New Dawn in the Sun's (Battletech AU)

[Bofors40mm]

May not even need to keep it in Brockton. They could set up a facility on new avalon or somewhere else that does produce the engine or near by. The Brocktonites could just be middlemen for the deal. Which could get them some serious points or favors elsewhere. That or Davion would dang well scrounge up the tooling themselves for a engine plant because the outback and the Suns needs a steady supply of hawks.

Though at the moment they might be far more interested in expanding Trevlus and Hanse might be very interested in helping them get a bigger engine plant running for those bigger mechs. As much as they would want more hawks a new line of assualts is even more needed.

Click to shrink...

hell they could ship the engines to brockton from new avalon or marduck if there's any spare production of engines that the mech plants there can't use. or ya set up the plant on new avalon or robinson or hell even filtvet or broken wheel since both of those do have some industry. also a way to shift some power away from the brockton's in the region too boot and show that you care.
also Blade4 equally as badly needed for the suns as assault production is more non crap heavy production which a slower crossbow will probably work as. albeit not as much as ideal since 60 tons ain't the biggest design in the world.

also my take on the Trevlu striker

Spoiler: Striker STC-2D

Striker STC-2D
Mass: 80 tons
Chassis: Standard Biped
Power Plant: 240 Fusion
Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph
Maximum Speed: 54 kph
Armor: Standard
Armament:
1 PPC
3 Medium Laser
1 Rotary AC/5
1 Large Laser
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3021
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-E-D
Cost: 6,815,520 C-bills
Type: Striker
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Tonnage: 80
Battle Value: 1,756

Equipment		Mass
Internal Structure		8
Engine	240 Fusion	11.5
Walking MP:	3
Running MP:	5
Jumping MP:
Heat Sink:	20	10
Gyro:		3
Cockpit:		3
Armor Factor:	247	15.5

	Internal Structure	Armor Value
Head	3	9
Center Torso	25	38
Center Torso (rear)		12
R/L Torso	17	26
R/L Torso (rear)		8
R/L Arm	13	26
R/L Leg	17	34

Weapons and Ammo	Location	Critical	Tonnage
Heat Sink	LL	1	1
2 Medium Laser	CT	2	2
4 Heat Sink	RT	3	3
PPC	RT	3	7
Rotary AC/5	LA	6	10
6 Heat Sink	LT	6	6
Large Laser	LT	2	5
Rotary AC/5 Ammo (80)	LT	4	4
Heat Sink	RL	1	1
Medium Laser	HD	1	1

 

[GSpectre]

The Suns heavy mech production is... yeah, its a disaster. I think, and people can correct me on this, they only make the Jagermech, Rifleman, Warhammers, and Marauder for heavies. Losing Quinton would be a disaster because of that, all that would be left making a front line heavy would be Crofton... Kallon seems to prefer indulging in their grudge match with anything that flies rather then making a true front line Heavy. The cavalry medium problem isn't quite as bad, Wolverines, Dervishes, and Griffins would make for a solid force if only Norse wasn't on the front lines with the Draconis Combine.

 

[Blade4]

Well its a good thing Hanse is about to discover he has potential heavy hitter industry in his literal backyard that has been most fallow for a long time. Not just combat but able to make tooling? That would be even more valuable because it lets the Suns begin sourcing said tooling to set up more factories deep behind lines and potential let them move endangered factories or at least let them set up production of said designs somewhere not on the front lines. Honestly if anything he might in the short and med term want that tooling more... Which might get interesting because they will refuse to service Corean at all but given Suns Corean might be about to be under new management anyway....

Jeez two those designs are glorified second line support/AAA designs. Warhammer and Marauder are very good designs though and would be in Hanse best interest to get them in greater production but that is literally everything as is. Part of the intial dealing with house Steiner might be grabbing more designs. Personally would go for the zeus first if able. That would be excellent big brother for centurion and enforcer heavy groups.

