Essence Wielding Social General [Battletech]

Imperator Pax · Mar 2, 2022

Prologue
Landed Opportunity
Part 1

April 3015
New Earth, Lyran Commonwealth

The journey, just from Tharkad to Clinton was a hundred and twenty three light years. Six Jumps. From Clinton it would only be another three jumps to the League border, or rather it was three jumps distant so that the Marik could attack. Before leaving Tharkad another courier had come bearing more documents. It seemed completely unrelated. Political information in the League.

Three worlds on paper, but in reality just two. Technically an entire league province.

Zosma. Alula Australis.

Marik stupidity and arrogance laid claim to a third. The Lyran world of Denebola which had had originally belonged to the Terran Hegemony. It had been liberated from House Marik in 2786, but the League hadn't forgotten so they lumped it in with their new 'Border Protectorate'.

Odin didn't like the implication. Either implication. The packet suggested that someone had designs on the world and it was just a reminder that the League border was dangerous.

Clinton to Galatea was Five jumps despite covering a hundred thirty four light years. It would take two more jumps from Galatea's nadir jump point to reach New Earth, and while they would be making a brief stop over there it would be another jump to Rigil.

The older man cleared his throat, "You have a Regiment of vehicles?" The forty something Broden asked.

"Yes." He replied casually. Odin had no intention of elaborating nor did it seem the LCAF officer filing the paper work seem intent on caring enough to ask.

... after all why would he, they were just vehicles. The battle mechs were the bigger matter. The truth was Odin hadn't been thinking he'd... for whatever reason been misusing the organization a full size down... but he wasn't going to admit that to the older man. It might have been better to swallow his pride and accept Armand's suggestion of starting the nagelring late... but he was already too far, he'd be buying his way into the reserves. That in turn meant his contributions to the Commonwealth would see that the army paid for the services of his inherited troops while they were in Federal service.

That might end up meaning nothing unless the unit actually had to be called to service. He didn't want to demonstrate more resources than that before he had factories up and running... no before he had been ennobled.

They danced around the battlemech matter somewhat, but he answered honestly. There wasn't any point to dodging the questions or lying. The questions themselves were simply too basic. That the Kommadant was more astonished that he had fewer tanks than he did mechs was amusing, but not unsurprising.

It was also a problem. Normally the way this would have worked was, if he had actually had a battalion to his name it'd have been simple. He'd have been a major and that would have been that... an entire regiment was... was another matter. Most likely the commonealth's reserve korps would split the difference name him a lieutenant colonel until he was ennobled and leave him alone.

... unless someone pulled the strings to mobilize the unit to attack one of the worlds detailed in the couriered documents. That left him wondering which one? Alula Australia or Zosma? If it was coming then how long did he have?

If it was Alula then that was ... good? In theory. It was only a single jump from New Earth, and while it was also only one jump from Rigil... it seemed more likely that the Commonwealth if they called up the reservists would want to muster them at New Earth.

Zosma was further away, but not by much. Two jumps fifty light years from Rigil.

The thought hadn't escaped him that success might mean the Commonwealth might want to press further. Cutting the league entirely from the terran corridor seemed ridiculous in theory, but on paper it would only be two more worlds. Graham and Procyon. Consolidating the Border protectorate would also likely entail moving against Castor and Pollux as well as Oliver and Devil's rock... and it was that that was most absurd.

For LCAF as it existed... but not for the Federated Commonwealth... but Odin expected that really would be getting ahead of himself. The Archon hadn't even extended her peace proposal to bring the third war to its end... assuming that she actually did that.

There was a potential solace in that if Armand had been willing to suggest starting the Nagelring was possible then likely whatever war schema for the protectorate was scheduled hopefully years in the future.

They filled out paperwork.

Lots of paper work just for the unique ones.

Then it all had to be done in triplicate. Some of it was turning dropships over, dropships he didn't need to the service of the Donegal Guards need. It was technically a lease not a gift, but the money wasn't the point. It was the service that was the point. It was rendering a service to a prestigious unit, and the good will that that in turn bought him that was the point. He was providing a material service with the real goal being political capital, and currency.

That would increase his value within Lyran society as his standing rose. He'd be beyond his father's shadow, while still being able to claim a fragment of that lineage but his legitimacy would derive from his own deed... and he would still have his own personnel connections as well.

But today the only real concern is the painstaking process of joining the reservists by filling out the monotonous bureaucracy of the Commonwealth's armed forces and contending with the Liaison of House Troops and all associated minutiae. Its an entirely different sort of journey than the one that involving JumpShips leaping from star system to star system. Infinitely more tiring than the weeks, months of space travel.

They were entirely different sorts of monotony, even when one knew what to expect. What made it all worse was that he was going to likely have to endure a similar if slightly different monotonous hell on Rigil Kentarus when he arrived. ...

"We are almost done." Broden remarked.

He sat the pen down beside the paper. Odin glanced around, and pondered that they weren't quite finished yet... worse ... they hadn't really even begun the true struggle.

He couldn't determine whether the scores of lawyers and other attendants waiting to notarize the matters would make things better or worse than this.

Probably worse. Buying a landhold would be the easiest of it. He had had the money for that since before he had started university... because of course he had aspired to the nobility, and reaching Baron would be the first rung in the ladder. A baron could still rule a planet, but he didn't want to be a planetary ruler as a mere baron, that would mean some pitiful dust ball on the fringes.

So he would gamble that he had the resources to make this work... and perhaps the duke was right perhaps he and the major domo knew a campaign against the League was in the works... and perhaps they wanted to turn a 'League Province' into a 'Lyran Duchy'. They certainly seemed sure something was coming.

Duke would be a long way off.

The Commonwealth had uncounted numbers of barons, and nearly as many counts. Freiherr, and Graf were easy distinctions to earn. It was why barons could still sit in the estates general. Landgrave was the step above count... was a distinction of the rank really... and was the much harder transition to make... and to ascend to Duke he would need to distinguish himself in the Archon's eyes.

That would take years... and of course the higher he rose the more resistance he would face from other families, and the greater expectation of returns his own allies would expect. That was the game, and it was one you played for life. Even shaving your head and joining a monastery wasn't always enough to get you out of the game.
--
Notes: What I had originally planned on, and that was sidetracked by other matters was expand out some of the early scraps, including in particular to address the Lyran ASF Shortage of production, which will come later, so this will receive several updates before it probably ends up in the Thursday regular update slot.

Imperator Pax · Mar 3, 2022

Index #1 Notes

Space Heir, specifically refers to the Space Heir II CYOA by MageOhki: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SK7JCvb3J8ytG18XZtHDsi0KGVmUOtKdy84lQ-zCdtY/edit#

Its abridged list of goodies for this CYOA (that is discounting the attendant build for ATOW (The Battletech Tabletop RPG)) as a simplification for the JumpShip & Dropship Rolls as I would be required to roll more than once on it, I elected to just roll once and count it as five.

Jumpships 5+5 (12,8)
5x 8: five starlords, 11: Five: 2 Excalibur, 2 Overlord, 2 Fortress, 2 Triumph, 1 Triumph CV, 1 Condor, 1 Seeker, 2 Union, 1 Avenger, 1 Mammoth, 1 Mule, 2 Buccaneer, 1 Monarch & 1 Vengeance or one Titan (50% of either)
mce-anchor
Battlemechs: 15: 16 Assault 'Mechs, 36 Heavy 'Mechs, 36 Medium 'Mechs, 36 Light 'Mechs
ASF: 9: 20 Heavy ASF. 20 Medium ASF, 20 Light ASF
4 Assaults, 28 Heavy, 36 Medium, 36 Light
1 Battalion of Infantry, 4 Tracked Heavy APC, 3 Heavy Wheeled, 3 Heavy Hover
24 5-Ton trucks, 24 10-Ton trucks, 24 50-Ton Cargo Carriers, 12 MASH, 12 Mobile HQ, 12 Engineering Vees (and 3 PLT kit for Engineers), 12 Recovery Vees, 10 Wheeled APC (10 PLT kits for MP), 48 Loader ExoSkeletons, 24 Engineering/Salvage Exo, 4 Long Toms, towed 8 Thumpers, towed, 4 LoaderMechs, 4 Jabberwocky, 4 CON-1 industrial Mechs

mce-anchor A old SLDF orbital station in a Magistracy system (no longer inhabited, or on the outskirts)

mce-anchor 1d2 Jumpship slips with all needed support industry (only space based) and one machine shop. (160kt, 300kt, 450kt, equal chance of each

As to the other part of this (the Essence) that can be found here:

Ramble said:
An essence specifically for Battletech or if you want to insert battletech into other settings. I added more stuff to it, and then I thought I might as well make it available here.

Essence of MegaMekLab
You get access to the Megameklab, which looks and functions pretty similarly to the normal megameklab.

-The application can either be downloaded onto a computational device with an appropriately advanced GUI, or can simply be projected out onto the air in front of you. You can expand, minimize, rotate, and toggle the transparency of the screen. You can even make it so other people can see and interact with it if you'd like.
-You add 25 BV to your pool per day and can spend them on whatever you like. You can also use regular money in order to buy something at a rate of 1 dollar to the C-bill. The amount would automatically be deducted. Don't think too hard about where the money goes.
-Upon purchasing an item, it will appear either in front of you, in a safe spot near you, or in a safe orbit above you. Upon purchase, you may chose to instantly gain basic proficiency with the purchased equipment, rating approximately as "Green" initially.
-You may also purchase a specific historical item if you'd like. For instance, you can simply buy a Mckenna-class battleship but you can also buy the SLS Mckenna's Pride if you'd like. The history doesn't cost anything extra.
-Battletechnology is effectively durable enough to need minimal maintenance work at all assuming it's not outright abused or neglected, but you may also choose to gain enough basic proficiency to perform most rudimentary repairs to any equipment you buy. You may also spawn in spare parts for the cost of the Battle Value of each individual part, but a number of components will require a requisite hulk to pull from.
-Any units you buy will come fully fueled and fully loaded with ammunition. Ammunition can be purchased through the MegaMekLab, and fusion reactors can crack water into hydrogen fuel, but petrol, alcohol, and natural gas to feed internal combustion engines will be a continuing issue.
-Any item you buy can also come already crewed if you'd like. These crew start absolutely loyal and you can customize their appearance, personality and backgrounds, but after they spawn in, they become actual people and will have their own opinions, thoughts, and morals. For example, if you spawn in some Eridani Light Horse and tell them to massacre civilians, you're going to have a mutiny on your hands.
-When purchasing an infantry unit, you may chose to get only kit or gain soldiers wearing it.
-You can toggle "normalization" off and on. This makes it so that people will simply shrug and accept machines or people popping up out of thin air or anything anomalous that happened as a result of the Essence. The default is "on".
-Spawned in humans will conform to the physics of the world and any changes that you've made to the world. You may also chose if they need to eat and other facts of life, though this needs to be set from the start and can't be toggled afterward
-Bays and compartments don't come already filled. You need to buy an infantry unit to put it in an APC and you need to buy a mech to put it in a mech cubicle.
-If you'd like, support personnel can also be purchased for one BV each.

Campaign Operations ruleset

-In the case of pairing this essence with a CYOA, you can, before starting the CYOA, pick or build a single unit at the very beginning at no cost. It is recommended that you use this to obtain personal conveyance, but it's not necessarily required.
-Once at the very beginning, you may also use the infantry menu to customize your starting loadout, as well as any advanced gear, implants, or training (anti-mek, marine, Xenoplanetary Conditioning, etc) Your starting skills still count as "Green" though. This is free but you will not get the opportunity again.
-Should it be necessary, your starting personal conveyance and units you spawn in will start with the minimum necessary provisions to last until you reach a place where normal resupply becomes possible.
-You may at the beginning of your journey initiate a "campaign mode" of sorts in order to build up resources and forces more quickly than simply waiting for a long time to wait for the BV pool to fill. This is not necessary, but it could be fun.
-Spawned in humans may also be modified using parts of any cyoa which allows you to construct your or a companion's body/skills/personality (eg. Be the Girl, Big Beefy Husbando, Battle Maid etc.)
-"Campaign Mode" unlocks a "modifier" which forces all units other than capital units or dropships to spawn inside bays. Depending on difficulties or exact settings in the Interstellar Operations rule section, this can also be applied even to dropships and capital units other than space stations.
-"Campaign Mode" can also unlock an MRBC from which you can pull contracts even in universes in which an MRBC does not exist.
-You can toggle automatic repairs/maintenance, meaning the machines will simply maintain themselves. Normally Battletechnology is rugged enough that they don't need a lot of maintenance and repairs are easy even after the machine gets shot to bits. This however makes it so that repairs and maintenance are wholly unnecessary.
-You can toggle automatic Ammunition/Fuel so that both are replenished the moment a unit enters an appropriate unit bay.
-It is possible to buy units in a bulk package should you obtain the necessary resources or have saved up enough BV to do so. These units may be spawned in already grouped up into a unit with a set unit culture and shared values.

Interstellar Operations ruleset (WIP, non-functional currently)

BattleValue is by design a fairly scarce resource in order to encourage careful use and management, however it is understood that it is not necessarily suitable for waging or interstellar wars. Thus, the Interstellar Operations ruleset addon allows for an industrial manufacturing system almost independent from BattleValue.
As land based factories or even land based structures are not covered by MegaMekLab, it is not possible to create land based structures. The standard building blocks of the MegaMekLab Essence industrial ruleset are the 1000 ton machinery space/cargo bay of the MML default small space factory equipped with an SRCS (referred to as "small factory unit" or SFU) and the 6900 ton machinery space/cargo bay of the MML default medium space factory equipped with an SRCS (referred to as "medium factory unit" or MFUs).
SFUs are able to handle the production of simple things such as refining ores, or machining relatively simple components such as armor panels, myomers, spark plugs, mechanical actuators, and steam engines.
MFUs are able to handle manufacturing or assembly of more advanced components using materials from 4 or more SFUs such as "complex" engines, chassis, electronics, and neurohelmets. MFUs are also required for final assembly of a completed unit, assembling the components produced by multiple factory units into a finished unit. Note that a final assembly MFU cannot be used to produce components at the same time.
It's also possible to design additional factories and separating the cargo bay into SFU and MFU units.
In order for a shipyard to manufacture a spacecraft, it must be supported by a constellation of 25 SFUs and 15 MFUs for a dropship, and 50 SFUs and 30 MFUs for a jumpship (either a "normal" jumpship or a warship).
Factories can also optionally be manned, though it does not necessarily confer any sort of bonus.

-It is possible to also set the spawn limitation to also include capital vessels and dropships as well, leaving space stations as the only units which can be spawned into thin air after the initial personal transport spawn.

Errata- LAMs
As it's an extremely divisive topic, you can chose to use the default ruleset or you may modify them in the following ways
>Cancel Advanced technology penalties - use advanced technologies (DHS, Endosteel, Ferro Fibrous Armor) like any other mech
>+2 free thrust (to bring fighter mode in line with normal fighters)
>free wing pylons for drop tanks or bomb munitions
>Transformation time becomes a non-issue

So you may recall that of CYOA's to which I would like to get an update, yes?

Space Heir, well there is a good reason for that, as I've broken open my copy of a Time of War and Space Heir's roll happy foolishness and we're going to do this in two parts.

Now, with this done:
You total up the points spent in Stage 0, 1, 2, 3(or 4). Subtract this from 10,000.
This is your total free XP minus the ATOW book Stage 0, 1, 2 and 3 or 4 (depending on which one you took).
Points gained or lost above *do not count unless explicitly stated*
Otherwise build your character as normal per ATOW (if using) Use ATOW Companion Life Path Rules. Do not subtract any modifiers. You gain 2 rolls at Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 4 (even if you went to Stage 3 instead) You are not allowed to spend Free XP on the following attribs: Wealth, Title, Connections, Reputation outside what's given in the CYOA path.
You *may* level them to the next rank if you do have them, however Traits that do not apply to this: (Put points in something similar, such as Wealth, Connections, et al): Extra Income, Vehicle, Quirks, Equipped. If you are using this as a SI generator, you add 50+4d6 XP times your age, that may be applied to the following traits/skills/Attrib: WIL, EDG, Any non pure physical trait, any INT, WIL, CHA skill (or tiered skill), and you must put points into Interest (BattleTech) You gain a number of friends (see table at end) equal to your *total* connection+wealth+reputation(treat negative as a positive) ranks, plus any modifiers Now, onto your father's last (or only) gift to you!

Space Heir II A Time of War Build part 1
Male
Lyran Commonwealth
Father Origin Lyran Commonwealth, Background: Phenotype Trait with an addtional 800 XP
+2 Other Paternal siblings, Male heir doesn't care
Father's Noble rank: Count

Maternal Siblings +3, Background She came from a noted family of scientists and scholars INT[+100 XP], Natural Aptitude[500 XP] in science or knowledge skills, and any left over XP applies to those skills. C* is also watching you. +50 XP to 2 Science skills, 2 Interest skills
History: Piloting (Mech), Gunnery (Mech), Technician(Weapons), Technician(Military), Protocol (Merc or Faction), Survival, Martial Arts, Small Arms Heightened BOD, Heightened RFL or Dex

Advantage Phantom MechWarrior, Ki Potential, Exceptional Attribute
Life experiences:
Training Table (2) You found a martial art mentor who saw promise in you. First time gotten, Fit trait,+50 to REF and BOD +50 XP to Martial Arts, +50 XP to Acrobatics. 2nd time taken, half the skill bonuses, half the stat bonuses, gain Combat Sense.
Contacts Table (2) You came to the attention of a noble.or another rich person He or she decided to spoil you by showing you off, giving you things or having elite tutors. (200 XP into Wealth, Connections or skills of choice) You developed the knack of being a people person, and made constant impressions and contacts no matter where you went. (First time, Gregarious, Second time Connections [200 XP})
Experiences(3) You chose (or had chosen for you) a stay at a religious retreat. Receive +100 XP WIL, +25 XP Interest/ Religion, +25 XP Protocol/Faction, +150 XP Connections, You partied hard, and built up a tolerance. (Poison Resistance) You came very close to a violent death, only a sense saved you (Sixth Sense Trait)
University for what ComStar Might Kill You : Must be University, with Fields 1 Basic (Scientist or General Studies), 1 Advanced (Science or Engineering Based) and 1 Special (Doctor, Tech/Mech, Tech/Mil)
ATOW: Stage 0 Affiliation Obviously Lyran Commonwealth: 150 XP Primary Language German

Fixed XPs: [Attributes] WIL (–50 XP), EDG (–50 XP); [Traits]
Equipped (+100 XP), Extra Income (+50 XP),
Wealth (+100 XP), Choose either Combat
Paralysis or Glass Jaw (–100 XP); [Skills]
Negotiation (+15 XP), Appraisal (+10 XP),
Protocol/Lyran (+15 XP)

Stage 1 Early Childhood

BORN MERCENARY BRAT
Module Cost: 300 XP
The child born to mercenary parents (or adopted by a
passing mercenary command early in life) is an army brat
of the most transient nature, whose family travels to distant
and foreign realms with regularity, and who knows no
true nationality or culture beyond the confi nes of military
DropShips and fi eld bases.
Prerequisites: Independent/Mercenary affi liation; STR 4+,
BOD 4+, WIL 4+
Fixed XPs: [Attributes] STR (+75 XP), BOD (+50 XP), RFL
(+100 XP), WIL (+25 XP), CHA (–25 XP), EDG (+25 XP); [Traits]
Equipped (+50 XP), Illiterate (–50 XP), Reputation (–50 XP);
[Skills] Career/Soldier (+10 XP), Interest/Military History (+5
XP), Language/Any (+10 XP), Martial Arts (+15 XP), Melee
Weapons (+10 XP), Negotiation (+5 XP), Perception (+5 XP),
Streetwise/Any (+10 XP)

Stage 2 Late Childhood MILITARY SCHOOL
Module Cost: 500 XP

Prerequisites: WIL 3+
Fixed XPs: [Attributes] CHA (+50 XP); [Traits] Connections
(+15 XP), Fit (+15 XP), Rank (+20 XP); [Skills] Career/Soldier (+25
XP), Computers (+35 XP), Interest/Any (+30 XP), Interest/Military
History (+40 XP), Leadership (+20 XP), Martial Arts (+30 XP),
Medtech (+10 XP), Melee Weapons (+20 XP), Protocol/Affi liation
(+30 XP), Running (+30 XP), Small Arms (+50 XP), Strategy (+10
XP), Swimming (+30 XP)
Flexible XPs: +40 XP (may only be applied to Skills)

Stage 3 Higher Education University (Required University for what ComStar Might Kill You : Must be University, with Fields 1 Basic (Scientist or General Studies), 1 Advanced (Science or Engineering Based) and 1 Special (Doctor, Tech/Mech, Tech/Mil))

University (710 XP + Field Costs)
Universities represent the upper crust of higher education among
civilians. Many developed worlds have their own universities, but the cream
of the crop are those that draw on students from across their native realms,
such as House Davion's prestigious New Avalon Institute of Science or the
Lyrans' University of Tharkad. Universities are expensive, and most have
strict entry requirements, but off er students access to the skills for lucrative
careers in science, medicine, law and technology.
Prerequisites: Minimum INT 4+. Also, if character did not take Preparatory
School as a Stage 2 module (or Nobility or White Collar as a Stage 1 module),
apply the following: [Attributes] WIL (+100 XP), EDG (–100 XP); [Traits]
Connection (+200 XP), Reputation (–100 XP), Wealth (–100 XP)
Automatic: [Attributes] INT (+150 XP), WIL (+75 XP), CHA (+25 XP), EDG
(+25 XP); [Traits] Connections (+200 XP), Equipped (+50 XP), Reputation (+75
XP), Wealth (–200 XP); [Skills] Computers (+25 XP), Interest/Any (+20 XP),
Perception (+25 XP), Protocol/Affi liation (+20 XP); [Flexible XP] (+220 XP)
Fields:
Basic (+1 year): Scientist,
Advanced (+2 years):
Engineer,
Special (+2 years): Technician/'Mech,

From 10000 XP that should be 8340 minus college field costs the rules of which I'm going to have to review later...

Yeah, you see why I feel space heir needs a revamp... but I plan to actually use this for something that will go up in my misc thread so maybe it'll be worth it. EDIT: Oh right forgot:

Universal Fixed Experience Points
Regardless of their original affi liation, all characters in A Time of War must purchase a mandatory universal allotment of fi xed XPs in Stage 0 that establishes a minimum level of Attributes, as well as the character's general awareness of his surroundings and his ability to understand at least one of his home realm's main languages. Also provided are XPs toward the common tongue of English (which is spoken in all corners of human-occupied space). Thus, in addition to all XPs awarded from the character's starting affi liation, all characters using Life Modules must purchase the following (at a cost of 850 XPs): +100 XP to each Attribute, Language/Affi liation Primary or Secondary Language Skill (+20 XP), Language/English Skill (+20 XP) and Perception Skill (+10 XP).

So thats minus another eight fifty, so free XP 7490 + Field Studies cost university [30Xp per skill in the field]
Scientist

Career/Scientist
Computers
Interest/Any
Investigation
Perception
Science/Any
Training

210Xp
Engineer

Appraisal
Career/Engineer
Perception
Technican/Nuclear
Technician/Any

150 XP

Technician – 'Mech

Technician/Electronic
Technician/Jet
Technician/Mechanical,
Technician/Nuclear
Technician/Myomer

150 XP
Total 510 XP: 6980 XP unless I've missed something somewhere... like I said there is a reason that this is two fucking parts. I'm not going to fuck with the god damned companion book, because I'm tired: buyout, -200 XP Lyran , Merc Brat -125 XP, University -500 =6155
so the character sheet is going into a spoiler in part because I'm still working on it

WiP

Phenotype Special:800XP extra
Natural Aptitude[500 XP] in science or knowledge skills, and any left over XP applies to those skills. +50 XP to 2 Science skills, 2 Interest skills

Attributes

Attribute	Strength	Body	Reflex	Dexterity	Intelligence	Willpower	Charisma	Edge
XP Stage	175	225	275	100	350	400	175	150
XP Spend	425	375	325	500	350	300	425	450
XP Total	600	600	600	600	700	700	600	600
Score	600	6	6	6	7	7	6	6

3005 XP Remaining.
Skills Mother:
Piloting (Mech), Gunnery (Mech), Technician(Weapons), Technician(Military), Protocol (Merc or Faction), Survival, Martial Arts, Small Arms

Heightened BOD, Heightened RFL or Dex

Traits
Combat Sense.
Gregarious,
(Poison Resistance)
(Sixth Sense Trait)
Fit trait,
(200 XP into Wealth, Connections or skills of choice)
Connections 600XP,+165 XP Connections,
Equipped (+200 XP)
Extra Income (+50 XP), Wealth (+100 XP),
Fit (+15 XP), Rank (+20 XP);
Reputation (+75 XP),

Language/Affiliation Primary or Secondary Language Skill (+20 XP), Language/English Skill (+20 XP) and Perception Skill (+10 XP).Perception (+25 XP),
[Skills] Negotiation (+15 XP), Appraisal (+10 XP), Protocol/Lyran (+15 XP)
[Skills] Career/Soldier (+25 XP), Computers (60) Interest/Any (+30 XP), Interest/Military History (+40 XP), Leadership (+20 XP), Martial Arts (+120), Medtech (+10 XP), Melee Weapons (+30XP), Protocol/Affiliation (+30 XP), Running (+30 XP), Small Arms (+50 XP), Strategy (+10 XP), Swimming (+30 XP) Flexible XPs: +40 XP (may only be applied to Skills)
[Skills] Career/Soldier (+10 XP), Interest/Military History (+5 XP), Language/Any (+10 XP), Negotiation (+5 XP), Perception (+5 XP), Streetwise/Any (+10 XP)
[Skills] Interest/Any (+20 XP), Protocol/Affiliation (+20 XP); [Flexible XP] (+220 XP)
+75 XP to Acrobatics.
+25 XP Interest/ Religion, +25 XP Protocol/Faction,

Skills

Language/Affiliation Primary or Secondary, Language English, Perception

--

Imperator Pax · Mar 3, 2022

Prologue
Landed Opportunity
Part 2

Lowe's Landing, Rigil Kentarus

Lowe's Landing.

Such an inventive name, his creativity should be praised from here to mecha stranty ... or whatever the clan's capital homeworld whatever was called. It was alliterative at least surely that was a plus... and it wasn't as if Odin's Landing would have been any better. He looked at the smaller holographic projection of the planet's surface.

Rigil Kentarus had gotten the shit kicked out of it during the doom of the hegemony, the Amaris civil war had seen the liberal orbital bombardment of the planet, but it had weathered the rest, no pun intended, a bit better than New Earth had. New Earth had faced more serious attacks than Rigil... and thus New Earth was a bit more desperate for troops... which was of course why his commission with the reserves expected him to station a portion of his troops on that world when they were in federal service ... two months out of the year in normal time. Armand had managed to beat him to New Earth and had been waiting with advice on how it might be a good idea to expend a little more money to purchase a landhold on New Earth as well to fulfill those obligations.

... and have the Commonwealth reimburse him for the expense... naturally. It was good material advice. Odin knew when to heed advice, especially when advice was generally a cue to follow along, if you didn't have a good reason to not heed it and it blew up in your face, or even if it didn't, it ran the risk of damaging those connections. That and that the new Archon was still searching for some answer for the Commonwealth's perennial ASF production issue.

Once upon a time though Lowe's Landing had had another name. Kentarus had been settled by colonists before there had even been other colonies to quibble with. Rigil Kentarus and Riken Minor had been explored in the distant days of the Terran Alliance.

Massive gray slab sided 'markers', column like pylons, painted with Star League symbols slid into the earth that had been contaminated by bioweapons used by invaders dating back to Amaris, but had also included post liberation use by Kerensky's forces, and the subsequent attacks by the combine and Free Worlds league... and of course League collaborators and the Marik Militia in the original planetary capital had eaten a nuke courtesy of the LCAF.

Riken was a sparsely populated world to which he was now committed a king's ransom to restore. A hired PR expert on retainer from a Tharkad firm that specialized in this sort of Grandiose protypical lyran genoristy of social work was happy to blare Lyran uber Alles and all attractions to such things, such a generous use of a father's bequest etc etc. Lowe's landing though was a landhold on Rigil Kentarus , and his real plan was to build ... 'Odin's Hall', again much praise to his wisdom and creativity, was to build a base on Riken Minor rebuilding on the original SLDF site and more importantly Centaur Castle underneath it.

So while the PR guru ministered to the public about how their lives were going to improve Odin Lowe watched machinery controls descend. Or rather he had been until all the lights had confirmed green and the automated control systems took over. His part was done. He had followed the manuals to the exact specifics as if he were carrying out a religious rite. Of course part of that was the damned point he was passing off pristine, factory fresh terraformers for an inheritance from a deceased los-tech prospector of a father he had barely known. It was a grand sweeping gesture, and of course his entry to regional works also brought with it the prospect of bringing prosperity and investment, the Lyran way, to the roughly seven hundred million inhabitants of the planet.

He had even written most of the speech being played on the trivid clips making the news himself, with some adjustments by the PR expert, but now he had other things to do. Odin ran a hand over the case holding the sheathed iron claymore and glanced at the older officer. "This sword?" He said responding to the man's curious expression more than the actual question, "This was sword was carried for Charles Stuart at Culloden." It meant nothing to the career LCAF officer, and that was apparent in the dumb look, "Culloden Moor, in Scotland, on Terra. House Cameron was defeated, a loss admittedly largely a result of the opposing force's superior artillery, but interesting in other sense as it pitted House Cameron against the Black Watch of the day. Of course this was before House Cameron was anything more than a minor provincial clan on Terra fighting for their own feudal overlords rather than the much grander House they would be in the days of the Terran Hegemony." He waved the matter away. "Regardless I am quite glad to have you along. I am sure that there is a great deal from each other we can learn." Which might very well prove to be true. The man was a careerist... but one with poor prospects of being promoted beyond his current rank never mind the next one. He wasn't a member of hte nobility, and had if not no friends at court then precious few.

They could be useful to one another, but to the older man he was a young noble's brat with more money than sense... and there was little that he would be able to do to discourage him. Even beating him in a BattleMech duel wouldn't dissuade that... and Odin was sure he could manage that.

"No, no don't say anything, we both have our respective strengths I'm sure," Odin continued, "But I have a great deal of things on the business side that need to be seen to," By which of course he had staff for that to address his deficits there, "Why in a few months we will have factories and people employed, and then we will go from there. You will see." He declared gregariously. That was important trait in nobles and while Odin had spent his childhood in a mercenary command, his later formative years had been learning other skills. He had friends in high places, and they had polished natural charisma into honing his own leadership talents. It wasn't the same leadership talents being cultivated by the military curriculum of the school he'd been attending at the time, but the civilian side of managing people.

--
Hours later Odin stood alone on the central command platform, basically killing time until he needed to make his next public appearance. Rigil Kentaurus was an interesting world. There were places where you couldn't even see the planet's moon no matter what night of the year it was. There was a fortune up there. An intact Castle Brian.

Kentaurus still hadn't been his first choice. Clinton's position in Lyran space would have been preferable. Antares would have been nice too. Kentaurus though did beat out a world on the periphery edge of Lyran space.

It wouldn't have been his first choice but he was going to make it work.

Odin Lowe was a fit young man. Tall, and muscled from sports and martial arts running ten kilometers in the morning before breakfast would have been nothing. He'd been on the school rowing team, as well as played rugby in his high school years. He hadn't been able to carry on with the latter at Tharkad University it clashed too much with his packed schedule he had had to give the game up in return for classes. That had been something he had expected, but he had also kept up the training drilled into him from mother, and from monastery.

He was looking at a man his own age that might as well have been him. The resemblance was uncanny even... but then he supposed it should be the young count was his half brother after all. There were differences of course. The Count of Hoenn might have had the same physical build as Odin, but his hair was pure blond. It lacked the weathering and the sun streaked quality that made his more brown. The newly established Graf von Hoenn was apparently an adept MechWarrior, though whether he would fight in the LCAF would be only determined in the future.

The father's genes showed less clearly in their sister. She had shrewd eyes like all of them but lacked the physical presence but one of the clips showed her reflexes on the tennis court as could only be described as superlative in quality

He wouldn't have been surprised if she could make a BattleMech dance. There was always the possibility that as she matured she'd develop the compact rigorous physical bulk he and the count shared... but he doubted it. While Odin would never be described as anything so vulgar as built like a brick shithouse his physical solidity had come early before his teenage years. There were plenty of bigger men, but the physical hardiness wasn't the same as the reflexes... and reflexes were plus in a battlemech... though heat resistance was another benefit of good conditioning.

The files suggested that well... like all of his siblings if he were being honest that they had already been in the possession of BattleMechs. The count certainly, and was almost certain that was the case with the sister he'd never known. It was actually unthinkable that she wouldn't have a mech of her own really.

What he was certain of was that most likely he had until in the most average scenario that he had considered... he had until Graf von Hoenn reached the same age he was now. The same applied for their younger sister. The count if he was going to do something would probably have to wait until then... without assistance from his mother's family... which was possible. Paternal assistance, a side of his family he knew nothing of, was possible but Odin considered that unlikely.

No the count might not do anything he had gotten the title after all. If he did though make a move... the best shield would be a strong reputation as a Lyran noble of his own standing. Reputation was a shield, and in the right situation it was also a sword.

A sound chimed on the panel, "Sir," A feminine voice called.

"Yes Tanya." He replied.

"The Regiment is assembled for inspection."

He nodded, "Thank you Lieutenant Schmitt. I'll be down forthwith," He had inherited from the recently deceased Graf von Hoenn a regiments worth of Mechs, which were now duly enrolled with the House Troops liaison in the Lyran Reserve... and a good reputation began at home. IF he was to have any hope at all of fending off challenges to his rights from his legitimate siblings it had to begin here. So it was time to get in his Orion and show the flag a bit for the locals.

Flag in this case was the Flag of the Commonwealth, and then a smaller blue ensign with a golden lion. Both devices painted on the assembled company of heavy and assault mechs, assembled looking out over one of Rigil Kentaurus's impressive Sargasso seas. A collection of other Lyran mechs joined them bringing the force of mechs up to battalion strength, and they started a grand heavy metal parade.

Imperator Pax · Mar 8, 2022

Prologue Part 2
Landed Opportunity

June 3015

The news was about what he expected.

The Marik Civil had petered out about as he had expected. What he hadn't known to expect was the tit for tat along the Commonwealth border. The Mariks had taken a world so the Commonwealth had seized one of theirs. Odin didn't particularly care for that... and while he was probably not the only one he could guess it was the Archon hoping to keep things at a relatively low level of aggression. She was hoping to entreat the successor houses to a peace treaty.

