine that allows it to move 4/6. There is a Lyran variant that changes it out for a much lighter engine, and fit’s a bunch of weapons and heat sinks on the mech as a result. This is not the variant. The one good thing is the 15 tons of armor, allowing you to move your Banshee into the middle of the field and draw fire from more fragile mechs. It features just a PPC, AC5 and a small laser, a tiny weapons load for a 95 ton mech. It has the weapons of a medium mech around 50 or 55 tons, it has the movement of an 80 ton mech and the armor of an 80 ton mech. Feh. Still, we need some heavy metal.

Barbara Morse, elite, Victor, unassigned.

The Victor is another assault mech, this one at 80 tons. It moves 4/6/4 and yes, it can jump. It has an AC20, two medium lasers and an SRM4. With all close range weapons, you might think the Victor wants to close in and smack you up close, but it only has 11.5 tons of armor, so it seems like a classic design problem to me. I can understand lower armor on a fire support mech, but not on one designed to get up close and personal.

A failed recruit roll (I rolled a three).

(I got very lucky with recruit rolls this time. THREE twelves and an eleven. Crazy)

We got a lot of heavy metal on Outreach. Three assault mechs and a heavy one, plus a dispossessed warrior. The Commandos company also came home with two salvaged Assault mechs, a Stalker and Goliath.

We need to do some reorganizing.

I am creating a garrison force to remain on nearby Epsilon Eridani and protect our assets. I do not want to create a fifth mercenary company right now (one tank, three mechs). However, I can give them orders later. This is an opportunity to get rid of a few mechs from my companies that I am not fond of. Our garrison force will currently consist of:

Samir Azif, Wasp (Commandos)
Umbria Mutunde, Locust (Commandos)
Stacey Stowers, Wasp (Trinity)
Samia Oudghiri, Griffin (Kilts)
John Abram, Griffin (Trinity)


I move the Assassin and Falcon to Commandos company to replace their two lost scout mechs.

Trinity company is arriving in a month back from their assignment. I move dispossessed Latasha Jenkins to Trinity company to take the Hatchetman. I order Anna Cafincelli to take her Cicada and add it to Trinity’s thunder lance. I move Nadia Romanov’s Stalker to the Kilts company to replace the Griffin.

That gives me a valuable second assault mech. I add the Victor to Trinity company to replace the green Griffin pilot, and that gives them two assaults as well.

We have a Goliath, Banshee and Catapult left to assign, plus a dispossessed MW. I take the Catapult for the open slot in Commandos, the company with four assault mechs already. I assign the Banshee to Kilts and the Goliath to Trinity, with the dispossessed MW going to Commandos.

Alright, with that, let’s get some contracts:


Kilts Company:

Offer #1: The St. Ives Compact would like us to Garrison one of their worlds. No thanks

Offer #2: The St. Ives Compact would like us for an Objective Raid. Okay.

Where? The only place they’d want to raid is the Caps. I get paid a lot to raid my old stomping ground by various forces. Let me find a suitable world, hold on.

Seven jumps away (and one through Epsilon Eridani if I want it to be) is the system of Capricorn. The Capellan system holds the colony world of Capricorn III. We are being asked to raid the world and destroy a political enemy of the St. Ives Compact. Planetary Governor Chiang Li rules his people with an iron hand and regularly dispenses justice from the guns of his BattleMech. Many St. Ives loyalists have lost their lives at the hands of Chiang Li while he subjugates his people. We are to land on Capricorn III while Chiang Li is in his BattleMech. Psyche profiles suggest that he will lead the charge against us in his mech. Then we will have a chance to take him out. Even if we do not kill him, if we can defeat him in combat visibly in the capital city, it will be enough to discredit him. Ideally, however, we will kill him, allowing a friendlier governor to take over. St. Ives is not interested in taking Capricorn II, they just want the hostile governor removed.

Due to its nature as a border world, Capricorn III does have a garrison, but since it is on the St Ives border, and not the Andurien or Davion border, it only has two companies of mechs, and one is not near the capital city.

We take the contract.

We have 105 points with which to bargain.

I put salvage rights up front. They offer Shared rights, and I counter with Exchange. 95 points.

They put up salary, buying down 25 points and giving us a 3.7 modifier. 70.

Transport, 50%. 75.

Remuneration, yes. 65.

Support - Battle Loss, 50%. 30.

Independent Command - 20.

Contract length - one month. 20 points.

10% bonus.


We will arrive on Capricorn III in approximately two months, on October 28, 3035.

Commandos Contract:

Offer #1: Free Rasalhague Republic, Extraction

Offer #2: Capellan Confederation, Extraction

So both of our contracts are Extraction contracts (so called “smash and grab”). Interesting. I’ll take whichever is the closer target, so let’s see. FRR wants us to hit…Lyran Commonwealth. The planet of Seiduts, which is waaaay out there. It’s about two jumps from the periphery. Nope. The Caps want us to raid the Federated Suns. They want us to hit Cammal. Much closer. Work for the Caps it is.

Cammal is a planet eight jumps away, and ironically, just two jumps from Capricorn III. We will be taking the same path for most of our journey, until the last few jumps, so we can save money on the first several jumps. That works out well.

67 points for Commandos to negotiate with.

Salvage - Full is offered. 57

Salary - 3.4. 22.

Remuneration no. 32.

Independent Command. 22.

Transport 40%. 37.

Support 50% battle loss. 2.

Length - three months.

1% bonus.

Alright. Let’s roll with the Kilts company first.



October 29, 3035 - We arrive on Capricorn III’s capital and major DropPort. In a few hours, the governor will be using his mech in his weekly judicial ritual. I’m not upset to be taking him out.


We wait inside the DropShip until he has begun the trials. Several people are brought in front of his mechs. He judges them guilty from his mech’s speakers and shoots them down. I am supposed to wait for a half hour or so before heading out to take him out, because then the guards may be more complacent, but anger drives my thumbs to initiate the power up sequence of my mech. Around me, my company follows my lead. Within ten minutes, we have disembarked into the DropPort.

There is always a local militia around to investigate DropShips, shipments, travellers and so forth. I emerge first from the DropShip, and as my Warhammer’s profile fills the area, several militia sound the alert. A small tank fires at me, but hit’s the DropShip. The DropShip captain will not have that, and its guns immediately take out the tank‘s power plant, and it explodes.

I order my company to leave the crowded DropPort and make for a largely abandoned slum area of the city. Our radar makes out some bogeys moving in our direction. Over the conn, I hear the ranting of the Governor, telling us he will kill all of us.

I will be happy to put this guy down.

Our Foes:

Cataphract - This is the mech the governor is in.
Hunchback
Charger
Blackjack x2
Vindicator
Enforcer
Scorpion
Shadow Hawk
Awesome
Warhammer 6L
UrbanMech
Phoenix Hawk

This is obviously an unusual company of mechs. 8 medium mechs, two assaults, a heavy and one light.

The Cataphract is a real catch if we can get it. It was a Capellan Confederation exclusive until the planet that made it 70 tons, 11 of them armor, 4/6 movement, 6 extra heat sinks, PPC, AC10, and four medium lasers with two facing the rear (easy to change back around if we want too). A solid enough mech.

The Blackjack is a Capellan Confederation and St. Ives Compact specific mech. 40 tons, 4/6/4 movement, an extra heat sink, and the woefully poor AC2. Two of them. Plus four medium lasers to handle you if you get too close. Keep them at range where they suck.

The 6L variant of the Warhammer is nicknamed the Hot Hammer. With flamers instead of machine guns, it’s not that much different.

We haven’t fought a Scorpion for a while, but it is an infamous quad 55 ton mech with a PPC and SRM6.

I roll and they are regular, but the governor is a veteran.

13 mechs against 13 mechs. In the streets of the abandoned slums, we are about to engage in close quarters combat. Here we go.

Our Champion gets a through armor critical on the Awesome and hits one of its PPCs. I focus a lot of fire on their Warhammer.

My Centurion got blasted last turn, so I back it up while continuing to advance with my other forces. Our new Striker hits an opposing Blackjack’s gyro. I jumped Adele’s Firestarter by their Phoenix Hawk and hit it with inferno missles and amped its heat by two with a flamer. Our Centurion destroys the building the governor hopped up on with his Cataphract. It takes some damage from debris. Our Phoenix Hawk hit’s the Vindicator’s head and takes it off with a medium pulse laser. One dead mech. Our Warhammer destroys the LA of their Warhammer. Their Warhammer’s gyro cannot compensate for the loss of weight and it falls, destroying the LT. Their Blackjack also falls from the gyro hit. Adele misses a kick on their Phoenix Hawk and falls. Our Banshee kicks the governor for 19 damage, but he doesn’t fall.

Adele stands up her Firestarter and runs away from several enemy mechs. Their Warhammer tries to get up twice and fails, falling both times, hitting its gyro twice and engine twice. The Warhammer now has a shut down gyro. Their Awesome destroys the RA of my Champion. Our Archer hit’s the governor’s Cataphract in the head twice with long range missiles. Our Phoenix Hawk hit’s the Hunchback in the head with a Medium Pulse Laser, goes internal, and hits its sensors, making it harder for it to hit anybody else in the future. I personally destroy the LT of the governor’s Cataphract, with its LA falling to the ground. Both their Blackjack and Hunchy fall after taking damage. Our new Striker kicks the Blackjack on the ground and its Center Torso section is destroyed. A kill for him on his first action with us. Our Stalker kicks the Hunchback when it is on the ground and kicks through the head. Another dead mech and another kill for another new pilot with our unit. We are just tearing through these mechs. I think my troops were as disgusted by the actions of this tyrant as much as I was.