 

[Bofors40mm]

The Suns heavy mech production is... yeah, its a disaster. I think, and people can correct me on this, they only make the Jagermech, Rifleman, Warhammers, and Marauder for heavies. Losing Quinton would be a disaster because of that, all that would be left making a front line heavy would be Crofton... Kallon seems to prefer indulging in their grudge match with anything that flies rather then making a true front line Heavy. The cavalry medium problem isn't quite as bad, Wolverines, Dervishes, and Griffins would make for a solid force if only Norse wasn't on the front lines with the Draconis Combine.

Click to shrink...

No Warhammer production is listed on 3025 Crofton's list(Longbows only) or any other site I know of leading me to believe the line(s) were fixable post helm/also probably fixable after buying tooling from brockton. As previously mentioned crusaders probably are viable to set up on Talon with tooling as well. However Kathil also makes Maraduers and has a mostly intact Nightstar plant(engineers died in a freak shuttle accident in 2788 that took the plant offline till the 3050s in otl) that's just begging for downteched variant and as the banshee 3-S showed a introtech 3/5 95 ton mech can be scary.

Also if I was hanse I'd be aiming for the thunderbolt and Archer/crusader if Kallon can't get the specs of that from their FWL branches instead of the zeus from the lyrans since as non assaults they're easier to build and get the license for and also have more armor and arguably more useful firepower than a zeus.
Also what do you lot think of the striker variant I posted?

 

[GSpectre]

July 5th​ 3016
Maharaja Palace
Basantapur, Federated Suns

Mary Garg stomped down the halls of her fathers palace and nearly kick the door to his office off its hinges. Having just returned home on a two-year maternity leave she was already in a foul mood from dealing with her step mother, and getting back into shape from giving birth to twins. The last thing she needed was her father interfering with her life further then he already had. Going down to the mech bay to discover that her Shadow Hawk had been pulled into Trevlu for an upgrade without her knowledge or consent had been the last straw for her strained temper. What she saw when she kicked open the door was enough to make even her temper take a back seat.

Her father, Andrew Brockton, and Prakash Azad where dancing around the room, like the teenagers they had been decades ago, singing at the top of their lungs about how they were the champions. Her father was in point of fact waltzing with the portly Prakash, seemingly ignorant of the dignity he spent so much effort, time, and money maintaining, while Andrew spun in a circle as if trying to tango with an invisible partner.

"What the fuck." That was the only response Mary could muster to the scene in front of her. She had thought it was a quiet comment, but it obviously hadn't been quiet enough. Her father bounced, bounce! Over to her and swung her in his arms as if he were twenty years younger and she was still a little girl.

"Mary! Welcome to the celebration!" Roger's grin was infectious, a true grin of mirth rather then the politicians smile he usually had on.

"What is going on?" Mary said as soon as she sort of recovered from her shock.

"We got the contract! The two dee two is ours!" Andrew cheered, from the floor where he had fallen. "And the Swordsman's endorsed! As many as we can build! We made it… finally."

"Two dee… two? Is that why mech wasn't in its hanger when I went looking for it?" Mary's smile was more of a predators barred teeth as she turned to fully face her father.

"It was supposed to be a surprise for you when you're cleared to pilot again." Roger answered, ignoring the danger he was in. "I got you the first kit off the production line!"

"You're messing with my ride." Mary stated flatly, remembering that none of the three men she was facing had ever been a mech jock. Her father and Prakash had been techs, damn good ones, but still techs while Andrew had done his service as an infantry officer. Why he had chosen that she had no idea, since she knew he was more then capable of piloting a mech.

"It was going to be messed with anyway when you got back to your unit," Prakash, her unofficial uncle, clearly knew her temper was about to blow. "The two dee two is being implemented across the entire AFFS, every two dee Shadow Hawk is being upgraded."

"Wait, why were you looking for your mech? The doctors told you another two weeks!" Roger said with alarm, clearly worried about his eldest.

"Civilians. No offence to your doctor, but he's used to dealing with pampered princesses whose fathers wont let them break a nail without a visit to the doctor. You raised a real woman, not a spoiled little shit." Mary snorted. "besides I got an odd message from my CO and needed to blow off some steam before I came to talk to you."

"Somethings up," Andrew seemed to sober up. "You were on the drac border weren't you? So why would your CO be asking you anything?"

