April 30 - On the ride over, Lt. Conner Ward and Braham Essex meet. He talks about the intel on Cromwell that he gathered from the other bondsmen from various clans. According to them, Cromwell was a traitor and war criminal. The clans know that Gen. Kerensky discussed a handful of traitors during the Amaris Wars, and each of those is reviled by the clans in their history. The Inner Sphere has recorded him as a hero, and the clans as a villain. Interesting. We have clan techs, clan elementals, bondsmen we’ve taken on this mission from both Nova Cat and Smoke Jaguar, and Ward is from Jade Falcon, and the seven MechWarrior bondsmen in Bruiser Company from several clans including Wolf and Ghost Bear. With such a wide diversity of backgrounds all agreeing that Cromwell is a serious villain, we’ve got ourselves in a tough situation. No wonder the Smoke Jaguars CO is heading up to the WarShip right now. It’s probably not an actual SLDF officer on a ship from more than 250 years ago, but the Jaguars are clearly spooked.

May 2 – We arrive back at the Scots Flotilla and they have a Shuttle waiting for us.

Let’s talk shop.

I know we might have some readers who aren't super into the BattleTech universe. Let’s remind you about space stuff. There are basically five types of vessels you encounter in space. The first are JumpShips, equipped with KF drives that punch a hole into space to allow travel of up to 30 light years at a time. The KF Drive is large, and these ships are not equipped to move through star systems. They jump into a systems Nadir or Zenith point, where the gravity is at its lowest and the fewest objects should be in the way. Then they unfurl giant solar sails to gather solar energy and recharge. Some JumpShips come with old batteries that can hold a recharge. Some systems still have Star League era Recharge Stations that you can recharge at and jump away immediately. They do have maneuvering thrusters, and that’s about it. Most don’t even have weapons, but some do have weapons for asteroids and debris.

DropShips attach to JumpShips. Then the JumpShip travels and releases the DropShips, which head to planets or other JumpShips. DropShips are usually atmospheric and move down and land. These are the workhorses, moving between jump points, occasional stations, and planets. They come in several types – Personnel Carriers for people, like an Airplane; Cargo Carriers that ferry stuff; Military Carries that can carry mechs, armor, fighters, infantry or combinations of those; and Assault DropShips, like our new Avenger class Firebird. These ships are designed for fighting in space, using more weapons and armor than Fighters They are important as military escorts for weaponless JumpShips or to attack and raid. Usually, people respected Naval Assets (which are these two and the next type) enough not to attack them and destroy them, because few were still made in the late Succession War era. However, as new technology has created a lot of new naval vessels, we’ve also seen an increase in willingness to destroy them for strategic purposes. Each of the carrier types can be converted to others, and many have been over the years, so formerly military carriers can carry cargo and cargo carriers can carry mechs and such.

DropShips are constructed in one of two ways. The first are the spheroid ships like the Union and Overlord. These have several advantages, namely that they land on their butt in lots of places that Aerodyne DropShips can’t. They don’t require a DropPort, although for subterfuge reasons you will still want to. They have two major issues when they land. They land on their butt, so all of the weapons facing their aft arc can’t be fired. Weapons in the nose are facing up, so they can only target fighters flying above. That means the only weapons that a Spheroid can fire when grounded are in its right and left arcs. This typically means that its firepower is cut down from what it would be when flying. Aerodyne DropShips require landing strips to land, and more really. The Avenger is one of the lightest DropShips, and at 1400 tons it requires more than a straight road to land. In addition to using all weapons arcs on the ground, there are other advantages. Let’s take a look.

The Avenger has 2 PPCs, AC20, 6 AC5s, 1 AC2, 4 LRM20s, 2 Large Lasers, 6 Medium Lasers, and ammo. When it enters the atmosphere, it’s “up” changes and the craft’s stabilization is in a different place so access ways and ladders are mounted in such a way to accommodate being in an atmosphere or in space. When it is in the air, in can strafe and bomb, target sites, and attack fighters and such. It is faster and much more powerful in flight than any similar sized spheroid. These are huge strategic advantages, because it is maximally flexible in combat, either fighting in space by a jump point or around planets against those in orbit or in the atmosphere. That’s a useful assault class DropShip. Plus, it can carry up to 93 tons of cargo for military operations. So, it can carry its own spare parts, like spare ammo, spare armor, spare electronics, or items needed by your military.

The next type of thing in star systems is a WarShip. These can be described either was large weaponized JumpShips that move in the systems or as large DropShips that can jump and have drop rings. They were extinct during the Succession Wars, because they were too powerful, and only the Titan Shipyards in the Terra System, under ComStar control, could still make them. The clans kept making them. ComStar just gave the Inner Sphere the schematics for their construction and you can expect to see some new ones rolling off the lines soon. They require huge amounts of assets to make. The smallest are in the 175k-200k ton range. The biggest are in the 1.75 mill ton range. They crush smaller things. They are also nasty, because their big naval guns can be used for the unethical orbital bombardment. When the Smoke Jaguars used them for that at Turtle Bay, there was a large amount of fallout they suffered as a clan in both Inner Sphere circles and in clan ones. In fact, most clans stopped bidding their naval assets during the invasion so no one would be tempted to do it again.

The next type is the Aerospace Fighter. These are different than conventional fighters, because they can operate in both space and the atmosphere, which gives them great flexibility. They tend to be a lot more durable than armor and conventional fighters, and come closer to BattleMech in durability. However, critical hits work differently on them and slow them down and such, plus unlike mechs, you it the side you are aiming at. Their ability to strafe in combat is very powerful, as they make a sweep over the battlefield and rain weapons fire down on everything in a wide line. Anybody below only gets one shot at the very fast fighters above before they are up and away again. Air Superiority is no joke. They are typically assigned in flights of two, and then squadrons of six and wings of eighteen. A “company” of fighters is really non-existent, but we have 14 in Arrow Company, 12 in Bolt Company and 12 in Catapult Company. One of the reasons we tend to win our battles in aerospace is because we have such a large contingent – we come in strong. A regiment of aerospace fighters is three wings, or just 62 fighters (each wing typically has two command fighters putting it at 20 and then two command fighters for the regiment). A full regiment of mechs, with command lances for battalions and regiment is at 124. We do not use command lances, because we tend to do contracts and military operations in small company or occasionally battalion sized units, and our commanders are in those units. If we do the same for fighters, then we’d only need 54.

The Vengeance holds 40 fighters. That’s two full wings plus a command flight in each wing. The power that has is devastating. It has 10,000 tons of fighter carrying anger. With 2 PPCs, 4 LRM20s, 1 LRM10, 3 AC5s, 5 Large lasers, and 16 medium ones, it has some bite as well. The Avenger has more armor and much more speed. Of course, the Vengeance is so big that it can’t enter the atmosphere of planets. It can do something else, which is unfurl three small craft.

Small craft are the last of the system based ships. Small craft are those vehicles between 100 and 200 tons which are not Aerospace Fighters. They are typically transport based craft. Examples of small craft include Shuttles, Passenger Buses, and more. Sometimes JumpShips can carry small craft, sometimes DropShips can carry them and sometimes WarShips can carry them. We have never purchased them for our Merchant JumpShip (which can carry up to two in addition to two DropShips) or any yet for our Invader (which can also carry up to two as well, and we’ll need to do that later). We usually just rent additional small craft when we need to load or unload extra stuff. Most DropShips can enter the atmosphere and land, and thus can unload, but since the Vengeance can’t, you can give it some shuttles or something.

We get on the Shuttle and head over to the Manassas. On our way, the Lioness hails us and we tell them that we were invited on board for a conversation. Since they haven’t attacked it or taken it, we are free to board. The guy in charge clearly doesn’t want to make any decisions until his CO arrives and spells him.

We arrive and dock at the Manassas. An actual Star League era WarShip. It vaguely resembles the common Star League era Aegis Warship, but if it is, it’s a heavily modified one. Five people in Star League uniforms greet us, with a mixture of worry and interest on their faces. One tall one pushes forward and greets us. “Cromwell’s the name – Captain James Cromwell. Welcome aboard the Manassas.”

Braham explains that is a distinct honor to meet him. The four senior officers with him introduces themselves –

XO Lt. Randall Lewis
Chief of Security Lt. Donald Terry
Chief Engineer Lt. Andrea Sarti
Aerospace Liaison Officer Lt. Ruth Mitchell


We have brought Braham Essex, Lt. Connor Ward, Lt. Larry Rowe of Arrow Company, and the Captain of our JumpShip, who also served a stint with ComStar long ago. She doesn’t recognize the WarShip either, and she has more experience with them.

We are escorted immediately to a conference room where Essex and his group spend several hours relating the history of what has gone before. There is no question as to what happened. Captain Cromwell had answered Kerensky’s call for Exodus from the Inner Sphere and he was assigned to guard the rear of the fleet. They were to meet up in Schwartz, but there was an accident that stranded them in a system 25 light years away for six months, while they repaired their ship’s drive. Then they jumped into Schwartz System to see if anyone was left to meet stragglers and they arrived just now. Their engineers and pilots have pointed out the stars have moved and they are at least 200 years in the future.

Essex confirms that and begins a crash course on the history of what has gone before. After getting the info from Ward that the clans and apparently Kerensky thought very poorly of this man, he relates the story cautiously. The Star League fell without the military backing of Kerensky and the states have fought for the throne for centuries. The conflict of the Succession Wars was horrendous, with wars lasting decades and decades. The conflict destroyed worlds, planets, and people. Technologies were lost as only military technology remained. People lost the ability to make advanced weapons, medical supplies. Some planets were reduced to tech levels of 2300 or 2000 or even earlier. Things like simple eyeglasses were common on some worlds again, due to a lack of medical care for a simple surgical correction.

However, over the last 35 years, things began to get better. Old technologies were discovered and new ones rediscovered. New planets were being settled and war was usually being done respectfully, until the clans arrived. We are frank, the clans are the descendants of Kerensky’s fleet, and they’ve come to invade the Inner Sphere, and have taken planets. Because of most of the Inner’s Sphere’s willingness to put cities and civilians in the way of the defense of their planets, the clans ore through. We tell them of Turtle Bay and orbital bombardment being used for the first time in the Inner Sphere since the Second Succession War over 150 years ago. We tell them of Luthien and the small role we played. Tukkayid is gone over in detail, and this gives them some knowledge of clan life. They are interested in the descendants of the Exodus Fleet, so we’ve brought Conner Ward to explain it to them. He goes over true born genetics and some of the culture of the Clans.

After a few hours of our exchange of information, we are asked if we want to have a tour of their ship. Clearly they want to discuss what to do behind us. We accept. Cromwell appeared a bit irritating, and very forceful. We did not tell him of his legacy, either side. It’s too soon to discover you are a legend. Or a villain.

The Manassas is a different WarShip. All of its facilities are top of the line. The crewman showing us around informs us that it’s very comfortable compared to other ships. It’s clearly designed for long missions. We don’t see many crew, and it’s got a very powerful Zero G. This is actually the first time that Essex and has been aboard a WarShip, but it’s stronger than on JumpShips. Ward remarks that the engine feels bigger than the other Star League vessels he has been on – the clans still have many of their naval ships from the Exodus.

We are invited to stay aboard the Manassas for a few days, while we await the CO of the Lioness and his decision. We accept.

May 4 – Suddenly, a new warp signature jumps to the Zenith Point. It’s a very old and outdated JumpShip with a pair of DropShips. They claim they are merchants looking for work. The Jaguars allow them into the system. As they unload their DropShips, suddenly a group of power armored infantry jumps from their DropShip to the Manassas. They start attacking the seals and break into a corridor. The warning klaxons are going off.

The 12 power armored troops begins firing and breaking in. The crew of the Manassas has gathered their own Star League suits and weapons and begins to fire back. After a few crew are killed, they get the upper hand and kill the invaders. The crew was very efficient at stopping the threat. All of the invaders were killed and they have no identifying information of them. Suddenly, the DropShips redock with the JumpShip and it jumps back out. It must’ve had KF batteries but it didn’t look like it did. Who would try to attack us?


May 5 – Several of the senior officers confide in us that they think Cromwell is intending to take Schwartz and make it his own, but he wants to wait and see what happens with the Lioness first. The Jags are not in a good offensive position, out here by the Zenith Jump Point, because they can’t use the fighters from the planet to assist them, nor can they hide behind it, etc.

With that warning, we request permission to leave the Manassas and head back to our ship. We are shuttled back.

May 6 – The Lioness hails the Manassas openly, and we can hear. We have Arrow Company on standby in case the 14 fighters are needed.

“This is Star Colonel Anton Wirth of the Lioness, to the WarShip Manassas. Prepare to be boarded!”

Braham looks at Conner. “No batchall?”

“As a war criminal from the Exodus Years, he would be dezgra. Without honor. They will fight him and his without zellbrigen.”

They start moving towards the Manassas with everything. DropShips, fighters, and the Lioness itself move in. The Manassas could just jump away, but Cromwell clearly thinks this is his opportunity. We explained the high level of technology that Smoke Jaguar had, but he just told us that the Manassas was a top-of-the-line WarShip, and they could handle anything.

Three full squadrons of fighters begin to unload and head for battle. The Manassas is not as well protected as we expected. 18 fighters? That’s it? No assault DropShips? No transport DropShips unloading more fighters? It’s seems a bit light for protection. We have 14 ourselves. It’s clear that the Jaguars will win this fight. They have more/better fighters and the support for them. Plus they have better weapons.

After a discussion, we decide to stay out of this fight. The Jaguars are being merciless, and we don’t want part of that. Earlier we watched them lose a naval battle against pirates. Now we are watching them win one.

A half hour later, the Manassas has been captured. Elementals are crawling all over it, they’ve penetrated it, it’s guns were all destroyed, armor is floating – it’s in bad condition. But the Jaguars were very careful about just disabling it. They clearly want Cromwell.

We wait an hour, and then hail the CO. Star Colonel Anton Wirth responds. Essex issues a batchall for the Manassas and everything on it. He tells me that Cromwell is not available for a Trial, because he is a prisoner of war. Besides, if we lose, even if he takes our JumpShips and DropShips, it wouldn’t be even. Essex changes his batchall. We will Trial for the Manassas and everything on it except for Cromwell and his own people. If we win, we won’t take the mechs we defeat like normal isorla. We will only take bondsmen and the Manassas. If they win, they can have the JumpShip, the Overlord DropShip, and twelve clan mechs we’ve acquired. He agrees, and tells us that he will be defending with his entire group of mechs and elementals. There is a nearby planet that is a dustball. The gravity there is roughly half earth normal and it has a thin atmosphere and virtually no water and without the highest level of life is microbes. It’s just two days away, so he will meet us there.

We receive the report on his troops in detail. He has a trinary of mechs from the 19th Striker Cluster, one of elementals (15 Mechs and 15 squads of five elementals each) and a Binary of mechs. He will also be fighting in his command star, personally. That’s 30 front line mechs and 15 points of elementals. The trinary and his command star are all elite (for clan 1/2) and the leaders of the binaries are elite, but the rest of the binary mechs are clan veteran (or IS elite, 2/3). The elementals are clan elite.

We are taking everything.



May 8 – Battle begins.

Shadow Battalion:

Shadow Company - ON1-AbeC Orion, HGN-732 Highlander, ST-8A Shootist, FLS-8K Flashman;
Zeu-9S Zeus, GAL-1GLS Gallowglas, APL-1M Apollo, GRN-D-01 Grand Crusader;
LNX-9Q Lynx, PXH-1b Phoenix Hawk, STY-2C Starslayer, TLN-5W Talon, plus 2 squads of elementals

Sealion Company - Mad Cat Prime, Masakari Prime, Grizzly, GHR-5J Grasshopper;
Marauder Iic, ARC-2R Archer, CRD-4K Crusader, Galahad;
Shadow Hawk Iic, Griffin Iic, Dragonfly A, LCT-1E Locust

Bruiser Company - AS7-K Atlas, Highlander Iic, Gladiator A, Warhammer Iic;
Rifleman Iic, Vulture C, Marauder Iic, ARC-4M Archer;
Dragonfly B, Peregrine, Dasher D, PXH-3K Phoenix Hawk

We have four clan elites, one IS veteran, and the rest are all 2/3s either as clan vets or IS elites.


Because we don’t win their equipment if we take it out, there’s not a lot of reason for me to make a big old list. However, some highlights – Anton Wirth is in a Daishi, one of three we are facing. They have a lot of redundant mechs, such as five Cauldron-Born, seven Ryoken and three Nobori-Nin. It’s very redundant.

Good luck with the fight! Go Shadow Battalion!

Tell

Yeah! Go!