The pilot in their Warhammer ejects since the mech is dead. Their Phoenix Hawk is still over heat (14 over). Perhaps I can get Adele over to punish it some more. I order my troops not to further engage the governor. I am going to take him out myself. I hit the Cataphract’s gyro and engine. It falls. Our Wolverine also falls under damage. Adele’s Firestarter falls after getting kicked.

If I had gotten a radio telling me that our opponents surrender after taking the governor’s mech out, I would respect them. But now? They are still fighting. They can’t claim they were just obeying orders. I order my troops to show them no mercy, and cut into them without restraint.

I stand up the Wolvie and the Firestarter. Their Enforcer hits my Wolvie’s foot actuator. I destroy the center torso section of the Cataphract. The mech is downed. Our Wolverine falls again. The Striker opens up the Awesome’s arm and hits three actuators. The Stalker hit’s a PPC through the back armor.

Our Anti-Mech Jump Platoon hit’s a foot actuator on the Shadow Hawk. The Archer destroys the LL of the Charger. We blow the LA off the Awesome with the Champion with a 12 critical. Their Shadow Hawk hit’s two more leg actuators when it falls. Their Charger falls too. They return the favor when their Awesome blows the LL off our Champion with a 12 critical. It takes damage from a fall. Their Phoenix Hawk falls down when it misses a kick.

Their Shadow Hawk failed to get up and fell down again. Our Striker destroys the RT of their Awesome, causing the RA to fall off. The RA and RT of Adele’s Firestarter are destroyed by their Scorpion. Adele hit their Phoenix Hawk with all three Flamers and the inferno SRM as well. Their Awesome hit’s the Champion’s AC10. I destroy the LT of the Urbie and its LA falls on the ground and hits its gyro. Our Stalker savages the Awesome with two gyro hits, an engine hit, a destroyed RL and LT, and then finally destroyed the CT. Four mechs fall from damage. Our Banshee and Adele’s mech, Shadow Hawk and Urbie on their side. Our Phoenix Hawk destroys the Urbie’s center torso on a kick.

Adele scrambles up and flees from the battlefield, disappearing into the houses quickly. Their Charger fails to get up and falls. I destroys the Charger’s RA and RT. It took two engine hits, which is three. It is out due to engine failure. Another kill for me. However, the engine block fails, and it explodes!

The following mechs are caught in the engine explosion:


Their Blackjack takes 20 damage
Their Enforcer takes 20 damage
Their Scorpion is caught and loses its FRL. Front Right Leg. It took 10 damage.
Their Phoenix Hawk takes 10 damage
Our Spider takes 10 damage
Our Banshee was adjacent, and takes 40 damage, which hits its AC5 and upper arm actuator

Our Archer cracks open the Shadow Hawk’s center torso and hits its engine. After taking such damage in the blast, our Banshee’s armor is badly damaged. Their Scorpion destroys its RA. Our Shadow Hawk’s LA is destroyed. Our Banshee fires at the Scorpion, and with the sandblasting it has already suffered, hit hit’s the SRM ammo and it explodes. Their Blackjack tumbles. Then their Phoenix Hawk shuts down from heat overload. Sounds like a kill for Adele Thompson.

In that turn, we killed their Charger, Scorpion, their Phoenix Hawk shutdown from heat overload, and they took a bunch of damage from the engine explosion.

Our infantry captured the governor. I want to make sure he does not stay governor. I kill him with a small laser blast from my Warhammer. He who lives by tyranny shall die by tyranny.

This is one of my favorite missions. It had some unusual things, like luck on our side, the engine explosion, and such.

Have to love those missions you can get passionate about. Yay for the little guy, the tyrant is dead!

Tell

That was a nice story there :)

Salvage:

Vindicator H, otherwise fine

Blackjack - CT?, RT, gyrox1

Hunchback - H destroyed

Warhammer, gyro hit twice, engine x2,LA, LT destroyed

Cataphract - LA, LT, CT?

Awesome RL, RT, RA, LT, LA, CT?


Cataphract LA
Blackjack RA
Awesome LA, RA
Urbie LA
Scorpion FLL, RLL
Shadow Hawk LA



To be repaired:

Champion RA, LL, AC10x2

Firestarter RT, RA

Banshee RA

Salvage Values:

Vindicator Normal Value: 3,188,000 To Repair: 450,000 Current Value: 2,738,000

Hunchback Normal Value: 3,467,000 To Repair: 450,000 Current Value: 3,017,000

Blackjack Normal Value: 3,147,000 To Repair: 1,800,000 Current Value: 1,347,000

Warhammer 6L Normal Value: 6,077,000 To Repair: 610,000 Current Value: 5,467,000

Cataphract Normal Value: 5,998,000 To Repair: 3,400,000 Current Value: 2,598,000

Awesome, Urbie and Scorpion parts. 1,250,000

Total Salvage Value: 16, 417,000

Shared Salvage: 8,208,500


I can take the Warhammer and Cataphract and add to my heavy metal. Or, I can rock the Vindicator (or Hunchback), Blackjack and Cataphract.

I choose the Warhammer, Cataphract, and an UrbanMech LA.

Costs:

4,010,000 To repair Warhammer and Cataphract
307,255 upkeep of unit
625,000 armor and ammo for unit
960,000 for replacement parts
600,000 until we split off from Commandos
225,000 to our planet from there
600,000 back
I use a Rifleman LL to repair the Champion’s LL.


Gains:

8,208,500 salvage rights
712,500 transport reimbursement
792,500 battle loss compensation
273,433 salary
13,500 remuneration
2,730 bonus


Total Increase in War Chest: 3,500,908

Current War Chest: 4,450,908

EXPERIENCE - The Death of the Governor was exactly enough to give me 12 kills. Time to level me up. I increase my piloting skill by one.

Dec 31, 3035 - Kilts Commando arrives back in Outreach. Now let’s flash back to Commandos Company.



November 16, 3035 - The Commandos company has landed at Cammal. Our goal is to raid one of the two Davion supply caches on the planet for our employers. In order to disguise our operations, we are to raid the nearby town of Drageunentz, a local mining colony.


November 27, 3035 - We stayed in space a few extra days, while our infantry landed on planet and set up near a supply cache that is supposed to be hidden from spying eyes, but the Capellan Intelligence found it.

Ted lands our mech unit after the infantry are set up, near the small mining colony, and make as if we are there to take the precious metals mined there. All nearby forces converge on our position, and while they are away attacking us, our infantry will sneak inside their supply cache and steal as much as they can take. We’ve rented several local flatbeds (which are ten ton trucks good for carrying military materiel) to help the infantry.

Meanwhile, we have to hold out as long as possible against our foes. A battalion of Davion troops are nearby, and they mean to crush us before we can “take” any of the ore. I send my Thunder lance out to harass and slow down the enemy. They are to stay at extreme range, occasionally peppering the enemy, and slowing them down. We need to keep the enemy tied up for as long as possible, but we are jumping.

Twenty minutes later, our scout lance makes contact with their forward line. They slow to fire at them, and they hurry back away. We bought maybe a minute. Five minutes later, the scout lance arrives back at our base. We are arrayed at the foundation of our DropShip. They pack a lot of weapons but are fragile if attacked. This DropPort is about two klicks outside of the city, its perfect for the next stage of our plan

About three minutes after our scouts arrive, their first mech comes on screen. A Locust is speeding in front of other recon mechs when suddenly the ground bursts open below its legs and it tumbles to the ground, one leg shredded and hanging loosely from its torso. They have discovered our minefield, left by our infantry prior to us landing. That slows them down significantly. The mechs begin to pick their way through the dirt and grass on the outskirts of the DropPort. A Valkyrie triggers another mine and is blasted by the explosion, revealing a gleaming silver where armor has been scraped away.

A Whitworth is the third mech to trigger a mine. Their commander issues a command, and all of the mechs withdraw from the mined area. They are splitting into two forces, and moving to flank us. They will come around the mines, and hit us from both sides. They’ll be here in just a few minutes.

Ted finishes boarding the DropShip. After a few moments, it lifts off, just as the first mechs get within weapons range. A few fire out of frustration, but the DropShip takes no damage.

We diverted their forces for about thirty minutes, plus it will take them some time to return to their posts, including the few who guarded the supply cache.

Three days later, we are reunited with our infantry, who made off with their materiel and blew up the rest. We have fulfilled the contract with the Capellans without taking damage. Like most employers do, they agree to cut short our contract, and thus our salary, to just one month, especially when they find out that they do not have to pay any battle loss compensation except for mines.

We arrive back at Outreach on January 21, 3036.

Financials:

Losses:

305,388 salary
250,000 for mines
25,000 for truck rentals, bribes
225,000 there after we broke off fromthe first company
675,000 back


Gains:

600,000 for transport reimbursement*
125,000 battle loss compensation
174,053 salary

Total Losses: 581,335

You don’t always make money as a merc. You don’t always fight as a merc.