"Because his third battalion was just pulled and reassigned to Colorado to rebuild, and he wanted to know just what the fuck was going on out here that the First Prince was pulling one of his best off the line. Not to mention the second regiment is already in transit to Brockton."

"Chisholm Raiders being moved in this direction…" Roger frowned a bit, the news breaking through his good mood. Then he grinned and deflected. "Makes sense. It's Andrews fault."

"Andrew?" Mary's voice was syrupy sweet, the same tone she had when Andrew had tried to introduce Harry to her as a potential husband. Mary didn't have anything against Harry, but she would be damned before she let anyone decide for her who she was marrying. Her fathers second marriage might have worked out in the end, but she had watched it nearly explode too many times to believe in arraigned matches.

"I might have…" Andrew paused clearly trying to figure out how to say what he wanted delicately before deciding it wasn't worth it. "Gotten a bit blacklisted with the MRBC."

"And?" Mary knew the wily old man, there was more to the story here.

"Well the march militia was hurting for equipment and without being able to hire mercs I arraigned some support for them in exchange for them taking care of a few problems." Andrew replied shamelessly. "It's a mutually beneficial relationship…"

"Christ…" Mary couldn't help but face palm at that explanation. "Did you have to go the most stereotypically lyran route you could?"

"Well… Speaking of being excessively lyran have you thought about what you're going to do after your maternity leave is up?" Andrew asked shrewdly.

"NO. Andrew…" Roger seemed alarmed which was unusual.

"She's a major! And family. Perfect to build our security force!" Andrew defended himself readily.

"Nope. Not happening." Mary shot that idea down as quickly as she could. She loved her family but she wasn't ready to give up her career to be a glorified security guard. "I'll be either back on the front lines with my regiment or taking a teaching slot."

"Are you sure we can't convince you?" Prakash spoke up. "We're going to be expanding shortly and its going to be the sort of challenge that a gifted officer like yourself would relish. Lots of travel to new and interesting places, without the whole people trying to kill you when you get there bit."

"No, even with the panic you probably generated on New Avalon I'm not ready to leave the saddle yet. Not even for a challenge." Mary paused and then narrowed her eyes. "What sort of interesting places?"

"Taurian Concordat for one," Prakash held up a hand to stop the impending explosion. "The First Prince wants as many Swordsmen as we can make in the next five years for the crucis march militia, and he doesn't care how we go about it. We don't have the ability to ramp up our engine lines beyond what they are but over the border…"

"The Bulls!"

"If that's not to your liking we do need a team out in the Outworlds, Alliance Defenders are usually pretty reliable but you never know…" Andrew threw in.

"Or if that's not to your liking, the League needs to be at least explored as an option," Roger reminded everyone.

"Why not the Lyran Commonwealth?" Mary asked in exasperation. Clearly her father and his friends were going to be exploring every possible option for engines. "Or the Canopians?"

"Leagues manufacturers are booked solid rebuilding the FWLM, and what's left over is being hoovered up by the provincial forces I doubt we would get much," Prakash said with a shrug. "Lyrans are being handled by Brenda and Harry who are there on an unrelated project."

"Speaking of which, how would you feel about being a test pilot instead of the head of security?" Roger asked with a false casualness. "We might just have a new offering that needs evaluation soon."

"Within the next two years?" Mary asked calmly. Her father had many faults, but no one could accuse him of not loving his children. As much as it had annoyed her when she was younger his decision to sell the Striker in order to put all three of his children from his second marriage into their own mechs was proof of that Even his decision to buy a trio of Clints rather than more capable machines. He had kept his children in the second line by a clever application of money, though there might be trouble if they ever realized that he had known exactly what he was doing when he bought those mechs. That love was the reason she didn't snap at him despite his constant efforts to get her into a safer line of work, not that she had any intentions of switching careers.

"No, unfortunately, its going to take us at least four or five even with all the data we got from MacEnroe," Roger slumped a bit as he said that.

"Might be less, we don't know how much of the six bee data will work." Andrew disagreed.