Here we go!

T1 – We win init with Braham’s tactical genius. We are on a rocky spartan battlefield, long but not wide, with a chasm in the middle. We arrange our fire support mechs on each of the end, where there is some elevation to half hide behind. We each close quickly. They get a lucky shot and destroy the H of Bruiser’s Dasher D with an ER PPC from a Masakari Prime. Sigurd is killed. They also destroyed its LA. Meanwhile, we focus on two of their mechs. A Ryoken that came too close loses both of its arms and legs to concentrated fire and a Fenris is equally destroyed. They go internal on the Peregrine in Bruiser Company and get a RL blown off critical and it falls.

T2 – We win. The Peregrine is ejected to make sure it survives. Meanwhile, we maneuver closer. This time, we destroy the head of a mech – Sealion’s Galahad destroys the H of their Cauldron-Born A. Meanwhile, after stripping armor off a Mad Cat, missiles from our fire support mechs lance pepper it until they find the pre-made holes and ignite its ammo. The pilot blacks out from the explosion and it falls into the chasm and destroys a RL in the big fall. Our Gallowglas is suddenly without two arms and they hit the head with an Ultra AC 10 and go internal but don’t hit anything.

T3 – They win. We finally finish destroying a squad of elementals with some scout mechs, including our Lynx. In fires weapons from clanners and blast Sealion’s Archer’s CT and destroy it. We replay with weapons eviscerating the Nobori-Nin Prime from the battlefield by destroying its LT and hitting its engine and gyro once each. Good job Rifleman IIc! I’m really becoming fond of that mech. Our Apollo in Shadow Company destroys a damaged Dasher’s RL and it falls and destroys its own RA. Essex’s own Orion stumbles under an onslaught and a right leg foot actuator hit and falls.

T4 – They win again. Their elementals are now in firing range, so get ready. Essex stands. Their missiles tear into our Grand Crusader and destroy its RT, shutting it down from the XL engine loss. They blast the right arm and left leg right off a Dragonfly B. We have replacements in our garrison, but it’s out for now. Meanwhile, a gauss slug from a Vulture C blasts the RT of an untouched Daishi, goes internal from a lucky hit, and destroys its gyro with three hits. Dead Daishi. I just wish it was the Star Colonel’s! We also hit the head of another Cauldron-Born three times with missiles and the pilot blacks out and it falls over.

T5 – We win. I’m not sending my troops jumping over the chasm and exposing themselves on the other side, so no back fighting or physical attacks in this confrontation, it’s a good place to fight for the clans! I eject the Dragonfly B. Weapons fire into the Cauldron-Born from our Starslayer, but we only hit the head once more. The pilot has five hits, and she is out for the rest of the game likely. We destroy arms on three mechs of theirs – Nobori-Nin, Black Hawk and Ryoken. They destroy two legs of ours – both on the same mech. Bruisers’ PXH falls. The pilot takes some damage. Not much else this turn though.

T6 – We win. I eject the PXH. Sealion’s Crusader blasts into the CT and LT and RT of a Masakari B, and hits an engine once in each and it shuts down. Meanwhile, Bruiser’s Marauder IIc gets a head hit with a glancing blow ER PPC on their wounded Ryoken. It goes internal, destroys the sensors once, and the mechs staggers and falls. Our Talon destroys a second Elemental Point after it’s own LL is destroyed.

T7 – We lose. I eject the Talon and see Braham’s Orion take more damage. They have gone internal in five places, but not the arms or head. Archer missiles from the one left blast into their wounded Ryoken, which didn’t even stand, and destroy its CT. A damaged Black Hawk takes more fire to its RT after its RA was destroyed two turns ago, and we destroy it, and then hit its CT engine one and it shuts down. Meanwhile, they fire at an uninjured Apollo, get a through armor critical, and ignite its ammo. Boom! Dead mech. Meanwhile, we lance fire into their Star Colonel’s mech and it stumbles and falls after we hit three actuators in its LL and the hip in its right one.

T8 – We win with tactical genius. I eject Braham and we lose his tactical genius for the rest of the battle. They stand their downed Daishi. We destroy three points of elementals this turn with various scout mechs. We pour fire into it, and Star Colonel’s Anton Wirth’s mech is destroyed after our Zeus hits both the gyro twice and the engine thrice. Doubly dead! Missiles from a Vulture Prime go internal on the H of our Lynx and hit the cockpit and kill out pilot. Other than that, they do nothing but hit a few arm actuators in Sealion’s MAD IIc.

T9 – With momentum our way, even a loss in init won’t prevent the inevitable. Thinking this will be the turn they reverse the momentum, they try. They even manage to knock our wounded Mad IIc down after hitting the gyro once and hip once. It doesn’t matter. Three more of their mechs are destroyed – two CTs destroyed and we blasted another H.

With massive losses in their mech world, and half of their mechs destroyed or basically so with five squads of elementals gone already, we offer them hegira and they accept. We’re in a much better position and they’ve clearly lost and don’t want to push it. It’s bad enough to have lost the Manassas, but to lose a full Trinary of mechs and a Binary of mechs and a Trinary of elementals? That would be awful. They have Cromwell and they can leave content and with honor.



Bondsmen:

Jin, 1/2, Mad Cat
Jane, 1/2, Cauldron-Born

Jin is sent to replace Sigurd in Bruiser Company’s Dasher.
Jane replaces Sgt. Amir Satya in Shadow Company. Starslayer pilot Katya Dovich is promoted to Sergeant.


We spend 16.5 mill replacing and fixing everything that we can, and 8.25 of that is paid for us. Most of that is the loss of the Archer and Apollo.

May 10 - We board our Manassas with the Combine advisor, who has not been on it yet, and some others to look around. Much of the crew was removed by the Jaguars prior to our batchall, as they ferried them away. The rest, plus the officers, are still here. We talk with Lt. Randall Lewis. He informs Essex and Ward about everything. Cromwell had disobeyed orders on Somerset from Kerensky and refused to abandon it. He sacrificed his battalion of men, but in the end, he held out and won. Head high, he was confronted by Alexandr Kerensky who informed him that the position didn’t matter, and the victory was meaningless, because it wasn’t a planet worth fighting for – it had no strategic or tactical or administrative or political value at all. Holding it wasn’t worth the loss of men and materiel. He can’t court martial Cromwell because everyone in the IS thinks of him as a hero, so he was given command of a bunch of glory hounds and rules breakers and sent to very dangerous assignments to get him killed, meanwhile with Lewis as the real person behind the scenes, doing what Kerensky wanted, reporting back, and overriding Cromwell’s decisions. They managed to win at Terra, and to join Kerensky’s Exodus despite the challenges.

We send Lewis’s statement over to the Jaguars, to disseminate to others. Our advisor took copious notes. Lewis doesn’t want to join the clans. He feels that they have fallen from Kerensky’s vision. “I knew Gen. Kerensky, and he would never have wanted his own people to attack and invade the IS en masse.” We send that part of his statement to the Jaguars too, just in case they are interested (we think no). Ward is beginning to agree with him. In six months, Cromwell will be tried and convicted and killed. Star Col. Anton Wirth will get a line in The Remembrance, the epic Clan saga that tells of the Clan’s history. Getting mentioned there brings Cromwell infamy, and Anton Wirth immortality. Even once they find out that the Manassas was lost and it was an experimental ship, the issue for the clans is the war criminal from Kerensky’s time. With Lewis’s statement helping to corroborate their own history, this is a major moral victory for them. Compared to that, the loss of the Manassas is chump change. Everybody wins, except for Cromwell of course.

Speaking of it being an experimental ship, we are informed that the jump problems the ship was having are due to an experimental jump drive. When it jumps, it can jump an extra ten light years in one go. Now that’s not just different, that’s revolutionary. The major changes in human history occurred when travel got faster. River travel by boat was faster than land travel, so people settled near rivers. Domesticating horses changed people. Major ships that travelled the seas changed society. The train changed society again. Then cars did. Then planes and jets did. Then space travel did, but we never got any faster. For hundreds of years we’ve been stuck at 30 light year jumps at a time. Sure, a command circuit of already charged JS can wait and get you from one system to the next very quickly, but only a few individuals are powerful enough to manage that.

If the IS can have jump drives that are 40 light years instead of 30, a lot of things change. Planets that were once fairly safe by being two jumps from the border are no longer. Planets and systems that were three jumps away couldn’t be reached by a jump and another with a battery. Now systems 75 light years away still need to worry. Long distance travel time is cut by roughly 25%. Families 35 light years away are closer. Businesses are closer. You get the idea.

We have an experimental WarShip with its own drive system. I wonder of the clans even knew about the experimental drive. We ask our new bondsmen and they tell us they were not aware. If they had been, they probably would not have Trialed it away.

Braham learns that the engine is fully charged and the KF Batteries have a full charge. The engines were not damaged in battle, but the weapons are all offline and there has been some structural damage. That will need to be repaired before we jump. Also, remember that the last time this ship jumped it went forward a lot of years.

May 16 - We spend most of a week repairing as much as we can. The Manassas has to be ready to go as quickly as possible, because we know someone is going to come here and want it. We need another two days when…

That ragged JumpShip arrives again. With another friend - a ComStar WarShip. Uh oh? They hail us and Braham responds. They ask to come aboard and he sends a Shuttle to pick some up.

They arrive and introduce themselves. They have records of the Manassas, so they know what it was, but the rest of the IS has no idea. Only the Star League Department of Communications, which would become ComStar, knows. Not even the clans know. They want the WarShip. They can work on the drive and perhaps perfect it. Maybe they will keep it from the IS until the folks are ready. We sit down and begin to talk.

They can’t just take it from us. They don’t want to destroy it and they aren’t like that anymore. Remember, ComStar are usually a nicer gentler people now, although they did attack us. We know the value of the Manassas is immense. So we begin negotiations. We want stuff. We want a lot of stuff.

The Manassas includes four DropShips and 10 short range vessels – all pristine and straight from the Star League era. We know how well they built their things, so imagine how long this Confederate DropShip will last, or those vintage KR-61 Long Range Shuttlecraft. The base price for an Aegis Class WarShip would be, roughly, 14 billion C-Bills. Then add the price for this experimental version of one. This is a heavy cruiser.

Based on our willingness to trade ships for ships we’ve done before, they agree to a simple swap. They will give us one of their three Aegis-Class WarShips, and we’ll send them the Manassas. Much of the crew wants to stay with their ships. Some just want to leave, and try to explore this new age they are in. Lt. Lewis has agreed to stay on as Captain Randall Lewis, a large chubby man they call Jolly Old Saint Randy, for his demeanor. A few will stay with our new ship, the Swift Justice. Captain Lewis served personally in Gen. Kerensky’s own unit during his famous Periphery Campaign. He is universally viewed as an honest, upright, dedicated and competent officer. But he has some suspicions of ComStar, and he feels that command of his own Aegis-class WarShip, a class he is very familiar with, for us, is the right place to be. Lt. Andrea Sarti knows the engines better than anyone, she is staying with the Manassas. Lt. Ruth Mitchell is keeping her post as the one in charge of the Aerospace fighters with it as well. The security chief Lt. Donald Terry is lost without his childhood friend, Capt. Cromwell, and he leaves the service altogether. About 20 are coming with us and Capt. Lewis.


We also will be trading all of the Star League DropShips to them as well. I don’t want Confederates – I’d just sell them – they’re just Leopards, and we are past that in our infrastructure.

Here’s what we get back to sweeten the deal:

Achilles DropShip, Upgraded
Model 96 “Elephant” DropShip
Overlord DropShip, Upgraded
Fortress DropShip, Upgraded


A full complement of 18 fighters for the Swift Justice, 2 for Achilles
A full complement of 10 small craft for the Swift Justice, 2 for the Achilles, and 4 Elephant

12 Kage Battle Armor Suits


The SJ will have 6 K1-Dropshuttles for its small craft, and 4 Aquarius. It’s not exactly something that you want sporting a cargo DropShip like a Mule or Rose, so we give it some Dropshuttles. The Aquarius was a heavily built 200 ton military small craft from the Star League. ComStar has been building some at the Titan Shipyards too. It’s basically a 200 ton fighter, with armor, longer range, nice weapons, and such.

The Achilles is a nasty assault DropShip that’s even faster than the Avenger, sports almost three times as much weapons, carries a platoon of infantry for defense and a pair of fighters, plus 2 small craft, because it cannot go into the atmosphere. Its small craft will be two Mark VII’s, which give it some transport capability.

The Elephant is a Tug and Assault Ship. It has great weapons and armor, plus cargo room for a company of mechs, four small craft, eight tanks, four platoons of infantry and 2175 tons of cargo in addition to that. It has tug and repair facilities and transport bays. It’s weapons load has 10 gauss rifles, 12 ER PPCs, 11 ER Large lasers, 4 LRM10 s with Artemis, 10 medium lasers. That’s devastating. Because it can land, I want its small craft to be more useful in battle. Why bother with shuttles? I’m giving it four Aquarius’s as well.

The Fortress is a dedicated assault DropShip/carrier. It carries a company of mechs, a company of armor and three infantry platoons. It’s well armored, has massive weapons, and features a Long Tom Artillery Piece in the nose which can strike from a long distance when it lands. It’s a powerful ship people rightly fear.

We’ll figure out the 20 fighters later.

We’ll need crew for the ships, but that’s an easy recruit just about anywhere. Basically ComStar upgraded our DropShips and gave us 20 fighters, 16 small craft, and a dozen Kage suits for the experimental nature of the Manassas. It’s probably worth more, but this is a huge jolt for us.


We rechristen:

The Arrow of Fate, Achilles DropShip, Upgraded
Stalwart Destruction, Model 96 Elephant
Daily Menace, Overlord, Upgraded
Faith’s Bulwark, Fortress Upgraded

And we’ll keep Swift Justice for the Aegis WarShip.

June 29 – We arrive back at Wolcott and our debriefing begins. We captured or destroyed 33 clan mechs. We maimed 5 and shut down three more, although those are expected to be repaired. We captured a full WarShip plus from them. We took several OmniFighters. We carried out five successful raids. The Combine considers this a major success, even setting aside the recovery of the Okinawa, (which they had to trade for anyway). They offer us another 6 month contract on the spot to head out and see if we can better those numbers, but we decline. We have to consolidate. They understand.


Here was our contract:

Salvage: Full
Salary: x1.4, x4 x1.6, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: Indy
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 6 months
Transport: 100% Reimbursement
50% Bonus

We made 50 mill from the contract.

We paid 4.3 mill for the upkeep and salary for our units during this time – 16 months.

We paid 2.64 mill in armor and ammo for my mechs

We paid 6.13 mill to repair my IS mechs

We get 4.385 mill in 50% Battle Loss

We made 41.315

We pay 8 mill of that to get the Avenger up and running at cost. We spend the rest and only owe 21 mill to finish off the Invader. We pay that off and now we have an Invader and Avenger done. Both will be ready to take home from Wolcott on Aug 4.

Oct 28, 3056 – Invader, Avenger, Vengeance, Scots Flotilla, Faith’s Bulwark, Stalwart Destruction, Daily Menace, Swift Justice, Arrow of Fate, Defiance, Shadow Battalion and Arrow Company will all return to EE on this date.

Clan mechs gained:

Guillotine Iic; Shadow Hawk Iic; Supernova; Man O War A; Rifleman Iicx2; Behemoth; Goshawk; Warhammer Iic; Phoenix Hawk Iic; Galahad; Great Wyrm; Griffin Iic; Highlander Iic; Fenris Prime; Cauldron Born Prime; Kingfisher A; Loki B; Clint Iic; Masakari B; Mad Cat Prime; Daishi Prime

22 mechs, plus we have the 4 updated clan Attilas, 7 OmniFighters, 5 regular fighters, and the 10 clan techs.

We have christened the Invader the Johnny Appleseed; the Vengeance the Fury Unbound; and the Avenger the Firebird. That last one is an inside joke because the Avengers is my favorite comic and has been for almost 30 years. My favorite Avengers include this little known one called Firebird.


The OmniFighters we salvaged successfully or won are:

Visigoth Prime
Visigoth C
Sabutai Prime
Jagatai B
2x Turk Prime
Bashkir Prime


We salvaged these fighters:

2x Shilone
Slayer
2x Lucifer

Plus 20 fighters from ComStar.

Let’s rewind and pick this back up. Mega rewind I know.

October 1, 3055 – Here is our updated roster, just to remind you where everybody is.