Thus he suspected one of two things were going to happen. Janos would either attack outward against the League's external enemies. A very probable course of action. Not necessarily one that would force the league into battle with the commonwealth against the archon's wishes. No, the marik civil war had involved one side being supported by the capellans... if Janos were to mount an attack he might choose to attack them. It was also possible he might not launch any further attacks.

... however it was possible that regardless of the Archon's wishes there were those within the LCAF who wanted to commit to an offensive. Either because they had been planned under Alessandro Steiner... or because they viewed it as necessary for some other reason.

He hoped he was wrong. The news from the League was that they were holding very publicized trials for traitors. Hopefully the bloodletting would keep them busy. He doubted it, it hadn't escaped his attention that the Wolfs Dragoons had switched sides. Assuming things went as he expected them to... the Dragoons would come over the border.

Presumably not here, but he couldn't discount it entirely.

People might have questioned using the terraformers and setting that up on a meager planet like Rigil Kentarus. It was one of the very first colonies of humanity, but its heyday was long since passed. It, New Earth, and other Hegemony planets brutally savaged and degraded from the time in the sun that had been the Star League of the 27th century... and truthfully while important Rigil Kentaurus had never been the most important of the Hegemony's colonies.

The title of Baron was far beneath the standing of such an expense... but you had to start somewhere... and more importantly his friends on Tharkad had insured that the Archon knew of the service to the world. If he had been able to settle on Clinton, or Antares his first letters patent and nobility would have likely had to be from a local planetary noble.

He had still had to negotiate land purchases and secure space negotiating with the local aristocracy... but he was now among their ranks and with a demonstration to show for it. Actually more than one, none of his peers had anywhere close to his military or indeed economic power. The JumpShips alone were a tremendous value, but he was going to be opening factories on Rigil, and on its moon.

But for the young baron that wasn't his only concern. He had been hasty in hoping to leave Tharkad. Impatient even. His decision to use [Recycle] on part of his inheritance had been too quick by far for a number of reasons that had developed since then. That many dropships just disappearing... and from on Tharkad the capital of the commonwealth of all places.... that had been even more foolish than his wastefulness in not using the essence in a more controlled manner.

The DropShips had been easy to legally eliminate from the books... but that official end wasn't the end end. People would want to know where the deceased count's dropships had gone. Worse since he had terminated their registry he couldn't simply bring them back without paperwork. The best case scenario were people would assume he had gifted the DropShips... or broken them down for parts, which was more accurate in a sense he supposed.

The problem would be if anyone had seen them vanish and hadn't simply assumed they'd been dreaming or rendered insensate by drink or other means. There were no rumors circulating about JumpShips literally vanishing they were talking about hundreds of thousands of tons... and it had been reckless.

He had to hope that the matter would settle that most would accept that he had simply bartered or gifted away those DropShips for other resources, which was true in sense. They had been used to gain other resources. The problem was the inquiry von Hoenn, or more correctly the lawyers working for his regent... presumably the count's mother ... had underway. Truthfully there had probably always going to be questions asked about the DropShips. It would have been rather idiotic not to. While they weren't the Federated Suns it certainly wasn't unheard of for one branch of a family to seize a title from a relative by force.... even if it was quite rare and more suitable for holovid fantasy stories than anywhere else. It was very rare for one noble to take his house troops against a cousin and seize power in pitched, the Lyran commonwealth didn't work like that.

It was a ridiculous fear of course. Odin had no such designs, and the capital one would have needed to make such a conquest stick was more than just who you knew. Usurping your relatives without exceedingly good cause, i.e. They'd been convicted of treason was a massive black mark to a reputation even if it worked. A scorch to his shield he couldn't afford.

... but if von Hoenn's people were asking about the DropShip he had less time than he thought. They would eventually come here, and there was nothing that he could do to stop them. Beyond just civil hospitality to the envoys of another noble they were the envoys of a related house turning them away would be a black mark against him... and he couldn't put too much effort in ducking them either. Being merely a locally created baron would have drawn less attention, but the PR campaign had emphasized his use of the bequest and that had one him an 'imperial' baron's title. If they were asking about the DropShips they would likely poke around for the rest... ask questions about what else had been in cargo holds and storehouses and other spaces.

Odin started at the noise, but glanced at the window. Rain. Of course Rigil Kentaurus and Riken Minor were both heavily saturated with water. The rain was unexpected but it meant the terraformers were doing their job. The planet was recovering, and they could keep moving forward. He hadn't needed to be a noble in order to buy land, but the baronial land grant from the Archon provided him vastly more protection, and leeway to how he pursued matters.

Odin looked at the rain drops splattering the windows heartily now. That meant a planetary militia. Devastated by the war against Amaris, and having been colonized originally in a far flung manner of settlement to begin with Rigil was spread out across her island land masses. Rigil Kentaurus even as a world of the Hegemony had never broken a population of two billion people. Instead it had been a favorite of Terran nobility, of the genteel and wealthy souls of the hegemony a favoirte stop for visitors.

... and Kentaurus's own native (Terran Hegemony) nobility had happily sided with Amaris after the bombardment for economic 'reforms' for wasteful short term gains... so of course when the SLDF had returned there had been reprisals and fighting. A military coup a year later, and then again after Kerensky had shirked his duties again and run away to the periphery. Kerensky was the absolute worst sort of social general, he was actually good at the fighting but bad about fulfilling his actual social obligations, an unfavorable sin in a lyran's eyes, especially when committed by someone who had graduated the Nagelring. After Kerensky was gone and the infighting began between the successor houses things had declined but stabilized only with the commonwealth's liberation. The commonwealth though hadn't been able to restore the world to its Star League heights modest as those had been.

Of course the Archon had other concerns besides just one world.

Odin focused a fragment of will summoning the familiar blocky script. He had stumbled really over the matter on Tharkad. A paltry sum. A union cost more... but then Unions in BV were really quite ridiculously expensive for something so common. Not that the 'small factory' wasn't an excellent purchase in C-Bills, but it cost so much less to spend in BV. If he had waited before reaching here he would have had enough since he accrued BV at twenty five a day. He could have waited and recycled the DropShips here and avoided risking any sort of attention rather than disappearing so many dropships on Tharkad.

Rash. Stupid.

He'd have to be more careful.

As for the factories, well a medium factory for a billion C-Bills was a bit steep for him, but it was merely the cost of a good Mech. A good lyran knew a good investment. Knew the better price. He needed four Small factory units to every medium at minimum. 2508 BV for just the SFUs. The additional 1693 brought the total for just a basic matter to 4201. Then of course he needed another medium to handle assembly. Almost six thousand, 5894 BV, or just shy of 2000 more than the cost of a Union.

He would not make the same mistake as on Tharkad. He had had his retainers carefully erect coverings and work spaces and excavate the spaces where the SFUs would be place. It gave the impression of heavy construction work. Gratitude father, for all of the support equipment, it really sold the impression to anyone watching. There was actual construction going on. There was plenty of building projects that he had needed to spend kroner on. It needed to be Kroner this was a Lyran world, use C-Bills to pay foreign merchants wasn't that what the point of it was for? Even that didn't stop stupid people in other states from trying to fuck with the C-Bill, but it was worse with house bills. Fewer people wanted to futz the exchange rate of a c-bill at least for actively malicious reasons... there were plenty of sound reasons for a currency to fluctuate Lyrans understood this.

Odin Lowe was exhausted. He was a scientist, an engineer, by professional education. He had a MechWarrior's talents and a soldier's fitness... but that wasn't why he was tired. He was tired because of all the press conferences and all the other Public Relations. The factories were public now.

If he hadn't used [Recycle] it would have taken him most of a year to accumulate the necessary BV naturally. Four SFUs for component construction, to feed into a medium, and a medium to do the assembly. One building block.

Ordinarily, and thus what would have required him to invest years, a decade of his life, the process of starting a factory would have meant finding experienced professionals. Not impossible of course. The Lyran Commonwealth was the most heavily industrialized in the Inner Sphere. He could find line engineers, veterans even the best of the best given time but he would have needed more than that. He would have needed the tools to make the tools. Doable, but would have taken time. Time had had planned on... not planned on having years shaved off his plans.

That was why he was exhausted. The truth was he had left his research and much of his other academic work on Tharkad at the university. He wasn't going to need them. Not with the inheritance, and not with the essence. Not with the way both came together... and he was going to make a grand speech to the men talk about being Lyran, and the great standard of living that Commonwealth citizens enjoyed in comparison to the immense poverty deprivation and superstitious rampant else where. That hadbeen something about the Mariks he had never understood, why they were so militantly opposed to cybernetics at time.... but the real work would be after the speech investing money into the community to be Lyran. To be proud lyrans.

--
Notes: and this brings us to the last snippet of what would have in the original plan gone up in the misc thread, so in theory Next Week we will start Chapter 1

Imperator Pax · Mar 17, 2022

June 3015

Centaur Castle was its SLDF designation, and even now Construction mechs were laboring overhead to establish Odin's Hall on the surface of the pole. The construction mechs and more conventional work equipment were doing their best to replace and rebuild the original surface fortifications that had been left ruined for centuries... most of it was going to have to be replaced the goal was to turn the entire surface into a great obvious demonstration of power.... and of course attract away from ASF launch sites, or concealed lifts to deploy forces away from the main hall.

Odin knew it was foolish to simply hope he was never attacked. Centaur Castle had never been constructed with a true port facility, and while there were any such facility's to restore it would only help sell any distraction. There other effort were cataloging and restoring the regimental garrison facilities one by one.

Riken minor though was so much more now that the damage was being undone. It had only been deemed habitable by the Hegemony, and had deliberately flung tthe moon's cities had still suffered during the Amaris conflict. It was appalling that more hadn't been done to encourage Lyran culture, and sensibilities, which was a problem on Kentarus as well.

Well that was fine... Odin Lowe looked at the projection, his newly augmented inventory. Gleaming ranks of SLDF royal units, battlemechs, tanks and so forth the sort of thing finding would have meant the big score. No one would notice if he replaced all the equipment with fully equipped troops after he claimed the castle officially with the Commonwealth.

He had time though before he had to do that... for centuries people had believed the ruins were just simple military outposts that the surface outposts appeared to be. Once he was sure his moon base was up and running, well since he couldn't have Clinton this would work fine.

--
Odin smiled and offered his last handshake for at least the next few hours, and stepped before the podium, to begin his speech. He had other speeches to give of course, but he wasn't going to go straight to the exclamation of how the Commonwealth was better than the Star League and thus deserved a better military he wasn't some rabble rousing populist after all. Including the smatterings of polite, and occasionally legitimately enthusiastic, applause for investment and cleaning up the planet it took about forty five minutes to give the speech.

After that it was yielding the podium to the next speaker, and to sit and look pretty. Rigil had never been a particularly populous planet and the truth was terraformers would drive land prices in the short term down by restoring livable conditions to the landscape, but in the long term he expected that what would happen would be a return to the Hegemony trend of lots of vacation homes.... then again JumpShip capacity wasn't anything what it had been during the Hegemony. That didn't eliminate planets from being famous vacation spots, but it likely wouldn't be a quick development, and that would give him time to buy up land, and invest.

"One more to give," Schmitt replied as a fourth speaker finished, and closing comments were given. In ordinary Lyran society it was impossible to distinguish business from the military, from the nobility... but that wasn't ... well it was more of a venn diagram, the more overlap often meant the more powerful... at the center were people like the Archon. The second speech he had to give for this evening was more oriented towards the military. "There is nothing that is inevitable, or predestined. While every person is made for the struggle, what really must be achieved is the will to act. You men have expressed that will, by putting on the uniform of our shared Lyran Commonwealth. Through success and failure alike that will be heated and tempered into being a steel that protects and defends the place we call home. We can only go forward into the future." Much as the earlier speech there were limits to exactly how far he could go, and deliberately calling or being perceived to be agitating against the FWL or Combine for past actions would have been unseemly, and a little Gauche. Saying that war conducted by a party that lacked in chivalry caused them to commit massacres... well... not ideal for a peace time speech in the Commonwealth... and while such a comment could have meant Kentares, or the recent Marik Civil War and especially its aftermath... it didn't matter if it was true or not, you just shouldn't say such things in these situations. He rested his hands on the second podium, "In a few short days this battalion will depart for New Earth for service there, you are the first to take this rotation. Two months, and then you'll be replaced by the next battalion in rotation," Which struck him as inefficient but it made more sense having the entire regiment there for two months out of the year. "You should look at this as a learning opportunity, to openly and honestly evaluate ones strength and weaknesses," That any mistake that could be learned from should be. That wasn't an excuse to make mistakes but that he wanted them to learn what they could.

After that it was more wine drinking and mingling with the officers of the Regiment, and the Lyran Regulars. Tomorrow would be another parade, and a march carried from on from the garrison to the spaceport, and then a very showy lift off the day after. He was hoping that the emphasis on the expensive dropships would keep the focus on them... and not the recycled ones.

"Most of the officers, and all of the MechWarriors being assigned to us come from," Schmitt paused, as if she couldn't decide how she wanted to phrase the matter.

"The Archon's largesse, perhaps. From graduates of academies or programs by merit rather than possessing a family battlemech or the political connections of being an established military."

"Yes, sir."

He nodded, "We'll settle for the generosity of the Archon." He declared, "My father left me with a regiment of each major combat arms equipment, I trust you'll be able to make clear to the men that my concern is for their well being than the material. The war machines can be replaced," Not that he was going to get up at the podium to belt that out, "As my liaison on New Earth make sure its clear that your in charge of our troops."

He actually disliked sending Schmitt off world this soon, but he wanted a good commander , and the best he had was the head of his personal guard.

--
Odin navigated his Black Knight across the old transcontinental railhead. Another sorely in need of maintenance. He pushed the mech up the cliff looking out over the harbor, and to the seafaring freighters filling it. Fishing trawlers sailed in and out. He panned the mech to look across the bay, and then eased back. His musings on seaside and the planet were ended as his escort, a second Black Knight, opened communications.

"Sir," Alexandra Hazen remarked as her holographic image stabilized, "Systems Traffic Control has received a beacon from an LCAF JumpShip at Nadir. The ensign had something of a long face dominated by a wide forehead and high cheekbones, a contrast in features to Schmitt's more rounded, and less harsh... of course the latter might very well have been Hazen's resting expression that might charitably be considered as frigid... which was only part of the reason he'd seen Schmitt as liaison... Schmitt was less likely to challenge someone to a duel.

He raised an eyebrow, "Anyone we know?"

"A General, His Serene Highness the Duke Roysten of House Bisset." Odin nodded at the sour pronouncement, and then asked for clarification the man's specific rank... lieutenant General. It seemed very unlikely that this wasn't related to the upcoming service to New Earth of a third of his house troops.

--
Notes: Some revisions are ongoing with the next chapter as I will be expediting certain things to get into the action particularly the movement of Alesandro Steiner esque offensive actions against Marik planets

Imperator Pax · Mar 24, 2022

The Battlefield Awaits

At one point in time the moniker social general had been an actual title, but that still didn't mean that the Lyran commonwealth was going to send a green, freshly raised unit into action. Odin wasn't quite certain as the conversation dredged on if that would have held if these men of high birth knew about the two brigades of Star League BattleMechs under his 'house'.

Lord Roysten was a brash loud man. Probably not the worst social general in he history of the commonwealth, but the fact he associated with Wilhelm von Mouttheim was hardly a good sign. The presence though of an entirely new regiment on the books, and he supposed also the lift capacity to move it must have been enough to convince someone in LCAF that now was the time. That something could be done... somewhere. Not that that had been a precise quote, but the fact there were a dozen generals present, and yet seemed to be no pre agreed plan to work from... was frankly somewhat terrifying.

...Someone had literally referred to a Zeus as a 'lighter' mech for heaven's sake.

There was a clearing of a throat, and he made room, "Matthias."

"Odin, so glad you could come to New Earth," The aging duke replied. "Especially on such short notice. Some people are so very inconsiderate." he was looking dead ahead while he said it, which might well have meant either Roysten or Mouttheim ... or possibly both men.

"Were those transports for the Winfield guards?"

"Yes," Matthias von Shonberger replied. Anything further was cut off as an argument erupted down in the 'bullpen' far below the ampitheatre seating. Alessandro Steiner had not been Archon since 07, he had retired some eight years earlier 'allowing' his niece, the present archon, Katrina to ascend.

It had been a veritable coup d'etat supported by the current archon's successes in the face of Alessandro's failures... and the man who had just entered the bullpen had all the physical characteristics of a member of the ruling house. Steel gray eyes and blonde hair, Frederick 'the hammer' Steiner was roughly Odin's own height but the older man, now in his early forties was probably forty pounds heavier.

... and Freddy opened the floor with the intention of the attack by capitalizing on the Marik's distraction and internal house cleaning. Odin perked. Not because he was explicitly interested in yet more 'deep penetration' strategies that were unlikely to really yield real gains for the commonwealth... but because of what they might be able to conceal. The truth was he'd been fully prepared to leave Helm well enough alone. Let things play out how they were ... but if Frederick Steiner was serious about beating the Marik's like a drum... then getting into the cache and stealing the whole thing... that might actually be possible... after all he would need to get on planet deploy his forces in a raid... and well no one would need to be aware of him slipping away with a body of picked men. There would be no one to watch any material he recycled other equipment... and a memory core would be much easier to abscond with than countless battlemechs.