"Stick to weapons, which you know. My engineers are telling me four to five years and I trust them to know. From what they're saying the problem wont be the engine switch, it's the revised arms. They're going to be heavier than what was originally mounted so the shoulder joints will need to be reworked, and that takes time." Roger smiled a bit apologetically as he said that.

"Point. My people were working with known frames, and we didn't mess around with anything that would effect the joints," Andrew allowed. "Bringing the conversation back around to our original point; the Canopians are out because they're already having quality control issues. If we ask them, to deliver they would need to produce more and that would mean speeding up their lines, which might end up with one of new built mechs undergoing spontaneous disassembly when the Canopian built engine fails."

Mary opened her mouth to ask, sarcastically, if they were going to try the Dracs or Capellans and then decided against it. Her father had sat her down and explained in detail exactly what the Plague Dogs were when she was younger, and what that meant for the people of Brockton. While the fighting during the first war hadn't been the most savage in the sphere, that honor was reserved for the frontiers of the free worlds league, it had been bad. Nuclear releases were bad enough, but they didn't stigmatize the survivors the way biological or chemical strikes had.

There were always survivors, and most had made their way to Brockton in the aftermath, looking for understanding. By the end of the second war it was estimated that at least ten percent of the planets population were either direct survivors, or descendants of those who had lived through an engineered plague or a chemical strike. There was a living memory, and visceral hatred, brewing away on Brockton. The mere suggestion that they would cooperate with the people who had done that to their ancestors could make things interesting in the Capellan sense of the word. Instead of antagonizing Andrew, and probably her father too if she was being honest, by being a brat she brought the conversation back to the mech they had been talking about.

"So this new offering, what is it?"

"You don't recognize the MacEnroe name? For shame, we need to get the target identifying books updated again." Prakash gently joked. "It's the Crossbow."

"A militia mech? You want me to put my career on hold to test pilot a militia mech?" Mary could feel herself building up a head of steam to match what she had been carrying when she first went looking for her father.

"Not a militia mech, an all up battlemech version." Roger said quickly. "Basantapur-Trevlu's first offering to the Battlemech market."

"Beyond the Swordsman you mean," Andrew pointed out with a sly satisfied smirk.

 

[Blade4]

Honestly a pretty dang good mostly introtech within it's stated limits. My gut says to axe the LL for more armor or maybe ammo but that is my instinct for rationalize weapons as much as possible but it does allow for various bracketing.

GSpectre threadlinks look borked.

 

[Nimnitz]

Threadmarks seem borked. 11 and 12 are between 5 and Mind like a Fox, and 10 seems to be missing.

 

[Bofors40mm]

So what the heck will the new Crossbow look like? Because assuming you add 3.5 or 4.5 tons of armor like you should(no near jagermech or rifleman level protection is a near requirement for a new mech producing company since a mech that dies easy isn't a good product that isn't stupidly specialized) to bring it to 11.5 or 12.5 tons respectively that leaves you with 4 or 3 tons of mass made available by the smaller engine which isn't much.

Also as I said on the heavy mech production side of things if Star Corps had the slightest idea Brockton could probably provide the tooling for fixing their Warhammer line(s) they'd basically be the meme of shut up and take my money. Then again that would be basically every non corean mech builder in the suns and probably the military industry in general

 

[GSpectre]

Threadmarks seem borked. 11 and 12 are between 5 and Mind like a Fox, and 10 seems to be missing.

Click to shrink...

It should be fixed now, i wasn't missing another chapter i swear! Just didn't fix the record keeping or realize that the thread marks wouldn't keep positioning at the end after i moved one of them around. Sorry about that.

 

[Bofors40mm]

Anyways I hope my design posting have proven helpful since I've been basically just pulling stuff I already had for most of them.