Note that I was double compensated for the 600,000 when we traveled together. The Caps reimbursed 40% and the St. Ives reimbursed 50%. That was smart of me. I am a mercenary, after all.

Let’s go back in time again.

September 30, 3035 - Trinity company arrives back at Outreach and makes some changes based on our latest changes. Lieutenant Elizabeth Smythe gets one chance to make a recruiting effort before looking for contracts. She finds no one, except a green dispossessed MechWarrior, and she is not interested. (She rolled a 3 on 2d6).

Contracts:

Offer #1: Lyrans want us for a Security contract.

Offer #2: A periphery state wants us for Pirate Hunting. Pirate Hunting is easy, and can result in real nice salvage. It was after pirate hunting that we got enough mechs to get a second company. The realm that wants our assistance is the Outworlds Alliance. Here’s the good news - we’d crush most pirates bands easily. Here’s the bad news, the periphery is a long way away. It lies at the juncture between the Fed Suns and the Dracs, but way out on the edge of space.

Starting in 3020, the Outworlds Alliance began a program with House Davion to bring in teachers and educators to the Alliance, working to decrease crime and illiteracy. The Alliance grants Davion their most favored trade status, but refuses any military presence from the Fed Suns within its borders. During the years, the Outworlds Alliance has had to be very neutral between the two major states. Any military or political support for the Fed Suns would give the dragon the excuse it needs to invade.

Although many periphery states are leery of authority and thus ComStar, the Outworlds Alliance embraces ComStar’s presence.

The place we are to jump to is 18 jumps away. It would take us…about six months to get to the pirates, then we fight them, then we spend another six months coming back. That’s crazy. It’s a waste of time.

What do the Lyrans want?

After the secession of the Free Rasalhague Republic, and other independence movements in the Inner Sphere such as the St. Ives Compact, Duchy of Andurien, and Tikonov, other traditionally independent minded areas are also demanding for independence, and none louder than the Isle of Skye. The Isle of Skye is an area around the Skye system on the border between the Lyran Commonwealth and Draconis Combine, south of the Free Rasalhague Republic. It’s not far from Terra, roughly 65 light years away.

There have been riots, demonstrations and occasionally military conflict on several planets in the area. We would be sent to Galatea. Before Outreach became the haven for mercs, Galatea was the mercenary headquarters. After a few years, Galatea’s economy is beginning to collapse. Since it was Hanse Davion who granted Outreach to the Dragoons, which turned it into the central processing area for mercs in the Inner Sphere, many of the people of Galatea blame Hanse Davion for their economy’s downfall. Since current Archon Katrina Steiner married her daughter to Hanse in a unification of the states, Galatea has been hot against the Lyran government as well. Combine their economic woes with the already anti-government leanings of the Isle of Skye, and you have the recipe for a powder keg. There are still a few minor mercenary forces on Galatea too disreputable to find work on Outreach. There are also some militia, some loyal to the Duke of Skye before Archon Katrina.

The Lyran military wants some extra forces on the planet, but fears that sending house units will only compound problems. On the other hand, a small mercenary unit should go relatively unnoticed, until we are needed for battle.

I decide to take the Lyran for one main reason. Number of jumps from Outreach to Galatea: 3.

Well, when you are that close, you just have to check it out.

Contract:

65 points

We put salvage. They offer exchange, we counter with shared. 55.

They put up contract length and offer five months. I can bring them to four, but no lower. 50.

I put up transport. They offer full transport (since we are so close, who cares, right?). 50.

They put up command and offer a liaison. I can live with that. 50.

I put up support. They offer straight, I counter with battle loss at 50%, 15.

They offer remuneration to put us at 5.

I put up salary at 3.6, and use up our remaining points.

October 27, 3035 - We land on Galatea. We move our mechs to one of the many local storage buildings. Near the Galaport DropPort. These used to be teeming and bustling with mechs and companies, but are largely abandoned except for the occasional hard luck merc unit.

Elizabeth swings by the local recruiting stations the next day, to look busy. Over the next couple of days, she tries to blend into the surroundings.

November 7, 3035 - A local merc unit, barely a company strong, called Ryan’s Regulators, is tearing through Galaport, destroying the loyal Davion regions of the city. Like many cities, Galaport is divided into national affinity, and there are a large number of Federated Suns oriented blocks and sections of the capital. The local militia has not responded, nor have garrison units moved out.

This is our cue. There are citizens whose houses and lives are threatened because the idiots in another merc company are not being stopped by law enforcement. Luckily for the citizens, we are the law for four months on Galatea.

Elizabeth warms up her Atlas and begins to move out.



Ryan’s Regulators:


Dragon
Valkyrie
Firestarter
Spider
Stinger
Catapult
Quickdraw
Cicada
Grasshopper
Goliath
Vindicator
Victor

2 assaults, 4 heavies, 2 mediums, 4 lights. That a bit on the heavy side. Let’s see what we can do to Ryan’s Regulator’s.

We are fighting in a suburban district of town, and will try to keep fire on civilians and houses to a minimum.

Their pilots are generally regular, but there are a handful of green pilots in there (I always roll randomly). The Goliath houses Jake Ryan, the leader of Ryan’s Regulator’s. I see the extra apostrophe in their name and can’t help but wonder if there was a third word after Regulator’s that got cut. Jake Ryan is a veteran.

I am more than happy to scour the Inner Sphere of scum like the governor on Capricorn III and Ryan’s Regulator’s and Vinson’s Victorious.


Let’s play.

Their Cicada falls while running on pavement and destroys its own LA. Their Goliath hits my Ostsol’s head twice with LRM fire. Their Quickdraw hit my Cicada’s arm and destroyed two actuators. The Hatchetman destroys their Cicada’s LT. Their Dragon falls under the assault.

They jump their Stinger behind the rear of my Atlas after I move it, so it can attack its back armor. Clever. Their Vindicator climbs on top of a building and it collapses. I hope the civilians evacuated. Just an exchange of fire this turn.

Our Hatchetman opens up the Stinger’s arm and hit’s a pair of actuators. Elizabeth Smythe’s Atlas’s head got hit twice by missiles on an SRM hit.

Their Catapult collapses a building it jumps upon. Their Spider goes down with it. We destroy a Stinger’s LA from our Grand Dragon. Our Atlas destroys the LT and CT of the Stinger and it falls down. Their Victor’s AC20 hit’s the leg of our Goliath and takes out its hip actuator. Their Quickdraw adds a upper leg actuator hit on the FRL. Our Victor tears through the Quickdraw and hits ammo. Boom! Dead Quickdraw. Their Valkyrie and our Goliath both fall. Our Phoenix Hawk misses a kick and falls as well.

The 5th turn is here. Our Phoenix Hawk fails to get up once and hurts itself in a second fall, before getting up and running into some smoke. The Goliath automatically stands up, since it still has all four legs. Their Grasshopper destroys the FRL of our Goliath. Their Goliath’s PPC hit’s the head of our Goliath and destroys it. Dead mech, and dead pilot. One of our Trebuchet’s destroys the RA of their Valkyire. Their Victor destroys the RRL of the Goliath too. Our Hatchetman hits an engine on their Cicada. Their Dragon and Valkyrie fall.

Several of their mechs fall while trying to get up or run including their Spider and Dragon. Their Dragon hit’s a pair of Jump Jets on our Phoenix Hawk. A Trebuchet hit’s the Upper Leg actuaotr on the enemy’s Victor RL. Our Hatchetman destroys the CT of their Firestarter. Their Victor falls and the pilot blacks out. Our Ostscout destroys the CT section of their Cicada.

I move our elite pilot Locust next to the downed Victor, with just two points of internal structure in its head, I’ll try to destroy its head. Good salvage there. All it has is an actuator hit and that’s it, so taking its head would be a nice piece of salvage. Our Atlas destroys the Grasshopper’s LA before getting a limb blows off crit for its RL. It falls again. Our Phoenix destroys the Valkyrie’s LA and LT. Our Locust misses the Victor’s head, but it does hit its AC20. Our Atlas kicks the Spider’s LL and it is destroyed, the damage travels tp the LT, it is destroyed, and the LA falls off. With no left side, the mech crumbles hard to the ground. The Victor pilot wakes up. Ah well, we missed our chance.

Their Grasshopper and Spider pilots black out. Our Phoenix Hawk destroys the RA of their Victor. Our Atlas aims at the Grasshopper’s head, hits it once with a Medium Laser and rings the bell of the pilot, but does not go internal. Then hit’s the Goliath for 50 damage. AC20, LRM20 with twenty missiles, and SRM6 with five missiles. Exactly 50 damage from our Atlas, after it fired it’s Medium Lasers elsewhere. Devastating. Our Ostsol hits their Goliath‘s head with a large laser and rings his bell too. Our Cicada destroys their Victor’s RL. It falls to the ground. The Victor pilot blacks out again. Our Ostscout punches their Goliath twice. The first hits an LRM10. The second hits its head, and both Life Support slots are hit, destroying it. The pilot takes damage. Their Vindicator kicks and hits two leg actuators on our Cicada but Anna manages to keep her mech standing.