Kilts and Commandos Roster:

Alpha Regiment:

Heliades Company - Return on June 8, 3057
Styx Company - Return on June 8, 3057
Tethys Company – Return on June 8, 3057
Typhon Company – Return on June 8, 3057
Defender Company –
Cinq Company – Return on March 18, 3056
Brawler Company – return on March 21, 3056
Delta Company – Return on February 16, 3056
Trinity Company – return on May 27, 3056.
Butler Company – Return on March 18, 3056


Beta Regiment:

Phaeton Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Boxer Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Rebel Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Mustang Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Hex Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Raven Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Aleph Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Laser Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Sabre Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056


Gamma Regiment -

Breaker Battalion:

Trident Company – Return on Mar 24, 3056
Miner Company – return on May 27, 3056
Fallout Company - return on May 27, 3056

Scimitar Battalion:

Vegas Company – return on Apr 20, 3056
Guile Company -
Tango Company -


Shadow Battalion:

Bruiser Company – Return on October 28, 3056
Shadow Company – Return on October 28, 3056
Sealion Company - Return on October 28, 3056

Arrow Company – Return on October 28, 3056
Bolt Company –
Tank First Battalion – EE- mining garrison complete on October 15, 3055.
Tank Second Battalion - EE, mining garrison, complete on June 3, 3056
Garrison and Infantry – EE, garrison,


Scots Flotilla, Merchant JumpShip – Return on October 28, 3056
Johnny Appleseed, Invader JumpShip - – Return on October 28, 3056
Robin Hood, Union DropShip -
Star River, Union DropShip -
Serendipitous Victory, Union-C DropShip -
Amalgamated Bliss, Union DropShip –
Defiance, Overlord DropShip – Return on October 28, 3056
Fury Unbound, Vengeance DropShip - Return on October 28, 3056
Firebird, Avenger DropShip - Return on October 28, 3056
Swift Justice, Aegis WarShip – Return on October 28, 3056
Arrow of Fate, Achilles DropShip, Upgraded - Return on October 28, 3056
Stalwart Destruction, Model 96 Elephant - Return on October 28, 3056
Daily Menace, Overlord DropShip, Upgraded - Return on October 28, 3056
Faith’s Bulwark, Fortress DropShip, Upgraded - Return on October 28, 3056


We only have three mech companies on planet right now. Ted heads back to Outreach to continue the recruiting for a third aerospace company he has begun but had to leave.

I doubt we’d take a contract right now, but it’s possible. Let’s see.


Periphery – Pirate Hunting
Company – Cadre/Garrison
Blake - Garrison


Nah.


October 15 – The mining complex wants to reup 1st Tank Battalion’s contract. We’ll happy to give them some more time:


1st Tank Battalion:


Same contract as before, 2 more years. We made a few million on the first one.

November 1 – Contracts:

Company – Cadre/Garrison
FedCom – Security
Blake – Pirate Hunting
ComStar – Objective Raid


Defender Company agrees to take another Smash the Blake contract from ComStar.

We will arrive at Tania Australis on Feb 10, 3056.

Defender vs Blake

Salvage: Full
Salary: x1.3, x4 x1.6, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: Indy
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 1 months
Transport: 100% Reimbursement
30% Bonus

Feb 12 – We have arrived on the planet. We are just two klicks from the HPG Station, so we immediately roll out to hit it as fast as possible. ComStar tells us that more troops are en route so we want to take out the HPG garrison before they are reinforced.


ComStar intel is on again.

Our foes:

Buccaneer
AWS-9M Awesome
GOL-3M Goliath
Falcon Hawk
STC-3C Starslayer
Apollo
FLE-17 Flea
ASN-23 Assassin
Cerberus
Anvil
Hercules
OSR-2D Ostroc


Half are veteran.

This is their Buccaneer, a 55 ton mech commissioned by Blake, the second one after the Grand Crusader. It moves 6/9, with an XL engine, max armor, 10/20 heat, ER Large Laser, SRM6 with Artemis, medium pulse laser, 4x medium lasers and a hatchet.

T1 – We win init. After exchanging fire, their Anvil falls and hits a foot actuator.

T2 – We win off Col Humphries’s tactical genius. Their Anvil rises. An AC20 from the Hunch destroys the Falcon Hawks’ H. A bit overkill, but okay. Our Stalker hits the Buccaneer in the head with a large laser. Nothing internal or anything though. Our Daishi destroys the RL on their Anvil. Their Starslayer cracks open our Orion’s torso and hits the AC10. Our Whitworth takes out the RT of their Anvil. An SRM6 missile from the Thor cracks their Buccaneer’s head and nails the sensors once. Their Anvil falls and destroys its H.

T3 – We lose. We run our Comet by their Flea. Our Cataphract blows off the already damaged H of their Buccaneer and also took out its RA. Our Thor hits an engine on their Goliath. Our Stalker hits the gauss rifle in the RT, destroys it and shuts down the mech. The Comet shuts down the RL of their Flea. Our Cataphract pilot blocks out after taking damage in the head twice from SRM Missiles. Their Ostroc gets a through armor critical on our BattleMaster, hits the machine gun ammo and explodes the mech.

T4 – We lose. Thor behind their Apollo. An AC20 ultra tears into the Apollo’s rear and destroys its CT. Our Whitworth blows off the LA of their Cerberus and it falls.

T5 – We win. They stand up the Flea and Cerberus. Daishi behind their Awesome. This may be mega fast. Our Orion takes out the RA of their Cerberus. Our Griffin takes out its LT and it shuts down. Our Comet destroys the Fleas RA, RT and then CT. Both their Awesome and Ostroc fall.

T6 – Tactical genius init win. Jav behind their Starslayer, PXH by their Assassin. They stand both the Awesome and Ostroc. Hunchback behind the Hercules. Ultra AC20 blows up the Awesome’s LT, and it shuts down. Our PXH hits their Assassin’s engine once. Their Herc tumbles.

T7 – We win again. We run a Cataphract to the rear of their Starslayer. The Herc stands. Thor to its rear. Our Thor destroys the LT rear of their Hercules and it shuts down. Their Ostroc hits an engine on my Cataphract. Their Herc hits its PPC. Their Starslayer tumbles. Our Griffin kicks and destroys the RL of their Ostroc. It falls hard. Their pilot blacks out. We offer Blake free passage for their Assassin and both damaged mechs left, and they can have all personnel.


They accept, but they placed a spike in the computer of the Assassin and it will take a few weeks to get it up and running.

Starslayer
Ostroc missing RL
Hercules missing LT
Cerberus missing LT, RA, reattach LA
Falcon Hawk missing H
Anvil, missing RT, RL, H
Buccaneer missing H, RA
Goliath missing RT
Apollo RT, RA, RL, LT, LA, LL, H
Flea H, LT, LA, LL
Awesome missing LT
Assassin


Ours:

BattleMaster RA, LA

I replace the BattleMaster in this unit with the Awesome. We end up paying 13.74 mill for everything, after taking our salary plus 50% battle loss on the BattleMaster and other stuff, and then refitting and fixing up the mechs. Plus salary of Defender for one year.



Experience:

Bryson Abasi, Thor, piloting drop to 2/2
Orlof Magnuson, Stalker, Edge: 2
Matthew Humphries, Daishi, piloting drop to 2/2



We get back on May 27, 3056.

Nov 21, 3055 – We are at the testing of the Alexander Prime prototype, after work with clan techs sped up the project. Due to their presence, there are few problems. We request one minor change, which will increase the cost of the OmniMech by 20,000 but we deem worth it. It’s modules will have slots that can be switched between clan and inner sphere technology. So, if you have an Alexander, and you capture clan weapons, you can just pop them right in. We think this will help to distinguish the Alexander in the market. Kressly will have the first one out in roughly six months.


Dec 1 – With just two mech companies son planet, I will not be taking contracts.

Dec 11 – Ted Izumo returns after he finished recruiting a third Aerospace company:


Crossbow Company

Lt. Marsha Styles, elite, Hellcat
Hilo Marx, veteran, Chippewa
Vern McGuire, veteran, Chippewa
Megan Ramsey, veteran, Shilone

Sgt. Jakob Plumr, elite, Corsair
Guy Foster, elite, Corsair
Laird McKinnon, elite, Lightning
Vera Hostetler, regular, Sholagar

Sgt. Keith Hatcher, elite, Sparrowhawk
Beth Victors, veteran, Sparrowhawk
Rachael Stephens, veteran, Sai
Xavier Jenkins, elite, Slayer

Dec 31 – A lot of events happened this year. Remember that Melissa was assassinated and the son of her and Hanse Davion takes the throne. We also have a new Protector in the Taurian Concordat.

In technology, many new mechs made their debut, as did many old designs from the Star League getting a new run. Several new battle armors were introduced, including the Raiden Several new aerospace assets are introduced including the Kuan-Ti DropShip, a renovated Tramp JumpShip and such. For mechs, we see the introduction of caseless ammunition for ACs, flechette ammunition for ACs, an IS version of the clan’s A Pod is fixed by ComStar, and Inferno Mines.

Thoma Marie Essex has graduated from The Nagelring, and will spend a year in a training cadre before she has completed her training. In one year, she will be done.

Essex Training Academy

We have13 graduates from the Essex Training Academy, and 11 enrollees for next year. Of these 13, 4 choose not to stay with us, and the remaining 9 have 4 vet, 4 regular and 1 elite. We also have people enroll in the first year of our armor and infantry training.

Year 4 - 11
Year 3 - 15
Year 2- 17
Year 1 – 11

Armor – 5

Infantry, Year 1 - 4

We pay 12.5 million to the upkeep of the Academy and HQ.

January 1, 3056 – This will be the last year of Chapter 5. I will take a contract now because our garrison just added 9 more MechWarrior graduates, and since our garrison has roughly 65 mechs including clan mechs, we easily absorb them into the garrison (30 MechWarriors now, plus Ted), so virtually a battalion in our garrison. These are usually green, regular, or recent grads that have yet to grab a home in our administration.

Ted Izumo is retiring as the XO of the unit. He still remains the Headmaster of the Essex Training Academy and CO of the Garrison, but he is no longer second in command strategically and tactically. Because the XO does a lot of administrative work of a unit, Humphries and Fitzgerald aren’t really well suited that that function.

After discussing it at length, we are promoting Lt. Mei Zhen, of Typhon Company as our new XO. Because Mei will not be taking over military duties such as the garrison or running the Academy, she will be promoted to the new rank of Major only. The XO of a unit is the one who does things like logistics, day to day operations, and so forth. In that sense, she has command over everyone save Braham Essex, but on the field of battle, anyone with a Colonel Rank will supersede her. In order to designate her rank as higher than our many Battalion Captains as well as the Lieutenant Colonels we have for each regiment, she is given the rank of Major, which we have not used up until now.

Replacing her on a company is our elite grad, Gabrielle Herrera takes her Marauder. Sgt. Foster Keynes was promoted to Lt and Abdullah Malawi is the new Sgt for Typhon Company. Mei is transferred to EE where she will work in charge of all of the stuff that we have as XO.

She orders another pair of Comets built from the parts we have from Wasps, Stingers, Locusts and other 20 ton stuff. We also buy the engine, gyro, heat sinks and CT section to fix up our destroyed Thug.

Just out of curiosity, what are you using to resolve your Aerospace battles? Is there an AeroTech version of MegaMek out there?

Contracts:

St. Ives – Garrison
FedCom – Pirate Hunting
Rasalhague – Security
Marik – Relief Duty

Ummm….yuck. Where are my mid-50’s Raids?


February 1 – Delta Company will return this month with a bunch of mechs.

Contracts!

Capellan Confederation – O Raid
Marik – Pirate Hunting
Periphery – O Raid
Company – Extraction Raid
FedCom – Cadre/Garrison

There are my raids.


Guile Company Extraction Raid to Ko, a FedCom planet where raiders have secured stuff stolen from a local company

Salvage: Full
Salary: x1.4, x4 x1.6, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: Indy
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 2 months
Transport: Full
9% Bonus


We’ll be there on March 10.

I wish! It's just strategic resolution rather than a tactical one. I'm taking the obvious resolutions. It's one reason why my Aerospace Companies are so large. As 12 or 14 fighters, I'm much bigger than usual folks out there, which gives me large advantage in numbers - and thus I can write in victories without rolling dice. Here come some conventional fighters and here's a normal Aerospace Company of 6 fighters, and so forth. I also write in losses too, when a[appropriate, but AeroSpace fighters are tough. Only a to hit roll of a 12 is a critical. Criticals usually aren't debilitating, so it's not hard to keep them in the fight for a while. They aren't nearly as fragile as tanks or conventional fighters.

Having said that, MegaMek can simulate a space battle, I just put the map in space and give the units out, but the AI is incredibly stupid and does n;t move half of the time.

March 17 – After several delays at Zollokifin, we arrive. It’s a relatively peaceful agrarian world, and despite being right on the border and a for Draconis Combine world, the garrison is relatively light.

Mar 28 – We are continuing to look for their stolen supplies after their info did not pan out.

Apr 15 – We finally found it. It’s in a warehouse district guarded by tanks. We arrive and blast in.



Our Foes:

2x Upgraded Brutuses (Made by Kressly, heh)
15 other tanks, mostly level 1 tech, but the occasional higher one. The updated ones are 2x Galleon and a Goblin.

All regular


As a reminder, here is Guile Company

BNC-2S Banshee; CRK-5003-2 Katana; ANV-3M Anvil; CN9-D Centurion;
STK-5M Stalker; MAD-5M Marauder; HUR-WO-R4L Huron Warrior; CLPT-1L Catapult;
JR7-K Jenner; SHD-5M Shadow Hawk; JVN-10N Javelin; COM-2D Commando

T1 – We win init. Our Shadow Hawk immobilizes a Brutus. Stalker destroys their Hunter. Our Marauder falls from missile damage. The Marauder immobilizes the J Edgar.

T2 – We lose init. Our Marauder rises. Our Banshee immobilizes a Partisan. Our Stalker immobilizes their LRM Carrier. Our Marauder destroys a Harasser’s left side. Our Catapult immobilizes a Sturmfeur. Our Centurion kicks and immobilizes a level 2 Galleon.


They flee.

Galleon level 2 - immobile
Brutus level 2 - immobile
Hunter – immobile
J Edgar - immobile
Partisan – immobile
LRM Carrier – immobile
Harasser – destroyed LS
Sturmfeur - immobile

We break into the warehouse and grab the crates and salvage and head out.


We return on June 25.

Money – We paid 1.1 mill to fix everything, plus salary, plus bonuses from contract

Back to February. We decide to look into the CC contract, but they want us to hit the FC, so no thanks.

March 1 – Returning this month are Cinq, Brawler, Butler and Trident Companies.

Contracts!

Periphery – Pirate Hunting
Company – Extraction
ComStar – Objective Raid
Free Worlds League – Defense

ComStar wants another hit on Blake.


Tango Objective Raid at Park Place


Salvage: Full
Salary: x1.3, x4 x1.6, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: Indy
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 1 months
Transport: Full
25% Bonus

We arrive on June 3

June 3 – We arrive and get the lay of the land. A scan of the area is not showing anything.

June 11 – We have scouted out the HPG Station for a while. We know that ComStar’s intel is on. We head out and move in.


They jump out of the station to defend it.

Venom
FLC-4P Falcon
Wraith
VT-5M Vulcan
TBT-7M Trebuchet
KTO-19 Kintaro
BL-9-KNT Black Knight
ARC-4M Archer
War Dog
Mauler
Devastator
Grand Crusader


This is their Devastator, one of the first level 2 tech mechs remade from the Star League era, but we’ve not encountered it because it’s a Lyran mech and we haven’t done a lot of contracts there. 100 tons, 3/5 with an XL, 14/28, and almost max armor. It has two gausses, two PPCs, and 4 medium lasers, one facing the year.




All of their pilots save the GC and Devastator are regular. Those are elite.

T1 – We lose init. After blasting their Devastator, we blacked out the pilot from an LB10X shot and srms. A TAC hits a hip on our Masakari. I intentionally set the woods they are in on fire with my Javelin.

T2 – We lose again. We run our Locust behind their Trebuchet. A Wraith’s LPL nails our Trebuchet in the H but doesn’t go critical. Our Grizzly destroys the Mauler’s LT and it shuts down. Our Jav sets another wood on fire. Their Trebuchet falls when we kick it and hits the engine once. Their Devastator pilot needs a 10 to awaken and doesn’t.

T3 – We win. Their Trebuchet stands and moves but I hop the Peregrine behind it. Their War Dog hits the AC20 ammo in our Hunchback and it explodes. Gausses from our Galahad destroy the RT of their Black Knight and it shuts down. LPL from our Peregrine to their TBT. Their War Dog falls. Our Jav pushes their Vulcan into the space their War Dog was, which is on fire to raise its heat. Their War Dog is displaced into a fire closer to our guys. Now, if all it does is stand, or fails to, my mechs hiding behind cover can blast it next turn.