 

[GSpectre]

Yeah, the designs are helpful, i tend to get stuck in a mindset and everything comes out samey until i get out of it. Seeing what other people think is enoumasly helpful.
Here's what i'm working with for the Crossbow, not ideal, but a solid brawler with a pretty conventional firing pattern for closing and then in close:
CRS-7D Crossbow Mek
Mass: 60 tons
Chassis: Standard Biped
Power Plant: 240 Fusion
Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Armor: Standard
Armament:
2 MML 7
2 Medium Laser
1 Large Laser
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3019
Tech Rating/Availability: D/X-X-F-E
Cost: 4,900,800 C-bills
Type: CRS-7D Crossbow
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Tonnage: 60
Battle Value: 1,162

Equipment		Mass
Internal Structure		6
Engine	240 Fusion	11.5
Walking MP:	4
Running MP:	6
Jumping MP:
Heat Sink:	15	5
Gyro:		3
Cockpit:		3
Armor Factor:	184	11.5

	Internal Structure	Armor Value
Head	3	9
Center Torso	20	28
Center Torso (rear)		9
R/L Torso	14	20
R/L Torso (rear)		6
R/L Arm	10	18
R/L Leg	14	25

Weapons and Ammo	Location	Critical	Tonnage
3 Heat Sinks	RT	3	3
MML 7	LA	4	4.5
Medium Laser	LA	1	1
MML 7 SRM Ammo (14)	LA	1	1
MML 7 LRM Ammo (17)	LA	1	1
3 Heat Sinks	LT	3	3
Large Laser	LT	2	5
MML 7	RA	4	4.5
Medium Laser	RA	1	1
MML 7 SRM Ammo (14)	RA	1	1
MML 7 LRM Ammo (17)	RA	1	1

 

[Vikteren]

It's not a bad brawler, its not great mind you but its better overall then stock rifleman or jeagermech. What other heavies do the suns make? Lastly they still can't mass produce milspec electronics or fusion engines. How are they going to fix that issue. Pity we can't fit in one more heat sink 16 would allow the LL and the MMLs to fire with no heat build up

 

[Bofors40mm]

I'd probably move the heatsinks to the CT and head to protect the super valuable bits there. Also has the problem of too much ammo compared to the armor albeit that's not a huge problem all things considered since if nothing else mechs like the frickin dervish have 50 SRM salvos. Well that and even 17 LRM salvos translates to just under 3 minutes of holding down the trigger nonstop

 

[Blade4]

Honestly that look like it could be a good trooper mech. Armor could be heavier but you could slot that into many medium lance as a versatile grab bag either as support or point or brawler. Could change out a srm for inferno and could use to war crime infantry or buildings.

 

[Bofors40mm]

Honestly that look like it could be a good trooper mech. Armor could be heavier but you could slot that into many medium lance as a versatile grab bag either as support or point or brawler. Could change out a srm for inferno and could use to war crime infantry or buildings.

Click to shrink...

or could load smoke or fragmention rounds. still much better for non support heavy lances than riflemans and jagermechs

 

[Vikteren]

Its price is good only about 100k more then a rifleman and it has actual armor better heat management, with decent midrange firepower. Assuming you can solve the electronics issues its good. In a lot of ways its a minni thunderbolt with slightly less armor, lrm throw weight, no machine guns, and being a nastier knife fighter.

 

[Blade4]

Honestly its greatest weakness is the lack of speed and maneuverability. It can get its speed back and maybe jump jets to better control range it would be pretty terrifying but as is it can make yourself crap yourself now. And is basically a assault killer. Spend a few rounds at range hitting with lrms to soften a target then get in closer with lasers to punch more holes and then finish with srms dealing 28 points of damage a salvo. And pray the missiles dont find a crit.

 

[Bofors40mm]

hmmm it occurs to me that axing the 11th heatsink for 2 jumpjets on the shadow hawk variant is a viable option.

 

[GSpectre]

Yeah, i really wanted to get jump jets on there but it just wasn't happening without gimping the armor or cooling system. I thought about dropping a ton of ammo for another heat sink, but with the way the mechs described... each of those arms are independent self contained weapons pods, so no cross transferring of ammo from one launcher to the other made sense from a story perspective even if it isn't in the rules. Good point about the heat sink placement, i'd orginally considered the arms but ended up going with the classic layout...

