Battletech: The Ghost Who Walks (Battletech Isekai)

[RoyalTwinFangs]

It would be better if they have TAG and NARC

 

[Imperator Pax]

It would be better if they have TAG and NARC

Click to shrink...

Yes, yes it would, but the original instructions were written with just succession war tech in mind rather than unavailable lostech back in July 3017

/Luck of Heroes.

 

[Morkail]

All the battletech FanFictions lately have given me a real dislike for the combine. Thanks for the chapter.

 

[Doomsought]

It would be better if they have TAG and NARC

Click to shrink...

I've never seen narc as worth the trouble, however a vehicular mine dispenser weights only half a ton for two minefields. A remote sensor dispenser weighs half a ton and includes thirty reloads.

 

[Imperator Pax]

All the battletech FanFictions lately have given me a real dislike for the combine. Thanks for the chapter.

Click to shrink...

I'm not even trying to make the Combine out to be the bad guys, it just works.

Like the whole reason the Combine is fighting so hard to conceal the HPG conversation between Minoru and Amaris is because they know how everyone else will take that conversation despite the Combine's own neo confucianist rhetoric justifications for Minoru agreeing, they still grok that most everyone else is going to kneejerk, or have partisan political motivations to use it as a cudgel to beat them with.

 

[RoyalTwinFangs]

All the battletech FanFictions lately have given me a real dislike for the combine. Thanks for the chapter.

Click to shrink...

Well there are base off of the Imperial Japan of WW2 who warcrimes are in my opinion is worst then the Nazi Germany's.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Well there are base off of the Imperial Japan of WW2 who warcrimes are in my opinion is worst then the Nazi Germany's.

Click to shrink...

I'll be honest I don't consider the combine based off WW2 Japan.

I consider them to be basically to be the cold war era Uyoku Dantai, either the first or third generation. They don't act like second generation ultra nationalists. Part of that is that Eighties BT modelled them after the 80s Japan is gonna take over the world meme in terms of economy so I see a lot of Combine Lore parrallels with memetic Japan. That being said yes, the DCMS is clearly based off the IJA in places, but I think thats mostly because of memes about Japan, as combine's culture structure is this mix mash of different facets and the coordinator is a lot more hands on than the Imperial Household Agency would ever let the Emperor be.

So its very much flavors of Imperial Japan, but I consider it more a pastiche of memetic Showa era as a whole rather than just the years of high imperialism

 

[Imperator Pax]

Interlude Part 3​

There were limits to the stuff one could do on a JumpShip during transit. Working out in zero gee was kind of difficult at least in terms of variability... but it was true that the JumpShip itself had a grav deck... still it mostly left him using the same against his own body weight exercises... and studying. San Saba wasn't exactly ... Triumph's weren't exactly glamorous or configured for luxury, but the San Saba had been the in the process of modifications.... that they'd then had to stop, and were focused on cargo transport. It mostly cargo space rather than the machinery needed to actually deploy... so the hold was filled with palletized vehicles.

He had no idea how they were going to effectively offload the cache contents, or the portion rather that they were bringing, because well no one had told New Avalon they were coming. They were going to show up, land and then tell the First Prince major domo or head of household... or whoever in the feudal hierarchy and make it their problem.

Presumably that would make the Davion Life Guards responsible for the material until it could be sorted through, unless there was some additional feudal hoops that needed to be jumped through with regards to the bequest. Whatever the case, it was going to make getting to New Avalon a headache.

The contract hadn't exactly been written with the notion of 'cargo hauler', but he hadn't been prepared to fight, or quibble over the transport request, so he'd had them retask, even if this was a real mess. It took him out of his depth. For the first time really like a year, he was separate from the people he'd spent most of his time around, which only compounded the perceived isolation of space travel.

An isolation he hadn't really felt going out on the exploratory missions as a security consultant looking for a new Azami homeworld in the deep periphery, or coming back from that mission.

Gene pushed himself through the zero gee as they waited for the drive to finish charging... a part of it he supposed wasn't just in being alone more or less. He could have made small talk , or more small talk, with the JumpShip crew, it was the anticipation of the journey's end. They were almost there. They would reach New Avalon at the end of September, on schedule.

One more jump.

--
She was on a clock of her own she supposed... maybe she had been all along. His Grace, the duke of Robinson, had suggested that they explain the cache's discovery as a direct outgrowth of the locating the 63rd​ MID's depot. They wouldn't refer to the cache in official nomenclature, the term 'brian cache' wouldn't appear anywhere. They would simply call it a star league cache, and that it had been found because of locating elidere's missing garrison facility.

There was a soft knock on the office door and a Robinson Armsman on loan from the duke stuck his head in, "Captain Pasha is here, ma'am." The middle aged officer remarked.

She shuffled the paperwork, and nodded send him in. The aged Azami raised questions. Where was the JumpShip Cairo? Where had it come from? Besides that and others there was the matter of the cache... the cache was pretty convincing that the Star League had suspected something would need to be done about the Combine.... but the given explanation made sense. Jocasta Cameron had squirrelled away material because the Combine had attempted to interfere in the succession crisis of another member state. The Davion Succession Crisis... and hadn't that basically been House Kurita's argument to being First Lord, that they were supposedly, somehow next in line in Cameronian succession with all of the other Cameron's dead. It was the historical political 'legal' justification from the first succession war it seemed, but it fell even more flat than their attempts with Mary Davion's children.

"Lady Alexandria," The captain of the JumpShip bowed.

She decided not to beat around the bush, and get to the issue, "You're having problems hiring."

He sighed, "This is true."

It was no secret that Lord Aaron had expected to have to relieve Elidere, but the prospect to a further offensive by the Combine offensive in spite or even because of their losses was just as likely to materialize, and the Draconis March had been hiring not just here but elsewhere who it could. "You have some other solution to this problem besides relying on recruiting on Northwind?" Now came the problematic part. The part they lacked the whole picture for, and why she was dangling out to ask the question to avoid blow back to the Prince's Champion.

"It is true," He replied taking the seat across the table.

There had been rumors of an exodus of Azami, the disappearance of tens of thousands... was the Cairo with that merchant fleet that had disappeared from the lucrative, normal shipping lanes of the Inner Sphere to head into the Periphery in some mirror of the Age of Exploration. "We will be required to ship off world ourselves before too long." Thankfully Northwind was a world in the Federated Suns, and given its proximity to Errai their presence would be unlikely to raise too many questions... or at least hopefully until it was too late... but she doubted it. She expected the Combine to know something was coming. "What is your solution?"

It was her job to know. As liaison. "I have a dispensation to hire on from people in good standing among the community." There was a term that the Azami seemed to use equivalent to the Combine's broader term of 'Ronin', but it eluded her at the moment. She wondered if if the Azami might not have ended up more like the Highlanders if they had been absorbed into the combine later... or if that term was a direct response to the combine's use of Ronin. "I am expecting them to meet us on Northwind if they can make it to break bread with us." He replied. "You are correct that we will have to leave soon, I assume that this is concerning space lift capacity, in addition to the security concern?"

--
His first view of the capital of the Federated Suns was a far cry from the historical images of its time during the Star League. Even during the Star League's height the house capitals had always boasted impressive defensive warship fleets ... a reminder of the age of war, so the lack of them, which should have meant nothing given that Warships hadn't been a thing for decades? A century or more now? It wasn't just the sort of thing to just search for.

Regardless it wasn't just that. The databases from both Aquagea, and Tristan's stellar traffic suggested that as capital ... as a major trade world New Avalon should have been swarming with JumpShips. Up to possibly a thousand JumpShips in system in the process of carrying, charging, or refit at the height of the star league c. 2700... before... the second hidden war, and then the outbreak of the Succession wars towards the end of the century.

After having seen the images through his Marauder's computer database ... Gene had to admit to himself he was a little disappointed that New Avalon wasn't more impressive. Footage from ASF of Terra... of Sol in the archives equally suggested he'd be just as disappointed... it seemed as if Mars, and Venus, maybe Luna as well had never recovered from Amaris, and while Terra was neutral ground it was not the gem of the Hegemony... a blink and you miss it shared Lyran newscast, as they had gotten in, had referenced Korea as an independent nation on Earth not a unified planetary government... and he didn't know what to make of that.

Gene turned to the Azami ensign, "San Saba cleared to detach." She was of course, it was perfunctory, by the book following of procedure to ensure the DropShip was ready, that the flight path for final approach to Avalon City's starport was ready and that all the is and ts and been dotted nad crossed. "So they're waiting for us?"

"Yes, Colonel."

New Avalon, then.

Showing up to a planetary capital with a hold stuffed full. If they had had more time they could have carried more... if they had had more time though they wouldn't have needed to try and ad hoc San Saba into a bulk carrier, and could have found other cargo haulers secure enough for the mission... but the truth was they'd been on a time schedule since this contract had started. The prospect of a Combine attack seemed more and more likely, and so they had rushed to pack stuff into the hull's cargo bays.

Lebanon was signaled that they were making final approach, and would reestablish contact once they had docked. All the usual checklist things for descent from orbit out of the way, they had about seventy minutes of fly down, slow down, and then hopefully a short taxi and contact with the groundside davion officials.

He doubted the last would be short. It looked like a pretty big reception committee given the ongoing news footage. He wondered if the Triumph-class was disappointing to the news crews... would it be? The transport bus was probably not photogenic even with a fresh coat of paint... they might have expected him to arrive by something more visually impressive, an Overlord or the like. It didn't matter that relatively was not that much more mass. Its armament would have been more impressive, but why would that be a factor, dropship weapons weren't a noticeable factor in their appearance.


He looked at the cloud mass, and the continents. New Avalon was a temperate earth like world like Robinson. Earth like gravity, temperature, supported a wide span of terran crops with ease, and of course New Avalon and its surrounding cities were nestled in a well protected coastal expanse. The home of several billion people, and self sustaining, as befitted a capital world New Avalon was still a gem of of a find in terms of habitable planets.

Still it was hard to reconcile the images he'd viewed from within his Marauder to this. To the Modern reality of New Avalon, as it was in the succession wars, and in the year 3017.

--
Notes: Alexandria and Pasha's segment had a particular chunk of it deleted, as in a part of the conversation which is not canon, and another part of it will probably be reused somewhere else. Anyway just to be clear, I glitched the tiemline somewhere so we're going to handwave travel time a bit leading into Northwind. In the segment after this, we will hopefully introduce Hanse Davion on screen officially but part four will cover some Mech stuff of training with the 'duelist section'. Tentatively there is some material ,as I said the inbetween Robinson and Northwind is looking to be about ten segments, so material for Lord Sandoval and the staff, as well as Abner and Ford returning.

 

[Imperator Pax]

WHOOPS, an Alternate timeline

II Battle of Dieron 3018.​

They had never had the opportunity at Elidere to do this... and they'd been on the offense at First Dieron so not a priority. Not when they had gone in reasonably assuming that ComStar was probably at least somewhat beholden to host nation sentiment of some stripe, and that presumably they would beam word out as soon as the invasion was identified as an invasion. He wasn't sure if Precentor Dieron had beamed word out or not during the invasion of Dieron a couple of months earlier, but it didn't matter.

A minute passed.

... and he contemplated whether or not the Capellans might have actually had the sense to go through their JumpShip fleet and rebuilt the computer systems to not have included the Star League era security back doors that allowed them to be turned off remotely. Remotely was still something of a misnomer, but you had a window where you could beam a signal in and the computers were for 'safety' lock down to authenticate it was receiving an authentic command and the crew could... if they knew how and had the right keys over ride the lock down.

It didn't look like that was the case though. The Capellan JumpShips went dark, and broadcasted a complying message from the computer as they did so, on a frequency that no one used anymore. "Secure those JumpShips." He ordered to marines via the video link.

Small craft moved into the black.

That still left their other problem. The real problem. The actual invasion of Dieron by the Capellan Confederation. A light turned green as another line opened, but instead of a human face an icon, shield, appeared "Boot successful. All systems nominal."

"Hedwig is detached," Someone announced from one of the Titan's consoles.

"Separation complete, and away." Exterior camera feeds of the JumpShip showed the flare of a drive as the Spheroid accelerated. This was going to be the chancy part. The Capellans had air coverage, and they had limited air assets of their own.

A moment later another channel connected to CIC, and the process repeated, as Braunfels followed suit laying in a parallel course. A second near identical four thousand ton DropShip separated from the Colorado, and accelerated towards the Capellan force.

"Helm lay course."

The CIC threw up addition images from tracking systems. The holographic globe estimating range, the measure of horizontal, and distance, the height differential an important characteristic for the Titan-class designed role as dedicated aircraft carrier. It made an ideal command and control platform for the unit.

Baffins would be able to make the descent to the surface under its own power in theory alongside Hidalgo and Presidio, but they needed to secure orbital control first. The hologlobe projected the force spreading out. They had to assume that nothing had changed. The HPG network was down, and that word hadn't gotten out.

... that made getting here right now something of dumb fucking luck. That was part of the reason he was here, and not aboard a mech carrier that would be in the first wave going to the surface. They didn't know enough about the Capellan incursion, and it wasn't a feint. The initial landing site was south west of the capital of San martin in the northern foothills of Mount Shanyu. That was intended to be two fold.

If they could attain air superiority the plan was to drop down to the planet's surface land at Fortress Dieron's port facility and then turn the Fortress's guns on, and achieve, lever orbital supremacy that way... also the electronics would be useful there for other reasons. That was why he was aboard the Eisenhower, and not commanding BattleMechs from the frontline.

Orbital supremacy regardless of how it was achieved would then let them bring San Saba and their armor assets down deploying, and that would allow them also to reinforce the Magunac forces that would be in the first wave.

This was not a knife fight... he didn't know what the Capellans were thinking. Invading Dieron to try and steal it from the Davions was lunacy... and almost certainly they had to know that even if they took it somehow they'd have to fight the Combine coming. Whatever insanity it was, it was not some periphery world where you could lay claim to it by landing a couple lances and declaring yourself, or your overlord to be in charge and so forth.

Dieron had been a part of the Lone Star Province. It had been a Hegemony world.

He tapped his foot at the thought, maybe that was it.

He looked at the blue holographic globe. The small craft moving to impound the now blackout dark capellan JumpShips. Tiny dots whose labels were bigger than they were on the astrograph. The lead and trailing four thousand ton dropships accelerating.

Did the Capellans have telemetry? Surely they had to have some kind of sensors pointed towards the JumpPoints. But did they realize what they were looking at. The two four thousand tonners would be crossing six Gees of thrust. They were already above the maximum thrust of the slightly smaller Unions.

"Start a clock, once Hedgwig starts her attack run, I want the wasps standing by to launch." He ordered leaning against the console, and against the restraints. The Eisenhower was fast but she wouldn't be able to catch them... but then that wasn't the point. She'd launch her air wing to assist the initial attack, because regardless of how fast the attackers could turn, they were probably going to overshoot the enemy in the pass and then turn to make a second rear pass. He himself couldn't be entirely sure how they were going to handle this.
--
It was over quickly... not that there had been much for him to direct.

The actual fighting phase of a naval engagement was usually minutes, if that. In the time it had taken for the Capellans to realize they were under attack it had already been too late. Awareness was king of the battlefield and the zoom and boom of the two four thousand ton DropShips had done enough damage as to degrade the invader's ability to get back into the loop. They were stuck trying to respond to things that had already happened.

They hadn't been ready for the second wave. Or the third. Eisenhower's safe thrust was far less than the first wave ships a third her mass, and the Drosts massing each fifty three hundred tons were in the same acceleration profile as the larger DropShip. It was a pity that they only carried two fighters apiece, but that didn't matter with the Eisenhower's own complement.

Looking at one expanding cloud of debris in the upper reaches of Dieron's orbitals, and another which was descending into the moon of Nebulous's gravity well they were now into the next phase of the operation. Recovery of their fighters and standing by to make planetfall.

Hedwig and Braunfelds, her trailing consort, would have to remain on station. He wasn't about to risk the two DropSHips bringing them down and back up through the atmosphere. The three DroSTs would descend first.

Dieron was a lovely world, highly mountainous topography meant that while over half the planet's surface was covered in ocean it was prone to swathes of savannah and steppe as arid and semi arid zones were abounded by the rising mountain heights.

This was the second time he was getting to visit... and the second time he'd been here for work rather than pleasure.

Gene highlighted the landing zone displays. "Once our ground forces land to establish our beachhead we will hail the planetary governor, and then once San Saba begins offload we will offer the Capellans the opportunity to surrender."

He had a speech written for the occasion... well speech was probably stretching it.... and written was an exageration... it was more of a statement.. and some of it was a little boilerplate and old fashioned.

There was a flicker of static from Baffin's connection. "Do you think they'll take it?"

Gene shrugged, "We have established orbital supremacy and impounded their JumpShips, but we will have a better picture of the situation once we make planetfall." They had feed from the ongoing situation where the Davion forces were defending against the attack... but they'd only been in place on the world for a couple of months and there was no planetary militia to support them.

It was Dieron, that was the world that had cemented their reputation. From a regional perspective, and in terms of opposition faced, Elidere would be more impressive to the denizens and patriots of the Draconis March, but the he supposed First Battle of Dieron of 3018 had flipped a world, and now in this second one they would need to insure it remained as a part of the Federated Suns.

He tapped manipulating the complex communications suit as it transmitted collated battle group data. The Kazakh river highlighted to his subordinate commands, specifically projecting a compiled landing and attack corridor that they hadn't used.

... during first battle he had been perhaps near paranoid about the prospect of Fortress Dieron's surface to orbital systems ... or really anything else associated with the facility coming online so they had avoided approaching it until later There was also the fact that the combined invasion had required striking multiple combine targets so they had landed well north of the river, and other Davion troops had landed originally to their west.

Bardiche, and Claymore's landing zones were almost exactly opposite of where they had landed in terms of which side of the lake to which the Kharkiv river flowed into. More useful was that the river flowed into the lake's southern portions and so the two delivering Overlord dropships would have a greater degree of geographic protection as they offloaded the two Mech Battalions

"The capellan dragoons are probably," well were, he supposed. "The exact opposite of what we fought against in the Sword of Light. They have supporting ASF and combined arms," San Saba would need to offload the AAA as soon as possible, but more than that they needed to be prepared to face enemy armor rather than just Mech Jocks... not that he phrased it like that, "We're looking at a combination of light and medium mechs."

"A whole lot of vindicators down there." Septim quipped in return. True, but not limited to those. Firestarters, Javelins, Clints, Cicadas were all present. Out of the two battalions there were a few Catapults and Victors but that was the extent to heavier machines. "Seriously its like these assholes were sent on a suicide mission."

Gene blinked, Septim blanched at the profanity laden outburst over the regiment staff wide comment. The Lyran seemed to realize that they weren't the tiny scratch company any more.

That wasn't why he was surprised... "You may be on to something." Why would the capellans make this gamble... unless they were rolling the dice to see what the davions would do... and of course the capellans had had no idea that they'd just stumble into their invasion either.."



--
Whoops is an ... alternate timeline, well its an alternate future of the primary canon timeline where the HPG network dies early.

Also as I have been reminded before their destruction during the Hegemony campaign Robinson was host to the 100th​ BattleMech Division, interestingly their garrison doesn't seem to be mentioned on Robinson's page which is odd. Or I missed it.)253rd​ Mechanized Infantry Division was based on Kestrel.

Somewhat annoyingly, the 101st​ Jump Infantry Division was based on Armington on the border with the Taurians. [They'll come up later in the main timeline, besides just having been referenced on Aquagea.]

Dieron hosted the 138th​ BMD, and Nirasaki hosted the 26th​ MID. (Which is odd because the provincial capital of Lone Star doesn't at this time (the 2760s) have any major postings, and Outreach on the other side of Terra is hosting the 56th​ Royal JID.)

Anyway, as I've mentioned this week's planned update, including Sunday are a break from the usual schedule, we should return to something approaching normal ... ish Monday. So Sunday this 'alternate timeline' / alternate future will resume, and actually on that note, I should point out that originally this was not going to be the next segment of Whoops to go up, as this jumps from the New Kyoto's departure (part four) to the arrival to Dieron.

And anyway so this is an alternate timeline, this portion of Whoops establishes well 'modern dieron', and the eventual Lone Star March of the Federated Commonwealth, early compared to its investment and development in the main timeline. Next time Gene doesn't actually expect the Capellans to surrender but offers them the chance anyway, and we also might introduce a crazy person before they show up in the main timeline. More to the point Dieron II marks a transitional in Whoops of more sedate well not slice of life per se, but more of an established we're staying here for a while series of snippets. /disclaimer / excuses out of the way.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Whoops II Dieron​

Fortress Dieron occupied... at least two thirds of the internal volume of Mount Shanyu... and the mountain was not small by Dieron standards... which was a planet famous for its mountains. There was room for four regiments of battlemech troops plus their support. This meant it did not technically count as a Castle Brian. It was technically a variant of an Outpost Castle.... of course as a part of Lone Star Province Dieron in the Hegemony era had already played host to a number of full scale castle brians.

Fortress Dieron was ... unique for reasons other than its size... certainly there was little unique by hegemony and DOME standards of its construction... but it was still a comfortable place to be... better than the garish abomination the combine had turned one of the SLDF redoubts up north into...

He shook his head and placed his hand on the screen authorizing the access into the facility's heart, much as he had to authorize access to the Northwind castle. That reminded him of hte details of the castle. In 2841 the apparent surviving hegemony admiral ... or at least CID naval officer had access the facility ahead of the Davion conquest of Northwind... and he had done so with a body of picked men.

At the time it hadn't stood out. He'd earmarked their files for future reading... but it hadn't immediately jumped out that a Major Hallis had to have been born after the Exodus, especially given his 331st​ Division credentials. It had taken him longer to process that, and that same, then a captain, had been with Clancy accessing Dieron a decade earlier.

"Greetings commander." The AI remarked amicably as the great doors sealed behind him. "I admit, I did not predict your return this quickly." For whatever reason Fortress Dieron... actually now that he thought about it basing the planet's CID main building separate from the larger castles and in a facility with its own surface to orbit batteries was precisely in line with the Hegemony's thinking... but unlike the facilities manned by regular league troops the castle had had an AI, while the Brians had not... well excepting their SDS connection...

He nodded, presumably the AI had cameras and could intuit the response, but more on reflex, and listened as the machine spirit told him what he could about the development of the situation... apparently the surprise third party attack by the capellans had caught the AI as off guard. Apparently no one had mounted a really credible threat to Dieron in at least recent memory, nothing since maybe even the second succession war.

"I need you to make copies of the database, and then evaluate the incoming information from it." Gene stated, "We will start tasking for dealing with the capellans." ... but the database was more than just CID files... the files that they had originally gone to get. There was more now, even without countenancing the clusterfuck of the HPG network... and he needed the AI to number crunch the diagnostics for that as well.
--
With security of the system in hand the enemy JumpShips secured, and orbital dominance in place it was time to move on to the next stage. He tapped the console and initiated the Regimental Combat Management System. Had he been expected to do more he'd have considered using the Devestator, or one of the other hundred tonners, but the truth was he needed access to his command mech, and the Marauder II lacked the League era complex electronics suite and software.

... and he had a speech to given, even if technically it would be reverberating planet wide through a combination of orbital transmission and the planetary data net. A signal strength indicator turned green, and the AI signaled optimal broadcast... they should be able to override basically any receiver on the planet, and make the invading Capellans listen. "Capellan Forces, This is Colonel Gene Shepherd," It was actually a plus the Capellans didn't have generals anymore otherwise they might have considered it odd to have a force of this size, in this configuration under a single colonel... or not. "I command the Davion relief forces that have arrived on planet. My fleet assets have impounded your JumpShips, and achieved orbital supremacy. You are outnumbered, and outgunned, surrender now and you will be accorded the full status and rights enshrined under the Ares Conventions."

He ignored the AI pointing out that the Ares Conventions had been formally renounced by the successor states at the onset of the first succession war. He made a point of at least offering the enemy the chance to surrender.

... but if they didn't well.

A grizzled looking scottsman appeared. "The bastards will never take it. The Cappellans would sooner kill their wives and young 'uns and then themselves than surrender to us round eyed devils." He grunted.

"That may be, but I'm obliged to offer them the chance."

The bearded twenty stone highlander pilot shrugged. "Claymore is in position, and standing by." Bardiche's staff officer relayed similar readiness. That tracked with the indicators on the holographic globe within his Marauder, and the projected readiness estimates.

What the enemy were unlikely to suspect were the mobility through the Hegemony era transportation grids under the surface. The Hegemony in its vanity had alternated between surface rails for 'scenic' purposes and travel... and larger bulk transport and ... pedestrian transit out of sight and out of mind. With as significant as Dieron's mountains were underground tunnels were expansive, and would have been cost prohibitive on a newer colonized world, but not for an original colony so close to Terra.

As a Terran based castle outpost Fortress Dieron not only had the GCV complement but wings of addition Mk 39 Voidseeker variants... and he was counting on that element of surprise to strike hard and fast before they moved to catch the capellan dragoons in the fields north of the river, and south of San Martin.

Projected data tables estimated how long the Capellans could potentially remain in the field as combat effective units, estimates on how long they could last, projected maneuvers. At the end of the day though the plan was simple, deploy and envelop the capellans into a pocket or ideally pockets between their forces and the Davion garrison at San Martin

The first stage would be a prepatory bombardment relying on orbital telemetry provided by Hedwig and Braunfels up high. He wondered if the capellans would realize that that dropships in orbit were spotting for on call artillery.

"I've identified the remaining enemy dropships." The AI remarked highlight the targets. The goal was to use artillery to break up the enemy's force strength into more manageable penny packets, and then attack, cutting the enemy from their dropships would be part and parcel for that.
--
It was a miracle.

The Governor General had no other way to describe it outside of providential terms, and the MIIO officer had to concur. Mitchell had no reason to, no evidence to suggest ComStar was lying about their status... they could have been, but it seemed very unlikely that they would have beamed a message out and not told them...

... though perhaps if they weren't sure it had gotten through that might have explained not admitting to it... but even then. Mitchell spared a glance to his DMI equivalent, Alexei Cherenkov. The two competing at times federated suns intelligence services had both been caught flat foot by the collapse of the HPG network, it was true that there were courier networks to ferry information via DropShip but they hadn't sent word.

"He'd have to have been a jump away."

Mitchell nodded, "And with drives ready to jump." To the best of his knowledge the mercenaries weren't under contraction with House Davion either... though, if someone had managed to jump system they could have retained them he supposed. It was all speculation. Mitchell wondered idly if this wasn't his boss's doing, had the prince's champion had contingencies in place... not hinging on the HPG network failing of course, that was absurd, but to defend Dieron if it was counter invaded by the Combine, and the Capellans were close enough. "Either way, the Capellans have refused to surrender." And now were enduring a similar withering barrage of artillery as the Galedon regulars had suffered at Elidere, or the Sun Zhang cadets had faced further west before facing Shepherd's highlanders on the lakeshore.

As it was those same highlanders were now sweeping wide right towards the capellan dragoons probably looking to catch the enemy company that had been split off before it could rejoin its fellows. The CMM troops defending the capital city of San Martin.

"I would say this is exactly like Elidere,' Cherenkov remarked. "Not that we are outnumbered, but that the regiment is maneuvering independent of planetary leadership. The Governor General's face twisted up a little at the bluntness of the statement. "In addition of course to the body of armor and artillery supporting the BattleMech offensive." The BattleMech was the dominant combat arm, regardless of the need for infantry to hold ground the BattleMech as a single unit provided the blend of speed and firepower to dominate the battlefield.

Of all of the Successor States this accepted wisdom that you needed a battlemech to beat a battlemech was most strongly, the 'cult of the mechwarrior', the Capellans had been the ones to codify the Lorix Creed celebrating the Mechwarrior and battlemech as the pinnacle of warfare. If that were true the clashing battalions of walking warmachines were demonstrating another truism as well bigger was usually better.

... and that it helped to have friends regardless of how big you were, Mitchell mused.

"yes well," The Governor General humphed, "At least the citizenry is remaining calm after the initial scare." There had been some concerns about how the populous would react if the Combine attacked, but the prospect of a Capellan really had not been planned. There were four, Capellan, worlds that the Capellans could have made the jump from to attack Dieron... so not thinking about it had in hindsight been an oversight. "Still he seems to have arrived with substantial reinforcements. The armor veterans from Elidere, do you think?"

"He was planning to hire in Lyran space." Cherenkov replied. "But it is possible, or he just went and opened another star league cache." The DMI officer remarked.

It could easily have been all of them. The bulk of the armor force that had fought at Elidere and Ander's Moon had just disappeared seemingly into the Aether after, most likely travelling with the IE expedition for security... but if that were the case they hadn't followed them to Bristol from the reports he'd seen... and it seemed unlikely they would have been missed there. Had they reunited in Lyran space... or were these Lyran hires... or

... what exactly?
--

Notes: So leaving aside this is actually shorter than I originally planned, thats due to weighin how much I wanted to reference for the up coming main timeline:

Bardiche, and Claymore are mech Battalions drawn from Rasalhague (and other combine dissidents/ unproductives) and Northwind Highlander pops respectively. The Maguanac Corp is also a battalion level formation though in square configuration being one battlemech company and three vehicle company in a rapid roll on roll off dropship package, and also with significant infantry in its deployment. Then in theory you have Baffins, and San Saba forming a similar square battalion but without that infantry being a BattleMech Company with the Triumph class's vehicle complement, but in a much more conventionally mercenary package.

The first three units all basically have as battalions unique ethnic cultural identies.

Space Swede-ish sort ofs, Highlanders, Azami

and in the Alter context, in the Context of Whoops as a timeline this is relatively important in the political / noble / feudal hiearchy sense down the road. That applies to the main timeline as well. Notably we are leaving units out because spoilers for the main timeline, even though I think Ive mentioned it related for

Also cookie to anyone who has figured out Naval naming conventions that Gene is using to name things in general. There are specific conventions for JumpShips, Carrier dropship classes (that will / should become apparent later), Standard DropShips, and Assault DropShips.

We will return to regular timeline updates Sunday.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Notes Segment before we return to the usual updates:

These canonical things may be useful

https://cfw.sarna.net/wiki/images/1/1c/Terran_Hegemony_2764.jpg?timestamp=20121115192657
I'm including the Sarna Link for use if it doesn't show up. This is the Hegemony before the Amaris coup, with military positioning [which admittedly doesn't count Hegemony militia/pdf whatever but still doesn't make much sense, but this is canon] That Northern most province is the Province of Lone Star.

https://cfw.sarna.net/wiki/images/3/3c/Dieron_Planetary_Map.png?timestamp=20211227220627

This is the canonical map of Dieron. Most of our action will take place in Eastern Mateo. I am sorry this is a small map.

Anyway on to Assault Mechs
Bristol has happened, though it will take some time for it and other finds to produce, but what will happen is when we get to the new Gunslinger school basically new Devastators and an Atlas model that is derived from Samsonov's version.

With the devastators the initial versions, because here, producing XL engines isn't yet possible, but ferrofibrous can be it'll be FF, DHS, standard PPCs, Gauss rifles and then because of the Fury we will get later a version with C3 technology to go along with the Atlas's that role that out, but thats further down the road

and thats all the notes I have for today.

 

[Bofors40mm]

say speaking of stuff to go find....what about that Colossus on Epsilon Eridani?

 

[Imperator Pax]

Whoops
II Dieron​

The Magunac Tactical Groups were petite battalions derived from Star League era organizational systems, combined arms and reliability. They were small combined arms battalion level units, Company Task Force would have been an equally valid description except for the DropShips vital involvement in each TG. The DroST IIA variant was at its heart an old venerable and well understood design. The core of the Tactical Group was its Vehicle Company of two light vehicle platoons, and one heavy. Ten platoons of infantry could offload from the DropShip or mount in the light vehicles. A lance of mechs, and two ASF rounded out.

The DroST and its complement were something that could be sustained even if the Combine logistics were feeling particularly scroogish in supporting Azami raiders. It could similarly be maintained where battlemech parts were lacking, far out in the periphery.

Specialist units he had detached out of the main command after they had added seventy new mechwarriors on Northwind. Bardiche and Claymore represented the main offensive power of the company, and both Mech Battalions were going to need to undergo refit after this... or at least after they'd secured a landhold and permanent employment with House Davion. The fire support lances from both battalions were a mix of archers and catapults, who were now entering the range to engage effectively.

They would assist 'Hawks in the vanguard from both battalions, and give hunchbacks time to trundle forward. In between forming the core of both battalions were Dervishes and Centurions. The two primary mechs forming the battle line companies respectively had different engagement and logistical ends. The Davions and their love of auto cannons created tail requirements.

Gene navigated the displays with his mind, but he only needed to command the Battalion level formations, who could then dispatch the companies, who would direct lances into final position before the breakthrough.

He wasn't all together surprised that the Dragoons hadn't accepted the surrender. Intercepted comms traffic suggested they didn't quite believe his statement about having destroyed their naval assets... there were still a series of signals being shot into orbit near the moons looking for their dropships...

His map refreshed. Bardiche in Blue had executed its leapfrog, and were now swinging into the flank. The Highlanders of Claymore painted in the Gray White terran indicator colors had moved to their bingo way point for the maneuver, and that should from their orbital telemetry mean he could order the Maguanac's to execute their breakthrough operation.
--
San Martin was the original Terran name of the capital. That it remained was a demonstration of how little investment Dieron had in the Combine despite how good the planet had had its living conditions relative to tea plantation on another world.

The capital based and thus largest planetary news network had had no trouble at all in the change of leadership, and was providing live reports from the front, with more aplomb about supporting House Davion over the invading Liao troops. Students from the University of Dieron crowded to watch the holographic projectors as new footage piped in.

"B-roll" somebody muttered in Terran derivative english.

The date was hours, several days really, old showing arriving dropships moving past shattered debris hulks of ASF, and opposing Capellan dropships. Painted in what someone from the History department of the University of Dieron would later tell her was the Lone Star Ensign, and in Terran Hegemony Colors were two Pentagon-class Assault DropShips moving to greet a Titan-class DropShip that bore the name Eisenhower along its prow. It was new footage to her however, B roll or not.

The speech which followed was not. She had heard it over the radio before.

She already knew from broadcasts ongoing that the Capellans hadn't accepted the extended offer to surrender. The Davion newscasters of course had mad sure that everyone listening knew that these were the same 'mercenaries' who had liberated the planet from the combine.
--
Gene had taken one of the Hegemony rail lines abandoned laying dormant for centuries but still functional thanks to ragnarok proofing, ferrocrete supports, and organic super lubricants to join the front. The Mag tube had actually deposited him, and the force of Mechs, and armor north of the Kazakh river, and more importantly to the east of San Martin.

A position that it was unlikely the Capellans expected to face significant resistance. The Davion garrison wasn't minimal but it was also defending... no doubt hoping that the occupation forces dug in, largely Mechanized Infantry would deter a head on assault, or at least blunt a full frontal assault enough to let their limited mech forces destroy the attackers as they were bogged down.

He cued the mike, and confirmed pairing to the Davion Tactical Net. Apparently the Davions hadn't expected him to finish encircling the attacking Capellans either. Confident that the Davions weren't going to start shooting at his armor, or his fellow BattleMechs he maneuvered the GCV hovercraft into the nest of foot hills... and for the set piece battle which would settle this.

TAG relayed active data of Vindicators approaching their possition their jumpjets a blinking beacon on termals as they crested small hills, and bounded up rises. ... not yet though. He wanted them closer, to make the most of that first volley, before they swung in to finish this wing of the enemy.

A sudden packet of traffic flashed through the network all at once, and then it was on. The Capellans had been acting odd for the last two days anyway... as if when their momentum had broken ... breaking the loop had caught them somewhere between orienting to the new threat and actually deciding what to do, and that preventing them from acting in a concentrated formation wide maneuver.

... Davion reinforcements shouldn't have been that much of a such. Even accounting the limits of FtL travel he would have assumed that the Capellans should have been able to make a regiment wide decision, even if it wasn't to surrender. It would have been better if they had surrendered, but neither the Combine, nor the Capellans now seemed to give much lip service to the rules of war.

Gene had been told more than once, by more than that was just how things had been... but there was a difference between academically knowing something.

... and watching yet another banzai charge into machine guns and inferno SRMs.

Was their high command really that much more scary?

--
Really the maneuvering to battle had taken longer than the actual engagements. The fact of it all, was that the second battle of Dieron of the year 3018, in the autumn of that year had come just before the rainy season had begun and for all intents and purposes was less climactic than the battle in the spring. The newscasters were claiming it showed that Dieron was now a Federated Suns planet, that it would be defended against aggressors, predators of the other successor states.

For Gene they had achieved the Operation objectives, and thus they needed to move on to Strategic level ones. "MacIntyre I need you to go with Pasha," It shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone on the staff that he was sending the Highlander along.

The HPG network was still reported to be non functional, which the AI deep within Fortress Dieron now considered unlikely. Dieron's HPG hadn't burned itself out, though the ones on Terra had apparently... which meant the network's problems were probably at a management level. Surely ComStar could make their own ticket to fame and power, right? Whatever the case it seemed as if the HPG network probably wasn't working because something in the first circuit was broken and they were trying to get Terra at least back up and running.

... they must not have succeeded since the last jumpship from Terra had been ferrying mail.

Which was what Pasha was going to be doing. They had impounded the Capellan JumpShips as well, and Pasha would be leading the little flotilla back to Northwind, but it would still take three months to get to New Avalon. Robinson was closer, but not by much. Not close enough really to warrant that. The Fax Machines would help them stay in touch.... but those were limited to a hundred light years in range transmission and took time to cross that. Not Ideal, but it was what they had. After it was how they new that Rasalhague and the Aazami, along with other disaffected groups in the Combine had risen in revolt.

They needed to get ahold of the First Prince, or more likely his delegate the prince's Champion. Sending what amounted to a feudal mission to New Avalon was really their best option.
--
Notes: This is the shorter conclusion sans well most of the shooting, but really what I cut was Mydno and Mori's prescence from all but entirely except for the tiny snippet at University at Dieron's quad as a spacer.

Sunday we will resume the standard timeline, and next week hopefully settle into a regular schedule of updates.

 

[Silverbullet]

Magunacs!

Spoiler

Name immediately had me think of these guys from Gundam Wing and the Azami forming their own mercenary's does make sense.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Magunacs!

Spoiler

Name immediately had me think of these guys from Gundam Wing and the Azami forming their own mercenary's does make sense.

Click to shrink...

Thats kind of the point, thats actually where they came from, which reminds me that that is something I should probably emphasize once we get back around to update II Luxen.

Because Gene's existing Sam Houston, and armor company are all maguanc troopers [though as to the mech picture well there will actually be Mech Companies of Maguanacs equipped with Centurion, and Battlemasters in those colors (or similar SLDF versions) later on]

 

[Imperator Pax]

Interlude 4
Having been their first Assault Mech in company inventory, and of course being a war prize taken from a Combine General of all things, the offer to refit it to a more standard configuration for use had been pretty shocking to Bubbles. It made sense from a detached clinical academic sort of sense, but they really needed to be showing the thing off not trying to 'fix it'. The thing ran fine after the techs had gotten done with it.


Was it the same as her Hunchback? No. Two PPCs, and an Assault class autocannon was plenty of firepower, even if she was losing some speed compared to her own Mech. Anything that sprang up on her close enough that she couldn't use the two Lord's Lights PPCs was close enough that it would regret that mistake from the Autocannon... but she doubted they would.


"Alright boys and girls, the course is set and weapons are live." She informed the cadets. The Atlas's console had refreshed to present telemetry of the fake urban sprawl of blue town.


One of the cadets in a blackjack lifted off with his jump jets moving from A to B, and bringing his whirlwind autocannons on target.

Pop. Pop. Pop. The small guns chattered.


She flipped the designated evaluation sheet open, and watched the scoring trickle in. In a minute they had pushed her ability to keep track of the company past its limit as the rest of the company largely comprised of RBA cadets attempted to defend a city from what the boss's briefing packet for the exercise as a 'Line'.


That was apparently line company, or short for. It comprised ... much like the major test exams units that were surprisingly uniform in structure. As if they'd all been shipped from the same factory and issued out. Rector and Pixie, her Davion lance mates had made similar observations, but it did make sense given that the combat data was derived from organizational tables from the 28th​ century... predating even the outbreak of the first sucession war.


... they were also shooting cardboard, and plywood targets the moved on remote control tracks, and golf carts so it did lose some of its feel... a good simulator offered slightly better visual representation of the enemy but you still weren't in a real mech, and you weren't firing real weapons. So they were alternating between driving their mechs around.


'This is all basic stuff'. That was what they had been told.


All of this was an adaptation, based on local resources, of Mechwarrior Basic Course, Star League Army. A couple of the academic dissertations referenced General Manuals published originally on Mars, others on Venus, or Lone Star.


Everything was written out, argued, and advanced on the basis of concentrating firepower across combat arms to address the weakness of individual singular units. It was insane to think any mechwarrior would put pen to paper to write it, but it didn't refute the Mechwarrior. It refuted arrogance, act in concert with wingmen, lance mates as a whole, friendly lances, company mates, coordinate with, but adjust to realities to achieve the battalion objective.
--
"In recognition for services to the Federated Suns, and her people, against her alien enemies," The video clip of the award ceremony seemed to dominate every fucking news channel on New Avalon.

It was a little much. Really leaning into that 19th​ century British Empire ness... or the Hegemony he supposed. Or maybe the Hegemony had gotten it from New Avalon. Gene was glad whatever the case that he could put the golden spurs and laurel wreath away he had felt ridiculous. New Avalon was the birth place of the neo feudal movement of the 23rd​ century. Not that New Avalon had been unique in that.

"You look somewhat piqued." Doctor Abner remarked. The paunchy Lyran had ambled over to a seat within the Davion palace and sat down, the chair not even creaking.

"Combination of the gravity, and too much to drink." He replied. The reception had involved the sort of drinking the Winston Churchill would have considered jolly good. He didn't have the body mass for that. It wasn't that he hadn't expected to see Abner, but he was a little unsure as to why he was here. Gene was actually about to ask as the guards, who were hopefully intended as mostly ceremonial, snapped to attention... and so entered the man who had placed the victory wreath on his head a few hours earlier.

Hanse Davion looked like a rockstar.

Well a rockstar whose clothes looked like Queen Victoria's maids had picked them. Everything up until now had been carefully scheduled, styled, all elaborate performative art for public consumption as it was broadcast to the realm. While there were probably cameras here, the only davion subjects to be watching them were probably security and intelligence figures.

By this point in the long history of the succession wars all the great houses had programs to address any citizens who wanted to contribute lostech finds to the realm. Mostly those finds were small and insignificant, and even if they weren't the truth was most feudal subjects went to their actual direct lieges than try and turn them into the ruling house, or the central government.

Apparently whatever had been on Bristol... never mind if Ford's little detour had turned up anything... wasn't your average prospector's collection of odds and ends. Any single development of the past year would have been noteworthy, the Elidere Campaign by itself had the potential to have inner sphere wide repercussions. "You must understand Gentlemen, when most people approach the Federated Suns it is largely trinkets. The succession wars have been ongoing for so long that weapons from a century ago... that most people treat technology as quasi magical." Hanse Davion waited for his groomsman to array the drinks, "I am aware that time precludes us from much time together, however I should like to make the most of that, for such esteemed gentlemen who have contributed so much to the future of the Federated Suns. "Another piece of ceremony to stand on but the toast was probably necessary. Abner certainly seemed to be taking it all in stride.

"Our forebearers were men of reason, and science your highness, we can only hope to live up to their example." The Lyran declared lowering his glass. His sip had been shallow, and for a moment Gene expected a speech about peace, and returning to the golden age, but he withheld as the First Prince loosened somewhat in his chair.

"This cache on Robinson, you have to understand that our realm and the combine had attempted to strip everything that had belonged to the 100th​ BattleMech Division, Lord Aaron's letter," And probably Lady Lex's if Gene were to guess, as the First Prince tapped the crisp vellum sheet, "Says this is something different."

"The Brian Cache seems to have been stocked either as a contingency for the hidden war escalating, or a future crisis being instigated by the Combine down the road."

"How pleasantly convenient for you colonel. You understand, from what my dear aunt tells me that we mean to strike the Combine harshly in retaliation. The good doctor's find on Bristol strengthens our position further still. I want to cut House Kurita off entirely from Terra, but my generals have assured that would imprudent. We don't have the reserves for that sort of offensive. The Combine propaganda ministry is quick to declaim their defeat as the Galedon regulars were destroyed in battle against the Avalon Hussars. I mean to use them as a feint while you participate in the conquest of Dieron."

... and there is was out in the open. Hanse Davion looked every part of his moniker in that moment, and laid out his plan to seize from the combine one of the provincial capital, but one of the Combine's few universities.

Plans within plans.

It was probably no coincidence that the University of Dieron had once been a Hegemony institution.

Plans within plans.

... and of course even if Doctor Abner hadn't shown up with... whatever it was he'd found on Bristol, and whatever Ford had found on top of that. Gene figured the Prince announcing the outing to Albion Military Academy for an official tour would have been on the agenda besides. A test to see what he could do in person.

Then of course was the matter of Yvonne's report, New Valencia's mech production... and the Marauder matter. Apparently it had come to General Motors attention that there was something called a Marauder II, which of course as overlord, and sovereign the First Prince was only too happy to intervene on for the good of the realm. It smelled of horse trading, and hordes of lawyers... and well not the sort of thing Gene would have preferred to sit in on... but Hanse Davion had a card to play.

General Motors, and Blackwell were producing machines that he had or would have in inventory, and in particular the possibility of additional Marauders in the company was useful. Quid pro quo, and all.
--
Notes Hanse gets less dialogue here, he's in the next couple of segments as we dive into unpacking Blackwell Industries, and General Motors. No don't ask me how copyright in BT works even in space eighties doesn't make sense for why GM thinks they have a case ... but hey you know what I can do to 'fanon' explain it. Hanse is a king, he can hash that out using royal prerogative in his realm, and both of them are in his realm so no need to get finicky there

 

[Imperator Pax]

Interlude 5
The Black Jack's targeting computer registered the 'overheated' Battlemaster in the concrete 'arena' that was the last leg of the course. He was supposed to get to get past it while it was out of commission, engage it or bypass the goal was ultimately to completely the course.

Gene technically supposed this would have counted as cheating as he overrode the firing control safeties. The Dalban AQ fire control system managing the 40mm Whirlwind Ls squawked protests at him, but he blinked through the objection, and blitzed the target with a spate of training ammunition. The 40mm didn't have nearly the performance he would have liked, in a real fight, even forcing the guns to fire at twice their usual rate was only enough to chew through half a ton of standard armor...

... but if this had been real life and not him dancing around the AMA battlemech course hitting even a BattleMaster, an assault mech, in the cockpit would have been a wake up call to the enemy, besides he was moving from cover to cover, and bounding to close the distance to bring up his medium lasers.

They might not have been magna mark IIs, and the AQ wasn't his HiRez but the general scheme was similar enough, and being able to put all four on a single target inside two hundred meters reliably would be sufficient to finish the fake battlemaster.

They had after all asked him to clear the course in the best possible time, which he was aiming to do.

In the observation deck, which was a spacious almost theater like reception area, as the clock closed just shy of six minutes the First Prince glanced to his assembled guests. The lords, ladies and gentlemen were largely distracted, which was good. The spectacle, the show was what they wanted for the speech he was going to give. "I thought you said that was a standard university BlackJack."

"It was your Highness. I have no idea how he managed those shots." The mustachioed armsmaster and supervisor for the Albion Military Academy replied bowing sligtly upon being addressed by his sovereign. The shots in question were plastered up on one of the aside holographic displays showing 40mm holes in the placard representing an overheated Capellan command mech.

Albion scored the course on objectives achieved within a set time frame. It was entirely possible to pass the course without actually completed it, even though it wasn't designed to be impossible. It was designed to evaluate seniors who would soon be commissioned. Some students chose to exercise caution and bypass the BattleMaster before it could reboot and become an active threat.

Someone, probably louder than they meant to in response to the matter commented that 'shooting its head off worked too'. There was no kill like overkill, Few to any pilot whose cockpit slammed by repeated class 2 autocannon shells even if the armor held, was likely to respond rationally even if his mech wasn't overheated. The coup de grace of medium lasers would have been enough to kill the assault mech if they had landed on the head, but it had taken the young colonel time to stride forward to close that distance.

A replay from another perspective showing the forty five ton black jack moving towards its target as the guests watched. The precision fire though.

It made sense. Medium lasers were standard on Marauders. He'd demonstrated doing it with the PPCs that were equally standard on Marauders. One of the old men, the professors of the school, paused in his diatribe as he noticed his Sovereign's eyes trail over the group of uniformed men. Yvonne had of course forwarded her own analysis, and that of her department, to her alma mater regarding Elidere. That had arrived months ago, and had been in no small measure a furor to the academic community of military science.

Yvonne had described it as the systematic murder of an entire enemy battalion, and then another, and then well Ander's Moon had itself been the anomaly of battles in the Elidere Campaign... and for a myriad of reasons, the Combine had attacked and pursued defending local forces, the combine had had accepted terms to fight on what were their preferred ground. That had lead to duels between mechwarriors, which had resolved itself steadily until the arrival of Draconis March reinforcements, and the final action had been a combined arms engagement where the remaining combine battalion's mechs were enveloped in a manner that was closest to the fighting on Elidere IV. Most of the fighting though had been done by that point, most of the fighting on Anders had been the individual duels between the mechwarriors where the Combine should have had a distinct advantage.

The entire Elidere campaign was an anomaly.

The Combine's blustering excuse was a weak, and shallow one. Based on little more than the Colonel's white painted Marauder, and its thus 'heavy' BattleMech classification, Combine propagandists had ascribed the battle, having had to confront it due to ComStar News Broadcasts circulating the ROMs, as one between the 19th​ Galedon regulars against the Avalon Hussars. A desperate attempt to save face at having had a hundred and fifteen mechs lost in a single campaign.

Something they were going to capitalize on. Never stop your enemy when they're making mistakes was one of the great truisms of the Succession wars. If the Avalon Hussars were who the Combine wished to make the devil of, then the 11th​ could keep their attention ... and with this new 'Brian Cache' find he'd been told about, then perhaps it was time to reconstitute the 1st​ as well.

The first prince waved his hand in the air to garner the attention, "My lords, ladies, and gentleman if I may have your attention please." he called sonorous to the assembled as his aide informed them the colonel had rejoined them. Hanse Davion scaled the short stairs to the lectern prepared for him, "We are at war with a vicious and menacing neighbor. I speak of course of the Draconis Combine, whose actions have cost the lives of many of my predecessors, and many, many dear friends. The perpetrators of the massacre of Kentares, well, we are going to strike back. There is an hour fast approaching where we will push them back." In this case back meant driving them from Hegemony worlds, but for the sake of public consumption meant pushing the combine from worlds that they had seized in the first succession war.

They couldn't over reach though. Hohiro Kurita had weakened his nation to keep the war going trying to compensate for a flagging economy by demanding more and more from a population. It was no wonder he'd been assassinated by the Otomo... and it seemed as if reports were accurate that another Rasalhague uprising was threatening to erupt. That had the potential to be useful.

... AND there was one other matter. MIIO had confirmed the defenders of Dieron to be Sword of Light. Not Yorinaga Kurita, but two battalions of the 5th​ as well as Sun Zhang academy cadre were garrisoning the world.
--
The First Prince's speech had been aimed more at 'psyching up' the Fed Suns. The invasion of Dieron would occur with, as Yvvonne had promised, support from the Davion Guards, but there was also plans to hit Altair. Asta though was out of the question at this stage. It was too far... sort of.

Gene cracked a glance as the door opened into the meeting room down the hall from the reception proper, admitting a man in a summer uniform similar to what Bahar, and most of the magunacs wore. Khaki. SLDF Regular Army 'warm weather'. A second followed in the same uniform, an aide or adjutant officer obviously, though wearing the pins of an SLDF colonel.

"What can the Star League do for you today, Lord Davion?" That was how the man who eventually introduced himself as Brevet General Kerston opened the conversation.

He'd been absent from the Albion course work, but then Albion Mech Course had been with a standard Blackjack in university colors, and not with the hundred tonner Ford and Abner had brought with them or with the hundred tonner Marauder II models that had accompanied then. That was probably the plan for tomorrow as Davion Guards personnel were divided going through both San Saba's cargo, and the IE Cargo King that had landed nearby, which was also largely carrying combat vehicles... barring a handful of special mechs.

If Hanse Davion, First Prince of the Fed Suns had an objection to Kerston's introductory question he didn't shown any signs of, "General Kerston, this is Colonel Shepherd," A broad white gloved hand gestured in his direction, "His regimental combat team," Presumably he was referring to what they had been calling a brigade including the Draconis March troops, which did include, or would hopefully include attached air, armor and infantry from the DMM. "Will be the other unit for the operation." The rock star turned with a broad smile, "Colonel Shepherd, General Kerston commands the 3rd Regimental Combat Team. The much acclaimed Eridani Light Horse."

--
Notes: Technical issues, including a six hour power failure means that I'm updating this tonight.

 

[Fragment of Serenity]

Well lets hope that they meet a better fate than they do in cannon. It will be interesting to see how someone from the SLDF interacts with people who only have it in memorials.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Well lets hope that they meet a better fate than they do in cannon. It will be interesting to see how someone from the SLDF interacts with people who only have it in memorials.

Click to shrink...

Why what happened to the Eridani in canon

What is this republic of the spear thing I don't don't anything about any of that, Katrina... isn't she a little young to be leading a coup, what is this gundam wing?



Suffice to say uh, yeah the Eridani will do alright

 

[Fragment of Serenity]

Why what happened to the Eridani in canon

What is this republic of the spear thing I don't don't anything about any of that, Katrina... isn't she a little young to be leading a coup, what is this gundam wing?

Click to shrink...

Something something bad writing something genocide something something PLOT something.

Also known as 'what flavor of horrendous war crime would you like today?'

 

[Imperator Pax]

The following from the QQ main BT thread is useful and relevant canonically to the third succession war to this story as well as to a lesser extent essence wielding social general:

https://forum.questionablequesting....discussions-thread.4740/page-216#post-5873538
(Note bob is reposting this from the bt forum. It was originally posted by Cazaril on the Battletech forums here. )
Some excerpts:

Spoiler: Draconis Combine

Draconis Combine – House Kurita

Al Na'ir
Scarborough Manufactures
- TRO:3039
* Saladin Assault Hover
* Saracen Medium Hover
* Scimitar Medium Hover
* Maxim Hover Transport
* APC – Hover (Speculation)
- Objective Raids
* Saladin Assault Hover
* Saracen Medium Hover
* Scimitar Medium Hover
* Maxim Hover Transport
* APC – Hover

Yori 'Mech Works
- TRO:3039
* AS7-D Atlas
- Objective Raids
* AS7-D Atlas

Notes – TRO:3025 states the Manufacturer is "Al Na'ir, Quentin, Hesperus". Since these are worlds, not companies, assumption is it meant Yori 'Mech Works,

Alshain
Alshain Weapons
- TRO:3039
* PNT-9R Panther

Notes – (Speculation/Assumtion) Alshain Weapons is a subsidiary/division of Gorton, Kinsley and Thorpe Enterprises. The name is used for branding purposes, and only exists on former Alshain Weapons buildings and products.

Joint Equipment Systems
- TRO:3039
* Skulker Wheeled Scout
* Scorpion Light Tank
* LRM Carrier
* SRM Carrier
* APC – Tracked (Speculation)
* APC – Wheeled (Speculation)
- Objective Raids
* Skulker Wheeled Scout
* Scorpion Light Tank
* LRM Carrier
* SRM Carrier
* APC – Tracked
* APC – Wheeled
* Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun

Quikscell
- TRO:3039
* Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun

Avon
Matabushi Corporation
- Objective Raids
* Overloard Dropship
* Union Dropship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Overloard Dropship
* Union Dropship

Chatham
Stellar Trek
- Objective Raids
* Invader Jumpship
* Merchant Jumpship
* Monolith Jumpship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Invader Jumpship
* Merchant Jumpship
* Star Lord Jumpship

Tomori Trans Industrial
- Objective Raids
* Vengeance Dropship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Vengeance Dropship

Wakazashi Enterprises
- HK/DC 3025
* SL-17 Shilone
- TRO:3039
* SL-17 Shilone
- Objective Raids
* SL-17 Shilone
* LCF-16K Lucifer II

Dover
Hinsdale Electronics
- Objective Raids
* Condor Dropship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Condor Dropship

Wakazashi Enterprises
- HK/DC 3025
* SL-15 Slayer
* Conventional Reconnaissance Aircraft
- TRO:3039
* SL-15 Slayer
- Objective Raids
* SL-15 Slayer

Hachiman
Tanadi Computers
- HK/DC 3025
* Communications Systems
* Targeting/Tracking Systems

Irece
LexaTech Industries
- HK/DC 3025
* STG-A5 Stinger LAM
- Objective Raids
* STG-A5 Stinger LAM

Jarett
Alshain Weapons
- Objective Raids

Notes - Entry states they had to destroy their Jarett plant to avoid the Clans capturing it, but doesn't say what was produced. Assuming it was the Gorton Kingsley and Thorpe Enterprises facility

Gorton, Kingsley and Thorpe Enterprises
- HK/DC 3025
* PNT-9R Panther

Kessel
Diverse Optics, Inc.
- Objective Raids
*Diverse Optics brand Lasers

Krenice
Alshain Weapons
- Objective Raids
* PNT-9R Panther

Notes – (Speculation/Assumtion) Alshain Weapons is a subsidiary/division of Gorton, Kinsley and Thorpe Enterprises. The name is used for branding purposes, and only exists on former Alshain Weapons buildings and products.

Lapida II
Nimakachi Fusion Products Ltd.
- TRO:3039
* SDR-5V Spider

Luthien
BBP Industries
- Objective Raids
* Excalibur Dropship
* Intruder Dropship
* Triumph Dropship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Excalibur Dropship
* Intruder Dropship
* Triumph Dropship

Buda Imperial Vehicles
- HK/DC 3025
* 135-K Coolant Truck
* Towugawa Medium Tank
* 67-K Daimyo HQ Unit
- TRO:3039
* 135-K Coolant Truck
- Objective Raids
* 135-K Coolant Truck
* Towugawa Medium Tank
* 67-K Daimyo HQ Unit

Luthien Armor Works
- HK/DC 3025
* CGR-1A1 Charger
* QKD-4G Quickdraw
* DRG-1N Dragon
- TRO:3039
* CGR-1A1 Charger
* LNC-25-02 Lancelot
* QKD-4G Quickdraw
* DRG-1N Dragon
* JR7-D Jenner
- Objective Raids
* CGR-1A1 Charger
* QKD-4G Quickdraw
* DRG-1N Dragon
* JR7-D Jenner

Notes – According to 3039, LAW acquired the Lancelot plans after the Second Succession War, and kept the Mech in limited production.

Matabushi Computing Equipment
- HK/DC 3025
* Communications Systems
* Targeting/Tracking Systems
- Objective Raids
* Communications Systems
* Targeting/Tracking Systems

New Oslo
Alshain Weapons
- TRO:3039
* PNT-9R Panther

Notes – (Speculation/Assumtion) Alshain Weapons is a subsidiary/division of Gorton, Kinsley and Thorpe Enterprises. The name is used for branding purposes, and only exists on former Alshain Weapons buildings and products.

Gorton, Kingsley and Thorpe Enterprises
- TRO:3039
* PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk
- Objective Raids
* ARC-2R Archer
* PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk
* PNT-9R Panther

Notes - (Speculation/Assumtion) Objective Raids merged Alshain Weapons and Gorton, Kingsley and Thorpe Enterprises together for this entry.

New Samarkand
Nav Hull
- TRO:3039
* Monitor Naval Vessel

Notes – According to Sarna.net's citation from Objectives: Draconis Combine, NH also produces the Mauna Kea Naval Vessel at this location.

New Samarkand Metals
- TRO:3039
* Demolisher Heavy Tank
* Schrek PPC Carrier
- Objective Raids
* Behemoth Tank
* Demolisher Heavy Tank
* Schrek PPC Carrier

Yan Manufacturing
- Sarna.net
* Peacekeeper VTOL
* Soar VTOL

Orestes
Odin Manufacturing
- Sarna.net
* Puma Assault Tank

Proserpina
Bulldog Enterprises
- TRO:3039
* Bulldog Medium Tank
- Objective Raids
* Bulldog Medium Tank
* Manticore Tank
* Tokugawa Tank

Guided Technologies
- Objective Raids
* SRM Launchers

Qandahar
Dow-Nexus Fusion Products
- Objective Raids
* GM Fusion Engines

Rasalhague
Gorton, Kingsley and Thorpe Enterprises
- TRO:3039
* 'MechBuster Conventional Aircraft
- Objective Raids
* 'MechBuster Conventional Aircraft

Rasalhague Armor Works
- Objective Raids
* Armor
* Lasers
* PPCs

Satalice
Gorton, Kingsley and Thorpe Enterprises
- TRO:3039
* ARC-2R Archer
- Objective Raids
* ARC-2R Archer

Schuyler
Dharma Hyperspace
- Objective Raids
* Scout Jumpship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Scout Jumpship

Galileo Instruments
- Objective Raids
* Achilles Dropship
* Behemoth Dropship
* Triumph Dropship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Achilles Dropship
* Behemoth Dropship
* Monarch Dropship

Magnon Aeronautics
- HK/DC 3025
* SL-21 Sholagar
- TRO:3039
* SL-21 Sholagar
- Objective Raids
* SL-21 Sholagar

Notes – Magnon Aeronautics was purchased by Wakazashi Enterprises sometime before mid-3049 (Clan Invasion). In Objective Raids, WE has a facility on Schulyer. This is assumed to be the old Magnon Aeronautics plant.

Spittal
Benson and Bjorn
- TRO:3039
* Scorpion Light Tank
* APC – Tracked (Speculation)
- Objective Raids
* Scorpion Light Tank
* APC – Tracked
* Vedette Tank

Trondheim
Amau Electronics
- Objective Raids
* Communications Systems
* Targeting/Tracking Systems

Spoiler: Federated Suns

Federated Suns – House Davion

Addicks
Johnston Industries
- HD:FS 3025
* Goblin Medium Tank
* Large Lasers
* PPCs

Axton
Wangker Aerospace
- HD:FS 3025
* CSR-V12 Corsair
* EGL-R6 Eagle
* THB-D36 Thunderbird
- TRO:3039
* CSR-V12 Corsair
- Objective Raids
* CSR-V12 Corsair
* EGL-R6 Eagle
* THB-D36 Thunderbird

Belladonna
Cal-Boeing of Dorwinion
- HD:FS 3025
* Ferret Light Scout VTOL
* Wild Weasel VTOL
* Marten VTOL
- TRO:3039
* Ferret Light Scout VTOL
- Objective Raids
* Ferret Light Scout VTOL
* Wild Weasel VTOL
* Marten VTOL
* Boomerang Spotter Conventional Aircraft

Notes – According to Sarna.net's citation from TRO:3050U, C-BD also produces the Ripper VTOL at this location.

Crofton
StarCorp Industries
- TRO:3039
* LGB-0W Longbow
- Objective Raids
* LGB-0W Longbow

Delavan
Dynamico Ltd.
- Objective Raids
* Avenger Dropship
* Buccaneer Dropship
* Exostar brand Lasers
* Marten brand Lasers
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Avenger Dropship
* Buccaneer Dropship

Universal Air
- Objective Raids
* Invader Jumpship
* Star Lord Jumpship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Invader Jumpship
* Star Lord Jumpship

Errai
Maltex Corporation
- Objective Raids
* Tiegart brand PPCs

Exeter
Galtor Naval Yards
- TRO:3039
* Neptune Submarine
- Objective Raids
* Neptune Submarine

Filtvelt
Cal-Boeing of Dorwinion
- TRO:3039
* Boomerang Spotter Conventional Aircraft
- Objective Raids
* Boomerang Spotter Conventional Aircraft

Notes – According to Sarna.net's citation from TRO:3050U, C-BD also produces the Ripper VTOL at this location.

Galax
Federated-Boeing Interstellar
- HD:FS 3025
* Overlord Dropship
* Union Dropship
* Leopard Dropship
* Leopard-CV Dropship
* Gazelle Dropship
* CargoMaster Dropship
* CargoKing Dropship
- Objective Raids
* Overlord Dropship
* Union Dropship
* Leopard Dropship
* Leopard-CV Dropship
* Gazelle Dropship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Union Dropship
* Leopard Dropship
* Leopard-CV Dropship

Galax Launch Systems and Satellites
- HD:FS 3025
* Satellites

Galtor III
Galtor Naval Yards
- TRO:3039
* Neptune Submarine
- Objective Raids
* Neptune Submarine

Gulkana
Yefters Weapon Factory
- Objective Raids
* Mydron Autocannons

Johnsondale
Notes – Valiant Vehicles is a joint subsidiary of Wunderland Enterprises and Valiant Sysyems, based on Johnsondale. It is unclear if the design is jointly owned, or if there is a jointly owned facility. TRO:3039 appears to say there are two facilities (one for each parent company), while Objective Raids gives the impression of a Jointly owned facility.

Valiant Systems
- TRO:3039
* Striker Light Tank
- Objective Raids
* Striker Light Tank

Wunderland Enterprises
- TRO:3039
* Striker Light Tank
- Objective Raids
* Striker Light Tank

Kathil
General Motors
- TRO:3039
* MAD-3R Marauder
- Objective Raids
* MAD-3R Marauder

General Motors of Kathil
- HD:FS 3025
* Production not specified
- Objective Raids
* Darter Scout Car
* Jeeps
* Other Support Vehicles

Kirklin
Kallon Industries
- TRO:3039
* Partisan Heavy Tank
- Objective Raids
* Partisan Heavy Tank

Layover
Quikscell Company
- TRO:3039
* Scorpion Light Tank
* LRM Carrier (Speculation)
* SRM Carrier (Speculation)
- Objective Raids
* Scorpion Light Tank
* LRM Carrier
* SRM Carrier
* Vedette Tank

Salvatore Inc.
- Objective Raids
* Seeker Dropship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Seeker Dropship

Marduk
Norse BattleMech Works
- HD:FS 3025
* WVR-6R Wolverine
* GRF-1N Griffin
- TRO:3039
* WVR-6R Wolverine
- Objective Raids
* WVR-6R Wolverine
* GRF-1N Griffin

Notes – Captured during the 4th Succession War and renamed Victory Industries. Since this has not happened in 3025, all references to Victory Industries are considered to be Norse BattleMech Works.

Mendham
Mendham Electronics
- HD:FS 3025
* Communications Systems
* Targeting/Tracking Systems
- Objective Raids
* Garret brand Communications Systems
* Garret brand Targeting/Tracking Systems

New Avalon
Achernar BattleMechs
- HD:FS 3025
* PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk
* LCT-1V Locust
* WSP-1A Wasp
- TRO:3039
* DV-6M Dervish
* ENF-4R Enforcer
* PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk
- Objective Raids
* DV-6M Dervish
* ENF-4R Enforcer
* PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk
* LCT-1V Locust
* WSP-1A Wasp

Corean Enterprises
- HD:FS 3025
* VLK-QA Valkyrie
- TRO:3039
* VLK-QA Valkyrie
* CN9-A Centurion
- Objective Raids
* VLK-QA Valkyrie
* CN9-A Centurion

Lycomb-Davion IntraTech
- HD:FS 3025
* STU-K5 Stuka
* LTN-G15 Lightning
* HCT-213 Hellcat
* APCs
* Artillery
- TRO:3039
* STU-K5 Stuka
- Objective Raids
* STU-K5 Stuka
* LTN-G15 Lightning
* HCT-213 Hellcat

New Ivaarsen
Galtor Naval Yards
- Sarna.net
* Seahorse

New Syrtis
New Syrtis Shipyards
- HD:FS 3025
* Upgrading
- Objective Raids
* Monarch Dropship
* Mammoth Dropship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Gazelle Dropship
* Monarch Dropship
* Mammoth Dropship

New Valencia
Blackwell Industries
- TRO:3039
* MAD-4A Marauder II
- Objective Raids
* MAD-4A Marauder II
- Wolf's Dragoons
* MAD-4A Marauder II
* Badger Tracked Support
* Bandit Hovercraft
* Kestrel VTOL
* Peregrine VTOL

Notes – According to Wolf's Dragoons and cross referenced with the CGL's MUL (and some help from Sarna.net), the Badger, Bandit and Kestrel all entered service 3008. The MAD-4A Marauder II entered service in 3012 and the Peregrine VTOL entered service in 3021. All five are the result of Wolf's Dragoons interaction with Blackwell Industries.

Ozawa
General Dynamics
- TRO:3039
* KTO-18 Kintaro
- Objective Raids
* KTO-18 Kintaro

Wunderland Enterprises
- Objective Raids
* Wunderland brand Communications Systems
* Wunderland brand Targeting/Tracking Systems

Panpour
Challenge Systems
- Objective Raids
* Monolith Jumpship
- Dropships and Jumpships
* Monolith Jumpship

Jalastar Aerospace
- HD:FS 3025
* SPR-H5 SparrowHawk
* CN9-A Centurion
* Manticore Heavy Tank
- TRO:3039
* SPR-H5 SparrowHawk
* Meteor Heavy Conventional Fighter
* Manticore Heavy Tank
- Objective Raids
* SPR-H5 SparrowHawk
* SB-27 Sabre
* CN9-A Centurion
* Manticore Heavy Tank

Quentin
Independence Weaponry
- HD:FS 3025
* AS7-D Atlas
* VTR-9B Victor
* MAD-3R Marauder
* JM6-S JagerMech
- TRO:3039
* AS7-D Atlas
* VTR-9B Victor
* MAD-3R Marauder
- Objective Raids
* AS7-D Atlas
* VTR-9B Victor
* MAD-3R Marauder
* JM6-S JagerMech

Robinson
Valiant Systems
- Objective Raids
* Armor
* LRM Launchers
* SRM Launchers

Salem
General Motors
- TRO:3039
* Behemoth Heavy Tank
- Objective Raids
* APC – Wheeled

Schedar
Rander Communications Equipment Inc
- HD:FS 3025
* Communications Systems
* Targeting/Tracking Systems
- Objective Raids
* Rander brand Communications Systems
* Rander brand Targeting/Tracking Systems

Talcott
General Motors
- Objective Raids
* GM Fusion Engines

Talon
Kallon Industries
- HD:FS 3025
* JM6-S JagerMech
* RFL-3N Rifleman
* GRF-1N Griffin
* ENF-4R Enforcer
* Partisan Heavy Tank
- TRO:3039
* JM6-S JagerMech
* RFL-3N Rifleman
* GRF-1N Griffin
* HNT-151 Hornet
- Objective Raids
* JM6-S JagerMech
* RFL-3N Rifleman
* GRF-1N Griffin
* ENF-4R Enforcer
* HNT-151 Hornet

Spoiler: Taurian Concordat

Periphery – Taurian Concordat

Brinton
O/P Computer Electronics
- Objective Raids
* O/P brand Communications Systems
* O/P brand Targeting/Tracking Systems

Illiushin
Vandenberg Mechanized Industries
- The Periphery
* Union Dropship
* GRF-1N Griffin
* COM-2D Commando
* STG-3R Stinger
- Objective Raids
* Union Dropship
* GRF-1N Griffin
* COM-2D Commando

Laconis
Taurus Majoris Mining
- Objective Raids
* StarSlab brand Armor

Macleod's Land
Pinard Protectorates Limited
- The Periphery
* LCT-1V Locust
* STG-3R Stinger
- Objective Raids
* LCT-1V Locust
* STG-3R Stinger

New Vanderberg
Vandenberg Mechanized Industries
- The Periphery
* CHP-W5 Chippewa
* MAD-3R Marauder
* ARC-2R Archer
* STG-3R Stinger
* Hunter Light Tank
- TRO:3039
* CHP-W5 Chippewa
* ARC-2R Archer
- Objective Raids
* CHP-W5 Chippewa
* MAD-3R Marauder
* ARC-2R Archer
* STG-3R Stinger
* Hunter Light Tank

Organo
Pinard Protectorates Limited
- The Periphery
* SB-27 Sabre
- Objective Raids
* SB-27 Sabre

Perdition
Pinard Protectorates Limited
- The Periphery
* THB-D36 Thunderbird
* WSP-1A Wasp
* Rommel Tank
* Vedette Tank
* J. Edgar Light Hover
- TRO:3039
* J. Edgar Light Hover
- Objective Raids
* THB-D36 Thunderbird
* WSP-1A Wasp
* Rommel Tank
* Vedette Tank
* J. Edgar Light Hover

Pinard
Pinard Protectorates Limited
- The Periphery
* MAD-3R Marauder
* Munitions
- Objective Raids
* MAD-3R Marauder
* Martell Lasers

Pinard-Dicolais Electronics
- The Periphery
* Communications Systems
* Targeting/Tracking Systems
- Objective Raids
* Communications Systems
* Targeting/Tracking Systems

Vandenberg Mechanized Industries
- TRO:3039
* WHM-6R Warhammer
- Objective Raids
* WHM-6R Warhammer
* TDR-5S Thunderbolt
* Vedette Tank

Wingman Enterprises Limited
- Sarna.net
* Bat Hawk Conventional Fighter

Sterope
Sterope Defense Industries
- Objective Raids
* Diverse Optics brand Lasers
* Sunglow brand Lasers
* Donal brand PPCs
* Hotshot brand Flamers
* Pontiac brand Autocannons
* Delta Dart brand LRM Launchers

Taurus Territorial Industries
- The Periphery
* Union Dropship
* SYD-21 Seydlitz
* Hunter Light Tank
* Static Gun Emplacements
- Objective Raids
* Union Dropship
* SYD-21 Seydlitz
* APC – Tracked

Notes – According to Sarna.net's citation from TRO:3058, TTI also produces the Maultier (Basic) at this facility.

Taurus
Magna
- Objective Raids
* