AN: On recommendation, I'm also posting this here. Will update daily until we catch up to the...
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Throw a Stone (BT/afterSI)
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1.1 Throw a Stone
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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AN: On recommendation, I'm also posting this here. Will update daily until we catch up to the latest chapter.
Colchester
Markesan Operation Area, Crucis March
Federated Suns
5 April 3024
Colchester was about as unremarkable a world as you could get in the Federated Suns. It had been in Davion hands for nearly five hundred years now, and through all the changes in the Inner Sphere - even through the glory days of the Star League and the chaos and atrocities of the Succession Wars, had passed mostly unchanged.
Deep within the Crucis March, the very heartland of the Federated Suns, Colchester had little to fear from raids or invasion. This also meant that its planetary defenses were quite meager. In their service to House Davion, Colchester had been chosen to serve as their homeworld for the duration of their contract.
It was far enough from the theater of war against the Draconis Combine to keep their dependents safe, while only several Jumps away to support their military operations.
It was three jumps away from Hoff, which in 3019 the Eridani Light Horse faced off against the Wolf's Dragoons who in service to House Kurita attempted to take the world and to seize or destroy the research facilities House Davion had placed on the planet. The Eridani Light Horse successfully fended off the Dragoons but the aftermath left them badly mauled. Prince Hanse Davion, pleased with their performance, granted them time to rebuild their forces.
Most large mercenary units would take this time to begin a concentrated recruiting and retraining effort, but the Eridani Light Horse were not your usual mercenary unit. The Light Horse was formed from the Star League Self Defense Force's (SLDF) 3rd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) that decided to stay rather than accompany General Kerensky's exodus of the SLDF away from the Inner Sphere and taking all the might of the SLDF with him.
They maintained the traditions and regulations of the SLDF even as they served the House Lords as mercenaries. They maintained themselves as the SLDF-in-Being, letting their guns be used only in service of those that maintained the honor and integrity of the Star League. It was either this or face impending starvation trying to eke out a living farming poor worlds out in the Periphery. Making the best of a bad situation, the Light Horse had this as their best compromise.
This meant that the Eridani Light Horse would never engage in acts that violated the Ares Accords. They never attack civilians, nor inflict undue harm on the innocent, nor execute surrendered prisoners.
Operating as a full combined arms force, the Eridani Light Horse owned their own JumpShips, DropShips, and three regiments of BattleMech, Vehicles, Artillery, and AeroSpace Fighters. They had a sizable population of dependents and a training regimen to replace losses from their own pool of recruits ready to step into place.
Therefore Eridani Light Horse's recruitment process rarely relied on outsiders. It was easier to get into armor and infantry, but there were higher standards for BattleMech recruitment, and mercenaries had to know that once you join the Light Horse effectively there was no leaving it.
--
The Eridani Light Horse based themselves on Fort Bradley, an encampment they constructed some distance away from the planetary capital of Constable.
Three regiments of some of the most battle hardened soldiers in the entire Inner Sphere meant that the planetary garrison had no issues seconding their defense and sensor nets to the Eridani Light Horse.
Therefore it was not at all difficult to notice a single Mech approaching the base.
Straight from the spaceport, trundling along towards Fort Bradley, at a very sedate 32 kph. Given that the camp was only six kilometers away, it would not be a terribly long walk.
Barbara Mosley belonged to the 2nd Recon Company (Nightcrawlers) of the 6th Recon Battalion (Stimson's Stealther's) of the 21st Striker Regiment of the Eridani Light Horse.
She rode a Phoenix Hawk while accompanied by Jack Finsrud in a Vulcan. Command sent out a pair of speedy Medium Mechs as any more would be unwarranted unless this was a trap.
"Attention, inbound BattleMech!" she shouted into the radio. "You are approaching a restricted area! Halt and state your intentions or we will be forced to take measures."
"It's an Urbanmech…" Jack sighed.
It was hard to mistake the walking trashcan for anything else. It was painted in pale utilitarian green similar to their own shade of SLDF olive drab.
He could already taste his time being wasted, but the Eridani Light Horse remembered well the history of their dependents being slaughtered by House Kurita and so they never relaxed when it comes to security.
"Hello? You people are of the Eridani Light Horse, right?" The Urbanmech stopped and the responding voice was male but sounded far too young. "I have a message to deliver to your commanding general from my father, and… and, if permitted, I would like to try to join the SLDF."
Barbara blinked. She was a veteran MechWarrior born and raised in the culture of the Light Horse, but they did recruit from outsiders on occasion. Preferably while they were still young and able to be re-trained.
Their Brevet General, Nathan L. Armstrong was the first outsider to command the Eridani Light Horse, but he was adopted while still a child. More pertinent perhaps was Major Earl Dirkson, commander of the 5th Striker Battalion of the 21st Strikers Regiment, who found an intact Mech after a Marik raid and then joined the Eridani Light Horse.
Major Dirkson was a tolerant trainer of young and reckless MechWarriors as he was the same in his youth, and Barbara had fond memories of the officer helping out with the battalion in mock combat scenarios.
"But it's an Urbanmech…." Jack's voice whined through the comms again.
Barbara chuckled. Yes, though Major Dirkson might have been a brash and callow youth, but he was also a young MechWarrior that showed up with an 80-ton Victor.
"I am sorry, but the Eridani Light Horse are not accepting any applicants at this time. If you have any further concerns you may contact us at our offices of outreach back at Constable. Any messages can be passed through official channels."
"Umm. Yes, that would be proper… but this is important. Father said that I have to deliver it in person, it can't be delivered electronically. It's… important SLDF business."
"And who is your father?"
"He called himself Doctor Ivo Robotnik, but you wouldn't know him. It's a fake name."
Yes, well obviously. "I'm not seeing a reason to allow you to even approach the base, much less meet our commanding officer. I'm sorry, but you must understand. These are important security protocols."
"I respect that. But… it's really really really important. I have to prove that it's not just nonsense…. so-" The pilot of the Urbanmech took a deep breath and the large weapon mount on its right side flicked up.
Barbara and Jack had all this time kept their weapons carefully trained on the other BattleMech, but fortunately while they jerked at their controls had discipline not to fire in reflex.
The weapon pod flicked straight up and the Urbanmech angled its bulbous body backwards.
"I challenge you to a race!" said its pilot.
Barbara blinked. Blinked again. She flicked the radio again and said, "Excuse me?"
"I challenge you to race. Please."
"I'm not sure I'm hearing this correctly."
"Race me. You. Me. Run. If I win, I want to be able to talk to someone with authority in the SLDF. I can leave the Mech behind if you want, but I need to talk to someone about this. My father has a message that has to be passed on until your General hears about it and decides if it's worth his time."
"I'm sorry, you are speaking things but I'm not entirely comprehending…"
"I bet my Mech is faster than your Mech."
Jack Finsrud interrupted with "Barb, I think maybe you should make this one go back. Who knows if his brain fever is infectious or something."
Barbara grimaced. "You… you do know I'm riding Phoenix Hawk, right? A Phoenix Hawk. You're inside an Urbanmech."
"Yes, that is so. Regardless, I would like to challenge you to a race anyway. I would most likely lose, but my father said this would help prove my bona fides. Race me, sir. Or ma'am. I'm not sure what the SLDF rules on rank."
"It is ma'am, as dame is the equal rank to sir. Female officers should be referred to as sir," Barbara replied in reflex. "But I am not here to entertain you - I must ask that you do not waste any more of our time."
"ER PPC."
Barbara blinked again. That… did not follow. What did PPCs have to do with their conversation?
"This Mech is mounting an ER PPC instead of an AC/10. You can check your sensors, right?"
Barbara glanced at her HUD. Huh. Her Mech sensors did successfully identify that it was packing a PPC. But again, what did that have to do with anything?
"I'm sorry but I don't follow how that is relevant."
"My father found Lostech. He's dead now, rad poisoning. But his last wish for me is to tell the SLDF about his cache and for me to try and join the SLDF. I wager this entire Mech. I don't care about being Dispossessed, I wasn't anything until father adopted me and being a MechWarrior isn't… worth anything… unless it's fighting for the SLDF."
The boy's voice was calm and clipped, but Barbara could hear the tremor in it.
"Please! Just… please. Race me. Let me just show you what I can do. Or else it would just be wasted."
Barbara's Phoenix Hawk stepped back and while still keeping a Large Laser pointed at the Urbanmech, turned slightly towards Jack's Vulcan.
The anti-infantry mech with spherical helmet-like head gave a minute shrug.
"It's an Urbanmech…" Jack said for the third time. Still as bland and disinterested in everything about this malarky.
"... You know what? Fine. Damn me for my sympathy, but just know that if there's any weapons fire you're going to have a striker lance on your head faster than you can blink."
"I understand those risks. No weapons. Just running," replied the boy.
"Jack, mark us out a five-click stretch."
"Really. You're doing this," her lacemate responded drly. His Mech wagged a handless weapon arm at her. "It's an Urbanmech!"
"Let's just get this over with."
The two Mechs walked over to stand side by side, and in doing so exposed even more their staggering differences. The Phoenix Hawk was a 45-ton machine prized by the SLDF as reconnaissance leader with its streamlined body and powerful Jump Jets on a backpack-like assembly. The Urbanmech was a dumpy 30-ton machine that while comparing it to a walking trash can was uncharitable it was also not inaccurate. It also had the record for being one of the slowest Mechs ever built with a top speed of 32 kilometers per hour. Even Assault Mechs were faster, most of whom could reliably hit 54 km/h.
However, speed was not very relevant in cramped city fighting as the name of the Mech implied - urban combat rarely allows for going full speed. The low-slung little Mech at least was good for ducking in and out of cover to plug away with its Autocannon/10 - at least until it runs out of ammo - but in open country it would shortly be murdered in most pathetic fashion.
This could only end in humiliation. "Are you sure about this?" Barbara had to ask.
"Yes. Sure. I'm sure."
"Look, the rated running speed of my Phoenix Hawk is ninety-six kph. All-out sprinting lets me break hundred kph easy."
The Phoenix Hawk might only have 15 tons over the Urbanmech, but its legs alone were almost as long as the Urbie was tall. Stride length alone gave it an insurmountable advantage.
"My Mech might not be as fast as that, but it's no slouch. You'll see."
"Well… you asked for it." Barbara turned away to see the Vulcan had stopped at five kilometers away.
The terrain was reasonably flat, and composed of unused grassland. Whatever cows that were grazing had long been frightened away by the sound of tromping BattleMech feet.
"On three, we go," said Barbara, her fingers lightly gripping the throttle. "One…
"Two…
"Three!"
She pushed the throttle to 50% instead of full acceleration. While this could only be foregone conclusion, a Phoenix Hawk just accelerates so damn fast as befitting a Scout mech and she decided to just keep pace with the boy in the Urbanmech for a while so he gets an idea of real Mech movement.
The Urbanmech went stomp stomp stomp rolling full acceleration, pumping its stumpy little legs as fast as it mechanically could.
Barbara Mosley gazed forward in incomprehension, then flicked her eyes down at the speed indicator - rising from zero to holding at 47 kph within 6 seconds - then back up to see… yep.
That was the back of an Urbanmech.
Barbara pushed the throttle forward until she matched the Urbanmech's pace, and checked again the speed reading when they were side by side. It was 81 kilometers per hour.
That was solid Medium mech performance!
Urbanmechs were supposed to have a top speed of 32 kilometers per hour, what the hell!
But…
Her Phoenix Hawk could do 97 kph easy.
She flicked the radio and said "That's no regular Urbanmech! There's no way you can win this, but how are you packing a big enough Engine for this much speed AND a PPC?"
"NANOMACHINES, SON!!!" the boy screamed back and accelerated past nominal running speed to an all-out sprint.
For a moment the Urbanmech surged ahead, and then Barbara kept pace with her Phoenix Hawk. 90 kph. 100 kph. 110 kph.
Barbaba couldn't help but to let out a disbelieving little almost girlish giggle. The stride length difference meant that to keep the same speed the little Urbanmech needed to move its little trunk legs twice as much. It was a wonder that its servos were not tearing themselves apart.
This was about as fast as it could go. The finish line was near, and even through the faceless cockpit of the Vulcan she could tell that Jack was boggling.
She accelerated past the machine… 120 kph. 128 kph.
She only had eyes for the empty space in front and then the rapidly approaching Vulcan as a landmark.
And there with a strange lingering shriek, from her left the Urbanmech pulled through with this shaking and tippling from side-to-side gait at just around 135 kph.
The faceless cockpit glass of the Vulcan was the very example of the expression 'Whut' as the Urbanmech passed it by.
The radio was filled with a mindless "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" as the boy in the Mech tried to control his machine and try to get it to a graceful stop instead of faceplanting.
The out-of-control overspeeding Urbanmech ran straight into the forest past the finish line and Barbara winced at the sound of splintering wood and trees being ripped right out of their roots. The cracks and snaps continued for quite a while until finally, slowly, mercifully… the Urbanmech managed to stop.
The pair of Light Horse mechs gingerly walked over to inspect the damage and see if they needed to radio for a recovery vehicle.
From out of the furrow carved into the forest, the Urbanmech emerged limping. Apart from some scratches on the paint, the Mech looked none the worse for wear. The uncomplicated shape and form of the Urbanmech meant they were surprisingly sturdy little things.
Barbara approached and slapped the rounded dome top of the Urbanmech with her Large Laser weapon pod.
"What the heck was that?!" she shouted excitedly over comms. "That was amazing! I hope you didn't wreck your motivators doing that, but… damn. If this wasn't on BattleROM no one's ever going to believe this. I'll eat the punishment if necessary, but for me making an Urbie outrun a Phoenix Hawk earns you at least an introduction to our tech division."
"What the hell, no way a trashcan can go over a hundred kilometers per hour!" Jack put in. "How is that even possible?"
"My father said this is some sort of… Super Royal Urbanmech. Its normal running speed is eighty-six kilometers per hour, but it has a Supercharger. It has an Extra Light Engine. It can do all of this and still meaningfully pack in an ER PPC in place of the Autocannon. The UM-SSR was a secret Star League project to create the most optimized militia mech platform ever."
"Fancy! Well you got my interest. I can't say this is enough to get you to join the Light Horse, but it's enough to give you a shot at the training program. I don't know if the General will talk to you, but whatever message you have, we'll be sure to pass it on."
"There are more of this. That's why I need to talk to the Brevet General. My father's dying wish was to hand over the regiment to the only good remaining piece of the SLDF that remains in this universe."
"A regi-... what."
"Hey, kid," said Jack Finsurd. "What's your name?" His voice no longer held any of the boredom from earlier.
Barbara nodded, realizing that they had never asked. "I am, by the way, Barbara Mosley, and this is Jack Finsrud. 6th Recon Company, 21st Strikers Regiment. You are?"
"Oh. I had a different name before but my dad gave me a new one. I'm keeping it. My name's Devlin. Call me Devlin Stone."
--
--
Toss a stone in the pond,
And watch what ripples form
From a drop might great changes erupt
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Herotitus
Deep Periphery
31 January 3019
A man with a bushy mustache stood up and rubbed at his eyes. He squinted, the bright neon lights of this street of desire stung at his eyes. He grabbed at his forehead, and found there a pair of welder's goggles. He slid the dark glasses over his eyes, and smiled with relief.
He sniffed at the air stinking with refuse and perfume and grinned. People passed by without giving a care to this somewhat pudgy person in a technician's suit. Perhaps a whore or two glanced, wondering if the tech was here to spend some cash. But with his bald head and strangely large teeth for his jaw, they didn't care enough to make the first move. There were plenty of other, less grungy potential customers.
The man put both arms on his hips and cackled like a madman.
This too, no one gave a shit about.
"Looks like I'm early!" he whispered to himself. "Too early. Helm is so overdone. Now... what to do in times like this?" He looked at his left wrist and at the green blob of assorted mysterious devices there. Prominent among them was a symbol that looked like a blue diamond. He jerked back, remembering. "Ah, I know! YOU START WITH ORPHANS!"
The man cricked his neck and went off to search for the nearest orphanage.
--
--
Deep Periphery
31 January 3019
A man with a bushy mustache stood up and rubbed at his eyes. He squinted, the bright neon lights of this street of desire stung at his eyes. He grabbed at his forehead, and found there a pair of welder's goggles. He slid the dark glasses over his eyes, and smiled with relief.
He sniffed at the air stinking with refuse and perfume and grinned. People passed by without giving a care to this somewhat pudgy person in a technician's suit. Perhaps a whore or two glanced, wondering if the tech was here to spend some cash. But with his bald head and strangely large teeth for his jaw, they didn't care enough to make the first move. There were plenty of other, less grungy potential customers.
The man put both arms on his hips and cackled like a madman.
This too, no one gave a shit about.
"Looks like I'm early!" he whispered to himself. "Too early. Helm is so overdone. Now... what to do in times like this?" He looked at his left wrist and at the green blob of assorted mysterious devices there. Prominent among them was a symbol that looked like a blue diamond. He jerked back, remembering. "Ah, I know! YOU START WITH ORPHANS!"
The man cricked his neck and went off to search for the nearest orphanage.
--
--
Colchester
Markesan Operation Area, Crucis March
Federated Suns
5 April 3024
Colchester was about as unremarkable a world as you could get in the Federated Suns. It had been in Davion hands for nearly five hundred years now, and through all the changes in the Inner Sphere - even through the glory days of the Star League and the chaos and atrocities of the Succession Wars, had passed mostly unchanged.
Deep within the Crucis March, the very heartland of the Federated Suns, Colchester had little to fear from raids or invasion. This also meant that its planetary defenses were quite meager. In their service to House Davion, Colchester had been chosen to serve as their homeworld for the duration of their contract.
It was far enough from the theater of war against the Draconis Combine to keep their dependents safe, while only several Jumps away to support their military operations.
It was three jumps away from Hoff, which in 3019 the Eridani Light Horse faced off against the Wolf's Dragoons who in service to House Kurita attempted to take the world and to seize or destroy the research facilities House Davion had placed on the planet. The Eridani Light Horse successfully fended off the Dragoons but the aftermath left them badly mauled. Prince Hanse Davion, pleased with their performance, granted them time to rebuild their forces.
Most large mercenary units would take this time to begin a concentrated recruiting and retraining effort, but the Eridani Light Horse were not your usual mercenary unit. The Light Horse was formed from the Star League Self Defense Force's (SLDF) 3rd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) that decided to stay rather than accompany General Kerensky's exodus of the SLDF away from the Inner Sphere and taking all the might of the SLDF with him.
They maintained the traditions and regulations of the SLDF even as they served the House Lords as mercenaries. They maintained themselves as the SLDF-in-Being, letting their guns be used only in service of those that maintained the honor and integrity of the Star League. It was either this or face impending starvation trying to eke out a living farming poor worlds out in the Periphery. Making the best of a bad situation, the Light Horse had this as their best compromise.
This meant that the Eridani Light Horse would never engage in acts that violated the Ares Accords. They never attack civilians, nor inflict undue harm on the innocent, nor execute surrendered prisoners.
Operating as a full combined arms force, the Eridani Light Horse owned their own JumpShips, DropShips, and three regiments of BattleMech, Vehicles, Artillery, and AeroSpace Fighters. They had a sizable population of dependents and a training regimen to replace losses from their own pool of recruits ready to step into place.
Therefore Eridani Light Horse's recruitment process rarely relied on outsiders. It was easier to get into armor and infantry, but there were higher standards for BattleMech recruitment, and mercenaries had to know that once you join the Light Horse effectively there was no leaving it.
--
The Eridani Light Horse based themselves on Fort Bradley, an encampment they constructed some distance away from the planetary capital of Constable.
Three regiments of some of the most battle hardened soldiers in the entire Inner Sphere meant that the planetary garrison had no issues seconding their defense and sensor nets to the Eridani Light Horse.
Therefore it was not at all difficult to notice a single Mech approaching the base.
Straight from the spaceport, trundling along towards Fort Bradley, at a very sedate 32 kph. Given that the camp was only six kilometers away, it would not be a terribly long walk.
Barbara Mosley belonged to the 2nd Recon Company (Nightcrawlers) of the 6th Recon Battalion (Stimson's Stealther's) of the 21st Striker Regiment of the Eridani Light Horse.
She rode a Phoenix Hawk while accompanied by Jack Finsrud in a Vulcan. Command sent out a pair of speedy Medium Mechs as any more would be unwarranted unless this was a trap.
"Attention, inbound BattleMech!" she shouted into the radio. "You are approaching a restricted area! Halt and state your intentions or we will be forced to take measures."
"It's an Urbanmech…" Jack sighed.
It was hard to mistake the walking trashcan for anything else. It was painted in pale utilitarian green similar to their own shade of SLDF olive drab.
He could already taste his time being wasted, but the Eridani Light Horse remembered well the history of their dependents being slaughtered by House Kurita and so they never relaxed when it comes to security.
"Hello? You people are of the Eridani Light Horse, right?" The Urbanmech stopped and the responding voice was male but sounded far too young. "I have a message to deliver to your commanding general from my father, and… and, if permitted, I would like to try to join the SLDF."
Barbara blinked. She was a veteran MechWarrior born and raised in the culture of the Light Horse, but they did recruit from outsiders on occasion. Preferably while they were still young and able to be re-trained.
Their Brevet General, Nathan L. Armstrong was the first outsider to command the Eridani Light Horse, but he was adopted while still a child. More pertinent perhaps was Major Earl Dirkson, commander of the 5th Striker Battalion of the 21st Strikers Regiment, who found an intact Mech after a Marik raid and then joined the Eridani Light Horse.
Major Dirkson was a tolerant trainer of young and reckless MechWarriors as he was the same in his youth, and Barbara had fond memories of the officer helping out with the battalion in mock combat scenarios.
"But it's an Urbanmech…." Jack's voice whined through the comms again.
Barbara chuckled. Yes, though Major Dirkson might have been a brash and callow youth, but he was also a young MechWarrior that showed up with an 80-ton Victor.
"I am sorry, but the Eridani Light Horse are not accepting any applicants at this time. If you have any further concerns you may contact us at our offices of outreach back at Constable. Any messages can be passed through official channels."
"Umm. Yes, that would be proper… but this is important. Father said that I have to deliver it in person, it can't be delivered electronically. It's… important SLDF business."
"And who is your father?"
"He called himself Doctor Ivo Robotnik, but you wouldn't know him. It's a fake name."
Yes, well obviously. "I'm not seeing a reason to allow you to even approach the base, much less meet our commanding officer. I'm sorry, but you must understand. These are important security protocols."
"I respect that. But… it's really really really important. I have to prove that it's not just nonsense…. so-" The pilot of the Urbanmech took a deep breath and the large weapon mount on its right side flicked up.
Barbara and Jack had all this time kept their weapons carefully trained on the other BattleMech, but fortunately while they jerked at their controls had discipline not to fire in reflex.
The weapon pod flicked straight up and the Urbanmech angled its bulbous body backwards.
"I challenge you to a race!" said its pilot.
Barbara blinked. Blinked again. She flicked the radio again and said, "Excuse me?"
"I challenge you to race. Please."
"I'm not sure I'm hearing this correctly."
"Race me. You. Me. Run. If I win, I want to be able to talk to someone with authority in the SLDF. I can leave the Mech behind if you want, but I need to talk to someone about this. My father has a message that has to be passed on until your General hears about it and decides if it's worth his time."
"I'm sorry, you are speaking things but I'm not entirely comprehending…"
"I bet my Mech is faster than your Mech."
Jack Finsrud interrupted with "Barb, I think maybe you should make this one go back. Who knows if his brain fever is infectious or something."
Barbara grimaced. "You… you do know I'm riding Phoenix Hawk, right? A Phoenix Hawk. You're inside an Urbanmech."
"Yes, that is so. Regardless, I would like to challenge you to a race anyway. I would most likely lose, but my father said this would help prove my bona fides. Race me, sir. Or ma'am. I'm not sure what the SLDF rules on rank."
"It is ma'am, as dame is the equal rank to sir. Female officers should be referred to as sir," Barbara replied in reflex. "But I am not here to entertain you - I must ask that you do not waste any more of our time."
"ER PPC."
Barbara blinked again. That… did not follow. What did PPCs have to do with their conversation?
"This Mech is mounting an ER PPC instead of an AC/10. You can check your sensors, right?"
Barbara glanced at her HUD. Huh. Her Mech sensors did successfully identify that it was packing a PPC. But again, what did that have to do with anything?
"I'm sorry but I don't follow how that is relevant."
"My father found Lostech. He's dead now, rad poisoning. But his last wish for me is to tell the SLDF about his cache and for me to try and join the SLDF. I wager this entire Mech. I don't care about being Dispossessed, I wasn't anything until father adopted me and being a MechWarrior isn't… worth anything… unless it's fighting for the SLDF."
The boy's voice was calm and clipped, but Barbara could hear the tremor in it.
"Please! Just… please. Race me. Let me just show you what I can do. Or else it would just be wasted."
Barbara's Phoenix Hawk stepped back and while still keeping a Large Laser pointed at the Urbanmech, turned slightly towards Jack's Vulcan.
The anti-infantry mech with spherical helmet-like head gave a minute shrug.
"It's an Urbanmech…" Jack said for the third time. Still as bland and disinterested in everything about this malarky.
"... You know what? Fine. Damn me for my sympathy, but just know that if there's any weapons fire you're going to have a striker lance on your head faster than you can blink."
"I understand those risks. No weapons. Just running," replied the boy.
"Jack, mark us out a five-click stretch."
"Really. You're doing this," her lacemate responded drly. His Mech wagged a handless weapon arm at her. "It's an Urbanmech!"
"Let's just get this over with."
The two Mechs walked over to stand side by side, and in doing so exposed even more their staggering differences. The Phoenix Hawk was a 45-ton machine prized by the SLDF as reconnaissance leader with its streamlined body and powerful Jump Jets on a backpack-like assembly. The Urbanmech was a dumpy 30-ton machine that while comparing it to a walking trash can was uncharitable it was also not inaccurate. It also had the record for being one of the slowest Mechs ever built with a top speed of 32 kilometers per hour. Even Assault Mechs were faster, most of whom could reliably hit 54 km/h.
However, speed was not very relevant in cramped city fighting as the name of the Mech implied - urban combat rarely allows for going full speed. The low-slung little Mech at least was good for ducking in and out of cover to plug away with its Autocannon/10 - at least until it runs out of ammo - but in open country it would shortly be murdered in most pathetic fashion.
This could only end in humiliation. "Are you sure about this?" Barbara had to ask.
"Yes. Sure. I'm sure."
"Look, the rated running speed of my Phoenix Hawk is ninety-six kph. All-out sprinting lets me break hundred kph easy."
The Phoenix Hawk might only have 15 tons over the Urbanmech, but its legs alone were almost as long as the Urbie was tall. Stride length alone gave it an insurmountable advantage.
"My Mech might not be as fast as that, but it's no slouch. You'll see."
"Well… you asked for it." Barbara turned away to see the Vulcan had stopped at five kilometers away.
The terrain was reasonably flat, and composed of unused grassland. Whatever cows that were grazing had long been frightened away by the sound of tromping BattleMech feet.
"On three, we go," said Barbara, her fingers lightly gripping the throttle. "One…
"Two…
"Three!"
She pushed the throttle to 50% instead of full acceleration. While this could only be foregone conclusion, a Phoenix Hawk just accelerates so damn fast as befitting a Scout mech and she decided to just keep pace with the boy in the Urbanmech for a while so he gets an idea of real Mech movement.
The Urbanmech went stomp stomp stomp rolling full acceleration, pumping its stumpy little legs as fast as it mechanically could.
Barbara Mosley gazed forward in incomprehension, then flicked her eyes down at the speed indicator - rising from zero to holding at 47 kph within 6 seconds - then back up to see… yep.
That was the back of an Urbanmech.
Barbara pushed the throttle forward until she matched the Urbanmech's pace, and checked again the speed reading when they were side by side. It was 81 kilometers per hour.
That was solid Medium mech performance!
Urbanmechs were supposed to have a top speed of 32 kilometers per hour, what the hell!
But…
Her Phoenix Hawk could do 97 kph easy.
She flicked the radio and said "That's no regular Urbanmech! There's no way you can win this, but how are you packing a big enough Engine for this much speed AND a PPC?"
"NANOMACHINES, SON!!!" the boy screamed back and accelerated past nominal running speed to an all-out sprint.
For a moment the Urbanmech surged ahead, and then Barbara kept pace with her Phoenix Hawk. 90 kph. 100 kph. 110 kph.
Barbaba couldn't help but to let out a disbelieving little almost girlish giggle. The stride length difference meant that to keep the same speed the little Urbanmech needed to move its little trunk legs twice as much. It was a wonder that its servos were not tearing themselves apart.
This was about as fast as it could go. The finish line was near, and even through the faceless cockpit of the Vulcan she could tell that Jack was boggling.
She accelerated past the machine… 120 kph. 128 kph.
She only had eyes for the empty space in front and then the rapidly approaching Vulcan as a landmark.
And there with a strange lingering shriek, from her left the Urbanmech pulled through with this shaking and tippling from side-to-side gait at just around 135 kph.
The faceless cockpit glass of the Vulcan was the very example of the expression 'Whut' as the Urbanmech passed it by.
The radio was filled with a mindless "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" as the boy in the Mech tried to control his machine and try to get it to a graceful stop instead of faceplanting.
The out-of-control overspeeding Urbanmech ran straight into the forest past the finish line and Barbara winced at the sound of splintering wood and trees being ripped right out of their roots. The cracks and snaps continued for quite a while until finally, slowly, mercifully… the Urbanmech managed to stop.
The pair of Light Horse mechs gingerly walked over to inspect the damage and see if they needed to radio for a recovery vehicle.
From out of the furrow carved into the forest, the Urbanmech emerged limping. Apart from some scratches on the paint, the Mech looked none the worse for wear. The uncomplicated shape and form of the Urbanmech meant they were surprisingly sturdy little things.
Barbara approached and slapped the rounded dome top of the Urbanmech with her Large Laser weapon pod.
"What the heck was that?!" she shouted excitedly over comms. "That was amazing! I hope you didn't wreck your motivators doing that, but… damn. If this wasn't on BattleROM no one's ever going to believe this. I'll eat the punishment if necessary, but for me making an Urbie outrun a Phoenix Hawk earns you at least an introduction to our tech division."
"What the hell, no way a trashcan can go over a hundred kilometers per hour!" Jack put in. "How is that even possible?"
"My father said this is some sort of… Super Royal Urbanmech. Its normal running speed is eighty-six kilometers per hour, but it has a Supercharger. It has an Extra Light Engine. It can do all of this and still meaningfully pack in an ER PPC in place of the Autocannon. The UM-SSR was a secret Star League project to create the most optimized militia mech platform ever."
"Fancy! Well you got my interest. I can't say this is enough to get you to join the Light Horse, but it's enough to give you a shot at the training program. I don't know if the General will talk to you, but whatever message you have, we'll be sure to pass it on."
"There are more of this. That's why I need to talk to the Brevet General. My father's dying wish was to hand over the regiment to the only good remaining piece of the SLDF that remains in this universe."
"A regi-... what."
"Hey, kid," said Jack Finsurd. "What's your name?" His voice no longer held any of the boredom from earlier.
Barbara nodded, realizing that they had never asked. "I am, by the way, Barbara Mosley, and this is Jack Finsrud. 6th Recon Company, 21st Strikers Regiment. You are?"
"Oh. I had a different name before but my dad gave me a new one. I'm keeping it. My name's Devlin. Call me Devlin Stone."
--
--
Toss a stone in the pond,
And watch what ripples form
From a drop might great changes erupt
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Last edited:
2.1 The Eggman's Wish
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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Three full combined-arms regiments were usually a waste to keep on one planet. When the Eridani Light Horse entered into service with House Davion, they were split into battalions and companies to conduct raids on a wide range of Kurita and Liao worlds. With their unmatched speed and expertise at objective raiding, they were often able to convince defenders that a full regiment had landed on the planet and then leave within hours with all objectives completed.
These raids earned the Light Horse substantial bonuses, but in 3022 the Wolf's Dragoons with their five regiments signed onto a six-year contract with House Kurita.
The Light Horse had prior contact with the Dragoons, in 3007 reinforced New Valencia which was at the time the homeworld of the Wolf's Dragoons under siege by McCarron's Armored Cavalry. For the first time three of the most famed mercenary commands in the Inner Sphere were on planet, but House Liao's top mercenary unit decided to disengage and leave the world as soon the Eridani Light Horse touched on planet.
After this, the Light Horse moved to Colchester as they signed up with House Davion. Relations between the Light Horse and the Dragoons were cordial, if with the usual bemusement that the Light Horse experienced when they presented themselves as the SLDF.
But both mercenary commands were professionals, and there were the usual tempo of raids and counter-raids. It was only in 3023 that the two companies met in strength as the Wolf Dragoons's Epsilon Regiment alongside the Combine's 17th Galedon Regulars invaded Hoff to destroy House Davion's research facilities there. Defending the world was the 151st Light Horse (Dark Horse Regiment) and the 7th Battalion of the 21st Strikers Regiment, commanded by Brevet General Nathan Armstrong himself, along with a brigade of the Dahar Draconic March militia.
Armstrong was not the type to mull over defeats, but it was tempting to continually cast his thoughts on almost-victories. On Hoff, the Light Horse had thrown back the Dragoons again and again, and had managed to pocket the Dragoons in Brandt Valley.
Closing his eyes he could still feel himself there, in three straight days of fighting, the Dragoons and the Light Horse struggled without making any headway against each other. He had only been the commander of the entire ELH for a year. Formerly the leader of the 151st, he relied on the Dark Horse Regiment to push through.
In those three days the question of "which truly was the best mercenary unit" in the Inner Sphere was being decided.
He chuckled. But that didn't really matter to them. The Eridani Light Horse were the SLDF, and the SLDF do not break.
But much as he had driven his 50th Calvary into a breach to disarray the Dragoons some days ago, Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow Company managed to turn the flank and the Light Horse had to withdraw from their enclosure of the Dragoons - allowing them to reintegrate their Epsilon Regiment while the Light Horse had to pull back. They might not break, but a sensible withdrawal was another matter entirely. They retreated to dig in around the town of Friden and the Aerospace Park that was the objective of this invasion.
The Light Horse had to hold on until the data and the scientists were evacuated, but they could not hold the Dragoons off forever and eventually had to cede the field. Davion reinforcements arrived soon after and the Kuritan forces also had to withdraw from the planet.
While technically a draw with the Dragoons driven off, the Dragoons landed with more mechs, tilted more towards heavies and assaults, and the Eridani Light Horse's responsive combined arms groupings were left badly depleted in armor and light to medium Mech strength.
Regimental commanders did not stay on their homeworlds. With the Dark Horse regiment mauled but half remaining on Hoff to continue the defense, the Eridani Light horse depended on the intact 71st Light Horse (White Horse Regiment) to fulfill their obligations. Nathan Armstrong had to hand over command of the 151st to Colonel Robert Fairchild, Hoff was his last taste of being able to personally command the Dark Horse.
Which was why, after having lunch with his wife, General Nathan Armstrong was able to scowl at the poor soldier sent to report in.
"Sir! Apologies for the interruption, sir!" the said the command staff sergeant. "There is a sensitive matter that may need your attention, sir."
"At ease, soldier. What is this about?"
"Apologies but I don't know, sir. Colonel Winston requests permission to speak with you at the briefing room, sir."
Armstrong's brows raised. Charles K. Winston commanded the 21st Strikers regiment. While the 121st Dark Horse was the main battle regiment of the Eridani Light Horse and the 151st their flexible defensive regiment, the 21st was their more free-wheeling reserves capable of being slotted into any duty.
Regimental commanders usually did not stay safe and idle at their homeworlds, but Colonel Winston was also the oldest line officer in the entire Light Horse. The 21st cycled from line duty to training, and with the 121st being badly mauled, elements of the 21st were being shuffled to reinforce and replace formations in the regiment.
"Best not to keep the old man waiting," said Julia Armstrong.
"Sir, apologies for interrupting again, sir. But the Colonel also noted that if Chief Julia was with you then this will probably also be of interest to her, sir!"
Julia Armstrong was the chief of the Light Horse's civilian services. There were very few things that would need the attention of both. "This sounds serious. Shall we, Nathan?"
The general nodded. "Tell them we're on our way, sargeant."
---
The SLDF were known for two things - their skill at fighting… and their absurd wizardry at construction. The famed Castles Brian were the most well-known examples of the SLDF's skill at fortifications, able to withstand orbital bombardment and capable of housing regiments of troops to defend a world, but also cleverly hidden with many secret tunnels and sally points.
But like the Roman Legions before them, and the Terran Hegemony Armed Forces, the SLDF never stopped anywhere without throwing up an efficient grid-based bivouac with field fortifications. The Light Horse may have been greatly diminished since they were commanded by General Kerensky, but they never lost the expertise in modular prefabricated structures.
Fort Bradley was not fortified enough to resist BattleMech assault, but just given a stretch of land the Eridani Light Horse was able to flatten it and build an efficient and well-defended camp with airfields and facilities for both military and civilian concerns.
The Brevet General of the Eridani Light Horse lived separately from the command building. He was no President living in some sort of White House where officials had to present briefings in an official function room, nor a Lord that mixed his personal and state affairs. The Eridani Light Horse moved thousands of people year after year through the Inner Sphere, in their centuries of moving from homeworld to homeworld as their men and women fought at the behest of others, they recognized the importance of privacy and allowing each family to hold their own ground no matter how temporary.
Briefings and command decisions were made in a windowless room deep inside the command building. A holotank dominated the room, and affixed wall to wall were all sorts of screens and lights.
Normally dim to maximize clarity of the many information displays, at the moment the room was well-lit.
General Nathan Armstrong entered to see that Colonel Winston waiting there along with a group of other officers. A young teenage boy on a chair hurriedly stood up to attention. He glanced nervously at the juice box in his hands, before hiding it behind his back.
He raised his right hand - apparently having passed the juice box from right to left - only to stop as the officer behind in tapped at his shoulder. "You don't salute indoors," MechWarrior Barbara Mosley whispered.
Julia Armstrong's lips quirked in amusement.
General Armstrong nodded to each of the officers there. Colonel Winston of the 21st, of course. Surprisingly also Major Edward Stimson of the 121st 6th Recon. That was a Dark Horse company, but rotated in for R&R after the heavy combat on Hoff. The officer standing behind the young civilian wore MechWarrior patches belonging to his company.
There was also Major Wendell TeCarr of his Command Nathan and nominally the second-in-command of the Light Horse while on base. And finally, Engineer-in-Chief Eligio Cade of the technical staff, responsible for all technical and dropship operations of the Light Horse.
This was a very top-heavy meeting.
"What is this about?" the general asked.
--
Barbara Mosley reported the events of around 10:50 local time. The approach of an unknown BattleMech. Her potential unprofessional conduct accepting an unorthodox challenge. The results of said challenge. She offered no excuses.
Edward Stimson then reported about how this whole mess was delivered to him, and how he had to decide if the boy's claim had any validity. He had to pull the BattleROM and then had run the Urbanmech run in paces under more Mech guard to be convinced.
Now if there were more of these things, that had yet to be determined. It was up to high command to be convinced by the holorecording that the boy provided.
Engineer-in-Chief Eligio Cade reported "The Mech itself really does have lostech in it. Even the neurohelmet was SLDF grade, not like the buckets we're forced to use now. If there's really more of these, I can't wait to take one part and have a look."
"It's not easy to tell if someone is lying on a holo," said Col. Winston. The wiry old man had a powerful voice that belied his frame. "This could easily be a trap to divide the Light Horse. While we're under the command of House Davion, we also have the attention of their enemies - and House Liao and House Kurita wouldn't hesitate to use dishonorable tricks and traps like this to remove JumpShips from the line. It's almost too good to be true."
The general nodded. "But since you kicked this up to me, what makes you think this is valid?"
"There are two holo-recordings, one for general viewing and the other supposed to be for high command only. I looked at both of them. I know that holomovies can do some astonishing trickery, but with the boy's testimony, there's a high chance of this being real."
The general stared down at the boy.
Devlin Stone met his gaze squarely. It was a placid fearless stare, but not like one might expect from a psychopath. The boy was nervous but not afraid for himself.
"Where is this cache?" Gen. Armstrong asked.
"Dumassas," replied Devlin. "It's a depopulated world near the Taurian Concordat. We lived there."
Gen. Armstrong grimaced.
"This could intensify tensions between House Davion and House Calderon, that bit of inconvenience is what helps me think that this might not be too good to be true," added Col. Winston. "If it was some world out in the Deep Periphery free and clear for the taking, that would sound too much of a trap. But a Militia Mech depot at the border of the Taurian Concordat - that makes too much sense."
Gen. Armstrong grimaced. "We might have to consult with the Davions about this."
"The regiment is for the SLDF, *not* House Davion!" Devlin spoke up. He wrinkled his nose and glared. "Father was most insistent about this. If the SLDF doesn't get it, then the installation might as well be buried forever."
Nathan Armstrong glanced aside to his wife. Julia Armstrong was still staring at the boy. After a while, she nodded.
"I believe him," she said.
"All right. If you all think this might be real, I accept that. But…" the general sighed. "It's Urbanmechs."
Major Stimson, who built this command lance out of fast jump-capable Light Mechs, noted "*Fast* jump-capable ER PPC-carrying Urbanmechs with Double Heatsinks."
While his battalion might not have the punch to decide battles, its speed allowed it to get to wherever they might be needed quickly.
General Armstrong frowned minutely. True, no one would *ever* expect Urbanmechs serving in heavy scout role, but would that be worth diverting Eridani Light Horse aerospace assets away from the Kuritan front for several months?
"I'm going to have to look at those holotapes," he said instead.
--
The holotapes looked almost new and were gene-locked. That helped its veneer of authenticity.
The holotank, once the tapes were inserted, asked for a password.
"Wolverines Forever," spoke Devlin Stone.
The holographic display then emitted an indistinct startup sound that was in between "seega" or "eegman". It coalesced into a spherical logo of a face wearing goggles with a protruding side mustache.
Then the screen cleared up to the face of a man wearing goggles and with a protruding red mustache. His grin was wide and his teeth were big. He looked like some sort of pet detective.
"Yellow? Yellow? Is this thing on? Devlin! Is the camera showing anything?!"
"Yes, father," the boy's voice emitted from the recording.
The view receded to show a tall yet somewhat pudgy bald man wearing a red technician's jacket. He wore thick white gloves which he gestured with grandly. "STUPENDOUSITY. All righty then! If you are able to see this, then you are either the SLDF Eridani Light Horse Regiments and you have my boy with you with his willing participation…
"Or you're not, and I don't know how you decoded this without the 5 kiloton fusion nuclear briefcase handcuffed to his wrist going off."
"Wait what?" asked past-Devlin.
"MOVING ON!
"Seriously, father, I don't think that's wise or would let me pass port security…"
"WELCOME TO SLDF "SEEDCORN" MILITIA BASE SIGMA EPISILON, otherwise known as "STONE EGG!"
He pranced backwards, forcing the view to follow him over to a catwalk. "I AM DOCTOR IVO THE EGGMAN ROBOTNIK! And I present to you… PERFECTION!"
He pointed to over the railings. "Do you see that? The most perfect BattleMech ever devised!"
The view followed to look over the ledge, and there were rows upon rows of Urbanmechs. Behind the Urbanmechs were the distinctive spherical shapes of DropShips. The lights streaming in from above showed that this was a cavernous indoors area.
Robotnik leaned into the camera from the left. "You might be thinking - it's just Urbanmechs! Why are you so excited, Eggman? But that is why YOU WOULD BE WRONG."
Robotnik began pushing buttons on his wrist computer, and the ledge began to descend - it was an elevator all along.
"The SLDF in all their collected wisdom and obsession with logistics and putting secret caches all over the place, decided that at some point they might need to settle new worlds out beyond known space but putting valuable Mechs out there would be taking away from the assets they needed for offensive operations. This SEEDCORN plan had two divided commands - the main military one, and the civilian/militia one.
"This facility was shut down and hidden as concerns turned away from Taurian front and towards the Rim Worlds.
"Now, presumably, the military section decided to leave with General Kerensky. But the militia section was left behind, because Urbanmechs were… okay, they're Urbanmechs. No one cares about Urbanmechs. Even if someone might have seen them on the list, even the SLDF thought that it was not relevant to their exile. There was no point in going all the way out here to reactivate them."
With a click and a clang, the elevator reached the bottom. Now that they were at the ground floor, the camera could fully take in just how huge was this underground space.
"But these - were not your regular Urbanmech. Not your regular Urbanmech, boy!"
The screen followed Robotnik as they got into a small rover and drove to the line of inactive Mechs.
Robotnik reached down to a sack on the rover and began pelting each Mech he passed with an egg-shaped paint ball.
"These - are" throw "Super Urbanmech!" throw "UB-SSR" throw "the ultimate" throw "in militia Mech" throw "performance!"
After about twenty four throws he ran out of eggs. "Someone designed the UB-SSR to let even the dumbest-as-bricks random militia pilot have a chance against real MechWarriors."
Robotnik stopped the rover and leaped out. The screen followed him as he stopped and leaned against an Urbanmech's broad trunk-like leg.
"The UB-SSR - the SLDF SUPER URBANMECH has a one hundred fifty-rated XL Fusion Engine, enough to push it to eighty-six kph before even engaging its Supercharger, but weighing only a meager three tons!
"Its structure is Standard endofoam, which does not need special orbital facilities to construct like Endo Steel, but the armor is Ferro-Fibrous which allows it to possess the maximum amount of protection possible for its tonnage.
"In place of an Autocannon with limited shots, it carries instead a Extended Range Particle Projection Cannon which has an effective range equivalent to that of a Gauss Rifle, but with its more refined construction does without the minimum range that afflicts our current PPCs.
"For short-range combat, instead of a measly Small Laser, it carries a Medium Pulse Laser in the other arm.
"It has the same double Jump Jets as you would expect from an Urbanmech, giving it a jump range of sixty meters.
"It has a Guardian ECM suite to allow it to break targeting locks and waddle into its enemy's blind spots.
"To keep this whole thing cool, it packs Double HeatSinks, sufficient to remove all buildup heat from maximum to nominal within five seconds - or that is to say, it runs completely heat-neutral even with alpha striking all day.
"It's small, it's fast, it can jump, it's surprisingly durable, and will never run out of ammo! Yes! Do not underestimate the smallest Assault Mech disguised as a trash can! GYAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"It's still just a Light Mech though," said past-Devlin. "Perfect might be pushing it. Maybe... idiot proof?"
"That's why it's called Trash CAN, not Trash CANNOT, HWE WE WE WEH!"
Robotnik beckoned to get back to the rover.
"Unfortunately the Amaris Coup happened before the SLDF facility I found could do more than just field test it out in the Periphery, but their loss is our gain. If it was just having more Mechs, then it's fine for our culture of scarcity here in the Succession Wars. A regiment of Urbies aren't anything noteworthy even with that. But there's something here that I can trust only the SLDF with."
He turned to the camera and grinned. "This is the first of two recordings. Boy, I want to hear some discussion first about whether this thing is valid and how they might use this to fit their operations.
"I won't be alive to hear them, but ah- to hear the SLDF speak on combat operations. If only I could be there instead. Listen carefully boy.
He pointed towards the potential viewers "And you! Well, if I'm going to be giving you this regiment anyway, the least you can do is to offer my boy an education!
"Instead of your usual Locusts! Your Wasps, your Stingers, your bugmechs! You have a machine that might not be as fast, but it has ECM. It's the firepower of a Medium like the Vindicator in a thing only half the size! With an ER PPC, you can plug away at fire support mechs at the same LRM ranges. It's modifiable, there's enough spare parts here - as long as it's an all-energy armanent. Would you use it for scouts? For defense? To support your medium combat groups? HAHAHA!
"Who knows? Who knows?! Only the SLDF can I trust to do this *correctly* instead of spreading it out to their little planetary commands!
"Boy! Don't play the second recording yet! Give them time! If they can't theorycraft having over a hundred extra jump-mechs in their roster, they're not the SLDF!"
---
Super Urbanmech R1 UM-SSR-R1
Base Tech Level: Experimental (IS)
Tech Rating: E/X-X-F-D
Weight: 30 tons
BV: 1,068
Cost: 5,822,700 C-bills
Source: Meme
Movement: 5/8(10)/2
Engine: 150 XL
Double Heat Sinks: 11 [22]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 51
Armor: 105/105 (Ferro-Fibrous)
These raids earned the Light Horse substantial bonuses, but in 3022 the Wolf's Dragoons with their five regiments signed onto a six-year contract with House Kurita.
The Light Horse had prior contact with the Dragoons, in 3007 reinforced New Valencia which was at the time the homeworld of the Wolf's Dragoons under siege by McCarron's Armored Cavalry. For the first time three of the most famed mercenary commands in the Inner Sphere were on planet, but House Liao's top mercenary unit decided to disengage and leave the world as soon the Eridani Light Horse touched on planet.
After this, the Light Horse moved to Colchester as they signed up with House Davion. Relations between the Light Horse and the Dragoons were cordial, if with the usual bemusement that the Light Horse experienced when they presented themselves as the SLDF.
But both mercenary commands were professionals, and there were the usual tempo of raids and counter-raids. It was only in 3023 that the two companies met in strength as the Wolf Dragoons's Epsilon Regiment alongside the Combine's 17th Galedon Regulars invaded Hoff to destroy House Davion's research facilities there. Defending the world was the 151st Light Horse (Dark Horse Regiment) and the 7th Battalion of the 21st Strikers Regiment, commanded by Brevet General Nathan Armstrong himself, along with a brigade of the Dahar Draconic March militia.
Armstrong was not the type to mull over defeats, but it was tempting to continually cast his thoughts on almost-victories. On Hoff, the Light Horse had thrown back the Dragoons again and again, and had managed to pocket the Dragoons in Brandt Valley.
Closing his eyes he could still feel himself there, in three straight days of fighting, the Dragoons and the Light Horse struggled without making any headway against each other. He had only been the commander of the entire ELH for a year. Formerly the leader of the 151st, he relied on the Dark Horse Regiment to push through.
In those three days the question of "which truly was the best mercenary unit" in the Inner Sphere was being decided.
He chuckled. But that didn't really matter to them. The Eridani Light Horse were the SLDF, and the SLDF do not break.
But much as he had driven his 50th Calvary into a breach to disarray the Dragoons some days ago, Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow Company managed to turn the flank and the Light Horse had to withdraw from their enclosure of the Dragoons - allowing them to reintegrate their Epsilon Regiment while the Light Horse had to pull back. They might not break, but a sensible withdrawal was another matter entirely. They retreated to dig in around the town of Friden and the Aerospace Park that was the objective of this invasion.
The Light Horse had to hold on until the data and the scientists were evacuated, but they could not hold the Dragoons off forever and eventually had to cede the field. Davion reinforcements arrived soon after and the Kuritan forces also had to withdraw from the planet.
While technically a draw with the Dragoons driven off, the Dragoons landed with more mechs, tilted more towards heavies and assaults, and the Eridani Light Horse's responsive combined arms groupings were left badly depleted in armor and light to medium Mech strength.
Regimental commanders did not stay on their homeworlds. With the Dark Horse regiment mauled but half remaining on Hoff to continue the defense, the Eridani Light horse depended on the intact 71st Light Horse (White Horse Regiment) to fulfill their obligations. Nathan Armstrong had to hand over command of the 151st to Colonel Robert Fairchild, Hoff was his last taste of being able to personally command the Dark Horse.
Which was why, after having lunch with his wife, General Nathan Armstrong was able to scowl at the poor soldier sent to report in.
"Sir! Apologies for the interruption, sir!" the said the command staff sergeant. "There is a sensitive matter that may need your attention, sir."
"At ease, soldier. What is this about?"
"Apologies but I don't know, sir. Colonel Winston requests permission to speak with you at the briefing room, sir."
Armstrong's brows raised. Charles K. Winston commanded the 21st Strikers regiment. While the 121st Dark Horse was the main battle regiment of the Eridani Light Horse and the 151st their flexible defensive regiment, the 21st was their more free-wheeling reserves capable of being slotted into any duty.
Regimental commanders usually did not stay safe and idle at their homeworlds, but Colonel Winston was also the oldest line officer in the entire Light Horse. The 21st cycled from line duty to training, and with the 121st being badly mauled, elements of the 21st were being shuffled to reinforce and replace formations in the regiment.
"Best not to keep the old man waiting," said Julia Armstrong.
"Sir, apologies for interrupting again, sir. But the Colonel also noted that if Chief Julia was with you then this will probably also be of interest to her, sir!"
Julia Armstrong was the chief of the Light Horse's civilian services. There were very few things that would need the attention of both. "This sounds serious. Shall we, Nathan?"
The general nodded. "Tell them we're on our way, sargeant."
---
The SLDF were known for two things - their skill at fighting… and their absurd wizardry at construction. The famed Castles Brian were the most well-known examples of the SLDF's skill at fortifications, able to withstand orbital bombardment and capable of housing regiments of troops to defend a world, but also cleverly hidden with many secret tunnels and sally points.
But like the Roman Legions before them, and the Terran Hegemony Armed Forces, the SLDF never stopped anywhere without throwing up an efficient grid-based bivouac with field fortifications. The Light Horse may have been greatly diminished since they were commanded by General Kerensky, but they never lost the expertise in modular prefabricated structures.
Fort Bradley was not fortified enough to resist BattleMech assault, but just given a stretch of land the Eridani Light Horse was able to flatten it and build an efficient and well-defended camp with airfields and facilities for both military and civilian concerns.
The Brevet General of the Eridani Light Horse lived separately from the command building. He was no President living in some sort of White House where officials had to present briefings in an official function room, nor a Lord that mixed his personal and state affairs. The Eridani Light Horse moved thousands of people year after year through the Inner Sphere, in their centuries of moving from homeworld to homeworld as their men and women fought at the behest of others, they recognized the importance of privacy and allowing each family to hold their own ground no matter how temporary.
Briefings and command decisions were made in a windowless room deep inside the command building. A holotank dominated the room, and affixed wall to wall were all sorts of screens and lights.
Normally dim to maximize clarity of the many information displays, at the moment the room was well-lit.
General Nathan Armstrong entered to see that Colonel Winston waiting there along with a group of other officers. A young teenage boy on a chair hurriedly stood up to attention. He glanced nervously at the juice box in his hands, before hiding it behind his back.
He raised his right hand - apparently having passed the juice box from right to left - only to stop as the officer behind in tapped at his shoulder. "You don't salute indoors," MechWarrior Barbara Mosley whispered.
Julia Armstrong's lips quirked in amusement.
General Armstrong nodded to each of the officers there. Colonel Winston of the 21st, of course. Surprisingly also Major Edward Stimson of the 121st 6th Recon. That was a Dark Horse company, but rotated in for R&R after the heavy combat on Hoff. The officer standing behind the young civilian wore MechWarrior patches belonging to his company.
There was also Major Wendell TeCarr of his Command Nathan and nominally the second-in-command of the Light Horse while on base. And finally, Engineer-in-Chief Eligio Cade of the technical staff, responsible for all technical and dropship operations of the Light Horse.
This was a very top-heavy meeting.
"What is this about?" the general asked.
--
Barbara Mosley reported the events of around 10:50 local time. The approach of an unknown BattleMech. Her potential unprofessional conduct accepting an unorthodox challenge. The results of said challenge. She offered no excuses.
Edward Stimson then reported about how this whole mess was delivered to him, and how he had to decide if the boy's claim had any validity. He had to pull the BattleROM and then had run the Urbanmech run in paces under more Mech guard to be convinced.
Now if there were more of these things, that had yet to be determined. It was up to high command to be convinced by the holorecording that the boy provided.
Engineer-in-Chief Eligio Cade reported "The Mech itself really does have lostech in it. Even the neurohelmet was SLDF grade, not like the buckets we're forced to use now. If there's really more of these, I can't wait to take one part and have a look."
"It's not easy to tell if someone is lying on a holo," said Col. Winston. The wiry old man had a powerful voice that belied his frame. "This could easily be a trap to divide the Light Horse. While we're under the command of House Davion, we also have the attention of their enemies - and House Liao and House Kurita wouldn't hesitate to use dishonorable tricks and traps like this to remove JumpShips from the line. It's almost too good to be true."
The general nodded. "But since you kicked this up to me, what makes you think this is valid?"
"There are two holo-recordings, one for general viewing and the other supposed to be for high command only. I looked at both of them. I know that holomovies can do some astonishing trickery, but with the boy's testimony, there's a high chance of this being real."
The general stared down at the boy.
Devlin Stone met his gaze squarely. It was a placid fearless stare, but not like one might expect from a psychopath. The boy was nervous but not afraid for himself.
"Where is this cache?" Gen. Armstrong asked.
"Dumassas," replied Devlin. "It's a depopulated world near the Taurian Concordat. We lived there."
Gen. Armstrong grimaced.
"This could intensify tensions between House Davion and House Calderon, that bit of inconvenience is what helps me think that this might not be too good to be true," added Col. Winston. "If it was some world out in the Deep Periphery free and clear for the taking, that would sound too much of a trap. But a Militia Mech depot at the border of the Taurian Concordat - that makes too much sense."
Gen. Armstrong grimaced. "We might have to consult with the Davions about this."
"The regiment is for the SLDF, *not* House Davion!" Devlin spoke up. He wrinkled his nose and glared. "Father was most insistent about this. If the SLDF doesn't get it, then the installation might as well be buried forever."
Nathan Armstrong glanced aside to his wife. Julia Armstrong was still staring at the boy. After a while, she nodded.
"I believe him," she said.
"All right. If you all think this might be real, I accept that. But…" the general sighed. "It's Urbanmechs."
Major Stimson, who built this command lance out of fast jump-capable Light Mechs, noted "*Fast* jump-capable ER PPC-carrying Urbanmechs with Double Heatsinks."
While his battalion might not have the punch to decide battles, its speed allowed it to get to wherever they might be needed quickly.
General Armstrong frowned minutely. True, no one would *ever* expect Urbanmechs serving in heavy scout role, but would that be worth diverting Eridani Light Horse aerospace assets away from the Kuritan front for several months?
"I'm going to have to look at those holotapes," he said instead.
--
The holotapes looked almost new and were gene-locked. That helped its veneer of authenticity.
The holotank, once the tapes were inserted, asked for a password.
"Wolverines Forever," spoke Devlin Stone.
The holographic display then emitted an indistinct startup sound that was in between "seega" or "eegman". It coalesced into a spherical logo of a face wearing goggles with a protruding side mustache.
Then the screen cleared up to the face of a man wearing goggles and with a protruding red mustache. His grin was wide and his teeth were big. He looked like some sort of pet detective.
"Yellow? Yellow? Is this thing on? Devlin! Is the camera showing anything?!"
"Yes, father," the boy's voice emitted from the recording.
The view receded to show a tall yet somewhat pudgy bald man wearing a red technician's jacket. He wore thick white gloves which he gestured with grandly. "STUPENDOUSITY. All righty then! If you are able to see this, then you are either the SLDF Eridani Light Horse Regiments and you have my boy with you with his willing participation…
"Or you're not, and I don't know how you decoded this without the 5 kiloton fusion nuclear briefcase handcuffed to his wrist going off."
"Wait what?" asked past-Devlin.
"MOVING ON!
"Seriously, father, I don't think that's wise or would let me pass port security…"
"WELCOME TO SLDF "SEEDCORN" MILITIA BASE SIGMA EPISILON, otherwise known as "STONE EGG!"
He pranced backwards, forcing the view to follow him over to a catwalk. "I AM DOCTOR IVO THE EGGMAN ROBOTNIK! And I present to you… PERFECTION!"
He pointed to over the railings. "Do you see that? The most perfect BattleMech ever devised!"
The view followed to look over the ledge, and there were rows upon rows of Urbanmechs. Behind the Urbanmechs were the distinctive spherical shapes of DropShips. The lights streaming in from above showed that this was a cavernous indoors area.
Robotnik leaned into the camera from the left. "You might be thinking - it's just Urbanmechs! Why are you so excited, Eggman? But that is why YOU WOULD BE WRONG."
Robotnik began pushing buttons on his wrist computer, and the ledge began to descend - it was an elevator all along.
"The SLDF in all their collected wisdom and obsession with logistics and putting secret caches all over the place, decided that at some point they might need to settle new worlds out beyond known space but putting valuable Mechs out there would be taking away from the assets they needed for offensive operations. This SEEDCORN plan had two divided commands - the main military one, and the civilian/militia one.
"This facility was shut down and hidden as concerns turned away from Taurian front and towards the Rim Worlds.
"Now, presumably, the military section decided to leave with General Kerensky. But the militia section was left behind, because Urbanmechs were… okay, they're Urbanmechs. No one cares about Urbanmechs. Even if someone might have seen them on the list, even the SLDF thought that it was not relevant to their exile. There was no point in going all the way out here to reactivate them."
With a click and a clang, the elevator reached the bottom. Now that they were at the ground floor, the camera could fully take in just how huge was this underground space.
"But these - were not your regular Urbanmech. Not your regular Urbanmech, boy!"
The screen followed Robotnik as they got into a small rover and drove to the line of inactive Mechs.
Robotnik reached down to a sack on the rover and began pelting each Mech he passed with an egg-shaped paint ball.
"These - are" throw "Super Urbanmech!" throw "UB-SSR" throw "the ultimate" throw "in militia Mech" throw "performance!"
After about twenty four throws he ran out of eggs. "Someone designed the UB-SSR to let even the dumbest-as-bricks random militia pilot have a chance against real MechWarriors."
Robotnik stopped the rover and leaped out. The screen followed him as he stopped and leaned against an Urbanmech's broad trunk-like leg.
"The UB-SSR - the SLDF SUPER URBANMECH has a one hundred fifty-rated XL Fusion Engine, enough to push it to eighty-six kph before even engaging its Supercharger, but weighing only a meager three tons!
"Its structure is Standard endofoam, which does not need special orbital facilities to construct like Endo Steel, but the armor is Ferro-Fibrous which allows it to possess the maximum amount of protection possible for its tonnage.
"In place of an Autocannon with limited shots, it carries instead a Extended Range Particle Projection Cannon which has an effective range equivalent to that of a Gauss Rifle, but with its more refined construction does without the minimum range that afflicts our current PPCs.
"For short-range combat, instead of a measly Small Laser, it carries a Medium Pulse Laser in the other arm.
"It has the same double Jump Jets as you would expect from an Urbanmech, giving it a jump range of sixty meters.
"It has a Guardian ECM suite to allow it to break targeting locks and waddle into its enemy's blind spots.
"To keep this whole thing cool, it packs Double HeatSinks, sufficient to remove all buildup heat from maximum to nominal within five seconds - or that is to say, it runs completely heat-neutral even with alpha striking all day.
"It's small, it's fast, it can jump, it's surprisingly durable, and will never run out of ammo! Yes! Do not underestimate the smallest Assault Mech disguised as a trash can! GYAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"It's still just a Light Mech though," said past-Devlin. "Perfect might be pushing it. Maybe... idiot proof?"
"That's why it's called Trash CAN, not Trash CANNOT, HWE WE WE WEH!"
Robotnik beckoned to get back to the rover.
"Unfortunately the Amaris Coup happened before the SLDF facility I found could do more than just field test it out in the Periphery, but their loss is our gain. If it was just having more Mechs, then it's fine for our culture of scarcity here in the Succession Wars. A regiment of Urbies aren't anything noteworthy even with that. But there's something here that I can trust only the SLDF with."
He turned to the camera and grinned. "This is the first of two recordings. Boy, I want to hear some discussion first about whether this thing is valid and how they might use this to fit their operations.
"I won't be alive to hear them, but ah- to hear the SLDF speak on combat operations. If only I could be there instead. Listen carefully boy.
He pointed towards the potential viewers "And you! Well, if I'm going to be giving you this regiment anyway, the least you can do is to offer my boy an education!
"Instead of your usual Locusts! Your Wasps, your Stingers, your bugmechs! You have a machine that might not be as fast, but it has ECM. It's the firepower of a Medium like the Vindicator in a thing only half the size! With an ER PPC, you can plug away at fire support mechs at the same LRM ranges. It's modifiable, there's enough spare parts here - as long as it's an all-energy armanent. Would you use it for scouts? For defense? To support your medium combat groups? HAHAHA!
"Who knows? Who knows?! Only the SLDF can I trust to do this *correctly* instead of spreading it out to their little planetary commands!
"Boy! Don't play the second recording yet! Give them time! If they can't theorycraft having over a hundred extra jump-mechs in their roster, they're not the SLDF!"
---
Super Urbanmech R1 UM-SSR-R1
Base Tech Level: Experimental (IS)
Tech Rating: E/X-X-F-D
Weight: 30 tons
BV: 1,068
Cost: 5,822,700 C-bills
Source: Meme
Movement: 5/8(10)/2
Engine: 150 XL
Double Heat Sinks: 11 [22]
Gyro: Standard Gyro
Internal: 51
Armor: 105/105 (Ferro-Fibrous)
| Internal | Armor | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head | 3 | 9 | ||
| Center Torso | 10 | 15 | ||
| Center Torso (rear) | 5 | |||
| Right Torso | 7 | 11 | ||
| Right Torso (rear) | 3 | |||
| Left Torso | 7 | 11 | ||
| Left Torso (rear) | 3 | |||
| Right Arm | 5 | 10 | ||
| Left Arm | 5 | 10 | ||
| Right Leg | 7 | 14 | ||
| Left Leg | 7 | 14 |
| Weapons | Loc | Heat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ER PPC | RA | 15 | |
| Medium Pulse Laser | LA | 4 |
| Equipment | Loc | |
|---|---|---|
| ECM Suite (Guardian) | RT | |
| Supercharger | CT |
Last edited:
2.2 The Eggman's Wish
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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--
Silence brooked in the briefing room for a few moments. The holo once again went into a holding image of a spinning sphere with a spiky mustache.
Nathan Armstrong wondered if he should be insulted by a dead man ordering him to do things, but then again it was just a holo and if he really was already dead then it was nothing but a little time to respect the man's memory. Someone that loved the SLDF so much that his first thought was to give this cache to the Eridani Light Horse instead of profiting much by offering it to the House Lords. They were already kin, in a way.
This was lostech.
Everyone by instinct looked towards the Chief Engineer. Eligio Cade's lips turned downwards and rolled his shoulders in an expansive shrug.
He looked towards the boy and said "No offense meant… but it's still a bunch of Urbanmechs. I don't mean any insult but I think I could make better use of the parts. ER PPCs and Double Heatsinks are all well and good, but in a Warhammer they would do better."
The general nodded. "Like Hoff, you mean?"
"Aye, sir. The Dragoons didn't expect us to last so long with the experimental DHS we managed to refit into our Mechs just in time. There's three ways ways to use DHS… do it like the SLDF and use it mount more weapons, extended-range weapons, or just be able to fire the same weapons for longer."
Col. Winston looked towards Devlin and explained with a booming lecturing tone that BattleMech combat was considered in various range brackets - short range, medium range, long range. Very few Mechs were capable of sustaining an alpha strike - firing off all weapons at the same time for potentially great punishing effect.
"The Warhammer was mentioned - and it's a good example of how this works. It doesn't have nearly enough heatsinks to fire off all its weapons at once. That's not a problem because its weapons can't be used to hit all at once. It only has enough heatsinks to maintain firing off both PPCs at long range."
He extended both hands with palms facing inwards, one closer to the other. "Then as the distance closes to Medium Range, that's when the Warhammer gets to fire its pair of Medium Lasers and SRM-sixes."
He moved the furthest hand inwards to line up with the other. "It has more than enough to keep firing those medium range weapons, but to keep using PPCs you need to use alternate fire to manage heat buildup." The aged MechWarrior alternately moved each palm up and down. "Left. Right. Strike with the left PPC, attempt to widen and exploit armor breaches with the torso mounted weapons, then strike again with the right arm PPC if it wasn't enough. Then you start cyling in reverse - left, center, right, center, left, center, right. A lot of MechWarriors prefer to use bracket fire trying to fire both PPCs at once then all the Medium range weapons for greater up-front damage, but this is the sustained fire discipline that clears battlefields quickly."
Then he pulled both hands even further back to his chest. "Then at short range where the field inhibitors keep PPC from functioning well or else it damages itself, the Warhammer adds the pair of MachineGuns and Small Lasers to the fight. Usually these are meant against infantry, but at that range if you've been making your shots properly then these can seriously mess up your opponent's internals. Even if the PPCs aren't usable, all these medium and short-range weapons don't produce much heat and cycle very quickly.
"The most valuable thing in battle is time, and every bit of armor lost from your target is a weakness that other supporting elements can exploit. The SLDF isn't in the business of making one on one BattleMech honor duels."
Col. Winston dropped his hands and then gave the boy a placid 'do you understand?' look.
Devlin Stone nodded. "Thank you." He raised a finger and then said "But… doesn't that mean that a Warhammer doesn't really *need* Double Heatsinks?"
Major Edward Stimson stifled an amused snort. He chuckled and scratched at the back of his head. "Well, the kid's right. Look, if you don't want it, I'll take it. I'll take every Super Urbie you can get. Light Mechs don't have the firepower to even fight each other, most times. What makes the Draconis Panther so dangerous it that they can pack in a PPC in the smallest cheapest Mech they can make and then just throw them out there in lots. It might not be fast, but damn it makes other Light Mechs break out in hives.
"Scouting is important, and Light Mech hunters being able to kill off enemy scouts and vehicles quickly can turn the tide of battle before even Mediums or Heavies get into range. This Super Urbanmech is like it's designed as a hunter-killer of Light Mechs and smaller Mediums. Give it to me and I can clear whole lances."
Chief Engr. Cade rubbed at his chin. "Well the ER PPC not having that minimum range problem is more relevant to running light mech combat. They usually have short-range weapons and can close in very quickly. The speed to chase down Light Mechs isn't that important when they *need* to close in to inflict any damage, and a PPC blasts out the same amount of armor as an AC/10 would but across all ranges. Light Mechs know that AC/10s have limited ammo and would try to use their speed to waste shots. Things that can't dodge really hate Urbanmechs, but a Locust or a Wasp would just play with them."
"It's a trash can, but there are a lot of bugmechs," Stimson replied with a grin. "It's a trap."
"Well. Eventually that would stop working if you field enough Super Urbanmechs into battle, but then… they would just start fearing Urbies." The Chief Engineer chuckled darkly. "I suppose I can see the appeal too. But lostech is hard to repair and support, and it's really a shame to lose them. Urbanmechs are tough little bastards, but they're still just Light Mechs."
Barbara Mosley grimaced. Gen. Armstrong noticed and said "Anything to say, MechWarrior?"
"Well, sir… isn't that what they're for? Yeah lostech is valuable and all, but if they're not used then they don't matter at all. Lostech makes something hit harder than it should, and if we hold it back too much in fear that we'd lose them then why bother putting them on war machines in the first place?"
"That *is* the paradox of lostech," said Gen. Winston. "Too powerful to ignore but too irreplaceable to risk. There *are* greater gains in performance on an optimized smaller chassis than incrementally improving the capabilities of a heavier chassis. If we downgrade a Super Urbanmech into an Urbanmech we would just end up with a whole lot of Mechs that don't serve any particular function well."
The Chief Engineer looked towards General Armstrong "If you decide to take them up on this sir, well there's like dozens of them. There's no harm in keeping most of them intact and then stripping out the rest into second-line units to beef up line battalions."
"Ah. On that note, sir-" said Gen. Winston as he turned towards the Eridani Light Horse's leader "What are your thoughts on how best to use a potential regiment of fast PPC-carrying Urbanmechs?"
Nathan Armstrong stared back, carrying the weight of their expectations for a few moments, then his face broke out into an indulgent smile. "I get it. Lostech is amazing. We fought on Hoff because House Kurita was willing to deliver whole regiments just to seize or destroy House Davion's attempt at making lostech available again. Oh yes, a regiment of Urbanmechs would be really unpleasant surprise to our enemies."
Then he smirked. "But do you know? A regiment is still a regiment. It doesn't matter what it is, just having that will strengthen the Light Horse. We can't use this to rebuild the 19th, for example -" referring to the famed lost regiment of the Eridani Light Horse whose memory they still respected in rituals of remembrance "But it can plug gaps in any line. Even if it was just a regular Urbanmech… do you think artillery support lances need speed? The SLDF was always concerned with logistics, I don't know why no one before tried to replace the AC-ten with a PPC."
"Huh. That's right," mused Chief Engr. Cade. "If the Combine could turn Catapults from LRMs Mechs into CAT-K-Twos with two PPCs where the LRM boxes should be, a PPC in place of an AC-10 makes too much sense. That Autocannon is *twelve tons*. A PPC is *seven*. That's still enough for heatsinks and brace of Medium Lasers for minimum range…"
Gen. Armstrong continued "Think about it. Anything we would send a Galleon light tank right now, we could send a Super Urbanmech instead."
"Well the problem is transport, innit sir?" replied the engineer. "You could bring two tanks in the place of a single Mech. Sometimes it's worth being in two places at once aaaand I just remembered that it's a regiment. This bloody thing is worth taking along if we're thinking of carrying a Locust or a Stinger anywhere anyway."
Major Stimson laughed darkly. "I wouldn't give up my Mech just yet - arms are useful in balancing Jump Mechs, but for a PPC in something half the size and just as fast as a Griffin? I'm seriously tempted, general."
"Drop Capacity has always been the main limiting factor in warfare. We would be leaving behind Mechs… or would we?" Col. Winston's eyes widened. "I remember seeing *DropShips* in that holo."
Julia Armstrong let out a surprised hiss. Even a civilian - or specially because she was a civilian - she recognized the importance of that immediately. The Eridani Light Horse owned JumpShips, but lacked DropShips that didn't serve a military function. When moving homeworlds, they usually had to factor into negotiations with their employers chartering their civilian DropShips to move their dependents and supporting assets.
General Armstrong's brows tightened as he considered the implications. The Light Horse inherited from the SLDF XI Corps a group of 3 Monoliths, 3 Star Lords, and 6 Invader-class JumpShips.
All together that was (9 x 3), (6 x 3), and (3 x 6); 63 DropShip collars! It was a very powerful interstellar force. The Light Horse only had 22 DropShips in total to place onto those collars, and part of why the Light Horse was so respected as a fighting force was that their employers could also count on their excess JumpShip capacity to carry along their own regiments without removing their own JumpShips from service.
"That sure sounds a lot more important than just a regiment of Urbies!" Chief Engr. Cade wheezed. He turned to Devlin Stone. "How many of them are there? Enough to transport the whole bloody regiment?"
Colonel Winston shook his head and began to chuckle. "This is starting to veer towards sounding too good to be true again."
General Armstrong turned towards the boy as well. "Is this enough?" he asked. "I believe we should see that second holo now."
Devlin winced, but nodded.
He took out another holotape, but this one was a bit fatter and longer, it would protrude out of the slot.
--
--
The view showed Dr. Ivo Robotnik now more gaunt and his goggles seeming into sink into his eye sockets. His grin remained wide, but his voice could no longer be so loud.
"Message begins. I am DOCTOR Ivo Robotnik, and if you are watching this you are either my son or the SLDF or both watching this at the same time.
"First message. Son, if you are watching this, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I can't be there for you anymore, and I'm sorry that I had to send you out in advance, and that this would be the last image of me you would ever see. That's fine. I never intended for you to watch me die anyway. This series should have most of what you need to convince the SLDF to come here and take this whole mess out of my hands.
"ANYHOOS. In which case, I have been recording this in a series of topical videoohs. So if there's something you need to know, you got to give me the keywords. Just google it. Google it." Robotnik began to dance on his seat "Just google it."
Devlin clenched his hands into fists and stared at the image stiffly.
On the screen, Dr. Ivo Robotnik began to turn his chair around, around and around, with his arms outstretched as if in childish glee. The image looped smoothly, as if forever the man would always be spinning with that endless manic energy and never becoming dizzy.
Devlin took a deep breath and said "Father. Keyword, SLDF Super Urbanmech, keyword Regiment."
The holo flickered and responded:
"When I say a regiment, I don't just mean a number of BattleMechs. I mean the whole kit and kaboodle. I mean support craft. I mean supplies. I mean SLDF gear. I mean DropShips. I mean everything that makes a SLDF Regiment a regiment. This base is too far from anything to be useful as a staging area… but this secret Port Castle includes modified DropShips designed specifically to carry these Super Urbanmechs."
"Father, SLDF DropShip, keyword, modified Dropship."
"You have your Union DropShips, and your Confederate DropShips, and your Overlord DropShips. But what you're forgetting is what they're derived *from*."
Robotnik messed around with some buttons on his command panel, and the view changed to that of an egg-shaped DropShip.
"This is the Dictator-class DropShip, developed for the SLDF to deliver a full battalion of Mechs. That's a lot of baskets in one egg. At nine thousand tons it's the capacity of three Unions. It's a cut-rate Overlord without the organic ASF support. So you might wonder, why wouldn't the SLDF bring along a DropShip… several very valuable DropShips each capable of carrying thirty-six mechs each?!"
The view changed back to Robotnik's madly grinning visage. "But here's the thing! Because these are designed to carry Urbanmechs, which are compact little walking pods, their 150-ton Mech Bays have been designed to carry TWO of them. One on top of each other, both Mechs able to be serviced at the same time on stacked gantries."
"So while normally you would expect a twelve-unit Mech Bay to carry twelve Mechs, these ships carry *twenty-four*! Instead of the maximum seventy-two Mechs in one ship, it carries only fourty-eight. Why? Because it's a modified Dictator, so the third bay is instead a Vehicle Bay.
"It's not for Combined Arms. It's for support vehicles. Those are twelve Heavy Vehicle Bays, and while they could carry and repair and refit tanks and such they're mostly designed for trucks and tankers and mobile fusion plants, and those twelve repair and refit bays are designed to be taken out and turned into vehicle maintenance works once landed.
"The rest of it is weapons, heatsinks - single only - this is apparently old Terran Hegemony vintage, engines et cetera, and a thousand or so tons of cargo. Once the Vehicle Bays have been stripped out, that frees up anywhere from six hundred to one thousand tons for cargo or cabins.
"I'm calling these half-military, half-civilian ships the Bigwig-class. You will note that unlike Overlords and Unions they *don't have* ASF bays. The military half of PROJECT SEEDCORN wanted to maintain absolute monopoly on space operations."
Robotnik pointed to the camera. "And THAT is why the SLDF left them behind. It would have taken far too long to refit the ships to remove Mech Bays that would fit anything other than Urbanmechs or any other Mech that's smaller. They abandoned and buried the site so as not to waste all that effort, but it would have been such a pain in the ass and a waste of valuable drop collars to carry them when they had real Overlords on hand."
"... Ssss!," Chief Engr. Cade sucked in air through his teeth. "We have five Overlords, and they carry thirty-six Mechs. Okay, so the SLDF made ships that can carry Super Urbanmechs and *only* Super Urbanmechs… because why the hell not."
Col. Winson chuckled. "Yeees, I respect our founders, but this is the sort of technologically overcomplicated boondoggle they would pull in the name of saving for logistics. Who cares about expensive solutions as long as it makes the problem go away in a hurry? Up front costs don't matter at all for the Star League."
"A regiment of Urbies divided into forty-eight…" Major Stimson frowned and turned his eyes up. "How many is that?"
Julia Armstrong was first to respond: "Assuming three battalions to a regiment, one hundred eight. That's two and a quarter ships, it doesn't fit neatly."
"A square battalion is fourty-eight mechs in four companies," said Gen. Armstrong. "So I would assume at least three Dicta…" He stopped and sighed. "Bigwigs. Three Bigwig DropShips."
Devlin beamed at the general using that name. Julia Armstrong held back an adoring 'awww'.
"Father, keyword Bigwigs, how many dropships are there in the facility?"
Robotnik responded:
"There are SEVEN DropShips in this facility. Since you are watching this second set of holos, I'm going to admit I lied. There isn't a regiment of Super Urbanmechs. There are two."
"Huh. I don't know what I expected, but it was not this." Col. Winston leaned back, wide-eyed.
"Seven dropships! Who cares about Urbanmechs - seven pristine SLDF DropShips?! Seven thousand tons of cargo, eighty-four vehicle capacity that can fit even artillery! If we just load it all up with light mechs, just one of them is a complete combined arms battalion in can. That's too much!" the Chief Engineer wheezed.
"A trash can," said Major Stimson said with a 'heh heh heh'.
"That's why it's a trash can, and not a trash cannot," Major Winston repeated with a wrinkled grin.
"This really does sound too good to be true. Why would he really give up all of this? If your father had just shown this to any other House it would have made him a very wealthy and important man," General Amstrong said to Devlin. "Although… I suppose a man that was going to die of radiation poisoning anyway doesn't care much for gains - but what about you? This could have given you a very comfortable life, how do you feel about that?"
"It could maybe give me a good life, but it wouldn't make me part of the SLDF," replied Devlin. "I agree with father's decision - even with only this, it's best that it goes to the most worthy hands. I can't think of anything better to do with this than to give it to people who would use it properly - to defend the weak, and to protect the helpless."
General Armstrong nodded. "I believe you. How old are you anyway?"
"I'm fifteen, sir."
"That's the perfect age to get into Eridani Combat School. We don't usually assign Mechs until the soldier is eighteen. I hope you don't mind that. But right now," he extended his hand "Son, welcome to the Star League Sixth Corps, Third Regimental Combat Team, Eridani Light Horse."
Devlin Stone didn't shake the general's hand. He raised his hand to his face and rubbed at his eyes instead. He sniffled and tried to hold back tears.
Julia Armstrong, no longer able to contain herself, stepped forward to hold the boy and rubbed at his back while making comforting sounds.
"T-thank you sir. I… I'll make the SLDF proud. This is what father wished. No one will besmirch the honor of the SLDF anymore…"
"We are the ones honored," said Col. Winston. The wiry old man smiled and then bowed. "The ideals of the Star League Defense Forces… this really proves that it was worth keeping the faith through these centuries. This proves what we're fighting for, trying to inspire others and giving them hope that there can be an end to the barbarism and meaningless warfare of this age."
Major Stimson shrugged. "Well I wasn't expecting it to come at the point of an Urbanmech, but I'll take what I can get."
---
Silence brooked in the briefing room for a few moments. The holo once again went into a holding image of a spinning sphere with a spiky mustache.
Nathan Armstrong wondered if he should be insulted by a dead man ordering him to do things, but then again it was just a holo and if he really was already dead then it was nothing but a little time to respect the man's memory. Someone that loved the SLDF so much that his first thought was to give this cache to the Eridani Light Horse instead of profiting much by offering it to the House Lords. They were already kin, in a way.
This was lostech.
Everyone by instinct looked towards the Chief Engineer. Eligio Cade's lips turned downwards and rolled his shoulders in an expansive shrug.
He looked towards the boy and said "No offense meant… but it's still a bunch of Urbanmechs. I don't mean any insult but I think I could make better use of the parts. ER PPCs and Double Heatsinks are all well and good, but in a Warhammer they would do better."
The general nodded. "Like Hoff, you mean?"
"Aye, sir. The Dragoons didn't expect us to last so long with the experimental DHS we managed to refit into our Mechs just in time. There's three ways ways to use DHS… do it like the SLDF and use it mount more weapons, extended-range weapons, or just be able to fire the same weapons for longer."
Col. Winston looked towards Devlin and explained with a booming lecturing tone that BattleMech combat was considered in various range brackets - short range, medium range, long range. Very few Mechs were capable of sustaining an alpha strike - firing off all weapons at the same time for potentially great punishing effect.
"The Warhammer was mentioned - and it's a good example of how this works. It doesn't have nearly enough heatsinks to fire off all its weapons at once. That's not a problem because its weapons can't be used to hit all at once. It only has enough heatsinks to maintain firing off both PPCs at long range."
He extended both hands with palms facing inwards, one closer to the other. "Then as the distance closes to Medium Range, that's when the Warhammer gets to fire its pair of Medium Lasers and SRM-sixes."
He moved the furthest hand inwards to line up with the other. "It has more than enough to keep firing those medium range weapons, but to keep using PPCs you need to use alternate fire to manage heat buildup." The aged MechWarrior alternately moved each palm up and down. "Left. Right. Strike with the left PPC, attempt to widen and exploit armor breaches with the torso mounted weapons, then strike again with the right arm PPC if it wasn't enough. Then you start cyling in reverse - left, center, right, center, left, center, right. A lot of MechWarriors prefer to use bracket fire trying to fire both PPCs at once then all the Medium range weapons for greater up-front damage, but this is the sustained fire discipline that clears battlefields quickly."
Then he pulled both hands even further back to his chest. "Then at short range where the field inhibitors keep PPC from functioning well or else it damages itself, the Warhammer adds the pair of MachineGuns and Small Lasers to the fight. Usually these are meant against infantry, but at that range if you've been making your shots properly then these can seriously mess up your opponent's internals. Even if the PPCs aren't usable, all these medium and short-range weapons don't produce much heat and cycle very quickly.
"The most valuable thing in battle is time, and every bit of armor lost from your target is a weakness that other supporting elements can exploit. The SLDF isn't in the business of making one on one BattleMech honor duels."
Col. Winston dropped his hands and then gave the boy a placid 'do you understand?' look.
Devlin Stone nodded. "Thank you." He raised a finger and then said "But… doesn't that mean that a Warhammer doesn't really *need* Double Heatsinks?"
Major Edward Stimson stifled an amused snort. He chuckled and scratched at the back of his head. "Well, the kid's right. Look, if you don't want it, I'll take it. I'll take every Super Urbie you can get. Light Mechs don't have the firepower to even fight each other, most times. What makes the Draconis Panther so dangerous it that they can pack in a PPC in the smallest cheapest Mech they can make and then just throw them out there in lots. It might not be fast, but damn it makes other Light Mechs break out in hives.
"Scouting is important, and Light Mech hunters being able to kill off enemy scouts and vehicles quickly can turn the tide of battle before even Mediums or Heavies get into range. This Super Urbanmech is like it's designed as a hunter-killer of Light Mechs and smaller Mediums. Give it to me and I can clear whole lances."
Chief Engr. Cade rubbed at his chin. "Well the ER PPC not having that minimum range problem is more relevant to running light mech combat. They usually have short-range weapons and can close in very quickly. The speed to chase down Light Mechs isn't that important when they *need* to close in to inflict any damage, and a PPC blasts out the same amount of armor as an AC/10 would but across all ranges. Light Mechs know that AC/10s have limited ammo and would try to use their speed to waste shots. Things that can't dodge really hate Urbanmechs, but a Locust or a Wasp would just play with them."
"It's a trash can, but there are a lot of bugmechs," Stimson replied with a grin. "It's a trap."
"Well. Eventually that would stop working if you field enough Super Urbanmechs into battle, but then… they would just start fearing Urbies." The Chief Engineer chuckled darkly. "I suppose I can see the appeal too. But lostech is hard to repair and support, and it's really a shame to lose them. Urbanmechs are tough little bastards, but they're still just Light Mechs."
Barbara Mosley grimaced. Gen. Armstrong noticed and said "Anything to say, MechWarrior?"
"Well, sir… isn't that what they're for? Yeah lostech is valuable and all, but if they're not used then they don't matter at all. Lostech makes something hit harder than it should, and if we hold it back too much in fear that we'd lose them then why bother putting them on war machines in the first place?"
"That *is* the paradox of lostech," said Gen. Winston. "Too powerful to ignore but too irreplaceable to risk. There *are* greater gains in performance on an optimized smaller chassis than incrementally improving the capabilities of a heavier chassis. If we downgrade a Super Urbanmech into an Urbanmech we would just end up with a whole lot of Mechs that don't serve any particular function well."
The Chief Engineer looked towards General Armstrong "If you decide to take them up on this sir, well there's like dozens of them. There's no harm in keeping most of them intact and then stripping out the rest into second-line units to beef up line battalions."
"Ah. On that note, sir-" said Gen. Winston as he turned towards the Eridani Light Horse's leader "What are your thoughts on how best to use a potential regiment of fast PPC-carrying Urbanmechs?"
Nathan Armstrong stared back, carrying the weight of their expectations for a few moments, then his face broke out into an indulgent smile. "I get it. Lostech is amazing. We fought on Hoff because House Kurita was willing to deliver whole regiments just to seize or destroy House Davion's attempt at making lostech available again. Oh yes, a regiment of Urbanmechs would be really unpleasant surprise to our enemies."
Then he smirked. "But do you know? A regiment is still a regiment. It doesn't matter what it is, just having that will strengthen the Light Horse. We can't use this to rebuild the 19th, for example -" referring to the famed lost regiment of the Eridani Light Horse whose memory they still respected in rituals of remembrance "But it can plug gaps in any line. Even if it was just a regular Urbanmech… do you think artillery support lances need speed? The SLDF was always concerned with logistics, I don't know why no one before tried to replace the AC-ten with a PPC."
"Huh. That's right," mused Chief Engr. Cade. "If the Combine could turn Catapults from LRMs Mechs into CAT-K-Twos with two PPCs where the LRM boxes should be, a PPC in place of an AC-10 makes too much sense. That Autocannon is *twelve tons*. A PPC is *seven*. That's still enough for heatsinks and brace of Medium Lasers for minimum range…"
Gen. Armstrong continued "Think about it. Anything we would send a Galleon light tank right now, we could send a Super Urbanmech instead."
"Well the problem is transport, innit sir?" replied the engineer. "You could bring two tanks in the place of a single Mech. Sometimes it's worth being in two places at once aaaand I just remembered that it's a regiment. This bloody thing is worth taking along if we're thinking of carrying a Locust or a Stinger anywhere anyway."
Major Stimson laughed darkly. "I wouldn't give up my Mech just yet - arms are useful in balancing Jump Mechs, but for a PPC in something half the size and just as fast as a Griffin? I'm seriously tempted, general."
"Drop Capacity has always been the main limiting factor in warfare. We would be leaving behind Mechs… or would we?" Col. Winston's eyes widened. "I remember seeing *DropShips* in that holo."
Julia Armstrong let out a surprised hiss. Even a civilian - or specially because she was a civilian - she recognized the importance of that immediately. The Eridani Light Horse owned JumpShips, but lacked DropShips that didn't serve a military function. When moving homeworlds, they usually had to factor into negotiations with their employers chartering their civilian DropShips to move their dependents and supporting assets.
General Armstrong's brows tightened as he considered the implications. The Light Horse inherited from the SLDF XI Corps a group of 3 Monoliths, 3 Star Lords, and 6 Invader-class JumpShips.
All together that was (9 x 3), (6 x 3), and (3 x 6); 63 DropShip collars! It was a very powerful interstellar force. The Light Horse only had 22 DropShips in total to place onto those collars, and part of why the Light Horse was so respected as a fighting force was that their employers could also count on their excess JumpShip capacity to carry along their own regiments without removing their own JumpShips from service.
"That sure sounds a lot more important than just a regiment of Urbies!" Chief Engr. Cade wheezed. He turned to Devlin Stone. "How many of them are there? Enough to transport the whole bloody regiment?"
Colonel Winston shook his head and began to chuckle. "This is starting to veer towards sounding too good to be true again."
General Armstrong turned towards the boy as well. "Is this enough?" he asked. "I believe we should see that second holo now."
Devlin winced, but nodded.
He took out another holotape, but this one was a bit fatter and longer, it would protrude out of the slot.
--
--
The view showed Dr. Ivo Robotnik now more gaunt and his goggles seeming into sink into his eye sockets. His grin remained wide, but his voice could no longer be so loud.
"Message begins. I am DOCTOR Ivo Robotnik, and if you are watching this you are either my son or the SLDF or both watching this at the same time.
"First message. Son, if you are watching this, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I can't be there for you anymore, and I'm sorry that I had to send you out in advance, and that this would be the last image of me you would ever see. That's fine. I never intended for you to watch me die anyway. This series should have most of what you need to convince the SLDF to come here and take this whole mess out of my hands.
"ANYHOOS. In which case, I have been recording this in a series of topical videoohs. So if there's something you need to know, you got to give me the keywords. Just google it. Google it." Robotnik began to dance on his seat "Just google it."
Devlin clenched his hands into fists and stared at the image stiffly.
On the screen, Dr. Ivo Robotnik began to turn his chair around, around and around, with his arms outstretched as if in childish glee. The image looped smoothly, as if forever the man would always be spinning with that endless manic energy and never becoming dizzy.
Devlin took a deep breath and said "Father. Keyword, SLDF Super Urbanmech, keyword Regiment."
The holo flickered and responded:
"When I say a regiment, I don't just mean a number of BattleMechs. I mean the whole kit and kaboodle. I mean support craft. I mean supplies. I mean SLDF gear. I mean DropShips. I mean everything that makes a SLDF Regiment a regiment. This base is too far from anything to be useful as a staging area… but this secret Port Castle includes modified DropShips designed specifically to carry these Super Urbanmechs."
"Father, SLDF DropShip, keyword, modified Dropship."
"You have your Union DropShips, and your Confederate DropShips, and your Overlord DropShips. But what you're forgetting is what they're derived *from*."
Robotnik messed around with some buttons on his command panel, and the view changed to that of an egg-shaped DropShip.
"This is the Dictator-class DropShip, developed for the SLDF to deliver a full battalion of Mechs. That's a lot of baskets in one egg. At nine thousand tons it's the capacity of three Unions. It's a cut-rate Overlord without the organic ASF support. So you might wonder, why wouldn't the SLDF bring along a DropShip… several very valuable DropShips each capable of carrying thirty-six mechs each?!"
The view changed back to Robotnik's madly grinning visage. "But here's the thing! Because these are designed to carry Urbanmechs, which are compact little walking pods, their 150-ton Mech Bays have been designed to carry TWO of them. One on top of each other, both Mechs able to be serviced at the same time on stacked gantries."
"So while normally you would expect a twelve-unit Mech Bay to carry twelve Mechs, these ships carry *twenty-four*! Instead of the maximum seventy-two Mechs in one ship, it carries only fourty-eight. Why? Because it's a modified Dictator, so the third bay is instead a Vehicle Bay.
"It's not for Combined Arms. It's for support vehicles. Those are twelve Heavy Vehicle Bays, and while they could carry and repair and refit tanks and such they're mostly designed for trucks and tankers and mobile fusion plants, and those twelve repair and refit bays are designed to be taken out and turned into vehicle maintenance works once landed.
"The rest of it is weapons, heatsinks - single only - this is apparently old Terran Hegemony vintage, engines et cetera, and a thousand or so tons of cargo. Once the Vehicle Bays have been stripped out, that frees up anywhere from six hundred to one thousand tons for cargo or cabins.
"I'm calling these half-military, half-civilian ships the Bigwig-class. You will note that unlike Overlords and Unions they *don't have* ASF bays. The military half of PROJECT SEEDCORN wanted to maintain absolute monopoly on space operations."
Robotnik pointed to the camera. "And THAT is why the SLDF left them behind. It would have taken far too long to refit the ships to remove Mech Bays that would fit anything other than Urbanmechs or any other Mech that's smaller. They abandoned and buried the site so as not to waste all that effort, but it would have been such a pain in the ass and a waste of valuable drop collars to carry them when they had real Overlords on hand."
"... Ssss!," Chief Engr. Cade sucked in air through his teeth. "We have five Overlords, and they carry thirty-six Mechs. Okay, so the SLDF made ships that can carry Super Urbanmechs and *only* Super Urbanmechs… because why the hell not."
Col. Winson chuckled. "Yeees, I respect our founders, but this is the sort of technologically overcomplicated boondoggle they would pull in the name of saving for logistics. Who cares about expensive solutions as long as it makes the problem go away in a hurry? Up front costs don't matter at all for the Star League."
"A regiment of Urbies divided into forty-eight…" Major Stimson frowned and turned his eyes up. "How many is that?"
Julia Armstrong was first to respond: "Assuming three battalions to a regiment, one hundred eight. That's two and a quarter ships, it doesn't fit neatly."
"A square battalion is fourty-eight mechs in four companies," said Gen. Armstrong. "So I would assume at least three Dicta…" He stopped and sighed. "Bigwigs. Three Bigwig DropShips."
Devlin beamed at the general using that name. Julia Armstrong held back an adoring 'awww'.
"Father, keyword Bigwigs, how many dropships are there in the facility?"
Robotnik responded:
"There are SEVEN DropShips in this facility. Since you are watching this second set of holos, I'm going to admit I lied. There isn't a regiment of Super Urbanmechs. There are two."
"Huh. I don't know what I expected, but it was not this." Col. Winston leaned back, wide-eyed.
"Seven dropships! Who cares about Urbanmechs - seven pristine SLDF DropShips?! Seven thousand tons of cargo, eighty-four vehicle capacity that can fit even artillery! If we just load it all up with light mechs, just one of them is a complete combined arms battalion in can. That's too much!" the Chief Engineer wheezed.
"A trash can," said Major Stimson said with a 'heh heh heh'.
"That's why it's a trash can, and not a trash cannot," Major Winston repeated with a wrinkled grin.
"This really does sound too good to be true. Why would he really give up all of this? If your father had just shown this to any other House it would have made him a very wealthy and important man," General Amstrong said to Devlin. "Although… I suppose a man that was going to die of radiation poisoning anyway doesn't care much for gains - but what about you? This could have given you a very comfortable life, how do you feel about that?"
"It could maybe give me a good life, but it wouldn't make me part of the SLDF," replied Devlin. "I agree with father's decision - even with only this, it's best that it goes to the most worthy hands. I can't think of anything better to do with this than to give it to people who would use it properly - to defend the weak, and to protect the helpless."
General Armstrong nodded. "I believe you. How old are you anyway?"
"I'm fifteen, sir."
"That's the perfect age to get into Eridani Combat School. We don't usually assign Mechs until the soldier is eighteen. I hope you don't mind that. But right now," he extended his hand "Son, welcome to the Star League Sixth Corps, Third Regimental Combat Team, Eridani Light Horse."
Devlin Stone didn't shake the general's hand. He raised his hand to his face and rubbed at his eyes instead. He sniffled and tried to hold back tears.
Julia Armstrong, no longer able to contain herself, stepped forward to hold the boy and rubbed at his back while making comforting sounds.
"T-thank you sir. I… I'll make the SLDF proud. This is what father wished. No one will besmirch the honor of the SLDF anymore…"
"We are the ones honored," said Col. Winston. The wiry old man smiled and then bowed. "The ideals of the Star League Defense Forces… this really proves that it was worth keeping the faith through these centuries. This proves what we're fighting for, trying to inspire others and giving them hope that there can be an end to the barbarism and meaningless warfare of this age."
Major Stimson shrugged. "Well I wasn't expecting it to come at the point of an Urbanmech, but I'll take what I can get."
---
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3.1 The Last Command
bluepencil
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The Last Command 01
Colchester
Markesan Operation Area, Crucis March
Federated Suns
April 13, 3024
But even such a prize could not be claimed so quickly. It was a fact of life in the Inner Sphere that nothing actually happened in a hurry. This was because Faster-Than-Light travel didn't really exist in this interstellar civilization.
JumpShips essentially exchanged their positions from a distant point in a thirty-light year radius practically instantaneously, no perceivable travel time in between.
Everything else had to obey Newtonian limits. From Jumpships waiting at distant nadir or zenith points of a star where gravitational forces ceased to potentially cause catastrophic malfunctions while engaging a Jump, people and their equipment had to shuttle towards an inhabitable planet on DropShips.
These were limited mainly by safe gravitational thrust for its occupants. Objects in constant acceleration experience a force opposite to the direction of motion. A DropShip would accelerate at Terran standard 1 gravity, building up velocity, and then midway though the transit flip backwards to burn its thrusters the other way to shed velocity to it can enter a safe orbit around the planet in preparation for landing. This usually would take anywhere from a week to almost a month of transit time.
Meanwhile, a JumpShip had to wait for at least 172 hours to safely charge its germanium Jump Core for the next Jump.
All in all, it takes a minimum of two weeks to do anything - one week to travel from the planet; that same one week while the JumpShip charges to jump, and another week to undock from the jump ship towards the next world. Nothing in the Inner Sphere could ever accomplish anything without this two-week delay.
Nathan Armstrong considered the plotted the most Jump Route from Colchester all the way to Dumassas.
The orbit of Colchester's to its star meant that it was 22 days to the Jump Point where a JumpShip would be waiting.
From there, ideally they would never undock to do anything on a planet - just sit there, waiting for the JumpShip to charge up and Jump again to the next star. Over and over again. Fifteen times.
The world of Dumassas was missing from the normal star charts, the world was abandoned after the Second Succession War. Fortunately the Eridani Light Horse retained Star League maps, so they could plot a course to the absent world.
According to the starcharts, that would be roughly 138 days or four and a half months figuring in transit time.
Then the trip back would involve the same time assuming they don't change the route to throw off a trail.
"Ten months by honest reckoning," he sighed. "Almost a year away from duty, even to me that sounds unacceptable. House Davion always needs the Light Horse on the ready."
"I think a bigger concern is the health and morale of anyone we send. That is almost a year of living in cramped space berthing and with nothing to do except wait," said Major Wendell TeCarr.
As second-in-command of the Light Horse he was not at all happy at the possibility he would be sent out to manage this treasure hunt.
There had to be someone down the ranks with high enough authority but could be spared from the warzone for almost a year.
He continued "We can't send more than a company for this. A company by itself is sufficient to garrison a world from raiding by Wolf's Dragoons. House Davion would never approve any more than that without thinking we are trying to break our contract."
"And the Eridani Light Horse always keeps their word. The honor and integrity of the SLDF isn't worth any temporary advantage."
Then the general groaned and leaned back on his chair. "Two whole regiments. Seven DropShips…"
"If it's true, it doesn't matter if those are UrbanMechs. Those DropShips alone would be worth the trip."
"Potentially one less world garrisoned in full battalion strength for potentially six more in the next year," Gen. Armstrong sighed. "This is important enough that I might need to speak to Hanse Davion about it personally."
"Then the question remains how much you intend on telling him. The prize is big enough that he would be fool not to approve the hunt, but MIIO might want to delay this further to verify before losing the service of the full nine collars of a Monolith - or two Jumpships if we send a Star Lord and an Invader."
"And that time means the bigger risk of someone else finding out that there is something out there. Intelligence agencies monitor other intelligence agencies." Nathan Armstrong scowled and brought his hands together under his nose. "I kind of don't want to deal with any spycraft nonsense because of this."
TeCarr shrugged. "We do have great lassitude in our contract modeled after SLDF basing agreements for supply runs, but until now there hasn't been any SLDF support to actually get any supplies from."
The general grunted. "I'm almost tempted to fulfill the request from the holo and allow Dr. Robotnik to speak to Hanse Davion even by the way of a recording."
TeCarr raised both palms out and said "With all due respect sir, that sounds like a tremendously bad idea."
Armstrong smirked. "That aside, how is the kid doing?"
"Ah. Recruit Devlin Stone is fitting in just nicely with the most recent class. We've left instructions that there would not be any 'outsider' nonsense with the training, they're all of the Light Horse and the SLDF don't quarrel with its own. Unity is our strength. No special privileges though, even if he does have his own Mech ready for graduation. I don't foresee any problem with his education."
"So it's fine if we just… ignore him as an issue? Dr. Robotnik did say that bringing him back home would not be… advisable."
"But if you're thinking it might still be a trap, then bringing him along could be useful."
The general waved that aside. "That would be wasting a year of training time. No, I'll take this on faith. We'll make it work somehow - tell Green-Davion that I want to arrange a meeting."
--
--
Major Robert Green-Davion was the Federated Suns liaison to the Eridani Light Horse and handled all the day to day communications and cooperation needs between a mercenary unit and the AFFS and civilian support organizations. It was a duty that was more administrative than anything, he was not expected to jump into a BattleMech anytime soon, but he did earn his way to this rank via combat duties in the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns.
The AFFS had a high degree of professionalism and believed they were the best-run army in the entire Inner Sphere. The Free Worlds League Military was too disunited to be effective, and the Lyran Commonwealth may be well-equipped but as the ELH previously contracted with them, even they had enough of the bungling of inept social generals commanding real soldiers.
The Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery was made of frothing madmen. And the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces were made of poor underequipped frothing madmen.
The Eridani Light Horse had strange rituals and an almost religious insistence of being called the SLDF, but he found it quite charming. Other than that, there was nothing more to ask from the Light Horse's professionalism and concern for the rules of war.
The Eridani Light Horse behaved as a full combined-arms RCT and trained in-house to standards that would not be out of place to the Davion RCTs. It was just another day in the Eridani Light Horse encampment and he watched troops and civilians move around with swiftness and purpose.
But somehow he could taste it in the air. Nothing unusual presented itself to his eyes. But the Eridani Light Horse were behaving slightly more kooky than the norm.
--
--
"I need privacy," said General Armstrong to his wife. "Would you mind not disturbing me in office for say… an hour? If Green-Davion arrives, tell him we'll discuss it over dinner."
"Sure," Julia replied with a small smile. Their prefab home had a small windowless study that could be locked and was electronically separated from the rest of the home and was acoustically opaque. She was used to her husband bringing home sensitive data that needed to be reviewed even in an officer's down-time.
Other officers might be able to 'take off their cap' and relax while at home, but the leader of the Light Horse was always on duty.
There, in silence and darkness apart from the light coming out of the holovision monitor, Nathan Armstrong pressed his finger into the thumb recess of the holocatridge. A wide range of miniaturized sensors and circuitry used noninvasive methods to verify his identity and activated the gene-locked device.
He inserted the cartridge and waited for it to boot up. The Robotnik logo shifted into the gaunt but still grinning Dr. Robotnik.
"Access granted, Nathan Armstrong, general of the Eridani Light Horse," the hologram clapped. "You have questions, I will answer them. A dead man has no use for secrets. Don't be shy now."
"Robotnik, keyword Hanse Davion, keyword Maximilian Liao. Tell me more about OPERATION DOPPELGANGER."
"Ah. What year is it? As long as it's not 3025 it should still be fine. Recap then - in 3015, the Maskirovka abducted seven scientists from Sanilac, a world in the Federated Suns…"
Nathan Armstrong grimly listened to a story that was almost unbelievable. But surgical and behavioral alteration was not entirely lostech. This was an ambitious plan, but if it succeeded then much as Maximillian Liao caused the Free Worlds League to erupt into civil war with minimal investment, then this would collapse their most hated ancestral enemy, the Federated Suns.
The Capellan Confederation could never defeat the Federated Suns militarily, economically, or even demographically. House Liao always lived in brooding resentment that if House Davion was not constantly distracted by House Kurita's many many aggressive and atrocity-filled invasions, the Capellan Confederation could easily be losing even more worlds to the Fed Suns.
Replacing Hanse Davion with a doppelganger would do more than simple asassination. After all, Ian Davion was suppposed to be the First Prince, and when he died in battle Hanse Davion needed to take the helm. The Federated Suns' democratic institutions apart from the heriditary nature of its rulership, always tended towards smooth transition of power. The time of leaderless chaos would be minimal.
This was implausible... but not impossible.
"As long as it's not 3025, you can be confident you're still speaking to the real Hanse Davion," Dr. Robotnik finished.
"How do you know all this?" he asked the recording, not really expecting a dead man to respond.
"SIGINT is nothing to me, all that is electronic is mine to command," replied the holo. "I have sources of information beyond the usual intelligence agencies. I am Doctor ROBOTNIK, and I am more than just some up-jumped treasure hunter! My doctorate is certainly NOT in archeology! Find my cache. Take what you need. Break the rules, break the status quo! I give you all the tools you need to create your future!
"Solve all your problems with Urbanmechs until your only remaining problem is Urbanmech!"
And the holo shifted to display a slowly spinning Mech. An Urbanmech.
UM-HPG.
Urbie-Ground Mobile HPG.
Nathan Armstrong's little hairs broke out in hives. The room felt chillingly cold all of a sudden.
--
--
Colchester
Markesan Operation Area, Crucis March
Federated Suns
April 13, 3024
But even such a prize could not be claimed so quickly. It was a fact of life in the Inner Sphere that nothing actually happened in a hurry. This was because Faster-Than-Light travel didn't really exist in this interstellar civilization.
JumpShips essentially exchanged their positions from a distant point in a thirty-light year radius practically instantaneously, no perceivable travel time in between.
Everything else had to obey Newtonian limits. From Jumpships waiting at distant nadir or zenith points of a star where gravitational forces ceased to potentially cause catastrophic malfunctions while engaging a Jump, people and their equipment had to shuttle towards an inhabitable planet on DropShips.
These were limited mainly by safe gravitational thrust for its occupants. Objects in constant acceleration experience a force opposite to the direction of motion. A DropShip would accelerate at Terran standard 1 gravity, building up velocity, and then midway though the transit flip backwards to burn its thrusters the other way to shed velocity to it can enter a safe orbit around the planet in preparation for landing. This usually would take anywhere from a week to almost a month of transit time.
Meanwhile, a JumpShip had to wait for at least 172 hours to safely charge its germanium Jump Core for the next Jump.
All in all, it takes a minimum of two weeks to do anything - one week to travel from the planet; that same one week while the JumpShip charges to jump, and another week to undock from the jump ship towards the next world. Nothing in the Inner Sphere could ever accomplish anything without this two-week delay.
Nathan Armstrong considered the plotted the most Jump Route from Colchester all the way to Dumassas.
The orbit of Colchester's to its star meant that it was 22 days to the Jump Point where a JumpShip would be waiting.
From there, ideally they would never undock to do anything on a planet - just sit there, waiting for the JumpShip to charge up and Jump again to the next star. Over and over again. Fifteen times.
The world of Dumassas was missing from the normal star charts, the world was abandoned after the Second Succession War. Fortunately the Eridani Light Horse retained Star League maps, so they could plot a course to the absent world.
According to the starcharts, that would be roughly 138 days or four and a half months figuring in transit time.
Then the trip back would involve the same time assuming they don't change the route to throw off a trail.
"Ten months by honest reckoning," he sighed. "Almost a year away from duty, even to me that sounds unacceptable. House Davion always needs the Light Horse on the ready."
"I think a bigger concern is the health and morale of anyone we send. That is almost a year of living in cramped space berthing and with nothing to do except wait," said Major Wendell TeCarr.
As second-in-command of the Light Horse he was not at all happy at the possibility he would be sent out to manage this treasure hunt.
There had to be someone down the ranks with high enough authority but could be spared from the warzone for almost a year.
He continued "We can't send more than a company for this. A company by itself is sufficient to garrison a world from raiding by Wolf's Dragoons. House Davion would never approve any more than that without thinking we are trying to break our contract."
"And the Eridani Light Horse always keeps their word. The honor and integrity of the SLDF isn't worth any temporary advantage."
Then the general groaned and leaned back on his chair. "Two whole regiments. Seven DropShips…"
"If it's true, it doesn't matter if those are UrbanMechs. Those DropShips alone would be worth the trip."
"Potentially one less world garrisoned in full battalion strength for potentially six more in the next year," Gen. Armstrong sighed. "This is important enough that I might need to speak to Hanse Davion about it personally."
"Then the question remains how much you intend on telling him. The prize is big enough that he would be fool not to approve the hunt, but MIIO might want to delay this further to verify before losing the service of the full nine collars of a Monolith - or two Jumpships if we send a Star Lord and an Invader."
"And that time means the bigger risk of someone else finding out that there is something out there. Intelligence agencies monitor other intelligence agencies." Nathan Armstrong scowled and brought his hands together under his nose. "I kind of don't want to deal with any spycraft nonsense because of this."
TeCarr shrugged. "We do have great lassitude in our contract modeled after SLDF basing agreements for supply runs, but until now there hasn't been any SLDF support to actually get any supplies from."
The general grunted. "I'm almost tempted to fulfill the request from the holo and allow Dr. Robotnik to speak to Hanse Davion even by the way of a recording."
TeCarr raised both palms out and said "With all due respect sir, that sounds like a tremendously bad idea."
Armstrong smirked. "That aside, how is the kid doing?"
"Ah. Recruit Devlin Stone is fitting in just nicely with the most recent class. We've left instructions that there would not be any 'outsider' nonsense with the training, they're all of the Light Horse and the SLDF don't quarrel with its own. Unity is our strength. No special privileges though, even if he does have his own Mech ready for graduation. I don't foresee any problem with his education."
"So it's fine if we just… ignore him as an issue? Dr. Robotnik did say that bringing him back home would not be… advisable."
"But if you're thinking it might still be a trap, then bringing him along could be useful."
The general waved that aside. "That would be wasting a year of training time. No, I'll take this on faith. We'll make it work somehow - tell Green-Davion that I want to arrange a meeting."
--
--
Major Robert Green-Davion was the Federated Suns liaison to the Eridani Light Horse and handled all the day to day communications and cooperation needs between a mercenary unit and the AFFS and civilian support organizations. It was a duty that was more administrative than anything, he was not expected to jump into a BattleMech anytime soon, but he did earn his way to this rank via combat duties in the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns.
The AFFS had a high degree of professionalism and believed they were the best-run army in the entire Inner Sphere. The Free Worlds League Military was too disunited to be effective, and the Lyran Commonwealth may be well-equipped but as the ELH previously contracted with them, even they had enough of the bungling of inept social generals commanding real soldiers.
The Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery was made of frothing madmen. And the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces were made of poor underequipped frothing madmen.
The Eridani Light Horse had strange rituals and an almost religious insistence of being called the SLDF, but he found it quite charming. Other than that, there was nothing more to ask from the Light Horse's professionalism and concern for the rules of war.
The Eridani Light Horse behaved as a full combined-arms RCT and trained in-house to standards that would not be out of place to the Davion RCTs. It was just another day in the Eridani Light Horse encampment and he watched troops and civilians move around with swiftness and purpose.
But somehow he could taste it in the air. Nothing unusual presented itself to his eyes. But the Eridani Light Horse were behaving slightly more kooky than the norm.
--
--
"I need privacy," said General Armstrong to his wife. "Would you mind not disturbing me in office for say… an hour? If Green-Davion arrives, tell him we'll discuss it over dinner."
"Sure," Julia replied with a small smile. Their prefab home had a small windowless study that could be locked and was electronically separated from the rest of the home and was acoustically opaque. She was used to her husband bringing home sensitive data that needed to be reviewed even in an officer's down-time.
Other officers might be able to 'take off their cap' and relax while at home, but the leader of the Light Horse was always on duty.
There, in silence and darkness apart from the light coming out of the holovision monitor, Nathan Armstrong pressed his finger into the thumb recess of the holocatridge. A wide range of miniaturized sensors and circuitry used noninvasive methods to verify his identity and activated the gene-locked device.
He inserted the cartridge and waited for it to boot up. The Robotnik logo shifted into the gaunt but still grinning Dr. Robotnik.
"Access granted, Nathan Armstrong, general of the Eridani Light Horse," the hologram clapped. "You have questions, I will answer them. A dead man has no use for secrets. Don't be shy now."
"Robotnik, keyword Hanse Davion, keyword Maximilian Liao. Tell me more about OPERATION DOPPELGANGER."
"Ah. What year is it? As long as it's not 3025 it should still be fine. Recap then - in 3015, the Maskirovka abducted seven scientists from Sanilac, a world in the Federated Suns…"
Nathan Armstrong grimly listened to a story that was almost unbelievable. But surgical and behavioral alteration was not entirely lostech. This was an ambitious plan, but if it succeeded then much as Maximillian Liao caused the Free Worlds League to erupt into civil war with minimal investment, then this would collapse their most hated ancestral enemy, the Federated Suns.
The Capellan Confederation could never defeat the Federated Suns militarily, economically, or even demographically. House Liao always lived in brooding resentment that if House Davion was not constantly distracted by House Kurita's many many aggressive and atrocity-filled invasions, the Capellan Confederation could easily be losing even more worlds to the Fed Suns.
Replacing Hanse Davion with a doppelganger would do more than simple asassination. After all, Ian Davion was suppposed to be the First Prince, and when he died in battle Hanse Davion needed to take the helm. The Federated Suns' democratic institutions apart from the heriditary nature of its rulership, always tended towards smooth transition of power. The time of leaderless chaos would be minimal.
This was implausible... but not impossible.
"As long as it's not 3025, you can be confident you're still speaking to the real Hanse Davion," Dr. Robotnik finished.
"How do you know all this?" he asked the recording, not really expecting a dead man to respond.
"SIGINT is nothing to me, all that is electronic is mine to command," replied the holo. "I have sources of information beyond the usual intelligence agencies. I am Doctor ROBOTNIK, and I am more than just some up-jumped treasure hunter! My doctorate is certainly NOT in archeology! Find my cache. Take what you need. Break the rules, break the status quo! I give you all the tools you need to create your future!
"Solve all your problems with Urbanmechs until your only remaining problem is Urbanmech!"
And the holo shifted to display a slowly spinning Mech. An Urbanmech.
UM-HPG.
Urbie-Ground Mobile HPG.
Nathan Armstrong's little hairs broke out in hives. The room felt chillingly cold all of a sudden.
--
--
3.2 The Last Command
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
- Joined
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Fort Bradley Training Base Adjunct
Colchester
Federated Suns
April 22, 3024
Fort Bradley was large and sensibly arranged to support all three Regiments of the Light Horse and all their dependents at the same time if necessary. However, even as a military base it was not big enough to support basic training for new recruits.
To this end, a boot camp was constructed some distance away from the main camp. This sense of isolation away from the rest of the Eridani Light Horse would reduce distractions and help forge recruits into soldiers that could only rely on each other.
Recruits were assigned to communal barracks and randomly assigned into 84-man training companies, then three platoons of 28-men, further subdivided into 4 squads of 7 recruits each.
Men and women trained together in the same squad instead of segregating by gender. Not only did the Light Horse need to make full use of each possible soldier, given that these recruits were teenagers instead of young adults as the normal recruiting age, they were to be molded early on to give highest respect to each other and not let any physical differences get in the way of the mission. As junior soldiers, their training also served as standard schooling and would graduate to branch training after six months. This too was derived from the standard SLDF training program.
Squad leaders were not assigned during the first month.
--
--
"Welcome to the SLDF," said the Base Commander David Frakes. "Looking at you here, some of you may have been born expecting to carry on duty your forebears have taken up. Some of you here may be the children of new elements serving in the combat postings of the Eridani Light Horse. Some of you here may not have any prior military background. Some of you may have been born suckling on myomer. None of that matters!
"There are no outsiders here. Nothing makes you superior to any other. Every recruit starts from the same position, and this training program is not designed to break you and rebuild you into what the military wants you to be - unlike what certain Great House training programs might do - but to make you the best of what you *can* be. To be part of something greater than yourself.
"Some of you might think our rituals of observance are outdated. But these all come from the most successful training program ever devised, designed to deal with any raw recruit and transform them into a well-drilled highly-motivated fighting and thinking man or woman.
"The manpower needs of the Star League Defense Force were near-unimaginable. As the largest military ever assembled, and the only military ever built from citizens of every nation and realm in the inhabited galaxy, a constant source of trained, professional soldiers was needed.
"Our mandate derives from Executive Order 34, issued by First Lord Nicholas Cameron in 2606, reaffirmed the Star League Defense Forces' right to recruit men and women from any member state without interference from its government.
"The SLDF opened hundreds, and eventually thousands, of recruiting offices in the Inner Sphere and Periphery. These offices had all the rights of a diplomatic mission: once someone walks through the front doors, that person is governed by the laws of the Star League, not the member state.
"The moment you entered these boundaries of my camp, you ceased to be whatever you may have been before. You belong to the Star League now.
"And we will make of you something great or die trying. We are the SLDF, and the only death is mediocrity."
--
--
"Quit draggin' your feet, Urbie! GO! GO! GO! And you, is that a smile on your face, you fat tub of lard? Fall behind, Broadway, and I'll drive the Mech that will step on you myself!" the Drill Sergeant screamed at the group. "Education waits for no man nor woman! Hut! Hut! Hut! ON STEP!"
Devlin Stone was in no state of mind to get angry at anything. Even though like each recruit they were allowed a full night's rest, each of them felt a bone-deep exhaustion that lingered through the day.
They woke up early to clean and assemble and perform Personal Training Exercises, and then breakfast. Then digesting with cleaning and maintaining the barracks and their gear and then it was off to class.
--
"Recruit Stone! Am I boring you, recruit?!"
Devlin Stone, already familiar with the protocol, stood up to attention as soon as his name was called.
"Sir, no sir!"
"Then what's with the glassy eyes recruit?! Are you asleep on your feet or just dumb?!"
"..."
"Answer me, recruit!"
"Sir, I don't know how to respond to that, sir!"
"A dumbass, then! Then maybe you can answer this, see if you've been paying attention! WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LINE REGIMENT AND AN INDEPENDENT REGIMENT?!"
"Sir, Line Regiments are assigned to divisional brigades as part of a divisional combat team! A BattleMech regiment, for example, contains only BattleMechs and trained for the best combat role for their equipment. They do not included supporting elements such as Armor, Infantry, or Aerospace Fighters, such roles are filled by other uniform Regiments in the division or by assigned supporting units!
"Independent Regiments unlike Line Regiment contain a full complement of support troops including armor and infantry. Many Independent Regiments also possess integral DropShip and JumpShip assets to facilitate their deployment!
"Good you can regurgitate a book! Now tell me why Independent Regiments even exist! Why can't the SLDF just use their Line Regiments for everything?!"
"Sir! The regiment is the smallest formation routinely deployed for front-line combat! The SLDF doctrine is to build companies, battalions and even sometimes entire regiments of one combat equipment, they are specialized to one role which eases training and logistics!
"But the Independent Regiment is a combined arms force that is a tactical solution. Independent regiments must be able to fulfill multiple combat roles and more aggressive SLDF officers and enlisted men are assigned to independent regiments!
"Independent regiments are designed to be deployed quickly and often in advance of the main force or where flexibility is required, sir!"
"Aggression! I like that word! Tell me why my precious Eridani Light Horse was the best fighting type of regiment in the SLDF!"
"It isn't, sir!"
One could almost feel the room boil from that declaration. The sergeant instructor sprang from the head of the room to glower bug-eyed at Devlin.
"Maybe I didn't hear that correctly. Maybe it was just a second of utter batshit insanity. Care to repeat your words, recruit!?"
"Sir, the Eridani Light Horse is a Light Horse Regiment, sir! The best at fighting WHAT, sir?! Even among independent regiments there are specializations, sir!"
"What are these specializations that our beloved Light Horse supposedly can't do?!"
"Sir! The three principal types of Independent Regiments are broadly analogous to the role of line regiments!
"Dragoon Regiments are the independent equivalent of heavy assault regiments, mixing heavy and assault weight Mechs and armor and rarely deploy their infantry in offensive roles, holding them back for defensive operations!
"Hussar regiments are analogous to Battle Regiments, composed of Medium and Heavy Battlemechs that fulfill multiple roles!
"Light Horse regiments are the eyes and ears of the SLDF. They are analogous to the Striker regiments which are employed for recon and breakthrough exploitation. They are the only line regiments to have organic aerospace assets, including Land-Air Mechs-
"Light Horse regiments function as quick-response troops usually grouped in multi-regimental formations known as Regimental Combat Teams! The Eridani Light Horse was formed of two Light Horse and two Striker Regiments, sir!"
"What sort of ignorant backwoods did you come out of, recruit?! Do you not have any sense?! What do you think our 121st and Command Lances are taking to battle, fucking *Urbanmechs*?!"
"Sir! The Eridani Light Horse Regimental Combat Team is still a quick reaction force but now doing the work usually expected of a whole division of the SLDF, sir!"
The sergeant jutted out his jaw and considered. Then with a grunt, he nodded. "Fair enough. Sit your ass down."
"Sir! Thank you, sir!"
--
The many, many lectures on harassment and sex education was just embarrassing humiliating for them all.
--
While Sgt. Henry Mormount taught Military History with the same level of energy as on the field, as if the battles he recounted were happening right at that very moment, Sgt. Janine Giacomo taught Military Science with crisp precision expecting the recruits to behave like full adults.
Hers was a thinking class, and recruits had to strain their brain with how they would respond to theoreticals.
The woman with voluminous reddish blonde hair spoke: "These are the TWELVE PRINCIPLES OF COMMAND, around which the SLDF and all its values and methods and doctrines revolve around. What all that of us need to do is to continue to follow these precepts and as long as it is done then the SLDF remains existent.
"Remember, following the twelve principles is what makes someone a true soldier of the Star League Defense Forces instead of merely using their equipment."
--
--
1. Objective.
Always keep a clear goal in mind. With-out it, the lives you lose are meaningless.
2. Offensive.
When given the chance, attack and remain on the offensive for as long as possible. The enemy is weakest when backing up, and so are you.
3. Unity of Command.
Always know who is above and below you in the chain of command and what they are doing. It will not only help you in times of trouble, but it will also give you a better sense of how your mission fits into the overall picture.
4. Strength.
Never willingly enter battle at a numerical disadvantage. Even the sloppiest army can defeat you if it is bigger.
5. Economy of Force.
Do not waste your effort and supplies. Use just enough of your force to inflict the maximum amount of havoc on the enemy in the minimum amount of time. Save the rest of your strength to exploit your gains or protect yourself from counterattack.
6. Maneuver.
Learn the value of maneuverability. Being able to speed across the battlefield in a coordinated wave of force can overwhelm the toughest opponent with a minimum of bloodshed.
7. Surprise.
The element of surprise effectively doubles your force.
8. Intelligence.
Information is like eggs, the fresher the better. A good guess might win a battle, but a bad one can eventually lose a campaign.
9. Simplicity.
If a plan looks messy on paper or in a computer simulation, it is too complicated to succeed. The best plans often turn out to be ones drawn in the dirt and explained with a few hand gestures. A good solution applied with vigor immediately is better than a perfect solution ten minutes later.
10. Maintenance of Morale.
Instill pride and sense of duty, worthiness, and loyalty into your soldiers. Keep them informed, rested, and happy. Officers should visit the front often, not to meddle but for personal contact with the troops.
11. Administration.
This is the dullest, most mind-numbing of chores, but doing it properly is infinitely better than facing the enemy without ammunition.
12. Mercy.
Be firm and win the day, but once the fighting is over, treat your prisoners with respect and courtesy. Not only is it the correct and moral thing for a soldier of the Star League to do, but once enemy soldiers hear of your merciful treatment, they might also be more willing to surrender.
--
--
"There were a number of institutional and doctrinal standards built from the pyres of some of the largest conflicts and studies involving millions of soldiers and those institutions and doctrines have stood us in good stead ever since.
"But foremost amongst those doctrines is perseverance. A soldier of the Star League does not give up. The mission, our duty, our orders—all are upheld, to the last man, bullet or wound."