 

[Bofors40mm]

Honestly its greatest weakness is the lack of speed and maneuverability. It can get its speed back and maybe jump jets to better control range it would be pretty terrifying but as is it can make yourself crap yourself now. And is basically a assault killer. Spend a few rounds at range hitting with lrms to soften a target then get in closer with lasers to punch more holes and then finish with srms dealing 28 points of damage a salvo. And pray the missiles dont find a crit.

Click to shrink...

Honestly what it really is useful is keeping your stuff like riflemans and jagermechs plus your LRM Boat heavies and the Longbow safe from rushes by things like fast heavies and close in focused mediums. And as part of a more balanced lance say a Crossbow, a Crusader, a Marauder, and either a thunderbolt or orion as a example. While also being a semi decent generalist overall. Plus against non fast assaults it can control the range and you can buy 7 or so of these per lane of fast assaults and they're vastly easier to build.

 

[Blade4]

Yeah very versatile mech that might easily become a mainstay of the davion line and the Steiners might be rather interested in it as well given they can be rather top heavy when it comes to mechs.

 

[Bofors40mm]

Yeah very versatile mech that might easily become a mainstay of the davion line and the Steiners might be rather interested in it as well given they can be rather top heavy when it comes to mechs.

Click to shrink...

Yep. Of course everyone other than defiance and probably Bowie are too small to afford passing off CMW or Lockheed CBM to try to get a license for the variant

 

[Blade4]

Yep. Of course everyone other than defiance and probably Bowie are too small to afford passing off CMW or Lockheed CBM to try to get a license for the variant

Click to shrink...

And then a lovely lady named Katrina Steiner say Guten Tag! and tells people that they can accept this very generous and legit license agreement or she can send in her best friends Steiner Scout Squad to say Guten Tag! and sort things out themselves. Though I would be surprised if it was not part of a far large trade of goods and intellectual property by both sides as they begin integrating.

 

[Bofors40mm]

And then a lovely lady named Katrina Steiner say Guten Tag! and tells people that they can accept this very generous and legit license agreement or she can send in her best friends Steiner Scout Squad to say Guten Tag! and sort things out themselves. Though I would be surprised if it was not part of a far large trade of goods and intellectual property by both sides as they begin integrating.

Click to shrink...

true. then again probably getting the data would require decent payments to trevlu in either cash or tooling or licenses since the brocktons and company do need a fair amount of stuff for their future plans

 

[GSpectre]

August 9th​ 3016
Triad
Tharkad, Lyran Commonwealth

Duke Greydon Brewer sipped his champaign and enjoyed the success of yet another profitable deal. His guests son looked under siege, surrounded as he was by the scions of Lyran industry. Fedrats had a reputation for being a bit soft, and it looked like most of the courts younger daughters were out in force to take advantage of that. He had to smirk as Jessica Malan, one of those odious New Capetown nobles who was too wealthy to ignore, stepped back with her back up like an offended cat. It seemed this Harry had good taste.

"Your boy looks like he's under siege over there, you might want to think about rescuing him," Greydon's soothing baritone came out highly amused as he said that.

"He needs to learn how to be social," Brenda Brockton replied primly. "They should be a good enough school until he meets someone of substance, worthy of his time. Your daughter wasn't available?"

"She's active duty at the moment, finished up her five and is putting in another tour before she even thinks about retiring," Greydon replied, keeping his dislike of the idea out of his voice. Jacqueline was the apple of his eye and Harry Brockton wasn't nearly good enough for her. Rather then continue he switched topics to something a little more comfortable. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you with the Sentinel license but there are political issues in play here that you might not be aware of."

"You mean how Lockheed-CBM and Coventry are annoyed with us?" Brenda enquired her tone a touch challenging.

"No, they couldn't be an issue on their best day," Greydon swirled his glass and contemplated how to put this delicately. "You have two issues from my perspective, the first is that your dispute with Corean is out of hand, it is one thing to deal with a competitor, even harshly at times but… that is best done through your own offices, or if you lack the means through appropriately bonded mercenary's. The incessant war of yours should have been finished years ago, one way or the other, not dragged on as if you were a Leaguer."

"We have very few options for dealing with Corean as you put it," Brenda bit out. "That we have refused to give in is to our credit, we are after all still in the fight."