T4 – We win. Their War Dog stands but stays in the same square. We hop the Watchman next to the TBT. Our Kodiak’s Ultra AC20 shots both hit the War Dog’s LA and destroy it. The Black hawk’s ER PPC hits a gyro on their Grand Crusader. The War Dog falls but not the Grand C.

T5 – We win again. Their WD stands again. Kodiak next to their War Dog, Watchman remains next to their TBT> Their Grand Crusader ran, fell due to gyro issues, hits the AMS ammo in its CT, explosion, not enough to destroy the section but the pilot was on auto eject for explosions and is out. Our Kodiak destroys the LT on their War Dog and it shuts down. Our Black Hawk hits the ammo on the LT of their Kintaro and it doesn’t have CASE so it explodes boom! Their Vulcan tumbles after swinging and missing with a kick on my Javelin.

T6 - We lose init. Their Vulcan rises. Our Kodiak bases their Vulcan and blasts it. It’s virtually untouched, but in one barrage that includes an Ultra AC20 destroying a RL and then destroying it’s CT. It’s engine explodes. That explosion hits their Falcon for 24 damage, which ignites its Anti-Missile ammo, and I’ve not fired at it once. It explodes too. Both their Wraith and our Kodiak took 24 as well. Their Archer destroys the RT of our Thunderbolt. Our Watchman destroys the LT of their Trebuchet and shuts it down. Their Wraith falls and opens a leg and hits a hip.

T7 – We win. We radio to them that we will allow them to live and they can take their MWs from the field if they just give us their machines. All they have left is a damaged Venom and Wraith and an Archer. They choose to flee. We are unable to catch the super fast Venom, but the Wraith is easily caught up to and legged while the Archer is blasted by our scout and ranged mechs and its RT and RA are destroyed.

Trebuchet missing LT
Falcon RA, LT
Kintaro LA,
War Dog missing LA, LT
Devastator
Mauler missing LT
Black Knight missing RT
Grand Crusader gyrox1
Archer missing RT, RA
Wraith missing LL



Hunchback, LA
Thunderbolt missing RT


We will return on Aug 9, 3056.

We pay 4.76 mill for everything.

We will replace the Hunchback in this Company with an Anvil.

Rewind:


Mar 15 – The Second Skye Rebellion has begun as many Skye Separatists have again begun fomenting war and strife in the area.



April 1 – The first pair of Alexanders roll off the line, and we get them because we donated the tech time from our clan techs and two clan omnis and Raptor in order to facilitate their production. They de resemble a bit like the Hunchback chassis used ,but still have a distinctive look and feel to them. They are making four a month and already have the whole year’s product sold. We have helped them to create three alternate configurations to demonstrate the mech, and one secret config.

As a reminder, here is the Alexander, a 55 ton IS tech OmniMech. 5/8, no special construction materials to drop cost and ability to be fixed in the field, 10/20 heat base, 11.5 tons of armor, 16.5 tons of pod space.

The prime configuration is a bit of a brawler, with an ER PPC for range, SRM6, 4x medium lasers, CASE, and an extra double heat sink. BV is 1511.

A – LRM15, 2 tons of ammo, CASE, Artemis IV, in LT, ER LL in CT, Medium Laser in H. This is a solid long range mech, that packs the reach of both a missile system with 16 shots and a long range laser, plus a back up weapon. BV is 1443

B – Jump Jets to make speed 5/8/5. 6x Medium Pulse Lasers. 2x heat sinks. This one is designed to jump into range and blast away with highly accurate fire. A variant of this variant pulls four of the medium pulse lasers for a large one and a small one. That gives some range at the sacrifice of its sheer power. BV is 1415.

C – LRM 10, 1 ton of armor, SRM6, 1 ton of armor, CASE. ER Large Laser, Medium Laser. This is designed to have some range and some inner bite too, and thus have effectiveness at all ranges. BV is 1402.


A(c) – This is a secret version used to display its abilities when used with clan tech weapons and equipment to potential customers who can use that. It demonstrates the A variant fully enclanned. LRM20 with two tons of ammo, SRM6 Streak, 1 ton of ammo, ER Large Laser, ER Small Laser, 1 extra double heat sink. Ammo is automatically CASEd. You increase the missile payout and add a heat sink and all you have to do to add a major weapon to the load is to drop Artemis IV and downgrade the ML to a ER SL. BV is 1826. We added almost 400 BV with this version over the A. And you can easily swap the extra HS for Artemis IV if you prefer.


We will be using this payload for K&C normally.

5/8/5 movement with the extra JJs
ER PPC in the LT.
7x Medium Lasers, one head, one CT, 1x LT, 4xRT

We can fire our ER PPC and jump max all day long. No heat is made. Then when we get close, we unload with seven medium lasers to make and exploit holes, and that makes 21 heat total.

BV for this one is 1675.


An Alexander comes with a base weapon payout unless you want one of the others. It’s just 6.3 mill. Our version is 6.8 but it’s worth it. Other Omnis load their mech down with expensive building materials. Like the Raptor a 25 ton scout Omni with a 4 mill price tag or the Owens that came out this year – 35 tons and 7.8 mill. This is a cheap and flexible OmniMech for the masses.

Apr 2 – Contracts!

FC – Riot/Garrison
FWL – Garrison
FC – Obj Raid
CC – Retainer

No thanks Capellan Confederation.

The FC wants us to hit Skye Folks.



Vindemiatrix is the target, and we can be there on June 28. The Skye Dissidents have huge bankrolls and good mechs. We just got word that they have attacked, in force, Glengarry, the garrison world of Grey Death Legion. That’s powerful stuff. We are asked to send in a battalion of mechs and to go in heavy.

Trinity Company does not return until May 27, but they are coming from Sarpsborg, so we have them meet us at Vindemiatrix and send Heater Battalion. In fact they are probably just one jump from Vindemiatrx right now.

Heater Battalion – Delta, Trinity, Butler, plus Catapult Company, Serendipitous Victory, Amalgamted Bliss and Star River.


Salvage: Full
Salary: x1.3, x4 x1.6, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: Indy
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 3 months
Transport: 100% Compensation
25% Bonus

June 26 – We have landed all of our forces on Vindemiatrix. We have landed at Brattleston Depot, their capital. This is a fair world, with a major university focused on Astronomy called the Vindemiatrix Observatory. The star’s life cycle is nearing its end, and there is a major effort to keep local endemic wildlife and flora from dying as he climate changes. It has modest industry, modest academia, modest tourism, modest agriculture and modest commercial interests. It’s an average world.

Our goal is to destroy the rampant Skye forces on planet. We have been told that the Free Skye Rebellion has at least a mixed battalion of forces on planet.

July 2 – We’ve localized their forces to a small subsection of the Rust Hills. Hundreds of years ago, mines here got the easiest and most valuable ores from the planet. Now the mines have moved north but here there are old mining facilities that could easily hide mech and men from scanners.

July 9 – After a week of scanning and patrolling, we know they are not at the northern-most ridges of the Rust Hills. We are moving south until we find them, hill by hill. South of the Rust Hills are just flat farms, so we know they will come out to play rather than run and hide.

July 12 – We came across a sign they are here when we found a damaged tank, couldn’t be more than 2-3 weeks old, stripped to the bone. It looks like the tracks broke and they couldn’t field repair it.

July 14 – While out scouting, Delta Company is attacked in force by an entire battalion of forces that leap out of three unknown entrances to an abandoned mine. They flee and call in support. Within a half hour, our other mech companies have arrived and Catapult is scrambled and up high, out of sight and sound.

We move in.

We manage to trip a minefield and then another on the other side. We can’t go too fast, when out they come. About 40 total enemy mechs and vehicles are bursting behind us. We are trapped between what is likely a big mine field and our enemy. We must fight. We decide to move in. They are in one giant mass, and we are unable to force them into smaller companies.

Our foes:

Berserker
Gunslinger
Penetrator
Dart
Nightsky
Axman
ENF-5D Enforcer
VLK-1D Valkyrie
FS9-S Firestarter
WLF-2 Wolfhound
ZEU-9S Zeus
RFL-5M Rifleman
WHM-7S Warhammer
Bushwacker
Scarabus

Level 1 mechs and tanks

CDA-2A Cicada
Phoenix hawk
Stalker
Thunderbolt
JM6-S JagerMech

LRM Carrier
2x Patton
2x Zhukov
Demolisher
2x Condor
2x Vedette
2x Drillson
2x Striker
2x Saladin
2x Hunter
2x Scorpion

All of the vehicles are regular. Half of the mechs are veteran, Zeus is elite.


Now, the AI can’t run that many people at once – it would take 20-30 minutes for each move. Thus, I will be moving their units, and then quitting and loading it for the computer for firing and physical combat – which is quick. I can move the units to better places than their AI usually does in large battles. I did this before with the WarShip battle, but my clever moves weren't as useful because we were divided by a chasm. Expect more strategic movements.

This is their Berserker, a 100 ton mech with an axe, 4/6 (8) movements with the aid of an XL engine, 18.5 tons of armor, a pair of large pulse lasers, an ER PPC, an anti missile system, MASC to make it faster, a Guardian ECM and a Flamer. It is the most expensive mech in the Inner Sphere ever, save one version of an OmniMech – 32 million. That’s a huge prize financially. We could sell it for almost a company of mechs. At least 8 good mechs.



We are fighting on a generated 22x30 map. No trees, no water, just hills and rubble. There’s a ridge in the middle.

T1 – I organize my fire support mechs in the middle to walk behind level one terrain for defense and with most of my scout units for defense as well. I have half of my mega forces to the north of the ridge and half of the south to move around and bus through enemy mechs and tanks I see on the other side. We win init. My goal is to take out at least two tanks and two mechs each round. The fire is in. We immobilize a Drillson, Vedette. Our Archer lights up a Striker and it explodes. Our Thunderbolt also destroys the CT of their JagerMech after taking out the LT and RT. Under fire, their Cicada falls and destroys its RL. I’ll skip anything unless its a mech or tank devastated. For example, we hit the Ultra AC5 in their Rifleman. Did not mention it.

T2 – We win init. Their Cicada fails to stand. LRM Carrier crew killed by our Warhammer. Our Trebuchet destroys their Gunslinger’s gauss, it explodes destroys the LA and the pilot ejects. Our Hunchback destroys the RT of their Scarabus and it shuts down. No one falls. Our PXH and their Wolfhound are kicked to the ground. Our Centurion’s RA was destroyed. Our BattleMaster hits the fuel tank on a Condor, boom. Their T Bolt falls. Our Spider kicks and destroys the RT of their Scarabus and it shuts down.

T3 – We lose. We are getting overwhelmed in th south and dominated the north where we took out two mechs and three vehicles already. Their jumping good units smashed up the center ridge to close range my fire support mechs (because I’m controlled them). SO mechs like the Penetrator, Axman, and Enforcer have broken up the middles. Their Cicada tries to stand, falls, and destroys its other leg. Dead Cicada. Their T Bolt stands though. A ton of stuff happens this round. Their Penetrator blasts our Archer’s H and destroys its. Dead MW. Our Crusader hits an engine on their Firestarter. Our Black Knight immobilizes a Condor. One of our BM’s gets a limb blown off their Dart’s LA and hits its gyro too. Our Dragon destroys the RT of their Rifleman and it shuts down. Our Goliath destroys the LL of their Firestarter. One of our PXH’s stuns a Saladin crew for a turn. Before it went, our Archer got a fuel explosion on a Zhukov. Their Dart, Firestarter and Axman fall. Our Vulcan and one BM does as well. Our BM punches and destroys the LT of their Dart. Our Attila kicks and destroys the LT of their fallen Axman – dead mech. Their Warhammer kicks and destroys the LL of one of our Spiders. Their Warhammer and Bushwacker fall. Our Centurion and Spider do as well. Rar melee!

T4 – We win. Their Dart tries to stand, falls, and destroys its RT – Dead Mech. Except for a few tanks, we have broken through the top and I am bringing those mechs down towards the middle to outflank them. They break away a few tanks and a Thunderbolt and Enforcer from the middle to slow us down. They cannot be surrounded or else back attacks will rule. I eject the Centurion after it is surrounded by two tanks and very damaged. The same with our Vulcan – ejected. Their Penetrator jumps behind our Trebuchet. Bushwacker stands. Warhammer does, most everybody does save their Firestarter. Their PXH to the rear of my Watchman. I also eject the one legged spider. Our Warhammer destroys the LS of a Saladin. A BM immobilizes a Patton. Our Goliath immobilizes a Zhukov. The damaged BattleMaster that fell last turn falls again. Our Goliath kicks and destroys the H of a Wolfhound.

T5 – We win. I eject the savaged BattleMaster. Their Warhammer’s PPC shears off the H of Butler Company’s Trebuchet and another mech of mine is down and another pilot killed. They also destroy its RA. The Dragonfly destroys the Warhammer RT, and our Crusader adds two engine hits and a gyro hit. Our Catapult destroys their Enforcer’s RA and hits its engine and gyro once each. Our BM that’s left immobilizes a Drillson. Our dead Trebuchet destroys the Warhammer’s CT before she died. Our Goliath destroys the front of a Scorpion. One of our Attilas unloads into their Berserker, which many of us have been doing for a while, hits an engine, and it falls and the pilot blacks out and it breaks its LL. Their Enforcer falls and the pilot blacks out. Our Ostsol tumbles.

T6 – We lose init. I eject a damaged Ostol. Both of its large lasers were hit. A Saladin skids and hits a cliff and destroys its left side. I may have to reassess my view of the Demolisher because that thing has been attacked by me by maybe 20 mechs over the course of three turns and it’s holding the pass in the north. They have stopped the crush from the north and pushed back with several major tanks and mech reinforcements such as Stalker, PXH and Zeus. (Because I know what I’m doing when I move, if only they would aim like me too). These Pattons have been durable too. Nightsky behind our Goliath. Penetrator behind our Rifleman. Their T Bolt nails an engine and gyro on one of my Guillotines. It destroys the H of their Enforcer. Our Banshee destroys the FS of their other Hunter. Our Wasp destroys the H of their Firestarter. Our other Guillotine immobilizes a Vedette. Our Hunchback aims and destroys the H of their Berserker. Their Zeus and one of our G Tines falls.

T7 – Winning. We eject our Rifleman and damaged Guillotine. Their Zeus stands. Our Attila blasts all four actuators in its LL. Our Crusader destroys the LA of their Penetrator. Our Wasp hits the gyro on their Nightsky twice. Their Valkyrie hits the AC20 ammo in our Victor and it explodes. A PXH immobilizes their Striker. Our T Bolt nails the gyro and engine on theirs. Our Goliath hits the ammo on their Stalker and it explodes. Our Hunchback destroys the RT of their Bushwacker and it shuts down. Our Watchmen, their Zeus and T Bolt all fall. Our Attila kicked and destroyed the FS of their Demolisher. Our Hunchback kicks and destroys the RL of their Penetrator.

With just two mobile mechs left (Valkyrie and Phoenix Hawk) they started to move away, but Crossbow Company moves in and forces them to remain here, so they surrender

Firestarter missing H, RL
Warhammer RA, LT, LA, H, LL, RL
Wolfhound missing H
Axman missing LT
Scarabus missing RT.
JagerMech LA, RA, H, LL, RL
Gunslinger missing LA
Cicada missing both legs
Dart missing RT, LT
Rifleman missing RT
Berserker enginex1, missing LL, H
Enforcer missing H, RA, gyro, enginex1
Nightsky, gyro hit twice
Thunderbolt, gyrox1, enginex1
Stalker LT, H, RL
Bushwacker missing RT


Side Destroyed – Saladinx2, Scorpion, Hunter, Demolisher
Immobilized – Drillsonx2, Vedettex2, Hunter, Condor, Pattonx2, Zhukov, Striker
LRM Carrier crew killed




Centurion missing RA
Archer missing H
Spider missing LL.
Trebuchet missing H, RA
Victor LA




Aug 4 - We have spent the last few weeks finishing our scouting of the Rust Hills and ensuring that everything is quiet – and it is. We have rented a DropShip to carry our salvage back and are ready to cash up and head back.

We will return on October 25.

We made 6.3 from the salary of the contract and 6.14 mill from 50% battle loss compensation

4.28 mill to get my stuff back and running – pieces, ammo, armor.

1.495 mill to get the armor up and running

We sell the Berserker for 26 mill after we fix the ammo and armor and engine on it.

11.51 mill total for fixing repairing rearming and re-ammoing all of the mechs we recovered.

We made 19.5 mill – largely from the sale of the Berserker.