Our opponents have been reduced to five mechs operating since the other three have unconscious pilots. Their Valkyie is savaged so badly it has no weapons left, and their Goliath is about to have an unconscious pilot with its life support destroyed. Jake Ryan radios a signal to surrender. We accept the surrender and turn them and their remaining five mechs to the police.


I order my company to help with the clean up of the area for a few hours, until the sun begins to set. Then we head back to our warehouse.

Just caught up. Great dynasty...thanks for sharing.

Heya. thanks!

Salvage:

Stinger, LA, LT, CT?

Firestarter - CT?

Cicada - LT, LA, CT?

Grasshopper - RL, LA

Spider - LL, LT, LA

Victor - RL, RA


Quickdraw RA, H, LA
Grasshopper RL
Spider LA
To Fix:

Goliath FRL, H, RRL

Cicada - four actuators, two arm and two leg


To Repair, Rearm, and Rearmor: 2,145,000

The Goliath will not be fixed for a while.

I roll to see if any of our captured MechWarriors are appropriate for our unit. All would like to join us, so they can avoid jail time, and the locals would be happy to release some for us, since they agree with the mercs’ sentiment. I review the vids of their battle to see if any held back fire from local buildings when trouncing through the suburbs. None meet our high demands.

Well, now the locals know we are here. Let’s see if it makes a difference.


January 1, 3036 - To celebrate the new year, the locals in Galaport begin to riot. Overnight parties turn to riots and demonstrations as drunkenness begins to make way for actual resistance. Within a day, stores are being destroyed in the city, and the police and militia are trying to restore order.

One of the dissident groups has hired one of the lowlife merc units to attack the local constabulary. Militia infantry are fighting the mechs now, but they have chance against them. We are called in to help. Our Goliath is fixed, but there is no one to pilot it.

We don’t have any information on the merc group - it’s size and composition are unknown to us. We charge into the unknown.

I rolled one company, and mechs not vehicles or combined arms.


Firestarter
Cicada
Clint
Trebuchet
Thunderbolt
BattleMaster x2
Panther
Vulcan
Zeus
Enforcer
Jenner


Three assaults, and BattleMasters are nasty. Two are double nasty. The Zeus is a solid Lyran assault mech.

The militia withdraw as heavy metal moves against their foe. Time to take these folks on.

Our first turn we hit one of their BattleMaster’s hard. Their Firestarter and Cicada fall after missing a kick.

Our Victor gets a Through Armor Critical on a BattleMaster, hit’s the SRM ammo and it goes up. Boom!

The third round we exchange fire. Nobody falls or anything. Well, except for their Cicada who loses its LL to the Atlas which kicks it off. Their pilot blacks out.

Our Hatchetman destroys the LL of the Jenner and its falls. Elizabeth targets the Cicada’s head and blows it off with its AC20. Also taken out was its LA. Our Victor destroys the LT of the Firestarter, so its arm falls to the ground. Their BattleMaster falls along with our Grand Dragon. Our Ostsol kicks and destroys the LL of the Firestarter while the Victor kicks and destroys its CT section.

I stand up the Grand Dragon. Their Jenner tries to get up, fails, and blacks out. Our Ostscout destroys the BattleMaster’s LT and its LA falls. Their Zeus tumbles to the ground.

Our Catapult hits their Zeus’s ammo bin, and it goes up. Boom! Our Ostsol reaches in and punches through the fragile rear armor of their Clint and hit’s the engine. Their Jenner wakes up.

Their Jenner tries to stand up and then falls down, blacking out the pilot again. Their Trebuchet destroys the LA of our Ostsol. Our Locust hit’s the BattleMaster’s gyro. Our Victor destroyed their LA of their Clint. The BattleMaster falls and destroys its RA. The RL and RT of the Clint are destroyed by a Victor kick. It crashes to the ground.

Our Locust destroys the BattleMaster’s engine. Three hits yay! Our Victor fires its AC20 at the Thunderbolt and destroys the head.

Despite the fact that all of the assault and heavy mechs are down, they keep coming at us. Maybe they need another lesson.

Their Panther hits the ammo on our Grand Dragon, and it explodes. Well, they gained something by continuing to fight. Now I’m pissed off. The engine blows, and it explodes. Their Clint takes 40 damage and its CT section is destroyed. Their Panther takes 15 damage. Their Trebuchet took 7.

They keep fighting and I won’t complain, not now. We go all out. I order Anna Cafincelli to charge their Panther. I order the Locust to charge their Vulcan. Their Trebuchet hit’s the Atlas’s AC20. Our Atlas destroys both arms on the Enforcer. The Atlas hit’s a pair of leg actuators. Our Ostsol destroys its LT. It also hits its engine twice. The Enforcer falls. The Atlas kicked the Enforcer and hits its engine. Three engine hits. Its out. The Panther is hit by the Cicada. Our Locust also hits. Both the Panther and Vulcan falls, but ours are still standing.

They signal their concession. I turn them over to the local militia.

Salvage

Cicada - LA, H

Firestarter - CT?, LL, LT

BattleMaster - enginex3, RA, LA, LT

Thunderbolt - H

Jenner - LL

Clint - CT?, RL, RT, LA, RA

Enforcer, engine x3, RA, LA, LT, two leg actuators.


BattleMaster LAx2
Firestarter LA
Zeus RA
Grand Dragon LA



To Fix:

Ostsol - LA


The Clint Pilot is joinable. Say hello to Mara Fehr, regular, dispossessed.

I assign the Grand Dragon pilot, Janice Flanders, to the Goliath.


There are no more insurrections while we are on planet until our contract resolves.

February 28, 3035 - We settle up and leave for Outreach

Salvaged Mechs:

Stinger - 1,662,000 To Repair: 970,000 Current Value: 692,000
Firestarter - 3,046,000 To Repair: 1,800,000 Current Value: 1,246,000
Cicada - 3,705,000 To Repair: 2,440,000 Current Value: 1,255,000
Grasshopper - 6,024,000 To Repair: 610,000 Current Value: 5,414,000
Spider - 2,984,000 To Repair: 624,000 Current Value: 2,370,000
Victor - 8,027,000 To Repair: 1,225,000 Current Value: 6,802,000
Cicada - 3,705,000 To Repair: 700,000 Current Value: 3,005,000
Clint - 3,220,000 To Repair: 1,450,000 (Fixed the engine) Current Value: 1,770,000
Enforcer - 3,536,000 To Repair: 760,000 Current Value: 2,776,000
Jenner - 3,198,000 To Repair: 300,000 Current Value: 2,898,000
Firestarter - 3,046,000 To Repair: 1,700,000 Current Value: 1,346,000
BattleMaster - 8,500,000 To Repair: 1,200,000 Current Value: 7,300,000
Thunderbolt - 5,413,000 To Repair: 600,000 Current Value: 4,813,000

Body Parts:

Quickdraw RA, H, LA
Grasshopper RL
Spider LA
BattleMaster LAx2
Firestarter LA
Zeus RA
Grand Dragon LA

Total Value of all Non GD Parts: 2,350,000

Total Salvage Value: 44,037,000

That’s a big salvage.

Shared Rights: 22,018,500

Wow. There are a lot of directions we can go with the salvage.

Let me try to get the mechs I want, and see what my value is:

Okay, Spider, Thunderbolt, BattleMaster and Enforcer put us at 17,259,000

What else can I get?

Jenner, Firestarter, and a few body parts to round it out.

Nice haul on the mechs there. Too bad on losing the other mechs in the fights, though.

Tell

That's the way life goes sometimes.

Total Account



Costs:

5,284,000 To fix Firestarter, Jenner, Thunderbolt, Spider, Enforcer and BattleMaster
345,546 upkeep of unit for six months
720,000 for armor
1,340,000 for ammo
1,750,000 to repair Goliath

Total Costs: 9,439,546

Gains:

22,018,500 Salvage
820,401 salary
41,000 remuneration
1,905,000 battle loss compensation

Total Gains: 24,784,901

Net Gain: 15,345,355

December 31, 3035 - Kilts company returns to Outreach, and Braham Essex needs to recruit two pilots for their Warhammer and Cataphract.

Before doing that, its time to edit the Cataphract. This is a machine that was used by a Liao governor to victimize his people. I will take it as my personal mech, in order to redeem it. Plus, it’s a Liao heavy design, so it will be an homage to my heritage. Note that the Warhammer variant I am currently rocking is probably a better mech, so let’s see if we can change that with a field refit.

The Cataphract 1X:

70 tons
11 tons of armor
4/6 movement
16 heat sinks
PPC in RA
AC10 in RT
ML in RA
ML in LA
ML in LT, rear
ML in RT, rear
1 ton of AC10 ammo in LT

Now, the armor is low. It could be up to 14 tons, and I’d like to increase it. Also, I prefer for my light mechs to keep opposing light mechs from my back, not fool around with rear facing weapons that you are rarely going to fire. I have no problem with a mech mounting ammunition based weaponry, but I’d like to stock up the section with other things so that there is a lessened chance of explosion.

Changes:

Pull off the rear MLs. This is a change of two degrees. Tick off four weeks of travel time and they are a success.

I then pull off the AC10 and ammo and replace with an LRM20 and three tons of ammo in the LT. Success.

Finally, I pull the ML and PPC from the arms and put them in the RT. Success.

With enough space for two additional tons of armor.

Now my mech has a PPC, LRM20, 2 MLs, a 4/6 movement, and 16 heat sinks with 13 tons of armor.