"You are losing, and don't have the sense to surrender before you face annihilation," Greydon retorted sharply. "Involving the ministry of justice was a mistake, no matter how much damage you deal to Corean through that move, it was an admission of weakness."

"We haven't involved the ministry of justice though?" Brenda felt her face scrunch in confusion. "In point of fact things have been kept deliberately quiet for the past decade or so on our part."

"You mean after your board screwed up and executed some hirelings because they couldn't get at the people they wanted too…"

"That wasn't the board, that was my husband," Brenda admitted with a grimace. "The family lost a member in their little raid, and we have obligations. It's unfortunate that Trevlu was tarred with that action but they really didn't have anything to do with it. The Brockton family offered the contract, and extracted the blood price we told the rangers we would."

"that's the attitude which makes my board incredibly wary of doing business with you directly. Couldn't you have just hired a retaliation strike?"

"Against New Avalon? The only mercs who would be crazy enough to take that contract are McCarron's lot and letting that bunch of war criminals loose on New Avalon isn't politically survivable… or sensible."

"You couldn't get at Steward?"

"We don't have the contacts… Operating in the league is a whole new ball game, one where we don't know the rules. We've been suns exclusive for our entire existence as a company."

"You do occasionally stray across borders though, there are rumors about how the Magistracy and Concordat managed to procure the license and plans for the Swordsman."

"We have excellent contacts in Samantha, and the rules have been made painfully clear to us." Brenda couldn't help but snort when she said that. The Taurians were painfully earnest, letting them know exactly how much rope they had before they were kicked out with any assets they couldn't recover in time being subject to nationalization. It was refreshing to have such clear lines, and rules, a major change from operating in a successor state even their native suns.

"Be very wary there," Greydon intoned solemly. "The culture of vendetta is taken extremely seriously in the league. If you take a shot, make damn sure you don't miss. Otherwise you will be dealing with retaliation until the stars go out, its something we Lyran's are all too familiar with."

"That's … unfortunate." Brenda pursed her lips. She had plans to continue onto the league and while the information Greydon provided was concerning, it was something she was perfectly comfortable dealing with. Worse came to worse she would be sure to play up the families reputation, better that league nobles thought them bioweapons mad then weak and a target. "You said two reasons?"

"The other is related, the rim worlds are still a sensitive topic here. Companies that don't want to end up tarred with the tyrants brush need to step carefully."

"Ah. It's the Vulcan isn't it?"

"Exactly. I cannot allow the Defiance name to be linked to anything related to the Rim Worlds, even at a degree removed. While it wouldn't ruin the company, the reputational damage would take decades to repair."

Brenda shot the older man a look as he said that. She was well aware of the rumors which never seemed to go away completely about how Defiance had managed to put the Zeus into production as fast as they had. The design had gone from paper to the battlefield in just three years, something that she didn't think was possible. Given the number of similarities it had to the Rampage? She was betting the Zeus was just a lightened Rampage, with some cosmetic modifications. She could see where Greydon was coming from if that was the case, especially if links to the rim worlds still had that much power after all this time.

Despite the Commonwealths reputation as one of the most liberal of the successor states they did keep LOKI on hand. She had thought that after all this time a repeat of what had happened to Apollo Mechworks was unlikely to occur, but it sounded like there was a deeper cultural issue at play. Certainly, no First Prince would order their security service to hang the entire board of a company for producing a mech. Then again, the First Princes didn't have the options that an Archon had. It seemed to her that the Phoenixes incredibly brief resurrection as a militia mech had a deeper impact on the commonwealth business community then she had thought. Of course, an entire board of directors swinging in the very place where Mohammed Selim was once lynched was a pretty emphatic statement. Of course Apollo wasn't destroyed as a company. To this day they produced a mix of Gladiators, Crossbows, and Ymirs for the militia market. A fact which probably made that long ago statement by the Archon via LOKI stick in any sensible commonwealth business mans mind.