--
--
"Haw! You got sure some stones, Stone!" bellowed William Bloderwerg, the largest in the squad. He was the one the drill sergeant called Broadway because of that. "I'da been so scared to answer back the sarge like that."
"Impressive that it worked out… but was it wise?" said little Tom Lexington. The recruit was more interested in the Technician track than the MechWarrior or Armor track, but everyone had to go through basic training.
Salli Maza and Angela Bakko were the two girls in the squad. Salli was the older one and seemed to have taken the younger under her wing. She moved over to punch Devlin in the shoulder.
"Ow," he said. "What was that for?"
"For luck," Salli replied with a grin. "Good job. Being outstanding isn't a sin. Where did you learn all of that?"
Devlin's gaze looked distant for a moment.
--
"Boy! Imagine what if Alexsander Kerensky didn't leave? With the might of the SLDF behind you and fighting all the Great Houses all at once - could you save the Star League or would you just be a great Terran Despot no different from any of them? How about in reverse - the return of the Star League in Exile?
"Behold! My strategic wargame opus PARADOX: INNER SPHERE!"
…
"Father, the AI is cheating."
"Of course the AI is cheating! If you're playing honestly you're doing it wrong!"
"But… the SLDF…"
"Cheating harder doesn't mean cheating more obviously. It means having the disadvantage working for you instead. If your enemy is cheating in a predictable way, turn it against them. The morale is to the physical as the three is to one. But if you know your enemy and not yourself, and they know themselves and never your reality, you shall never fear a thousand battles!"
"It's still making Mechs right out of nowhere though. It's still unfair."
"Yeah that part isn't unrealistic at all."
--
"Books," Devlin answered dully. "I learned from… books." Field Manual SLDF 2760, to be precise.
"Feh. Showing off, Urbie?" said Bennet Brooklyn, a tall but wiry teen. "Trying to angle for the squad leader job this early? Don't get to puffed up just because you got a Mech already lined up for you. An Urbanmech is just an Urbanmech, it's nothing to be proud of, Urbie."
Devlin shrugged.
Bennet scowled and pointed a thumb back at himself. "When my time comes, it's going to be something a lot more impressive!"
"No one's going to call you Awesome, Brooklyn. Give it up!" said Salli Maza.
"Yeah, like how long do you think you have to wait before the company leaders retire?" piped in Angela Bakko.
"S-shut up!" he hissed at them with a flushed face then turned back to Devlin. He poked at the boy's chest with a finger. "Don't feel too proud of yourself! A squad leader needs the respect of his squad and I don't respect you. If you get in my way, I'll step on you like a Marauder on an egg."
The oldest in the squad, Hudson Asner, looked up and considered if he had to intervene. He was somewhat lazy though and didn't want the job. It still remained that while Broderwerg was the biggest in the squad, it was Asner who had real muscles forged by farm work.
Devlin's eyebrows raised. He beamed. "Oh? Are we throwing hands? We can do that right now if you want."
Then he cricked his neck from side to side in that eerie way of his with no in-between motion in a birdlike or almost mechanical sort of way.
Brooklyn grimaced with disgust and backed away.
--
--
"Son! We're going to figure out this Phantom Mech NewType bullshittery! Here, wear this welder's faceplate. Now take this glowstick. These drones are going to zap you with low power electrolasers until you can instinctively intercept the beams without looking."
"... Father, lasers travel at lightspeed."
"Dodge the aim, not the beam!"
--
--
Colchester
Federated Suns
April 22, 3024
Fort Bradley was large and sensibly arranged to support all three Regiments of the Light Horse and all their dependents at the same time if necessary. However, even as a military base it was not big enough to support basic training for new recruits.
To this end, a boot camp was constructed some distance away from the main camp. This sense of isolation away from the rest of the Eridani Light Horse would reduce distractions and help forge recruits into soldiers that could only rely on each other.
Recruits were assigned to communal barracks and randomly assigned into 84-man training companies, then three platoons of 28-men, further subdivided into 4 squads of 7 recruits each.
Men and women trained together in the same squad instead of segregating by gender. Not only did the Light Horse need to make full use of each possible soldier, given that these recruits were teenagers instead of young adults as the normal recruiting age, they were to be molded early on to give highest respect to each other and not let any physical differences get in the way of the mission. As junior soldiers, their training also served as standard schooling and would graduate to branch training after six months. This too was derived from the standard SLDF training program.
Squad leaders were not assigned during the first month.
--
--
"Welcome to the SLDF," said the Base Commander David Frakes. "Looking at you here, some of you may have been born expecting to carry on duty your forebears have taken up. Some of you here may be the children of new elements serving in the combat postings of the Eridani Light Horse. Some of you here may not have any prior military background. Some of you may have been born suckling on myomer. None of that matters!
"There are no outsiders here. Nothing makes you superior to any other. Every recruit starts from the same position, and this training program is not designed to break you and rebuild you into what the military wants you to be - unlike what certain Great House training programs might do - but to make you the best of what you *can* be. To be part of something greater than yourself.
"Some of you might think our rituals of observance are outdated. But these all come from the most successful training program ever devised, designed to deal with any raw recruit and transform them into a well-drilled highly-motivated fighting and thinking man or woman.
"The manpower needs of the Star League Defense Force were near-unimaginable. As the largest military ever assembled, and the only military ever built from citizens of every nation and realm in the inhabited galaxy, a constant source of trained, professional soldiers was needed.
"Our mandate derives from Executive Order 34, issued by First Lord Nicholas Cameron in 2606, reaffirmed the Star League Defense Forces' right to recruit men and women from any member state without interference from its government.
"The SLDF opened hundreds, and eventually thousands, of recruiting offices in the Inner Sphere and Periphery. These offices had all the rights of a diplomatic mission: once someone walks through the front doors, that person is governed by the laws of the Star League, not the member state.
"The moment you entered these boundaries of my camp, you ceased to be whatever you may have been before. You belong to the Star League now.
"And we will make of you something great or die trying. We are the SLDF, and the only death is mediocrity."
--
--
"Quit draggin' your feet, Urbie! GO! GO! GO! And you, is that a smile on your face, you fat tub of lard? Fall behind, Broadway, and I'll drive the Mech that will step on you myself!" the Drill Sergeant screamed at the group. "Education waits for no man nor woman! Hut! Hut! Hut! ON STEP!"
Devlin Stone was in no state of mind to get angry at anything. Even though like each recruit they were allowed a full night's rest, each of them felt a bone-deep exhaustion that lingered through the day.
They woke up early to clean and assemble and perform Personal Training Exercises, and then breakfast. Then digesting with cleaning and maintaining the barracks and their gear and then it was off to class.
--
"Recruit Stone! Am I boring you, recruit?!"
Devlin Stone, already familiar with the protocol, stood up to attention as soon as his name was called.
"Sir, no sir!"
"Then what's with the glassy eyes recruit?! Are you asleep on your feet or just dumb?!"
"..."
"Answer me, recruit!"
"Sir, I don't know how to respond to that, sir!"
"A dumbass, then! Then maybe you can answer this, see if you've been paying attention! WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LINE REGIMENT AND AN INDEPENDENT REGIMENT?!"
"Sir, Line Regiments are assigned to divisional brigades as part of a divisional combat team! A BattleMech regiment, for example, contains only BattleMechs and trained for the best combat role for their equipment. They do not included supporting elements such as Armor, Infantry, or Aerospace Fighters, such roles are filled by other uniform Regiments in the division or by assigned supporting units!
"Independent Regiments unlike Line Regiment contain a full complement of support troops including armor and infantry. Many Independent Regiments also possess integral DropShip and JumpShip assets to facilitate their deployment!
"Good you can regurgitate a book! Now tell me why Independent Regiments even exist! Why can't the SLDF just use their Line Regiments for everything?!"
"Sir! The regiment is the smallest formation routinely deployed for front-line combat! The SLDF doctrine is to build companies, battalions and even sometimes entire regiments of one combat equipment, they are specialized to one role which eases training and logistics!
"But the Independent Regiment is a combined arms force that is a tactical solution. Independent regiments must be able to fulfill multiple combat roles and more aggressive SLDF officers and enlisted men are assigned to independent regiments!
"Independent regiments are designed to be deployed quickly and often in advance of the main force or where flexibility is required, sir!"
"Aggression! I like that word! Tell me why my precious Eridani Light Horse was the best fighting type of regiment in the SLDF!"
"It isn't, sir!"
One could almost feel the room boil from that declaration. The sergeant instructor sprang from the head of the room to glower bug-eyed at Devlin.
"Maybe I didn't hear that correctly. Maybe it was just a second of utter batshit insanity. Care to repeat your words, recruit!?"
"Sir, the Eridani Light Horse is a Light Horse Regiment, sir! The best at fighting WHAT, sir?! Even among independent regiments there are specializations, sir!"
"What are these specializations that our beloved Light Horse supposedly can't do?!"
"Sir! The three principal types of Independent Regiments are broadly analogous to the role of line regiments!
"Dragoon Regiments are the independent equivalent of heavy assault regiments, mixing heavy and assault weight Mechs and armor and rarely deploy their infantry in offensive roles, holding them back for defensive operations!
"Hussar regiments are analogous to Battle Regiments, composed of Medium and Heavy Battlemechs that fulfill multiple roles!
"Light Horse regiments are the eyes and ears of the SLDF. They are analogous to the Striker regiments which are employed for recon and breakthrough exploitation. They are the only line regiments to have organic aerospace assets, including Land-Air Mechs-
"Light Horse regiments function as quick-response troops usually grouped in multi-regimental formations known as Regimental Combat Teams! The Eridani Light Horse was formed of two Light Horse and two Striker Regiments, sir!"
"What sort of ignorant backwoods did you come out of, recruit?! Do you not have any sense?! What do you think our 121st and Command Lances are taking to battle, fucking *Urbanmechs*?!"
"Sir! The Eridani Light Horse Regimental Combat Team is still a quick reaction force but now doing the work usually expected of a whole division of the SLDF, sir!"
The sergeant jutted out his jaw and considered. Then with a grunt, he nodded. "Fair enough. Sit your ass down."
"Sir! Thank you, sir!"
--
The many, many lectures on harassment and sex education was just embarrassing humiliating for them all.
--
While Sgt. Henry Mormount taught Military History with the same level of energy as on the field, as if the battles he recounted were happening right at that very moment, Sgt. Janine Giacomo taught Military Science with crisp precision expecting the recruits to behave like full adults.
Hers was a thinking class, and recruits had to strain their brain with how they would respond to theoreticals.
The woman with voluminous reddish blonde hair spoke: "These are the TWELVE PRINCIPLES OF COMMAND, around which the SLDF and all its values and methods and doctrines revolve around. What all that of us need to do is to continue to follow these precepts and as long as it is done then the SLDF remains existent.
"Remember, following the twelve principles is what makes someone a true soldier of the Star League Defense Forces instead of merely using their equipment."
--
--
1. Objective.
Always keep a clear goal in mind. With-out it, the lives you lose are meaningless.
2. Offensive.
When given the chance, attack and remain on the offensive for as long as possible. The enemy is weakest when backing up, and so are you.
3. Unity of Command.
Always know who is above and below you in the chain of command and what they are doing. It will not only help you in times of trouble, but it will also give you a better sense of how your mission fits into the overall picture.
4. Strength.
Never willingly enter battle at a numerical disadvantage. Even the sloppiest army can defeat you if it is bigger.
5. Economy of Force.
Do not waste your effort and supplies. Use just enough of your force to inflict the maximum amount of havoc on the enemy in the minimum amount of time. Save the rest of your strength to exploit your gains or protect yourself from counterattack.
6. Maneuver.
Learn the value of maneuverability. Being able to speed across the battlefield in a coordinated wave of force can overwhelm the toughest opponent with a minimum of bloodshed.
7. Surprise.
The element of surprise effectively doubles your force.
8. Intelligence.
Information is like eggs, the fresher the better. A good guess might win a battle, but a bad one can eventually lose a campaign.
9. Simplicity.
If a plan looks messy on paper or in a computer simulation, it is too complicated to succeed. The best plans often turn out to be ones drawn in the dirt and explained with a few hand gestures. A good solution applied with vigor immediately is better than a perfect solution ten minutes later.
10. Maintenance of Morale.
Instill pride and sense of duty, worthiness, and loyalty into your soldiers. Keep them informed, rested, and happy. Officers should visit the front often, not to meddle but for personal contact with the troops.
11. Administration.
This is the dullest, most mind-numbing of chores, but doing it properly is infinitely better than facing the enemy without ammunition.
12. Mercy.
Be firm and win the day, but once the fighting is over, treat your prisoners with respect and courtesy. Not only is it the correct and moral thing for a soldier of the Star League to do, but once enemy soldiers hear of your merciful treatment, they might also be more willing to surrender.
--
--
"There were a number of institutional and doctrinal standards built from the pyres of some of the largest conflicts and studies involving millions of soldiers and those institutions and doctrines have stood us in good stead ever since.
"But foremost amongst those doctrines is perseverance. A soldier of the Star League does not give up. The mission, our duty, our orders—all are upheld, to the last man, bullet or wound."
--
--
"Haw! You got sure some stones, Stone!" bellowed William Bloderwerg, the largest in the squad. He was the one the drill sergeant called Broadway because of that. "I'da been so scared to answer back the sarge like that."
"Impressive that it worked out… but was it wise?" said little Tom Lexington. The recruit was more interested in the Technician track than the MechWarrior or Armor track, but everyone had to go through basic training.
Salli Maza and Angela Bakko were the two girls in the squad. Salli was the older one and seemed to have taken the younger under her wing. She moved over to punch Devlin in the shoulder.
"Ow," he said. "What was that for?"
"For luck," Salli replied with a grin. "Good job. Being outstanding isn't a sin. Where did you learn all of that?"
Devlin's gaze looked distant for a moment.
--
"Boy! Imagine what if Alexsander Kerensky didn't leave? With the might of the SLDF behind you and fighting all the Great Houses all at once - could you save the Star League or would you just be a great Terran Despot no different from any of them? How about in reverse - the return of the Star League in Exile?
"Behold! My strategic wargame opus PARADOX: INNER SPHERE!"
…
"Father, the AI is cheating."
"Of course the AI is cheating! If you're playing honestly you're doing it wrong!"
"But… the SLDF…"
"Cheating harder doesn't mean cheating more obviously. It means having the disadvantage working for you instead. If your enemy is cheating in a predictable way, turn it against them. The morale is to the physical as the three is to one. But if you know your enemy and not yourself, and they know themselves and never your reality, you shall never fear a thousand battles!"
"It's still making Mechs right out of nowhere though. It's still unfair."
"Yeah that part isn't unrealistic at all."
--
"Books," Devlin answered dully. "I learned from… books." Field Manual SLDF 2760, to be precise.
"Feh. Showing off, Urbie?" said Bennet Brooklyn, a tall but wiry teen. "Trying to angle for the squad leader job this early? Don't get to puffed up just because you got a Mech already lined up for you. An Urbanmech is just an Urbanmech, it's nothing to be proud of, Urbie."
Devlin shrugged.
Bennet scowled and pointed a thumb back at himself. "When my time comes, it's going to be something a lot more impressive!"
"No one's going to call you Awesome, Brooklyn. Give it up!" said Salli Maza.
"Yeah, like how long do you think you have to wait before the company leaders retire?" piped in Angela Bakko.
"S-shut up!" he hissed at them with a flushed face then turned back to Devlin. He poked at the boy's chest with a finger. "Don't feel too proud of yourself! A squad leader needs the respect of his squad and I don't respect you. If you get in my way, I'll step on you like a Marauder on an egg."
The oldest in the squad, Hudson Asner, looked up and considered if he had to intervene. He was somewhat lazy though and didn't want the job. It still remained that while Broderwerg was the biggest in the squad, it was Asner who had real muscles forged by farm work.
Devlin's eyebrows raised. He beamed. "Oh? Are we throwing hands? We can do that right now if you want."
Then he cricked his neck from side to side in that eerie way of his with no in-between motion in a birdlike or almost mechanical sort of way.
Brooklyn grimaced with disgust and backed away.
--
--
"Son! We're going to figure out this Phantom Mech NewType bullshittery! Here, wear this welder's faceplate. Now take this glowstick. These drones are going to zap you with low power electrolasers until you can instinctively intercept the beams without looking."
"... Father, lasers travel at lightspeed."
"Dodge the aim, not the beam!"
--
--
3.3 The Last Command
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
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New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
May 23, 3024
"No one man can govern so vast a realm, even if that man is genius, saint, and hero all at once. And when a man of inferior or even ordinary abilities tries to exercise power over so many worlds and so many billions of people, the result is the tyranny, chaos, ignorance, greed, or hatred that we have already seen too often."
– Simon Davion
Hanse Davion was widely considered a very important man, whose every minute of time was worth unimaginable value even compared to the wealthiest of plutocrats in the Inner Sphere. You could never buy your way into a meeting with the First Prince of the Federated Suns, a man personally responsible for the fates of over half a thousand worlds and dozens of billions of people.
Commanding over two hundred regiments with millions of troops, usually mercenary commands in the regimentary scale such as the Dioscuri (2 regiments, assigned to guard the entire Kearny Combat Region facing the Taurian Concordat) was not worth his time.
But Hanse Davion had personally courted the Eridani Light Horse's three regiments on their way out from Steiner employment and continued to offer them extremely generous terms. After turning away Wolf's Dragoons and DCMS 17th Galedon on Hoff, Hanse personally communicated through HPG with Nathan Armstrong his congratulations and sympathies of their losses and of his intention to allow the Light Horse time to rebuild, remanding them to rotating garrison duties and selling them new BattleMechs at cost.
Eridani Light Horse technicians and field commanders were invited to lecture at NAIS to share their insights about Star League technology and doctrine.
When Hanse Davion received the message that Brevet General Nathan L. Armstrong solicited a face-to-face meeting with a special request that Ardan Sortek be there with him, the notion tickled Hanse's curiosity enough that he sent word back that time would be made in his schedule.
Colchester to New Avalon was 4 jumps away and at best speed would take 52 days. Technically it was possible to shorten the travel to much sooner if a jumpship was conveniently at the next stop with an empty collar, but even as the core worlds of the Federated Suns were busy with ships, it was an unreliable prospect compared to chartering with a Jumpship headed in most of the way and then checking schedules in the next systems with planet-based HPGs. Make it an even month to be sure.
The vagaries of interstellar travel meant that keeping a strict schedule was not really possible. Once Nathan Armstrong had made it on-planet, he would be given a date when it would be convenient to present himself.
--
That day had arrived.
Ardan Sortek was Hanse Davion's oldest friend and the commanding officer of the Davion Heavy Guards. He looked dashing as picture-perfect on the recruiting poster as one might need for the AFFS, but in actuality was uncomfortable in more social situations.
"You're favoring the Eridani Light Horse too much," he said while they waited at a solar overlooking the Davion Gardens. "But I haven't seen you this happy to meet someone for a long time now. Are state functions and all those double-speaking diplomats so unbearable?" Ardan Sortek shook his head sadly. "It's good that you're taking time away for the things you personally enjoy. Lostech and the Star League… there are worse hobbies for a Prince to have."
"Right, you have met General Armstrong before haven't you?" The Davion Heavy Guards were usually assigned to flexibly defend the Crucis March and were had as the homeworld Galax, one Jump away from New Avalon. Too far away from Hoff. "He's not as deranged as the rumors say, you know. Not even the Light Horse as a whole. It's kind of fascinating, they're as much a living cultural artifact as much they're some very highly trained fighters."
"The Crucis Lancers RCTs were formed from the Star League soldiers that chose to stay instead of going off with Kerensky. They still maintain many Star League traditions, what more do you expect to gain from mercenaries?" Ardan mused. "In fact, on paper, I'd say that ELH as an RCT are inferior to our Regimental Combat Teams. One BattleMech Regiment and Three Armored and Five Infantry is better than Three Regiments of mixed BattleMech and Armor. Mech for Mech, the numbers run to almost the same."
Hanse nodded. "Then on Hoff they faced with one regiment and the Dahar Militia, another medium-weight regiment, Wolf's Dragoons' Epsilon Regiment which was very heavily tilted towards Heavy Mechs and the 17th Galedon. Outnumbered mech by mech, they still made a very good showing of themselves. They ruined the Galedon Regulars and almost threw back the Dragoons. I've been looking over the BattleROMs of that campaign, if you plot it over a map, there's just this… smoothness in how they maneuver, you know?"
"I think the Crucis Lancers RCT could have done better," Ardan looked mulish, unwilling to concede the point.
Hanse only smiled, not pointing out that the Crucis Lancers were also tasked to defend a wide area and moving them would expose a weakness like on Quentin, when two Battle Regiments of Wolf's Dragoons and Takashi Kurita himself showed up.
"My lords!" came a voice from the door at the far end of hallway leading into the solar "Presenting, Brevet General Nathan Armstrong of the Eridani Light Horse!"
"Ah!" cried Hanse. "Here we go."
--
"My lord Prince Davion, thank you for taking the time to meet me," Armstrong bowed.
Hanse smiled genially and bid him to take a seat. He compared Nathan Armstrong to Ardan Sortek and found they were very much of a similar type. One was just blonde and the other of dark hair. The two measured each other with wary gazes. Perhaps it was their similarities that instinctively made them be on guard.
He smiled impishly.
"You're welcome, and I'm pleased to allow it. Now what's this about?"
"I have two concerns to bring to your attention, Prince Davion. The first, as detailed in the information packet delivered earlier, is a request for reorganization of our defensive support commitments under Section Nine of our basing agreement."
The Eridani Light Horse refused to say the word 'contract' at any point.
"Under Section Nine, portions of the Eridani Light Horse ground and naval assets may be detached to support resupply operations. We have a need to temporarily remove one JumpShip and one company to support resupply and recovery for a period of no less than ten months."
"That's… a long time," said Hanse. "I have to ask, which JumpShip?"
"The Monolith-class SLS ARENDAL, and one Mech company of the 25th Striker Regiment."
Hanse's eyebrows raised, then lowered. He clasped both palms together and leaned with his elbows on the table.
"Nine drop-collars are particularly valuable. A company, that's fine. But a Monolith JumpShip is so large and so rare that losing access to it would have wide-ranging repercussions. What's your real reason for this?"
"Officially, this is a supply run and the Eridani Light Horse are under no obligation to speak about the source of resupply for security reasons. Unofficially… we also request access to a Mule DropShip without any crew."
Hanse smirked "Daring, are we? If you're willing to make demands to my face - no, even if you say it as a request, you could have just asked it from regular channels - you better have a good reason."
From beside him, Ardan Sortek's eyes narrowed at the insult.
"Unofficially, this supply run is valuable enough to detach those elements and spend so much time away from the front because it may bring you things both of us want." Armstrong nodded briefly "Things… NAIS would want."
"Oh? Interesting. Why shouldn't NAIS just go with you to take a look at those… things?"
"Operational security, Prince Davion. MIIO is good, but the fewer that know any details, the better. Even right now, only three people know about this - five now, I suppose."
Hanse Davion leaned back and crossed his arms. "Five months…" He grunted. Then he smiled again. "It's in the Periphery, isn't it? Did you happen find out about some sort of Star League cache?"
Armstrong blinked. Figuring out that much just from the travel time - Hanse Davion was as canny as the rumors made him out to be.
"I can neither confirm nor deny, but suffice it to say my lord… the Eridani Light Horse are prepared to offer their fair share. As someone I know said to me 'the rule of dibs doesn't exactly apply outside of Davion space', but in respect to the possible inconvenience this brings, we are prepared to pay a reasonable… found property tax.
"Needless to say, this much should only ever stay between us. Or wherever might be listening to this right now, be it MIIO, Maskirovka, or hell with it, let's say even Comstar." Armstrong turned aside to shout "STOP LISTENING TO MY PHONE SEX CALLS, YOU PRICKS!"
Hanse grinned widely.
Ardan was taken aback by the sudden vulgarity. "Wha-"
"Hah! Good one, good one!" No one had the balls to be so offensive in the face of the First Prince of the Federated Suns. This could get you cashiered in any other House, but Hanse Davion? Someone knew Hanse had a sense of humor.
Armstrong's face was back to a placid mask of professionalism, so much that if anyone were to ever ask, it was clear he would deny ever having said anything improper that the questioner would like like he was the one crazy.
Ardan gave Hanse a look that said 'are you really sure he's not as deranged as they say?'
"You know what? Fine. I'll allow it. I mean, ahem, House Davion and the SLDF will work this out somehow. Whatever you need to carry this out, just ask your liaison, he'll get it done," Hanse waved the issue away. "What about that second concern you said?"
Armstrong nodded. "You know of WolfNet, right? Wolf's Dragoons' surprisingly effective intelligence agency? Well, the Eridani Light Horse doesn't have one of those, but we are starting to see how useful it could be."
Hanse smiled and nodded while Ardan Sortek started to frown. Armstrong added: "SLDF Precept Eight: Intelligence. Information is like eggs, the fresher the better. A good guess might win a battle, but a bad one can eventually lose a campaign. Not all that is useful in battle happens while on the battlefield. Military intelligence needs as much actionable data as it can obtain in order to create a cohesive strategy. Without an Objective to work towards, all lives lost are in vain."
Hanse nodded again. "Right. So are you asking for our assistance in building an intelligence network?" He looked eager. This would tie down the Eridani Light Horse to House Davion even further.
"Ah, well. We have already begun. We happened to get our hands on some data that my conscience cannot allow me to go without being passed on to its target. We have no means at this time to verify this, but you should be able to do so with more… subtlety."
"The target. You mean me and Ardan?" Having himself be a target for all sorts of skullduggery was nothing new to Hanse, but straight-edged Ardan Sortek? That seemed to really irk him. His friend was a simple man with simple desires, to serve the Federated Suns on the field of battle. The only reason to meddle with him is because it could emotionally hurt Hanse.
Very carefully, Nathan Armstrong reached into his jacket and took out a folded envelope and a lighter that had already passed several security checks.
"For your eyes only. Even right now, we should not speak of this lightly. Please burn after reading."
With one raised eyebrow, Hanse took the envelope. He unfolded the paper within and began to read. As his gaze passed line by line, the easy grin on his face faded into a stony mask.
He looked up, and gone was the affable round-faced nature that so endeared him to the Federated Suns to be replaced with the keen and ruthless political mind that earned him the name "The Fox". He said "This sounds… all too far-fetched."
Armstrong opened his arms out in a minute shrug. "And yet not all that impossible. Again, we are in no position to verify this."
Hanse glanced towards Ardan. His expression stormed with indecision, and then he sighed. He beckoned his friend closer, and with a shush gesture to his own lips passed the paper over.
Ardan read through the paper, then scowled.
"This is nonsense!" he spat out, glaring at the man. What respect he had for the Eridani Light Horse and their scrupulous SLDF tradition was tarnished slightly. "You can't seriously expect me to believe-"
"Believing is not at all required," said Hanse. "Intelligence without verification is just a story that might as well be fiction, right?" He grinned again. "Who knows - maybe someone could make a holo about this someday."
He took back the piece of paper from Ardan's hands and set it alight.
"Your request to detach a portion of your regiment is has my blessing. We're going to find a way to make do. House Davion has been fighting Kurita for over half a millennium now, a little less won't break us. As for anything else… well, that's beyond your remit, isn't it?"
"Thank you, Prince Davion. Yes, we are more comfortable with being soldiers."
Ardan Sortek was not as convinced. "How is this not a dereliction of duty? Think about the people that could have been helped during that time."
"Administration is the most boring, mind-numbing part of running a military organization, but it is infinitely preferable to fighting without adequate transport or ammunition," replied Nathan. "The SLDF is not in the habit of leaving people to die. The regiments without will just have to fight twice as hard when called, I suppose."
Ardan Sortek looked away and coughed into his hand with a noise that sounded something like 'hurensky'.
Armstrong nodded. "And sometimes assholes are just assholes, and sacrificing your precious people for the forever ungrateful is foolish to the extreme."
Ardan bristled. "What are you implying?!"
Armstrong shrugged. "The Eridani Light Horse was originally assigned to the Rasalhague District to keep peace between Steiner and Kurita, even as barely-disguised pirates and bandits raided each other's worlds. When Kerensky called, the Eleventh Corps, Third RCT remained in service to the people. We defended the Draconis Combine against the first thrusts of the Lyran Commonwealth.
"Then we heard about the atrocity that was Kentares and realized that House Kurita was not a fitting place for us. On Sendai, the Draconis Combine murdered our dependents, and so we our own grudges to bear against them as the Federated Suns do. Sometimes you have to help yourself to be in a position to help more people - soldiers are soldiers, heroes are heroes, but martyrdom doesn't save people. It only inspires others to do the work you can't do anymore."
"You know, I have to ask - why did it take this long for the Eridani Light Horse to consider working for House Davion?" Ardan asked next.
Nathan Armstrong looked out the large arched window. The lavish expanse of Davion Palace with its multiple gardens and broad plazas hid a structure designed to be defended and fought over using BattleMechs. "The Light Horse on our exit from Kuritan space first decided to head towards Marik space. The Free Worlds League seemed to us as the closest to the Star League principles as, you will have to forgive me, Davion monarchy is just as willing to fight for worlds as anyone. The absolutist autocracy of House Kurita was bad enough, House Davion like House Steiner just seemed too centralized to be comfortable for us."
"Heh. First time I hear the League being a dysfunctional factional pit of voles being a feature," said Hanse. "That's fair."
Then mused as well "Minoru Kurita declaring himself the First Lord needed to be opposed, but even now I'm not sure if John Davion really needed to declare for it himself. Relationship between the Terran Hegemony and the Federated Suns had always been good, would it have been so bad? I'm sure House Davion could have smoothly continued the Star League norms, compared to other claimants."
"The destruction and atrocities of the First Succession Wars make such concerns moot, my Lord. Everyone was mongering for worlds. The Light Horse in service to House Marik felt that the luxury being offered to us was tempting us to let go of the traditions and standards of SLDF and be just highly regarded Marik troops. That's why the Eridani Light Horse split apart and went off to the Periphery."
Ardan wondered if this was a subtle insult being directed at the Crucis Lancers. "But that didn't work out so well for you, did it?"
"The lack of resources eventually just forced the Light Horse Regiments to farm the poor soil. A pirate raid in full regiment strength raided our supply center, which had always been suspicious. This forced the compromise to lend out the military services of the Third RCT. That was when we traveled to the Lyran Commonwealth and spent over seventy years teaching the Draconis Combine to fear the sign of the trotting brown horse."
Ardan sniffed. Well he could respect that, at least.
"In 2946, the Eridani Light Horse matched against Bronson's Horde, the mercenary unit that was formed from elements that stayed within the Free Worlds League. As a Brevet General, I can be replaced if ever I let mercenary considerations take over Eridani tradition. We broke the back of Bronson's Horde over our knee and even now they fight for and against all Great Houses as little more than bandits and pirates.
"That is the importance of tradition and history. All mercenary commands have their own histories, their own mythologies, but ever has the Eridani Light Horse centered itself on the highest standards of the SLDF. Our dream is someday, maybe, if we keep fighting long enough and serve worthy leaders - maybe someday we would live to see the Star League reborn and humanity at peace once more."
"Heh." Hanse grinned twistedly again and casually lounged back with an arm over the back of his chair. With a teasing tone "If you really believe that, as the remaining piece of the SLDF, why don't you just take Terra?"
Hanse was just joking, for of course Terra's protection in the middle of the Inner Sphere was its neutrality. Taking Terra would ruin the neutrality of the HPG network and the free trade passing through the Terran corridor and would then have to fight off everybody.
The strength of the SLDF.
The might of the Terran Hegemony.
Kerensky took away the army that did have the power to fight off everybody. Without it, quickly and completely, did the entirety of the Terran Hegemony vanish, devoured by the Carrion Lords.
He was a Lyran orphan. He had no particular attachment to Terra.
It would take immense, colossal, insane power to rebuild the core of the Star League.
Armstrong closed his eyes. Just a dream, nothing more.
--
--
Colchester
Crucis March
Federated Suns
One month ago
"Robotnik, why am I getting shipments of Fluid Guns?" Armstrong asked with a sigh.
Robotnik responded: "The Urbanmech asks a question: can an Assault Mech still hit you if you have completely obscured its vision with Obscurant? Probably. But what if its footing is unstable under an Oil Slick? Chances are high. What if it's also on fire and bathing in Inferno Gel? Now it has bigger problems to worry about. Frankly at this point the metal-eating Corrosive is just adding insult to injury.
"We can go full Wizard on this thing! No sense of right or wrong! URBAWIZARD, HARRY!
"More rationally: Fluid Guns are useful for police actions. Expect shipments of regular Urbanmechs even before you go off to claim my cache. I accept myself as a man who knows the value of patience, but also recklessly impulsive when it suits me. Go test them out with the kids."
"How is this even possible if you're dead? Are you even actually dead?"
"Does the concept of custom shipping orders somehow elude you?"
Armstrong closed his eyes and massaged the furrow between his brows. Fine. Someone who had enough spycraft to penetrate the Maskirovka probably has enough black funding for all sorts of things. Due to the nature of interstellar transport and specialized industries, many worlds already order things via HPG and then the sender only ships them out as JumpShips become available heading towards the target world.
But-
"You are much too conversant for a mere recording. How are you even responding to me right now?"
"I'm just responding to what a reasonable person would say in your situation triggered by keywords. Do you think somehow I'm getting HPG signals through? Your whole base would be blasting with ECM and radiation from the HyperPulse wave right now."
"What if you're like, I don't know, some sort of brain in a jar or something."
"Do you actually think whatever measly processor your stupid holo playback device has the capacity to run a human mind or some sort of artificial intelligence? Don't be silly beans. Heck, it doesn't even have a way to receive outside signals, does it?"
"If you had the time to make so many of these recordings to deal with every possible topic, maybe you should have spent more of it with your son. This legacy of words isn't the same as having a father."
"I tried, but I had to send him away. Let him remember me only in happy times, not as the withered cancerous carcass I would soon become. Let his memory only have his father always being a strength in his life that he can always rely on. And grow up as a man of strength and vision that can support others."
"I think being too concerned with appearances is too egotistical of you, but too late now, I suppose."
"I don't know what to say about that."
Crucis March
Federated Suns
May 23, 3024
"No one man can govern so vast a realm, even if that man is genius, saint, and hero all at once. And when a man of inferior or even ordinary abilities tries to exercise power over so many worlds and so many billions of people, the result is the tyranny, chaos, ignorance, greed, or hatred that we have already seen too often."
– Simon Davion
Hanse Davion was widely considered a very important man, whose every minute of time was worth unimaginable value even compared to the wealthiest of plutocrats in the Inner Sphere. You could never buy your way into a meeting with the First Prince of the Federated Suns, a man personally responsible for the fates of over half a thousand worlds and dozens of billions of people.
Commanding over two hundred regiments with millions of troops, usually mercenary commands in the regimentary scale such as the Dioscuri (2 regiments, assigned to guard the entire Kearny Combat Region facing the Taurian Concordat) was not worth his time.
But Hanse Davion had personally courted the Eridani Light Horse's three regiments on their way out from Steiner employment and continued to offer them extremely generous terms. After turning away Wolf's Dragoons and DCMS 17th Galedon on Hoff, Hanse personally communicated through HPG with Nathan Armstrong his congratulations and sympathies of their losses and of his intention to allow the Light Horse time to rebuild, remanding them to rotating garrison duties and selling them new BattleMechs at cost.
Eridani Light Horse technicians and field commanders were invited to lecture at NAIS to share their insights about Star League technology and doctrine.
When Hanse Davion received the message that Brevet General Nathan L. Armstrong solicited a face-to-face meeting with a special request that Ardan Sortek be there with him, the notion tickled Hanse's curiosity enough that he sent word back that time would be made in his schedule.
Colchester to New Avalon was 4 jumps away and at best speed would take 52 days. Technically it was possible to shorten the travel to much sooner if a jumpship was conveniently at the next stop with an empty collar, but even as the core worlds of the Federated Suns were busy with ships, it was an unreliable prospect compared to chartering with a Jumpship headed in most of the way and then checking schedules in the next systems with planet-based HPGs. Make it an even month to be sure.
The vagaries of interstellar travel meant that keeping a strict schedule was not really possible. Once Nathan Armstrong had made it on-planet, he would be given a date when it would be convenient to present himself.
--
That day had arrived.
Ardan Sortek was Hanse Davion's oldest friend and the commanding officer of the Davion Heavy Guards. He looked dashing as picture-perfect on the recruiting poster as one might need for the AFFS, but in actuality was uncomfortable in more social situations.
"You're favoring the Eridani Light Horse too much," he said while they waited at a solar overlooking the Davion Gardens. "But I haven't seen you this happy to meet someone for a long time now. Are state functions and all those double-speaking diplomats so unbearable?" Ardan Sortek shook his head sadly. "It's good that you're taking time away for the things you personally enjoy. Lostech and the Star League… there are worse hobbies for a Prince to have."
"Right, you have met General Armstrong before haven't you?" The Davion Heavy Guards were usually assigned to flexibly defend the Crucis March and were had as the homeworld Galax, one Jump away from New Avalon. Too far away from Hoff. "He's not as deranged as the rumors say, you know. Not even the Light Horse as a whole. It's kind of fascinating, they're as much a living cultural artifact as much they're some very highly trained fighters."
"The Crucis Lancers RCTs were formed from the Star League soldiers that chose to stay instead of going off with Kerensky. They still maintain many Star League traditions, what more do you expect to gain from mercenaries?" Ardan mused. "In fact, on paper, I'd say that ELH as an RCT are inferior to our Regimental Combat Teams. One BattleMech Regiment and Three Armored and Five Infantry is better than Three Regiments of mixed BattleMech and Armor. Mech for Mech, the numbers run to almost the same."
Hanse nodded. "Then on Hoff they faced with one regiment and the Dahar Militia, another medium-weight regiment, Wolf's Dragoons' Epsilon Regiment which was very heavily tilted towards Heavy Mechs and the 17th Galedon. Outnumbered mech by mech, they still made a very good showing of themselves. They ruined the Galedon Regulars and almost threw back the Dragoons. I've been looking over the BattleROMs of that campaign, if you plot it over a map, there's just this… smoothness in how they maneuver, you know?"
"I think the Crucis Lancers RCT could have done better," Ardan looked mulish, unwilling to concede the point.
Hanse only smiled, not pointing out that the Crucis Lancers were also tasked to defend a wide area and moving them would expose a weakness like on Quentin, when two Battle Regiments of Wolf's Dragoons and Takashi Kurita himself showed up.
"My lords!" came a voice from the door at the far end of hallway leading into the solar "Presenting, Brevet General Nathan Armstrong of the Eridani Light Horse!"
"Ah!" cried Hanse. "Here we go."
--
"My lord Prince Davion, thank you for taking the time to meet me," Armstrong bowed.
Hanse smiled genially and bid him to take a seat. He compared Nathan Armstrong to Ardan Sortek and found they were very much of a similar type. One was just blonde and the other of dark hair. The two measured each other with wary gazes. Perhaps it was their similarities that instinctively made them be on guard.
He smiled impishly.
"You're welcome, and I'm pleased to allow it. Now what's this about?"
"I have two concerns to bring to your attention, Prince Davion. The first, as detailed in the information packet delivered earlier, is a request for reorganization of our defensive support commitments under Section Nine of our basing agreement."
The Eridani Light Horse refused to say the word 'contract' at any point.
"Under Section Nine, portions of the Eridani Light Horse ground and naval assets may be detached to support resupply operations. We have a need to temporarily remove one JumpShip and one company to support resupply and recovery for a period of no less than ten months."
"That's… a long time," said Hanse. "I have to ask, which JumpShip?"
"The Monolith-class SLS ARENDAL, and one Mech company of the 25th Striker Regiment."
Hanse's eyebrows raised, then lowered. He clasped both palms together and leaned with his elbows on the table.
"Nine drop-collars are particularly valuable. A company, that's fine. But a Monolith JumpShip is so large and so rare that losing access to it would have wide-ranging repercussions. What's your real reason for this?"
"Officially, this is a supply run and the Eridani Light Horse are under no obligation to speak about the source of resupply for security reasons. Unofficially… we also request access to a Mule DropShip without any crew."
Hanse smirked "Daring, are we? If you're willing to make demands to my face - no, even if you say it as a request, you could have just asked it from regular channels - you better have a good reason."
From beside him, Ardan Sortek's eyes narrowed at the insult.
"Unofficially, this supply run is valuable enough to detach those elements and spend so much time away from the front because it may bring you things both of us want." Armstrong nodded briefly "Things… NAIS would want."
"Oh? Interesting. Why shouldn't NAIS just go with you to take a look at those… things?"
"Operational security, Prince Davion. MIIO is good, but the fewer that know any details, the better. Even right now, only three people know about this - five now, I suppose."
Hanse Davion leaned back and crossed his arms. "Five months…" He grunted. Then he smiled again. "It's in the Periphery, isn't it? Did you happen find out about some sort of Star League cache?"
Armstrong blinked. Figuring out that much just from the travel time - Hanse Davion was as canny as the rumors made him out to be.
"I can neither confirm nor deny, but suffice it to say my lord… the Eridani Light Horse are prepared to offer their fair share. As someone I know said to me 'the rule of dibs doesn't exactly apply outside of Davion space', but in respect to the possible inconvenience this brings, we are prepared to pay a reasonable… found property tax.
"Needless to say, this much should only ever stay between us. Or wherever might be listening to this right now, be it MIIO, Maskirovka, or hell with it, let's say even Comstar." Armstrong turned aside to shout "STOP LISTENING TO MY PHONE SEX CALLS, YOU PRICKS!"
Hanse grinned widely.
Ardan was taken aback by the sudden vulgarity. "Wha-"
"Hah! Good one, good one!" No one had the balls to be so offensive in the face of the First Prince of the Federated Suns. This could get you cashiered in any other House, but Hanse Davion? Someone knew Hanse had a sense of humor.
Armstrong's face was back to a placid mask of professionalism, so much that if anyone were to ever ask, it was clear he would deny ever having said anything improper that the questioner would like like he was the one crazy.
Ardan gave Hanse a look that said 'are you really sure he's not as deranged as they say?'
"You know what? Fine. I'll allow it. I mean, ahem, House Davion and the SLDF will work this out somehow. Whatever you need to carry this out, just ask your liaison, he'll get it done," Hanse waved the issue away. "What about that second concern you said?"
Armstrong nodded. "You know of WolfNet, right? Wolf's Dragoons' surprisingly effective intelligence agency? Well, the Eridani Light Horse doesn't have one of those, but we are starting to see how useful it could be."
Hanse smiled and nodded while Ardan Sortek started to frown. Armstrong added: "SLDF Precept Eight: Intelligence. Information is like eggs, the fresher the better. A good guess might win a battle, but a bad one can eventually lose a campaign. Not all that is useful in battle happens while on the battlefield. Military intelligence needs as much actionable data as it can obtain in order to create a cohesive strategy. Without an Objective to work towards, all lives lost are in vain."
Hanse nodded again. "Right. So are you asking for our assistance in building an intelligence network?" He looked eager. This would tie down the Eridani Light Horse to House Davion even further.
"Ah, well. We have already begun. We happened to get our hands on some data that my conscience cannot allow me to go without being passed on to its target. We have no means at this time to verify this, but you should be able to do so with more… subtlety."
"The target. You mean me and Ardan?" Having himself be a target for all sorts of skullduggery was nothing new to Hanse, but straight-edged Ardan Sortek? That seemed to really irk him. His friend was a simple man with simple desires, to serve the Federated Suns on the field of battle. The only reason to meddle with him is because it could emotionally hurt Hanse.
Very carefully, Nathan Armstrong reached into his jacket and took out a folded envelope and a lighter that had already passed several security checks.
"For your eyes only. Even right now, we should not speak of this lightly. Please burn after reading."
With one raised eyebrow, Hanse took the envelope. He unfolded the paper within and began to read. As his gaze passed line by line, the easy grin on his face faded into a stony mask.
He looked up, and gone was the affable round-faced nature that so endeared him to the Federated Suns to be replaced with the keen and ruthless political mind that earned him the name "The Fox". He said "This sounds… all too far-fetched."
Armstrong opened his arms out in a minute shrug. "And yet not all that impossible. Again, we are in no position to verify this."
Hanse glanced towards Ardan. His expression stormed with indecision, and then he sighed. He beckoned his friend closer, and with a shush gesture to his own lips passed the paper over.
Ardan read through the paper, then scowled.
"This is nonsense!" he spat out, glaring at the man. What respect he had for the Eridani Light Horse and their scrupulous SLDF tradition was tarnished slightly. "You can't seriously expect me to believe-"
"Believing is not at all required," said Hanse. "Intelligence without verification is just a story that might as well be fiction, right?" He grinned again. "Who knows - maybe someone could make a holo about this someday."
He took back the piece of paper from Ardan's hands and set it alight.
"Your request to detach a portion of your regiment is has my blessing. We're going to find a way to make do. House Davion has been fighting Kurita for over half a millennium now, a little less won't break us. As for anything else… well, that's beyond your remit, isn't it?"
"Thank you, Prince Davion. Yes, we are more comfortable with being soldiers."
Ardan Sortek was not as convinced. "How is this not a dereliction of duty? Think about the people that could have been helped during that time."
"Administration is the most boring, mind-numbing part of running a military organization, but it is infinitely preferable to fighting without adequate transport or ammunition," replied Nathan. "The SLDF is not in the habit of leaving people to die. The regiments without will just have to fight twice as hard when called, I suppose."
Ardan Sortek looked away and coughed into his hand with a noise that sounded something like 'hurensky'.
Armstrong nodded. "And sometimes assholes are just assholes, and sacrificing your precious people for the forever ungrateful is foolish to the extreme."
Ardan bristled. "What are you implying?!"
Armstrong shrugged. "The Eridani Light Horse was originally assigned to the Rasalhague District to keep peace between Steiner and Kurita, even as barely-disguised pirates and bandits raided each other's worlds. When Kerensky called, the Eleventh Corps, Third RCT remained in service to the people. We defended the Draconis Combine against the first thrusts of the Lyran Commonwealth.
"Then we heard about the atrocity that was Kentares and realized that House Kurita was not a fitting place for us. On Sendai, the Draconis Combine murdered our dependents, and so we our own grudges to bear against them as the Federated Suns do. Sometimes you have to help yourself to be in a position to help more people - soldiers are soldiers, heroes are heroes, but martyrdom doesn't save people. It only inspires others to do the work you can't do anymore."
"You know, I have to ask - why did it take this long for the Eridani Light Horse to consider working for House Davion?" Ardan asked next.
Nathan Armstrong looked out the large arched window. The lavish expanse of Davion Palace with its multiple gardens and broad plazas hid a structure designed to be defended and fought over using BattleMechs. "The Light Horse on our exit from Kuritan space first decided to head towards Marik space. The Free Worlds League seemed to us as the closest to the Star League principles as, you will have to forgive me, Davion monarchy is just as willing to fight for worlds as anyone. The absolutist autocracy of House Kurita was bad enough, House Davion like House Steiner just seemed too centralized to be comfortable for us."
"Heh. First time I hear the League being a dysfunctional factional pit of voles being a feature," said Hanse. "That's fair."
Then mused as well "Minoru Kurita declaring himself the First Lord needed to be opposed, but even now I'm not sure if John Davion really needed to declare for it himself. Relationship between the Terran Hegemony and the Federated Suns had always been good, would it have been so bad? I'm sure House Davion could have smoothly continued the Star League norms, compared to other claimants."
"The destruction and atrocities of the First Succession Wars make such concerns moot, my Lord. Everyone was mongering for worlds. The Light Horse in service to House Marik felt that the luxury being offered to us was tempting us to let go of the traditions and standards of SLDF and be just highly regarded Marik troops. That's why the Eridani Light Horse split apart and went off to the Periphery."
Ardan wondered if this was a subtle insult being directed at the Crucis Lancers. "But that didn't work out so well for you, did it?"
"The lack of resources eventually just forced the Light Horse Regiments to farm the poor soil. A pirate raid in full regiment strength raided our supply center, which had always been suspicious. This forced the compromise to lend out the military services of the Third RCT. That was when we traveled to the Lyran Commonwealth and spent over seventy years teaching the Draconis Combine to fear the sign of the trotting brown horse."
Ardan sniffed. Well he could respect that, at least.
"In 2946, the Eridani Light Horse matched against Bronson's Horde, the mercenary unit that was formed from elements that stayed within the Free Worlds League. As a Brevet General, I can be replaced if ever I let mercenary considerations take over Eridani tradition. We broke the back of Bronson's Horde over our knee and even now they fight for and against all Great Houses as little more than bandits and pirates.
"That is the importance of tradition and history. All mercenary commands have their own histories, their own mythologies, but ever has the Eridani Light Horse centered itself on the highest standards of the SLDF. Our dream is someday, maybe, if we keep fighting long enough and serve worthy leaders - maybe someday we would live to see the Star League reborn and humanity at peace once more."
"Heh." Hanse grinned twistedly again and casually lounged back with an arm over the back of his chair. With a teasing tone "If you really believe that, as the remaining piece of the SLDF, why don't you just take Terra?"
Hanse was just joking, for of course Terra's protection in the middle of the Inner Sphere was its neutrality. Taking Terra would ruin the neutrality of the HPG network and the free trade passing through the Terran corridor and would then have to fight off everybody.
The strength of the SLDF.
The might of the Terran Hegemony.
Kerensky took away the army that did have the power to fight off everybody. Without it, quickly and completely, did the entirety of the Terran Hegemony vanish, devoured by the Carrion Lords.
He was a Lyran orphan. He had no particular attachment to Terra.
It would take immense, colossal, insane power to rebuild the core of the Star League.
Armstrong closed his eyes. Just a dream, nothing more.
--
--
Colchester
Crucis March
Federated Suns
One month ago
"Robotnik, why am I getting shipments of Fluid Guns?" Armstrong asked with a sigh.
Robotnik responded: "The Urbanmech asks a question: can an Assault Mech still hit you if you have completely obscured its vision with Obscurant? Probably. But what if its footing is unstable under an Oil Slick? Chances are high. What if it's also on fire and bathing in Inferno Gel? Now it has bigger problems to worry about. Frankly at this point the metal-eating Corrosive is just adding insult to injury.
"We can go full Wizard on this thing! No sense of right or wrong! URBAWIZARD, HARRY!
"More rationally: Fluid Guns are useful for police actions. Expect shipments of regular Urbanmechs even before you go off to claim my cache. I accept myself as a man who knows the value of patience, but also recklessly impulsive when it suits me. Go test them out with the kids."
"How is this even possible if you're dead? Are you even actually dead?"
"Does the concept of custom shipping orders somehow elude you?"
Armstrong closed his eyes and massaged the furrow between his brows. Fine. Someone who had enough spycraft to penetrate the Maskirovka probably has enough black funding for all sorts of things. Due to the nature of interstellar transport and specialized industries, many worlds already order things via HPG and then the sender only ships them out as JumpShips become available heading towards the target world.
But-
"You are much too conversant for a mere recording. How are you even responding to me right now?"
"I'm just responding to what a reasonable person would say in your situation triggered by keywords. Do you think somehow I'm getting HPG signals through? Your whole base would be blasting with ECM and radiation from the HyperPulse wave right now."
"What if you're like, I don't know, some sort of brain in a jar or something."
"Do you actually think whatever measly processor your stupid holo playback device has the capacity to run a human mind or some sort of artificial intelligence? Don't be silly beans. Heck, it doesn't even have a way to receive outside signals, does it?"
"If you had the time to make so many of these recordings to deal with every possible topic, maybe you should have spent more of it with your son. This legacy of words isn't the same as having a father."
"I tried, but I had to send him away. Let him remember me only in happy times, not as the withered cancerous carcass I would soon become. Let his memory only have his father always being a strength in his life that he can always rely on. And grow up as a man of strength and vision that can support others."
"I think being too concerned with appearances is too egotistical of you, but too late now, I suppose."
"I don't know what to say about that."
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4.1 Raiders of the Lost Urbie
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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Raiders of the Lost Urbie part 1
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-.
-.
Lynchburg
Abandoned System
Federated Commonwealth
Date unknown
The JumpShip SLS ARENDAL hung motionless in space with its wide Jump Sail deployed behind it, billowing from the pressure of invisible solar wind. The ship had to wait a full 178 hours to recharge its Jump Core.
The Captain of the Monolith glanced boredly down at the system's information.
Even inside the Crucis March, there were dead and abandoned worlds. Although a great bulk of them were lost in the chaos and murder of the first two Succession Wars, plenty of other worlds were also abandoned for economic reasons.
They were approaching the area of Davion space known as the Outback, where the income divide was even more stark, where the might and prosperity of the Federated Suns were absent. These were forgotten, poverty-stricken worlds, where you might find a single school for an entire planet.
The Federated Suns didn't care for them. Even a mighty nation with the largest and most well-trained military in the Inner Sphere could not divert any resources into improving their lives - or rather, one might imagine that the reason the Outback was such a region of the lost and forgotten was that everything important had to go towards the military.
When you had the Draconis Combine with their total war footing constantly trying to invade and destroy your culture with their all-conquering Imperial Japanese fantasy obsession, weakening the military was a nonstarter.
As soon as you get up, you get knocked down. No one was allowed to keep an advantage. That was the reason for all these cross-border raidings. Depots. Industries. Power plants. Water purifiers. All had become valid military targets.
Lynchburg had a world with 1.08 g surface gravity, an orbital period of 2.9 Terran years, and high equatorial temperature of 36 degrees. To live here, they needed domes.
"With a poisonous atmosphere, it's no wonder this place got abandoned," he muttered to himself. "Before this was Korvitz, another lost world. After this it's Covington, with B-rated HPG. Anyone tracking us would be two weeks out of date."
A-Rated HPG stations transmitted and relayed information from systems around them every 12 to 24 hours. B-rated stations transmitted every few days.
The Eridani Light JumpShip operated under military rules, not commercial ones. Other JumpShips holding station on the Nadir and Zenith Jump Points could read usually read each other's IFF, exchange gossip and electronic media, and tattle about it when they reach the next system. The ELH wasn't obliged to file a jump plan when asked by an inhabited world in a system for them to squawk out via HPG (as filing regular jump paths was important for civilian trade and transport), but it was convenient anyway to use a dead world for the shortest jump path.
Commercial JumpShips avoided dead systems as a rule, because with no one else to notice it was a perfect pirate ambush spot.
"Poor earthbound sods," said the pilot. Even if a JumpShip had .1g station-keeping drives that could not get it anywhere, a pilot was still needed to do careful precise work like aligning the JumpShip carefully towards the star to deploy the Jump Sail cleanly, or to shift facings to present anti-meteor armament."Why do people have to be so fixated on planets, anyway? Trying to settle all these barely habitable worlds, for what? A station would be easier."
"Stations have a maximum capacity," replied the Captain. "You can't just keep adding more blocks to a station, grav decks and life support become too unbalanced after a while. But even the poorest rock in space if it has anything close to 1 g. That's what makes a planet worth the hassle."
"What, sheer mass?"
"We are monkeys clawing at the stars, but in the end this monkey just isn't made to live in zero-g. I haven't set foot on a world in thirty years now, and I don't miss it one bit. But without our grav deck… no, the entire Inner Sphere wouldn't function if JumpShips couldn't support their crew."
"Ugh, we're crowded enough as it is. If only we could expand and build in more grav decks."
Unfortunately that was not how JumpShips worked, what with 95% of their mass required to be the germanium Jump Core that allowed them to travel 30-light years per week, and there were no shipyards anymore that could modify JumpShips on order. The wars made them priority targets to such an extent that
1. WarShips were made extinct,
2. JumpShips were considered to be too precious to damage and it was estimated that across the thousands of worlds in the Inner Sphere, new JumpShip production per year was only about 12.
The Monolith-class JumpShip was the largest civilian JumpShip ever constructed. Sure, WarShips could go over a million tons, but the Monolith at 430,000 tons and nine Drop Collars to bring along DropShips through interstellar space was hardly a tiny thing either.
The Monolith-class was so large it had two counter-rotating 105-meter diameter grav dects. They rotated to provide the feeling of 1 gravity at the inside rim due to centripetal force. Without it, long-term habitation of the JumpShip was impossible, as a JumpShip lacked fuel reserves or any necessary acceleration to move in towards the system.
These gravdecks, functioning similarly to that of a station, spun at a leisurely 4 rotations per minute - slow enough that even ground-side visitors and their inner ear can adapt with only a day or two of acclimatization.
Whole families, whole generations, lived and died on Jumpships that were often centuries old. Without them, interstellar civilization would grind to a deadly halt.
Imagine, never knowing the ground.
Imagine, being stuck for a year with bored landlubbers.
The last time this needed to happen was when the entire Eridani Light Horse had to move from Steiner space to Davion space, but that was two decades ago.
"How much longer is this going to take?" asked the pilot.
The Captain, for reasons of operational security, could not answer that. He could only say "We're not even halfway there-" to the many groans of the crew.
-.
-.
Kaiyuh System
Crucis March
Federated Commonwealth
Date unknown
Kaiyuh was a moderately advanced world, only a single jump away from the capital of the Crucis March Edgeward Alpha Combat Theater, otherwise known as the Chirikof Operational Area. This region of space used to be controlled by the United Hindu Collective, which voluntarily joined the Federated Suns in 2540. The Star League, for comparison, was founded in 2571.
Although the system was far enough away from any war border with House Kurita, House Liao, or even House Calderon, it did possess a recharge station at the Nadir point which could house defensive fighters.
The SLS JumpShip ARENDAL emerging at the Zenith point was suspicious, as it could get a clear run to the planet.
The Captain had to talk away at sixteen minutes delay radio calls from the planetary monitoring stations that they had no hostile intentions and were only recharging for the next jump. Emerging at the nadir point for recharging was irrelevant, the charge times between the solar sail and trickle charging from a station were the same anyway.
They dutifully had to reveal the name and registry of their JumpShip and the high-level authorization from the AFFS.
Why couldn't they just turn off their transponder? Because that is a pirate thing to do. It would be even more suspicious that a massive vessel like a Monolith is going around without declaring their registry. At least with ELH credentials and mostly empty collars, the most that could be said was that they were off to a sanctioned AFFS operation somewhere and people should stop asking.
"If there's anybody listening in, if the Taurian Concordat have any agents at all at Chirikof, they would know about the Eridani Light Horse and they would be sure now we're headed towards Taurian space. JumpShip sightings are open-source information," the Captain reported to the highest ranking Eridani Light Horse officer on board.
Who just happened to be Major Edward Stimson of Stimson's Stealther's Recon Company.
"At least we're now halfway there," he sighed.
-.
-.
He recalled:
"Sir, with all respect, you can't be serious. You can't stick MechWarriors specialized in Recon into a dropship for a year - they'll lose their edge!"
Brevet General Armstrong shook his head slowly and raised a palm. "Major, you already know where the cache is. And let's be honest here - as much as you like being able to quickly reposition with your Scout Company, you got badly slapped down by the Dragoons. That's nothing against you, it's just that you don't have the tonnage to solve that kind of problem."
"So you're saying this because I'm expendable…" he sighed. "We can't help the Light Horse fight as we are now."
"You're Dark Horse and I trust you. And whatever happens out there, you have the ability and the mindset to deal with it. I'll reassign some high-firepower Medium Mechs to fill out your company, but remember - this is the most important thing for the whole of the Eridani Light Horse since we decided to allow lending our services as mercenaries two and half centuries ago."
"It's that important? Two regiments of fast Mechs are nice, but even as I want them, that sounds too much for what we're getting."
"There's more at stake here than I'm able to say. But if it's true - what you will find there will change the Inner Sphere forever. If it's true."
And at the present, he thought "I should spread this misery around."
-.
-.
The SLS ARENDAL had two grav decks. One was mainly for JumpShip personnel and their families and internal technical facilities. It was their home. But it was only in the past two hundred years that this needed to happen; originally designed she was an SLDF troop transport instead of a commercial civilian DropShip.
Its grav-decks were 105 meters in diameter and 15 meters in breadth at the rim. This worked out to about 326 meters walking circumference at the rim and almost 4 kilometers square of floor space. And it wasn't like a grav deck was hollow all the way to the core.
The outermost rim deck was the most important as it gave the full 1g experience at 4 revolutions per minute. This deck was subdivided into three portions with a 3-meter wide corridor in the middle. Two communal areas, and two berthing sections. A pie chart was the easiest way to visualize this. 15%, 35%, 15%, 35%. One 31 meter long section, followed by a 132-meter long section further subdivided into 18 rooms with 7 bunks each, then another 31 meter dining and entertainment area, then another 18 rooms. This was sufficient for 126 (252) people in standard berthing. If necessary, a third bunk bed could be wedged in there to allow for 126 more soldiers and personnel to find rest.
With two such grav deck arrangements, the ship had maximum sleeping facilities for 504 people.
The next deck above that, stacked like the floor of a building over a 10-meter tall 'roof', had a circumference of 263 meters and would experience .80 g, still comfortable enough. This one had first-class/officer quarters, apartment-like quarters for one or two persons with built-in lavatory facilities and personal storage, communal bathing/swimming pool, and the kitchens.
Then the third layer above that, 32 meters away from the core, would still be rotating at 4 rpm same as the outermost deck, but those inside would be experiencing .57 gs. Feeling half the weight of everything, this deck would only have 201 meters circumference and would often be used for machine shops and storage. Steerage berthing, usually little more than suspended hammock/sleeping bags could be placed here, but most people if given a choice would rather sleep out in the corridors of the outer deck if you really needed to cram in the number of inhabitants.
Then going inwards would be motorized handrails to enter the corridors leading to the next gravdeck, at minimal gravity.
Grav Deck One, forward towards the prow of the ship, was the home deck. Grav Deck Two was for passengers.
In addition to shipboard crew, in theory a Star League Navy Monolith could support an entire Battalion of troops and crew, which could be anywhere from three hundred to one thousand individuals.
Here was the pilot's problem and why he thought it crowded: Eridani Light Horse soldiers were considered family by default and were not numerous enough that they had to stay out in the external deck. The duration of travel was long enough that they could not keep separate berthing; might as well get to know each other to stave off boredom.
On board were 6th Recon Battalion (Stimson's Stealther's) of the 151st Dark Horse Regiment, composed of the Command Lance (Stimson's Guards), 2nd Recon Company (Nightcrawlers) Command Lance and Strike Lance, and the company's Air Lance composed of two Heavy ASF. This was a total of 12 Mechs and 2 ASF, plus tech crew, all fitting into one Union and Mule. 6th Recon left behind the 4th and 8th Recon Companies of the Battalion, plus all the support tanks and artillery. They were a mech-heavy force, and unlike tanks which needed three or more crew, each BattleMech needed only one MechWarrior pilot. All of these fit on one 3600-ton Union, which had their own crew and techs.
Then the 11,200-ton Mule in the opposite collar had their own 20 crew and more techs and drivers for recovery and transport vehicles.
In total: sixty-four people.
There were sixty-four bored-ass people onboard and it had been four months. People had gone insane on shorter durations.
-.
-.
The children had the run of the ship.
But because they could not be left unsupervised, everyone had breakfast at the Mess Deck. Because the floor curved 'up' it was convenient for one end of the communal area to have one massive flat projector screen for TV and movie showings.
From the screen and the speakers around the dining area rousing trumpets blared and a deep voice announced:
o- From days of long ago
o- From uncharted regions
o- Of the universe,
o- Comes a legend.
o- The legend of Voltron:
o- Defender of the Universe!
o- A mighty robot,
o- Loved by good
o- Feared by evil.
o- As Voltron's legend grew,
o- Peace settled across the galaxy -
"Yaahhh!!!" the JumpShip's children happily greeted the intro to this ancient cartoon show. They occupied the tables closest to the screen.
Further back, looking at them, sat some of the pilots of 2nd Recon: Jack Finsrud, Terry Lyttle, and Barbara Mosley.
"I think Exosquad is better," said Jack as he sliced into his pancake.
"Ugh, you would," Barbara groaned. "They're basically just tiny Mechs."
Jack pointed with his fork. "Well what about you then? What do like then, Miss Discerning? The ancient wisdom of Dragon Ball? The timeless pathos of Sailor Moon? The gripping war records of GI Joe?"
This whole thing would probably be far more maddening if it didn't come mysteriously with a large bank of positively ancient lost media from the 20th century Terra. General Armstrong knew that morale was influenced by food and drink, so spared no expense to load up the JumpShip with a large supply of the highest quality consumables.
But in over four months with nothing to do but to watch things, exercise, train in sim pods, sleep, wake up to do nothing but to be paid to sit around, day after day after day seeing the same walls, they had mostly run out of things to talk about.
There was a rumor that the offices had advance screenings of newer stuff in straight sessions of newer stuff instead of waiting for them to come out in the schedule.
"The Centurions," said Barbara.
Jack Finsrud blinked. "Okay, that is a solid choice, I can accept that."
Terry began humming "Da dooh da duh da dee de. Du dat du dat duh da dee dih! They're heroes in a half shell and they're green-!"
"Oh you suck!" Barbara hissed at him and covered her ears. "Now that earworm is going to get stuck in my head for the next hour!"
A triumphant cadence filled the room again.
The children over at the far end spoke along with the dialog "LET'S GO VOLTRON FORCE!"
Lions roared. Lightning shrieked. A snare drum spun out a heart-pounding beat.
o- "Form feet and legs-
o- "Form arms and torso-
o- "And I'll form - the head!"
o- Roar. Roar!
The children made "RAWR!" noises.
"Ugh, I hate kids," moaned Barbara.
"It's a rerun," said Terry. The man was not so little, nor even ironically large. He was just so sadly average. "Children are fine with themed day reruns, it's like an emotional re-awakening. Or are you talking about how you got us baited into this detached duty?"
"Just because I welcomed that kid into the Eridani Light Horse-"
"Ahem. Because you sat into some sensitive information you're not even telling us about -" grunted Jack.
"This is good for you anyways, isn't it? By the time we get back, people will have forgotten all about you being that girl who got beat by an Urbanmech in a race," Terry said with a gentle smile.
Barabara let out some deep gurgling sound from the back of her throat and seemed only half-convinced.
"Good morning, troopers!"
"Sir!"
The three MechWarriors stopped and stood up as soon as they heard their lance commander's voice from behind them. Captain Raymond Allwine slashed down the air with a knife hand. He was a very proper officer and enforced discipline, but he was just always so unbearably nice about it all. "Ease off, crew. I'm just here to tell you we're all supposed to report to the sim pods at Oh Eight Thirty. We've got another team-based scenario training coming."
Barbara grimaced and murmured "Okay, that's interesting, but please not -"
"That's right, boys and girls! IT'S URBIE TIME!"
"Nuuuu….!!!"
-.
-.
Macintosh System
Crucis March
Federated Commonwealth
Date unknown
Macintosh was originally named Drekos by its predominantly Greek settlers, however the planet's name was changed to Macintosh during the time of the Star League when Apple Computers Interstellar made the planet their headquarters. The world which shared a name with the system was advanced and heavily industrialized with an A-rated HPG.
People on board the ship could use this chance with a high speed connection to get updated from the Inner Sphere and download newer holomagazines and vids.
"Are we there yet?"
-.
-.
Jacobabad System
Crucis March
Federated Commonwealth
Date unknown
Another abandoned system, the namesake world Jacobabad had a breathable atmosphere, a year length of 1.7 Terran years, and surface gravity of around .95g. Even the distance to the jump point was only 12 days. It was a mystery why they abandoned what would otherwise be a good farming world.
"Are we there yet?"
-.
-.
Csomad System
Crucis March
Federated Commonwealth
Date unknown
A mining world with a toxic atmosphere and surface gravity of 1.16 g, it was nonetheless still settled with a population of 68 million. However this was far enough in the Outback that HPG service didn't even exist. They had a 'Pony Express' system when a JumpShip would show up every three months or so.
"Are we there yet?"
-.
-.
Dumassas System
Unclaimed Space
The Periphery
Date unknown
Situated 2 AU away from its parent star, Dumassas was a cold world with a year length of 3 and 1/2 Terran years, but it had a breathable atmosphere and a surface gravity of .95 g. They were now out of Davion Space and were one jump away from violating the Taurian Concordat border.
"Are we there yet?"
"Yes, we are fucking there yet!"
-.
-.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-.
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Lynchburg
Abandoned System
Federated Commonwealth
Date unknown
The JumpShip SLS ARENDAL hung motionless in space with its wide Jump Sail deployed behind it, billowing from the pressure of invisible solar wind. The ship had to wait a full 178 hours to recharge its Jump Core.
The Captain of the Monolith glanced boredly down at the system's information.
Even inside the Crucis March, there were dead and abandoned worlds. Although a great bulk of them were lost in the chaos and murder of the first two Succession Wars, plenty of other worlds were also abandoned for economic reasons.
They were approaching the area of Davion space known as the Outback, where the income divide was even more stark, where the might and prosperity of the Federated Suns were absent. These were forgotten, poverty-stricken worlds, where you might find a single school for an entire planet.
The Federated Suns didn't care for them. Even a mighty nation with the largest and most well-trained military in the Inner Sphere could not divert any resources into improving their lives - or rather, one might imagine that the reason the Outback was such a region of the lost and forgotten was that everything important had to go towards the military.
When you had the Draconis Combine with their total war footing constantly trying to invade and destroy your culture with their all-conquering Imperial Japanese fantasy obsession, weakening the military was a nonstarter.
As soon as you get up, you get knocked down. No one was allowed to keep an advantage. That was the reason for all these cross-border raidings. Depots. Industries. Power plants. Water purifiers. All had become valid military targets.
Lynchburg had a world with 1.08 g surface gravity, an orbital period of 2.9 Terran years, and high equatorial temperature of 36 degrees. To live here, they needed domes.
"With a poisonous atmosphere, it's no wonder this place got abandoned," he muttered to himself. "Before this was Korvitz, another lost world. After this it's Covington, with B-rated HPG. Anyone tracking us would be two weeks out of date."
A-Rated HPG stations transmitted and relayed information from systems around them every 12 to 24 hours. B-rated stations transmitted every few days.
The Eridani Light JumpShip operated under military rules, not commercial ones. Other JumpShips holding station on the Nadir and Zenith Jump Points could read usually read each other's IFF, exchange gossip and electronic media, and tattle about it when they reach the next system. The ELH wasn't obliged to file a jump plan when asked by an inhabited world in a system for them to squawk out via HPG (as filing regular jump paths was important for civilian trade and transport), but it was convenient anyway to use a dead world for the shortest jump path.
Commercial JumpShips avoided dead systems as a rule, because with no one else to notice it was a perfect pirate ambush spot.
"Poor earthbound sods," said the pilot. Even if a JumpShip had .1g station-keeping drives that could not get it anywhere, a pilot was still needed to do careful precise work like aligning the JumpShip carefully towards the star to deploy the Jump Sail cleanly, or to shift facings to present anti-meteor armament."Why do people have to be so fixated on planets, anyway? Trying to settle all these barely habitable worlds, for what? A station would be easier."
"Stations have a maximum capacity," replied the Captain. "You can't just keep adding more blocks to a station, grav decks and life support become too unbalanced after a while. But even the poorest rock in space if it has anything close to 1 g. That's what makes a planet worth the hassle."
"What, sheer mass?"
"We are monkeys clawing at the stars, but in the end this monkey just isn't made to live in zero-g. I haven't set foot on a world in thirty years now, and I don't miss it one bit. But without our grav deck… no, the entire Inner Sphere wouldn't function if JumpShips couldn't support their crew."
"Ugh, we're crowded enough as it is. If only we could expand and build in more grav decks."
Unfortunately that was not how JumpShips worked, what with 95% of their mass required to be the germanium Jump Core that allowed them to travel 30-light years per week, and there were no shipyards anymore that could modify JumpShips on order. The wars made them priority targets to such an extent that
1. WarShips were made extinct,
2. JumpShips were considered to be too precious to damage and it was estimated that across the thousands of worlds in the Inner Sphere, new JumpShip production per year was only about 12.
The Monolith-class JumpShip was the largest civilian JumpShip ever constructed. Sure, WarShips could go over a million tons, but the Monolith at 430,000 tons and nine Drop Collars to bring along DropShips through interstellar space was hardly a tiny thing either.
The Monolith-class was so large it had two counter-rotating 105-meter diameter grav dects. They rotated to provide the feeling of 1 gravity at the inside rim due to centripetal force. Without it, long-term habitation of the JumpShip was impossible, as a JumpShip lacked fuel reserves or any necessary acceleration to move in towards the system.
These gravdecks, functioning similarly to that of a station, spun at a leisurely 4 rotations per minute - slow enough that even ground-side visitors and their inner ear can adapt with only a day or two of acclimatization.
Whole families, whole generations, lived and died on Jumpships that were often centuries old. Without them, interstellar civilization would grind to a deadly halt.
Imagine, never knowing the ground.
Imagine, being stuck for a year with bored landlubbers.
The last time this needed to happen was when the entire Eridani Light Horse had to move from Steiner space to Davion space, but that was two decades ago.
"How much longer is this going to take?" asked the pilot.
The Captain, for reasons of operational security, could not answer that. He could only say "We're not even halfway there-" to the many groans of the crew.
-.
-.
Kaiyuh System
Crucis March
Federated Commonwealth
Date unknown
Kaiyuh was a moderately advanced world, only a single jump away from the capital of the Crucis March Edgeward Alpha Combat Theater, otherwise known as the Chirikof Operational Area. This region of space used to be controlled by the United Hindu Collective, which voluntarily joined the Federated Suns in 2540. The Star League, for comparison, was founded in 2571.
Although the system was far enough away from any war border with House Kurita, House Liao, or even House Calderon, it did possess a recharge station at the Nadir point which could house defensive fighters.
The SLS JumpShip ARENDAL emerging at the Zenith point was suspicious, as it could get a clear run to the planet.
The Captain had to talk away at sixteen minutes delay radio calls from the planetary monitoring stations that they had no hostile intentions and were only recharging for the next jump. Emerging at the nadir point for recharging was irrelevant, the charge times between the solar sail and trickle charging from a station were the same anyway.
They dutifully had to reveal the name and registry of their JumpShip and the high-level authorization from the AFFS.
Why couldn't they just turn off their transponder? Because that is a pirate thing to do. It would be even more suspicious that a massive vessel like a Monolith is going around without declaring their registry. At least with ELH credentials and mostly empty collars, the most that could be said was that they were off to a sanctioned AFFS operation somewhere and people should stop asking.
"If there's anybody listening in, if the Taurian Concordat have any agents at all at Chirikof, they would know about the Eridani Light Horse and they would be sure now we're headed towards Taurian space. JumpShip sightings are open-source information," the Captain reported to the highest ranking Eridani Light Horse officer on board.
Who just happened to be Major Edward Stimson of Stimson's Stealther's Recon Company.
"At least we're now halfway there," he sighed.
-.
-.
He recalled:
"Sir, with all respect, you can't be serious. You can't stick MechWarriors specialized in Recon into a dropship for a year - they'll lose their edge!"
Brevet General Armstrong shook his head slowly and raised a palm. "Major, you already know where the cache is. And let's be honest here - as much as you like being able to quickly reposition with your Scout Company, you got badly slapped down by the Dragoons. That's nothing against you, it's just that you don't have the tonnage to solve that kind of problem."
"So you're saying this because I'm expendable…" he sighed. "We can't help the Light Horse fight as we are now."
"You're Dark Horse and I trust you. And whatever happens out there, you have the ability and the mindset to deal with it. I'll reassign some high-firepower Medium Mechs to fill out your company, but remember - this is the most important thing for the whole of the Eridani Light Horse since we decided to allow lending our services as mercenaries two and half centuries ago."
"It's that important? Two regiments of fast Mechs are nice, but even as I want them, that sounds too much for what we're getting."
"There's more at stake here than I'm able to say. But if it's true - what you will find there will change the Inner Sphere forever. If it's true."
And at the present, he thought "I should spread this misery around."
-.
-.
The SLS ARENDAL had two grav decks. One was mainly for JumpShip personnel and their families and internal technical facilities. It was their home. But it was only in the past two hundred years that this needed to happen; originally designed she was an SLDF troop transport instead of a commercial civilian DropShip.
Its grav-decks were 105 meters in diameter and 15 meters in breadth at the rim. This worked out to about 326 meters walking circumference at the rim and almost 4 kilometers square of floor space. And it wasn't like a grav deck was hollow all the way to the core.
The outermost rim deck was the most important as it gave the full 1g experience at 4 revolutions per minute. This deck was subdivided into three portions with a 3-meter wide corridor in the middle. Two communal areas, and two berthing sections. A pie chart was the easiest way to visualize this. 15%, 35%, 15%, 35%. One 31 meter long section, followed by a 132-meter long section further subdivided into 18 rooms with 7 bunks each, then another 31 meter dining and entertainment area, then another 18 rooms. This was sufficient for 126 (252) people in standard berthing. If necessary, a third bunk bed could be wedged in there to allow for 126 more soldiers and personnel to find rest.
With two such grav deck arrangements, the ship had maximum sleeping facilities for 504 people.
The next deck above that, stacked like the floor of a building over a 10-meter tall 'roof', had a circumference of 263 meters and would experience .80 g, still comfortable enough. This one had first-class/officer quarters, apartment-like quarters for one or two persons with built-in lavatory facilities and personal storage, communal bathing/swimming pool, and the kitchens.
Then the third layer above that, 32 meters away from the core, would still be rotating at 4 rpm same as the outermost deck, but those inside would be experiencing .57 gs. Feeling half the weight of everything, this deck would only have 201 meters circumference and would often be used for machine shops and storage. Steerage berthing, usually little more than suspended hammock/sleeping bags could be placed here, but most people if given a choice would rather sleep out in the corridors of the outer deck if you really needed to cram in the number of inhabitants.
Then going inwards would be motorized handrails to enter the corridors leading to the next gravdeck, at minimal gravity.
Grav Deck One, forward towards the prow of the ship, was the home deck. Grav Deck Two was for passengers.
In addition to shipboard crew, in theory a Star League Navy Monolith could support an entire Battalion of troops and crew, which could be anywhere from three hundred to one thousand individuals.
Here was the pilot's problem and why he thought it crowded: Eridani Light Horse soldiers were considered family by default and were not numerous enough that they had to stay out in the external deck. The duration of travel was long enough that they could not keep separate berthing; might as well get to know each other to stave off boredom.
On board were 6th Recon Battalion (Stimson's Stealther's) of the 151st Dark Horse Regiment, composed of the Command Lance (Stimson's Guards), 2nd Recon Company (Nightcrawlers) Command Lance and Strike Lance, and the company's Air Lance composed of two Heavy ASF. This was a total of 12 Mechs and 2 ASF, plus tech crew, all fitting into one Union and Mule. 6th Recon left behind the 4th and 8th Recon Companies of the Battalion, plus all the support tanks and artillery. They were a mech-heavy force, and unlike tanks which needed three or more crew, each BattleMech needed only one MechWarrior pilot. All of these fit on one 3600-ton Union, which had their own crew and techs.
Then the 11,200-ton Mule in the opposite collar had their own 20 crew and more techs and drivers for recovery and transport vehicles.
In total: sixty-four people.
There were sixty-four bored-ass people onboard and it had been four months. People had gone insane on shorter durations.
-.
-.
The children had the run of the ship.
But because they could not be left unsupervised, everyone had breakfast at the Mess Deck. Because the floor curved 'up' it was convenient for one end of the communal area to have one massive flat projector screen for TV and movie showings.
From the screen and the speakers around the dining area rousing trumpets blared and a deep voice announced:
o- From days of long ago
o- From uncharted regions
o- Of the universe,
o- Comes a legend.
o- The legend of Voltron:
o- Defender of the Universe!
o- A mighty robot,
o- Loved by good
o- Feared by evil.
o- As Voltron's legend grew,
o- Peace settled across the galaxy -
"Yaahhh!!!" the JumpShip's children happily greeted the intro to this ancient cartoon show. They occupied the tables closest to the screen.
Further back, looking at them, sat some of the pilots of 2nd Recon: Jack Finsrud, Terry Lyttle, and Barbara Mosley.
"I think Exosquad is better," said Jack as he sliced into his pancake.
"Ugh, you would," Barbara groaned. "They're basically just tiny Mechs."
Jack pointed with his fork. "Well what about you then? What do like then, Miss Discerning? The ancient wisdom of Dragon Ball? The timeless pathos of Sailor Moon? The gripping war records of GI Joe?"
This whole thing would probably be far more maddening if it didn't come mysteriously with a large bank of positively ancient lost media from the 20th century Terra. General Armstrong knew that morale was influenced by food and drink, so spared no expense to load up the JumpShip with a large supply of the highest quality consumables.
But in over four months with nothing to do but to watch things, exercise, train in sim pods, sleep, wake up to do nothing but to be paid to sit around, day after day after day seeing the same walls, they had mostly run out of things to talk about.
There was a rumor that the offices had advance screenings of newer stuff in straight sessions of newer stuff instead of waiting for them to come out in the schedule.
"The Centurions," said Barbara.
Jack Finsrud blinked. "Okay, that is a solid choice, I can accept that."
Terry began humming "Da dooh da duh da dee de. Du dat du dat duh da dee dih! They're heroes in a half shell and they're green-!"
"Oh you suck!" Barbara hissed at him and covered her ears. "Now that earworm is going to get stuck in my head for the next hour!"
A triumphant cadence filled the room again.
The children over at the far end spoke along with the dialog "LET'S GO VOLTRON FORCE!"
Lions roared. Lightning shrieked. A snare drum spun out a heart-pounding beat.
o- "Form feet and legs-
o- "Form arms and torso-
o- "And I'll form - the head!"
o- Roar. Roar!
The children made "RAWR!" noises.
"Ugh, I hate kids," moaned Barbara.
"It's a rerun," said Terry. The man was not so little, nor even ironically large. He was just so sadly average. "Children are fine with themed day reruns, it's like an emotional re-awakening. Or are you talking about how you got us baited into this detached duty?"
"Just because I welcomed that kid into the Eridani Light Horse-"
"Ahem. Because you sat into some sensitive information you're not even telling us about -" grunted Jack.
"This is good for you anyways, isn't it? By the time we get back, people will have forgotten all about you being that girl who got beat by an Urbanmech in a race," Terry said with a gentle smile.
Barabara let out some deep gurgling sound from the back of her throat and seemed only half-convinced.
"Good morning, troopers!"
"Sir!"
The three MechWarriors stopped and stood up as soon as they heard their lance commander's voice from behind them. Captain Raymond Allwine slashed down the air with a knife hand. He was a very proper officer and enforced discipline, but he was just always so unbearably nice about it all. "Ease off, crew. I'm just here to tell you we're all supposed to report to the sim pods at Oh Eight Thirty. We've got another team-based scenario training coming."
Barbara grimaced and murmured "Okay, that's interesting, but please not -"
"That's right, boys and girls! IT'S URBIE TIME!"
"Nuuuu….!!!"
-.
-.
Macintosh System
Crucis March
Federated Commonwealth
Date unknown
Macintosh was originally named Drekos by its predominantly Greek settlers, however the planet's name was changed to Macintosh during the time of the Star League when Apple Computers Interstellar made the planet their headquarters. The world which shared a name with the system was advanced and heavily industrialized with an A-rated HPG.
People on board the ship could use this chance with a high speed connection to get updated from the Inner Sphere and download newer holomagazines and vids.
"Are we there yet?"
-.
-.
Jacobabad System
Crucis March
Federated Commonwealth
Date unknown
Another abandoned system, the namesake world Jacobabad had a breathable atmosphere, a year length of 1.7 Terran years, and surface gravity of around .95g. Even the distance to the jump point was only 12 days. It was a mystery why they abandoned what would otherwise be a good farming world.
"Are we there yet?"
-.
-.
Csomad System
Crucis March
Federated Commonwealth
Date unknown
A mining world with a toxic atmosphere and surface gravity of 1.16 g, it was nonetheless still settled with a population of 68 million. However this was far enough in the Outback that HPG service didn't even exist. They had a 'Pony Express' system when a JumpShip would show up every three months or so.
"Are we there yet?"
-.
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Dumassas System
Unclaimed Space
The Periphery
Date unknown
Situated 2 AU away from its parent star, Dumassas was a cold world with a year length of 3 and 1/2 Terran years, but it had a breathable atmosphere and a surface gravity of .95 g. They were now out of Davion Space and were one jump away from violating the Taurian Concordat border.
"Are we there yet?"
"Yes, we are fucking there yet!"
-.
-.
4.2 Raiders of the Lost Urbie
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
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Anderson Continent
Dumassas
The Periphery
Date unknown
Dumassas was 78% water with several stringy landmasses, with only Anderson and Leon near the equator good for permanent habitation with a mean equatorial temperature of 19 degrees. Saint-Robert City was the world capital. It was an irradiated ruin.
The Union DropShip SLS CLAY landed about eighty kilometers northwest of Saint-Robert city and disgorged its company of Mechs - a full three lances. Carefully they followed the directions provided to a small snow-covered valley. The Mule DropShip FLDS BARTERTOWN remained in holding orbit. Two Eagle Heavy Fighters launched from the Union to provide air cover.
Edward Stimson raised the hand of his Devish BattleMech. At 55 tons with a top speed of 86 km/h, it was had a similar speed profile as preferred 30-ton Valkyrie, but with a heavier load in missile fire support role. His Command Lance included two Valkyries and a 40-ton Clint.
There were no changes made to the loadout of 2nd Recon company, which consisted of a command lance and a strike lance. Captain Raymond Allwine piloted a 55-ton Wolverine, with Jack Finsrud's 40-ton anti-infantry Vulcan BattleMech, Terry Little's 50-ton Enforcer armed with a Large Laser and an Autocannon/10 for anti-Mech work, and Barbara Mosley's fast 45-ton Phoenix Hawk to round out the lance.
Strike Lance was led by Lickin Graspkoot, and yes that was his real name, piloting a 35-ton Ostscout, with a 30-ton Valkyrie, a 20-ton Stinger, and 20-ton Wasp, which could easily hit over 120kph.
"Still nothing on sensors, Major," responded Lt. Gus Avery as he circled the skies above.
"Maintain Combat Air Patrol," Maj. Stimson ordered. He then turned around to address his company, waving the Mech's right arm for emphasis. "Pick a side and search, but be careful. If I wanted to hide something, I wouldn't lay booby traps to tell people there's something there. But if they already know there's something there, I'd want my traps to start activating to make them fuck off right quick."
The two lances separated and walked slowly into the glacier-carved valley, his command lance following.
Eventually the valley opened out into a bend, with one following the source of the thin river and the other leading down into a fjord with a series of oxbow lakes.
"This looks suspicious, sir," said Captain Allwine. "If we were the SLDF, and I wanted to hide launchers for a DropShip, I'd hide them under water."
"Good point. Then we should be double careful," replied Maj. Stimpson.
-.
The three lances went down the left downhill bend until they reached the first lake. They kept an eye on their magscan sensors. Water could also easily hide minefields or sentry turrets. The waters looked crystal clear, reflecting the sky perfectly, only here and there showing the stones beneath. Maj. Stimson broadcasted the authentication signal he was given on open radio frequency.
Nothing.
Gingerly the twelve mechs walked in single file around the edge of the waters until they reached the next lake. Maj. Stimpson broadcast again. This time he spoke "Authenticate Stone Eggplant Latitude Mango, Three, Three, One, Over." The authentication signal was composed of a digitally encrypted string and a passcode.
He received a brief electronic bleep, and nothing else.
This did imply they were on the right track. The lance moved to the next lake, and beyond it a deep fjord going all the way to the ocean.
"Authenticate Stone Eggplant Latitude Mango, Three, Three, One, Over."
Three short bleeps was the response. The surface of the lake rippled. Something large and rectangular rose out of the water. It was a signboard on a pole.
The lance warily readied their weapons and locked on. Major Stimpson zoomed in. Then he sighed.
"What's it?" someone asked idly.
"Clear the frequency on non-essential chatter," said Captain Allwine. Then he zoomed in with his own sensors, and then also sighed heavily.
The sign said:
- TURN AROUND.
- YOU ARE GOING
- THE WRONG WAY.
"Well that's encouraging," said Jack Finsrud.
"Wait, sir!" Barbara Mosley spoke up quickly. "What if it's a bluff?"
Major Stimson paused. He didn't think the SLDF would play games like that, but said again "Authenticate Stone, Eggplant, Latitude, Mango, Three, Three, One, Over."
The signboard rotated.
On the other side was:
- SLDF AUTHENTICATED.
- THIS IS NOT THE WAY.
Then his radio received a synthetic voice replying "Authenticated. Star League Defense Forces Three Hundred Thirty First Battle Regiment. Authentication code Sonic. Tails. Cherry. Diamond. Pearl. Respond."
He replied "Authenticate, Hedgehog. Fox. Rumbler. Ruby. Sapphire."
The voice returned "Accepted. Primary defenses deactivated. Turn around. You are going the wrong way."
The signboard retreated back into the blank depths.
"All right. Turn around…" the Major said. "Let's get this done."
As the twelve mechs moved, Jack Finsrud said over comms "Captain, permission to engage in nonessential chatter over the lance frequency?"
Capt. Allwine clicked on his radio to confer with the Major, and then came back with "You are clear to proceed."
So Jack clicked his radio to the 'open' mode and said "Like I was saying, you can't just apply it as a metaphor. The Avatar does have strong similarity to the SLDF as a peacekeeper among wildly different nations, yes. Sure, the Fire Nation is easy to conflate with the Draconis Combine, but the Earth Nation isn't a clear stand-in for the Lyran Commonwealth. The Air Nomads and the Water Tribe don't have any parallels to what we see today.
"That more than anything proves this was made way back during the Terran Alliance days... "
-.
-.
The Mechs went uphill until the valley narrowed to the point Mechs could only pass one at a time. Then it opened out again to a small clearing in front of a waterfall.
"Oh, the hidden base behind the waterfall!" Barbara chirped. "That's a classic!"
Major Stimson spoke again: "Authenticate Stone, Eggplant, Latitude, Mango, Three, Three, One, Over."
A voice, no longer the clearly artificial generic female voice of a computer, but a male one filled with energy but still containing that electronic buzz. "Eridani Light Horse, I presume?"
"This is Major Stimson of the Eridani Light Horse, yes. Who is this?"
"This is Robotnik. Did you bring my son?"
Stimson let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Oh thank whoever, they had not wasted five whole goddamn months just getting to this abandoned rock.
"No. As you requested, he is busy with Combat Training."
"Excellent. If the Eridani Light Horse could not even fulfill such a simple requirement, then there's no hope for their competence to handle the rest of my gifts. Hang on. For now, let me welcome you to SLDF EXPEDITIONARY SUPPORT FACILITY PORT STONE."
The ground rumbled beneath them. Then it began to hitch, and with a metallic groan, sink.
"Holy shit, this whole thing is an elevator!" Barbara squealed excitedly.
Twelve mechs descended into darkness. In the distance they heard hard mechanical clangs of flood lights turning on. Red eyes watched them from the dark. As they turned on the driving lights of their Mechs, they found gun turrets recessed into the shaft. The gunsights followed them as the elevator descended, but the guns failed to deploy.
Then, the view opened up.
Behind the armored glass walls of the elevator they saw a massive semi-spherical cavern. Clang. Clang. Clang. The lights turned on to reveal its full size. Approximately three hundred meters underground, and almost a kilometer wide, this was a hemispherical geofront - an excavated space made for habitation and/or manufacturing.
There was a section that elongated out like a stadium, then a rounded area at the end with walls that sloped up before converging into a dome, oddly evocative of the Great Roman Colosseum.
It was large enough to have its own indoor park, it was large enough to park Overlord-sized dropships and still have twice the height to spare, it was large enough to have its own micro-climate. The rows of buildings laid out in the grid gave the illusion of deeper space. Walls and blast shields surrounded the spaceport area at the far end. The roof of the cavern was a smooth white dome, and subtle blue lighting gave the impression of a sky.
Just the sight of it made their hearts skip the beat. Some of them shivered with uncontrollable emotion. This place -
Seven great dropships sat in a half-circle on the far end on rail platforms that could move them each in their thousands of tons onto a launch pad elevator.
Utilitarian buildings crowded the side walls of the base, but laid out in a sensible grid surrounding the central space. Everything was painted a clean and pristine white, shining under the halogen lights. The sight of it all was dominated by the symbol laid into the ferrocrete at the center of the facility - a four-pointed star with two elongated rays, and four more rays at ring angles behind.
The Cameron Star.
The icon of the Star League.
A group of distinctively shaped Mechs stood in formation on the way to the starport area. Eight Mechs per section separated into two four-unit rank, eight sections long, that was sixty-four mechs standing at attention.
The elevator came to a stop.
A small spherical walker machine waited at the foot of the elevator. Painted bright red on top and black in the lower half, it looked up at the war machines and waved with its arms ending in oversized hands.
"ERIDANI LIGHT HORSE! WELCOME, LOYAL CHILDREN OF THE STAR LEAGUE!." The robotic walker spun around as if dancing. "EVERYTHING YOU SEE HERE BELONGS TO YOU NOW."
"Holy shit!" it was unknown which MechWarrior gasped, but it was a sentiment they all shared. "Seriously?!"
"SINCERELY."
"You knew about this…" Jack hissed at Barbara through the comms.
Barbara looked around, boggling. On each side of the receiving area were two blank walls that had images projected onto them from below. On the left was the symbol of the SLDF, below that a map of the entire united Star League right before the usurpation of Amaris. Upon the other, the plumed helmet of the XIX Army and below that the six-pointed star of the LXV Corps. Nineteenth Army, Sixty-Fifth Corps, a record of a time when a single Army like this designed to keep the peace in the Taurian Concordat was composed of a mere one hundred and forty regiments.
This underground city, for much of his childhood, Devlin Stone lived here with no other company than his father and some robots to simulate social interaction.
"Not like this. I didn't imagine this…"
-.
-.
The Mechs disembarked from the elevator, which after thirty seconds detecting no weight began to rise up again with a fitful groan.
Nearby were rows of Mech gantries where MechWarriors could park their BattleMechs. The small spherical walker hopped back to give them room. Major Stimson walked his Dervish over to one of them, and the pad beneath his feet rotated the whole Mech to face the other way. The Mech Bay detected the location of his hatch, and lowered a walkway to the proper height.
Stimson took off the heavy bucket-like neurohelmet from his head and tried to calm the shaking in his hands by clenching them repeatedly into fists. It did not help.
He popped the cockpit hatch and exited his mech. The air in this facility tasted faintly like ozone. He paused standing on the walkway for a moment. It was high enough that he could still see the shining Cameron Star behind the rows of lostech Urbanmechs standing as if on parade.
The Mechs were irrelevant for the moment.
This was the Star League. This place - was a relic of their glory.
This place was glory itself.
As a man of the Eridani Light Horse, he thought it should feel like coming home - but he felt like an intruder trespassing onto a holy place.
He raised a hand and gestured for the rest of the lance to disembark but for one lance to remain in their Mechs at combat ready.
The walkway lowered so he could step off, and he faced the spherical walker. Its bulbous head smoothly faded onto its body, discernible only by a pair of goggles, a large hook nose, and a cartoonishly oversized bushy red mustache.
"Major Stimson, I presume?"
Stimson faced the walker and saluted. There were rules on saluting civilians and specialists, many would have equivalent rank in the SLDF, but none of that mattered to him right there. It was the least he felt he owed this man. If he was one. It looked fat, but this close and towering over him at eight feet tall, that walker was large enough to contain a person.
"Major Edward Stimson, Eridani Light Horse, 121st Regiment, 6th Recon Battalion, sir!" He lowered his hand. "Doctor Robotnik, I presume?"
"You presume correctly, but not all that accurately. That is not important right now. First of all-
The walls groaned and roared like the pack of savage beasts as a watershed started to drain. The ground trembled beneath their feet. Ferrocrete landing pads were exposed as the silt in the lake bed was sluiced away.
The mountain broke open. The facility's primary protection was its secrecy. Once exposed, there were only two possibilities - the DropShips would be able to launch and escape under the shadow of anti-orbital guns, or they would suffer conventional invasion.
"The ECM and orbital defenses have been disengaged. You can contact your ASFs and DropShips to make your landings now."
A group of egg-shaped robots in butler paint schemes carrying trays of food and drink - specifically cola and heated SLDF rations - approached.
"It's been a long journey for you, my friends! Ease off, take a dump, mi casa es su casa."
-.
-.
FLDS BARTERTOWN
Mule-class DropShip
In orbit above Dumassas
same time
"Are we there yet?"
"I WILL MURDER YOU."
"Captain, please don't. The blood is going to get everywhere in zero-g." The pilot started the engines for a landing approach. "ETA to waypoint, nine minutes."
Dumassas
The Periphery
Date unknown
Dumassas was 78% water with several stringy landmasses, with only Anderson and Leon near the equator good for permanent habitation with a mean equatorial temperature of 19 degrees. Saint-Robert City was the world capital. It was an irradiated ruin.
The Union DropShip SLS CLAY landed about eighty kilometers northwest of Saint-Robert city and disgorged its company of Mechs - a full three lances. Carefully they followed the directions provided to a small snow-covered valley. The Mule DropShip FLDS BARTERTOWN remained in holding orbit. Two Eagle Heavy Fighters launched from the Union to provide air cover.
Edward Stimson raised the hand of his Devish BattleMech. At 55 tons with a top speed of 86 km/h, it was had a similar speed profile as preferred 30-ton Valkyrie, but with a heavier load in missile fire support role. His Command Lance included two Valkyries and a 40-ton Clint.
There were no changes made to the loadout of 2nd Recon company, which consisted of a command lance and a strike lance. Captain Raymond Allwine piloted a 55-ton Wolverine, with Jack Finsrud's 40-ton anti-infantry Vulcan BattleMech, Terry Little's 50-ton Enforcer armed with a Large Laser and an Autocannon/10 for anti-Mech work, and Barbara Mosley's fast 45-ton Phoenix Hawk to round out the lance.
Strike Lance was led by Lickin Graspkoot, and yes that was his real name, piloting a 35-ton Ostscout, with a 30-ton Valkyrie, a 20-ton Stinger, and 20-ton Wasp, which could easily hit over 120kph.
"Still nothing on sensors, Major," responded Lt. Gus Avery as he circled the skies above.
"Maintain Combat Air Patrol," Maj. Stimson ordered. He then turned around to address his company, waving the Mech's right arm for emphasis. "Pick a side and search, but be careful. If I wanted to hide something, I wouldn't lay booby traps to tell people there's something there. But if they already know there's something there, I'd want my traps to start activating to make them fuck off right quick."
The two lances separated and walked slowly into the glacier-carved valley, his command lance following.
Eventually the valley opened out into a bend, with one following the source of the thin river and the other leading down into a fjord with a series of oxbow lakes.
"This looks suspicious, sir," said Captain Allwine. "If we were the SLDF, and I wanted to hide launchers for a DropShip, I'd hide them under water."
"Good point. Then we should be double careful," replied Maj. Stimpson.
-.
The three lances went down the left downhill bend until they reached the first lake. They kept an eye on their magscan sensors. Water could also easily hide minefields or sentry turrets. The waters looked crystal clear, reflecting the sky perfectly, only here and there showing the stones beneath. Maj. Stimson broadcasted the authentication signal he was given on open radio frequency.
Nothing.
Gingerly the twelve mechs walked in single file around the edge of the waters until they reached the next lake. Maj. Stimpson broadcast again. This time he spoke "Authenticate Stone Eggplant Latitude Mango, Three, Three, One, Over." The authentication signal was composed of a digitally encrypted string and a passcode.
He received a brief electronic bleep, and nothing else.
This did imply they were on the right track. The lance moved to the next lake, and beyond it a deep fjord going all the way to the ocean.
"Authenticate Stone Eggplant Latitude Mango, Three, Three, One, Over."
Three short bleeps was the response. The surface of the lake rippled. Something large and rectangular rose out of the water. It was a signboard on a pole.
The lance warily readied their weapons and locked on. Major Stimpson zoomed in. Then he sighed.
"What's it?" someone asked idly.
"Clear the frequency on non-essential chatter," said Captain Allwine. Then he zoomed in with his own sensors, and then also sighed heavily.
The sign said:
- TURN AROUND.
- YOU ARE GOING
- THE WRONG WAY.
"Well that's encouraging," said Jack Finsrud.
"Wait, sir!" Barbara Mosley spoke up quickly. "What if it's a bluff?"
Major Stimson paused. He didn't think the SLDF would play games like that, but said again "Authenticate Stone, Eggplant, Latitude, Mango, Three, Three, One, Over."
The signboard rotated.
On the other side was:
- SLDF AUTHENTICATED.
- THIS IS NOT THE WAY.
Then his radio received a synthetic voice replying "Authenticated. Star League Defense Forces Three Hundred Thirty First Battle Regiment. Authentication code Sonic. Tails. Cherry. Diamond. Pearl. Respond."
He replied "Authenticate, Hedgehog. Fox. Rumbler. Ruby. Sapphire."
The voice returned "Accepted. Primary defenses deactivated. Turn around. You are going the wrong way."
The signboard retreated back into the blank depths.
"All right. Turn around…" the Major said. "Let's get this done."
As the twelve mechs moved, Jack Finsrud said over comms "Captain, permission to engage in nonessential chatter over the lance frequency?"
Capt. Allwine clicked on his radio to confer with the Major, and then came back with "You are clear to proceed."
So Jack clicked his radio to the 'open' mode and said "Like I was saying, you can't just apply it as a metaphor. The Avatar does have strong similarity to the SLDF as a peacekeeper among wildly different nations, yes. Sure, the Fire Nation is easy to conflate with the Draconis Combine, but the Earth Nation isn't a clear stand-in for the Lyran Commonwealth. The Air Nomads and the Water Tribe don't have any parallels to what we see today.
"That more than anything proves this was made way back during the Terran Alliance days... "
-.
-.
The Mechs went uphill until the valley narrowed to the point Mechs could only pass one at a time. Then it opened out again to a small clearing in front of a waterfall.
"Oh, the hidden base behind the waterfall!" Barbara chirped. "That's a classic!"
Major Stimson spoke again: "Authenticate Stone, Eggplant, Latitude, Mango, Three, Three, One, Over."
A voice, no longer the clearly artificial generic female voice of a computer, but a male one filled with energy but still containing that electronic buzz. "Eridani Light Horse, I presume?"
"This is Major Stimson of the Eridani Light Horse, yes. Who is this?"
"This is Robotnik. Did you bring my son?"
Stimson let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Oh thank whoever, they had not wasted five whole goddamn months just getting to this abandoned rock.
"No. As you requested, he is busy with Combat Training."
"Excellent. If the Eridani Light Horse could not even fulfill such a simple requirement, then there's no hope for their competence to handle the rest of my gifts. Hang on. For now, let me welcome you to SLDF EXPEDITIONARY SUPPORT FACILITY PORT STONE."
The ground rumbled beneath them. Then it began to hitch, and with a metallic groan, sink.
"Holy shit, this whole thing is an elevator!" Barbara squealed excitedly.
Twelve mechs descended into darkness. In the distance they heard hard mechanical clangs of flood lights turning on. Red eyes watched them from the dark. As they turned on the driving lights of their Mechs, they found gun turrets recessed into the shaft. The gunsights followed them as the elevator descended, but the guns failed to deploy.
Then, the view opened up.
Behind the armored glass walls of the elevator they saw a massive semi-spherical cavern. Clang. Clang. Clang. The lights turned on to reveal its full size. Approximately three hundred meters underground, and almost a kilometer wide, this was a hemispherical geofront - an excavated space made for habitation and/or manufacturing.
There was a section that elongated out like a stadium, then a rounded area at the end with walls that sloped up before converging into a dome, oddly evocative of the Great Roman Colosseum.
It was large enough to have its own indoor park, it was large enough to park Overlord-sized dropships and still have twice the height to spare, it was large enough to have its own micro-climate. The rows of buildings laid out in the grid gave the illusion of deeper space. Walls and blast shields surrounded the spaceport area at the far end. The roof of the cavern was a smooth white dome, and subtle blue lighting gave the impression of a sky.
Just the sight of it made their hearts skip the beat. Some of them shivered with uncontrollable emotion. This place -
Seven great dropships sat in a half-circle on the far end on rail platforms that could move them each in their thousands of tons onto a launch pad elevator.
Utilitarian buildings crowded the side walls of the base, but laid out in a sensible grid surrounding the central space. Everything was painted a clean and pristine white, shining under the halogen lights. The sight of it all was dominated by the symbol laid into the ferrocrete at the center of the facility - a four-pointed star with two elongated rays, and four more rays at ring angles behind.
The Cameron Star.
The icon of the Star League.
A group of distinctively shaped Mechs stood in formation on the way to the starport area. Eight Mechs per section separated into two four-unit rank, eight sections long, that was sixty-four mechs standing at attention.
The elevator came to a stop.
A small spherical walker machine waited at the foot of the elevator. Painted bright red on top and black in the lower half, it looked up at the war machines and waved with its arms ending in oversized hands.
"ERIDANI LIGHT HORSE! WELCOME, LOYAL CHILDREN OF THE STAR LEAGUE!." The robotic walker spun around as if dancing. "EVERYTHING YOU SEE HERE BELONGS TO YOU NOW."
"Holy shit!" it was unknown which MechWarrior gasped, but it was a sentiment they all shared. "Seriously?!"
"SINCERELY."
"You knew about this…" Jack hissed at Barbara through the comms.
Barbara looked around, boggling. On each side of the receiving area were two blank walls that had images projected onto them from below. On the left was the symbol of the SLDF, below that a map of the entire united Star League right before the usurpation of Amaris. Upon the other, the plumed helmet of the XIX Army and below that the six-pointed star of the LXV Corps. Nineteenth Army, Sixty-Fifth Corps, a record of a time when a single Army like this designed to keep the peace in the Taurian Concordat was composed of a mere one hundred and forty regiments.
This underground city, for much of his childhood, Devlin Stone lived here with no other company than his father and some robots to simulate social interaction.
"Not like this. I didn't imagine this…"
-.
-.
The Mechs disembarked from the elevator, which after thirty seconds detecting no weight began to rise up again with a fitful groan.
Nearby were rows of Mech gantries where MechWarriors could park their BattleMechs. The small spherical walker hopped back to give them room. Major Stimson walked his Dervish over to one of them, and the pad beneath his feet rotated the whole Mech to face the other way. The Mech Bay detected the location of his hatch, and lowered a walkway to the proper height.
Stimson took off the heavy bucket-like neurohelmet from his head and tried to calm the shaking in his hands by clenching them repeatedly into fists. It did not help.
He popped the cockpit hatch and exited his mech. The air in this facility tasted faintly like ozone. He paused standing on the walkway for a moment. It was high enough that he could still see the shining Cameron Star behind the rows of lostech Urbanmechs standing as if on parade.
The Mechs were irrelevant for the moment.
This was the Star League. This place - was a relic of their glory.
This place was glory itself.
As a man of the Eridani Light Horse, he thought it should feel like coming home - but he felt like an intruder trespassing onto a holy place.
He raised a hand and gestured for the rest of the lance to disembark but for one lance to remain in their Mechs at combat ready.
The walkway lowered so he could step off, and he faced the spherical walker. Its bulbous head smoothly faded onto its body, discernible only by a pair of goggles, a large hook nose, and a cartoonishly oversized bushy red mustache.
"Major Stimson, I presume?"
Stimson faced the walker and saluted. There were rules on saluting civilians and specialists, many would have equivalent rank in the SLDF, but none of that mattered to him right there. It was the least he felt he owed this man. If he was one. It looked fat, but this close and towering over him at eight feet tall, that walker was large enough to contain a person.
"Major Edward Stimson, Eridani Light Horse, 121st Regiment, 6th Recon Battalion, sir!" He lowered his hand. "Doctor Robotnik, I presume?"
"You presume correctly, but not all that accurately. That is not important right now. First of all-
The walls groaned and roared like the pack of savage beasts as a watershed started to drain. The ground trembled beneath their feet. Ferrocrete landing pads were exposed as the silt in the lake bed was sluiced away.
The mountain broke open. The facility's primary protection was its secrecy. Once exposed, there were only two possibilities - the DropShips would be able to launch and escape under the shadow of anti-orbital guns, or they would suffer conventional invasion.
"The ECM and orbital defenses have been disengaged. You can contact your ASFs and DropShips to make your landings now."
A group of egg-shaped robots in butler paint schemes carrying trays of food and drink - specifically cola and heated SLDF rations - approached.
"It's been a long journey for you, my friends! Ease off, take a dump, mi casa es su casa."
-.
-.
FLDS BARTERTOWN
Mule-class DropShip
In orbit above Dumassas
same time
"Are we there yet?"
"I WILL MURDER YOU."
"Captain, please don't. The blood is going to get everywhere in zero-g." The pilot started the engines for a landing approach. "ETA to waypoint, nine minutes."
4.3 Raiders of the Lost Urbie
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
- Messages
- 727
- Likes received
- 11,709
-.
-.
The technicians had no less awe and wonder about this relic of a bygone era of progress and excess. If anything, because they better understood the depths of how much technological progress had degraded, they appreciated better having samples of pristine unused tech.
Resident Engineer Joseph Kubler of the SLS ARENDAL and Senior Warrant Officer Andrei Posseli jerked back as a humanoid robot with a thin head balancing on two wheel-chassis zoomed towards them.
"Take a map," it said, shoving a folded pamphlet at them. "Take a map."
"Out of my way, you dumb bucket of bolts!" Kubler tried to push it away.
The Map Robot's wheels squealed on the ferrocrete main lift receiving area and then pushed into the engineer's personal space and intimidatingly pushed the folded piece of paper at his chin. "Take. A map."
"Jesus Christ! Fine! Give me one and go away!"
As soon as the pamphlet left its hand, it spun around in place and faced Andrei Posseli. It reached into its belt bag and said "Take a map."
"Sure." The older man took the map.
"Thank you. Have a nice day." The Map Robot then zoomed away to accost the next group of unprepared visitors.
"What in bloody hell is wrong with this place?" Kubler said with a scowl, before angrily opening the map.
Port Stone was not very big on the face of it, but the map showed tunnels and rooms extending into the bedrock and the DropShip lift leading up to the surface. This was all so terribly bad for operational security.
They walked a little further, comparing the map to the territory, and passed other Eridani Light Horse crew and technicians rubbernecking at the sights. Past the military feel of the elevator receiving area, with its Mech and vehicle parking, its gantries and cranes, and doors that lead into lower level storage and transport tunnels, was the civilian area.
The whole place looked like the main street of some fake tourist town. Fake trees swayed to an invisible breeze. Posseli went down to one knee to feel the grass bordering the sidewalk. It was artificial of course, but made of some soft polymer fabric.
The buildings lining the central courtyard had signs like "Bob's Burgers" and "Sunny Side Tailoring" and "Duty Free Store". They were all staffed by robots.
He looked up at the dome. With careful arrangement of diffused lights to remove shadows, It could almost seem like a sky. A peppy ambient tune wafted out of recessed speakers, reminding him of green hills.
"This isn't a Star League base, it's like someone decided to build an underground resort," hissed Kubler.
"It's a Port. This was not a completely military operation. Soldiers also need downtime, and this… well, in a winter planet like this, isn't it comforting?"
Up ahead, a group of technicians were crowding around a trio of MechWarriors sitting on several crates.
The pair of senior engineers walked over.
-.
6th Recon Lance was playing the welcoming party. They fielded questions from newcomers, and indeed this was a welcome duty compared to being forced to do outside patrols or grunt box-carrying work.
"Why is this place so big?!" one of them asked. Yes, sure, of course you needed plenty of space to store dropships - but why did it need such a high roof? "This isn't very defensible - shouldn't you expect a Brian Castle to be criss-crossed with tunnels and be confusing for attackers?"
"From what I heard," Jack Finsrud noted dully "The SLDF detonated fusion bombs to make this hole. Then they just built over it, making a fake mountain."
The technician nodded. "That… overkill sounds like a SLDF thing to do, yep yep."
"You can't just excuse literally anything stupid and impractical as 'because the SLDF!'," groused Barbara.
"She said, as she was chowing down on military rations that are still fine after two hundred years," said Jack with a 'heh'.
"This honey beef rice is pretty good," said Terry Lyttle. "Anyone want some tofu curry thai?"
One of the technicians raised his hand. Terry dug a pack from the crates they were sitting on and threw it at him.
"What do I do with this?"
"Go into a food place and ask the robots there to fix you up."
-.
The two older engineers then idly decided to follow the young man into the nearby diner.
Once inside, a robot with an hourglass shaped and in a pink apron paint scheme approached the tech. "Hello, soldier. What can I get ya, hon?"
"Uh…" the tech looked around and saw other ELH personnel already eating and minding their own business, not even sparing him a glance. He raised the ration pack. "Something for this?"
"Sure thing, hon." The robot then swiveled around and said "Honey, spot for one rations!"
"ONE BROKE-ASS SPECIAL COMING RIGHT UP!" replied the cook robot wheeling out of the kitchen.
The tech frowned. "Is… is it even possible to get some real food out of this place?"
The cook robot asked "DO YOU HAVE ANY STAR LEAGUE DOLLARS ON YOU, BOY AND/OR GIRL?"
"... no?"
"THEN HOT WATER IS THE BEST WE CAN GIVE FOR FREELOADERS! GET A JOB, HIPPIE!" the cook robot shouted back.
"Use of utensils is free, dear," said the robot waitress. "They're over there. Pick a table, I'll get your order to you right quick."
As the tech even more confusedly walked over to the spoon and fork dispensers, the people in the diner laughed, finding it riotously funny for their own ineffable reasons. Soon enough the robot waitress returned with several bowls and a pitcher of hot water.
Joseph Kubler turned aside and said flatly "What even is up with this place, seriously."
Andrei Posseli just rubbed at his grizzled chin and furrowed his brows. This level of limited artificial intelligence… well, that was lostech too.
-.
"Ho, MechWarriors!" Senior Warrant Officer Posseli raised a hand and addressed the three pilots. "Where's the Major?"
All three pilots pointed behind them towards the standing rows of Urbanmechs. In the distance two men and a large bulbous robot stood talking with each other.
"Of course," Kubler whispered under his breath. "MechWarriors are going to mech …."
-.
The two engineers reported in and made their introductions.
"Ah, good, we were waiting for you," said Major Stimson. He glanced aside at Robotnik "Someone was being all coy about explaining specs without a tech there to properly appreciate things."
The walker's face was fixed but someone it just seemed so incredibly smug. "I am Doctor Ivo Robotnik, and now we can get all this organized."
Captain Allwine nodded. "I too, would like to know why we had been simulator drilling so much on some oddly overly fast Urbanmechs."
"Come along, Horsies, let's put the kiddos to work so we can talk properly about bigger and better things."
Robotnik's walker approached the group by the plaza and raised its hands. A loud foghorn sound rang through the indoor space, drawing attention. Internal speakers announced louder "All righty! All righty then! I know I said everything here belongs to you now, but in the interests of saving time, all technicians and gather around and I'll tell you what goes where as you loot the place."
Some of the men scowled at the implication, but the technicians gathered around Robotnik and the mobile holo-emitter on legs that followed him around.
"You boyos and girlos brought a Mule, right? Good. Because most of the gear had already been loaded onto the DropShips. I had to leave a bunch of the stackable goods behind because I thought you would like to carry off some of the Sub-Capital Laser Cannons."
"A what?" asked one of the engineers.
The holo-projector displayed a rotating 3d image of something that technically should not exist until half a century later.
"Heavy Sub Capital Laser, otherwise known as SL-Three, is a heavily cut down Naval Laser-Thirty Five - less effective range, slightly less damage, but only two hundred fifty tons instead of seven hundred. Emplaced anti-orbital guns. The Bigwigs have one thousand two hundred tons of free cargo tons, so I filled two of the seven DropShips with ten of them. There's still twenty-four more ringing the base and the six Light Naval PPCs - those are one thousand four hundred tons though. If you all weren't the Eridani Light Horse, well - nothing short of a WarShip would have survived anywhere closer than three hundred kilometers."
The Robotnik walker's blank black goggled eyes loomed large over the holo, which shifted to a the familiar spherical form of a Union-class DropShip. "I figured you'd like having something that *is* WarShip grade but would be light enough to be transportable or built into a DropShip as a Pocket WarShip."
"I want that," replied the engineer in a tiny little voice.
Robotnik's walker clapped its hands. "All righty, ring raiders - here's the deal. That pile of crates over there are ER PPCs. ER Large Lasers. Non-ER Large and Medium Lasers. Over there are the Medium and Small Pulse Lasers-" he began pointing around the complex. "Those there are a thousand tons of Double Heatsinks, and that over are Extra Light Fusion Engines in the ninety, one-twenty, one-fifty and one-eighty-rated range. That's two thousand tons of Ferro-Fibrous, and behind you right now are five hundred tons of SLDF rations, a very small portion of the colony survival essentials this base was made to stock.
"Thumper artillery and ammunition are already loaded into the Bigwigs; I also presumed you'd want to have as many Arrow-Four artillery missiles as you could possibly get."
The holo-projector highlighted each location in sequence.
They stared at the walker, struck numb - maybe by all the lostech? Or maybe by his rationality?
"Miscellaneous electronics, here. Artemis modules. Artemis-enabled LRMs and SRMS. Then bulkier Electronic Warfare equipment - Beagle Active Probe and Guardian ECM - there. AMS systems and ammo, those boxes next to them."
"So much lostech…"
The walker didn't have a head to shake, so it only waggled from side to side and flapped its arms. "Weapons are nothing. Three of the seven Bigwigs are full with terraforming equipment and deployable factories inside their Vehicle Bays. They were stocked that way from the start. STONE EGG was a long-range colonization and exploration mission going past the Taurian Concordat ."
"Why?"
"That… is a secret."
"Yeah fair enough."
The walker clapped its hands again, and then turned to the two senior technicians. "Which among you is the more senior specialist?"
"That would be me," replied Andrei Posseli.
Robotnik turned towards Major Stimson. The Eridani Light Horse Battalion-level officer nodded. He ordered "All right. Mister Kubler? Please arrange for the inspection and loading of materials onto the DropShips. Prioritize all the military cargo, I don't want to hear about people looting non-essentials and knick-knacks over strategic supplies."
"Aye, sir!" responded Joseph Kubler. He turned around and began barking orders of his own. DropShips were part of the naval complement of the Eridani Light Horse, and everything regarding deployment was handled by a separate technical group.
Robotnik's walker turned in place to speak to Major Stimson. "Now walk with me; you have questions, and I will answer them. I have much to brag about; but not just for any random ears to overhear."
"Heh," sniffed Major Stimson.
"We appreciate your honesty," said Captain Allwine.
-.
-.
The group walked slowly and paused before the first group of mechs. Four arranged in a lance, on either side of the path. Robotnik gestured towards them. "You already know about the Super Urbanmechs. UMS-SSR. Speed of eighty-six kilometers per hour on an XL 150 Engine, ER PPC without minimum range, Medium Pulse Laser, Guardian ECM to throw ghost targets to confound targeting and jam transmissions. Six tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor."
The holo-robot displayed the details of the Mech with a simulated scene of the Mech in motion.
"The only difference between these and the one my boy brought with him to Colchester is that these don't have the Supercharger, so that reckless young and/or drunk fools don't ruin their Engines on racing Urbies. Only officer Super Urbanmechs get the Supercharger so they can chase down those idiots. They get a third Jump Jet instead to extend their jump range to ninety meters. Double Heatsinks mean that they never have to worry about heat issues."
Senior Warrant Officer Posseli let out an amazed "Huuh." He bent down to read the technical readout on the holo. "That sounds surprisingly potent."
"As I promised you have a full regiment - one hundred and forty-four mechs of these."
"A full regiment?!" Captain Allwine wheezed. He gave Major Stimson a look that said 'Okay I understand everything perfectly now'.
Major Stimson only scowled. "You promised TWO regiments."
Robotnik nodded by making the whole walker tilt its body up and down. "I did. And you'll have it. Let's move on."
-.
The next group of Urbanmechs had a smaller weapon in its right arm weapon pod and three lenses in the left. "The UMS-SPL, is for militia pilots that don't have good aim, which I think was expected from most of them. Built for more short-ranged combat, this laser vomit of a Mech ditches the Guardian ECM to have a Large Pulse laser on the right and three Medium Lasers on the left. Twelve DHS is enough to keep it cool. Jump range, 90 meters. Everything else identical to the standard Super Urbanmech that better rewards people with good aim."
"Could I get information on Large Pulse Lasers, please?" asked Posseli.
The holo-robot obliged. The tech hummed. "Seven tons, same as the ER PPC. But… only a little more than half the range of a regular PPC, but produces the same heat. Or to put it another way, 60% of the range of an AC/10. Only slightly more range than a standard Medium Laser. What was the point of developing these?"
"Within that range, extreme accuracy and short duration pulses that can strip almost as much armor as a standard PPC shot," replied Robotnik. "With the refire rate of these things in short-range combat? You're not going to miss being unable to mount an AC/20. You can strip armor so fast it's like flaying a Mech alive."
Major Stimson considered it. "Sounds better for fast mechs. How many of these Large Pulse Lasers do we get?"
"In weapons stocks? Hundreds. In Mechs? Thirty-six."
"Huh. Not that much."
"You can always refit standard Super Urbanmechs to these if your pilots are terrible at gunnery," Robotnik shrugged.
"Not likely. We're going to have to prioritize even more gunnery training from now."
"Then let's move on."
-
The next group of Urbanmechs had boxy missile launchers on each arm.
"The Super Urbanmech variant UMS-MSL is ammo-dependent with LRM10 with Artemis on the left, a pair of Streak SRM2s fed by a single ton of ammo on the right, each with a Medium Laser below that. For people with even poorer aim than that, maybe? I dunno."
"You have a very poor impression of the people that were originally supposed to receive these Mechs," Captain Allwine noticed.
"These were people who were for all they knew, going on a one-way trip into the void. People with irreplaceable skills they were not. That's why a lot of the information systems on this cache were so focused on education and on-site training."
"Fascinating. We do get those too, right?" asked Posseli.
"Of course."
"How many of these?" asked Major Stimson.
"Thirty-six."
"That makes half the regiment then. Sixty-four mechs left. I'm seeing a disposition based on combat roles here. What else?"
"Moving on-"
-.
The next Urbanmech had an even larger missile box on its left arm and a tiny Small Laser port on the right arm pod.
"The UMS-ARV is *slow*. It can only go up to fifty-four kilometers per hour. Its heatsinks are Standard. It has only THREE tons of Ferro Fibrous armor instead of six. It does still retain the sixty-meter jump jets though. Take a guess why?"
The two MechWarriors looked puzzled, but the ELH technician looked up at the Mechs and then beamed. With almost boyish glee he asked "Is that an Arrow IV missile artillery launcher?!"
"Correctamundo."
"Holy shit," said Captain Allwine.
"The UM-SSA comes with two tons of Arrow IV ammunition, each with five shots. Five shots of Thunder warheads, airbursting to deliver an instant minefield on the point. Then five shots of non-homing warheads are slightly less vulnerable to AMS since they are not targeting a Mech in particular, for area-of-effect devastation to entire enemy lances. We do have Arrow IV Homing missiles if you place TAG on other mechs on the battle line though."
"How many?!" Major Stimson clenched his fists in front of his face and roared.
"Thirty six."
He raised his arms. "A Battalion of fucking artillerymechs, FUCK YES."
"This… this changes things," murmured Capt. Allwine. "Even if it's slow, it has Jump Jets. It can go where Long Toms can't."
"Even better, it can do shoot and scoot to avoid artillery counter-battery fire in a way Long Toms can't. We can only count on Long Toms being able to outrange everything to avoid this, but… organic artillery support that can combat-drop with Strike lances? This is maximum aggression, sir. No one is prepared for this. No one."
Major Stimson looked up wild-eyed towards the Robotnik walker's blank goggle-like eye ports. "That's three-fourths of the regiment down. I don't know - what do you have left that could top this?"
Robotnik waggled from side to side and laughed. "Then let me surprise you - if you're smart, you're going to understand why this is the best of all."
-.
Next up:
"The Urbanmech UMS-SCG "Super Comms Guard" is slightly faster than your regular Super Urbanmech, it can go 97 km per hour on 180-rated XL Engine. It has four Jump Jets letting it jump 120 meters. It has a pair of Medium Pulse Lasers in each arm to quickly make die some bugmechs think they found some easy prey."
The Super Urbanmech in question didn't look too different, apart from its antennas maybe taller than the usual. The domelike 'head' of the Urbanmech had a round protrusion like the lights on a miner's helmet.
"It's fast, but this leaves it with plenty of tons and volume - which it uses to contain four tons of advanced Star League Communications Equipment that can make contact with satellites and coordinate and relay transmissions across a very wide radius. It carries a Beagle Active Probe to spot and classify enemies and passively listen in to transmissions and counteract jamming. It has an advanced Recon Camera to passively and optically track and spot enemies for artillery. It packs a Remote Sensor Dispenser and with its communication suites is able to monitor five Remote Sensors at the same time and is able to pick up recon data as soon as it enters maximum range of a previously-deployed sensor.
It can't transmit targeting data, but it can transmit literally all other information about the enemy to each other, either through satlink or skywave, then to the HQ. To put things into perspective - this packs a better communications suite than what DropShips have - and those have to communicate across interplanetary distances!"
Major Stimson stared dully at Robotnik. Then after a while, he spoke: "Okay. I admit it. That's pretty damn good, Robotnik. That's more valuable than the artillerymechs."
"Pardon me, sir - but I don't understand," said Captain Allwine. "Isn't it just a scout mech?"
"It's not just a Scout mech. It's an information control mech. Scout Mechs report *to* it. It's a Mobile HQ that can run. It makes the whole Regiment act on real-time updated information as one unit instead of each Battalion doing their own thing collecting their own recon information and passing it on. You should understand how important this is - Recon companies aren't made to fight the enemy unless we're forced to, we find them then we give their location to the Strike companies. When we fought the Dragoons on Hoff, other than the line Heavies, it's Recon Lances that got hit hard when forced to fight because we didn't have the tons and weapons for it."
"Sir, my apologies, but I still don't quite get it. How would this help?"
"I made my Command Lance out of Light Mechs to get to where I'm needed. You think I did that hoping to turn the tide of battle with a bunch of twenty or thirty-tonners? No. Where I'm needed is where I need to go so I can *know*. We had to get into combat range just so that command could have a picture on what's happening and where.