It takes two months to get it up and running. We took those two months in transport vehicles (you can work in transport).

I pull the dispossessed elite Clyde Naller from Commandos company for the Warahmmer 6D, that was the really good variant I piloted. I transfer the Warhammer 6L variant to Commandos company. They arrive on 1 Jan, 3036.

The three founding members of Kilts and Commandos go into a room and talk for several hours, making various phone calls to Epsilon Eridani.


Jan 1, 3036 - The Kilts and Commandos mercenary unit has purchased land and taken contracts for the construction of a new headquarters and training academy on Epsilon Eridani. The training academy will be open to all applicants, and give priority to qualified MechWarriors from Epsilon Eridani.

Kilts and Commandos has certified that 25 million CBills have been dispatched for the purchase of land and to initiate building. Lieutenant Ted Izumo has announced that he will step down immediately as leader of the Commandos company in order to oversee construction. In his new role as Headmaster of the Epsilon Eridani Training Academy, he will still be the leader of the Kilts and Commandos garrison.

The government of Epsilon Eridani was quoted as very pleased that one of their favorite sons was “giving back to the planet that gave him so much.” The government has announced that increased trade traffic due to Epsilon Eridani’s new location in the Federated Suns has resulted in new revenues and tariffs, and that the government is willing to add an undisclosed sum to the development of the new training academy.

Kilts and Commandos has unveiled their new flag, which will fly outside their headquarters and in the field. The flag is a crossed gun and sword against a red tartan background.


It’s good to have a local noble and a former prestigious academy trainer as your two closest mates on the unit. We need to replace Ted Izumo as lieutenant of Commandos company. His Stalker is going with him.


Mary McDonnell on the Commandos company is promoted to Sergeant.

Martin Fitzgerald, Awesome MechWarrior in Commandos company is promoted from Sergeant to Lieutenant. The Warhammer that I moved over replaces his mech, but is currently unpiloted. I transfer Edgar Lopez, elite dispossessed MW along with the Warhammer.


We will have to pay ten million every January 1 for the next five years, until it is built. Then we will have to support it with money after that, although dues from the students will defray most of the cost of running the place.

Time for some contracts:

The Kilts Company:

Offer #1: Marik wants us for an Objective Raid

Offer #2: Capellan Confederation wants us for Security contract

The Marik target is the Duchy of Andurien.

I’m fine taking contracts against the Successor States and attacking former employers is fine by me. House Davion, Liao, Kurita, Marik and Steiner are big enough to deal with it. The Periphery is used to it. But I have some compunction working against the Duchy of Andurien, St. Ives Compact and the Free Rasalhague Republic. These are trying to make it against the big boys, and I have some empathy with them. As someone who no longer has allegiance to one of the Five Great Houses, I have sympathy for their plight.

Therefore, I am issuing an edict to all of the companies of the Kilts and Commandos, and forwarding that to the defense ministries of the Duchy, Republic and Compact. We will not take any contract by any state that involves aggressive military action against them. Now, we might fight defensively. If my troops are garrisoning a world that one of these three states attacks or raids, then my troops will honor the terms of their contract and fight back, but we will not take any contract that aggressively seeks to fight against the FRR, SIC, and DoA.

Therefore I am looking at the security contract for House Liao. Whenever I roll a contract, I ask myself a few questions. Who is the reasonable target for this? Is there anything going on that we could tack onto that fits the descriptions?

A security contract is a short term Garrison contract against a place or person. I cannot imagine the occasionally xenophobic Caps paying any mercenary unit other than McCarron;s Armored Cavalry to protect a valuable person, so we will be protecting a place.

Where? What is going on at the time? Marik is concentrating on restoring the Duchy of Andurien to its control. The Duchy is concentrating on surviving the Marik juggernaut. House Davion is occasionally raiding the Caps, but not in any foreseeable pattern that would require a security contract. The St. Ives Compact and the Caps are regularly raiding, but again, with little knowledge of where or when. Who is left?

The Periphery.

The Caps are continuing to be raided by the Periphery bandits and states. They want us to secure the world of Hurik. Four months there, four month contract, four months back, and no guaranteed battle. That does not sound like fun.

I decide to stick around for an extra month and try to drill up some more contracts.

Recruits:

Stacy Dutch, Catapult, elite, unassigned
Khalid Hussein, Hermes II, veteran, unassigned
Elijah Kimanzi, elite, dispossessed, unassigned
Madison Jameson, elite, dispossessed, unassigned
Patricia Enckbayar, veteran, Thorn, unassigned
Anita Malfatti, elite, dispossessed unassigned

I order the three dispossessed MWs to wait for Trinity company’s arrival in a couple of months, because they have six salvaged mechs needing new pilots.

The Thorn is a special light mech. It was initially a 2750 era mech, but it has been stripped of any LosTech over the years. It’s a 20 ton mech with four tons of armor, an LRM5, two medium lasers, and 6/9 movement. I like the armor, but I do not like the slow movement for a 20 ton mech. LRM5s are a joke in most scenarios. However, it’s not bad.

The Catapult is a fine fire support mech, as I have established. The Hermes II is a mech we’ve fought against a few times. It is a medium mech, with a 6/9 movement, AC5, medium laser, flamer, 7.5 tons of armor. AC5s are alright, but not great.

I add the Catapult to Kilts company, which could use some a missile boat. The Thorn and Hermes II are assigned to Commandos company.

Contract Offers for Kilts in February:

Offer #1: Federated Suns, Cadre assignment

Offer #2: Marik, Objective Raid

Marik wants us to hit the Caps. We are to raid the world of Propus. Six jumps from Outreach is one of the rimward most planets in the Capellan Confedeation (closest to Terra, heart of the Inner Sphere Atlas.)

It’s a minor world, but it was hit a couple of years again by some Marik Militia while the Caps were busy fending off attacks from the Duchy of Andurien. The Free Worlds League wants us to hit it again, remind them they are around. The Caps are still consolidating their hold over the worlds taken by the Duchy and Magistracy in the war against them. As such, their defenses are weak, and Marik wants us to land, and destroy a supply depot used to refuel DropShips on planet.

We take it.

We have 110 points.

Salvage. Exchange. 100.

Transport, 50%, 105

Support. 50% Battle Loss Compensation. 70.

Salary. 3.7 modifier. 45.

Length. 2 months. 30.

Remuneration. Yes. 20.

Command. Independent. 10.

5% bonus

We will arrive on Propus on March 23, 3036.

Commandos Contract:

Offer #1: Capellan Confederation, Obj raid

Offer #2: Dracs, which I take to mean a minor power in the Combine, want us for defensive contract.

I take the Caps Obj Raid. Who and where? They want us to hit Davion. Find by me. Where? Campertown. A border planet that was once Capellan and still has some Liao loyalties. It’s one jump from Propus, ironically. We will arrive on February 19, 3036.


70 points.

Salvage. Exchange. 60.

Salary 3.4. 35.

Support. 50% Battle Loss. 0.

Command. Liaison.

Remuneration. No. 10

Length. 2 months. 0.

Transport. 50%. 5.

2.5% bonus.


Our goal is to land on Campertown and then meet with some loyalists. They will give us local intel on the defending Davion troops and their schedules. Then, when we have that information, we will use it to strike at their outpost on the southern continent. They have a base in the other continents, but the southern one has just an outpost, and it is a hotbed of guerilla activity. They want us to take out the Outpost, so that their activity can increase without a Davion presence in the area.

The troops on planet are a full regiment, so we need to land circumspectly. We arrange for a cargo appearing DropShips and our contacts on-world arrange for us to land at an agricultural DropPort used mainly by farming interests to load and take various foodstuffs off world.

February 19, 3036 - Martin Fitzgerald’s Commandos company arrives at the local agricultural DropPort. He meets with a local resistance cell to discus various options. The Davion regiment of mechs are spread among five continents, with four bases and a local outpost. The southern continent is the smallest of the group. They do have vehicles and infantry as adjuncts to their mechs.

Defending the Outpost are two companies of mechs and a company of vehicles, plus some minor infantry assets. However, using their information, when can strike when a company is out on patrol and over an hour away. We have fourteen mechs and two infantry platoons. The best we can get the defenders too is two companies, one half each of mechs and tanks. The only good news is that the Outpost is a low priority for the defenders, so they have not assigned their best mechs or men to the post. However, the pro-Liao forces have agreed to put themselves under our disposal, so we will have an additional six platoons of infantry under our command for the assault.

A lot of people wonder why Capellan Citizens are so fiercely loyal to the nation when it is the most repressive of the houses. Well, there are many reasons:

1). Freedom of Religion. Of the Successor States, the Capellan Confederation has the loosest restrictions on religion, allowing any religion to practice as long as it does not preach against the state or government. If it does, then the religion is ruled a terrorist cell and taken out with violence.

2). Social Security. The Caps are the only state to grant social security to all citizens.

3). Education. The Caps are the only state to grant free education to all citizens.

4). Health Care. The Caps are the only state to grant free health care to all citizens.

5). Citizenship. Anyone may become a citizen by performing some service for the state or community. Often these include community service projects like making a park, creating a service for the older folks in the community, joining the military or police, and so forth.

6). Free travel. Capellan citizens have the right of free travel within the state and can move and relocate as they wish.