"So no license for us, but you are willing to let us buy components from your Gibbs factory…"

"That would not be something that would come to the publics attention." Greydon confirmed. "Between putting the Sentinel back into production, and experimenting with the new weapons system you sold us, it wouldn't be out of line to keep the lines of communication going. A few one sixty rated engines are hardly going to raise an eyebrow."

"It's still a connection though."

"Not politically," Greydon disagreed. "Something you're going to need to learn over at Trevlu, battlemechs are more then a war fighting system, they are a political statement. It's one thing to provide components to a company which has… lets call it a publicity problem. It's another to have one of your designs walking off the lines from that very same company. I know you've been active in the militia market for some time, and you have kept at least some proper production, but you haven't needed to deal with the political issues an inadvertent statement can cause."

"We've had issues with acceptance for at least one of our designs," Brenda corrected him mildly, not showing her temper at his condescending tone. "Those issues have recently become a thing of the past though."

"Keep a close eye on that, you never know when those issues will crop back up," Greydon offered his advice, slightly apologetic. "Sorry the whole issue has been on my mind recently. It's going to be a dog of a problem for me with the Sentinel, the downgraded units we were forced to produce have damn near ruined the designs reputation. It's going to be an uphill battle to get it accepted again."

 

[Bofors40mm]

Meanwhile the Suns upon hearing the new sentinel has a RAC-2...we'll take your whole stock. Also the field modifications of the Sentinel actually that replace the autocannon with a heavy energy weapon are pretty solid its just that as always the AC/5 sucks horribly. On another note the second the first new shiny assault mech with the boom stick of doom walks off the line Trevlu's future is secure. If nothing else Hanse will make it Damm clear to the other big players in Suns military industry that hiring mercs to go after the plant with result in their ceasing to be a non nationalized company and the owners having heads.
on another note I wonder if getting licenses/help from Coreans FWL rivals will be possible...

 

[Blade4]

Brewer should be happy with the deals or potential ones and stay out of other people business. He has a point about the Vulcan technically but the complaints about the fight with corean comes off stupid. Where they supposed to let corean bend them over the table at will and ask for seconds?

 

[Bofors40mm]

yeah if people care about where their kit is coming from in terms of design over 230 years from the end of the ACW they're godamm morons. oh no the people who designed it worked for amaris's great grand parents woe is everything! like seriously its the 3rd SW the godamm stuff could have been buried with amaris's porn stash and people would still use it.

also unlike the lyrans the suns actually have courts that tend to matter so no it wasn't weakness. also hard to call the company on the verge of doom when a RCT is now based on brockton, the suns probably want every ASF they can build, the RAC and LAC and all the sales and licensing fees that will come with those, and of course them wanting every last swordsman they can build and a refit kit for a good half of all shadow hawks in suns service and likely orders for the key part of refit kits for a whole lot of soon to be dreamed up AFVs,Mech, and ASF variants

 

[Bofors40mm]

well got a variant for the suns favorite AC/20 dakka bird

Spoiler: RAC-5 lightning

Lightning LTN-G20
Base Tech Level: Standard (IS)

Level	Era
Experimental	-
Advanced	-
Standard	3100+

Tech Rating: E/X-X-E-D

Weight: 50 tons
BV: 1,394
Cost: 2,471,458 C-bills
Source: TRO 3075 - Age of War

Movement: 6/9
Engine: 200 Fusion
Heat Sinks: 13
Fuel Points: 400 (5.0 tons)

Structural Integrity: 6
Armor: 200

	Armor
Nose	60
Left Wing	50
Right Wing	50
Aft	40

Weapons	Loc	Heat
Rotary AC/5	NOS	1
Medium Laser	NOS	3
Medium Laser	RWG	3
Medium Laser	LWG	3
Medium Laser	AFT	3

Ammo	Loc	Shots
Rotary AC/5 Ammo	FSLG	20
Rotary AC/5 Ammo	FSLG	20
Rotary AC/5 Ammo	FSLG	20
Rotary AC/5 Ammo	FSLG	20

 

[Blade4]

Good speed, fuel, and armor with a simple effective upgrade with enough ammo to be generous servicing the enemy. Big thing is do they have a good source for the engine?