The argument between Steiner, and Mouttheim reached a crescendo. Rather than decide on a single target, they decided to split the assemble forces to attack both. At the same time. Matthias stood up placing a hand on his stomach and navigating back out of the row with lion headed cane, "Gentlemen since we seem to have confirmed a motion, might I make a suggestion. That the liberation of these two worlds be synchronized, that it would be best to have our forces muster at Denebola, and have them then jump to their respective destinations."

Denebola was a single jump from New Earth. Zosma, and Alula Australis could both be jumped directly to from Denebola.

It was such a simple thing that suggesting it... shouldn't have even been necessary.... except that you could jump from New Earth to one planet, but not both. Alula Australis could be reached from New Earth... or for that matter to be honest Rigil Kentaurus... but you couldn't make that jump from Zosma. Trying to coordinate Jumps from two different systems would have been needless complication especially when they would be attacking allegedly synchronized on two separate systems.

Von Shonberger was trying to streamline matters.
--
He had retired to one of his overlord dropships for the evening to contemplate the upcoming ... probable disaster with increasing dread. He had the Winfield Guards file, and a glass of mulled wine to keep him company. The product of the now deposed archon the Guards, the brigade now, had been intended to be a Lyran House Unit answer to the SLDF based Eridani Light Horse. He was not sure that the unit was ready to deploy, but if there was one thing hte various generals could agree on it was that they weren't interested in real unit readiness, just an affirmative answer.

He pushed the mulled wine to one side as Broden entered with Schmitt, and the door closed behind them. "Specials, eh?" He asked looking at the last document. Well, to tell the truth Odin could have thought of worse names. "At least they didn't call use something like fire brigade, or emergency reserve, or something similar." Then after the clearly uncomfortable Lyran regular was gone, he glanced up to Schmitt, and steepled his fingers, "Well thank heavens at least we're not under Mouttheim's command." They were going to hit Alula Australis, and now on his third glass of mulled wine he could see how ridiculous his brief daydream that they might be able to use this gentlemen's club as cover for something... he picked up the class, and sighed, "We're still going to have to survive this," He remarked, but if there was any upside ...

... well Mouttheim struck him as the sort of genius who would want to mount a brigade scale infantry attack over a mile of open ground .... which he was a mech commander machine guns were a lot less lethal to Mechs. Not, not lethal, but less dangerous than other weapons. Mouttheim definitely was about as subtle as Frederick Steiner in terms of front assaults, but ... Frederick probably wouldn't lead them into a headlong suicidal replay of the Somme in the 31st century.... and the steiner scion was likely to want a frontal attack if they had an advantage in 'Mech weight.

Alula Australis was the closer of the two worlds, and apparently so far as he could wade through the irredenta their goal the reason for the attack was to correct the failure to liberate the planet in oh nine when the 19th Lyran Guards had raided the planet.

Schmitt was puzzling over the planet, "We'll be attacking across heavily mountainous terrain, that will diminish our speed, and slow our advance." It would make whoever held the best defensive ground hard to dislodge as well. "Then there are these areas where centuries of mining have undermined stability and created sinkholes."

Lovely, was the silent sarcastic quip that passed through his mind as he watched the hologram spring into life. These maps were out of date, possibly as much as ten years, mining continued, and accidents weren't uncommon particularly with the spring rains, but extractive efforts in the depths tended to cause sagging, and the possibility of a tremor underground could dislodge thousands of tones of loose soil... and the chance of what artillery or missiles might do was ... had the potential be even more unpredictable. "We have until the DropShips are charged, lady." Yes, in theory they would have the time until the Jump from Denebola...

"a concentrated assault by ASF and DropShips should allow us to clear space enough to offload unmolested." Schmitt had already reached for the Regiment of aerospace fighters, "If not necessarily for the entire brigade landing force," She hedged in the face that this all seemed perilously close to just winging it and no word had been spoken about any prospective FWL ASF presence.

Imperator Pax · Mar 31, 2022

The Battlefield Awaits
Part 2

Money, and industrial resources more so than land were the defining feature of Lyran nobility. It was why in the Lyran system the courts tended to favor the interests and needs of the corporation doing the work, than the feudal landholder in most disputes... when there was actually a difference between the two. It was why the very model of a Lyran Social General often had the space lift capability to move his personal command at least, because nothing quite said wealth like DropShips, and certainly nothing one upped that like having your own personal JumpShips even if they never so much as left the provincial borders. If on strict averages the Commonwealth were weighted more towards assault weight mechs, with perhaps fifteen percent of the Mechs in service being eighty or more tons, and thirty five percent being heavy mechs the assembled forces here were even more heavily tilted in that direction. The general consensus of Marik forces were less than eight percent, the least of any successor state, of the Marik Mech stable were Assaults, though some argued they made up for it by fielding the third largest stable of Heavy 'mechs after the Combine... but few of those people were Lyran and none of them were in the command staff of this gathering. After all conventional wisdom had always been beating a battlemech required another battlemech preferably a bigger more heavily armored one slugging it out.

At least it was only going to be one jump.

This was about money and prestige... and given the prescence of a Steiner general leading one prong of it... Odin suspected something beyond the usual faire. The prescence of so many officers and nobility who had been in the favor of the previous archon at best suggested that they were lobbying for the ruling Archon's attention, or at worst were hoping to embarrass her into action.

There was nothing that could be done about it. Not at this stage. The orders were all legally cut, and verified through the appropriate channels... and it was probably no small coincidence that they were going on this with a number of high ranking officers of the LCAF.

The only thing they could do was to win honor and glory for the Commonwealth. Regardless of whatever those other political motivations, and whatever other games were afoot, they needed to win glory and prestige for themselves, and the commonwealth... which really meant that they really needed to make sure they didn't lose.

When you got down to it, Steiner, and Mouttheim was that they could afford to be defeated. It would be embarrassing but they had the capital and connections to survive such mostly unscathed. Odin recognized that that wasn't likely to be the case in his own position. "I think perhaps our best option would be a decisive commitment of our heaviest air assets, to secure our landing forces," Once they were offloaded and read he was relatively confident that they would be able to concentrate , but they had to be able to get on solid ground... but navigated around compromised terrain from centuries of mining would likely prevent a direct assault on the planetary capital. "Can anyone see a better option?"

The Titan class DropShips command staff briefing room housed the assembled officers of his personal guard, and the staff officers of the MechWarriors, ASF, and Armor force officers of battalion rank or higher... which was perhaps somewhat awkward. It created the dynamic where on paper the lyran officers in charge, outranked persons in the Guard but were still subordinate to Hazen or Schmitt ... but that was simply the reality. They were command units constituted from his house, nascent as it was, equipment. It was why the recently attached full bird colonel might be commanding the regiment of Mechs but still had to answer to him.

It was his equipment, and more importantly in the realities of the succession war it was equipment he had inherited. That was no secret. The 20 Heavy ASF were an excellent example of this. The pride of the wing were the so called flying Awesomes, the 85 ton Rapiers, which of course had the added advantage of being Lyran in corporate origin. Any significant losses in Federal Service would be replaced. The Lyran Commonwealth was on the hook for combat assets destroyed ... but that didn't mean they had to replace them quickly, or with the exact same model. Everyone knew this, that was how the game was.

"That seems reasonable." The Mech Colonel replied, whether because he generally believed it was the best solution or because he didn't want to be publicly overruled Odin couldn't be quite sure.

No one seemed prepared to contradict a Mechwarrior colonel, and with not forthcoming ideas they moved on to the issue of coordination with other groups of House Troops. Alula Australis's southern continental landmass housed the capital city of New Horizon. House Marik had never bothered to rebuild the battlemech factories when they had been destroyed nearly seventy years earlier, and that certainly diminished the industrial value of the planets, but it was still an inhabited world near terra and that alone made it valuable. Possibly even more so than the planet's mining, and petrochemical industries.
--

The successor states had always had something of a phobia of losing a direct jump route to Terra. The lose of prestige from failing to have a territorial corridor to Earth had little strategic basis in a universe where the Terran Hegemony no longer existed, but it remained an absolutely terrifying thought perhaps because it signaled the loss of territory that might demonstrate that one of the great houses simply had lost all hope of replacing the Hegemony. Being cut off from Terra meant they might have for good been stopped from realistically proclaiming their ruling dynasty the next Star Lord.

Not that taking both worlds would do that. Of the two only Aulula Australis was within one jump of Terra... but if this succeeded.... then attacks could be mounted against Graham and Procyon. Would it actually accomplish anything, Odin doubted it.

It would certainly embarrass House Marik, but more likely it would simply provoke them to launch their own offensive, or counter offensive. Not that there was any point in saying so. The sooner von Mouttheim stopped banging on the podium from the other end the satellite feed the sooner they could make final preparations to get underway. The sooner they could make the jump, the sooner they could detach from the JumpShips, burn to the planet and make planetfall.

Odin idly drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair, and glanced to his second in command. If not for the presence of attached regulars to serve as liaisons and officers to the regiment while in federal service he'd probably made small talk while the general carried on.

... this was probably some small political concession by Frederick Steiner to Mouttheim to let him given the line of departure speech to the force. Half an hour later Mouttheim finally finished, and Odin stood up, "Give me detachment wide," The forces under his command, using his equipment. "Soldiers," He began once directed that the line was open, and he was in theory addressing all the troops, "The battlefield awaits. For our Lyran Commonwealth."

JumpShips from both invasion forces were already beginning to wink out of existence as their Kearny-Fuchida drives spun up and bubbled with pulses of distorted light forming spheres as they jumped. A two pronged assault had begun.

The officer at the helm of the DropShip notified them at the Frederick Steiner's contingent of JumpShips had made their jumps

Odin nodded. The Jump sensation was like being dunked in the ocean... well without being physically wet. Then it was gone in spectre of lights, and shape, and the jump was over. 13.94 Light years in what had been a moment. He self consciously exhaled, "Start a clock," He ordered, "Is everyone accounted for?" Making sure all of their numbers were accounted for was probably the most important thing, and then the rest of the Lyran Brigade, but during the attack in 3009 the Mariks had demonstrated a previously to then unknown ASF unit the later identified 405th Fighter Wing. It had included LosTech units. Things like LAMs, Land Air Mechs which were capable of transformation from ASF to BattleMech in order to fight.
--
Notes: Okay so according to House Marik, and again this runs into Jump Points and associated issues Alula Australis is a month out from its Jump Point... I'm ignoring that. Or more correctly the jump point above the star or below it supposed to be four weeks... which we're ignoring. This can be something something lagrangian points something something, or just it might be true thats where, but at the same time there are instances in canon where the safe jump point is also in the oort cloud range as well, and well for travelling to the 8th planet in the system thats faster or insert other explanation.

This is a necessary chapter because it gets us through the warnings for things to come on the Lyran side.

So whats going to happen is when the next chapter opens Part 1 will go up sometime in the next two weeks, it will probably not be next week we will start the first significant multi part/post chapter on the surface of Alula Australis either from a DropShip command post or inside the Black Knight. This will not be a 'standard' Length Ghost chapter, it will be a couple thousand probably 5-6k in the outline as we begin devling into a time of war, and mech piloting here and the Lions Guard, during or after which we will probably get a brief insight into Freddy Steiner's point of view in the present.

Imperator Pax · Apr 14, 2022

Fray
Part 1

Originally colonized during the first exodus from Terra Alula Australis had been close enough to Earth to be on the Terran side of the demarcation line. The change of hands the planet had done over the years had meant that the Free Worlds League had in organizing their 'Border Protectorate' had established a Brigade.

The so called Protectorate Guard consisted of two known Mech regiments, and presumably attached independent assets ... and presumably that had been the reason why Mouttheim, and all had commented such a large number of house troops to this expedition. They still weren't sure if Stroud was on planet, but they had confirmed the Iron Guard presence.

From with the blue and white ferrofibrous armor of his Black Knight, Odin waited for the his opportunity to strike. The Free Worlds League clearly intended to defend the planet, and so he needed to see what the other players on the field intended to do, and respond accordingly... and that meant watching foremost what Frederick Steiner would do.

... there was a flicker around the hillside part of the begrudging step down from the mountains to their backs, as it gradually opened into the continental grasslands fed by the river system that had attracted the attention of the first colonists from Terran centuries before.

The tell tale white puffs of signified someone was shooting, but not at them the magnification from his 'Search Eye' sensors showed the rocket motors of the LRMs flying west. At this distance he couldn't be sure if the launch was aimed at Lyran troops or had been fired at by a Lyran unit that had come pushing through the foothills this far afield.

It was a very real possibility. There was painfully little coordination going on. They had little idea what exactly the other major Lyran units were doing, but at the same time there were good odds that the missile launches were from FWL combat vehicles not from battle Mechs. Which was its own problem... it was true that of all the great powers the Capellans took the Lorix Creed... in no small part as the 26th century major had been a cappy... seriously in its espousing of the BattleMech as the utmost pinnacle warfare, and the supreme importance of the Mechwarrior on the battlefield, the Free Worlds League emphasized the knight errant aspect of that creed more than the others. The possibility of a lance or two of enemy mechs ahead of the main force was plausible.

... if only because the Combine were playing samurai in space and wanted to duel one on one.... but that was another matter entirely.

"Contact, Contact." The voice buzzed over the tactical net.

Though it was hardly properly Lyran there were an over strength, square, batallion of Light hover vehicles serving as screen and observation vehicles. The precocious little fusion powered twenty ton vehicles weren't intended as stand up fighters, just to zoom around and run away if they actually saw the enemy, and where possible also throw missiles at them from where they wouldn't be threatened.

Even before they had been offloaded from the DropShips the carbuncles had been briefed strictly that in the face of any kind of serious resistance they were to get out of dodge, and pull back to the main line of deployment. Spread across that line were the BattleMechs, and in those were the disproportionate number of Command BattleMechs. Atlas, Black Knight, Marauder, Orion, Wolverine, and so forth. The only really missing Mechs of that 'class' were things like King Crabs, or BattleMasters, which were in inventory but remained behind at Centaur Castle.

"It would appear that the League has decided not to risk fighting near the city." Hazen remarked.

That was good news. It spared either side from the risks and fallout from trying to conduct an urban battle. Given the briefings on the sort of White Terror the Iron Guard were known to engage in against the civilian populace he hadn't been sure that the Mariks wouldn't chose to make them come in the city.

That had been the paradox hanging over him. He knew where his troops were, but he didn't know what the rest of the Lyran force really had in mind... hence hoping to see some maneuver from Frederick Steiner to signal the Lyran course of action. He had been told two potentially conflicting details about the Mariks as a whole, versus the local Marik forces which created issues in predict how they might respond.

... and in that way though this was so typical of a social general lead military operation.... to the point if the local military dictator was planning for it. He didn't like that possibility. "Alexandra take command of local forces," He ordered reaching to adjust his own communications in order to reach out to Schmitt. In that lay the distinction, Schmitt commanded the guard in a full capacity, but his immediate personnel protection was Hazen's job here and now... and part of that was simply a question of temperament. So while Hazen asserted local command of the Batallion in the face of probably Marik heavy armor, though potentially Mechs he liaised back to the Regimental Headquarters.

The brief flash of a gold lion on a blue field appeared and shuffled through the machines' linkages. Preempting his need to ask a wave showed an operational overview of the map run through the Titan's command and control deck showing the disposition of Lyran forces. He could see it immediately. Either two separate commands had been issued orders and it had opened a gap in their line, or when the units had maneuvered into position no one had thought to redeploy or question the deployment that had created a gap. Whatever the case was the digital display showed where there was a whole in the line ... a hold probably two or three miles wide where an enemy force hd pushed through, creating an exploitation if not necessary a breakthrough... it wasna't as if they had had to shoot their way through.

"What am I looking at Tanya? And more importantly what can we do about it?" Odin inquired, even as his eyes tracked the peripheral movement of other signals on the readout, and around his machine's exterior.

No doubt from within her highlander she was doing the same thing. "it would appear that they've launched a frontal attack with their Mech forces, and that the armor is either a probe in force through the gap, or given its turn now moving to flank." There existed still a lack of clarity of who exactly had what. It was almost assured that the overall the Lyrans had the weight of BattleMechs, and a disproportionately greater number of heavier mechs. Indeed, Odin had expected that they were going to roll the planet with significantly larger numbers, but if the mix of fusion and ICE signatures he was looking was looking at were ... "I would hypothesize the conventional armor force comprises perhaps two perhaps over strength heavy armor regiments." Which meant if this wasn't the total of their armor the Mariks very well likely had them in weight of conventional tanks... and by them Odin was reckoning the sum of Lyran forces aiming to liberate Alula Australis from the Free Worlds League.

"Can you identify the enemy leadership?"

"We're working on that now, excellency." Another voice added this one from the DropShip's command deck, "We've seen little evidence of Enemy ASF assets since planet fall." Victoria Chan reminded him. Had this been the capellans the defenders probably would have launched a near on suicidal attempt that would either have succeeded or broken their 'sword' on them, but the truth was on realizing that there were Titan... or more likely the Vengeances coming into Orbit presumably militia piloted ASF had chosen not to contest the descent into the valley.
--
Notes: This is slightly shorter than originally planned, because while I am rereading some of the old novels, the fight scene that will probably go up in the next segment is sitting in the scrap folder is one I don't want to be too super robot.... though I have been watching too much gundam wing also...

Imperator Pax · Apr 22, 2022

Fray Part 2

They had been left to their own devices. Truthfully 'the Hammer' was probably too busy from within his Zeus to direct the wider Lyran force. It certainly didn't seem like he was trying to order anyone around. That was a problem since Frederick Steiner was the only person who had the slight est of chances being listened to by all of the Lyrans.

"They're in bound."

As if that wasn't obvious.

There was no denying that the enemy knew they were somewhere in this direction. Odin had designed the carbuncle as something of an experiment, it had followed with heavier fusion powered craft using the same fusion engine. A fifty ton hover platform just so he could avoid dodging any questions about fielding omni vehicles just yet. He just needed them to serve as harassers. . The idea of course was to produce them locally their own desert scorpion of sorts. He certainly hadn't expected to be seeing them in action this soon... and a part of him was curious as to what the Marik's made of an unknown number of hover vehicles running off fusion engines this late in the succession war.

Those considerations had probably gone out the window facing the prospect of a heavy BattleMech company.... not that it was just the Heavy mechs. He had really, would have strongly considered, if it had been an option leaving units at home. The Commando was as quintessential a Lyran mech as a Light BattleMech could be and it dominated the light Mech roster.

Odin pushed back into his harness, stretching his feet out towards the floor. They still weren't sure where the enemy leadership was, and while it would likely diminish their capacity destroying local command elements weren't likely to be nearly as productive as destroying enemy 'Mech leadership... bluntly speaking because there was a not insubstantial chance that the League had sent the tanks in to see if it wasn't a trap first. He tracked the internal combustion engine returns, which while muted in comparison to proper fusion engines were still burning hot against the background landscape. The reality was that the interference generated by well frankly ubiquitous features found in Star League era, or even Age of War technology greatly reduced the range you could reasonably be expected to hit a target. Indirect fire by LRMs, or perhaps more practically, when it was available tube artillery provided the opportunity to hit detected targets from further out, but most Star League era armors had to be defeated within direct visual ranges, and part of that was insuring you actually hit what you were aiming at.

Even hitting didn't mean armor penetration, and even achieving a penetrating hit didn't assure a kill on a hostile vehicle or an enemy mech.
--
It would have been the sort of thing that required retaining the services of a law firm, not a lawyer, a whole damn firm. Now wasn't the time for that, but it would have been nice to be able to legitimately... or at least publicly resume production of the Black Knight, but the plan was what it was. Start with spare parts and work their way up from there.

The Black Knight pivoted the DDS Kingston ER PPC sending a ray of ball lightning through the compromised side armor into the turbine diesel engine of the demolisher. He had directed the company up a ridge line overlooking the eastern valley. While most of the heavy mechs lacked advanced technologies like ER PPC the number of Marauders, and other machines included standard PPCs that provided enough range to engage from elevation. "They're in the gulley." He stated keying the mike. Blips on his radar registered the readouts from their lines as Medium ASF that he knew to be Hellcats queuing into their strafing run. The goal of the attack was more to break up and disorient the enemy armor column, preferably even cut them in half separating one side attacking into their ranks while the other had to navigate around the debris. The attacks would then end up pushing into the valley to deal with mixed vehicles and srm equipped light mechs in relatively close quarters.

That was the advantage of Large Lasers in that unlike standard PPCs didn't have field coherency issues at close range, that, and LRMs could be fired indirect without direct visual contact. "What are their Mechs doing?"

"It doesn't appear that they've responded to the change in situation," Hazen replied from within her own Black Knight, "They could be aware of the development or not." At present they had no way to be sure one way or another, just that at the moment it seemed as if the tentatively identified 'Iron Guard' were more concerned with fighting the Lyran mechs they had attacked rather than distracting themselves with other threats further afield. There was a super sonic boom as the Hellcats made their strafing run into the valley before Hazen could continue. Another demonstration that there had been little to now demonstration of Marik airpower beyond the most tentative contacts to the north east towards the planetary capital. The attack should at least stymie the flow of enemy armor towards them. "We'll have to redeploy." She meant go down there, there were just too many tanks moving into the valley now.

If the escarpment of the ridgeline had been steeper they could have forced the enemy to go around, but its shallow incline meant in theory tracked vehicles would be able to come up. It wouldn't have been an effective strategy but given Marik numbers. "I'll contact Schmitt." He replied. This was precisely the sort of engagement that favored vehicles carrying several tons of LRM ammunition into the fray... or Mechs with pure energy weapon armaments. Given the topography you couldn't really bring heavier tracked tanks optimized for close range, like the Demolisher, in except across pre identified geologically stable enough routes, due to the sinkhole risk. Taking them out into the open like that made them easy pickings for LRM or energy weapon snipers ala the Marauder. "Tanya what's the status on offload and redeploy preparations, it would seem the enemy numbers are too numerous to hold the hilltop." He paused, as the blips of fusion signatures appeared, "Confirmation of Merkava and Gallant moving up." He wondered if the mix of fusion and ICE were separate units, or simply what was on hand. The Free Worlds League had a robust manufacturing base and thus had no shortage of different vehicles to manufacture domestically. It was entirely possible that the FWLM logisticians had sent whatever they had happened to have available, but the overall impression was that the majority of Ground Combat Vehicles were ICE driven units.

--
Notes: The combat section of this was omitted, its still sitting in the scrap folder, but whenever I get over this bout of food poisoning I'll probably throw it up. Been sick since tuesday hence the relatively short updates.

Imperator Pax · Apr 28, 2022

Fray Part 3

There was a crack and a yawning tear appeared in the side of the tank, as it flipped and rolled down the hill. There were very few things worse than something being kicked by a seventy five ton mech... excluding an Atlas or such.

It was a scarily effective tactic, and it was what they had been reduced to. Odin sighed as Hazen stomped a lighter vehicle into a smoldering piece of scrap. Other 'mechs particularly the much lighter commandoes opened fire with short range missiles into the column of vehicles.

It was all well and good to speak of the abstract and broad concepts of such engagements. That the BattleMech as the premiere unit of battle bestrode the field of war as king laying low all lesser elements and arms of war. It was wholly another to contend that they were attacking, or being counter attacked, or counter counter attacking a numerically superior conventional arms force of vehicles.

'Search Eye' diagnostics began throwing up warning signs as another wave of LRM began to come in from the purple signatures on the holographic battlemap. Odin jinked hard around the burning remains of a Merkava tank as his Kingston PPC came to bear again on another enemy vehicle. Ugly black smoke had begun to mar the landscape as vehicles burned, and in particular hydrocarbon fuels began to catch along with plastics and other flammables. They were already losing visibility anyway as the day wore on, and due to the breaks in terrain as height fluctuated through the sinkholes and depressions created by centuries of mining with heavy industrial equipment. His machine's seismographic sensors were already warning him of dangerous instabilities in places where a sinkhole could give way and cause a landslide of material thousands or more tons of rocks down the valley.

Tanya appeared over the communications line, but it didn't seem like the rest of the lyran force had decided to do anything productive. The original gap in the line was continuing to widen as both Lyran guards units continued to pull further apart. Frederick Steiner was too engaged in combat to either give the order, or was too engaged for that order to get through. Whatever the case the other two subordinate social generals were not closing the gap so much as moving in the opposite direction. "I'm bringing the rest of the brigade into action."

"Do we have a path for that?" He asked Schmitt. The geographic instability was probably more dangerous to both forces in the large scale than any one side simply shooting at the other At the prompting Schmitt's Highlander provided a narrow series of advances that would navigate them around the most dangerous portions of of old mine territory in the west valley.

The original plan had been to keep his troops in reserve in part because despite their equipment their green status, but Tanya was in a position where she could see the greater battlefield, and even without that vantage point allowing the Mariks to divide the attacking force in twain was undesirable for painfully self evident reasons from here. "Time for the Air Regiment to rearm?" Refuel was the more accurate term, Hellcats were all energy birds, as were Rapier 101s.
--
An hour and a half later... there were limitations to just how limited their own infantry were. In the grand scheme of things a regiment of infantry was not actually all that many men... not when it was supposed to be screening, and fording locations in and around regiments of Vees, and BattleMechs optimally theyre should have been two to three regiments even for each other arm given how broken up the western valley turned into... and that was without even counting providing ground security for the DropShips.

Odin knew that it couldn't have been helped... because they come into this attack on the basis of raw overwhelming numerical strength and the impression that that Mariks would probably just roll over... and that hadn't happened. They had to get through the conflict before they could learn from the mistakes that had obviously been made.

He exhaled adjusting the fine fire controls. Commandoes, and Hunchbacks filled out a close protection detail around the heavier long ranged fire mechs, but that wasn't his immediate concern. The problem confronting them wasn't the distance so much as advancing across the valley side, a handful of Scimitars were firing down with their Armstrong J11, which while not effective in terms of hitting them was slowing them considerably... and he was getting tired of it. Every minute they delayed, were delayed was more time for the Mariks to concentrate their own mech forces.

The Armstrongs were beyond the range of his Black Knight variant's clan built Er medium lasers, and even if they hadn't been the truth was that he didn't want to over emphasize their range capability. No. The DDS Kingston flashed across the intervening elevation. One of the thirty five turners vanished from his scopes as its turret blew skyward from the sudden lightning strike.

There was no point in celebrating even if he'd been inclined to after swatting the gnat. Hazen cleared her throat over the tac-net, "I'm getting mech returns a klick out, and possibly others further afield." That was regrettably to be expected. They needed to get a move on. They kept pushing forward, occasionally stopping to return fire as enemy hover assets took potshots at them from the bluffs.

They were alternating air sorties between the Hellcats and Rapiers strafing the enemy positions, which had the added advantage of feeding LRM carrying missile boats including their handful of stalkers and catapults advancing with the second prong through the valley. The river was slow moving enough, if broad, and shallow that the BattleMechs would have little issue fording even though they'd confirmed at least two of the bridges in the south end of the valley had been destroyed. Who had done the destroying, it was up in the air, no one on the Lyran side had called a fire mission and it seemed unlikely that the Mariks would have blown the bridges intentionally with their tanks over on the other side, but crossing wasn't an immediate concern.

A kilometer out contact could be closer or further depending on how much magnetic interference they were reading or other effects, but they could be talking plus or minus four hundred meters in an example of what made modern combat so terminally short ranged in terms of doing meaningful damage. Either way a kilometer was close that even with the hills closing to weapons range wouldn't take more than an hour of land navigation for anything but the slowest Mech, or the most cautious pilot.

A few keyboard strokes later his 'Search Eye' ran back as clear of a picture was they could put together from the combined Brigade level data net sourcing from orbital telemetry. A relay forwarded the overhead view to Hazen who started tasking the commandoes forward.

The Commando was not anything special. Short range short duration skirmisher. The Lion Guard Variant '-O' dropped the coventry 4-tube, and six shooter instead for mounting a Conventry 90mm six tube launcher in each arm feeding from a single ton of ammo, and relocating the standard B3M to the torso as a fall back weapon. Pairs of them were teamed with one or two Hunchbacks with the typical assault class autocannons in order to make anything stupid enough to close to close range very dead very fast, as the carcasses and ruined remains of vehicles demonstrated... but they were running out of ammunition. He didn't need Tanya reminding him of that, her Highlander wasn't precisely carrying a lot of Gauss Rifle ammunition either.

They could only plan to link the two prongs before they hit hard contact... and they almost made it to that. The heavily customized Black Knight rocketed skyward as 'Super Vernier' Advanced Jump jets sent the machine vertical alongside Hazen's own Other Black Knights with more common 'Vernier' standard model jump jets cleared the river as well unloading with their torso carried large lasers.

Rather than ejecting the PPC from its arm mount he moved to drive the anti armor sword into the unfortunate spider light battlemech in front of him The purple head of the mech splitting open as the myomer bundles of the larger seventy five tonner snapped the sword forward.
--
Frederick Steiner pressed the answer button on the console of his Zeus. His body was coated in sweat... part of that was the length of time he'd been in the cockpit but the blazer his mech carried didn't precisely help with heat build up. They had underestimated the puking chickens... to an extent.

Uncle Hermann would have chided him for not expecting more tanks.... and certainly for letting the puking chickens concentrate that much armor in any one location. Von Bulow ... well Joachim should have known to close the gap even if he couldn't get a hold of General Lee. They simply hadn't been able to communicate and so each command had attacked along their respective fronts... and the gap had developed, and then spread open.

"Its been taken care?" Frederick stared at the transmitted photos from a conventional air breather scout plane used for battlefield reconnaissance damage assessment and even occasionally for artillery spotting. "Is that an Awesome?" Or the decapitated remains of one.

He'd seen a couple of Solaris bouts where Mechs had used melee weapons, but had placed little stock that they'd be really effective in a battle... but apparently you just needed the right pilots. From the looks of it the Mariks had made the mistake of getting entirely too close... and not just for the melee weapons.

"It is sir, probably the Marik Company commander, but we can't be sure." The aide de camp replied, "The New Earth Brigade is rearming now, they've gone through most of their missile stocks."

He barked a laugh, "Well no surprise there." The family resemblance was uncanny he was surprised no one had commented on it... hell Elisa von Hohenheim was a near dead ringer for a young Nondi, or even her mother. Her brother and half brother could have easily blended in with any of his dozen cousins with no issue. "The brigade is intact?"

"Outside of ammunition effecting readiness yes, they've been covering with airpower to keep the League off of them as they bridge the river."

An entire brigade of military equipment... there were questions of course, how the deceased count had been able to leave that much heavy metal to a base born son that by all inidcations he hadn't seen in more than a decade if not longer.

A muffled curse and couple of shouts came through his DropShip command center. "Problem?" He asked. Instead of getting an answer he watched a handful of blueish black gray aerodynes lift off and vector to, presumably hop across the river. "Can they land there, I thought the terrain was compromised?"

"Probably found somewhere stable enough, by all indications the Guards fleet commander is reckless."

"Its called daring, bob." Frederick replied. "When in doubt push forward, when confronted attack."

--
Commentary: One of the problems with this chapter, and part of the delay of it is how much of the combat i wanted to deal with, and details of. For example Patton and Rommels were going to show up, originally because I had included those in the heavy vehicle line up from the space heir CYOA but those haven't been invented yet by Defiance, which would have been my oversight except Essence allows them to be whipped up early, but they won't show up just yet and were cut from the armor engagement which was scaled back.

Imperator Pax · May 5, 2022

Fray

Odin leaned against the balcony of the lattice tower's restaurant. Alula Australis should have been a comfortable planet. It was ideal in weather, volume of water, and temperature for human inhabitation, but they weren't getting to enjoy it much.

Even now Lyran Security Personnel, both federal law enforcement as well as army troops, combed the streets of the capital looking for baathist officers.... a process that would probably take months. They wouldn't be here for that process, being due to rotate home relatively quickly with a Lyran administrative and occupation garrison slated to replace them whenever the archon issued the command... and that would depend on how busy Tharkad actually was.

Thus unless the League was really on the ball the only likely combat that they would see hence forth were guerilla attacks from the deposed planetary government, and remnants of the iron guard, the ones who hadn't yielded. Frankly he doubted that was likely to happen. The reality was that the League probably didn't have the numbers right now, and their repressive bloodletting over the recent civil war would have tied down forces... there was the question of course whether or not that Mariks would mount an attempt to reconquer the other half of the border protectorate... but that would likely only be organized perhaps next year.

No, the important thing was that they had struck a blow against the League, won accolades and distinguished themselves for the glory of the Commonwealth. They only needed to wait for that recognition to come from Tharkad. He wondered whether or not von Mouttheim, and Lord Roysten had been successful, if they had succeeded in taking Zosma. Had they encountered as much resistance, had their been more armor than they had planned for there.

Now that the fighting was done, and they were sitting here just waiting for word to get around, to find out what had happened on Zosma, or word from Tharkad he felt himself eager to return to even just New Earth. Rigil Kentaurus though was one jump away, but the bureaucracy would require them to return to New Earth first to stand down and take stock of everything before they made the jump back to home... that was just how the bureaucracy worked. He hoped what wouldn't happen was that they would require everyone to assemble back at New Earth , but that would depend on vagaries within the high command.

There was little to do but wait and stew in their boredom now that the fighting was done. He supposed most people would put that down to being a bored young mechwarrior, and part of it probably was.

The light meal arrived with Tanya in tow, with what he had really expected, "The reports excellency."

He stepped back from the balcony, and spared a longing glance to the appetizer, and glass of red wine. "Of course place them there. "He would have liked if their debut in combat really had distinguished more of their personnel, but the truth was the brigade's success was more in weight of numbers than anything.

Not that the media would portray it as that. The truth was unglamorous, but it was still the truth. They had attacked before the unit was ready, before there was a proper espirit de corp to draw on. Too much of a mix and not enough time to integrate even just the MechWarriors, never mind all of the other assets. He reached to swirl the wine glass and give it some air, before taking a tentative sip, "We should be grateful that it was against the League, and not the Combine," He wasn't sure the Combine would have been as indecisive and then prone to surrender after the tide had turned... they had lucked out in that the Mariks had realized they had just accidentally run into a BattleMech regiment with significant support on top of the other Lyran brigades they had contacted

The jamming on both sides had probably dragged things out longer in preventing both commanders from coming to terms, now that he thought about it.