7). Guaranteed Employment. All Cap citizens are guaranteed employment, and are given jobs in their area if they cannot find one on their own. Many Cap citizens are given jobs working in agriculture ot he military-industrial complex, helping to support the state.

There are social classes in the Capellan Confederation based loosely on the castes of olde, but they are mobile castes, with children and adults alike able to move freely from one caste to another, and there is a respect and appreciation even for people in the lowest caste, and they have the rights as do other citizens,.

So yes, the Caps are repressive, with no free press and no free speech against the government, but they are often the only state that cares about its citizenry. Is it any wonder that many citizens who leave want to return?

Anyway, we just have to hope that we can take out their Outpost with all of their mechs and vehicles. Here we go.

Their forces:

Centurion
Javelin
Valkyrie x2
Enforcer x2
Spider
Atlas
Shadow Hawk
Thunderbolt
Vulcan
Firestarter

Interesting mech mix. Just one assault and one heavy, but a bunch of mediums and lights, with the better light mechs. There are no pushovers like the Locust, Stinger or Wasp in here. I respect the Valkyrie with its LRM10, the Javelin, the Firestarter and the Spider. In the medium mechs, the Enforcers are solid, the Shadow Hawk and Vulcan I have little respect for, and the Centurion is good.

Vehicles

Striker
Patton
Pegasus x2
Hunter x2
Condor x2
Drillson
Packrat
Ontos
LRM Carrier

You might recall Kilts and Commandos having a pair of Ontos assault tanks at the beginning, and I also grabbed the LRM20 equipped Hunter. The LRM Carrier has three LRM20, so their tanks alone have five LRM20s. We need to take that Carrier out as soon as possible.

Alright, we are all ready. Here we go.

Our missile bearing Javelin destroyed the LRM Carrier’s movement system. Their Enforcer misses a kick on my Assassin and falls down. A quick first turn. They set all of the woods I wanted to snipe from on fire. Smart.

On the second turn, our Catapult destroys the LRM Carrier’s right side.

The 3rd turn sees their Atlas blow the RT off our Javelin with the missiles. The RA falls to the ground. Their Enforcer destroys the Javelin;s CT. After taking some missile fire from our Longbow and Catapult, their Atlas falls.

Our new Warhammer destroys the Centurion’s ammo and it lights up. Martin;s Fitzgerald’s Awesome destroys the front section of their Patton Tank.

They’ve opened up the RT on my Catapult, which has LRM ammo in it, so I am going to hop it behind a hill. Then I can launch indirect LRM fire. One of our borrowed infantry destroys a Hunter.

The next turn our Rifleman takes out the final Hunter, another Right Side destruction, like the first Hunter. Their Atlas falls again under another onslaught.

Our Longbow destroys the LT of the Atlas, and its LA falls. Martin Fitzgerald destroys the LS of the Striker Light Tank.

A Condor Hover Tank is set on fire and its LS is destroyed. Their Pegasus tank hit’s a lower leg actuator in our Assassin. Our Catapult ignites the fuel tank in their Ontos and it explodes. One of our borrowed militia destroys the RS of the other Condor. Our Javelin variant and their Vulcan both miss kicks and fall.

The 9th round arrives. I stand up our Jav. Our gyro and engine are hit on the Assassin. Our Panther destroys the LA of their Vulcan. Our other Awesome hit’s the foot and hip of the Atlas. Our Warhammer destroys a Pegasus’s right side. Our Assassin falls. So does their Atlas. The Atlas hits its ammo as it falls and blows up.

After failing to stand up the Assassin, I eject it. Nothing but weapons exchange.

I am out of AC5 ammo on the Rifleman and LRM ammo on the Catapult. One of the militia platoons is killed by their Drillson tank. Our Longbow hit’s the Shadow Hawk’s ammo and it explodes.

Round twelve sees their Enforcer hit my Griffin’s engine twice. Our Longbow, in its final barrage of missiles takes out the RA of their Firestarter and hits its gyro. Our Panther destroys the Thunderbolts LT, and its LA drops to the ground. Martin‘s Awesome hit’s the LL actuator on the Thunderbolt. Our Warhammer destroys a Packrat’s left side. Their Firestarter falls.

I’m going to have to bring my Longbow in to close range with its two medium lasers and try to take out a mech, or possibly take some shots from their weapons and direct fire its way. Their Firestarter falls twice while trying to stand. An Awesome destroys the RA of the Thunderbolt. It falls. Our Catapult kicks the RL off their Spider, and then blows through the RT. It tumbles hard to the ground, missing its entire right side. Our Catapult pilot blacks out after getting punched in the head by the Spider.

Another platoon of the militia falls to their Drillson. Their Spider destroys the RT of the Catapult and its RA falls to the ground. The CT section of the Spider is destroyed by the Javelin variant still standing. Martin;s mech takes out the LA and RL of the Firestarter and falls again. A militia platoon hit’s the hip on the Thuinderbolt. Another platoon of militia infantry is wiped out. Our Catapult, their Tbolt and Firetsarter all fall, and their Firestarter and Tbolt pilots black out.

Our Falcon destroys a Pegasus Hover Tank’s Left Side. Our Warhammer destroys an Enforcer’s LA. Their Enforcer falls. They kick and hit the engine of our Catapult. Then, at the end of the turn they surrender.

Their Thunderbolt and Firestarter are savaged and blacked out. One Enforcer is on the ground. They have just one tank left. The only mechs they have fully functional are a Vulcan (badly damaged), two Valkyries, an Enforcer and their Javelin (damaged). Just some lights, against our Awesomes, Longbow, and a bunch of heavies and lights they didn’t touch.

Salvage

Spider - RT, RA, RL, CT?

Thunderbolt - hip actuator, RA, LT, LA

Fire starter - LA, RL, RA, gyro

LRM Carrier

Patton Tank

Hunter x2

Condor Heavy Hover Tank

Pegasus x2





Javelin RA
Atlas LA, RA
Thunderbolt LA
Spider RA
Catapult RA


To Repair:

Javelin RT, RA, CT?

Assassin, actuator, gyro, engine

Catapult RA, RT

Griffin 2x engine

Money Stuff:

Spider: 2,984,000, Normal. 2,160,000, Repair. Current: 824,000
Thunderbolt: 5,413,000, Norm. 755,000 Repair. Cur: 4,658,000
Firestarter: 3,046,000, Norm. 1,350,000, Rep (could not fix gyro). Cur: 1,694,000
LRM Carrier: 1,872,000, Norm. 60,000 Rep. Cur: 1,812,000
Patton Tank: 2,754,000, Norm. 50,000 Rep. Cur: 2,704,000
Hunter: 1,135,000, Norm. 180,000, Rep. Cur: 955,000
Hunter 1,135,000, Norm. 80,000, Rep. Cur: 1,075,000
Condor Heavy Hover Tank: 1,217,000, Norm. 145,000, Rep. Cur: 1,072,000
Pegasus: 841,000, Norm. 60,000, Rep. Cur: 781,000
Atlas, Tbolt, and Spider body parts: 1,150,000


Total Salvage Value: 16,725,000

Shared Salvage: 8,362,500



To Repair Mechs:


900,000 to replace Assassin gyro
360,000 Javelin engine
200,000 Javelin RA and weapons + equipment in section.
560,000 Catapult RT, inc weapons, ammo.

420,000 armor
435,000 ammo

Total Repair Costs: 2,875,000


What do I take?

Thunderbolt
Spider with RA of Spider
LRM Carrier
Hunter Light Support Tank

Cost to fix, rearm and repair all of these vehicles:

3,095,000


Total Costs:

3,095,000 - fix new stuff
2,875,000 - fix old stuff
525,000 transport there
525,000 transport back
210,696 upkeep of unit


Total Gains:


525,000 transport reimbursement
1,437,500 battle loss compensation
179,385 salary
8,362,500 salvage
4,485 bonus


Total Gain: 3,277,674

Current War Chest: 4,862,998

One of the vehicle crews asks to come with us, and we agree (I rolled a 12 on 2d6, which is what I need for house units to join us).

Debra Hadley, regular, assigned to Hunter Light Support Tank.

After destroying their defending forces, we destroy the Davion outpost after allowing our militia Pro-Liao allies to take what supplies from it they need.

April 26, 3036 - Commandos company arrives back on Outreach. Time for some recruiting by Martin Fitzgerald.

Earl Ray Williams, elite, dispossessed. Assigned to Thunderbolt.


I sent the unmanned Spider to the Garrison on Epsilon Eridani, along with the Hunter and LRM Carrier.

April 3, 3036 - The Kilts Company lands at Propus. Our assignment is to destroy a supply depot for DropShips respelling on planet. The supplies there would not be of interest to us. This is a simple smash. The Caps are scattered and diffused, so there is a nice opportunity to slide in, strike them, and slide back out.

This should be an easy run. Just one Caps company is guarding the supply depot, but they are veterans, not the normal folks we run up against. Still, we have 15 mechs and some good ones in here. I suspect this will be quick and easy.