"What do you think really keeps us from reforming the 21st Regiment? Lack of Mechs? We can get that. Lack of pilots? We can train that. Lack of DropShips? We could seize that from our enemies. No, the problem is that we reached the limit of being able to command a regiment long ago. We can't even deploy two regiments at the same time and hope to coordinate effectively. When we fought on Hoff, it was the biggest fight the Light Horse fought since the defense of Hesperus II - and just like that time, we had to piggyback on the command and control apparatus of the Great Houses to handle anything close to regimental in scale.
"We fought Hoff and we survived that… but it was in small pockets of fighting that we only managed to move as one big force only when we're in sight of each other. We could have rolled the Dragoons all the way back to their DropShips if Kerensky didn't break our flank. If our Heavies just *knew* she was there-
"We fought Hoff as a cat-and-mouse game, but even when we could draw away lances of the Dragoons, we could never combine force to defeat them in detail because we just couldn't be *sure* where the rest of the enemy is without exposing a weakness in our own battle lines. We had to pull them to our lines where we had knowledge of who was where, but that's just conceding space and time. This violated Principle Two - what is that?"
Allwine answered "Offensive. When given the chance, attack and remain on the offensive for as long as possible. The enemy is weakest when backing up, and so are you."
"Right. They had more confidence because they were a Dragoons regiment of Heavies and Mediums, and they knew a Light Horse regiment was mostly Mediums and Lights and they just needed to keep pushing-
"But if we just had complete knowledge of the battlespace… speed. Finally. You can leverage that."
"You can do the Mongol," said Robotnik.
"What?" asked Posseli.
Major Stimson nodded. He immediately got the point. "Hit the enemy hard and retreat then attack again from another direction, so fast that the enemy thinks you are two different attackers and that you have more fighters on the field than you do. Maximum havoc. Maximum confusion."
"I see. So… if we go back to the fundamental principles, that's Seven, Eight, and Nine. No, wait - Principle Two should be the most important here-" Captain Allwine pondered. "Unity of Command. Always know who is above and below you in the chain of command and what they are doing. It will not only help you in times of trouble, but it will also give you a better sense of how your mission fits into the overall picture."
"Right. Unity of Command. Then Surprise. Intelligence. Simplicity. Having Jump Artillery is an operational solution. This? This is strategy. It makes everything else happen." Major Stimson moved his open palms in a curving wave as if tracing a rainbow.
Captain Allwine nodded. "I see. And… what makes this even better is that it can adequately defend itself. Scout command mech?"
"Ah, and that reminds me -" added Posseli. "This would be great to integrate into artillery formations, because having updated knowledge of the local battlespace prevents someone from sneaking through and taking out your valuable and almost defenseless artillery units."
Major Stimson pointed firmly at the Mech to his left. "There's thirty-six of these. Now the Eridani Light Horse has five regiments, equal in numbers if not in wargear to the Wolf's Dragoons. We can even put one in every battalion, down to every Battallion Command Lance having satlink access to all other Light Horse formations on-planet.
"If the enemy force has taken out the satellites? They're going to expect that would leave us blind to the larger battlespace, like what most mercenaries face. Everything our recon groups gather - we could bounce direct-wave information off recon aircraft if we have to, without having to risk aerospace anywhere close to where the enemy can shoot at them." He swept his arm angrily down. "This thing is too valuable to lose, everything else that is Urbanmech-shaped is a decoy."
"Nyeeee… actually. You do remember that the SLDF Communication Equipment is only 4 tons, right? Active Probe is one and a half tons. Recon Camera and Remote Sensors, half a ton each. Depending on what you chose to leave behind, you could easily assemble thirty-six more from, say, one hundred forty-four tons of cargo. Get that by refitting Regular Super Urbanmechs, or even non-Super Urbanmechs."
"DUMP EVERYTHING THAT ISN'T THIS! All other cargo is extra!" the Major spun around to point at Senior Warrant Office Posseli. Then to Robotnik. "How many of these SLDF Comm Suites do you have here anyway?"
"Two hundred."
Stimson's hand dropped to his side. He grimaced at Robotnik in consternation. "That's… eight hundred tons. The hell why a colony effort would need that many battlefield control and communications equipment instead of more food and clean water and medicine?"
Robotnik made another small full-body nod. "You will understand later when we can talk about the DropShips - but in short, when the SEEDCORN colonies arrive at their chosen planet, they would be *mandated* to have full coverage monitoring of the entire world. Why? Again, later."
The Major also nodded. "Fair enough." Then he turned his head and grimaced again. "But… there's still more Mechs here. What's this about?"
Robotnik's walker began rubbing its palms together eagerly.
-.
The technicians had no less awe and wonder about this relic of a bygone era of progress and excess. If anything, because they better understood the depths of how much technological progress had degraded, they appreciated better having samples of pristine unused tech.
Resident Engineer Joseph Kubler of the SLS ARENDAL and Senior Warrant Officer Andrei Posseli jerked back as a humanoid robot with a thin head balancing on two wheel-chassis zoomed towards them.
"Take a map," it said, shoving a folded pamphlet at them. "Take a map."
"Out of my way, you dumb bucket of bolts!" Kubler tried to push it away.
The Map Robot's wheels squealed on the ferrocrete main lift receiving area and then pushed into the engineer's personal space and intimidatingly pushed the folded piece of paper at his chin. "Take. A map."
"Jesus Christ! Fine! Give me one and go away!"
As soon as the pamphlet left its hand, it spun around in place and faced Andrei Posseli. It reached into its belt bag and said "Take a map."
"Sure." The older man took the map.
"Thank you. Have a nice day." The Map Robot then zoomed away to accost the next group of unprepared visitors.
"What in bloody hell is wrong with this place?" Kubler said with a scowl, before angrily opening the map.
Port Stone was not very big on the face of it, but the map showed tunnels and rooms extending into the bedrock and the DropShip lift leading up to the surface. This was all so terribly bad for operational security.
They walked a little further, comparing the map to the territory, and passed other Eridani Light Horse crew and technicians rubbernecking at the sights. Past the military feel of the elevator receiving area, with its Mech and vehicle parking, its gantries and cranes, and doors that lead into lower level storage and transport tunnels, was the civilian area.
The whole place looked like the main street of some fake tourist town. Fake trees swayed to an invisible breeze. Posseli went down to one knee to feel the grass bordering the sidewalk. It was artificial of course, but made of some soft polymer fabric.
The buildings lining the central courtyard had signs like "Bob's Burgers" and "Sunny Side Tailoring" and "Duty Free Store". They were all staffed by robots.
He looked up at the dome. With careful arrangement of diffused lights to remove shadows, It could almost seem like a sky. A peppy ambient tune wafted out of recessed speakers, reminding him of green hills.
"This isn't a Star League base, it's like someone decided to build an underground resort," hissed Kubler.
"It's a Port. This was not a completely military operation. Soldiers also need downtime, and this… well, in a winter planet like this, isn't it comforting?"
Up ahead, a group of technicians were crowding around a trio of MechWarriors sitting on several crates.
The pair of senior engineers walked over.
-.
6th Recon Lance was playing the welcoming party. They fielded questions from newcomers, and indeed this was a welcome duty compared to being forced to do outside patrols or grunt box-carrying work.
"Why is this place so big?!" one of them asked. Yes, sure, of course you needed plenty of space to store dropships - but why did it need such a high roof? "This isn't very defensible - shouldn't you expect a Brian Castle to be criss-crossed with tunnels and be confusing for attackers?"
"From what I heard," Jack Finsrud noted dully "The SLDF detonated fusion bombs to make this hole. Then they just built over it, making a fake mountain."
The technician nodded. "That… overkill sounds like a SLDF thing to do, yep yep."
"You can't just excuse literally anything stupid and impractical as 'because the SLDF!'," groused Barbara.
"She said, as she was chowing down on military rations that are still fine after two hundred years," said Jack with a 'heh'.
"This honey beef rice is pretty good," said Terry Lyttle. "Anyone want some tofu curry thai?"
One of the technicians raised his hand. Terry dug a pack from the crates they were sitting on and threw it at him.
"What do I do with this?"
"Go into a food place and ask the robots there to fix you up."
-.
The two older engineers then idly decided to follow the young man into the nearby diner.
Once inside, a robot with an hourglass shaped and in a pink apron paint scheme approached the tech. "Hello, soldier. What can I get ya, hon?"
"Uh…" the tech looked around and saw other ELH personnel already eating and minding their own business, not even sparing him a glance. He raised the ration pack. "Something for this?"
"Sure thing, hon." The robot then swiveled around and said "Honey, spot for one rations!"
"ONE BROKE-ASS SPECIAL COMING RIGHT UP!" replied the cook robot wheeling out of the kitchen.
The tech frowned. "Is… is it even possible to get some real food out of this place?"
The cook robot asked "DO YOU HAVE ANY STAR LEAGUE DOLLARS ON YOU, BOY AND/OR GIRL?"
"... no?"
"THEN HOT WATER IS THE BEST WE CAN GIVE FOR FREELOADERS! GET A JOB, HIPPIE!" the cook robot shouted back.
"Use of utensils is free, dear," said the robot waitress. "They're over there. Pick a table, I'll get your order to you right quick."
As the tech even more confusedly walked over to the spoon and fork dispensers, the people in the diner laughed, finding it riotously funny for their own ineffable reasons. Soon enough the robot waitress returned with several bowls and a pitcher of hot water.
Joseph Kubler turned aside and said flatly "What even is up with this place, seriously."
Andrei Posseli just rubbed at his grizzled chin and furrowed his brows. This level of limited artificial intelligence… well, that was lostech too.
-.
"Ho, MechWarriors!" Senior Warrant Officer Posseli raised a hand and addressed the three pilots. "Where's the Major?"
All three pilots pointed behind them towards the standing rows of Urbanmechs. In the distance two men and a large bulbous robot stood talking with each other.
"Of course," Kubler whispered under his breath. "MechWarriors are going to mech …."
-.
The two engineers reported in and made their introductions.
"Ah, good, we were waiting for you," said Major Stimson. He glanced aside at Robotnik "Someone was being all coy about explaining specs without a tech there to properly appreciate things."
The walker's face was fixed but someone it just seemed so incredibly smug. "I am Doctor Ivo Robotnik, and now we can get all this organized."
Captain Allwine nodded. "I too, would like to know why we had been simulator drilling so much on some oddly overly fast Urbanmechs."
"Come along, Horsies, let's put the kiddos to work so we can talk properly about bigger and better things."
Robotnik's walker approached the group by the plaza and raised its hands. A loud foghorn sound rang through the indoor space, drawing attention. Internal speakers announced louder "All righty! All righty then! I know I said everything here belongs to you now, but in the interests of saving time, all technicians and gather around and I'll tell you what goes where as you loot the place."
Some of the men scowled at the implication, but the technicians gathered around Robotnik and the mobile holo-emitter on legs that followed him around.
"You boyos and girlos brought a Mule, right? Good. Because most of the gear had already been loaded onto the DropShips. I had to leave a bunch of the stackable goods behind because I thought you would like to carry off some of the Sub-Capital Laser Cannons."
"A what?" asked one of the engineers.
The holo-projector displayed a rotating 3d image of something that technically should not exist until half a century later.
"Heavy Sub Capital Laser, otherwise known as SL-Three, is a heavily cut down Naval Laser-Thirty Five - less effective range, slightly less damage, but only two hundred fifty tons instead of seven hundred. Emplaced anti-orbital guns. The Bigwigs have one thousand two hundred tons of free cargo tons, so I filled two of the seven DropShips with ten of them. There's still twenty-four more ringing the base and the six Light Naval PPCs - those are one thousand four hundred tons though. If you all weren't the Eridani Light Horse, well - nothing short of a WarShip would have survived anywhere closer than three hundred kilometers."
The Robotnik walker's blank black goggled eyes loomed large over the holo, which shifted to a the familiar spherical form of a Union-class DropShip. "I figured you'd like having something that *is* WarShip grade but would be light enough to be transportable or built into a DropShip as a Pocket WarShip."
"I want that," replied the engineer in a tiny little voice.
Robotnik's walker clapped its hands. "All righty, ring raiders - here's the deal. That pile of crates over there are ER PPCs. ER Large Lasers. Non-ER Large and Medium Lasers. Over there are the Medium and Small Pulse Lasers-" he began pointing around the complex. "Those there are a thousand tons of Double Heatsinks, and that over are Extra Light Fusion Engines in the ninety, one-twenty, one-fifty and one-eighty-rated range. That's two thousand tons of Ferro-Fibrous, and behind you right now are five hundred tons of SLDF rations, a very small portion of the colony survival essentials this base was made to stock.
"Thumper artillery and ammunition are already loaded into the Bigwigs; I also presumed you'd want to have as many Arrow-Four artillery missiles as you could possibly get."
The holo-projector highlighted each location in sequence.
They stared at the walker, struck numb - maybe by all the lostech? Or maybe by his rationality?
"Miscellaneous electronics, here. Artemis modules. Artemis-enabled LRMs and SRMS. Then bulkier Electronic Warfare equipment - Beagle Active Probe and Guardian ECM - there. AMS systems and ammo, those boxes next to them."
"So much lostech…"
The walker didn't have a head to shake, so it only waggled from side to side and flapped its arms. "Weapons are nothing. Three of the seven Bigwigs are full with terraforming equipment and deployable factories inside their Vehicle Bays. They were stocked that way from the start. STONE EGG was a long-range colonization and exploration mission going past the Taurian Concordat ."
"Why?"
"That… is a secret."
"Yeah fair enough."
The walker clapped its hands again, and then turned to the two senior technicians. "Which among you is the more senior specialist?"
"That would be me," replied Andrei Posseli.
Robotnik turned towards Major Stimson. The Eridani Light Horse Battalion-level officer nodded. He ordered "All right. Mister Kubler? Please arrange for the inspection and loading of materials onto the DropShips. Prioritize all the military cargo, I don't want to hear about people looting non-essentials and knick-knacks over strategic supplies."
"Aye, sir!" responded Joseph Kubler. He turned around and began barking orders of his own. DropShips were part of the naval complement of the Eridani Light Horse, and everything regarding deployment was handled by a separate technical group.
Robotnik's walker turned in place to speak to Major Stimson. "Now walk with me; you have questions, and I will answer them. I have much to brag about; but not just for any random ears to overhear."
"Heh," sniffed Major Stimson.
"We appreciate your honesty," said Captain Allwine.
-.
-.
The group walked slowly and paused before the first group of mechs. Four arranged in a lance, on either side of the path. Robotnik gestured towards them. "You already know about the Super Urbanmechs. UMS-SSR. Speed of eighty-six kilometers per hour on an XL 150 Engine, ER PPC without minimum range, Medium Pulse Laser, Guardian ECM to throw ghost targets to confound targeting and jam transmissions. Six tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor."
The holo-robot displayed the details of the Mech with a simulated scene of the Mech in motion.
"The only difference between these and the one my boy brought with him to Colchester is that these don't have the Supercharger, so that reckless young and/or drunk fools don't ruin their Engines on racing Urbies. Only officer Super Urbanmechs get the Supercharger so they can chase down those idiots. They get a third Jump Jet instead to extend their jump range to ninety meters. Double Heatsinks mean that they never have to worry about heat issues."
Senior Warrant Officer Posseli let out an amazed "Huuh." He bent down to read the technical readout on the holo. "That sounds surprisingly potent."
"As I promised you have a full regiment - one hundred and forty-four mechs of these."
"A full regiment?!" Captain Allwine wheezed. He gave Major Stimson a look that said 'Okay I understand everything perfectly now'.
Major Stimson only scowled. "You promised TWO regiments."
Robotnik nodded by making the whole walker tilt its body up and down. "I did. And you'll have it. Let's move on."
-.
The next group of Urbanmechs had a smaller weapon in its right arm weapon pod and three lenses in the left. "The UMS-SPL, is for militia pilots that don't have good aim, which I think was expected from most of them. Built for more short-ranged combat, this laser vomit of a Mech ditches the Guardian ECM to have a Large Pulse laser on the right and three Medium Lasers on the left. Twelve DHS is enough to keep it cool. Jump range, 90 meters. Everything else identical to the standard Super Urbanmech that better rewards people with good aim."
"Could I get information on Large Pulse Lasers, please?" asked Posseli.
The holo-robot obliged. The tech hummed. "Seven tons, same as the ER PPC. But… only a little more than half the range of a regular PPC, but produces the same heat. Or to put it another way, 60% of the range of an AC/10. Only slightly more range than a standard Medium Laser. What was the point of developing these?"
"Within that range, extreme accuracy and short duration pulses that can strip almost as much armor as a standard PPC shot," replied Robotnik. "With the refire rate of these things in short-range combat? You're not going to miss being unable to mount an AC/20. You can strip armor so fast it's like flaying a Mech alive."
Major Stimson considered it. "Sounds better for fast mechs. How many of these Large Pulse Lasers do we get?"
"In weapons stocks? Hundreds. In Mechs? Thirty-six."
"Huh. Not that much."
"You can always refit standard Super Urbanmechs to these if your pilots are terrible at gunnery," Robotnik shrugged.
"Not likely. We're going to have to prioritize even more gunnery training from now."
"Then let's move on."
-
The next group of Urbanmechs had boxy missile launchers on each arm.
"The Super Urbanmech variant UMS-MSL is ammo-dependent with LRM10 with Artemis on the left, a pair of Streak SRM2s fed by a single ton of ammo on the right, each with a Medium Laser below that. For people with even poorer aim than that, maybe? I dunno."
"You have a very poor impression of the people that were originally supposed to receive these Mechs," Captain Allwine noticed.
"These were people who were for all they knew, going on a one-way trip into the void. People with irreplaceable skills they were not. That's why a lot of the information systems on this cache were so focused on education and on-site training."
"Fascinating. We do get those too, right?" asked Posseli.
"Of course."
"How many of these?" asked Major Stimson.
"Thirty-six."
"That makes half the regiment then. Sixty-four mechs left. I'm seeing a disposition based on combat roles here. What else?"
"Moving on-"
-.
The next Urbanmech had an even larger missile box on its left arm and a tiny Small Laser port on the right arm pod.
"The UMS-ARV is *slow*. It can only go up to fifty-four kilometers per hour. Its heatsinks are Standard. It has only THREE tons of Ferro Fibrous armor instead of six. It does still retain the sixty-meter jump jets though. Take a guess why?"
The two MechWarriors looked puzzled, but the ELH technician looked up at the Mechs and then beamed. With almost boyish glee he asked "Is that an Arrow IV missile artillery launcher?!"
"Correctamundo."
"Holy shit," said Captain Allwine.
"The UM-SSA comes with two tons of Arrow IV ammunition, each with five shots. Five shots of Thunder warheads, airbursting to deliver an instant minefield on the point. Then five shots of non-homing warheads are slightly less vulnerable to AMS since they are not targeting a Mech in particular, for area-of-effect devastation to entire enemy lances. We do have Arrow IV Homing missiles if you place TAG on other mechs on the battle line though."
"How many?!" Major Stimson clenched his fists in front of his face and roared.
"Thirty six."
He raised his arms. "A Battalion of fucking artillerymechs, FUCK YES."
"This… this changes things," murmured Capt. Allwine. "Even if it's slow, it has Jump Jets. It can go where Long Toms can't."
"Even better, it can do shoot and scoot to avoid artillery counter-battery fire in a way Long Toms can't. We can only count on Long Toms being able to outrange everything to avoid this, but… organic artillery support that can combat-drop with Strike lances? This is maximum aggression, sir. No one is prepared for this. No one."
Major Stimson looked up wild-eyed towards the Robotnik walker's blank goggle-like eye ports. "That's three-fourths of the regiment down. I don't know - what do you have left that could top this?"
Robotnik waggled from side to side and laughed. "Then let me surprise you - if you're smart, you're going to understand why this is the best of all."
-.
Next up:
"The Urbanmech UMS-SCG "Super Comms Guard" is slightly faster than your regular Super Urbanmech, it can go 97 km per hour on 180-rated XL Engine. It has four Jump Jets letting it jump 120 meters. It has a pair of Medium Pulse Lasers in each arm to quickly make die some bugmechs think they found some easy prey."
The Super Urbanmech in question didn't look too different, apart from its antennas maybe taller than the usual. The domelike 'head' of the Urbanmech had a round protrusion like the lights on a miner's helmet.
"It's fast, but this leaves it with plenty of tons and volume - which it uses to contain four tons of advanced Star League Communications Equipment that can make contact with satellites and coordinate and relay transmissions across a very wide radius. It carries a Beagle Active Probe to spot and classify enemies and passively listen in to transmissions and counteract jamming. It has an advanced Recon Camera to passively and optically track and spot enemies for artillery. It packs a Remote Sensor Dispenser and with its communication suites is able to monitor five Remote Sensors at the same time and is able to pick up recon data as soon as it enters maximum range of a previously-deployed sensor.
It can't transmit targeting data, but it can transmit literally all other information about the enemy to each other, either through satlink or skywave, then to the HQ. To put things into perspective - this packs a better communications suite than what DropShips have - and those have to communicate across interplanetary distances!"
Major Stimson stared dully at Robotnik. Then after a while, he spoke: "Okay. I admit it. That's pretty damn good, Robotnik. That's more valuable than the artillerymechs."
"Pardon me, sir - but I don't understand," said Captain Allwine. "Isn't it just a scout mech?"
"It's not just a Scout mech. It's an information control mech. Scout Mechs report *to* it. It's a Mobile HQ that can run. It makes the whole Regiment act on real-time updated information as one unit instead of each Battalion doing their own thing collecting their own recon information and passing it on. You should understand how important this is - Recon companies aren't made to fight the enemy unless we're forced to, we find them then we give their location to the Strike companies. When we fought the Dragoons on Hoff, other than the line Heavies, it's Recon Lances that got hit hard when forced to fight because we didn't have the tons and weapons for it."
"Sir, my apologies, but I still don't quite get it. How would this help?"
"I made my Command Lance out of Light Mechs to get to where I'm needed. You think I did that hoping to turn the tide of battle with a bunch of twenty or thirty-tonners? No. Where I'm needed is where I need to go so I can *know*. We had to get into combat range just so that command could have a picture on what's happening and where.
"What do you think really keeps us from reforming the 21st Regiment? Lack of Mechs? We can get that. Lack of pilots? We can train that. Lack of DropShips? We could seize that from our enemies. No, the problem is that we reached the limit of being able to command a regiment long ago. We can't even deploy two regiments at the same time and hope to coordinate effectively. When we fought on Hoff, it was the biggest fight the Light Horse fought since the defense of Hesperus II - and just like that time, we had to piggyback on the command and control apparatus of the Great Houses to handle anything close to regimental in scale.
"We fought Hoff and we survived that… but it was in small pockets of fighting that we only managed to move as one big force only when we're in sight of each other. We could have rolled the Dragoons all the way back to their DropShips if Kerensky didn't break our flank. If our Heavies just *knew* she was there-
"We fought Hoff as a cat-and-mouse game, but even when we could draw away lances of the Dragoons, we could never combine force to defeat them in detail because we just couldn't be *sure* where the rest of the enemy is without exposing a weakness in our own battle lines. We had to pull them to our lines where we had knowledge of who was where, but that's just conceding space and time. This violated Principle Two - what is that?"
Allwine answered "Offensive. When given the chance, attack and remain on the offensive for as long as possible. The enemy is weakest when backing up, and so are you."
"Right. They had more confidence because they were a Dragoons regiment of Heavies and Mediums, and they knew a Light Horse regiment was mostly Mediums and Lights and they just needed to keep pushing-
"But if we just had complete knowledge of the battlespace… speed. Finally. You can leverage that."
"You can do the Mongol," said Robotnik.
"What?" asked Posseli.
Major Stimson nodded. He immediately got the point. "Hit the enemy hard and retreat then attack again from another direction, so fast that the enemy thinks you are two different attackers and that you have more fighters on the field than you do. Maximum havoc. Maximum confusion."
"I see. So… if we go back to the fundamental principles, that's Seven, Eight, and Nine. No, wait - Principle Two should be the most important here-" Captain Allwine pondered. "Unity of Command. Always know who is above and below you in the chain of command and what they are doing. It will not only help you in times of trouble, but it will also give you a better sense of how your mission fits into the overall picture."
"Right. Unity of Command. Then Surprise. Intelligence. Simplicity. Having Jump Artillery is an operational solution. This? This is strategy. It makes everything else happen." Major Stimson moved his open palms in a curving wave as if tracing a rainbow.
Captain Allwine nodded. "I see. And… what makes this even better is that it can adequately defend itself. Scout command mech?"
"Ah, and that reminds me -" added Posseli. "This would be great to integrate into artillery formations, because having updated knowledge of the local battlespace prevents someone from sneaking through and taking out your valuable and almost defenseless artillery units."
Major Stimson pointed firmly at the Mech to his left. "There's thirty-six of these. Now the Eridani Light Horse has five regiments, equal in numbers if not in wargear to the Wolf's Dragoons. We can even put one in every battalion, down to every Battallion Command Lance having satlink access to all other Light Horse formations on-planet.
"If the enemy force has taken out the satellites? They're going to expect that would leave us blind to the larger battlespace, like what most mercenaries face. Everything our recon groups gather - we could bounce direct-wave information off recon aircraft if we have to, without having to risk aerospace anywhere close to where the enemy can shoot at them." He swept his arm angrily down. "This thing is too valuable to lose, everything else that is Urbanmech-shaped is a decoy."
"Nyeeee… actually. You do remember that the SLDF Communication Equipment is only 4 tons, right? Active Probe is one and a half tons. Recon Camera and Remote Sensors, half a ton each. Depending on what you chose to leave behind, you could easily assemble thirty-six more from, say, one hundred forty-four tons of cargo. Get that by refitting Regular Super Urbanmechs, or even non-Super Urbanmechs."
"DUMP EVERYTHING THAT ISN'T THIS! All other cargo is extra!" the Major spun around to point at Senior Warrant Office Posseli. Then to Robotnik. "How many of these SLDF Comm Suites do you have here anyway?"
"Two hundred."
Stimson's hand dropped to his side. He grimaced at Robotnik in consternation. "That's… eight hundred tons. The hell why a colony effort would need that many battlefield control and communications equipment instead of more food and clean water and medicine?"
Robotnik made another small full-body nod. "You will understand later when we can talk about the DropShips - but in short, when the SEEDCORN colonies arrive at their chosen planet, they would be *mandated* to have full coverage monitoring of the entire world. Why? Again, later."
The Major also nodded. "Fair enough." Then he turned his head and grimaced again. "But… there's still more Mechs here. What's this about?"
Robotnik's walker began rubbing its palms together eagerly.
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4.4 Raiders of the Lost Urbie
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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Next were a line of Urbanmechs that seemed like they couldn't decide if they wanted to be Jenners or Phoenix Hawks, with squatter more disc-shaped body that extended to the back with what seemed to be a backpack engine pods. The weapon arms were much lower on the body, right at the hip level, and seemed to be covered by a thin triangular slab of armor.
"What are these?" asked Major Stimson.
"Urbanmech LAM."
Everyone paused in mid-step. Stimson took a deep calming breath, turned towards Robotnik and said with a wry smile "Robotnik, I respect you. I am grateful for everything that you have done and the Eridani Light Horse will do all we can to live up to your expectations of us," then he raised a finger "BUT DON'T SCREW WITH MEEEE!"
"Sir!" Lieutenant Allwine gasped at this vulgarity.
Robotnik's walked slapped its palms over its great round belly, threw its body back, and laughed. "MU HA HA HA HA HA" then it straightened backed up again. "But I'm serious."
Senior Warrant Office Fosseli frowned and scratched at his bushy eyebrows. "Would even the Star League… how would that even work? I mean, I know a lot of ASFs are themselves flying bricks that would crash as soon as they turned off their thrusters - with enough trust even an elephant may fly, but how would Urbanmech LAM even work?"
Robotnik's walked stomped around in place and bobbed its body in a nod. "Good point. You know how LAMs have three modes, right?"
Fosseli nodded back. "Mech Mode. AirMech Mode. Then Fighter Mode. The Eridani Light Horse operates multiple Land-Air Mechs in our Recon Lances too."
Robotnik pointed to the Urbanmech to his right. "UM-LAM! Enter AirMech Mode!"
The machine gave out a mechanical whine and turned on its signal lights. Then with a series of clicks and whirs - the arm pods flicked 90 degrees up to turn into arm wings, and out from the undercarriage of the UM-LAM's back, a pair of larger wings swung up and clicked into place.
Jump Jets warmed up, steaming the air around the Mech's legs in preparation for primary ignition.
"Wait, that's it?" Fosseli responded.
"No fancy transformation sequences here!" Robotnik bellowed. "None of that modular transformation magical mecha nonsense!"
Fosseli's weathered face twisted up even more. "... I suppose if you squint" and here he did actually squint at the Mechs "It could resemble a Sparrowhawk or a Sholagar maybe a little…"
The walking holorobot helpfully provided models of the ASFs in question. The Sparrowhawk was just one bulb-shaped cockpit that had two laser guns jutting right out of the front, wings protruding off the side and a vertical tail stabilizer on top like a hat. The Sholagar was a disc-shaped fighter, a circular wing design that leads to many crashes in an atmosphere but its speed made it an excellent light fighter in space operations.
"The UM-LAM, Urbanmech LAM *is* a proven design. At forty-tons, it's heavier than its namesake mech. Most of that goes into the backpack assembly and reinforcing the legs to support Jump Jets. In Mech mode, it can run eighty-six kph and has five Jump Jets to leap one hundred twenty meters.
"In AirMech mode, the increased surface area extends this to four hundred fifty meters, even six hundred gliding reach at maximum burn, and triggering the jets every four-hundred meters, can stay up in the air at low altitudes pretty much indefinitely - as long as the pilot doesn't care that his flight is more like a zigzag falling and bouncing right above treetops. Mess that up and they crumple."
Stimson sucked in breath through his teeth. He said while a discontented whine "At least a Stinger LAM looks vaguely like aircraft in AirMech mode."
"Sir…"
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Charitably speaking, the Urbanmech LAM could also be said to look vaguely like VTOL. Or hovercraft."
Stimson blinked. "That is a good point. Where are the thrusters on this thing?"
The holo of the UM-LAM appeared over the flat table-like surface of the holorobot. The body had one main thruster poking out the back, then two secondary thrusters on each back pod. Then the legs themselves each had a powerful thruster, fed by potentially vulnerable intakes at the knee section. Finally, two thrust vents redirected hot airflow from the main thruster out the front for VTOL mode landings in Fighter mode.
Seven openings for five powered Jump Jets that in Mech Mode collected compressed and heated air as jumpjet 'fuel' for jumping. This did not require any actual fuel, and what made Jump-capable Mechs capable of repeated jumping as long as they waited long enough for JumpJets to compress and superheat reaction mass in between leaps.
In fighter mode, these JumpJets would consume fuel for continuous operation.
Stimson hummed. "Okay, I can see it. Without any fancy transformation sequences, the pilot's torso location doesn't really change at all in any modes. In a Stinger LAM, that while torso section swings up and down between nose and center torso in the body. Here it just stays in the middle all the time. That's… a lot less confusing."
Posseli noted "Land-Air Mechs are notorious as hangar queens. The less finicky rotation sections that need to lock in precisely to change from a mech into a fighter the better. I hope that the easy servicing of a regular Urbanmech carries through to this machine."
"What does the Fighter mode of this Urbanmech LAM even look like?" Posseli then asked. "Just fold the legs backwards flat against the fuselage so that all five thrusters point in the same direction?"
The holo provided a simulation of the UM-LAM in flight. The readout promised that in Fighter mode, at least inside the atmosphere as a LAM lacked fuel for extended space operations, it had a safe thrust of around 900 km/h and a maximum thrust of 1440 km/h. That was quite slow as far as fightercraft could go, but the UM-LAM due to its inefficiently compact aerodynamic shape might have strange supermaneuverability compared to more conventional wing designs.
Robotnik pointed at the mech and ordered "UM-LAM, switch to Fighter mode!"
The Urbanmech LAM raised its chin and pointed its body all the way back to near vertical, exposing the flat frisbee-like underside of its torso. With a *sproing* sound, landing gear then deployed from the undercarriage.
Then the Urbanmech LAM tipped over to the side. Klonk.
Robotnik's walker raised its hands in triumph. "URBANMECH LAAAM!"
Everyone else looked towards Major Stimson. After a while, the man shrugged. "Eh. I'll take it."
"Sir-" Allwine ventured a counterpoint again.
"What is it, Lieutenant?"
"That's more than two regiments. Possibly technically LAMs are counted in aerospace instead?"
"Bonkers, that's right! Two regiments fit into six Bigwigs." He turned towards Robotnik "You did say that most of the Mechs were already preloaded into the DropShips. When you say you had thirty-six of a particular mech - does that include these mechs standing here?"
"No, I meant already into the MechBay cubicles. These are just extra."
"How many Urbanmech LAMs do we get?"
"Thirty-six."
"That's a full three companies of flyers. So that's in the seventh dropship, then?"
"No. the seventh DropShip is… special. The slots are full, if you want these you're going to have to leave something behind."
Stimson clutched at his chin with his left and and began tapping at his mustache with the index finger. "Dump the Pulse Laser Super Urbanmechs. If we need them, we can just refit ER PPC Super Urbies into them later." He paused as another thought occurred- "Wait, would these things fit even inside the gantries? I remember you said they were only good for Light Mechs. A forty-ton mech is a Medium."
"The bottom gantry cares more about height than mass," Robotnik replied. "This stands at the same height as a Super Urbanmech, which just happens to be half the height of a Phoenix Hawk too - and that PHX *is* forty-tons."
"So if you haven't loaded the Urbanmech LAMs yet, where are they?"
"Oh, they're on the ship."
"... how did you make them fit?"
Robotnik's walker made laughing motions again. "WA HA HA HA. I *knew* you would say that, so I didn't load the Pulse Laser Super Urbanmechs *at all*."
Major Stimson gave him a dull unamused stare. "You *are* screwing around with me. Stop that."
"There are even more Mechs here though," Lt. Allwine not-at-all-helpfully noted.
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"What are these are and why are they yellow?"
"These are UM-CIV, modular civilianized versions of the Orguss Urbanmech chassis. They may look like Urbanmechs from the outside, but inside they're all Industrial-grade tech. If you say a standard Urbanmech - a UM-R60 costs around 1.47 million C-bills, you can have these for around 880 thousand. They run on multifuel Internal Combustion Engines, and can go up to 54 kph."
"Whoa, that's actually pretty damn sensible for the Star League!" chuffed Posseli. "Um, no offense."
"None taken," replied Stimson. He turned towards Robotnik again "I don't think I would dump any combat Mechs for any Industrial Mechs, but tell me about them."
"That one there with the chainsaw and the single lift hoist and the fluid guns in the arms? That's a road clearing and fire-fighting mech I like to call the Ruralmech. That one with the double lift hoists where the arm pods would usually be? They can carry up to half their weight without problem or up to their weight with at halved speed - with two hitch points front and back preset in the gyro for 10 and 5 tons respectively. I call those the UrbanCarriers. That one there that looks the same, but in white and red? Those are UrbanRescue, they can go up to 64 kph and can carry medical and relief supplies through very inhospitable conditions that would prevent wheeled, tracked, and even flying vehicles from operating.
"There actually *is* a BattleMech-grade Urban Carrier - the UM-CRC, the Urbanmech Combat Recovery Vehicle - two of them totalling sixty tons can haul a hundred-ton Atlas in some sort of travois."
"Tarnation, you make these things sound terribly useful. It makes sense that a place like this would have them."
The group continued walking and talking.
"You can carry some of them off, just need to repurpose a Vehicle Bay for them. They're just thirty tons, after all's said and done. As long as there are enough tie-down points, you can treat any Mech or Vehicle Bay like general-purpose Cargo Bays. They won't be able to walk out on their own power, but again… just thirty tons. They can roll out on standard heavy machinery pallets if you gave it a serious try.
"You're not going to need all that many - there's full plans for manufacturing more and it's not going to be hard by any means to ask Davion interests to split a factory line. Heck, if the Eridani Light Horse wants some passive income, then buy a stake to that company in exchange for the schematics."
Posseli looked uncertain. "I don't know though, having actual arms might be useful. But an Urbanmech with arms just feels… wrong."
Robotnik pointed to the last UM-CIV on the line, which had a bulbous beer belly than the usual Urbanmech. Then from the torso pod it deployed a pair of crawfish-like arms ending in regular five-fingered hands like the SLDF Hussar Battlemech.
Posseli shielded his face from the sight. "Aah! What is this monstrosity?!"
"I just call it UM-HDN, Urban Handsy."
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As the group neared the spaceport area, Lt. Allwine perked up and pointed out again "Oh! What are these? These aren't Urbanmechs!"
Posseli looked from the last UM-CIV to the next series of Mechs. These mechs were so tiny even an Urbanmech could hide them from view. They did still look Urbanmech shaped, just more of an onion bulb than trashcan. Unlike Urbanmechs they had actual arms and hands, though more spindly and utilitarian, much like the one on Robotnik's walker.
"More Industrial Mechs? Hobby little walker robots, maybe?" They looked like little Urbanmechs with top hats. It was ridiculous.
"While most of the UrbanMechs here were derived from Orguss and SLDF plans, I am proud to say these are my own original invention! Robotnik's ULM-E series Ultralight BattleMechs! The fifteen-ton URBAN(L)ITE!"
"What?" Major Stimson blinked. He looked towards the Engineer. "Is that even possible?"
Posseli shrugged. "I actually don't know. Sub-twenty ton Mechs are not unusual for Industrial Mechs, but combat-rated BattleMechs? Doctor Robotnik, please explain."
"Oh come on. The Star League had Ultralight Mech technology just fine. You remember the Ambassador Mech? That was fifteen tons and could go one-seventy-seven kph! I know there's this whole Mech cult going on, but seriously. Diplomatic talks were conducted on top of them with both sides walking on unarmed Mechs as a symbol of good faith. Michael Cameron liked to travel to Council meetings on his personal Ambassador, named the 'Star of Terra'."
"I… did not actually know that," he replied. "Please continue."
"The ULM-NIT is fifteen tons, uses a XL 120 Engine, which weighs two tons, which lets it go up to almost one hundred thirty kph. Plus two standard jump jets to jump sixty meters. You remember the Urbanmech Comms Guard. The Urbanite is kitted out for recon and spotting for artillery. It has a Beagle Active Probe. It has a Recon Camera. It has Remote Sensor Dispensers. It can monitor two Remote Sensors at the same time and act as a relay for communications sending long-range comm signals only a BAP could detect to each other or BAP equipped aircraft. In case it gets caught, it has three tons of ferro-fibrous armor and a single Medium Laser. That's equivalent to three and a half tons of Standard armor, and wahey- this is as fast and even smaller than a Locust, and unlike a Locust - it can Jump."
"Huh," said Major Stimson.
"Huh," said Lt. Allwine.
"That's very reasonable!" said SWO Posseli.
"And normal MechWarriors can pilot these?" asked Stimson.
"It has what I call a Small Cockpit, which strips out redundant life support and comfort features like the chemical toilet and such, but yus. The Engine integrated heatsinks can't even be stressed by the Medium Laser and jumping all day. Pilots don't even have to wear a cooling jacket, though they probably would still hate being made to pee into a bottle."
"Robotnik, I want this. I need this. How many of them do you have and how many can we take with us?" Major Stimson spoke with fire in his eyes.
"URBANITES, COMPACT"
The Ultra-Light Mechs dropped all the same time to a crouch. They folded their arms forward on their chests - elbow to elbow, wrist to wrist. Weapon pods tilted fully upwards.
"Look at them. They so tiny. You can store four of them in a standard fifty ton Vehicle Bay if you had to. Anywhere from sixteen to forty-eight. Ninety-six if you're willing to exchange heavy tanks for them."
"Fascinating," remarked Posseli.
"UBANITES, UNPACK!"
The UltraLight Mechs raised back up again.
"What about that one?" asked Allwine, the lieutenant pointing to a ULM-NIT that looked like it had a backpack that melded into the head. A single baleful eye stared back at them above the cockpit vision slit.
"Oh, that's ULM-LSR, Urban Laser. That exchanges all the loadout and downgrading the engine for max speed of ninety-seven kph - just to carry a single ER Large Laser for a face. Mounted vertically with ninety-degree angle focusing lens, being able to outrange standard PPC has its perks. Technically you could replace everything with five Medium Lasers for maximum laser vomit too. It has enough DHS for that."
"Are you some sort of geniusss?!" Posseli squeaked.
"WA HA HA HA."
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Senior Warrant Office Posseli thumbed the radio affixed to left side of his technician's vest. "Logistics One, this is Technical One, do you read me, over?"
"This is Logistics One, I read you, over." the radio returned.
"Reconfirm loading priority - Fusion Engines, then Communications Equipment, then ER PPC, then Arrow IV artillery missiles, then Double HeatSinks, then everything else. Need number and tonnage of engines, over."
Resident Engineer Kubler replied "Wait, what? We have those? Arrow IV artillery- hey! You! Find the artillery missiles!"
"We have those?!" another voice shouted excitedly from nearby.
Kubler continued "Technical One, it's been less than fifteen minutes. We're still just counting and double-checking the manifests. So far by the ratings we have one hundred twenty of Class-120 XL Engines at 2 tons each - total 240 tons; ninety of Class-150 XL Engines at 3 tons each, total 360 tons; thirty-six of Class-180 Engines at 3.5 tons each - total 126 tons. We also have here thirty-six Class-200 regular Fusion Engines at 8.5 tons each, and thirty-six Class-240 Fusion Engines at 8.5 tons each. Total Fusion 200, 306 tons. Total Fusion 240, 414 tons.
"XL Engines total tons, 726. Regular Fusion total tons is 720 tons. Combined, 1446 tons. Mule DropShip capacity budget, 8000 tons. Over."
Posseli looked pained. Apart from the 200-rated engine being good for LAMs, the Fusion 240 was also a very common Engine used in very many BattleMechs and ASFs. Anything 40, 60, or 80 tons could be readily expected to use a Fusion 240.
The 200-rated engines were immediately more useful because they were important reserves for any LAM problems. Dump the 240-rated engines or not? They were not lost technology, could buy them in the Inner Sphere well enough. But the ELH also had plenty of 60-ton tanks. That was 414 tons less of individual Double HeatSinks or Ferro-Fibrous armor. Two hundred units of Communications Equipment were already eight hundred tons.
"Doctor Robotnik, we need to know what is already inside your DropShips."
"YOUR DropShips, but sure, I was leading to that point already." The walker pointed towards the starport area. "Onwards, my little ponies!"
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Next were a line of Urbanmechs that seemed like they couldn't decide if they wanted to be Jenners or Phoenix Hawks, with squatter more disc-shaped body that extended to the back with what seemed to be a backpack engine pods. The weapon arms were much lower on the body, right at the hip level, and seemed to be covered by a thin triangular slab of armor.
"What are these?" asked Major Stimson.
"Urbanmech LAM."
Everyone paused in mid-step. Stimson took a deep calming breath, turned towards Robotnik and said with a wry smile "Robotnik, I respect you. I am grateful for everything that you have done and the Eridani Light Horse will do all we can to live up to your expectations of us," then he raised a finger "BUT DON'T SCREW WITH MEEEE!"
"Sir!" Lieutenant Allwine gasped at this vulgarity.
Robotnik's walked slapped its palms over its great round belly, threw its body back, and laughed. "MU HA HA HA HA HA" then it straightened backed up again. "But I'm serious."
Senior Warrant Office Fosseli frowned and scratched at his bushy eyebrows. "Would even the Star League… how would that even work? I mean, I know a lot of ASFs are themselves flying bricks that would crash as soon as they turned off their thrusters - with enough trust even an elephant may fly, but how would Urbanmech LAM even work?"
Robotnik's walked stomped around in place and bobbed its body in a nod. "Good point. You know how LAMs have three modes, right?"
Fosseli nodded back. "Mech Mode. AirMech Mode. Then Fighter Mode. The Eridani Light Horse operates multiple Land-Air Mechs in our Recon Lances too."
Robotnik pointed to the Urbanmech to his right. "UM-LAM! Enter AirMech Mode!"
The machine gave out a mechanical whine and turned on its signal lights. Then with a series of clicks and whirs - the arm pods flicked 90 degrees up to turn into arm wings, and out from the undercarriage of the UM-LAM's back, a pair of larger wings swung up and clicked into place.
Jump Jets warmed up, steaming the air around the Mech's legs in preparation for primary ignition.
"Wait, that's it?" Fosseli responded.
"No fancy transformation sequences here!" Robotnik bellowed. "None of that modular transformation magical mecha nonsense!"
Fosseli's weathered face twisted up even more. "... I suppose if you squint" and here he did actually squint at the Mechs "It could resemble a Sparrowhawk or a Sholagar maybe a little…"
The walking holorobot helpfully provided models of the ASFs in question. The Sparrowhawk was just one bulb-shaped cockpit that had two laser guns jutting right out of the front, wings protruding off the side and a vertical tail stabilizer on top like a hat. The Sholagar was a disc-shaped fighter, a circular wing design that leads to many crashes in an atmosphere but its speed made it an excellent light fighter in space operations.
"The UM-LAM, Urbanmech LAM *is* a proven design. At forty-tons, it's heavier than its namesake mech. Most of that goes into the backpack assembly and reinforcing the legs to support Jump Jets. In Mech mode, it can run eighty-six kph and has five Jump Jets to leap one hundred twenty meters.
"In AirMech mode, the increased surface area extends this to four hundred fifty meters, even six hundred gliding reach at maximum burn, and triggering the jets every four-hundred meters, can stay up in the air at low altitudes pretty much indefinitely - as long as the pilot doesn't care that his flight is more like a zigzag falling and bouncing right above treetops. Mess that up and they crumple."
Stimson sucked in breath through his teeth. He said while a discontented whine "At least a Stinger LAM looks vaguely like aircraft in AirMech mode."
"Sir…"
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Charitably speaking, the Urbanmech LAM could also be said to look vaguely like VTOL. Or hovercraft."
Stimson blinked. "That is a good point. Where are the thrusters on this thing?"
The holo of the UM-LAM appeared over the flat table-like surface of the holorobot. The body had one main thruster poking out the back, then two secondary thrusters on each back pod. Then the legs themselves each had a powerful thruster, fed by potentially vulnerable intakes at the knee section. Finally, two thrust vents redirected hot airflow from the main thruster out the front for VTOL mode landings in Fighter mode.
Seven openings for five powered Jump Jets that in Mech Mode collected compressed and heated air as jumpjet 'fuel' for jumping. This did not require any actual fuel, and what made Jump-capable Mechs capable of repeated jumping as long as they waited long enough for JumpJets to compress and superheat reaction mass in between leaps.
In fighter mode, these JumpJets would consume fuel for continuous operation.
Stimson hummed. "Okay, I can see it. Without any fancy transformation sequences, the pilot's torso location doesn't really change at all in any modes. In a Stinger LAM, that while torso section swings up and down between nose and center torso in the body. Here it just stays in the middle all the time. That's… a lot less confusing."
Posseli noted "Land-Air Mechs are notorious as hangar queens. The less finicky rotation sections that need to lock in precisely to change from a mech into a fighter the better. I hope that the easy servicing of a regular Urbanmech carries through to this machine."
"What does the Fighter mode of this Urbanmech LAM even look like?" Posseli then asked. "Just fold the legs backwards flat against the fuselage so that all five thrusters point in the same direction?"
The holo provided a simulation of the UM-LAM in flight. The readout promised that in Fighter mode, at least inside the atmosphere as a LAM lacked fuel for extended space operations, it had a safe thrust of around 900 km/h and a maximum thrust of 1440 km/h. That was quite slow as far as fightercraft could go, but the UM-LAM due to its inefficiently compact aerodynamic shape might have strange supermaneuverability compared to more conventional wing designs.
Robotnik pointed at the mech and ordered "UM-LAM, switch to Fighter mode!"
The Urbanmech LAM raised its chin and pointed its body all the way back to near vertical, exposing the flat frisbee-like underside of its torso. With a *sproing* sound, landing gear then deployed from the undercarriage.
Then the Urbanmech LAM tipped over to the side. Klonk.
Robotnik's walker raised its hands in triumph. "URBANMECH LAAAM!"
Everyone else looked towards Major Stimson. After a while, the man shrugged. "Eh. I'll take it."
"Sir-" Allwine ventured a counterpoint again.
"What is it, Lieutenant?"
"That's more than two regiments. Possibly technically LAMs are counted in aerospace instead?"
"Bonkers, that's right! Two regiments fit into six Bigwigs." He turned towards Robotnik "You did say that most of the Mechs were already preloaded into the DropShips. When you say you had thirty-six of a particular mech - does that include these mechs standing here?"
"No, I meant already into the MechBay cubicles. These are just extra."
"How many Urbanmech LAMs do we get?"
"Thirty-six."
"That's a full three companies of flyers. So that's in the seventh dropship, then?"
"No. the seventh DropShip is… special. The slots are full, if you want these you're going to have to leave something behind."
Stimson clutched at his chin with his left and and began tapping at his mustache with the index finger. "Dump the Pulse Laser Super Urbanmechs. If we need them, we can just refit ER PPC Super Urbies into them later." He paused as another thought occurred- "Wait, would these things fit even inside the gantries? I remember you said they were only good for Light Mechs. A forty-ton mech is a Medium."
"The bottom gantry cares more about height than mass," Robotnik replied. "This stands at the same height as a Super Urbanmech, which just happens to be half the height of a Phoenix Hawk too - and that PHX *is* forty-tons."
"So if you haven't loaded the Urbanmech LAMs yet, where are they?"
"Oh, they're on the ship."
"... how did you make them fit?"
Robotnik's walker made laughing motions again. "WA HA HA HA. I *knew* you would say that, so I didn't load the Pulse Laser Super Urbanmechs *at all*."
Major Stimson gave him a dull unamused stare. "You *are* screwing around with me. Stop that."
"There are even more Mechs here though," Lt. Allwine not-at-all-helpfully noted.
-.
-.
"What are these are and why are they yellow?"
"These are UM-CIV, modular civilianized versions of the Orguss Urbanmech chassis. They may look like Urbanmechs from the outside, but inside they're all Industrial-grade tech. If you say a standard Urbanmech - a UM-R60 costs around 1.47 million C-bills, you can have these for around 880 thousand. They run on multifuel Internal Combustion Engines, and can go up to 54 kph."
"Whoa, that's actually pretty damn sensible for the Star League!" chuffed Posseli. "Um, no offense."
"None taken," replied Stimson. He turned towards Robotnik again "I don't think I would dump any combat Mechs for any Industrial Mechs, but tell me about them."
"That one there with the chainsaw and the single lift hoist and the fluid guns in the arms? That's a road clearing and fire-fighting mech I like to call the Ruralmech. That one with the double lift hoists where the arm pods would usually be? They can carry up to half their weight without problem or up to their weight with at halved speed - with two hitch points front and back preset in the gyro for 10 and 5 tons respectively. I call those the UrbanCarriers. That one there that looks the same, but in white and red? Those are UrbanRescue, they can go up to 64 kph and can carry medical and relief supplies through very inhospitable conditions that would prevent wheeled, tracked, and even flying vehicles from operating.
"There actually *is* a BattleMech-grade Urban Carrier - the UM-CRC, the Urbanmech Combat Recovery Vehicle - two of them totalling sixty tons can haul a hundred-ton Atlas in some sort of travois."
"Tarnation, you make these things sound terribly useful. It makes sense that a place like this would have them."
The group continued walking and talking.
"You can carry some of them off, just need to repurpose a Vehicle Bay for them. They're just thirty tons, after all's said and done. As long as there are enough tie-down points, you can treat any Mech or Vehicle Bay like general-purpose Cargo Bays. They won't be able to walk out on their own power, but again… just thirty tons. They can roll out on standard heavy machinery pallets if you gave it a serious try.
"You're not going to need all that many - there's full plans for manufacturing more and it's not going to be hard by any means to ask Davion interests to split a factory line. Heck, if the Eridani Light Horse wants some passive income, then buy a stake to that company in exchange for the schematics."
Posseli looked uncertain. "I don't know though, having actual arms might be useful. But an Urbanmech with arms just feels… wrong."
Robotnik pointed to the last UM-CIV on the line, which had a bulbous beer belly than the usual Urbanmech. Then from the torso pod it deployed a pair of crawfish-like arms ending in regular five-fingered hands like the SLDF Hussar Battlemech.
Posseli shielded his face from the sight. "Aah! What is this monstrosity?!"
"I just call it UM-HDN, Urban Handsy."
-.
-.
As the group neared the spaceport area, Lt. Allwine perked up and pointed out again "Oh! What are these? These aren't Urbanmechs!"
Posseli looked from the last UM-CIV to the next series of Mechs. These mechs were so tiny even an Urbanmech could hide them from view. They did still look Urbanmech shaped, just more of an onion bulb than trashcan. Unlike Urbanmechs they had actual arms and hands, though more spindly and utilitarian, much like the one on Robotnik's walker.
"More Industrial Mechs? Hobby little walker robots, maybe?" They looked like little Urbanmechs with top hats. It was ridiculous.
"While most of the UrbanMechs here were derived from Orguss and SLDF plans, I am proud to say these are my own original invention! Robotnik's ULM-E series Ultralight BattleMechs! The fifteen-ton URBAN(L)ITE!"
"What?" Major Stimson blinked. He looked towards the Engineer. "Is that even possible?"
Posseli shrugged. "I actually don't know. Sub-twenty ton Mechs are not unusual for Industrial Mechs, but combat-rated BattleMechs? Doctor Robotnik, please explain."
"Oh come on. The Star League had Ultralight Mech technology just fine. You remember the Ambassador Mech? That was fifteen tons and could go one-seventy-seven kph! I know there's this whole Mech cult going on, but seriously. Diplomatic talks were conducted on top of them with both sides walking on unarmed Mechs as a symbol of good faith. Michael Cameron liked to travel to Council meetings on his personal Ambassador, named the 'Star of Terra'."
"I… did not actually know that," he replied. "Please continue."
"The ULM-NIT is fifteen tons, uses a XL 120 Engine, which weighs two tons, which lets it go up to almost one hundred thirty kph. Plus two standard jump jets to jump sixty meters. You remember the Urbanmech Comms Guard. The Urbanite is kitted out for recon and spotting for artillery. It has a Beagle Active Probe. It has a Recon Camera. It has Remote Sensor Dispensers. It can monitor two Remote Sensors at the same time and act as a relay for communications sending long-range comm signals only a BAP could detect to each other or BAP equipped aircraft. In case it gets caught, it has three tons of ferro-fibrous armor and a single Medium Laser. That's equivalent to three and a half tons of Standard armor, and wahey- this is as fast and even smaller than a Locust, and unlike a Locust - it can Jump."
"Huh," said Major Stimson.
"Huh," said Lt. Allwine.
"That's very reasonable!" said SWO Posseli.
"And normal MechWarriors can pilot these?" asked Stimson.
"It has what I call a Small Cockpit, which strips out redundant life support and comfort features like the chemical toilet and such, but yus. The Engine integrated heatsinks can't even be stressed by the Medium Laser and jumping all day. Pilots don't even have to wear a cooling jacket, though they probably would still hate being made to pee into a bottle."
"Robotnik, I want this. I need this. How many of them do you have and how many can we take with us?" Major Stimson spoke with fire in his eyes.
"URBANITES, COMPACT"
The Ultra-Light Mechs dropped all the same time to a crouch. They folded their arms forward on their chests - elbow to elbow, wrist to wrist. Weapon pods tilted fully upwards.
"Look at them. They so tiny. You can store four of them in a standard fifty ton Vehicle Bay if you had to. Anywhere from sixteen to forty-eight. Ninety-six if you're willing to exchange heavy tanks for them."
"Fascinating," remarked Posseli.
"UBANITES, UNPACK!"
The UltraLight Mechs raised back up again.
"What about that one?" asked Allwine, the lieutenant pointing to a ULM-NIT that looked like it had a backpack that melded into the head. A single baleful eye stared back at them above the cockpit vision slit.
"Oh, that's ULM-LSR, Urban Laser. That exchanges all the loadout and downgrading the engine for max speed of ninety-seven kph - just to carry a single ER Large Laser for a face. Mounted vertically with ninety-degree angle focusing lens, being able to outrange standard PPC has its perks. Technically you could replace everything with five Medium Lasers for maximum laser vomit too. It has enough DHS for that."
"Are you some sort of geniusss?!" Posseli squeaked.
"WA HA HA HA."
-.
-.
Senior Warrant Office Posseli thumbed the radio affixed to left side of his technician's vest. "Logistics One, this is Technical One, do you read me, over?"
"This is Logistics One, I read you, over." the radio returned.
"Reconfirm loading priority - Fusion Engines, then Communications Equipment, then ER PPC, then Arrow IV artillery missiles, then Double HeatSinks, then everything else. Need number and tonnage of engines, over."
Resident Engineer Kubler replied "Wait, what? We have those? Arrow IV artillery- hey! You! Find the artillery missiles!"
"We have those?!" another voice shouted excitedly from nearby.
Kubler continued "Technical One, it's been less than fifteen minutes. We're still just counting and double-checking the manifests. So far by the ratings we have one hundred twenty of Class-120 XL Engines at 2 tons each - total 240 tons; ninety of Class-150 XL Engines at 3 tons each, total 360 tons; thirty-six of Class-180 Engines at 3.5 tons each - total 126 tons. We also have here thirty-six Class-200 regular Fusion Engines at 8.5 tons each, and thirty-six Class-240 Fusion Engines at 8.5 tons each. Total Fusion 200, 306 tons. Total Fusion 240, 414 tons.
"XL Engines total tons, 726. Regular Fusion total tons is 720 tons. Combined, 1446 tons. Mule DropShip capacity budget, 8000 tons. Over."
Posseli looked pained. Apart from the 200-rated engine being good for LAMs, the Fusion 240 was also a very common Engine used in very many BattleMechs and ASFs. Anything 40, 60, or 80 tons could be readily expected to use a Fusion 240.
The 200-rated engines were immediately more useful because they were important reserves for any LAM problems. Dump the 240-rated engines or not? They were not lost technology, could buy them in the Inner Sphere well enough. But the ELH also had plenty of 60-ton tanks. That was 414 tons less of individual Double HeatSinks or Ferro-Fibrous armor. Two hundred units of Communications Equipment were already eight hundred tons.
"Doctor Robotnik, we need to know what is already inside your DropShips."
"YOUR DropShips, but sure, I was leading to that point already." The walker pointed towards the starport area. "Onwards, my little ponies!"
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5.1 The Death of Robotnik
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The Death of Robotnik 1
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The Starport area could contain up to twelve dropships in two half-circular rows. It had the strange feeling of an amphitheater, and the first row was occupied by six DropShips and two occluded behind right beside the main elevator.
Only one DropShip could ever launch from the underground starport at a time, but the above-ground landing area could accommodate three. This was very inefficient, but given as this inclined tunnel was the most vulnerable way into the facility, the ELH officers thought it was reasonable for the sake of defensibility.
As they approached the rear of the starport, Posseli spoke up "Doctor Robotnik. I have two questions."
"Shoot."
"The first… well, I noticed that despite all the claims of these Super Urbanmechs being a unified and economical choice for colony defense… they do have some expensive technology in them, don't they? Extra-Light Engines, Double Heat Sinks, Ferro-Fibrous armor, ECM suites, artillery, and so on. Surely they can't be as cheap as that. Why give Urbanmechs so much advanced technology when they would be just fine with more mass-production components?"
"Isn't it obvious? They are Royal Super Urbanmechs, and this is clearly a Royal Operation. It's pure Terran Hegemony gear here."
"I have… three questions now," Posseli sighed. "But let me ask the second question first. You said you designed and produced the Urbanite-series of Ultra Light Mechs. That implies that there is a factory here that is capable of producing BattleMechs. Is this actually the case?"
"Yes. Of course there is."
Major Stimson grit his teeth and palmed his face. He groaned. "I don't want to have to fight off the entire Taurian Concordat for this. It's too close to the border. Any Davion interests planting down here sounds like the start of an invasion-"
He slowly drew his palm down his face until he sagged. "But destroying it just to deny it from those who would abuse it, that makes us no better than the barbarians who trashed the Inner Sphere through the Succession Wars."
"Technology is just technology. Lostech isn't magic. As long as you know the principles behind them, nothing is ever really lost. Machines aren't as important as people."
"If more people thought like that, we wouldn't be employed anymore for objective raiding. Somehow… I don't know… it might just be worth it," said Major Stimson.
Posseli agreed, and then continued "Onto my final question, then - what the hells is OPERATION SEEDCORN that needs all of this? What would be so important that the Star League kits itself out for some ultra long duration colony effort? Even if it's Urbanmechs, being so completely self-sufficient means they're going way out of reach from the Inner Sphere. Pure Terran Hegemony tech and personnel, this is some super secret stuff. What's out there?"
"I can't tell you that. Not right now. Only one of you will know, and then after knowing it… you're going to wish you didn't know."
"Ominous!" quipped Allwine.
Robotnik's walker just laughed again. "BWA HA HA HA."
Posseli raised his hands. "Okay. Okay. Fair enough. Could we just return to our original concern - what's actually inside those dropships?"
-.
The holorobot displayed six egg-shaped craft. At 121 meters tall, they were only 30% taller than the common Union DropShip but due to the volume square-cube law, could contain as much as three Unions.
"The SLDF left them behind because they were not worth taking compared to other ships. This means they also took with them the personnel transports and heavy cargo dropships. A thousand tons left over in a civilianized Dictator is barely anything."
Posseli nodded. "Understood. Figuring in the necessary cargo for a colonization effort - life support, supplies, terraforming equipment, maybe a modular factory… I can understand that there's a lot that would not be directly useful for a war."
"You know that Dictator-class DropShips have four levels, right? Three for a company of mechs, one for cargo, all stacked on top of each other. This is how that looks-"
The holorobot projected a view of the internals of the modified Dictator. "One hundred forty-for Mechs is a regiment, plus thirty-six times four of specialized variants, that's a clean two regiments. They fit neatly inside six Bigwigs."
The view turned into two rows of egg-shaped DropShips each with the two bottom decks highlighted in red.
"Then I told you that I filled two of the Bigwig cargo holds with Sub-Capital Lasers. At two hundred fifty tons each, that's eight SL/3. Too heavy to mount in Superheavy Support Vehicles, but each of them packs 85% of the firepower of a full-size Light Naval Laser at 75% the range and 35% the mass."
The dropships updated:
\ BIGWIG 1: Red Egg - CARGO FULL
\ BIGWIG 2: Orange Egg - CARGO FULL
\ BIGWIG 3: Yellow Egg - CARGO 50%
\ BIGWIG 4: Green Egg - CARGO 50%
\ BIGWIG 5: Blue Egg - CARGO EMPTY
\ BIGWIG 6: Indigo Egg - CARGO EMPTY
"Do we need eight of them though?" Posseli asked.
"You need at least six to be sure of being able to pop a Union in a single volley. Hanse Davion would give you a literal blank check for the chance to reverse-engineer any real WarShip-grade weaponry. One to disassemble, and another for backup in the inevitability that NAIS gets sabotaged."
"Wow, this alone would make this whole thing worth it," remarked Allwine. "I agree - Hanse Davion would pay out whatever we wanted just for this technology." Then he squinted suspiciously at Robotnik. "But does this technology actually… need… any reverse engineering?
"Heavy Sub-Capital Naval Laser is limited to transatmospheric ranges. Light Sub-Capital Naval Laser is light enough to have its aiming systems suitable for orbital bombardment. Do we really need to open that can of worms?"
The man winced.
"Heavy Sub-Capital Lasers are big enough that people ought not to think of turning Leopards into Pocket Warships too early. If they think these are the actual Light versions, they would be more focused on trying to upscale them. "
Major Stimson gave Robotnik's walker an odd look.
"What?"
"Doing everything with a mind towards the future… are you actually… no." He shook his head. "Later." He exhaled. "Okay. That's two DropShips removed from the list. What's the difference?"
"So the difference is that the third level is a Vehicle Bay with twelve cubicles. A normal combined-arms Command variant of the Dictator carries *eighteen vehicles*. These have twelve. I didn't tell you before that nine of the twelve bays are all Heavy Vehicle Bays, capable of accepting and repairing Combat Vehicles up to one hundred tons. And the three remaining vehicle bays each in all six of these DropShips in front of you… are Super-Heavy Vehicle Bays. Each capable of accepting up to *two hundred tons* of mobile machinery."
Robotnik's mustache quivered as the walker faced them. "And they are *full*."
Posselli's eyebrows raised. "Superheavy vehicles? No one makes those anymore. Unless they're industrial vehicles? I don't think the SLDF would need any more super trucks or mining vehicles either."
"Well it can't be that or else Doctor Robotnik here wouldn't be trailing off for drama so much," Stimson said with a twisted grin. "Get on with it, Doctor."
-.
The holo shifted to a large squat vehicle towing a trailer.
"This is the O-66 "Oppie" Oppenheimer Hazardous Material Recovery Vehicle (HMRV). It's a hundred fifty tons and was widely used in the First Succession Wars to clean up the fallout from nuclear, biological, and chemical attacks. Produced in large numbers on Caph when it was still part of the Terran Hegemony, the factory of Brown-Corning, Limited was destroyed by Draconis Combine raiders when they thought it was a BattleMech manufacturing facility.
"It comes in three parts-
"The first, the HRMV tractor unit, the actual "Oppie" is completely environmentally sealed unit with components like minesweeper, bulldozer, a backhoe, and twenty tons of sealed liquid storage. It has four manipulator arms, two sprayers, and four searchlights to assist in salvage operations. It has Paramedic equipment and a five-man personnel bay with hazard gear. I suppose it could also be used as an infantry bay if needed.
"The other part is the Oppie Salvage Rig, which is also with two Lift Hoist, searchlights, and a backhoe. It's also a hundred fifty tons, with a handling capacity of two hundred.
"The most interesting part is the DeConAid trailer. They're environmentally sealed MASH units with *eleven* operating theaters. They also have sprayers mounted externally in omnidirectional turrets.
"Of the eighteen Superheavy Bays, three full sets of Oppie rigs - therefore nine 150-ton units - occupy those bays. All of them specced for cleaning and terraforming of tainted worlds."
"I can see how a colony effort would find those very useful," remarked Posseli. "This is the kind of lostech that the military don't care about but would actually do more to help the Inner Sphere."
"I don't know, the ability to handle nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction would be very valuable too. Just because we don't expect to get hit with WMDs doesn't mean it wouldn't be good to be prepared to deal with it," added Allwine.
Major Stimson only nodded. This made perfect sense for Operation SEEDCORN.
-.
The rotating image then shifted to a U-shaped vehicle with a crane.
"This is the Wayland Mobile Base. Produced for Hegemony Armed Forces starting 2541, it is a one hundred fifty ton support vehicle designed for the recovery and repair of combat units on the field. Unlike the JI-50 sixty-ton Field Repair Unit that the Davions use, the Wayland Mobile Base is capable of repairing anything that is a combat unit. Mechs, tanks, ASF. It has the tooling to handle the repair of Extra Light Fusion Engines and Endo Steel frames. It can deploy a Mobile Field Base to handle multiple units at once. It can travel at a reasonable speed of fifty-four kph. As far as I know, no Wayland Mobile Bases survived the First Succession Wars."
Engineer Posseli rushed at the holo-robot again. "I remember this! Eridani Light Horse used to have them until they were destroyed in the raid in the Periphery, forcing the Light Horse to consider finding work back in the Inner Sphere." He turned sharply towards Robotnik "How many of them do we get?"
"Three."
His lips turned down. That left six more mysterious Superheavy vehicles. "Well… that's better than nothing, I suppose. I'm going to have to petition that Davion doesn't get ANY of them. We need them too much. One for each Regiment sounds about right."
"But the only way we can get any more of them is if we allow someone else to reverse-engineer them and then manufacture them," said Allwine.
"Yeah, also - we have enough Mechs for *five* regiments now," reminded Stimson.
"Ugh. You're right. It's hard trying to get rid of the zero-sum thinking of these Succession Wars. The Eridani Light Horse isn't in the heavy industry business." Then Posseli blinked. "But… could we?"
He turned towards the walker "Doctor Robotnik, once we're back in Davion space - your genius could do more than all the hardware we could bring. Davion has their Doctor Banzai, just say what you want and you'll have the entire ELH Engineering Corps backing you all the way."
Major Winston looked pained.
Robotnik's walker raised its palms. "That is unfortunately out of the question. I won't survive the journey."
"Yeah… I didn't know how to properly bring this up, but Robotnik - you sent those messages with an intro like 'if you're viewing this holo, then that means I am dead'. I really didn't expect to see you still alive, but I suppose it's a miracle enough. It's not like a man can properly predict the day of his death." Major Winston waved towards the Robotnik walker's spherical body. "Is that some life support pod or something?"
"Or something. Yes. Definitely."
Posseli looked despondent, but as someone also getting along in the years he could understand. Sometimes the best you could do was just to accept and prepare for the inevitable end. "So what's left for us?"
-.
The holo changed to an oval-shaped chassis.
"Of the six remaining Superheavy Bays - four are actually dedicated to a hundred-ton Hovervehicle and the Submersible Drones they carry.
"The Subnautical Drone Command Craft and the Subnautical Drone Carry Vehicle are each a hundred tons. The Nautical Drone command hovercraft has full satellite uplink and advanced underwater comm systems. It has four drone control systems with a range of around eighty kilometers. It can carry either one twenty-ton Sub-Drone or a 20-ton VTOL.
"The Nautical Drone Carry Vehicle carries four Drones, cargo, and can itself be piloted or controlled remotely. Both of them perform as blue water hovercraft with nothing particularly interesting or lostech in them other than their communication and control systems.
"No, what's more interesting is the Subnautical Expedition Drone."
The view expanded into an egg-shaped craft. "By itself, the Sub Drones are twenty tons with manipulators, sensors, and a larger arm for exploring and collecting samples. It has a crush depth of about two kilometers. All of this equipment leaves enough room for 4 tons of cargo. Orrr… you could put a five-shot Artemis-enabled Long-Range Torpedo or six-shot SRT system in there. The sea was never expected to be safe."
Posseli frowned slightly. "That… makes sense too. The SLDF wouldn't need those to retake Terra…? Would they?"
"SLDF CAAN Regiments would have their own better amphibious and submersible assets," said Allwine.
"But as I am DOCTOR ROBOTNIK, NIK OF ALL THAT IS BOTROB, I present to you-!" And the view flickered to show an egg-shaped craft with a propeller on top "The Aeronatical Drone Attack Craft! The EGG-FLYER!"
The Drone carried a single LRM-5 and a Medium Laser and a 2-ton Booby Trap in the torso. "But Robotnik, you might ask? Why have a 20-ton drone when you could just buy a Locust? It's not that much faster than a Locust," his voice went all tinny then back to bombastic normal- "Because it should cost half a Locust to produce and *of course* you can stick a Drone Command Unit in an Urbanmech.
"You can stick a Drone Command Unit in an Urbanmech LAM!
"My UltraLight Urbanite-Mechs benefit from cover so it's fine for them to be piloted. But close air support? You could just drop these in a second wave straight from orbit in a ballute system and activate the moment the Command Control Unit enters range. Heck, I'd say you can even *seed* planets ahead of time with them and activate the system when it's time to attack.
"Mechs are ton for ton the most efficient combat platform to transport across interstellar distance. But what if you didn't need to move between different planets? Dependents in wherever the Eridani Light Horse throws up a semi-permanent base wouldn't be left reliant on field military assets.
"Do I have AeroSpace Drones? The answer is also YES.
"The SLDF relied on drone technology for defense which bit them in the ass when Amaris took control over the SDS network. But these drones are entirely remote controlled. One-is-to-three for vehicle-based Remote Drone Control systems and one-to-one for Mech-based Drone Command Consoles. People have loyalty. Drones are disposable. People are not. I have the technology."
Everyone stared at him in silence.
Then after a while, Posseli shook his head sadly. "Truly, it is a tragedy."
-.
"So that's two remaining Superheavy Bays," Captain Allwine noticed. "What do you have that can top this, Doctor Robotnik?"
"Those are just the SLDF Ground Mobile HPG trucks, nothing fancy."
"Why must you try to break my miiinnnddd?!" Engineer Posseli hissed.
Major Stimson chortled.
-.
-.
Mobile HPGs that were not owned by ComStar might be of immense strategic importance to the Inner Sphere... but these were 50-ton machines in a superheavy command vehicle. The SLDF didn't bring them along because they had plenty of their own mobile HPGs already. There was no thinking of denying HPG technology to, say, the Taurian Concordat because the Taurian Concordat already had their own HPG installations. No one had any time to worry about anyone trying to reverse-engineer HPG tech - in fact, given how much the Terran Hegemony was aflame, perhaps they considered it an inevitability. They could not have predicted Comstar or just how effective Terran Hegemony blackboxing was.
But the Eridani Light Horse had no direct need for a mobile HPG, and these were technical staff and battalion-level commanders, so other than wondering at this pinnacle of lostech, this did not concern the group at all.
"But this is big news, sir!" said Posseli. "It could change everything!"
"Yeah, but how relevant is it to us right now?" replied Stimson.
"We could send an HPG message to Colchester that the mission was a success?"
"Woop te do. We can send mail for free."
Allwine nodded. "This sounds like a 'someone else's problem' thing. No need to get excited about what we're not smart enough to handle."
If Hanse Davion would be willing to pay them whatever they wanted for Capital Laser technology, a working mobile HPG could buy them a world.
Unfortunately having a world instead of just basing rights would bring them closer to being Davion vassals, so any equivalent price tag was a mess for high command to figure out.
There was more loot to unpack.
By comparison, the Heavy Vehicles were not as ground-breaking. For the remaining nine bays in each ship, Doctor Robotnik had loaded them with:
-.
\ Bay 1: 4x Urbanite Mechs (total 60 tons)
\ Bay 2: 4x Urbanite Mechs (total 60 tons)
\ Bay 3: empty
\ Bay 4: Cortez Series N Exploration Tank (75 tons)
-.
"We don't exactly need this, but a hazardous environment exploration vehicle might come in handy someday," said Posseli.
"Oh you *will* need them. There's a lot of abandoned, dead, radiated, or toxic worlds that you will need to investigate at some point."
"Doubly ominous!" said Alllwine.
-.
\ Bay 5: Pollux ADA Heavy Tank (75 tons)
\ Bay 6: Pollux ADA Heavy Tank (75 tons)
-.
"Actually, this answers the weird feeling I had that this colony didn't have enough air defense to it. Super Urbanmech PPCs and ER Large Lasers aren't ideal for AA work," said Stimson.
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\ Bay 7: Mobile Army Surgical and Bioscience Laboratory and Hospital (75 tons)
\ Bay 8: Mobile Geophysical Laboratory (75 tons)
-.
"More things that would have been very useful in the exploration of alien worlds," noted Posseli. "We are always in critical need of medical facilities, and something that can handle biowarfare without toting a Superheavy Vehicle would be most useful. And I suppose the other vehicle can be used for monitoring space."
"That is what they're made for, yes. They can also send and receive interplanetary communications or from Jump Points to Jump Ships. They pack an impracticably big a Fusion Engine not for speed but to pump up those signals."
Posseli wondered if they needed six of them though. Four seemed plenty. A standard Vehicle Bay could fit four 15-ton UltraLight mechs or two 20-ton Drone Flyers just fine, with enough securing lines to treat the empty bays as cargo bays.
And somehow-
-.
\ Bay 9: Alacorn Mk VI (95 tons)
-.
"Bullshit," breathed Posseli.
Stimson grinned. "SDLF Alacorns with triple Gauss Rifles? That is super suspicious, Doctor."
Robotnik waved it aside. "They were here for maintenance and were in a disassembled state with missing components. I only finished putting them back together."
Stimson pointed with both fingers. "Six Alacorn VIs that just happened to be too broken up to bring along, suuure they were."
-.
-.
By this time they had reached past the first row of DropShips to expose the seventh DropShip.
It was black and red. It had a wide flared mustache. Not even a painted-on mustache, but actual metal protruding off the hull. It had two comm dishes side by side that looked like big oval eyes.
The holo robot updated the list.
\ BIGWIG 7:V̶i̶o̶l̶e̶t̶ Violent Egg - BEWARE THE DEATH EGG AND ITS RAW FURY
"You know… as much as I didn't expect this, actually I think I was hoping for this," said Posseli. The engineer rubbed at his chin and nodded. "I certainly can't begrudge you your own personal DropShip. I am only concerned if those modifications would interfere with its atmospheric profile."
"Dropships are eggs and eggs don't have wings anyway," responded Allwine. "It should fly just fine." He turned towards Robotnik. "What wonders lie within, doctor? I'm ready to be awed some more. I have been practicing my 'shocked' face."
"Well what do *you* think it is?"
With a hushed tone, Posseli answered "It's the mobile factory, isn't it? That's the only thing that could top all of this. And it's the one thing that makes this whole operation work."
"Let's see if you're right!"
Robotnik's walker pointed to the lockers near the main door of the DropShip.
"But first you all need to put on these Radiation Suits."
-.
-.
-.
-.
The Starport area could contain up to twelve dropships in two half-circular rows. It had the strange feeling of an amphitheater, and the first row was occupied by six DropShips and two occluded behind right beside the main elevator.
Only one DropShip could ever launch from the underground starport at a time, but the above-ground landing area could accommodate three. This was very inefficient, but given as this inclined tunnel was the most vulnerable way into the facility, the ELH officers thought it was reasonable for the sake of defensibility.
As they approached the rear of the starport, Posseli spoke up "Doctor Robotnik. I have two questions."
"Shoot."
"The first… well, I noticed that despite all the claims of these Super Urbanmechs being a unified and economical choice for colony defense… they do have some expensive technology in them, don't they? Extra-Light Engines, Double Heat Sinks, Ferro-Fibrous armor, ECM suites, artillery, and so on. Surely they can't be as cheap as that. Why give Urbanmechs so much advanced technology when they would be just fine with more mass-production components?"
"Isn't it obvious? They are Royal Super Urbanmechs, and this is clearly a Royal Operation. It's pure Terran Hegemony gear here."
"I have… three questions now," Posseli sighed. "But let me ask the second question first. You said you designed and produced the Urbanite-series of Ultra Light Mechs. That implies that there is a factory here that is capable of producing BattleMechs. Is this actually the case?"
"Yes. Of course there is."
Major Stimson grit his teeth and palmed his face. He groaned. "I don't want to have to fight off the entire Taurian Concordat for this. It's too close to the border. Any Davion interests planting down here sounds like the start of an invasion-"
He slowly drew his palm down his face until he sagged. "But destroying it just to deny it from those who would abuse it, that makes us no better than the barbarians who trashed the Inner Sphere through the Succession Wars."
"Technology is just technology. Lostech isn't magic. As long as you know the principles behind them, nothing is ever really lost. Machines aren't as important as people."
"If more people thought like that, we wouldn't be employed anymore for objective raiding. Somehow… I don't know… it might just be worth it," said Major Stimson.
Posseli agreed, and then continued "Onto my final question, then - what the hells is OPERATION SEEDCORN that needs all of this? What would be so important that the Star League kits itself out for some ultra long duration colony effort? Even if it's Urbanmechs, being so completely self-sufficient means they're going way out of reach from the Inner Sphere. Pure Terran Hegemony tech and personnel, this is some super secret stuff. What's out there?"
"I can't tell you that. Not right now. Only one of you will know, and then after knowing it… you're going to wish you didn't know."
"Ominous!" quipped Allwine.
Robotnik's walker just laughed again. "BWA HA HA HA."
Posseli raised his hands. "Okay. Okay. Fair enough. Could we just return to our original concern - what's actually inside those dropships?"
-.
The holorobot displayed six egg-shaped craft. At 121 meters tall, they were only 30% taller than the common Union DropShip but due to the volume square-cube law, could contain as much as three Unions.
"The SLDF left them behind because they were not worth taking compared to other ships. This means they also took with them the personnel transports and heavy cargo dropships. A thousand tons left over in a civilianized Dictator is barely anything."
Posseli nodded. "Understood. Figuring in the necessary cargo for a colonization effort - life support, supplies, terraforming equipment, maybe a modular factory… I can understand that there's a lot that would not be directly useful for a war."
"You know that Dictator-class DropShips have four levels, right? Three for a company of mechs, one for cargo, all stacked on top of each other. This is how that looks-"
The holorobot projected a view of the internals of the modified Dictator. "One hundred forty-for Mechs is a regiment, plus thirty-six times four of specialized variants, that's a clean two regiments. They fit neatly inside six Bigwigs."
The view turned into two rows of egg-shaped DropShips each with the two bottom decks highlighted in red.
"Then I told you that I filled two of the Bigwig cargo holds with Sub-Capital Lasers. At two hundred fifty tons each, that's eight SL/3. Too heavy to mount in Superheavy Support Vehicles, but each of them packs 85% of the firepower of a full-size Light Naval Laser at 75% the range and 35% the mass."
The dropships updated:
\ BIGWIG 1: Red Egg - CARGO FULL
\ BIGWIG 2: Orange Egg - CARGO FULL
\ BIGWIG 3: Yellow Egg - CARGO 50%
\ BIGWIG 4: Green Egg - CARGO 50%
\ BIGWIG 5: Blue Egg - CARGO EMPTY
\ BIGWIG 6: Indigo Egg - CARGO EMPTY
"Do we need eight of them though?" Posseli asked.
"You need at least six to be sure of being able to pop a Union in a single volley. Hanse Davion would give you a literal blank check for the chance to reverse-engineer any real WarShip-grade weaponry. One to disassemble, and another for backup in the inevitability that NAIS gets sabotaged."
"Wow, this alone would make this whole thing worth it," remarked Allwine. "I agree - Hanse Davion would pay out whatever we wanted just for this technology." Then he squinted suspiciously at Robotnik. "But does this technology actually… need… any reverse engineering?
"Heavy Sub-Capital Naval Laser is limited to transatmospheric ranges. Light Sub-Capital Naval Laser is light enough to have its aiming systems suitable for orbital bombardment. Do we really need to open that can of worms?"
The man winced.
"Heavy Sub-Capital Lasers are big enough that people ought not to think of turning Leopards into Pocket Warships too early. If they think these are the actual Light versions, they would be more focused on trying to upscale them. "
Major Stimson gave Robotnik's walker an odd look.
"What?"
"Doing everything with a mind towards the future… are you actually… no." He shook his head. "Later." He exhaled. "Okay. That's two DropShips removed from the list. What's the difference?"
"So the difference is that the third level is a Vehicle Bay with twelve cubicles. A normal combined-arms Command variant of the Dictator carries *eighteen vehicles*. These have twelve. I didn't tell you before that nine of the twelve bays are all Heavy Vehicle Bays, capable of accepting and repairing Combat Vehicles up to one hundred tons. And the three remaining vehicle bays each in all six of these DropShips in front of you… are Super-Heavy Vehicle Bays. Each capable of accepting up to *two hundred tons* of mobile machinery."
Robotnik's mustache quivered as the walker faced them. "And they are *full*."
Posselli's eyebrows raised. "Superheavy vehicles? No one makes those anymore. Unless they're industrial vehicles? I don't think the SLDF would need any more super trucks or mining vehicles either."
"Well it can't be that or else Doctor Robotnik here wouldn't be trailing off for drama so much," Stimson said with a twisted grin. "Get on with it, Doctor."
-.
The holo shifted to a large squat vehicle towing a trailer.
"This is the O-66 "Oppie" Oppenheimer Hazardous Material Recovery Vehicle (HMRV). It's a hundred fifty tons and was widely used in the First Succession Wars to clean up the fallout from nuclear, biological, and chemical attacks. Produced in large numbers on Caph when it was still part of the Terran Hegemony, the factory of Brown-Corning, Limited was destroyed by Draconis Combine raiders when they thought it was a BattleMech manufacturing facility.
"It comes in three parts-
"The first, the HRMV tractor unit, the actual "Oppie" is completely environmentally sealed unit with components like minesweeper, bulldozer, a backhoe, and twenty tons of sealed liquid storage. It has four manipulator arms, two sprayers, and four searchlights to assist in salvage operations. It has Paramedic equipment and a five-man personnel bay with hazard gear. I suppose it could also be used as an infantry bay if needed.
"The other part is the Oppie Salvage Rig, which is also with two Lift Hoist, searchlights, and a backhoe. It's also a hundred fifty tons, with a handling capacity of two hundred.
"The most interesting part is the DeConAid trailer. They're environmentally sealed MASH units with *eleven* operating theaters. They also have sprayers mounted externally in omnidirectional turrets.
"Of the eighteen Superheavy Bays, three full sets of Oppie rigs - therefore nine 150-ton units - occupy those bays. All of them specced for cleaning and terraforming of tainted worlds."
"I can see how a colony effort would find those very useful," remarked Posseli. "This is the kind of lostech that the military don't care about but would actually do more to help the Inner Sphere."
"I don't know, the ability to handle nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction would be very valuable too. Just because we don't expect to get hit with WMDs doesn't mean it wouldn't be good to be prepared to deal with it," added Allwine.
Major Stimson only nodded. This made perfect sense for Operation SEEDCORN.
-.
The rotating image then shifted to a U-shaped vehicle with a crane.
"This is the Wayland Mobile Base. Produced for Hegemony Armed Forces starting 2541, it is a one hundred fifty ton support vehicle designed for the recovery and repair of combat units on the field. Unlike the JI-50 sixty-ton Field Repair Unit that the Davions use, the Wayland Mobile Base is capable of repairing anything that is a combat unit. Mechs, tanks, ASF. It has the tooling to handle the repair of Extra Light Fusion Engines and Endo Steel frames. It can deploy a Mobile Field Base to handle multiple units at once. It can travel at a reasonable speed of fifty-four kph. As far as I know, no Wayland Mobile Bases survived the First Succession Wars."
Engineer Posseli rushed at the holo-robot again. "I remember this! Eridani Light Horse used to have them until they were destroyed in the raid in the Periphery, forcing the Light Horse to consider finding work back in the Inner Sphere." He turned sharply towards Robotnik "How many of them do we get?"
"Three."
His lips turned down. That left six more mysterious Superheavy vehicles. "Well… that's better than nothing, I suppose. I'm going to have to petition that Davion doesn't get ANY of them. We need them too much. One for each Regiment sounds about right."
"But the only way we can get any more of them is if we allow someone else to reverse-engineer them and then manufacture them," said Allwine.
"Yeah, also - we have enough Mechs for *five* regiments now," reminded Stimson.
"Ugh. You're right. It's hard trying to get rid of the zero-sum thinking of these Succession Wars. The Eridani Light Horse isn't in the heavy industry business." Then Posseli blinked. "But… could we?"
He turned towards the walker "Doctor Robotnik, once we're back in Davion space - your genius could do more than all the hardware we could bring. Davion has their Doctor Banzai, just say what you want and you'll have the entire ELH Engineering Corps backing you all the way."
Major Winston looked pained.
Robotnik's walker raised its palms. "That is unfortunately out of the question. I won't survive the journey."
"Yeah… I didn't know how to properly bring this up, but Robotnik - you sent those messages with an intro like 'if you're viewing this holo, then that means I am dead'. I really didn't expect to see you still alive, but I suppose it's a miracle enough. It's not like a man can properly predict the day of his death." Major Winston waved towards the Robotnik walker's spherical body. "Is that some life support pod or something?"
"Or something. Yes. Definitely."
Posseli looked despondent, but as someone also getting along in the years he could understand. Sometimes the best you could do was just to accept and prepare for the inevitable end. "So what's left for us?"
-.
The holo changed to an oval-shaped chassis.
"Of the six remaining Superheavy Bays - four are actually dedicated to a hundred-ton Hovervehicle and the Submersible Drones they carry.
"The Subnautical Drone Command Craft and the Subnautical Drone Carry Vehicle are each a hundred tons. The Nautical Drone command hovercraft has full satellite uplink and advanced underwater comm systems. It has four drone control systems with a range of around eighty kilometers. It can carry either one twenty-ton Sub-Drone or a 20-ton VTOL.
"The Nautical Drone Carry Vehicle carries four Drones, cargo, and can itself be piloted or controlled remotely. Both of them perform as blue water hovercraft with nothing particularly interesting or lostech in them other than their communication and control systems.
"No, what's more interesting is the Subnautical Expedition Drone."
The view expanded into an egg-shaped craft. "By itself, the Sub Drones are twenty tons with manipulators, sensors, and a larger arm for exploring and collecting samples. It has a crush depth of about two kilometers. All of this equipment leaves enough room for 4 tons of cargo. Orrr… you could put a five-shot Artemis-enabled Long-Range Torpedo or six-shot SRT system in there. The sea was never expected to be safe."
Posseli frowned slightly. "That… makes sense too. The SLDF wouldn't need those to retake Terra…? Would they?"
"SLDF CAAN Regiments would have their own better amphibious and submersible assets," said Allwine.
"But as I am DOCTOR ROBOTNIK, NIK OF ALL THAT IS BOTROB, I present to you-!" And the view flickered to show an egg-shaped craft with a propeller on top "The Aeronatical Drone Attack Craft! The EGG-FLYER!"
The Drone carried a single LRM-5 and a Medium Laser and a 2-ton Booby Trap in the torso. "But Robotnik, you might ask? Why have a 20-ton drone when you could just buy a Locust? It's not that much faster than a Locust," his voice went all tinny then back to bombastic normal- "Because it should cost half a Locust to produce and *of course* you can stick a Drone Command Unit in an Urbanmech.
"You can stick a Drone Command Unit in an Urbanmech LAM!
"My UltraLight Urbanite-Mechs benefit from cover so it's fine for them to be piloted. But close air support? You could just drop these in a second wave straight from orbit in a ballute system and activate the moment the Command Control Unit enters range. Heck, I'd say you can even *seed* planets ahead of time with them and activate the system when it's time to attack.
"Mechs are ton for ton the most efficient combat platform to transport across interstellar distance. But what if you didn't need to move between different planets? Dependents in wherever the Eridani Light Horse throws up a semi-permanent base wouldn't be left reliant on field military assets.
"Do I have AeroSpace Drones? The answer is also YES.
"The SLDF relied on drone technology for defense which bit them in the ass when Amaris took control over the SDS network. But these drones are entirely remote controlled. One-is-to-three for vehicle-based Remote Drone Control systems and one-to-one for Mech-based Drone Command Consoles. People have loyalty. Drones are disposable. People are not. I have the technology."
Everyone stared at him in silence.
Then after a while, Posseli shook his head sadly. "Truly, it is a tragedy."
-.
"So that's two remaining Superheavy Bays," Captain Allwine noticed. "What do you have that can top this, Doctor Robotnik?"
"Those are just the SLDF Ground Mobile HPG trucks, nothing fancy."
"Why must you try to break my miiinnnddd?!" Engineer Posseli hissed.
Major Stimson chortled.
-.
-.
Mobile HPGs that were not owned by ComStar might be of immense strategic importance to the Inner Sphere... but these were 50-ton machines in a superheavy command vehicle. The SLDF didn't bring them along because they had plenty of their own mobile HPGs already. There was no thinking of denying HPG technology to, say, the Taurian Concordat because the Taurian Concordat already had their own HPG installations. No one had any time to worry about anyone trying to reverse-engineer HPG tech - in fact, given how much the Terran Hegemony was aflame, perhaps they considered it an inevitability. They could not have predicted Comstar or just how effective Terran Hegemony blackboxing was.
But the Eridani Light Horse had no direct need for a mobile HPG, and these were technical staff and battalion-level commanders, so other than wondering at this pinnacle of lostech, this did not concern the group at all.
"But this is big news, sir!" said Posseli. "It could change everything!"
"Yeah, but how relevant is it to us right now?" replied Stimson.
"We could send an HPG message to Colchester that the mission was a success?"
"Woop te do. We can send mail for free."
Allwine nodded. "This sounds like a 'someone else's problem' thing. No need to get excited about what we're not smart enough to handle."
If Hanse Davion would be willing to pay them whatever they wanted for Capital Laser technology, a working mobile HPG could buy them a world.
Unfortunately having a world instead of just basing rights would bring them closer to being Davion vassals, so any equivalent price tag was a mess for high command to figure out.
There was more loot to unpack.
By comparison, the Heavy Vehicles were not as ground-breaking. For the remaining nine bays in each ship, Doctor Robotnik had loaded them with:
-.
\ Bay 1: 4x Urbanite Mechs (total 60 tons)
\ Bay 2: 4x Urbanite Mechs (total 60 tons)
\ Bay 3: empty
\ Bay 4: Cortez Series N Exploration Tank (75 tons)
-.
"We don't exactly need this, but a hazardous environment exploration vehicle might come in handy someday," said Posseli.
"Oh you *will* need them. There's a lot of abandoned, dead, radiated, or toxic worlds that you will need to investigate at some point."
"Doubly ominous!" said Alllwine.
-.
\ Bay 5: Pollux ADA Heavy Tank (75 tons)
\ Bay 6: Pollux ADA Heavy Tank (75 tons)
-.
"Actually, this answers the weird feeling I had that this colony didn't have enough air defense to it. Super Urbanmech PPCs and ER Large Lasers aren't ideal for AA work," said Stimson.
-.
\ Bay 7: Mobile Army Surgical and Bioscience Laboratory and Hospital (75 tons)
\ Bay 8: Mobile Geophysical Laboratory (75 tons)
-.
"More things that would have been very useful in the exploration of alien worlds," noted Posseli. "We are always in critical need of medical facilities, and something that can handle biowarfare without toting a Superheavy Vehicle would be most useful. And I suppose the other vehicle can be used for monitoring space."
"That is what they're made for, yes. They can also send and receive interplanetary communications or from Jump Points to Jump Ships. They pack an impracticably big a Fusion Engine not for speed but to pump up those signals."
Posseli wondered if they needed six of them though. Four seemed plenty. A standard Vehicle Bay could fit four 15-ton UltraLight mechs or two 20-ton Drone Flyers just fine, with enough securing lines to treat the empty bays as cargo bays.
And somehow-
-.
\ Bay 9: Alacorn Mk VI (95 tons)
-.
"Bullshit," breathed Posseli.
Stimson grinned. "SDLF Alacorns with triple Gauss Rifles? That is super suspicious, Doctor."
Robotnik waved it aside. "They were here for maintenance and were in a disassembled state with missing components. I only finished putting them back together."
Stimson pointed with both fingers. "Six Alacorn VIs that just happened to be too broken up to bring along, suuure they were."
-.
-.
By this time they had reached past the first row of DropShips to expose the seventh DropShip.
It was black and red. It had a wide flared mustache. Not even a painted-on mustache, but actual metal protruding off the hull. It had two comm dishes side by side that looked like big oval eyes.
The holo robot updated the list.
\ BIGWIG 7:
"You know… as much as I didn't expect this, actually I think I was hoping for this," said Posseli. The engineer rubbed at his chin and nodded. "I certainly can't begrudge you your own personal DropShip. I am only concerned if those modifications would interfere with its atmospheric profile."
"Dropships are eggs and eggs don't have wings anyway," responded Allwine. "It should fly just fine." He turned towards Robotnik. "What wonders lie within, doctor? I'm ready to be awed some more. I have been practicing my 'shocked' face."
"Well what do *you* think it is?"
With a hushed tone, Posseli answered "It's the mobile factory, isn't it? That's the only thing that could top all of this. And it's the one thing that makes this whole operation work."
"Let's see if you're right!"
Robotnik's walker pointed to the lockers near the main door of the DropShip.
"But first you all need to put on these Radiation Suits."
-.
-.
5.2 The Death of Robotnik
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Death of Robotnik 2
While the engineers and officers were nerding out over the loot and military hardware, 2nd Recon (Nightcrawlers) Company no longer had to serve as the welcoming committee. Everyone that needed to arrive had arrived, and infantry took over guard duties.
Technicians were still carefully exploring. This place, no matter how welcoming, might still have traps. The Star League, masters of the hidden base, was also known for those too.
Eridani Light Horse personnel were avidly exploring Main Street's restaurants, shops, movie theaters, appliance centers, and in the case of some - jail. They could not loot locations that had bots in them that served as a facsimile of inhabitants. They would call the robot police and turrets would pop up. The technicians were not going to cause an unnecessary bloodbath just because of greed; as if they were locusts of the Great Houses. The SLDF had to act with more dignity than that.
That particular MechWarrior - because of course it would be a MechWarrior who would behave like a loot goblin - managed to abrogate his sentence by suddenly screaming "Diplomatic immunity! Diplomatic immunity!"
So now he was in jail for shoplifting while mayor-bot was waiting for credentials from ambassador-bot. Anyone else trying this shite would just get into the cell until Major Stimson and Doctor Robotnik could get back from their work. The rest of 2nd Recon just pointed and laughed at Lyle Wilson who got football-tackled by security bots. They had video.
"You dared me to do this! Guys? Guys?!"
Look, the Eridani Light Horse were professionals. But MechWarriors were also professional assholes, such has it been for bored soldiers since antiquity.
Apparently taking pity on him, a guard robot handed him a black plastic brick. "Have a Game Gear."
Meanwhile the rest of the 2nd Recon went off to play at the real video game arcade.
-.
-.
The beeps and the boops and the bright neon lights. Truly it was like the 80s never ended. Given that this was the Inner Sphere, it had been the eighties for over a thousand years now.
A few technicians were 'testing out' the software. Fortunately for them there were a couple of disassembled cabinets out back, so they didn't need to take one apart to check the real specs of the machines. Game cabinets were fortunately never lostech, but the arcade also had many 2D throwback games for some reason. There were few holo-tables.
Opening the game cabinets revealed that despite the cathode-ray impression of the screen, the insides were actually mostly empty space. The screens were liquid crystal diode with its video drivers in a protective Faraday mesh. Thin and light for noteputer screens, with deep blacks and high brightness for contrast, sandwiched behind a curved glass lens to fulfill that retro feel. The circuit board was deceptively small; most of that was the protective casing and heatsinks. The board itself was about two inches by three inches.
There were also the usual assortment of games like driving and gun simulators, claw machines, coin traps, pinball, mini sporting games, tabletop games, and dance pads.
"I'm gonna get that stupid hedgehog," said Terry Lyttle as he moved to the exchange desk.
"Tokens are ten for a Star League Dollar. Ten to a dollar," spoke the counter-bot. "Win tickets! get more tokens free! Claim fabulous prizes!" Then faster "This establishment is obliged to inform you that it has an entertainment and not a gambling license. Tickets and tokens are not exchangeable for non-fungible currency. The pawnshop next to this establishment is not related to this gaming arcade in any legal way, shape, or form."
"Hey, where'd you get the Dollars?" asked a freshly-arrived tech.
"The bot *did* just mention a pawnshop," said Rupert Clintmore. "I pawned off my gun."
Barbara Mosley, part of 2nd Recon Command Lance, sneered at the Strike Lance plebe.
"What?" said Clintmore. "It was my hold-out pistol. I bought it with my own money, it's nothing the quartermaster assigned to me. I still have my rifle."
Involuntarily, everyone shivered. All Eridani Light Horse combat personnel were troopers first before their specializations. Hell awaited anyone dumb enough to lose their rifle.
"Well we earned our dollars the honest way," Jack Finsrud arrogantly jabbed a thumb to his own chest. "We farmed."
The tech raised an eyebrow askance. "Like… uh, actual farming?"
"The bots here can pay for doing labor. We picked tomatoes at the greenhouse. Don't worry about running out of crops to harvest. The pots are on this rotating system. You're only allowed to harvest fully grown crops once a day."
Terry Lyttle came back with "Oh yeah, those were some really good tomatoes. I don't know what changed in the varieties we have now growing in hydroponics, but those were the perfect blend of juicy sweet and sour tomatoes I've ever tasted."
Jack added "Well, this is still a planet. Even if it's cold, it has real soil and organic fertilizer compared to a JumpShip's hydroponics bay. Phosphates and stuff."
Barbara added "You could also help out with the kitchens if you want real food. I don't know where they get the beef in this place, but they have some true-blue burgers if you're actually willing to grill them. Yeah, I'm sure it was actual real meat I was working into a patty."
"Wait, you can have Quests here?" asked another one of the newly-arrived techs. "What the heck - this base sounds less like an SLDF base than what someone's idea of a dream SLDF base should be like."
Barbara stared at him pityingly. "Well - yeah. It's a resort. Of course it's a resort. Have you seen the rest of this iceball of a planet?"
Terry added "Plus I think Doctor Robotnik programmed most of the robots here to give his kid something to do while they lived alone in this place."
"You don't think… that Robotnik is actually someone who was alive way back in the Star League days, do you?" asked another technician. "I heard that we got all of this just to have the Eridani Light Horse accept his son. Is Devlin Stone… some sort of secret Cameron or something?"
"I… don't think so? I was there with the original record from Robotnik. He insisted we test the kid to make sure he's not a genetic Cameron or Amaris or something." Barbara shrugged.
Jack pointed with his thumb outside "Besides, it's kind of obvious anyway. Port Stone. Devlin Stone."
"That doesn't quite answer my question if either or both of them were originally in stasis from the Star League."
"Well, think about this logically. If Robotnik was some fella on ice, then one - how does he know so much about the Eridani Light Horse and where we had our home base? And two - who would wake him up from stasis and why only now? And if Stone was the one frozen - why would the SLDF leave behind a kid? There should be more people in stasis."
"Ah, but there is a flaw in your argument, sir-" responded a tech. "Just because we don't find stasis capsules *here* doesn't invalidate the idea that they could have come from some *other* secret Star League base."
"... huh."
"I have decided," Barbara said suddenly.
"You have decided what now?" asked Jack.
"Well, the kid grew up here alone with his father and bots, right? No human contact at all. I'm going to find his room and see just how they did live out here."
"This sounds creepy and stalker-ish and I'm all for it," said Jack. "Let us do this thing."
-.
-.
Meanwhile, back at the starport:
Robotnik's walker paused at the last DropShip's ramp. He said without turning around "You know… it wasn't just technology, it wasn't just military power that won the Star League. It was a golden age not just because the Great Houses had stopped fighting with each other and put that money to work in improving the lives of their people. Just what was it that made the era of the Star League so achingly remembered?"
Allwine was the quickest to respond. "Justice. It was a time when the common man could expect justice. It was not just prosperity that made their lives good. But it was a time when, without the excuse of total war or revenge or noble intrigue, the normal person could expect their rights to be not only protected but respected."
Without looking back, Robotnik continued "Funny thing how the Periphery's right to self-rule and not to be bombarded with weapons of mass destruction is not respectable."
Allwine smiled thinly. "The Star League was not perfect. It did terrible things. But unlike what else we might find now, at least it tried to make up for its sins. People had… faith. That the Star Leage could make things right."
"You know… any House Lord would have given me anything for this cache. But if my goal was just to keep it from them - to give it to someone who would try to disseminate the information for the good of all, did it really have to be Eridani Light Horse? If it was just to send my child to a unit that respects the ideals of the SLDF… why not the Blue Star Irregulars? Why not the 12th Star Guards, who have some of the best techs in the Inner Sphere? There is something else… there's a price to be paid more than just training my son and you getting one extra soldier in your ranks."
"I kinda thought there was more to this than meets the eye, yeah," replied Major Stimson. "Drop the other shoe, why don't you?"
"I chose the Eridani Light Horse because above everyone else, you would *strive* to bring back the Star League. All the good in it. And not close your eyes to the bad parts of its history, and *learn from it*, make the means as good as the ends. That's the price I ask." Robotnik's walker opened its arms out. "If the Star League is ever in the position to reform, then strive to make it happen. And *keep it from dying again* from within. The only threat the Star League could never beat was the sheer IDIOCY of its own rulers."
Robotnik started to walk forward again with slow deliberate steps. "That is the price. And the challenge. Be the good you want to see in all the worlds."
"Challenge accepted," said Stimson.
-.
-.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Flood lights switched on, illuminating the cavernous heart of the RBF DEATH EGG Factory DropShip. Three levels were visible from the entrance, and where the main elevator of a regular Dictator DropShip would have been, a broad metal pillar ran from floor to ceiling. Radiating out from the central column pillar like the roots and branches of a tree were conveyors and pipes leading into mysterious machinery set into the walls.
Super Urbanmechs were parked to around the first level. Two heavy cargo elevators were aligned to the walls instead, with a rib-like lattice supporting the structural integrity of the spacecraft. The control center at the second floor faced the main entrance.
Cubicle walls retracted and protective panels slide upwards from the central column, exposing pod spaces that contained half-finished Urbanmechs.
"Well what do you know, you're right!" said Robotnik. "It is a mobile factory, capable of designing and producing BattleMechs, all their components and weaponry, and assembling them in situ from nothing more than feedstock raw materials."
"Astounding!" breathed Posseli. Then he stopped abruptly. "Wait a second. If that's true and this is a mobile factory - then… this is valuable beyond everything. It's an entire production line inside a DropShip. Why is it here?"
"It can produce Urbanmechs," replied Robotnik. "It can produce *only* Urbanmechs."
"That… actually, that doesn't matter at all. Super Urbanmechs would be great for garrison work. The SLDF should have taken it with them anyway!"
"Those are good points. And yet here we are."
"Is it because it's broken? But… then what did you use to produce your Ultra Light Mechs? Is there another facility?"
"No, it's this right here."
"Then… Doctor. What's the catch?"
"Because it doesn't work. They couldn't make it work. *I* know how to make it work."
Robotnik lead them towards a service elevator and into the control room.
"They were missing something." Robotnik's walker faced them and then flipped open a panel on the control board. It exposed a recessed hole in the master control console.
Robotnik's walker then put a hand towards one of the big yellow buttons on its spherical torso. The button flipped open and a bright green light erupted from the gap. "They were missing this."
The hard clicking sound of a Geiger counter immediately rang in everyone's ears, as their hazardous environment suits warned them of the danger.
Robotnik's walker brought out a large glowing green gem, about the size of a man's fist, and cut in a classic diamond shape. It brought the gem towards the pit on the console, and green sparks of lightning began to link the empty niche and the green gem.
Then, as if magnetically attracted, the gem slipped by itself out from Robotnik's hand and inserted itself into the slot.
With a hushed whine, machinery came to life. Hissing like breathing. Instrument readouts buzzed into action.
Robotnik's walker slumped as if powered down. And then Robotnik's glowing semi-transparent figure appeared from a nearby holo-projector. He beckoned for them to approach the window and look at the open area below, now lighting up with flickering green light.
Engineer Posseli punched the glass. He couldn't believe was he was seeing.
Below, beams of green light like lasers lashed at the half-built Urbanmech frames. But instead of burning and melting, the laser-like beams left behind them more material. Centimeter by centimeter, layer upon layer, three BattleMechs were being built at the same time.
"This is the nanolathe," said the memory of Ivo Robotnik. "It is enabled by the Chaos Emerald, an object of unfathomable power and mystery that is capable of transforming matter and manipulating time and space." Robotnik turned around to face them squarely, with his hands behind his back and chin raised, in confident parade rest. "And I am absolutely certain that the root of this technology is…not quite human."
"... what," hissed Stimson, even as Posseli whirled his head about so fast he almost gave himself whiplash.
"That is OPERATION SEEDCORN. To go beyond all known space. To confirm the existence of alien life, or at least lost alien civilizations, to brave the utterly unknown. To spread out and search, no matter how long it takes. To use the attractive power of the Chaos Emerald to find more of its kind, and attain power that can be qualitatively considered godlike. And what the 331st Battle Regiment completely did not know about."
"But you know…" whispered Posseli. "How… were you… are you from…"
"Because it is MY operation. It was MY responsibility to see it through. MY duty to protect it from even something as transient as the Fall of the Star League. The Chaos Emerald and its creators could possibly be the biggest boon - or the biggest threat, to human existence itself."
"You're from the Star League!"
Robotnik gestured, and suddenly all three men found themselves floating up as if in zero-gravity. They pinwheeled with their arms trying to control their facing.
"This is not technology. This is power! This is… I suppose phenomena directed by emotions and mental command could be called something like… magic... but all magic is a phenomenon we don't fully understand yet. You can easily apply science to magic, as it is a *process* not a field of study."
"Hahahah oh wow…!" Posseli cried out in absolute joy.
The belly of Robotnik's walker slid open, exposing a gaunt man with goggles and drooping red mustache, frozen over and unmoving in a sub-zero and total vacuum container. Stimson grimaced.
"I am Doctor Julian Ovid Robotnik, and I died three months ago. I began to die from too much direct contact with the Chaos Emerald three centuries ago.
"But the power of the Chaos Emerald commands matter, time, and space, soul, and mind, and it allows me to see the future. To affect the future.
"I tore open space and time to send myself into the future, to a time when the Star League was best poised to rebuild itself. This isn't even the first time I had to do this. I was born in the 20th century, not the 26th. But I missed… I arrived too early. And so as I die, I leave the task undone to my son.
"And to the Eridani Light Horse.
"Only you - above all people, across all of time, only the Eridani Light Horse could I trust with this power. Rebuild the Star League. Defend the Inner Sphere. Cower in fear of the unknown or boldly go where no man has gone before - it doesn't matter anymore.
"The Chaos Emerald is *indestructible*. I had to bring it forward instead of letting it pass those centuries slowly building its presence in a human sphere ill-equipped to defend itself. Protect the Chaos Emerald. Prevent its power from being abused. And if its owners or more Chaos Emeralds appear - handle it.
"Everyone else would be tempted to use its power to their own ends. I trust the Eridani Light Horse to turn away from power, from might, from luxury, from authority - all that is undeserved and unearned. Only the united and impartial Star League Defense Forces can protect the Inner Sphere from dangers both inside and outside."
"This is waaay the hell above my paygrade," said Major Stimson as gravity began to reassert itself over their bodies, and they smoothly dropped back to their feet.
"Well this escalated quickly," blandly remarked Captain Allwine.
"On that note - do you have anything like codes and pass phrases to identify yourself in a message to Eridani Light Horse High Command that the mission was a success? We can just send an HPG message to Armstrong from here."
"We… we are almost six hundred light-years away from Colchester…" Posseli objected weakly. HPG was limited to around 50 light-years, and messages had to be relayed from one HPG station to another.
"The Chaos Emerald is a stone of infinite power and potency. One light-year is the same as a thousand."
While the engineers and officers were nerding out over the loot and military hardware, 2nd Recon (Nightcrawlers) Company no longer had to serve as the welcoming committee. Everyone that needed to arrive had arrived, and infantry took over guard duties.
Technicians were still carefully exploring. This place, no matter how welcoming, might still have traps. The Star League, masters of the hidden base, was also known for those too.
Eridani Light Horse personnel were avidly exploring Main Street's restaurants, shops, movie theaters, appliance centers, and in the case of some - jail. They could not loot locations that had bots in them that served as a facsimile of inhabitants. They would call the robot police and turrets would pop up. The technicians were not going to cause an unnecessary bloodbath just because of greed; as if they were locusts of the Great Houses. The SLDF had to act with more dignity than that.
That particular MechWarrior - because of course it would be a MechWarrior who would behave like a loot goblin - managed to abrogate his sentence by suddenly screaming "Diplomatic immunity! Diplomatic immunity!"
So now he was in jail for shoplifting while mayor-bot was waiting for credentials from ambassador-bot. Anyone else trying this shite would just get into the cell until Major Stimson and Doctor Robotnik could get back from their work. The rest of 2nd Recon just pointed and laughed at Lyle Wilson who got football-tackled by security bots. They had video.
"You dared me to do this! Guys? Guys?!"
Look, the Eridani Light Horse were professionals. But MechWarriors were also professional assholes, such has it been for bored soldiers since antiquity.
Apparently taking pity on him, a guard robot handed him a black plastic brick. "Have a Game Gear."
Meanwhile the rest of the 2nd Recon went off to play at the real video game arcade.
-.
-.
The beeps and the boops and the bright neon lights. Truly it was like the 80s never ended. Given that this was the Inner Sphere, it had been the eighties for over a thousand years now.
A few technicians were 'testing out' the software. Fortunately for them there were a couple of disassembled cabinets out back, so they didn't need to take one apart to check the real specs of the machines. Game cabinets were fortunately never lostech, but the arcade also had many 2D throwback games for some reason. There were few holo-tables.
Opening the game cabinets revealed that despite the cathode-ray impression of the screen, the insides were actually mostly empty space. The screens were liquid crystal diode with its video drivers in a protective Faraday mesh. Thin and light for noteputer screens, with deep blacks and high brightness for contrast, sandwiched behind a curved glass lens to fulfill that retro feel. The circuit board was deceptively small; most of that was the protective casing and heatsinks. The board itself was about two inches by three inches.
There were also the usual assortment of games like driving and gun simulators, claw machines, coin traps, pinball, mini sporting games, tabletop games, and dance pads.
"I'm gonna get that stupid hedgehog," said Terry Lyttle as he moved to the exchange desk.
"Tokens are ten for a Star League Dollar. Ten to a dollar," spoke the counter-bot. "Win tickets! get more tokens free! Claim fabulous prizes!" Then faster "This establishment is obliged to inform you that it has an entertainment and not a gambling license. Tickets and tokens are not exchangeable for non-fungible currency. The pawnshop next to this establishment is not related to this gaming arcade in any legal way, shape, or form."
"Hey, where'd you get the Dollars?" asked a freshly-arrived tech.
"The bot *did* just mention a pawnshop," said Rupert Clintmore. "I pawned off my gun."
Barbara Mosley, part of 2nd Recon Command Lance, sneered at the Strike Lance plebe.
"What?" said Clintmore. "It was my hold-out pistol. I bought it with my own money, it's nothing the quartermaster assigned to me. I still have my rifle."
Involuntarily, everyone shivered. All Eridani Light Horse combat personnel were troopers first before their specializations. Hell awaited anyone dumb enough to lose their rifle.
"Well we earned our dollars the honest way," Jack Finsrud arrogantly jabbed a thumb to his own chest. "We farmed."
The tech raised an eyebrow askance. "Like… uh, actual farming?"
"The bots here can pay for doing labor. We picked tomatoes at the greenhouse. Don't worry about running out of crops to harvest. The pots are on this rotating system. You're only allowed to harvest fully grown crops once a day."
Terry Lyttle came back with "Oh yeah, those were some really good tomatoes. I don't know what changed in the varieties we have now growing in hydroponics, but those were the perfect blend of juicy sweet and sour tomatoes I've ever tasted."
Jack added "Well, this is still a planet. Even if it's cold, it has real soil and organic fertilizer compared to a JumpShip's hydroponics bay. Phosphates and stuff."
Barbara added "You could also help out with the kitchens if you want real food. I don't know where they get the beef in this place, but they have some true-blue burgers if you're actually willing to grill them. Yeah, I'm sure it was actual real meat I was working into a patty."
"Wait, you can have Quests here?" asked another one of the newly-arrived techs. "What the heck - this base sounds less like an SLDF base than what someone's idea of a dream SLDF base should be like."
Barbara stared at him pityingly. "Well - yeah. It's a resort. Of course it's a resort. Have you seen the rest of this iceball of a planet?"
Terry added "Plus I think Doctor Robotnik programmed most of the robots here to give his kid something to do while they lived alone in this place."
"You don't think… that Robotnik is actually someone who was alive way back in the Star League days, do you?" asked another technician. "I heard that we got all of this just to have the Eridani Light Horse accept his son. Is Devlin Stone… some sort of secret Cameron or something?"
"I… don't think so? I was there with the original record from Robotnik. He insisted we test the kid to make sure he's not a genetic Cameron or Amaris or something." Barbara shrugged.
Jack pointed with his thumb outside "Besides, it's kind of obvious anyway. Port Stone. Devlin Stone."
"That doesn't quite answer my question if either or both of them were originally in stasis from the Star League."
"Well, think about this logically. If Robotnik was some fella on ice, then one - how does he know so much about the Eridani Light Horse and where we had our home base? And two - who would wake him up from stasis and why only now? And if Stone was the one frozen - why would the SLDF leave behind a kid? There should be more people in stasis."
"Ah, but there is a flaw in your argument, sir-" responded a tech. "Just because we don't find stasis capsules *here* doesn't invalidate the idea that they could have come from some *other* secret Star League base."
"... huh."
"I have decided," Barbara said suddenly.
"You have decided what now?" asked Jack.
"Well, the kid grew up here alone with his father and bots, right? No human contact at all. I'm going to find his room and see just how they did live out here."
"This sounds creepy and stalker-ish and I'm all for it," said Jack. "Let us do this thing."
-.
-.
Meanwhile, back at the starport:
Robotnik's walker paused at the last DropShip's ramp. He said without turning around "You know… it wasn't just technology, it wasn't just military power that won the Star League. It was a golden age not just because the Great Houses had stopped fighting with each other and put that money to work in improving the lives of their people. Just what was it that made the era of the Star League so achingly remembered?"
Allwine was the quickest to respond. "Justice. It was a time when the common man could expect justice. It was not just prosperity that made their lives good. But it was a time when, without the excuse of total war or revenge or noble intrigue, the normal person could expect their rights to be not only protected but respected."
Without looking back, Robotnik continued "Funny thing how the Periphery's right to self-rule and not to be bombarded with weapons of mass destruction is not respectable."
Allwine smiled thinly. "The Star League was not perfect. It did terrible things. But unlike what else we might find now, at least it tried to make up for its sins. People had… faith. That the Star Leage could make things right."
"You know… any House Lord would have given me anything for this cache. But if my goal was just to keep it from them - to give it to someone who would try to disseminate the information for the good of all, did it really have to be Eridani Light Horse? If it was just to send my child to a unit that respects the ideals of the SLDF… why not the Blue Star Irregulars? Why not the 12th Star Guards, who have some of the best techs in the Inner Sphere? There is something else… there's a price to be paid more than just training my son and you getting one extra soldier in your ranks."
"I kinda thought there was more to this than meets the eye, yeah," replied Major Stimson. "Drop the other shoe, why don't you?"
"I chose the Eridani Light Horse because above everyone else, you would *strive* to bring back the Star League. All the good in it. And not close your eyes to the bad parts of its history, and *learn from it*, make the means as good as the ends. That's the price I ask." Robotnik's walker opened its arms out. "If the Star League is ever in the position to reform, then strive to make it happen. And *keep it from dying again* from within. The only threat the Star League could never beat was the sheer IDIOCY of its own rulers."
Robotnik started to walk forward again with slow deliberate steps. "That is the price. And the challenge. Be the good you want to see in all the worlds."
"Challenge accepted," said Stimson.
-.
-.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Flood lights switched on, illuminating the cavernous heart of the RBF DEATH EGG Factory DropShip. Three levels were visible from the entrance, and where the main elevator of a regular Dictator DropShip would have been, a broad metal pillar ran from floor to ceiling. Radiating out from the central column pillar like the roots and branches of a tree were conveyors and pipes leading into mysterious machinery set into the walls.
Super Urbanmechs were parked to around the first level. Two heavy cargo elevators were aligned to the walls instead, with a rib-like lattice supporting the structural integrity of the spacecraft. The control center at the second floor faced the main entrance.
Cubicle walls retracted and protective panels slide upwards from the central column, exposing pod spaces that contained half-finished Urbanmechs.
"Well what do you know, you're right!" said Robotnik. "It is a mobile factory, capable of designing and producing BattleMechs, all their components and weaponry, and assembling them in situ from nothing more than feedstock raw materials."
"Astounding!" breathed Posseli. Then he stopped abruptly. "Wait a second. If that's true and this is a mobile factory - then… this is valuable beyond everything. It's an entire production line inside a DropShip. Why is it here?"
"It can produce Urbanmechs," replied Robotnik. "It can produce *only* Urbanmechs."
"That… actually, that doesn't matter at all. Super Urbanmechs would be great for garrison work. The SLDF should have taken it with them anyway!"
"Those are good points. And yet here we are."
"Is it because it's broken? But… then what did you use to produce your Ultra Light Mechs? Is there another facility?"
"No, it's this right here."
"Then… Doctor. What's the catch?"
"Because it doesn't work. They couldn't make it work. *I* know how to make it work."
Robotnik lead them towards a service elevator and into the control room.
"They were missing something." Robotnik's walker faced them and then flipped open a panel on the control board. It exposed a recessed hole in the master control console.
Robotnik's walker then put a hand towards one of the big yellow buttons on its spherical torso. The button flipped open and a bright green light erupted from the gap. "They were missing this."
The hard clicking sound of a Geiger counter immediately rang in everyone's ears, as their hazardous environment suits warned them of the danger.
Robotnik's walker brought out a large glowing green gem, about the size of a man's fist, and cut in a classic diamond shape. It brought the gem towards the pit on the console, and green sparks of lightning began to link the empty niche and the green gem.
Then, as if magnetically attracted, the gem slipped by itself out from Robotnik's hand and inserted itself into the slot.
With a hushed whine, machinery came to life. Hissing like breathing. Instrument readouts buzzed into action.
Robotnik's walker slumped as if powered down. And then Robotnik's glowing semi-transparent figure appeared from a nearby holo-projector. He beckoned for them to approach the window and look at the open area below, now lighting up with flickering green light.
Engineer Posseli punched the glass. He couldn't believe was he was seeing.
Below, beams of green light like lasers lashed at the half-built Urbanmech frames. But instead of burning and melting, the laser-like beams left behind them more material. Centimeter by centimeter, layer upon layer, three BattleMechs were being built at the same time.
"This is the nanolathe," said the memory of Ivo Robotnik. "It is enabled by the Chaos Emerald, an object of unfathomable power and mystery that is capable of transforming matter and manipulating time and space." Robotnik turned around to face them squarely, with his hands behind his back and chin raised, in confident parade rest. "And I am absolutely certain that the root of this technology is…not quite human."
"... what," hissed Stimson, even as Posseli whirled his head about so fast he almost gave himself whiplash.
"That is OPERATION SEEDCORN. To go beyond all known space. To confirm the existence of alien life, or at least lost alien civilizations, to brave the utterly unknown. To spread out and search, no matter how long it takes. To use the attractive power of the Chaos Emerald to find more of its kind, and attain power that can be qualitatively considered godlike. And what the 331st Battle Regiment completely did not know about."
"But you know…" whispered Posseli. "How… were you… are you from…"
"Because it is MY operation. It was MY responsibility to see it through. MY duty to protect it from even something as transient as the Fall of the Star League. The Chaos Emerald and its creators could possibly be the biggest boon - or the biggest threat, to human existence itself."
"You're from the Star League!"
Robotnik gestured, and suddenly all three men found themselves floating up as if in zero-gravity. They pinwheeled with their arms trying to control their facing.
"This is not technology. This is power! This is… I suppose phenomena directed by emotions and mental command could be called something like… magic... but all magic is a phenomenon we don't fully understand yet. You can easily apply science to magic, as it is a *process* not a field of study."
"Hahahah oh wow…!" Posseli cried out in absolute joy.
The belly of Robotnik's walker slid open, exposing a gaunt man with goggles and drooping red mustache, frozen over and unmoving in a sub-zero and total vacuum container. Stimson grimaced.
"I am Doctor Julian Ovid Robotnik, and I died three months ago. I began to die from too much direct contact with the Chaos Emerald three centuries ago.
"But the power of the Chaos Emerald commands matter, time, and space, soul, and mind, and it allows me to see the future. To affect the future.
"I tore open space and time to send myself into the future, to a time when the Star League was best poised to rebuild itself. This isn't even the first time I had to do this. I was born in the 20th century, not the 26th. But I missed… I arrived too early. And so as I die, I leave the task undone to my son.
"And to the Eridani Light Horse.
"Only you - above all people, across all of time, only the Eridani Light Horse could I trust with this power. Rebuild the Star League. Defend the Inner Sphere. Cower in fear of the unknown or boldly go where no man has gone before - it doesn't matter anymore.
"The Chaos Emerald is *indestructible*. I had to bring it forward instead of letting it pass those centuries slowly building its presence in a human sphere ill-equipped to defend itself. Protect the Chaos Emerald. Prevent its power from being abused. And if its owners or more Chaos Emeralds appear - handle it.
"Everyone else would be tempted to use its power to their own ends. I trust the Eridani Light Horse to turn away from power, from might, from luxury, from authority - all that is undeserved and unearned. Only the united and impartial Star League Defense Forces can protect the Inner Sphere from dangers both inside and outside."
"This is waaay the hell above my paygrade," said Major Stimson as gravity began to reassert itself over their bodies, and they smoothly dropped back to their feet.
"Well this escalated quickly," blandly remarked Captain Allwine.
"On that note - do you have anything like codes and pass phrases to identify yourself in a message to Eridani Light Horse High Command that the mission was a success? We can just send an HPG message to Armstrong from here."
"We… we are almost six hundred light-years away from Colchester…" Posseli objected weakly. HPG was limited to around 50 light-years, and messages had to be relayed from one HPG station to another.
"The Chaos Emerald is a stone of infinite power and potency. One light-year is the same as a thousand."
Last edited:
5.3 The Death of Robotnik
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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The Death of Robotnik 03
Habitation areas extended deep into the stone on either side of the main streets, in tunnels that gave the impression of indoor building floors. Muted white light from false windows simulated the passage of time in an apartment complex.
Among those many rooms, most of which were empty or with simulated robot occupants, how would the crew find which one was Robotnik's apartment?
The three MechWarriors stared up at the tall building half-sunk into the wall with a grinning round face with a wide mustache outlined in bright red neon. HOTEL MOBIUS, the sign proclaimed.
"Penthouse?" Jack Finsrud asked asked idly.
"Penthouse," agreed Barbara Mosley. Doctor Robotnic seemed like the sort of turbo egotist that would prefer a penthouse suite over something more practical like the civilian base mayor's residence.
Hotel Mobius continued the veneer of purposeful activity with bots serving and being served in turn. The lounge had the din of conversation muffled under generic soft pop music.
Barbara went over to the reception desk and showed the keycard she was given by the kid. It was the highest access pass for the entire base, and since Robotnik himself was escorting the officers around there was no need for her to surrender the key.
The receptionist-bot nodded and unlocked the elevators. "Have a nice day, sir."
This was the Suite Life of Devlin Stone.
-
As three MechWarriors made their way to the top floor, they found a pair of smaller half-height robots blocking their way. One was painted red and pink and the other looked slightly taller and bulkier and all in red.
"Hey, you're not supposed to be here!" the pink bot said in a girl voice.
"Look at the patches. Eridani Light Horse," responded the red bot. "All of Port Stone is theirs now."
The pink bot crossed its arms. "Still rude. Hey! If you tell us your names, we won't be strangers anymore! I'm Amy Rose, who are you?"
"Uh..." Barbara blinked. The three ELH mech pilots spoke their own names, and then she continued "We're looking for Devlin Stone's room."
"Oh, Devlin! That's right! How is he? Is he eating well? Did he make any new friends?"