Experience

Butler – None

Delta – Lt. Miguel Juarez, Banshee, Tactical Genius; Cristina Fernandez, BattleMaster, Edge:2; Khalid Hussein, Wasp, -1 piloting – now 2/2.

Trinity – Janice Flanders, Goliath, Edge: 2


Replacements mechs and warriors:


Butler Company is replacing their destroyed Victor with an Axman.
Butler Company is getting Horace Jackson, veteran, in their Trebuchet.
Trinity Company welcomes Farah Hopkins, elite, for the Archer.

Rewind again.

Apr 12 – We have recruited six more Infantry Standard vet infantry platoons.


May 1 – Contracts!

Company – Security
St. Ives – O Raid
Drac – Garrison
Drac - Defense
Capellan Confederation – O Raid


The CC wants us to hit the FC, so no thanks. The Compact wants us to hit the FC too, despite the fact they are allies. Again, no thanks. The Security contract is in Davion space, hold on, let me roll…Murchison. Fairly close by, on the border with the Dracs, a reasonable place for a short term security deal. It’s a fairly wealthy planet with a lot of companies and interests there. A local company that processes food into rations for the military believes that it is about to be targeted as a way to disrupt the food supply for the FedCom military. It doesn’t normally have a garrison, so it wants a short term deal with a company of mechs to patrol and keep the place safe. The local FedCom officer does not believe that it is about to be attacked.

We can be on planet June 5.


Cinq Company is sent

Salvage: Full
Salary: x1.1, x3.7 x1.3, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: House
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 6 months
Transport: Full
20% Bonus

June 1 – We arrive in the system and start moving to Murchison. We’ll be there in six days.

June 4 – Before we get there, a small company of raiders has attacked the plant. They’ve destroyed most of the lines and set back the company a year in production.

June 7 – We land and take up our positions. Our contract is still in force and they’ve put our pay in an account, so they can’t cancel it. It appears that someone knew we were coming and accelerated their time table. The company is super pissed at the local forces on planet.

July 10 – The company has sued the official for not protecting them, and they want back the money they paid us plus all of their losses.

July 18 – The news item of the local general who refused to protect the food company is making rounds all over the Inner Sphere.

July 21 – In an attempt to end a nasty news story, the local military is buying out our contract and taking over the defense of the plant, and putting all of their resources into refurbishing it.

July 24 – We blast off of Murchison.

September 1 – We arrive back at EE.


We made 1.866 and only spent a few hundred on upkeep and salaries.

June 1 – Defender, Vegas, Miner and Fallout Companies all returned last month. Guile returns this month and 2nd Tank Battalion is done with their garrison contract this month as well, but the local government does not need them to re-up.


Jericho Company


Lt. Jacqueline Pryde, elite, Daishi A
Roger Kender, elite, GLT-3N Guillotine
Zarya Priman, veteran, Flashman
Catiuscia Marini, elite, Loki D-UK


Sgt. Maria Soares, elite, Grand Crusader
June Cunningham, veteran, Rifleman
LaTanya Saunders, elite, Mad Cat Prime
Lisa Fortez, veteran, SHD-5M Shadow Hawk

Sgt. Valerie Swanson, elite, WVR-6M Wolverine
Sirimavo Bandaranaike, veteran, WLF-2 Wolfhound
Edgar Starks, veteran, Watchman
Abraham Steinman, veteran, Spider




We have several low tech mechs – the Rifleman, the 6M Wolverine, and the Spider. This is a good, solid, unit, with some clan tech springing things up, some level 2 tech all in there and some nice well designed low tech mechs. We purchased the last three scout mechs.


I buy three more Gallowglas’s from Outreach and we sell a bunch of misc items we’ve acquired through the years, like extra weapons and such. Quad limbs for things like Scorpions and Tarantulas. I also sell a Hercules, Wraith, TBT 7M and War Dog. I make 59.5 mill.

Babylon Company


Lt. Nadine St. Xavier, elite, ATA-2 Attila
Zhuang Cheng, elite, Thor C
Cameron Maitland, veteran, THG-11E Thug
Darla Erwin, veteran, Gallowglas


Sgt. Wilhelm Von Bauer, elite, Grand Crusader
George Driver, elite, Vulture D-UK
Wesley Evans, elite, ARC-4M Archer
Paul Singh, veteran, GRF-3M Griffin


Sgt. Du Xuetong, elite, ALX-1kc Alexander
Sherry Thompson, elite, VL-5T Vulcan
Jackson Shepherd, veteran, CMT-1 Comet
Rikaard Jonasberg, veteran, JR7-F Jenner


We bought the Gallowglas, Attila, Jenner, and Vulcan to round out this company. Yet another Grand Crusader rolls off the docks. The last three mechs are level 1, and the level 3 clan mechs give us a pair of nicely powered guys.

Nineveh Company

Capt. Kyla Jeffries, elite, Masakari C
Krystal Gellar, elite, ST-8A Shootist
Masashi Oiso, elite, HTM-27T Hatamato-Chi
Brenda McKeller, veteran, Gallowglas


Sgt. Julio César, elite, DVS-2 Devastator
Sabah al-Jaber, elite, Vulture B
Ana Scott, veteran, Catapult
Philippe de Villiers, veteran, WHM-6D Warhammer

Sgt. Yvonne McKenna, elite, WTC-4M Watchman
Perry Palmer, veteran, JVN-10F Javelin
William Foster, veteran, PXH-1D Phoenix Hawk
Sara Ovango, veteran, Comet


This company has some good level one 1 tech mechs including PXH variant, Warhammer variant, Comet, Javelin variant and the Catapult. I bought the Hatamato-Chi, Warhammer, Catapult, Javelin, Watchman and PXH. We finish 2.89 million in debt. Capt. Kyla Jeffries was a lieutenant with Blue Star Irregulars until their unit lost a regiment and she was dispossessed, and she drifted to another merc unit which was destroyed last year. Now she’s ended up with us, and with some experience already, we are making her Captain of this battalion. This is Mesopotamia Battalion and it replaces Shadow Battalion in Gamma Regiment, putting Shadow Battalion back outside of the command structure, where we like it. Gamma Regiment is now a very level 2/level 3 oriented Regiment with lots of good MechWarriors.

In October, when three groups return and bring their mechs, I expect at least one more company from them. Plus we’ll need to add a bunch of aerospace assets for the Vengeance.

Here’s a full roster right now, and that’s a lot of stuff, I know:



Kilts and Commandos Roster:

Alpha Regiment:

Heliades Company - Return on June 8, 3057
Styx Company - Return on June 8, 3057
Tethys Company – Return on June 8, 3057
Typhon Company – Return on June 8, 3057
Defender Company –
Cinq Company – Return on September 1
Brawler Company –
Delta Company – return on October 25.
Trinity Company – return on October 25.
Butler Company – return on October 25.


Beta Regiment:

Phaeton Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Boxer Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Rebel Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Mustang Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Hex Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Raven Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Aleph Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Laser Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056
Sabre Company – Fort Loudon, end Oct 4, 3056


Gamma Regiment:

Breaker Battalion:

Trident Company –
Miner Company –
Fallout Company -

Scimitar Battalion:

Vegas Company –
Guile Company - return on June 25, 3056
Tango Company - return on Aug 9, 3056


Mesopotamia Battalion:

Jericho Company –
Babylon Company –
Nineveh Company –



Shadow Battalion:

Bruiser Company – Return on October 28, 3056
Shadow Company – Return on October 28, 3056
Sealion Company - Return on October 28, 3056

Arrow Company – Return on October 28, 3056
Bolt Company –
Catapult Company - return on October 25.
Tank First Battalion – EE- mining garrison complete on October 15, 3057
Tank Second Battalion - EE, mining garrison, complete on June 3, 3056
Garrison and Infantry – EE, garrison,


Scots Flotilla, Merchant JumpShip – Return on October 28, 3056
Johnny Appleseed, Invader JumpShip - – Return on October 28, 3056
Robin Hood, Union DropShip –
Star River, Union DropShip - return on October 25.
Serendipitous Victory, Union-C DropShip - return on October 25.
Amalgamated Bliss, Union DropShip – return on October 25.
Defiance, Overlord DropShip – Return on October 28, 3056
Fury Unbound, Vengeance DropShip - Return on October 28, 3056
Firebird, Avenger DropShip - Return on October 28, 3056
Swift Justice, Aegis WarShip – Return on October 28, 3056
Arrow of Fate, Achilles DropShip, Upgraded - Return on October 28, 3056
Stalwart Destruction, Model 96 Elephant - Return on October 28, 3056
Daily Menace, Overlord DropShip, Upgraded - Return on October 28, 3056
Faith’s Bulwark, Fortress DropShip, Upgraded - Return on October 28, 3056

Contracts!

Company – Garrison
FedCom – Retainer
FWL – Security
Company – Cadre/Garrison


Nearby planet Terra Firma has many rich industries and commercial services on the planet. It’s quite valuable. It’s also lightly garrisoned, as the FedCom tends to leave the planet alone. As such, a few companies that are located in an industrial complex near the heart of Terra Firma’s industrial center need troops for a garrison. Ideally, they want a company of mechs and a battalion of armor. We have that. Plus, we are neighbors.


2nd Tank Battalion, Brawler Company


Salvage: Full
Salary: x.9, x3.7 x1.3, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: House
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 3 years
Transport: Full
10% Bonus

We arrive on Terra Firma on June 28, 3056, and will finish our contract on June 28, 3059

I check it out, and nothing happens through Jan 1, 3057. We’ll pick things up from there in Chapter 6.

The FedCom would like at least one regiment as a retainer. We could just re-up Beta Regiment or give them Gamma for a few years. We eventually say no.

The company that wants cadre/garrison work is Victoria, which is deep in the Capellan Confederation. Not right now. The Marik Security Contract is for 6 months, ideally, on Asuncion, which just three jumps away. We can be there in early July.


Mesopotamia Battalion. Security on Asuncion

Salvage: Full
Salary: x1.3, x3.7 x1.3, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: House
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 6 months
Transport: Full
17.5% Bonus


July 4 – We arrive on Asuncion, and begin adding to the defense of their local government. Elections are tight and there are some rebel rumblings, so we have been hired to protect them just in case bad stuff happens


July 19 – Nothing major has happened but today there was a riot in the capital. It was minor, and the garrison handled it. The government is bending over backward to ensure it doesn’t crack down on free speech.

Aug 1 – The election is held, but instead of the results everyone expected, with the current government retaining their position and the rebel factions losing, they actually won. Our contract is with the government, whoever has it.

Aug 6 - After a few days of harmless victory, the feeling of rebellion has ended, and our contract should be pretty easy.

Nov 2 – While out patrolling Nineveh Company is sent to help a local company under attack by armor and infantry raiders. Capt. Jeffries reminds them that we are not on a retainer contract, but a security contract to protect the government. They offer to increase our salary by one million, and she accepts.


We move in and easily sweep away the tanks. Few survive after two rounds of scouring. We gain 7 random tanks after spending 2 mill to fix them.

Jan 26, 3057 – We return from the contract.

After paying our salaries and upkeep for 8 months, we made 8 mill.

Rewind:


June 15 – While recruiting on Outreach, Major Ling discovers a DropShip and crew have arrived and is looking for a new unit. She negotiates to bring them aboard. When our Aerospace units aren’t being used, we have them ferry materiel, troops, or cargo to make the payments of salary and upkeep. That’s sometimes why it usually takes about ten days after accepting a contract to have it start. We have gained the Union class DropShip Megan’s Fury, captained by Megan Moore. She was previously with a mercenary command facing the clans. They destroyed her unit and didn’t even bother her, she just left and came to Outreach to sign on with another outfit.


July 1 – Contracts!

Company – Security – Waaaay out there in Drac Space
FedCom – O Raid – target is Sky Rebellion on Kochab
FedCom – Garrison
Combine – Security
Periphery – Planetary Assault


Sigh, where are my raids at? Who wants garrison, let me check. Somewhere in the Draconis March, let me roll…Xhosa VII. Duke Sandoval needs some aid in protecting his borders, since front line units were stripped away to fight the clans and are still there. He would like us to put some troops on Xhosa VII for a couple of years. He trusts us, and would be happy if we took the contract. This is just not what we are looking for right now, though. We’ve had a lot of people that get back, and then just as soon as they do they head back out again. Too much time on JumpShips and in battle. Many of our guys need some R&R. We’d like to keep people near home for a bit, although we’re happy to send out guys on raids, but we don’t want to take these giant contracts on a regular basis, plus we just signed away a battalion for 8 months and a company and tank battalion for two years. I’m not interested in signing away even more troops right now.

Another Skye Rebellion is occurring on Kochab, and we can take a contract that heads out there and puts them down. They have taken control of the capital, and we need to dislodge them. They have one mech company, one tank company, and some assorted extra assets like infantry and VTOLs.

We will be sending Bolt Company, Megan’s Fury, 2 platoons of infantry and two armored with IS Standard Armor and Guile Company.



Salvage: Full
Salary: x1.3, x3.4 x1.6, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: Liaison
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 2 months
Transport: Full
15% Bonus




Sept 10 – Our unit has arrived on Kochab. The DropPort is in the central city. We unload fruit from Thorin as part of our cover. (Many military transports have been converted to cargo over the centuries, and vice versa).

Sept 16 – We have scouted the main area. The capital is still under the control of the Skye rebels. They have their mech company by the parliament buildings and their armor and infantry assets here at the DropPort.


Sept 29 – After observing for days and days on end, the rebels never deviate from their patrol paths unless they notice something. Their time is kept to as precisely as possible as well. We will jump our Guile from Megan’s Fury and attack the armor and infantry defending here as quickly as possible. While doing that, Bolt will scramble from its carrier and move out. Our infantry will move out as well once the area in front of Megan’s Fury is clean. Once we clean out the local garrison forces, we then march directly to the parliament building with whatever assets survived. Our infantry can secure the landing area as well and get our salvage on the boat. We do as much damage to them as possible, and then either grab the salvage after they retreat or we retreat after doing damage. Meanwhile, it appears they have a lot of VTOLs, so Bolt is going to attack them and keep them off our back, plus they can strafe the rebels if they flee or keep them from following us if we have to.

Sept 30 – Our plan begins flawlessly and we attack their tanks.


Here they is

Behemoth
Ontos, upgraded
2x Po Heavy Tank
LRM Carrier, upgraded
2x Vedette upgraded
Drillson
2x Pegasus, upgraded
Hunter, upgraded
Interloper Urban Scout Tank

All are vets

T1 – We lose init. We focus a lot of fire on their Behemoth and its damaged but still rocking. Their Drillson is immobilized by our final weapon fired by the Marauder.

T2 – We lose again. Our Katana destroys the turret of their Interloper. Catapult missiles immobilize their Ontos and a kick from our Anvil immobilizes their Behemoth.

T3 – We lose again. Our Stalker immobilizes a Po. Our Marauder blows up the other one. Our Shadow Hawk immobilizes a Vedette. Our Commando blows up the fuel on their LRM Carrier. Our Jenner kicks and destroys the FS of their other Vedette.


They flee. They only have the Pegasuses, and a damaged Hunter. We let them go, our infantry moves in, we spend maybe ten minutes reloading, and we move to face the company of mechs.


Immobilized – Drillson, Ontos, Behemoth, Po, Vedette
Side Destroyed – Interloper, Vedette

Our Foes:

Hollander
WSP-1S Wasp
Scarabus
VT-5S Vulcan
HCT-5S Hatchetman
Stealth
WHM-7S Warhammer
Penetrator
GHR-5J Grasshopper
Salamander
AS7-S Atlas
BNC-5S Banshee


Very good mechs, this will not be easy. Here is their Salamander, an 80 ton mech that packs three LRM20s, two back up medium lasers, 9 tons of ammo, max armor, 10/20 heat, and 4/6 movement with a XL engine.



The Atlas is elite, the Banshee, Salamander, Stealth and Grasshopper are veterans

T1 – We found each other in a city park, with a small number of trees and a river/brook running through. We lost init. Our Shadow Hawk hits an engine on their Hollander, and it falls. We set their woods on fire.

T2 – We lose init. Their Hollander stands. Our Jav destroys their Hollanders RA, RT and CT. Our Anvil destroys the RA on their Vulcan. It falls.

T3 – We win init. Their Vulcan falls back down twice. Jav behind their Hatchetman. Our Shadow hawk hits the ammo on their Stealth and it ignites. After taking some hits, our Banshee falls.