A dark look crossed Scmitt's face, as he brought it up, "Dieron, and Altair are a jump away," From Rigil Kentaurus, and that was true, and something he was all too aware of. They were lucky in that respect taht the previous archon's grievance had largely rested with fighting the Mariks, and the weakness provided by the League's recent civil war... but they couldn't count on that forever.
--
It wasn't really an issue that Tharkad was more than a dozen jumps, over three months away... the Hegemony's perhaps greatest contribution to the League had been the creation of the SLCOMNET that facilitated FTL communication across the Inner Sphere. There were more limits to what ComStar could do in the modern era but even with the degradation of the network, but they could have gotten word to Tharkad now that the planet was secure.

... and yet nothing. He wasn't quite nervous per se... and there really was no particular reason to expect some kind of response from Tharkad, but it certainly seemed like Skye new... which yes, admittedly the provincial capital was closer... and any long term garrison force to replace them would likely come from the Isle's troops.

So that was probably nothing. Maybe it was just the fact they were sitting here doing nothing that was the problem. He had time to stew without anything productive to actually work on. This wasn't being stuck on a DropShip with an idea of what they were going into... they were just stuck waiting in garrison. Actually that was arguably the worst part only the officers were really being allowed off garrison to deter fraternization between enlisted and the civilian population... and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Nothing?" He asked straightening his short tunic. Scmitt shook her head. The twenty year old baron's frown deepened. And tried to tell himself he was expecting too much too fast. So what if Skye knew of their success. Presumably if Tharkad hadn't been told it was only because they hadn't been told yet, and that word was still enroute to the capital of the commonwealth, hampered by the decline from the heyday of the star league. Still every day they were here without official word from the archon recognizing their actions was another day he expect Marik JumpShips to appear in system to contest their hold of the planet even though it was really likely the purple chickens could manage the numbers to dislodge the present force...

... unless they went nuclear, but he recognized that was unlikely. It wasn't the first or second succession wars, and the idea that the League would go nuclear was absurd.

"Have we heard anything from the Zosma liberation?"

Scmitt again answered in the negative, and then, "Its possible that they've sent word, and it simply hasn't been passed on, but by all indications no one has heard anything."

He had to wonder if that too was to be expected. "And there is nothing you can do to prepare the troops while we're stuck here?" He asked. "The simulator pods." There were only so many of them he knew that, but he was grasping at straws.

"Only in small patches, in theory we could network the Overlords."

"Something would be better than nothing," It would keep the enlisted Mechwarriors something to do, but it still didn't provide for the other troops, "Make the arrangements." The horrifying thought that something had gone wrong on Zosma had occurred to him. It was possible he supposed von Mouttheim had failed.... and he had to wonder if Frederick Steiner would want to take the forces from Alula Australis to launch a second attack on Zosma or not. A second heavy blow might dislodge any remaining Marik defenders and would secure their victory, but it might also be throwing good money after bad, and possibly even risk their present success here. "Drill the men as best you can Tanya, we need them to be ready, we came here too early," They hadn't been ready for this, even if they had succeeded in the objective. "We can only hope that our success here is such that it buys us the Archon's good graces, and that in turn gives us time to learn from our mistakes." He didn't explicitly voice his ... was confusion the best word, with Frederick Steiner's HPG conversation with the duke of Skye... it was true that a live HPG communique was expensive and perhaps he couldn't arrange one directly with Tharkad at the time, or perhaps contact Skye had other legitimate military reasons, but either way, "I will be looking forward to leaving the planet, and strengthening the unit."
--
Notes: I had planned to settle Thursday back with the Luxen overhaul but here we are. This is somewhat incomplete the conclusion chapter was going to have other point of views besides Odin coming off his first campaign victory, and then finding himself stuck in a city where he can't really do anything and another scene with Frederick may go up later.

Imperator Pax · Jun 11, 2022

Pacification.

There was something of a relief when the first infantry and armor dropships finally began to arrive even if they were in Skye Livery. Provincial troops were better than no troops, even if he would have preferred to be relieved by Lyran regulars. Still that they were getting relieved meant Tharkad hadn't put a stop to this, and hung them out to dry. He had started to get worried there for a moment that Katrina might have been using them as bait.

They'd won. That was good. They were going to use this as the building block to bring even greater glory to the Commonwealth, and that was what he wanted, what House Steiner needed. They needed to redeem Alesandro's failures and prove to the people that now was the time to strike. They had the opportunity and will to defeat the enemy in the field and that they could actually break the status quo.

Frederick 'the Hammer' Steiner looked at his fellow elites and nodded, but the one thing he couldn't promise were official accolades. He wasn't the Archon, and even though they'd liberated Two worlds for the Commonwealth holding them would be something that would depend on the Archon making decisions.

The Witch would need to provide some kind of kudos, they'd thrashed the FWLM. For Frederick Steiner and indeed those assembled established members of the Lyran nobility the factors that had made this possible were largely institutional. The exploit in the system so to speak to pull house troops for feudal service had some degree of oversight, but the degraded status of the HPG network, and the decline of centralization relative to the political organization of the Star league era along side that had meant suddenly having enough troops on hand to realistically execute the invasion had been a demonstration of spontaneity. No one had expected them to do anything like this.

Only that those troops had become available, and that wasn't something that had been planned for either by the Lyran High Command, or thus could be predicted by foreign intelligence services... and thus the course of history had changed, and that change would proceed further.
--
Odin sank into the water, crossing his arms, and breathed. Even if with the nicer amenities it was still a boring experience now that the fighting was over. Being relieved by Lyran troops was taking forever it seemed like... he had though that had had just been a teenage problem of never wanting to sit still and that he'd outgrown it... but the shooting was done, and they were still here.

... sitting in the metaphorical dark... waiting to be cleared for the return home, and it was the waiting that was killing the twenty year old baron. They had nothing to do here anymore know that the fighting was done, they couldn't even conduct real exercises, and they weren't supposed to fraternize with the locals so his men were stuck doing nothing as well.

The upper levels of command didn't even want them practicing ... or rather what Odin suspected was that there was social pressure not to be drilling because it made the other house troops look bad... so he really could have Tanya do all that much... he wanted off this rock, and to get back to his other work.

Speaking of his Guard troops commander Tanya entered the lodge with a noteputer configured for holographic theater, "Donegal Broadcasting are now reporting on the liberation of Zosma by Commonwealth troops." DBC had apparently scheduled a 'forthcoming' interview with the hero of liberation forces General Mouttheim... an interview that even if it had been included with the package he wouldn't have felt like watching.

No doubt Mouttheim was living up the prestige and bohemian fashion of being an established social general while his troops languished. Soaking up the fame, while the lower ranks sat there doing nothing on Zosma's surface. He half wondered if Mouttheim had even stuck around, if he had decided that he didn't need to return to New Earth with everyone else and might have decided to make a 'triumphant' return to Tharkad.

It wouldn't have surprised... especially since him leaving quickly meant he couldn't be blamed for not have fended off a League counter attack that might still come. Or if the Combine decided to scavenge the 'kill'.

The victory parade hadn't been much different than the one Frederich Steiner had organized but either Mouttheim had horrible taste in music, or in a pique of patriotic misjudgement Donegal Broadcasting had decided to overlay an awful electro polka-esque measure to the march, perhaps to appeal to its older viewers. Whatever the case it was one more thing to be annoyed at, as he sat there. "Tanya how do you feel about running drills in the DropShips regardless of what the neighbors think."

Schmitt merely nodded in agreement.

Frankly as Odin was concerned what he did on his own damned dropships was his business and if the layabouts didn't like it... well that was too bad, "Good, because I am bored of this enforced elegance and tranquility that lacks real meaning." There was so much he needed to do... thoughts of Aerospace fighters, and JumpShips flitted painfully beyond his present reach. He needed to secure Rigil Kentaurus first... because that was foremost what he had to hold.

He would need ASF for that. "Excellency?"

Odin lifted slightly up from where he'd moved to leaning against the pool's edge, "We need to get back, and begin manufacture of ground vehicles for the militia." Not just for the militia but he needed to expedite that, and quickly enough to begin producing material to cover explaining creating enough of an armor force to hold the planet if he was called away again. Really that wasn't a question of if so much as when. They wouldn't be able to build battlemechs... yet, but there were companies he knew wanted to discuss rights for bringing back los tech down the road... and more. "We need to defend both our holdings on the planet's surface as well as on the moon." Of course the moon had the advantage of being easier to defend in theory but advertising ownership of a castle Brian before he was confident in his militia troops was sure to invite a visit from the Combine or League, or the Capellans. He pulled himself up and out of the pool. "Is that footage making its rounds?"

"It hasn't been publicly broadcast yet." She replied.

He nodded and collected a towel from the chair, "I refuse to be put in a position the Mariks left this world in." Or presumably Zosma... he was tempted to ask if they knew what Zosma's actual defenses had looked like but he doubted anyone knew or would tell him. The news bureau's brief sound bite of Mouttheim had been purely for propaganda consumption.
--
Hazen stood a bit further behind him. They aboard the Titan class dropship which was admittedly something that stood out more than the Overlords. He wasn't overly concerned about the distinction the DropShip brought him.

The display image of the surrounding grounds showed their encampment ringed with flagpoles. The Lyran Commonwealth flag, and the golden lion rampant on a blue field, but it was what was beyond that which was the more telling factor. After more than three weeks Commonwealth recovery operations were concluded. In the sense that finally recovery vehicles had finished dragging the debris, and hulks out of the badlands. The Lyran engineers had been so kind as to even throw up a chain link fence around the bone yard.

This might have been considered remedial duty, or even a punishment by most, but he didn't mind at all. It gave the men something to do other than sit in the garrison unable to do anything. Besides, the Combat Roms meant that what had happened would circulate. They weren't allowed salvage, this was an offensive operation so salvage rights were strictly a mercenary matter, though that also meant repairs came out of the federal pocket book.

He watched as the large earth moving vehicles finished pushing another embankment of dirt into position. They'd probably be gone by the time the Supply Corp figured out what they were going to do with all of this... the mechs would likely end up in the hands of the quartermaster corp, or otherwise be taken into Lyran service, but he suspected that the vehicles would just be put to hoc, that was auctioned off.

... and of course the benefit of having guard duty away from any other house troops meant his troops at least could enjoy actual daylight and air without running afoul of the MPs... even if it did entail actual guard duty to go along with it. "Any activity thus far?"

"No,"

LIC claimed that they had swept up all of the SAFE goons, their marik equivalents, by this point but it didn't hurt to be wary, but the truth was there was a beginning to become pervasive grumbling of when they'd get off this rock. House troops simply weren't used to being cooped up and denied the usual liberties like weekend passes especially troops in ducal service who rarely left home at all, and the Hammer was surely aware that grumbling was mounting.

--
Notes: Short conclusion update to the first campaign, and we move back to Kentares wher eamong other things we will begin to deal with the play through of different factors and the impact of the Essence in the title

Imperator Pax · Jun 16, 2022

The Return Home

... and so his first campaign, as an adult, was concluded as the last DropShip returned to the surface of Rigil Kentaurus. The video image stilled as onlookers came to welcome the last of the arriving troops home. The garrison, one could hardly call it an occupation in sound bites to the lyran public, of the two new Lyran worlds were Lyran Regulars... and there would be consequences. The regulars would have to hold the worlds of Zosma and Aula Australis as well, which was a whole other matter, but even now the Lyran news apparatus were chronically the 'border protectorate's' baathist regime and its 'desperate efforts' to keep the people in fief to the tyrant marik.

They really were laying it on a bit thick. Not that there hadn't been baathist atrocities confirmed to have occured, but frankly the people on the world had just seemed tired.

A military governor would be installed for both worlds, and it would take time before the committee to the estates general would even convene never mind start making suggestions about when either world would be ready for proper civil Lyran government. Of course part of that was making sure the commonwealth could hold the worlds. There would be very real grumbling if either world was lost, but it would largely be confined to the naturally bellicose, gentry or nobility alike, but it would be limited to grumbling. If the estates general admitted the worlds as Lyran and included them in the assembly at Tharkad... and then they were lost that would be significantly worse.

In the immediate short term though, there was little he could do in regards to either world. Once the new military governor was selected, and after she, or him, were settled in they might request a rotation from his troops but that would be next year at the earliest, if they did at all. There were reasons for both, pro and cons. As the youngest titleholder, not simply heir or spare but an actual landed property holder, there were social mores often conflicting norms about what to do. The military governor might well decide it wasn't in the interest to open the world for investment opportunities particularly soon, for reasons beyond just 'security'.

So for the time being it was time to return home. 'Alpha C' to use the painfully dated term of the ancient Terran Alliance had never been especially peopled, and of course the string of misfortunes the planet had befallen from the fall of the hegemony on had done it no favors. It was a lovely world though. Lowe's Landing had had to be chosen for implicitly military and economic reasons for its location, that was simply the way it had to be but with land prices as they were he'd found a piece of prime real estate over looking a massive lake where the erosion, and deposition of so called glacial flour poured into the water painting a fabulous blue. He'd never be able to put anything military into the body of water, but he had the sea for that. Now the lakehouse served a much more genteel function, a place to return to now that the fighting was over.

... and of course the fighting had given them time to construct the house as well...high in the kentauran alps he had an entire mountain to work into after all, and support the facilities necessary for his battlemechs, and ASF. Far closer to the Landing and its spaceports were the garrisons for the Vehicle battalion, as well as an air based for quick reaction sorties by more ASF... admittedly he'd had to strip his own forces to go on this varangian adventure against the League, but they were back now. A victory pennant flying for the public to see, an important symbol for public relations. The people needed to be immersed in the Lyran victory over the league.

There was a fine line, he had been told, between immersion and drowning them. Odin looked at the pennant with annoyance... stripping forces from the planet annoyed him. More so now that he was back, and had been able to contemplate, to decompress for a few days. He conjured the blocky gothic script and its inventory.

Technically speaking he had two estates in the system. That was a legal distinction separate from other property, including holding out right cities or factories both of which could considered fiefdoms or not depending on various minutiae. There were certain expectations though, and he had a driving need to live up those standards and more importantly to make Bauer would be interested when the time came to get a license to produce the Rapier.

He wanted the legal cover of having a license to produce the whole thing... not just spare parts... but he'd settle for getting the latter to start with. He was going to play off his existing wings of Rapiers as inheritance and finds... especially once the Castle Centaur was disclosed... and of course he'd be able to play off some of hte machinery and tooling as coming from the castle as well.

He looked at the block characters totaling both cash reserves in C-Bills, as well as a separate value of banked Battle Value mostly generated by deconstructing part of his inheritance in what had at the time b een something of a poorly thought out rush to do something.

The news feed finally changed away from the down town flying pennant view but decided to compound his headache by replaying, for the at least fourth time he'd had to hear his own voice promising to endeavor to continue to make the system safe for all Lyran citizens. Which of course on its surface meant continuing clean up operations and maximizing the work down by the terraformers as they worked to scrub the planet of any remaining contaminants. He had been assured that the sound bite was a good one... but Rigil had never been a particularly populated world even before the bombs had fallen, and he suspected his commitment to the community was something the PR advisor had suggested in order to appeal to a broader lyran constituency. Maybe they thought he wanted a shot at being elected to the estates general... even though he was a baron he was still eligible for a seat in the people's chamber.

The sound bite though was also cover to expand the militia he was entitled to, to provide for additional house troops... and also what better way to make the system safe but by building domestic factories to produce tanks for the militia to use. Not that they were there yet. He couldn't simply magic a factory out of thin air.... without raising questions.

SO of course the official explanation would be that the component factories on planet and moon had been constructed and were still being constructed over the time of the deployment. The ammunition works producing long range missiles well those would be easy to explain. Producing lasers would need more time.

Centaur Castle obviated the need to construct DropShip facilities for the frankly ridiculous fleet he had inherited, even diminished by recycling into his bank of BV, and C-Bills.
--
The advantage to Castle Centaur was its interior geometry... well that and the fac that all of its systems were still completely intact more broadly speaking. He had little concern about any one creating trouble by sneaking into the underground city sized fortification.

He had originally considered producing the eighty ton thug. The pitban 320 would have been useful for heavy vehicles as well... but then the idea had struck him as they had loaded up the guard's various Black Knights... and in a fervent, feverish burst of energy and enthusiasm he had gotten to work.

The 'Talgeese' were based off of the Black Knight's chassis, and most had been designed off of the general principle.. One thing had lead to another and resulted in down teched Leos. Those at least could be theoretically rolled out as a wholly unique new mech design.

While a tade warm a PPC four medium lasers and two large was nothing likely to attract much attention, or he didn't think it would given that all of those were common off the shelf components.

It would certainly attract less attention to the bulk of the hideous mottle gray hundred tonner and its armor plating that looked strange in comparison. The Bartlet's size looked normal compared to the Atlas next to it. They could probably concealed the fact it ran off an XL fusion engine, and maybe they could popularize the MML's that no one would really notice them later... but Extended range large lasers were also los Tech.

Ultimately though the hundred tonner was all what the Essence crafting considered Inner Sphere tech. The mech was not like the mixed tech cobbling together of the Clans... which were other can of worms.

"What do you think?"

His bodyguard looked at the missile boat. "I think I'd rather take one of the Talgeese out." He nodded. He had considered that already. The real difference, getting past external cosmetics in the body was that if they were pushed to deploy the Talgeese was that they were built largely on Clan Technology... including weapons that he'd been willing to expend BV to craft that weren't available yet.