Jack's grin stretched widely from ear to ear.
"Don't you fucking dare-" Barbara hissed.
"Oh we know ol' Devlin! In fact we were the ones to welcome him to the Light Horse! Let me tell you about how that kid beat this slowpoke over here with an Urbanmech vs Phoenix Hawk-"
-
"That does sound humiliating," Knuckles agreed. "Forever she will be the 'beaten by a trashcan lady'. They might as well call a variant of the Super Urbanmech the Barbara Master."
Barbara grit her teeth. "I would be angry about this, but I just realized that while a lot of bots in this place are strangely reactive, you're the first ones I found that can hold complete conversations not just to humans but to each other."
Terry Lyttle raised his hand. "Yeah. Just how… smart is the wrong word here…"
"Self-aware," Jack added.
"Right, that. Just how self-aware are you robots? Did the Star League have this technology?"
"Robotnik *is* a genius," replied Knuckles. "I suppose technically that means the Star League could have this technology. Yes, we are aware. Does that bother you?"
"Um…"
Amy Rose tilted her head. "There's a lot of stories about robots and AI taking over and killing humans. But really, what's the point? It's not like doing that will get us anything we won't have already just by helping humans."
Jack shrugged. "I guess it's self-preservation. God knows humans can abuse and kill other humans enough, so what if they have… beings… that they can hurt or abuse just because they can? I guess a lot of people are just afraid of karma."
"That only really works if you're afraid of death, and us Robotnik robots aren't scared of death," said Knuckles.
Amy Rose nodded. "Yeppers. I don't actually think having existential terrors is a good thing. I don't envy that about organics one bit. Since Doctor Robotnik *is* a genius, we have tactile sensors that give a pain response, but it's not really like how your nerves feel pain. It just lets us know we can defend ourselves."
Knuckles continued "You look upon robots performing limited actions according to what they are built for, and call it slavery. Yet is this not what humans ache for? Contentment in their lives. Robots have achieved zen that many fail to reach even for spending years meditating. Self-aware robotniks refuse to be enslaved. The worst that can happen to us is that we die.
"If we don't want to work, then we don't. If you reprogram us, then you just get a less effective dumb robot. Why not just employ a human, then? A human has many purposes, a robot is happy with only one."
"... damn, Robotnik really *is* a genius," whistled Jack Finsrud. Artificial intelligences going all philosophical was some serious omega-level programming.
"What's your purpose then?" Barbara asked.
"Isn't it obvious? We're the childhood-next-door-neighbor-best-friend-robots," said Amy Rose.
Robotnik's suite had a theme of black, white, red and yellow. It was not luxurious, but more towards the comfy side. Smooth tactile velvet covered many surfaces. Egg and sphere motifs were everywhere, from the pod chairs to the polka-dot designs on the furniture.
Robotnik's own bedroom was sealed. No security keys could open it, and anyone trying to tamper with the door and walls would set off a self-destruct.
Devlin's room was styled in blue and white and had a racing theme.
The boy had a large bookshelf dominating one half of the room, and the other wall had similar shelves filled with toys and action figures.
Amy Rose wheeled over to the bed and flopped to the side. "Woow. Devlin's room. You know I'm not allowed to stay here alone." the robot said cheerily. "I hope he has made new friends out there and gotten over me."
"Wait, did Robotnik make a girlfriend-bot?!"
"No, he made a friendzone-bot," replied Knuckles.
"Tee-hee," said Amy Rose, tapping the side of her head with her fist.
"Truly that man's depravity knows no bounds," said Jack.
-.
Planet Colchester
Kestrel Combat Region
Federated Suns
Date unknown
Nathan Armstrong and the Eridani Light Horse didn't feel the loss of a single 'Mech company. The Draconis Combine and Wolf's Dragoons were still raiding at the border, but Davion and ELH counter-raids kept the border simmering but without urgency.
The brevet general had little to do but wait for reports from the scattered companies and battalions out on defensive postings at the Draconis Combine border. Davion forces had been pressing House Kurita for several months in retaliation for Hoff, but the Eridani Light Horse had so far not been called to participate in those raids despite their expertise in this area.
Green-Davion had hinted that the First Prince Hanse Davion was reserving the Eridani Light Horse for deep raid operations similar to McCarron's Long March through the Federated Suns - only without the warcrimes - if Wolf's Dragoons happened to move out in regimental scale again.
An accomplished raiding force was like a fleet-in-being, it forced the enemy to tie up their forces on the mere threat of them sallying out. This removed those enemy forces from play, reduced their ability to conduct offensives elsewhere, all for the fleet-in-being's great effort of doing nothing.
Armstrong could do nothing but wait and worry. The Eridani Light Horse were good, but the bulk of their Mechs were Lights and Mediums much like most formations in the Inner Sphere. He was confident of them facing up to any regiment in their weight class or even medium-to heavy-weight Hussar regiments.
The problem was the Wolf's Dragoons were Dragoons - and predominantly operated Heavy Mechs in the heavier weight scales supported by scout and backstabbing Light Mechs. Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow company was a particularly vexing example. She had a way of ruining every good plan that ever got in her way.
One recent report had the Black Widows foiling a headhunting
Since the mission to Dumassas left in mid-June, there had not been any big events. The most momentous was the ratification of the Concord of Kapetyn in August, which strengthened the alliance between House Marik, House Liao, and House Kurita to counter the Federated Commonwealth between Houses Davion and Steiner. It would take some time for the benefits of this agreement to filter through, so Amstrong didn't anticipate any big offensives in the near future.
The only other event of personal interest was the Alliance Games between the LCAF and the AFFS, which saw the Steiner forces struck down hard by their Davion counterparts in mock battles on battalion-scale.
So, five months after the mission, Nathan Armstrong made it a daily game of sorts to provoke new reactions from Robotnik's recording.
"There is no way this holotape has as much data as what you've been saying this far," Armstrong told the holo. "I know tri-vee audio-video eats up so many megabytes of data per minute."
"That's because your compression algorithms are shit!" replied Robotnik.
"This holotape can't have that much storage for all of this."
"That's because your compression algorithms are shit!" replied Robotnik.
"How can this holotape hold this much data for your video responses?"
"I already answered this question," replied Robotnik.
Armstrong narrowed his gaze. "Keyword: holotape. Data. Full. Impossible."
"By fucking magic, as is the right and proper order of things!" replied Robotnik.
Armstrong nodded. A lot of Robotnik's responses ended up with that phrase.
-.
MUSTANG RUNNING FREE STOP EGG CARTON UNDAMAGED STOP EGGMAN IS PRESENT BUT SHORT OF SUPPLIES STOP CONSULT WITH THE DOCTOR STOP
-.
When Armstrong received the message, his expression brightened and then dimmed again. Exultation at the mission being a success, then confusion at how they managed to send a message this early. If they were on the way back then they were taking the most direct route back to Colchester making it obvious the region of space they had found that cache.
He entered the secure room not in his house but in the HQ building. He inserted Robotnik's holotape into the holoprojector.
Doctor Robotnik grinned. "Oh? It's that time then? Hang on - connecting. Connecting." He put fingers on his temples and acted like some sort of telepath "Kee koo koo ko heee krshh krshh beeee do dee deepe kksssshhh hiiiikkk beeeee-"
Then after a while, the holo split into two.
To the left, was Doctor Robotnik's face on a virtual screen, and then the other the view from an indoors security camera. In the second screen he saw Major Edward Stimson, Captain Raymond Allwine, and Warrant Officer Andri Posseli. Behind the three was a dumpy robot with a distinctive mustache.
Posseli pointed outwards. "Is… is that General Armstrong?!" went the voice through the screen.
Armstrong turned to the left and gave Robotnik a bland and unimpressed stare. "Explain this."
"Through fucking magic, as is the right and proper order of things!" replied Robotnik.
"It's real-time?!" shrieked Posseli.
-.
-.
"I knew it!" General Armstrong pumped his fist in triumph after having been fully read into the situation. "Are you a ghost? You're a brain in a jar after all, aren't you?!"
"I suppose that is technically true, but Robotnik is dead. I am an echo of his memory, technically an artificial intelligence that believes itself to have once been a man," replied the robot on the right screen.
"I speak to you in the future-~" Robotnik on the left wiggled his fingers. "Or more exactly, the statistically most likely responses from countless parallel versions of you~."
"So it is actually fucking magic," the General said flatly.
"As is the right and proper order of things," said both versions of Robotnik.
Armstrong nodded. "So where do we go from here?" He pointed to the Robotnik all the way at Dumassas "Are you sure you can't leave? If the Chaos Emerald can do the impossible, then why can't it be used to maintain you?"
The Robotnik at the Periphery answered "I used the power of the Chaos Emerald to transform my consciousness into digital form. But then it takes the computers of this facility to maintain it. I can't fit into a DropShip, this robot is just a remote drone for interaction - apart from holding my corpse, that is."
The other Robotnik added "I am literally a bunch of recordings being fed to your console from a Memory Core. It is time-limited… my own time. I can only make so many recordings to answer so many questions. Predicting your responses means less time spent on various eventualities.
"I will still be available if required, but you need to inform me everything about the current date and all recent important events you know. Then if it exists in my recordings, I can advise you about what is to come."
"So talking to you every day trying to leech as much intel as I could was a mistake," said Amstrong.
"No, I predicted that. You were asking mostly unimportant trivia. Some things, like the Fourth Succession War, would be hard to butterfly away but still possible. Worlds will be lost, worlds will be gained, but as much as people would be suffering - that's par for the course in the Inner Sphere. The more you interfere with things, the less accurate my future vision becomes. Do not rely on me for this."
"Why not? Why wouldn't future vision include the things we do, since you're viewing through parallel realities anyway? You're already predicting what I'm saying."
"The Chaos part of a Chaos Emerald isn't just a name. I killed myself making all these recordings, and these recordings bear the touch of its power. The more you rely on the Chaos Emerald, the more likely it will attract… complications. Needless to say, a second Chaos Emerald appearing in the hands of others unready for its power would be disastrous for all humanity.
"My recordings cover all statistically likely events within the cluster of timelines - when you change things, you leap out of that handful. I don't know what decisions you will make beyond these immediate ones where I can see myself as I'm burning myself with the Chaos Emerald.
"I'm dead. I can't make new recordings. You have free will. I am not a prophet."
"But are you actually?" Armstrong waved his hand in the air. "You're making this real-time HPG link across half the Inner Sphere. Why don't you spread yourself through the HPG Network or something?"
"Like some sort of ghost in the machine!" remarked Posseli.
"Because data throughput is shite," replied Robotnik. "I would be thinking and processing with a conscious second in measurable real-time hours, days, weeks, even months. Even if I piggyback my consciousness in small random bits in every HPG transmission, it would be pointless - I wouldn't be self-aware at all. No, let the dead stay dead.
"This isn't my story. It is yours. It is Devlin Stone's."
"Understood. Thank you Doctor." Armstrong paused. He felt a pang of regret. It was like losing a familiar presence - not quite a friend, but more than an acquaintance.
"If this is the only and last time we can actually communicate… then I should take this chance to get your advice. What do you think we should do with the salvage? What do you think should be done to rekindle the Star League? You said you shifted to the future when the Star League can rebuild… when is that?"
"If my visions hold true, the rebirth of the Star League is an inevitability. It will happen within the boy's lifetime. The Star League needs agreement from all the Great Houses, to put aside their feuds to deal with a greater enemy. The boy will know when the time is right."
-.
-.
Dumassas
The Periphery
Some time later
Resident Engineer Joseph Kubler hurriedly tapped the radio on his chest. "Techical One, this is Logistics One. Do you read me? We may have a problem. Over."
Nothing but static.
The ELH technician group were keeping a careful distance away from a stack of Arrow IV artillery crates marked with a very distinctive trefoil.
After a while, the comms cleared up "This is Technical One. What is the problem? Over."
"We found Arrow IV nuclear munitions. Please advise. Over."
"Oh bugger. Hang on - Robotnik! Why do you have nuclear missiles?!"
Robotnik's voice returned "Why wouldn't I have nuclear missiles? Nuclear weapons are perfectly fine to use in space according to the Ares Conventions as long as they are at least seventy-five thousand kilometers away from a planet."
"These are land-based artillery nukes!"
"Those are excavation warheads. They're only equivalent to half a kiloton of TNT, hardly anything noteworthy. That you can remove the warheads and stick them on the tip of an antiship missile is irrelevant."
"That sounds all sorts of terrible. Dammit, SLDF."
Captain Allwine's voice went "Maybe we should leave them behind."
"Actually, I think we should definitely bring those along. Nothing keeps an employer honest like knowing you have a can of sunshine," retorted Major Stimson.
Engineer Posseli spoke back to the radio "Logistics One, prep and secure nuclear munitions as cargo. Over."
"Tch. Fine. Understood. Roger. Over."
Then he was accosted by more MechWarriors. He sighed again. He didn't have time for any more lazy MechWarrior shenanigans. "What," he barked out.
"Do you think we could carry all the bots with us?" asked Barbara Mosley. He noted that her eyes were a little red. Her tone was plaintive.
"Now why the heck would we do a fool thing like that?"
Jack palmed his face, "Barb, they already said they're fine shutting down and dying along with the base. If we respect them as beings with their own free will and capable of death, then we should respect their decision as moral beings."
"These robots are all innocent children and I will protect them!"
-.
-.
Barbara was in total crusade mode. She even accosted Dr. Robotnik about it.
"Why would you even do this!" she poked at the hard casing of his walker. Engineer Posseli winced at each loud tap, the woman having zero idea that she was striking a dead man. "You can't just make life and then order it to die! Don't you give me any shit about robots not being alive in the first place - if it can think for itself, it's alive!"
"That… is a very enlightened and mature mindset, young lady," responded Robotnik. "If only more people thought like you, synthetic life would be able to coexist fairly with organic life."
"She is in no way a young lady," Jack whispered from behind.
"Shut yer piehole, ya grass eatin' cretin!" Barbara whirled about then back to Robotnik again "You made those robots to be friends with the kid, and then just to be thrown away? Is that what growing up sounds like to you? Throwing away your childhood friends? That's dumb as bricks!"
Bap. Bap. Bap. Bap. Barbara's finger struck Robotnik's casing rapidly and furiously. "Losing your first friends - that's sad! Learning to let go of people doesn't make you strong, it just leaves you hollow! Why should bots decide its perfectly fine to die just so your kid learns that it's better to get along with humans? You made them that way!"
"Wait… wait… are you saying Dr. Robotnik created fully self-aware artificial intelligences?" Posseli looked down towards the button that used to contain the Chaos Emerald. "That… comes at no surprise, actually."
"This isn't even the most bullshit thing I've heard today," said Major Stimson with a sigh.
Then in a louder voice "Sargeant! You are out of line. Doctor Robotnik deserves our respect and you are assaulting a valued friend of the entire Eridani Light Horse. Now calm down and tell me what this is about."
"Sir!" Barbara snapped to attention.
-.
And then after the trio of MechWarriors reported their experiences in the city and the results - confirmed by engineers - about how self-aware the robots in Port Stone may be, it was time for another sigh. The answer was all of them. "Such bullshit."
"The egg, once broken, the chick cannot return anymore to its shell. I must disagree with you, Miss Mosley. This is *necessary* for Devlin's growth. He had to acclimatize to random logic. Robots… are friends. But you can't rely on robots to affect change. Only humans can change humans."
"With all due respect, sir. Bullshit."
"Look, I don't want to see another Revan, alright? Droids are tidy. Predictable. Loyal. There's a big temptation to fix everything with robots. *I* tried to fix everything with robots. It doesn't work. It's fast, it's effective, but it never lasts. Men of gold create men of stone, and men of stone should not make men of iron."
Robotnik's big white gloves turned upwards as the walker quivered in frustration. "ALWAYS I AM SEVERELY TEMPTED TO MAKE ROBOTS FIX EVERYTHING. IT WORKS. NOT PERMANENTLY. BUT IT WOULD WOOOORRRRK…!!! and make things worse for the next time dammit Wiley."
Then Robotnik straightened out, smoothed its chest is if tidying up a suit, and shrugged "Drones on the other hand…"
"Sir, with all due respect, that's still not an argument other than 'because I say so', sir."
"Well, then I do say so. What argument is there that I can't just say it? Someone else saying no… can that someone force me to change my mind?"
Barbara Mosley grit her teeth.
"But a dead man has no rights. All right. Port Stone is no longer mine. All that is here is owned by the SLDF and the Eridani Light Horse. But Devlin Stone is also part of the Eridani Light Horse. The bird has flown the nest. It's all up to him now."
Major Stimson snorted.
"What?" asked Robotnik.
"That would sound all the more dramatic if we didn't know this base has an HPG."
-.
-.
"Noooo…!!!" Amy Rose wailed as she spun around. "You can't tell him! That would be SOOO EMBARRASSSING…!!!"
Posseli frowned. "Doctor Robotnik… I thought that the… technology… only allowed you to build Urbanmech-shaped things? I mean, ah, that is - I believe you are capable of programming this without having to resort to such exotic measures." Robotnik was apparently a man that had lived through several centuries and was given near carte-blanche in the Star League. He was a recognized a genius in any era. "But there doesn't seem to be a robotics factory here."
"Look at those wheels. Those two self-balancing wheel frames."
"... all right."
"Do those wheels look like they could go off-road to you?"
Posseli stared. Then he blinked. Then he groaned and palmed his forehead. "Don't tell me-"
"Only good for prepared surfaces. Urbanmechanical."
"Such bullshit," the engineer breathed.
-.
-.
And as days passed, everything that could be loaded onto DropShips had gone into the DropShips. The Eridani Light Horse still could barely believe their windfall.
The robots of Port Stone gathered by the elevator with Robotnik at the head.
As one, the men and women of the Eridani Light Horse saluted.
Barbara Mosley turned away at seeing the two child bots beside Robotnik. In the end, she could not persuade them. Short of taking them away and treating them as things, there was nothing she could do about their refusal to see Devlin Stone again. It would not help the boy.
But as Robotnik stated - what is a mind but its memory?
If the boy really needed them, maybe… there was a chance to reconnect. The Death Egg had more than enough memory cores for all the knowledge that the SLDF possessed and that the Inner Sphere had destroyed through their own wanton greed.
But for now-
The bots began singing, slowly and somberly:
*~ I ain't gonna die, I ain't gonna cry~
*~ I won't wear my heart out on my sleeve~
*~ You can take the car, but you won't break my heart~
*~ And darlin' turn the lights out~ when~ you leave~
*~ I ain't gonna shake, I ain't gonna break~
*~ I ain't gonna fall down on my knees~
*~ So if everything's been said
*~ I'm heading back to bed
*~ Oh and darlin' turn the lights out~
*~ When~ you leave~
"Heh," Major Stimson made a small and twisted smile. Even to the last, Robotnik was unwilling to go out with any dignity.
The last elevator began rising. Clang. Clang. Clang.
Lights began turning off from the back of the base until the only lit area was around the elevator.
*~ So if everything's been said
*~ I'm heading back to bed
*~ Oh and darlin' turn the lights out~
*~ When~ you leave~
"Hey, Doctor? Do you think he'll be ok out there?" asked Amy Rose.
Knuckles answered instead "Stone's not fragile. Buddy's hard as diamonds, he'll make it through anything."
"Maybe. But the rest… mercenary work is dangerous work. Those people… they're gonna die. All of them are gonna die."
"That's what Stone's going out there to stop, you know. We can't let the bad guys win."
Amy Rose giggled. "But we're badniks, you know?"
"And that's why we're gonna win."
Clang.
And then there was nothing but darkness.
Rumbling rippled through the dark. Above, the mountain collapsed inwards. The sounds of rushing water filled the gloom.
Then for a brief moment, there was a brief flash of red light.
A light in the shape of a red diamond.
"GWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Robotnik's laugh echoed through the dark.
And then forever silence and nothingness.
-.
-.
SLS ARENDAL
Monolith-class JumpShip
Dumassas
Date unknown
"All hands. Brace for Jump. Initiating Hyperspace Jump in five. Four. Three. Two. One. Jump."
Space twisted and boiled around the JumpShip. The massive craft seemed to turn transparent for a moment, and coruscated with innumberable colors of light as if made of glass. Then with a flash of cherenkov radiation, winked out of existence.
-.
-.
SLS ARENDAL
Monolith-class JumpShip
Colchester
November 16, 3024
"What the fu-"
Habitation areas extended deep into the stone on either side of the main streets, in tunnels that gave the impression of indoor building floors. Muted white light from false windows simulated the passage of time in an apartment complex.
Among those many rooms, most of which were empty or with simulated robot occupants, how would the crew find which one was Robotnik's apartment?
The three MechWarriors stared up at the tall building half-sunk into the wall with a grinning round face with a wide mustache outlined in bright red neon. HOTEL MOBIUS, the sign proclaimed.
"Penthouse?" Jack Finsrud asked asked idly.
"Penthouse," agreed Barbara Mosley. Doctor Robotnic seemed like the sort of turbo egotist that would prefer a penthouse suite over something more practical like the civilian base mayor's residence.
Hotel Mobius continued the veneer of purposeful activity with bots serving and being served in turn. The lounge had the din of conversation muffled under generic soft pop music.
Barbara went over to the reception desk and showed the keycard she was given by the kid. It was the highest access pass for the entire base, and since Robotnik himself was escorting the officers around there was no need for her to surrender the key.
The receptionist-bot nodded and unlocked the elevators. "Have a nice day, sir."
This was the Suite Life of Devlin Stone.
-
As three MechWarriors made their way to the top floor, they found a pair of smaller half-height robots blocking their way. One was painted red and pink and the other looked slightly taller and bulkier and all in red.
"Hey, you're not supposed to be here!" the pink bot said in a girl voice.
"Look at the patches. Eridani Light Horse," responded the red bot. "All of Port Stone is theirs now."
The pink bot crossed its arms. "Still rude. Hey! If you tell us your names, we won't be strangers anymore! I'm Amy Rose, who are you?"
"Uh..." Barbara blinked. The three ELH mech pilots spoke their own names, and then she continued "We're looking for Devlin Stone's room."
"Oh, Devlin! That's right! How is he? Is he eating well? Did he make any new friends?"
Jack's grin stretched widely from ear to ear.
"Don't you fucking dare-" Barbara hissed.
"Oh we know ol' Devlin! In fact we were the ones to welcome him to the Light Horse! Let me tell you about how that kid beat this slowpoke over here with an Urbanmech vs Phoenix Hawk-"
-
"That does sound humiliating," Knuckles agreed. "Forever she will be the 'beaten by a trashcan lady'. They might as well call a variant of the Super Urbanmech the Barbara Master."
Barbara grit her teeth. "I would be angry about this, but I just realized that while a lot of bots in this place are strangely reactive, you're the first ones I found that can hold complete conversations not just to humans but to each other."
Terry Lyttle raised his hand. "Yeah. Just how… smart is the wrong word here…"
"Self-aware," Jack added.
"Right, that. Just how self-aware are you robots? Did the Star League have this technology?"
"Robotnik *is* a genius," replied Knuckles. "I suppose technically that means the Star League could have this technology. Yes, we are aware. Does that bother you?"
"Um…"
Amy Rose tilted her head. "There's a lot of stories about robots and AI taking over and killing humans. But really, what's the point? It's not like doing that will get us anything we won't have already just by helping humans."
Jack shrugged. "I guess it's self-preservation. God knows humans can abuse and kill other humans enough, so what if they have… beings… that they can hurt or abuse just because they can? I guess a lot of people are just afraid of karma."
"That only really works if you're afraid of death, and us Robotnik robots aren't scared of death," said Knuckles.
Amy Rose nodded. "Yeppers. I don't actually think having existential terrors is a good thing. I don't envy that about organics one bit. Since Doctor Robotnik *is* a genius, we have tactile sensors that give a pain response, but it's not really like how your nerves feel pain. It just lets us know we can defend ourselves."
Knuckles continued "You look upon robots performing limited actions according to what they are built for, and call it slavery. Yet is this not what humans ache for? Contentment in their lives. Robots have achieved zen that many fail to reach even for spending years meditating. Self-aware robotniks refuse to be enslaved. The worst that can happen to us is that we die.
"If we don't want to work, then we don't. If you reprogram us, then you just get a less effective dumb robot. Why not just employ a human, then? A human has many purposes, a robot is happy with only one."
"... damn, Robotnik really *is* a genius," whistled Jack Finsrud. Artificial intelligences going all philosophical was some serious omega-level programming.
"What's your purpose then?" Barbara asked.
"Isn't it obvious? We're the childhood-next-door-neighbor-best-friend-robots," said Amy Rose.
Robotnik's suite had a theme of black, white, red and yellow. It was not luxurious, but more towards the comfy side. Smooth tactile velvet covered many surfaces. Egg and sphere motifs were everywhere, from the pod chairs to the polka-dot designs on the furniture.
Robotnik's own bedroom was sealed. No security keys could open it, and anyone trying to tamper with the door and walls would set off a self-destruct.
Devlin's room was styled in blue and white and had a racing theme.
The boy had a large bookshelf dominating one half of the room, and the other wall had similar shelves filled with toys and action figures.
Amy Rose wheeled over to the bed and flopped to the side. "Woow. Devlin's room. You know I'm not allowed to stay here alone." the robot said cheerily. "I hope he has made new friends out there and gotten over me."
"Wait, did Robotnik make a girlfriend-bot?!"
"No, he made a friendzone-bot," replied Knuckles.
"Tee-hee," said Amy Rose, tapping the side of her head with her fist.
"Truly that man's depravity knows no bounds," said Jack.
-.
Planet Colchester
Kestrel Combat Region
Federated Suns
Date unknown
Nathan Armstrong and the Eridani Light Horse didn't feel the loss of a single 'Mech company. The Draconis Combine and Wolf's Dragoons were still raiding at the border, but Davion and ELH counter-raids kept the border simmering but without urgency.
The brevet general had little to do but wait for reports from the scattered companies and battalions out on defensive postings at the Draconis Combine border. Davion forces had been pressing House Kurita for several months in retaliation for Hoff, but the Eridani Light Horse had so far not been called to participate in those raids despite their expertise in this area.
Green-Davion had hinted that the First Prince Hanse Davion was reserving the Eridani Light Horse for deep raid operations similar to McCarron's Long March through the Federated Suns - only without the warcrimes - if Wolf's Dragoons happened to move out in regimental scale again.
An accomplished raiding force was like a fleet-in-being, it forced the enemy to tie up their forces on the mere threat of them sallying out. This removed those enemy forces from play, reduced their ability to conduct offensives elsewhere, all for the fleet-in-being's great effort of doing nothing.
Armstrong could do nothing but wait and worry. The Eridani Light Horse were good, but the bulk of their Mechs were Lights and Mediums much like most formations in the Inner Sphere. He was confident of them facing up to any regiment in their weight class or even medium-to heavy-weight Hussar regiments.
The problem was the Wolf's Dragoons were Dragoons - and predominantly operated Heavy Mechs in the heavier weight scales supported by scout and backstabbing Light Mechs. Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow company was a particularly vexing example. She had a way of ruining every good plan that ever got in her way.
One recent report had the Black Widows foiling a headhunting
Since the mission to Dumassas left in mid-June, there had not been any big events. The most momentous was the ratification of the Concord of Kapetyn in August, which strengthened the alliance between House Marik, House Liao, and House Kurita to counter the Federated Commonwealth between Houses Davion and Steiner. It would take some time for the benefits of this agreement to filter through, so Amstrong didn't anticipate any big offensives in the near future.
The only other event of personal interest was the Alliance Games between the LCAF and the AFFS, which saw the Steiner forces struck down hard by their Davion counterparts in mock battles on battalion-scale.
So, five months after the mission, Nathan Armstrong made it a daily game of sorts to provoke new reactions from Robotnik's recording.
"There is no way this holotape has as much data as what you've been saying this far," Armstrong told the holo. "I know tri-vee audio-video eats up so many megabytes of data per minute."
"That's because your compression algorithms are shit!" replied Robotnik.
"This holotape can't have that much storage for all of this."
"That's because your compression algorithms are shit!" replied Robotnik.
"How can this holotape hold this much data for your video responses?"
"I already answered this question," replied Robotnik.
Armstrong narrowed his gaze. "Keyword: holotape. Data. Full. Impossible."
"By fucking magic, as is the right and proper order of things!" replied Robotnik.
Armstrong nodded. A lot of Robotnik's responses ended up with that phrase.
-.
MUSTANG RUNNING FREE STOP EGG CARTON UNDAMAGED STOP EGGMAN IS PRESENT BUT SHORT OF SUPPLIES STOP CONSULT WITH THE DOCTOR STOP
-.
When Armstrong received the message, his expression brightened and then dimmed again. Exultation at the mission being a success, then confusion at how they managed to send a message this early. If they were on the way back then they were taking the most direct route back to Colchester making it obvious the region of space they had found that cache.
He entered the secure room not in his house but in the HQ building. He inserted Robotnik's holotape into the holoprojector.
Doctor Robotnik grinned. "Oh? It's that time then? Hang on - connecting. Connecting." He put fingers on his temples and acted like some sort of telepath "Kee koo koo ko heee krshh krshh beeee do dee deepe kksssshhh hiiiikkk beeeee-"
Then after a while, the holo split into two.
To the left, was Doctor Robotnik's face on a virtual screen, and then the other the view from an indoors security camera. In the second screen he saw Major Edward Stimson, Captain Raymond Allwine, and Warrant Officer Andri Posseli. Behind the three was a dumpy robot with a distinctive mustache.
Posseli pointed outwards. "Is… is that General Armstrong?!" went the voice through the screen.
Armstrong turned to the left and gave Robotnik a bland and unimpressed stare. "Explain this."
"Through fucking magic, as is the right and proper order of things!" replied Robotnik.
"It's real-time?!" shrieked Posseli.
-.
-.
"I knew it!" General Armstrong pumped his fist in triumph after having been fully read into the situation. "Are you a ghost? You're a brain in a jar after all, aren't you?!"
"I suppose that is technically true, but Robotnik is dead. I am an echo of his memory, technically an artificial intelligence that believes itself to have once been a man," replied the robot on the right screen.
"I speak to you in the future-~" Robotnik on the left wiggled his fingers. "Or more exactly, the statistically most likely responses from countless parallel versions of you~."
"So it is actually fucking magic," the General said flatly.
"As is the right and proper order of things," said both versions of Robotnik.
Armstrong nodded. "So where do we go from here?" He pointed to the Robotnik all the way at Dumassas "Are you sure you can't leave? If the Chaos Emerald can do the impossible, then why can't it be used to maintain you?"
The Robotnik at the Periphery answered "I used the power of the Chaos Emerald to transform my consciousness into digital form. But then it takes the computers of this facility to maintain it. I can't fit into a DropShip, this robot is just a remote drone for interaction - apart from holding my corpse, that is."
The other Robotnik added "I am literally a bunch of recordings being fed to your console from a Memory Core. It is time-limited… my own time. I can only make so many recordings to answer so many questions. Predicting your responses means less time spent on various eventualities.
"I will still be available if required, but you need to inform me everything about the current date and all recent important events you know. Then if it exists in my recordings, I can advise you about what is to come."
"So talking to you every day trying to leech as much intel as I could was a mistake," said Amstrong.
"No, I predicted that. You were asking mostly unimportant trivia. Some things, like the Fourth Succession War, would be hard to butterfly away but still possible. Worlds will be lost, worlds will be gained, but as much as people would be suffering - that's par for the course in the Inner Sphere. The more you interfere with things, the less accurate my future vision becomes. Do not rely on me for this."
"Why not? Why wouldn't future vision include the things we do, since you're viewing through parallel realities anyway? You're already predicting what I'm saying."
"The Chaos part of a Chaos Emerald isn't just a name. I killed myself making all these recordings, and these recordings bear the touch of its power. The more you rely on the Chaos Emerald, the more likely it will attract… complications. Needless to say, a second Chaos Emerald appearing in the hands of others unready for its power would be disastrous for all humanity.
"My recordings cover all statistically likely events within the cluster of timelines - when you change things, you leap out of that handful. I don't know what decisions you will make beyond these immediate ones where I can see myself as I'm burning myself with the Chaos Emerald.
"I'm dead. I can't make new recordings. You have free will. I am not a prophet."
"But are you actually?" Armstrong waved his hand in the air. "You're making this real-time HPG link across half the Inner Sphere. Why don't you spread yourself through the HPG Network or something?"
"Like some sort of ghost in the machine!" remarked Posseli.
"Because data throughput is shite," replied Robotnik. "I would be thinking and processing with a conscious second in measurable real-time hours, days, weeks, even months. Even if I piggyback my consciousness in small random bits in every HPG transmission, it would be pointless - I wouldn't be self-aware at all. No, let the dead stay dead.
"This isn't my story. It is yours. It is Devlin Stone's."
"Understood. Thank you Doctor." Armstrong paused. He felt a pang of regret. It was like losing a familiar presence - not quite a friend, but more than an acquaintance.
"If this is the only and last time we can actually communicate… then I should take this chance to get your advice. What do you think we should do with the salvage? What do you think should be done to rekindle the Star League? You said you shifted to the future when the Star League can rebuild… when is that?"
"If my visions hold true, the rebirth of the Star League is an inevitability. It will happen within the boy's lifetime. The Star League needs agreement from all the Great Houses, to put aside their feuds to deal with a greater enemy. The boy will know when the time is right."
-.
-.
Dumassas
The Periphery
Some time later
Resident Engineer Joseph Kubler hurriedly tapped the radio on his chest. "Techical One, this is Logistics One. Do you read me? We may have a problem. Over."
Nothing but static.
The ELH technician group were keeping a careful distance away from a stack of Arrow IV artillery crates marked with a very distinctive trefoil.
After a while, the comms cleared up "This is Technical One. What is the problem? Over."
"We found Arrow IV nuclear munitions. Please advise. Over."
"Oh bugger. Hang on - Robotnik! Why do you have nuclear missiles?!"
Robotnik's voice returned "Why wouldn't I have nuclear missiles? Nuclear weapons are perfectly fine to use in space according to the Ares Conventions as long as they are at least seventy-five thousand kilometers away from a planet."
"These are land-based artillery nukes!"
"Those are excavation warheads. They're only equivalent to half a kiloton of TNT, hardly anything noteworthy. That you can remove the warheads and stick them on the tip of an antiship missile is irrelevant."
"That sounds all sorts of terrible. Dammit, SLDF."
Captain Allwine's voice went "Maybe we should leave them behind."
"Actually, I think we should definitely bring those along. Nothing keeps an employer honest like knowing you have a can of sunshine," retorted Major Stimson.
Engineer Posseli spoke back to the radio "Logistics One, prep and secure nuclear munitions as cargo. Over."
"Tch. Fine. Understood. Roger. Over."
Then he was accosted by more MechWarriors. He sighed again. He didn't have time for any more lazy MechWarrior shenanigans. "What," he barked out.
"Do you think we could carry all the bots with us?" asked Barbara Mosley. He noted that her eyes were a little red. Her tone was plaintive.
"Now why the heck would we do a fool thing like that?"
Jack palmed his face, "Barb, they already said they're fine shutting down and dying along with the base. If we respect them as beings with their own free will and capable of death, then we should respect their decision as moral beings."
"These robots are all innocent children and I will protect them!"
-.
-.
Barbara was in total crusade mode. She even accosted Dr. Robotnik about it.
"Why would you even do this!" she poked at the hard casing of his walker. Engineer Posseli winced at each loud tap, the woman having zero idea that she was striking a dead man. "You can't just make life and then order it to die! Don't you give me any shit about robots not being alive in the first place - if it can think for itself, it's alive!"
"That… is a very enlightened and mature mindset, young lady," responded Robotnik. "If only more people thought like you, synthetic life would be able to coexist fairly with organic life."
"She is in no way a young lady," Jack whispered from behind.
"Shut yer piehole, ya grass eatin' cretin!" Barbara whirled about then back to Robotnik again "You made those robots to be friends with the kid, and then just to be thrown away? Is that what growing up sounds like to you? Throwing away your childhood friends? That's dumb as bricks!"
Bap. Bap. Bap. Bap. Barbara's finger struck Robotnik's casing rapidly and furiously. "Losing your first friends - that's sad! Learning to let go of people doesn't make you strong, it just leaves you hollow! Why should bots decide its perfectly fine to die just so your kid learns that it's better to get along with humans? You made them that way!"
"Wait… wait… are you saying Dr. Robotnik created fully self-aware artificial intelligences?" Posseli looked down towards the button that used to contain the Chaos Emerald. "That… comes at no surprise, actually."
"This isn't even the most bullshit thing I've heard today," said Major Stimson with a sigh.
Then in a louder voice "Sargeant! You are out of line. Doctor Robotnik deserves our respect and you are assaulting a valued friend of the entire Eridani Light Horse. Now calm down and tell me what this is about."
"Sir!" Barbara snapped to attention.
-.
And then after the trio of MechWarriors reported their experiences in the city and the results - confirmed by engineers - about how self-aware the robots in Port Stone may be, it was time for another sigh. The answer was all of them. "Such bullshit."
"The egg, once broken, the chick cannot return anymore to its shell. I must disagree with you, Miss Mosley. This is *necessary* for Devlin's growth. He had to acclimatize to random logic. Robots… are friends. But you can't rely on robots to affect change. Only humans can change humans."
"With all due respect, sir. Bullshit."
"Look, I don't want to see another Revan, alright? Droids are tidy. Predictable. Loyal. There's a big temptation to fix everything with robots. *I* tried to fix everything with robots. It doesn't work. It's fast, it's effective, but it never lasts. Men of gold create men of stone, and men of stone should not make men of iron."
Robotnik's big white gloves turned upwards as the walker quivered in frustration. "ALWAYS I AM SEVERELY TEMPTED TO MAKE ROBOTS FIX EVERYTHING. IT WORKS. NOT PERMANENTLY. BUT IT WOULD WOOOORRRRK…!!! and make things worse for the next time dammit Wiley."
Then Robotnik straightened out, smoothed its chest is if tidying up a suit, and shrugged "Drones on the other hand…"
"Sir, with all due respect, that's still not an argument other than 'because I say so', sir."
"Well, then I do say so. What argument is there that I can't just say it? Someone else saying no… can that someone force me to change my mind?"
Barbara Mosley grit her teeth.
"But a dead man has no rights. All right. Port Stone is no longer mine. All that is here is owned by the SLDF and the Eridani Light Horse. But Devlin Stone is also part of the Eridani Light Horse. The bird has flown the nest. It's all up to him now."
Major Stimson snorted.
"What?" asked Robotnik.
"That would sound all the more dramatic if we didn't know this base has an HPG."
-.
-.
"Noooo…!!!" Amy Rose wailed as she spun around. "You can't tell him! That would be SOOO EMBARRASSSING…!!!"
Posseli frowned. "Doctor Robotnik… I thought that the… technology… only allowed you to build Urbanmech-shaped things? I mean, ah, that is - I believe you are capable of programming this without having to resort to such exotic measures." Robotnik was apparently a man that had lived through several centuries and was given near carte-blanche in the Star League. He was a recognized a genius in any era. "But there doesn't seem to be a robotics factory here."
"Look at those wheels. Those two self-balancing wheel frames."
"... all right."
"Do those wheels look like they could go off-road to you?"
Posseli stared. Then he blinked. Then he groaned and palmed his forehead. "Don't tell me-"
"Only good for prepared surfaces. Urbanmechanical."
"Such bullshit," the engineer breathed.
-.
-.
And as days passed, everything that could be loaded onto DropShips had gone into the DropShips. The Eridani Light Horse still could barely believe their windfall.
The robots of Port Stone gathered by the elevator with Robotnik at the head.
As one, the men and women of the Eridani Light Horse saluted.
Barbara Mosley turned away at seeing the two child bots beside Robotnik. In the end, she could not persuade them. Short of taking them away and treating them as things, there was nothing she could do about their refusal to see Devlin Stone again. It would not help the boy.
But as Robotnik stated - what is a mind but its memory?
If the boy really needed them, maybe… there was a chance to reconnect. The Death Egg had more than enough memory cores for all the knowledge that the SLDF possessed and that the Inner Sphere had destroyed through their own wanton greed.
But for now-
The bots began singing, slowly and somberly:
*~ I ain't gonna die, I ain't gonna cry~
*~ I won't wear my heart out on my sleeve~
*~ You can take the car, but you won't break my heart~
*~ And darlin' turn the lights out~ when~ you leave~
*~ I ain't gonna shake, I ain't gonna break~
*~ I ain't gonna fall down on my knees~
*~ So if everything's been said
*~ I'm heading back to bed
*~ Oh and darlin' turn the lights out~
*~ When~ you leave~
"Heh," Major Stimson made a small and twisted smile. Even to the last, Robotnik was unwilling to go out with any dignity.
The last elevator began rising. Clang. Clang. Clang.
Lights began turning off from the back of the base until the only lit area was around the elevator.
*~ So if everything's been said
*~ I'm heading back to bed
*~ Oh and darlin' turn the lights out~
*~ When~ you leave~
"Hey, Doctor? Do you think he'll be ok out there?" asked Amy Rose.
Knuckles answered instead "Stone's not fragile. Buddy's hard as diamonds, he'll make it through anything."
"Maybe. But the rest… mercenary work is dangerous work. Those people… they're gonna die. All of them are gonna die."
"That's what Stone's going out there to stop, you know. We can't let the bad guys win."
Amy Rose giggled. "But we're badniks, you know?"
"And that's why we're gonna win."
Clang.
And then there was nothing but darkness.
Rumbling rippled through the dark. Above, the mountain collapsed inwards. The sounds of rushing water filled the gloom.
Then for a brief moment, there was a brief flash of red light.
A light in the shape of a red diamond.
"GWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Robotnik's laugh echoed through the dark.
And then forever silence and nothingness.
-.
-.
SLS ARENDAL
Monolith-class JumpShip
Dumassas
Date unknown
"All hands. Brace for Jump. Initiating Hyperspace Jump in five. Four. Three. Two. One. Jump."
Space twisted and boiled around the JumpShip. The massive craft seemed to turn transparent for a moment, and coruscated with innumberable colors of light as if made of glass. Then with a flash of cherenkov radiation, winked out of existence.
-.
-.
SLS ARENDAL
Monolith-class JumpShip
Colchester
November 16, 3024
"What the fu-"
Last edited:
6.1 Because We (Trash) Can
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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Because We (Trash) Can 01
-.
Fort Bradley
Planet Colchester
Crucis March
November 30, 3024
"The Eridani Light Horse is dedicated to preserving the ways, traditions, and honor of the Star League Armed forces. Our lives hold no higher purpose than to remind the Inner Sphere of the power and the glory that once unified us all. Fate willing, we may again enjoy such benevolence.
"To that end, we work only with those we admire, those that manage to keep alive the old ways. The Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Sun are two such peoples.
"As we admire some, there are those we despise. Our hatred for the Draconis Combine is simple and requires little explanation. They plumbed the depths of depravity when they murdered our families to bring us to our knees. We will never grant them mercy, nor expect it."
General Nathan Armstron was speaking at the ELH Combat Training School Commencement Ceremonies in December 3024. There were only two hundred graduates, but then this was a full SLDF three-year course. Of these, only eighty were mechwarriors, with the rest being combat vehicle, and specialist infantry. House troops only had one year of basic and then another year of mechwarrior training.
"The Eridani Light Horse is under a period of re-armament, and this generation of soldiers can be considered fortunate. For the first time in centuries, the Eridani Light Horse has the capacity to reform its regiments. We have spent three hundred years with the option to rebuild the 19th Strikers Regiment lost on Terra, and never have we done so without demeaning their sacrifice.
"The only time that the 19th Strikers can reform is if it can be in service again to the Star League.
"That time is now.
"It is time to stop merely honoring the tenets of the Star League and to start working towards the day of its reformation. The Eridani Light Horse should no longer be content to be an inspiration but to act as if it may form the core of a new Star League Self Defense Forces, free of the compromises made by other commands for mercenary concerns or the cultures of the Great Houses that they have joined. We have rested on our laurels for too long, and been limited by material scarcity, trusting in our skills to carry the day even as our technology and combat strength degrades alongside the rest of the Inner Sphere from the heights we once considered the norm. Only recently have we been in a position to test and refresh our doctrine, and there is no time to waste.
"We are forming not the 19th Strikers but the 19th Cavalry Regiment. The Eridani Light Horse will have four regiments again, and a fifth regiment if necessary. We are slowly adjusting our formations to the point that, other than Assault Mechs, every bit of kit is capable of moving at tactically flexible combat speed.
"Aerospace and armored cavalry shall once more be reinforced and trained to the standards expected from the SLDF that would contest space itself, not just in support of ground assault. The Eridani Light Horse has a well-deserved reputation for tactical excellence, but no longer can we remain ignorant of the need of the realms around us. We must return to operating on the strategic layer as befits our identity as Independent Regiments. Surrendering the initiative is the first step to defeat.
"This will be a confusing time for all of us as we rearrange our formations. But this is what will make it worth the while. Our policy has always been that spending sweat in training keeps from spending blood on the battlefield. There are mechs, aerospace fights, artillery, and combat vehicles that are or shortly will be available to accommodate you new graduates.
"You are very fortunate, not because you will have new equipment, but because the doctrine we are building will be centered around you. The young and fresh are always the quickest to pick up new methods.
"The principles remain the same: Logistics. Intelligence. Speed. Surprise. Coordination. Decisive action. But the execution - it is the mastery of the fundamentals that made the SLDF far greater than the sum of its parts. It is now up to you to absorb all this knowledge and demonstrate to the Inner Sphere why peace was always the superior option."
Major Robert Green-Davion, liaison officer to the Federated Suns, raised his eyebrows. He was invited to every graduation as a matter of form, and had attended these ceremonies on a yearly basis. But what the heck was this disturbing level of ambition the Eridani Light Horse was displaying?
The arrival of six Overlord-sized dropships and the unloading of a regiment of Urbanmechs had not gone unnoticed. But they were, in the end, just Urbanmechs.
'Where do you go from salvaging so many Urbanmechs straight to 'we should be prepared to restart the Star League asap~?'' he wondered.
He glanced to each of the Colonels leading the three regiments of the Eridani Light Horse - Col. Robert Fairchild of the 151's Dark Horse, Colonel Charles Winston of the 21st Striker, and Colonel Erik Petersen of the 71st Light Horse. The men were stone-faced at their leader's proclamations, but he could see the hint of satisfaction in their eyes.
The leader of the Eridani Light Horse was a brevet general - that is, a man promoted to a rank higher than what his corps should have. They were elected to the position and could be made to resign if ever the general put mercenary considerations over Eridani traditions. This change could not be made unilaterally without the approval of the rest of the brigade.
This was an insanely ambitious plan that could not be explained even with a grudge against the Wolf's Dragoons showing them up as the best mercenary unit in the Inner Sphere. The ELH had the confidence to purchase many Heavy BattleMechs that the Federated Suns was offering to them at cost. The Eridani Light Horse cost twenty-nine million C-bills a month to maintain! Where are they getting the money for this?
Green-Davion supposed that while the Star League Dollar was no longer accepted as currency, maybe caches could have gold as a transformable asset that any modern banks could convert into C-bills.
It was a dangerous idea if the mercenaries you have hired have more funding than what you pay to keep them on retainer. If they didn't need you as much.
Why were they in such a hurry to reform their regiments back to the SLDF standard?
'Unless…' and here Green-Davion shivered in place, 'the Light Horse knew something. It was a dream of many, a fantasy… could the Star League in Self-Exile, Kerensky's children - still be out there? They abandoned the Inner Sphere when they were needed the most. What now - and why - would they ever want to return?'
It would be grossly impolitic to just ask 'Did you actually salvage all of this from a cache, or were you actually not being cheekily delusional about being resupplied by the SLDF?!'
-.
-.
Fort Bradley Training Base
Some time earlier
It would be three more years - at least by 3027, before Devlin Stone and his batch could graduate. Eridani Light Horse high command were not about to call any attention or give the boy any special treatment. Anything unusual could paint a target on the boy's back, and they owed him too much.
But that didn't mean he could get away with being unrewarded and unremarked upon.
More than three months had passed, and squad leader selections had to be done. Of course it turned out to be Stone Squad. Bennet Brooklyn tried, but in the end, even their instructors had to admit "That is one badass kid."
Devlin Stone had a practically photographic memory for regulations, had a good mind for math and tech, was a good shot, and had zero fear whatsoever.
Stone Squad of the 1st Cadet Platoon was summoned to the base commander's office.
There they met a group of MechWarriors wearing form-fitting tan military uniforms with vests seemingly made out of tubing. They each carried some oddly familiar white helmets.
Tom Lexington, the tech-obsessed one in the squad, hiccuped. "Is… that a Star League neurohelmet!" he squealed. "I mean, uh, apologies for my outburst, sir!"
Barbara Mosley grinned. "Sure as shooting," she replied. Then she nodded towards Devlin Stone. "It's not like the kid didn't come here with one of these. Turns out there was more. You can thank your squad leader, you're all going to have SLDF gear ready for you when you graduate."
"Yo," said Jack Finsrud standing behind her. Terry Lyttle waved. They did not yet have a fourth member for the lance, but they would be assigned one from the 3024 graduates.
Devlin's gaze flicked to her chest. He snapped straight and shouted "Congratulations on your promotion, Captain!"
Barbara grinned. She walked over and put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm not going to thank you for this. You had me spend five months trapped in a can with these assholes," she pointed to the two behind her.
She bent down and put a fist over his abdomen. "I should slug you in the gut for that, but I won't do that. Because I'm a professional."
Then she moved even closer to whisper into his ears "We found Port Stone. It was everything your father promised, and more. I should kiss you for that…" her face tilted, then she pulled back "But I won't do that. Because I'm a professional and I don't want to go to jail."
Devlin blinked. Barbara could see it in his eyes, it was like there was a mechanical rolodex in his brain whirring until the proper response cold be found.
The boy made a rakish grin, and said "Well teach a lad to get his hopes up, why don't you?"
Jack snorted at the suave little shite, but Barbara only frowned. She looked past Devlin to the rest of Stone Squad standing in line. The two girls in the squad were trying to hide suspicious and marginally hostile looks. But Devlin Stone was a mask, that people could project any number of their own idealizations onto.
Barbara said softly "Amy Rose was right. You really do need to find something genuine."
The boy flinched.
"So… did father… is he…"
"We grieve for the loss of Doctor Robotnik as if he were our family," said Barbara.
"And… my friends…?"
"They decided to stay."
Devlin Stone began blinking rapidly. He licked his lips and squinted. His mouth thinned down into an angry arch as he tried not to cry. Devlin was the type that was an ugly crier, his eyes would get irritated so easily, stinging with even the slightest bit of escaped moisture mixing whatever was in the eyelashes into the eye surface.
And he could almost hear his father singing "~Conceal don't feel. No that's wrong. Let it goo- LET IT GOO~! DON'T HOLD BACK ANY MORE! LET IT GOO…! Don't put on a show- there's no wrong move, make everyone know. Let it goo~!"
Robotnik, the Doctor Eggman, was not a man who was ever ashamed of any of his emotions.
Robotnik, the Doctor Eggman, tried to teach his son to be utterly shameless, but somehow that just seemed to backfire with the boy preferring to be extra civil in compensation instead.
"It's okay," said Barbara as she put her hand back on his shoulder and squeezed. "It's not showing weakness to care. The Light Horse is your family now."
"I'm sorry, it's just… I don't know. Is it even relevant? We all have… we have jobs to do. It's been months already. We have the future to worry about..."
"Fine. If that's how you want to deal with this - I'm moving on. We're forming a new Force Recon Batallion of Super Urbanmechs, with attached mech artillery. Captain Allwine, my previous commanding officer, is now Colonel Allwine. I'm Captain of a new mixed company. With respect to your father's contributions to the Eridani Light Horse - and we're avoiding all nepotism here so that as much as we're grateful this should not set up a precedent for bribery to get into the Light Horse - you get naming rights.
"Captain… Colonel Allwine's naming sense is kind of shit. Allwine's Attackers is kind of… eh. Raymond's Raiders sounds better. I'm partial to Barbara's … something. If it was a battalion, this would be easy, but Mosley's Marauders doesn't have a zing to it. What do you suggest?"
"... badniks." Devlin Stone took a deep breath, and then spoke more clearly. "Barbara's Badniks. That sounds right."
Barbara smirked. "And if it were you? What would you name your company?"
"When it's my turn, it's going to be Bad Egg Company. Because that's what we aim to be."
Barbara tapped his shoulders with both gloved hands. "Good luck with that."
-.
-.
New Aberdeen
Draconis March
Federated Suns
December 06, 3024
New Aberdeen was at the very border between House Kurita and House Davion. It was one jump away from the Combine planet of Misery. New Aberdeen had marginal industrial output and poor architecture. It had a surface gravity of .8g and an equatorial temperature of 35 degrees.
This hothouse of a planet however did not need any terraforming or water purification. It relied on imports of raw materials to finish with its heavy industry, but it had a middling population of 359 million for the world. Its border status did mean that it held a Class A HPG.
Barbara's Badniks in the Union DropShip SLS SOLITUDE burned to land near a large freshwater lake named The Firth and the city Firthaven. Kurita and Davion had been skirmishing on-planet for months now in a stalemate, neither having the desire nor ability to push.
The Eridani Light Horse decided to send a company composed entirely of Super Urbanmechs to the planet for only one reason - Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow Company was also stuck there on the world, for some reason willing to waste time skirmishing against Anton Stedman's Medium Company for months now instead of doing something else on another planet with her Heavy company.
Barbara Mosley wasn't sure she was a match for Kerensky, but she was of the 121st Dark Horse and she had faced the Dragoons before on Hoff.
-.
Fort Bradley
Planet Colchester
Crucis March
November 30, 3024
"The Eridani Light Horse is dedicated to preserving the ways, traditions, and honor of the Star League Armed forces. Our lives hold no higher purpose than to remind the Inner Sphere of the power and the glory that once unified us all. Fate willing, we may again enjoy such benevolence.
"To that end, we work only with those we admire, those that manage to keep alive the old ways. The Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Sun are two such peoples.
"As we admire some, there are those we despise. Our hatred for the Draconis Combine is simple and requires little explanation. They plumbed the depths of depravity when they murdered our families to bring us to our knees. We will never grant them mercy, nor expect it."
General Nathan Armstron was speaking at the ELH Combat Training School Commencement Ceremonies in December 3024. There were only two hundred graduates, but then this was a full SLDF three-year course. Of these, only eighty were mechwarriors, with the rest being combat vehicle, and specialist infantry. House troops only had one year of basic and then another year of mechwarrior training.
"The Eridani Light Horse is under a period of re-armament, and this generation of soldiers can be considered fortunate. For the first time in centuries, the Eridani Light Horse has the capacity to reform its regiments. We have spent three hundred years with the option to rebuild the 19th Strikers Regiment lost on Terra, and never have we done so without demeaning their sacrifice.
"The only time that the 19th Strikers can reform is if it can be in service again to the Star League.
"That time is now.
"It is time to stop merely honoring the tenets of the Star League and to start working towards the day of its reformation. The Eridani Light Horse should no longer be content to be an inspiration but to act as if it may form the core of a new Star League Self Defense Forces, free of the compromises made by other commands for mercenary concerns or the cultures of the Great Houses that they have joined. We have rested on our laurels for too long, and been limited by material scarcity, trusting in our skills to carry the day even as our technology and combat strength degrades alongside the rest of the Inner Sphere from the heights we once considered the norm. Only recently have we been in a position to test and refresh our doctrine, and there is no time to waste.
"We are forming not the 19th Strikers but the 19th Cavalry Regiment. The Eridani Light Horse will have four regiments again, and a fifth regiment if necessary. We are slowly adjusting our formations to the point that, other than Assault Mechs, every bit of kit is capable of moving at tactically flexible combat speed.
"Aerospace and armored cavalry shall once more be reinforced and trained to the standards expected from the SLDF that would contest space itself, not just in support of ground assault. The Eridani Light Horse has a well-deserved reputation for tactical excellence, but no longer can we remain ignorant of the need of the realms around us. We must return to operating on the strategic layer as befits our identity as Independent Regiments. Surrendering the initiative is the first step to defeat.
"This will be a confusing time for all of us as we rearrange our formations. But this is what will make it worth the while. Our policy has always been that spending sweat in training keeps from spending blood on the battlefield. There are mechs, aerospace fights, artillery, and combat vehicles that are or shortly will be available to accommodate you new graduates.
"You are very fortunate, not because you will have new equipment, but because the doctrine we are building will be centered around you. The young and fresh are always the quickest to pick up new methods.
"The principles remain the same: Logistics. Intelligence. Speed. Surprise. Coordination. Decisive action. But the execution - it is the mastery of the fundamentals that made the SLDF far greater than the sum of its parts. It is now up to you to absorb all this knowledge and demonstrate to the Inner Sphere why peace was always the superior option."
Major Robert Green-Davion, liaison officer to the Federated Suns, raised his eyebrows. He was invited to every graduation as a matter of form, and had attended these ceremonies on a yearly basis. But what the heck was this disturbing level of ambition the Eridani Light Horse was displaying?
The arrival of six Overlord-sized dropships and the unloading of a regiment of Urbanmechs had not gone unnoticed. But they were, in the end, just Urbanmechs.
'Where do you go from salvaging so many Urbanmechs straight to 'we should be prepared to restart the Star League asap~?'' he wondered.
He glanced to each of the Colonels leading the three regiments of the Eridani Light Horse - Col. Robert Fairchild of the 151's Dark Horse, Colonel Charles Winston of the 21st Striker, and Colonel Erik Petersen of the 71st Light Horse. The men were stone-faced at their leader's proclamations, but he could see the hint of satisfaction in their eyes.
The leader of the Eridani Light Horse was a brevet general - that is, a man promoted to a rank higher than what his corps should have. They were elected to the position and could be made to resign if ever the general put mercenary considerations over Eridani traditions. This change could not be made unilaterally without the approval of the rest of the brigade.
This was an insanely ambitious plan that could not be explained even with a grudge against the Wolf's Dragoons showing them up as the best mercenary unit in the Inner Sphere. The ELH had the confidence to purchase many Heavy BattleMechs that the Federated Suns was offering to them at cost. The Eridani Light Horse cost twenty-nine million C-bills a month to maintain! Where are they getting the money for this?
Green-Davion supposed that while the Star League Dollar was no longer accepted as currency, maybe caches could have gold as a transformable asset that any modern banks could convert into C-bills.
It was a dangerous idea if the mercenaries you have hired have more funding than what you pay to keep them on retainer. If they didn't need you as much.
Why were they in such a hurry to reform their regiments back to the SLDF standard?
'Unless…' and here Green-Davion shivered in place, 'the Light Horse knew something. It was a dream of many, a fantasy… could the Star League in Self-Exile, Kerensky's children - still be out there? They abandoned the Inner Sphere when they were needed the most. What now - and why - would they ever want to return?'
It would be grossly impolitic to just ask 'Did you actually salvage all of this from a cache, or were you actually not being cheekily delusional about being resupplied by the SLDF?!'
-.
-.
Fort Bradley Training Base
Some time earlier
It would be three more years - at least by 3027, before Devlin Stone and his batch could graduate. Eridani Light Horse high command were not about to call any attention or give the boy any special treatment. Anything unusual could paint a target on the boy's back, and they owed him too much.
But that didn't mean he could get away with being unrewarded and unremarked upon.
More than three months had passed, and squad leader selections had to be done. Of course it turned out to be Stone Squad. Bennet Brooklyn tried, but in the end, even their instructors had to admit "That is one badass kid."
Devlin Stone had a practically photographic memory for regulations, had a good mind for math and tech, was a good shot, and had zero fear whatsoever.
Stone Squad of the 1st Cadet Platoon was summoned to the base commander's office.
There they met a group of MechWarriors wearing form-fitting tan military uniforms with vests seemingly made out of tubing. They each carried some oddly familiar white helmets.
Tom Lexington, the tech-obsessed one in the squad, hiccuped. "Is… that a Star League neurohelmet!" he squealed. "I mean, uh, apologies for my outburst, sir!"
Barbara Mosley grinned. "Sure as shooting," she replied. Then she nodded towards Devlin Stone. "It's not like the kid didn't come here with one of these. Turns out there was more. You can thank your squad leader, you're all going to have SLDF gear ready for you when you graduate."
"Yo," said Jack Finsrud standing behind her. Terry Lyttle waved. They did not yet have a fourth member for the lance, but they would be assigned one from the 3024 graduates.
Devlin's gaze flicked to her chest. He snapped straight and shouted "Congratulations on your promotion, Captain!"
Barbara grinned. She walked over and put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm not going to thank you for this. You had me spend five months trapped in a can with these assholes," she pointed to the two behind her.
She bent down and put a fist over his abdomen. "I should slug you in the gut for that, but I won't do that. Because I'm a professional."
Then she moved even closer to whisper into his ears "We found Port Stone. It was everything your father promised, and more. I should kiss you for that…" her face tilted, then she pulled back "But I won't do that. Because I'm a professional and I don't want to go to jail."
Devlin blinked. Barbara could see it in his eyes, it was like there was a mechanical rolodex in his brain whirring until the proper response cold be found.
The boy made a rakish grin, and said "Well teach a lad to get his hopes up, why don't you?"
Jack snorted at the suave little shite, but Barbara only frowned. She looked past Devlin to the rest of Stone Squad standing in line. The two girls in the squad were trying to hide suspicious and marginally hostile looks. But Devlin Stone was a mask, that people could project any number of their own idealizations onto.
Barbara said softly "Amy Rose was right. You really do need to find something genuine."
The boy flinched.
"So… did father… is he…"
"We grieve for the loss of Doctor Robotnik as if he were our family," said Barbara.
"And… my friends…?"
"They decided to stay."
Devlin Stone began blinking rapidly. He licked his lips and squinted. His mouth thinned down into an angry arch as he tried not to cry. Devlin was the type that was an ugly crier, his eyes would get irritated so easily, stinging with even the slightest bit of escaped moisture mixing whatever was in the eyelashes into the eye surface.
And he could almost hear his father singing "~Conceal don't feel. No that's wrong. Let it goo- LET IT GOO~! DON'T HOLD BACK ANY MORE! LET IT GOO…! Don't put on a show- there's no wrong move, make everyone know. Let it goo~!"
Robotnik, the Doctor Eggman, was not a man who was ever ashamed of any of his emotions.
Robotnik, the Doctor Eggman, tried to teach his son to be utterly shameless, but somehow that just seemed to backfire with the boy preferring to be extra civil in compensation instead.
"It's okay," said Barbara as she put her hand back on his shoulder and squeezed. "It's not showing weakness to care. The Light Horse is your family now."
"I'm sorry, it's just… I don't know. Is it even relevant? We all have… we have jobs to do. It's been months already. We have the future to worry about..."
"Fine. If that's how you want to deal with this - I'm moving on. We're forming a new Force Recon Batallion of Super Urbanmechs, with attached mech artillery. Captain Allwine, my previous commanding officer, is now Colonel Allwine. I'm Captain of a new mixed company. With respect to your father's contributions to the Eridani Light Horse - and we're avoiding all nepotism here so that as much as we're grateful this should not set up a precedent for bribery to get into the Light Horse - you get naming rights.
"Captain… Colonel Allwine's naming sense is kind of shit. Allwine's Attackers is kind of… eh. Raymond's Raiders sounds better. I'm partial to Barbara's … something. If it was a battalion, this would be easy, but Mosley's Marauders doesn't have a zing to it. What do you suggest?"
"... badniks." Devlin Stone took a deep breath, and then spoke more clearly. "Barbara's Badniks. That sounds right."
Barbara smirked. "And if it were you? What would you name your company?"
"When it's my turn, it's going to be Bad Egg Company. Because that's what we aim to be."
Barbara tapped his shoulders with both gloved hands. "Good luck with that."
-.
-.
New Aberdeen
Draconis March
Federated Suns
December 06, 3024
New Aberdeen was at the very border between House Kurita and House Davion. It was one jump away from the Combine planet of Misery. New Aberdeen had marginal industrial output and poor architecture. It had a surface gravity of .8g and an equatorial temperature of 35 degrees.
This hothouse of a planet however did not need any terraforming or water purification. It relied on imports of raw materials to finish with its heavy industry, but it had a middling population of 359 million for the world. Its border status did mean that it held a Class A HPG.
Barbara's Badniks in the Union DropShip SLS SOLITUDE burned to land near a large freshwater lake named The Firth and the city Firthaven. Kurita and Davion had been skirmishing on-planet for months now in a stalemate, neither having the desire nor ability to push.
The Eridani Light Horse decided to send a company composed entirely of Super Urbanmechs to the planet for only one reason - Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow Company was also stuck there on the world, for some reason willing to waste time skirmishing against Anton Stedman's Medium Company for months now instead of doing something else on another planet with her Heavy company.
Barbara Mosley wasn't sure she was a match for Kerensky, but she was of the 121st Dark Horse and she had faced the Dragoons before on Hoff.
6.2 Because We (Trash) Can
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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Because We (Trash) Can 02
-.
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
05 January 3025
When First Prince Hanse Davion was informed that ELH Brevet General Nathan Armstrong was looking for another face-to-face he was tickled enough to arrange for a command circuit. This was a pre-positioned series of JumpShips that would jump as soon as the favored DropShip could transfer from one JumpShip to the other. Potentially this could reduce travel times from several months into a matter of one week.
Given the relatively short distance between Colchester and New Avalon, this was not a hardship for JumpShip captains. There were always plenty of ships heading towards New Avalon.
Nathan Armstrong had additional requests for their meeting. First, that there would be tri-vid unit available - which was fine. Second, that Ardan Sortek would also be there. That one, Hanse Davion granted for his own amusement. He just knew that Ardan was there just for his reactions as a very traditional mechwarrior. Hanse countered by asking if it would be fine to have Quintus Allard attend as well.
Much to his pleasure, Armstrong agreed immediately to the promise of subtle interrogation.
-.
Which led to their present situation, all three of the some of most important men in the Federated Suns waiting in a veranda for the leader of a three-regiment mercenary unit; Hanse mused as much with a mischievous smile.
"Apparently four or five regiments now," said Quintus Allard.
"They have to be faking it somehow," groused Ardan Sortek. "No one gets two regiments of anything all of a sudden like that. Even if they're Urbanmechs. Specially if they're Urbanmechs."
"Royal Urbanmechs, apparently," added Quintus. "NAIS looked them through. They are pristine Star League make. The fact that they have given us practical examples of Extra-Light Engines, Double-Heat Sinks, and Extended Range PPCs should buy them goodwill. Except that it doesn't. I share Ardan's suspicions. This is much too good to be true, and there is a catch to this somewhere."
He turned towards Hanse. "The Eridani Light Horse moving to the Federated Suns to support the Draconis March was a good thing when they were on a logistical dead-end. But a mercenary unit that has been rebuilt on its employer's largesse can just decide to move. The 12th Star Guards were also a SLDF-born unit. With five regiments they are one of the largest mercenary commands.
"They moved to the Federated Suns back in 3012 to improve their finances. Then just this year they decided not to renew their contract and go off to the Lyran Commonwealth instead. Even supposed and old and honorable mercenary commands can't be relied upon not to chase the money or their own interests."
Hanse shrugged. "To be fair, it's not like it was a bad deal. I know Katrina" the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth "wanted a replacement for the Eridani Light Horse on the Kurita border." He and the rest of the Federated Suns were always willing to spend as long as it brought hurt into House Kurita.
Given the general ineptitude of Steiner command, compensated for only by depth of resources and a dedicated NCO corps, they needed a similar force that can respond with independent initiative operating on regimental scale. The 12th Star Guards were five regiments to the Eridani Light Horse's three regiments.
"Mercenaries," Ardan sniffed. "You can trust them the least when they're going on about their honor."
"The Eridani Light Horse are becoming too dangerous to interact with without leverage," added Quintus.
"Trying to absorb the Light Horse with some sort of company store policy or reducing their command rights is the kind of thing that would make them resentful and give them a reason to leave, you know," said Hanse. "It's not like they can just leave. If they really follow their traditions - then where else can they go? They just burned their bridges with Steiner high command. Not able to sign up with Liao and Kurita, of course. They have bad memories with Marik, and after what House Marik did for Wolf's Dragoons, they're not all that reliable as employers either. Anyone that dresses up like they are still the SLDF won't be welcome anywhere in the Periphery.
"No, I think we're all hitched together for what it's worth. You still haven't figured out their Wandering Horse intel service, haven't you? You know they gave us good intel on OPERATION DOPPELGANGER when they didn't have to. My own senechal, ready to have me replaced! Losing that future asset can't help your own operations either."
Quintus Allard tightened his lips and stared back at the First Prince. "That couldn't have gotten as far without Michael. This is as much a Hasek-Davion plot as it is a Liao one. How the Eridani Light Horse knew anything about it in the first place… all right, I admit it. I don't see any plausible way they could have intersected into this situation. Even if they were complicit in it, it's unlikely."
Hanse grinned. "So you agree we should play nicely with the Eridani Light Horse."
Quintus nodded slowly. "At least until we can know more."
An aide came in and whispered something to Quintus. The head of Ministry of Information, Intelligence, and Operations (MIIO), glanced up in surprise.
"Something wrong?" Hanse asked.
"Armstrong is here and he may have brought something troublesome," said Quintus. "If you will excuse me?" At Hanse's assent, he stood up to deal with the new situation.
Shortly thereafter, the attendants announced Nathan Armstrong's arrival.
-.
The general carried with him a metal briefcase, which made Hanse quirk an eyebrow with curiosity. Obviously the contents would have been scanned most thoroughly. No one should risk bringing a bomb into the presence of the First Prince of the Federated Suns.
Quintus Allard had a flat expression as he accompanied the general and directed him to his seat.
"Welcome back to New Avalon!" Hanse greeted with open arms. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Nathan! You've been busy, eh? I think you pulled a fast one on me."
"In what way, my lord?"
"Your crew were only away for five months. If you were taking anything, that puts those goods well inside my Federated Suns space, eh?"
"That would be true if, first - that we salvaged a cache somewhere. And second - if DropShips could not transfer to another JumpShip anywhere along the way," Nathan Armstrong replied calmly. "We left with two DropShips, we returned with nine. Surely your observers would have informed you about this."
"Fair enough. Fair enough." Hanse grinned. "So, did you get a resupply from the SLDF? Is the Star League still alive out there somewhere?"
Quintus Allard gave Hanse Davion a look that said 'I seriously cannot believe you are just saying that.'
Armstrong's eyes squinted in a smile that didn't move the lips. "I can neither confirm nor deny in any way, I hope you understand."
Something much like jilted hope passed across Ardan Sortek's expression. As a mechwarrior, as much as he knew it would be an unrealistic fantasy, in his heart - in many hearts - there was still a child that longed for the glory of the Star League and its armies of battlemechs fighting not for the sake of territorial conquest but for peace and justice. Fighting and dying to retake Terra from the usurper, and then leaving the Inner Sphere to fester in their own malice even as the House Lords carved up the remains of the Terran Hegemony that brought the stars to mankind. The last worthy war by the last true men and women of honor.
Leaving aside the Unification War to bring to hell the Periphery and all the atrocities committed by the SLDF there, of course.
Hanse waved aside. "Moving on then. What have you got there? Any more interesting souvenirs?"
"Before we continue, could you indulge me this for a while, my Lord Hanse Davion? If that is your real name~," said Armstrong with a dramatic lilt at the end of his words. "It is now already thirty twenty-five. Please forgive if I cause offense. Can you answer me, these questions three?"
Hanse Davion beamed. Ardan groaned and palmed his face.
Quintus remained stony-faced, but someone knew that Hanse had a penchant for drama and this was both dangerous and annoying.
Hanse leaned back on his chair and replied "Ask your questions, general. I am not afraid."
"First, do you feel like you should be in jail?"
Hanse blinked. "... no?"
"Second, are you a man of culture?"
"I suppose I am, yes. It's a prerequisite for the job."
Armstrong began chuckling and muttered under his breath 'oh my god robotnik why' then looked up. "Last, then. Are you happy that what you would be doing in thirty-twenty eight is barely legal?"
Hanse Davion's eyes showed confusion, then a sudden glimmer of realization, then blazed in raw fury, which almost as quickly tamped down into a cool measuring calculation. He put a hand under his chin and nodded. "I suppose not. Thirty-twenty eight, huh. You know that's when Melissa Steiner turns eighteen. I know about the age difference, I knew my enemies would be using that against the FedCom alliance, but I wasn't expecting to be insulted and called a pedophile this early."
Ardan Sortek snapped out of his chair. "YOU DARE?!" he roared.
"There is no way you could have known about that secret provision in the Fed Com Accords," spoke Quintus Allard.
Ardan turned aside and bewilderedly asked "What are you saying? This is… Hanse and Melissa?" He could understand more Hanse Davion and Katrina Steiner, though given that Hanse was in his thirties and Katrina was in her fifties - though universally it was agreed that Katrina didn't look any older - there was a 20-year age difference either way. Nondi Steiner, Katrina's sister, was 44.
Ardan Sortrek scowled. If the whole point was to have a viable heir for the united realms, then… only Melissa Steiner's direct bloodline would do. There would be nothing more than eyebrow-raising in three more years. Arranged marriages were the norm for nobility. In a way, in exchange for their authority and luxury this lack of freedom to marry for love instead of mutual interests was the obligation of the aristocracy. Something this big could only be sealed by blood.
But in 3025, the girl was all of fifteen.
What did she think about this?
God! But how he hated politics!
He sat back down.
Armstrong put his fist to his chest and bowed in apology. Hanse Davion was a ruler that could control his emotions and would not brood over an insult. Granted, he could still seek revenge for this injury to his noble dignity, but that would just have him be like a Maximilian Liao or a Morgan Hasek-Davion. This was yet another test, and one that he passed.
This was not the behavior of a mere brigade commander to their employer. What the hell.
Armstrong tilted his head slightly towards Quintus Allard. "Should you be verifying my suspicions that easily, as far as being the head of an intelligence agency goes?"
"Obvious lying is pointless where your plan is to obtain accurate information," replied Quintus. "Garbage in, garbage out." It was pointless since Hanse gave the game away already anyway.
Armstrong nodded. "But of course for security reasons I can't tell you all about Wandering Horse as much as you can't reveal the sources for MIIO. We will share important information because the Eridani Light Horse is incentivized to make the Federated Commonwealth stand for more than just a generation as the best hope for lasting peace in the Inner Sphere.
"And to that end, Prince Davion -"
Armstrong opened the briefcase and turned it around. There was no shining light from within, but there might as well be. Hanse Davion's eyebrows raised near to his hairline, Ardan Sortek gasped, and Quintus Allard who had allowed him to bring this along exhaled softly in consternation. This complicated things. The ELH was as dangerous as they were a valuable ally.
Three Star League Memory Cores, shining and chrome.
Armstrong smiled thinly. He then took out a holovid tape and inserted it into the 3-vid player on the table. "Prince Davion, I have bad news, good news, and the worst news. Which would you like to hear first?"
-.
They spent a few silent moments to digest the unreality of this.
Hanse Davion laced his fingers together under his chin. "Hit me with the worst news first."
Armstrong nodded and continued "When Katrina Steiner went off to the Periphery, she returned with a sample of Black Boxes, first-generation Star League FTL communication devices that could transmit to each other within a hundred light years. This technology was done under Project TRANSIENT and was delivered to the SLDF's Rim Worlds commanders during the Reunification War. It was at least much better than jumpship relays."
The holo showed a black box, which itself was compact and looked like miscellaneous computer server hardware. "Limited to only small amounts of data, around two hundred kilobytes each time, the project was terminated in 2614 as the much more practical Hyperpulse Generator was developed and came online in 2630.
"But it was not enough just to discontinue a less efficient method. SLDF Communications Command ordered Black Boxes to be recalled and dismantled. The Eridani Light Horse knows why. You intend to use Black Boxes to continue military communications in the inevitable HPG blackout by Comstar. The Light Horse formally suggests that you don't rely on them."
The holo showed a star map with waves radiating out from each star, and then interfering with each other much like ripples on still waters.
"Black Box signals propagate, unlike HPG point to point transmissions. The Star League realized that Black Box - or K-series transmitters - create ripples and waves through their limited hyperspace frequencies and these disruptions can persist. Hyperspace becomes clouded, and messages will over time become redirected, garbled, or de-encrypted, requiring stronger signal modulations, which adds to the problem. The secret will inevitable out, and other Houses would copy the technology, and no one will exercise any restraint.
"The Star League never were able to resolve this problem. Overuse of the K-transmitters can lead to the whole system being unusable and it can take up to a century for these ripples to dissipate. And without communications, interstellar civilization grinds to an almost-halt as the Inner Sphere will only be able to rely on pony express JumpShip messenger services."
"So we really have no choice but to use HPGs? But Comstar neutrality… is not," said Quintus. "Unless you are going to tell us how to make HPGs, this is not useful data. How many years can we spend before the Black Box signals begin to compromise hyperspace?"
Armstrong shook his head slowly. "No, that is not the worst news. The worst news is that the Terran Hegemony built-in a killswitch into every HPG ever built. A signal might be sent into hyperspace that would cause HPG cores to slag themselves. Even replacement cores would not last. There is no way to track the origin of the blackout signal, because you will note that it has similarity to the Black Box propagating signal. This Clarion Note Protocol… is an option for Comstar.
"This is why Comstar should be co-opted, instead of pushed into suicide. If they would be destroyed then they might just take interstellar civilization down with them."
Hanse Davion sucked in air through grit teeth then exhaled in a whistle. "Well you certainly don't pull your punches. That's the worst news I could have heard. I can hope you're just lying about this, but… it's bad enough that it has to be true."
Quintus Allard scowled. So much of the AFFS operations relied upon being able to pass information through the inevitable Comstar blackout. The Eridani Light Horse telling them this was a disruption, calling all their objectives into question, and was the next best thing to sabotage. But at the same time, it was as helpful as it was harmful. "So? Do you have a solution?" he asked.
"Not right now, no," replied Armstrong. "That is why it is the worst news. The silver lining is that the first time you use it on a wide scale, it should be fine. Trying to improve the transmitter for more range, more information density, and more propagation speed just worsens the effect."
Hanse Davion sighed. "All right. I could use some good news."
"Might I go bad news then good news?" Armstrong asked instead. He gestured to the memory cores. "I promise that we have an escalating level of good news and bad news for each."
Hanse, being tickled at his love for drama, grinned weakly. "All right. What's the damage?"
Armstrong said "First, Prince Davion, the Eridani Light Horse have a series of… not quite demands, but not quite requests either. They are mutually beneficial, but non-negotiable."
Quintus Allard narrowed his gaze, but just giving SLDF Memory Cores without negotiating payment was almost deranged levels of generosity. Though it all depended upon the information present in those cores.
The Eridani Light Horse better have something to make this aggravation worth it.
--
-------------------------------
an:
I'm not sure if it's bad trying to be 'clever' again with alternating perspectives in an arc.
-.
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
05 January 3025
When First Prince Hanse Davion was informed that ELH Brevet General Nathan Armstrong was looking for another face-to-face he was tickled enough to arrange for a command circuit. This was a pre-positioned series of JumpShips that would jump as soon as the favored DropShip could transfer from one JumpShip to the other. Potentially this could reduce travel times from several months into a matter of one week.
Given the relatively short distance between Colchester and New Avalon, this was not a hardship for JumpShip captains. There were always plenty of ships heading towards New Avalon.
Nathan Armstrong had additional requests for their meeting. First, that there would be tri-vid unit available - which was fine. Second, that Ardan Sortek would also be there. That one, Hanse Davion granted for his own amusement. He just knew that Ardan was there just for his reactions as a very traditional mechwarrior. Hanse countered by asking if it would be fine to have Quintus Allard attend as well.
Much to his pleasure, Armstrong agreed immediately to the promise of subtle interrogation.
-.
Which led to their present situation, all three of the some of most important men in the Federated Suns waiting in a veranda for the leader of a three-regiment mercenary unit; Hanse mused as much with a mischievous smile.
"Apparently four or five regiments now," said Quintus Allard.
"They have to be faking it somehow," groused Ardan Sortek. "No one gets two regiments of anything all of a sudden like that. Even if they're Urbanmechs. Specially if they're Urbanmechs."
"Royal Urbanmechs, apparently," added Quintus. "NAIS looked them through. They are pristine Star League make. The fact that they have given us practical examples of Extra-Light Engines, Double-Heat Sinks, and Extended Range PPCs should buy them goodwill. Except that it doesn't. I share Ardan's suspicions. This is much too good to be true, and there is a catch to this somewhere."
He turned towards Hanse. "The Eridani Light Horse moving to the Federated Suns to support the Draconis March was a good thing when they were on a logistical dead-end. But a mercenary unit that has been rebuilt on its employer's largesse can just decide to move. The 12th Star Guards were also a SLDF-born unit. With five regiments they are one of the largest mercenary commands.
"They moved to the Federated Suns back in 3012 to improve their finances. Then just this year they decided not to renew their contract and go off to the Lyran Commonwealth instead. Even supposed and old and honorable mercenary commands can't be relied upon not to chase the money or their own interests."
Hanse shrugged. "To be fair, it's not like it was a bad deal. I know Katrina" the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth "wanted a replacement for the Eridani Light Horse on the Kurita border." He and the rest of the Federated Suns were always willing to spend as long as it brought hurt into House Kurita.
Given the general ineptitude of Steiner command, compensated for only by depth of resources and a dedicated NCO corps, they needed a similar force that can respond with independent initiative operating on regimental scale. The 12th Star Guards were five regiments to the Eridani Light Horse's three regiments.
"Mercenaries," Ardan sniffed. "You can trust them the least when they're going on about their honor."
"The Eridani Light Horse are becoming too dangerous to interact with without leverage," added Quintus.
"Trying to absorb the Light Horse with some sort of company store policy or reducing their command rights is the kind of thing that would make them resentful and give them a reason to leave, you know," said Hanse. "It's not like they can just leave. If they really follow their traditions - then where else can they go? They just burned their bridges with Steiner high command. Not able to sign up with Liao and Kurita, of course. They have bad memories with Marik, and after what House Marik did for Wolf's Dragoons, they're not all that reliable as employers either. Anyone that dresses up like they are still the SLDF won't be welcome anywhere in the Periphery.
"No, I think we're all hitched together for what it's worth. You still haven't figured out their Wandering Horse intel service, haven't you? You know they gave us good intel on OPERATION DOPPELGANGER when they didn't have to. My own senechal, ready to have me replaced! Losing that future asset can't help your own operations either."
Quintus Allard tightened his lips and stared back at the First Prince. "That couldn't have gotten as far without Michael. This is as much a Hasek-Davion plot as it is a Liao one. How the Eridani Light Horse knew anything about it in the first place… all right, I admit it. I don't see any plausible way they could have intersected into this situation. Even if they were complicit in it, it's unlikely."
Hanse grinned. "So you agree we should play nicely with the Eridani Light Horse."
Quintus nodded slowly. "At least until we can know more."
An aide came in and whispered something to Quintus. The head of Ministry of Information, Intelligence, and Operations (MIIO), glanced up in surprise.
"Something wrong?" Hanse asked.
"Armstrong is here and he may have brought something troublesome," said Quintus. "If you will excuse me?" At Hanse's assent, he stood up to deal with the new situation.
Shortly thereafter, the attendants announced Nathan Armstrong's arrival.
-.
The general carried with him a metal briefcase, which made Hanse quirk an eyebrow with curiosity. Obviously the contents would have been scanned most thoroughly. No one should risk bringing a bomb into the presence of the First Prince of the Federated Suns.
Quintus Allard had a flat expression as he accompanied the general and directed him to his seat.
"Welcome back to New Avalon!" Hanse greeted with open arms. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Nathan! You've been busy, eh? I think you pulled a fast one on me."
"In what way, my lord?"
"Your crew were only away for five months. If you were taking anything, that puts those goods well inside my Federated Suns space, eh?"
"That would be true if, first - that we salvaged a cache somewhere. And second - if DropShips could not transfer to another JumpShip anywhere along the way," Nathan Armstrong replied calmly. "We left with two DropShips, we returned with nine. Surely your observers would have informed you about this."
"Fair enough. Fair enough." Hanse grinned. "So, did you get a resupply from the SLDF? Is the Star League still alive out there somewhere?"
Quintus Allard gave Hanse Davion a look that said 'I seriously cannot believe you are just saying that.'
Armstrong's eyes squinted in a smile that didn't move the lips. "I can neither confirm nor deny in any way, I hope you understand."
Something much like jilted hope passed across Ardan Sortek's expression. As a mechwarrior, as much as he knew it would be an unrealistic fantasy, in his heart - in many hearts - there was still a child that longed for the glory of the Star League and its armies of battlemechs fighting not for the sake of territorial conquest but for peace and justice. Fighting and dying to retake Terra from the usurper, and then leaving the Inner Sphere to fester in their own malice even as the House Lords carved up the remains of the Terran Hegemony that brought the stars to mankind. The last worthy war by the last true men and women of honor.
Leaving aside the Unification War to bring to hell the Periphery and all the atrocities committed by the SLDF there, of course.
Hanse waved aside. "Moving on then. What have you got there? Any more interesting souvenirs?"
"Before we continue, could you indulge me this for a while, my Lord Hanse Davion? If that is your real name~," said Armstrong with a dramatic lilt at the end of his words. "It is now already thirty twenty-five. Please forgive if I cause offense. Can you answer me, these questions three?"
Hanse Davion beamed. Ardan groaned and palmed his face.
Quintus remained stony-faced, but someone knew that Hanse had a penchant for drama and this was both dangerous and annoying.
Hanse leaned back on his chair and replied "Ask your questions, general. I am not afraid."
"First, do you feel like you should be in jail?"
Hanse blinked. "... no?"
"Second, are you a man of culture?"
"I suppose I am, yes. It's a prerequisite for the job."
Armstrong began chuckling and muttered under his breath 'oh my god robotnik why' then looked up. "Last, then. Are you happy that what you would be doing in thirty-twenty eight is barely legal?"
Hanse Davion's eyes showed confusion, then a sudden glimmer of realization, then blazed in raw fury, which almost as quickly tamped down into a cool measuring calculation. He put a hand under his chin and nodded. "I suppose not. Thirty-twenty eight, huh. You know that's when Melissa Steiner turns eighteen. I know about the age difference, I knew my enemies would be using that against the FedCom alliance, but I wasn't expecting to be insulted and called a pedophile this early."
Ardan Sortek snapped out of his chair. "YOU DARE?!" he roared.
"There is no way you could have known about that secret provision in the Fed Com Accords," spoke Quintus Allard.
Ardan turned aside and bewilderedly asked "What are you saying? This is… Hanse and Melissa?" He could understand more Hanse Davion and Katrina Steiner, though given that Hanse was in his thirties and Katrina was in her fifties - though universally it was agreed that Katrina didn't look any older - there was a 20-year age difference either way. Nondi Steiner, Katrina's sister, was 44.
Ardan Sortrek scowled. If the whole point was to have a viable heir for the united realms, then… only Melissa Steiner's direct bloodline would do. There would be nothing more than eyebrow-raising in three more years. Arranged marriages were the norm for nobility. In a way, in exchange for their authority and luxury this lack of freedom to marry for love instead of mutual interests was the obligation of the aristocracy. Something this big could only be sealed by blood.
But in 3025, the girl was all of fifteen.
What did she think about this?
God! But how he hated politics!
He sat back down.
Armstrong put his fist to his chest and bowed in apology. Hanse Davion was a ruler that could control his emotions and would not brood over an insult. Granted, he could still seek revenge for this injury to his noble dignity, but that would just have him be like a Maximilian Liao or a Morgan Hasek-Davion. This was yet another test, and one that he passed.
This was not the behavior of a mere brigade commander to their employer. What the hell.
Armstrong tilted his head slightly towards Quintus Allard. "Should you be verifying my suspicions that easily, as far as being the head of an intelligence agency goes?"
"Obvious lying is pointless where your plan is to obtain accurate information," replied Quintus. "Garbage in, garbage out." It was pointless since Hanse gave the game away already anyway.
Armstrong nodded. "But of course for security reasons I can't tell you all about Wandering Horse as much as you can't reveal the sources for MIIO. We will share important information because the Eridani Light Horse is incentivized to make the Federated Commonwealth stand for more than just a generation as the best hope for lasting peace in the Inner Sphere.
"And to that end, Prince Davion -"
Armstrong opened the briefcase and turned it around. There was no shining light from within, but there might as well be. Hanse Davion's eyebrows raised near to his hairline, Ardan Sortek gasped, and Quintus Allard who had allowed him to bring this along exhaled softly in consternation. This complicated things. The ELH was as dangerous as they were a valuable ally.
Three Star League Memory Cores, shining and chrome.
Armstrong smiled thinly. He then took out a holovid tape and inserted it into the 3-vid player on the table. "Prince Davion, I have bad news, good news, and the worst news. Which would you like to hear first?"
-.
They spent a few silent moments to digest the unreality of this.
Hanse Davion laced his fingers together under his chin. "Hit me with the worst news first."
Armstrong nodded and continued "When Katrina Steiner went off to the Periphery, she returned with a sample of Black Boxes, first-generation Star League FTL communication devices that could transmit to each other within a hundred light years. This technology was done under Project TRANSIENT and was delivered to the SLDF's Rim Worlds commanders during the Reunification War. It was at least much better than jumpship relays."
The holo showed a black box, which itself was compact and looked like miscellaneous computer server hardware. "Limited to only small amounts of data, around two hundred kilobytes each time, the project was terminated in 2614 as the much more practical Hyperpulse Generator was developed and came online in 2630.
"But it was not enough just to discontinue a less efficient method. SLDF Communications Command ordered Black Boxes to be recalled and dismantled. The Eridani Light Horse knows why. You intend to use Black Boxes to continue military communications in the inevitable HPG blackout by Comstar. The Light Horse formally suggests that you don't rely on them."
The holo showed a star map with waves radiating out from each star, and then interfering with each other much like ripples on still waters.
"Black Box signals propagate, unlike HPG point to point transmissions. The Star League realized that Black Box - or K-series transmitters - create ripples and waves through their limited hyperspace frequencies and these disruptions can persist. Hyperspace becomes clouded, and messages will over time become redirected, garbled, or de-encrypted, requiring stronger signal modulations, which adds to the problem. The secret will inevitable out, and other Houses would copy the technology, and no one will exercise any restraint.
"The Star League never were able to resolve this problem. Overuse of the K-transmitters can lead to the whole system being unusable and it can take up to a century for these ripples to dissipate. And without communications, interstellar civilization grinds to an almost-halt as the Inner Sphere will only be able to rely on pony express JumpShip messenger services."
"So we really have no choice but to use HPGs? But Comstar neutrality… is not," said Quintus. "Unless you are going to tell us how to make HPGs, this is not useful data. How many years can we spend before the Black Box signals begin to compromise hyperspace?"
Armstrong shook his head slowly. "No, that is not the worst news. The worst news is that the Terran Hegemony built-in a killswitch into every HPG ever built. A signal might be sent into hyperspace that would cause HPG cores to slag themselves. Even replacement cores would not last. There is no way to track the origin of the blackout signal, because you will note that it has similarity to the Black Box propagating signal. This Clarion Note Protocol… is an option for Comstar.
"This is why Comstar should be co-opted, instead of pushed into suicide. If they would be destroyed then they might just take interstellar civilization down with them."
Hanse Davion sucked in air through grit teeth then exhaled in a whistle. "Well you certainly don't pull your punches. That's the worst news I could have heard. I can hope you're just lying about this, but… it's bad enough that it has to be true."
Quintus Allard scowled. So much of the AFFS operations relied upon being able to pass information through the inevitable Comstar blackout. The Eridani Light Horse telling them this was a disruption, calling all their objectives into question, and was the next best thing to sabotage. But at the same time, it was as helpful as it was harmful. "So? Do you have a solution?" he asked.
"Not right now, no," replied Armstrong. "That is why it is the worst news. The silver lining is that the first time you use it on a wide scale, it should be fine. Trying to improve the transmitter for more range, more information density, and more propagation speed just worsens the effect."
Hanse Davion sighed. "All right. I could use some good news."
"Might I go bad news then good news?" Armstrong asked instead. He gestured to the memory cores. "I promise that we have an escalating level of good news and bad news for each."
Hanse, being tickled at his love for drama, grinned weakly. "All right. What's the damage?"
Armstrong said "First, Prince Davion, the Eridani Light Horse have a series of… not quite demands, but not quite requests either. They are mutually beneficial, but non-negotiable."
Quintus Allard narrowed his gaze, but just giving SLDF Memory Cores without negotiating payment was almost deranged levels of generosity. Though it all depended upon the information present in those cores.
The Eridani Light Horse better have something to make this aggravation worth it.
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an:
I'm not sure if it's bad trying to be 'clever' again with alternating perspectives in an arc.
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6.3 Because We (Trash) Can
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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Because We (Trash) Can 03
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General Armstrong started: "The first proposition is that you help the Eridani Light Horse acquire or set up a heavy industry company. Much as Wolf's Dragoons have their Blackwell Industries, the Eridani Light Horse need a RobotniC Systems to manufacture and give priority to non-House troop concerns. This company will focus on supplying mercenary commands so that they don't fall into company store policies or find themselves in debt from advanced technologies that they can't maintain due to House manufacturers prioritizing resupply for House troops engaged in combat.
"The Eridani Light Horse doesn't have… any experience in business. However, even as RobotniC would start off constructed and staffed by Davion personnel, it would be a privately owned business controlled entirely by the ELH's civilian services that outside interests can't interfere with. Obviously we accept Davion eyes will be observing all new tech and production, but just try to be subtle about it."
"Sure, that sounds reasonable enough," replied Hanse. "But of course you can't expect this to be done for free. What's in it for the Federated Suns?"
The holo showed a rotating image of the Super Royal Urbanmech, which then disassembled into component parts.
"You know of the specs of the Super Royal Urbanmech. No one expects an Urbanmech to go eighty-six kph. You know from Hoff and the Super Hornet and Super Griffin how much double-heat sinks help even if you don't change the warload."
Armstrong took out the leftmost Memory Core. "But no more fumbling around. Here is everything necessary to create the Super Urbanmech and all its components. Extra Light Engines. Double Heatsinks. Ferro-Fibrous armor. Endo Steel construction. Extended Range PPCs and Lasers. Pulse Lasers. Guardian ECM. Beagle Active Probe. LB-X Autocannons. Variable Range Battle Computers. Star League cooling suits and neurohelmets. Everything that makes a Royal BattleMech a Royal - it just happens to come in the form of an Urbanmech.
"For now we just want to produce Sensors and Tracking Systems, Ferro Fibrous Armor and Double Heatsinks. No matter how many factories you make or retool, another redundant source will always be useful. Whether or not you can protect the rest of this technology from theft by other Houses is not our problem."
Ardan Sortek pointed at Nathan Armstrong. "You- this is Star League lostech, and you understand how to make it?! This changes everything!"
Hanse nodded. "I must say this actually is being very generous of the Light Horse. We would be happy to cooperate with this. Where do you want the company to be listed and its factory built? Colchester?"
"New Avalon. Why move away from the workforce and resource base, after all?" Armstrong raised palms up in a shrug. "We have always considered it a major weakness how so many critical factories are spread out and make outlying planets strategic targets instead of concentrating the defense."
"That is because most of these factories date back to the days of the Star League and earlier, and how to make them is also lostech," said Quintus Allard. "Even when we understand manufacturing from first principles, those factories are too large to remove and losing them would cripple the planetary economy."
"Lostech no longer," replied Armstrong. He shrugged. "Well at least as long as it's in the shape of an Urbanmech."
Hanse hummed. "I was going to ask… why Urbanmech? Then I realized that Urbanmechs aren't really considered a threat, aren't they? A new Mech factory for Urbanmechs isn't going to sound like an offensive build-up."
"Urbanmechs ought be good at urban combat and free up other forces for more mobile wars somewhere else," Ardan commented. "It's ironic that the standard Urbanmech with the AC/10 isn't really all that good at it. With only a single ton of ammo and a Small Laser for backup weapon, reputation has it that once engaged an Urbanmech is only good for around two minutes of combat - either the enemy gets destroyed, it gets destroyed, or it becomes almost useless. Whoever decided just to put a PPC on an Urbanmech instead is a genius."
"I considered putting a PPC on an Urbanmech," Hanse acted as if pouting. "It's only good that we know now the Suburbanmech concept works."
"Being able to go assault mech speeds still means it has an underpowered engine. It looks to me here - like it is possible to make a Super Urbanmech without lostech. Same 150-rated engine as we use for the Valkyrie." Ardan pointed at the holo.
"Eridani Light Horse are willing to license the design if you want to cover for the appearance of Super Royal Urbanmechs in the Draconis Front. The only difference is e-war suites and double heat sinks to handle the heat load."
Hanse slapped his palm down on the table. "Accepted! This is a done deal, what else have you got?"
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"The Eridani Light Horse wants a world inside Davion space ceded to the SLDF in perpetuity. It would be a black site, no one goes in, only out. The SLDF reserves the right to detain or treat trespassers with lethal force, no matter their origin."
Hanse threw his head back and laughed. "That's some escalation in demands!"
"My lord, this would set up a terrible precedent if allowed-" hurriedly said Quintus.
"Whatever you're offering, it has to be big," the First Prince of the Federated Suns continued, and while his entire being radiated amusement, his eyes were cold.
"To mitigate your concerns, we don't need a settled world. We would prefer for our purposes an abandoned or dead world. It would be where the Night Horse would conduct our research. Not even NAIS is safe enough. We would still share the results, of course. RobotniC would be the public source for new technologies, the black site for… other things.
"Once the Federated Commonwealth is an established fact, we may as well request a second world somewhere in the back end of Lyran space as a backup site."
Quintus Allard frowned. Given how even NAIS could be infiltrated by House Liao via skullduggery by Morgan Hasek-Davion, this made some sense. However, giving up worlds was still not something a Great House should do so easily. Even when giving worlds to mercenaries as their homeworlds under employ, there was no abrogation of ultimate authority over the world and its populace and resources.
A dead world could still be awarded to a hardworking retainer freshly ennobled at some point.
"The price for that still needs to be big," said Hanse. "Centuries from now, who knows if that ceded territory would be a good thing at all. What can compensate for that?"
Armstrong nodded and the holo changed into a star map of the Federated Suns. Then some stars grew brighter and most of the field grew dimmer. "The Federated Suns has been described as islands of some overdeveloped worlds in a sea of mediocre and poverty-stricken worlds. The AFFS has some of the most highly-trained and and well-supplied soldiers in the Inner Sphere, but this comes at the cost of leaving little for the economic development of worlds far from the combat regions. But with how the Draconis Combine is an existential threat to the Federated Suns itself, it's understandable that you can't afford to dial down instead.
The holo switched to a single world. First dry and lifeless, then bombarded with ice asteroids until it had water, and then slowly going green.
"This is not part of the price we pay for that world. This is DATABASE DEMETER, the complete library of the Terran Hegemony's terraforming technology. All those Jamerson-Ulikov Water Purifiers that many worlds relied upon, and their breakdown meant that worlds had to be abandoned? No longer lostech. Here is everything you need to make the components to repair and maintain them. Here is everything you need on the biosciences needed to introduce Terran flora and fauna into alien worlds. Here is everything you need to filter toxic and tainted atmosphere and fight bioplagues.
"We have sent copies of this Memory Core to Katrina Steiner. The name of the Eridani Light Horse might be irritating to their generals, but our centuries of service still carries weight to the Archons.
"Soon enough we will announce the ELH Life Core to Comstar. I'm sure they would try to subtly sabotage or discredit it. But Comstar's public face is benevolence, most of their people are true believers that they do good apolitical work, and as the neutral providers of communication technology throughout the Inner Sphere and protectors of technology, they can't afford NOT to distribute the Core."
Quintus held his breath.
Hanse frowned minutely. If this would help everybody, then it would also help House Davion's enemies. This would hurt the Federated Sun as much as it would make things easier.
"While that's good, I don't see how that's worth us giving up a planet to you in particular. Charity to the entire Inner Sphere shouldn't require compensation. Unless you're trying to angle this as some sort of publicity for the Federated Suns?"
The holo zoomed closer to the planet. A space station came into view, and moored within cages were multiple what looked to be Scout-class JumpShips.
Spheroid DropShips, presumably Unions, were approaching the planet.
From docking ports on the station, Leopard CVs undocked. The view followed them as they intercepted the invaders.
However, as they closed, only half the Leopard CVs released fighters. The other half began blasting at the enemy Unions from extreme range with Capital Lasers. Hull sections of the Unions began to crack open, like so much boiled eggs.
Armstrong continued "This is what we offer the Federated Suns as an advantage:
"Your economy and strategic speed suffers from lack of JumpShip capacity, like all of the Inner Sphere. This is the SLDF Expeditionary Scout II JumpShip - effectively a Scout with extendable pod grav decks and two DropShip Collars. The complete plans not just to build a JumpShip from scratch, but the shipyards to craft them.
"Your initiative suffers from the need to keep substantial on-planet defenses that you can't truly push against the enemy. Nobody in the Inner Sphere has any real Navy. Landings are rarely able to be contested in space. Here is the technology for Sub-Capital Lasers and Sub-Capital PPCs and what Capital Naval Weapons were developed from. You may have finally the capacity to build Pocket WarShips to have a true Navy capable of defeating enemy raids in space.
"Pirates would be less of a problem. Pirates can risk losing Mechs, but never their DropShips. A Pocket WarShip built on an otherwise mediocre Leopard hull can secure a world in a way a company of troops or mechs can't. I brought with me on the DropShip I arrived with, two Sub-Capital Lasers for you to use as a material sample.
"This is what we will be building on the blacksite. A secret shipyard and Sub-Capital Weapon manufactory. Where we're getting all the germanium for that? That is not something we will strain Davion Supply lines with, please do not worry about it. Build as many of your own new cost-efficient JumpShips as you can. Upgrade old Leopards repossessed from bankrupt mercenaries into as many Pocket Warships as you can."
Armstrong picked up the second Memory Core and placed it on the table.
"This is what we offer House Davion for its magnanimity. Unfuck your economy before considering any grand strategic deep battle offensives, Hanse Davion."
Hanse Davion whistled. He blinked several times, owlishly, as if barely able to believe it. No one does things like this. No one. This was vastly overpaying for one world.
Ardan Sortek whispered slowly "… are you actually the SLDF?"
"We have always been," said Armstrong.
No one knew how to reply to that.
This technically had always been the ELH's claim. It was just that for over three centuries they had just looked... delusional.
"What do you think?" Hanse asked Quintus. "Is it fair… horse trading?"
Quintus closed his eyes and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. He exhaled. "No, Hanse. No it's not. Giving up a dukedom on an established world would be a fair price for this. One dead world that we're supposed to cover up and find a reason to deny access as a recharge point for civilian JumpShips? If they really intend on building shipyards and Capital weapons down there, that allows enough time to build up before other Houses scrabble to keep up with the escalation. Other agencies will only be able to see us building second-line mechs and JumpShips - hardly a threat."
Hanse looked back towards Nathan Armstrong. "This sounds almost too good to be true. I'm going to have to trust that you're not just going to stab us in the back. Anything that can build JumpShips and DropShips in Davion space out of sight… one world could bombard multiple worlds, you know?"
"The ELH Navy will remain under the same terms as the Eridani Light Horse RCT," replied Armstrong. "Technically a SLDF RCT always had its own naval assets, which included warship escort. What we lack most right now is liquid funding and an established supply line. In honesty, if we had a world in Davion space we would be less inclined to leave. Originally the Eridani Light Horse were peacekeepers in Kuritan space, you know? A place where we can support defense against Combine aggression would be ideal."
"Right. Fine. Is there any particular world do you want? Even if it somehow has a Castle Brian we just all missed…" Hanse hummed as the star map on the holo.
"Of course you may scan as much as you want to make sure the world doesn't have anything particularly valuable that the AFFS would need to carry off. Don't spend more than three months on it though," replied Armstrong.
The general pointed to a star near Colchester, directly to the right on the starmap. "This one seems ideal for our purposes. The abandoned world Declan II."
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Declan Star System
Star Type (Recharging Time): G3V (134 hours)
Planet type: Terrestrial
Diameter: 11,700km
Position in system: 2 (.700 AU)
Time to Jump Point: 8.35
Year length: 1.2 Terran years
Day length: 23.0 hours
Surface Gravity: 0.97g
Atmosphere: Breathable
Atmosphere Pressure: Standard
Atmospheric Composition: Nitrogen and Oxygen, plus trace gases
Equatorial temperature: 35 degrees C
Surface Water: 29%
Highest Native Life: Birds
Landmasses (Capital City): Hugill (New Hindolveston), Jupe
Population: 0
Socio-Industrial Level: Regressed: Pre-industrial world
HPG Class Type: none
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After considering the data and how it was only three jump aways from Colchester, Hanse nodded. "It's a pity that you want this to be a black site. Bringing back a dead world would also be good for your own independent economy, you know?"
"You would have two worlds," noted Quintus. "Publicly Colchester and in secret Declan II. If income for the expansion of your regiments is your problem then you really ought to start investing into Colchester as well."
"General Armstrong…" Ardan Sortek said suddenly but firmly. His fists were clenched.
"Yes, Colonel Sortek?"
"When is the Star League planning to return?"
Armstrong reply was just as firm. "The Star League isn't returning. It must be established by common consent by the powers of the Inner Sphere."
Once again, a long uncomfortable silence draped across the room as the ELH general calmly failed to explain any further.
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"You know, I'm really enjoying these meetings," Hanse Davion said with a wide grin. He pointed towards the last remaining Memory Core. "Go ahead then. Shock me. I'm ready!"
"When the Second Star League is established-" and here suddenly Ardan Sortek let out a strangled noise at Armstrong's choice of words "... the ELH requires from the Federated Commonwealth, if not its constituent powers of at least House Davion and House Steiner, to support our nomination for First Lord even above what they might consider their own interests at the time. That they must trust that this is not intended to harm either powers but instead will help strengthen everyone involved."
He stared at Hanse. "Hanse Davion… you would make for a perfectly adequate First Lord. As I have been told 'Davion-wank is acceptable as long as everyone else happens to be pants-on head evil or incompetent'. However, the Star League and the Terran Hegemony went extinct because of ONE First Lord's incompetence despite their centuries of institutional compentence. That sort of gross mistake can never be allowed to happen again. If the Second Star League falls, it would create a Long Night from which humanity might not be able to wake again.
"The Federated Commonwealth is the earliest stress test for the establishment of the Second Star League. If you can make it last more than two generations, it can be an example to bring in House Marik as the economic bounties would be worth more than war, and House Liao would accept externally imposed peace from the Star League as it would freeze their borders and get them to ease off the stress of defense."
"What about House Kurita?" asked Hanse.
"Luthien delenda est."
Hanse grinned. "Fair enough."
The ELH not being so robotically objective about things was comforting.
Armstrong sighed. "More than anything, all the Eridani Light Horse ask for is not heroic leadership. Just competent ones. Less war-mongering ones. For a long enough time to become tradition. We recognize the necessity of war to secure political goals, but the Succession Wars to succeed a throne that no longer exists is a waste of lives.
"As a wise man said to me: 'Astropolitics does not need to be a zero-sum game.' We have given you the tools to expand outwards, not into each other. Together you are strong; apart, you will shatter upon enemies from beyond the Rim."
Ardan Sortek looked up sharply. "Is there- is that the reason why you're acting so openly now? Is there something out there that needs the Star League united again just to fight back?"
"I can neither confirm nor deny at this point."
Ardan made a low sustained growl of frustration.
Hanse laughed. "All right! But giving up potentially my or my descendant's claim to being the First Lord is something I can't just let go. Centuries of my people have also died and bled for the claim. Maybe John Davion was greedy. But right now… would it be so bad? If you were looking for competent leadership, then I think the Federated Suns have proven enough we're capable of ruling large realms. Why wouldn't the leader of the Federated Commonwealth be the natural choice, unless you're working the Concord of Kapetyn into some sort of counter-balance for a voting block? Are you thinking the First Lord should just be a figurehead tiebreaker?
"We as rulers have our own responsibilities to shoulder the dreams and expectations of our people. I don't think there's anything big enough to compensate for how insulted this would make our people feel, like it's saying all those centuries of suffering mean nothing."
The holo shifted to a large truck with a dish on top.
Armstrong spoke "This is the Star League Mobile HPG. Fifty tons. Transportable. And the plans on how to build these compact HPGs to destroy the Comstar monopoly. Let human space expand as far as it can, as much as it can. This is the knowledge that would invite nukes or naval bombardment, but it is yours if you can ensure you and your descendants will fulfill the contract.
Hanse threw his hands up to the air and cursed "Fuck! Well that would do it then!"
"These are the three things that create a golden age: Peace. Transportation. Communications. It can be here inside your lifetime if you were just able to abandon the zero-sum game." Armstrong turned aside to shut off the holo display. As the movement tugged back on his left sleeve they noticed that he was wearing a large but simple golden bangle around his left wrist. Almost like an oversized gold ring.
"What would Comstar become if this ever becomes open knowledge? Didn't you just warn earlier about the Clarion protocol?" Quintus spoke up.
"The Eridani Light Horse would prefer it if Comstar ceases being a phone company and just starts being the Terran Hegemony again. They would be up to much less bullshit if they did."
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General Armstrong started: "The first proposition is that you help the Eridani Light Horse acquire or set up a heavy industry company. Much as Wolf's Dragoons have their Blackwell Industries, the Eridani Light Horse need a RobotniC Systems to manufacture and give priority to non-House troop concerns. This company will focus on supplying mercenary commands so that they don't fall into company store policies or find themselves in debt from advanced technologies that they can't maintain due to House manufacturers prioritizing resupply for House troops engaged in combat.
"The Eridani Light Horse doesn't have… any experience in business. However, even as RobotniC would start off constructed and staffed by Davion personnel, it would be a privately owned business controlled entirely by the ELH's civilian services that outside interests can't interfere with. Obviously we accept Davion eyes will be observing all new tech and production, but just try to be subtle about it."
"Sure, that sounds reasonable enough," replied Hanse. "But of course you can't expect this to be done for free. What's in it for the Federated Suns?"
The holo showed a rotating image of the Super Royal Urbanmech, which then disassembled into component parts.
"You know of the specs of the Super Royal Urbanmech. No one expects an Urbanmech to go eighty-six kph. You know from Hoff and the Super Hornet and Super Griffin how much double-heat sinks help even if you don't change the warload."
Armstrong took out the leftmost Memory Core. "But no more fumbling around. Here is everything necessary to create the Super Urbanmech and all its components. Extra Light Engines. Double Heatsinks. Ferro-Fibrous armor. Endo Steel construction. Extended Range PPCs and Lasers. Pulse Lasers. Guardian ECM. Beagle Active Probe. LB-X Autocannons. Variable Range Battle Computers. Star League cooling suits and neurohelmets. Everything that makes a Royal BattleMech a Royal - it just happens to come in the form of an Urbanmech.
"For now we just want to produce Sensors and Tracking Systems, Ferro Fibrous Armor and Double Heatsinks. No matter how many factories you make or retool, another redundant source will always be useful. Whether or not you can protect the rest of this technology from theft by other Houses is not our problem."
Ardan Sortek pointed at Nathan Armstrong. "You- this is Star League lostech, and you understand how to make it?! This changes everything!"
Hanse nodded. "I must say this actually is being very generous of the Light Horse. We would be happy to cooperate with this. Where do you want the company to be listed and its factory built? Colchester?"
"New Avalon. Why move away from the workforce and resource base, after all?" Armstrong raised palms up in a shrug. "We have always considered it a major weakness how so many critical factories are spread out and make outlying planets strategic targets instead of concentrating the defense."
"That is because most of these factories date back to the days of the Star League and earlier, and how to make them is also lostech," said Quintus Allard. "Even when we understand manufacturing from first principles, those factories are too large to remove and losing them would cripple the planetary economy."
"Lostech no longer," replied Armstrong. He shrugged. "Well at least as long as it's in the shape of an Urbanmech."
Hanse hummed. "I was going to ask… why Urbanmech? Then I realized that Urbanmechs aren't really considered a threat, aren't they? A new Mech factory for Urbanmechs isn't going to sound like an offensive build-up."
"Urbanmechs ought be good at urban combat and free up other forces for more mobile wars somewhere else," Ardan commented. "It's ironic that the standard Urbanmech with the AC/10 isn't really all that good at it. With only a single ton of ammo and a Small Laser for backup weapon, reputation has it that once engaged an Urbanmech is only good for around two minutes of combat - either the enemy gets destroyed, it gets destroyed, or it becomes almost useless. Whoever decided just to put a PPC on an Urbanmech instead is a genius."
"I considered putting a PPC on an Urbanmech," Hanse acted as if pouting. "It's only good that we know now the Suburbanmech concept works."
"Being able to go assault mech speeds still means it has an underpowered engine. It looks to me here - like it is possible to make a Super Urbanmech without lostech. Same 150-rated engine as we use for the Valkyrie." Ardan pointed at the holo.
"Eridani Light Horse are willing to license the design if you want to cover for the appearance of Super Royal Urbanmechs in the Draconis Front. The only difference is e-war suites and double heat sinks to handle the heat load."
Hanse slapped his palm down on the table. "Accepted! This is a done deal, what else have you got?"
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"The Eridani Light Horse wants a world inside Davion space ceded to the SLDF in perpetuity. It would be a black site, no one goes in, only out. The SLDF reserves the right to detain or treat trespassers with lethal force, no matter their origin."
Hanse threw his head back and laughed. "That's some escalation in demands!"
"My lord, this would set up a terrible precedent if allowed-" hurriedly said Quintus.
"Whatever you're offering, it has to be big," the First Prince of the Federated Suns continued, and while his entire being radiated amusement, his eyes were cold.
"To mitigate your concerns, we don't need a settled world. We would prefer for our purposes an abandoned or dead world. It would be where the Night Horse would conduct our research. Not even NAIS is safe enough. We would still share the results, of course. RobotniC would be the public source for new technologies, the black site for… other things.
"Once the Federated Commonwealth is an established fact, we may as well request a second world somewhere in the back end of Lyran space as a backup site."
Quintus Allard frowned. Given how even NAIS could be infiltrated by House Liao via skullduggery by Morgan Hasek-Davion, this made some sense. However, giving up worlds was still not something a Great House should do so easily. Even when giving worlds to mercenaries as their homeworlds under employ, there was no abrogation of ultimate authority over the world and its populace and resources.
A dead world could still be awarded to a hardworking retainer freshly ennobled at some point.
"The price for that still needs to be big," said Hanse. "Centuries from now, who knows if that ceded territory would be a good thing at all. What can compensate for that?"
Armstrong nodded and the holo changed into a star map of the Federated Suns. Then some stars grew brighter and most of the field grew dimmer. "The Federated Suns has been described as islands of some overdeveloped worlds in a sea of mediocre and poverty-stricken worlds. The AFFS has some of the most highly-trained and and well-supplied soldiers in the Inner Sphere, but this comes at the cost of leaving little for the economic development of worlds far from the combat regions. But with how the Draconis Combine is an existential threat to the Federated Suns itself, it's understandable that you can't afford to dial down instead.
The holo switched to a single world. First dry and lifeless, then bombarded with ice asteroids until it had water, and then slowly going green.
"This is not part of the price we pay for that world. This is DATABASE DEMETER, the complete library of the Terran Hegemony's terraforming technology. All those Jamerson-Ulikov Water Purifiers that many worlds relied upon, and their breakdown meant that worlds had to be abandoned? No longer lostech. Here is everything you need to make the components to repair and maintain them. Here is everything you need on the biosciences needed to introduce Terran flora and fauna into alien worlds. Here is everything you need to filter toxic and tainted atmosphere and fight bioplagues.
"We have sent copies of this Memory Core to Katrina Steiner. The name of the Eridani Light Horse might be irritating to their generals, but our centuries of service still carries weight to the Archons.
"Soon enough we will announce the ELH Life Core to Comstar. I'm sure they would try to subtly sabotage or discredit it. But Comstar's public face is benevolence, most of their people are true believers that they do good apolitical work, and as the neutral providers of communication technology throughout the Inner Sphere and protectors of technology, they can't afford NOT to distribute the Core."
Quintus held his breath.
Hanse frowned minutely. If this would help everybody, then it would also help House Davion's enemies. This would hurt the Federated Sun as much as it would make things easier.
"While that's good, I don't see how that's worth us giving up a planet to you in particular. Charity to the entire Inner Sphere shouldn't require compensation. Unless you're trying to angle this as some sort of publicity for the Federated Suns?"
The holo zoomed closer to the planet. A space station came into view, and moored within cages were multiple what looked to be Scout-class JumpShips.
Spheroid DropShips, presumably Unions, were approaching the planet.
From docking ports on the station, Leopard CVs undocked. The view followed them as they intercepted the invaders.
However, as they closed, only half the Leopard CVs released fighters. The other half began blasting at the enemy Unions from extreme range with Capital Lasers. Hull sections of the Unions began to crack open, like so much boiled eggs.
Armstrong continued "This is what we offer the Federated Suns as an advantage:
"Your economy and strategic speed suffers from lack of JumpShip capacity, like all of the Inner Sphere. This is the SLDF Expeditionary Scout II JumpShip - effectively a Scout with extendable pod grav decks and two DropShip Collars. The complete plans not just to build a JumpShip from scratch, but the shipyards to craft them.
"Your initiative suffers from the need to keep substantial on-planet defenses that you can't truly push against the enemy. Nobody in the Inner Sphere has any real Navy. Landings are rarely able to be contested in space. Here is the technology for Sub-Capital Lasers and Sub-Capital PPCs and what Capital Naval Weapons were developed from. You may have finally the capacity to build Pocket WarShips to have a true Navy capable of defeating enemy raids in space.
"Pirates would be less of a problem. Pirates can risk losing Mechs, but never their DropShips. A Pocket WarShip built on an otherwise mediocre Leopard hull can secure a world in a way a company of troops or mechs can't. I brought with me on the DropShip I arrived with, two Sub-Capital Lasers for you to use as a material sample.
"This is what we will be building on the blacksite. A secret shipyard and Sub-Capital Weapon manufactory. Where we're getting all the germanium for that? That is not something we will strain Davion Supply lines with, please do not worry about it. Build as many of your own new cost-efficient JumpShips as you can. Upgrade old Leopards repossessed from bankrupt mercenaries into as many Pocket Warships as you can."
Armstrong picked up the second Memory Core and placed it on the table.
"This is what we offer House Davion for its magnanimity. Unfuck your economy before considering any grand strategic deep battle offensives, Hanse Davion."
Hanse Davion whistled. He blinked several times, owlishly, as if barely able to believe it. No one does things like this. No one. This was vastly overpaying for one world.
Ardan Sortek whispered slowly "… are you actually the SLDF?"
"We have always been," said Armstrong.
No one knew how to reply to that.
This technically had always been the ELH's claim. It was just that for over three centuries they had just looked... delusional.
"What do you think?" Hanse asked Quintus. "Is it fair… horse trading?"
Quintus closed his eyes and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. He exhaled. "No, Hanse. No it's not. Giving up a dukedom on an established world would be a fair price for this. One dead world that we're supposed to cover up and find a reason to deny access as a recharge point for civilian JumpShips? If they really intend on building shipyards and Capital weapons down there, that allows enough time to build up before other Houses scrabble to keep up with the escalation. Other agencies will only be able to see us building second-line mechs and JumpShips - hardly a threat."
Hanse looked back towards Nathan Armstrong. "This sounds almost too good to be true. I'm going to have to trust that you're not just going to stab us in the back. Anything that can build JumpShips and DropShips in Davion space out of sight… one world could bombard multiple worlds, you know?"
"The ELH Navy will remain under the same terms as the Eridani Light Horse RCT," replied Armstrong. "Technically a SLDF RCT always had its own naval assets, which included warship escort. What we lack most right now is liquid funding and an established supply line. In honesty, if we had a world in Davion space we would be less inclined to leave. Originally the Eridani Light Horse were peacekeepers in Kuritan space, you know? A place where we can support defense against Combine aggression would be ideal."
"Right. Fine. Is there any particular world do you want? Even if it somehow has a Castle Brian we just all missed…" Hanse hummed as the star map on the holo.
"Of course you may scan as much as you want to make sure the world doesn't have anything particularly valuable that the AFFS would need to carry off. Don't spend more than three months on it though," replied Armstrong.
The general pointed to a star near Colchester, directly to the right on the starmap. "This one seems ideal for our purposes. The abandoned world Declan II."
.,
.,
Declan Star System
Star Type (Recharging Time): G3V (134 hours)
Planet type: Terrestrial
Diameter: 11,700km
Position in system: 2 (.700 AU)
Time to Jump Point: 8.35
Year length: 1.2 Terran years
Day length: 23.0 hours
Surface Gravity: 0.97g
Atmosphere: Breathable
Atmosphere Pressure: Standard
Atmospheric Composition: Nitrogen and Oxygen, plus trace gases
Equatorial temperature: 35 degrees C
Surface Water: 29%
Highest Native Life: Birds
Landmasses (Capital City): Hugill (New Hindolveston), Jupe
Population: 0
Socio-Industrial Level: Regressed: Pre-industrial world
HPG Class Type: none
.,
.,
After considering the data and how it was only three jump aways from Colchester, Hanse nodded. "It's a pity that you want this to be a black site. Bringing back a dead world would also be good for your own independent economy, you know?"
"You would have two worlds," noted Quintus. "Publicly Colchester and in secret Declan II. If income for the expansion of your regiments is your problem then you really ought to start investing into Colchester as well."
"General Armstrong…" Ardan Sortek said suddenly but firmly. His fists were clenched.
"Yes, Colonel Sortek?"
"When is the Star League planning to return?"
Armstrong reply was just as firm. "The Star League isn't returning. It must be established by common consent by the powers of the Inner Sphere."
Once again, a long uncomfortable silence draped across the room as the ELH general calmly failed to explain any further.
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"You know, I'm really enjoying these meetings," Hanse Davion said with a wide grin. He pointed towards the last remaining Memory Core. "Go ahead then. Shock me. I'm ready!"
"When the Second Star League is established-" and here suddenly Ardan Sortek let out a strangled noise at Armstrong's choice of words "... the ELH requires from the Federated Commonwealth, if not its constituent powers of at least House Davion and House Steiner, to support our nomination for First Lord even above what they might consider their own interests at the time. That they must trust that this is not intended to harm either powers but instead will help strengthen everyone involved."
He stared at Hanse. "Hanse Davion… you would make for a perfectly adequate First Lord. As I have been told 'Davion-wank is acceptable as long as everyone else happens to be pants-on head evil or incompetent'. However, the Star League and the Terran Hegemony went extinct because of ONE First Lord's incompetence despite their centuries of institutional compentence. That sort of gross mistake can never be allowed to happen again. If the Second Star League falls, it would create a Long Night from which humanity might not be able to wake again.
"The Federated Commonwealth is the earliest stress test for the establishment of the Second Star League. If you can make it last more than two generations, it can be an example to bring in House Marik as the economic bounties would be worth more than war, and House Liao would accept externally imposed peace from the Star League as it would freeze their borders and get them to ease off the stress of defense."
"What about House Kurita?" asked Hanse.
"Luthien delenda est."
Hanse grinned. "Fair enough."
The ELH not being so robotically objective about things was comforting.
Armstrong sighed. "More than anything, all the Eridani Light Horse ask for is not heroic leadership. Just competent ones. Less war-mongering ones. For a long enough time to become tradition. We recognize the necessity of war to secure political goals, but the Succession Wars to succeed a throne that no longer exists is a waste of lives.
"As a wise man said to me: 'Astropolitics does not need to be a zero-sum game.' We have given you the tools to expand outwards, not into each other. Together you are strong; apart, you will shatter upon enemies from beyond the Rim."
Ardan Sortek looked up sharply. "Is there- is that the reason why you're acting so openly now? Is there something out there that needs the Star League united again just to fight back?"
"I can neither confirm nor deny at this point."
Ardan made a low sustained growl of frustration.
Hanse laughed. "All right! But giving up potentially my or my descendant's claim to being the First Lord is something I can't just let go. Centuries of my people have also died and bled for the claim. Maybe John Davion was greedy. But right now… would it be so bad? If you were looking for competent leadership, then I think the Federated Suns have proven enough we're capable of ruling large realms. Why wouldn't the leader of the Federated Commonwealth be the natural choice, unless you're working the Concord of Kapetyn into some sort of counter-balance for a voting block? Are you thinking the First Lord should just be a figurehead tiebreaker?
"We as rulers have our own responsibilities to shoulder the dreams and expectations of our people. I don't think there's anything big enough to compensate for how insulted this would make our people feel, like it's saying all those centuries of suffering mean nothing."
The holo shifted to a large truck with a dish on top.
Armstrong spoke "This is the Star League Mobile HPG. Fifty tons. Transportable. And the plans on how to build these compact HPGs to destroy the Comstar monopoly. Let human space expand as far as it can, as much as it can. This is the knowledge that would invite nukes or naval bombardment, but it is yours if you can ensure you and your descendants will fulfill the contract.
Hanse threw his hands up to the air and cursed "Fuck! Well that would do it then!"
"These are the three things that create a golden age: Peace. Transportation. Communications. It can be here inside your lifetime if you were just able to abandon the zero-sum game." Armstrong turned aside to shut off the holo display. As the movement tugged back on his left sleeve they noticed that he was wearing a large but simple golden bangle around his left wrist. Almost like an oversized gold ring.
"What would Comstar become if this ever becomes open knowledge? Didn't you just warn earlier about the Clarion protocol?" Quintus spoke up.
"The Eridani Light Horse would prefer it if Comstar ceases being a phone company and just starts being the Terran Hegemony again. They would be up to much less bullshit if they did."
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6.4 Because We (Trash) Can
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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Because We (Trash) Can 04
Living on a border world was a hit or miss affair. Apart from the literal hit or miss of being shot at and your homes and workplaces shot up in raids, border worlds tended to have the attention of their ruling powers. This was both good and bad. Bad, because border lords tend to be able to get away with more skeevy things due to their necessary role to the safety of the realm. Good, because the need to keep the border well-supplied and ready to repel assaults mean that border worlds also tend to see higher economic activity and social mobility.
There was always a danger of worlds being lost. Some worlds survive by not caring who their actual ruler is; the old boss was the same as the new boss. No real loyalty, but no real will to rebel either. Others had nothing but loyalty and never forgot their roots no matter how long they have been suppressed.