T4 – We win again. Their Vulcan fails to rise, and destroys its LL. Our Banshee rises and moves into an adjacent heavy woods. Jenner behind their Scarabus. Our Stalker hits a hip on their Atlas. Their Scarabus blows off the LA of our Jenner. Our Catapult destroys their Hatchetman’s CT> Both their Warhammer and Penetrator fall. Our Jenner kicks their Scarabus to the ground too

T5 – We lose. The Scarabus tries to stand, falls, and the pilot blacks out. Their Vulcan is not standing. Their Warhammer and Penetrator do though. Our Marauder hits the Salamander’s H with an LB 10X firing normal shot. Their Banshee and Penetrator hit an engine and hip on my Katana. Our Kat nails the Penetrator’s gyro. Our Anvil destroys the RT of their Atlas and it shuts down. Our Centurion hits he Penetrator’s gyro again, shut down mech. Under an onslaught of fire, their Salamander falls. Our Centurion kicks their Warhammer, goes internal., nails its hip, it falls and destroys the RL.

With a legged Vulcan and Warhammer, and only a Banshee, Wasp and Grasshopper relatively untouched, they rise their Salamander and begin to flee. The two with jump jets get away from us, but we manage to blast the Salamander’s already severely wounded RL off. Their Banshee manages to escape us, and Bolt Company flies down and strafes the other three mechs before they leave the park. The Wasp is shredded to pieces. All we find is a RA and LL. Their Grasshopper manages to jump away from most of it, and although took some hits, walked out alive. Their Banshee lost sits LT, LA, and RL.

We have won.



Warhammer missing RL
Vulcan missing LL, RA
Atlas missing RT.
Hollander LT, LA, H, LL, RL
Stealth, H, LL, RA
Hatchetman H, LT, LA, LL, RT, RA< RL
Scarabus
Penetrator gyro x2
Salamander missing RL
Wasp RA, LL
Banshee missing LT, LA, and RL


Jenner reattach LA
Katana, hip, enginex1


Experience – Ronan Gascoigne, vet in the Marauder loses a gunnery – 2/4



Money stuff:

1.92 for ammo and armor
10.32 for everything, including refitting

We spent 8.18 mill


We return on November 27, 3056

Rewind to:

Aug 1 – Tango Company returns in a week.

Contracts!

Capellan Confederation - Defense
Blake – O Raid
Drac – Security

The Dracs want security for…Ad Duwayd? On the edge of the Inner Sphere? No thanks.

Blakes, let’s talk, target? Eom. A CC world, and not that far away. Interesting.

Word of Blake wants to use the alliance between the CC and FWL to their advantage by becoming the HPG agent of the CC and kicking out ComStar. On Eom there is a Baron who supports ComStar massively, and he is getting in the way, politically, of Blake moving in. They believe his support would crumble if “ComStar” dropped in, destroyed a local garrison, and popped back out. They think it would be too obvious if WoB troops came in with repainted mechs, so they want a merc unit to arrive and attack the Baron’s mech garrison, and then leave. They’ll be doing public parades in the nearby FWL systems when we hit in order to prove that their forces were not involved.


Defender has been on planet for a while, so let’s send them out.


Salvage: Full
Salary: x1.3, x4 x1.6, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: Indy
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 1 months
Transport: Full
40% Bonus

Nov 2 - Eom is an ugly world. It’s not heavily inhabited and has tons of swamps. The swamps are a source of oil and ore which are both excavated in massive amounts as the sole economic activity on the planet beyond some farms and a few small cities in the small number of plains outside of the massive swamps.

Nov 6 – We have found the garrison Blake spoke of. It has a company of local mechs, with only a third of the mechs using level 2 tech.

Nov 11 – We blast out of our rented DropShip and move to the local garrison. Out pop our targets.


Caps:

Locust
WSP-1L Wasp
Spider
Shadow Hawk
Centurion
Catapult
Goliath
CGR-1A5 Charger


Level 2 Mechs:

Snake
CTF-3L Cataphract
Thunder
Marauder II


That Charger variant is deadly, with an AC20 and real armor

Here is their Snake, a 45 ton mech with an LB 10X, 3x SRM 2 Streak, 5/8/5 (with XL), 11/22 heat, 7 tons of armor.

T1 – We lose init. One of the things I like to do, for fun, is to come up with clever little names for my savegames. For example, I have “Tanks a Lot” and “Tankzilla” as my saves for battles that involve a lot of armor. I created “Snake Handlin’” for our match vs Steel Viper, and I’m reusing it here because of the mech Snake that’s on their side. Our Hunchback’s AC20 hits a glancing blow, half damage, to their Thunder’s H, but it goes internal and hits the cockpit. Dead Thunder. Our Thor destroys the RL of their Spider. The Thor kicks and destroys the RL of their Wasp – two legs from two mechs in one turn. Hot. Their Wasp pilot blacked out too – double hot.

T2 – We win init. Turn 1 was a clear victory for us, as we took out one mech and knocked out the pilot from a second. I hop our Comet by their Wasp to see if we can’t add a few hits to that pretty little head. Hermes II to the rear of their Shadow Hawk. PXH to the rear of their Catapult. Our Comet does destroy the Wasp H. Our Whitworth blows off the LL of their Charger – our Hermes II gets a limb blown off RL on their Shadow Hawk. Their Chargers LA is destroyed by our Stalker. Our Awesome nails the hip and lower leg actuators on their Marauder II. The Charger pilot blacks out. The MAD II falls. Our Orion kicks and hits a hip on their Centurion and it falls. Our Hermes II kicks their Locust to the ground.

With 6 of their mechs on the ground, one unconscious pilot among them, plus two destroyed mechs, I suspect they want to run. That’s not the plan, so we have surrounded them on the field.

T3 – We lose init. Their Locust rises and runs. Their Centurion and MAD II stand and spin. Hermes II and Comet by their Charger. Our CTF is behind their CTF. Hot Cataphract on Cataphract action ensues. Two shots from our Ultra AC20 on the Thor chew into their Marauder II and destroys the LT. Shut down. Our Hunch destroys the LL of their Cataphract. Our Hermes II destroys the H of their Charger. Our Griffin ignites LRM ammo in their Catapult and explodes. Our Stalker destroys the LA and RT of their Centurion. It falls.

They clearly flee and we keep the legged mechs that can’t follow. The only mechs that fled were Locust, Goliath, Centurion with the hip and missing arms and a torso, and Snake.

Cataphract missing LL
Wasp missing H, RL.
Thunder fix cockpit
Charger reattach LL, missing LA, H
Shadow Hawk reattached RL
Marauder II missing LT
Catapult – LA, RT, LL
Spider missing RL

Experience – Indervir Multani, Comet, gains Edge: 1

We spent 3.205 mill for everything, and toss in our salary.

Defender Company Returns on February 2, 3057

Rewind:

Sept 1, 3056 – Cinq Returns today. Contracts:

Periphery – Security
Periphery - Objective Raid
Marik – O Raid on…Fed Com, can’t do
FedCom – O Raid on…DC. doable. What planet? Kessel. Very close too.

The 40th Deiron Regulars are on Kessel. Also there is Diverse Optics Inc, a company that makes er, pulse and regular lasers. Kessel is a world made toxic by centuries of industrial pollution making BattleMechs, DropShips, mining, and more . People have to wear rebreathers when outside of mechs and vehicles.

An FC power wants us to land on Kessel, a prefecture capital, and blast some Dracs. Ideally, they’d like us to threaten Diverse Optics, but they don’t expect us to take it or raid it, just to land, be dangerous, destroy some targets and blast off. The goal is to remind the Dracs not to take the FC for granted just because both realms are dealing with the clan threat .

The 40th are green and very questionable in their loyalties. They were the only unit left in the area after the clan invasion, and have been clamoring for more troops to support them for years, but all they’ve gotten are some updated mechs. The AFFC just want a company to pop in, but we convince them to allow us to send a battalion. Imagine how much damage a battalion of mechs with highly trained and capable mechs and men would do against a unit that’s green and feeling unsupported.


Breaker Battalion on Kessel, + 5 armored infantry and Arrow Company diverts to meet us here instead of arriving at EE.


Salvage: Full
Salary: x1.3, x3.7 x1.6, x1.5 if we face the clans
Support: Battle Loss 50%
Command: Liaison
Remuneration: Yes, x1.05
Length: 3 months
Transport: Full
25% Bonus

Nov 5 – We have arrived at Kessel. We spread out and start to scout for garrisons.

Nov 7 – The local DropPort we are using does have some infantry and a lance of armor from a local garrison. This is good, we can easily brush these guys aside if we pop out of our DropShips.

Nov 12 – We rent a local warehouse and ship four BattleMech shut down insides of sealed containers. We’ll behind this lance of mechs and men from our Thunder Lance (aka scout lance) in Miner Company. When we are ready, they’ll pop out and destroy the small garrison and secure the area for us on our return.

Nov 15 – Their base is right by the Diverse Optics factory, which makes lasers, home electronics, medical lasers and more. We blast off Breaker’s DropShips to the nearest DropPort. Arrow Company remains behind, in order to use it as a secure launching base. Our plan is to clear off the ferrocrete right by our DropShips to land and reboard if planes are injured, but normally they can launch and reboard from the DropShips themselves.

Nov 28 – After copious amounts of scouting by our armored infantry, we have enough data.

The 40th always has one company on patrol at the factory, one on patrol at their nearby base, and the third company from that battalion on standby at the base ready to load and move out in a minute. It’s not a bad set up, but they can be overwhelmed quickly. What would they do if a battalion of mechs suddenly attacked the factories? I have no idea but it’s puzzling. If we attacked the base, they’d organize all of the other units and push to defend. But the base? My guess is that they would send out both companies that are patrolling and on standby and organize the other two battalions for defense.

If so, that would give us a few minutes of a very lightly defended base. Our infantry could move up, hit a few infantry, power in and do some damage before the supporting mechs arrived. When they did, their attention should be on the infantry wreaking havoc on their base, rather than moving to help out at the factory.

Meanwhile, suppose that the two companies moving to support were slowed by the sudden appearance of 14 Aerospace Fighters? What would they do if they were strafed once by the fighters? Would they hole up and grab defensive positions - which is the normal defense against fighters, or would they push it to get to the company, and keeping themselves open to more attacks?

Now, suppose that instead of a battalion of mechs attacking the company, it’s just two full companies. Would they still do the same? My guess is yes, since guarding Diverse Optics is so important, they would send out both companies to help while gearing up. What if the two companies were attacked by AeroSpace Fighters and at the same time eight mechs from Miner Company bust out of nearby buildings and start attacking. What would they do then?

And how long before their green and questionably loyal unit breaks down and everybody starts fleeing for themselves?

That’s our plan. Hit Diverse Optics with Trident and Fallout, force reinforcements to come down High Street with our fighters and strafe, pop out 8 mechs from Miner and a nearby company we’ve rented, watch as our infantry do a lot of damage to their base and force their units to take care of their own house before coming our way.

Dec 10 – This is the day the first colonists arrived on Kessel, and it’s a major holiday, with most businesses closed. We spend a few days going over the plan again and again. Part of being professional on a plan like this is making sure everything works as it is supposed to, and that takes drilling and training, going over scenarios, and making decisions on the planning stage before they have to be made on the battlefield. With everything ready, we begin.


Miner Thunder Lance moves out and in half a minute two tanks are immobile and a third is destroyed and a fourth has run away. Another 15 seconds and a platoon of infantry is killed and the other one has fled as well.

Element #1 – Success

One possible consequence of us taking the DropPort was that the 40th would send in mechs immediately, but our infantry report that no one is moving out. Our fighters are free and in the air.


We’ve flung out Trident and Fallout to Diverse Optics from our DropShips. They are 5 minutes away.

The 40th has not been made aware that we are coming for a while. When we are roughly one minute away we start pinging their mag sensors and their company forms as a unit to try and stop us. (You usually patrol as lances).

We crash into their company.

The 40th:


Raptor A
Owens Prime
PNT-10K Panther
Daimyo
Wolf Trap
PXH-3K Phoenix Hawk
Daikyu
CRD-4K Crusader
DRG-5K Grand Dragon
Gunslinger
Katana, regular
CGR-3K Charger


The mechs of this era for Kurita are so much better than the other houses. This is a great unit, with two light scouting omnis, a very good Panther, the Daimyo’s always a good mech, the PXH-3K is my favorite of the new PXHs, the Gunslinger mounts a double gauss action, the Katana is one of the best assault mechs of this era, the Grand Dragon is hot and that CRD is one of the few Crusaders not to ruin itself by giving it a stupid XL engine but instead has much better in your face weapons and is more of a charge into your face mech, but still good. This is a randomly selected unit, but it doesn’t even have some of the real class of the Combine mechs from this era, but it’s good.

This is their Daikyu. It is a 70 ton mech with 5/8 movement, XL, 11/22 heat, 12 tons of armor, an ER PPC, 2x Ultra AC5, an LRM5, a medium laser, and CASE. It is a great long range mech for the DC< even with the XL engine.

T1 – We win. We hit an engine and gyro on their Dragon and our Hunchback destroys the RT of their Wolf Trap and the mech shuts down. Both our Gallowglas and their Grand Dragon fall. We kick their PXH to the ground.

T2 – We win again. Our GG stands and moves. Their Raptor ran and skidded on ferrocrete and fell in front of one of our Atlas’s. Their PXH fails twice to stand. QDraw behind their G Dragon. Our Daimyo nails the hip on their G Dragon. One of our Hatamato’s hits the gyro once on their Katana. Their pilot blacks out. An Apollo adds an engine hit. Our Huron Warrior nails the gauss in the RA of their Gunslinger, it and the RT are destroyed, dead mech. Our Q Draw hits the other hip on their GDragon. A Marauder gets a limb blown off RA vs it too. Our Gallowglas destroys its LA. Our Atlas destroys the LT of their Raptor – shut down. Their Owns falls, Katana falls and hits its engine and gyro, G Dragon falls and hits its gyro twice and is out. Our PXH falls too. An Atlas kicks and destroys the LA and LT of their Owens and it shuts down.

T3 – We lose init. Watchman behind their Daimyo. Our PXH Stands and runs. Firestarter behind their Crusader. Our Q Draw destroys the LA of their Charger. Our Kintaro blows off the LA of their Daikyu. A Hatamato Chi destroys the LT of their Charger, dead mech, AC20 from the Hunchback destroys their Crusader’s H. A kick from our Black Knight destroys the RL of their Daikyu.

They flee with their wounded PXH, Panther and Daimyo. We move to focus on the plant. We spend the next 15 minutes scouting out, clearing out infantry, and grabbing trucks to put salvage and raided materials on.


Daikyu missing RL, reattach LA
Crusader missing H
Charger missing LT, LA
Raptor A missing LT
Grand Dragon, reattach RA, missing LA, gyrox2
Wolf Trap missing RT
Gunslinger missing RT, RA
Katana gyrox2, enginex2
Owens Prime missing LA, LT

Meanwhile…


They decide to send in only one company to help out instead of both. Stupid, so we don’t crash in with our troops. They will get slaughtered though.


As their company moves through the industrial area, Arrow Company moves to strafe them while in an exposed area. They savage two mechs right there, and the rest spin and grab defensive positions, finding rubble, moving trees and so forth. That’s smart. They aren’t doing what we expected either time.

They are holding their position, so another pass of our fighters doesn’t do too much besides blast a Jenner into pieces. Their fire lances into a couple of fighters and we don’t want to keep doing that, so we break off.



They have scrambled, quickly, about ten conventional fighters. Arrow Company moves out to engage. Conventional fighters are easy to kill but it will take some time.

With our fighters now being used, their company breaks from cover and moves down…High Street, yay!!

They are moving down, and suddenly, out pop Anvil and Hammer lances from Miner Company. (Normally I’d run this, but they are already damaged, missing ammo, and about to break already – I can’t sim that with MegaMek).

Combined fire lances out from our mechs and shears into the RT of their Rifleman 5M and it shuts down. With the surprise ambush from us plus the damage they’ve already sustained, they break into individual units and begin to flee. We take shots and manage to leg a Clint before it gets away. Our Wolverine runs up to it and aims it’s gun right at the guys head and forces his surrender.

This unit is broken for now. We radio the other two units to send a couple of mechs with hands down here to pick up the Rifleman, arm, and Clint. They will also find a Jenner LL.

What will they do now?


RFL-5M Rifleman missing RT
Clint missing RL
Jenner LL




They choose to wait until all forces are ready and send out four companies of mechs with three remaining on guard and in mechs at the base.

By this time…..


The Arrow Company has finished off the conventional fighters. Two of our fighters had to return due to damage, none are destroyed.

We have secured the factory and have already started loading crates and moved most of the salvage.

They are ten minutes from the factory.