Hazen's preferred Talgeese carried a truly monstrous hyper assault gauss weapon for its primary weapon. "I understand entirely." He replied looking down the bays, and passed a handful of dark navy blue machines... and machines were the operative word. Despite carrying large vibroblades, and gauss rifles they were advanced battlemech drones intended to engage under the direct supervision of the units.

They were something of a trump card to play in close quarters... and they were expensive each running over two thousand BV for a group of machines intended as guards... he could have probably come up with a more cost effective drone mech if he hadn't gotten distracted.

Odin looked back to the hundred tonner, "I want to introduce the MML sooner rather than later," Just for the flexibility of being able to field mechs that could carry specialty ammunition, and field either LRMs or SRMs. There were limits, flaws with the plan as he'd discussed with Scmitt over discussions of their '6O' Commando namely that MML-9 launchers that the Barlet carried weighed six tons. Or the weight of the 2 SRM 6 launchers on their commando "But for now this," He remarked walking around the gantry and looking the tubes, and large laser mounted in the right arm, "This is just an experiment."

An experiment he had probably gotten entirely too carried away with, but it was almost addicting making them. The Bartlett's light ferro fibrous glinting as he moved around to the back. The jump jets were in the feet of course. The machines heat sinks weren't sufficient to allow it to continuously alpha strike, but that was fine... even if they dropped down to standard range large lasers that would be true the DHS wouldn't quite be able to ablate an alpha strike's heat, and it would build up... but again it was just an experiment.

He blew out another breath and looked around the castle brian's interior. The priority needed to be Medium factory units which cost basically equivalent to his hundred ton idle fancy. Tomorrow would be another day. Another day, another investment into the beginning of a process.

"Schmitt has the troops."

He echoed her comment, and nodded, War changed people, inspired emotions... and maybe he was being paranoid about the prospect of a Marik attack, but he wanted to be ready if any of the neighbors jumped the border. He spared lingering glance at his creation, and nodded.

Imperator Pax · Jul 7, 2022

The Return home
Part 2

SRMs blistered the target as the Commandos fired. A completely normal part of the day. Registered with the Lyran patent office as the Light BattleMech Com-6O the commando version had survived its trial by fire against the Mariks in the rugged gullies and breaks in terrain impressibilities of the recent campaign. A demonstration of the acclaim that the Commonwealth frequently awarded pilots of the 25 ton mech.

Odin doubted anyone else would pursue the model, and what he longed to do was to replaced the center torso Medium Laser with an extended range version, or some version of the IIC... but not yet. The Commando was the Lyran Light Mech, and production of spare parts to keep his 'scout mechs' in good repair and protect the planet would require, myomer fiber bundles, standard armor plate, and of course SRM ammunition. All of the common parts that would attract little attention, really the first two were what you needed to keep any mech in good repair after a fight.

The Combination of Myomer and modern armor were why infantry had not tried to return to 'guns' in the anti armor sense... that and the sheer ubiquitous nature of SRMs.It was so much easier to provide men cheap disposable missiles and volley them at close range than try and introduce a rifled gun to tow around, especially back in the age of war when the battlemechs had been the sudden new terror on the battlefield.

It was why he intended to try and introduce something like the Tyr infantry support tank relatively early... or try to. The MML was a compromise weapon system, to let a unit field the range of specialty munitions from both standard families of missiles. LRM or SRM It was the sort of thing he was reasonably confident that once things were settled in could be introduced without anyone throwing too much of a side eye at, because it did a specific job and with obvious trade offs. You should LRMs of course, but it would never be as good as a dedicated LRM 20 for either weight or in terms of excess heat, and certainly not in terms of weight to its Clan tech equivalents. He knew that, at least in comparison to standard LRM or SRM boats most people should be able to recognize that... but the MRM was intended at least so far as he was concerned for tactical variability.

The prospect of using Commandos with them is that he could surprise the enemy. It wouldn't obsolete either truly specialist designs, and it wasn't intended to... what Odin wanted was to protect what he now how had... and in the highest traditions of Lyran statecraft that meant investing into what was around him, and making improvements. He needed to be patient, and to allow the existing seeds of investment germinate.

But the process of 'wait and see' was hard. The patience when he knew there was so much more he could actually do especially in the face of the fight they had just come back from was ... galling was the wrong word. Odin had inherited a massive amount of metal from a father he had barely known... but beyond that which alone would have been enough to raise him to the ranks of petty nobility he had more still to wield. The essence... and that needed to be a secret he kept, didn't use recklessly where people might notice.

So he needed to be patient. Being patient was hard. He was recognizing that coming into the position of being a noble required him to wait, weigh, and consider his actions in a way that similar but different to the impatience of waiting on the battlefield of the world they had liberated from the Mariks. That continued to dominate the Lyran Commonwealth's news sphere, and he didn't think that was unintentional. Skyre based broadcasting services in particular seemed to be doing all they could in order to plastered the two liberated worlds all over the news.

Jingoistic rhetoric continued as if they were baiting the purple chickens to try and take back their 'border protectorate'. Odin wasn't sure what was going to happen or how long it would last... maybe the news would get bored of it. Given the limits of FtL travel it was entirely possible that it still going on because planets were feeding, stoking the fire, among their neighbors.

--

Alpha Centauri... or Rigil Kentaurus was unlikely he suspected ever going to reclaim its premier vacationing spot.... There was no Terran Hegemony any more. While there would probably be some elites who came to visit it was probably too close to belligerent neighbors, and that might hurt investments. All of that and more were detailed in the latest assessment from his staff... or rather the firm that was supposed to do those kinds of studies.

... and that wasn't really bad news per se. It meant less competition economically. It meant that there were less social competitors in the area. Anyone who would want to visit would likely stand out to the security forces that he was using the Essence to generate and deploy under Schmitt's discretion. In the commonwealth he doubted anyone would give so much as a sideways glance to more scottsmen, especially in a planet as sparsely populated as Kentaurus was people would assume he was just bringing in people from Donegal or Skye or any of the other Scott-Irish diaspora worlds.

It was cover for action. "A combined arms regiment for home defense should be feasible." Even without opening the Centaur Castle depot and using the mechs within. Once they did disclose that find then they could deploy other units, but for now they could use what they had used on Alula Australis and simply add more infantry gradually expanding the ranks to full strength. Combined arms battalions would eventually succeed to regimental strength... eventually.

They needed to be patient. They needed time to build that. It didn't matter that he had the material to support such a formation, or that on paper at least the recent operations on Alula Australis should exempt a federal call up for regular service in practice with the way things were carrying on, they needed to be ready for the next fight, ready to defend what was theirs. That also meant not presenting such a tempting target as to make it impossible to resist, or to be so obviously useful as that the Commonwealth would defer to the mass of heavy metal as its new default hammer solution on the Terran front and run them into the ground fighting against the Mariks, or the Kuritans or even the Liao.

"Still nothing official from the Archonate?"

The silence from the office of the Archon was in part likely due to the distance between New Earth, and the heart of the commonwealth's government, but every day that passed every week he expected word of a Marik counter offensive. "No, and that's why I want Sheridan especially vigilant about the jump points, and our aerospace defenses." The young baron replied. "If that means hiring mercenaries so be it, but I want the system secured."

In the grand scheme of things looking at the summer of 3015 the consequences were marginal. The border protectorate as it had existed had been a pair of worlds frequently devastated over the course of the succession wars. Two worlds changing hands was frankly a blip in the course of a conflict that had started almost a century and a half earlier. Janos Marik would have liked to respond, but the timing was bad. Archon Katrina Steiner would have liked to reign in Frederick and the bellicose clique he had integrated into but the timing precluded it. House Liao's current celestial wisdom took the weakening of House Marik's Free Worlds League in stride. House Kurita of the Draconis Combine shrugged dismissively at the news. Hanse Davion of the Federated Suns took note but recognized that the conflict between the League and the Commonwealth was not a matter he could easily use to his advantage. Alula Australis was two jumps from the nearest Federated Suns worlds, though both Caph and Formault were a single jump from Rigil Kentaurus... but at the moment in that summer time frame as autumn approached Rigil Kentaurus and a newly minted baron who had inherited what was by the standards of the third succession war a substantial martial inheritance and more so the space lift, was just a short entry in the reports that was largely never scene by the rulers themselves.

Katrina Steiner was the lone Successor Lord to see the name, and make a note of it. The participation of a low level, and recently titled noble of the commonwealth simply was not relevant to the other four. A bastard, or cadet branch receiving its own title and participating in the campaign was a happenstance of feudal governance. For the majority of the evaluations of the successor states it was Frederick Steiner who took the credit for the campaign.

As for the last of the would be successors to the Star League within the Inner Sphere ComStar had no reason to pay any mind to the campaign. If anything Steiner's expedition looked beneficial in that it might cause an escalation to greater conflict between Steiner and Marik. ComStar's first circuit though had other concerns in 3015. The fallout of BlackJack McGirk, and then the appearance of the Wolf Dragoons, and now most recently the escalation of that Wolf Dragoon problem with Kristofur going 'rogue' and having to be excommunicated kept most of the focus on the Marik side of the border... on the Dragoons, and on their newest employer.

ComStar had developed what was called target fixation.

Not that their gut wasn't wrong.

The Wolf dragoons were not the lucky dupes who had just managed to find a cache of Star League Defense Force gear, they were the first insertion in force to study the Inner Sphere that Kerensky's Exodus had left behind at the end of the Star League. They were the vanguard of the Clans. That... that was to be a whole other can of worms well beyond what ComStar's gut had tried warning the first circuit about.

It certainly didn't hurt that even in spite of Kristofur's excommunication, that House Marik was the most easily penetrated of the successor states for Blake's order to operate in. The complex web the maintainers of what had been the Star League Communications Network, the HPG system, and operators of a massive jumpship fleet, and the owners of the last warships in the Inner Sphere were in many ways also distracted by their own internal factionalism... again largely centered on the Dragoons, but also aimed at House Davion as the next priority down.

... after that it became contentious. There had been more than one attempt after all by 'rogue' factions within the Blessed Order to remove the present Coordinator, a more extreme step than the more moderate efforts to convince the dragon to be more reasonable.
--
Notes: As obviously the conclusion of this suggests, this borrows a significant amount of ground work from Ghost Who Walks. They are not set in the same universe/timeline but there are similarities they share a lot of the 'fanon lore' and interpretations. I have a few snippets in a non canon timeline where they are taking place in the same universe just in opposite ends of the FedCom but it will be a while before I even consider posting those.

Obviously this sets up for other things down the road. I have a couple of other projects in the works right , but the nominal plan is to alternate between this and Luxen II's thread on Thursday's in July, if I can manage that I may continue that through August.

Imperator Pax · Nov 11, 2022

The Return Home
Part 3

He'd finished signing off the papers that morning, after the lawyers had finished combing through the provided material, truthfully it was a good idea to have local military facilitiese, and they needed to expand the star port anyway.... he had inherited a mind-bogglingly vast naval contingent and the Overlords and Exaliburs especially would need the engineering support on paper if he was going to berth them anywhere that wasn't the port facilities on the moon.

Supporting the existing units were how they were going to get around some things. At first they were just going to be 'maintaining' and 'repairing' units they already had, and then it would be maintenance needing new manufactured spare parts, and then that would expand to hopefully in a few years entire replacement units from the assemblage of spare parts. Eventually. Patience was difficult though... especially given the Magna 260 engine, and business ventures like the one that had crossed his desk.

If there was anything though it was the Patton and Rommel tanks which had come to mind which suddenly prompted the biggest matter. The interface he could conjure suggested that they wouldn't ordinarily have hit market for another ten years. To Odin, the Crusader offer would not have been something that would have ordinarily leaped out at him... but he did understand its unbidden arrival made sense.... what of course was probably an enticement of the Lyran state... or at least some portion of it.

Was it a commendation, was it a distraction... whatever the case the state sanction to produce the mech... not that it was entirely open handed. The offer required investment on his part. One the licensing fee ... but it was the possibility beyond the boondoggle that was now dangled in front of them... was this from the archonate? Odin doubted that an offer like this could have been tendered from house Steiner... not directly, and there were none of the trappings of grandeur and power that came from Tharkad's throne showing its interest.

There was always the possibility that this directly related to his inheritance and completely unrelated to the recent adventuerism. The message was unfortunately scare on such things as dates, though the lawyers were sure it was valid and that the Tharkad based company probably ulterior motives related to the the proximity to the border.

"I want to move on this." He said finally looking at the staff, "I want prototypes," What would be really anything but, "readied to demonstrate alongside emphasize parts commonality, but armor protection and maneuverability for the home guard is the priority." As soon as the orders were given though, and the small, but growing civil administration of the fief were gone Scmitt moved to address the elephant in the room.

The sixty five ton Crusader had been a SLDF heavy battlemech. It dated to the early 27th century in terms of wide scale service, and while the capellans and free worlds league continued to manufacture it, its long service meant for better or worse they could easily explain standing up line as finding something left behind. For better or worse standing up a line, there were always going to be questions of Star League era parts.

If whoever had made the offer from TharHes to produce the parts had just been hoping to distract the League or Capellans... then they were probably going to succeed. If they'd been looking for a quick pay day by providing the rights for a lump sum? Then they'd get the money... but most likely the joke was going to be on them.

On the other hand BattleMechs were not their problem... no they needed to be able to maintain the large volume of DropShips, and JumpShips that were responsible to transport those machines, as well as ferry trade goods to neighboring systems... and sinking money into it would still mean potentially a year or more.

A time frame that if here were being honest... or even if it was just paranoia, "We will most likely face an attack some time in the new year." Schmitt agreed, "Or failing an attack, then one on New Earth." Or as relief for a Marik, or Liao incursion aimed in response of the recent border changes in the region... but that one would give them time... and of course hinged on a battle lasting long enough a relief campaign was considered.... but an attack on a new fiefdom seemed particularly likely even without the League feeling any need to pronouncements of revenge or grievance. "In either case..." they needed... much as the description of the Patton and Rommel provided by the essence's interface described a well protected tank that could fielded to make up for any mech shortage. That the Crusader was about three million c-bills more expensive was less of a factor but it meant that the missile boat could be fielded supported by armor in combined arms units

They had myomer lines already in the works. A week earlier they had been discussing starting the Commando line, and what would need to be done, and when it might be feasible to demonstrate the MML as multirole option replacing LRM and SRMs. Tanks like the Patton and Rommel, tanks that he had originally planned to debut during the liberation only needed modern armor, and fusion engines.... well and weapons and the electronics package.

The problem with conventional serial production of the Patton and Rommel were not SRM abut rather selecting an autocannon design for each in the ten and assault classifications. That meant selecting either an existing design and potentially licensing it... and thus potentially making friends or enemies or 'developing' an in-house design that used an existing round and still potentially making enemies.

That was just the politics of the Lyran commonwealth, heaven forbid everyone standardize on a single AC 10 firing a single caliber even. There was simply too much money in one company making one gun using one cartridge, and another in another province of the commonwealth, say Ske, making a different one. Within his own ranks Odin had already recognized hte problem with the need to replace his orion's Kali Yama class 10 auto cannons they certainly would be producing the Patton with that model. "Do whatever it is you feel is necessary Tanya. Any downtime that is necessary can be worked around." Taking time to repair and refit now, while they were at home, and before any new threat could emerge.

He received an affirmative, that when it was given, for a moment the young baron considered whether or not that blank check might have been the best idea... but they were in a precarious situation, and he wanted to be prepared for even the most extreme situations.
--
Notes: This eases us back in, sets up for the Rommels and Pattons mentioned earlier to make an appearance in Lyran ranks a full decade earlier. As I've mentioned previously this shares some broad notes and similarities with Ghost Who Walks canon but this is one of those differences Odin has the ability to use an essence, the meklab, he's bringing pattons and rommels from much earlier and like in my BT fiction in general the game abstraction of a AC 10 is an AC 10 is a simplification of a weapon that has the same general performance characteristics but canonically in fluff they unlike say Nato guns don't use the same ammo and that crops up here much like it does elsewhere.

Odin has a distinct national identity that sort of encourages him not to use ineffective foreign designs, the KaliYama for example needs to be replaced, not necessarily by a Lyran design but at least one that doesn't have a reputation. I.E. A Mydron Model B or a Defiance offering of some sort would be a good lyran produced design

The other contrast here, is the Crusader appears , well at least is named dropped here first before it appears in Ghost, and Odin uses this as his missile boat platform more than Gene does. Gene's commands in later chapters are largely using Catapults (which use the same engine as the Crusader) or Archers (the traditional Hegemony staple mech), and this is kind of a difference in philosophy the Crusader carries normally twin SRM 6 it is much better armed than a Dervish (another mech that is favored in usage in the other story that won't be as prevalent here).

Speaking of ghost, most likely tomorrow I will be posting a not quite canon snippets set in the future well technically. Its not quite canon in that its set in 3019 in the Aurigan Reach and will touch on details of the Magistracy, Black Jack McGirk and of course introduce some of the HBS characters... if I can get it finished it will be a bit longer than this update was which is a little on the short side.

Imperator Pax · Nov 29, 2023

Dogs of War Part 1

Odin had spent his down time, the rest of the year really doing what was expected of him, rubbing elbows, and cementing his bona fides as patron of the arts on Alpha Centauri. It was expected of a lyran noble to do those sorts of things. To provide for the common good, that there was a noblesse oblige to shelter the less fortunate...

You know by giving them jobs and stuff and letting them contribute to the economy.