New Aberdeen was a world that belonged to the Federated Suns, and had been lost to the Combine in their great offensives in the 2860s. Only relatively recently had they been retaken by the Federated Suns. But that was still a hundred years of Draconification, and the planet still retained the scars of the Draconis Combine attempting to erase a Davion culture and replace it with a Kuritan one. And when they were driven off world, the left with the promise that when they reclaimed the world, their wrath would be great and terrible for those that failed to show loyalty to the Dragon.
People on New Aberdeen didn't feel safe that the Federated Suns could exert permanent control over the world, and as such there was a vague feeling if they should show token resistance. Some felt that their lives had been better during Kuritan control, as Kuritan nobility and military had almost zero accountability to the populace. They loved being able to exert their desires upon the cowed and fearful masses.
The Draconis Combine had spent several months on the planet without being driven off due to this support.
However, outright conquest was still out of the question. Davion could not move in sufficient troops to repulse Kurita forces because the Wolf's Dragoons were supporting them. Any other weakness in their border worlds would be pounced upon. At the same time, House Kurita lacked the ability to fully take over because of that same threat - turning this area into an invasion corridor would focus several RCTs into the zone and might end up backfiring as House Davion flooded into a counter-offensive into Combine space.
So this was the situation on the ground: months of little skirmishes and resource raids. The only ones that suffered were the common people. House Davion had to ship food and consumables across interstellar at great expense for them to maintain their claim of being better and more responsible to their citizens than the Combine, and these supplies which indirectly or directly, would be seized by the Kurita raiders.
The one in charge of planetary defense was Major Roland Kaplan of the 4th Battalion of the Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT. The 4th Deneb RCT was based on Harrow's Sun, just a short jump away from New Aberdeen. These months have been a (heh) harrowing time, especially in this world's hot climate.
A Davion RCT, unlike a SLDF RCT, was a much larger assembly of forces with a single Mech Regiment attached to Vehicle Regiments, five Infantry Regiments, two Aerospace Fighter Wings and a Battalion of Artillery. They absolutely could take over and hold a world with little difficulty.
A SLDF RCT mixed all these forces into one regiment but had at least three such regiments, but a Davion RCT was five regiments moving cooperatively.
The reason why 4th Deneb high command only sent a combined-arms Battalion with the same force proportions as the RCT into New Aberdeen was the deep suspicion that this was all bait. Specially with the Black Widow, Natasha Kerensky herself, on planet. Overcommit and send an RCT to drive the 33rd Galedon off-world, and the Wolf's Dragoons Epsilon Regiment drops in. As long as this remained mutual Battalion-level conflict, it seems both sides were fine not to allow this to escalate. Kerensky wasting time on New Aberdeen was her not raising hell elsewhere.
4th Deneb RCT was good, but they were not Wolf's Dragoons good.
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Major Kaplan didn't think much of the Eridani Light Horse. The 4th Deneb was also a SLDF-derived unit, and had a deeper and more painful past. Their homeworld, Deneb Kaitos, had been struck directly by the Amaris Empire with nuclear, biological, and orbital attacks. When Kerensky made the call to leave the Inner Sphere, only the 4th Deneb regiment of the SLDF Deneb Light Cavalry Brigade chose to remain, in loyalty to their world. They begged for any House Lord to support the world, save their people from starvation, and in exchange the 4th Deneb would give their skills at war.
Only House Davion responded, and as Deneb Kaitos was saved from mass deaths through starvation and pandemic, the 4th Deneb served the Federated Suns loyally through centuries.
4th Deneb didn't see anything special about once being the SLDF. Kaplan thought that the Eridani Light Horse were being just uppity and pretentious about being elite for no reason. After seeing Captain Anton Stedman he thought that all those rumors of the Light Horse being a professional unit cut above the rest was so much bunkum.
The Eridani Light Horse didn't look all that different from his own troops. They used the same mechs, the same cooling equipment, nothing really out of the ordinary. These had the reputation of the best mercenary unit in the Inner Sphere why now?
That only really said something about the sad standards of mercenaries until Wolf's Dragoons got into the picture.
He was not at all impressed with young Anton Stedman's arrogance. He could appreciate how the ELH had all of its Mechs going 86 kph, but their heaviest Mechs were 55-ton Griffins and Shadow Hawks and 45-ton Phoenix Hawks, made for running and skirmishing. In a drag-out fight they didn't have the firepower or armor to last - what good would mercenaries only good at running away do?
He didn't know if he fully believed reports that Stedman's Company had already driven off Kerensky's Company three times with only minimal damage. That was Kerensky! She won against the 3rd Davion Guards! If Stedman was only good for running away, then Firthhaven would already be lost by now.
The Black Widow could play with her food. The Firth wasn't the only place Kerensky struck - wherever the 4th Deneb moved, she was already gone and leaving burning wrecks behind her. How she was managing to outmaneuver entire scout mech formations with her slow heavy mechs was infuriating.
Which led to a further mystery of how the hells then does the Eridani Light Horse keep finding her?! 4th Deneb had hovercraft instead of tanks, and were very ASF focused. Originally they were a fast response regiment, faster even than a Light Horse regiment.
The losses that the ELH sustained on Hoff precluded the idea that Kerensky and the ELH were somehow colluding. This was a personal crusade to Stedman too.
Kaplan had to conclude that okay, maybe the ELH were that good. But from the reports he was getting, Stedman's Company was accruing damage that only his group's ability to disengage quickly was able to minimize. Eventually that damage was going to catch up to them, and then they were in serious trouble. Stedman's Company had to be relieved.
Unfortunately it seems Kaplan's message to Stedman about letting them know that the 4th Deneb was ready to help at any time due to the Kuritan forces down south were being docile, and that he was ready to shift forces in support seemed to have been taken as an insult.
He debated whether he should send a pair of lances north before that young officer's temper led to him doing something foolish and his company of good men getting crushed by Kerensky's nasty bag of tricks.
Then he received word that another company of Eridani Light Horse, alongside fresh supplies, was inbound.
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Even at first glance, Kaplan knew that something was odd about these new ELH arrivals.
Two lances of Urbanmechs exited the Union DropShip.
All right. Fine. This was good too. Getting urban combat support means being able to divert other more mobile troops to beat the Combine on the field.
But there was something even disturbing about them. As the Battlemechs formed into two lines, he realized why.
First, they moved with strange almost organic smoothness. They moved with speed and agility that you would expect more from a more humanoid Mech like the Wasp or Valkyrie, not a trashcan on legs.
Second, these Mechs looked not just new - but pristine. They gleamed under the hot sun. The pale green paint looked as if fresh from the factory, and there were three distinctive markings on the mechs.
First, the tan "prancing pony" symbol of the Eridani Light Horse.
Second, a strange round grinning face with a mustache in black and red.
Third, shining white, the Cameron Star symbol of the Star League.
-.
When the commanding officer of the ELH company presented herself, Kaplan's disquiet grew. That form-fitting suit with the vest lined with thin tubes. That thin and light helmet. And again with the symbol of the Eridani Light Horse opposite of the Cameron Star.
She saluted "Sir, Barbara Mosley, Captain, 151st Dark Horse Regiment, 9th Company. Reporting in, sir!"
Kaplan nodded. "At ease, Captain. And thank you." He closed his eye briefly and then said "You know what, I'm just going to say it. That's lostech." He pointed at her gear. "I know it's rude and I shouldn't expect an answer if I asked where you found that, so I'll ask instead - is this the Eridani Light Horse finally breaking out the secret SLDF stocks and getting serious?"
No one could so brazenly wear the symbol of the Star League without it feeling like sacrilege. But looking at Barbara Mosley was like looking nearly half a century into a more civilized past, with her nonchalant confidence about the weight of the name she carried.
The Eridani Light Horse had been on the verge of destruction several times, and had to scrounge for supplies and refits like any other mercenary unit. The 4th Deneb was also a SLDF unit and similarly, apart from the degradation in tech levels through the Succession Wars, their methods and equipment didn't really change much under Davion employ.
But at the moment they felt a great gulf between a pretender and the genuine article. Through centuries of ridicule the Eridani Light Horse persisted in their roleplay. The ELH revealing themselves as *actually being the SLDF all along* was unthinkable, but as Kaplan looked at the eyes of his officers, once the thought was out there - was not all that unimaginable either.
Surprisingly that seemed to only increase the little sheen of resentment in his heart, Kaplan realized. The ELH had suffered very little compared to 4th Deneb. Why the Eridani Light Horse; why now; and what was respectable anyway about the SLDF that in the end abandoned their duty?
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Speed.
This was the obsession of the 4th Deneb.
A Light Cavalry RCT was faster and more responsive than a Light Horse RCT; designed specifically by the SLDF as a fast-response strike force. Where the ELH had tanks, 4th Deneb exclusively used hovercraft. Where the ELH had artillery, 4th Deneb was a very ASF-heavy force. With constantly updated information of the battlespace, 4th Deneb used their speed to outmaneuver their opponents and act as one team even if hundreds of kilometers distant.
Roland Kaplan relished the look on Anton Stedman's face the first time he saw the 4th Deneb tactical command in action. He wanted to laugh at the young officer's sour look of 'you can do this too?!'
An older ELH officer wouldn't have been surprised. Glory wasn't something an individual could claim on the battlefield, but earned by hard effort by everyone around them. Even Kerensky wouldn't have been so deadly if she wasn't supported well by an elite crew she had personally trained and trusted to fight at her skill level. War was not a series of one-on-one duels.
"Oh, interesting," said Barbara. "So we don't have a hardline connection to Firthhaven?"
Many worlds still relied on simple copper cabling and telegraphy. It was cheap, easy to deploy, and could be made by any world with even the slightest hint of industrialization.
Fiber-optic cabling was the foundation of communications across the Inner Sphere. Easily deployable, immune to EMP, easier to bury, harder to find via magnetic scanning, and capable of massive information throughput. Unfortunately, because hardline communications were so useful, it was also something that should not be risked falling intact to enemy hands.
Radiotelephony was the main way less-industrialized border worlds like New Aberdeen communicated between major settlements.
It was also very prone to being jammed or tapped. In addition, only certain hours of the day had the atmospheric conditions to support very long range radio transmissions. Relay stations were obvious targets, and in the expanse between Firthhaven and the world capital Conlan City all had already been destroyed in the five months of fighting.
"This is our most recent report on Stedman's Company. They are doing well enough. Artillery had been emplaced around Firthhaven, and combat vehicle companies are supporting urban defense. This leaves BattleMechs to serve as a mobile interception force. If you lift off and contact their HQ directly you would have a better signal to get updated."
"I did, HQ just reported that Stedman was out on patrol and out of contact."
Kaplan frowned. "That's bad form. Company command should never be out of contact."
"This is why I'm afraid Kerensky's got her mind games into him and he's doing something stupid."
Kaplan nodded. "You have a DropShip, so you can move out sooner than we can. We can task a wing of ASF to support if you want."
Barbara raised her index finger. "Wait one-"
Comms to the Super Urbanmech parked outside crackled "SATCOM engaged, Captain," said Idun Nikkole piloting the Super Comms Urbanmech.
"Major, would you accept the datalink?" Barbara added.
Kaplan nodded over to the comms officer. Then the holotank bloomed with new information.
4th Deneb positions were highlighted in blue. Even the ones that were hidden. Kaplan cursed under his breath. Fortunately Combine positions were also highlighted in red.
The SLS DropShip SOLITUDE had spent days burning with its engines pointed towards New Aberdeen. In the last day as it had to flip around to match planetary velocity and enter a parking orbit, the DropShip had all the time it need to scan the surface with not merely SLDF orbital scanner suites, but Robotnik-optimized Orbital Scanner Suites.
The DropShip blossomed in space, like a flower spreading pollen into the wind. Microsatellites stared down at the world with a hundred hungry eyes.
The new holotable projected a tactical map of the area with updated real-time information. The map recognized and displayed military assets. Objects in view were displayed and highlighted from a bird's eye view. Mobile objects detected by non-visual sensors were sorted according to their most probable type - cubes for BattleMechs, pyramids for Vehicles, tetrahedrons for flying vehicles, which would then resolve into 3D visual information when they entered full sensor range.
For a MechCommander, information was ammunition.
This sensor range was twenty kilometers around each high-flying drone. Like NapFind drones, these drones relayed information to each other until reaching drone command, so that the effective information range was eighty kilometers around HQ.
By bouncing information up to the armed scout ASF in low orbit, other operational areas across the continent could share real-time information back to HQ.
Other screens showed a strategic view of the continent. One screen monitored the near environs, another of the estimated Kurita locations, and another of Stedman's combat area. All screens had moving icons representing detected militarily significant objects. Vehicles of any size as long as they were moving. Look-through thermal information from houses and other light buildings. Infantry were ironically much more visible at night. Moving Mechs could be detected at great range; shutdown mechs less so, but AI-boosted imaging could eventually spot them out from other shapes. All combined and delivered as information accurate enough for artillery fire direction.
All of this was grossly lostech.
Technology, mysterious and lost, that somehow the ELH just happens to have with even that newly manufactured thermoplastic smell. A near godlike awareness of the battlefield explained so much about how the Light Horse could do so much with only three medium-weight regiments.
4th Deneb were faster, but that was also for sake of maintaining a picture of the battlefield. If you knew where the enemy was at all times, you didn't need to sweat to outmaneuver them.
Kaplan's face all twisted up like a pug. He had to ask "With all due respect to Eridani Light Horse high command - is it fine to supply us with this? The relationship between the ELH and the AFFS is one of employment, not… formal incorporation. Or have things changed?" 'Did you become like us?' was the unspoken question. 'It's not such a bad thing, being a Davion dog, you know.'
Barbara shook her head. "I can't say anything about it, but OPSEC isn't a problem with tech like this. We'd like if command and control elements like this stopped being lostech even if opposing forces start using them-"
"Because then you would be able to tap into their own sensors and comms?!" a 4th Deneb radio operator piped up excitedly.
Barbara pointed at her. "This one is a smart cookie, keep an eye on her. When things start filtering down, we might have gear with her name on it."
The operator raised both fists to the air "Hail the SLDF!"
Kaplan rolled his eyes. He couldn't even blame the girl.
Barbara turned back to the holotable. "I am leaving one Communications Urbanmech and a Brawler Urbanmech to support the HQ," said Barbara. "This will tie you into our Stalking Horse intel assets. I have to go right now," she added as she pointed to movement on the Firth combat area. "Stedman's moving and that looks like Kerensky's provocations got to him anyway. From what he can see, it's two just two Mechs - two Heavy Mechs, and his company is made of really much faster mechs. Enough mediums can kill a heavy just fine."
Normally fighting at night was stupid, but it was also the best time to test perimeter defenses and the dark removed the advantage of range. On the other hand, this was also the best chance of a bunch of light mechs surviving being in the crosshairs of a Warhammer with two PPCs or Crusaders and Archers with a hell of lot of LRMs.
"He's young and, from what I learned about ELH's roster, wants to move out from the shadow of a more accomplished sibling. I can understand that, but it's bad enough that it's the sort of thing that can get him killed, he shouldn't be bringing his men down with him." Kaplan sighed. "But I can't call it unprofessional either, because if someone has the deep belief that they can kill or disable Kerensky - well, he's not the first to try, but it only takes one to succeed. If no one ever tries, then there's no point in fighting a war. Aces are supposed to attract fire as much as they inspire fear."
"Yeah, the Lady in Black's good not just because of her kills but because she keeps surviving shit no one has any real right to," replied Barbara.
-.
-.
Winds and the roar of rocket engines roared through the Union Dropship. "What's that?" Barbara flicked the noise-canceling switch on the console and a part of her went 'nice!' as the cockpit suddenly quieted down; another part of her was still going 'holy shit' about all the little comforts and conveniences available to standard SLDF gear. 'Man those guys way back were super duper spoiled.'
"What?" she asked again.
"I said, it's easier to make hot-drops out of a Leopard DropShip! So there's the reason why people still keep making that cheap piece of shit!" shouted Jack Finsrud. Rather than be given his own command, high command wisely realized he was too much of a wiseass to be trusted with impressionable new lancemates and it was better to maintain him in someone's command lance.
The Leopard DropShip, capable of carrying only four BattleMechs/one Mech lance, was the very picture of the mercenary lifestyle. The broke-ass mercenary lifestyle.
He was right though. A Leopard had four doors for its four BattleMechs in individual cubicles. Its flat if bricklike shape was stable at hovering with downward-facing transit drives. It could skim much closer to the ground.
The Union had four doors for twelve Mechs, and the Mechs each had to walk to the drop. The egg-shaped DropShip wobbled.
Super Urbanmechs were small. Their steps went *clang-click-clang* upon the deck plating as powerful electromagnets set into an Urbanmech's big broad feet clamped to secure their footing. Yet another pointless luxury stripped out in the technological regression of the Successions Wars! Maybe? Barbara was not sure, but conveniences were nothing against the real test of battle.
Against the outsized hole in the hull they were like infantry but actual infants hesitating to jump. Barbara bent the Super Urbanmech's torso down as if bowing, then triggered the Jump Jets. The Super Urbanmech launched off into empty space.
The rest of her command lance soon followed. Artillery Support Lance dropped from the opposite door.
An Aerodyne DropShip like the Leopard could hover and drop Mechs from as low as maybe thirty or even twenty meters off the ground. A Spheroid DropShip like the Union as good if it could go into a landing pattern and just change its mind at around sixty meters.
Fortunately that was well within an Urbanmech's jump range.
The techs said that the Super Urbanmechs were not as efficient as they could be, perhaps deliberately so. The half-ton Supercharger was not all that useful as overuse could damage the engine; it could go into either more native speed upgrading the Fusion Engine or an extra jump jet.
Barbara chose the jump jets.
Fwooosh. Three jump jets burned from the back of her Super Urbanmech, sufficient to propel a her 30-ton mech from a standing start up to 90 meters in the air; or, falling from 90 meters, burn enough to cancel its velocity to zero.
The impact was teeth-rattling, but not all that hard.
Immediately Barbara Mosley turned around and looked up to monitor the landings. While most of her crew were experienced in jump operations, some of them - specially most of the Artillery Lance, were fresh graduates. Artillery Mechs were not expected to fight, so could be a little lacking in gunnery skills - but what they could not do without was the facility to jump.
She watched as one by one her lances dropped in a slow arc. A bad jump was almost always fatal and an immediate loss of a mech. The short distance inside their jump range made it a problem because over-burning meant that they would not only cancel their velocity but start to rise and then be forced into an unpowered landing when their jump jets automatically cut off.
The two lances reformed around her. The Union DropShip went off to land and unload where the rest of the Badniks could cut off a path of retreat.
Her tactical map updated with information from a hovering Egg Spy Drone. At night it would be impossible to miss the drive plume of a DropShip and mechs hot-dropping.
Thermal sight showed weapons fire and BattleMech heat signatures, relayed to her secondary display by the sensor drone. Stedman's first two lances were mixing it up with Kerensky's forces while the last light lance was screening for more ambushes. What do you do when ambushed? Doctrine was that the worst thing you could do is to turn around and flee. Turning your backs to the enemy was death and the easiest way to a rout. No, the proper response was to push through aggressively into the ambush forces and shift the initiative!
A bunch of Phonix Hawks and Wasps trying to brawl with Archers and a Marauder over there, while Stedman's command lance tried to push forward even while a trio of mechs - a Crusader, an Archer, and a Stinger launcher an LRM alpha strike from ambush. Trying to outrun LRM locks and deal with Kerensky personally.
One of the heat sources just bloomed from a Fusion Engine being cored by PPC hits. Barbara grit her teeth. She hoped the pilot managed to eject in time.
Relaying the transmission to the drone, she spoke on ELH frequency "Stedman Company, this is Mosley Company, we are here to assist. Evac route sent to your screen at Nav Alpha. ETA to contact four minutes."
Then on an open frequency "Natasha Kerensky! Cease your attack. This is Barbara Mosley, Eridani Light Horse 151st Regiment, 9th Company. We ask for a temporary cease-fire to parley."
Surprisingly there was a response. "Oh? Begging for mercy now, ponies? Parley? What do I look like, some kind of Periphery pirate? I'm not going to fall for that again. Power down your mechs first and you get to walk away. Fight me and die well, I respect you all enough not to take it easy on you."
Barbara grit her teeth. Even with that, dammit, Kerensky has such a sexy voice. It was unfair. Kerensky looked like sex on legs but was death herself in a Battlemech. It was grossly unfair for all other mere mechwarriors like her.
"Oh well, we tried," Barbara sighed. "Light them up."
Fwoosh. Fwoosh. Fwoosh. Three Arrow-IV Cluster missiles streaked off into the distance.
Barbara's command lance went into a full sprint at 97kph.
--
Living on a border world was a hit or miss affair. Apart from the literal hit or miss of being shot at and your homes and workplaces shot up in raids, border worlds tended to have the attention of their ruling powers. This was both good and bad. Bad, because border lords tend to be able to get away with more skeevy things due to their necessary role to the safety of the realm. Good, because the need to keep the border well-supplied and ready to repel assaults mean that border worlds also tend to see higher economic activity and social mobility.
There was always a danger of worlds being lost. Some worlds survive by not caring who their actual ruler is; the old boss was the same as the new boss. No real loyalty, but no real will to rebel either. Others had nothing but loyalty and never forgot their roots no matter how long they have been suppressed.
New Aberdeen was a world that belonged to the Federated Suns, and had been lost to the Combine in their great offensives in the 2860s. Only relatively recently had they been retaken by the Federated Suns. But that was still a hundred years of Draconification, and the planet still retained the scars of the Draconis Combine attempting to erase a Davion culture and replace it with a Kuritan one. And when they were driven off world, the left with the promise that when they reclaimed the world, their wrath would be great and terrible for those that failed to show loyalty to the Dragon.
People on New Aberdeen didn't feel safe that the Federated Suns could exert permanent control over the world, and as such there was a vague feeling if they should show token resistance. Some felt that their lives had been better during Kuritan control, as Kuritan nobility and military had almost zero accountability to the populace. They loved being able to exert their desires upon the cowed and fearful masses.
The Draconis Combine had spent several months on the planet without being driven off due to this support.
However, outright conquest was still out of the question. Davion could not move in sufficient troops to repulse Kurita forces because the Wolf's Dragoons were supporting them. Any other weakness in their border worlds would be pounced upon. At the same time, House Kurita lacked the ability to fully take over because of that same threat - turning this area into an invasion corridor would focus several RCTs into the zone and might end up backfiring as House Davion flooded into a counter-offensive into Combine space.
So this was the situation on the ground: months of little skirmishes and resource raids. The only ones that suffered were the common people. House Davion had to ship food and consumables across interstellar at great expense for them to maintain their claim of being better and more responsible to their citizens than the Combine, and these supplies which indirectly or directly, would be seized by the Kurita raiders.
The one in charge of planetary defense was Major Roland Kaplan of the 4th Battalion of the Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT. The 4th Deneb RCT was based on Harrow's Sun, just a short jump away from New Aberdeen. These months have been a (heh) harrowing time, especially in this world's hot climate.
A Davion RCT, unlike a SLDF RCT, was a much larger assembly of forces with a single Mech Regiment attached to Vehicle Regiments, five Infantry Regiments, two Aerospace Fighter Wings and a Battalion of Artillery. They absolutely could take over and hold a world with little difficulty.
A SLDF RCT mixed all these forces into one regiment but had at least three such regiments, but a Davion RCT was five regiments moving cooperatively.
The reason why 4th Deneb high command only sent a combined-arms Battalion with the same force proportions as the RCT into New Aberdeen was the deep suspicion that this was all bait. Specially with the Black Widow, Natasha Kerensky herself, on planet. Overcommit and send an RCT to drive the 33rd Galedon off-world, and the Wolf's Dragoons Epsilon Regiment drops in. As long as this remained mutual Battalion-level conflict, it seems both sides were fine not to allow this to escalate. Kerensky wasting time on New Aberdeen was her not raising hell elsewhere.
4th Deneb RCT was good, but they were not Wolf's Dragoons good.
-.
-.
Major Kaplan didn't think much of the Eridani Light Horse. The 4th Deneb was also a SLDF-derived unit, and had a deeper and more painful past. Their homeworld, Deneb Kaitos, had been struck directly by the Amaris Empire with nuclear, biological, and orbital attacks. When Kerensky made the call to leave the Inner Sphere, only the 4th Deneb regiment of the SLDF Deneb Light Cavalry Brigade chose to remain, in loyalty to their world. They begged for any House Lord to support the world, save their people from starvation, and in exchange the 4th Deneb would give their skills at war.
Only House Davion responded, and as Deneb Kaitos was saved from mass deaths through starvation and pandemic, the 4th Deneb served the Federated Suns loyally through centuries.
4th Deneb didn't see anything special about once being the SLDF. Kaplan thought that the Eridani Light Horse were being just uppity and pretentious about being elite for no reason. After seeing Captain Anton Stedman he thought that all those rumors of the Light Horse being a professional unit cut above the rest was so much bunkum.
The Eridani Light Horse didn't look all that different from his own troops. They used the same mechs, the same cooling equipment, nothing really out of the ordinary. These had the reputation of the best mercenary unit in the Inner Sphere why now?
That only really said something about the sad standards of mercenaries until Wolf's Dragoons got into the picture.
He was not at all impressed with young Anton Stedman's arrogance. He could appreciate how the ELH had all of its Mechs going 86 kph, but their heaviest Mechs were 55-ton Griffins and Shadow Hawks and 45-ton Phoenix Hawks, made for running and skirmishing. In a drag-out fight they didn't have the firepower or armor to last - what good would mercenaries only good at running away do?
He didn't know if he fully believed reports that Stedman's Company had already driven off Kerensky's Company three times with only minimal damage. That was Kerensky! She won against the 3rd Davion Guards! If Stedman was only good for running away, then Firthhaven would already be lost by now.
The Black Widow could play with her food. The Firth wasn't the only place Kerensky struck - wherever the 4th Deneb moved, she was already gone and leaving burning wrecks behind her. How she was managing to outmaneuver entire scout mech formations with her slow heavy mechs was infuriating.
Which led to a further mystery of how the hells then does the Eridani Light Horse keep finding her?! 4th Deneb had hovercraft instead of tanks, and were very ASF focused. Originally they were a fast response regiment, faster even than a Light Horse regiment.
The losses that the ELH sustained on Hoff precluded the idea that Kerensky and the ELH were somehow colluding. This was a personal crusade to Stedman too.
Kaplan had to conclude that okay, maybe the ELH were that good. But from the reports he was getting, Stedman's Company was accruing damage that only his group's ability to disengage quickly was able to minimize. Eventually that damage was going to catch up to them, and then they were in serious trouble. Stedman's Company had to be relieved.
Unfortunately it seems Kaplan's message to Stedman about letting them know that the 4th Deneb was ready to help at any time due to the Kuritan forces down south were being docile, and that he was ready to shift forces in support seemed to have been taken as an insult.
He debated whether he should send a pair of lances north before that young officer's temper led to him doing something foolish and his company of good men getting crushed by Kerensky's nasty bag of tricks.
Then he received word that another company of Eridani Light Horse, alongside fresh supplies, was inbound.
-.
-.
Even at first glance, Kaplan knew that something was odd about these new ELH arrivals.
Two lances of Urbanmechs exited the Union DropShip.
All right. Fine. This was good too. Getting urban combat support means being able to divert other more mobile troops to beat the Combine on the field.
But there was something even disturbing about them. As the Battlemechs formed into two lines, he realized why.
First, they moved with strange almost organic smoothness. They moved with speed and agility that you would expect more from a more humanoid Mech like the Wasp or Valkyrie, not a trashcan on legs.
Second, these Mechs looked not just new - but pristine. They gleamed under the hot sun. The pale green paint looked as if fresh from the factory, and there were three distinctive markings on the mechs.
First, the tan "prancing pony" symbol of the Eridani Light Horse.
Second, a strange round grinning face with a mustache in black and red.
Third, shining white, the Cameron Star symbol of the Star League.
-.
When the commanding officer of the ELH company presented herself, Kaplan's disquiet grew. That form-fitting suit with the vest lined with thin tubes. That thin and light helmet. And again with the symbol of the Eridani Light Horse opposite of the Cameron Star.
She saluted "Sir, Barbara Mosley, Captain, 151st Dark Horse Regiment, 9th Company. Reporting in, sir!"
Kaplan nodded. "At ease, Captain. And thank you." He closed his eye briefly and then said "You know what, I'm just going to say it. That's lostech." He pointed at her gear. "I know it's rude and I shouldn't expect an answer if I asked where you found that, so I'll ask instead - is this the Eridani Light Horse finally breaking out the secret SLDF stocks and getting serious?"
No one could so brazenly wear the symbol of the Star League without it feeling like sacrilege. But looking at Barbara Mosley was like looking nearly half a century into a more civilized past, with her nonchalant confidence about the weight of the name she carried.
The Eridani Light Horse had been on the verge of destruction several times, and had to scrounge for supplies and refits like any other mercenary unit. The 4th Deneb was also a SLDF unit and similarly, apart from the degradation in tech levels through the Succession Wars, their methods and equipment didn't really change much under Davion employ.
But at the moment they felt a great gulf between a pretender and the genuine article. Through centuries of ridicule the Eridani Light Horse persisted in their roleplay. The ELH revealing themselves as *actually being the SLDF all along* was unthinkable, but as Kaplan looked at the eyes of his officers, once the thought was out there - was not all that unimaginable either.
Surprisingly that seemed to only increase the little sheen of resentment in his heart, Kaplan realized. The ELH had suffered very little compared to 4th Deneb. Why the Eridani Light Horse; why now; and what was respectable anyway about the SLDF that in the end abandoned their duty?
-.
-.
Speed.
This was the obsession of the 4th Deneb.
A Light Cavalry RCT was faster and more responsive than a Light Horse RCT; designed specifically by the SLDF as a fast-response strike force. Where the ELH had tanks, 4th Deneb exclusively used hovercraft. Where the ELH had artillery, 4th Deneb was a very ASF-heavy force. With constantly updated information of the battlespace, 4th Deneb used their speed to outmaneuver their opponents and act as one team even if hundreds of kilometers distant.
Roland Kaplan relished the look on Anton Stedman's face the first time he saw the 4th Deneb tactical command in action. He wanted to laugh at the young officer's sour look of 'you can do this too?!'
An older ELH officer wouldn't have been surprised. Glory wasn't something an individual could claim on the battlefield, but earned by hard effort by everyone around them. Even Kerensky wouldn't have been so deadly if she wasn't supported well by an elite crew she had personally trained and trusted to fight at her skill level. War was not a series of one-on-one duels.
"Oh, interesting," said Barbara. "So we don't have a hardline connection to Firthhaven?"
Many worlds still relied on simple copper cabling and telegraphy. It was cheap, easy to deploy, and could be made by any world with even the slightest hint of industrialization.
Fiber-optic cabling was the foundation of communications across the Inner Sphere. Easily deployable, immune to EMP, easier to bury, harder to find via magnetic scanning, and capable of massive information throughput. Unfortunately, because hardline communications were so useful, it was also something that should not be risked falling intact to enemy hands.
Radiotelephony was the main way less-industrialized border worlds like New Aberdeen communicated between major settlements.
It was also very prone to being jammed or tapped. In addition, only certain hours of the day had the atmospheric conditions to support very long range radio transmissions. Relay stations were obvious targets, and in the expanse between Firthhaven and the world capital Conlan City all had already been destroyed in the five months of fighting.
"This is our most recent report on Stedman's Company. They are doing well enough. Artillery had been emplaced around Firthhaven, and combat vehicle companies are supporting urban defense. This leaves BattleMechs to serve as a mobile interception force. If you lift off and contact their HQ directly you would have a better signal to get updated."
"I did, HQ just reported that Stedman was out on patrol and out of contact."
Kaplan frowned. "That's bad form. Company command should never be out of contact."
"This is why I'm afraid Kerensky's got her mind games into him and he's doing something stupid."
Kaplan nodded. "You have a DropShip, so you can move out sooner than we can. We can task a wing of ASF to support if you want."
Barbara raised her index finger. "Wait one-"
Comms to the Super Urbanmech parked outside crackled "SATCOM engaged, Captain," said Idun Nikkole piloting the Super Comms Urbanmech.
"Major, would you accept the datalink?" Barbara added.
Kaplan nodded over to the comms officer. Then the holotank bloomed with new information.
4th Deneb positions were highlighted in blue. Even the ones that were hidden. Kaplan cursed under his breath. Fortunately Combine positions were also highlighted in red.
The SLS DropShip SOLITUDE had spent days burning with its engines pointed towards New Aberdeen. In the last day as it had to flip around to match planetary velocity and enter a parking orbit, the DropShip had all the time it need to scan the surface with not merely SLDF orbital scanner suites, but Robotnik-optimized Orbital Scanner Suites.
The DropShip blossomed in space, like a flower spreading pollen into the wind. Microsatellites stared down at the world with a hundred hungry eyes.
The new holotable projected a tactical map of the area with updated real-time information. The map recognized and displayed military assets. Objects in view were displayed and highlighted from a bird's eye view. Mobile objects detected by non-visual sensors were sorted according to their most probable type - cubes for BattleMechs, pyramids for Vehicles, tetrahedrons for flying vehicles, which would then resolve into 3D visual information when they entered full sensor range.
For a MechCommander, information was ammunition.
This sensor range was twenty kilometers around each high-flying drone. Like NapFind drones, these drones relayed information to each other until reaching drone command, so that the effective information range was eighty kilometers around HQ.
By bouncing information up to the armed scout ASF in low orbit, other operational areas across the continent could share real-time information back to HQ.
Other screens showed a strategic view of the continent. One screen monitored the near environs, another of the estimated Kurita locations, and another of Stedman's combat area. All screens had moving icons representing detected militarily significant objects. Vehicles of any size as long as they were moving. Look-through thermal information from houses and other light buildings. Infantry were ironically much more visible at night. Moving Mechs could be detected at great range; shutdown mechs less so, but AI-boosted imaging could eventually spot them out from other shapes. All combined and delivered as information accurate enough for artillery fire direction.
All of this was grossly lostech.
Technology, mysterious and lost, that somehow the ELH just happens to have with even that newly manufactured thermoplastic smell. A near godlike awareness of the battlefield explained so much about how the Light Horse could do so much with only three medium-weight regiments.
4th Deneb were faster, but that was also for sake of maintaining a picture of the battlefield. If you knew where the enemy was at all times, you didn't need to sweat to outmaneuver them.
Kaplan's face all twisted up like a pug. He had to ask "With all due respect to Eridani Light Horse high command - is it fine to supply us with this? The relationship between the ELH and the AFFS is one of employment, not… formal incorporation. Or have things changed?" 'Did you become like us?' was the unspoken question. 'It's not such a bad thing, being a Davion dog, you know.'
Barbara shook her head. "I can't say anything about it, but OPSEC isn't a problem with tech like this. We'd like if command and control elements like this stopped being lostech even if opposing forces start using them-"
"Because then you would be able to tap into their own sensors and comms?!" a 4th Deneb radio operator piped up excitedly.
Barbara pointed at her. "This one is a smart cookie, keep an eye on her. When things start filtering down, we might have gear with her name on it."
The operator raised both fists to the air "Hail the SLDF!"
Kaplan rolled his eyes. He couldn't even blame the girl.
Barbara turned back to the holotable. "I am leaving one Communications Urbanmech and a Brawler Urbanmech to support the HQ," said Barbara. "This will tie you into our Stalking Horse intel assets. I have to go right now," she added as she pointed to movement on the Firth combat area. "Stedman's moving and that looks like Kerensky's provocations got to him anyway. From what he can see, it's two just two Mechs - two Heavy Mechs, and his company is made of really much faster mechs. Enough mediums can kill a heavy just fine."
Normally fighting at night was stupid, but it was also the best time to test perimeter defenses and the dark removed the advantage of range. On the other hand, this was also the best chance of a bunch of light mechs surviving being in the crosshairs of a Warhammer with two PPCs or Crusaders and Archers with a hell of lot of LRMs.
"He's young and, from what I learned about ELH's roster, wants to move out from the shadow of a more accomplished sibling. I can understand that, but it's bad enough that it's the sort of thing that can get him killed, he shouldn't be bringing his men down with him." Kaplan sighed. "But I can't call it unprofessional either, because if someone has the deep belief that they can kill or disable Kerensky - well, he's not the first to try, but it only takes one to succeed. If no one ever tries, then there's no point in fighting a war. Aces are supposed to attract fire as much as they inspire fear."
"Yeah, the Lady in Black's good not just because of her kills but because she keeps surviving shit no one has any real right to," replied Barbara.
-.
-.
Winds and the roar of rocket engines roared through the Union Dropship. "What's that?" Barbara flicked the noise-canceling switch on the console and a part of her went 'nice!' as the cockpit suddenly quieted down; another part of her was still going 'holy shit' about all the little comforts and conveniences available to standard SLDF gear. 'Man those guys way back were super duper spoiled.'
"What?" she asked again.
"I said, it's easier to make hot-drops out of a Leopard DropShip! So there's the reason why people still keep making that cheap piece of shit!" shouted Jack Finsrud. Rather than be given his own command, high command wisely realized he was too much of a wiseass to be trusted with impressionable new lancemates and it was better to maintain him in someone's command lance.
The Leopard DropShip, capable of carrying only four BattleMechs/one Mech lance, was the very picture of the mercenary lifestyle. The broke-ass mercenary lifestyle.
He was right though. A Leopard had four doors for its four BattleMechs in individual cubicles. Its flat if bricklike shape was stable at hovering with downward-facing transit drives. It could skim much closer to the ground.
The Union had four doors for twelve Mechs, and the Mechs each had to walk to the drop. The egg-shaped DropShip wobbled.
Super Urbanmechs were small. Their steps went *clang-click-clang* upon the deck plating as powerful electromagnets set into an Urbanmech's big broad feet clamped to secure their footing. Yet another pointless luxury stripped out in the technological regression of the Successions Wars! Maybe? Barbara was not sure, but conveniences were nothing against the real test of battle.
Against the outsized hole in the hull they were like infantry but actual infants hesitating to jump. Barbara bent the Super Urbanmech's torso down as if bowing, then triggered the Jump Jets. The Super Urbanmech launched off into empty space.
The rest of her command lance soon followed. Artillery Support Lance dropped from the opposite door.
An Aerodyne DropShip like the Leopard could hover and drop Mechs from as low as maybe thirty or even twenty meters off the ground. A Spheroid DropShip like the Union as good if it could go into a landing pattern and just change its mind at around sixty meters.
Fortunately that was well within an Urbanmech's jump range.
The techs said that the Super Urbanmechs were not as efficient as they could be, perhaps deliberately so. The half-ton Supercharger was not all that useful as overuse could damage the engine; it could go into either more native speed upgrading the Fusion Engine or an extra jump jet.
Barbara chose the jump jets.
Fwooosh. Three jump jets burned from the back of her Super Urbanmech, sufficient to propel a her 30-ton mech from a standing start up to 90 meters in the air; or, falling from 90 meters, burn enough to cancel its velocity to zero.
The impact was teeth-rattling, but not all that hard.
Immediately Barbara Mosley turned around and looked up to monitor the landings. While most of her crew were experienced in jump operations, some of them - specially most of the Artillery Lance, were fresh graduates. Artillery Mechs were not expected to fight, so could be a little lacking in gunnery skills - but what they could not do without was the facility to jump.
She watched as one by one her lances dropped in a slow arc. A bad jump was almost always fatal and an immediate loss of a mech. The short distance inside their jump range made it a problem because over-burning meant that they would not only cancel their velocity but start to rise and then be forced into an unpowered landing when their jump jets automatically cut off.
The two lances reformed around her. The Union DropShip went off to land and unload where the rest of the Badniks could cut off a path of retreat.
Her tactical map updated with information from a hovering Egg Spy Drone. At night it would be impossible to miss the drive plume of a DropShip and mechs hot-dropping.
Thermal sight showed weapons fire and BattleMech heat signatures, relayed to her secondary display by the sensor drone. Stedman's first two lances were mixing it up with Kerensky's forces while the last light lance was screening for more ambushes. What do you do when ambushed? Doctrine was that the worst thing you could do is to turn around and flee. Turning your backs to the enemy was death and the easiest way to a rout. No, the proper response was to push through aggressively into the ambush forces and shift the initiative!
A bunch of Phonix Hawks and Wasps trying to brawl with Archers and a Marauder over there, while Stedman's command lance tried to push forward even while a trio of mechs - a Crusader, an Archer, and a Stinger launcher an LRM alpha strike from ambush. Trying to outrun LRM locks and deal with Kerensky personally.
One of the heat sources just bloomed from a Fusion Engine being cored by PPC hits. Barbara grit her teeth. She hoped the pilot managed to eject in time.
Relaying the transmission to the drone, she spoke on ELH frequency "Stedman Company, this is Mosley Company, we are here to assist. Evac route sent to your screen at Nav Alpha. ETA to contact four minutes."
Then on an open frequency "Natasha Kerensky! Cease your attack. This is Barbara Mosley, Eridani Light Horse 151st Regiment, 9th Company. We ask for a temporary cease-fire to parley."
Surprisingly there was a response. "Oh? Begging for mercy now, ponies? Parley? What do I look like, some kind of Periphery pirate? I'm not going to fall for that again. Power down your mechs first and you get to walk away. Fight me and die well, I respect you all enough not to take it easy on you."
Barbara grit her teeth. Even with that, dammit, Kerensky has such a sexy voice. It was unfair. Kerensky looked like sex on legs but was death herself in a Battlemech. It was grossly unfair for all other mere mechwarriors like her.
"Oh well, we tried," Barbara sighed. "Light them up."
Fwoosh. Fwoosh. Fwoosh. Three Arrow-IV Cluster missiles streaked off into the distance.
Barbara's command lance went into a full sprint at 97kph.
--
6.5 Because We (Trash) Can
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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Because We (Trash) Can 05
-.
MechWarriors were always trying to tout themselves as the best, but deciding on the actual best MechWarrior in the Inner Sphere was a tricky prospect. What actually qualified someone for being the best amongs the hundreds of thousands of pilots out there, plying their trade in inummberable battlefields? The quality of opponents defeated? The number of victories? The ability to do and survive the impossible? To change the flow of battle just by their presence?
Some considered Morgan Kell and Yorinaga Kurita for their weird phantom mech bullshit in their duel on Mallory's World. When piloting goes beyond human limits and into the confines of the supernatural, surely that has to mean something? That historical duel ended with both of them exiling themselves into monasteries and the latter making a yearly request to be allowed to die. Some argued that shifty rumors and being so shaken by the event that they ceased to be MechWarriors at all didn't count.
Some argued that Gray Noton, Grand Champion of the Solaris Games was the better example of being the best duelist in the Inner Sphere. He faced many challengers in some of the most intense close combat fights possible in the arenas, outfighting and outsmarting all comers, Grand Champion for an unprecedented seven years. He won seven straight years on a Rifleman, a BattleMech not all suited for the close-quarter slugmatches of a mech arena; a 65 ton Heavy beating assault Mechs like 80-ton Battlemasters and 90-ton Stalkers in grossly unfair mismatches. However, others argued it was hard to know if dueling skills in cramped and predictable confines really translated to the real world. Gray Noton was not known to have faced other elite MechWarriors in life or death battles inside all-out war.
Some spoke of the Bounty Hunter, that mysterious MechWarrior piloting a lostech Marauder, hunting down the worst and deadliest scum in the Inner Sphere. Doing this alone merited a lot of respect. He had faced a company of Mechs alone and won, bringing in their literal bloody heads for a bounty. However, the mystery also worked against the Bounty Hunter, since being active since the 2920s implied that the Bounty Hunter was less than a person than a mantle that was passed down.
Therefore when one removed strange space magic or limited encounters, others could argue that the best MechWarrior in the Inner Sphere by virtue of all the known fights against other elite opponents, participating in some of the biggest battles ever, and being able to train a crew to the same level of skill - Natasha Kerensky had a convincing basis to be the best MechWarrior the Inner Sphere had ever seen. The Bounty Hunter already failed to bring down Natasha Kerensky.
The Bounty Hunter-Kerensky feud was well known, because it appears that the Marauder that the Bounty Hunter was piloting was previously hers. It was not however claimed in battle but as salvage. The Bounty Hunter and Wolf's Dragoons were working with each other in the Marik Civil war of 3014. The Bounty Hunter had signaled Kerensky's lance that a ravine that they had inspected was safe. When Kerensky entered, her lance was ambushed and destroyed by enemy forces, leading to a lifelong personal feud.
In the decade since then, Kerensky had gone from battle to battle - often wounded, often outnumbered, often killing whatever got between her crosshairs, sometimes showing mercy, sometimes withdrawing knowing when she was outmatched - but never beaten. Only in battle could she feel alive again.
If one were to look at Kerensky, the word 'punk chic' immediately comes to mind. Her hair was cut short and often dyed in a shifting variety of colors, she wore a cut-off tank top that exposed her sculpted abs, tight leather pants that showed off her legs, and was never to be found without a weapon strapped to her hip. Like most MechWarriors, the heat inside a cockpit meant that to get rid of sweat she wore little more than a bikini in combat.
She fought all the best soldiers from all Houses as Wolf's Dragoons passed from employer to employer. She met all the other elite mercenary commands - McCarron's Armored Cavalry, Northwind Highlanders, 12th Star Guards, Blue Star Irregulars, the Eridani Light Horse, and more - first as allies, then later as enemies.
Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow company was made of misfits and insubordinate troops that Kerensky through intensely directed violence and sheer bloody-minded charisma forged into an elite crew that could fight on the same level as herself.
Kerensky cared for her crew more than she did herself. The only real way to earn the Black Widows enduring hate was to murder her people. Dying in battle was fine, but an unworthy death was an insult she could not forgive.
-.
-.
50 kilometers NNE of Firthhaven
New Aberdeen
08 January 3025
When conducting a proper ambush, always open up first with the largest and most casualty-producing weapon you have. While Stedman was focused on chasing Kerensky with all of his 11-mech company, the Black Widows company were split into four forces. As Stedman finally caught up with Kerensky, the night-black Warhammer turning around to bring Kerensky's pair of PPCs to bear, suddenly a Crusader and an Archer emerged from behind a levee. They opened up from the side, LRMs being an excellent answer to fast-moving mechs at range. The 65-ton Crusader contributed a pair of LRM-15s while the 70-ton Archer brought two LRM-20s into play. A 20-ton Stinger was just there for scout and support.
With two mechs in front and three to the side, the numbers matched but the weight of enfilade fire was a lesson that the Eridani Light Horse had taught the Dragoons many times before on Hoff.
A total of 70 incoming LRMs was too much for Anton Stedman's battered 55-ton Griffin to handle. Panic and disbelief was almost fatal, but the ELH captain ejected just as the LRMs and PPC bolts shattered the core of his Mech. What he might personally call cowardice, the ELH would only praise as good sense.
The Stinger in Stedman's command lance was also shot clear through in that moment of surprise, its already worn-down armor nowhere near enough to withstand a PPC hit.
With Anton Stedman out of the picture, that left things to Jake Redmond, second-in-command. But with Kerensky moving her guns, he only had a brief moment to consider his own imminent death.
Then Barbara Mosley's message came out of the radio and that distracted Kerensky long enough to turn the hit on his 55-ton Shadow Hawk from coring his Fusion Engine into merely blowing out the entire right half of his Mech. Jake Redmond had time to eject. He recalled later that his last view from the cockpit was Kerensky's smile through her cockpit, magnified on his scanners.
Now there was no one effectively in command to direct the company.
-.
Moran's Lance, following behind Stedman's lance, did not fare much better. Kerensky's Force Three consisted of a 75-ton Marauder, a 70-ton Archer, and a 20-ton Wasp. Moran's lance consisted of two 45-ton Phoenix Hawks, and a 20-ton Stinger and a Wasp respectively. A Phoenix Hawk shattered in the opening salvo, its pilot killed outright, and the lance scattered.
-.
Kerensky's Force Four was all the rest of Recon Lance, who had not yet committed themselves into the battle but only waiting for the enemy to turn. They stood in a prim and proper line ready to swoop in to maximize havoc. The third lance of Stedman's Company was a trio of twenty-tonners, a Stinger and two Wasps, which were now rushing forward to support lead elements to keep the retreat from turning into a rout.
John "the Gentleman" Clavell, considered a brilliant tactician even by the standards of the Dragoons, ran his recon lance like a fast strike force. He did this despite leading the lance with a comparatively slow 60-ton Rifleman. Piet Nichols, inside a Phoenix Hawk, was sent to Kerensky's Black Widow company for disobeying orders and leading a glory raid that failed and got his troops cut off and surrounded. Simon Fraser inside a Stinger actually volunteered for the Black Widows because he thought his old outfit was too tame. Lastly, Mohammar Jahan was assigned to the Black Widows because a major was incensed by his impertinence about wanting to marry the Major's daughter. The officer didn't conceal that he hoped the transfer would prove fata, but Jahan still believed that this was a test to demonstrate his skill and courage to his prospective father-in-law.
Three streaks arrived from the south, and there was bang and what even looked like blooming fireworks.
Clavell's lance was effectively out of the fight.
-.
Natasha Kerensky's instincts had never left her wrong, and immediately she shouted into the company channel "Disperse!".
She only had time to see another three streaks of light arrive, towards Force Two. The Archer was piloted by Takiro Ikeda who led the Widows' Fire Lance and the Crusader was normally fire support in her command lance piloted by Lynn Sheridan.
To their credit, the two obeyed her orders instantly. Unfortunately, both mechs were not all that fast. The Arrow-IV Cluster Artillery missiles arrived in an overlapping pattern that gave a 90-meter kill radius.
Sufficiently well-armored, both mechs survived but were now badly mauled with exposed missile racks. Belatedly one of the Crusader's arms blew off as the LRMs inside cooked off. Sheridan had a reputation for always getting her mech wrecked by bad luck or her recklessness.
-.
It was at this time that Force Three, led by Colin Maclaren, Kerensky's second-in-command, reported "Enemy contacts bearing one-five-zero. Arriving at speed. They seem to be…" his voice took on a doubtful note "... Urbanmechs?"
The Black Widows spread out to minimize the effects of artillery but were still engaged in combat with the Eridani Light Horse in front of them. The light mechs were not quite in a rout, but attempting to disengage at all their best speed.
Maclaren let Milklos Delius in the Archer and Nikolai Koniev in the Wasp, normally a part of Ikeda's Fire Lance, to deal with the ELH while he turned his Marauder to face the newcomers.
With a pair of PPCs and AC/5, an aggressively sloped profile, and excellent communications systems, the Marauder had long been the quintessential Heavy Mech all others were measured around. The Star League manufactured vast numbers of them, and in fact preferred the Marauder for front-line command units. More than anything, it was the Marauder that symbolized the martial superiority of the SLDF.
With punishing firepower all capable of hitting at long range, Colin Maclaren as the last surviving member of Kerensky's original lance, was not about to disappoint "The Lady" now. He sent his 75-ton Mech into an ambling walk to receive the enemy. Due to the Marauder's low and sharp profile, it actually exposed the least to enemy fire when pointed straight at the enemy, favoring very aggressive tactics.
The lance of Super Urbanmechs also slowed down at mutual sight range, down to around 64 kph. This was normally a heavy mech's fastest run speed. As one the lance began to turn in a circle around the inbound Heavy Mech to keep the range open.
It was at this point that Barbara Mosley ordered "Switch Variable Range Targeting to Long Range!".
A Super Royal Urbanmech's battle computer had the quirk of being able to adjust for greater accuracy across a range with a corresponding penalty to the opposite - long and short range, for example. Medium range targeting remained unaffected. In their sensors, the battle computers marked a pip leading the enemy's movement.
Maclaren was a pilot just as good as Kerensky. Whether it was luck or a desire to remain a faithful soldier, he just didn't shine out as much. But his gunnery skills made him deadly as anything.
Four PPCs bolts lashed out. Two missed entirely, while the third slapped against the upper-right side of the Marauder for minimal damage even if it stripped half a ton of armor across that edge.
But Maclaren couldn't shoot back with his own PPCs. His reticule remained an inactive green for 'out of range' tracking the object under his sights.
"Captain!" he hurriedly shouted into comms "These Mechs are carrying Extended Range PPCs!" He pushed his Marauder into maximum speed charging straight at the enemy.
Their walking speed was just as fast as his running speed. The Marauder was a 'chicken walker' BattleMech, and his stride length made it possible to confuse targeting at range by unpredictably shifting from side to to side even on a full run. The short stubby legs an Urbanmech made their movements predictable. His weapon-arms were already aiming ahead of the little metal cans.
Four PPC bolts streaked towards him. Maclaren took the shot at the enemy, not caring if it hit, then shifted his mech's facing to minimize exposure. Armor crackled and splintered off, and he turned back to resume his assault.
The four Super Urbanmechs split into two groups, pincering him from left and right. Maclaren grit grit his teeth and prepared to degrade their weapons fire by taking out the ones in front of him first. As the nearest Super Urbanmech went under his crosshairs, his pair of PPCs fired. More blue streaks and shrieks of lightning lit up the night.
Both were clean hits, and the dumpy mech flinched. His top-mounted then AC/5 struck at the mech, hoping to crack open the mech now that the armor had been breached.
It was unfortunately not enough to kill the Light Mech. Something in there blew, but it was probably a heatsink getting in the way. PPC bolts lashed out again, and his own computer was giving him 'low armor' warning.
But aggression and utter disdain for their own health was what made Kerensky's Black Widow Company so feared. The first to fear for their own life was the first to die; this was what they had always proved on the battlefield. Those who disregarded their own lives were the ones to survive. There was nothing like the pure clarity of combat.
The other two oddly fast and potent Urbanmechs shot at his side for one volley and then moved on to strike at the Archer in the back line. He mused he would show them the price of this arrogance after he removed the problem in his sight.
Someone screamed through comms "Why are these things so fucking faaassttt?!!!"
More shrieks of PPC fire erupted from behind him, and loose lasers cut flaming grooves through the soil.
His HUD began to fuzz up and red targeting boxes began to appear from all over. "ECM?" he whispered. But he trusted his eyes and his instincts. There were no other mechs than these four.
LRM fire was much more susceptible to ghost targeting as missiles prior to launch could accidentally lock-on to a false target.
The other Super Urbanmech moved in front of the damaged one, then fired at him again. His central torso armor was half gone, and his right side torso completely stripped while the left almost gone. An honorable effort, if futile, he mused. They were both in medium PPC range now. Four mechs sounded better than two mechs if it comes to mere number PPCs, but weight of fire from one mech also mattered. His AC/5 was stripping away armor in preparation for blow-through with his main guns.
He fired again, and due to the height different stepping in front of another Urbanmech really didn't matter. The rear Urbanmech's side blew and it fell down face-first like a barrel tipping over.
Then a sound that he only dimly remembered rang through his cockpit.
An orange light on his console and a box on his HUD said the same thing.
Warning: TAG.
"Captain! I am sorry, I have failed you!" Maclaren shouted into comms. Something bright and fast arrived and slammed into the side of his mech.
Behind him the Archer likewise brewed up, but worse, as all its LRM stocks cooked off all at once from the direct missile artillery hit.
-.
Force Two consolidated around Kerensky, and now it was five mechs versus five plus three. Kerensky's own light mechs lacked the armor or speed to deal with PPC-carrying Urbanmechs and were cut down. PPC bolts lashed out, and removed another bugmech. Just like that. Five Dragoons versus four plus three of light ELH mechs now. Plus missile artillery.
"You honorless su… rats!" Kerensky shouted into comms.
"This is war!" Barbara shouted back. "Stand down, Kerensky! No one else needs to die today! Not for something as stupid as House Kurita!"
"Cyka blyat! Not like this! Fight me with all your power, prancing ponies! You need to prove you have more than just one trick!"
"Sure. Lyttle lance. Go."
Another Super Urbanmech lance arrived from behind, PPCs blazing.
Stedman's Company fell back as the Black Widow Company went into a fighting retreat. This was a fight they didn't have the tons or guns for. Seven versus five.
Running at full speed, it was harder for the Super Urbanmechs to score a clean hit. At the same time, only Kerensky could readily score those hits in return.
Another Super Urbanmech fell down. The XL engines intruding so far into the side torsos meant that it was easy to send them into critical shut down mode on a breach.
Once inside Large Laser range, Super Urbanmechs began lighting things up with TAG.
"Kerensky! You know what this means!" Barbara shouted again. "One last time! Stand down!"
"THIS IS THE SAME DAMN TRICK, CYKA!"
"Being captured isn't the end of the world, you know we treat prisoners with respect! There's always another fight after a prisoner exchange!"
Kerensky let out a gutteral sound of frustration. "... do you give your word that my men will be treated well? If they surrender to you, then only to you - the Eridani Light Horse, not House Davion. You will speak with Wolf's Dragoons directly for any prisoner exchange. Not Davion or Kurita in any way. There will be no trading them away. We would rather die as warriors than live as cattle."
"My word is my bond," replied Barbara.
"Well bargained, and done," replied Natasha Kerensky. "Black Widow Company - stand down."
"... As you say, Captain," said Ikeda. "Powering down. I surrender."
One by one, the Dragoons' mech lowered their guns and began shutting down. They opened their hatches to show surrender.
But Natasha Kerensky's Warhammer remained active.
"What about you?" asked Barbara.
Kerensky closed her eyes. This was not the first time someone had tried to capture her to force the Dragoons into a disadvantage. She had fought for so long and lost so many. This was unfair, but… better the Eridani Light Horse than any of the perfidious House Lords. Sometimes she wondered if the Inner Sphere was worth saving at all. Sometimes she wondered if it was only inertia that kept her waking up every day, every fight wondering if this would be a worthy death.
She chuckled. "Good. This is good enough. But you need more - to *be* more. You - your name?"
"Barbara Mosley, Eridani 151st regiment, 9th Company."
"Mosley, I need to hear you say this. I claim the Black Widows Company as my bondsmen."
"Uh…"
"Say it!"
"Okay, okay, fine. I claim the Black Widows Company as my bondsmen."
"Good. Now claim your prize." Kerensky's Warhammer raised its PPC arms again. "I can accept this, but I will not be able to forgive this. You will have to kill me. The Dragoons' can't be made vulnerable by me. Not again. Marik already learned we will accept no hostages. House Davion having me would make things difficult for the Wolf's Dragoons under House Kurita. Let Wolf know, I carry my secrets to my grave!"
Kerensky's Warhammer stepped out into the open. Kerensky had longed for death since the murder of Joshua Wolf by the Mariks in 3014. Never had she been known for any romantic dialliances, and no one knew that maybe the reason she accepted the moniker of the Black Widow was not from the sheer lethality represented by the creature. "I am Natasha Kerensky. I refuse your bond. Who challenges me in this circle of equals?! Who wants the glory of slaying the Black Widow!"
"... I kind of knew you'd say that," Barbara Mosley said in a small voice.
The plume of Arrow IV artillery arriving bathed the clearing. Snarling, Kerensky triggered all her weapons in an alpha strike towards Barbara Mosley, who jumped to the side to avoid most of it.
Urbanmechs were small.
Standing perfectly level, their TAG were aimed right at a Warhammer's knees.
Kerensky's enraged scream rang as her weapons fire arced up and into the air as her Warhammer's knees exploded from under her and her mech collapsed gormless into the soil.
"You… you didn't beat me…" Kerensky hissed through blood-spattered lips.
"I didn't. The *system* beat you. System against system, ethos against ethos, method against method," replied Barbara. "Because that's the way the SLDF fights."
In the darkness of her cockpit, Natasha Kerensky let out a bitter laugh.
From contact to conclusion, this battle lasted little more than eight minutes.
-.
Colchester
Kestrel Combat Region
Federated Suns
11 January 3025
Nathan Armstrong covered his face in his palms and groaned. "So according to the holos, the chances of capturing Natasha Kerensky alive is even less probable than capturing Jaime Wolf or even Maximilian Liao."
"Are we going to give her to House Davion?" asked Wendell TeCarr.
"No. We can't. Not just because Mosley promised something well above her rank, we have a Bloodnamed Clan Warrior and she would bite her own tongue off to kill herself before anyone could get information about Wolf's Dragoons out of her. And we have to risk friction with the AFFS by being so stubborn about giving her up."
"With all we have given, Hanse Davion should have our back."
"Yes, but he can't exactly explain why to the AFFS."
TeCarr shrugged. "So if we must be resented for being so independent, then we might as well play the role to the hilt."
Armstrong looked up. "We're not *actually the SLDF* you know?"
"Not yet, anyway."
-.
MechWarriors were always trying to tout themselves as the best, but deciding on the actual best MechWarrior in the Inner Sphere was a tricky prospect. What actually qualified someone for being the best amongs the hundreds of thousands of pilots out there, plying their trade in inummberable battlefields? The quality of opponents defeated? The number of victories? The ability to do and survive the impossible? To change the flow of battle just by their presence?
Some considered Morgan Kell and Yorinaga Kurita for their weird phantom mech bullshit in their duel on Mallory's World. When piloting goes beyond human limits and into the confines of the supernatural, surely that has to mean something? That historical duel ended with both of them exiling themselves into monasteries and the latter making a yearly request to be allowed to die. Some argued that shifty rumors and being so shaken by the event that they ceased to be MechWarriors at all didn't count.
Some argued that Gray Noton, Grand Champion of the Solaris Games was the better example of being the best duelist in the Inner Sphere. He faced many challengers in some of the most intense close combat fights possible in the arenas, outfighting and outsmarting all comers, Grand Champion for an unprecedented seven years. He won seven straight years on a Rifleman, a BattleMech not all suited for the close-quarter slugmatches of a mech arena; a 65 ton Heavy beating assault Mechs like 80-ton Battlemasters and 90-ton Stalkers in grossly unfair mismatches. However, others argued it was hard to know if dueling skills in cramped and predictable confines really translated to the real world. Gray Noton was not known to have faced other elite MechWarriors in life or death battles inside all-out war.
Some spoke of the Bounty Hunter, that mysterious MechWarrior piloting a lostech Marauder, hunting down the worst and deadliest scum in the Inner Sphere. Doing this alone merited a lot of respect. He had faced a company of Mechs alone and won, bringing in their literal bloody heads for a bounty. However, the mystery also worked against the Bounty Hunter, since being active since the 2920s implied that the Bounty Hunter was less than a person than a mantle that was passed down.
Therefore when one removed strange space magic or limited encounters, others could argue that the best MechWarrior in the Inner Sphere by virtue of all the known fights against other elite opponents, participating in some of the biggest battles ever, and being able to train a crew to the same level of skill - Natasha Kerensky had a convincing basis to be the best MechWarrior the Inner Sphere had ever seen. The Bounty Hunter already failed to bring down Natasha Kerensky.
The Bounty Hunter-Kerensky feud was well known, because it appears that the Marauder that the Bounty Hunter was piloting was previously hers. It was not however claimed in battle but as salvage. The Bounty Hunter and Wolf's Dragoons were working with each other in the Marik Civil war of 3014. The Bounty Hunter had signaled Kerensky's lance that a ravine that they had inspected was safe. When Kerensky entered, her lance was ambushed and destroyed by enemy forces, leading to a lifelong personal feud.
In the decade since then, Kerensky had gone from battle to battle - often wounded, often outnumbered, often killing whatever got between her crosshairs, sometimes showing mercy, sometimes withdrawing knowing when she was outmatched - but never beaten. Only in battle could she feel alive again.
If one were to look at Kerensky, the word 'punk chic' immediately comes to mind. Her hair was cut short and often dyed in a shifting variety of colors, she wore a cut-off tank top that exposed her sculpted abs, tight leather pants that showed off her legs, and was never to be found without a weapon strapped to her hip. Like most MechWarriors, the heat inside a cockpit meant that to get rid of sweat she wore little more than a bikini in combat.
She fought all the best soldiers from all Houses as Wolf's Dragoons passed from employer to employer. She met all the other elite mercenary commands - McCarron's Armored Cavalry, Northwind Highlanders, 12th Star Guards, Blue Star Irregulars, the Eridani Light Horse, and more - first as allies, then later as enemies.
Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow company was made of misfits and insubordinate troops that Kerensky through intensely directed violence and sheer bloody-minded charisma forged into an elite crew that could fight on the same level as herself.
Kerensky cared for her crew more than she did herself. The only real way to earn the Black Widows enduring hate was to murder her people. Dying in battle was fine, but an unworthy death was an insult she could not forgive.
-.
-.
50 kilometers NNE of Firthhaven
New Aberdeen
08 January 3025
When conducting a proper ambush, always open up first with the largest and most casualty-producing weapon you have. While Stedman was focused on chasing Kerensky with all of his 11-mech company, the Black Widows company were split into four forces. As Stedman finally caught up with Kerensky, the night-black Warhammer turning around to bring Kerensky's pair of PPCs to bear, suddenly a Crusader and an Archer emerged from behind a levee. They opened up from the side, LRMs being an excellent answer to fast-moving mechs at range. The 65-ton Crusader contributed a pair of LRM-15s while the 70-ton Archer brought two LRM-20s into play. A 20-ton Stinger was just there for scout and support.
With two mechs in front and three to the side, the numbers matched but the weight of enfilade fire was a lesson that the Eridani Light Horse had taught the Dragoons many times before on Hoff.
A total of 70 incoming LRMs was too much for Anton Stedman's battered 55-ton Griffin to handle. Panic and disbelief was almost fatal, but the ELH captain ejected just as the LRMs and PPC bolts shattered the core of his Mech. What he might personally call cowardice, the ELH would only praise as good sense.
The Stinger in Stedman's command lance was also shot clear through in that moment of surprise, its already worn-down armor nowhere near enough to withstand a PPC hit.
With Anton Stedman out of the picture, that left things to Jake Redmond, second-in-command. But with Kerensky moving her guns, he only had a brief moment to consider his own imminent death.
Then Barbara Mosley's message came out of the radio and that distracted Kerensky long enough to turn the hit on his 55-ton Shadow Hawk from coring his Fusion Engine into merely blowing out the entire right half of his Mech. Jake Redmond had time to eject. He recalled later that his last view from the cockpit was Kerensky's smile through her cockpit, magnified on his scanners.
Now there was no one effectively in command to direct the company.
-.
Moran's Lance, following behind Stedman's lance, did not fare much better. Kerensky's Force Three consisted of a 75-ton Marauder, a 70-ton Archer, and a 20-ton Wasp. Moran's lance consisted of two 45-ton Phoenix Hawks, and a 20-ton Stinger and a Wasp respectively. A Phoenix Hawk shattered in the opening salvo, its pilot killed outright, and the lance scattered.
-.
Kerensky's Force Four was all the rest of Recon Lance, who had not yet committed themselves into the battle but only waiting for the enemy to turn. They stood in a prim and proper line ready to swoop in to maximize havoc. The third lance of Stedman's Company was a trio of twenty-tonners, a Stinger and two Wasps, which were now rushing forward to support lead elements to keep the retreat from turning into a rout.
John "the Gentleman" Clavell, considered a brilliant tactician even by the standards of the Dragoons, ran his recon lance like a fast strike force. He did this despite leading the lance with a comparatively slow 60-ton Rifleman. Piet Nichols, inside a Phoenix Hawk, was sent to Kerensky's Black Widow company for disobeying orders and leading a glory raid that failed and got his troops cut off and surrounded. Simon Fraser inside a Stinger actually volunteered for the Black Widows because he thought his old outfit was too tame. Lastly, Mohammar Jahan was assigned to the Black Widows because a major was incensed by his impertinence about wanting to marry the Major's daughter. The officer didn't conceal that he hoped the transfer would prove fata, but Jahan still believed that this was a test to demonstrate his skill and courage to his prospective father-in-law.
Three streaks arrived from the south, and there was bang and what even looked like blooming fireworks.
Clavell's lance was effectively out of the fight.
-.
Natasha Kerensky's instincts had never left her wrong, and immediately she shouted into the company channel "Disperse!".
She only had time to see another three streaks of light arrive, towards Force Two. The Archer was piloted by Takiro Ikeda who led the Widows' Fire Lance and the Crusader was normally fire support in her command lance piloted by Lynn Sheridan.
To their credit, the two obeyed her orders instantly. Unfortunately, both mechs were not all that fast. The Arrow-IV Cluster Artillery missiles arrived in an overlapping pattern that gave a 90-meter kill radius.
Sufficiently well-armored, both mechs survived but were now badly mauled with exposed missile racks. Belatedly one of the Crusader's arms blew off as the LRMs inside cooked off. Sheridan had a reputation for always getting her mech wrecked by bad luck or her recklessness.
-.
It was at this time that Force Three, led by Colin Maclaren, Kerensky's second-in-command, reported "Enemy contacts bearing one-five-zero. Arriving at speed. They seem to be…" his voice took on a doubtful note "... Urbanmechs?"
The Black Widows spread out to minimize the effects of artillery but were still engaged in combat with the Eridani Light Horse in front of them. The light mechs were not quite in a rout, but attempting to disengage at all their best speed.
Maclaren let Milklos Delius in the Archer and Nikolai Koniev in the Wasp, normally a part of Ikeda's Fire Lance, to deal with the ELH while he turned his Marauder to face the newcomers.
With a pair of PPCs and AC/5, an aggressively sloped profile, and excellent communications systems, the Marauder had long been the quintessential Heavy Mech all others were measured around. The Star League manufactured vast numbers of them, and in fact preferred the Marauder for front-line command units. More than anything, it was the Marauder that symbolized the martial superiority of the SLDF.
With punishing firepower all capable of hitting at long range, Colin Maclaren as the last surviving member of Kerensky's original lance, was not about to disappoint "The Lady" now. He sent his 75-ton Mech into an ambling walk to receive the enemy. Due to the Marauder's low and sharp profile, it actually exposed the least to enemy fire when pointed straight at the enemy, favoring very aggressive tactics.
The lance of Super Urbanmechs also slowed down at mutual sight range, down to around 64 kph. This was normally a heavy mech's fastest run speed. As one the lance began to turn in a circle around the inbound Heavy Mech to keep the range open.
It was at this point that Barbara Mosley ordered "Switch Variable Range Targeting to Long Range!".
A Super Royal Urbanmech's battle computer had the quirk of being able to adjust for greater accuracy across a range with a corresponding penalty to the opposite - long and short range, for example. Medium range targeting remained unaffected. In their sensors, the battle computers marked a pip leading the enemy's movement.
Maclaren was a pilot just as good as Kerensky. Whether it was luck or a desire to remain a faithful soldier, he just didn't shine out as much. But his gunnery skills made him deadly as anything.
Four PPCs bolts lashed out. Two missed entirely, while the third slapped against the upper-right side of the Marauder for minimal damage even if it stripped half a ton of armor across that edge.
But Maclaren couldn't shoot back with his own PPCs. His reticule remained an inactive green for 'out of range' tracking the object under his sights.
"Captain!" he hurriedly shouted into comms "These Mechs are carrying Extended Range PPCs!" He pushed his Marauder into maximum speed charging straight at the enemy.
Their walking speed was just as fast as his running speed. The Marauder was a 'chicken walker' BattleMech, and his stride length made it possible to confuse targeting at range by unpredictably shifting from side to to side even on a full run. The short stubby legs an Urbanmech made their movements predictable. His weapon-arms were already aiming ahead of the little metal cans.
Four PPC bolts streaked towards him. Maclaren took the shot at the enemy, not caring if it hit, then shifted his mech's facing to minimize exposure. Armor crackled and splintered off, and he turned back to resume his assault.
The four Super Urbanmechs split into two groups, pincering him from left and right. Maclaren grit grit his teeth and prepared to degrade their weapons fire by taking out the ones in front of him first. As the nearest Super Urbanmech went under his crosshairs, his pair of PPCs fired. More blue streaks and shrieks of lightning lit up the night.
Both were clean hits, and the dumpy mech flinched. His top-mounted then AC/5 struck at the mech, hoping to crack open the mech now that the armor had been breached.
It was unfortunately not enough to kill the Light Mech. Something in there blew, but it was probably a heatsink getting in the way. PPC bolts lashed out again, and his own computer was giving him 'low armor' warning.
But aggression and utter disdain for their own health was what made Kerensky's Black Widow Company so feared. The first to fear for their own life was the first to die; this was what they had always proved on the battlefield. Those who disregarded their own lives were the ones to survive. There was nothing like the pure clarity of combat.
The other two oddly fast and potent Urbanmechs shot at his side for one volley and then moved on to strike at the Archer in the back line. He mused he would show them the price of this arrogance after he removed the problem in his sight.
Someone screamed through comms "Why are these things so fucking faaassttt?!!!"
More shrieks of PPC fire erupted from behind him, and loose lasers cut flaming grooves through the soil.
His HUD began to fuzz up and red targeting boxes began to appear from all over. "ECM?" he whispered. But he trusted his eyes and his instincts. There were no other mechs than these four.
LRM fire was much more susceptible to ghost targeting as missiles prior to launch could accidentally lock-on to a false target.
The other Super Urbanmech moved in front of the damaged one, then fired at him again. His central torso armor was half gone, and his right side torso completely stripped while the left almost gone. An honorable effort, if futile, he mused. They were both in medium PPC range now. Four mechs sounded better than two mechs if it comes to mere number PPCs, but weight of fire from one mech also mattered. His AC/5 was stripping away armor in preparation for blow-through with his main guns.
He fired again, and due to the height different stepping in front of another Urbanmech really didn't matter. The rear Urbanmech's side blew and it fell down face-first like a barrel tipping over.
Then a sound that he only dimly remembered rang through his cockpit.
An orange light on his console and a box on his HUD said the same thing.
Warning: TAG.
"Captain! I am sorry, I have failed you!" Maclaren shouted into comms. Something bright and fast arrived and slammed into the side of his mech.
Behind him the Archer likewise brewed up, but worse, as all its LRM stocks cooked off all at once from the direct missile artillery hit.
-.
Force Two consolidated around Kerensky, and now it was five mechs versus five plus three. Kerensky's own light mechs lacked the armor or speed to deal with PPC-carrying Urbanmechs and were cut down. PPC bolts lashed out, and removed another bugmech. Just like that. Five Dragoons versus four plus three of light ELH mechs now. Plus missile artillery.
"You honorless su… rats!" Kerensky shouted into comms.
"This is war!" Barbara shouted back. "Stand down, Kerensky! No one else needs to die today! Not for something as stupid as House Kurita!"
"Cyka blyat! Not like this! Fight me with all your power, prancing ponies! You need to prove you have more than just one trick!"
"Sure. Lyttle lance. Go."
Another Super Urbanmech lance arrived from behind, PPCs blazing.
Stedman's Company fell back as the Black Widow Company went into a fighting retreat. This was a fight they didn't have the tons or guns for. Seven versus five.
Running at full speed, it was harder for the Super Urbanmechs to score a clean hit. At the same time, only Kerensky could readily score those hits in return.
Another Super Urbanmech fell down. The XL engines intruding so far into the side torsos meant that it was easy to send them into critical shut down mode on a breach.
Once inside Large Laser range, Super Urbanmechs began lighting things up with TAG.
"Kerensky! You know what this means!" Barbara shouted again. "One last time! Stand down!"
"THIS IS THE SAME DAMN TRICK, CYKA!"
"Being captured isn't the end of the world, you know we treat prisoners with respect! There's always another fight after a prisoner exchange!"
Kerensky let out a gutteral sound of frustration. "... do you give your word that my men will be treated well? If they surrender to you, then only to you - the Eridani Light Horse, not House Davion. You will speak with Wolf's Dragoons directly for any prisoner exchange. Not Davion or Kurita in any way. There will be no trading them away. We would rather die as warriors than live as cattle."
"My word is my bond," replied Barbara.
"Well bargained, and done," replied Natasha Kerensky. "Black Widow Company - stand down."
"... As you say, Captain," said Ikeda. "Powering down. I surrender."
One by one, the Dragoons' mech lowered their guns and began shutting down. They opened their hatches to show surrender.
But Natasha Kerensky's Warhammer remained active.
"What about you?" asked Barbara.
Kerensky closed her eyes. This was not the first time someone had tried to capture her to force the Dragoons into a disadvantage. She had fought for so long and lost so many. This was unfair, but… better the Eridani Light Horse than any of the perfidious House Lords. Sometimes she wondered if the Inner Sphere was worth saving at all. Sometimes she wondered if it was only inertia that kept her waking up every day, every fight wondering if this would be a worthy death.
She chuckled. "Good. This is good enough. But you need more - to *be* more. You - your name?"
"Barbara Mosley, Eridani 151st regiment, 9th Company."
"Mosley, I need to hear you say this. I claim the Black Widows Company as my bondsmen."
"Uh…"
"Say it!"
"Okay, okay, fine. I claim the Black Widows Company as my bondsmen."
"Good. Now claim your prize." Kerensky's Warhammer raised its PPC arms again. "I can accept this, but I will not be able to forgive this. You will have to kill me. The Dragoons' can't be made vulnerable by me. Not again. Marik already learned we will accept no hostages. House Davion having me would make things difficult for the Wolf's Dragoons under House Kurita. Let Wolf know, I carry my secrets to my grave!"
Kerensky's Warhammer stepped out into the open. Kerensky had longed for death since the murder of Joshua Wolf by the Mariks in 3014. Never had she been known for any romantic dialliances, and no one knew that maybe the reason she accepted the moniker of the Black Widow was not from the sheer lethality represented by the creature. "I am Natasha Kerensky. I refuse your bond. Who challenges me in this circle of equals?! Who wants the glory of slaying the Black Widow!"
"... I kind of knew you'd say that," Barbara Mosley said in a small voice.
The plume of Arrow IV artillery arriving bathed the clearing. Snarling, Kerensky triggered all her weapons in an alpha strike towards Barbara Mosley, who jumped to the side to avoid most of it.
Urbanmechs were small.
Standing perfectly level, their TAG were aimed right at a Warhammer's knees.
Kerensky's enraged scream rang as her weapons fire arced up and into the air as her Warhammer's knees exploded from under her and her mech collapsed gormless into the soil.
"You… you didn't beat me…" Kerensky hissed through blood-spattered lips.
"I didn't. The *system* beat you. System against system, ethos against ethos, method against method," replied Barbara. "Because that's the way the SLDF fights."
In the darkness of her cockpit, Natasha Kerensky let out a bitter laugh.
From contact to conclusion, this battle lasted little more than eight minutes.
-.
Colchester
Kestrel Combat Region
Federated Suns
11 January 3025
Nathan Armstrong covered his face in his palms and groaned. "So according to the holos, the chances of capturing Natasha Kerensky alive is even less probable than capturing Jaime Wolf or even Maximilian Liao."
"Are we going to give her to House Davion?" asked Wendell TeCarr.
"No. We can't. Not just because Mosley promised something well above her rank, we have a Bloodnamed Clan Warrior and she would bite her own tongue off to kill herself before anyone could get information about Wolf's Dragoons out of her. And we have to risk friction with the AFFS by being so stubborn about giving her up."
"With all we have given, Hanse Davion should have our back."
"Yes, but he can't exactly explain why to the AFFS."
TeCarr shrugged. "So if we must be resented for being so independent, then we might as well play the role to the hilt."
Armstrong looked up. "We're not *actually the SLDF* you know?"
"Not yet, anyway."
Last edited:
7.1 World of Eggs
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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World of Eggs 01
New Aberdeen
Draconis March
Federated Suns
14 January 3025
From the memoirs of Natasha Kerensky:
Terran history contains reams of pages produced by writers and so-called philosophers trying to find scholarly ways to justify their countries' participation in wars, prattling about "threats to basic freedoms" and "the common good". Nowadays, I do not think anybody - not even the leaders of our beloved five families - who makes any pretense about why we fight wars. It is power, pure and simple, that drives us now, and the only thing that differentiates one war from another is the size and manner of the stakes involved, and the size of the final body count.
No matter how many times my men and I go to war - and God willing, that will be another quarter century or more - I doubt we will ever be involved in a campaign as important as the war waged by Wolf's Dragoons on the planet Hoff in 3022. First all there, there were the Houses involved: Davion vs Kurita, the two heavyweights of the five Successor families, going at one another with no holds barred. Second, there was the caliber of our opposition: four battalions of the Eridani Light Horse, the only mercenary unit in the Human Sphere with the tactical competence to seriously challenge our status as the best regiment in the galaxy.
(What about Hansen's Roughriders you say? Be serious! How could anyone be afraid of a unit whose commander has the strategic subtlety of a concrete DropShip!)
But third, and most importantly, there was the prize involved. Not water, nor metals, nor control of another flea-bitten frontier planet. No, this time the states were that rarest of commodities, a cadre of scientists and engineers, assembled on Hoff by House Davion to conduct the first serious research into Mech technology in a century. House Kurita wanted to get its hands on the fruits of those labors, wanted it bad it was willing to offer us the highest price ever paid for a Merc contract.
And so, my friends, did we…
-.
-.
Clang.
The door to Natasha Kerensky's cell opened.
Her cell was as comfortable as any prefabricated prison could be made. A bed, tables, books, sanitary equip, equipment, writing materials, and a noteputer. People were often surprised by how erudite Natasha Kerensky writes. In person she was usually quiet, but once made angry enough she would just as likely kill you as curse you out. That murderous unpredictability was what made the Black Widow so chilling.
But give her time to herself, and time to write, and Natasha Kerensky gets sardonic to the max.
She looked at what she had written under the title 'A response to missile artillery in mech combat' and closed the notebook.
Her cell was a prefabricated ferrocrete structure in the middle of the tarmac shadowed by BattleMech guns. She was that dangerous that they would rather not have her be in a position to reconsider her word not to escape or end her life as long as she could bring someone down with her. Granted, those were Urbanmech guns, but Natasha supposed a PPC was a PPC.
She smiled thinly as Barbara Mosley walked into the room. "So?" asked Natasha. "What is the butcher's bill?"
"Anyone that gets through three days after surgery is probably going to live long enough to wake up," replied the blonde woman. Barbara brought a chair with her and sat facing Natasha. "From Stedman's Company, starting with eleven mechs, they came home with six, but eight pilots will be able to fight another day. This is war and casualties happen, but first I have to say that we didn't intend it to happen this way. That's why I wanted to parley and end this in a draw, all we wanted was to open a neutral line of communications to Jaime Wolf.
She shrugged. "Too late now, I suppose."
"Spare me your pity. You came with the objective to smash the Black Widow flat, and you have done so in record time. Some might call it cheating to use out-of-map artillery, but it can also be considered an honor that you needed to resort to such measures at all. It takes skill to make do with inferior technology, but those who do not have the skill can only resort to other means."
Natasha Kerensky put away the felt tip pen she was writing with. The Eridani Light Horse had not provided her with anything that could be somewhat effectively used as a weapon. "But war is war, and is not by itself combat. Tell me, how many of my men have you murdered?"
"First of all - your second in command, Colin Maclaren survived the missile hit. But he might not ever pilot a BattleMech again, even with extensive cyborgization. His Marauder is a total loss. If any Mechs are salvageable, we might release them with you depending on the terms of prisoner exchange."
Natasha Kerensky let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. The last of her original lance and her most ardent supporter, he was like a knight in service of his lady. There was nothing romantic in there despite many rumors, but they did care for each other in a very platonic and courtly sort of way. Without him as a pillar to hold her up, all she would have left is hate and death.
Barbara continued "Other survivors are: Lynn Sheridan, Crusader. Takiro Ekida, Archer. John Hayes, Griffin. John Clavell, Rifleman. Simon Fraser, Stinger. Mohammar Jahan, Stinger."
The bigger mechs surviving artillery strikes were understandable. Some of them had been with Kerensky and so surrendered intact.
Barbara added with a clack of her tongue "We're actually surprised that all pilots in the lightest mechs in your Recon Lance survived top-attack munitions, but from the interviews they were fast enough to get their arms up to protect their cockpits. The bomblets still ruined the rest of their mechs though."
Clavell in his Rifleman stayed to guard his fallen lance and asked for orders instead of just randomly rushing out to battle on his own. He was far enough from the fight that the remaining Stedman's company Mechs couldn't find him and bring down his heavily damaged nearly combat-ineffective mech.
Natasha Kerensky noted instantly the missing names. Miklos Delius, Archer. Nikolai Koniev, Wasp. Alex Ward, Stinger. Takiro Ikeda was the last surviving member of Ikeda's Fire Lance.
From her company of twelve mechs, four died. This made their karma equal with Stedman's company. But- Natasha looked up and her eyes burned with cold anger. "And you? How many did you lose?"
Barbara looked shiftily to the side, avoiding meeting Natasha's eyes.
"Seriously? You cannot expect me to believe you lost no one. I saw those… Urbanmechs…" even to Natasha Kerensky, just saying that felt incredibly weird "fall without ejection pods. One I killed personally!"
Barbara licked her lips and answered "Well… it turns out that what with the XL engine intruding so much into a side torso… that any containment failure instantly scrams the reactor and shuts down the whole mech. So the mech falls down. But the pilot is still mostly unharmed in there, taken down far earlier than any other equivalent mech that tries to fight until it gets put down."
Natasha blinked. There was something charming in her honest confusion, no wonder she was so popular. That innocent look was damn cheating!
"You're telling me - that not only are you using lost technology, but that losing that technology in battle was completely accidentally an advantage for you. We have all been so used to trying to kill the meat to save the metal for salvage-" whispered Kerensky "... that even I ignored a dead mech as being completely dead. A broken XL engine is useless for salvage. But we - Wolf's Dragoons and the Eridani Light Horse both - would prefer to have surviving pilots and their valuable skills more than just more 'Mech salvage."
"Please do not start double-tapping ELH mechs. A downed mech is still out of the fight and killing downed pilots is still an atrocity."
Natasha Kerensky closed her eyes and palmed her face. "What are you ponies even doing?" she hissed through her teeth.
-.
-.
The 4th Deneb could only watch as the Black Widows and wounded Light Horse personnel of Stimson's Company were immediately loaded onto the Union DropShip which immediately departed offworld, leaving Barbara's Badniks behind.
Mosley's Company was at full fighting strength of 12 mechs as techs worked overtime to replace the scrammed fusion engine.
With the capture of Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow Company, remaining Kurita and Wolf's Dragoons forces on the world were suddenly on the back foot. Davion forces on the world still didn't have enough troops to force a decisive engagement, with both Davion and Kurita forces having dug in around settlements and cities promising brutal urban combat, but on open field encounters Kurita forces could only roll off the field every single time.
2nd Galedon was a light regiment with green troops being supported by elements of the Epsilon Battalion. This was why a low-intensity but long-duration conflict was preferred by both sides. This allowed their troops to gain fighting experience with only minimal risk. 4th Deneb was not ready to escalate by themselves.
Intercepted radio communications went some variation of:
"What the hell are these things and why are they so faaassttt?!"
"Why are there Urbanmechs in the middle of the desert?"
"Fool, you were beaten by Urbanmechs? You were piloting a Jenner! Do not make excuses for your incompetence!"
"Chu-i!" the Lieutenant equivalent in the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery "We have walked into a minefield!"
"For Kerens-" *KABLAM*
The 4th Deneb were known for their speed, but literally no one was at all prepared for the impossible sight of a fast Urbanmech. All operations could be supported at full speed all the time. Anything that the Super Urbanmech couldn't outgun, they could escape or lead into a trap of other faster mechs and hovercraft.
"Jesus Christ," breathed Major Kaplan as the results of the a week of Barbara Mosley's company being on-planet finally came together.
Barbara shrugged. "It's not my fault if so many of them want the glory of being the one to win over the one who took down Kerensky that they'll walk into any trap."
"Natasha Kerensky in a Heavy Mech was beaten by someone in a Light Mech. An Urbanmech. That pilot has to be a damn genius in combat. And she's still going out there in her little thirty-ton trashcan just asking them to have a try."
Barbara winced. "You know it wasn't like that. It was a team effort and with gross abuse of missile artillery."
She knew full well that while she was a pretty good veteran MechWarrior, she was only that good. A lot of people were actually mistaking Terry Little's actions for hers. Her former lancemate, now the leader of his own lance, had amazing gunnery skills; which was why formerly in Captain Allwine's Command Lance he piloted a comparatively slow 50-ton Enforcer.
Kaplan grinned. "But that's not romantic. A woman like the Black Widow being taken down by another woman? You know they're all just workshopping a name for you now."
Barbara winced even harder.
There were official callsigns (Gold One, Gold Two, etc.) for military action and unofficial ones that defined a pilot. Many still maintained the tradition that you don't get to pick your own callsign, it was something other pilots pushed on you as part of the ritual of belonging. Some, like Natasha Kerensky, made it their brand by being able to slap down anyone that tried to say otherwise. Some, like Barbara, never really gave a thought to this sort of thing - until it was too late with feeling undeserved fame.
Jack Finsrud had been trying to push "The Trashwoman" amongs the impressionable 4th Deneb infantry until she slugged him in the face.
Barbara "Bad Mama" Mosley was also making the rounds but she thought it made her sound old and dumpy.
She kicked the question up to Eridani High Command and their PR machine and tried not to lose any sleep about it.
-.
PRESS RELEASE
Comstar News Bureau
15 January 3025
Eridani Light Horse Command confirms that Natasha "The Black Widow" Kerensky, Captain of the Black Widows independent Company under Wolf's Dragoons, has been captured alive and relatively unharmed in battle on the world of New Aberdeen on 09 January 3025. All units of the Black Widows company have also been captured or KIA.
Forces responsible for this event are the 9th Recon Company of the 151st Light Horse Regiment of the Eridani Light Horse, headed by Captain Barbara Mosley in support of a Black Widows ambush on ELH Stedman's Company. This ambush on an ambush operation was termed CASE UNICORN.
It has been verified that Barbara Mosley piloted a "Super Urbanmech" that is capable of running at over 86 kph and carries a PPC. Kerensky's usual BattleMech is a Warhammer with two PPCs and a top speed of approx 64 kph. All mechs of the 9th Recon are all similar "Super Urbanmechs", none massing more than 30 tons. They faced off against Natasha Kerensky's Black Widows Company which is composed as a mix of Heavy and Light BattleMechs.
Accordingly, if a moniker or callsign needs to be used, the ELH would prefer "The White Unicorn" in publications.
ELH and Davion spokesperson have said that this "Super Urbanmech" design will eventually be released for mass manufacture under an ELH-owned production house in a similar manner to how Blackwell Industries is the dedicated manufacturer for Wolf's Dragoons.
Terms of release for Wolf's Dragoons POWs will be negotiated in the near future. The ELH maintains custody over Natasha Kerensky and her company.
-.
-.
Comstar was not very interested in the gossip. The Eridani Light Horse had been in the Inner Sphere for three hundred years and was a known quantity. Some technical elements had also attempted to verify if it was possible to actually do this, but returned with the idea that due to the short stubby legs of the Urbanmech, it could burn out the servos too quickly.
By their accounting, going a full 86 kph instead of a more reasonable 64 kph was very suboptimal for the weapon load. A heavier alpha strike would probably be more useful in city combat, and if you need speed - just use a different, cheaper mech. It's trying to be a medium mech without the armor to match.
This platform would not be viable unless the Super Urbanmech had XL Engines or Double Heat Sinks.
Hoff was a setback to House Davion's research on DHS, but this may imply that NAIS had a new series of prototypes to put to field trials with the Eridani Light Horse in gratitude for their service on Hoff. In which case the only real response was to cut off the source of production - the ELH were irrelevant.
The Eridani Light Horse might be good pilots, but infrastructurally they were not the Wolf's Dragoons.
ROM only had interest in the news for Jaime Wolf's response, but analysts predicted nothing particularly interesting. Prisoner exchanges were pro forma between mercenary commands, and the only thing this bought them was a communications line between Hanse Davion and Jaime Wolf.
That was more dangerous.
-.
-.
Solaris VII
Valhalla Club
Date unknown
"So you heard? The Black Widow's finally been taken down."
"It's it about time? Mercenary work is like that, fight enough people eventually your ticket is due. To be taken down by some no-name MechWarrior - someone got lucky."
"Kerensky's been fighting too many people and keeps winning them. Her skill's the real deal. It's not just talent and just being lucky isn't enough to explain this. To take down Kerensky's Warhammer while piloting a goddamn Urbanmech…"
"Ach, yah, that's gotta sting. That just makes it more impressive. I could believe it. If anyone could take down the best of the Wolf's Dragoons, the Eridani Light Horse could make it."
"But why even an Urbanmech in the first place? If the Eridani Light Horse could make an Urbie go that fast, why not something else like a Valkyrie or something?"
"Maybe for the insult? Wolf's Dragoons been going up and down claiming to be the best mercenary command in the Inner Sphere… and the Eridani Light Horse took that personally."
"You don't make a full company of twelve weirdly fast Urbanmechs just to rub it in. Something's off about this… think they got lostech? Lostech Urbanmechs sound extra dumb though."
"Doesn't change how the Black Widow got take down by a trashcan though."
"Yeah…"
"She was put in the dumpster."
"She got taken to the cleaners."
"Her reputation's in the trash."
"She's going to have to wear the stain of this humiliation for a long time…"
"Can you believe that the Eridani Light Horse actually wants us to call the woman who took down the Black Widow something as boring as White Unicorn?"
"Those foolish ponies. Those uptight, out-of-touch, ignorant idiots. A public callsign isn't something you claim - it's one that's given to you by other people!"
"What about the Black Widow then?"
"By other people too scared to object!"
"Gyahahaha fair enough."
Laughter rang through the table. The gladiators raised their tankards. "So here's to Barbara 'Miss Bad Ass' Mosley! May her glorious donkey kick bring her more glory in the battlefield!"
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
Same time
"The Eridani Light Horse did what?!" Ardan Sortek spat.
"Aha. Ahaha. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Hanse Davion began laughing a loud full belly laugh and pounded at his table. He was crying tears of laughter. He rubbed at his eyes and leaned back on his chair. "Oh those people… hahah… oh god in heaven, I love hearing news about the Eridani Light Horse."
It looked to Ardan as if Hanse Davion was aging backwards as his laughter settled down. All the stress and pains of rulership just for a few brief moments faded away.
As much as Ardan Sortek and the AFFS wanted to be the pillar that House Davion could rest their worries upon, none of them could really understand the crushing loneliness of being the man ultimately responsible for throwing the gauntlet. To decide that his goals were sufficient reason to move millions of men and cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands on both sides, to see the peace of worlds broken and land conquered.
The Eridani Light Horse were in the mood of "There is a problem. I am going to fix it," and Hanse Davion just loved the hell out of the ELH apparently giving no more shites. It helped make him feel that he was no longer alone.
Quintus Allard had to report things like this personally as head of MIIO because as the ELH was employed by House Davion, it was an internal matter.
"Why do you look so annoyed?" Hanse asked. "Is this not a good thing?"
"The Eridani Light Horse are refusing to remand Kerensky and all the other Dragoons to our custody. If there's any prisoner exchange, they also demand they hand over the Dragoons personally instead of releasing them to any AFFS transport at any point."
Hanse nodded. "It's fine."
"Hanse… the intel we could gain from Kerensky… where the Dragoons actually came from, where are they doing with Kurita… she's a high-level officer despite only commanding a company."
Hanse waved. "It's fine."
"Are you su-"
"It's fine."
Quintus sighed. "You are favoring the Light Horse too much. I'd say that the AFFS would resent such blatant favoritism, but they did just build a task force and smashed the Black Widows flat in about ten minutes when the Davion Guards and a merc company failed their own headhunting expedition. Considering the success of the Wolf's Dragoons in Kurita employ, this is helping morale across the board. "
"Is there anything else I could do for the Eridani Light Horse?" Hanse asked. "This sounds like it's worth a reward. Have you finished looking over Declan yet? I don't care what's on it. The Light Horse can have it. Cancel the search. It's theirs. I won't have them wait a month longer if they need it."
Quintus looked unimpressed. "Declan is four jumps - a month away - from Kestrel." As Kestrel was the Administrative Center of the Kestral March, it was simple enough to order the creation of a hostile environment exploration team. Doing it in secrecy was the problem. "They're not even a quarter of the way there."
Hanse smiled. "So isn't it fine?"
Quintus sighed. "We really should still know of planetary conditions on that world just in case. Just because the ELH is being overly generous right now shouldn't mean we should ignore how they might become a threat. What happens when a mercenary no longer needs the financial support of their employer? The best thing is that they just leave. The worst is that they feel the existence of their former employer is… redundant."
He clapped his hands in response to Ardan's scowl. "We must not be blind to the possibilities. If the scenario is that the Eridani Light Horse has been activated as a foothold of the SLDF returned is true… that is also the worst case scenario, as no one would be able to stand up to the might of the SLDF, and we can't know if they would become hostile if we don't just obediently play as their political puppets."
"Right. Right…" Hanse sighed and waved again. "But there has to be something I can do for the Eridani Light Horse right now. Wandering Horse intel might know about things and need to react faster than asking for permission. Should we tell Sandoval that the ELH are acting under my express authority?"
Duke Aaron Sandoval was the minister in charge of the Draconis March, the most war-torn area of the Federated Suns which had been under war zone regulations since 2787. Unlike Prince Hanse who as Minister of the Crucis March had too much on his plate, or Duke Michael Hasek-Davion as Minister of the Capellan March who seemed disinterested, he took his duties with all due seriousness.
"That might not be a good idea," Quintus demurred. "It is best when all forces can mutually support each other. Offensives need to be planned for with enough reserves for support or defense against enemy spoiling attacks. Besides…"
Here Quintus frowned. "If the ELH needed something, they could just send you a private HPG message."
Urbanmech HPG, what bullshit.
It was fifteen tons and could fit inside a Mech and very effectively black-boxed. No wonder the ELH had no compunction about letting NAIS have a try at reverse-engineering a 50-ton mobile HPG. Without the plans provided, it was all just nonsense parts. Hanse Davion had that supposed "Command variant Urbanmech" as a gift and kept in his private hangar.
"No one releases the very thing the Terran Hegemony spent so many centuries clutching so close to their hearts as the foundation of their technological advantage over the other Houses unless they already have something better," said Quintus. "However the Eridani Light Horse is communicating with the SLDF out there… we can be sure, it's not via HPG."
-.
-.
New Aberdeen
Same time
Barbara let out a low groan. "Ok, it's not as bad as I hoped, but it could have been better. I know a lot of people who go with Pale Rider, death on a pale horse… it's overused, man. I never really got why people were so obsessed with these callsigns and nicknames so kicking it up to high command to decide was a good idea. This is too cutesy, but I can deal."
"Heh, still thinking that you're going to get called anything as dignified as a unicorn. You're a bad donkey. Bad, Barbara. Bad."
She closed her eyes. "This is fine. I am fine with this."
"But if at 40 you're still a Miss Bad Ass instead of a Mrs. Bad Ass, people are going to talk."
Barbara Mosley reached out to strangle her best friend. Again.
-.
-.
New Aberdeen
Draconis March
Federated Suns
14 January 3025
From the memoirs of Natasha Kerensky:
Terran history contains reams of pages produced by writers and so-called philosophers trying to find scholarly ways to justify their countries' participation in wars, prattling about "threats to basic freedoms" and "the common good". Nowadays, I do not think anybody - not even the leaders of our beloved five families - who makes any pretense about why we fight wars. It is power, pure and simple, that drives us now, and the only thing that differentiates one war from another is the size and manner of the stakes involved, and the size of the final body count.
No matter how many times my men and I go to war - and God willing, that will be another quarter century or more - I doubt we will ever be involved in a campaign as important as the war waged by Wolf's Dragoons on the planet Hoff in 3022. First all there, there were the Houses involved: Davion vs Kurita, the two heavyweights of the five Successor families, going at one another with no holds barred. Second, there was the caliber of our opposition: four battalions of the Eridani Light Horse, the only mercenary unit in the Human Sphere with the tactical competence to seriously challenge our status as the best regiment in the galaxy.
(What about Hansen's Roughriders you say? Be serious! How could anyone be afraid of a unit whose commander has the strategic subtlety of a concrete DropShip!)
But third, and most importantly, there was the prize involved. Not water, nor metals, nor control of another flea-bitten frontier planet. No, this time the states were that rarest of commodities, a cadre of scientists and engineers, assembled on Hoff by House Davion to conduct the first serious research into Mech technology in a century. House Kurita wanted to get its hands on the fruits of those labors, wanted it bad it was willing to offer us the highest price ever paid for a Merc contract.
And so, my friends, did we…
-.
-.
Clang.
The door to Natasha Kerensky's cell opened.
Her cell was as comfortable as any prefabricated prison could be made. A bed, tables, books, sanitary equip, equipment, writing materials, and a noteputer. People were often surprised by how erudite Natasha Kerensky writes. In person she was usually quiet, but once made angry enough she would just as likely kill you as curse you out. That murderous unpredictability was what made the Black Widow so chilling.
But give her time to herself, and time to write, and Natasha Kerensky gets sardonic to the max.
She looked at what she had written under the title 'A response to missile artillery in mech combat' and closed the notebook.
Her cell was a prefabricated ferrocrete structure in the middle of the tarmac shadowed by BattleMech guns. She was that dangerous that they would rather not have her be in a position to reconsider her word not to escape or end her life as long as she could bring someone down with her. Granted, those were Urbanmech guns, but Natasha supposed a PPC was a PPC.
She smiled thinly as Barbara Mosley walked into the room. "So?" asked Natasha. "What is the butcher's bill?"
"Anyone that gets through three days after surgery is probably going to live long enough to wake up," replied the blonde woman. Barbara brought a chair with her and sat facing Natasha. "From Stedman's Company, starting with eleven mechs, they came home with six, but eight pilots will be able to fight another day. This is war and casualties happen, but first I have to say that we didn't intend it to happen this way. That's why I wanted to parley and end this in a draw, all we wanted was to open a neutral line of communications to Jaime Wolf.
She shrugged. "Too late now, I suppose."
"Spare me your pity. You came with the objective to smash the Black Widow flat, and you have done so in record time. Some might call it cheating to use out-of-map artillery, but it can also be considered an honor that you needed to resort to such measures at all. It takes skill to make do with inferior technology, but those who do not have the skill can only resort to other means."
Natasha Kerensky put away the felt tip pen she was writing with. The Eridani Light Horse had not provided her with anything that could be somewhat effectively used as a weapon. "But war is war, and is not by itself combat. Tell me, how many of my men have you murdered?"
"First of all - your second in command, Colin Maclaren survived the missile hit. But he might not ever pilot a BattleMech again, even with extensive cyborgization. His Marauder is a total loss. If any Mechs are salvageable, we might release them with you depending on the terms of prisoner exchange."
Natasha Kerensky let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. The last of her original lance and her most ardent supporter, he was like a knight in service of his lady. There was nothing romantic in there despite many rumors, but they did care for each other in a very platonic and courtly sort of way. Without him as a pillar to hold her up, all she would have left is hate and death.
Barbara continued "Other survivors are: Lynn Sheridan, Crusader. Takiro Ekida, Archer. John Hayes, Griffin. John Clavell, Rifleman. Simon Fraser, Stinger. Mohammar Jahan, Stinger."
The bigger mechs surviving artillery strikes were understandable. Some of them had been with Kerensky and so surrendered intact.
Barbara added with a clack of her tongue "We're actually surprised that all pilots in the lightest mechs in your Recon Lance survived top-attack munitions, but from the interviews they were fast enough to get their arms up to protect their cockpits. The bomblets still ruined the rest of their mechs though."
Clavell in his Rifleman stayed to guard his fallen lance and asked for orders instead of just randomly rushing out to battle on his own. He was far enough from the fight that the remaining Stedman's company Mechs couldn't find him and bring down his heavily damaged nearly combat-ineffective mech.
Natasha Kerensky noted instantly the missing names. Miklos Delius, Archer. Nikolai Koniev, Wasp. Alex Ward, Stinger. Takiro Ikeda was the last surviving member of Ikeda's Fire Lance.
From her company of twelve mechs, four died. This made their karma equal with Stedman's company. But- Natasha looked up and her eyes burned with cold anger. "And you? How many did you lose?"
Barbara looked shiftily to the side, avoiding meeting Natasha's eyes.
"Seriously? You cannot expect me to believe you lost no one. I saw those… Urbanmechs…" even to Natasha Kerensky, just saying that felt incredibly weird "fall without ejection pods. One I killed personally!"
Barbara licked her lips and answered "Well… it turns out that what with the XL engine intruding so much into a side torso… that any containment failure instantly scrams the reactor and shuts down the whole mech. So the mech falls down. But the pilot is still mostly unharmed in there, taken down far earlier than any other equivalent mech that tries to fight until it gets put down."
Natasha blinked. There was something charming in her honest confusion, no wonder she was so popular. That innocent look was damn cheating!
"You're telling me - that not only are you using lost technology, but that losing that technology in battle was completely accidentally an advantage for you. We have all been so used to trying to kill the meat to save the metal for salvage-" whispered Kerensky "... that even I ignored a dead mech as being completely dead. A broken XL engine is useless for salvage. But we - Wolf's Dragoons and the Eridani Light Horse both - would prefer to have surviving pilots and their valuable skills more than just more 'Mech salvage."
"Please do not start double-tapping ELH mechs. A downed mech is still out of the fight and killing downed pilots is still an atrocity."
Natasha Kerensky closed her eyes and palmed her face. "What are you ponies even doing?" she hissed through her teeth.
-.
-.
The 4th Deneb could only watch as the Black Widows and wounded Light Horse personnel of Stimson's Company were immediately loaded onto the Union DropShip which immediately departed offworld, leaving Barbara's Badniks behind.
Mosley's Company was at full fighting strength of 12 mechs as techs worked overtime to replace the scrammed fusion engine.
With the capture of Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow Company, remaining Kurita and Wolf's Dragoons forces on the world were suddenly on the back foot. Davion forces on the world still didn't have enough troops to force a decisive engagement, with both Davion and Kurita forces having dug in around settlements and cities promising brutal urban combat, but on open field encounters Kurita forces could only roll off the field every single time.
2nd Galedon was a light regiment with green troops being supported by elements of the Epsilon Battalion. This was why a low-intensity but long-duration conflict was preferred by both sides. This allowed their troops to gain fighting experience with only minimal risk. 4th Deneb was not ready to escalate by themselves.
Intercepted radio communications went some variation of:
"What the hell are these things and why are they so faaassttt?!"
"Why are there Urbanmechs in the middle of the desert?"
"Fool, you were beaten by Urbanmechs? You were piloting a Jenner! Do not make excuses for your incompetence!"
"Chu-i!" the Lieutenant equivalent in the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery "We have walked into a minefield!"
"For Kerens-" *KABLAM*
The 4th Deneb were known for their speed, but literally no one was at all prepared for the impossible sight of a fast Urbanmech. All operations could be supported at full speed all the time. Anything that the Super Urbanmech couldn't outgun, they could escape or lead into a trap of other faster mechs and hovercraft.
"Jesus Christ," breathed Major Kaplan as the results of the a week of Barbara Mosley's company being on-planet finally came together.
Barbara shrugged. "It's not my fault if so many of them want the glory of being the one to win over the one who took down Kerensky that they'll walk into any trap."
"Natasha Kerensky in a Heavy Mech was beaten by someone in a Light Mech. An Urbanmech. That pilot has to be a damn genius in combat. And she's still going out there in her little thirty-ton trashcan just asking them to have a try."
Barbara winced. "You know it wasn't like that. It was a team effort and with gross abuse of missile artillery."
She knew full well that while she was a pretty good veteran MechWarrior, she was only that good. A lot of people were actually mistaking Terry Little's actions for hers. Her former lancemate, now the leader of his own lance, had amazing gunnery skills; which was why formerly in Captain Allwine's Command Lance he piloted a comparatively slow 50-ton Enforcer.
Kaplan grinned. "But that's not romantic. A woman like the Black Widow being taken down by another woman? You know they're all just workshopping a name for you now."
Barbara winced even harder.
There were official callsigns (Gold One, Gold Two, etc.) for military action and unofficial ones that defined a pilot. Many still maintained the tradition that you don't get to pick your own callsign, it was something other pilots pushed on you as part of the ritual of belonging. Some, like Natasha Kerensky, made it their brand by being able to slap down anyone that tried to say otherwise. Some, like Barbara, never really gave a thought to this sort of thing - until it was too late with feeling undeserved fame.
Jack Finsrud had been trying to push "The Trashwoman" amongs the impressionable 4th Deneb infantry until she slugged him in the face.
Barbara "Bad Mama" Mosley was also making the rounds but she thought it made her sound old and dumpy.
She kicked the question up to Eridani High Command and their PR machine and tried not to lose any sleep about it.
-.
PRESS RELEASE
Comstar News Bureau
15 January 3025
Eridani Light Horse Command confirms that Natasha "The Black Widow" Kerensky, Captain of the Black Widows independent Company under Wolf's Dragoons, has been captured alive and relatively unharmed in battle on the world of New Aberdeen on 09 January 3025. All units of the Black Widows company have also been captured or KIA.
Forces responsible for this event are the 9th Recon Company of the 151st Light Horse Regiment of the Eridani Light Horse, headed by Captain Barbara Mosley in support of a Black Widows ambush on ELH Stedman's Company. This ambush on an ambush operation was termed CASE UNICORN.
It has been verified that Barbara Mosley piloted a "Super Urbanmech" that is capable of running at over 86 kph and carries a PPC. Kerensky's usual BattleMech is a Warhammer with two PPCs and a top speed of approx 64 kph. All mechs of the 9th Recon are all similar "Super Urbanmechs", none massing more than 30 tons. They faced off against Natasha Kerensky's Black Widows Company which is composed as a mix of Heavy and Light BattleMechs.
Accordingly, if a moniker or callsign needs to be used, the ELH would prefer "The White Unicorn" in publications.
ELH and Davion spokesperson have said that this "Super Urbanmech" design will eventually be released for mass manufacture under an ELH-owned production house in a similar manner to how Blackwell Industries is the dedicated manufacturer for Wolf's Dragoons.
Terms of release for Wolf's Dragoons POWs will be negotiated in the near future. The ELH maintains custody over Natasha Kerensky and her company.
-.
-.
Comstar was not very interested in the gossip. The Eridani Light Horse had been in the Inner Sphere for three hundred years and was a known quantity. Some technical elements had also attempted to verify if it was possible to actually do this, but returned with the idea that due to the short stubby legs of the Urbanmech, it could burn out the servos too quickly.
By their accounting, going a full 86 kph instead of a more reasonable 64 kph was very suboptimal for the weapon load. A heavier alpha strike would probably be more useful in city combat, and if you need speed - just use a different, cheaper mech. It's trying to be a medium mech without the armor to match.
This platform would not be viable unless the Super Urbanmech had XL Engines or Double Heat Sinks.
Hoff was a setback to House Davion's research on DHS, but this may imply that NAIS had a new series of prototypes to put to field trials with the Eridani Light Horse in gratitude for their service on Hoff. In which case the only real response was to cut off the source of production - the ELH were irrelevant.
The Eridani Light Horse might be good pilots, but infrastructurally they were not the Wolf's Dragoons.
ROM only had interest in the news for Jaime Wolf's response, but analysts predicted nothing particularly interesting. Prisoner exchanges were pro forma between mercenary commands, and the only thing this bought them was a communications line between Hanse Davion and Jaime Wolf.
That was more dangerous.
-.
-.
Solaris VII
Valhalla Club
Date unknown
"So you heard? The Black Widow's finally been taken down."
"It's it about time? Mercenary work is like that, fight enough people eventually your ticket is due. To be taken down by some no-name MechWarrior - someone got lucky."
"Kerensky's been fighting too many people and keeps winning them. Her skill's the real deal. It's not just talent and just being lucky isn't enough to explain this. To take down Kerensky's Warhammer while piloting a goddamn Urbanmech…"
"Ach, yah, that's gotta sting. That just makes it more impressive. I could believe it. If anyone could take down the best of the Wolf's Dragoons, the Eridani Light Horse could make it."
"But why even an Urbanmech in the first place? If the Eridani Light Horse could make an Urbie go that fast, why not something else like a Valkyrie or something?"
"Maybe for the insult? Wolf's Dragoons been going up and down claiming to be the best mercenary command in the Inner Sphere… and the Eridani Light Horse took that personally."
"You don't make a full company of twelve weirdly fast Urbanmechs just to rub it in. Something's off about this… think they got lostech? Lostech Urbanmechs sound extra dumb though."
"Doesn't change how the Black Widow got take down by a trashcan though."
"Yeah…"
"She was put in the dumpster."
"She got taken to the cleaners."
"Her reputation's in the trash."
"She's going to have to wear the stain of this humiliation for a long time…"
"Can you believe that the Eridani Light Horse actually wants us to call the woman who took down the Black Widow something as boring as White Unicorn?"
"Those foolish ponies. Those uptight, out-of-touch, ignorant idiots. A public callsign isn't something you claim - it's one that's given to you by other people!"
"What about the Black Widow then?"
"By other people too scared to object!"
"Gyahahaha fair enough."
Laughter rang through the table. The gladiators raised their tankards. "So here's to Barbara 'Miss Bad Ass' Mosley! May her glorious donkey kick bring her more glory in the battlefield!"
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
Same time
"The Eridani Light Horse did what?!" Ardan Sortek spat.
"Aha. Ahaha. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Hanse Davion began laughing a loud full belly laugh and pounded at his table. He was crying tears of laughter. He rubbed at his eyes and leaned back on his chair. "Oh those people… hahah… oh god in heaven, I love hearing news about the Eridani Light Horse."
It looked to Ardan as if Hanse Davion was aging backwards as his laughter settled down. All the stress and pains of rulership just for a few brief moments faded away.
As much as Ardan Sortek and the AFFS wanted to be the pillar that House Davion could rest their worries upon, none of them could really understand the crushing loneliness of being the man ultimately responsible for throwing the gauntlet. To decide that his goals were sufficient reason to move millions of men and cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands on both sides, to see the peace of worlds broken and land conquered.
The Eridani Light Horse were in the mood of "There is a problem. I am going to fix it," and Hanse Davion just loved the hell out of the ELH apparently giving no more shites. It helped make him feel that he was no longer alone.
Quintus Allard had to report things like this personally as head of MIIO because as the ELH was employed by House Davion, it was an internal matter.
"Why do you look so annoyed?" Hanse asked. "Is this not a good thing?"
"The Eridani Light Horse are refusing to remand Kerensky and all the other Dragoons to our custody. If there's any prisoner exchange, they also demand they hand over the Dragoons personally instead of releasing them to any AFFS transport at any point."
Hanse nodded. "It's fine."
"Hanse… the intel we could gain from Kerensky… where the Dragoons actually came from, where are they doing with Kurita… she's a high-level officer despite only commanding a company."
Hanse waved. "It's fine."
"Are you su-"
"It's fine."
Quintus sighed. "You are favoring the Light Horse too much. I'd say that the AFFS would resent such blatant favoritism, but they did just build a task force and smashed the Black Widows flat in about ten minutes when the Davion Guards and a merc company failed their own headhunting expedition. Considering the success of the Wolf's Dragoons in Kurita employ, this is helping morale across the board. "
"Is there anything else I could do for the Eridani Light Horse?" Hanse asked. "This sounds like it's worth a reward. Have you finished looking over Declan yet? I don't care what's on it. The Light Horse can have it. Cancel the search. It's theirs. I won't have them wait a month longer if they need it."
Quintus looked unimpressed. "Declan is four jumps - a month away - from Kestrel." As Kestrel was the Administrative Center of the Kestral March, it was simple enough to order the creation of a hostile environment exploration team. Doing it in secrecy was the problem. "They're not even a quarter of the way there."
Hanse smiled. "So isn't it fine?"
Quintus sighed. "We really should still know of planetary conditions on that world just in case. Just because the ELH is being overly generous right now shouldn't mean we should ignore how they might become a threat. What happens when a mercenary no longer needs the financial support of their employer? The best thing is that they just leave. The worst is that they feel the existence of their former employer is… redundant."
He clapped his hands in response to Ardan's scowl. "We must not be blind to the possibilities. If the scenario is that the Eridani Light Horse has been activated as a foothold of the SLDF returned is true… that is also the worst case scenario, as no one would be able to stand up to the might of the SLDF, and we can't know if they would become hostile if we don't just obediently play as their political puppets."
"Right. Right…" Hanse sighed and waved again. "But there has to be something I can do for the Eridani Light Horse right now. Wandering Horse intel might know about things and need to react faster than asking for permission. Should we tell Sandoval that the ELH are acting under my express authority?"
Duke Aaron Sandoval was the minister in charge of the Draconis March, the most war-torn area of the Federated Suns which had been under war zone regulations since 2787. Unlike Prince Hanse who as Minister of the Crucis March had too much on his plate, or Duke Michael Hasek-Davion as Minister of the Capellan March who seemed disinterested, he took his duties with all due seriousness.
"That might not be a good idea," Quintus demurred. "It is best when all forces can mutually support each other. Offensives need to be planned for with enough reserves for support or defense against enemy spoiling attacks. Besides…"
Here Quintus frowned. "If the ELH needed something, they could just send you a private HPG message."
Urbanmech HPG, what bullshit.
It was fifteen tons and could fit inside a Mech and very effectively black-boxed. No wonder the ELH had no compunction about letting NAIS have a try at reverse-engineering a 50-ton mobile HPG. Without the plans provided, it was all just nonsense parts. Hanse Davion had that supposed "Command variant Urbanmech" as a gift and kept in his private hangar.
"No one releases the very thing the Terran Hegemony spent so many centuries clutching so close to their hearts as the foundation of their technological advantage over the other Houses unless they already have something better," said Quintus. "However the Eridani Light Horse is communicating with the SLDF out there… we can be sure, it's not via HPG."
-.
-.
New Aberdeen
Same time
Barbara let out a low groan. "Ok, it's not as bad as I hoped, but it could have been better. I know a lot of people who go with Pale Rider, death on a pale horse… it's overused, man. I never really got why people were so obsessed with these callsigns and nicknames so kicking it up to high command to decide was a good idea. This is too cutesy, but I can deal."
"Heh, still thinking that you're going to get called anything as dignified as a unicorn. You're a bad donkey. Bad, Barbara. Bad."
She closed her eyes. "This is fine. I am fine with this."
"But if at 40 you're still a Miss Bad Ass instead of a Mrs. Bad Ass, people are going to talk."
Barbara Mosley reached out to strangle her best friend. Again.
-.
-.
Last edited:
7.2 World of Eggs
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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World of Eggs 02
Thestria
Matsuida Prefecture
Draconis Combine
25 January 3025
Baxter Arbuthnot was not the sort of man people expected to lead the Epsilon Regiment of the Wolf's Dragoons. Thin, weak-looking, bespectacled – he looked more like an accountant having night troubles wondering if his wife was cheating on him and his children were actually his children than a man in command over one of the most potent regiments in the Inner Sphere.
Lavrenti Kornilov meanwhile was large and burly and very Russian-looking. That was the inherent idiosyncrasy of the Draconis Combine. They had some of the most ethnically diverse populations in the Inner Sphere, and yet a brutally enforced homogenous culture of wannabe tryhard Imperial Japanese.
"So this is the limit of the famous" – and that word said with a condescending leer – "Wolf's Dragoons? Fine, then – run, you dogs. These are the orders. The 2nd Galedon will complete the conquest of New Aberdeen. You are to remove the 4th Deneb with whatever means you are able. It should not be difficult to carry out, no? Just go ahead and fight and not back away whimpering after being wounded a little by your prey. Don't think. Just fight. Go."
The recording sent over HPG shut off.
"Well… I've heard worse plans," spoke Olivia Escalone, the regiment's second-in-command. "It's only a pity we can't settle things with the Light Horse just yet."
Meeting the Eridani Light Horse on New Aberdeen was unexpected, but not exactly a surprise. New Aberdeen was only four jumps away from Hoff, which the ELH still garrisoned.
Many of the Wolf's Dragoons were as dismayed as they were elated by the new of the Eridani Light Horse bringing down Kerensky. It was blow to their pride, but at the same time a roaring challenge. 'Finally! A worthy opponent!' The Eridani Light Horse were not willing to just back down and concede first place to Wolf's Dragoons. It was strange, but somehow trying their utmost to kill each other inspired more respect and bonds akin to brotherhood than two House units that routinely operated together.
"Attacking New Aberdeen is pointless, Natasha Kerensky isn't there anymore," Arbuthnot replied. "We can only trust that Kerensky won't break, and that the Eridani Light Horse are actually as honorable as they say they are."
"Chemical interrogation leaves obvious signs."
Arbuthnot nodded. "Whether we try to clandestinely attempt to recover Kerensky or just wait for a prisoner exchange is Jaime Wolf's problem." He turned back towards the holo and the list of available combat elements. It was a spreadsheet.
Natasha Kerensky's independent company was only attached to Epsilon Regiment in the first place, so the battalion remained mostly intact and were able to cleanly withdraw to their DropShips. The 2nd Galedon remainders obviously refused the Wolf's Dragoons' recommendation that this was a pointless fight.
"New Aberdeen was only ever notable to break open the way to Harrow's Sun. Normally this would be a good time to cycle out the regiment to let Beta or Gamma Regiment take over the front lines, but I have a feeling that's not what the regiment wants?"
Escalone shrugged. "Withdrawing from a pointless engagement is fine, sir. But being driven off-world after losing Kerensky, to Urbanmechs at that? The troops need a victory to cleanse their palate of this taste of defeat."
Withdrawing from New Aberdeen to link up with the rest of Epsilon Regiment, only to drop into Harrow's Sun – the assigned 4th Deneb homeworld? With only battalion of the 4th Deneb still on New Aberdeen, that would put two battalions versus a full heavyweight regiment.
The same deal would happen on New Aberdeen itself. Unless reinforced, it would be a reinforced battalion versus a regiment.
Beta and Gamma Regiments on Misery, one jump away, were still a threat-in-being ready to jump into any reinforcing Davion troops.
Frankly, Wolf's Dragoons could not care less if the ELH dropped an elite regiment of their own against the 2nd Galedon's green troops.
"We should have done this in the first place instead of playing nursemaid," Escalone muttered.
"It was a low-risk assignment in the first place," replied Artbuthnot. "Training up green troops is a valid enough reason to use mercenary forces. It would not be good if Wolf's Dragoons overshadows House Kurita troops too much." He rubbed at his balding head, and grinned toothily. "The offensive tempo was not there. Now… now, can you feel it? The time is right."
-.
-.
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
Date unknown
Leroy Martin had worked for Federated Boeing, the largest DropShip manufacturer in the Inner Sphere. One thing sharply curtailed his chances for promotion – and that was his extreme space sickness. When he was approached by House Davion representatives with an offer to head a company that would ensure he kept boots on the ground, with higher salary and responsibilities, he took the chance to jump ship from Federated-Boeing Instrumentation Ltd.
A CEO at thirty-four! Ah, truly his star was on the rise. Martin was not intimidated by having to compete against larger corporations in the Federated Suns military-industrial complex. The pie was ever-increasing and you could always cut more slices. As long as the threat of House Kurita existed, never once could the AFFS take one step back.
Tall and broad-shouldered, but thin, with slicked-back hair and wearing square eyeglasses, Leroy Martin's had an oddly intimidating presence for a corporate officer. This bothered him as he gave off the impression of being boring and married to his job, and in his off times often looked for a hobby to use as a conversation starter. Unfortunately he proved unsuitable for the usual corporate sports of golf and tennis, and mildly out-of-shape businessmen didn't want to look like they were competing against a giant.
Learning that he was being offered the position as a front for a military owner was somewhat freeing. He had an excuse to look and remain aloof instead of being forced to socialize. Thirty-five percent of the company was owned by the Federated Suns itself as government stake, forty percent by the Eridani Light Horse, and twenty percent by a person named Devlin Stone, and the remaining five percent distributed in-house to employees.
Martin had 1%. But 1% of a company apparently with capitalization of 250 million C-bills before even starting anything was still a lot. The funding was secured by New Avalon banks from deposited pure germanium bars.
The Eridani Light Horse promised a prefab factory, it was up to RobotniC to handle distribution.
Martin stood at the far side of the street, watching the headquarters of his company being built. Boots on the ground. Keeping it grounded. He was resolved never to be too arrogant by his position, but to see things at ground level as much as possible, never deaf to the concerns of lower-level employees. He already handled the initial recruitment. Fresh graduates from NAIS were encouraged to sign up, and with the ELH technical group lecturing at NAIS about Star League technology, there were many eager to work with rediscovered Royal technology.
He had been told that corporate espionage was irrelevant. RobotniC was interested mainly in volume production.
Whatever the Eridani Light Horse and Prince Hanse Davion were up to, this was high-level plotting he was not interested in.
A corporation's headquarters was not necessarily where products would be assembled or even presented. RobotniC would have its factory and showrooms located elsewhere, a building in the middle of an industrial park would handle the boring financial and logistics work that was essential for the functioning of a company.
As it did not need to be hardened more than the usual, driven by a hefty bonus for early completion, New Avalon construction companies were able to finish the headquarters in record time. It helped that the plans were not complicated with decorative flourishes. It was simple tobular building with two block-like overhanging structures with windows as dining and leisure spaces on either side. The top of the building was a smooth dome.
Martin clutched at his head. "Why does it look like an Urbanmeeeech?!"
Fortunately he was able to keep himself from saying that out loud. He coughed into his fist and calmed down. As CEO there was much to do, and he had to present a stern and reliable impression to inspire confidence in this new company.
The construction workers had finished painting the symbol of the company. It was a grinning mustached face in red and black.
A child passing by on the sidewalk pointed "Look, mom! Is that a new toy store?"
Martin arched his back and twisted his hands into claws. "Are we a toy factoorryyy?!!!"
The mother quickly dragged her son away from the strange person and hurried off down the street.
-.
-.
New Aberdeen
Draconis March
02 February 3025
News of the Wolf's Dragoons withdrawing from New Aberdeen had the 4th Deneb mutedly celebrating. Without them, the odds swung well into their favor. Unfortunately, Davion intelligence informed them that the rest of the 2 nd Galedon were on their way. Epsilon Regiment might be on the way to drop onto their homeworld.
Fourth Deneb command petitioned Davion high command to withdraw from New Aberdeen and consolidate their forces, but were denied.
New Aberdeen was normally two months away from Colchester and a month from Hoff, but two weeks later a Scout Jumpship arrived with a modified Dictator-class Dropship and a Union in its collars.
The battalion weight of fresh ELH troops and supplies were there to relieve Barbara's Badniks and fix the New Aberdeen situation. The Dictator was a known, if obsolete, design capable of transporting an entire battalion like an Overlord. First out the door was a company of Heavy mechs - all the usual line combatants like Catapults, Marauders, Archers, a couple of ancient Flashmans, and a Battlemaster as HQ command mech. Twelve mechs to the company.
Then the dropship began vomiting Urbanmechs. Two companies in twenty four mechs. This battalion didn't have anything in the medium weight class between 30 and 60 ton Battlemech range.