Their Garrison:

Catapult
Vulcan
Crusader 3L (LRM10s, SRM4s, and MLs and MGs.)
UrbanMech
Locust
Griffin
Cyclops (90 ton assault mech with LRM10, AC20, 10 tons of armor and otherwise is a relative pushover)
Atlas
Stinger
Blackjack
Wasp 1L (With an SRM4)
Ostroc 2L (a Liao variant with LRM5 instead of SRM4)


Their leader is in the Atlas, and is elite.

We arrive at a minor roadway with some trees and hills around. This is where we will fight.

I destroy the LA of their Wasp with my Cataphract. Our Centurion falls under damage.

The next turn, our Laser platoon hit’s the engine and gyro on the Locust. Our Archer hit’s the Atlas’s ammo and causes it to explode. Their Cyclops misses a kick and falls down.

Our Spider destroys their Locust’s CT section. Their Locust hit two actuators on the Spider arm.

Their Crusader hit’s the shoulder actuator on our Warhammer. Our Stalker causes the Cyclops’ ammo to blow up and it is destroyed.

Their Blackjack’s weapons hits Adele’s head twice, ringing her bell. Our Warhammer sheers off the Catapult’s head. Our Banshee destroys the Wasps LL. It falls to the ground.

Our Striker takes out the RT of the Wasp. We knock the Urbie and Crusader down to the ground.

Adele destroys the Urbies RA. Our Archers hit’s a pair of leg actuators on the Crusader It and the Ostroc fall. The Ostroc loses its RA in the fall. Our Firestarter punches the Urbie’s LA and destroys it. Adele falls down.

The Wasp tries to get up, falls back down, and destroys its head. Our Firestarter hit’s the Urbie’s engine and gyro twice each and it falls. Our Banshee destroys the LA of their Crusader. Our Phoenix Hawk destroys the RT of their Ostroc. The RA of their Crusader is blown apart by the Stalker. I hit the life support in the head of their Stinger. Our Phoenix Hawk punches the Ostroc and the gyro is hit.

The Caps leave the battlefield. With most of their mechs down, and crippled, they Have no desire for continued resistance. We destroy the supply depot as a matter of course.

Wow, quality win on that go through. Just utter ownage.

Tell

Salvage:

Locust, CT?, RA
Catapult H
Wasp H, RT, RA, LL
Urbie, engine, gyro x2, RA, LA



Atlas RA
Cyclops LA.


Damage: Spider, two arm actuators


Shared Salvage Values:

Locust: 1,512,000 - Norm. 975,000 - Repair. Current Value - 537,000
Catapult: 5,790,000 - Norm. 665,000 - Repair. Current Value - 5,125,000
Wasp: 1,644,000 - Norm. 720,000 - Repair. Current Value - 924,000
UrbanMech: 1,471,000 - Norm. 220,000- Repair. Current Value - 1,251,000
Arms - 650,000


Total Value: 8,487,000

Half Value: 4,243,500

And this is why I dislike Shared value, because the only mech I want is the Catapult. I don’t want to be burdened with these crappy light mechs.

I take the arms, Locust, Wasp and Urbie and wish I could have gotten the Catapult.

I will sell the Urbie, Wasp and Locust without repairing them. We make 2,350,000 from them, which is a little less than their current value.

Yeah, sometimes everything clicks, you know?

Total Financials:


Costs:

200,000 armor
425,000 ammo
314,875 upkeep
525,000 transport there
525,000 transport back


Gains:

4,243,500 Shared Salvage
2,350,000 Sale of damaged Wasp, Locust, UrbanMech
273,433 salary
13,672 remuneration
13,672 bonus
525,000 transport reimbursement
312,500 battle loss compensation

Total Gain: 5,741,900

Current War Chest: 10,192,808

This was a very quick battle. It was not that hard, nor was it that long.



May 28, 3036 - Kilts company arrives back at Outreach. I order the three damaged mechs we have in storage on Epsilon Eridani (Commando, Ostscout, Stinger) repaired. That costs 3,200,000. Those will be added to our garrison forces there.

April 3, 3036 - Trinity company lands on Outreach. They have six extra mechs, but an open spot on the roster. After some consideration, Elizabeth decides to add the Thunderbolt they salvaged to her roster, and not the better mech, the BattleMaster. Then the BattleMaster can be used in another unit.

Elizabeth Smythe makes a recruiting roll to find a MechWarrior for her company.

Bonita Endicia, elite, dispossessed assigned to the Thunderbolt.

The Locust on the team is getting replaced by the captured Spider.

The remaining five mechs (BattleMaster, Firestarter, Enforcer, Locust, Jenner) are being shipped to the garrison on Epsilon Eridani. We now have nine unmanned mechs and an unmanned vehicle.

Kilts and Commandos has hired an elite level liaison and negotiator who will permanently reside on Outreach and represent all companies in negotiations, instead of having each company have their own negotiator. This is an upgrade over the normal veteran ones we had, and will be paid for out of Kilts company’s salaries.

Contracts:

Offer #1: ComStar wants us for a garrison contract. No thanks

Offer #2: The Lyran Commonwealth wants us for a defensive contract. They enjoyed our run on Galatea, and now Trinity Company is being asked to perform a delaying action in the Isle of Skye.

I take the Lyran contract, to go to Zollikofen, home of many mining interests and companies. Located in the Isle of Skye region of the Lyran Commonwealth, this planet features deep veins of gold, platinum, silver, vanadium, bauxite and titanium. Three of the largest mining companies in the Inner Sphere have their headquarters in the Zollikofen system.

Because of the industrial value of Zollikofen, and its place just two jumps from the Draconis Combine and Terra, it warrants a large number of defending troops. Some are private garrisons and mercenaries contracted to the mining interests on planet. There is also a regiment of Lyran troops garrisoning the planet. However, due to the economic value of the planet, Isle of Skye dissidents have targeted it for decades. As such, there are a large contingent of independence movement assets on planet.

The Lyran troops on planet are largely used to garrison various fortresses and other defensive points. They do not have the mobility that a small agile unit like Trinity Company has.

One of the smallest continents on planet was once bombarded by nuclear attacks during the First Succession War, destroying the Star League era mint. Now the mining interests have moved on, and it makes a perfect spot for the independence movement to use as a base. The Lyrans are afraid that if they dispatch too many units to the area, that the dissidents will strike their outposts.

They do not know how many dissident units are in the small continent, or what they are. Therefore, our job is to land on the continent, then investigate the area, get some reliable intel, fight some harassing and delaying battles, and then support the Sixth Lyran Guards when they land on planet six weeks after we arrive.

Zollikofen is just three jumps away. However, Elizabeth decides to pull an asset out of the warehouse on Epsilon Eridani. The Boomerang Spotter Plane should arrive a week after we do.


Quickly:

Full Salvage: 67
Independent Command: 57
Transport 50%. 62
Remuneration, Yes. 52
Support: 50% Battle Loss. 17
Salary: 3.0. 2
Length: 3 months. 2
1% bonus

Since we will be operating for six weeks without any support, Elizabeth purchases several support vehicles for help in the field. They are:

4 J-27 Ordinance Transports 248,000
1 Coolant Truck 212,000
1 Engineering Vehicle 462,000
4 Savannah Master Hovercraft 368,000
4 Swift Wind Scout Car 208,000
2 Ferret Light scout VTOL 94,000
1 BattleMech Recovery Vehicle 382,000

Total Cost : 1,974,000

Current War Chest: 4,195,201

The Savannah Master Hovercraft are very fast, barely armored scout hovercrafts with a medium laser as armament and 13/20 speed. The Swift Wind Scout Car is a light five ton barely armored car to scout places that the Savannah Master can’t get to because of its hoverness. The Swift Winds have a movement of 10/15. Then we have two Ferret Light Scout VTOLs, also five tons, with a movement of 15/23 and a cargo capacity of a ton, plus a machine gun and a half ton of ammo.

The BattleMech Recovery Vehicle is a 50 ton 6/9 vehicle with carrying capacity of 10 tons. It has very little armor. Coolant Trucks can inject coolant into mechs and drop their heat down. They can go on the battlefield, but are best used after battle to cool down overheated mechs.

The Engineering Vehicle is for the repair of mechs. The Recovery Vehicle can carry some items, like arms and legs, while towing mechs. The Engineering Vehicle along with various techs are what actually do some repairs.

Normally, we’d use various buildings and equipment on the DropShip or planet for our uses, but since we are out here on our own, it was important to buy these items. The vehicles are not meant to be used in combat, even though some, like the Savannah Master and Ferret may have weapons.

April 27, 3036 - We land in Zollikofen. A naval transport vessel carries us to the small continent where independence movement is based. Our mechs are hoisted to the continent, and the naval vessel leaves. We have several ton size crates of supplies, carried on the J-27s and several other support vehicles on loan from the Lyrans, which includes some support staff.

Elizabeth Smythe orders all scouting units to immediately continue to scour the area for enemies. The Savannah Masters dash along the shoreline, checking the coast. The Swift Winds dash into the nearby hills and investigate. The Ferrets fly over some thick woods to the southwest, covering ground faster than mechs or vehicles would, using various sensors such as magnetic one to sense any possible enemies in the wood.

The Thunder lance has also moved out. The Ostscout, Cicada, Spider and Phoenix Hawk spread out, each taking different corners. Except for the Phoenix Hawk, they all have a movement of 8/12, making their scouting speed almost as good as some of the vehicles we are employing.