Like a good Lyran noble... admittedly some of that delay had been needing time for those star league era terraformers to do their job, and the ground was now stable enough, and also safe enough... after cleaning up chemical weapons and lingering other hazards from the downfall of the Star League to actually start civil public works projects that included factory jobs.

"What happened?"

"JumpShips?"

"Free Worlds League?"

"We do not think, but they are," The flurry of DropShips which had detached from, "still two days out." Schmitt replied, and then sensing his next question "We also do not believe the vessels are from the Combine either, our best guess is that they jumped in -" She stopped as the resolution magnified, and footage from Riken's watch station solidified, into an image with an MRB number, but that wasn't all, "According to this they're Mercenaries, we're projecting an attempted landing here, here and here." She indicated across the landmass.

"They're attempting to hit both of us?" He wasn't surprised per se, but that meant the mercenaries were splitting their focus, "Who are they?"

"McCarron's Armored Cavalry."

"So its the capellans then?"

"Yes, that is how it appears."

He tapped his foot, "You have command of the defense," He meant operationally, and tactically, and looking at the dropships burning in, "Do the neighbors know?"

"If they do we are not seeing much in the way of mobilization." She replied after calling up feed from the Hall's network of sensors built spread across the surface of the moon. Schmitt frowned, and punched up a series of secondary feeds. "... I do not think the enemy is planning on launching simultaneous attacks."

Odin sat down in the seat, mostly so he could call up his essence but also just so he could be sitting down, "Elaborate?"

"I think this is a blocking force designed to stop forces from the planetary capital from moving," So in theory stopping reinforcements from cross what was otherwise fairly wide tidal causeways, and miles and miles of sea shore.

He nodded, eyes scanning through the block script that listed out the contents of inventory. The truth was that this wasn't per se what he'd been expecting. He had been expecting retaliation from the Mariks. Frederick Steiner had spent most of the fall months crowing bawdily to the Lyran media... comments that had to be filtering back, and reaching the Captain General of the Free Worlds League... because they were so obviously intended to be provocative. Even though it was equally possible that the Hammer was also trying to peacock to the sitting Archon that he'd been successful.

He had expected some kind of recrimination from the Free Worlds League. Marik Militia, or mercenaries but some kind of response, but the capellans... why the hell, "recommendations Tanya?" He queried

"We should hold our forces in reserve, this doesn't seem right."

A gut instinct... why were the capellans here. Why not, if Mercenaries why not the Wolf Dragoons, they were in Marik service now after the end of the civil war. Something didn't add up to all of this.
--
The precentor wasn't happy with how hastily they had moved on this. He wasn't happy with how fast the rest of the first circuit had jumped down his throat as if it was his fault. The PRK had been feeding the information back as his ROM personnel had catalogued, but that was harder than it seemed. Lowe's educational background was a concern, but there was no indication he was doing anything more than taking advantage of his inheritance... the exception that possibly existed were the missile launchers.

That was hard to prove since Lyran Intelligence were present in multitudes.

No, the real driving force for this was from within the Free Worlds League. That was when they had been able to see really in force what all Lowe's genetic donor had left the boy as an inheritance. If there was anything that the Precentor Rigil Kentaurus was concerned with it was inheritance... or more correctly its source. Individual LosTech could be attritted that was the standard method of keeping it out of unworthy hands, by telling everyone around who had it.

To that end the brothers in teh Free World League were just adhering to standard policy, but the problem was the stridency by which they had done so. The problem was with the factories, which was what had been zeroed in on by the first circuit. They had been leaked to the Capellans, and in turn he had been tasked to cajole and suggest to Rigil Kentaurus's other noble that he might be able to take advantage of the upstart's misfortune.

Not that McCarron was supposed to leave anything standing that he couldn't carry away, but they were banking more on pride and sheer arrogance than anything else. They were rushing... which was why the wolf dragoons hadn't been sent across the border as well.

They could have waited. Convinced the idiot carrion lords to attack, but that was taking too long... and has had been noted the Dragoons had their own JumpShip fleet, they would have needed the Mariks to commit to an attack first, and then tell McCarron about the attack, and there still would have been no surety that they would meet... so they had rushed into it.

--
They had expanded the war room to encompass more than just his personnel guard. There was still however plenty of room around the star league holographic table.

"We're still not seeing any movement."

Odin looked at the video feed. A few more months and maybe they could have done something to confidently interdict the DropShips in motion... but Sheridan was still splitting his forces between the moon, and the planet, and patrolling the system. That wasn't working, they needed more ASF, which meant he needed permission from the Archonate the Rapier was a Lyran design he was trying to leverage the ruler of the commonwealth to give him permission, to waive the patents. They weren't in production anymore... and he had expected that to take months.

Years maybe, but once he could actually demonstrate production of an air frame maybe some movement. Then maybe some exports. So they needed Hellcat production up and running, but they didn't have time to worry about that now.

"In air terms what are our options?"

"They're not trying to contest our air space,"

"Is that normal?" Odin asked, the chairs had been expanded to accommodate the full staff, which included the inherited officers, as well the militia.

"They may not be willing to risk an air battle without definitive advantage."

There was a disagreement, "The assault weight force may want to leverage us into an engagement before bringing the air in. They alternatively may want to simply use the threat to hold us off."

"They have commandos as well." That was unusual for Capellan commands, even if technically the Big MAC were mercenaries they were lavishly supported by House Liao. He raised an eyebrow.

"We can expect him to attempt to force the defenses." Tanya remarked looking up from the packet they had been able to piece together from the news, and from the MRB, putting an end to the discussion.

"I'll release the Patton, Rommels, and Zhukovs if you want them." He told her. The response was to keep them in reserve. The chances were that McCarron would attack, and they would have to at them across the intercoastal highway, "So you want to confront them with the regulars?" That was a misnomer. The 'Militia' the feudal militia was largely tanks, and ground vehicles of other stripes, it was infantry, but it was all the sort of things that would be overlooked by mech jocks. .. but these were not necessarily the typical mech jocks. "The Militia is larger than they will be expecting. You want them to commit?"

"They're expecting to fight a combined arms unit, based on how we fought against the Free worlds League, they are most likely expecting us to be disorganized, or even overawed by their reputation. I want to feign our true numbers until they're stretched out along the coast."

--
Notes: A minor time skip forward to 3016. The major hold up here was really the ComStar interlude.

Imperator Pax · Dec 6, 2023

Dogs of War Part 2

The tanks the enemy were using were cheap, then again even fusion powered tanks weren't that expensive. They were an inexpensive option, and for a cash strapped opponent like the Capellans they were great. They were an option that would be overlooked by Lyran High Command in favor of the Battlemechs, and ASF... but an AC 10 while not the most impressive weapon was still an AC 10. Two of them while heavy approximated the firepower of an assault auto cannon with greater range...

If you massed enough of them they became very unpleasant very quickly. The problem was that went both ways. All modern weapons regardless of the chassis that mounted them performed within a set range of tolerances. An AC 5 on a 'mech was an AC 5, the same was true of lasers on tanks.

The holographic images flickered as the footage refreshed. Red threat fields in different shades provided approximate ranges, yellow fields estimated active and passive sensor ranges. The problem for the enemy, was going to be they weren't the only ones with tanks.

Odin wasn't prepared to rush out onto an offensive, but he also wasn't scared of the enemy The tanks present were something to treat with respect, and he would just as well prefer they come to him, then they would attack. The Big MAC had a reputation though, if they were here then this was going to be bad. So more than anything he would trust Schmitt and her highlanders to organize the defense... and if the opportunity presented itself they would make the enemy regret coming to Alpha Centauri.

"They're starting to move."

Technically the enemy had already started their advance... but now... they were closing into to where the battle would be drawn.

He looked at the icons... he had expected a Combine attack, and had built his forces accordingly... which was why the MAC were currently moving directly to where they would cross the lines of control imposed by the over watching fire from his Wolves of Mibu. Would they engage there? Would this become a matter of artillery? Or would they pass by the infantry, miss them from where they were dug in?

That would be a mistake... it would have been a mistake even if they had just been equipped with support ppcs. A few hundred meters, and nothing changed. The dug in infantry held their fire and waited for the order, or some indication that they had been made.

... because while AC 5s, and AC 10s, and Assault auto cannons were all plentiful in the Inner Sphere... well they were not the only weapons that Odin was limited to. He had rejected... or maybe declined to expend BV or C-Bills on things like chemical lasers or other weapons that might potentially be considered 'retrotech' and not 'properly' LosTech... or at least for the time being things like Binary Laser cannons... which made the infantry with their man portable plasma rifles something of an exception.

It might have been something of a gamble, but given they were infantry weapons he frankly doubted it. Not when they'd be supported by normal, standard weapons in turrets, and of course when it came to it the core of his mech and armored forces at home. Odin contemplated the contents of the Centaur Castle, but no, there was nothing to indicate the invaders knew anything about that... everything about how they were massed suggested their targets were the factories which were to be the productive lifeblood of his little fiefdom, and from what he intended to build up his position at court.

This was about money then. If they expected salvage then most likely any of his supposedly 'LosTech' mechs might have surely came into play but he doubted that was the priority either. Not enough to launch a raid on this world in this kind of force.

One of the automatic tracking and control systems on a turret achieved resolution, locked and fired onto a hostile Commando. The mech was merely unlikely as the man made lighting hit, a split second later the other turrets across the approach started to rise and fire. Some aimed for mechs, others opened fire on the lead most vehicles.

They might have waited a little longer, but it was amazing to him that the mercenaries had advanced this deep this quickly. Burton's bastards... no that wasn't it, Barton, Barton that was the man's name had opened with an aggressive offense, and the sudden appearance of in placed defenses didn't stop his lead elements from attempting to push forward into close range.
--
Tanya Schmitt contemplated her personal holographic display. 2nd Regiment McCarron's Armored Cavalry had attempted to run down the coastal highway as fast they could... that would need to be something addressed later, maybe task dedicated airpower to service such concerns... perhaps just have the bridges mined, but the strike against their first ring of defenses had started so she had dutifully carried out the start of the counter attack.

They had massed Commandos and Hunchbacks much as they had done against the Free World's League... it was just this time they weren't the invaders... but the invaders were still committed to a frontal attack... McCarron's people would start hitting the their tag and large laser equippped light vehicles outermost onions soon.

The idea was to light them up and subject them to mobile and fleeting attacks on their flanks. The scorpions could only push up to eighty four kph, and they were tracked if they had been hover vehicles they could have sent them out over the sea, and the coastal waterways to finesse this... but there was no sense complaining about it. Given their proximity to the water it probably wasn't the worst idea to suggest it.

She issued a series of commands via shortcut keys. It occurred to here the enemy might not even realize what they were taking fire from. The Crossbow were only intended after all as a cheap fire support mech to support the Wolverines. The sixty tonners were nothing special on paper... the only change in paper design were replacing the LRM 10s for LRM 5 launchers, but they still remained in the hands. All of the weapons had been replaced from their 25th century versions with current production iterations but for all intents and purposes the Crossbows were RetroTech designs. Two medium lasers, and a torso mounted PPC. They were there to pad out their mech numbers and protect the Wolverines that were the lighter half of the mech regiments command component.

The heavier component were waiting, backed up and supported by Star League era tanks with gauss rifles. In a defensive scenario like this, less technologically complicated non fusion powered tanks were not as much of a liability in terms of operations. Defending fixed positions with militia in tanks was a feasible standby.

Her expression creased as the Wolves began to close the pocket. Their signals relaying into her data-feed as tag equipped vehicles painted the enemy tanks which would bottleneck the enemy. If the enemy didn't destroy those units then it would only be a matter of time until the Thor, and Chapparals opened fired into boxed in enemy.

One of the feeds started detecting the thermal blooms as concealed infantry teams opened fire on the enemy rear. They, the dogs of war, weren't immediately clear on waht was happening... that was good, because they were about to start taking fire from one side and then massed fire from the front, she reached up to the complex console of the cockpit and watched as the Gauss Rifle came alive its capacitors charging and becoming lethal.

The Highlander stepped forward into the graying morning across the Sargasso filled seas that dominated the coasts off of the continental archipelago. "Cut their comms." She ordered, which wasn't strictly accurate as the bagpipes swelled over the lines, and Orions began to move to support Highlander assault mechs alongside Black Knights with dark blue check badges on their shoulders.

Imperator Pax · Dec 15, 2023

Dogs of War Part 3

The Chancellor had been good to the unit, so if he said hit something that seemed too good to be true the MAC would do it... but the problem was someone should have thought this whole situation smelled funny ... maybe it was that bastard Ridzik maybe it was someone else who'd gotten funny ideas... maybe the Lyran had set this up, and pulled a fast one on them... but things had started going wrong once the battle lines were drawn.

Instead of rushing out recklessly to face them the enemy had remained hidden. They could have been hiding and afraid to come out and fight, but then why not surrender if they were that scared. It had been possible of course that they'd managed to drop down on the planet with the defenders off world, but that had been disproven by the tentative long range fusion signatures they had started to detect as they had closed in.

Part of the Second MAC's luck at breaking fortifications was forcing the enemy to come out to meet them so they weren't all there concentrated on their defenses. The level of defenses were another thing that didn't add up... a green regiment of BattleMechs would have been one thing, maybe some militia PBI dug in with machine guns, or SRM packs.

"How the fuck is this happening?"

"We knew they had LosTech."

But that was a weak excuse even as it was said, it was obvious it was the wrong thing to say. They'd fought the Mariks, who had LosTech, the Combine occasionally too... both with those weird Land Air Mechs. LosTech by itself didn't explain anything, it was just an excuse.

They were getting shot at from all sides, by mechs that ... mechs that had if any returns from Warbooks were Star League. The other returns were too uniform to be something put together by some small time manufacturer but they had no data, some at least were reading as percentile matches for known designs, others just as unknowns.

The concerns plaguing the mercenary officer never received an adequate answer to his question.

At 5:15 local time on the MSR approaching Odin's Hall on Alpha Centauri an arriving Highlander BattleMech in black and blue urban camouflage caught the opposing officer, and fired a Gauss Rifle.

The Gauss rifle penetrated the ammunition storage of the man's battlemech causing a catastrophic chain reaction. At 5:16 in the afternoon an overstrength, square, company on Terran Hegemony lines of Black Watch mechs on boarded the MSR as part of a converging force.
--
Odin resisted the urge to fidget, but it hadn't escaped his notice that his neighbors weren't moving. With the capellans committed in force he would have expected some kind of response from Alpha Centauri's native or locally born nobility... but so far nothing, there had been no change in readiness, no response to efforts to contact them, and no way to know if an HPG message had gone out apprising higher lyran authorities of the incursion.

He didn't like it.

The lack of movement would have been one thing, the lack of contact was a lot harder to to excuse... and it also prevented them from coordinating actions against the invaders, or signaling that they were about to begin their effort to envelop the enemy. They needed to break their cohesion, not just their momentum... but there were a lot more tanks, and operating on a completely different doctrine than he had been expecting for an attack.

Odin stood up, and started to pace... but didn't immediately do anything rash, the enemy looked like they were going to try and throw themselves forward, try and break through their defenses... most likely they were assuming if only they could get through this strong point they could force an attack into the rear.

He suspected they were banking on that most of the forces must have been up front. That if they got through they'd be able to wreck havoc in the rear, and eventually the tanks would be enough to carry them.

The alert chirped, "Tanya?" He asked as the line opened.

"Release Air Support."

"I understand." Odin replied... finally. He moved and pressed a panel on the holographic table. He had inherited sixty ASF. The Rapier was 5 and change million C-Bills. Schmidt's Battalion had sixty Rapiers on call now... and it was time to make the enemy have a very bad day. He might have, to some degree regretted not being out there with the rest of them, but it was something Schmitt had insisted on it. Alexandra Hazen was making sure he remained in the fortress... on the other hand if push came to shove it meant there was going to be little to stop him from calling up the essence and spending C-bills to summon reinforcements. "Chan, prosecute the targets by the numbers."

Over five thousand tons worth of ASF assets took to the darkening skies over the halls. The number of active fusion signatures meant there was no chance to conceal or hide what was happening. The sudden influx of new signatures in the air from the multitude of 340 engines were enough that his sensors inside were briefly overwhelmed.

The Rapiers were the standard Star League era models, not the Royal Versions, not the early clan models. They were standards because that was what the Lyran Commonweatlh already knew were in his positions, and because they were the model of heavy ASF that he wanted to produce for sale to the Lyran Military.

One full strength, over strength even, ASF wing, two full battalions of Mechs, One battalion of infantry. On paper it was part in numbers what he had inherited, what he had left on Tharkad with. Whether that meant anything to McCarron's Armored Cavalry he had no idea. He didn't know what they knew knew about him... but if they knew specifics they would recognize that it was either part of his inheritance or that he had supplemented his forces.

He was unlikely to ever have Freddy Steiner's reputation, he'd provide Tanya what she needed and he would organize the manufacturing base to support that... and if these miserable capellan black guards thought they were going to take advantage of that well... he would just have to make sure Schmitt had all the resources necessary to make sure none of them left Alpha Centauri alive.

--
Notes: this is shorter, I have a holiday function I have to go to, but Odin in spite of the name does not have the reputation that Henry has despite similar economic bases of power. Henry has the damage to the combine under his belt before nobility, Odin doesn't, he's also legally of the age of maturity where as Henry, and Gene, are both in the appearance of their late teens. Odin is very much the anti-clanner war mentality.

Essence Wielding Social General [Battletech]

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master

Talon Master