"That's not possible…!" hissed the senior tech Milan Jameson as they watched the unloading process from the starport's air control terminal tower.
"What is?" asked Major Kaplan.
"Sir, we just saw thirty-six mechs walk out. That's a full battalion, yes. Then eighteen tanks. Then sixteen light transports with all their squads. Now they're dragging out eight VTOLs. I looked up the specs of a Dictator, it's only nine thousand tons and slightly smaller than an Overlord. You know how many mechs an Overlord carries? Thirty six. That's it. Six ASF too, but then that leaves just fifty tons of cargo."
The tech gestured to the cargo port on the Dictator. It was still unloading. "By my estimate it's already unloaded five hundred tons of cargo."
Major Kaplan blinked. Then he looked back to the scene with dawning horror. "Is… is that thing bigger on the inside?"
The tech sniffed. "SLDF tech is good, but I don't think they have outright magic. No, it's probably because it looks like an old obsolete Dictator on the outside, but it's an entirely new class of DropShip on the inside."
"It doesn't look old though." It was blinding SLDF Navy white under the hot sun.
Jameson nodded slowly. "Yes. Yet another clean new build in the hands of the Eridani Light Horse. The last time we saw something like this… was when the Wolf's Dragoons arrived in 3005 with five regiments of pristine new mechs."
Kaplan furrowed his brows. "You think that's why the Light Horse was so insistent that no one else gets to interrogate Kerensky and her crew?"
The tech shrugged.
-.
-.
"Salutations, friend Major!" greeted the commanding officer of the battalion. It was Captain, now Major, Raymond Allwine. "I heard you were taking good care of a previous officer of mine. Thank you for that!"
"It was my pleasure, Major Allwine," replied Maj. Kaplan. "I also thank you for coming here to support the fight and kick these Combine bastards out of New Aberdeen once and for all. I hope we can work together without friction. As officer-in-charge of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns on New Aberdeen, we must ask for a table of forces and nominal command rights over your battalion."
"Oh, sure, sure, we're happy to comply. We like to go fast too," replied Major Allwine in that aggressively neighborly way of his. "Raymond's Neckbreaker Battalion is at your disposal!"
-.
An Eridani Light Horse Square Battalion was a combined arms formation that consisted of
1 battalion of 36 mechs, eight of which were LAMs
1 augmented company of 18 combat vehicles
1 company of mechanized infantry (128 troops in 16 vehicles)
4 VTOL flights
Field Artillery
The Battalion's only weakness was a lack of dedicated ASF for obtaining air superiority, but the 4th Deneb already had that handled.
-.
-.
Major Allwine grinned, his big bushy mustache quivered under the hot sun. It was time to introduce House Kurita to the Battalion that fights like a Regiment!
-.
-.
In the meantime, he had a gift to deliver.
BattleMechs could be carried as regular cargo with sufficient tie-down points. This just meant that they needed to be unloaded as regular cargo as well instead of being able to walk out on their own.
Jack Finsrud stared up at the new 40-ton BattleMech, pointed at Barbara, and began howling with derisive laughter.
"How could you do this to me," Barbara had to say to her former commanding officer. "I trusted you."
It was a white Urbanmech. With a unicorn horn protruding from its dome-like head.
This turned out to be a mistake, as later newslines would refer to her BattleMech as "the White Unicorn" instead of herself, firmly fixing the moniker of "Little Miss Bad Ass" to her dismay.
Major Allwine beamed. "With input from our little friend, this was the best solution we could think of to compensate for the massive target now on your back. We… didn't actually think you would succeed, only as much as forcing a draw from Kerensky so we could open talks… but now that everyone wants to take you down, you need a Mech that won't let you down.
"Super Urbanmech II. Forty tons. With an unprecedented fifteen tons of Hardened armor on an Urbanmech chassis, making you as well-protected as even most Assault Mechs, but still managing to go full Medium Mech speeds. You have to live, Barbara. You have promises to keep."
Barbara grimaced. She did not relish the prospect of being promoted even higher just so she could integrate Bad Egg Company into Barbara's Badnik Battalion. Although, she supposed, once promoted to that level her tasks would start being more administrative than frontline combat - instead of being forced to live up to a skill level she didn't have.
She just had to survive three more years of all the Inner Sphere's gung-ho idiots gunning for her back.
For now… well, she had Kurita forces to bedevil.
Thestria
Matsuida Prefecture
Draconis Combine
25 January 3025
Baxter Arbuthnot was not the sort of man people expected to lead the Epsilon Regiment of the Wolf's Dragoons. Thin, weak-looking, bespectacled – he looked more like an accountant having night troubles wondering if his wife was cheating on him and his children were actually his children than a man in command over one of the most potent regiments in the Inner Sphere.
Lavrenti Kornilov meanwhile was large and burly and very Russian-looking. That was the inherent idiosyncrasy of the Draconis Combine. They had some of the most ethnically diverse populations in the Inner Sphere, and yet a brutally enforced homogenous culture of wannabe tryhard Imperial Japanese.
"So this is the limit of the famous" – and that word said with a condescending leer – "Wolf's Dragoons? Fine, then – run, you dogs. These are the orders. The 2nd Galedon will complete the conquest of New Aberdeen. You are to remove the 4th Deneb with whatever means you are able. It should not be difficult to carry out, no? Just go ahead and fight and not back away whimpering after being wounded a little by your prey. Don't think. Just fight. Go."
The recording sent over HPG shut off.
"Well… I've heard worse plans," spoke Olivia Escalone, the regiment's second-in-command. "It's only a pity we can't settle things with the Light Horse just yet."
Meeting the Eridani Light Horse on New Aberdeen was unexpected, but not exactly a surprise. New Aberdeen was only four jumps away from Hoff, which the ELH still garrisoned.
Many of the Wolf's Dragoons were as dismayed as they were elated by the new of the Eridani Light Horse bringing down Kerensky. It was blow to their pride, but at the same time a roaring challenge. 'Finally! A worthy opponent!' The Eridani Light Horse were not willing to just back down and concede first place to Wolf's Dragoons. It was strange, but somehow trying their utmost to kill each other inspired more respect and bonds akin to brotherhood than two House units that routinely operated together.
"Attacking New Aberdeen is pointless, Natasha Kerensky isn't there anymore," Arbuthnot replied. "We can only trust that Kerensky won't break, and that the Eridani Light Horse are actually as honorable as they say they are."
"Chemical interrogation leaves obvious signs."
Arbuthnot nodded. "Whether we try to clandestinely attempt to recover Kerensky or just wait for a prisoner exchange is Jaime Wolf's problem." He turned back towards the holo and the list of available combat elements. It was a spreadsheet.
Natasha Kerensky's independent company was only attached to Epsilon Regiment in the first place, so the battalion remained mostly intact and were able to cleanly withdraw to their DropShips. The 2nd Galedon remainders obviously refused the Wolf's Dragoons' recommendation that this was a pointless fight.
"New Aberdeen was only ever notable to break open the way to Harrow's Sun. Normally this would be a good time to cycle out the regiment to let Beta or Gamma Regiment take over the front lines, but I have a feeling that's not what the regiment wants?"
Escalone shrugged. "Withdrawing from a pointless engagement is fine, sir. But being driven off-world after losing Kerensky, to Urbanmechs at that? The troops need a victory to cleanse their palate of this taste of defeat."
Withdrawing from New Aberdeen to link up with the rest of Epsilon Regiment, only to drop into Harrow's Sun – the assigned 4th Deneb homeworld? With only battalion of the 4th Deneb still on New Aberdeen, that would put two battalions versus a full heavyweight regiment.
The same deal would happen on New Aberdeen itself. Unless reinforced, it would be a reinforced battalion versus a regiment.
Beta and Gamma Regiments on Misery, one jump away, were still a threat-in-being ready to jump into any reinforcing Davion troops.
Frankly, Wolf's Dragoons could not care less if the ELH dropped an elite regiment of their own against the 2nd Galedon's green troops.
"We should have done this in the first place instead of playing nursemaid," Escalone muttered.
"It was a low-risk assignment in the first place," replied Artbuthnot. "Training up green troops is a valid enough reason to use mercenary forces. It would not be good if Wolf's Dragoons overshadows House Kurita troops too much." He rubbed at his balding head, and grinned toothily. "The offensive tempo was not there. Now… now, can you feel it? The time is right."
-.
-.
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
Date unknown
Leroy Martin had worked for Federated Boeing, the largest DropShip manufacturer in the Inner Sphere. One thing sharply curtailed his chances for promotion – and that was his extreme space sickness. When he was approached by House Davion representatives with an offer to head a company that would ensure he kept boots on the ground, with higher salary and responsibilities, he took the chance to jump ship from Federated-Boeing Instrumentation Ltd.
A CEO at thirty-four! Ah, truly his star was on the rise. Martin was not intimidated by having to compete against larger corporations in the Federated Suns military-industrial complex. The pie was ever-increasing and you could always cut more slices. As long as the threat of House Kurita existed, never once could the AFFS take one step back.
Tall and broad-shouldered, but thin, with slicked-back hair and wearing square eyeglasses, Leroy Martin's had an oddly intimidating presence for a corporate officer. This bothered him as he gave off the impression of being boring and married to his job, and in his off times often looked for a hobby to use as a conversation starter. Unfortunately he proved unsuitable for the usual corporate sports of golf and tennis, and mildly out-of-shape businessmen didn't want to look like they were competing against a giant.
Learning that he was being offered the position as a front for a military owner was somewhat freeing. He had an excuse to look and remain aloof instead of being forced to socialize. Thirty-five percent of the company was owned by the Federated Suns itself as government stake, forty percent by the Eridani Light Horse, and twenty percent by a person named Devlin Stone, and the remaining five percent distributed in-house to employees.
Martin had 1%. But 1% of a company apparently with capitalization of 250 million C-bills before even starting anything was still a lot. The funding was secured by New Avalon banks from deposited pure germanium bars.
The Eridani Light Horse promised a prefab factory, it was up to RobotniC to handle distribution.
Martin stood at the far side of the street, watching the headquarters of his company being built. Boots on the ground. Keeping it grounded. He was resolved never to be too arrogant by his position, but to see things at ground level as much as possible, never deaf to the concerns of lower-level employees. He already handled the initial recruitment. Fresh graduates from NAIS were encouraged to sign up, and with the ELH technical group lecturing at NAIS about Star League technology, there were many eager to work with rediscovered Royal technology.
He had been told that corporate espionage was irrelevant. RobotniC was interested mainly in volume production.
Whatever the Eridani Light Horse and Prince Hanse Davion were up to, this was high-level plotting he was not interested in.
A corporation's headquarters was not necessarily where products would be assembled or even presented. RobotniC would have its factory and showrooms located elsewhere, a building in the middle of an industrial park would handle the boring financial and logistics work that was essential for the functioning of a company.
As it did not need to be hardened more than the usual, driven by a hefty bonus for early completion, New Avalon construction companies were able to finish the headquarters in record time. It helped that the plans were not complicated with decorative flourishes. It was simple tobular building with two block-like overhanging structures with windows as dining and leisure spaces on either side. The top of the building was a smooth dome.
Martin clutched at his head. "Why does it look like an Urbanmeeeech?!"
Fortunately he was able to keep himself from saying that out loud. He coughed into his fist and calmed down. As CEO there was much to do, and he had to present a stern and reliable impression to inspire confidence in this new company.
The construction workers had finished painting the symbol of the company. It was a grinning mustached face in red and black.
A child passing by on the sidewalk pointed "Look, mom! Is that a new toy store?"
Martin arched his back and twisted his hands into claws. "Are we a toy factoorryyy?!!!"
The mother quickly dragged her son away from the strange person and hurried off down the street.
-.
-.
New Aberdeen
Draconis March
02 February 3025
News of the Wolf's Dragoons withdrawing from New Aberdeen had the 4th Deneb mutedly celebrating. Without them, the odds swung well into their favor. Unfortunately, Davion intelligence informed them that the rest of the 2 nd Galedon were on their way. Epsilon Regiment might be on the way to drop onto their homeworld.
Fourth Deneb command petitioned Davion high command to withdraw from New Aberdeen and consolidate their forces, but were denied.
New Aberdeen was normally two months away from Colchester and a month from Hoff, but two weeks later a Scout Jumpship arrived with a modified Dictator-class Dropship and a Union in its collars.
The battalion weight of fresh ELH troops and supplies were there to relieve Barbara's Badniks and fix the New Aberdeen situation. The Dictator was a known, if obsolete, design capable of transporting an entire battalion like an Overlord. First out the door was a company of Heavy mechs - all the usual line combatants like Catapults, Marauders, Archers, a couple of ancient Flashmans, and a Battlemaster as HQ command mech. Twelve mechs to the company.
Then the dropship began vomiting Urbanmechs. Two companies in twenty four mechs. This battalion didn't have anything in the medium weight class between 30 and 60 ton Battlemech range.
"That's not possible…!" hissed the senior tech Milan Jameson as they watched the unloading process from the starport's air control terminal tower.
"What is?" asked Major Kaplan.
"Sir, we just saw thirty-six mechs walk out. That's a full battalion, yes. Then eighteen tanks. Then sixteen light transports with all their squads. Now they're dragging out eight VTOLs. I looked up the specs of a Dictator, it's only nine thousand tons and slightly smaller than an Overlord. You know how many mechs an Overlord carries? Thirty six. That's it. Six ASF too, but then that leaves just fifty tons of cargo."
The tech gestured to the cargo port on the Dictator. It was still unloading. "By my estimate it's already unloaded five hundred tons of cargo."
Major Kaplan blinked. Then he looked back to the scene with dawning horror. "Is… is that thing bigger on the inside?"
The tech sniffed. "SLDF tech is good, but I don't think they have outright magic. No, it's probably because it looks like an old obsolete Dictator on the outside, but it's an entirely new class of DropShip on the inside."
"It doesn't look old though." It was blinding SLDF Navy white under the hot sun.
Jameson nodded slowly. "Yes. Yet another clean new build in the hands of the Eridani Light Horse. The last time we saw something like this… was when the Wolf's Dragoons arrived in 3005 with five regiments of pristine new mechs."
Kaplan furrowed his brows. "You think that's why the Light Horse was so insistent that no one else gets to interrogate Kerensky and her crew?"
The tech shrugged.
-.
-.
"Salutations, friend Major!" greeted the commanding officer of the battalion. It was Captain, now Major, Raymond Allwine. "I heard you were taking good care of a previous officer of mine. Thank you for that!"
"It was my pleasure, Major Allwine," replied Maj. Kaplan. "I also thank you for coming here to support the fight and kick these Combine bastards out of New Aberdeen once and for all. I hope we can work together without friction. As officer-in-charge of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns on New Aberdeen, we must ask for a table of forces and nominal command rights over your battalion."
"Oh, sure, sure, we're happy to comply. We like to go fast too," replied Major Allwine in that aggressively neighborly way of his. "Raymond's Neckbreaker Battalion is at your disposal!"
-.
An Eridani Light Horse Square Battalion was a combined arms formation that consisted of
1 battalion of 36 mechs, eight of which were LAMs
1 augmented company of 18 combat vehicles
1 company of mechanized infantry (128 troops in 16 vehicles)
4 VTOL flights
Field Artillery
The Battalion's only weakness was a lack of dedicated ASF for obtaining air superiority, but the 4th Deneb already had that handled.
-.
-.
Major Allwine grinned, his big bushy mustache quivered under the hot sun. It was time to introduce House Kurita to the Battalion that fights like a Regiment!
-.
-.
In the meantime, he had a gift to deliver.
BattleMechs could be carried as regular cargo with sufficient tie-down points. This just meant that they needed to be unloaded as regular cargo as well instead of being able to walk out on their own.
Jack Finsrud stared up at the new 40-ton BattleMech, pointed at Barbara, and began howling with derisive laughter.
"How could you do this to me," Barbara had to say to her former commanding officer. "I trusted you."
It was a white Urbanmech. With a unicorn horn protruding from its dome-like head.
This turned out to be a mistake, as later newslines would refer to her BattleMech as "the White Unicorn" instead of herself, firmly fixing the moniker of "Little Miss Bad Ass" to her dismay.
Major Allwine beamed. "With input from our little friend, this was the best solution we could think of to compensate for the massive target now on your back. We… didn't actually think you would succeed, only as much as forcing a draw from Kerensky so we could open talks… but now that everyone wants to take you down, you need a Mech that won't let you down.
"Super Urbanmech II. Forty tons. With an unprecedented fifteen tons of Hardened armor on an Urbanmech chassis, making you as well-protected as even most Assault Mechs, but still managing to go full Medium Mech speeds. You have to live, Barbara. You have promises to keep."
Barbara grimaced. She did not relish the prospect of being promoted even higher just so she could integrate Bad Egg Company into Barbara's Badnik Battalion. Although, she supposed, once promoted to that level her tasks would start being more administrative than frontline combat - instead of being forced to live up to a skill level she didn't have.
She just had to survive three more years of all the Inner Sphere's gung-ho idiots gunning for her back.
For now… well, she had Kurita forces to bedevil.
Last edited:
7.3 World of Eggs
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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World of Eggs 03
Colchester
Kestrel Combat Region
Federated Suns
19 February 3025
If there was one truth to the military life, it was that rumor and scuttlebut will out. Prior to the invention of the KF Drive, they were the only things capable of moving faster than lightspeed. The Eridani Light Horse could not fail to notice a whole Monolith-class JumpShip just going away for months, and then coming back with all collars full.
The dream of a SLDF Cache is a common fantasy in the Inner Sphere, because while very rare it was not actually all that implausible. Many a mercenary company blew into notoriety through finding a cache, and commoners into millionaires overnight. The SLDF hid caches all over the place, like some sort of demented squirrel digging holes in planets. There were potentially thousands of such caches in all the House territories and even in the Periphery. There was a reason more than just the SLDF wanting to waste money though. Caches could serve as a reserve for when the SLDF had to actually fight a Great House, or set up a second front, or to distribute to allies while the SLDF had to spend inescapable weeks of travel forced by the KF-Core limit towards the battle zone.
Functionally the only difference between a cache and a supply depot is that a supply depot that you don't know about can't be raided, sabotaged, or stolen by local powers.
Barbara Mosley went on that expedition, and then came back good enough to beat Natasha Kerensky.
It was patently obvious to everybody that the Eridani Light Horse found lostech out there. The question was how much?
While others could only wonder - the ELH's corps of engineers could only be giddy.
-.
-.
"Are those Alacorn Mark Sixes?! We have ALACORNS!"
The 95-ton vehicles were infamous even half a millennium laters. Techs had to fight their urges not to prostrate before the High God King Slayer of BattleMechs. There were literal tears, stroking the symbol of the SLDF painted on the side and when they had to start painting the prancing horse symbol onto the side of the tanks.
These boiling feelings of awe and inferiority could not be readily understood by those who did not have it rubbed into their faces constantly how diminished and powerless they had become from a position of greatness. Mercenaries were just a little bit ahead of being bandits and beggars in the view of some.
The Eridani Light Horse were never an impressive frontline command, but they were known for defending the people. Pirates and "pirates" feared the Light Horse.
"It's a pity about the 81st Tank Company," one of the engineers murmured. "They're going to get so overshadowed." Very few things could survive three Gauss Rifle shots hitting all at once. Even an Atlas would fear to tread ground near where an Alacorn might lurk.
The 81st Tank Company was the tip of the spear for the ELH's combat vehicle formations. Four Von Luckner tanks, 75-tons and armed with a beastly Autocannon/20, LRMs and SRMs, and backed by eleven tons of armor, were capable of bringing beastly amounts of firepower to smash BattleMechs into pieces.
The ELH had surprisingly many Von Luckners.
They were much more flexible combatants compared to the 80-ton Demolisher which sacrificed everything unnecessary for the task of bringing two hard-hitting but short-ranged AC/20s to the battlefield to be able to destroy any Mech within one or two hits.
Unfortunately they did not have so many Von Luckners that they could afford to move them in standard formations, but instead the anvil to a hammer.
The reaction of the commander of the 81st Tank Company, "One-eyed" Weldman, was only laughter. "You think I lost this eye with being unwilling to mix it up with Assault Mechs?" the grizzled veteran replied. "This just means we finally get an Assault Tank Company."
"That's right!" another engineer opined. "81st Tank Company's Fire Lance being Vedettes isn't much to speak of even if AC/5s have the range of PPCs."
A 50-ton Vedette Medium Tank's firepower was severely lacking compared to a 50-ton BattleMech, which could mount at least an AC/10 or a PPC - but unlike an Alacorn or a Von Luckner, Vedettes were comparatively primitive tanks that run on Internal Combustion Engines. To put into perspective, an AC/5 was also the main armament of a Scorpion Light Tank, at 25 tons half the weight and only marginally useful in swarms. All a Vedette gained for being 25 tons heavier was more speed and armor.
More pitiful was the 81st Tank's Strike Lance, which were only Galleon light tanks armed with a Medium Laser, two Small Lasers, and a near suicidal 3 ½ tons of armor.
An AC/20 could deal punishing damage but only had the range of a Medium Laser. A Gauss Rifle dealt proportionally, say, 15 damage but outranged everything on the battlefield. And an Alacorn Mk VI had three of them in the turret.
They were the big punch that the ELH really needed. Not even the Wolf's Dragoons' Assault Mechs would be able to stand up to such firepower.
Engineers were giggling.
A Light Horse Regiment was formed from a mix of mechs, infantry and combat vehicles within a regiment. This unfortunately also meant that regiment-for-regiment, their offensive firepower was lacking, which was why Light Horse Regiments routinely operated in a Regimental Combat Team or RCT to concentrate mech, vehicle, and air forces as needed.
Unfortunately, the ELH no longer had the luxury to move all three existing regiments as an RCT as they wanted. One regiment to take or defend a world was now the routine for the Inner Sphere.
-.
-.
Major Pierre Bouchard, commander of the 27th "Wolfhounds" Company, 7th Battalion, 21st Strikers Regiment, had been sniffing around the Supply Division. Fortunately the engineers still recognized the portly pipe-smoking man from when he was an aide to General Armstrong, and it was only a fuel truck explosion killing the command of the 27th Company that had him promoted. His real love was logistics.
The six modified Dictator-class DropShips had to land on a new clearing some distance away from Fort Bradley. There was really no space for it around the base proper.
Planetary government worried about the ecological impact from mass clearing those forests, but no one was allowed to have any eyes nearby. A new road was constructed. Rivers and drainage were accounted for. The ELH compromised by saying that once they decide to leave Colchester to a new homeworld, maybe Colchester could use that clearing for a new town or farmland to assign into new petty nobility.
Major Bouchard, due to his past work as General Armstrong's aide, had been invited to watch the unloading. It was probably this sort of command influence that made his best friend Jameson Nigel, commander of the 7th Striker Battalion, feel grumpy and paranoid that Bouchard was after his job. Bouchard had no interest in command rank however, unless it was command over the entire Supply Division.
When the DropShips began vomiting out Urbanmech upon Urbanmech until there were rows and rows of two full regiments of Urbanmechs - itself a number of Mechs rarely seen unless on official inspection by House Lords on their armies - he was worried.
Then he learned that the Super Urbanmechs were armed with PPCs and lasers, and in fact other than missiles the entire hoard was composed of ammo-indepedent platforms (Gauss rifle ammo being merely inert watermelon-shaped slugs of metal) he was in love.
"It's like the Crab," he murmured.
The 50-ton machine armed mainly with lasers was such a favorite for logistics-free ease of use and was perfect for raiding the back lines of the enemy, that it was poised to become the standard Medium Mech of the SLDF much as the Marauder - also an energy-focused Mech- was the standard Heavy Mech of the SLDF. Unfortunately only a few thousand had ever been produced before the Star League itself collapsed.
"With these many Urbanmechs, of course we need to reorganize the regiments," he nodded.
It was now several weeks since General Armstrong had announced the formation of a new 121st Cavalry regiment to add to the 151st Black Horse, 71st White Horse, and 21st Striker regiments. Given that Light Horse Regiments were supposed to be a mix of different combat platforms, two regiments of fast light mechs could be distributed to four or even five regiments if needed.
He understood that it was unrealistic to create a uniform SLDF-style regiment composed entirely of Urbanmechs even though the regiments on hand already supported that combined-arms approach complete with command and mech artillery groups.
Barbara Mosley's Urbanmech company was a test run. Inserting uniform formations of Super Urbanmechs on the company or battalion scale into the regiments would maintain unit cohesion. Pilots were already used to their machines and were unwilling to switch out into a trashcan.
But it was not just Urbanmechs that came back with the expedition group.
They also brought back almost mountains of lostech. XL Engines. Ferro-Fibrous Armor. Pulse Lasers. Arrow IV artillery. SLDF Neurohelmets and life support. SLDF Communications and computer equipment.
Supply Division had been arguing for days what to do with this largesse.
Supply Division and Engineering Division and the Combat Division were in a low-level unspoken war.
Civilian Command was happy to be outside of this pit, happy with their new medical and exploration assets and information databanks to winnow through. Truly, more wealth only leads to more problems. The unity was broken.
"Yes, I know we have more than enough to upgrade all our regiments with DHS and Ferro-fibrous armor. But that would complicate field repairs if we run short of advanced supplies," said Miranda Crocus, one of the supply chiefs. "Advanced tech is a limited resource, we should stockpile them to recover from battle damage as needed!"
This was a blatant lie. They had enough stocks to refit a regiment ten times over. Engineering could taste this lie. Combat pilots and crew wanted their mechs and vehicles upgraded to Royal versions as soon as possible and test out ER and Pulse weaponry.
Withholding technology that could save their lives and break the Light Horse's enemies all the faster would be criminal.
Unfortunately, engineers also had the traditional thought that mechwarriors and tankers were self-important idiots that don't care about all the hard work that goes into keeping their combat platforms functional.
Combat crew wanted their stuff upgraded. Engineering crew wanted to play around with those advanced materials and would suffer some of them being damaged by the combat crew if that was the price of access. Supply crew just saw them both as idiots who would use up limited supplies until then they were back to where they started.
And among combat crew there were also the secondary war front between the Mech and Vehicle operators as to who needed priority for upgrading. MechWarriors obviously thought that their speed and front-line combat performance meant they were owed the upgrade, while tank crew argued that ton for ton upgrades to their vehicles gave a larger boost to previous performance.
Major Pierre Bouchard was consulted as a tie-breaker. He shook his head sadly. "This is pathetic."
He slammed his palms onto the table. "Is this what we are reduced to? Like starving children fighting over scraps of bread?! Is this the behavior of the Star League Self Defense Forces or the House troops biting at each other over the remains of technological progress they themselves destroyed? If we are this ready to fight over treasures with each other from being resupplied ONCE, do we deserve to have any more?"
The three engineers looked at him. "Do you think it's true… that the… the real SLDF… made contact? They didn't just find a cache?"
Bouchard shrugged. "I don't know."
"Chief Cade isn't here, he's over at the seventh dropship," said another of the engineers. "Even if it turns out that we now have our own automated factory, it would be just as big."
"But if the SLDF are actually returning… we…" the third engineer bit her lip. "We haven't wasted our time in the Inner Sphere! We tried so hard. The Inner Sphere needed us. Staying behind wasn't a betrayal!"
-.
-.
Please come back.
Millions. Billions. Not just children, but adults too, had prayed deep in their heart for centuries.
When Kerensky went into self-exile, taking the SLDF with him, and the Terran Hegemony collapsed and eaten by the Great Houses, many of those that remained equally wished for the SLDF to return and lead them back into peace and prosperity of the Star League - and half terrified that the SLDF could only come back hell-bent on revenge. The Inner Sphere could not exactly say they wouldn't have deserved it, except maybe to argue if the sins of the father should be inheritable.
Not just a few prayed that maybe the latter would be better.
Please come back.
And burn these Lords.
-.
-.
RNIK DEATH EGG
Modified Dictator-class DropShip
Colchester
Date Unknown
Eligio Cade was made privy to the terrifying truth. The SLDF are actually returning.
But there was no second SLDF to stand in the way of the Clans of Kerensky. The Eridani Light Horse had to work to create the Second Star League by blood and sweat and unwavering determination not to break kayfabe.
He was prepared for many things. Outright magic was not one of those things.
But it also made perfect sense.
"So just to repeat - this nanolathe can make… anything. Anything at all we want-" said Eligo Cade, the Eridani Light Horse's Chief Engineer. "At least, anything that is technologically possible, by plundering nearby parallel dimensions for plans and assembling them molecule by molecule."
"Anything as long as it's shaped like an Urbanmech," replied Andrei Posseli.
Eligio Cade tilted his head and thought of the obvious loophole "Could it create pure elements?"
Posseli smirked. "If you're talking pure gold Urbanmech, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - that prevents us from doing that. At a market value of 300 C-bills an ounce, the only problem is finding a way to transform 30-ton Super Goldenmech into 317 million C-bills. I doubt there's a collector out there that insane, but if Trading Horse was careful maybe we could get melt prices in a thousand small transactions.
"Pure Super Germanium-mech? Not even the slightest bit more difficult to produce."
Eligio Cade felt lightheaded more than just the micro-gravity he was experiencing. "That is… broken. Just broken."
"Obviously we are not going to do that, because it would be too dangerous for House Davion to learn we don't exactly need them for funding anymore," said General Armstrong through the realtime data connection to the planet, even through several astronomical units of space in between.
"Money can't buy an expert logistics train though, so we do still need House Davion," added Posseli. "We still need reasons to explain away the new things we possess that could not conveniently come from a long-lost cache."
"So is that why we now have an 80-ton Assault Urbanmech that can go up to 86 kph and packs a Gauss Rifle?" said Cade, pointing to a nearby full Mech Bay.
Andrei Posseli threw his hands up "I wanted to see what a 400-rated Extra Light Fusion looked like! This is the only way we can get Extra Light Engines - build an Urbanmech that can use that rating then pull it out." The nanolathe plundered nearby alternate dimensions for plans and schematics, so there was not even a need to spend sweat trying to force things
Eligio Cade for a moment, for some reason, wished he had two pieces of bread in his hands.
Posseli added "Well not free, as such. The nanolathe still needs feedstock. Locusts go in, better Mechs come out. It's much faster than having to do energy to matter conversion-"
Both engineers paused for a moment as they digested the words.
Cade's cheek twitched. "Magic is magic. This is technology. How would Robotnik have known how to utilize the power of a Chaos Emerald into a repeatable form? This whole thing is programmable. I regret so much not being able to at least speak to the man."
Both engineers lowered their heads in respectful silence for a moment.
Then Cade looked up.
Before he could say anything, Posseli said "I do not want to recycle this. A common 240-rated Engine lets this go at standard Assault Mech speeds and there is nothing in the Inner Sphere right now that is capable of carrying double Gauss Rifles."
"If we set up a terrible precedent with MechWarriors getting custom Mechs, everybody will start expecting it or rushing even more recklessly into battle trying to achieve merit."
"That is far too late. Barbara Mosley taking down Natasha Kerensky needs to be rewarded, and a mere 30-ton Super Urbanmech, no matter how fast it is, is too fragile. So she gets Super Urbanmech II well before we are in a position to mass produce even the first Super Urbanmech design. We can't allow her to die."
"Yes, that RobotniC Enterprises thing, I heard about that," Cade replied. "I approve. We owe Doctor Robotnik that at least. People should learn to at least appreciate what that name means."
And then after that the conversation devolved into toy manufacturing and the plan for a Solaris mech stable, because if they wanted the name Doctor Robotnik to really become popular across the entire Inner Sphere, they had to target the child market.
-.
-.
The Death Egg did not need the nanolathe per se. It was actually an automated factory in of itself. It could produce ER PPCs, endo steel frames, fusion engines, all in situ through mechanical means as long as it was supplied the right feedstock materials.
Eligio Cade was tempted as anyone to play with the Mech Lab, but the Death Egg only had enough room inside for spare Mechs. Unloading and transferring BattleMechs and materials through open zero-g space to a different dropship was arguably possible, but a slow and laborious process that no one would do unless truly necessary.
The other engineers read into the true ability of the nanolathe were losing their goddamn minds.
Anything that could be modeled in the designer could be prototyped within a day, anywhere from down to 10 tons to 100 tons. Lostech was not a thing; it was just available tech. Even things that haven't even been invented yet were a thing!
The factory automatically plundered nearby parallel dimensions for plans and working schematics. Anything it could make was already battle-proven in mass production somewhere else in the mirror universe.
Worse yet, the nanolathe could produce 4 Light mechs up to 30 tons, or 3 Medium Mechs up to 55 tons, or 2 Heavy Mechs up to 75 tons, or 1 Assault Mech up to 100 tons... in a day.
... As long as it was Urbanmech.
Eligio Cade had to remind himself that it was a bad idea to have a hangover in space the moment he realized that they could build an Assault Mech every. Single. Day. Uggh. Fortunately the rest of the engineers were still under the delusion this was merely an automated factory, because this was the sort of thing that invited nukes and WarShips.
Machines were not the bottleneck now, finding as many qualified pilots that were not prone to treachery was the problem.
He had previously asked Armstrong why didn't they land the Death Egg into Colchester, where it could be safer and mass-produce more openly instead of out here in the jump point where anybody could have a look at it, and where it was vulnerable to attack. Posseli answered that this means they would lose the ability to manufacture Endo Steel, but Amstrong's actual reason was that the Death Egg was never meant to serve as the Eridani Light Horse's permanent mobile factory.
An egg, when seen from a different point of view, was just a seed.
-.
-.
Declan System
Kestrel Combat Region
Date Unknown
The Invader-class JumpShip FSN THE GIFT MINOR hung at the zenith jump point of the Declan star system. The reason systems could drop out of star maps is that the star map did not itself show all the stars usable by JumpShips. Within a 30-LY radius, there could be dozens of unremarkable uninhabitable star systems that a JumpShip could pass through.
JumpShip captains as a rule did not want to use unmarked systems when jumping, for in the danger of a malfunction they would be stranded in deep space with no hope for rescue.
Declan could have been any of a few dozen stars nearby. Only the ELH's Star League-dated maps still showed the coordinates of this star.
This was a MIIO operation, and so the crew in the DropShip was composed of intelligence agents and people all but kidnapped away from colleges in Kestrel. The orders had been updated midway, they were to perform a planetary survey within one week.
Prof. Bartleby of the Kestrel Normal University grumbled that this was barely enough time to do anything and they were all wasting his time. Wasting two months of travel on a pointless expedition! His troop of students suffered for it, being forced to take tests and work on their thesis in a ship with no other possible distractions.
"There's already ships here," the Fury-class DropShip captain informed Cassidy Burford, the AFFS officer in charge of this expedition. The Invader carried only a single DropShip, a waste of two of its three collars, but this was an expedition ordered with the highest priority straight from New Avalon.
Six shining white Scout-class JumpShips hung in space with their jump sails undeployed. Eerily at the same time, the ships fired maneuvering jets, as if turning to stare at the intruding Invader.
Prof. Bartleby had doctorates in Archeology and Geology, and had been bribed into this mission by the promise of access to lost terraforming technology research at NAIS. This meant he was also keenly familiar with Star League designs related to space travel and human expansion.
Scout-class Jumpships were among the smallest JumpShips ever built and were completely unarmed.
Yet these blank-faced white ships inspired in him a strange animal instinct to flee.
"Did I say this was a waste of time? Could we burn towards the planet at one and a half gravities? That would cut transit time from seven days to a little more than four a half," the professor said. "Yes, yes, let us not waste any more time."
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Colchester
Kestrel Combat Region
Federated Suns
19 February 3025
If there was one truth to the military life, it was that rumor and scuttlebut will out. Prior to the invention of the KF Drive, they were the only things capable of moving faster than lightspeed. The Eridani Light Horse could not fail to notice a whole Monolith-class JumpShip just going away for months, and then coming back with all collars full.
The dream of a SLDF Cache is a common fantasy in the Inner Sphere, because while very rare it was not actually all that implausible. Many a mercenary company blew into notoriety through finding a cache, and commoners into millionaires overnight. The SLDF hid caches all over the place, like some sort of demented squirrel digging holes in planets. There were potentially thousands of such caches in all the House territories and even in the Periphery. There was a reason more than just the SLDF wanting to waste money though. Caches could serve as a reserve for when the SLDF had to actually fight a Great House, or set up a second front, or to distribute to allies while the SLDF had to spend inescapable weeks of travel forced by the KF-Core limit towards the battle zone.
Functionally the only difference between a cache and a supply depot is that a supply depot that you don't know about can't be raided, sabotaged, or stolen by local powers.
Barbara Mosley went on that expedition, and then came back good enough to beat Natasha Kerensky.
It was patently obvious to everybody that the Eridani Light Horse found lostech out there. The question was how much?
While others could only wonder - the ELH's corps of engineers could only be giddy.
-.
-.
"Are those Alacorn Mark Sixes?! We have ALACORNS!"
The 95-ton vehicles were infamous even half a millennium laters. Techs had to fight their urges not to prostrate before the High God King Slayer of BattleMechs. There were literal tears, stroking the symbol of the SLDF painted on the side and when they had to start painting the prancing horse symbol onto the side of the tanks.
These boiling feelings of awe and inferiority could not be readily understood by those who did not have it rubbed into their faces constantly how diminished and powerless they had become from a position of greatness. Mercenaries were just a little bit ahead of being bandits and beggars in the view of some.
The Eridani Light Horse were never an impressive frontline command, but they were known for defending the people. Pirates and "pirates" feared the Light Horse.
"It's a pity about the 81st Tank Company," one of the engineers murmured. "They're going to get so overshadowed." Very few things could survive three Gauss Rifle shots hitting all at once. Even an Atlas would fear to tread ground near where an Alacorn might lurk.
The 81st Tank Company was the tip of the spear for the ELH's combat vehicle formations. Four Von Luckner tanks, 75-tons and armed with a beastly Autocannon/20, LRMs and SRMs, and backed by eleven tons of armor, were capable of bringing beastly amounts of firepower to smash BattleMechs into pieces.
The ELH had surprisingly many Von Luckners.
They were much more flexible combatants compared to the 80-ton Demolisher which sacrificed everything unnecessary for the task of bringing two hard-hitting but short-ranged AC/20s to the battlefield to be able to destroy any Mech within one or two hits.
Unfortunately they did not have so many Von Luckners that they could afford to move them in standard formations, but instead the anvil to a hammer.
The reaction of the commander of the 81st Tank Company, "One-eyed" Weldman, was only laughter. "You think I lost this eye with being unwilling to mix it up with Assault Mechs?" the grizzled veteran replied. "This just means we finally get an Assault Tank Company."
"That's right!" another engineer opined. "81st Tank Company's Fire Lance being Vedettes isn't much to speak of even if AC/5s have the range of PPCs."
A 50-ton Vedette Medium Tank's firepower was severely lacking compared to a 50-ton BattleMech, which could mount at least an AC/10 or a PPC - but unlike an Alacorn or a Von Luckner, Vedettes were comparatively primitive tanks that run on Internal Combustion Engines. To put into perspective, an AC/5 was also the main armament of a Scorpion Light Tank, at 25 tons half the weight and only marginally useful in swarms. All a Vedette gained for being 25 tons heavier was more speed and armor.
More pitiful was the 81st Tank's Strike Lance, which were only Galleon light tanks armed with a Medium Laser, two Small Lasers, and a near suicidal 3 ½ tons of armor.
An AC/20 could deal punishing damage but only had the range of a Medium Laser. A Gauss Rifle dealt proportionally, say, 15 damage but outranged everything on the battlefield. And an Alacorn Mk VI had three of them in the turret.
They were the big punch that the ELH really needed. Not even the Wolf's Dragoons' Assault Mechs would be able to stand up to such firepower.
Engineers were giggling.
A Light Horse Regiment was formed from a mix of mechs, infantry and combat vehicles within a regiment. This unfortunately also meant that regiment-for-regiment, their offensive firepower was lacking, which was why Light Horse Regiments routinely operated in a Regimental Combat Team or RCT to concentrate mech, vehicle, and air forces as needed.
Unfortunately, the ELH no longer had the luxury to move all three existing regiments as an RCT as they wanted. One regiment to take or defend a world was now the routine for the Inner Sphere.
-.
-.
Major Pierre Bouchard, commander of the 27th "Wolfhounds" Company, 7th Battalion, 21st Strikers Regiment, had been sniffing around the Supply Division. Fortunately the engineers still recognized the portly pipe-smoking man from when he was an aide to General Armstrong, and it was only a fuel truck explosion killing the command of the 27th Company that had him promoted. His real love was logistics.
The six modified Dictator-class DropShips had to land on a new clearing some distance away from Fort Bradley. There was really no space for it around the base proper.
Planetary government worried about the ecological impact from mass clearing those forests, but no one was allowed to have any eyes nearby. A new road was constructed. Rivers and drainage were accounted for. The ELH compromised by saying that once they decide to leave Colchester to a new homeworld, maybe Colchester could use that clearing for a new town or farmland to assign into new petty nobility.
Major Bouchard, due to his past work as General Armstrong's aide, had been invited to watch the unloading. It was probably this sort of command influence that made his best friend Jameson Nigel, commander of the 7th Striker Battalion, feel grumpy and paranoid that Bouchard was after his job. Bouchard had no interest in command rank however, unless it was command over the entire Supply Division.
When the DropShips began vomiting out Urbanmech upon Urbanmech until there were rows and rows of two full regiments of Urbanmechs - itself a number of Mechs rarely seen unless on official inspection by House Lords on their armies - he was worried.
Then he learned that the Super Urbanmechs were armed with PPCs and lasers, and in fact other than missiles the entire hoard was composed of ammo-indepedent platforms (Gauss rifle ammo being merely inert watermelon-shaped slugs of metal) he was in love.
"It's like the Crab," he murmured.
The 50-ton machine armed mainly with lasers was such a favorite for logistics-free ease of use and was perfect for raiding the back lines of the enemy, that it was poised to become the standard Medium Mech of the SLDF much as the Marauder - also an energy-focused Mech- was the standard Heavy Mech of the SLDF. Unfortunately only a few thousand had ever been produced before the Star League itself collapsed.
"With these many Urbanmechs, of course we need to reorganize the regiments," he nodded.
It was now several weeks since General Armstrong had announced the formation of a new 121st Cavalry regiment to add to the 151st Black Horse, 71st White Horse, and 21st Striker regiments. Given that Light Horse Regiments were supposed to be a mix of different combat platforms, two regiments of fast light mechs could be distributed to four or even five regiments if needed.
He understood that it was unrealistic to create a uniform SLDF-style regiment composed entirely of Urbanmechs even though the regiments on hand already supported that combined-arms approach complete with command and mech artillery groups.
Barbara Mosley's Urbanmech company was a test run. Inserting uniform formations of Super Urbanmechs on the company or battalion scale into the regiments would maintain unit cohesion. Pilots were already used to their machines and were unwilling to switch out into a trashcan.
But it was not just Urbanmechs that came back with the expedition group.
They also brought back almost mountains of lostech. XL Engines. Ferro-Fibrous Armor. Pulse Lasers. Arrow IV artillery. SLDF Neurohelmets and life support. SLDF Communications and computer equipment.
Supply Division had been arguing for days what to do with this largesse.
Supply Division and Engineering Division and the Combat Division were in a low-level unspoken war.
Civilian Command was happy to be outside of this pit, happy with their new medical and exploration assets and information databanks to winnow through. Truly, more wealth only leads to more problems. The unity was broken.
"Yes, I know we have more than enough to upgrade all our regiments with DHS and Ferro-fibrous armor. But that would complicate field repairs if we run short of advanced supplies," said Miranda Crocus, one of the supply chiefs. "Advanced tech is a limited resource, we should stockpile them to recover from battle damage as needed!"
This was a blatant lie. They had enough stocks to refit a regiment ten times over. Engineering could taste this lie. Combat pilots and crew wanted their mechs and vehicles upgraded to Royal versions as soon as possible and test out ER and Pulse weaponry.
Withholding technology that could save their lives and break the Light Horse's enemies all the faster would be criminal.
Unfortunately, engineers also had the traditional thought that mechwarriors and tankers were self-important idiots that don't care about all the hard work that goes into keeping their combat platforms functional.
Combat crew wanted their stuff upgraded. Engineering crew wanted to play around with those advanced materials and would suffer some of them being damaged by the combat crew if that was the price of access. Supply crew just saw them both as idiots who would use up limited supplies until then they were back to where they started.
And among combat crew there were also the secondary war front between the Mech and Vehicle operators as to who needed priority for upgrading. MechWarriors obviously thought that their speed and front-line combat performance meant they were owed the upgrade, while tank crew argued that ton for ton upgrades to their vehicles gave a larger boost to previous performance.
Major Pierre Bouchard was consulted as a tie-breaker. He shook his head sadly. "This is pathetic."
He slammed his palms onto the table. "Is this what we are reduced to? Like starving children fighting over scraps of bread?! Is this the behavior of the Star League Self Defense Forces or the House troops biting at each other over the remains of technological progress they themselves destroyed? If we are this ready to fight over treasures with each other from being resupplied ONCE, do we deserve to have any more?"
The three engineers looked at him. "Do you think it's true… that the… the real SLDF… made contact? They didn't just find a cache?"
Bouchard shrugged. "I don't know."
"Chief Cade isn't here, he's over at the seventh dropship," said another of the engineers. "Even if it turns out that we now have our own automated factory, it would be just as big."
"But if the SLDF are actually returning… we…" the third engineer bit her lip. "We haven't wasted our time in the Inner Sphere! We tried so hard. The Inner Sphere needed us. Staying behind wasn't a betrayal!"
-.
-.
Please come back.
Millions. Billions. Not just children, but adults too, had prayed deep in their heart for centuries.
When Kerensky went into self-exile, taking the SLDF with him, and the Terran Hegemony collapsed and eaten by the Great Houses, many of those that remained equally wished for the SLDF to return and lead them back into peace and prosperity of the Star League - and half terrified that the SLDF could only come back hell-bent on revenge. The Inner Sphere could not exactly say they wouldn't have deserved it, except maybe to argue if the sins of the father should be inheritable.
Not just a few prayed that maybe the latter would be better.
Please come back.
And burn these Lords.
-.
-.
RNIK DEATH EGG
Modified Dictator-class DropShip
Colchester
Date Unknown
Eligio Cade was made privy to the terrifying truth. The SLDF are actually returning.
But there was no second SLDF to stand in the way of the Clans of Kerensky. The Eridani Light Horse had to work to create the Second Star League by blood and sweat and unwavering determination not to break kayfabe.
He was prepared for many things. Outright magic was not one of those things.
But it also made perfect sense.
"So just to repeat - this nanolathe can make… anything. Anything at all we want-" said Eligo Cade, the Eridani Light Horse's Chief Engineer. "At least, anything that is technologically possible, by plundering nearby parallel dimensions for plans and assembling them molecule by molecule."
"Anything as long as it's shaped like an Urbanmech," replied Andrei Posseli.
Eligio Cade tilted his head and thought of the obvious loophole "Could it create pure elements?"
Posseli smirked. "If you're talking pure gold Urbanmech, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - that prevents us from doing that. At a market value of 300 C-bills an ounce, the only problem is finding a way to transform 30-ton Super Goldenmech into 317 million C-bills. I doubt there's a collector out there that insane, but if Trading Horse was careful maybe we could get melt prices in a thousand small transactions.
"Pure Super Germanium-mech? Not even the slightest bit more difficult to produce."
Eligio Cade felt lightheaded more than just the micro-gravity he was experiencing. "That is… broken. Just broken."
"Obviously we are not going to do that, because it would be too dangerous for House Davion to learn we don't exactly need them for funding anymore," said General Armstrong through the realtime data connection to the planet, even through several astronomical units of space in between.
"Money can't buy an expert logistics train though, so we do still need House Davion," added Posseli. "We still need reasons to explain away the new things we possess that could not conveniently come from a long-lost cache."
"So is that why we now have an 80-ton Assault Urbanmech that can go up to 86 kph and packs a Gauss Rifle?" said Cade, pointing to a nearby full Mech Bay.
Andrei Posseli threw his hands up "I wanted to see what a 400-rated Extra Light Fusion looked like! This is the only way we can get Extra Light Engines - build an Urbanmech that can use that rating then pull it out." The nanolathe plundered nearby alternate dimensions for plans and schematics, so there was not even a need to spend sweat trying to force things
Eligio Cade for a moment, for some reason, wished he had two pieces of bread in his hands.
Posseli added "Well not free, as such. The nanolathe still needs feedstock. Locusts go in, better Mechs come out. It's much faster than having to do energy to matter conversion-"
Both engineers paused for a moment as they digested the words.
Cade's cheek twitched. "Magic is magic. This is technology. How would Robotnik have known how to utilize the power of a Chaos Emerald into a repeatable form? This whole thing is programmable. I regret so much not being able to at least speak to the man."
Both engineers lowered their heads in respectful silence for a moment.
Then Cade looked up.
Before he could say anything, Posseli said "I do not want to recycle this. A common 240-rated Engine lets this go at standard Assault Mech speeds and there is nothing in the Inner Sphere right now that is capable of carrying double Gauss Rifles."
"If we set up a terrible precedent with MechWarriors getting custom Mechs, everybody will start expecting it or rushing even more recklessly into battle trying to achieve merit."
"That is far too late. Barbara Mosley taking down Natasha Kerensky needs to be rewarded, and a mere 30-ton Super Urbanmech, no matter how fast it is, is too fragile. So she gets Super Urbanmech II well before we are in a position to mass produce even the first Super Urbanmech design. We can't allow her to die."
"Yes, that RobotniC Enterprises thing, I heard about that," Cade replied. "I approve. We owe Doctor Robotnik that at least. People should learn to at least appreciate what that name means."
And then after that the conversation devolved into toy manufacturing and the plan for a Solaris mech stable, because if they wanted the name Doctor Robotnik to really become popular across the entire Inner Sphere, they had to target the child market.
-.
-.
The Death Egg did not need the nanolathe per se. It was actually an automated factory in of itself. It could produce ER PPCs, endo steel frames, fusion engines, all in situ through mechanical means as long as it was supplied the right feedstock materials.
Eligio Cade was tempted as anyone to play with the Mech Lab, but the Death Egg only had enough room inside for spare Mechs. Unloading and transferring BattleMechs and materials through open zero-g space to a different dropship was arguably possible, but a slow and laborious process that no one would do unless truly necessary.
The other engineers read into the true ability of the nanolathe were losing their goddamn minds.
Anything that could be modeled in the designer could be prototyped within a day, anywhere from down to 10 tons to 100 tons. Lostech was not a thing; it was just available tech. Even things that haven't even been invented yet were a thing!
The factory automatically plundered nearby parallel dimensions for plans and working schematics. Anything it could make was already battle-proven in mass production somewhere else in the mirror universe.
Worse yet, the nanolathe could produce 4 Light mechs up to 30 tons, or 3 Medium Mechs up to 55 tons, or 2 Heavy Mechs up to 75 tons, or 1 Assault Mech up to 100 tons... in a day.
... As long as it was Urbanmech.
Eligio Cade had to remind himself that it was a bad idea to have a hangover in space the moment he realized that they could build an Assault Mech every. Single. Day. Uggh. Fortunately the rest of the engineers were still under the delusion this was merely an automated factory, because this was the sort of thing that invited nukes and WarShips.
Machines were not the bottleneck now, finding as many qualified pilots that were not prone to treachery was the problem.
He had previously asked Armstrong why didn't they land the Death Egg into Colchester, where it could be safer and mass-produce more openly instead of out here in the jump point where anybody could have a look at it, and where it was vulnerable to attack. Posseli answered that this means they would lose the ability to manufacture Endo Steel, but Amstrong's actual reason was that the Death Egg was never meant to serve as the Eridani Light Horse's permanent mobile factory.
An egg, when seen from a different point of view, was just a seed.
-.
-.
Declan System
Kestrel Combat Region
Date Unknown
The Invader-class JumpShip FSN THE GIFT MINOR hung at the zenith jump point of the Declan star system. The reason systems could drop out of star maps is that the star map did not itself show all the stars usable by JumpShips. Within a 30-LY radius, there could be dozens of unremarkable uninhabitable star systems that a JumpShip could pass through.
JumpShip captains as a rule did not want to use unmarked systems when jumping, for in the danger of a malfunction they would be stranded in deep space with no hope for rescue.
Declan could have been any of a few dozen stars nearby. Only the ELH's Star League-dated maps still showed the coordinates of this star.
This was a MIIO operation, and so the crew in the DropShip was composed of intelligence agents and people all but kidnapped away from colleges in Kestrel. The orders had been updated midway, they were to perform a planetary survey within one week.
Prof. Bartleby of the Kestrel Normal University grumbled that this was barely enough time to do anything and they were all wasting his time. Wasting two months of travel on a pointless expedition! His troop of students suffered for it, being forced to take tests and work on their thesis in a ship with no other possible distractions.
"There's already ships here," the Fury-class DropShip captain informed Cassidy Burford, the AFFS officer in charge of this expedition. The Invader carried only a single DropShip, a waste of two of its three collars, but this was an expedition ordered with the highest priority straight from New Avalon.
Six shining white Scout-class JumpShips hung in space with their jump sails undeployed. Eerily at the same time, the ships fired maneuvering jets, as if turning to stare at the intruding Invader.
Prof. Bartleby had doctorates in Archeology and Geology, and had been bribed into this mission by the promise of access to lost terraforming technology research at NAIS. This meant he was also keenly familiar with Star League designs related to space travel and human expansion.
Scout-class Jumpships were among the smallest JumpShips ever built and were completely unarmed.
Yet these blank-faced white ships inspired in him a strange animal instinct to flee.
"Did I say this was a waste of time? Could we burn towards the planet at one and a half gravities? That would cut transit time from seven days to a little more than four a half," the professor said. "Yes, yes, let us not waste any more time."
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8.1 Dragonslayers
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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Dragonslayer 01
New Aberdeen
Draconis March
29 February 3025
Two Invaders appeared in the Nadir Jump point below New Aberdeen's star. These pair of JumpShips disgorged six DropShips. Two Overlord class dropships, three Unions, and a Leopard-CV fighter-carrier. They burned towards the planet at an uncomfortable 1.5 gravities, shortening transit time from nine days to a little under five days.
The Comstar station on New Rochester received priority mail from nearby systems - Wolf's Dragoons were simultaneously assaulting the 4th Deneb's homeworld of Harrow's Sun. Those on New Aberdeen could only grit their teeth and trust in the combined force of the rest of their regiment, the AFFS security force based on the moon Bane, and the 21st Striker Regiment of the Eridani Light Horse. This was a wolf trap.
New Aberdeen was a snake trap.
Major Raymond Allwine asked "You know what really annoys me about the Draconis Combine? What really grinds my gears? What really puts rice in my corn flakes?"
Major Kaplan gave him a dull look. 'Are all Eridani Light Horse like this?'
He asked with a sigh "What about the Combine?"
"I really hate the uncomfortable truth that the Draconis Combine is actually a strong nation." He turned around to face the Davion officer. "As we are both employed by House Davion, we should not be blind to the flaws in the nation we serve, the better head off future difficulties, no? If even the Federated Suns is criticized as two-faced by sacrificing so much on the altar of militarism, how could the Draconis Combine with its weaker economy maintain the second largest military in the Inner Sphere? How dare the Combine always be pushing to claim worlds and often succeed?"
Kaplan grimaced. "Isn't it because what we call a sacrifice they make an obligation? Davion has to sacrifice half of itself just to withstand Kurita's aggression, but the Draconis Combine puts everything it could possibly have into the altar of victory. You're right, it is a hideous nation - and it's hateful that it is this strong."
Allwine nodded. "House Kurita's existence proves that strength itself can come from different sources. It is most ironic that they do prove one tenet true - it is cooperation that gives the most strength. The despotic brutal and often casualty insensitive rule of House Kurita is perhaps among the worst ever devised, but a broken people believed in it utterly. Not like the Capellan Confederation where the citizens endured the cruelty of their nobles from existential danger of being the weakest power, but that they genuinely believe that it is House Kurita's inevitable destiny to rule the Inner Sphere. Their hardships don't matter - that other people lived healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives were irrelevant. The people of the Dragon valued their spiritual and cultural treasures more than whatever luxuries and conveniences are available in the other nations."
He sighed. "And unlike other nations, the Draconis Combine never really feared the SLDF."
Unlike other nations in the Inner Sphere, the Draconis Combine did not have such a reverence for the Star League - it was humanity's golden age, true - but they always believed that House Kurita would have been as able a leader as House Cameron. Mighty as the SLDF might have been, they were first and foremost seen as a rival preventing the Dragon from achieving its rightful rule.
The SLDF deemed them likewise, and continually did the SLDF and the DCMS fight a covert low level Ronin War, always testing each other's boundaries and skills.
It often ended with a draw, with a slight edge to the Combine in pilot vs pilot combat.
They watched the dropships approach on the holotable. It would still take most of the week and ASFs were surprisingly short-legged. Intercepting the dropships would require carrier vs carrier combat, but unless there was enough weight of numbers from the 4th Deneb, such a clash would not be decisive compared to the number of ASF from the Combine's own carriers and fightercraft inside their military transport dropships.
So until then, there was nothing to do but to wait. Brief moments of brutal intensity punctuated by long stretches of tense waiting around, such was the military life.
"The Combine did contribute men and machines to the SLDF still," Kaplan said, remembering how the great bulk of SLDF was composed of member state contributions. These men were always assigned to guard different Houses than the ones they were sourced from to minimize conflict of interests. "You know, come to think of it - I am actually surprised that almost all of them chose to follow Kerensky out of the Inner Sphere. So they believed in the SLDF enough over their own upbringing as Combine citizens."
Left unspoken: SLDF indoctrination was superior to Kuritan brainwashing, then?
Kaplan pointedly looked away from Allwine.
-.
-.
New Aberdeen
8 March 3025
The night skies of New Aberdeen boiled with fury and fire.
The 4th Deneb's aerospace fighters contested the orbitals while the 8th Galedon's own fighters opened the way for dropships to land.
Orbital entry was the most vulnerable time for dropships. These egg-shaped Unions and Overlords tried to shed velocity, sheathed in a bubble of plasma from the air shock as they entered the atmosphere, completely blind and deaf to everything.
ASFs could only shoot at them from above or below, because operating in the same layer would have them experience the same effects. Above the atmospheric boundary, ASFs could proceed at speed, while below that all fighters had an imposed maximum speed due to atmospheric drag.
The 4th Deneb was an aerospace heavy force, but this was a problem for the aerospace complement taking up a sizable proportion of regimental power. The Kurita invasion force counted ASF power separately from the 8th Galedon's mech regiment, and so had enough craft to screen the approach.
AeroSpace Combat was unlike BattleMech combat, where resilience vs good gunnery ruled. Pilots had seconds to deal as much damage as they could before the enemy could break weapons lock. Speed was only limited by fuel and human endurance. All the rest of the time was trying to angle for a firing solution, minding fuel consumption lest they would be dry and stranded out in space.
No power could assume aerospace dominance in a hurry. While fighters battled, the dropships cleared the atmospheric boundary and flipped around to burn against the pull of gravity.
The invasion of New Aberdeen had begun.
-.
Jody Smith was a child of New Aberdeen. Everyone in the city had gone to the underground shelters, and now she sat in her mother's arms. This was not even the fifth time she had experienced this - schools had evacuation drills and her neighborhood had emergency drills. This was life in the border worlds.
Her father was a soldier in the AFFS militia. Her mother stroked Jody's hair while they waited with the crowd. One of the things Kurita might do once successfully conquering a world is to execute militia soldiers in case they trained for insurgency. It was better to replace defenders with their own trusted soldiers from offworld, and Kurita soldiers were highly incentivized by the promise of land grants and privileges in conquered space.
House Davion was strong, but it was never guaranteed that they would always be able to defend all their worlds. Every time a big regimental-scale invasion was announced it was always a time of fear and doubt. Would this be the moment that, being distracted by all so many necessary battles going on at the same time, House Davion's strength would be stretched too far and fail?
Jody looked up. "Don't worry mother. This time it's different. It's like the news said - they're not facing any regular MechWarriors anymore. They're facing the Eridani Light Horse! Heirs of the SLDF!"
Her mother kissed the crown of her head. "Sure they do, baby. Sure they do…" she whispered without much conviction.
-.
-.
General Lavrenti Kornilov sniffed at the dry, faintly acrid air of New Aberdeen. It was a wild and backwards world that was only worth the notice because it belonged to Davion. Kurita took it once before, and they could do it again.
This was deeply uncomfortable for infantry, but mechwarriors were used enduring heat. But only relatively short but intense bursts of overheating. The hatch of his mech closed and he was kissed by cool air-conditioned air and felt the chill of his cooling jacket.
The 2nd Galedon was sent because though they might be considered a green regiment, they specialized in open field battles. Its officers often served as lecturers in the Sun Zhang Academy. Galedon Regulars were well-equipped and well-trained regiments, only the wide swath of space they had to handle meant that some regiments were better for training ladder. The dry brush terrain of New Aberdeen was welcoming to mechs that could move at great speed and react in unison to changing battlefield conditions.
While listed technically as a medium weight regiment, this was only on average by the total tonnage of the mechs. In practice, the 2nd Galedon was heavily biased towards heavy mechs and light mechs, with few mediums in between.
It was just that all those Heavy Mechs were Dragons. Sixty-ton machines that could move up to 86 kph, easily keeping pace with smaller mechs. His own personal mech was a Dragon. Like the Draconis Combine itself, all things come from deliberate and focused aggression.
The dropships landed midway between the two main settlements of New Aberdeen. Rolling hills but little forests meant not much in terms of cover.
Kornilov landed with three full battalions mechs to add to the much-battered battalion on New Aberdeen. Unlike a Regimental Combat Team, they spared no weight for infantry - all of it was pure battlemech power. Infantry and combat vehicles were a separate follow-on force in a different dropship.
"Sho-sa Geordi, you will take your command company and your second company and head north. It is an insult that a battalion is being harried by a single company of light mechs. You will link up with the remainder of Ehrenburg's Battalion and find this… Barbara Mosley. And break her. Make sure Ehrenburg lives to pay for this humiliation. In the meantime, attach your third company to my battlegroup."
"Hai, general. It would be our honor to serve."
At this point, Barbara's Badniks had reduced Ehrenburg Battallion from thirty-six down to two and a half lances unwilling to step out of the shadow of their Overlord lest they eat the rain of Arrows. Overlords had a nose-mounted Long Tom Artillery piece that could perform counter-battery fire.
Kornilov ordered these two companies to head north and set up another forward operating base in preparation for infantry to storm and capture Firthhaven. Aircraft would patrol the skies to swoop down on detecting a launch. The Eridani Light Horse might have lostech missile artillery, but missile artillery was still expensive and they should be running low.
He intended to take the rest of the regiment and push at the capital city. Intel estimated that the ELH and the 4th Deneb only had between them four companies of mechs.
Two full battalions plus a company (seven companies) meant there was no need for misdirection.
It would take almost six hours of running south, but such was the life of a mechwarrior. Most of war was actually just mind-numbing getting from place to place. An 84-strong force composed entirely of Battlemech could run nonstop by untiring power of their fusion reactors and artificial muscle myomers, limited only by the human weakness of their pilots. This was why the Combine's first notion was always to purge weakness from the flesh. Let the mind overcome the crass demands of flesh and bone, and there one shall one enlightenment.
The lack of any obvious choke points around Conlan City meant that minefields would be less useful. With enough speed and being sufficiently spread out, artillery was not such a danger but merely random chance.
With forces on the field in full view of each other, ECM and defeat in detail was marginalized.
The enemy shall meet their force in decisive battle or their city would be razed as a consequence of their cowardice.
-.
-.
Raymond Allwine and Roland Kaplan gathered their mechs together.
The Eridani Light Horse contributed one Heavy Mech company and a one Light Mech company while the 4th Deneb had two Medium Mech companies on the field, for a total of 48 mechs that could be seen. Another 18 combat vehicles were formed up in echelon around them.
Barbara Mosley's Badnik Company up north were facing around 24 new mechs and 10 heavily damaged ones. Allwine sent his Battalion's entire force of LAMs and VTOLS in support, but that still meant Mosley's company was outnumbered twice over.
Kaplan grimaced. "We could take them in a fair fight, but we're at two to one odds. If we had the advantage of terrain or night combat, this would be possible."
Allwine nodded. "It is SLDF doctrine to prefer fights where you can outnumber your enemy. The Combine produces good pilots. Skilled Mechwarriors. Some of them can even be honorable sorts. The SLDF losing to them in pilot vs pilot combat panicked them enough to initiate the Gunslinger Program," said Allwine. He beamed and held up a thumb. "But even without the great bulk of SLDF, and the Combine abiding, the situation has not changed. Technology alone does not guarantee victory. Man vs man you might risk the question. But in a battle of holistic systems…"
The whole was more than the sum of its parts.
Or to put it another way "House Kurita hates it! Beat the DCMS with one simple trick!"
--
New Aberdeen
Draconis March
29 February 3025
Two Invaders appeared in the Nadir Jump point below New Aberdeen's star. These pair of JumpShips disgorged six DropShips. Two Overlord class dropships, three Unions, and a Leopard-CV fighter-carrier. They burned towards the planet at an uncomfortable 1.5 gravities, shortening transit time from nine days to a little under five days.
The Comstar station on New Rochester received priority mail from nearby systems - Wolf's Dragoons were simultaneously assaulting the 4th Deneb's homeworld of Harrow's Sun. Those on New Aberdeen could only grit their teeth and trust in the combined force of the rest of their regiment, the AFFS security force based on the moon Bane, and the 21st Striker Regiment of the Eridani Light Horse. This was a wolf trap.
New Aberdeen was a snake trap.
Major Raymond Allwine asked "You know what really annoys me about the Draconis Combine? What really grinds my gears? What really puts rice in my corn flakes?"
Major Kaplan gave him a dull look. 'Are all Eridani Light Horse like this?'
He asked with a sigh "What about the Combine?"
"I really hate the uncomfortable truth that the Draconis Combine is actually a strong nation." He turned around to face the Davion officer. "As we are both employed by House Davion, we should not be blind to the flaws in the nation we serve, the better head off future difficulties, no? If even the Federated Suns is criticized as two-faced by sacrificing so much on the altar of militarism, how could the Draconis Combine with its weaker economy maintain the second largest military in the Inner Sphere? How dare the Combine always be pushing to claim worlds and often succeed?"
Kaplan grimaced. "Isn't it because what we call a sacrifice they make an obligation? Davion has to sacrifice half of itself just to withstand Kurita's aggression, but the Draconis Combine puts everything it could possibly have into the altar of victory. You're right, it is a hideous nation - and it's hateful that it is this strong."
Allwine nodded. "House Kurita's existence proves that strength itself can come from different sources. It is most ironic that they do prove one tenet true - it is cooperation that gives the most strength. The despotic brutal and often casualty insensitive rule of House Kurita is perhaps among the worst ever devised, but a broken people believed in it utterly. Not like the Capellan Confederation where the citizens endured the cruelty of their nobles from existential danger of being the weakest power, but that they genuinely believe that it is House Kurita's inevitable destiny to rule the Inner Sphere. Their hardships don't matter - that other people lived healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives were irrelevant. The people of the Dragon valued their spiritual and cultural treasures more than whatever luxuries and conveniences are available in the other nations."
He sighed. "And unlike other nations, the Draconis Combine never really feared the SLDF."
Unlike other nations in the Inner Sphere, the Draconis Combine did not have such a reverence for the Star League - it was humanity's golden age, true - but they always believed that House Kurita would have been as able a leader as House Cameron. Mighty as the SLDF might have been, they were first and foremost seen as a rival preventing the Dragon from achieving its rightful rule.
The SLDF deemed them likewise, and continually did the SLDF and the DCMS fight a covert low level Ronin War, always testing each other's boundaries and skills.
It often ended with a draw, with a slight edge to the Combine in pilot vs pilot combat.
They watched the dropships approach on the holotable. It would still take most of the week and ASFs were surprisingly short-legged. Intercepting the dropships would require carrier vs carrier combat, but unless there was enough weight of numbers from the 4th Deneb, such a clash would not be decisive compared to the number of ASF from the Combine's own carriers and fightercraft inside their military transport dropships.
So until then, there was nothing to do but to wait. Brief moments of brutal intensity punctuated by long stretches of tense waiting around, such was the military life.
"The Combine did contribute men and machines to the SLDF still," Kaplan said, remembering how the great bulk of SLDF was composed of member state contributions. These men were always assigned to guard different Houses than the ones they were sourced from to minimize conflict of interests. "You know, come to think of it - I am actually surprised that almost all of them chose to follow Kerensky out of the Inner Sphere. So they believed in the SLDF enough over their own upbringing as Combine citizens."
Left unspoken: SLDF indoctrination was superior to Kuritan brainwashing, then?
Kaplan pointedly looked away from Allwine.
-.
-.
New Aberdeen
8 March 3025
The night skies of New Aberdeen boiled with fury and fire.
The 4th Deneb's aerospace fighters contested the orbitals while the 8th Galedon's own fighters opened the way for dropships to land.
Orbital entry was the most vulnerable time for dropships. These egg-shaped Unions and Overlords tried to shed velocity, sheathed in a bubble of plasma from the air shock as they entered the atmosphere, completely blind and deaf to everything.
ASFs could only shoot at them from above or below, because operating in the same layer would have them experience the same effects. Above the atmospheric boundary, ASFs could proceed at speed, while below that all fighters had an imposed maximum speed due to atmospheric drag.
The 4th Deneb was an aerospace heavy force, but this was a problem for the aerospace complement taking up a sizable proportion of regimental power. The Kurita invasion force counted ASF power separately from the 8th Galedon's mech regiment, and so had enough craft to screen the approach.
AeroSpace Combat was unlike BattleMech combat, where resilience vs good gunnery ruled. Pilots had seconds to deal as much damage as they could before the enemy could break weapons lock. Speed was only limited by fuel and human endurance. All the rest of the time was trying to angle for a firing solution, minding fuel consumption lest they would be dry and stranded out in space.
No power could assume aerospace dominance in a hurry. While fighters battled, the dropships cleared the atmospheric boundary and flipped around to burn against the pull of gravity.
The invasion of New Aberdeen had begun.
-.
Jody Smith was a child of New Aberdeen. Everyone in the city had gone to the underground shelters, and now she sat in her mother's arms. This was not even the fifth time she had experienced this - schools had evacuation drills and her neighborhood had emergency drills. This was life in the border worlds.
Her father was a soldier in the AFFS militia. Her mother stroked Jody's hair while they waited with the crowd. One of the things Kurita might do once successfully conquering a world is to execute militia soldiers in case they trained for insurgency. It was better to replace defenders with their own trusted soldiers from offworld, and Kurita soldiers were highly incentivized by the promise of land grants and privileges in conquered space.
House Davion was strong, but it was never guaranteed that they would always be able to defend all their worlds. Every time a big regimental-scale invasion was announced it was always a time of fear and doubt. Would this be the moment that, being distracted by all so many necessary battles going on at the same time, House Davion's strength would be stretched too far and fail?
Jody looked up. "Don't worry mother. This time it's different. It's like the news said - they're not facing any regular MechWarriors anymore. They're facing the Eridani Light Horse! Heirs of the SLDF!"
Her mother kissed the crown of her head. "Sure they do, baby. Sure they do…" she whispered without much conviction.
-.
-.
General Lavrenti Kornilov sniffed at the dry, faintly acrid air of New Aberdeen. It was a wild and backwards world that was only worth the notice because it belonged to Davion. Kurita took it once before, and they could do it again.
This was deeply uncomfortable for infantry, but mechwarriors were used enduring heat. But only relatively short but intense bursts of overheating. The hatch of his mech closed and he was kissed by cool air-conditioned air and felt the chill of his cooling jacket.
The 2nd Galedon was sent because though they might be considered a green regiment, they specialized in open field battles. Its officers often served as lecturers in the Sun Zhang Academy. Galedon Regulars were well-equipped and well-trained regiments, only the wide swath of space they had to handle meant that some regiments were better for training ladder. The dry brush terrain of New Aberdeen was welcoming to mechs that could move at great speed and react in unison to changing battlefield conditions.
While listed technically as a medium weight regiment, this was only on average by the total tonnage of the mechs. In practice, the 2nd Galedon was heavily biased towards heavy mechs and light mechs, with few mediums in between.
It was just that all those Heavy Mechs were Dragons. Sixty-ton machines that could move up to 86 kph, easily keeping pace with smaller mechs. His own personal mech was a Dragon. Like the Draconis Combine itself, all things come from deliberate and focused aggression.
The dropships landed midway between the two main settlements of New Aberdeen. Rolling hills but little forests meant not much in terms of cover.
Kornilov landed with three full battalions mechs to add to the much-battered battalion on New Aberdeen. Unlike a Regimental Combat Team, they spared no weight for infantry - all of it was pure battlemech power. Infantry and combat vehicles were a separate follow-on force in a different dropship.
"Sho-sa Geordi, you will take your command company and your second company and head north. It is an insult that a battalion is being harried by a single company of light mechs. You will link up with the remainder of Ehrenburg's Battalion and find this… Barbara Mosley. And break her. Make sure Ehrenburg lives to pay for this humiliation. In the meantime, attach your third company to my battlegroup."
"Hai, general. It would be our honor to serve."
At this point, Barbara's Badniks had reduced Ehrenburg Battallion from thirty-six down to two and a half lances unwilling to step out of the shadow of their Overlord lest they eat the rain of Arrows. Overlords had a nose-mounted Long Tom Artillery piece that could perform counter-battery fire.
Kornilov ordered these two companies to head north and set up another forward operating base in preparation for infantry to storm and capture Firthhaven. Aircraft would patrol the skies to swoop down on detecting a launch. The Eridani Light Horse might have lostech missile artillery, but missile artillery was still expensive and they should be running low.
He intended to take the rest of the regiment and push at the capital city. Intel estimated that the ELH and the 4th Deneb only had between them four companies of mechs.
Two full battalions plus a company (seven companies) meant there was no need for misdirection.
It would take almost six hours of running south, but such was the life of a mechwarrior. Most of war was actually just mind-numbing getting from place to place. An 84-strong force composed entirely of Battlemech could run nonstop by untiring power of their fusion reactors and artificial muscle myomers, limited only by the human weakness of their pilots. This was why the Combine's first notion was always to purge weakness from the flesh. Let the mind overcome the crass demands of flesh and bone, and there one shall one enlightenment.
The lack of any obvious choke points around Conlan City meant that minefields would be less useful. With enough speed and being sufficiently spread out, artillery was not such a danger but merely random chance.
With forces on the field in full view of each other, ECM and defeat in detail was marginalized.
The enemy shall meet their force in decisive battle or their city would be razed as a consequence of their cowardice.
-.
-.
Raymond Allwine and Roland Kaplan gathered their mechs together.
The Eridani Light Horse contributed one Heavy Mech company and a one Light Mech company while the 4th Deneb had two Medium Mech companies on the field, for a total of 48 mechs that could be seen. Another 18 combat vehicles were formed up in echelon around them.
Barbara Mosley's Badnik Company up north were facing around 24 new mechs and 10 heavily damaged ones. Allwine sent his Battalion's entire force of LAMs and VTOLS in support, but that still meant Mosley's company was outnumbered twice over.
Kaplan grimaced. "We could take them in a fair fight, but we're at two to one odds. If we had the advantage of terrain or night combat, this would be possible."
Allwine nodded. "It is SLDF doctrine to prefer fights where you can outnumber your enemy. The Combine produces good pilots. Skilled Mechwarriors. Some of them can even be honorable sorts. The SLDF losing to them in pilot vs pilot combat panicked them enough to initiate the Gunslinger Program," said Allwine. He beamed and held up a thumb. "But even without the great bulk of SLDF, and the Combine abiding, the situation has not changed. Technology alone does not guarantee victory. Man vs man you might risk the question. But in a battle of holistic systems…"
The whole was more than the sum of its parts.
Or to put it another way "House Kurita hates it! Beat the DCMS with one simple trick!"
--
Last edited:
8.2 Dragonslayers
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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Dragonslayer 02
Approx 180 km NNW of Conlan City
New Aberdeen
It was not even noon yet.
In truth, it was not exactly necessary for General Lavrenti Kornilov to lead this rarely-seen force concentration. He could have just stayed at the DropShip, coordinating the regiment's actions via the command post inside an Overlord.
However, this whole thing was about repaying the insult. Doing better than the Wolf's Dragoons. It is known that sometimes even Jaime Wolf fights on the field. A leader must at times go to the battlefield and risk their life to prevent an unseemly appearance of laziness. The Draconis Combine can abide many things, but a timid commander least of all.
He had advised his predecessor to commit ritual suicide rather than face any accusation of impropriety by the Assembly of the Grand Inquisitor, the Combine's military court. While General Fastius Semronovitch had done nothing wrong, just being called up meant that those facing the court would never be seen again and they could extract any confession they wished. Better to die with his honor intact. And thereafter Kornilov took control of the regiment.
Someone may have given the Grand Inquisitors false information for this exact situation.
The battle group moved with three companies on each flank, with the command company at the center. It was roughly an A-shaped formation.
His Target and Tracking System buzzed with air contact. ASFs approached from ahead but at high altitude. These were 4th Deneb fighters, still contesting the skies, preventing Kuritan air from being of any direct help. At the very least no one was in a position do any bombing runs. They would have to rely on forward scouts to find the enemy.
Kornilov idly listened to the battalion channels. Four hours in and nothing interesting had happened. Battlemechs had autopilot when at cruising speed, and the wide open (if not exactly flat) expanse of New Aberdeen's semi-arid soils were excellent for this.
The radio crackled "Erik Lance to Rocket Lead, reporting enemy contact. Looks like… four lances. Two lances Urbanmech. Two lances Catapult and Archer. We are engaged. Over."
"Roger that." There was a click. "This is Rocket Company Lead to Battalion Command, seeking permission to support. Over."
"Hm. That would be forward left company, would it not?" he said to Kutuzov, walking beside him also in a Dragon.
"Hai, general. That one is named, oddly enough, Steiner," was the reply from the other mech. "Steiner's Rocket Company is a light mech company. I would recommend sending Tolbukhin Company instead, they have anti-minefield sensors."
That would mean compressing the left side. He frowned. "Sensible. Catapults and Archers with four medium lasers are decent skirmishers for fire support mechs, they can withstand attack by light mechs ranging in the back line. Tell them to pull back. See if the Davions will dare try to harass our flank, and then meet them with force."
"Hai, general!" Kutuzov relayed the instructions.
"Rocket Company to Erik Lance, pull back. Do you copy? Erik Lance, do you read?"
Looking ahead, the two forward companies were behind a ridge, and their scouts ranged several kilometers ahead of the formation.
No communications returned from Erik Lance, composed of three 20-ton Wasps and a 35-ton Jenner. Kornilov wrinkled his nose. While light and barely armored, those four mechs should still be fast enough that they could not be taken out quickly. Even one against four lances, they should be able to break off.
Steiner's voice came back "Enemy contact! As reported, here comes eight Urbanmechs, four each Catapult and Archer. We are under missile and PPC fire." The left company spread out while the other forward company moved to assist.
"If this is a feint, if we move with the weight of numbers we will not be led astray," said Kornilov. "All forces, move on point and engage." He moved the throttle of his mech to full. The arrow-shaped formation tilted to the left.
As his mech cleared the ridge, he saw how the enemy engaged forward elements. Two companies of light mechs versus one mixed company of lights and heavies. The light mechs were rushing to close in with the enemy at full speed, while the Davions were walking at a quick yet oddly leisurely-looking pace at an angle, picking them off one by one.
The Kurita formation pivoted to prevent the enemy from finding the flank. Steiner company was the tip of the spear. Coming from behind the Urbanmechs, missiles crossed the gap. Missiles were rarely a decisive weapon against light mechs, as most of them can miss a mech moving and abruptly changing directions at high speed.
Large Laser fire, however… that was another matter entirely.
A Locust brewed up, its ammunition igniting from being cored through by a pair of Large Lasers. Those were probably ARC-2Ks, a common variant in the Draconis Combine. There, a Jenner that managed to get through was showered in criss-cross fire from the Catapults. Instead of four Medium Lasers, the Catapults only fired three each. On the other hand, these lasers struck at ranges closer to that of a Large Laser. Armor boiled off as the beams carved into it, until one of its legs was sliced clean through and the mech collapsed face-first into hard ground.
The Urbanmechs peeled off from screening the Heavy Mech to meet the incoming medium-weight company from the middle left portion of the battle group. They answered LRM fire with PPC fire from extreme ranges.
"So it is true…" he heard Kutuzov murmur. "They are using lostech. This is not the Fourth Deneb. They are the Eridani Light Horse!"
Both the Eridani Light Horse and the 4th Deneb still used standard SLDF pale olive camo.
"Good! Crushing this group would be a fine appetizer. They made a mistake here - throwing away two lances of Heavies just to buy themselves time. Even losing a full company of light mechs is worth the exchange. We could trade two for one and still be on the advantage - a spoiling attack should do more than their own weight to be of value! Destroy them!"
They had been warned about stupidly fast Urbanmechs with ER PPCs. But to defeat them all one needed to do was to be sufficiently fast. Long-range duels were a fool's bargain.
As the 2nd Galedon Regulars rushed forth at full speed, the ELH mechs slowly dialed down their attacks and began to accelerate. They disengaged smoothly. Even the Catapults and Archers began to move past regular running speed of Heavy mechs - up to Medium mech speeds, ensuring that most of the 2nd Galedon Mechs would not be able to catch up given the initial distance between the two formations. Only Light Mechs would be able to close the distance, but then that would lead them out of sight of the battle group.
The Eridani Light Horse attacked, wrecked a company of light mechs in short order, and then pulled back with almost no damage to themselves.
Those heavy mechs were moving at 86 kph.
Dragon speeds.
How?
"Did they downgrade the LRMs into LRM-10s? LRM-5s?" Kutuzov murmured to himself some more. "Or is it more lostech? It is probably lostech." His voice was tinged with greed.
"Enemy contact!" reported Ulasov's company, formation lower-right. "Medium mechs!"
Deneb.
Kornilov hissed. "Split the force. Kutuzov, take two companies and handle this."
He would take the remaining four companies and keep pushing forward. Kutuzov's battle group was fast enough to deal with anything. Deneb's Light Cavalry would have mechs in the same weight class.
Kutuzov sucked in his breath. Not participating in the fight against the Eridani Light Horse meant he was not due any of that lostech salvage. Deneb Cavalry Mechs were potent if used with skill, but mundane.
"Well, Tai-sa?"
"A-as you command, Tai-sho." Kutuzov's Dragon halted abruptly and wheeled about. The battalion commander began screaming commands into his comms, and the two rear guard companies broke formation.
--
--
It was ideal for a force to move at a uniform speed, preferably a Medium Mech's 86 kph running speed or 54 kph cruising speed. In practice, this was not possible even for a maximum aggression Kurita force. Light mechs such as the Panther had a powerful punch for their weight class with a PPC, but were limited to 64 kph running speed. This was not normally a problem as that was average Heavy mech speed and the DCMS like to use Jenners and Panthers in a hammer and anvil approach.
Medium mechs could carry heavier firepower if they were to accept a reduction in speed, the classic Davion Enforcer for example. A Class 10 Autocannon in one arm and a Large Laser in another totaled 18 tons (w/ ammo) for a 50-ton machine. A 45-ton Vindicator was essentially an up-sized Panther for these purposes, with more armor and all-range weapons load.
By a similar vein, a Heavy Mech could accept a reduction in firepower or armor in exchange for speed, the Dragon or Quickdraw for example. All of the 2nd Galedon's Heavy Mechs were in this vein.
The 2nd Galedon also had a pair of Assault Mechs, moving at a top speed of 54 kph. They were a Stalker and a Victor.
A veritable rain of missiles arced from the sky. Eight heavy mechs, each carrying a pair of LRM-15s, meant a white swarm of 240 LRMs inbound. Fortunately indirect fire was not quite as accurate as within visual range launches.
Unfortunately this was still a big swirling blob of missiles that was guaranteed to hit something. Anything. The command company scattered to spread out chances of being hit.
Mechs had more or less some armor stripped off. More so with the two Assault mechs in the command lance, being too slow to change their direction in time. Once again Lavrenti Kornilov appreciated the wisdom of not being the big obvious target in the regimental command lance. In the Combine, speed was life itself.
This meant that unless Kornilov wanted to fight directly and outpace his command and bodyguard lances, his command battle group was limited to 54 kph. Lances with Panthers in them were limited to 64 kph to maintain unit cohesion.
It was just that the Eridani Light Horse were refusing to step in between the hammer and the anvil.
So be it. On a broad front they would meet the enemy. Ten BattleMech lances by themselves would normally be a match for all two mixed battalions the Davions had on planet. They would be the hammer. They would be the storm. This was the decisive battle!
-.
-.
Allwine watched the formerly neat Kuritan formation wobble into disarray, splitting into two like a cell undergoing mitosis.
What had once been a neat arrow had turned into two stringy blobs. The formations stretched out into a line to be able to surround and swallow the enemy. As everyone in this fight was familiar with Light Mech tactics, they all prepared to refuse the flank in advance.
With their unprecedented speed, the ELH's Archers and Catapults didn't need a screening force of Light Mechs. Now the four lances separated into two groups - the Urbanmechs being the hammer and heavy mechs with their missile load and ER Large and Medium Lasers being the anvil. Kuritan Light mechs that outpace their own company would be caught in enfilade.
This was doing the Mongol, he mused. They could drag this out for hours if they had to. Normal operations would already be leading the enemy into an enfilade ambush of combat vehicles and heavy mechs.
But the Eridani Light Horse only had two full companies - six lances - or 24 mechs in this fight.
They had reduced the enemy's starting 82 mechs by one company (12) and heavily damaged another dozen. Another 28 mechs (2 companies + command lance) then removed themselves to deal with 4th Deneb's own two dozen mechs.
Now all the remaining 42 BattleMechs were raring towards Raymond Allwine's face.
He stroked at his bushy mustache. Half a year ago this would have been intimidating.
But knowing that General Armstrong had access to Robotnik's holorecordings - years of the man's philosophy and forgotten/buried knowledge about the inner workings of the Star League - Allwine had begged for the privilege of listening to the voice of a man born in two golden ages of mankind. He had to hear and accept all sorts of uncomfortable truths.
Chief among them was that the SLDF was not really all that much better than the House militaries during the height of the Star League. Davion troops were as professional as the SLDF, Kurita troops just as skilled, even House Liao at that time was a competent power. Marik and Steiner had the economy to match the SLDF's output if they really wanted to. Their advantage was that they started ramping up early from the days of the Terran Hegemony and never stopped. They took in contributions from the House Militaries and labeled them as their own.
What made the SLDF so much better than the Great Houses that, until Kerensky left with all the SLDF, they did not dare to test their might?
The SLDF had many advantages, their system was unmatched, but there was another special thing that broke loyalties of family and nation into something greater. What elevated their personhood and brought them into recruitment centers that knew they would be ceding their citizenship in their House to fight on distant worlds?
He looked to his left and right. He was in a Battlemaster, an 85-to Assault mech often used as a command mech. Even Hanse Davion used one. To his left was a 75-ton Marauder, and to his right two 75-ton Flashmans. A 30-ton Super Urbanmech Comms Guard was standing by his side around knee level, its dome top barely visible at this height. This was the entirety of his command lance.
Behind him were all eight of the Super Urbanmech Arrow IVs of the battalion. They would be helpless to direct attack, as they sacrificed too much armor and speed in order to mount their sizable artillery reloads.
And two 60-ton communications and control trucks.
Ah yes. He grinned. "Presentation!"
-.
-.
Near The Firth
New Aberdeen
Same day
Yasneyev Georgi was a proud graduate of Sun Zhang Academy. Though its training was founded on harsh discipline and emphasized bushido, at least it was based on savage beatings as the conditioning regiment as the Galedon Military Academy.
Sun Zhang was one of the few schools in the Draconis Combine that honored its graduates with both a Wakizashi and a Katana sword. These may be worn with the soldier's dress uniform. If for any reason the soldier dishonored himself in any way, however, he must commit seppuku or face the loss of his 'Mech or fighter, landholdings, titles, rank, and both his own and his family's honor.
Ehrenburg, commander of the third Battalion, was also a graduate of Sun Zhang Academy. Sun Zhang Academy counted as its graduate the current Coordinator of Worlds, Takashi Kurita, autocrat ruler of the Draconis Combine itself.
Galedon Academy was for commoners, Sun Zhang was for the elites.
Ehrenburg's failure on New Aberdeen could only be expiated with death.
More urgent than simply beating some uppity mercenary MechWarrior was making sure Kiel Ehrenburg did not kill himself too early. His death must be observed according to the proper ritual of seppuku, as mere suicide to avoid enduring the humuliation any further would not be enough to save his family from the dishonor.
Officers of House Kurita did not have a duty to live, but to die properly. Dying in battle was often the best, but if Ehrenburg had decided to spike himself onto a PPC bolt to escape the consequences, there would need to be a serious inquest.
Ehrenburg Battalion's Overlord-class dropship, the Bialistock, had landed in a very defensible valley that used to be a mine established by the Combine when they owned the world. Towns nearby were Kuritan sympathizers, or at least were visibly cooperative as long as there were Battlemechs in the area.
A single Spider rushed forth to meet Georgi's battle group.
The pilot spoke in crackling heavily accented commoner's Japanese "This is Shujin Sugita of Badnov's Company, Ehrenburg Battalion. May I have the honor of knowing if the Mechs are of Georgi Battalion?"
As the Light mech approached, they could all see it was missing its left arm. Fortunately a Spider's pair of Medium Lasers was mounted in the torso.
"Is it? A mere sergeant by himself coming to meet his betters. You dishonor us. I am Tai-sa Georgi. Where is Ehrenburg?"
The Spider bowed. "I apologize for the insult, masters. You may have my life if you wish. But Tai-sa Ehrenburg-sama is… indisposed. He is of the moment in a medical coma and cannot show the proper courtesy."
Georgi sneered. "How convenient."
"If you would allow it, please follow me to the base at speed. We cannot stay out in the open any more than necessary."
Georgi sucked in his breath. "I did not think it was possible for the 2nd Galedon to fall so far, but you are all actual cowards now. I should shoot you where you stand."
"I would welcome this mercy, my lord. But please, I beg you to let us do this at a more opportune place. It has been a long journey for you. If my death would amuse you in anyway, I would happily offer my life back at base at your ease."
Georgi switched radio channels for a moment. "Second Galedon Second Battalion Command to Air Lance. Do you see any enemy movement? Over."
"This is Leaf Lance Leader, negative on that. Over." An Aerospace Lance was two fighters, and four ASFs circled the skies above the group.
"Actual cowards," Georgi breathed again.
-.
-.
Ehrenburg had at least chosen his landing site well. The valley was protected on three sides, and one side was a mountain face. The excavated chambers of the iron mines made for cool quarters and storage under the New Aberdeen heat. The site was large enough to support an airfield.
The Overlord loomed over an entrance that could only accept two mech lances walking side by side. The Battalion was originally accompanied by an Triumph-class fighter-carrier DropShip but, as the dropship was not as good for launching and refitting ASFs once landed, it left with the Wolf's Dragoons. Of the original anti-4th Deneb air support, only a single Sabre remained.
The valley did not have walls tall enough to be collapsed into invaders, but the rough rise and fall of the terrain meant that only jump-capable mechs would be able to move in cohesion. This was not terrain good for non-jump capable heavy mechs. The Kuritan Dragon could not jump, but it was at least fast. A Davion Centurion or Jagermech would not be able to contribute so well.
There was space to accept Georgi's company, as it was originally made to service a full battalion. Now he could see all the remains of what had been a proud assembly of forty mechs (3 companies + command lance, made possible through the removal of the six ASF bays for extra mech bays and cargo). Nine heavily battered mechs stood at attention, and the Spider escorting them joined them in line.
This was light mech country and that was all that remained of Ehrenburg battalion. Two 35-ton Firestarters, two 35-ton Jenners, one last 35-ton Panther, the rest 20-ton Locusts and Stingers, all showing extensive weapons fire carbon scoring on their Galedon colors of white and light blue.
Ehrenburg swiveled his 60-ton Dragon's torso from side to side, looking over the base. There were some signs of combat. The troops - infantry and armor, looked nervous and ready to repulse another assault at any moment.
The remaining Ehrenburg mechs were relaxed, as if inviting death. The regular troops moved with purpose and sank into dug-in positions. Trenches minimized exposure to artillery and mech fire. No one was pointing any guns at newcomers but at the valley mouth beyond them. Cowards but prepared to fight.
Georgi grimaced and bit at his bottom lip in a pug-like scowl. Something smelled wrong here.
Approx 180 km NNW of Conlan City
New Aberdeen
It was not even noon yet.
In truth, it was not exactly necessary for General Lavrenti Kornilov to lead this rarely-seen force concentration. He could have just stayed at the DropShip, coordinating the regiment's actions via the command post inside an Overlord.
However, this whole thing was about repaying the insult. Doing better than the Wolf's Dragoons. It is known that sometimes even Jaime Wolf fights on the field. A leader must at times go to the battlefield and risk their life to prevent an unseemly appearance of laziness. The Draconis Combine can abide many things, but a timid commander least of all.
He had advised his predecessor to commit ritual suicide rather than face any accusation of impropriety by the Assembly of the Grand Inquisitor, the Combine's military court. While General Fastius Semronovitch had done nothing wrong, just being called up meant that those facing the court would never be seen again and they could extract any confession they wished. Better to die with his honor intact. And thereafter Kornilov took control of the regiment.
Someone may have given the Grand Inquisitors false information for this exact situation.
The battle group moved with three companies on each flank, with the command company at the center. It was roughly an A-shaped formation.
His Target and Tracking System buzzed with air contact. ASFs approached from ahead but at high altitude. These were 4th Deneb fighters, still contesting the skies, preventing Kuritan air from being of any direct help. At the very least no one was in a position do any bombing runs. They would have to rely on forward scouts to find the enemy.
Kornilov idly listened to the battalion channels. Four hours in and nothing interesting had happened. Battlemechs had autopilot when at cruising speed, and the wide open (if not exactly flat) expanse of New Aberdeen's semi-arid soils were excellent for this.
The radio crackled "Erik Lance to Rocket Lead, reporting enemy contact. Looks like… four lances. Two lances Urbanmech. Two lances Catapult and Archer. We are engaged. Over."
"Roger that." There was a click. "This is Rocket Company Lead to Battalion Command, seeking permission to support. Over."
"Hm. That would be forward left company, would it not?" he said to Kutuzov, walking beside him also in a Dragon.
"Hai, general. That one is named, oddly enough, Steiner," was the reply from the other mech. "Steiner's Rocket Company is a light mech company. I would recommend sending Tolbukhin Company instead, they have anti-minefield sensors."
That would mean compressing the left side. He frowned. "Sensible. Catapults and Archers with four medium lasers are decent skirmishers for fire support mechs, they can withstand attack by light mechs ranging in the back line. Tell them to pull back. See if the Davions will dare try to harass our flank, and then meet them with force."
"Hai, general!" Kutuzov relayed the instructions.
"Rocket Company to Erik Lance, pull back. Do you copy? Erik Lance, do you read?"
Looking ahead, the two forward companies were behind a ridge, and their scouts ranged several kilometers ahead of the formation.
No communications returned from Erik Lance, composed of three 20-ton Wasps and a 35-ton Jenner. Kornilov wrinkled his nose. While light and barely armored, those four mechs should still be fast enough that they could not be taken out quickly. Even one against four lances, they should be able to break off.
Steiner's voice came back "Enemy contact! As reported, here comes eight Urbanmechs, four each Catapult and Archer. We are under missile and PPC fire." The left company spread out while the other forward company moved to assist.
"If this is a feint, if we move with the weight of numbers we will not be led astray," said Kornilov. "All forces, move on point and engage." He moved the throttle of his mech to full. The arrow-shaped formation tilted to the left.
As his mech cleared the ridge, he saw how the enemy engaged forward elements. Two companies of light mechs versus one mixed company of lights and heavies. The light mechs were rushing to close in with the enemy at full speed, while the Davions were walking at a quick yet oddly leisurely-looking pace at an angle, picking them off one by one.
The Kurita formation pivoted to prevent the enemy from finding the flank. Steiner company was the tip of the spear. Coming from behind the Urbanmechs, missiles crossed the gap. Missiles were rarely a decisive weapon against light mechs, as most of them can miss a mech moving and abruptly changing directions at high speed.
Large Laser fire, however… that was another matter entirely.
A Locust brewed up, its ammunition igniting from being cored through by a pair of Large Lasers. Those were probably ARC-2Ks, a common variant in the Draconis Combine. There, a Jenner that managed to get through was showered in criss-cross fire from the Catapults. Instead of four Medium Lasers, the Catapults only fired three each. On the other hand, these lasers struck at ranges closer to that of a Large Laser. Armor boiled off as the beams carved into it, until one of its legs was sliced clean through and the mech collapsed face-first into hard ground.
The Urbanmechs peeled off from screening the Heavy Mech to meet the incoming medium-weight company from the middle left portion of the battle group. They answered LRM fire with PPC fire from extreme ranges.
"So it is true…" he heard Kutuzov murmur. "They are using lostech. This is not the Fourth Deneb. They are the Eridani Light Horse!"
Both the Eridani Light Horse and the 4th Deneb still used standard SLDF pale olive camo.
"Good! Crushing this group would be a fine appetizer. They made a mistake here - throwing away two lances of Heavies just to buy themselves time. Even losing a full company of light mechs is worth the exchange. We could trade two for one and still be on the advantage - a spoiling attack should do more than their own weight to be of value! Destroy them!"
They had been warned about stupidly fast Urbanmechs with ER PPCs. But to defeat them all one needed to do was to be sufficiently fast. Long-range duels were a fool's bargain.
As the 2nd Galedon Regulars rushed forth at full speed, the ELH mechs slowly dialed down their attacks and began to accelerate. They disengaged smoothly. Even the Catapults and Archers began to move past regular running speed of Heavy mechs - up to Medium mech speeds, ensuring that most of the 2nd Galedon Mechs would not be able to catch up given the initial distance between the two formations. Only Light Mechs would be able to close the distance, but then that would lead them out of sight of the battle group.
The Eridani Light Horse attacked, wrecked a company of light mechs in short order, and then pulled back with almost no damage to themselves.
Those heavy mechs were moving at 86 kph.
Dragon speeds.
How?
"Did they downgrade the LRMs into LRM-10s? LRM-5s?" Kutuzov murmured to himself some more. "Or is it more lostech? It is probably lostech." His voice was tinged with greed.
"Enemy contact!" reported Ulasov's company, formation lower-right. "Medium mechs!"
Deneb.
Kornilov hissed. "Split the force. Kutuzov, take two companies and handle this."
He would take the remaining four companies and keep pushing forward. Kutuzov's battle group was fast enough to deal with anything. Deneb's Light Cavalry would have mechs in the same weight class.
Kutuzov sucked in his breath. Not participating in the fight against the Eridani Light Horse meant he was not due any of that lostech salvage. Deneb Cavalry Mechs were potent if used with skill, but mundane.
"Well, Tai-sa?"
"A-as you command, Tai-sho." Kutuzov's Dragon halted abruptly and wheeled about. The battalion commander began screaming commands into his comms, and the two rear guard companies broke formation.
--
--
It was ideal for a force to move at a uniform speed, preferably a Medium Mech's 86 kph running speed or 54 kph cruising speed. In practice, this was not possible even for a maximum aggression Kurita force. Light mechs such as the Panther had a powerful punch for their weight class with a PPC, but were limited to 64 kph running speed. This was not normally a problem as that was average Heavy mech speed and the DCMS like to use Jenners and Panthers in a hammer and anvil approach.
Medium mechs could carry heavier firepower if they were to accept a reduction in speed, the classic Davion Enforcer for example. A Class 10 Autocannon in one arm and a Large Laser in another totaled 18 tons (w/ ammo) for a 50-ton machine. A 45-ton Vindicator was essentially an up-sized Panther for these purposes, with more armor and all-range weapons load.
By a similar vein, a Heavy Mech could accept a reduction in firepower or armor in exchange for speed, the Dragon or Quickdraw for example. All of the 2nd Galedon's Heavy Mechs were in this vein.
The 2nd Galedon also had a pair of Assault Mechs, moving at a top speed of 54 kph. They were a Stalker and a Victor.
A veritable rain of missiles arced from the sky. Eight heavy mechs, each carrying a pair of LRM-15s, meant a white swarm of 240 LRMs inbound. Fortunately indirect fire was not quite as accurate as within visual range launches.
Unfortunately this was still a big swirling blob of missiles that was guaranteed to hit something. Anything. The command company scattered to spread out chances of being hit.
Mechs had more or less some armor stripped off. More so with the two Assault mechs in the command lance, being too slow to change their direction in time. Once again Lavrenti Kornilov appreciated the wisdom of not being the big obvious target in the regimental command lance. In the Combine, speed was life itself.
This meant that unless Kornilov wanted to fight directly and outpace his command and bodyguard lances, his command battle group was limited to 54 kph. Lances with Panthers in them were limited to 64 kph to maintain unit cohesion.
It was just that the Eridani Light Horse were refusing to step in between the hammer and the anvil.
So be it. On a broad front they would meet the enemy. Ten BattleMech lances by themselves would normally be a match for all two mixed battalions the Davions had on planet. They would be the hammer. They would be the storm. This was the decisive battle!
-.
-.
Allwine watched the formerly neat Kuritan formation wobble into disarray, splitting into two like a cell undergoing mitosis.
What had once been a neat arrow had turned into two stringy blobs. The formations stretched out into a line to be able to surround and swallow the enemy. As everyone in this fight was familiar with Light Mech tactics, they all prepared to refuse the flank in advance.
With their unprecedented speed, the ELH's Archers and Catapults didn't need a screening force of Light Mechs. Now the four lances separated into two groups - the Urbanmechs being the hammer and heavy mechs with their missile load and ER Large and Medium Lasers being the anvil. Kuritan Light mechs that outpace their own company would be caught in enfilade.
This was doing the Mongol, he mused. They could drag this out for hours if they had to. Normal operations would already be leading the enemy into an enfilade ambush of combat vehicles and heavy mechs.
But the Eridani Light Horse only had two full companies - six lances - or 24 mechs in this fight.
They had reduced the enemy's starting 82 mechs by one company (12) and heavily damaged another dozen. Another 28 mechs (2 companies + command lance) then removed themselves to deal with 4th Deneb's own two dozen mechs.
Now all the remaining 42 BattleMechs were raring towards Raymond Allwine's face.
He stroked at his bushy mustache. Half a year ago this would have been intimidating.
But knowing that General Armstrong had access to Robotnik's holorecordings - years of the man's philosophy and forgotten/buried knowledge about the inner workings of the Star League - Allwine had begged for the privilege of listening to the voice of a man born in two golden ages of mankind. He had to hear and accept all sorts of uncomfortable truths.
Chief among them was that the SLDF was not really all that much better than the House militaries during the height of the Star League. Davion troops were as professional as the SLDF, Kurita troops just as skilled, even House Liao at that time was a competent power. Marik and Steiner had the economy to match the SLDF's output if they really wanted to. Their advantage was that they started ramping up early from the days of the Terran Hegemony and never stopped. They took in contributions from the House Militaries and labeled them as their own.
What made the SLDF so much better than the Great Houses that, until Kerensky left with all the SLDF, they did not dare to test their might?
The SLDF had many advantages, their system was unmatched, but there was another special thing that broke loyalties of family and nation into something greater. What elevated their personhood and brought them into recruitment centers that knew they would be ceding their citizenship in their House to fight on distant worlds?
He looked to his left and right. He was in a Battlemaster, an 85-to Assault mech often used as a command mech. Even Hanse Davion used one. To his left was a 75-ton Marauder, and to his right two 75-ton Flashmans. A 30-ton Super Urbanmech Comms Guard was standing by his side around knee level, its dome top barely visible at this height. This was the entirety of his command lance.
Behind him were all eight of the Super Urbanmech Arrow IVs of the battalion. They would be helpless to direct attack, as they sacrificed too much armor and speed in order to mount their sizable artillery reloads.
And two 60-ton communications and control trucks.
Ah yes. He grinned. "Presentation!"
-.
-.
Near The Firth
New Aberdeen
Same day
Yasneyev Georgi was a proud graduate of Sun Zhang Academy. Though its training was founded on harsh discipline and emphasized bushido, at least it was based on savage beatings as the conditioning regiment as the Galedon Military Academy.
Sun Zhang was one of the few schools in the Draconis Combine that honored its graduates with both a Wakizashi and a Katana sword. These may be worn with the soldier's dress uniform. If for any reason the soldier dishonored himself in any way, however, he must commit seppuku or face the loss of his 'Mech or fighter, landholdings, titles, rank, and both his own and his family's honor.
Ehrenburg, commander of the third Battalion, was also a graduate of Sun Zhang Academy. Sun Zhang Academy counted as its graduate the current Coordinator of Worlds, Takashi Kurita, autocrat ruler of the Draconis Combine itself.
Galedon Academy was for commoners, Sun Zhang was for the elites.
Ehrenburg's failure on New Aberdeen could only be expiated with death.
More urgent than simply beating some uppity mercenary MechWarrior was making sure Kiel Ehrenburg did not kill himself too early. His death must be observed according to the proper ritual of seppuku, as mere suicide to avoid enduring the humuliation any further would not be enough to save his family from the dishonor.
Officers of House Kurita did not have a duty to live, but to die properly. Dying in battle was often the best, but if Ehrenburg had decided to spike himself onto a PPC bolt to escape the consequences, there would need to be a serious inquest.
Ehrenburg Battalion's Overlord-class dropship, the Bialistock, had landed in a very defensible valley that used to be a mine established by the Combine when they owned the world. Towns nearby were Kuritan sympathizers, or at least were visibly cooperative as long as there were Battlemechs in the area.
A single Spider rushed forth to meet Georgi's battle group.
The pilot spoke in crackling heavily accented commoner's Japanese "This is Shujin Sugita of Badnov's Company, Ehrenburg Battalion. May I have the honor of knowing if the Mechs are of Georgi Battalion?"
As the Light mech approached, they could all see it was missing its left arm. Fortunately a Spider's pair of Medium Lasers was mounted in the torso.
"Is it? A mere sergeant by himself coming to meet his betters. You dishonor us. I am Tai-sa Georgi. Where is Ehrenburg?"
The Spider bowed. "I apologize for the insult, masters. You may have my life if you wish. But Tai-sa Ehrenburg-sama is… indisposed. He is of the moment in a medical coma and cannot show the proper courtesy."
Georgi sneered. "How convenient."
"If you would allow it, please follow me to the base at speed. We cannot stay out in the open any more than necessary."
Georgi sucked in his breath. "I did not think it was possible for the 2nd Galedon to fall so far, but you are all actual cowards now. I should shoot you where you stand."
"I would welcome this mercy, my lord. But please, I beg you to let us do this at a more opportune place. It has been a long journey for you. If my death would amuse you in anyway, I would happily offer my life back at base at your ease."
Georgi switched radio channels for a moment. "Second Galedon Second Battalion Command to Air Lance. Do you see any enemy movement? Over."
"This is Leaf Lance Leader, negative on that. Over." An Aerospace Lance was two fighters, and four ASFs circled the skies above the group.
"Actual cowards," Georgi breathed again.
-.
-.
Ehrenburg had at least chosen his landing site well. The valley was protected on three sides, and one side was a mountain face. The excavated chambers of the iron mines made for cool quarters and storage under the New Aberdeen heat. The site was large enough to support an airfield.
The Overlord loomed over an entrance that could only accept two mech lances walking side by side. The Battalion was originally accompanied by an Triumph-class fighter-carrier DropShip but, as the dropship was not as good for launching and refitting ASFs once landed, it left with the Wolf's Dragoons. Of the original anti-4th Deneb air support, only a single Sabre remained.
The valley did not have walls tall enough to be collapsed into invaders, but the rough rise and fall of the terrain meant that only jump-capable mechs would be able to move in cohesion. This was not terrain good for non-jump capable heavy mechs. The Kuritan Dragon could not jump, but it was at least fast. A Davion Centurion or Jagermech would not be able to contribute so well.
There was space to accept Georgi's company, as it was originally made to service a full battalion. Now he could see all the remains of what had been a proud assembly of forty mechs (3 companies + command lance, made possible through the removal of the six ASF bays for extra mech bays and cargo). Nine heavily battered mechs stood at attention, and the Spider escorting them joined them in line.
This was light mech country and that was all that remained of Ehrenburg battalion. Two 35-ton Firestarters, two 35-ton Jenners, one last 35-ton Panther, the rest 20-ton Locusts and Stingers, all showing extensive weapons fire carbon scoring on their Galedon colors of white and light blue.
Ehrenburg swiveled his 60-ton Dragon's torso from side to side, looking over the base. There were some signs of combat. The troops - infantry and armor, looked nervous and ready to repulse another assault at any moment.
The remaining Ehrenburg mechs were relaxed, as if inviting death. The regular troops moved with purpose and sank into dug-in positions. Trenches minimized exposure to artillery and mech fire. No one was pointing any guns at newcomers but at the valley mouth beyond them. Cowards but prepared to fight.
Georgi grimaced and bit at his bottom lip in a pug-like scowl. Something smelled wrong here.
Last edited:
8.3 Dragonslayers
bluepencil
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Dragonslayers 03
NNW of Conlan City
New Aberdeen
Technically Roland Kaplan, as the representing of the 4th Deneb and proper ranking officer of the AFFS, should have been in charge of this operation. However, when Raymond Allwine revealed the plan, he realized that this was the special sort of crazy that could work terribly well against the DCMS.
"The Eridani Light Horse, the Deneb Light Cavalry, the Second Galedon Regulars - all of us purport to be specialists in the field of fire and maneuver. Who then, are the best at it?" Allwine had asked idly.
Kaplan blandly replied "The Second Galedon is nowhere near this starting line. I would have to ask from Kurita for a Sword of Light regiment at least, not these trumped-up paper boys."
Allwine nodded. The 2nd Galedon benefited greatly from the best that Kurita's logistics could bring, but carried themselves as a regiment that earned their place through skill alone. "That's what they think. One of them has the pride of all of them."
He sighed. "The Draconis Combine is a dragon that cannot be defeated, a monster that cannot be slain. Because they will never admit to ever being beaten. All setbacks are only temporary, a man would rather die than be humiliated. That is the way of the warrior - their bushido."
"We have all been fighting the Combine for centuries now. There really isn't anything new that can be used against them anymore. Just beat them straight up and don't worry about it," Kaplan replied and looked to the distance with the despair of Pyrrhus after defeating Rome at Heraclea and Ausculum. "The Combine… is just something we all have to endure. We beat them here, they're justs going to come back. Twice as mad. Not angry-mad, insane-fanatic-lunatic-mad.
"Sometimes I feel like they're a force of nature, a perpetual disaster of the Inner Sphere. How can any reasonable man stand against such reckless hate?" Kaplan clenched his fists. "Just beat them. Beat them every time. Kill enough of them so that next time they get weaker and weaker until for a longer time… we can have peace. Until they start to pull their bloody mind to things again."
Allwine said "The Draconis Combine cannot be hurt through war and violence alone, that is where they thrive. To truly hurt them, you need to attack their soul."
-.
-.
As Kaplan remembered that the Second Galedon took pride in being open-field combatants, the wide open sun-baked plains of New Aberdeen promised to answer this unspoken question. There were few wooded areas to hide ambushes in, and tube artillery like the venerable Long Tom were far too slow to accompany mechs. There was no choice but to intercept the enemy and get into a knock-out match.
The 2nd Galedon had to prove they were better in very thing their enemy took pride in. The 2nd Galedon moved with the arrogant confidence of a firstborn son.
Unlike the Eridani Light Horse and Kornilov's regimental command, the 4th Deneb's 3rd Battalion vs Kutuzov's Battalion would be decided by skill versus skill. They had the same tech level, the same overall speed, and no artillery to complicate things. There was always the chance that Kornilov would not have split the force, but too large a force was unwieldy and refusing to accept battle was timidity.
Both the 4th Deneb and the Eridani Light Horse had fought the Draconis Combine through centuries, and by now they were familiar with how they thought. The Combine thought in mythic terms, as if the whole of the Inner Sphere was a stage and each one had their role to play. Most were just chaff, incidental actors and background scenery, it was up to each one of them to achieve a starring role (often at someone else's expense).
Just outnumbering and encircling the defenders would have been fine, but that did not make for an interesting enough story. The glory that the commanders would achieve would be minimal. As Allwine admitted, this was similar to how on Hoff, the Kurita commander decided to ignore the Wolf's Dragoons and attack first after a soothsayer had promised him victory.
One would think that there would be no room for astrologers and mystics in a military campaign, but that was the inherent dichotomy of the Draconis Combine. Kaplan had to admit that the DCMS had some damn good individual soldiers ruined only by the rank ego and superstitiousness of their officers.
"I am Major Roland Kaplan of the Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry Regiment! Pyotr Kutuzov, I know you can hear me!" he shouted into an open channel. At the very least, everyone's battlerom would have it. "Is a fair fight the only thing you're scared of? Come on, you snakes! Let's dance!"
Unlike the Eridani Light Horse who cheated with Catapults and Archers that were just as fast as Medium Mechs, the two companies of 4th Deneb had to work to keep the enemy's attention on the chase. Kaplan's mechs moved in a loose formation that invited one on one duels.
They didn't need to pull the enemy away very far. Less than fifteen minutes later, the dry semi-desert of New Aberdeen showed a broad plume of dust coming from the horizon.
Just far enough that the Eridani Light Horse and 4th Deneb's combat vehicle complement could roll in from the flank. The Vedettes of ELH Bravo Company and DLC 3rd Armor Company now joined the fray.
Now Kaplan could almost hear the Kurita pilots scoff at their sensors reporting the approach of over two dozen Vedettes.
The quintessential medium tank all others were measured against, a Vedette weighed fifty tons but was only armed with a single AC/5 and a Machine Gun. This was an anemic warload in the thirtieth century, more proper to a tank or mech 25 tons lighter.
Even at those numbers they were underwhelming. A Vedette Medium Tank was not worth a mech - in fact a MechWarrior would consider it not worth even three for a mech - a well-piloted Light Mech could even just survive its fire long enough to step on them.
Their main advantage was that they were cheap and decently fast, able to keep up with medium mechs. They roared to contact in several dagger lines, tearing up the ground at over 80 kilometers per hour.
This disdain for the AC/5 was odd considering that an AC/5 was a Dragon's main gun as well, but it also had an LRM-10 to supplement long range fire, and a pair of Medium Lasers that never feared running out of ammo. It was an excellent close-range combatant. Kutuzov's Dragon led the charge.
"Is this it, you Davion dogs?!" Tai-sa Kutuzov spoke over comms. "Pathetic. You are not mechwarriors if you need to be rescued by some second-rate tanks! Enough running. Fight me now, cowards!"
Major Kaplan ordered his two companies to wheel about to fight. "This is far enough. Deneb Cavalry! Let's skin some snakes!"
Kutuzov detached two lances to screen against the incoming tanks and readied to duel the Davion mechs to their deaths. They would not accept surrender, he boasted. His ancestors would always look upon him with pride, but the Davions would know only weeping and disgrace, unworthy and craven from birth.
They were sons of the Dragon, and this was their story. It was the story of a warrior trampling upon the weak and the unworthy.
These eight mechs, mainly Jenners that were deadly with their four medium lasers and SRMs at close range, and led by Griffin, were excellent tank hunters.
The leader's PPC and the Autocannons on those Vedettes had the same effective range. As the dazzling blue lightning of the Griffin's PPC shrieked, a rolling boom of autocannon fire answered.
Shells ripped through the air, and the incoming Kurita mechs waded into that fusillade. Light Mechs running at full speed aiming to close the distance all staggered. For the sufficiently unlucky, blood painted the insides of cockpits.
The Eridani Light Horse had even ditched their Machine Gun ammo in order to load even more Armor Piercing ammunition for their Class-Five Autocannons.
The RNIK Death Egg could plunder nearby parallel dimensions for items to duplicate and ELH 19th Red Horse Regiment, Allwine "Neckbreakers" Battallion, had a hundred tons to share.
AP ammunition was not strictly a straight improvement, being twice as heavy with larger propellant load to compensate for the heavy tip in exchange for improved chance to punch through fresh armor. The heavier kick meant they were less accurate in a burst. In many ways they were more dangerous against tank armor, where a punch-through would rapidly disable or kill the crew, compared to mere equipment destruction or mostly harmless blow-through on a battlemech.
Having half as many rounds per ton was not worth it. The Inner Sphere had the ability to craft better ammunition for a long time now, but no one wanted to bother. Just shoot more at the enemy. More ammunition meant better battlefield longevity, as plenty of shots were likely to miss under combat conditions, mechs and tanks jinking this way and that.
But with this many guns concentrating fire against mere eight mechs-
It was like a farmer cutting through stalks of rice.
And now the ELH armor company had a clear run at the thinner rear armor of the 2nd Galedon troops already engaged with the 4th Deneb. Kutuzov could not even turn back in horror.
Roland Kaplan smiled as he drove his Dervish deep into the brawl. This was the story the 4th Deneb wanted to tell.
A tale of gung-ho idiots.
-.
-.
North of Conlan City
New Aberdeen
A loud cheery voice issued from the comms, drowning all used radio frequencies.
"How deede-ly do, bad neighborinos! Are these some snakes in the grass I see before me? Hellooo New Aberdeen! This is Raymond Allwine, Battalion commander of the Eridani Light Horse speaking! I can see you, Lavrenti Kornilov. I stand approximately twelve kilometers ahead of you. Maybe this would be a good-doodly-day to once more be reminded why House Kurita cowered before the SLDF. Dare you fight me in this death ground?"
Then he laughed. It was a strange canoodling sort of laugh.
Kuritan communications returned with angry retorts. "Honorless mercenary rat!" "You will die like the dog you are!" "Kurita banzai! Combine banzai!"
Kornilov only scowled in silence. In difficult ground, press on; In encircled ground, devise stratagems; In death ground, fight.
This was the wisdom of Sun Tzu, still valid after three thousand years, and studied well in all military schools of the Combine.
This was too obviously a scheme of the Light Horse. They had some sort of stratagem. Now that what had once been an overwhelming force had been cut in half to merely overpowering, they were promising to stop running and finally conclusively fight to the end.
That was probably a trick. Yet of course the DCMS would dare!
As the mechs closed in, Kornilov's sensors detected aircraft at long range. VTOLs. Petty white strings of LRM-5 volleys spun towards the 2nd Galedon on the heels of the Light Horse. Most of them misses, and those that didn't caused minimal armor loss.Those were probably some pathetic Warrior combat helicopters.
Useful, but rarely decisive against battlemechs. Their rotors could never be adequately armored and the need to fly sharply reduced their weapons load. Warrior VTOLs were skies' equivalent to the Quikscell Company's Scorpion Light Tank. Cheap and nearly useless by themselves, only threatening in great numbers - and the buyer will need those numbers, because they were that cheap and they were so thinly armored they were guaranteed to lose a great many of them.
Was that it?
No, he resolved. This was a distraction. A stupid distraction, but there had to be something else. Even if they were there to waste the time of any mechs aiming up to shoot at them it would still be a poor scheme. The Eridani Light Horse was no underfunded militia.
He scowled. This was disappointing of the Light Horse if that was all they had. With ten mech lances, he did not fear an ambush even by tanks.
As much as Kornilov wanted to accelerate and join the point of contact for combat, the leading line of light mech companies had stretched out enough distance between the center force composed mainly of medium missile mechs and Dragons and the trailing rear line of assault mechs and their Panther escort.
"Visual contact with enemy battle line!" the forward lances reported. "Heavy mechs! Led by a Battlemaster!"
Kornilov's heart sang. Finally!
The ELH Archers and Catapults slowed down and formed up to join the advancing lance. Three lances formed the Erdani battle line versus the ten (more like nine, after damage from the running battle) of the 2nd Galedon. The eight Super Urbanmechs screened the left side. It remained immensely frustrating that the ELH mechs were still mostly in shape, though not unscathed.
Fortunately it seemed that the Archers and Catapults had finally run out of ammo. They could only contribute their guns now.
No need for anything complicated. Just slam into them at speed and cut them down! Not even his troops could screw up something that simple. The flanks would care for themselves with this many mechs forming natural encirclement.
-.
And this was the time the Eridani Light Horse finally used their Arrow IVs.
Kornilov had almost forgotten that the ELH had them.
Eight missiles slammed into the ground between the forward and middle lines of the 2nd Galedon formation. But instead of artillery, the missiles on impact exploded into tall billowing columns of black smoke.
Despite themselves, the running Kurita mechs hesitated. The DCMS did not prize initiative in its low-ranked officers. Run through or not? Better wait for orders. Lance leaders waited a few priceless seconds for the company leaders to order them to rush through.
The forward line, with their sight lines unhindered, rushed ahead in full fervor.
This abruptly reminded him of the great shame of the Kurita family, the battle off Leyte between the IJN's Center Force and USN's Taffy 3. The commander of that fleet, aboard the mighty superbattleship Yamato herself, had been driven off by a bunch of destroyers and jeep carriers. Takeo Kurita's descendants spent a thousand years trying to expunge that shame.
If only he had dared. If only he had been willing enough to lose, he could have seen the illusion of the enemy's strength for what it was. The DCMS studied it to understand how nerve meant the difference between defeat and victory. Metal was nothing if the man was weak.
And once more, the forces of Kurita were being stymied by a smokescreen.
In those seconds, the forward lances exploded.
Kornilov had no idea what was happening, only that massive explosions were rippling ahead of them. Had the Light Horse set up a minefield? When? How?
Well behind the lines, after laying down pre-targeted kilometers-wide areas with obscurant, the eight Super Urbanmech Arrow IV artillery mechs now let loose their Arrow-IV Thunder scatterable mines.
Behind even them were two trucks with six individual command pods and extensive command and control facilities inside. They just happened to command and control drones.
Arrow IV artillery was dangerous, but in the end they were still only about two hundred kilograms of bang each. Even airburst cluster warheads had an effective kill radius of sixty meters.
The VTOLs that Kornilov had earlier dismissed as Warriors were actually RNIK Egg Flyer drones, twenty tons each, packing an LRM-5 for long-range harassment and a Medium Laser for close-in support. Piloted remotely, they had an effective control range of 80 kilometers and could serve as recon and light support with their top speed of 151 kph. Surprisingly, they were even fusion-powered - what many considered a waste of a Class-85 fusion engine in a chassis protected only by two and half-tons of armor.
The way the Eridani Light Horse operated in the Succession Wars was from a position of extreme scarcity. They had to carefully mitigate risk and conserve as much military hardware as possible. The DCMs preferred to spend men, and if enough died in exchange for good salvage, they would still come out ahead. The SLDF's philosophy was that it was always better to spend metal instead of men.
The Egg Flyer drones swooped down to every lance that was not sufficiently dispersed and exploded in the middle of them. Abruptly turning into an expanding globe of heavy shrapnel, the kamikaze drones meant that anything within 30 meters was just outright deleted from existence and anything inside a 180 meters-wide sphere was just dead or heavily damaged.
The Death Egg considered them "Urbanmech enough" for some reason to produce, the same as the Urbanite Ultralight Mechs. The ELH would never run out of these type of disposable remote control drones.
Within those three and a half seconds of hesitation, eight explosive drones removed six lances of the 2nd Galedons forward battle line. Mechs bravely running through the smoke ran into the fresh minefield.
"Minefield! Minefield!" Kornilov heard one of the forward elements screaming in panic. "Their missiles can lay down minefields!"
'More damn lostech!' Kornilov cursed silently.
Then moments later only the sounds of PPC fire and more explosions. Firecracker-like bangs announced airburst artillery shells, dropping bomblets that were more likely to hit battlemech heads (and thus increased chances to breach through to the pilot within) compared to ground-contact high explosive shells.
The Kuritan general was struck numb with indecision. The last he had seen, the ELH battle line was weak to the right. But that was also predictable. Super Urbanmechs were fast enough to move flanks in that time.
Radar of course still worked through smoke. But without visual sensors to aid in identification, Super Urbanmech ECM blocked any information from passing through.
Left or right? Or wait for the smoke to dissipate?
Until he could make a decision, the entire battle group was actually paralyzed in place. He snarled and ordered "Right!"
More airburst bomblets bloomed overhead in the few moments while he reached a decision. No more time to think - just run! Mitigate artillery damage by simple speed and dispersal!
He ordered the Panthers to push through the smoke and report, while the pair of Assault Mechs and Trebuchets remained in reserve, following close by as he rushed to the right flank with his Dragons.
The smoke was there to make it difficult to know tell the mines landed, he was sure now! It was unlikely for the trailing edges of the smoke line to be mined. He only needed to move a little further and then push through.
As Kornilov finally made visual contact with Allwine's battle line, there was only joy in his face. Finally, an enemy he could shoot at!
He never saw the six Super Urbanmechs moving through the smoke cover, the Kuritan mechwarriors ignoring the unfamiliar warning buzz as they sighted but did not fire anything recognizable as a weapon.
It would prove to be a mistake.
TAG lasers worked through smoke because they communicated via microwave from the TAG-carrying battlemech's targeting sensors to the inbound missile. With the same effective range as a Large Laser, this put those daring light mechs well within danger range of return fire from the Stalker. If only that Assault Mech turned around.
Seconds later, it no longer mattered.
But even with more explosions erupting behind him, Kornilov could no longer spare any attention to the rest of his regiment.
He had Raymond Allwine's lance in front of him; seeing them cutting down his Panthers with massed laser fire from Archers and Flashmans, striking well beyond what should have been possible. Kuritan pilots were known for making a light mech act like an extension of their body, slipping away from weapons fire, turning combat almost into a deadly dance. None of that helped them now.
"Honorless cur!" Kornilov screamed at the enemy.
Then for a moment he paused again.
That Battlemaster was running pace with the other heavy mechs. Heavy mechs that had been demonstrated to have the speed and maneuverability of mediums.
A Battlemaster was an assault mech that weighed eighty-five tons.
The 2nd Galedon had split their force again, so that now it was three lances versus two. Now the Eridani Light Horse outnumbered the enemy, as was right and proper SLDF doctrine.
"Hi diddly ho, snakey boyos," spoke Raymond Allwine. "Time to die."
Lavrenti Kornilov let out a guttural roar full of hate and spite. He was still a general of the Draconis Combine! A samurai! As long as he could take down the enemy with him - as long as he could trade his life for the enemy - he could still win!
As long as he lived, he could make a fight of it -
Allwine raised his Battlemaster's right hand, and pointed a weapon that never existed within the timeline of this dimension. To make room for the Command Console, his command mech had to sacrifice all other weapons than the one on its right arm.
Shrak! Shrak! Shrak!
A rapid burst of PPC bolts slapped against the body of Kornilov's mech.
"What-"
As the rest of the heavy lance engaged, throwing bolts and beams downrange, Kornilov's mech kept going and was ignored by the others. It also turned out that the Archers and Catapults had not entirely run out of ammo, but had reserved some volleys for this final confrontation. For a moment the Kuritan general exulted. This at least was a proper duel, and he -
Shrak! Shrak! Shrak!
Again with the PPCs firing in quick succession as if it were an autocannon or something. His Dragon flinched back from the combined kinetic and thermal damage as if an animal wincing in pain. His autocannon returned with snap fire in vain against that weight of assault mech armor, but -
Shrak! Shrak! Shrak!
His cockpit blared with warnings about armor loss.
"What is happening-?" How did everything lead to this?
SLDF doctrine had always been about having as many options as possible. The Draconis Combine had welded itself culturally into the doctrine of all-out-attack to achieve local force superiority and crush the enemy in the decisive battle.
Superior technology and firepower was not enough to win battles.
But they sure helped.
Shrak! Shrak! Shrak!
"What-"
In his confusion, only that word kept repeating in his mind until the armor was breached and his reactor lost containment. Thoughts of ejection never entered the ruddy fog of his mind until it was too late. He died never knowing about the Rotary Light PPC.
-.
-.
Ehrenburg Firebase
Near The Firth
New Aberdeen
Yasneyev Georgi zoomed in with his mech's secondary cameras at a group of infantry. They had anti-mech SRM launchers but were pointed away from the Kurita mechs. They looked up at the ridges and the open field beyond the valley, anywhere but the Kurita mechs.
Troops on perimeter patrol marched crisply and with purpose, with minimal waste of energy. They were tense, but motivated.
Too motivated.
He sucked in his breath as he realized what had been screaming wrongness into his subconscious thus far. Kuritan infantry, long the much abused child of the DCMS, never exhibited initiative. Discipline in the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery meant brutal suppression of any disobedient individual thought. These infantry did not exhibit the any of the expected battle-worn malaise of a battalion so beaten down to the dregs they feared the open sky.
The Overlord Dropship powered up.
"It's a trap!" Georgi screamed as he fired upon the mechs in front.
The Spider from before dived and then scampered for cover behind the standing lances of Kurita mechs. Most of them were merely unpiloted shells, too damaged inside to repair. The three that were still usable, fired back a single volley and similarly scooted for cover.
Then then Overlord's many guns slammed into Georgi. LRMs, PPCs, autocannons, lasers; his Dragon was just cut in half. Half-melted pieces scraped against the armor of the stunned bodyguard mechs around him.
Over the weeks, although Badnik Company could savage the 2nd Galedon's 3rd Battalion out in the open, the base and the Overlord was not something they could crack with their light mechs.
In many ways, a Light Horse regiment or Davion RCT was weaker than a standard Kurita regiment. They wasted transport tons on infantry and vehicles that could have been more Battlemechs instead. A Light Horse regiment was pathetic by DCMS standards, lacking sheer concentration of force and can only harass and run and prefer to fight enemies that they could outweigh.
Allwine Battalion wasted valuable dropship carry capacity on sixteen APCs, with only one battlemech company instead of normally three in a battalion.
But there was one thing a mechanized infantry company could do that a mech-heavy force could not.
Assault and seize dropships with their hundred twenty men.
Barbara's Badnik Company had weeks to listen in and decrypt Kurita transmissions with their Super Comms Guard Urbanmechs. A microdrone slipped in to physically tap the electrical lines of the base to turn them into receivers, while other stealthed recon drones recorded all happenings. The ELH didn't even question how the communication systems could imitate voices with enough sampling. That was just the sort of technological wizardy the SLDF used to be capable of, they reckoned.
Now disc-shaped things flung themselves into the sky from behind the ridgeline. Land-Air-Mechs were normally easy prey for ASFs. They were barely air-to-air maneuverable. The pair of Kurita ASFs circling overhead tried to outmaneuver at least a dozen ADA Arrow missiles from Super Urbanmech AIV and eight Urbanmech LAM's Air-to-Air Arrow IVs fired from their two internal bomb bays.
They failed. The Kurita fighters dropped as flaming wreckage into the confused mill of Georgi company.
Arrows and PPCs rained down from the ridge and Inferno SRMs streaked up from the trenches. The Urbanmech LAMs landed to sling more ER Laser Laser fire along the path of retreat.
More Mechs powered up from reactor shutdown behind false, magscan shielded cover. Allwine Battalion had landed with what looked to be utility industrialmechs, 15 tons each packed among cargo. With arms capable of hauling ammo bins and reloading missile cells, it was not unusual to see twenty of them working around a base.
It was just that they also happened to have ER Large Lasers for faces.
Barbara Mosley cackled like some some demented coyote as the Dragons all burned in a web of her own making.
The Eridani Light Horse had taken over the Overlord Dropship Bialistock DAYS AGO.
-.
-.
Elsewhere in the skies, 4th Deneb fighters had finally baited the 2nd Galedon fighters into the range of air defense artillery. Flak and ground-to-air missiles slapped them out of the sky. The plan had always been to allow the 2nd Galedon to land. Now that those dropships were landed, the main thing was to keep them from leaving.
Overlords were quite valuable prizes.
Barbara Mosley would then be allowed to paint three Overlord or cracked eggs dropship kill/capture tallies on her mech, right next to the black spider.The legend of the donkey's behind grew, to her continuing consternation.
"UNICOOOORRRNNN!!!"
"Bad-ass."
-.
-.
But what about Epsilon Regiment and the rest of the 4th Deneb?
Kaplan had no confidence that two Deneb battalions versus Wolf's Dragoons' heavyweight Epsilon Regiment would fare as well, no matter what trickery in place. The Eridani Light Horse's 21st Strikers mediumweight regiment had another thing going for them entirely.
NNW of Conlan City
New Aberdeen
Technically Roland Kaplan, as the representing of the 4th Deneb and proper ranking officer of the AFFS, should have been in charge of this operation. However, when Raymond Allwine revealed the plan, he realized that this was the special sort of crazy that could work terribly well against the DCMS.
"The Eridani Light Horse, the Deneb Light Cavalry, the Second Galedon Regulars - all of us purport to be specialists in the field of fire and maneuver. Who then, are the best at it?" Allwine had asked idly.
Kaplan blandly replied "The Second Galedon is nowhere near this starting line. I would have to ask from Kurita for a Sword of Light regiment at least, not these trumped-up paper boys."
Allwine nodded. The 2nd Galedon benefited greatly from the best that Kurita's logistics could bring, but carried themselves as a regiment that earned their place through skill alone. "That's what they think. One of them has the pride of all of them."
He sighed. "The Draconis Combine is a dragon that cannot be defeated, a monster that cannot be slain. Because they will never admit to ever being beaten. All setbacks are only temporary, a man would rather die than be humiliated. That is the way of the warrior - their bushido."
"We have all been fighting the Combine for centuries now. There really isn't anything new that can be used against them anymore. Just beat them straight up and don't worry about it," Kaplan replied and looked to the distance with the despair of Pyrrhus after defeating Rome at Heraclea and Ausculum. "The Combine… is just something we all have to endure. We beat them here, they're justs going to come back. Twice as mad. Not angry-mad, insane-fanatic-lunatic-mad.
"Sometimes I feel like they're a force of nature, a perpetual disaster of the Inner Sphere. How can any reasonable man stand against such reckless hate?" Kaplan clenched his fists. "Just beat them. Beat them every time. Kill enough of them so that next time they get weaker and weaker until for a longer time… we can have peace. Until they start to pull their bloody mind to things again."
Allwine said "The Draconis Combine cannot be hurt through war and violence alone, that is where they thrive. To truly hurt them, you need to attack their soul."
-.
-.
As Kaplan remembered that the Second Galedon took pride in being open-field combatants, the wide open sun-baked plains of New Aberdeen promised to answer this unspoken question. There were few wooded areas to hide ambushes in, and tube artillery like the venerable Long Tom were far too slow to accompany mechs. There was no choice but to intercept the enemy and get into a knock-out match.
The 2nd Galedon had to prove they were better in very thing their enemy took pride in. The 2nd Galedon moved with the arrogant confidence of a firstborn son.
Unlike the Eridani Light Horse and Kornilov's regimental command, the 4th Deneb's 3rd Battalion vs Kutuzov's Battalion would be decided by skill versus skill. They had the same tech level, the same overall speed, and no artillery to complicate things. There was always the chance that Kornilov would not have split the force, but too large a force was unwieldy and refusing to accept battle was timidity.
Both the 4th Deneb and the Eridani Light Horse had fought the Draconis Combine through centuries, and by now they were familiar with how they thought. The Combine thought in mythic terms, as if the whole of the Inner Sphere was a stage and each one had their role to play. Most were just chaff, incidental actors and background scenery, it was up to each one of them to achieve a starring role (often at someone else's expense).
Just outnumbering and encircling the defenders would have been fine, but that did not make for an interesting enough story. The glory that the commanders would achieve would be minimal. As Allwine admitted, this was similar to how on Hoff, the Kurita commander decided to ignore the Wolf's Dragoons and attack first after a soothsayer had promised him victory.
One would think that there would be no room for astrologers and mystics in a military campaign, but that was the inherent dichotomy of the Draconis Combine. Kaplan had to admit that the DCMS had some damn good individual soldiers ruined only by the rank ego and superstitiousness of their officers.
"I am Major Roland Kaplan of the Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry Regiment! Pyotr Kutuzov, I know you can hear me!" he shouted into an open channel. At the very least, everyone's battlerom would have it. "Is a fair fight the only thing you're scared of? Come on, you snakes! Let's dance!"
Unlike the Eridani Light Horse who cheated with Catapults and Archers that were just as fast as Medium Mechs, the two companies of 4th Deneb had to work to keep the enemy's attention on the chase. Kaplan's mechs moved in a loose formation that invited one on one duels.
They didn't need to pull the enemy away very far. Less than fifteen minutes later, the dry semi-desert of New Aberdeen showed a broad plume of dust coming from the horizon.
Just far enough that the Eridani Light Horse and 4th Deneb's combat vehicle complement could roll in from the flank. The Vedettes of ELH Bravo Company and DLC 3rd Armor Company now joined the fray.
Now Kaplan could almost hear the Kurita pilots scoff at their sensors reporting the approach of over two dozen Vedettes.
The quintessential medium tank all others were measured against, a Vedette weighed fifty tons but was only armed with a single AC/5 and a Machine Gun. This was an anemic warload in the thirtieth century, more proper to a tank or mech 25 tons lighter.
Even at those numbers they were underwhelming. A Vedette Medium Tank was not worth a mech - in fact a MechWarrior would consider it not worth even three for a mech - a well-piloted Light Mech could even just survive its fire long enough to step on them.
Their main advantage was that they were cheap and decently fast, able to keep up with medium mechs. They roared to contact in several dagger lines, tearing up the ground at over 80 kilometers per hour.
This disdain for the AC/5 was odd considering that an AC/5 was a Dragon's main gun as well, but it also had an LRM-10 to supplement long range fire, and a pair of Medium Lasers that never feared running out of ammo. It was an excellent close-range combatant. Kutuzov's Dragon led the charge.
"Is this it, you Davion dogs?!" Tai-sa Kutuzov spoke over comms. "Pathetic. You are not mechwarriors if you need to be rescued by some second-rate tanks! Enough running. Fight me now, cowards!"
Major Kaplan ordered his two companies to wheel about to fight. "This is far enough. Deneb Cavalry! Let's skin some snakes!"
Kutuzov detached two lances to screen against the incoming tanks and readied to duel the Davion mechs to their deaths. They would not accept surrender, he boasted. His ancestors would always look upon him with pride, but the Davions would know only weeping and disgrace, unworthy and craven from birth.
They were sons of the Dragon, and this was their story. It was the story of a warrior trampling upon the weak and the unworthy.
These eight mechs, mainly Jenners that were deadly with their four medium lasers and SRMs at close range, and led by Griffin, were excellent tank hunters.
The leader's PPC and the Autocannons on those Vedettes had the same effective range. As the dazzling blue lightning of the Griffin's PPC shrieked, a rolling boom of autocannon fire answered.
Shells ripped through the air, and the incoming Kurita mechs waded into that fusillade. Light Mechs running at full speed aiming to close the distance all staggered. For the sufficiently unlucky, blood painted the insides of cockpits.
The Eridani Light Horse had even ditched their Machine Gun ammo in order to load even more Armor Piercing ammunition for their Class-Five Autocannons.
The RNIK Death Egg could plunder nearby parallel dimensions for items to duplicate and ELH 19th Red Horse Regiment, Allwine "Neckbreakers" Battallion, had a hundred tons to share.
AP ammunition was not strictly a straight improvement, being twice as heavy with larger propellant load to compensate for the heavy tip in exchange for improved chance to punch through fresh armor. The heavier kick meant they were less accurate in a burst. In many ways they were more dangerous against tank armor, where a punch-through would rapidly disable or kill the crew, compared to mere equipment destruction or mostly harmless blow-through on a battlemech.
Having half as many rounds per ton was not worth it. The Inner Sphere had the ability to craft better ammunition for a long time now, but no one wanted to bother. Just shoot more at the enemy. More ammunition meant better battlefield longevity, as plenty of shots were likely to miss under combat conditions, mechs and tanks jinking this way and that.
But with this many guns concentrating fire against mere eight mechs-
It was like a farmer cutting through stalks of rice.
And now the ELH armor company had a clear run at the thinner rear armor of the 2nd Galedon troops already engaged with the 4th Deneb. Kutuzov could not even turn back in horror.
Roland Kaplan smiled as he drove his Dervish deep into the brawl. This was the story the 4th Deneb wanted to tell.
A tale of gung-ho idiots.
-.
-.
North of Conlan City
New Aberdeen
A loud cheery voice issued from the comms, drowning all used radio frequencies.
"How deede-ly do, bad neighborinos! Are these some snakes in the grass I see before me? Hellooo New Aberdeen! This is Raymond Allwine, Battalion commander of the Eridani Light Horse speaking! I can see you, Lavrenti Kornilov. I stand approximately twelve kilometers ahead of you. Maybe this would be a good-doodly-day to once more be reminded why House Kurita cowered before the SLDF. Dare you fight me in this death ground?"
Then he laughed. It was a strange canoodling sort of laugh.
Kuritan communications returned with angry retorts. "Honorless mercenary rat!" "You will die like the dog you are!" "Kurita banzai! Combine banzai!"
Kornilov only scowled in silence. In difficult ground, press on; In encircled ground, devise stratagems; In death ground, fight.
This was the wisdom of Sun Tzu, still valid after three thousand years, and studied well in all military schools of the Combine.
This was too obviously a scheme of the Light Horse. They had some sort of stratagem. Now that what had once been an overwhelming force had been cut in half to merely overpowering, they were promising to stop running and finally conclusively fight to the end.
That was probably a trick. Yet of course the DCMS would dare!
As the mechs closed in, Kornilov's sensors detected aircraft at long range. VTOLs. Petty white strings of LRM-5 volleys spun towards the 2nd Galedon on the heels of the Light Horse. Most of them misses, and those that didn't caused minimal armor loss.Those were probably some pathetic Warrior combat helicopters.
Useful, but rarely decisive against battlemechs. Their rotors could never be adequately armored and the need to fly sharply reduced their weapons load. Warrior VTOLs were skies' equivalent to the Quikscell Company's Scorpion Light Tank. Cheap and nearly useless by themselves, only threatening in great numbers - and the buyer will need those numbers, because they were that cheap and they were so thinly armored they were guaranteed to lose a great many of them.
Was that it?
No, he resolved. This was a distraction. A stupid distraction, but there had to be something else. Even if they were there to waste the time of any mechs aiming up to shoot at them it would still be a poor scheme. The Eridani Light Horse was no underfunded militia.
He scowled. This was disappointing of the Light Horse if that was all they had. With ten mech lances, he did not fear an ambush even by tanks.
As much as Kornilov wanted to accelerate and join the point of contact for combat, the leading line of light mech companies had stretched out enough distance between the center force composed mainly of medium missile mechs and Dragons and the trailing rear line of assault mechs and their Panther escort.
"Visual contact with enemy battle line!" the forward lances reported. "Heavy mechs! Led by a Battlemaster!"
Kornilov's heart sang. Finally!
The ELH Archers and Catapults slowed down and formed up to join the advancing lance. Three lances formed the Erdani battle line versus the ten (more like nine, after damage from the running battle) of the 2nd Galedon. The eight Super Urbanmechs screened the left side. It remained immensely frustrating that the ELH mechs were still mostly in shape, though not unscathed.
Fortunately it seemed that the Archers and Catapults had finally run out of ammo. They could only contribute their guns now.
No need for anything complicated. Just slam into them at speed and cut them down! Not even his troops could screw up something that simple. The flanks would care for themselves with this many mechs forming natural encirclement.
-.
And this was the time the Eridani Light Horse finally used their Arrow IVs.
Kornilov had almost forgotten that the ELH had them.
Eight missiles slammed into the ground between the forward and middle lines of the 2nd Galedon formation. But instead of artillery, the missiles on impact exploded into tall billowing columns of black smoke.
Despite themselves, the running Kurita mechs hesitated. The DCMS did not prize initiative in its low-ranked officers. Run through or not? Better wait for orders. Lance leaders waited a few priceless seconds for the company leaders to order them to rush through.
The forward line, with their sight lines unhindered, rushed ahead in full fervor.
This abruptly reminded him of the great shame of the Kurita family, the battle off Leyte between the IJN's Center Force and USN's Taffy 3. The commander of that fleet, aboard the mighty superbattleship Yamato herself, had been driven off by a bunch of destroyers and jeep carriers. Takeo Kurita's descendants spent a thousand years trying to expunge that shame.
If only he had dared. If only he had been willing enough to lose, he could have seen the illusion of the enemy's strength for what it was. The DCMS studied it to understand how nerve meant the difference between defeat and victory. Metal was nothing if the man was weak.
And once more, the forces of Kurita were being stymied by a smokescreen.
In those seconds, the forward lances exploded.
Kornilov had no idea what was happening, only that massive explosions were rippling ahead of them. Had the Light Horse set up a minefield? When? How?
Well behind the lines, after laying down pre-targeted kilometers-wide areas with obscurant, the eight Super Urbanmech Arrow IV artillery mechs now let loose their Arrow-IV Thunder scatterable mines.
Behind even them were two trucks with six individual command pods and extensive command and control facilities inside. They just happened to command and control drones.
Arrow IV artillery was dangerous, but in the end they were still only about two hundred kilograms of bang each. Even airburst cluster warheads had an effective kill radius of sixty meters.
The VTOLs that Kornilov had earlier dismissed as Warriors were actually RNIK Egg Flyer drones, twenty tons each, packing an LRM-5 for long-range harassment and a Medium Laser for close-in support. Piloted remotely, they had an effective control range of 80 kilometers and could serve as recon and light support with their top speed of 151 kph. Surprisingly, they were even fusion-powered - what many considered a waste of a Class-85 fusion engine in a chassis protected only by two and half-tons of armor.
The way the Eridani Light Horse operated in the Succession Wars was from a position of extreme scarcity. They had to carefully mitigate risk and conserve as much military hardware as possible. The DCMs preferred to spend men, and if enough died in exchange for good salvage, they would still come out ahead. The SLDF's philosophy was that it was always better to spend metal instead of men.
The Egg Flyer drones swooped down to every lance that was not sufficiently dispersed and exploded in the middle of them. Abruptly turning into an expanding globe of heavy shrapnel, the kamikaze drones meant that anything within 30 meters was just outright deleted from existence and anything inside a 180 meters-wide sphere was just dead or heavily damaged.
The Death Egg considered them "Urbanmech enough" for some reason to produce, the same as the Urbanite Ultralight Mechs. The ELH would never run out of these type of disposable remote control drones.
Within those three and a half seconds of hesitation, eight explosive drones removed six lances of the 2nd Galedons forward battle line. Mechs bravely running through the smoke ran into the fresh minefield.
"Minefield! Minefield!" Kornilov heard one of the forward elements screaming in panic. "Their missiles can lay down minefields!"
'More damn lostech!' Kornilov cursed silently.
Then moments later only the sounds of PPC fire and more explosions. Firecracker-like bangs announced airburst artillery shells, dropping bomblets that were more likely to hit battlemech heads (and thus increased chances to breach through to the pilot within) compared to ground-contact high explosive shells.
The Kuritan general was struck numb with indecision. The last he had seen, the ELH battle line was weak to the right. But that was also predictable. Super Urbanmechs were fast enough to move flanks in that time.
Radar of course still worked through smoke. But without visual sensors to aid in identification, Super Urbanmech ECM blocked any information from passing through.
Left or right? Or wait for the smoke to dissipate?
Until he could make a decision, the entire battle group was actually paralyzed in place. He snarled and ordered "Right!"
More airburst bomblets bloomed overhead in the few moments while he reached a decision. No more time to think - just run! Mitigate artillery damage by simple speed and dispersal!
He ordered the Panthers to push through the smoke and report, while the pair of Assault Mechs and Trebuchets remained in reserve, following close by as he rushed to the right flank with his Dragons.
The smoke was there to make it difficult to know tell the mines landed, he was sure now! It was unlikely for the trailing edges of the smoke line to be mined. He only needed to move a little further and then push through.
As Kornilov finally made visual contact with Allwine's battle line, there was only joy in his face. Finally, an enemy he could shoot at!
He never saw the six Super Urbanmechs moving through the smoke cover, the Kuritan mechwarriors ignoring the unfamiliar warning buzz as they sighted but did not fire anything recognizable as a weapon.
It would prove to be a mistake.
TAG lasers worked through smoke because they communicated via microwave from the TAG-carrying battlemech's targeting sensors to the inbound missile. With the same effective range as a Large Laser, this put those daring light mechs well within danger range of return fire from the Stalker. If only that Assault Mech turned around.
Seconds later, it no longer mattered.
But even with more explosions erupting behind him, Kornilov could no longer spare any attention to the rest of his regiment.
He had Raymond Allwine's lance in front of him; seeing them cutting down his Panthers with massed laser fire from Archers and Flashmans, striking well beyond what should have been possible. Kuritan pilots were known for making a light mech act like an extension of their body, slipping away from weapons fire, turning combat almost into a deadly dance. None of that helped them now.
"Honorless cur!" Kornilov screamed at the enemy.
Then for a moment he paused again.
That Battlemaster was running pace with the other heavy mechs. Heavy mechs that had been demonstrated to have the speed and maneuverability of mediums.
A Battlemaster was an assault mech that weighed eighty-five tons.
The 2nd Galedon had split their force again, so that now it was three lances versus two. Now the Eridani Light Horse outnumbered the enemy, as was right and proper SLDF doctrine.
"Hi diddly ho, snakey boyos," spoke Raymond Allwine. "Time to die."
Lavrenti Kornilov let out a guttural roar full of hate and spite. He was still a general of the Draconis Combine! A samurai! As long as he could take down the enemy with him - as long as he could trade his life for the enemy - he could still win!
As long as he lived, he could make a fight of it -
Allwine raised his Battlemaster's right hand, and pointed a weapon that never existed within the timeline of this dimension. To make room for the Command Console, his command mech had to sacrifice all other weapons than the one on its right arm.
Shrak! Shrak! Shrak!
A rapid burst of PPC bolts slapped against the body of Kornilov's mech.
"What-"
As the rest of the heavy lance engaged, throwing bolts and beams downrange, Kornilov's mech kept going and was ignored by the others. It also turned out that the Archers and Catapults had not entirely run out of ammo, but had reserved some volleys for this final confrontation. For a moment the Kuritan general exulted. This at least was a proper duel, and he -
Shrak! Shrak! Shrak!
Again with the PPCs firing in quick succession as if it were an autocannon or something. His Dragon flinched back from the combined kinetic and thermal damage as if an animal wincing in pain. His autocannon returned with snap fire in vain against that weight of assault mech armor, but -
Shrak! Shrak! Shrak!
His cockpit blared with warnings about armor loss.
"What is happening-?" How did everything lead to this?
SLDF doctrine had always been about having as many options as possible. The Draconis Combine had welded itself culturally into the doctrine of all-out-attack to achieve local force superiority and crush the enemy in the decisive battle.
Superior technology and firepower was not enough to win battles.
But they sure helped.
Shrak! Shrak! Shrak!
"What-"
In his confusion, only that word kept repeating in his mind until the armor was breached and his reactor lost containment. Thoughts of ejection never entered the ruddy fog of his mind until it was too late. He died never knowing about the Rotary Light PPC.
-.
-.
Ehrenburg Firebase
Near The Firth
New Aberdeen
Yasneyev Georgi zoomed in with his mech's secondary cameras at a group of infantry. They had anti-mech SRM launchers but were pointed away from the Kurita mechs. They looked up at the ridges and the open field beyond the valley, anywhere but the Kurita mechs.
Troops on perimeter patrol marched crisply and with purpose, with minimal waste of energy. They were tense, but motivated.
Too motivated.
He sucked in his breath as he realized what had been screaming wrongness into his subconscious thus far. Kuritan infantry, long the much abused child of the DCMS, never exhibited initiative. Discipline in the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery meant brutal suppression of any disobedient individual thought. These infantry did not exhibit the any of the expected battle-worn malaise of a battalion so beaten down to the dregs they feared the open sky.
The Overlord Dropship powered up.
"It's a trap!" Georgi screamed as he fired upon the mechs in front.
The Spider from before dived and then scampered for cover behind the standing lances of Kurita mechs. Most of them were merely unpiloted shells, too damaged inside to repair. The three that were still usable, fired back a single volley and similarly scooted for cover.
Then then Overlord's many guns slammed into Georgi. LRMs, PPCs, autocannons, lasers; his Dragon was just cut in half. Half-melted pieces scraped against the armor of the stunned bodyguard mechs around him.
Over the weeks, although Badnik Company could savage the 2nd Galedon's 3rd Battalion out in the open, the base and the Overlord was not something they could crack with their light mechs.
In many ways, a Light Horse regiment or Davion RCT was weaker than a standard Kurita regiment. They wasted transport tons on infantry and vehicles that could have been more Battlemechs instead. A Light Horse regiment was pathetic by DCMS standards, lacking sheer concentration of force and can only harass and run and prefer to fight enemies that they could outweigh.
Allwine Battalion wasted valuable dropship carry capacity on sixteen APCs, with only one battlemech company instead of normally three in a battalion.
But there was one thing a mechanized infantry company could do that a mech-heavy force could not.
Assault and seize dropships with their hundred twenty men.
Barbara's Badnik Company had weeks to listen in and decrypt Kurita transmissions with their Super Comms Guard Urbanmechs. A microdrone slipped in to physically tap the electrical lines of the base to turn them into receivers, while other stealthed recon drones recorded all happenings. The ELH didn't even question how the communication systems could imitate voices with enough sampling. That was just the sort of technological wizardy the SLDF used to be capable of, they reckoned.
Now disc-shaped things flung themselves into the sky from behind the ridgeline. Land-Air-Mechs were normally easy prey for ASFs. They were barely air-to-air maneuverable. The pair of Kurita ASFs circling overhead tried to outmaneuver at least a dozen ADA Arrow missiles from Super Urbanmech AIV and eight Urbanmech LAM's Air-to-Air Arrow IVs fired from their two internal bomb bays.
They failed. The Kurita fighters dropped as flaming wreckage into the confused mill of Georgi company.
Arrows and PPCs rained down from the ridge and Inferno SRMs streaked up from the trenches. The Urbanmech LAMs landed to sling more ER Laser Laser fire along the path of retreat.
More Mechs powered up from reactor shutdown behind false, magscan shielded cover. Allwine Battalion had landed with what looked to be utility industrialmechs, 15 tons each packed among cargo. With arms capable of hauling ammo bins and reloading missile cells, it was not unusual to see twenty of them working around a base.
It was just that they also happened to have ER Large Lasers for faces.
Barbara Mosley cackled like some some demented coyote as the Dragons all burned in a web of her own making.
The Eridani Light Horse had taken over the Overlord Dropship Bialistock DAYS AGO.
-.
-.
Elsewhere in the skies, 4th Deneb fighters had finally baited the 2nd Galedon fighters into the range of air defense artillery. Flak and ground-to-air missiles slapped them out of the sky. The plan had always been to allow the 2nd Galedon to land. Now that those dropships were landed, the main thing was to keep them from leaving.
Overlords were quite valuable prizes.
Barbara Mosley would then be allowed to paint three Overlord or cracked eggs dropship kill/capture tallies on her mech, right next to the black spider.
-.
-.
But what about Epsilon Regiment and the rest of the 4th Deneb?
Kaplan had no confidence that two Deneb battalions versus Wolf's Dragoons' heavyweight Epsilon Regiment would fare as well, no matter what trickery in place. The Eridani Light Horse's 21st Strikers mediumweight regiment had another thing going for them entirely.
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9.1 The World Egg
bluepencil
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The World Egg 01
Colchester
Crucis March
Federated Suns
16 February 3025
Seen one military base, seen them all. Natasha Kerensky walked through the base up to the second floor of a prefab. Guards were posted at regular intervals, enough that she didn't need an active armed escort. She did still have a guide though.
Natasha Kerensky had never been intimidated nor impressed meeting with any of the Inner's Sphere's ruling nobility or their generals. Fortunately such encounters were also rare unless she was shooting at them. Her uncompromising punk rock aesthetic compromised nowhere, not even in the middle of grand ballrooms and dining halls.
In the Clan homeworlds, she had continually been passed for bids simply because she was too good of a pilot. Natasha Kerensky was the only bloodnamed warrior to volunteer for this effort of infiltrating the Inner Sphere. The Clans saw the Inner Sphere ruled by their carrion lords as weak, degenerate, and corrupting. Ironic, she thought - now that she had come to live in the Inner Sphere for a decade, she could see just how much bigger yet oddly limited was the thinking of the Lords. In the Inner Sphere of a thousand worlds, they did not need to manufacture reasons to make war a constant and admirable state of being. In the homeworlds, she was being held back due to jealousy by her superiors. For all the martial advantages that their genetic selection and iron wombs may claim to give, Natasha could see now that the Clans never thought beyond the next few fights.
In the Inner Sphere, everybody was born through natural means, so she only had to deal with stupid archaic nonsense somehow that being a woman meant she was less of a warrior. But once inside a mech, nothing in the meat mattered except the will, the skill, and the ability to endure. She stared back evenly, noting the mild displeasure on Armstrong's relatively young face. She did come close to wiping out Stedman's company after all, she supposed. The Eridani Light Horse were good, but not that good.
Surprisingly, Natasha felt no anger at Barbara Mosley for… not being able to give as good as she gotten? Been got? Natasha sniffed. Mosley had made it clear that it was a battle of *systems*, and the ELH was fighting in a way that made simple tonnage less relevant. Only time would tell if that would hold true, as there were many out there who could scoff at the notion of a technological advantage.
"The right man at the right place is worth a hundred men out of position," she heard from a little lower beside her.
She looked down towards the young teenage boy in a ELH cadet dress uniform walking beside her. The boy held a smug 'That was what you were thinking of, right?' look on his face.
"Do you just randomly burst out aphorisms?" she asked with another disdainful sniff.
"Yes," was the simple reply.
Natasha abruptly felt that talking to this kid would be like talking to a brick wall. In those gray eyes there was the surety of a zealot and the confidence of the utterly ignorant.
Soon enough they were at the door to the brigade commander's office. "Cadet Devlin Stone! Presenting Captain Natasha Kerensky, as ordered, sir!"
"At ease." Nathan Armstrong gestured to a chair. "Please sit."
Natasha sat down while Cadet Stone stood off to the side in a parade rest. She faced Armstrong with all the calm reticence of… a stone, some might say.
After a while, the general sighed. "I would like to say that it's an honor, but we both would rather prefer if this whole thing didn't have happen."
Natasha made no response.
"Some believe that prisoners of war have a duty to escape, if not at least to make life more difficult for their captors. It would be… unproductive… for both the Light Horse and the Dragoons if you tried something pointless like that. Are we going to have that problem, Natasha Kerensky?"
Natasha replied "Not as for as long as you work to get us returned to Wolf's Dragoons as soon as possible."
"Very good. Thank you. Before we begin – you mentioned something about Mosley accepting the Black Widows Company as her bondmen. What does that mean?"
"Nothing," Natasha replied with cool confidence. "That is just the concussion talking. I may have completely forgotten about the word for 'guarantor'."
"Bonds as in bail, right? A bondsman is someone that acts as surety to the court that the prisoner will not escape. That sounds… likely."
Natasha nodded.
"Technically it should be Mosley that should be the bondsman, isn't that right?"
Natasha shrugged minutely. "Well if she were ever my bondswoman I would make sure to treat her nicely, you do not have to worry about that." That feeling of strong and sure death at the time now mystified her. There was nothing special about Barbara Mosley. She had for the moment felt that the whole universe turned around herself and agreed that if she ever had the best time to die, it would have been in that moment.
"Mmm." Armstrong leaned back on his chair. "Well, getting you back to the Dragoons might take some time. We know how far Wolf's Dragoons will go to make sure no one tries to take their people hostage again. This is not that situation.
"However, while the death of Anton Marik might say that even the main line of Great Houses are not safe from the Dragoons' revenge… look, the Draconis Combine and House Kurita are not going to care. This is why we are effectively insulating both House Davion and House Kurita from the equation. We will hand Dragoons POWs off to Jaime Wolf, personally, on our own ships and down to our own vehicles on the tarmac, on a neutral world.
"You have more to fear from the ISF trying to assassinate you to weaken the Dragoons. If they cannot have you, they will just kill you to deny you to their enemies. Their collective ego will not allow being made to look weak and dependent on mere mercenaries. This is no conjecture. This is an inevitability."
Armstrong then shook his head sadly. "You should have interacted with enough of their officers by now – anything they can't reconcile to their world-view that leads to their inevitable domination of the Inner Sphere, they will just reject. Individuals can have honor in the Combine, but the Combine itself is built on devouring anything in its reach. It knows neither mercy nor compunction."
"Is House Davion actually any better? Is any House any better?" Kerensky replied. "The business of the mercenary comes from their constant need to take worlds and avenge insults. The fact that House Kurita seeks to conquer on basis on strength alone is no different from the justifications of anyone else on supposed moral grounds."
Armstrong snapped his fingers and pointed at Devlin Stone.
The boy responded "Very few polities are known for having such a deep record of playing fuck-fuck games as House Kurita. You should really know better than to expect anything different to come out of mountains of prior evidence."
By the grimace on Armstrong's face, he had expected something different. Perhaps a trite slogan masquerading as wisdom or something.
"Fine. Be that as it may, it is not as if Colonel Wolf is unaware of this. Is that all you wanted to say?"
"No. Natasha Kerensky, are you really prepared to just sit for months in a jail cell? Your men could return to the Dragoons as soon as they are able, but you – we would prefer to actually keep you."
Natasha's eyes narrowed dangerously.
He quickly added "For at least three months. The SLDF initiated the Gunslinger program in the hidden yet frantic realization that their pilots were not actually better than the mechwarriors of House Kurita, and in fact in duels were at best able to maintain an even tie. We want that. We would like to run a Gunslinger Program of our own to crash-train our recruits to a high level of skill… and it just so happened that someone known for training up a random bunch of rejects into an elite fighting company fell into our hands. There is no better possibility for an opfor trainer in the entire Inner Sphere.
"We already know that the Wolf's Dragoons are training a Kuritan regiment that could fight flexibly in their way, the Ryuken.
"Natasha Kerensky, if you would give your sworn word not to try to break parole, it would be better for all of us if you didn't just waste weeks or months away in a jail cell writing your memoirs or something. We would pay you and your company by the same rates as the Dragoons during this time, and we would expedite getting your crew back home if you can give us those three months. We may be opponents here, but we are not exactly enemies."
Natasha furrowed her brows. The ELH were offering her a way out of the hell of being benched again. That was an interesting proposal, but it might look badly upon the Dragoons if it got back to House Kurita. Being paid of it also added the smell of treason. She shook and her head and prepared to refuse.
Nathan Armstrong clasped both palms together into a single fist and leaned on his elbows on the table. "Think of it this way – when, not if, WHEN the Combine finally betrays you and tries to strike at your dependents, there is a force that can appear just suddenly somewhere else to relieve the pressure. Don't count on Davion to swoop in past the border and play the hero, in the end Davion only plays to their own interests. We just have a deep personal grudge against the Draconis Combine. We believe that the fall of the Star League and the death of the Terran Hegemony can directly be blamed on House Kurita. House Kurita had always worked to destabilize the Star League as force that as much as it brought peace and progress to the rest of the Inner Sphere, stymied their ambitions to supremacy.
"When the Usurper took Terra, Minoru Kurita refused to allow the SLDF to use worlds as bases of operations to shorted the war. He refused personally a request by Colonel Bradley, of the 3rd Regimental Combat Team, for us to do so. We have a strong suspicion that it was a member of the ISF that tipped off the plans our 19th Striker Regiment, leading to the loss of that regiment that we mourn even today."
He glanced aside for a moment. "Stone?"
The boy coughed into his fist and recited:
"From the personal diary of Takiro Kurita, entry dated June 2751 -
My private audience with General Aleksandr Kerensky
did not turn out exactly as I had hoped. He refused to stop
his military maneuvers near Luthien. This displeases me
much, and so I have ordered as many ISF agents as can be
spared to infiltrate the Regular Army. We must have an
earlier warning the next time General Kerensky decides to
try to bully the Draconis Combine. Not only will he fail to get
his way, but his military exercises might have to be
postponed in favor of defending his very life.
Why so many people are so pleased to hear that he
has been appointed Regent and Protector is mystery. He is
a soldier. An excellent one, true, but a soldier nevertheless.
It is doubtful that he will stray too far from what Simon
Cameron would have wished. If he were truly as good as
everyone claims, he would take his power as Regent and
rule as First Lord until the boy Richard comes of age.
Even now, it seems that the young Cameron lacks the
inner authority to rule effectively-not ten years from now,
not twenty, not thirty years from now. We will have no choice
but to gut the Star League once and for all."
For a moment, Natasha Kerensky's eyes burned at the insults and the easy threat of ambush and assassination againstThe Great Father her namesake.
Nathan Armstrong continued "We think that the Combine is a brittle society that pretends to strength – when faced with something that can outfight the way they spend lives on the battlefield, they will shatter. They are a drawn sword extended as far as it possibly can – any more and they will just expose their own throat to the enemy."
Natasha Kerensky treated his grandiose words with something akin to pity "And what are aiming to accomplish with three regiments? I respect that the Eridani Light Horse are excellent at war, but you are still just a Light Horse Regiment. No matter how much you want to wound House Kurita -"
"Five. We have the men and materiel to build up five regiments, right now. We can go as far as we can with only three Light Horse Regiments because we spend careful time training our men, but we don't exactly have a way to crash-train troops to a high level without removing troops from the operational tempo. As I said before, we have the means, what we don't have is a challenging enough OPFOR, and we are not insane like Kurita to go for live-fire training campaign like what they did with the Second Galedon on New Aberdeen."
Armstrong gestured to the map of the Inner Sphere, and its four large quadrants with the tail of House Liao below, which had roughly remained the same for half a millennium, half of humanity's history in space. "House Kurita is large and strong, but because of that they have shatterpoints. One of these days House Kurita is going to provoke us enough that we might just end up doing our own version of MacCarron's Long March on the way to Luthien."
A small smile graced Natasha Kerensky lips. Well then! If only she had known earlier that the Eridani Light Horse actually had the balls to be more than setpiece soldiers, seemingly moved without their own will by the House Lords they served. They liked to pretend to be the most studious of soldiers, more like actors in a play than warriors, holding respect and fealty to a flag they never really knew or experienced.
They were just castoffs of the Star League, not Children of Kerensky.
But if they were actually like this in the privacy of their own home, that was respectable. A warrior needed drive to live as much a mech needed the heat of born starfire within its fusion engine.
Armstrong continued "But of course, as you are a POW, being given access to live mechs and ammunition comes with some conditions."
"Tch. I understand." Natasha uncrossed her arms. "What else do you want? You will not attempt to get any information about the Dragoons from me, or the whole thing is off. Immediately I will stop the first time this happens."
"Please give some latitude to stupid soldiers and scuttlebutt, but we will be assigning minders for that exact purpose. You should not be bothered unnecessarily. As much as you might not care to trust these words, we of the Eridani Light Horse don't actually care about Wolf's Dragoon's inner workings or their mysterious source of supplies."
Stone, behind Kerensky, fluttered his fingers and made "woo-eee-wooo" noises.
Armstrong gave him a scathing glare. The boy stood back into attention "Apologies, sir!"
The general turned back to Kerensky and with a much put-upon tone added "We would like to have your lessons plans repeatable and testable, so as much as possible we would like to have it done that a child could understand them. So to fill out your company, we will be assigning you a lance of… almost literal children, to prove the methodology starting from practically nothing."
Natasha's eye narrowed again. That was close enough to sibko training that it was doable, and guaranteed a hassle.
Armstrong gestured with his left hand "You get Stone as your permanent adjutant while under ELH custody. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience."
The boy raised his hand, arm up straight and rigid as post, like a student eagerly asking to be called up "I am Combat Ready!"
Armstrong closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he opened them again, showing only the tiredness of command. "If nothing else, Natasha Kerensky, you are dismissed. You may confer with your troops and visit the medical section if you wish." He looked over Natasha's shoulder again and rubbed at bridge of his nose. "And Stone…? Go away and go adjute."
Devlin Stone thumped his right fist to his left chest in a Roman salute. "BY YOUR COMMAND!"
Natasha Kerensky leaned back and her expression buckled. Were the Eridani Light Horse actually like this? Is this actually their own great big secret?
---------
Harrow's Sun
Draconis March
04 March 3025
While the Second Galedon were predicted to be landing on New Aberdeen, despite their relative proximity of a single Jump to Harrow's Sun from Misery, the Epsilon Regiment had delayed their assault by several days from simultaneous assault. This was enough time to affect some repairs to damages suffered by Charlie Battallion on New Aberdeen and to meet with the command staff to mull over what new tactics to expect from the Eridani Light Horse.
If the ELH were in a position to reinforce New Aberdeen, then of course they also have the time window to deliver forces to Harrow's Sun.
Epsilon Regiment was one of the Wolf's Dragoon's crack frontline regiments, and while the 4th Deneb was a fighter-heavy regiment supported by AFFS fighters on a moon base, the Dragoons carried with them two Overlord-class Dropships – the Hawken and the Ise, a Fortress-class – the Osu, and three Union-class DropShips – the Hebrides, the Sunniva, and the Mt. Suribachi, all on one Star Lord-class JumpShip. An Invader-class JumpShip with a two Titans and a Mule lent from the Dragoons' naval support contingent rounded out the force.
All combined with their ASF bays and strong armor and weaponry, this was a powerful force that could easily punch through or eliminate entirely wings of defensive fighters and land anywhere they wished. Despite the size of the force, this was a regimental scale raid aiming to destroy or salvage as much of the military infrastructure as possible to weaken the way for a later invasion by the Combine. At the very least, that AFFS aerospace base on Bane would need to be leveled utterly and their two wings of fighters eradicated.
Civilian jumpships nervously tried to look innocuous or hurried their charging under the shadow of this naked military power. DropShips on approach to the zenith jump point urgently declared their status as harmless non-combatants. They kept these messages on a loop.
Onboard the Star Lord-class JumpShip, Dragoons astrogation monitored all system traffic. Unlike the vastness of space and the random emergence points of JumpShips, it was easy to pinpoint a world and notice orbital activity around it. The interaction of light, radiation, and EM signatures revealed significant large masses in between the world of Harrow's Sun and its two moons Boon and Bane.
"There are ships around the planet, sir," the JumpShip Captain reported to Colonel Arthbutnot. "At first we thought they were more fighter-carrier dropships, but spectral analysis shows they're fully-loaded JumpShips. High possibility Star Lord and three Merchants. Someone did a jump into a pirate point."
"Impressive. But unnecessary!" replied Arthbutnot. "They already had a week's advantage over us, their carriers could have reached the world well before we arrived." He adjusted his eyeglasses and smiled toothily. "If the ponies did manage to bring more fighters, well then gentlemen and ladies- we have a good fight of it!"
Colchester
Crucis March
Federated Suns
16 February 3025
Seen one military base, seen them all. Natasha Kerensky walked through the base up to the second floor of a prefab. Guards were posted at regular intervals, enough that she didn't need an active armed escort. She did still have a guide though.
Natasha Kerensky had never been intimidated nor impressed meeting with any of the Inner's Sphere's ruling nobility or their generals. Fortunately such encounters were also rare unless she was shooting at them. Her uncompromising punk rock aesthetic compromised nowhere, not even in the middle of grand ballrooms and dining halls.
In the Clan homeworlds, she had continually been passed for bids simply because she was too good of a pilot. Natasha Kerensky was the only bloodnamed warrior to volunteer for this effort of infiltrating the Inner Sphere. The Clans saw the Inner Sphere ruled by their carrion lords as weak, degenerate, and corrupting. Ironic, she thought - now that she had come to live in the Inner Sphere for a decade, she could see just how much bigger yet oddly limited was the thinking of the Lords. In the Inner Sphere of a thousand worlds, they did not need to manufacture reasons to make war a constant and admirable state of being. In the homeworlds, she was being held back due to jealousy by her superiors. For all the martial advantages that their genetic selection and iron wombs may claim to give, Natasha could see now that the Clans never thought beyond the next few fights.
In the Inner Sphere, everybody was born through natural means, so she only had to deal with stupid archaic nonsense somehow that being a woman meant she was less of a warrior. But once inside a mech, nothing in the meat mattered except the will, the skill, and the ability to endure. She stared back evenly, noting the mild displeasure on Armstrong's relatively young face. She did come close to wiping out Stedman's company after all, she supposed. The Eridani Light Horse were good, but not that good.
Surprisingly, Natasha felt no anger at Barbara Mosley for… not being able to give as good as she gotten? Been got? Natasha sniffed. Mosley had made it clear that it was a battle of *systems*, and the ELH was fighting in a way that made simple tonnage less relevant. Only time would tell if that would hold true, as there were many out there who could scoff at the notion of a technological advantage.
"The right man at the right place is worth a hundred men out of position," she heard from a little lower beside her.
She looked down towards the young teenage boy in a ELH cadet dress uniform walking beside her. The boy held a smug 'That was what you were thinking of, right?' look on his face.
"Do you just randomly burst out aphorisms?" she asked with another disdainful sniff.
"Yes," was the simple reply.
Natasha abruptly felt that talking to this kid would be like talking to a brick wall. In those gray eyes there was the surety of a zealot and the confidence of the utterly ignorant.
Soon enough they were at the door to the brigade commander's office. "Cadet Devlin Stone! Presenting Captain Natasha Kerensky, as ordered, sir!"
"At ease." Nathan Armstrong gestured to a chair. "Please sit."
Natasha sat down while Cadet Stone stood off to the side in a parade rest. She faced Armstrong with all the calm reticence of… a stone, some might say.
After a while, the general sighed. "I would like to say that it's an honor, but we both would rather prefer if this whole thing didn't have happen."
Natasha made no response.
"Some believe that prisoners of war have a duty to escape, if not at least to make life more difficult for their captors. It would be… unproductive… for both the Light Horse and the Dragoons if you tried something pointless like that. Are we going to have that problem, Natasha Kerensky?"
Natasha replied "Not as for as long as you work to get us returned to Wolf's Dragoons as soon as possible."
"Very good. Thank you. Before we begin – you mentioned something about Mosley accepting the Black Widows Company as her bondmen. What does that mean?"
"Nothing," Natasha replied with cool confidence. "That is just the concussion talking. I may have completely forgotten about the word for 'guarantor'."
"Bonds as in bail, right? A bondsman is someone that acts as surety to the court that the prisoner will not escape. That sounds… likely."
Natasha nodded.
"Technically it should be Mosley that should be the bondsman, isn't that right?"
Natasha shrugged minutely. "Well if she were ever my bondswoman I would make sure to treat her nicely, you do not have to worry about that." That feeling of strong and sure death at the time now mystified her. There was nothing special about Barbara Mosley. She had for the moment felt that the whole universe turned around herself and agreed that if she ever had the best time to die, it would have been in that moment.
"Mmm." Armstrong leaned back on his chair. "Well, getting you back to the Dragoons might take some time. We know how far Wolf's Dragoons will go to make sure no one tries to take their people hostage again. This is not that situation.
"However, while the death of Anton Marik might say that even the main line of Great Houses are not safe from the Dragoons' revenge… look, the Draconis Combine and House Kurita are not going to care. This is why we are effectively insulating both House Davion and House Kurita from the equation. We will hand Dragoons POWs off to Jaime Wolf, personally, on our own ships and down to our own vehicles on the tarmac, on a neutral world.
"You have more to fear from the ISF trying to assassinate you to weaken the Dragoons. If they cannot have you, they will just kill you to deny you to their enemies. Their collective ego will not allow being made to look weak and dependent on mere mercenaries. This is no conjecture. This is an inevitability."
Armstrong then shook his head sadly. "You should have interacted with enough of their officers by now – anything they can't reconcile to their world-view that leads to their inevitable domination of the Inner Sphere, they will just reject. Individuals can have honor in the Combine, but the Combine itself is built on devouring anything in its reach. It knows neither mercy nor compunction."
"Is House Davion actually any better? Is any House any better?" Kerensky replied. "The business of the mercenary comes from their constant need to take worlds and avenge insults. The fact that House Kurita seeks to conquer on basis on strength alone is no different from the justifications of anyone else on supposed moral grounds."
Armstrong snapped his fingers and pointed at Devlin Stone.
The boy responded "Very few polities are known for having such a deep record of playing fuck-fuck games as House Kurita. You should really know better than to expect anything different to come out of mountains of prior evidence."
By the grimace on Armstrong's face, he had expected something different. Perhaps a trite slogan masquerading as wisdom or something.
"Fine. Be that as it may, it is not as if Colonel Wolf is unaware of this. Is that all you wanted to say?"
"No. Natasha Kerensky, are you really prepared to just sit for months in a jail cell? Your men could return to the Dragoons as soon as they are able, but you – we would prefer to actually keep you."
Natasha's eyes narrowed dangerously.
He quickly added "For at least three months. The SLDF initiated the Gunslinger program in the hidden yet frantic realization that their pilots were not actually better than the mechwarriors of House Kurita, and in fact in duels were at best able to maintain an even tie. We want that. We would like to run a Gunslinger Program of our own to crash-train our recruits to a high level of skill… and it just so happened that someone known for training up a random bunch of rejects into an elite fighting company fell into our hands. There is no better possibility for an opfor trainer in the entire Inner Sphere.
"We already know that the Wolf's Dragoons are training a Kuritan regiment that could fight flexibly in their way, the Ryuken.
"Natasha Kerensky, if you would give your sworn word not to try to break parole, it would be better for all of us if you didn't just waste weeks or months away in a jail cell writing your memoirs or something. We would pay you and your company by the same rates as the Dragoons during this time, and we would expedite getting your crew back home if you can give us those three months. We may be opponents here, but we are not exactly enemies."
Natasha furrowed her brows. The ELH were offering her a way out of the hell of being benched again. That was an interesting proposal, but it might look badly upon the Dragoons if it got back to House Kurita. Being paid of it also added the smell of treason. She shook and her head and prepared to refuse.
Nathan Armstrong clasped both palms together into a single fist and leaned on his elbows on the table. "Think of it this way – when, not if, WHEN the Combine finally betrays you and tries to strike at your dependents, there is a force that can appear just suddenly somewhere else to relieve the pressure. Don't count on Davion to swoop in past the border and play the hero, in the end Davion only plays to their own interests. We just have a deep personal grudge against the Draconis Combine. We believe that the fall of the Star League and the death of the Terran Hegemony can directly be blamed on House Kurita. House Kurita had always worked to destabilize the Star League as force that as much as it brought peace and progress to the rest of the Inner Sphere, stymied their ambitions to supremacy.
"When the Usurper took Terra, Minoru Kurita refused to allow the SLDF to use worlds as bases of operations to shorted the war. He refused personally a request by Colonel Bradley, of the 3rd Regimental Combat Team, for us to do so. We have a strong suspicion that it was a member of the ISF that tipped off the plans our 19th Striker Regiment, leading to the loss of that regiment that we mourn even today."
He glanced aside for a moment. "Stone?"
The boy coughed into his fist and recited:
"From the personal diary of Takiro Kurita, entry dated June 2751 -
My private audience with General Aleksandr Kerensky
did not turn out exactly as I had hoped. He refused to stop
his military maneuvers near Luthien. This displeases me
much, and so I have ordered as many ISF agents as can be
spared to infiltrate the Regular Army. We must have an
earlier warning the next time General Kerensky decides to
try to bully the Draconis Combine. Not only will he fail to get
his way, but his military exercises might have to be
postponed in favor of defending his very life.
Why so many people are so pleased to hear that he
has been appointed Regent and Protector is mystery. He is
a soldier. An excellent one, true, but a soldier nevertheless.
It is doubtful that he will stray too far from what Simon
Cameron would have wished. If he were truly as good as
everyone claims, he would take his power as Regent and
rule as First Lord until the boy Richard comes of age.
Even now, it seems that the young Cameron lacks the
inner authority to rule effectively-not ten years from now,
not twenty, not thirty years from now. We will have no choice
but to gut the Star League once and for all."
For a moment, Natasha Kerensky's eyes burned at the insults and the easy threat of ambush and assassination against
Nathan Armstrong continued "We think that the Combine is a brittle society that pretends to strength – when faced with something that can outfight the way they spend lives on the battlefield, they will shatter. They are a drawn sword extended as far as it possibly can – any more and they will just expose their own throat to the enemy."
Natasha Kerensky treated his grandiose words with something akin to pity "And what are aiming to accomplish with three regiments? I respect that the Eridani Light Horse are excellent at war, but you are still just a Light Horse Regiment. No matter how much you want to wound House Kurita -"
"Five. We have the men and materiel to build up five regiments, right now. We can go as far as we can with only three Light Horse Regiments because we spend careful time training our men, but we don't exactly have a way to crash-train troops to a high level without removing troops from the operational tempo. As I said before, we have the means, what we don't have is a challenging enough OPFOR, and we are not insane like Kurita to go for live-fire training campaign like what they did with the Second Galedon on New Aberdeen."
Armstrong gestured to the map of the Inner Sphere, and its four large quadrants with the tail of House Liao below, which had roughly remained the same for half a millennium, half of humanity's history in space. "House Kurita is large and strong, but because of that they have shatterpoints. One of these days House Kurita is going to provoke us enough that we might just end up doing our own version of MacCarron's Long March on the way to Luthien."
A small smile graced Natasha Kerensky lips. Well then! If only she had known earlier that the Eridani Light Horse actually had the balls to be more than setpiece soldiers, seemingly moved without their own will by the House Lords they served. They liked to pretend to be the most studious of soldiers, more like actors in a play than warriors, holding respect and fealty to a flag they never really knew or experienced.
They were just castoffs of the Star League, not Children of Kerensky.
But if they were actually like this in the privacy of their own home, that was respectable. A warrior needed drive to live as much a mech needed the heat of born starfire within its fusion engine.
Armstrong continued "But of course, as you are a POW, being given access to live mechs and ammunition comes with some conditions."
"Tch. I understand." Natasha uncrossed her arms. "What else do you want? You will not attempt to get any information about the Dragoons from me, or the whole thing is off. Immediately I will stop the first time this happens."
"Please give some latitude to stupid soldiers and scuttlebutt, but we will be assigning minders for that exact purpose. You should not be bothered unnecessarily. As much as you might not care to trust these words, we of the Eridani Light Horse don't actually care about Wolf's Dragoon's inner workings or their mysterious source of supplies."
Stone, behind Kerensky, fluttered his fingers and made "woo-eee-wooo" noises.
Armstrong gave him a scathing glare. The boy stood back into attention "Apologies, sir!"
The general turned back to Kerensky and with a much put-upon tone added "We would like to have your lessons plans repeatable and testable, so as much as possible we would like to have it done that a child could understand them. So to fill out your company, we will be assigning you a lance of… almost literal children, to prove the methodology starting from practically nothing."
Natasha's eye narrowed again. That was close enough to sibko training that it was doable, and guaranteed a hassle.
Armstrong gestured with his left hand "You get Stone as your permanent adjutant while under ELH custody. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience."
The boy raised his hand, arm up straight and rigid as post, like a student eagerly asking to be called up "I am Combat Ready!"
Armstrong closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he opened them again, showing only the tiredness of command. "If nothing else, Natasha Kerensky, you are dismissed. You may confer with your troops and visit the medical section if you wish." He looked over Natasha's shoulder again and rubbed at bridge of his nose. "And Stone…? Go away and go adjute."
Devlin Stone thumped his right fist to his left chest in a Roman salute. "BY YOUR COMMAND!"
Natasha Kerensky leaned back and her expression buckled. Were the Eridani Light Horse actually like this? Is this actually their own great big secret?
---------
Harrow's Sun
Draconis March
04 March 3025
While the Second Galedon were predicted to be landing on New Aberdeen, despite their relative proximity of a single Jump to Harrow's Sun from Misery, the Epsilon Regiment had delayed their assault by several days from simultaneous assault. This was enough time to affect some repairs to damages suffered by Charlie Battallion on New Aberdeen and to meet with the command staff to mull over what new tactics to expect from the Eridani Light Horse.
If the ELH were in a position to reinforce New Aberdeen, then of course they also have the time window to deliver forces to Harrow's Sun.
Epsilon Regiment was one of the Wolf's Dragoon's crack frontline regiments, and while the 4th Deneb was a fighter-heavy regiment supported by AFFS fighters on a moon base, the Dragoons carried with them two Overlord-class Dropships – the Hawken and the Ise, a Fortress-class – the Osu, and three Union-class DropShips – the Hebrides, the Sunniva, and the Mt. Suribachi, all on one Star Lord-class JumpShip. An Invader-class JumpShip with a two Titans and a Mule lent from the Dragoons' naval support contingent rounded out the force.
All combined with their ASF bays and strong armor and weaponry, this was a powerful force that could easily punch through or eliminate entirely wings of defensive fighters and land anywhere they wished. Despite the size of the force, this was a regimental scale raid aiming to destroy or salvage as much of the military infrastructure as possible to weaken the way for a later invasion by the Combine. At the very least, that AFFS aerospace base on Bane would need to be leveled utterly and their two wings of fighters eradicated.
Civilian jumpships nervously tried to look innocuous or hurried their charging under the shadow of this naked military power. DropShips on approach to the zenith jump point urgently declared their status as harmless non-combatants. They kept these messages on a loop.
Onboard the Star Lord-class JumpShip, Dragoons astrogation monitored all system traffic. Unlike the vastness of space and the random emergence points of JumpShips, it was easy to pinpoint a world and notice orbital activity around it. The interaction of light, radiation, and EM signatures revealed significant large masses in between the world of Harrow's Sun and its two moons Boon and Bane.
"There are ships around the planet, sir," the JumpShip Captain reported to Colonel Arthbutnot. "At first we thought they were more fighter-carrier dropships, but spectral analysis shows they're fully-loaded JumpShips. High possibility Star Lord and three Merchants. Someone did a jump into a pirate point."
"Impressive. But unnecessary!" replied Arthbutnot. "They already had a week's advantage over us, their carriers could have reached the world well before we arrived." He adjusted his eyeglasses and smiled toothily. "If the ponies did manage to bring more fighters, well then gentlemen and ladies- we have a good fight of it!"
9.2 The World Egg
bluepencil
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The World Egg 02
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
17 March 3025
Ardan Sortek normally by this time would be considering resigning from the Davion Heavy Guards into command of a more deployable frontline force. Knowing about Liao's inbound perfidy, he still wanted to move his command towards the Capellan March, but that was Duke Hasek-Davion's territory. He was a sword, he supposed – and Hanse was a dagger – and it helped them none for him to be in disgust at the self-serving politics of court then only to move towards a region that needed political as much as military finesse. He no longer had the excuse of randomly flailing around trying to escape from politics would help things.
Michael Hasek-Davion was extremely popular in the Capellan March as the stalwart defender against House Liao, and Hanse Davion a far removed ruler more concerned with the closer Draconis March. Were it not for Duke Hasek-Davion, the Capellan March would get the dregs of support from the AFFS. The notion that he might be conspiring with Maximilian Liao for grand treason was unthinkable. Therefore, any orders that came from Hasek-Davion's hands had to be carefully viewed for what was beneath the underneath. Ardan's skull already ached well in advance trying to imagine working for someone that actively yet subtly wanted you dead.
But because the Draconis Combine was in truth the much larger threat, the Davion Heavy Guards could not be so easily deployed. Maximilian Liao had been counting on his obvious dissatisfaction with being on New Avalon to trigger the plot to discredit him as delusional in the event of OPERATION DOPPELGANGER.
He and Quintus Allard had been considering doing this anyway – that is, go to the Capellan border and fight, not to allow Hanse to be replaced - because otherwise Michael Hasek-Davion would have free reign over the deployment and spin any losses as a lack of support from New Avalon.
Once more, Ardan wondered- why can't people who have all the power and privilege just be content? What is more that they need that they would entertain treason and murder and kinslaying just to be able to wear the crown? Does Michael really think he could do a better job than Hanse, after betraying the people of the Federated Suns to its ancestral enemies? What could make all this waste worth it?
Hanse being replaced and interrogated was no longer an option due to the extremely sensitive information he now possessed regarding the possible return of the SLDF.
The Eridani Light Horse's Wandering Horse was of no help, they had already given their warning and Davion intelligence could not be so incompetent to fail to follow through. Only Hanse Davion could decide this, the ELH had no business butting in any further without overstepping their boundaries as retainers.
Ardan supposed that they were more concerned with House Kurita and Wolf's Dragoons. That was fine. That was part of the reason he had been drilling his regiment of the Royal Guards in formations that imitated the Dragoons.
In a conversation with Ren Felsner, the actual Field Marshal in command over the entire Davion Royal Brigade of Guards and known for his unorthodox strategies, it was suggested that part of the reason that the Dragoons get so far is that they are a Dragoons regiment with a heavy concentration of force. They break their opponent's will to fight sooner than the weight of numbers could matter.
When directly asked by Sortek what he felt about other mercenaries like the Eridani Light Horse, Felsner admitted that he didn't see much to admire about mercenaries in general, though he supposed that the difference was that an old-model RCT like theirs - that mixed combined arms within a regiment instead of separate mech, armor, infantry and air regiments - could move and be deployed faster. If you only had a regiment in situ to work with, then they were of course more flexible.
But they did nothing all that new. The SLDF was good, but one had to remember that the Star League came about as an alternative to the Age of War before it – the Federated Suns too had been fighting for almost a thousand years by now. There was nothing inherently special about SLDF doctrine, it was their wealth of resources and the decisiveness by which they applied it that mattered.
The Dragoons were good, but throw an entire RCT at them, he still put his faith in the Davion Guards. The Eridani Light Horse? They were impressive mainly in how they could do so much with so little.
"In a straight fight, I wouldn't hesitate to match a good Davion regiment against anyone," Felsner finished.
That was not as comforting to Sortek as he had hoped.
Then rumor came down that the Eridani Light Horse had beaten the entire 2nd Galedon Regulars and the entire Wolf's Dragoons Epsilon regiment with minimal losses and that was even more disturbing. That was mind-boggling levels of improvement compared to their mauling on Hoff when they first matched against the Dragoons. He would not so candidly imagine even the Heavy Guards to get through without sustaining appreciable losses. Was there something that the AFFS could use? The ELH had already given up so much, why should they be expected to share even more of their doctrine?
Yet if they didn't in order to keep their advantages, was not that a hint that they expected they might have to turn against their patrons in the future?
Then he got personally got word from Hanse that Nathan Armstrong had requested another audience.
While not as giddy as Hanse, he wondered what the SLDF was up to today.
--
--
"You beautiful person! You bunch of magnificent equus!" Hanse bellowed as Nathan Armstrong entered the room. "I heard what you did! How I wish I could hear Takashi Kurita howl!"
Armstrong nodded gracefully and inserted a holotape into the waiting projector. "Thank you. But it was not just us, it was in cooperation with the 4th Deneb and our 21st Striker Regiment. We can't do that too often."
"Why not?"
The holo showed a model of the Scout II JumpShip paired with two Dictator-class spheroid DropShips. "Because our jumpships look too much like penises as it is."
"But… all jumpships already all look like penises," Ardan mumbled, then slapped his face as he realized what he was saying. Objectively true, and yet…
Hanse chortled. Ah, how they did not disappoint. The ELH's non-sequitur ways of avoiding answering a question about their real capabilities had an almost comedic timing. Did they practice this?
The First Prince of the Federated Suns lounged back on his chair, years of stress melting off his face. "So, you mentioned you wanted something? Removing two regiments from House Kurita is a significant contribution, they only have around eighty of them."
Ardan wondered if Hanse was trying to downplay it to remind the ELH to maintain a humble big picture mindset, or if it really was that significant. Like a leaky dam, the collapse always starts with something small and untreated.
Armstrong nodded, apparently not offended at all. "That is why I am here to ask about how we… or you… are doing with those Scout II jumpship plans. We also want to buy up as many DroST hulls we can get."
"Drost? The DropShip-Tank?" Ardan echoed. "Aren't they obsolete?" The DroST was a line of vehicles that were a precursor to modern dedicated military DropShips. They were capable of landing and taking off vertically due to large fusion thrusters on pivoting wing assemblies, but those same assemblies also made them more complicated and vulnerable in combat. They were now mainly produced as civilian transports instead of hauling tanks and infantry as the SLDF originally intended. "I suppose they are six thousand tons compared to a Leopard's one thousand nine hundred, if you ever need to haul something with an aerodyne."
He glanced towards the image on the holo, and his eyes widened. "Wait, do you mean to turn them into Assault DropShips too?" That was the sort of extensive rebuild that takes shipyards years to accomplish! It would often be faster to purpose-build something based on a more modern hull, like Avenger or the Achilles; the latter which at 4500 tons and a safe thrust of 4 gravities was the closest thing to a WarShip that Inner Sphere still possessed.
"Done," said Hanse. "But I have a feeling this isn't what you came here for. You could just easily posted this on official channels. What do you really want that only my authority as First Prince could give you?"
"Indeed. As you should have already been informed, we are expanding our force first to four regiments, then five. Personnel is an issue. But we cannot just simply start recruiting drives for mercenaries and volunteers again. This will only fill up the needs for the short term, we need a sustainable in-house source of replacement and reinforcement," said Armstrong.
"Mmm. So what are you proposing?"
Armstrong made the holo show the Federated Suns territories, and the large rear region that was mostly undeveloped and undefended. "Two things. First – we heard about the problem with your Vagabond Schools – those repurposed freighters that travel to the Outback where the educational facilities and standards are so poor that it is more worthwhile to pack up a region's 12-to-13 year old youths to a JumpShip and study there for nine months of intensive education. The problem is that they are so old that these JumpShips are so old that they can't even be used for freighter duties, and they are prone to deadly accidents. And that you only have ten of them to serve scores, if not hundreds of worlds."
"Yes. If the Federated Suns were a military dictatorship, an uneducated citizenry would be beneficial. But we are just starved to address the needs of the Ministry of Education. You are right to presume that this is a JumpShip capacity problem – we can only do so much to spread around our limited number of teachers, and without enough jumpships educational and employment opportunities of even the most promising youths left undiscovered and limited to their backwater of a world." Hanse rubbed at his nose. "Are you proposing we start filtering new Scout IIs first into the Vagabond schools? I agree that they have a bigger, more comfortable grav deck and they seem built to serve long-duration independent cruises. We haven't even started trying to remake Merchants into Scout II lines though."
"The first and second requests I have are related to this issue. This is actually suggested by my wife, who is the head of our civilian division. If the Eridani Light Horse are no longer content to hide our light under a bushel, then it stands to reason that we ought to meaningfully help make the Inner Sphere better, not just slowing its bleeding out by fighting and killing. Be like vitamins instead of just antibodies. Therefore Eridani Light Horse would like to contribute JumpShips to this endeavor. You just supply the DropShips and the teachers."
"Wait. Contribute?" Ardan held up his hand. "Where are you even getting those ships? Do you mean… it's done?! You have been reinforced?!"
Armstrong clapped his palms together and bowed. "Greetings and salutations from the Declan Blacksite. It is live. If you send anyone to snoop over there, they will die. Thank you for your generous cooperation, my lord Davion."
"Heh. Who actually is the one that pays in this relationship? But if you're willing to do this, obviously there is a string attached. Out with it, man!" Hanse gestured snappily.
Armstrong shrugged helplessly. "Well you how the Eridani Light Horse's reverence for the Star League and styling ourselves as its legitimate remnants can be called costume play or even cult-like by some-"
"Hah. Are you supposed to just say that?" Hanse snorted with amusement.
Armstrong continued "We would like to start recruiting efforts under the banner of the Star League and with all the rights normally enjoyed by the SLDF. Namely, that each ELH JumpShip or installation counts as independent territory and consulate, and that once people sign up to the Eridani Light Horse they surrender ties to their former nation and citizenship and accept the authority of the SLDF in primacy over their lives and livelihood above all else for the duration of their enlistment."
Hanse pointed "Ahaha. Ha. That is big. It is a magnificently huge favor you are asking compared to just some ships. You know I cannot simply cast aside citizenship of the people of the Federated Sons. It would be tantamount to having a potentially hostile nation inside my borders." It was a testament to just how much Hanse was delighted by the Light Horse's actions that he did not take it as an insult.
Armstrong shrugged. "More like an enclave. It is not as if this is new. This was how the SLDF and the Star League operated before."
Hanse jabbed his finger with each point "But the difference is that the Star League is gone and you are not actually the SLDF, and if even so we would need renegotiate the whole thing instead of proceeding from expired agreements with a dead polity, and most importantly - you are still under the employment of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns."
Armstrong nodded. "Yes. Which is why we would only be recruiting under the name of the Eridani Light Horse and associated support services for now. The primacy of mutually equivalent SLDF law which inside these territories, and a process of extradition for what breaks the laws of the Federated Suns. Those who seek political asylum may find a place here. Nothing in force just of yet, but maybe eventually dual citizenship?"
Hanse smirked and leaned his chin on his wrists. "Oh? Dual citizenship with *what*, I dare ask."
Armstrong shrugged again. "If I say 'Terran Hegemony'" here he made air quotes "then Comstar would start screaming like lunatics."
"They're not the only ones with a reason to be unnerved at hearing that!"
-.
-.
WDS HAWKEN
Harrow's Sun
Draconis March
07 March 3025
The Dragoon's Epsilon Regiment combined naval force was about halfway to Harrow's Sun II. The captain of the WDS HAWKEN reported to Arthbutnot "Sir, we have drive signatures. Sensors report what may be a Vengeance escorted by two lighter dropships, possibly Avengers or Leopards, coming from the moon named Bane. And from the pirate point – four dropships, possibly Overlord-class. Approach velocity one point five gee, intercept in two days, six hours."
The colonel frowned. After the initial hail by the ELH commander in the system, Charles Winston of the 21st Strikers for the Dragoons to "cease their attack, turn around, and leave" which he had summarily ignored, there had been no communications.
The AFFS had two fighter wings on Deneb, which meant two 20-unit groups, or enough to support being a regimental wing for an RCT and one for the home guard. The Dragoons had brought three wings into this fight.
Unless the ELH brought multiple wings on those Overlords… but then that raises the question – where would the ELH find enough ASFs and pilots in the first place? And four of them?
Only now it was starting to feel strange that the 4th Deneb would willingly relinquish command authority over the defense of their homeworld to newcomers like the ELH. Numbers alone did not mean the absorption of command rights for the smaller force.
The Fourth Deneb were also known for assault boarding operations.
Arthbutnot sucked in his breath and growled. Yes that was the most likely outcome. Why allow the enemy to land at all? An Overlord could support many Small Craft and substantial boarding parties. He went over to the communications officer and bid him to open a regimental comms channel. They only had so much time to prepare, but the ELH 21st and the 4th Deneb were vastly underestimating them if they chose to rely on these tricks.
-.
WDS HAWKEN
09 March 3025
Red battle lights and alarms rang through the bridge. The communications officer announced "All hands to battle stations. Aerospace Fighters launching. All hands prepare for zero-g maneuvers."
The engines of the Overlord suddenly cut off, and the ship began to coast along on its stored momentum. Lacking the acceleration provided by the constant thrust, now everything suddenly became weightless even as the craft maintained significant forward velocity.
AeroSpace Fighters, mainly Stukas, released from the Hawken's bays. More of the Dragoon's fighters began launching as well from their fighter-carrier, while the Union DropShips moved to the shadow of the pair of Overlords.
Up ahead, the battle map showed the Deneb Vengeance dropship releasing its own cloud of fighters, while from the Overlords four fighters each emerged to escort their mothership. Hm. Normally an Overlord carried six.
Buckled into his seat and wearing a bulky and space suit, Arthbutnot could only scowl. All of the naval command staff were wearing space suits, while the rest of Able Battalion would only sit blindly and helplessly in their crash couches or belted into their beds while the ship fought a space battle. He could contribute nothing to this fight as either a commander or a warrior.
The combat map showed two waves of fightercraft about to meet each other.
"Enemy contact in five, four, three, two – fighters engaged."
The neat lines immediately collapsed into a confused tangle of BVR fights. Fighter combat was not a matter of senses, but of fingers on computers shooting at distant and near invisible blips on a screen, and pitting the need for evasive maneuvers against being able to hold a lock.
C-beams glittered in the dark in front of Harrow's Sun.
Something scraped against the side of the HAWKEN and it was as if the whole ship screamed.
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
17 March 3025
Ardan Sortek normally by this time would be considering resigning from the Davion Heavy Guards into command of a more deployable frontline force. Knowing about Liao's inbound perfidy, he still wanted to move his command towards the Capellan March, but that was Duke Hasek-Davion's territory. He was a sword, he supposed – and Hanse was a dagger – and it helped them none for him to be in disgust at the self-serving politics of court then only to move towards a region that needed political as much as military finesse. He no longer had the excuse of randomly flailing around trying to escape from politics would help things.
Michael Hasek-Davion was extremely popular in the Capellan March as the stalwart defender against House Liao, and Hanse Davion a far removed ruler more concerned with the closer Draconis March. Were it not for Duke Hasek-Davion, the Capellan March would get the dregs of support from the AFFS. The notion that he might be conspiring with Maximilian Liao for grand treason was unthinkable. Therefore, any orders that came from Hasek-Davion's hands had to be carefully viewed for what was beneath the underneath. Ardan's skull already ached well in advance trying to imagine working for someone that actively yet subtly wanted you dead.
But because the Draconis Combine was in truth the much larger threat, the Davion Heavy Guards could not be so easily deployed. Maximilian Liao had been counting on his obvious dissatisfaction with being on New Avalon to trigger the plot to discredit him as delusional in the event of OPERATION DOPPELGANGER.
He and Quintus Allard had been considering doing this anyway – that is, go to the Capellan border and fight, not to allow Hanse to be replaced - because otherwise Michael Hasek-Davion would have free reign over the deployment and spin any losses as a lack of support from New Avalon.
Once more, Ardan wondered- why can't people who have all the power and privilege just be content? What is more that they need that they would entertain treason and murder and kinslaying just to be able to wear the crown? Does Michael really think he could do a better job than Hanse, after betraying the people of the Federated Suns to its ancestral enemies? What could make all this waste worth it?
Hanse being replaced and interrogated was no longer an option due to the extremely sensitive information he now possessed regarding the possible return of the SLDF.
The Eridani Light Horse's Wandering Horse was of no help, they had already given their warning and Davion intelligence could not be so incompetent to fail to follow through. Only Hanse Davion could decide this, the ELH had no business butting in any further without overstepping their boundaries as retainers.
Ardan supposed that they were more concerned with House Kurita and Wolf's Dragoons. That was fine. That was part of the reason he had been drilling his regiment of the Royal Guards in formations that imitated the Dragoons.
In a conversation with Ren Felsner, the actual Field Marshal in command over the entire Davion Royal Brigade of Guards and known for his unorthodox strategies, it was suggested that part of the reason that the Dragoons get so far is that they are a Dragoons regiment with a heavy concentration of force. They break their opponent's will to fight sooner than the weight of numbers could matter.
When directly asked by Sortek what he felt about other mercenaries like the Eridani Light Horse, Felsner admitted that he didn't see much to admire about mercenaries in general, though he supposed that the difference was that an old-model RCT like theirs - that mixed combined arms within a regiment instead of separate mech, armor, infantry and air regiments - could move and be deployed faster. If you only had a regiment in situ to work with, then they were of course more flexible.
But they did nothing all that new. The SLDF was good, but one had to remember that the Star League came about as an alternative to the Age of War before it – the Federated Suns too had been fighting for almost a thousand years by now. There was nothing inherently special about SLDF doctrine, it was their wealth of resources and the decisiveness by which they applied it that mattered.
The Dragoons were good, but throw an entire RCT at them, he still put his faith in the Davion Guards. The Eridani Light Horse? They were impressive mainly in how they could do so much with so little.
"In a straight fight, I wouldn't hesitate to match a good Davion regiment against anyone," Felsner finished.
That was not as comforting to Sortek as he had hoped.
Then rumor came down that the Eridani Light Horse had beaten the entire 2nd Galedon Regulars and the entire Wolf's Dragoons Epsilon regiment with minimal losses and that was even more disturbing. That was mind-boggling levels of improvement compared to their mauling on Hoff when they first matched against the Dragoons. He would not so candidly imagine even the Heavy Guards to get through without sustaining appreciable losses. Was there something that the AFFS could use? The ELH had already given up so much, why should they be expected to share even more of their doctrine?
Yet if they didn't in order to keep their advantages, was not that a hint that they expected they might have to turn against their patrons in the future?
Then he got personally got word from Hanse that Nathan Armstrong had requested another audience.
While not as giddy as Hanse, he wondered what the SLDF was up to today.
--
--
"You beautiful person! You bunch of magnificent equus!" Hanse bellowed as Nathan Armstrong entered the room. "I heard what you did! How I wish I could hear Takashi Kurita howl!"
Armstrong nodded gracefully and inserted a holotape into the waiting projector. "Thank you. But it was not just us, it was in cooperation with the 4th Deneb and our 21st Striker Regiment. We can't do that too often."
"Why not?"
The holo showed a model of the Scout II JumpShip paired with two Dictator-class spheroid DropShips. "Because our jumpships look too much like penises as it is."
"But… all jumpships already all look like penises," Ardan mumbled, then slapped his face as he realized what he was saying. Objectively true, and yet…
Hanse chortled. Ah, how they did not disappoint. The ELH's non-sequitur ways of avoiding answering a question about their real capabilities had an almost comedic timing. Did they practice this?
The First Prince of the Federated Suns lounged back on his chair, years of stress melting off his face. "So, you mentioned you wanted something? Removing two regiments from House Kurita is a significant contribution, they only have around eighty of them."
Ardan wondered if Hanse was trying to downplay it to remind the ELH to maintain a humble big picture mindset, or if it really was that significant. Like a leaky dam, the collapse always starts with something small and untreated.
Armstrong nodded, apparently not offended at all. "That is why I am here to ask about how we… or you… are doing with those Scout II jumpship plans. We also want to buy up as many DroST hulls we can get."
"Drost? The DropShip-Tank?" Ardan echoed. "Aren't they obsolete?" The DroST was a line of vehicles that were a precursor to modern dedicated military DropShips. They were capable of landing and taking off vertically due to large fusion thrusters on pivoting wing assemblies, but those same assemblies also made them more complicated and vulnerable in combat. They were now mainly produced as civilian transports instead of hauling tanks and infantry as the SLDF originally intended. "I suppose they are six thousand tons compared to a Leopard's one thousand nine hundred, if you ever need to haul something with an aerodyne."
He glanced towards the image on the holo, and his eyes widened. "Wait, do you mean to turn them into Assault DropShips too?" That was the sort of extensive rebuild that takes shipyards years to accomplish! It would often be faster to purpose-build something based on a more modern hull, like Avenger or the Achilles; the latter which at 4500 tons and a safe thrust of 4 gravities was the closest thing to a WarShip that Inner Sphere still possessed.
"Done," said Hanse. "But I have a feeling this isn't what you came here for. You could just easily posted this on official channels. What do you really want that only my authority as First Prince could give you?"
"Indeed. As you should have already been informed, we are expanding our force first to four regiments, then five. Personnel is an issue. But we cannot just simply start recruiting drives for mercenaries and volunteers again. This will only fill up the needs for the short term, we need a sustainable in-house source of replacement and reinforcement," said Armstrong.
"Mmm. So what are you proposing?"
Armstrong made the holo show the Federated Suns territories, and the large rear region that was mostly undeveloped and undefended. "Two things. First – we heard about the problem with your Vagabond Schools – those repurposed freighters that travel to the Outback where the educational facilities and standards are so poor that it is more worthwhile to pack up a region's 12-to-13 year old youths to a JumpShip and study there for nine months of intensive education. The problem is that they are so old that these JumpShips are so old that they can't even be used for freighter duties, and they are prone to deadly accidents. And that you only have ten of them to serve scores, if not hundreds of worlds."
"Yes. If the Federated Suns were a military dictatorship, an uneducated citizenry would be beneficial. But we are just starved to address the needs of the Ministry of Education. You are right to presume that this is a JumpShip capacity problem – we can only do so much to spread around our limited number of teachers, and without enough jumpships educational and employment opportunities of even the most promising youths left undiscovered and limited to their backwater of a world." Hanse rubbed at his nose. "Are you proposing we start filtering new Scout IIs first into the Vagabond schools? I agree that they have a bigger, more comfortable grav deck and they seem built to serve long-duration independent cruises. We haven't even started trying to remake Merchants into Scout II lines though."
"The first and second requests I have are related to this issue. This is actually suggested by my wife, who is the head of our civilian division. If the Eridani Light Horse are no longer content to hide our light under a bushel, then it stands to reason that we ought to meaningfully help make the Inner Sphere better, not just slowing its bleeding out by fighting and killing. Be like vitamins instead of just antibodies. Therefore Eridani Light Horse would like to contribute JumpShips to this endeavor. You just supply the DropShips and the teachers."
"Wait. Contribute?" Ardan held up his hand. "Where are you even getting those ships? Do you mean… it's done?! You have been reinforced?!"
Armstrong clapped his palms together and bowed. "Greetings and salutations from the Declan Blacksite. It is live. If you send anyone to snoop over there, they will die. Thank you for your generous cooperation, my lord Davion."
"Heh. Who actually is the one that pays in this relationship? But if you're willing to do this, obviously there is a string attached. Out with it, man!" Hanse gestured snappily.
Armstrong shrugged helplessly. "Well you how the Eridani Light Horse's reverence for the Star League and styling ourselves as its legitimate remnants can be called costume play or even cult-like by some-"
"Hah. Are you supposed to just say that?" Hanse snorted with amusement.
Armstrong continued "We would like to start recruiting efforts under the banner of the Star League and with all the rights normally enjoyed by the SLDF. Namely, that each ELH JumpShip or installation counts as independent territory and consulate, and that once people sign up to the Eridani Light Horse they surrender ties to their former nation and citizenship and accept the authority of the SLDF in primacy over their lives and livelihood above all else for the duration of their enlistment."
Hanse pointed "Ahaha. Ha. That is big. It is a magnificently huge favor you are asking compared to just some ships. You know I cannot simply cast aside citizenship of the people of the Federated Sons. It would be tantamount to having a potentially hostile nation inside my borders." It was a testament to just how much Hanse was delighted by the Light Horse's actions that he did not take it as an insult.
Armstrong shrugged. "More like an enclave. It is not as if this is new. This was how the SLDF and the Star League operated before."
Hanse jabbed his finger with each point "But the difference is that the Star League is gone and you are not actually the SLDF, and if even so we would need renegotiate the whole thing instead of proceeding from expired agreements with a dead polity, and most importantly - you are still under the employment of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns."
Armstrong nodded. "Yes. Which is why we would only be recruiting under the name of the Eridani Light Horse and associated support services for now. The primacy of mutually equivalent SLDF law which inside these territories, and a process of extradition for what breaks the laws of the Federated Suns. Those who seek political asylum may find a place here. Nothing in force just of yet, but maybe eventually dual citizenship?"
Hanse smirked and leaned his chin on his wrists. "Oh? Dual citizenship with *what*, I dare ask."
Armstrong shrugged again. "If I say 'Terran Hegemony'" here he made air quotes "then Comstar would start screaming like lunatics."
"They're not the only ones with a reason to be unnerved at hearing that!"
-.
-.
WDS HAWKEN
Harrow's Sun
Draconis March
07 March 3025
The Dragoon's Epsilon Regiment combined naval force was about halfway to Harrow's Sun II. The captain of the WDS HAWKEN reported to Arthbutnot "Sir, we have drive signatures. Sensors report what may be a Vengeance escorted by two lighter dropships, possibly Avengers or Leopards, coming from the moon named Bane. And from the pirate point – four dropships, possibly Overlord-class. Approach velocity one point five gee, intercept in two days, six hours."
The colonel frowned. After the initial hail by the ELH commander in the system, Charles Winston of the 21st Strikers for the Dragoons to "cease their attack, turn around, and leave" which he had summarily ignored, there had been no communications.
The AFFS had two fighter wings on Deneb, which meant two 20-unit groups, or enough to support being a regimental wing for an RCT and one for the home guard. The Dragoons had brought three wings into this fight.
Unless the ELH brought multiple wings on those Overlords… but then that raises the question – where would the ELH find enough ASFs and pilots in the first place? And four of them?
Only now it was starting to feel strange that the 4th Deneb would willingly relinquish command authority over the defense of their homeworld to newcomers like the ELH. Numbers alone did not mean the absorption of command rights for the smaller force.
The Fourth Deneb were also known for assault boarding operations.
Arthbutnot sucked in his breath and growled. Yes that was the most likely outcome. Why allow the enemy to land at all? An Overlord could support many Small Craft and substantial boarding parties. He went over to the communications officer and bid him to open a regimental comms channel. They only had so much time to prepare, but the ELH 21st and the 4th Deneb were vastly underestimating them if they chose to rely on these tricks.
-.
WDS HAWKEN
09 March 3025
Red battle lights and alarms rang through the bridge. The communications officer announced "All hands to battle stations. Aerospace Fighters launching. All hands prepare for zero-g maneuvers."
The engines of the Overlord suddenly cut off, and the ship began to coast along on its stored momentum. Lacking the acceleration provided by the constant thrust, now everything suddenly became weightless even as the craft maintained significant forward velocity.
AeroSpace Fighters, mainly Stukas, released from the Hawken's bays. More of the Dragoon's fighters began launching as well from their fighter-carrier, while the Union DropShips moved to the shadow of the pair of Overlords.
Up ahead, the battle map showed the Deneb Vengeance dropship releasing its own cloud of fighters, while from the Overlords four fighters each emerged to escort their mothership. Hm. Normally an Overlord carried six.
Buckled into his seat and wearing a bulky and space suit, Arthbutnot could only scowl. All of the naval command staff were wearing space suits, while the rest of Able Battalion would only sit blindly and helplessly in their crash couches or belted into their beds while the ship fought a space battle. He could contribute nothing to this fight as either a commander or a warrior.
The combat map showed two waves of fightercraft about to meet each other.
"Enemy contact in five, four, three, two – fighters engaged."
The neat lines immediately collapsed into a confused tangle of BVR fights. Fighter combat was not a matter of senses, but of fingers on computers shooting at distant and near invisible blips on a screen, and pitting the need for evasive maneuvers against being able to hold a lock.
C-beams glittered in the dark in front of Harrow's Sun.
Something scraped against the side of the HAWKEN and it was as if the whole ship screamed.
9.3 The World Egg
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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The World Egg 03
Declan
Abandoned System
Federated Suns
Date Unknown
With a sound roughly like a "*WVORP!*, vibrating across the hull and carried by the hot flash of suddenly vaporized and displaced ambient space gases, with the paradoxical sight of what looks like coruscating glass shards unbreaking itself - the SLS ARENDAL resolved back into normal space.
"Sensors confirm. G3V class system, six planets. Matching stellar charts. It is the Declan star system."
The captain of the ship scowled. "I am never going to get used to that. Being able to go anywhere in the Inner Sphere in one jump. It is weird. It is unnatural. And I want it off my ship."
Nathan Armstrong sucked in his breath. "This is magic. I wasn't sure if I believed it, but… nothing made by man could do this."
Beside him, Andrei Posseli waggled his mustache and grinned. "It could still be aliens though, sir."
Everyone else groaned. Everybody remaining in the JumpShip's skeleton crew had already been briefed to the real situation. This was likely to be the last journey of the ARENDAL.
"Drive flares detected! Ships on intercept!" the Radar Officer announced. "Distance five hundred thousand klicks!"
The main screen showed white and checkered gray bulbous ships on the approach, burning white-hot fusion rocket trails. The dome-like head and the long thin body marked them as Scout JumpShips. But the track showed that they were accelerating at the equivalent of 3 gravities.
A Scout JumpShip was one of the very few JumpShips actually capable of appreciable in-system movement… but at most .2 gees.
A ship with a JumpDrive core and drop collars reinforced enough to support maneuvering at multiple gravities must by necessity be a Compact Core… and that meant they were WarShip cores.
Davion had checked the system before, right?
Did they actually get away with anything useful or were they just space dust?
The comms chirped with an incoming transmission, which was accepted.
The screen showed a simple robotic face that had a pasted on beard and mustache and a naval hat. "- Hello the Monolith. This is the RNIK Tenderfeets Scout Three Squadron. What do ye here? Do ye be the Eridani Light Horse? We will have no truck with Heavy Horses here, we do not have time for such fodder. - "
"Oh yes!" Andrei Posseli, a man nearly fifty, almost squealed in childish glee. "I missed these sassy robots!"
-.
-.
The Scouts entered a diamond formation around the ELH Monolith.
"Now what?" Armstrong asked Andrei Posseli. "We're still too far out in the system. Do we transfer dropships or head straight to Declan II?"
The engineer, one of only three people to physically meet Doctor Robotnik and the one given the development diary, pointed at the system map. "The Chaos Emerald is too important to be put to somewhere anyone else can get at it. So we're supposed to go to the outermost planet, Declan VI, which is a gas giant. Captain, please plot a short jump."
The Captain grumbled "Plot a short jump like we can't get misjumps anymore. Make it so."
"Wait. Don't we have to wait until the drive core recharges?" Armstrong interjected, befuddled.
Posseli then only pointed to the readout on the main console. [DRIVE CHARGED] blinked back at him.
He said "The Chaos Emerald absorbed and redirected all the energy needed to translate into hyperspace. It's really such a pity that the Chaos Emerald is so dangerous to hold, or that it can only be in one ship at a time, because this means a ship can go anywhere in the galaxy if it wanted to. Instantaneous and unlimited Faster than Light travel. I can understand why this had to be the blackest of projects. Using it for anything other than exploration is a tragic misuse of power."
Armstrong nodded and hummed softly while rubbing his chin. "Mmm. OPERATION SEEDCORN sounds more and more fantastical the more I hear about what it was supposed to do, huh. If the thing is so powerful that it can do this, the more dangerous it sounds making contact with another civilization that does make open use of its power."
"Well, General?" the Captain asked idly, turning around on his chair.
"Ah. Right. You may proceed."
The Navigator looked to the left, to the right, into each the eyes of the bridge crew looking for assurance. Even though they had just survived an impossible jump, it was hard to shake the long-held knowledge that you could only safely jump to a gravity-neutral zone. Into the orbit of a gas giant was the exact opposite of that.
Slowly the Navigator made the calculations and shakily input the numbers. Then she said "Coordinates fixed. Pilot, you may engage the Jump at your discretion."
"Jump warning. Jump warning. Hyperspace Jump in three. Two. One- "
The ship began to glitter with breaking spacetime. Tendrils of fractal lightning grabbed at the surrounding vessels.
*FWORP*
-.
*FWORP*
The entire formation emerged back out into realspace. The angry orange-red hues of the gas giant Declan VI loomed overhead.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"I could get really used to that…" the Navigator said softly. "Man, it sucks *we* can't go exploring instead."
"To boldly go where no man, or mech, or hardboiled egg, has gone before…" said Posseli. He turned to Nathan Armstrong. "Now, the obvious thing is to put it on a rocky world so it can mine for metals, but gas giants may also have a metallic core."
"Can the Death Egg survive that?"
"No of course not sir. It's going to splatter inwards like, well, an egg. But it should last long enough for the programmed behaviors the good Doctor put into the nanolathe to activate and get to the second part of the plan. But it's still not too late to prefer landing on a more conventional hospitable world and have the Chaos Emerald available."
Armstrong shook his head. "No. The temptation is too strong. Let's do this and get our ships."
"Aye sir. You hear that, chief?" Posseli then addressed the open comms to the Death Egg. "We are good to go for OPERATION EGGDROP."
Joseph Kubler responded "- Got it. All remote control systems are online, course set. We are removing ourselves from the ship. Automatic undocking in five minutes. -"
-.
After some time, the Death Egg uncoupled from the Monolith JumpShip and engaged its transit drives. Everyone piled onto the observation deck to the DropShip plunge into the gas giant for its last journey.
For a long while, nothing happened. Armstrong mentioned aloud "Well, if anything else, at least we got three regiments worth of units and supplies and six WarShips out of it." He felt that maybe this would be better. Too much power. Too much magic. Even if Robotnik and Stone trusted the Eridani Light Horse with it, power corrupts. It was better if they had to earn their way through their own sweat and blood.
Davion would just have to be content with the idea that the Terran Hegemony in Exile looked at the situation and called the whole thing off as a lost cause.
And then, the roiling loops and curls of the gas giant began to move faster. Swirls of colors moved out of their bands, combining in some spots and fraying out in others.
Two deep white cyclones the size of whole lesser planets formed on the northern hemisphere, in line with each other. Below, the equator bands ballooned out to either side in spiky whorls. Then below that, an arc of repeating white curls. Two eyes, a mustache, and a grin.
"Jesus Christ-" someone gasped softly in terror and awe.
"No," Posseli and Armstrong said together. "Doctor Robotnik."
Even though all was silent save from the ambient noise of machinery, it was like they could hear a madman's triumphant AHAHAHAHAH through the vacuum of space.
-.
-.
The 'eyes' of the planet glowed green from the inside, and two bright beams lanced out into empty space. The beams continued across half the star system until they hit Declan II.
Clouds parted, the ground broke asunder, and on that distant backwards planet... a Metal Extractor was laid down.
A Kbot Construction Lab was then lathed into existence.
The beam cut off, then the Robotnikied world turned its attention back into nearby space. It lanced eyebeams out into the nothing right ahead of the Monolith.
The eyes of the world changed from green to gold, and bright golden power lanced out into empty space. The beams stopped on empty space as if hitting a solid yet invisible wall, and began to flow like honey. Energy turned into matter. Chaos into form. Potential into purpose.
A great golden ring, many kilometers wide, slowly came into being.
-.
-.
They had by this time relocated to the lead ship of the Scout III WarShips. The whole thing was clean gleaming brand new. It was crewed entirely by robots.
"Ayy, Acting Commodore-Bot asks to be relieved," the robot in command said with a sloppy salute. "This ship only operates at twenty percent efficiency without an organic crew. Make ye be at home, my crew will see to yer needs."
"Where did these ships come from?" Armstrong asked. "How did Robotnik squirrel away a whole fleet of ships?"
"Nay, General. We be a misjump from the future. Also double nay, you canna abuse this."
"But-"
"We tried, General. There be angry time monkeys. The casualties be horrendous. We be seeing your head get put on a pike. Never again."
"…"
The ELH staff walked numbly through the primary corridor. The air tasted sweet, almost like fresh mountain air from pristine filters.
The Scout III WarShip had two counter-rotating 90-meter gravdecks. With extensive automation, it was running with a robot crew of thirty. Officially however it had the cabins for 20 officers, 120 crew (enlisted and gunners), 34 personnel for 12 ASFs in their bays, and 20 passengers and 40 marines. It could support up to twice that number without straining life support. 41 Lifeboats ensured they could abandon ship and burn towards a nearby life-bearing world with room to spare.
Quite a lot for a mere 105,000 ton light escort Q ship. It was suspicious that the ship could serve for evacuation if pressed, but more charitably this also made the Scout a suitable exploration vessel.
"Coffee? Tea? Or whiskey?" Posseli asked Armstrong after they had settled in.
"The strongest they got," the general whispered.
"Irish coffee it is, then." He snapped his fingers and a waiter-bot rolled to attention.
The magnetic rollers of the bots could pass through the ship without care if there was gravity or not, and much faster than any human could move in zero-g. The ship felt more like a hotel than a fully functional WarShip armed with real capital-grade weaponry.
They stared out a nearby porthole in the nautical themed restaurant. The grav deck rotated, so real windows were not only a weak point in the armor but the sight of stars streaming past at a rotation of 4 and 1/2 times per minute could quickly be dizzying. The porthole was a screen sunk into the walls.
Outside they beheld a green glowing outline, slowly filling out with metal. A central half-spherical core surrounded by sunflower-petal sections, growing from the inside out..
A spire rose from the center, and two deep wells like eyes remained sunken as the structure filled up.
After several more minutes, the task was complete. It was like half a moon or a round face with whiskers growing out of the sides.
The deep eye holes glowed green.
The nanolathe wells spun and formed Dropship-sized Construction Vessels. Bee-shaped things flew out and they then begun creating and punting things through the Ring.
"What do you think they're doing now?" Armstrong asked.
"I think they're tossing stealthed HPG stations out into deep space so we can all keep in contact with our Urbanmech HPGs and ship-based HPGs," Posseli answered.
HPGs were point to point transmitters, so in deep space each one had to know where every other HPG would be. On the positive side, in deep space they would also be less impacted by gravity and would never move relative to the star nearby. This also made them impossible to repair, but the fabricators could just chuck another one out there as a replacement.
The general shivered. Awesome.
Behind the station, the Ring of solidifed Chaos Power hung gleaming in space, a circle of bright and purest gold. While a ship could no longer jump with the unlimited range of the Chaos Emerald, tapping the Ring with its drive field would allow it to reach any point in the Inner Sphere or the Periphery.
While range was effectively unlimited, this only applied to going out from Declan blacksite. Anyone wanting to take advantage of this again had to travel all the way back to it.
There were Rings in the usual jump points and gravity neutral lagrange points in the system. Not only could the Rings allow for unlimited range single-use jumps, but also instant passage from one to the other inside the system.
The Rings also projected a Kearny-Fuchida hyperspace jamming field. Anyone trying to plot a course to the system would just bounce and misjump to the closest other star in the direct line.
Entry into the mystery system required that someone in the ship possessed one of the original Chaos Rings. And good intentions, because magic was an intent-based process.
"Even this… even this power… to create something from nothing… is better than the temptation of the Chaos Emerald," Armstrong whispered at last. "This isn't something human power can accomplish anymore, this is impinging on the domain of gods."
He had been admiring Robotnik before, but knowing that a man was able to turn away from this much power and completely entrust it to the next generation- that was almost oppressively humbling. He could have been a god, but chose to die as a man. That man was a hero that no one would ever know.
Posseli nodded and answered "Robotnik's Development Diary has a line that I don't quite understand, but about this it says - Chaos flows from a Sea of Gold, ships are swords and dragons are angels, demons are killed by kindness, and all life is a gift from the Lord of Nightmares."
"Don't you miss a time when all we had to worry about was just financially recovering from losing half a regiment?" Armstrong said with a heavy sigh.
"While it was more comforting to live in a universe that made sense, I would have to say… no. It has only been half a year, sir. Knowing that the universe is really much bigger than our stupid little wars in the Inner Sphere… that there's more wonder and magic out there than we can believe… that is much more comforting to me. Puts everything in perspective, I'd say." Posseli shrugged. "Ah, drinks are here."
The waiter bot slid onto the table two tall hot cream-topped mugs. The mugs had plastic blisters on top, almost like baby feeders, to minimize risks of spilling in artificial gravity. Posseli stuck a bendy straw into each hole so that they looked less insulting.
Armstrong reached for one, but only pinched the glass handle without lifting the mug until eventually he calmed down. "At least in the heart of a gas giant, no one can lay claim to it anymore. Declan II as a world factory sounds important enough that no one would ever think it is just a decoy."
He paused and waved at the screen, "At least I hope this… this... this planet with a face! Calms down and goes back to normal."
"Do you really think that's it?" Posseli said with a cruel smirk. "If there was ever a need… I'm sure Doctor Robotnik has made a way for his only begotten son to retrieve the Chaos Emerald and hero it up. No, sir – it becomes even more dangerous now. Because now the question is… when that time comes – did we raise Devlin Stone to withstand the temptations of that power?"
"No. Stop."
"There is an old aphorism that goes 'it takes a village to raise a child.' Sometimes it takes a regiment."
"I left them alone with Natasha Kerensky."
Posseli raised a mug in salute and took a sip. "Ah. Sucks to be you, then."
-.
-.
The crew of the SLS ARENDAL were fully read into the situation and so they knew that most of them had to be the first new settlers of Declan II. They could not leave and accidentally betray this information. Seeing a planet with a face made them think that this was simultaneously too crazy to be believed but too dangerous if anyone were actually crazy enough to believe it.
The Eridani Light Horse now had six WarShips that conveniently still looked like civilian vessels. The fruit of decades of ruthless optimization, they were a proven yet newly manufactured design from another timeline.However, that was not enough to save them from a surprise visit by some Dantes.
The new limit to the nanolathe inside the GREAT ARK was that while it could build ships, with near unlimited mass for building being disassembled from the core of the gas giant, it could only design and build from known designs. It only had the plans for the Scout and vessels based on that hull.
For anything bigger that can match up to a real WarShip, they needed to disassemble a bigger ship.
The Captain of the SLS ARENDAL stroked the leather top of the captain's chair. For generations, his family had served the old girl. Not always as the Captain, it was an elected position, but always with honor. From ship crew to fighter pilots to dropship command, it was all fine as long as they could come home – not to a world, trapped by the weight of gravity, but in the comforting cocoon of a spaceship.
"The old girl's not dying, sir" the First Mate tried to console the old man. "It's just a rebuild. She'll come out of this better and without her old pains."
"Will she?" he replied with a low growl. "I've seen the lathe. It can make you think something has always been there. It can duplicate anything, but can it fake history? I don't know – if her body changes, will she still have the same soul?"
"Sorry sir, but needs must. We have our orders. The naval contingent is just as part of the Eridani Light Horse RCT as the mech regiments. We can't be kingdoms of our own in a military roll."
"Aye, I understand. The one for the many," with one last squeeze at the leather, he let go. "We all fight in our own way. This girl would like to be able to fight directly."
"Yes, sir. Let's go. We can't stay here, not unless we want to be disassembled and reassembled along with the ship."
The captain nodded. He turned away and began to float off towards the exit.
Then suddenly his eyes gleamed as if a terrible yet great concept had just occurred to him. He turned around and lunged at the Captain's chair again. He clamped onto it like a koala on the tree. "Part of the ship! Part of the crew!" he screamed. "PART OF THE SHIP! PART OF THE CREW!"
"Not this shite again," the First Mate sighed.
They managed to sedate the old man and bring him away.
-.
And the SLS ARENDAL slowly sank headfirst into one of the eyewells of the ARK, to be reborn into the SLDS ARENDAL. From the other eyewell, floated up rebuilt Dictator-class DropShips. Four of them as Pocket WarShips, and two as Assault Tugs.
Everybody else had to go into the remaining Scouts IIIs. As the DropShips locked into place, the ships could now, with the aid of the Rings, disperse out into the Inner Sphere.
"These ships have a Lithium Fusion Battery, right? Think we could meet up with the 21st Strikers along the way and bring them to Harrow's Sun faster?" Armstrong mused. "Or to be more precise, you go bring them there while I do my job and go to New Avalon."
"I thought you were worried about Kerensky's influence on Stone?"
"I'm actually more worried about Stone's influence on Kerensky, but I figure by this time the damage is done. It's time to pass this headache on to someone else."
-.
-.
Harrow's Sun
Draconis March
07 March 3025
They were the wolves.
The pack runs as one, fights as one, and never abandons their own. That was what made them strong. Not the arrogance of the falcons of jade, nor the dreams of the nova cat, nor the naked bloodlust of the smoke jaguar. Leadership. Unity. Those who break with unit break with faith, and the faithless will meet only death.
Charles Winston and Daniel Arthbutnot made quite the pair. One looked old and grandfatherly, another thin and like some harried office worker. Their exterior belied the merciless warrior hearts and brutal savagery once in control of a BattleMech. Only the cold intellect betrayed by their eyes hinted at the danger.
Arbuthnot hissed at the old man "Those are no mere Assault DropShips. I would almost be impressed."
The Overlords and other DropShips of the Epsilon regiment hung motionless in space, their occupants uncomfortably floating and clinging to things in zero-gravity. Their engines had to be shut off or else risk catastrophic destruction after battle damage.
DropShip tugs and space workers moved slowly to attach secure lines to pull them closer in-system where they could affect repairs in stable orbit.
The Modified Dictator-class Pocket Warships, tentatively called internally the DOOM EGG, had a quartet of Light Subcapital Lasers on each facing and could strip all the armor off a Union's side in two or three sweeps. They had six Piranha Subcapital Missile Launchers to slap aside fighters and were each escorted by four EGARTS drone fighters.
If the ELH really wanted to destroy the Dragoons, just one of them would have been enough to murder their entire force.
"If the Epsilon Regiment would like to have a proper battle at a later date, perhaps in a series of company-scale duels to minimize infrastructure damage, the Eridani Light Horse would happily accept those terms of combat in lieu of the randomness and chaos of a planetary invasion," responded Charles Winston. "But for now, the 21st Strikers Regiment would have your parole to defer the attack on Harrow's Sun. You will be towed towards a stable orbit and then you may disembark. You may even keep your mechs, they will be held in trust here until the DropShips can affect repairs and either a nominal ransom or agreement for prisoner exchange is reached with the Wolf's Dragoons. This is a thing we do only because we know the Dragoons have honor."
He added "Also I agree, this would all have been much more impressive if we used proper WarShips." Then the old man shrugged, "But we all have to make do with what we are given."
Arthbutnot clenched his teeth until his jaws hurt.
Barbara Mosley, in taking down Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow Company, had made her name echo around the Inner Sphere.
Charles Winston personally did not care for any fame. But in seizing a whole goddamn Wolf's Dragoons regiment, he was sure this event would enter the ears of the House Lords themselves. Takashi Kurita would hear of it personally. People would die for daring to bring up bad news that makes the Coordinator look like he made a mistake, any mistake. Seeming like he overestimated the value of Wolf's Dragoons would also shame the supporters of the plan to establish a Dragoon-like regiment, the Ryuken. The Coordinator was untouchable, but the churn of lesser officers was not.
And then they would hear just how the Dragoons were taken down.
This was a capacity to conduct naval operations to make even Hanse Davion nervous. Everybody from Maximilian Liao to Katrina Steiner to even Michael Hasek-Davion would have to sit up and pay attention. The whole Inner Sphere would pivot around this moment, he could feel it.
Where did the general find these ships?!
It was confirmation. No wonder they had been told it was acceptable to paint the Cameron Star over the tan prancing pony. They had been resupplied. They were no longer alone.
-.
-.
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
17 March 3025
"You're still refusing to let us deal with the Dragoons, then?" asked Hanse. "I could overlook the single company of Natasha Kerensky's, but an entire regiment… you had better have a good reason for me to potentially allow them back into Kurita hands, to kill and raid our worlds even further instead of just letting them sit out this war in a comfortable enough prison camp."
"We do this because we need the Wolves intact as much as possible for when the Draconis Combine inevitably turn against them, creating a blood feud. Hopefully this actually tempts the factors involved there to accelerate their plans. Then we can throw Epsilon Regiment to help their parent unit and have their gratitude. If not - what you want to ask from Jaime Wolf in compensation for the return of his regiment is up to you, my lord."
"Unfortunately for us, the Dragoons also have a point of honor about not being used against their former employers, so I can't just demand for the regiment to be moved to the Lyran front," the First Prince noted. "I don't want my soldiers to have to face their Epsilon Regiment again."
"I have a suggestion," said Ardan. "I am certain the Dragoons will want a real honest fight out of this, instead of just being blasted and captured midway. I know I would be infuriated. What if you ask that they can only fight the Light Horse? They can only attack worlds that the Eridani Light Horse have garrisoned?"
Both Nathan Armstrong and Hanse Davion furrowed their brows and considered it.
"That sounds… reasonable," said the ELH general. "This would involve planting the 21st Strikers down on a world instead of a fast reaction force. In fact a world would need to have two of our regiments to be worth the time – one to defend, another that can be moved out and keep the enemy off balance. Just like what the Dragoons are doing with their base on Misery."
"I will not force you into this if it would mean losing the flexibility the Light Horse RCT is known for," said the First Prince.
Armstrong shrugged. "I'm not that, ah, super concerned about the fate of the Wolf's Dragoons. It would be ideal for them to be ripping through House Kurita, but if there is no other alternative we would not object to them spending the next few years in a prison planet either. I suppose it all depends upon you and the response from Jaime Wolf."
"Very good." Hanse made a gesture as if sweeping away the issue, then opened his palm out towards the far side of the room. "You realize, of course, that the reason I allow this is because of the elephant in the room – which we will discuss now. Your WarShips-"
"Pocket WarShips" Armstrong put in.
"… Pocket WarShips. Is that even an actual term? No, never mind. What do you want for us to have access to them?"
"Nothing. That is, you will not have any access to them. You already have all the elements, Hanse Davion. You would learn more from failing than copying. The Terran Hegemony once attempted to inhibit the member states by making it always more convenient to be reverse-engineering than developing their own ability to create things from the ground up, no matter how inferior they may appear at the start. I will not harm you like this." Armstrong's gaze was stony. "Just play the game of 'How many Subcapital Lasers can you fit on a Union?' The answer is - enough to make a ship ten times its size choke on it."
Hanse leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. Ardan wondered if he was angry.
After some time, the ruler of the largest and most powerful state in the Inner Sphere said "You have no idea – no idea at all how much of a relief that is. I just keep getting surprised that there's no other shoe being dropped. Whatever agenda you might be pushing here, I don't even care anymore. I just trust that you do not intend any harm to my Federated Suns."
Armstrong stared at him and said slowly as if explaining to a little child "It's not like we have been trying to hide it. The restoration of the Star League and peace in the Inner Sphere."
Hanse hissed "You MADMAN. It sounds insane and impossible if you just say it like that. Who would believe you!"
Ardan looked hurt for a moment. Why was it so hard for politicians – as much as he hated to admit it, his friend was a consummate politician now – to believe that people could be as honest and straightforward as exactly what they said?
Armstrong shrugged again. "It is what it is."
"I… I do want to be First Lord of the Star League," Hanse admitted. "If it can happen in my lifetime… you said I would make a perfectly adequate one. But I'm a realist. I can only hope my descendants can achieve it, and we gain it by proving ourselves worthy of it by the example of the prosperity and security of our realm. If you want to recreate the Terran Hegemony… we have controlled those worlds for too long, I don't think I can adequately explain away giving it up unless the Terran Hegemony is militarily restored to something like its height."
He looked opened his eyes and looked helpless for a moment. "But if you could do that, why would you even need us? Why even stay here? What I am most afraid of is true friends becoming the greatest enemies because of the need of politics. I… don't have many of those left. I can't even trust my supporters if they only tell me what I want to hear to advance their own interests or because they don't want me to worry unnecessarily. Controlled and being controlled. That's politics."
Then he shook his head and his demeanor, as a ruler forced into his position from the untimely death of the heir, returned. "The Eridani Light Horse at some point will have to stop being just an RCT and become a political body of its own cognizance at some point. I wonder – are you prepared for this, Nathan Armstrong?"
The general grinned. What a stony question indeed. "I am happy to say that I would able to retire immediately before that becomes my problem."
"Stop showing me up like this, you total bastard," Hanse said flatly.
-----------------------------------------------
AN:
And there we go.
I am sorry to say that is as far as Throw a Stone can go for now. This feels like a good 'Book One' end. It's time to let it go into a hiatus.
The ELH already have all they need. They have a cubbyhole they can retreat to if things turn for the worst. They have infinite manufacturing capacity now that they just have to slowly distribute to the Inner Sphere via shell companies. You can just imagine what influence they will have on the events leading up to the 4th succession war – or if it even happens at all, and how this much would panic Comstar, and the fate of the Wolf's Dragoons.
They have enough that they would not just be made extinct by the Clans; their centuries of loyal service meaning nothing, betrayed by the selfish incompetence of every power that they trusted, the end of the last remaining piece of the noble collective dream that was the Star League.
Declan
Abandoned System
Federated Suns
Date Unknown
With a sound roughly like a "*WVORP!*, vibrating across the hull and carried by the hot flash of suddenly vaporized and displaced ambient space gases, with the paradoxical sight of what looks like coruscating glass shards unbreaking itself - the SLS ARENDAL resolved back into normal space.
"Sensors confirm. G3V class system, six planets. Matching stellar charts. It is the Declan star system."
The captain of the ship scowled. "I am never going to get used to that. Being able to go anywhere in the Inner Sphere in one jump. It is weird. It is unnatural. And I want it off my ship."
Nathan Armstrong sucked in his breath. "This is magic. I wasn't sure if I believed it, but… nothing made by man could do this."
Beside him, Andrei Posseli waggled his mustache and grinned. "It could still be aliens though, sir."
Everyone else groaned. Everybody remaining in the JumpShip's skeleton crew had already been briefed to the real situation. This was likely to be the last journey of the ARENDAL.
"Drive flares detected! Ships on intercept!" the Radar Officer announced. "Distance five hundred thousand klicks!"
The main screen showed white and checkered gray bulbous ships on the approach, burning white-hot fusion rocket trails. The dome-like head and the long thin body marked them as Scout JumpShips. But the track showed that they were accelerating at the equivalent of 3 gravities.
A Scout JumpShip was one of the very few JumpShips actually capable of appreciable in-system movement… but at most .2 gees.
A ship with a JumpDrive core and drop collars reinforced enough to support maneuvering at multiple gravities must by necessity be a Compact Core… and that meant they were WarShip cores.
Davion had checked the system before, right?
Did they actually get away with anything useful or were they just space dust?
The comms chirped with an incoming transmission, which was accepted.
The screen showed a simple robotic face that had a pasted on beard and mustache and a naval hat. "- Hello the Monolith. This is the RNIK Tenderfeets Scout Three Squadron. What do ye here? Do ye be the Eridani Light Horse? We will have no truck with Heavy Horses here, we do not have time for such fodder. - "
"Oh yes!" Andrei Posseli, a man nearly fifty, almost squealed in childish glee. "I missed these sassy robots!"
-.
-.
The Scouts entered a diamond formation around the ELH Monolith.
"Now what?" Armstrong asked Andrei Posseli. "We're still too far out in the system. Do we transfer dropships or head straight to Declan II?"
The engineer, one of only three people to physically meet Doctor Robotnik and the one given the development diary, pointed at the system map. "The Chaos Emerald is too important to be put to somewhere anyone else can get at it. So we're supposed to go to the outermost planet, Declan VI, which is a gas giant. Captain, please plot a short jump."
The Captain grumbled "Plot a short jump like we can't get misjumps anymore. Make it so."
"Wait. Don't we have to wait until the drive core recharges?" Armstrong interjected, befuddled.
Posseli then only pointed to the readout on the main console. [DRIVE CHARGED] blinked back at him.
He said "The Chaos Emerald absorbed and redirected all the energy needed to translate into hyperspace. It's really such a pity that the Chaos Emerald is so dangerous to hold, or that it can only be in one ship at a time, because this means a ship can go anywhere in the galaxy if it wanted to. Instantaneous and unlimited Faster than Light travel. I can understand why this had to be the blackest of projects. Using it for anything other than exploration is a tragic misuse of power."
Armstrong nodded and hummed softly while rubbing his chin. "Mmm. OPERATION SEEDCORN sounds more and more fantastical the more I hear about what it was supposed to do, huh. If the thing is so powerful that it can do this, the more dangerous it sounds making contact with another civilization that does make open use of its power."
"Well, General?" the Captain asked idly, turning around on his chair.
"Ah. Right. You may proceed."
The Navigator looked to the left, to the right, into each the eyes of the bridge crew looking for assurance. Even though they had just survived an impossible jump, it was hard to shake the long-held knowledge that you could only safely jump to a gravity-neutral zone. Into the orbit of a gas giant was the exact opposite of that.
Slowly the Navigator made the calculations and shakily input the numbers. Then she said "Coordinates fixed. Pilot, you may engage the Jump at your discretion."
"Jump warning. Jump warning. Hyperspace Jump in three. Two. One- "
The ship began to glitter with breaking spacetime. Tendrils of fractal lightning grabbed at the surrounding vessels.
*FWORP*
-.
*FWORP*
The entire formation emerged back out into realspace. The angry orange-red hues of the gas giant Declan VI loomed overhead.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"I could get really used to that…" the Navigator said softly. "Man, it sucks *we* can't go exploring instead."
"To boldly go where no man, or mech, or hardboiled egg, has gone before…" said Posseli. He turned to Nathan Armstrong. "Now, the obvious thing is to put it on a rocky world so it can mine for metals, but gas giants may also have a metallic core."
"Can the Death Egg survive that?"
"No of course not sir. It's going to splatter inwards like, well, an egg. But it should last long enough for the programmed behaviors the good Doctor put into the nanolathe to activate and get to the second part of the plan. But it's still not too late to prefer landing on a more conventional hospitable world and have the Chaos Emerald available."
Armstrong shook his head. "No. The temptation is too strong. Let's do this and get our ships."
"Aye sir. You hear that, chief?" Posseli then addressed the open comms to the Death Egg. "We are good to go for OPERATION EGGDROP."
Joseph Kubler responded "- Got it. All remote control systems are online, course set. We are removing ourselves from the ship. Automatic undocking in five minutes. -"
-.
After some time, the Death Egg uncoupled from the Monolith JumpShip and engaged its transit drives. Everyone piled onto the observation deck to the DropShip plunge into the gas giant for its last journey.
For a long while, nothing happened. Armstrong mentioned aloud "Well, if anything else, at least we got three regiments worth of units and supplies and six WarShips out of it." He felt that maybe this would be better. Too much power. Too much magic. Even if Robotnik and Stone trusted the Eridani Light Horse with it, power corrupts. It was better if they had to earn their way through their own sweat and blood.
Davion would just have to be content with the idea that the Terran Hegemony in Exile looked at the situation and called the whole thing off as a lost cause.
And then, the roiling loops and curls of the gas giant began to move faster. Swirls of colors moved out of their bands, combining in some spots and fraying out in others.
Two deep white cyclones the size of whole lesser planets formed on the northern hemisphere, in line with each other. Below, the equator bands ballooned out to either side in spiky whorls. Then below that, an arc of repeating white curls. Two eyes, a mustache, and a grin.
"Jesus Christ-" someone gasped softly in terror and awe.
"No," Posseli and Armstrong said together. "Doctor Robotnik."
Even though all was silent save from the ambient noise of machinery, it was like they could hear a madman's triumphant AHAHAHAHAH through the vacuum of space.
-.
-.
The 'eyes' of the planet glowed green from the inside, and two bright beams lanced out into empty space. The beams continued across half the star system until they hit Declan II.
Clouds parted, the ground broke asunder, and on that distant backwards planet... a Metal Extractor was laid down.
A Kbot Construction Lab was then lathed into existence.
The beam cut off, then the Robotnikied world turned its attention back into nearby space. It lanced eyebeams out into the nothing right ahead of the Monolith.
The eyes of the world changed from green to gold, and bright golden power lanced out into empty space. The beams stopped on empty space as if hitting a solid yet invisible wall, and began to flow like honey. Energy turned into matter. Chaos into form. Potential into purpose.
A great golden ring, many kilometers wide, slowly came into being.
-.
-.
They had by this time relocated to the lead ship of the Scout III WarShips. The whole thing was clean gleaming brand new. It was crewed entirely by robots.
"Ayy, Acting Commodore-Bot asks to be relieved," the robot in command said with a sloppy salute. "This ship only operates at twenty percent efficiency without an organic crew. Make ye be at home, my crew will see to yer needs."
"Where did these ships come from?" Armstrong asked. "How did Robotnik squirrel away a whole fleet of ships?"
"Nay, General. We be a misjump from the future. Also double nay, you canna abuse this."
"But-"
"We tried, General. There be angry time monkeys. The casualties be horrendous. We be seeing your head get put on a pike. Never again."
"…"
The ELH staff walked numbly through the primary corridor. The air tasted sweet, almost like fresh mountain air from pristine filters.
The Scout III WarShip had two counter-rotating 90-meter gravdecks. With extensive automation, it was running with a robot crew of thirty. Officially however it had the cabins for 20 officers, 120 crew (enlisted and gunners), 34 personnel for 12 ASFs in their bays, and 20 passengers and 40 marines. It could support up to twice that number without straining life support. 41 Lifeboats ensured they could abandon ship and burn towards a nearby life-bearing world with room to spare.
Quite a lot for a mere 105,000 ton light escort Q ship. It was suspicious that the ship could serve for evacuation if pressed, but more charitably this also made the Scout a suitable exploration vessel.
"Coffee? Tea? Or whiskey?" Posseli asked Armstrong after they had settled in.
"The strongest they got," the general whispered.
"Irish coffee it is, then." He snapped his fingers and a waiter-bot rolled to attention.
The magnetic rollers of the bots could pass through the ship without care if there was gravity or not, and much faster than any human could move in zero-g. The ship felt more like a hotel than a fully functional WarShip armed with real capital-grade weaponry.
They stared out a nearby porthole in the nautical themed restaurant. The grav deck rotated, so real windows were not only a weak point in the armor but the sight of stars streaming past at a rotation of 4 and 1/2 times per minute could quickly be dizzying. The porthole was a screen sunk into the walls.
Outside they beheld a green glowing outline, slowly filling out with metal. A central half-spherical core surrounded by sunflower-petal sections, growing from the inside out..
A spire rose from the center, and two deep wells like eyes remained sunken as the structure filled up.
After several more minutes, the task was complete. It was like half a moon or a round face with whiskers growing out of the sides.
The deep eye holes glowed green.
The nanolathe wells spun and formed Dropship-sized Construction Vessels. Bee-shaped things flew out and they then begun creating and punting things through the Ring.
"What do you think they're doing now?" Armstrong asked.
"I think they're tossing stealthed HPG stations out into deep space so we can all keep in contact with our Urbanmech HPGs and ship-based HPGs," Posseli answered.
HPGs were point to point transmitters, so in deep space each one had to know where every other HPG would be. On the positive side, in deep space they would also be less impacted by gravity and would never move relative to the star nearby. This also made them impossible to repair, but the fabricators could just chuck another one out there as a replacement.
The general shivered. Awesome.
Behind the station, the Ring of solidifed Chaos Power hung gleaming in space, a circle of bright and purest gold. While a ship could no longer jump with the unlimited range of the Chaos Emerald, tapping the Ring with its drive field would allow it to reach any point in the Inner Sphere or the Periphery.
While range was effectively unlimited, this only applied to going out from Declan blacksite. Anyone wanting to take advantage of this again had to travel all the way back to it.
There were Rings in the usual jump points and gravity neutral lagrange points in the system. Not only could the Rings allow for unlimited range single-use jumps, but also instant passage from one to the other inside the system.
The Rings also projected a Kearny-Fuchida hyperspace jamming field. Anyone trying to plot a course to the system would just bounce and misjump to the closest other star in the direct line.
Entry into the mystery system required that someone in the ship possessed one of the original Chaos Rings. And good intentions, because magic was an intent-based process.
"Even this… even this power… to create something from nothing… is better than the temptation of the Chaos Emerald," Armstrong whispered at last. "This isn't something human power can accomplish anymore, this is impinging on the domain of gods."
He had been admiring Robotnik before, but knowing that a man was able to turn away from this much power and completely entrust it to the next generation- that was almost oppressively humbling. He could have been a god, but chose to die as a man. That man was a hero that no one would ever know.
Posseli nodded and answered "Robotnik's Development Diary has a line that I don't quite understand, but about this it says - Chaos flows from a Sea of Gold, ships are swords and dragons are angels, demons are killed by kindness, and all life is a gift from the Lord of Nightmares."
"Don't you miss a time when all we had to worry about was just financially recovering from losing half a regiment?" Armstrong said with a heavy sigh.
"While it was more comforting to live in a universe that made sense, I would have to say… no. It has only been half a year, sir. Knowing that the universe is really much bigger than our stupid little wars in the Inner Sphere… that there's more wonder and magic out there than we can believe… that is much more comforting to me. Puts everything in perspective, I'd say." Posseli shrugged. "Ah, drinks are here."
The waiter bot slid onto the table two tall hot cream-topped mugs. The mugs had plastic blisters on top, almost like baby feeders, to minimize risks of spilling in artificial gravity. Posseli stuck a bendy straw into each hole so that they looked less insulting.
Armstrong reached for one, but only pinched the glass handle without lifting the mug until eventually he calmed down. "At least in the heart of a gas giant, no one can lay claim to it anymore. Declan II as a world factory sounds important enough that no one would ever think it is just a decoy."
He paused and waved at the screen, "At least I hope this… this... this planet with a face! Calms down and goes back to normal."
"Do you really think that's it?" Posseli said with a cruel smirk. "If there was ever a need… I'm sure Doctor Robotnik has made a way for his only begotten son to retrieve the Chaos Emerald and hero it up. No, sir – it becomes even more dangerous now. Because now the question is… when that time comes – did we raise Devlin Stone to withstand the temptations of that power?"
"No. Stop."
"There is an old aphorism that goes 'it takes a village to raise a child.' Sometimes it takes a regiment."
"I left them alone with Natasha Kerensky."
Posseli raised a mug in salute and took a sip. "Ah. Sucks to be you, then."
-.
-.
The crew of the SLS ARENDAL were fully read into the situation and so they knew that most of them had to be the first new settlers of Declan II. They could not leave and accidentally betray this information. Seeing a planet with a face made them think that this was simultaneously too crazy to be believed but too dangerous if anyone were actually crazy enough to believe it.