Elizabeth Smythe hears the roar of jet engines overhead and spies the conventional fighters that were launched from garrisons on the next continent over. They scouted out the beachhead to make sure it was safe for Trinity Company to land, and now they are heading home, sine no bogies have been spotted.

As their contrails move across the sky, suddenly fire rings out from deep in the woods, ahead of the Ferrets. Autocannon fire ripples into the sky, and nearly hits one of the local fighters. Elizabeth orders the Ferrets to apply full speed to avoid being hit, and orders the scout lance to redirect. She keeps the other scout units out, using them as a detection device to prevent being surrounded or ambushed from another direction.

The Mag sensors in Ferret detect four large mech-sized distortions in the canopy below, and Lieutenant Smythe orders them to return. Thunder lance arrives just ten minutes later, but they are gone. There are numerous trails and dirt roads in the area, and Thunder lance suspects that the Isle of Skye dissidents used the area for something, but no buildings or anything of interested can be gleaned from the site. Due to the regular disturbance of the area, we cannot figure which way the enemy mechs went.

Trinity company’s arrival has been noticed.

Lieutenant Smythe punches up the electronic map of the region. As had been discussed with others, she is deciding to use an old abandoned mining complex as a temporary base. It is twelve klicks from here. She orders the Ferrets to scout along the way there, and for the support vehicles to convoy up, with Anvil and Hammer lances in various positions around the convoy as it moves to the mining complex up the hills. The recon units are ordered to move parallel with the convoy, while the Thunder Lance is kept hidden in the hills and trees to the rear of the convey as a combat reserve or extra help in the rear guard.

Trinity company reaches the mining complex with a minimum of effort, and no enemies are sighted along the way. Recon units are sent out around the complex, while the Engineering Vehicle is used to help fix up the place. There are two ways in and out, which leaves an escape open in case the complex is overwhelmed. There is an old road that has ceased being paved long ago, and cuts a wide smooth dirt swath through the hills. The second exit is a natural cut in the hills to the east of the mining complex, through which is a long, twisted valley. You can reach the complex either by road or by valley. Or by air.

After a few hours of preparing the complex for habitation and removing a few centuries of dirt, a Swift Wind reports sighting a full company of scout oriented mechs coming down the valley. The Ferrets confirm spotting a full company of light and medium mechs. They appear to be moving cautiously, until one spots a Ferret and fires at it. With that, several other mechs begin to fire at the Ferret, and Smythe orders them both away. It takes a few minutes for Trinity company to move out, but by the time they arrive in the valley, the enemy mechs have gone. The Ferrets locate them klicks away, since they are fast, they can move faster than Trinity company, and Smythe does not want to send four fast mechs after 12 fast mechs - that’s bad math.

Pulling back to the complex, Smythe continues to work on preparations.

April 29, 3036 - After two days of quiet, night falls. Smythe has all scout units, including Thunder lance, out on rotating duty, with multiple units out at a time. A Savannah Master scouting the road radios that it has found a full company of mechs, not the same company as before, milling around a pair of vehicles. Video of the vehicles arrives and Smythe immediately orders the MechWarriors to suit up and all scout and support personnel into the mine. Those are mobile Long Tom Batteries. Long Toms are one of several artillery pieces that are in the game. Unfortunately, MegaMek is not designed to handle them well (it can, and it has been modified by MekWars to be pretty good at it).

In just a short moment, the screech of artillery shells is heard in the air, and they land near the main complex building. Without hesitation, Smythe orders her mechs to warm up, and charge the position held by the Long Toms.

The Enemy:

Vulcan
Locust 1S
Phoenix Hawk
Firestarter
Victor
Hatchetman
Commando
Banshee 3S
Stalker
Crusader
Archer 2S
Locust


They have three assaults and two heavies.

The 1S Locust has a pair of SRM2s and a Medium Laser. The 2S Archer downgrades the LRM20s to LRM15s, and adds a pair of SRM4s. The Banshee 3S is a severe threat, unlike the other Banshees. By downgrading the engine to a 3/5 movement, it has two PPCs, an AC10, four medium lasers, two small lasers and an SRM6, 15 tons of armor, and 21 total heat sinks.

Their experience level runs the gamut from green to three elite pilots, as a haphazardly built unit might suggest. Elites are in the Locusts and Phoenix Hawk while vets are in the Victor and Hatchetman. The only green pilot is in the Archer, which is a bit of a break.

So, here we go.


My main targets if they come available are the Commando, Banshee, Crusader and Archer, in that order. The Commando has a large amount of weapons for its size, and not much armor, so it is good to take them out when they expose themselves, and since they do not jump, that is regular.

We blast the armor off their Stalker who exposes itself on the first turn. The new Thunderbolt hit’s the hip and lower leg actuators in the Stalker, which falls as a result.

One Trebuchet blows the LL off the Stalker but it doesn’t fall, it never tried to get up. Our Atlas destroys the LT and LL of their Locust, the normal one. Our Hatchetman destroys the RT of the Commando with the RA falling off. Their Locust falls and takes damage.

The following turn sees our Ostsol take out their damaged Locust by destroying its CT. Our Cicada destroys the RA of their Archer. Their Archer tumbles.

Their Archer arises. Then its RL is blown off by a Trebuchet. It falls again. Our Atlas opens up the Banshee’s head, and hit’s the life support. Our Ostscout hits its hip actuator. Our Hatchetman destroys the Commando’s CT. The Banshee falls too, and both the Banshee and Archer pilots black out.

Their Stalker tries to stand up, and falls, the pilot blacks out. Our Victor aims at and destroys the Archer’s H. Our Thunderbolt ran up and destroyed the Banshee’s head. Their Victor hits our Victor’s ammo bin and it explodes. Our Cicada destroyed their variant Locust’s RT and RA.

The next turn our Catapult destroys the Phoenix Hawk’s RT and its RA falls to the ground. The Hatchetman hit’s the Crusader’s ammo and it explodes. Our Ostsol tacks the gyro and engine of their Phoenix Hawk. It definitely tumbles.

With half of their mechs gone, and their Phoenix Hawk savaged, they call it and begin to leave. I order our mechs to destroy their long tom artillery rather than let it go. We lost our Victor, but we recovered five mechs, including two assaults and a heavy.

Elizabeth Smythe orders the area secured with the combat units setting up a perimeter. The support units begin to move in, collecting the mechs and pieces. A short while later, armor and ammo have been reattached to the mechs. Where possible, Elizabeth has ordered the armor stripped off the salvaged mechs to replace the damaged armor, instead of using our limited supply.


The techs strip the parts and salvaged mechs of their spare ammunition and use that instead of our supply when available. With the room freed up by using armor and ammo from our transports, we put the extra ammo from the salvaged mechs that was not immediately used.

Salvage:

Locust: LA, LL, LT, CT?
Commando - LT, LA, CT?
Archer - H, RL, RA
Banshee - H
Stalker - LL


Locust LA
Commando LA
Victor RA
Phoenix Hawk RA
Crusader LA


Total Cost:

100,000 armor (17 tons used, 10 of it our own)
430,000 ammo (13 tons used, 8 of it our own)

May 4, 3036 - Elizabeth has finished hiding the salvaged mechs and parts in one of the hundreds of old mine shafts in these hills. Our foes should not be able to find them with any sensors. We were not contracted to sit here on this mining complex for three months, establishing a foothold in the area. Instead, we are to locate the enemy and keep them busy while Lyran troops are en route.

Now that the salvage has been fully stripped and stored, and the mechs are fixed from damage, and the base is fully operational as a fallback position, Elizabeth orders the Trinity company to begin moving again, this time down into the valley. Recon units are established, while supply vehicles are in the middle and combat assets protect them.

As the convoy continues, a Ferret spots a lance of mechs to the west, just over the ridge and down a ways. Instead of ordering the entire company to change gears, she orders the Thunder Lance to advance and engage. That way, if it is a trap, they can return quickly and the main assest are still with the supply vehicles.

Engagement arrives.

Their lance:

Phoenix Hawk
Firestarter
Locust 1S
Vulcan

Four mechs from the company that we engaged before, and their Phoenix Hawk is repaired from the battle. As a reminder, our Thunder Lance is a Phoenix Hawk, Ostscout, Spider and Cicada. Rememebr that their Locust and Phoenix Hawk have elite pilots.

This battle will last four rounds before the enemy disengages.

We are fighting by an old industrial building of some sort.

The first round we position ourselves and exchange fire.

Our Ostscout blows the LA off their Locust and then hits its engine and gyro. It manages to stay standing. Our Spider misses a kick and falls. (Needed a 7 to kick, failed, fell on just a 2 on 2d6 and rolled it)

The Spider arises and runs behind a small ridge. Their Phoenix Hawk opens up the LL of our Cicada and smashes the hip actuator. Anna Cafencelli manages to keep the mech standing.

The 4th and final round arrives. Our Cicada falls while running. Our Ostscout hit’s the lower leg actuator of their Phoenix Hawk and it falls again.


As their Phoenix Hawk begins to fall, suddenly heat spikes can be seen on our sensors in the nearby warehouse. Apparently, some vehicles or mechs are being warmed up. Thunder Lance’s sergeant Orpah Jones radios Elizabeth Smythe, who orders our mechs to retreat. As they do, they hear smashing sounds as someone comes crashing out of the warehouse.