Our infantry moves back to a backup spot we have chosen in case they never get used. They grab two trucks, load up and move out.

Our infantry arrive at the factory well in advance of the enemy and they move to salvage and raiding. Our mechs move to meet the incoming four companies, although a few lighter ones keep helping. The 8 mechs from Miner Company have arrived to shore up our defenses. Meanwhile, Arrow Company moves in to strafe the edges of their movement. They can’t do a major strafe – strafing roughly 50 mechs with 12 fighters is suicide. All they want to do is slow them down, which succeeds, and they take an additional five minutes to arrive.

We have 30 mechs with elite and veteran pilots in a powerful defensive formation around the factory (a Wasp and injured PXH are still helping things load up), and they have 48 mechs with green pilots. Our mechs have already been reloaded. This is not an obvious victory for them. We have the experience and the weapons. We also have air support.

Do they come in? Looks like no. They are smart, and they keep back and wait out our Fighter’s fuel. While most Aeropace fighters have a fusion plant, they need to eventually return – atmospheric flying and fighting takes a toll. Fearing a trap, they do not bring in additional troops from the garrison, and they remain facing the factory for an hour. In that hour, we’ve gotten 14 trucks from the factory loaded with tons of things they were selling, as well as all salvage loaded up.

We are ready to move out. We order Arrow Company to move back as if to leave, and they fly back to our DropShips that our lance still has secured. They wait about five minutes and then deciding that the fighters have actually left, they push in. They can’t surround us, because they know we’d push out at one company and escape. We have two infantry squads destroy the wall of the factory nearest our DropShips and the mechs and trucks move out, spilling their way to load up, while our mechs drop covering fire.

After fifteen minutes of retreat, with them following, Arrow Company returns for a strafe and they have to back up. We get away. The only injury we suffer is an destroyed RA of an Apollo. We get back and under the weapons of borrowed DropShips, and spend a half hour loading everything up while our fighters return and reboard.

We blast off and return home on January 6, 3057.


We make 6.75 mill and spend 11.905 so we spent 5,155,000 to get everything up and running.

After we return, we crack open the crates and discover we grabbed some electronics for the home, and we also raided a ton of lasers of various types. We sell the electronics on the market for 80% of their price and the lasers for 90% (what we normally get for materiel). We made 4.1 mill total. Total cost, after salaries, gaining tanks and mechs, and more was 1.155 mill. Not bad at all.

October 1 – This is a major month. We will not be taking any contracts this month, because it’s a month when a ton of people return, and we have o focus on bringing their mechs in, reorganizing, and more.

What happens in October – Beta Regiment finishes their contract with the FC. Shadow Battalion returns from their long anti-clan contract for the Combine, and with all of the stuff they claimed. Catapult Company and a full battalion of mechs from Alpha Regiment return as well. This month, 40 new mechs arrive from various units. Braham will move to Outreach for recruiting purposes, because we need fighter pilots and mech warriors. Next month, Bolt and Guile will return with another 8 mechs and 7 vehicles.

We can get a few fighters with their pilots, but Braham wants to recruit en masse, and that will require buying fighters and recruiting the best pilots. In order to expedite our major recruiting efforts, we send Mei Ling to Solaris VII and Ted jumps to Galatea. We should quickly get elite disposed pilots for the OmniFIghters. We also have 7 bondsmen we captured to help fill our roster, and 11 regular MWs in the garrison, but I prefer not to use them unless I have too. But we’ll need more.


After finishing a retainer contract for the FC, Beta Regiment is ready for some action. The FC would like to reup their deal, but we’re not willing to do that. We order them home. Beta Regiment will arrive back at EE on Jan 14, 3057.

We also gained the money from that contract this month and are rolling in dough again.

We spend 25 million to expand the Essex Training Academy. We are tripling its size, barracks and such, and adding an Aerospace wing, and donating an OmniFighter to it – a Bashkir, plus a trio of aerospace fighters, and another OmniMech, a Loki B. Our maintenance increases to 20 million annually. These will start next year.

Oct 5 - I think it’s time for me to buy some small craft to go with our JumpShips and the Vengeance. Here’s what I want to buy:

3x NL-42 Battle Taxis for the Vengeance. These weigh 200 tons and have 2 ER Large Lasers and 4 medium pulse lasers. In addition, they have a good amount of armor and speed. They carry two groups of power armored infantry and have a tug adapter. They fire it at a naval vessel and then the Battle Taxi automatically attaches itself to the vessel, and the infantry can drill into their enemy vessel or break out onto its hull and find a hatch. Ten power armored infantry are a devastating amount. For example, how many crew does a Merchant JumpShip have? 20. How are you going to stop these ten guys in power armor from killing your crew and taking over the vessel from the inside? If it’s not a Troop Carrier like the Triumph carrying 4 platoons of infantry, then you can bust in and do a lot of damage. The Avenger has a crew of 15, the Vengeance a crew of 9, the Union a crew of 14. If we can find these when they are without their military personnel on board, a Battle-Taxi going to seriously give us a chance of capturing, intact, naval assets. They are made next door in Outreach, and we can afford three for our Vengeance. Now imagine our Vengeance has its full fighter screen of 40 fighters, and behind them three Battle Taxis. We’ll be able to clean out virtually any fighters opposing the landing of the Battle Taxi. While dealing with the fighters, the Taxi can land and our infantry can infiltrate.

We have purchased three for our Vengeance and will begin training now with our powered armor dudes. I want to pick up six troops exclusively for these missions. When I’m using the Fury Unbound, I want to win hard core.

Each Battle Taxi costs 13.085 mill.

For our JumpShip, I will be going with military carriers. What I mean is that the classic Shuttle or Bus has no weapons, light armor, and it’s just a transport with limited aerodyne landing places. On the other hand, let’s look at the 150 ton Mark VII Landing Craft. While it’s an Aerodyne Craft, unlike others, it has VTOL capabilities in the atmosphere, so it can land in a lot of places safely. In fact, it can land in more places than a large spheroid DropShip could, like swamps and rocky hills and so forth. It can carry 67.44 tons of stuff, and it has a complement of medium and small lasers. It costs 6.9 mill to buy, but we have to get them on the market, and like always, I mark up these things, so we pay 7.5 each. We are picking up four with two each going into our JumpShips. These can easily carry enough ammo and armor to refit a unit on the go – 45-50 tons of armor plates, 10 tons of LRM and SRM ammo, a quartet of gauss rifles, and the rest AC ammo for whatever is in the mechs in the units and we’re good.

I will not be including these small craft in my list of craft, just assume that both JumpShips have the Mark VIIs and the Vengeance is rocking three Battle Taxis plus the small craft that the Achilles and Aegis have as well.

What I would like to do is have some mines in my JumpShips and I can send them down to the surface with this when I need to. Our JumpShips can carry 200-300 tons of cargo each, but they can’t land and unload, so it’s a long process. I sometimes need mines, so when I do for a campaign, I can send in a Mark VII with 67 tons of mines (which is a lot of mines, btw).

Oct 9 – With Kressly’s Alexanders selling like hotcakes even making 6 a month and the Attila still selling very well and the Lineholder will be the best selling medium mech in the Inner Sphere by the end of 3057, they feel its time to work on another mech. This time, they want a scout lighter mech so it won’t compete with their other offerings. They approach us for ideas, but they don’t like the Comet at all. The trend is to have faster and faster mechs. Plus, they are interested in moving into more advanced building materials, now that they have three under their thumb that aren’t.


BUM-1 Bumblebee
35 tons
6/9(12)/6
10/20 heat
Endo Steel, MASC
7 tons of armor
6x Medium Lasers, one in H, 2 in CT, 1 in RT, 2 in LT.
3.94 mill, BV - 1254

This is an ideal scout mech for us. Kressly really liked the 6/9/6 movement with MASC attached, it’s perfect for the times, and without the weakness of an XL engine it still posts very fast speed. Then you add virtually max armor and a powerful medium/short range weapon arsenal with no ammunition weakness, and you have the Bumblebee. We are using a chassis similar to the Firefly.

They believe a prototype should be coming in roughly 6-8 months.

We put in an order for 6 Alexanders for next December. That’s the next time they have a run ready and unsold – 14 months in the future.

Oct 16 – Finding three elite squads of infantry for the Kage Armor is easy. Kage is a stealthy armor with both hands free, only five points of armor per person, and they typically carry anti-personnel weapons rather than anti-mech ones. They can sneak around, they jump farther than normal power armor (four hexes instead of three for others), and they have some serious inability to be seen. They are a good battle armor, and Combine only, but ComStar got some from them, and we got some from ComStar, so shhh. Don’t tell anyone.

Over the years we’ve collected infantry squads when available - usually vets or better. We transfer several squads permanently to various naval assets:

Arrow of Fate, Achilles, Veteran Laser Platoon
Swift Justice, Aegis, Veteran Laser Platoon
3x Battle Taxis with the Vengeance, each gets 2 squads of IS Standard veterans.

The rest, like the Elephant and Fortress will get them as transport.

October 20 – We have a serious meeting with Kressly Warworks. We want to expand our military small craft options. We’ve got a chance to work out the Aquarius, which was a Star League era small craft not made any more, and we are not impressed. Other than it, which isn’t even on the market, and the Battle Taxi, small craft seem to be a relatively unexplored area of opportunity. We wanted to discuss the possibility of them expanding their work, but they aren’t interested in creating brand new lines.

So we take a meeting with someone else.

Representatives from Blackwell Industries, from Outreach are already here. They are the ones that built the Battle Taxi. They make an updated one with clan tech for the Dragoons, and the ones we bought are fun. We discuss three needs we see that small craft could provide that are currently underused. These are the three plans we have walking into the boardroom:


The Aries (Troop Carrier), 200 tons, Spheroid Small Craft
SI – 10, 4/6 thrust, 24 tons of ferro-aluminum armor
Large Laser in Nose
LRM20 with 18 tons of ammo and Artemis IV in each side
2 Small Lasers aft
9 2x Heat Sinks
5 tons of fuel
Cost – 18,617,000 C-Bills after markup

2 Bays:
40 tons of cargo in 1st bay
2 platoons of motorized infantry, 28 people each, in second bay


We feel that the Aires would really open up military operations. Any craft that has small craft can deliver two infantry platoons. Suddenly, a Merchant-class JumpShip can deliver four platoons of infantry. Bigger ships can be converted into major infantry carriers without interfering with other equipment or cargo. This is a powerful small craft.


The Taurus (Escort), 200 tons, Aerodyne Small Craft
SI – 12, 5/8 thrust, 40 tons of ferro-aluminum armor
20/40 heat sinks
2 Large Pulse Lasers in nose
1 Medium Pulse Laser in each wing
1 LRM20 2/ Artemis, 18 shots, in each wing
3 machine guns and ½ ton of ammo to aft
5 tons of fuel
Cost – 22,057,00 C-Bills after markup


This is designed for weapons duty. With massive armor, it is expected to be deployed for long sorties, and has a lot more durability than an Aerospace Fighter. It should be sent out along DropShips or JumpShips (or even WarShips) for days with that amount of armor. The pulse armament is designed to help it strafe in atmospheric battle, when needed. It can also hold and drop a massive tonnage of bombs due to its size. With value in dogfighting, escorting, strafing, and more, this is a small craft that we like a lot more than that dumb ol’ Aquarius.



The Pisces (Mobile Artillery), 200 tons, Spheroid Small Craft
SI – 10, 5/8, 35 tons of ferro-aluminum
20/40
2x Arrow IV in Nose with 20 tons of ammo each
1 LL and 2 ML in each side
2 ML Aft
5 tons fuel
Cost – 19,730,000 C Bills on market after mark up


This is a mobile Artillery Platform designed to land and blast in support with its Arrow IV systems and then launch again and help out somewhere else. Most artillery is mobile anyway, and able to be pulled by trucks or something. There are also mechs with artillery in them – Naga, the updated Catapult, and more. However, the speed a small craft with artillery has would enable it to move from one operating theatre to another with powerful alacrity.


Each of the three small craft in these series have real value for the battlefield, and could fill in holes that currently no small craft does.

Blackwell analyzes our designs. Their Battle Taxi does something nothing else does, and that’s why we’ve come to them.
We hammer out contracts for all three here they are:

Blackwell will produce all three. They have expanded facilities and can work on all three simultaneously.

They will produce six of each for us, which we buy at their marked up cost. They will then place the design on the market, making two a month. The first 24 that sell will be pure profit for Blackwell. After that, if they keep selling, then we get 20% of the profit of each one sold later.

That means we would make, roughly, 6 mill per month off the sales of all three combined if they all sold. But only after the first year and after we get our six each. Blackwell expects them to sell, but they might be a too far outside of standard tactics for many of their suppliers, in particular the Pisces. We agree.

If we buy the first six of each, that is 362 million. We have to pay half right now, and half in ten months when they deliver them. Instead, we will just be doing the Aires and Taurus. The Pisces will not be made.

That’s 243 million total and 121,500,000 right now.

We sell: 3 Man O War, CDA-3M, 2 Fenris, Mauler, and 2 Lokis for much of it. We pay the other 37 mill from our account. We actually put out the whole amount, paying half in an account payable immediately upon receipt of our new small craft.

Nov 1 – We temporarily place Arrow, Bolt and Crossbow Companies on the Fury Unbound, Vengeance, so that if we need to, we can use it and them. Right now, the Swift Justice, Aegis is above EE, with the Fury Unbound; Arrow of Fate, Achilles; Firebird, Avenger; and Faith’s Bulwark, Elephant. Both JumpShips are at the jump points, with no drop ships there at all.

Using parts from mechs we’ve destroyed, we start making new mechs, in the right variant. For example, we’ve made the CRB-27b Crab variant with 2 ER Large Lasers, 16/32 heat, ferro, a medium laser and small laser and virtually max armor with 5/8 movement. It’s a good variant of the mech. We’re doing this with several designs. We also make another Comet.

Our Aegis is up to full crew after we absorb some people on Northwind on our way home. I didn’t want to go to a high profile place like Solaris VII or Outreach to do it, so I went to the lesser traveled but still well known Northwind.


By July 5, we will have these:

Swift Justice, Aegis, Fighters:

GTHA-300 Gotha, Capt. Kyle Hammond, elite
GTHA-300 Gotha, Fetinia Pakulin, veteran
GTHA-300 Gotha, Margit Straskosa, regular
GTHA-300 Gotha, Mimi Tarkonen, regular

THK-53 Tomahawk, Sgt. Mack Grosjean, elite
THK-53 Tomahawk, Josh Colson, veteran
THK-53 Tomahawk, Euan MacMarquis, regular
THK-53 Tomahawk, Chi Minh Nguyen-Tan, regular

F-92 Stingray, Sgt. Darina Nahirni, elite
F-92 Stingray, Simone Lombardie, veteran
F-92 Stingray, Tegan Cartwright, regular
F-92 Stingray, Elvis Cook, regular


F-700 Riever, Lt. Pàli Xhaxhka, elite
F-700 Riever, Sumita Nanna, veteran
F-700 Riever, Claudio Reneiro, veteran
F-700 Riever, Leon Martinez, regular

RGU-133E Rogue, Sgt. Brandon Mitterrand, veteran
RGU-133E Rogue, Lucas Wodnicki, regular


These are older fighters from the Star League era that ComStar pulled out of mothballs and traded to us.

This is a battalion of fighters, not a mere company. We do not have the ability to be choosy with our pilots as much as with mechs, and we get a lot of regular pilots.


Achilles Fighters:

Visigoth B, Sgt. Dorothie Colbeaux, elite
Visigoth A, Martine Yei, elite


Since the only fighters the Achilles gets are a flight of two fighters, I wanted elite clan omnis here. I am moving the two Riever’s we traded for elsewhere.

Fury Unbound (Vengeance) Uno Battalion


F-700 Riever, Capt. Zarek Papadopolos, elite
F-700 Riever, Feliciano DiBiagio, elite

SL-17R Shilone, Sgt. Ippei Suzuki, elite
SL-17R Shilone, Julie Foster, veteran
SL-17R Shilone, Arizona Trossen, regular
SL-17R Shilone, Katy Hanson, regular

CHP-W10 Chippewa, Lt. Joshua MacRaith, elite
CHP-W10 Chippewa, Erica, clan elite (1/2)
CHP-W10 Chippewa, Bingham Hoover, veteran
CHP-W10 Chippewa, Marimo Samman, regular

SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk, Sgt. Linda bin Ahmad, elite
SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk, Scott Bechstein, veteran
SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk, Deborah Schmidt, regular
SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk, Douglas Hall, regular

F-92 Stingray, Sgt. Jannah MacBeth, elite
F-92 Stingray, Yoriyuki Kiyomizu, veteran
F-92 Stingray, Nora Østlie, regular
F-92 Stingray, Luca Dodgson, regular

Turk Prime, Sgt. Oscar Tripp, elite
Turk Prime, Chasity Tinker, elite

Fury Unbound (Vengeance) Dos Battalion


STU-K5 Stuka, Col. Larry Rowe, elite
STU-K5 Stuka, Dalton Page, elite

SL-15R Slayer, Lt. Chris Mhari, elite
SL-15R Slayer, Yuliana Haga, veteran
SL-15R Slayer, Jessica, clan elite (1/2)
SL-15R Slayer, Jun-soo Nyamu, regular

SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk, Sgt. Piyan Hussein, elite
SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk, Marilyn Birstall, veteran
SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk, Basak Perez, regular
SPR-H5 Sparrowhawk, Hannah Goldberg, regular

S-3 Sai, Sgt. Adair Bennett, elite
S-3 Sai, Logan bin Sariyah, veteran
LCF-R16 Lucifer, Joe Holmes, regular
LCF-R16 Lucifer, Thien-Thu Ba, regular

CSR-V12 Corsair, Sgt. Fiona O’Connell, elite
CSR-V12 Corsair, Florence Whitfield, veteran
CSR-V12 Corsair, Lola Joneson, regular
CSR-V12 Corsair, Marta Teodorescu, regular

Sabutai Prime, Marcie Dawson, elite
Jagatai B, Sean Brann, elite



We promoted Larry Rowe, over Arrow Company’s 14 fighters to run our naval fighters – Fury Unbound, Swift Justice and Arrow of Fate. He is the colonel of this regiment of fighters.

These extra fighters cost us 88.26 mill. Buying my own fighters and recruiting pilots that are without a fighter was a lot faster than recruiting those with fighters. We were able to grab these folks quickly because we only half cared about experience. About half are just regular pilots, with enough elites and veterans in there to make things interesting.

A lot of level one tech fighters are on the market, because new fighters are coming available. We used some upgraded level 2 versions in here, like the LCF-R16 Lucifer or the SL-15R Slayer. They usually just have upgraded weapons or heat sinks, but not expensive XL engines or anything.

In order to balance the books, we sell: Loki Chassis with everything but a few limbs, Uller and Fenris chassis missing arms and one leg, Wolf Trap, Scarabus, Spector, Shadow Hawk, and Wraith. We pay the remaining 4.3 mill from our stuff.

On July 5, we’ll pull our three companies of fighters back out from the Fury Unbound and resume our normal operations.

Flame Battalion:


Pyre Company

Capt. Gavin Collier, elite, ATA-2C Attila
Sun Xiang, elite, Highlander IIc
Sandra Matthews, veteran, CRD-4K Crusader
Mia Ponder, veteran, Penetrator

Sgt. Veronica Anderson, elite, Gunslinger
Kylie Starr, elite, Rifleman IIc
Aishah Abdel, veteran, Apollo
Peter Schiller, veteran, Catapult

Sgt. Becky O’Connell, elite, ALX-1kc Alexander
Nikolas Liakos, elite, WLF-2 Wolfhound
Destiny Gaither, veteran, WSP-3M Wasp
Chris Wiesnewsky, regular, Spider


We bought the Catapult, Spider, and Apollos. Only the Spider and Catapult are level 1 mechs.

Blaze Company


Lt. Johan Kreidler, elite, ATA-2C Attila
Esther Goldberg, elite, WHM-7S Warhammer
Ike, clan veteran, Thunderbolt
Nadia Ali, veteran, DRG-5K Grand Dragon

Sgt. Rebecca Cooke, elite, Salamander
Marinus van Goejj, elite, Supernova
Zach Beyer, elite, Galahad
Reinaldo da Silva, veteran, Archer

Sgt. Ishida Fujimoto, elite, FS9-S Firestarter
Daniel Woodburn, veteran, Phoenix Hawk
Ajay Yadav, veteran, WSP-3M Wasp
Cooper Smith, regular, HER-2M Hermes II


We bought the Hermes II and Archer. 4 low tech mechs – T Bolt, Archer, PXH and HER-2M.

Ember Company

Lt. Hrothgar Bjornnson, elite, ATA-2C Attila
Sean Carmichael, elite, CGR-1A5 Charger
Greg, clan veteran, Gallowglas
Enrique Juarez, veteran, ON1-K Orion

Sgt. Lyle Sanders, elite, Apollo
Brock Johnson, elite, Masakari C
Nabil Abdullah, elite, Vulture C
Emily Michaels, veteran, TBT-7A Trebuchet

Sgt. Andrej Zamoyski, elite, QKD-5K Quickdraw
Rex Whittamore, elite, Starslayer
Ramona Tilburgh, veteran, SDR-5V Spider
Tricia Bertero, veteran, DRT-4S Dart

We bought the Apollo and Gallowglas previously and some Orions came on the market. We also picked up some Starslayers as well.

Armor Battalion


Aegis Company


Capt. Jassa Ramgarhia, elite, Daishi Prime
Peter von Oy, elite, Man-o’-War H
Jakob, clan elite, Gallowglas
Carolyn McCree, veteran, ON1-K Orion

Sgt. Julius Hipolito, elite, Gunslinger
Robert Tai, elite, Daikyu
Marc Ruzika, veteran, TBT-7A Trebuchet
Abe Miyashiro, veteran, Archer

Sgt. Bernadette Cowan, elite, Starslayer
Miles Levine, regular, Spider
Cathy Campos, regular, STG-3G Stinger
Shayna McGriff, veteran, ASN-40 Assassin


The Archer, Gallowglas, Orion, Starslayer and Spider were from previous purchases. The Orion, Archer, Spider and Stinger are level 1 mechs.

Shield Company


Lt. Molly Sanchez, elite, AS7-S Atlas
Kyle, clan elite , WHM-6D Warhammer
Ashley Hardesty, elite, Man O War H
Guillaume Petard, veteran, ZEU-9S Zeus

Sgt. Lu Chao, elite, Apollo
Matthew Omari, elite, Rifleman IIc
Patrick Fitzhugh, elite, Vulture Prime
Maximilian Giovanni, veteran, BJ-2 Blackjack

Sgt. Mark Longfeather, elite, Starslayer
Maria de Souza, regular, STG-3G Stinger
Andrew Jackson, veteran, ASN-40 Assassin
Lucy Atwater, regular, WLF-2 Wolfhound


Only the Warhammer and Stinger are level one mechs. We bought the Wolfhound and Apollo

Chainmail Company

Lt. Rhys Arturo, elite, ATA-2C Attila
Annabelle Westerman, elite, Katana
Sara, clan elite, Gallowglas
Jude Rogers, elite, Mad Cat S

Sgt. Ronald Chambers, elite, CP-10-Q Cyclops
Sadiq Abdikarím , elite, Warhammer IIc
Karl Karlsson, veteran, Catapult
Amanda Jenkins, veteran, RFL-5M Rifleman

Sgt. Di Dang, elite, Starslayer
Jennifer Gensler, veteran, QKD-5K Quickdraw
Simon Marx, regular, CMT Comet
Ian Cushing, regular, DRT-4S Dart



We were unable to buy a lot of mechs I like on the market. Sad. No Javelins, no BattleMasters, no Watchmen (so I went with Starslayers instead), etc. I was happy I found the Gallowglases and Orions, or these folks would look a lot worse. We used a lot of variants on mechs I don’t like that much in order to make the cut – variants of the Assassin, Man o War, Dart, Quickdraw, Cyclops, Stinger, and more.

We spent 84.25 mill on all of the mechs, upgrades and more.

We sell:

CGR-3K Charger
Scarabus
BNC-5S Banshee
2x Lokis

After those sales, we made 5.41 mill.

Those five mechs paid for everything. They paid for 2x Catapults, 2x Gallowglases, 2x Orions, 2x Wolfhounds, 3x Starslayers, 2x Apollos, 2x Archer, 2x Spider, Hermes II, Dart, plus we fixed up a few mechs from parts and refitted several mechs. Including Comet, Warhammer 6D, one of the Quickdraws, an Apollo plus a few I didn’t end up putting in a company.

These two battalions are merging with Shadow Battalion to make Delta Regiment.

We now have four regiments of mechs.

We traded 5 mechs for 19, plus more.

Now, our people for these came from several sources. All grads from tomorrow were moved in. We added the clan bondsman as well. Essex gets 5 recruit rolls a month on Outreach, and that’s 30 people right there, with our ability to select the best ones. Then add in recruits from Solaris VII and Galatea and we filled two battalions of troops, 72 dispossessed, graduates and bondsmen. We still have 14 green and 11 regular MWs in our garrison plus Ted and Mei. We also have 81 IS mechs and 31 clan mechs.

My goal is to have another battalion full by the end of the year to move Shadow back out of a Regiment, with a hope that we can also bring in some folks for these 65 tanks I have, only a handful of which have folks running them in my garrison.

December 31 – EVENT – After spending a year with a cadre unit fighting twice, Thoma Marie Essex has officially graduated fifth in her class of more than a hundred MechWarriors. She has chosen not to return to K&C, and is instead taking a position as a Leutnant with the high profile and elite 15th Lyran Guards on Hesperus II.

This year, a lot of things happened in the Inner Sphere. Mitchell Avellar becomes President of the Outworlds Alliance. The Second Skye Rebellion began, but the leader was assassinated and the assault on Glengarry failed so things are starting to die down a bit. A Treaty of Alliance was signed between the Taurian Concordat and Magistracy of Canopus.

In technology, the Free Worlds League introduced a light gauss rifle, a version that weighs a few tons less, carries twice as much ammo, does almost half as much damage and goes farther. Several new power armors, DropShips, JumpShips and such are introduced, as well as tons more mechs.

Braham Essex is removing himself as the CO of Shadow Battalion for now, and just running Delta Regiment. We are very pleased with Conner Ward and promoting the ex-Jade Falcon to Captain and giving him Shadow Battalion.

Essex Training Academy

We have11 MW graduates from the Essex Training Academy, and 16 enrollees for next year. Of these 11, 3 choose not to stay with us, and the remaining 8 have 2 vet, 4 regular and 2 elite. All of those were used in our units. We also have 5 graduates of vehicle crews, all regular. We hand them vehicles and move them to our garrison. 6 enroll for next year, and 6 infantry squads are now being trained as well.



Year 4 - 15
Year 3 - 17
Year 2- 11
Year 1 – 16

Armor – 6

Infantry, Year 2 - 4
Infantry, Year 1 - 6

We pay 12.5 million to the upkeep of the Academy and HQ.

Where we stand at the end of Chapter 5.



Kilts and Commandos Table of Organization and Equipment:


Alpha Regiment:

Heliades Company - Return on June 8, 3057
Styx Company - Return on June 8, 3057
Tethys Company – Return on June 8, 3057
Typhon Company – Return on June 8, 3057
Defender Company – Returns on February 2, 3057
Cinq Company –
Brawler Company – On Terra Firma until June 28, 3059
Delta Company –
Trinity Company-
Butler Company –


Beta Regiment:

Phaeton Company – Return on Jan 14, 3057
Boxer Company – Return on Jan 14, 3057
Rebel Company – Return on Jan 14, 3057
Mustang Company – Return on Jan 14, 3057
Hex Company – Return on Jan 14, 3057
Raven Company – Return on Jan 14, 3057
Aleph Company – Return on Jan 14, 3057
Laser Company – Return on Jan 14, 3057
Sabre Company – Return on Jan 14, 3057


Gamma Regiment:

Breaker Battalion:

Trident Company – return home on January 6, 3057.
Miner Company – return home on January 6, 3057.
Fallout Company - return home on January 6, 3057.

Scimitar Battalion:

Vegas Company –
Guile Company -
Tango Company -


Mesopotamia Battalion:

Jericho Company – Return on Jan 26, 3057
Babylon Company – Return on Jan 26, 3057
Nineveh Company – Return on Jan 26, 3057


Delta Regiment


Shadow Battalion:

Bruiser Company – Ready March 15
Shadow Company – Ready March 15
Sealion Company – Ready March 15


Flame Battalion:

Pyre Company – Ready March 15
Blaze Company – Ready March 15
Ember Company – Ready March 15


Armor Battalion:

Aegis Company – Ready March 15
Shield Company – Ready March 15
Chainmail Company - Ready March 15


Arrow Company - return home on January 6, 3057.
Bolt Company –
Catapult Company -.
Tank First Battalion – EE- mining garrison complete on October 15, 3057
Tank Second Battalion - On Terra Firma until June 28, 3059
Garrison and Infantry – EE, garrison,


Swift Justice, Aegis WarShip – Fighters Ready July 5, 3057
Scots Flotilla, Merchant JumpShip –
Johnny Appleseed, Invader JumpShip - –
Robin Hood, Union DropShip –
Megan’s Fury, Union DropShip -
Star River, Union DropShip -
Serendipitous Victory, Union-C DropShip -.
Amalgamated Bliss, Union DropShip –.
Defiance, Overlord DropShip –
Daily Menace, Overlord DropShip, Upgraded -
Faith’s Bulwark, Fortress DropShip, Upgraded -
Fury Unbound, Vengeance DropShip - Fighters Ready July 5, 3057
Firebird, Avenger DropShip –
Arrow of Fate, Achilles DropShip, Upgraded - Fighters Ready July 5, 3057
Stalwart Destruction, Model 96 Elephant DropShip –

Before we end this, I am modifying the MegaMek rules a bit.

1). Called Shots are now an option (aim high, low, left or right for a +3 modifier)
2). We are turning on Direct Blows, in order to make the clans more dangerous. For each 3 rolled over the target number, the weapon does +1 damage or +2 on the missiles hit chart. So, if I need a 6 to hit, and I roll a 9, then I deal +1 damage, and +2 damage on a 12. This helps people with low to-hit numbers, such as clans.
3). Light mechs get a +2 to physical attacks and medium mechs a +1 due to being easier to hit with a smaller mech.
4). This one is a big one – for each 20 damage a mech takes beyond the first, it’s piloting roll to stay standing gets an extra +1 modifier.
5). Anti-Missile Systems can reduce missile hits to zero, rather than no lower than the smallest possible hit.
6). Regular ACs can now be fired with a rapid fire mode similar to ultra ACs, but they jam on a to hit roll of 4 or less and explode on a 2.
7). ECM Suites can be placed on a Ghost Target mode which might, sometimes, make it harder to hit.
8). Gauss rifles may be powered down during an end turn to shut them off and prevent critical.
9). Rapid Fire option available with Machine Guns – 1d6 heat made and damage dealt. Uses a lot of ammo.
10). Expanded Heat Scale used in case mechs jack their heat above 30
11). There is a chance for Heat Sink coolant failure when any mech goes overheat.
12). Club attacks now use teh punch table

Just for fun, this is my ideal, level 1/2 technology IS company from this era, and why:

Scout Lance - Javelin 10F, Watchman, WLF-2 Wolfhound, and SDR-7M level 2 Spider with endo and ferro to lighten everything else and upgrade the 2 mediums to pulses.


Smash Lance - Penetrator, Anvil, BattleMaster BLR-3M basic level 2 BM variant, Highlander HGN-732b – it pulls off two heat sinks for 2x and adds Artemis IV for SRM 6 and LRM 20, with gauss and 3x Mediums, and jump jets and better heat and max armor.


Fire Support – Salamander, Gallowglas, Apollo, Gunslinger


That one level 1 mech (my beloved Javelin) and 2 with XL engines (Gunslinger, Salamander). It includes 7 mechs from 3055 and the other four are upgrades or changes to level

For the next chapter, everything begins. I’m still not sure in which direction we’ll go. 3057 is when everything changes. No spoilers here, but I’ve set this up to logically do one of three major things. For BattleTech fans who know the universe, here are the three paths, hints, I see before my unit:

1). The Serpent and the Bulldog
2). Chaos
3). Terra and Blake


With wins against all six clans, we are an obvious choice for 1). Our location leads to 2). With ComStar really trusting us, I can totally see us replacing Brion’s Legion instead of the 21st Centauri Lancers for 3).

Okay, that is the end of Chapter 5. Thanks for reading. I'm done with B-Tech for a while again. It seems like I pick this up every year or so. We'll come back for Chapter 6, when all of the pieces come together. We have just ten years left in this dynasty, and it began back in 3030, and we are ending after 3056. This chapter had seven years of major battles, contracts, and campaigns, and I hope you liked it, but stay tuned for Chapter 6. No matter which path we choose, you won;t regret it.

A great read as always! I wish I had the patience and time to make my own B-Tech dynasty, it is such a rich universe to do this with.

Thanks!

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