The Eridani Light Horse now had six WarShips that conveniently still looked like civilian vessels. The fruit of decades of ruthless optimization, they were a proven yet newly manufactured design from another timeline.However, that was not enough to save them from a surprise visit by some Dantes.
The new limit to the nanolathe inside the GREAT ARK was that while it could build ships, with near unlimited mass for building being disassembled from the core of the gas giant, it could only design and build from known designs. It only had the plans for the Scout and vessels based on that hull.
For anything bigger that can match up to a real WarShip, they needed to disassemble a bigger ship.
The Captain of the SLS ARENDAL stroked the leather top of the captain's chair. For generations, his family had served the old girl. Not always as the Captain, it was an elected position, but always with honor. From ship crew to fighter pilots to dropship command, it was all fine as long as they could come home – not to a world, trapped by the weight of gravity, but in the comforting cocoon of a spaceship.
"The old girl's not dying, sir" the First Mate tried to console the old man. "It's just a rebuild. She'll come out of this better and without her old pains."
"Will she?" he replied with a low growl. "I've seen the lathe. It can make you think something has always been there. It can duplicate anything, but can it fake history? I don't know – if her body changes, will she still have the same soul?"
"Sorry sir, but needs must. We have our orders. The naval contingent is just as part of the Eridani Light Horse RCT as the mech regiments. We can't be kingdoms of our own in a military roll."
"Aye, I understand. The one for the many," with one last squeeze at the leather, he let go. "We all fight in our own way. This girl would like to be able to fight directly."
"Yes, sir. Let's go. We can't stay here, not unless we want to be disassembled and reassembled along with the ship."
The captain nodded. He turned away and began to float off towards the exit.
Then suddenly his eyes gleamed as if a terrible yet great concept had just occurred to him. He turned around and lunged at the Captain's chair again. He clamped onto it like a koala on the tree. "Part of the ship! Part of the crew!" he screamed. "PART OF THE SHIP! PART OF THE CREW!"
"Not this shite again," the First Mate sighed.
They managed to sedate the old man and bring him away.
-.
And the SLS ARENDAL slowly sank headfirst into one of the eyewells of the ARK, to be reborn into the SLDS ARENDAL. From the other eyewell, floated up rebuilt Dictator-class DropShips. Four of them as Pocket WarShips, and two as Assault Tugs.
Everybody else had to go into the remaining Scouts IIIs. As the DropShips locked into place, the ships could now, with the aid of the Rings, disperse out into the Inner Sphere.
"These ships have a Lithium Fusion Battery, right? Think we could meet up with the 21st Strikers along the way and bring them to Harrow's Sun faster?" Armstrong mused. "Or to be more precise, you go bring them there while I do my job and go to New Avalon."
"I thought you were worried about Kerensky's influence on Stone?"
"I'm actually more worried about Stone's influence on Kerensky, but I figure by this time the damage is done. It's time to pass this headache on to someone else."
-.
-.
Harrow's Sun
Draconis March
07 March 3025
They were the wolves.
The pack runs as one, fights as one, and never abandons their own. That was what made them strong. Not the arrogance of the falcons of jade, nor the dreams of the nova cat, nor the naked bloodlust of the smoke jaguar. Leadership. Unity. Those who break with unit break with faith, and the faithless will meet only death.
Charles Winston and Daniel Arthbutnot made quite the pair. One looked old and grandfatherly, another thin and like some harried office worker. Their exterior belied the merciless warrior hearts and brutal savagery once in control of a BattleMech. Only the cold intellect betrayed by their eyes hinted at the danger.
Arbuthnot hissed at the old man "Those are no mere Assault DropShips. I would almost be impressed."
The Overlords and other DropShips of the Epsilon regiment hung motionless in space, their occupants uncomfortably floating and clinging to things in zero-gravity. Their engines had to be shut off or else risk catastrophic destruction after battle damage.
DropShip tugs and space workers moved slowly to attach secure lines to pull them closer in-system where they could affect repairs in stable orbit.
The Modified Dictator-class Pocket Warships, tentatively called internally the DOOM EGG, had a quartet of Light Subcapital Lasers on each facing and could strip all the armor off a Union's side in two or three sweeps. They had six Piranha Subcapital Missile Launchers to slap aside fighters and were each escorted by four EGARTS drone fighters.
If the ELH really wanted to destroy the Dragoons, just one of them would have been enough to murder their entire force.
"If the Epsilon Regiment would like to have a proper battle at a later date, perhaps in a series of company-scale duels to minimize infrastructure damage, the Eridani Light Horse would happily accept those terms of combat in lieu of the randomness and chaos of a planetary invasion," responded Charles Winston. "But for now, the 21st Strikers Regiment would have your parole to defer the attack on Harrow's Sun. You will be towed towards a stable orbit and then you may disembark. You may even keep your mechs, they will be held in trust here until the DropShips can affect repairs and either a nominal ransom or agreement for prisoner exchange is reached with the Wolf's Dragoons. This is a thing we do only because we know the Dragoons have honor."
He added "Also I agree, this would all have been much more impressive if we used proper WarShips." Then the old man shrugged, "But we all have to make do with what we are given."
Arthbutnot clenched his teeth until his jaws hurt.
Barbara Mosley, in taking down Natasha Kerensky's Black Widow Company, had made her name echo around the Inner Sphere.
Charles Winston personally did not care for any fame. But in seizing a whole goddamn Wolf's Dragoons regiment, he was sure this event would enter the ears of the House Lords themselves. Takashi Kurita would hear of it personally. People would die for daring to bring up bad news that makes the Coordinator look like he made a mistake, any mistake. Seeming like he overestimated the value of Wolf's Dragoons would also shame the supporters of the plan to establish a Dragoon-like regiment, the Ryuken. The Coordinator was untouchable, but the churn of lesser officers was not.
And then they would hear just how the Dragoons were taken down.
This was a capacity to conduct naval operations to make even Hanse Davion nervous. Everybody from Maximilian Liao to Katrina Steiner to even Michael Hasek-Davion would have to sit up and pay attention. The whole Inner Sphere would pivot around this moment, he could feel it.
Where did the general find these ships?!
It was confirmation. No wonder they had been told it was acceptable to paint the Cameron Star over the tan prancing pony. They had been resupplied. They were no longer alone.
-.
-.
New Avalon
Crucis March
Federated Suns
17 March 3025
"You're still refusing to let us deal with the Dragoons, then?" asked Hanse. "I could overlook the single company of Natasha Kerensky's, but an entire regiment… you had better have a good reason for me to potentially allow them back into Kurita hands, to kill and raid our worlds even further instead of just letting them sit out this war in a comfortable enough prison camp."
"We do this because we need the Wolves intact as much as possible for when the Draconis Combine inevitably turn against them, creating a blood feud. Hopefully this actually tempts the factors involved there to accelerate their plans. Then we can throw Epsilon Regiment to help their parent unit and have their gratitude. If not - what you want to ask from Jaime Wolf in compensation for the return of his regiment is up to you, my lord."
"Unfortunately for us, the Dragoons also have a point of honor about not being used against their former employers, so I can't just demand for the regiment to be moved to the Lyran front," the First Prince noted. "I don't want my soldiers to have to face their Epsilon Regiment again."
"I have a suggestion," said Ardan. "I am certain the Dragoons will want a real honest fight out of this, instead of just being blasted and captured midway. I know I would be infuriated. What if you ask that they can only fight the Light Horse? They can only attack worlds that the Eridani Light Horse have garrisoned?"
Both Nathan Armstrong and Hanse Davion furrowed their brows and considered it.
"That sounds… reasonable," said the ELH general. "This would involve planting the 21st Strikers down on a world instead of a fast reaction force. In fact a world would need to have two of our regiments to be worth the time – one to defend, another that can be moved out and keep the enemy off balance. Just like what the Dragoons are doing with their base on Misery."
"I will not force you into this if it would mean losing the flexibility the Light Horse RCT is known for," said the First Prince.
Armstrong shrugged. "I'm not that, ah, super concerned about the fate of the Wolf's Dragoons. It would be ideal for them to be ripping through House Kurita, but if there is no other alternative we would not object to them spending the next few years in a prison planet either. I suppose it all depends upon you and the response from Jaime Wolf."
"Very good." Hanse made a gesture as if sweeping away the issue, then opened his palm out towards the far side of the room. "You realize, of course, that the reason I allow this is because of the elephant in the room – which we will discuss now. Your WarShips-"
"Pocket WarShips" Armstrong put in.
"… Pocket WarShips. Is that even an actual term? No, never mind. What do you want for us to have access to them?"
"Nothing. That is, you will not have any access to them. You already have all the elements, Hanse Davion. You would learn more from failing than copying. The Terran Hegemony once attempted to inhibit the member states by making it always more convenient to be reverse-engineering than developing their own ability to create things from the ground up, no matter how inferior they may appear at the start. I will not harm you like this." Armstrong's gaze was stony. "Just play the game of 'How many Subcapital Lasers can you fit on a Union?' The answer is - enough to make a ship ten times its size choke on it."
Hanse leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. Ardan wondered if he was angry.
After some time, the ruler of the largest and most powerful state in the Inner Sphere said "You have no idea – no idea at all how much of a relief that is. I just keep getting surprised that there's no other shoe being dropped. Whatever agenda you might be pushing here, I don't even care anymore. I just trust that you do not intend any harm to my Federated Suns."
Armstrong stared at him and said slowly as if explaining to a little child "It's not like we have been trying to hide it. The restoration of the Star League and peace in the Inner Sphere."
Hanse hissed "You MADMAN. It sounds insane and impossible if you just say it like that. Who would believe you!"
Ardan looked hurt for a moment. Why was it so hard for politicians – as much as he hated to admit it, his friend was a consummate politician now – to believe that people could be as honest and straightforward as exactly what they said?
Armstrong shrugged again. "It is what it is."
"I… I do want to be First Lord of the Star League," Hanse admitted. "If it can happen in my lifetime… you said I would make a perfectly adequate one. But I'm a realist. I can only hope my descendants can achieve it, and we gain it by proving ourselves worthy of it by the example of the prosperity and security of our realm. If you want to recreate the Terran Hegemony… we have controlled those worlds for too long, I don't think I can adequately explain away giving it up unless the Terran Hegemony is militarily restored to something like its height."
He looked opened his eyes and looked helpless for a moment. "But if you could do that, why would you even need us? Why even stay here? What I am most afraid of is true friends becoming the greatest enemies because of the need of politics. I… don't have many of those left. I can't even trust my supporters if they only tell me what I want to hear to advance their own interests or because they don't want me to worry unnecessarily. Controlled and being controlled. That's politics."
Then he shook his head and his demeanor, as a ruler forced into his position from the untimely death of the heir, returned. "The Eridani Light Horse at some point will have to stop being just an RCT and become a political body of its own cognizance at some point. I wonder – are you prepared for this, Nathan Armstrong?"
The general grinned. What a stony question indeed. "I am happy to say that I would able to retire immediately before that becomes my problem."
"Stop showing me up like this, you total bastard," Hanse said flatly.
-----------------------------------------------
AN:
And there we go.
I am sorry to say that is as far as Throw a Stone can go for now. This feels like a good 'Book One' end. It's time to let it go into a hiatus.
The ELH already have all they need. They have a cubbyhole they can retreat to if things turn for the worst. They have infinite manufacturing capacity now that they just have to slowly distribute to the Inner Sphere via shell companies. You can just imagine what influence they will have on the events leading up to the 4th succession war – or if it even happens at all, and how this much would panic Comstar, and the fate of the Wolf's Dragoons.
They have enough that they would not just be made extinct by the Clans; their centuries of loyal service meaning nothing, betrayed by the selfish incompetence of every power that they trusted, the end of the last remaining piece of the noble collective dream that was the Star League.
10.1 The Charm Offensive
bluepencil
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The Charm Offensive
-.
Colchester
Federated Suns
Sometime in 3025
Natasha Kerensky scowled as she walked through the ELH base, Devlin Stone keeping step beside her.
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
"I don't know but I've been tooold~!" song-shouted the drill sergeant.
"~I don't know but I've been told~" returned the jogging trainees.
It just so happened that they were jogging in formation inside a troop of 15-ton Urbanite Ultralight Mechs. Natasha turned away from the dust kicked up by the passing machines which very much resembled eggs that just so happened to have arms and legs.
"Industrial Mechs?" she murmured. She supposed that was cheaper than a full-sized training mech. However, if it was just getting people used to a neurohelmet, simulators and their brainwave readings were very close to the real thing. The only thing simulators could not reproduce was the sense of forward and reverse acceleration from movement and impact.
Training with refitted industrial mechs or very stripped down battlemechs might even give trainees the wrong idea of how responsive mechs could be, because more mass meant more momentum to overcome.
"Myndo's got a Network Node~!"
"~Myndo's got a Network Node~!"
"Likes to push the on-off swiiiitch~!"
"~Likes to push the on-off switch~!"
"Dig that crazy kind of witch!"
"~Dig that crazy kind of witch!"
- the trainees sang as they continued off and away around the base perimeter.
Natasha frowned. 'Who is Myndo?'
"Myndo Waterly. Precentor Dieron. She is kind of totes cray cray."
'What?' Natasha looked down and squinted. "That was an expected question. You are not reading my mind."
The boy tilted his head to the side. "Of course?"
Natasha huffed and resumed walking a well-worn route towards the ELH hospital. "This is not in the SLDF standard training regimen," she mentioned offhand. "For such traditionalists as the Light Horse, I am surprised you would break with tradition this far."
She respected the SLDF as the root of the Clans, but not so much its martial prowess. The Clan way had already proved superior to the old SLDF style war. Nicholas Kerensky built the Clans over their shattered remains in their reconquest of the Pentagon Worlds in OPERATION KLONDIKE. The rebels had driven away Alexandr Kerensky, and the old man, the Great Father, died in bitterness. The Clans repudiate weakness and civilian rule from that unforgivable ungratefulness and insult.
"Scout mechs should be 20 tons. Who decided that?" Devlin responded.
Natasha blinked. Who did decide that, anyway? But "Scout mechs should be able to survive to deliver their intelligence. It is not enough to simply be fast."
"Speed is life," responded the boy. "If we didn't have this I would have to wait two years before being allowed to serve at all."
Take to the fight in barely-armored war machines at only the age of, what, sixteen? How Clan-like. Natasha Kerensky nodded in approval.
"Um, we are probably not thinking of the same thing…" said Stone.
"That is irrelevant. Let us not waste any more time."
-.
-.
"Do not abandon me, Lady! Please…!" Colin MacLaren looked a far cry from the polished MechWarrior he was just a few short weeks ago, the perfect picture of a gentleman warrior as if ripped from the pages of ancient noble cavaliers. "Let me serve you in any way… I can still stand. Give me some time, I can still stand!"
He tried to lift his right arm in vain. He had almost no left shoulder to speak of, and his lungs were shredded. Burns scarred the lower left side portion of his face, including the chin and lips, and amputated his mustache. Hair would never grow there again.
Natasha Kerensky stared down stonily at him. She reached out and clasped his hand in hers, and though her face didn't change expression, her eyes showed all the pain and regret the Black Widow could never reveal as a weakness. "Yes," she replied softly. "I believe you. You are still strong."
But you will never be a MechWarrior again.
To the Clans, death would be far more preferable than to live a half-life full of humiliation and suffering.
MacLaren tried to smile with half a paralyzed face. "I will endure, Lady. For you…" He closed his eye as his sudden surge of strength began to leave him. "For… you."
"Colin!"
The hiss steady hiss of a respirator filled the room. The monitors showed his vital signs were stable.
"There is a way," Devlin Stone spoke up after a while.
Natasha Kerensky gave MacLaren's hand one last squeeze, as if trying to transfer her own body heat into his cold weak bones, and turned with a glare. For an adjutant, this boy was too free to offer his opinions. "What?" she hissed.
"We of the Eridani Light Horse value veterancy, and the old to manage to live through all sorts of battles are to be respected instead of discarded. A MechWarrior gets only deadlier past their thirties. Experience is to be preserved and shared as much as possible.
"As you know, the Magistracy of Canopus managed to keep most of the Star Leagues medical knowledge intact. For all that the Magistracy is known for sexual deviance, using that technology to create catgirls and mermaids and other fetishes… this is what they do in order to appear mostly harmless. The better to give every other power a share instead of being attacked in order to monopolize that power and ruin the very prize like the Succession Wars did. A lot of their medical tech deals with amputations and nerve reconnection.
"Our Major Steve Gray, for example, had taken a direct hit to the cockpit and ended up with his right arm and leg burned away. Surgeons attached bionic limbs and now he is fighting again with the 71st Regiment."
Natasha shook her head. The optimism of a child. "A human body, like a mech, if the core is intact, losing limbs is not as much of a problem. Without breath, no one is a warrior. If all they have is Star League medical technology, I do not share your confidence in their ability to treat my man's injuries."
Not even the Clans would be able to recover from this. Though mostly in the case they would not even bother. Warriors were inherently disposable. Every single one a competitor.
Devlin Stone smiled thinly and snapped a salute. "Ma'am what I am saying is - the Eridani Light Horse no longer has a reason to hold back. We too have direct access to improvements in Star League technology. We can rebuild him. Better. Faster. Stronger."
Natasha squinted down at him again. "Is this Armstrong's message? What do you seek to gain from this?"
"He might never be as good as a MechWarrior again, but honestly - people are too obsessed with Mechs. We would accept a bond of service for a time as a trainer-commander for augmented lances with dedicated armor support. You get to go back to the Dragoons. We get someone to continue your instruction for a while longer."
Natasha raised a finger to her lips. Would that count to Colin as abandoning him? On one hand, having an informant in the Light Horse would be useful. On the other hand, divided loyalties rarely pan out well.
"You are all fools to keep exposing your doctrine to your possible enemies," replied Natasha. "This tells me that your doctrine is new and untested, Armstrong should be wary of me deliberately engineering weakness into my teachings. If you are all counting on my pride to scorn not doing a good job of it, remember that my first loyalty will always be to Wolf's Dragoons."
Devlin Stone beamed. "Oh we are fully counting on you reporting every weakness to Jaime Wolf. In many ways, the Dragoons need our combined arms doctrine more than we the Light Horse do."
Natasha Kerensky scowled at him again. These ponies still make no goddamn sense.
-.
-.
Hilton Head
Terra
Sometime in 3025
The First Circuit of Comstar was the ruling body of Comstar, composed of the chief administrators of the HPG stations which made up the Prime or First Circuit of the old Star League HPG network - New Earth, Barnard, Alpha C, Bryant, Procyon, and Dieron - as well as a Prime Administrator. In 3025 the First Circuit's power rested in the Advocate Precentors of each realm - speaking for all HPG stations in each of the Great Houses while nominally in charge of their capital world's HPG station, and exercising Comstar's authority and activity in each realm.
Precentor Sian for the Capellan Confederation, Precentor New Avalon for the Federated Suns, Precentor Tharkad for the Lyran Commonwealth, and Precentor Atreus for the Free Worlds League, and finally Precentor Dieron would represent the Draconis Combine. The Primus, elected from their ranks and confirmed by the First Circuit, represented Terra and gave direction for Comstar as a whole.
Julian Tiepolo, Primus of Comstar and formerly Precentor Atreus, was a tall and quiet man wearing round spectacles. He glowered across the table to each of the other members of the First Circuit as a holotape began to play.
"Greetings, Prime Circuit of Comstar. I am Nathan Armstrong, Brevet General of the Eridani Light Horse Regimental Combat Team, and I come to you in the spirit of our shared roots in the Star League.
"The Light Horse offers respect to Comstar as the present successors to the Terran Hegemony, and your overt actions and vows to preserve technology and rekindle civilization across the Inner Sphere. Adepts of Comstar truly believe that they are working for the good of the common man.
"In that vein, we have a gift. We give you CORE DEMETER, a copy of a Department of Mega Engineering's Memory Core that contains everything necessary to terraform and maintain habitability for humanity across space. Everything including how to manufacture and maintain terraforming equipment from ground zero. This was how Terran Alliance learned to do this, and now everyone will know.
"Humanity's greatest enemy has always been hunger and disease and disaster, and civilization itself appeared as a measure of control over the natural world. We believe that it is immoral to withhold this information, even if it may be to the benefit of enemies.
"We have given this to our current patrons, the Federated Suns, of course. But even now diplomatic missions are on the way. CORE DEMETER will find its way into the hands of the Lyran Commonwealth, to the Free Worlds League, to the Capellan Confederation, to the Outworlds Alliance, Magistracy of Canopus and even the Taurian Concordat. And, inevitably, to the Draconis Combine.
"It is our hope that Comstar holding a second master copy would be able to serve to check that the cores have not been tampered with. It is our hope that Comstar uses this core to advance their efforts of rehabilitating and improving the lives of the downtrodden in the frontier where so many seek them out as legacies of the time when humanity was at its apex, and we turned our powers into more than war and violence.
"May we meet again as the Star League reforms.
"With all our regards, from the Eridani Light Horse."
-.
-.
Tharkad
Lyran Commonwealth
Sometime in 3025
The Lyran Commonwealth. Often said that they would be the economic and military superpower of the Inner Sphere were it not for the sheer self-importance of their nobles and the stunning incompetence of their commissioned officers. Katrina Steiner's coup against Alessandro Steiner happened in 3007, well after the Eridani Light Horse left Steiner service in disgust from their gross incompetence by 2999.
Archon Katrina Steiner even approaching her fifties remained a stunning woman. She gave the representative a warm smile without any hint of duplicity. "Though the Eridani Light Horse have left our service, we bear you no ill will. We are still allies and friends, we hope."
The ELH diplomat bowed "You are a wise ruler, Katrina Steiner, and in that vein we of the Light Horse give you this gift… and something else, to make this partnership between the Federated Sun and the Lyran Commonwealth a more equitable and indispensable one."
-.
-.
Sian
Capellan Confederation
Sometime in 3025
Maximilian Liao scowled down at the ELH diplomat from his raised throne. Balding and with beady suspicious eyes, most who looked at him now would forget the extraordinary levels of cunning he had displayed to give House Liao the strength it had. He reversed the collapse of the CCAF and secured the borders of the Capellan Confederation not through brute military strength but by making his enemies destroy themselves.
While House Liao remained the weakest of the Great Houses, the CCAF was once again a significant threat that could not be easily dismissed. The Concord of Kapetyn relaxed the tension at the Liao/Marik border, and Davion could not so easily raise forces to deal with the Capellan front without weakening their much more dangerous Draconis front.
"What makes a Davion dog dare to stand before us?" Maximilian Liao asked while pointing with a sharp long fingernail. "We remember well that the Eridani Light Horse has taken up arms against us. We do not easily forgive insults and you would be blessed indeed to leave with your head if what you say displeases us."
The ELH diplomat shrugged. "Eridani Light Horse. Wolf's Dragoons. MacCarron's Armored Cavalry. We can fight again and settle who is the best later. We mean no insult. This is the way of fighting men.
"Oh great and wise Chancellor Liao, we are here to offer our respects, and a gift, in the spirit of when House Liao and the Capellan Confederation were valuable members of our shared history under the Star League. This may somewhat displease House Davion - but we are doing it anyway."
-.
-.
Atreus
Free Worlds League
Sometime in 3025
Janos Marik was sixty-five, white-haired and weary, and had the eagle symbol of the Free World League tattooed on his forehead. It had been many centuries since the Eridani Light Horse left the service of House Marik, and he had no relevant feelings for or against the mercenaries.
He looked only mildly interested. If it wasn't for the rumors that the Eridani Light Horse were being a pet project of Hanse Davion, he would probably have put this meeting further back in his schedule. This was probably some sort of indirect way of communication from Hanse Davion trying to break up the Concord of Kapetyn.
As long as the Federated Suns were allies with the Lyran Commonwealth, they were inescapable enemies. The Eridani Light Horse had cost the FWLM many campaigns and had led many successful invasions into League worlds. It was not the hereditary grudge like with House Kurita, but the Eridani Light Horse would find no one in awe of them here.
He leaned his cheek on one fist and gestured. "Well? What is your purpose here?"
"Captain-General, in the interest of collective humanity, we present to you - CORE DEMETER."
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Canopus IV
Magistracy of Canopus
Sometime in 3025
Magestrix Kyalla Centrella was raised to despise everything regarding the Free Worlds League and view anything Inner Sphere with a great deal of suspicion. Considering how much the Inner Sphere saw the Periphery as yokels to be taken advantage of, this was a natural reaction.
The Eridani Light Horse being so faithful to the Star League could only have them be a reminder of a time of brutal conquest and economic servitude. The fall of the Star League saw the Magistracy secure against the wars of the Inner Sphere. They were needed, but far enough to not be a target for conquest. She pursued a "service for service" exchange, in which skilled technicians and scientists from other realms could come to Canopus to live in luxuriant and even hedonistic surroundings in exchange for supplying them with their own highly-regarded medical professionals.
Yet none of that could be seen on Kyalla Centrella dusky face. She leaned back on her throne, positioning herself to expose better her bosoms though the window of her satin dress. She had a trim and muscular body and knew how to use it, both on and off the sheets. She licked her lips and smiled. "What brings such a virile young warhorse so far from its minders I wonder?"
"Magestrix, things could be better between us. You can't be left hanging limp while everyone else gets a ride. Let this Vagabond Horse give a you a taste of the old world-"
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Taurus
Taurian Concordat
Sometime in 3025
The Star League was a golden age for the Inner Sphere, but it was a time of suffering and terror for the Periphery. In the Reunification War from 2577 to around 2597, of he Taurian Concordat fought with every means, even to the point of suicide, to hurt the vastly overmatching enemy. The Taurian forces were the most competent opponents the SLDF faced, doing much with their limited means and making it clear to the last man that the Star League's claims of a more enlightened humanity was a lie. They were not wanted there. In response, the SLDF prosecuted a strategy of scorched earth. Worlds died. Atrocities upon atrocities were laid upon the Taurian people. Many centuries later, the scars remained.
House Calderon would never forget nor forgive. But even among them, Thomas Calderon, a wide man with one eye (the other replaced with a cybernetic one after a hunting accident) was considered far too paranoid against the 'imminent' prospect of Davion invasion.
"You Davion bootlick! You devil of the Star League! You dare come here and tell me you don't intend any insult?! You insult me with your face! Give me a reason not to shoot you dead right now!"
"Father, please-" his eldest son, Edward Calderon, sighed. He at least did not share his father's mania about the perfidious Davions and cautiously extended to them a market for Davion goods. Everyone looked forward to his eventual assumption of rulership as a popular and competent leader.
Wandering Horse had noted that this made him a perfect target for assassination for certain interested parties to continue destablization of the Inner Sphere's powers or for certain parties inside the Taurian Concordat itself to continue their graft and embezzlement.
"In the name of the Light Horse, my life is yours to deal with. I was prepared for this. But also, this -" the diplomat held up the DEMETER CORE. "From water comes food. From food, manpower. From manpower, industry. From industry, the power to protect yourself from your terrible Davion incursion. From the halls of the Terran Alliance to chambers of Taurus - it is yours to do with as you see fit."
The ELH representative had already previously cleared this with Edward Calderon, of course. They had done all checks to make sure that the Memory Core was not some form of bomb. He dropped to one knee in a bow to lay the Memory Core down to the ground and then stood up straight to salute.
For the rebirth of the Star League, he was fine if he did end up being shot dead at that moment. May it be one freed from the sins of the first and not repeat its mistakes.
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Alpheratz
Outworlds Alliance
Sometime in 3025
Niel Avellar was a long-faced man who looked continually out of his depth. The Outworlds Alliance was considered the weakest of the Periphery powers, a podunk and backwards agricultural nation in love with pacifism. They barely had any military and disdained battlemechs as hateful symbols of war, but they did possess the most skilled aerospace fighter forces in the Inner Sphere.
Sandwiched with Davion and Kurita on their borders, it was a continual dance trying to hold off on being absorbed by much greater powers. It was only the fact that making moves on the Outworlds Alliance meant weakening the direct border between these two bitter enemies that allowed the OWA to survive these many centuries since the fall of the Star League.
"That… that doesn't make sense. This is too valuable. Won't… won't Kurita want to take it? If we do this, that would just make us bigger targets for pirates! This is too much! We don't want war. We don't want any of the luxuries of the Inner Sphere. Take it away!"
"I was told that everyone has the right to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness'. Just because people are content does not mean their lives are not already hard, short, and full of suffering. They already cannot protect themselves, because you overlook here that slaves are also a currency. Being ignored as lacking value only lasts until there is someone strong enough to care about having weak prey to dine on. Kurita and Davion will not come to rescue you, the avowed neutral.
"Since the fall of the Star League, the Outworlds Alliance lost over half its worlds not through war but from starvation and sickness. With the powers of DEMETER, Goddess of Harvests and Agriculture, feed your children well and let them grow up strong. Only they can decide your future."
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Hilton Head
Terra
Same time
"The Eridani Light Horse are a known quantity, you said. There is nothing interesting in them using lostech, you said. It is just Davion showing more favor and field testing their scraps from Hoff, you! Said!"
As Julian Tiepolo, Primus of Comstar spoke, Hutrin Vandel, Precentor New Avalon, grimaced and shrank back as if being slapped.
After a while he rallied back "No one could have predicted this! They are just three regiments of mercenaries, a light combined arms RCT. A decent assault regiment could push them off a world just fine! They had never been unbeatable. Who would ever predict they would dig up some Memory Core and instead of selling it House Davion, give it to everybody in the Inner Sphere? Who would do that? This kind of generosity is nonsensical!"
"Can we do something with the cores? If we have the master copy, we can engineer flaws, could we sabotage attempts to duplicate the tech, and make this all sound unviable or a trap by the Davions?" asked Ulthan Everson, Precentor Tharkad.
"No. If our copy differs in a way that both the Steiner and Davion cores agree upon, that would make it too obvious that our copy is the one being manipulated." Primus Julian Tiepolo adjusted his glasses. "We are backed into a corner."
"Where did the Eridani Light Horse dig this up?! It is suspicious that Hanse Davion would allow this. Where do these mercenaries get the gall?" hissed Pedrigor Aliz, Precentor Atreus.
"The ELH only did this after their loss on Hoff," Myndo Waterly, Precentor Dieron, spoke up. Her eyes glittered with mad glee. "Many times before they had always been destroyed, but they never did anything unusual. Only after meeting the Dragoons did they stop holding back. Something happened there on Hoff!"
"You mean, they discovered something about Wolf's Dragoons?" Aliz asked in an arched tone.
Julian Tiepolo flicked his gaze up, and Myndo smirked at even that minute expression of interest. Wolf's Dragoons and his failure to uncover their origins had always rankled him. That House Kurita was interested in absorbing Wolf's Dragoons into their own troops was obvious. Tiepolo had already sent instructions to the new Precentor Galedon, Alexander Kalafon, to help it along. Warlord Grieg Samsonov was provided access to a potential turncoat within the Wolves.
But to split attention now between the Dragoons and the Light Horse…
Vandel said with a sigh "It is quite suspicious that very soon after, the Eridani Light Horse were able to beat the Dragoons. Not in regimental combat, but in space."
"WarShips?!" Aliz gasped in alarm.
Vandal shook his head. "No. Some form of super Assault DropShip. It is however another mystery where those DropShips came from."
"Do you have anything, anything at all, that is new and useful about the Eridani Light Horse?" asked Everson.
Vandal shrugged. "It is rumored with some support that the ELH uncovered an extensive Star League cache even with new DropShips. It makes sense, but it is difficult to trust the veracity of all the rumors."
"Why is that?" Everson asked again.
"Because they all involve far too many Urbanmechs."
Everyone in the First Circuit stared at him. This sounded like a total non sequitur.
Vandal shrugged even harder, raising his hands well above shoulder height. "Those are the reports! Apart from several conspicuous meetings between Armstrong and Hanse Davion, the Eridani Light Horse had done nothing unusual - all easily explained as reconstructive efforts after their loss on Hoff. Then they did this." He waggled his hands helplessly. "No one could have predicted this!"
"I… reluctantly agree," said Everson. "Tharkad had observed nothing unusual about the ELH."
"I agree as well," said Aziz. "Precentor New Avalon did not commit anything that could have been a mistake by not monitoring the Eridani Light Horse more closely. They were a predictable component."
"But they are not now!" said Waterly. "Is it not easier to insert operatives into the Eridani Light Horse than Wolf's Dragoons?"
"I will handle it!" Vandal responded swiftly. "This is under my remit, my territory, Precentor Dieron!"
Myndo only sniffed and smirked again. "So be it. May you have a better time chasing after the Horse's supply source than the Dragoons."
Julian scowled at the obvious indirect insult. He spoke "In truth, this situation is not as severe as it first appears. Terraforming technology is a danger to our missionary doctrine. If people are not desperate and fearful of enemy raids, they would not flock under our banner for protection and relief from hunger. However, be reminded that it was the First and Second Successions Wars, in the height of plenty, that were also the most destructive. The DEMETER CORE had been shared to all powers. Let them build up resources so that the conflict may intensify and Blake's prophecy come closer to fruition. The status quo is retained."
"Is it, Primus?" Myndo Waterly asked archly. "The Federated Commonwealth can leverage their manpower and economic might to revitalize their worlds. The weight is already too stacked in their favor as it is!"
"Do remember that the Free Worlds League is relatively at peace and with a working economy," said Aziz. "The Concord of Kapetyn is weaker than the FedCom alliance, but until now had lacked an effective counterweight. Lyran money and Davion might. Now Marik could just spend money to make Liao and Kurita fight. As holders of the master copy and with our inherited knowledge from the Terran Hegemony, I believe we have the perfect opportunity to more directly insinuate ourselves into terraforming efforts."
Julian Tiepolo, as former Precentor Atreus, just stared silently at him.
It was up to Everson to raise the unspoken question "Are you asking that we throw economic support to the Free Worlds League? Do you remain impartial, Precentor Atreus?"
"I do. Janos Marik is only a reluctant ally of Maximilian Liao. But relaxing the Liao border means they can return to the traditional ambitions of the FWLM, breaking through into Steiner space. The harder Marik can distract Steiner, the less they will be able to offer aid to the Davions."
Julian Tiepolo nodded. "I agree. The balance remains, only intensified."
Myndo Waterly crossed her arms. "I… do not have any serious objection. However, someone should still do something about the Eridani Light Horse!"
Tiepolo turned to her and nodded. In a cold voice he added "In that we also agree. By doing this, the Light Horse had proclaimed themselves our enemy. And they will pay for it, and even to the end never knowing for what sins they are now brought to ruin."
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Colchester
Federated Suns
Sometime in 3025
Natasha Kerensky scowled as she walked through the ELH base, Devlin Stone keeping step beside her.
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
"I don't know but I've been tooold~!" song-shouted the drill sergeant.
"~I don't know but I've been told~" returned the jogging trainees.
It just so happened that they were jogging in formation inside a troop of 15-ton Urbanite Ultralight Mechs. Natasha turned away from the dust kicked up by the passing machines which very much resembled eggs that just so happened to have arms and legs.
"Industrial Mechs?" she murmured. She supposed that was cheaper than a full-sized training mech. However, if it was just getting people used to a neurohelmet, simulators and their brainwave readings were very close to the real thing. The only thing simulators could not reproduce was the sense of forward and reverse acceleration from movement and impact.
Training with refitted industrial mechs or very stripped down battlemechs might even give trainees the wrong idea of how responsive mechs could be, because more mass meant more momentum to overcome.
"Myndo's got a Network Node~!"
"~Myndo's got a Network Node~!"
"Likes to push the on-off swiiiitch~!"
"~Likes to push the on-off switch~!"
"Dig that crazy kind of witch!"
"~Dig that crazy kind of witch!"
- the trainees sang as they continued off and away around the base perimeter.
Natasha frowned. 'Who is Myndo?'
"Myndo Waterly. Precentor Dieron. She is kind of totes cray cray."
'What?' Natasha looked down and squinted. "That was an expected question. You are not reading my mind."
The boy tilted his head to the side. "Of course?"
Natasha huffed and resumed walking a well-worn route towards the ELH hospital. "This is not in the SLDF standard training regimen," she mentioned offhand. "For such traditionalists as the Light Horse, I am surprised you would break with tradition this far."
She respected the SLDF as the root of the Clans, but not so much its martial prowess. The Clan way had already proved superior to the old SLDF style war. Nicholas Kerensky built the Clans over their shattered remains in their reconquest of the Pentagon Worlds in OPERATION KLONDIKE. The rebels had driven away Alexandr Kerensky, and the old man, the Great Father, died in bitterness. The Clans repudiate weakness and civilian rule from that unforgivable ungratefulness and insult.
"Scout mechs should be 20 tons. Who decided that?" Devlin responded.
Natasha blinked. Who did decide that, anyway? But "Scout mechs should be able to survive to deliver their intelligence. It is not enough to simply be fast."
"Speed is life," responded the boy. "If we didn't have this I would have to wait two years before being allowed to serve at all."
Take to the fight in barely-armored war machines at only the age of, what, sixteen? How Clan-like. Natasha Kerensky nodded in approval.
"Um, we are probably not thinking of the same thing…" said Stone.
"That is irrelevant. Let us not waste any more time."
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"Do not abandon me, Lady! Please…!" Colin MacLaren looked a far cry from the polished MechWarrior he was just a few short weeks ago, the perfect picture of a gentleman warrior as if ripped from the pages of ancient noble cavaliers. "Let me serve you in any way… I can still stand. Give me some time, I can still stand!"
He tried to lift his right arm in vain. He had almost no left shoulder to speak of, and his lungs were shredded. Burns scarred the lower left side portion of his face, including the chin and lips, and amputated his mustache. Hair would never grow there again.
Natasha Kerensky stared down stonily at him. She reached out and clasped his hand in hers, and though her face didn't change expression, her eyes showed all the pain and regret the Black Widow could never reveal as a weakness. "Yes," she replied softly. "I believe you. You are still strong."
But you will never be a MechWarrior again.
To the Clans, death would be far more preferable than to live a half-life full of humiliation and suffering.
MacLaren tried to smile with half a paralyzed face. "I will endure, Lady. For you…" He closed his eye as his sudden surge of strength began to leave him. "For… you."
"Colin!"
The hiss steady hiss of a respirator filled the room. The monitors showed his vital signs were stable.
"There is a way," Devlin Stone spoke up after a while.
Natasha Kerensky gave MacLaren's hand one last squeeze, as if trying to transfer her own body heat into his cold weak bones, and turned with a glare. For an adjutant, this boy was too free to offer his opinions. "What?" she hissed.
"We of the Eridani Light Horse value veterancy, and the old to manage to live through all sorts of battles are to be respected instead of discarded. A MechWarrior gets only deadlier past their thirties. Experience is to be preserved and shared as much as possible.
"As you know, the Magistracy of Canopus managed to keep most of the Star Leagues medical knowledge intact. For all that the Magistracy is known for sexual deviance, using that technology to create catgirls and mermaids and other fetishes… this is what they do in order to appear mostly harmless. The better to give every other power a share instead of being attacked in order to monopolize that power and ruin the very prize like the Succession Wars did. A lot of their medical tech deals with amputations and nerve reconnection.
"Our Major Steve Gray, for example, had taken a direct hit to the cockpit and ended up with his right arm and leg burned away. Surgeons attached bionic limbs and now he is fighting again with the 71st Regiment."
Natasha shook her head. The optimism of a child. "A human body, like a mech, if the core is intact, losing limbs is not as much of a problem. Without breath, no one is a warrior. If all they have is Star League medical technology, I do not share your confidence in their ability to treat my man's injuries."
Not even the Clans would be able to recover from this. Though mostly in the case they would not even bother. Warriors were inherently disposable. Every single one a competitor.
Devlin Stone smiled thinly and snapped a salute. "Ma'am what I am saying is - the Eridani Light Horse no longer has a reason to hold back. We too have direct access to improvements in Star League technology. We can rebuild him. Better. Faster. Stronger."
Natasha squinted down at him again. "Is this Armstrong's message? What do you seek to gain from this?"
"He might never be as good as a MechWarrior again, but honestly - people are too obsessed with Mechs. We would accept a bond of service for a time as a trainer-commander for augmented lances with dedicated armor support. You get to go back to the Dragoons. We get someone to continue your instruction for a while longer."
Natasha raised a finger to her lips. Would that count to Colin as abandoning him? On one hand, having an informant in the Light Horse would be useful. On the other hand, divided loyalties rarely pan out well.
"You are all fools to keep exposing your doctrine to your possible enemies," replied Natasha. "This tells me that your doctrine is new and untested, Armstrong should be wary of me deliberately engineering weakness into my teachings. If you are all counting on my pride to scorn not doing a good job of it, remember that my first loyalty will always be to Wolf's Dragoons."
Devlin Stone beamed. "Oh we are fully counting on you reporting every weakness to Jaime Wolf. In many ways, the Dragoons need our combined arms doctrine more than we the Light Horse do."
Natasha Kerensky scowled at him again. These ponies still make no goddamn sense.
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Hilton Head
Terra
Sometime in 3025
The First Circuit of Comstar was the ruling body of Comstar, composed of the chief administrators of the HPG stations which made up the Prime or First Circuit of the old Star League HPG network - New Earth, Barnard, Alpha C, Bryant, Procyon, and Dieron - as well as a Prime Administrator. In 3025 the First Circuit's power rested in the Advocate Precentors of each realm - speaking for all HPG stations in each of the Great Houses while nominally in charge of their capital world's HPG station, and exercising Comstar's authority and activity in each realm.
Precentor Sian for the Capellan Confederation, Precentor New Avalon for the Federated Suns, Precentor Tharkad for the Lyran Commonwealth, and Precentor Atreus for the Free Worlds League, and finally Precentor Dieron would represent the Draconis Combine. The Primus, elected from their ranks and confirmed by the First Circuit, represented Terra and gave direction for Comstar as a whole.
Julian Tiepolo, Primus of Comstar and formerly Precentor Atreus, was a tall and quiet man wearing round spectacles. He glowered across the table to each of the other members of the First Circuit as a holotape began to play.
"Greetings, Prime Circuit of Comstar. I am Nathan Armstrong, Brevet General of the Eridani Light Horse Regimental Combat Team, and I come to you in the spirit of our shared roots in the Star League.
"The Light Horse offers respect to Comstar as the present successors to the Terran Hegemony, and your overt actions and vows to preserve technology and rekindle civilization across the Inner Sphere. Adepts of Comstar truly believe that they are working for the good of the common man.
"In that vein, we have a gift. We give you CORE DEMETER, a copy of a Department of Mega Engineering's Memory Core that contains everything necessary to terraform and maintain habitability for humanity across space. Everything including how to manufacture and maintain terraforming equipment from ground zero. This was how Terran Alliance learned to do this, and now everyone will know.
"Humanity's greatest enemy has always been hunger and disease and disaster, and civilization itself appeared as a measure of control over the natural world. We believe that it is immoral to withhold this information, even if it may be to the benefit of enemies.
"We have given this to our current patrons, the Federated Suns, of course. But even now diplomatic missions are on the way. CORE DEMETER will find its way into the hands of the Lyran Commonwealth, to the Free Worlds League, to the Capellan Confederation, to the Outworlds Alliance, Magistracy of Canopus and even the Taurian Concordat. And, inevitably, to the Draconis Combine.
"It is our hope that Comstar holding a second master copy would be able to serve to check that the cores have not been tampered with. It is our hope that Comstar uses this core to advance their efforts of rehabilitating and improving the lives of the downtrodden in the frontier where so many seek them out as legacies of the time when humanity was at its apex, and we turned our powers into more than war and violence.
"May we meet again as the Star League reforms.
"With all our regards, from the Eridani Light Horse."
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Tharkad
Lyran Commonwealth
Sometime in 3025
The Lyran Commonwealth. Often said that they would be the economic and military superpower of the Inner Sphere were it not for the sheer self-importance of their nobles and the stunning incompetence of their commissioned officers. Katrina Steiner's coup against Alessandro Steiner happened in 3007, well after the Eridani Light Horse left Steiner service in disgust from their gross incompetence by 2999.
Archon Katrina Steiner even approaching her fifties remained a stunning woman. She gave the representative a warm smile without any hint of duplicity. "Though the Eridani Light Horse have left our service, we bear you no ill will. We are still allies and friends, we hope."
The ELH diplomat bowed "You are a wise ruler, Katrina Steiner, and in that vein we of the Light Horse give you this gift… and something else, to make this partnership between the Federated Sun and the Lyran Commonwealth a more equitable and indispensable one."
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Sian
Capellan Confederation
Sometime in 3025
Maximilian Liao scowled down at the ELH diplomat from his raised throne. Balding and with beady suspicious eyes, most who looked at him now would forget the extraordinary levels of cunning he had displayed to give House Liao the strength it had. He reversed the collapse of the CCAF and secured the borders of the Capellan Confederation not through brute military strength but by making his enemies destroy themselves.
While House Liao remained the weakest of the Great Houses, the CCAF was once again a significant threat that could not be easily dismissed. The Concord of Kapetyn relaxed the tension at the Liao/Marik border, and Davion could not so easily raise forces to deal with the Capellan front without weakening their much more dangerous Draconis front.
"What makes a Davion dog dare to stand before us?" Maximilian Liao asked while pointing with a sharp long fingernail. "We remember well that the Eridani Light Horse has taken up arms against us. We do not easily forgive insults and you would be blessed indeed to leave with your head if what you say displeases us."
The ELH diplomat shrugged. "Eridani Light Horse. Wolf's Dragoons. MacCarron's Armored Cavalry. We can fight again and settle who is the best later. We mean no insult. This is the way of fighting men.
"Oh great and wise Chancellor Liao, we are here to offer our respects, and a gift, in the spirit of when House Liao and the Capellan Confederation were valuable members of our shared history under the Star League. This may somewhat displease House Davion - but we are doing it anyway."
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Atreus
Free Worlds League
Sometime in 3025
Janos Marik was sixty-five, white-haired and weary, and had the eagle symbol of the Free World League tattooed on his forehead. It had been many centuries since the Eridani Light Horse left the service of House Marik, and he had no relevant feelings for or against the mercenaries.
He looked only mildly interested. If it wasn't for the rumors that the Eridani Light Horse were being a pet project of Hanse Davion, he would probably have put this meeting further back in his schedule. This was probably some sort of indirect way of communication from Hanse Davion trying to break up the Concord of Kapetyn.
As long as the Federated Suns were allies with the Lyran Commonwealth, they were inescapable enemies. The Eridani Light Horse had cost the FWLM many campaigns and had led many successful invasions into League worlds. It was not the hereditary grudge like with House Kurita, but the Eridani Light Horse would find no one in awe of them here.
He leaned his cheek on one fist and gestured. "Well? What is your purpose here?"
"Captain-General, in the interest of collective humanity, we present to you - CORE DEMETER."
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Canopus IV
Magistracy of Canopus
Sometime in 3025
Magestrix Kyalla Centrella was raised to despise everything regarding the Free Worlds League and view anything Inner Sphere with a great deal of suspicion. Considering how much the Inner Sphere saw the Periphery as yokels to be taken advantage of, this was a natural reaction.
The Eridani Light Horse being so faithful to the Star League could only have them be a reminder of a time of brutal conquest and economic servitude. The fall of the Star League saw the Magistracy secure against the wars of the Inner Sphere. They were needed, but far enough to not be a target for conquest. She pursued a "service for service" exchange, in which skilled technicians and scientists from other realms could come to Canopus to live in luxuriant and even hedonistic surroundings in exchange for supplying them with their own highly-regarded medical professionals.
Yet none of that could be seen on Kyalla Centrella dusky face. She leaned back on her throne, positioning herself to expose better her bosoms though the window of her satin dress. She had a trim and muscular body and knew how to use it, both on and off the sheets. She licked her lips and smiled. "What brings such a virile young warhorse so far from its minders I wonder?"
"Magestrix, things could be better between us. You can't be left hanging limp while everyone else gets a ride. Let this Vagabond Horse give a you a taste of the old world-"
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Taurus
Taurian Concordat
Sometime in 3025
The Star League was a golden age for the Inner Sphere, but it was a time of suffering and terror for the Periphery. In the Reunification War from 2577 to around 2597, of he Taurian Concordat fought with every means, even to the point of suicide, to hurt the vastly overmatching enemy. The Taurian forces were the most competent opponents the SLDF faced, doing much with their limited means and making it clear to the last man that the Star League's claims of a more enlightened humanity was a lie. They were not wanted there. In response, the SLDF prosecuted a strategy of scorched earth. Worlds died. Atrocities upon atrocities were laid upon the Taurian people. Many centuries later, the scars remained.
House Calderon would never forget nor forgive. But even among them, Thomas Calderon, a wide man with one eye (the other replaced with a cybernetic one after a hunting accident) was considered far too paranoid against the 'imminent' prospect of Davion invasion.
"You Davion bootlick! You devil of the Star League! You dare come here and tell me you don't intend any insult?! You insult me with your face! Give me a reason not to shoot you dead right now!"
"Father, please-" his eldest son, Edward Calderon, sighed. He at least did not share his father's mania about the perfidious Davions and cautiously extended to them a market for Davion goods. Everyone looked forward to his eventual assumption of rulership as a popular and competent leader.
Wandering Horse had noted that this made him a perfect target for assassination for certain interested parties to continue destablization of the Inner Sphere's powers or for certain parties inside the Taurian Concordat itself to continue their graft and embezzlement.
"In the name of the Light Horse, my life is yours to deal with. I was prepared for this. But also, this -" the diplomat held up the DEMETER CORE. "From water comes food. From food, manpower. From manpower, industry. From industry, the power to protect yourself from your terrible Davion incursion. From the halls of the Terran Alliance to chambers of Taurus - it is yours to do with as you see fit."
The ELH representative had already previously cleared this with Edward Calderon, of course. They had done all checks to make sure that the Memory Core was not some form of bomb. He dropped to one knee in a bow to lay the Memory Core down to the ground and then stood up straight to salute.
For the rebirth of the Star League, he was fine if he did end up being shot dead at that moment. May it be one freed from the sins of the first and not repeat its mistakes.
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Alpheratz
Outworlds Alliance
Sometime in 3025
Niel Avellar was a long-faced man who looked continually out of his depth. The Outworlds Alliance was considered the weakest of the Periphery powers, a podunk and backwards agricultural nation in love with pacifism. They barely had any military and disdained battlemechs as hateful symbols of war, but they did possess the most skilled aerospace fighter forces in the Inner Sphere.
Sandwiched with Davion and Kurita on their borders, it was a continual dance trying to hold off on being absorbed by much greater powers. It was only the fact that making moves on the Outworlds Alliance meant weakening the direct border between these two bitter enemies that allowed the OWA to survive these many centuries since the fall of the Star League.
"That… that doesn't make sense. This is too valuable. Won't… won't Kurita want to take it? If we do this, that would just make us bigger targets for pirates! This is too much! We don't want war. We don't want any of the luxuries of the Inner Sphere. Take it away!"
"I was told that everyone has the right to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness'. Just because people are content does not mean their lives are not already hard, short, and full of suffering. They already cannot protect themselves, because you overlook here that slaves are also a currency. Being ignored as lacking value only lasts until there is someone strong enough to care about having weak prey to dine on. Kurita and Davion will not come to rescue you, the avowed neutral.
"Since the fall of the Star League, the Outworlds Alliance lost over half its worlds not through war but from starvation and sickness. With the powers of DEMETER, Goddess of Harvests and Agriculture, feed your children well and let them grow up strong. Only they can decide your future."
-.
-.
Hilton Head
Terra
Same time
"The Eridani Light Horse are a known quantity, you said. There is nothing interesting in them using lostech, you said. It is just Davion showing more favor and field testing their scraps from Hoff, you! Said!"
As Julian Tiepolo, Primus of Comstar spoke, Hutrin Vandel, Precentor New Avalon, grimaced and shrank back as if being slapped.
After a while he rallied back "No one could have predicted this! They are just three regiments of mercenaries, a light combined arms RCT. A decent assault regiment could push them off a world just fine! They had never been unbeatable. Who would ever predict they would dig up some Memory Core and instead of selling it House Davion, give it to everybody in the Inner Sphere? Who would do that? This kind of generosity is nonsensical!"
"Can we do something with the cores? If we have the master copy, we can engineer flaws, could we sabotage attempts to duplicate the tech, and make this all sound unviable or a trap by the Davions?" asked Ulthan Everson, Precentor Tharkad.
"No. If our copy differs in a way that both the Steiner and Davion cores agree upon, that would make it too obvious that our copy is the one being manipulated." Primus Julian Tiepolo adjusted his glasses. "We are backed into a corner."
"Where did the Eridani Light Horse dig this up?! It is suspicious that Hanse Davion would allow this. Where do these mercenaries get the gall?" hissed Pedrigor Aliz, Precentor Atreus.
"The ELH only did this after their loss on Hoff," Myndo Waterly, Precentor Dieron, spoke up. Her eyes glittered with mad glee. "Many times before they had always been destroyed, but they never did anything unusual. Only after meeting the Dragoons did they stop holding back. Something happened there on Hoff!"
"You mean, they discovered something about Wolf's Dragoons?" Aliz asked in an arched tone.
Julian Tiepolo flicked his gaze up, and Myndo smirked at even that minute expression of interest. Wolf's Dragoons and his failure to uncover their origins had always rankled him. That House Kurita was interested in absorbing Wolf's Dragoons into their own troops was obvious. Tiepolo had already sent instructions to the new Precentor Galedon, Alexander Kalafon, to help it along. Warlord Grieg Samsonov was provided access to a potential turncoat within the Wolves.
But to split attention now between the Dragoons and the Light Horse…
Vandel said with a sigh "It is quite suspicious that very soon after, the Eridani Light Horse were able to beat the Dragoons. Not in regimental combat, but in space."
"WarShips?!" Aliz gasped in alarm.
Vandal shook his head. "No. Some form of super Assault DropShip. It is however another mystery where those DropShips came from."
"Do you have anything, anything at all, that is new and useful about the Eridani Light Horse?" asked Everson.
Vandal shrugged. "It is rumored with some support that the ELH uncovered an extensive Star League cache even with new DropShips. It makes sense, but it is difficult to trust the veracity of all the rumors."
"Why is that?" Everson asked again.
"Because they all involve far too many Urbanmechs."
Everyone in the First Circuit stared at him. This sounded like a total non sequitur.
Vandal shrugged even harder, raising his hands well above shoulder height. "Those are the reports! Apart from several conspicuous meetings between Armstrong and Hanse Davion, the Eridani Light Horse had done nothing unusual - all easily explained as reconstructive efforts after their loss on Hoff. Then they did this." He waggled his hands helplessly. "No one could have predicted this!"
"I… reluctantly agree," said Everson. "Tharkad had observed nothing unusual about the ELH."
"I agree as well," said Aziz. "Precentor New Avalon did not commit anything that could have been a mistake by not monitoring the Eridani Light Horse more closely. They were a predictable component."
"But they are not now!" said Waterly. "Is it not easier to insert operatives into the Eridani Light Horse than Wolf's Dragoons?"
"I will handle it!" Vandal responded swiftly. "This is under my remit, my territory, Precentor Dieron!"
Myndo only sniffed and smirked again. "So be it. May you have a better time chasing after the Horse's supply source than the Dragoons."
Julian scowled at the obvious indirect insult. He spoke "In truth, this situation is not as severe as it first appears. Terraforming technology is a danger to our missionary doctrine. If people are not desperate and fearful of enemy raids, they would not flock under our banner for protection and relief from hunger. However, be reminded that it was the First and Second Successions Wars, in the height of plenty, that were also the most destructive. The DEMETER CORE had been shared to all powers. Let them build up resources so that the conflict may intensify and Blake's prophecy come closer to fruition. The status quo is retained."
"Is it, Primus?" Myndo Waterly asked archly. "The Federated Commonwealth can leverage their manpower and economic might to revitalize their worlds. The weight is already too stacked in their favor as it is!"
"Do remember that the Free Worlds League is relatively at peace and with a working economy," said Aziz. "The Concord of Kapetyn is weaker than the FedCom alliance, but until now had lacked an effective counterweight. Lyran money and Davion might. Now Marik could just spend money to make Liao and Kurita fight. As holders of the master copy and with our inherited knowledge from the Terran Hegemony, I believe we have the perfect opportunity to more directly insinuate ourselves into terraforming efforts."
Julian Tiepolo, as former Precentor Atreus, just stared silently at him.
It was up to Everson to raise the unspoken question "Are you asking that we throw economic support to the Free Worlds League? Do you remain impartial, Precentor Atreus?"
"I do. Janos Marik is only a reluctant ally of Maximilian Liao. But relaxing the Liao border means they can return to the traditional ambitions of the FWLM, breaking through into Steiner space. The harder Marik can distract Steiner, the less they will be able to offer aid to the Davions."
Julian Tiepolo nodded. "I agree. The balance remains, only intensified."
Myndo Waterly crossed her arms. "I… do not have any serious objection. However, someone should still do something about the Eridani Light Horse!"
Tiepolo turned to her and nodded. In a cold voice he added "In that we also agree. By doing this, the Light Horse had proclaimed themselves our enemy. And they will pay for it, and even to the end never knowing for what sins they are now brought to ruin."
-.
-.
10.2 The Charm Offensive
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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The Charm Offensive 02
Colchester
Federated Suns
Early 3025
"What the dry sober hell is this?" asked Natasha Kerensky.
"It is Warhammer," replied Devlin Stone. "But Urbanmech."
Natasha glared down at him. The boy raised his palms up and said "Your Warhammer is fine. But it is in storage. This one allows us to better collect combat data."
The Black Widow turned back to the bulbous 70-ton machine painted a nightmarish shade of black with bright red accents here and there. The arms and legs belonged to a Warhammer. Boxy and robust, the arms ended in reinforced barrels holding a Donal Particle Projection Cannon.
The core of the machine was that of an oversized Urbanmech however, the dumpy looking trash receptacle with a six-pod SRM-6 bin poking off the right shoulder. The gun clusters - a pair of Medium Lasers, Small Lasers, and Machine Guns - were located roughly where they should be in the lower left and right side hips of a Warhammer. All in all, a Warhammer's loadout was not complicated with distinct range bands from long range to short range.
A Warhammer could not support firing off all its weapons all at once, but bracket fire means that once enemies were inside a certain limit, firing off long-range weapons was pointless - specially with the minimum range of a PPC. It was better to rely on the less heat-producing secondary weapons for a while. This allowed the main guns to cool off until the range could open again.
"Are you aiming to humiliate me?" Natasha asked dryly.
"Humiliate you? You in particular? No ma'am." Devlin held out an open palm towards the Urbanhammer. "The weapons are stock, but because it was proportionally Urbanmech, there was still a lot of free volume. This allowed us to change the test machine's heatsinks to Double Heat Sinks and boost armor to 11 tons of Ferro-Fibrous up from the 10 tons of standard armor sheathing of the WHM-6R. This is enough to make the Mech capable of running and firing all its weapons and still remain completely heat neutral, and with 20% more armor protection. There were left over tons to emplace CASE."
That was enough to significantly increase the threat profile of a stock Warhammer. If the Light Horse had upgraded with lostech this far, then it explained why they were punching well above their weight recently. "This seems unfair. Who do you want me to humiliate?"
Devlin grinned. "Humiliate? Oh my dear Miss Kerensky. We want you to break some horses."
-.
-.
Fort Bradley
Colchester
Later that day
"You know who I am! And I know some of you still think there's nothing more worth knowing from a defeated foe. But none of you are Barbara Mosley. So if you think you are hard enough, come meet me in this circle. I was told enough about your lostech upgrades! Do you think that is enough? Come face me as an equal and find out!"
-.
Unlike the Solaris arenas, there were no protected areas for spectators to observe a mech duel.
Mechs were arranged at a clearing well away from the camp, while inside the auditorium a massive holoprojector displayed the scene. It had turned into a whole event, with everyone bringing in snacks and making bets.
Over on the third floor looking down at the auditorium floor from a utility wing, sat Stone Platoon.
"Since when did we have Urban Warhammers?" asked Bennet Brooklyn. "Heck, since when did we have Urbanmechs that are *seventy tons* at all?!"
"You know *since when*," said William Bloderwelg, the gentle giant of this troop.
Bennet scowled with his hooked nose and pointedly looked away from Devlin's direction. Everything weird with the Eridani Light Horse could now be traced all the way to the day the boy showed up in an Urbanmech. The Colchester starport even had a record of the dropship bringing him down, which left soon afterwards.
"It is fascinating though. Some mechs already look like Urbanmechs - the Flashman is 75 tons and has overall the same body, I suppose." Tom Lexington adjusted his eyeglasses. "We already have so many Urbanmechs, I guess this finally puts to pasture the question if we do have a mobile factory. The answer is yes. "
"Frikking bribery getting into the Light Horse…" Bennet continued to mutter.
Angela Bakko chirped "If Urbanmechs can be heavies now, do you think we can get to pilot one?"
"It's still a freakin' Urbanmech!" Bennet hissed and glared at her past his hooked nose and then pointed down. "It's still a trashcan! I don't think Kerensky's actually all that good! If she still beats people while piloting a trashcan- that… that proves something? I don't know! But this is stupid and looks wrong!"
"It is humiliating to be beaten by an Urbanmech," Devlin said simply.
Bennet clacked his tongue. "Yes."
"So of course this means we should do it against House Kurita as much as possible," he continued in an even tone.
Salli Maza raised her brows and beamed at him. "Is this why Captain Mosley is… you know, being her… everything at the Draconis March? She could have any mech, but still pilots Urbanmech. A Light UrbanMech at that!"
Angela squinted at him "You… seem to be very familiar with Captain Mosley, aren't you?"
Salli Maza smirked "And been hanging around with Natasha Kerensky herself a lot. She is quite the looker too, isn't she?"
"I am… I am sus!" Angela said after some thought. "I am very sus!"
"More nepotism…!" Bennet grumbled.
"That makes no sense, my friend," said William. "They are not related either biologically or legally. Captain Mosley has not shown any sign of favoritism or advantage towards friend Devlin. Unless you mean actually in reverse, as Miss Bad Ass is reaping all the benefits."
"White unicorn," Devlin said in reflex.
"You are the only one other than her that actually insists on that," noted Salli.
Angela pouted and made some strange mouselike squeaking noise as she crossed her arms and huffed.
"They're starting!" Tom slapped at the metal railing excitedly.
Hudson Asner, all of fifteen and already looking almost like an adult in his twenties, said "What do you think? How many matches before the Black Widow goes down?"
"Kerensky's good, but straight back to back fights? It's easier to win when it's a series of duels, so I'd say… three. Depends on what she's facing. Eventually her armor is going to get worn down," answered Bennet Brooklyn.
This was a limited live-fire test, with energy weapons dialed way down and guns firing mainly tracers, with the mech battle computers simulating full-scale weapons fire and effects.
Tom Lexington added "I don't know. The loadout of a WHM-6R has limited ammo compared to the WHM-6D, but very few things can take the hit of a pair of PPCs. In a long-range duel, a Warhammer will always win - but this duel is artificially restricted to a map only half a kilometer across where both mechs will nearly always have sightlines to each other. Smaller, faster mechs may have it easier than big mechs - they can whittle down enemy armor faster and skirmish to its backside. But…" He scratched at the back of his head helplessly.
"But what?" asked Hudson.
Tom nervously adjusted his glasses again. "It is Warhammer. But also Urbanmech. A 360 degree torso twist… I think that's really an unfair advantage in short-range duel. Would she be using it? If yes, then I think Captain Kerensky if she keeps getting consistent hits would be able to take down maybe double her weight in medium-weight opponents, or up to three mechs in her weight class who can't maneuver as well."
Hudson turned. "What do you think, Stone?"
"My father told me stories of Natasha Kerensky before he died, and he said that Kerensky was not yet as good as she could be. It would take two tragedies before she achieves that perfect clarity, and the ELH may have butterfield away that second tragedy. So now we see what the wrath of a +1/+1 Mechwarrior looks like instead of a +0/+0." Devlin Stone nodded several times in self-satisfaction. "Fuck yer TMMs."
"My… what?"
-.
-.
Griffin. Dervish. Catapult. Griffin. Phoenix Hawk. Thunderbolt. Hunchback. Warhammer. Thunderbolt again. By the ninth mech Natasha Kerensky downed, people were coming to realize that yes,
-.
-.
Devlin Stone turned around and smiled, extending his arms as if to give a distant hug."My friends, I have a gift for you. A surprise gift. High Command has designed to also trial Kerensky's methods on complete novices with no habits to untrain. Which means our platoon - or two lances - gets to have follow-along mech training, as a comparison group to other veteran mechwarriors doing the same thing. We enter battlemechs a full two years ahead of schedule."
"This is bullshit," breathed Bennet Broolyn. "How?"
"Nepotism," said Devlin Stone.
Then after a pause "Also, as long as it is Urbanmech."
-.
-.
Brunswick City
New Avalon
Same date
Countess Rodina Archernar was a dangerous woman and CEO of Archenar Battlemechs, the largest and most respected military producer in the Federated Suns. Although overshadowed somewhat by Corean Enterprises' fully automated factory in the technological decline of the Succession Wars, and limited in scope by not being a multinational corporation - Archenar was pure Davion loyalist through and through, operating solely in Federated Suns space. Archenar manufactured the first ever BattleMech for the AFFS, and now it felt right to her that once again House Davion would rely on her company in the turning of a new age.
Although they were inside one of Brunswick City's most high-class restaurant with a view over the glittering nightscape of the metropolis, Leroy Martin was not inclined to wine and dine the heiress. While she was indeed quite comely and wealthy and still unmarried, he had resolved to himself that he was a boring man that lived a boring life and the phrase 'married to his work' would probably be his truth.
Tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a trim black suit compared to Countess Rodina's orange and black ensemble, this business dinner had less of an impression of a date but a big brother taking his graduating little sister out to eat.
Rodina picked up her wineglass and motioned to outside. "Land is expensive in New Brunswick. As impressive as it is to get as much floor space in the Industrial Park, your company could have done better setting up a more secure facility in the outskirts, no?"
"RobotniC is a distribution company, not a manufacturing one, my Lady," replied Leroy. "Our source factories are a secret because what no one knows about, no one can raid."
Rodina stared at him past the rim of her wine glass. "Really? Despite the news all being about the mobile factory that just landed? The pundits are called it… what was that now? Ah, yes, 'the Corean plant in an egg'."
Leroy carefully cut into his salmon, ate, and looked up. A passing waiter happened to reflect light from the tray he was carrying onto Leroy Martin's square eyeglasses, causing his gaze to glint menacingly for a moment. The CEO responded passionlessly "A certain level of on-site production is necessary for sampling and as a buffer against minor shortages. A mobile factory is unable to produce full BattleMech and Combat Vehicles- it is nothing so unusual, a production line only oriented vertically instead of horizontally."
"And I suppose the fact that a mobile factory can have its own little island in the Hebrides instead of being an employer over some little town suits your purposes just fine."
Megacorporations had a tendency to dominate the economic prospects of nearby towns and could lead some businessmen to have strange illusions of lordship. Granted, most such firms were owned by nobles with their own fiefs, but they exerted pressure as much as they supported a town's vitality. Rodina continued "This is good for security, but it is not a good look. A company that looks always so ready to pull up roots does not give the impression of being a reliable friend. People will be always reminded that this whole thing… has something mercenary about it."
"I was informed that the Eridani Light Horse will not leave the service of House Davion unless something vastly immoral has occurred, or the Star League is reformed."
"Curious folk, the Eridani Light Horse." She had of course done her research. The ELH had done some impressive things, but nothing beyond the reach of the AFFS own storied regiments like say, the Crucis Lancers. She took a sip of from her glass, and laid down. She laced her fingers together under her chin. "So they have their own manufacturing now. It is easy to imagine that they found an old Star League base with its own automated plant somewhere. Of course, I will not ask about that - security reasons, I respect that - but doesn't that limit your scalability?"
"My lady, RobotniC is a creature of the Star League."
"... And that means what?"
"Our production capacity is yes."
"By that, do you mean…?" Rodina trailed off with a small frown.
"No matter what number you think of, the answer is yes. The only practical limit is shipping capacity. However many mechs and tanks Archernar and all other BattleMech production companies might want to refit, we can supply. Yes. The entire AFFS? Yes. We can supply Ferro-Fibrous armor, Double Heatsinks, CASE assemblies, and Target-Tracking Systems for many years in advance. Yes."
"... It's not a factory at all, is it? It's a factory that makes factory ships?!"
"My lady, I have absolutely no idea."
Rodina thinned her lips. "And I suppose you're going to Corean after this. You want us to sell your BattleMechs under our branding. Invest into it with land and manpower to set up a physical production line. Who is using whom as a distribution channel now again?" She let out a muted sigh.
Then she looked pained for a moment. "But why… why does it have to be Urbanmechs?"
"My lady, I have absolutely no idea."
-.
-.
Colchester
Federated Suns
Later that night
It was almost midnight and Nathan and Julia Armstrong were turning in for the night. They both had so much work that increased every day the 91st Cavalry regiment was being crash-assembled. The Brevet General of the entire Eridani Light Horse flopped on the couch while Julia put away the dishes.
Julia noticed. "Oh? Not going into your regular little communiques with the First Prince?"
Armstrong groaned. Having a HPG in his house was more of a hassle than anything, because instead of walking towards the command center and only getting summarized reports from whatever came out of the regular Colchester HPG schedule… Hanse Davion was abusing having an HPG in his Urbanmech to send him little updates of how his little ponies were operating out in the wild as tracked by MIIO.
"I think Hanse is harassing me to make Wandering Horse show up MIIO again" he said.
"So you are on first names with Hanse Davion now? How cute."
Armstrong raised his palms up in silent supplication. "A distance in the chain of command must be maintained. He knows that and I know that. He is fishing for more information."
Julia nodded. "Of course he would. The Light Horse is a danger to the Federated Suns as much as it promises to be its helpers. This is something we deal with regarding charity. Once people are too used to being helped, what happens when that help is stopped? Either resentment and feelings of betrayal, or in preparing for aid being cut off, never really trusted it in the first place."
"Well, at least Davion can always trust the Light Horse's willingness to screw over House Kurita."
Julia chuckled lightly. "And this talk about dilution of social distance has reminded me… aren't you favoring Devlin too much? I understand him being assigned as Kerensky's adjutant - if there was anyone that could break through her shell, Devlin could do it-"
"That boy, unlike any of us in the Light Horse, firmly and completely believes with zero doubt that we *are* the SLDF and we *will* rebuild the Star League. If they ever get into a philosophical argument it would be an unstoppable force meeting the immovable object."
"Haha. But really - the other cadets might start resenting this obvious nepotism. I've even been asked if Devlin wasn't actually your bastard son from somewhere and why I am being too motherly over him."
Armstrong turned to stare at her. No judgment at all in his cool and steady gaze.
Julia flushed and looked away. "So what! Devlin has never had a mother! That poor boy has absolutely no idea how to deal with women and girls. This is not nepotism from me! I'm okay with being a hypocrite!"
After a while Armstrong said "It is one thing to bring in whole regiments of Mechs. A noble buying a commission into the Eridani Light Horse should not be something we easily condone - that is the sort of thing that leads into the enormous incompetence of the Steiner social generals."
Then he pointed to a framed art piece at the wall. It looked like a photomanipulation of a gas giant to have a face like that of the RobotniC logo. A tongue-in-cheek reference to the ELH and their civilian company, one might assume.
"Devlin Stone is not a Cameron or an Amaris. We have checked. But because of Doctor Robotnik's outright goddamn future magic, we cannot even trust the reports of our equipment. Bribery is one thing. It is a different thing to be the heir to a power that far surpasses the Star League."
"So why not just let him live out the rest of his time in normal education? That would have built camaraderie instead of being singled out inspiring resentment from others in his cadre. We should be taking our time to raise him right instead of putting so much pressure on him so early."
"Because despite all that we have been doing, we can't assume that the Wolf's Dragoons will be our ally in the near future. Devlin Stone had an unnatural upbringing. He absorbs information and skills like a sponge. We don't know when the Clans will actually arrive, they might come in early prompted by some factor outside of our control. Doctor Robotnik raised his son to be the ultimate weapon to defeat the corrupted children of the Kerensky's SLDF, and we can't waste that. That weird little brain of his is disassembling the Clan Warrior ethos even as Natasha Kerensky thinks she is just being pandered to.
"The Light Horse had always rewarded going above and beyond instead of being threatened by an overachieving subordinate like the Combine grubbing for personal power. He is going to be the stone that drags the rest of the regiment along with him towards excellence or be left behind. His entire troop will serve as an object example. If mere trainees can do this - then they should also be able to do it. They just lack the effort. The motivation."
"Aren't you afraid of Devlin getting a big head?"
"Heh. The boy spent most of his life working for his meals. If anything his father raised him to have unrealistic expectations of personal responsibility."
Julia scowled. "That was borderline child abuse and that is one thing I won't forgive Dr. Robotnik for. No matter if he is a great man, he was not a great father."
"From what we know of Aleksandr Kerensky himself, this is a very common failing for such men."
Colchester
Federated Suns
Early 3025
"What the dry sober hell is this?" asked Natasha Kerensky.
"It is Warhammer," replied Devlin Stone. "But Urbanmech."
Natasha glared down at him. The boy raised his palms up and said "Your Warhammer is fine. But it is in storage. This one allows us to better collect combat data."
The Black Widow turned back to the bulbous 70-ton machine painted a nightmarish shade of black with bright red accents here and there. The arms and legs belonged to a Warhammer. Boxy and robust, the arms ended in reinforced barrels holding a Donal Particle Projection Cannon.
The core of the machine was that of an oversized Urbanmech however, the dumpy looking trash receptacle with a six-pod SRM-6 bin poking off the right shoulder. The gun clusters - a pair of Medium Lasers, Small Lasers, and Machine Guns - were located roughly where they should be in the lower left and right side hips of a Warhammer. All in all, a Warhammer's loadout was not complicated with distinct range bands from long range to short range.
A Warhammer could not support firing off all its weapons all at once, but bracket fire means that once enemies were inside a certain limit, firing off long-range weapons was pointless - specially with the minimum range of a PPC. It was better to rely on the less heat-producing secondary weapons for a while. This allowed the main guns to cool off until the range could open again.
"Are you aiming to humiliate me?" Natasha asked dryly.
"Humiliate you? You in particular? No ma'am." Devlin held out an open palm towards the Urbanhammer. "The weapons are stock, but because it was proportionally Urbanmech, there was still a lot of free volume. This allowed us to change the test machine's heatsinks to Double Heat Sinks and boost armor to 11 tons of Ferro-Fibrous up from the 10 tons of standard armor sheathing of the WHM-6R. This is enough to make the Mech capable of running and firing all its weapons and still remain completely heat neutral, and with 20% more armor protection. There were left over tons to emplace CASE."
That was enough to significantly increase the threat profile of a stock Warhammer. If the Light Horse had upgraded with lostech this far, then it explained why they were punching well above their weight recently. "This seems unfair. Who do you want me to humiliate?"
Devlin grinned. "Humiliate? Oh my dear Miss Kerensky. We want you to break some horses."
-.
-.
Fort Bradley
Colchester
Later that day
"You know who I am! And I know some of you still think there's nothing more worth knowing from a defeated foe. But none of you are Barbara Mosley. So if you think you are hard enough, come meet me in this circle. I was told enough about your lostech upgrades! Do you think that is enough? Come face me as an equal and find out!"
-.
Unlike the Solaris arenas, there were no protected areas for spectators to observe a mech duel.
Mechs were arranged at a clearing well away from the camp, while inside the auditorium a massive holoprojector displayed the scene. It had turned into a whole event, with everyone bringing in snacks and making bets.
Over on the third floor looking down at the auditorium floor from a utility wing, sat Stone Platoon.
"Since when did we have Urban Warhammers?" asked Bennet Brooklyn. "Heck, since when did we have Urbanmechs that are *seventy tons* at all?!"
"You know *since when*," said William Bloderwelg, the gentle giant of this troop.
Bennet scowled with his hooked nose and pointedly looked away from Devlin's direction. Everything weird with the Eridani Light Horse could now be traced all the way to the day the boy showed up in an Urbanmech. The Colchester starport even had a record of the dropship bringing him down, which left soon afterwards.
"It is fascinating though. Some mechs already look like Urbanmechs - the Flashman is 75 tons and has overall the same body, I suppose." Tom Lexington adjusted his eyeglasses. "We already have so many Urbanmechs, I guess this finally puts to pasture the question if we do have a mobile factory. The answer is yes. "
"Frikking bribery getting into the Light Horse…" Bennet continued to mutter.
Angela Bakko chirped "If Urbanmechs can be heavies now, do you think we can get to pilot one?"
"It's still a freakin' Urbanmech!" Bennet hissed and glared at her past his hooked nose and then pointed down. "It's still a trashcan! I don't think Kerensky's actually all that good! If she still beats people while piloting a trashcan- that… that proves something? I don't know! But this is stupid and looks wrong!"
"It is humiliating to be beaten by an Urbanmech," Devlin said simply.
Bennet clacked his tongue. "Yes."
"So of course this means we should do it against House Kurita as much as possible," he continued in an even tone.
Salli Maza raised her brows and beamed at him. "Is this why Captain Mosley is… you know, being her… everything at the Draconis March? She could have any mech, but still pilots Urbanmech. A Light UrbanMech at that!"
Angela squinted at him "You… seem to be very familiar with Captain Mosley, aren't you?"
Salli Maza smirked "And been hanging around with Natasha Kerensky herself a lot. She is quite the looker too, isn't she?"
"I am… I am sus!" Angela said after some thought. "I am very sus!"
"More nepotism…!" Bennet grumbled.
"That makes no sense, my friend," said William. "They are not related either biologically or legally. Captain Mosley has not shown any sign of favoritism or advantage towards friend Devlin. Unless you mean actually in reverse, as Miss Bad Ass is reaping all the benefits."
"White unicorn," Devlin said in reflex.
"You are the only one other than her that actually insists on that," noted Salli.
Angela pouted and made some strange mouselike squeaking noise as she crossed her arms and huffed.
"They're starting!" Tom slapped at the metal railing excitedly.
Hudson Asner, all of fifteen and already looking almost like an adult in his twenties, said "What do you think? How many matches before the Black Widow goes down?"
"Kerensky's good, but straight back to back fights? It's easier to win when it's a series of duels, so I'd say… three. Depends on what she's facing. Eventually her armor is going to get worn down," answered Bennet Brooklyn.
This was a limited live-fire test, with energy weapons dialed way down and guns firing mainly tracers, with the mech battle computers simulating full-scale weapons fire and effects.
Tom Lexington added "I don't know. The loadout of a WHM-6R has limited ammo compared to the WHM-6D, but very few things can take the hit of a pair of PPCs. In a long-range duel, a Warhammer will always win - but this duel is artificially restricted to a map only half a kilometer across where both mechs will nearly always have sightlines to each other. Smaller, faster mechs may have it easier than big mechs - they can whittle down enemy armor faster and skirmish to its backside. But…" He scratched at the back of his head helplessly.
"But what?" asked Hudson.
Tom nervously adjusted his glasses again. "It is Warhammer. But also Urbanmech. A 360 degree torso twist… I think that's really an unfair advantage in short-range duel. Would she be using it? If yes, then I think Captain Kerensky if she keeps getting consistent hits would be able to take down maybe double her weight in medium-weight opponents, or up to three mechs in her weight class who can't maneuver as well."
Hudson turned. "What do you think, Stone?"
"My father told me stories of Natasha Kerensky before he died, and he said that Kerensky was not yet as good as she could be. It would take two tragedies before she achieves that perfect clarity, and the ELH may have butterfield away that second tragedy. So now we see what the wrath of a +1/+1 Mechwarrior looks like instead of a +0/+0." Devlin Stone nodded several times in self-satisfaction. "Fuck yer TMMs."
"My… what?"
-.
-.
Griffin. Dervish. Catapult. Griffin. Phoenix Hawk. Thunderbolt. Hunchback. Warhammer. Thunderbolt again. By the ninth mech Natasha Kerensky downed, people were coming to realize that yes,
- She was shameless enough to use and abuse the torso twist of a Heavy Urbanmech,
- A Warhammer that can fire its pair of PPCs continuously and apparently NEVER MISS makes Light and even Medium mechs all but unviable on the field,
- When the Light Horse fought the Dragoons on Hoff, this was part of the unnerving cry - "The Dragoons? Christ, they're not men, they're machines!"
- Yes, Natasha Kerensky was that god-damned good.
- Barbara Mosley returning to get herself trained to be on Kerensky's level is due to literally epic levels of assbeating. If the woman's self-respect could survive that, then Mosley would be forced to also become one of the deadliest MechWarriors to have ever existed.
- If the Eridani Light Horse wants to be the tip of the spear for the reborn SLDF, they absolutely need to be on this level.
-.
-.
Devlin Stone turned around and smiled, extending his arms as if to give a distant hug."My friends, I have a gift for you. A surprise gift. High Command has designed to also trial Kerensky's methods on complete novices with no habits to untrain. Which means our platoon - or two lances - gets to have follow-along mech training, as a comparison group to other veteran mechwarriors doing the same thing. We enter battlemechs a full two years ahead of schedule."
"This is bullshit," breathed Bennet Broolyn. "How?"
"Nepotism," said Devlin Stone.
Then after a pause "Also, as long as it is Urbanmech."
-.
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Brunswick City
New Avalon
Same date
Countess Rodina Archernar was a dangerous woman and CEO of Archenar Battlemechs, the largest and most respected military producer in the Federated Suns. Although overshadowed somewhat by Corean Enterprises' fully automated factory in the technological decline of the Succession Wars, and limited in scope by not being a multinational corporation - Archenar was pure Davion loyalist through and through, operating solely in Federated Suns space. Archenar manufactured the first ever BattleMech for the AFFS, and now it felt right to her that once again House Davion would rely on her company in the turning of a new age.
Although they were inside one of Brunswick City's most high-class restaurant with a view over the glittering nightscape of the metropolis, Leroy Martin was not inclined to wine and dine the heiress. While she was indeed quite comely and wealthy and still unmarried, he had resolved to himself that he was a boring man that lived a boring life and the phrase 'married to his work' would probably be his truth.
Tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a trim black suit compared to Countess Rodina's orange and black ensemble, this business dinner had less of an impression of a date but a big brother taking his graduating little sister out to eat.
Rodina picked up her wineglass and motioned to outside. "Land is expensive in New Brunswick. As impressive as it is to get as much floor space in the Industrial Park, your company could have done better setting up a more secure facility in the outskirts, no?"
"RobotniC is a distribution company, not a manufacturing one, my Lady," replied Leroy. "Our source factories are a secret because what no one knows about, no one can raid."
Rodina stared at him past the rim of her wine glass. "Really? Despite the news all being about the mobile factory that just landed? The pundits are called it… what was that now? Ah, yes, 'the Corean plant in an egg'."
Leroy carefully cut into his salmon, ate, and looked up. A passing waiter happened to reflect light from the tray he was carrying onto Leroy Martin's square eyeglasses, causing his gaze to glint menacingly for a moment. The CEO responded passionlessly "A certain level of on-site production is necessary for sampling and as a buffer against minor shortages. A mobile factory is unable to produce full BattleMech and Combat Vehicles- it is nothing so unusual, a production line only oriented vertically instead of horizontally."
"And I suppose the fact that a mobile factory can have its own little island in the Hebrides instead of being an employer over some little town suits your purposes just fine."
Megacorporations had a tendency to dominate the economic prospects of nearby towns and could lead some businessmen to have strange illusions of lordship. Granted, most such firms were owned by nobles with their own fiefs, but they exerted pressure as much as they supported a town's vitality. Rodina continued "This is good for security, but it is not a good look. A company that looks always so ready to pull up roots does not give the impression of being a reliable friend. People will be always reminded that this whole thing… has something mercenary about it."
"I was informed that the Eridani Light Horse will not leave the service of House Davion unless something vastly immoral has occurred, or the Star League is reformed."
"Curious folk, the Eridani Light Horse." She had of course done her research. The ELH had done some impressive things, but nothing beyond the reach of the AFFS own storied regiments like say, the Crucis Lancers. She took a sip of from her glass, and laid down. She laced her fingers together under her chin. "So they have their own manufacturing now. It is easy to imagine that they found an old Star League base with its own automated plant somewhere. Of course, I will not ask about that - security reasons, I respect that - but doesn't that limit your scalability?"
"My lady, RobotniC is a creature of the Star League."
"... And that means what?"
"Our production capacity is yes."
"By that, do you mean…?" Rodina trailed off with a small frown.
"No matter what number you think of, the answer is yes. The only practical limit is shipping capacity. However many mechs and tanks Archernar and all other BattleMech production companies might want to refit, we can supply. Yes. The entire AFFS? Yes. We can supply Ferro-Fibrous armor, Double Heatsinks, CASE assemblies, and Target-Tracking Systems for many years in advance. Yes."
"... It's not a factory at all, is it? It's a factory that makes factory ships?!"
"My lady, I have absolutely no idea."
Rodina thinned her lips. "And I suppose you're going to Corean after this. You want us to sell your BattleMechs under our branding. Invest into it with land and manpower to set up a physical production line. Who is using whom as a distribution channel now again?" She let out a muted sigh.
Then she looked pained for a moment. "But why… why does it have to be Urbanmechs?"
"My lady, I have absolutely no idea."
-.
-.
Colchester
Federated Suns
Later that night
It was almost midnight and Nathan and Julia Armstrong were turning in for the night. They both had so much work that increased every day the 91st Cavalry regiment was being crash-assembled. The Brevet General of the entire Eridani Light Horse flopped on the couch while Julia put away the dishes.
Julia noticed. "Oh? Not going into your regular little communiques with the First Prince?"
Armstrong groaned. Having a HPG in his house was more of a hassle than anything, because instead of walking towards the command center and only getting summarized reports from whatever came out of the regular Colchester HPG schedule… Hanse Davion was abusing having an HPG in his Urbanmech to send him little updates of how his little ponies were operating out in the wild as tracked by MIIO.
"I think Hanse is harassing me to make Wandering Horse show up MIIO again" he said.
"So you are on first names with Hanse Davion now? How cute."
Armstrong raised his palms up in silent supplication. "A distance in the chain of command must be maintained. He knows that and I know that. He is fishing for more information."
Julia nodded. "Of course he would. The Light Horse is a danger to the Federated Suns as much as it promises to be its helpers. This is something we deal with regarding charity. Once people are too used to being helped, what happens when that help is stopped? Either resentment and feelings of betrayal, or in preparing for aid being cut off, never really trusted it in the first place."
"Well, at least Davion can always trust the Light Horse's willingness to screw over House Kurita."
Julia chuckled lightly. "And this talk about dilution of social distance has reminded me… aren't you favoring Devlin too much? I understand him being assigned as Kerensky's adjutant - if there was anyone that could break through her shell, Devlin could do it-"
"That boy, unlike any of us in the Light Horse, firmly and completely believes with zero doubt that we *are* the SLDF and we *will* rebuild the Star League. If they ever get into a philosophical argument it would be an unstoppable force meeting the immovable object."
"Haha. But really - the other cadets might start resenting this obvious nepotism. I've even been asked if Devlin wasn't actually your bastard son from somewhere and why I am being too motherly over him."
Armstrong turned to stare at her. No judgment at all in his cool and steady gaze.
Julia flushed and looked away. "So what! Devlin has never had a mother! That poor boy has absolutely no idea how to deal with women and girls. This is not nepotism from me! I'm okay with being a hypocrite!"
After a while Armstrong said "It is one thing to bring in whole regiments of Mechs. A noble buying a commission into the Eridani Light Horse should not be something we easily condone - that is the sort of thing that leads into the enormous incompetence of the Steiner social generals."
Then he pointed to a framed art piece at the wall. It looked like a photomanipulation of a gas giant to have a face like that of the RobotniC logo. A tongue-in-cheek reference to the ELH and their civilian company, one might assume.
"Devlin Stone is not a Cameron or an Amaris. We have checked. But because of Doctor Robotnik's outright goddamn future magic, we cannot even trust the reports of our equipment. Bribery is one thing. It is a different thing to be the heir to a power that far surpasses the Star League."
"So why not just let him live out the rest of his time in normal education? That would have built camaraderie instead of being singled out inspiring resentment from others in his cadre. We should be taking our time to raise him right instead of putting so much pressure on him so early."
"Because despite all that we have been doing, we can't assume that the Wolf's Dragoons will be our ally in the near future. Devlin Stone had an unnatural upbringing. He absorbs information and skills like a sponge. We don't know when the Clans will actually arrive, they might come in early prompted by some factor outside of our control. Doctor Robotnik raised his son to be the ultimate weapon to defeat the corrupted children of the Kerensky's SLDF, and we can't waste that. That weird little brain of his is disassembling the Clan Warrior ethos even as Natasha Kerensky thinks she is just being pandered to.
"The Light Horse had always rewarded going above and beyond instead of being threatened by an overachieving subordinate like the Combine grubbing for personal power. He is going to be the stone that drags the rest of the regiment along with him towards excellence or be left behind. His entire troop will serve as an object example. If mere trainees can do this - then they should also be able to do it. They just lack the effort. The motivation."
"Aren't you afraid of Devlin getting a big head?"
"Heh. The boy spent most of his life working for his meals. If anything his father raised him to have unrealistic expectations of personal responsibility."
Julia scowled. "That was borderline child abuse and that is one thing I won't forgive Dr. Robotnik for. No matter if he is a great man, he was not a great father."
"From what we know of Aleksandr Kerensky himself, this is a very common failing for such men."
Last edited:
10.3 The Charm Offensive
bluepencil
The tropics will be uninhabitable.
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The Charm Offensive 03
Colchester
Federated Suns
March 3025
"Run! Run like your life depends on it! Because it does!"
The Eridani Light Horse were well used to physical training. The seniors of the Eridani Combat School ran in a crisp formation, hardening their bodies to endure the rigors of BattleMech combat.
But Natasha Kerensky lagged behind, being the drill instructor to the youngest troops. Stone Squad ran a ragged line, swaying on the verge of exhaustion.
Tom Lexington, the smallest of the squad had William Broderweg, largest in the troop, half-picking him up by the shoulders that Tom only barely needed to keep contact with the ground. With their size difference it was like someone pushing a wheelbarrow.
"Prayer cleanses the soul - pain is weakness leaving the body!" Devlin Stone mumbled hoarsely and mindlessly with each step. "Prayer - cleanses - the - soul - pain - is - weakness - leaving - the- body-"
Bennet Brooklyn's chant was simpler. "Fak - dis - fak - dis - fak - you…"
Angela Bakko weaved, flopping her arms out as if boneless. "But who do we pray toooo?!"
She suddenly felt warm arms around her shoulders. She could not turn her head. Natasha Kerensky was cheek to cheek. "Your god is right here" the woman said.
And with a sibilant hiss "and she is fresh out of mercy."
"Waaaaaaah!"
Someone among the other soldiers of the Eridani Light Horse had to be held back from rushing out in indignation. This was just bullying of first-year cadets. No one should be expected to go straight into hell training. Too much physical toll on a developing body, much like malnutrition, could last the rest of their lives. This could impact height and bone growth and how much muscle they could naturally develop if the body gets into the habit of cannibalizing muscle for energy reserves.
And the pain and borderline child abuse, of course.
"What?" Kerensky sneered at them. "Training is not enough! When have you last pushed yourself to the point that you might die? When everything in you screams, but you must force a broken body to move anyway? It is not mere willpower anymore that pushes you then. You must go beyond resolve. That is the difference between the dead and the great! I do not need soldiers with discipline! Common, predictable methods that produce common, predictable fighters! I am looking for soldiers that immortalize themselves into legend!"
"That… sounds like… spite," wheezed Salli Maza.
Kerensky calmly stated "It is the strongest motivator."
Though their faces soured, none of the other instructors there tried to refute.
-.
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Tharkad
Lyran Commonwealth
March 3025
Dee. Bee. Cee.
The Donegal Broadcasting Company logo appeared for a moment, and then faded into a newsroom. "Welcome back to the Evening News. I am your host, Karl Andersen. Tonight's top story - the DEMETER CORE. Is it legitimate? We can hear that for ourselves -"
The screen changed briefly into a clip of Archon Katrina Steiner. "We have verified that the Memory Core is indeed a copy of a Star League Library. How much of the information contained within is authentic is something that can only be tested by attempting to produce its schematics. The Core itself will be open for public access and its information is released to the public domain."
Andersen returned with "If the Archon is convinced, then that's enough for me. We should not underestimate just how big the DEMETER Core means for everyone in the Inner Sphere. It's not even lostech. The Terran Hegemony carried their terraforming secrets to their grave. With this Core, we can fix so many irreplaceable systems for centuries on the verge of breaking. Worlds that are barely habitable and can't advance because their population can't support anymore, that is no longer just something we have to accept. The thirsty will be given water, the cold will be sheltered, the hungry will be fed.
"Some people have already called this year the end of the Third Succession Wars. A wise ruler will pause their warmaking in order to see how to use DEMETER to finally ease long-standing economic and structural pains. Some fear that this operational pause will only lead to a much more destructive Fourth Succession War later, but for the first time since the fall of the Star League - we are back.
"My friends, we are back. Back to the heights of humanity in its golden age. We have the tools to do it all over again. We are no longer just ignorant
The Eridani Light Horse distributed the DEMETER CORE to everybody, literally everybody, to ensure that the information will not be lost again."
Then he smiled that charming boyish smile of his, that made Karl Andersen the most beloved news anchor in the hundreds of worlds of the Lyran Commonwealth. "Everybody… except the Draconis Combine."
-.
-.
"Did they have to give it to everybody? It would have been fine to keep it to Davion and Steiner. But I guess I can't get too angry with the Eridani Light Horse for that. I understand if they got sick about our incompetent generals enough, but a hundred years of history with the Commonwealth just doesn't go away. I like that they respect their roots. They were with us for as long as they served the SLDF."
The on-the street reporter asked "How do you feel about the core not being given to House Kurita?"
"Oh that makes perfect sense. I respect them all the more for that."
-.
-.
At Tharkad University, the dean of Environmental Sciences was being interviewed.
"Don't forget that Aleksandr Kerensky himself was an alumnus of Tharkad University. The Eridani Light Horse was right to distribute the DEMETER CORE - not just for idealistic but pragmatic reasons as well. Prince Davion's NAIS has been quite notorious recently, but it is the Lyran Commonwealth that has the capacity to truly leverage this information. Terraforming demands sheer economic might, and House Steiner is best positioned to carry things through. The end of the dark ages of the Inner Sphere will not begin with lostech weapons and technology but start here, with us, from worlds revitalized and made to rejoin the web of the interstellar economy."
-.
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New Avalon
Federated Suns
March 3025
News and media services in the Federated Suns had an easier time getting direct access to the Eridani Light Horse for interviews. However, Colchester was effectively a no-go zone outside of their starport. Fort Bradley and its environs were restricted to the press.
A representative of the Eridani Light Horse accepted an interview in a late-night talk show. It just happened to be Robert Green-Davion, offering perspective for both the AFFS and the Eridani Light Horse.
"The contract signed with the Eridani Light Horse allows them some degree of independence when not actively engaged in operations. This is something that we have just observed to be for our benefit. No, the Eridani Light Horse did not need Prince Davion's permission to distribute CORE DEMETER. Yes, the Federated Suns was offered first refusal for any finds of such significance in the future."
"So is it true? Is the Eridani Light Horse actually the advance party of the SLDF returned? Did they make contact with the SLDF in Exile?"
"That is not something that was revealed to me as the liaison to the Eridani Light Horse, nor is it something that can be admitted so easily."
"Reports have confirmed that the ELH are going around in new ships. Warships. Those don't just come out of nowhere. If the SLDF didn't provide them, does this mean the AFFS is making them?"
"This *is* something I can answer. WarShip is a loaded term. The more proper definition is 'Assault DropShip'. Naval power is a significant advantage, yes. The ELH has provided updated plans for new JumpShips and the yards at Galax are expanding to produce these new vessels."
"Astonishing. Just how much control does the AFFS have over the Eridani Light Horse? Can they refuse orders?"
"The contract with the Light Horse puts them under the command of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. They cannot refuse orders whose terms follow the contract. We are all professionals here, we would never give orders that are unrealistic." Robert Green-Davion carefully did not mention anything like so-called 'open orders', in which it was up to the local commanders how to carry out the objective.
The tail should not wag the dog. He wondered, with this display, if the Eridani Light Horse wanted to remind even Hanse Davion that they were horses instead of dogs and must always have the room to run free.
It would be a terrible waste if the Eridani Light Horse and the AFFS to have a competitive relationship over the same authorities and resources.
And once again, he was asked "Do the Eridani Light Horse really believe they are still the SLDF?"
And Green-Davion could only respond "Indubitably."
-.
-.
Elsewhere in Avalon City
New Avalon
Baroness Robin DeCaster was in a mild panic. It was one thing for a Baroness to speak to others of high status and to address the High Council. She had done her part to drum up support for the Vagabond Schools, talking to everyone from Dukes to space engineers and been willing to make enemies as long as it benefited the most helpless and downtrodden of the Federated Suns.
On paper, meeting with the civilian side of the Eridani Light Horse was less sensitive. Although not someone of military rank, she held a higher office and responsibility. She could be more casual with them, and it would be more comfortable to speak to people with a more practical mindset.
But the DEMETER CORE was something that no Great House, no matter their power, could ever accomplish. The Eridani Light Horse had thrown down the gauntlet and dared the rest of the Inner Sphere to come at them and pry the secrets of the Star League out of their dying hands.
This kind of crazy horse could do anything.
"Milady. Misses Julia Armstrong is here," her majordomo spoke.
Baroness nodded. "Send her in."
Julia Armstrong was no great beauty. DeCaster herself preferred only minimal affectations as required for formal occasions. This was an informal meeting, and so there was no need to dress up. She sought in Julia Armstrong's face some similarity.
There was kindness in Julia Armstrong's eyes, but also the hardness of someone who had seen many of her friends die. Yes, they did have many things in common after all.
Baroness smiled. "It is an honor to meet you, Doctor Armstrong."
"Likewise, Lady Robin."
She occupied the conversation first by asking what the civilian division of the Eridani Light Horse did. Life as a mercenary on a regimental scale meant that there was not really a true division between civilian and combatant. There were three almost caste-like divisions: combatants, civilians, and dependents.
Most mercenary regiments operated like this. The Light Horse, the Highlanders, the 12th Star Guards, Wolf's Dragoons, the Big MAC, etc. They have to secure a place far away from the fighting for their dependents before they could fight. Dependents were unspoken hostages for the mercenary's loyalty to their employers.
ELH Support and Logistics division handled everything that was not direct combat. This included training and limited merchanting to supplement the Light Horse in between missions.
"It costs Davion twenty million Cb per month just to retain the services of the Eridani Light Horse," said Julia Armstrong. "This is nothing compared to the upkeep of regiments like the Davion Heavy Guards, of course, but people need to be paid and the internal markets stocked and free time granted to visit and enjoy the outside world. The Eridani Light Horse operates as a closed system, and in times of plenty there is the temptation to buy more things and operate more powerful machines. Most is spent in maintenance, spare parts, and the rest - it takes money to make money, and so we actually also engage in investments all around the Inner Sphere."
"Can the Eridani Light Horse sustain itself like that?"
"Of course not. The RCT is large enough that only a Great House can afford us. We tried before to just sit and farm in the Periphery and it did not take." Julia shrugged. "If we are left unemployable because no one remains worthy of upholding the ideals of the Star League, then it is most moral to just leave. The game of thrones is not worth playing. But until that nightmare scenario, we will try to bring justice and defend the weak as far as we can."
"Fascinating." Baroness Robin. She took a sip of tea and put down her teacup with not even the slightest sound onto the saucer. "What does the Eridani Light Horse want of me, then? You already have the ear of Our Prince, what can the Ministry of Education do for you?"
"On that note, Lady Robin, I am curious as well. Why do Vagabond Schools take young teens in the age of eleven to thirteen instead of young adults and teach them a trade? Is a basic high school education really that valuable in the Outback?"
"To my sadness I will have to answer - yes. Yes it is that valuable. Illiteracy out in the Skid Row worlds is endemic. There are two reasons why we take such children. The first is that this is perhaps their only chance for nutrition and medical support. In their nine months of education they can try to overcome childhood malnutrition, the effects of which may last the rest of their lives. The second is that young adults cannot be spared from the hard labor necessary for life in those worlds. Education in a trade skill, such as carpentry, machining, plumbing and animal care tend to be passed down along family lines or through apprenticeship. Educated youths become valuable members of the community if they do not move on to continue their education off-world."
"Why on JumpShips though? Wouldn't it be cheaper to build a school? This limits the number you can teach at once - and what about microgravity? Wouldn't this impact their development as well?"
"There are several reasons for that as well. The first is staffing. Qualified teachers are a much rarer resource than school infrastructure. We cannot actually afford to assign teachers into each of those worlds. The teachers must move on after nine months. The second is political. By separating pupils from their environment, they are also freed from pressures from their families and social structures. Inside a Davion jumpship, we can enforce equality and correct ingrained habits and assumptions. It does no good to teach a child that all are meant to be equal under the law and go home back to vastly different living conditions. Here they can interact with each other without social barriers and learn empathy across social classes."
She paused for a moment and frowned. "The third reason… it is speculation. Schools stablished in the outback tend to suffer strange… misfortunes."
Julia nodded. "We are aware of this too. Schools and teachers on a world are always at risk, but at least there is the custom of not attacking JumpShips. Teachers are vulnerable to parental pressure and pirate raids, but the environment inside a JumpShip is one completely under your control. However... Vagabond Schools in the first place are JumpShips too old to be used even for trading anymore purchased and repaired to minimal spaceworthy condition. The Kennedy was lost in 3013 with all hands, with 500 students and crew, and containment the Sorbonne last year killed ten people including two students and a teacher. Many consider the Vagabond Schools a very expensive undertaking."
Baroness Robin DeCaster nodded. "Those deaths weigh heavily on me. They were my responsibility. But the shortages just cannot be made up."
"It appears we have the same continual problem then. Manpower." Julia smiled. "Or womanpower as the case may be. The Vagabond Schools are probably the main route that non-privileged women out in the Outback can aim for a better life on their own merits, yes?"
"Indeed. So much potential is left to wither every day." She bowed respectfully for a moment. "Life in the backwater regions of the Federated Suns is full of daily hardship and people are trapped in a cage not of their own making. What good is education, some say, when it only teaches you how to suffer even deeper from knowing just how low and deprived your existence is. Better to suffer in ignorance than to be tormented by the knowing.
"But with the DEMETER CORE, worlds that are barely habitable can become productive again - if not easier to live with. By that alone the Eridani Light Horse has changed the face of the Inner Sphere. Words alone cannot convey my gratitude."
Julia nodded back. "You are welcome."
"It is reckless and brave, and it is astonishing that someone dared to do it. I wonder though - do you understand the larger ramifications of this? So quickly you have may have set aflame a new Age of Explorers. Prospecting for lostech is inflaming the public imagination. So many people are going to get exploited and killed out there."
Julia stared back. "The alternative is letting worlds continue to starve, so we can only hope that in the end justice will balance all things."
Baroness DeCaster sighed. "I do not mean any offense. Grand gestures naturally lead to chaos. But the slow and methodical way also leaves many languishing in their misery. It was still a heroic decision." So she opened both her palms out towards Julia Armstrong. "So the question again - what does the Eridani Light Horse need from the Ministry of Education?"
"The Eridani Light Horse would like to provide the Ministry with support for the Vagabond Schools. In advance we admit that we are also looking for recruits, and ages of 12-13 is also the perfect age to begin training. However much that the Vagabond Schools serve as a pipeline towards the AFFS, as life in the military had always been a quick way to advance the livelihood of a family since antiquity, the Light Horse would like to offer youths a path to a life that while not safe is also meaningful and proud."
The baroness thinned her lips. "If it wasn't for DEMETER CORE I would think badly of this. But I believe that the Eridani Light Horse is not so simple as to be looking for cannon fodder. The lives of the Federated Sun's citizens cannot be transactional."
Then she sighed and rubbed her forehead. "But with only minimal publicity, I can guess that many would flock to your banner anyway. Soldering is a steady job with good pay and square daily meals. I fully accept this. It is a valid career. Maybe even the best career, for many."
Julia smiled and said nothing.
"Very well then. What support does the Eridani Light Horse wish to offer? Do you have some form of strange lostech that will speed up learning? Please?"
"If the Star League could just download training into people's brains, they would not have needed to set up academies," said Julia. "Nothing so convenient, I'm afraid. Nothing important is ever done quickly."
Lady Robin chuckled lightly. "A pity. Let us be realists, then. Military specialists are also very highly educated people, and we would welcome teachers with so much practical experience. Technicians to maintain our jumpships would also be much appreciated. If you want to use the Vagabond Schools as workplace training for JumpShip crews, that would be perfectly good too - we have much the same agreement with the Colleges of Savonburg and others. Or, if it comes in the form of financial support and investment, that would be acceptable as well. Our resources are meager, I freely admit."
Julia answered "There are ten operating Vagabond Schools, most of them old Invaders, Tramps, and so on - with refitted Mules serving as classrooms on DropCollars that are barely hanging on. This does not sound enough for so many worlds. These JumpShips are *dangerous*."
She turned on the palm-sized holoprojector on the table. "The Eridani Light Horse would like to offer support in the form of JumpShips and DropShips. Six NEW JumpShips. SAFE JumpShips. ROOMY JumpShips. Granted, only Scout-class, but they have been refit to maximize internal berthing. A skeleton crew of the Light Horse will accompany the Vagabond School, providing security and support against pirates and other threats. Gradually we will be filling in the crew with volunteers, and then cycle them out with fresh ships and minimal crews as they make a circuit along the Outback."
The projection showed the gravdeck layout. "These have been modified for two contra-rotating 90-meter grav decks." The outer rim spun to provide .9G, with corresponding lower apparent gravity as you go up 'higher' towards the core of the vessel. Steerage sleeping berths were triple-layer bunk beds at the second ring at 80% Terran gravity, with sufficient room and life support for two hundred people, or approximately 180 students and 20 teachers.
They also had room for six fightercraft, two Small Craft, and a thousand tons of cargo. That sounded… unrealistic.
"They will operate in pairs, sufficient to support more than four hundred students and teachers at any one time and bringing a company of mechs and ASF for defense. First Prince Hanse Davion has already given approval to this measure that serves both education and defense of the system during the duration."
Baroness DeCaster blinked. "Excuse me, what?"
"The DRIFTING HORSE has allocated JumpShips for the Vagabond Schools as long as you let us do some recruiting along the way. As we also possess the Primary Copy of the DEMETER CORE, we also have permission to inspect and possibly repair terraforming facilities along the way. We will be recruiting or training space crew, fighter pilots, medics, and technicians along the way."
Baroness DeCaster blinked. She blinked again. She blinked some more.
She closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Opened them with a hard burning gaze and spoke: "I accept. I do not question this. I accept."
Julia quirked her lips. "Really? Not even a question?"
"Are you actually the SLDF?"
"Of course we are. We have always been."
The baroness looked away and shrugged as if to say 'I knew the question would be pointless'.
Why even try to look in the horse's mouth? Because they might be carrying Danaans inside.
She faced forwards again and asked "Very well then, in seriousness, how soon can this be done?"
"Immediately."
"So you just have six new JumpShips that you can dispense away from the war at any time, hm? No, no - that is not a question. I do not need to know more about this." She began fanning her own face with her hands. "I fear that knowing… will only make it worse for me."
"My lady, did you not just lament the uneducated of the Outback preferring contented ignorance over miserable knowledge?"
"Exactly for those reasons. I choose not to be suspicious of the Eridani Light Horse and trust that you know what you are doing." They were owed at least that much for the DEMETER CORE. The Eridani Light Horse banked so much goodwill with this, that even if they were wiped out in battle after this the Inner Sphere would still remember them.
Julia Armstrong smiled back beatifically. And carefully not to let anything on her expression show 'We actually have no idea what we are doing'.
The stakes were high enough that they might as well throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. It was not enough to merely own a planet with a face.
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Colchester
Federated Suns
March 3025
"Run! Run like your life depends on it! Because it does!"
The Eridani Light Horse were well used to physical training. The seniors of the Eridani Combat School ran in a crisp formation, hardening their bodies to endure the rigors of BattleMech combat.
But Natasha Kerensky lagged behind, being the drill instructor to the youngest troops. Stone Squad ran a ragged line, swaying on the verge of exhaustion.
Tom Lexington, the smallest of the squad had William Broderweg, largest in the troop, half-picking him up by the shoulders that Tom only barely needed to keep contact with the ground. With their size difference it was like someone pushing a wheelbarrow.
"Prayer cleanses the soul - pain is weakness leaving the body!" Devlin Stone mumbled hoarsely and mindlessly with each step. "Prayer - cleanses - the - soul - pain - is - weakness - leaving - the- body-"
Bennet Brooklyn's chant was simpler. "Fak - dis - fak - dis - fak - you…"
Angela Bakko weaved, flopping her arms out as if boneless. "But who do we pray toooo?!"
She suddenly felt warm arms around her shoulders. She could not turn her head. Natasha Kerensky was cheek to cheek. "Your god is right here" the woman said.
And with a sibilant hiss "and she is fresh out of mercy."
"Waaaaaaah!"
Someone among the other soldiers of the Eridani Light Horse had to be held back from rushing out in indignation. This was just bullying of first-year cadets. No one should be expected to go straight into hell training. Too much physical toll on a developing body, much like malnutrition, could last the rest of their lives. This could impact height and bone growth and how much muscle they could naturally develop if the body gets into the habit of cannibalizing muscle for energy reserves.
And the pain and borderline child abuse, of course.
"What?" Kerensky sneered at them. "Training is not enough! When have you last pushed yourself to the point that you might die? When everything in you screams, but you must force a broken body to move anyway? It is not mere willpower anymore that pushes you then. You must go beyond resolve. That is the difference between the dead and the great! I do not need soldiers with discipline! Common, predictable methods that produce common, predictable fighters! I am looking for soldiers that immortalize themselves into legend!"
"That… sounds like… spite," wheezed Salli Maza.
Kerensky calmly stated "It is the strongest motivator."
Though their faces soured, none of the other instructors there tried to refute.
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Tharkad
Lyran Commonwealth
March 3025
Dee. Bee. Cee.
The Donegal Broadcasting Company logo appeared for a moment, and then faded into a newsroom. "Welcome back to the Evening News. I am your host, Karl Andersen. Tonight's top story - the DEMETER CORE. Is it legitimate? We can hear that for ourselves -"
The screen changed briefly into a clip of Archon Katrina Steiner. "We have verified that the Memory Core is indeed a copy of a Star League Library. How much of the information contained within is authentic is something that can only be tested by attempting to produce its schematics. The Core itself will be open for public access and its information is released to the public domain."
Andersen returned with "If the Archon is convinced, then that's enough for me. We should not underestimate just how big the DEMETER Core means for everyone in the Inner Sphere. It's not even lostech. The Terran Hegemony carried their terraforming secrets to their grave. With this Core, we can fix so many irreplaceable systems for centuries on the verge of breaking. Worlds that are barely habitable and can't advance because their population can't support anymore, that is no longer just something we have to accept. The thirsty will be given water, the cold will be sheltered, the hungry will be fed.
"Some people have already called this year the end of the Third Succession Wars. A wise ruler will pause their warmaking in order to see how to use DEMETER to finally ease long-standing economic and structural pains. Some fear that this operational pause will only lead to a much more destructive Fourth Succession War later, but for the first time since the fall of the Star League - we are back.
"My friends, we are back. Back to the heights of humanity in its golden age. We have the tools to do it all over again. We are no longer just ignorant
The Eridani Light Horse distributed the DEMETER CORE to everybody, literally everybody, to ensure that the information will not be lost again."
Then he smiled that charming boyish smile of his, that made Karl Andersen the most beloved news anchor in the hundreds of worlds of the Lyran Commonwealth. "Everybody… except the Draconis Combine."
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"Did they have to give it to everybody? It would have been fine to keep it to Davion and Steiner. But I guess I can't get too angry with the Eridani Light Horse for that. I understand if they got sick about our incompetent generals enough, but a hundred years of history with the Commonwealth just doesn't go away. I like that they respect their roots. They were with us for as long as they served the SLDF."
The on-the street reporter asked "How do you feel about the core not being given to House Kurita?"
"Oh that makes perfect sense. I respect them all the more for that."
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At Tharkad University, the dean of Environmental Sciences was being interviewed.
"Don't forget that Aleksandr Kerensky himself was an alumnus of Tharkad University. The Eridani Light Horse was right to distribute the DEMETER CORE - not just for idealistic but pragmatic reasons as well. Prince Davion's NAIS has been quite notorious recently, but it is the Lyran Commonwealth that has the capacity to truly leverage this information. Terraforming demands sheer economic might, and House Steiner is best positioned to carry things through. The end of the dark ages of the Inner Sphere will not begin with lostech weapons and technology but start here, with us, from worlds revitalized and made to rejoin the web of the interstellar economy."
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New Avalon
Federated Suns
March 3025
News and media services in the Federated Suns had an easier time getting direct access to the Eridani Light Horse for interviews. However, Colchester was effectively a no-go zone outside of their starport. Fort Bradley and its environs were restricted to the press.
A representative of the Eridani Light Horse accepted an interview in a late-night talk show. It just happened to be Robert Green-Davion, offering perspective for both the AFFS and the Eridani Light Horse.
"The contract signed with the Eridani Light Horse allows them some degree of independence when not actively engaged in operations. This is something that we have just observed to be for our benefit. No, the Eridani Light Horse did not need Prince Davion's permission to distribute CORE DEMETER. Yes, the Federated Suns was offered first refusal for any finds of such significance in the future."
"So is it true? Is the Eridani Light Horse actually the advance party of the SLDF returned? Did they make contact with the SLDF in Exile?"
"That is not something that was revealed to me as the liaison to the Eridani Light Horse, nor is it something that can be admitted so easily."
"Reports have confirmed that the ELH are going around in new ships. Warships. Those don't just come out of nowhere. If the SLDF didn't provide them, does this mean the AFFS is making them?"
"This *is* something I can answer. WarShip is a loaded term. The more proper definition is 'Assault DropShip'. Naval power is a significant advantage, yes. The ELH has provided updated plans for new JumpShips and the yards at Galax are expanding to produce these new vessels."
"Astonishing. Just how much control does the AFFS have over the Eridani Light Horse? Can they refuse orders?"
"The contract with the Light Horse puts them under the command of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. They cannot refuse orders whose terms follow the contract. We are all professionals here, we would never give orders that are unrealistic." Robert Green-Davion carefully did not mention anything like so-called 'open orders', in which it was up to the local commanders how to carry out the objective.
The tail should not wag the dog. He wondered, with this display, if the Eridani Light Horse wanted to remind even Hanse Davion that they were horses instead of dogs and must always have the room to run free.
It would be a terrible waste if the Eridani Light Horse and the AFFS to have a competitive relationship over the same authorities and resources.
And once again, he was asked "Do the Eridani Light Horse really believe they are still the SLDF?"
And Green-Davion could only respond "Indubitably."
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Elsewhere in Avalon City
New Avalon
Baroness Robin DeCaster was in a mild panic. It was one thing for a Baroness to speak to others of high status and to address the High Council. She had done her part to drum up support for the Vagabond Schools, talking to everyone from Dukes to space engineers and been willing to make enemies as long as it benefited the most helpless and downtrodden of the Federated Suns.
On paper, meeting with the civilian side of the Eridani Light Horse was less sensitive. Although not someone of military rank, she held a higher office and responsibility. She could be more casual with them, and it would be more comfortable to speak to people with a more practical mindset.
But the DEMETER CORE was something that no Great House, no matter their power, could ever accomplish. The Eridani Light Horse had thrown down the gauntlet and dared the rest of the Inner Sphere to come at them and pry the secrets of the Star League out of their dying hands.
This kind of crazy horse could do anything.
"Milady. Misses Julia Armstrong is here," her majordomo spoke.
Baroness nodded. "Send her in."
Julia Armstrong was no great beauty. DeCaster herself preferred only minimal affectations as required for formal occasions. This was an informal meeting, and so there was no need to dress up. She sought in Julia Armstrong's face some similarity.
There was kindness in Julia Armstrong's eyes, but also the hardness of someone who had seen many of her friends die. Yes, they did have many things in common after all.
Baroness smiled. "It is an honor to meet you, Doctor Armstrong."
"Likewise, Lady Robin."
She occupied the conversation first by asking what the civilian division of the Eridani Light Horse did. Life as a mercenary on a regimental scale meant that there was not really a true division between civilian and combatant. There were three almost caste-like divisions: combatants, civilians, and dependents.
Most mercenary regiments operated like this. The Light Horse, the Highlanders, the 12th Star Guards, Wolf's Dragoons, the Big MAC, etc. They have to secure a place far away from the fighting for their dependents before they could fight. Dependents were unspoken hostages for the mercenary's loyalty to their employers.
ELH Support and Logistics division handled everything that was not direct combat. This included training and limited merchanting to supplement the Light Horse in between missions.
"It costs Davion twenty million Cb per month just to retain the services of the Eridani Light Horse," said Julia Armstrong. "This is nothing compared to the upkeep of regiments like the Davion Heavy Guards, of course, but people need to be paid and the internal markets stocked and free time granted to visit and enjoy the outside world. The Eridani Light Horse operates as a closed system, and in times of plenty there is the temptation to buy more things and operate more powerful machines. Most is spent in maintenance, spare parts, and the rest - it takes money to make money, and so we actually also engage in investments all around the Inner Sphere."
"Can the Eridani Light Horse sustain itself like that?"
"Of course not. The RCT is large enough that only a Great House can afford us. We tried before to just sit and farm in the Periphery and it did not take." Julia shrugged. "If we are left unemployable because no one remains worthy of upholding the ideals of the Star League, then it is most moral to just leave. The game of thrones is not worth playing. But until that nightmare scenario, we will try to bring justice and defend the weak as far as we can."
"Fascinating." Baroness Robin. She took a sip of tea and put down her teacup with not even the slightest sound onto the saucer. "What does the Eridani Light Horse want of me, then? You already have the ear of Our Prince, what can the Ministry of Education do for you?"
"On that note, Lady Robin, I am curious as well. Why do Vagabond Schools take young teens in the age of eleven to thirteen instead of young adults and teach them a trade? Is a basic high school education really that valuable in the Outback?"
"To my sadness I will have to answer - yes. Yes it is that valuable. Illiteracy out in the Skid Row worlds is endemic. There are two reasons why we take such children. The first is that this is perhaps their only chance for nutrition and medical support. In their nine months of education they can try to overcome childhood malnutrition, the effects of which may last the rest of their lives. The second is that young adults cannot be spared from the hard labor necessary for life in those worlds. Education in a trade skill, such as carpentry, machining, plumbing and animal care tend to be passed down along family lines or through apprenticeship. Educated youths become valuable members of the community if they do not move on to continue their education off-world."
"Why on JumpShips though? Wouldn't it be cheaper to build a school? This limits the number you can teach at once - and what about microgravity? Wouldn't this impact their development as well?"
"There are several reasons for that as well. The first is staffing. Qualified teachers are a much rarer resource than school infrastructure. We cannot actually afford to assign teachers into each of those worlds. The teachers must move on after nine months. The second is political. By separating pupils from their environment, they are also freed from pressures from their families and social structures. Inside a Davion jumpship, we can enforce equality and correct ingrained habits and assumptions. It does no good to teach a child that all are meant to be equal under the law and go home back to vastly different living conditions. Here they can interact with each other without social barriers and learn empathy across social classes."
She paused for a moment and frowned. "The third reason… it is speculation. Schools stablished in the outback tend to suffer strange… misfortunes."
Julia nodded. "We are aware of this too. Schools and teachers on a world are always at risk, but at least there is the custom of not attacking JumpShips. Teachers are vulnerable to parental pressure and pirate raids, but the environment inside a JumpShip is one completely under your control. However... Vagabond Schools in the first place are JumpShips too old to be used even for trading anymore purchased and repaired to minimal spaceworthy condition. The Kennedy was lost in 3013 with all hands, with 500 students and crew, and containment the Sorbonne last year killed ten people including two students and a teacher. Many consider the Vagabond Schools a very expensive undertaking."
Baroness Robin DeCaster nodded. "Those deaths weigh heavily on me. They were my responsibility. But the shortages just cannot be made up."
"It appears we have the same continual problem then. Manpower." Julia smiled. "Or womanpower as the case may be. The Vagabond Schools are probably the main route that non-privileged women out in the Outback can aim for a better life on their own merits, yes?"
"Indeed. So much potential is left to wither every day." She bowed respectfully for a moment. "Life in the backwater regions of the Federated Suns is full of daily hardship and people are trapped in a cage not of their own making. What good is education, some say, when it only teaches you how to suffer even deeper from knowing just how low and deprived your existence is. Better to suffer in ignorance than to be tormented by the knowing.
"But with the DEMETER CORE, worlds that are barely habitable can become productive again - if not easier to live with. By that alone the Eridani Light Horse has changed the face of the Inner Sphere. Words alone cannot convey my gratitude."
Julia nodded back. "You are welcome."
"It is reckless and brave, and it is astonishing that someone dared to do it. I wonder though - do you understand the larger ramifications of this? So quickly you have may have set aflame a new Age of Explorers. Prospecting for lostech is inflaming the public imagination. So many people are going to get exploited and killed out there."
Julia stared back. "The alternative is letting worlds continue to starve, so we can only hope that in the end justice will balance all things."
Baroness DeCaster sighed. "I do not mean any offense. Grand gestures naturally lead to chaos. But the slow and methodical way also leaves many languishing in their misery. It was still a heroic decision." So she opened both her palms out towards Julia Armstrong. "So the question again - what does the Eridani Light Horse need from the Ministry of Education?"
"The Eridani Light Horse would like to provide the Ministry with support for the Vagabond Schools. In advance we admit that we are also looking for recruits, and ages of 12-13 is also the perfect age to begin training. However much that the Vagabond Schools serve as a pipeline towards the AFFS, as life in the military had always been a quick way to advance the livelihood of a family since antiquity, the Light Horse would like to offer youths a path to a life that while not safe is also meaningful and proud."
The baroness thinned her lips. "If it wasn't for DEMETER CORE I would think badly of this. But I believe that the Eridani Light Horse is not so simple as to be looking for cannon fodder. The lives of the Federated Sun's citizens cannot be transactional."
Then she sighed and rubbed her forehead. "But with only minimal publicity, I can guess that many would flock to your banner anyway. Soldering is a steady job with good pay and square daily meals. I fully accept this. It is a valid career. Maybe even the best career, for many."
Julia smiled and said nothing.
"Very well then. What support does the Eridani Light Horse wish to offer? Do you have some form of strange lostech that will speed up learning? Please?"
"If the Star League could just download training into people's brains, they would not have needed to set up academies," said Julia. "Nothing so convenient, I'm afraid. Nothing important is ever done quickly."
Lady Robin chuckled lightly. "A pity. Let us be realists, then. Military specialists are also very highly educated people, and we would welcome teachers with so much practical experience. Technicians to maintain our jumpships would also be much appreciated. If you want to use the Vagabond Schools as workplace training for JumpShip crews, that would be perfectly good too - we have much the same agreement with the Colleges of Savonburg and others. Or, if it comes in the form of financial support and investment, that would be acceptable as well. Our resources are meager, I freely admit."
Julia answered "There are ten operating Vagabond Schools, most of them old Invaders, Tramps, and so on - with refitted Mules serving as classrooms on DropCollars that are barely hanging on. This does not sound enough for so many worlds. These JumpShips are *dangerous*."
She turned on the palm-sized holoprojector on the table. "The Eridani Light Horse would like to offer support in the form of JumpShips and DropShips. Six NEW JumpShips. SAFE JumpShips. ROOMY JumpShips. Granted, only Scout-class, but they have been refit to maximize internal berthing. A skeleton crew of the Light Horse will accompany the Vagabond School, providing security and support against pirates and other threats. Gradually we will be filling in the crew with volunteers, and then cycle them out with fresh ships and minimal crews as they make a circuit along the Outback."
The projection showed the gravdeck layout. "These have been modified for two contra-rotating 90-meter grav decks." The outer rim spun to provide .9G, with corresponding lower apparent gravity as you go up 'higher' towards the core of the vessel. Steerage sleeping berths were triple-layer bunk beds at the second ring at 80% Terran gravity, with sufficient room and life support for two hundred people, or approximately 180 students and 20 teachers.
They also had room for six fightercraft, two Small Craft, and a thousand tons of cargo. That sounded… unrealistic.
"They will operate in pairs, sufficient to support more than four hundred students and teachers at any one time and bringing a company of mechs and ASF for defense. First Prince Hanse Davion has already given approval to this measure that serves both education and defense of the system during the duration."
Baroness DeCaster blinked. "Excuse me, what?"
"The DRIFTING HORSE has allocated JumpShips for the Vagabond Schools as long as you let us do some recruiting along the way. As we also possess the Primary Copy of the DEMETER CORE, we also have permission to inspect and possibly repair terraforming facilities along the way. We will be recruiting or training space crew, fighter pilots, medics, and technicians along the way."
Baroness DeCaster blinked. She blinked again. She blinked some more.
She closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Opened them with a hard burning gaze and spoke: "I accept. I do not question this. I accept."
Julia quirked her lips. "Really? Not even a question?"
"Are you actually the SLDF?"
"Of course we are. We have always been."
The baroness looked away and shrugged as if to say 'I knew the question would be pointless'.
Why even try to look in the horse's mouth? Because they might be carrying Danaans inside.
She faced forwards again and asked "Very well then, in seriousness, how soon can this be done?"
"Immediately."
"So you just have six new JumpShips that you can dispense away from the war at any time, hm? No, no - that is not a question. I do not need to know more about this." She began fanning her own face with her hands. "I fear that knowing… will only make it worse for me."
"My lady, did you not just lament the uneducated of the Outback preferring contented ignorance over miserable knowledge?"
"Exactly for those reasons. I choose not to be suspicious of the Eridani Light Horse and trust that you know what you are doing." They were owed at least that much for the DEMETER CORE. The Eridani Light Horse banked so much goodwill with this, that even if they were wiped out in battle after this the Inner Sphere would still remember them.
Julia Armstrong smiled back beatifically. And carefully not to let anything on her expression show 'We actually have no idea what we are doing'.
The stakes were high enough that they might as well throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. It was not enough to merely own a planet with a face.
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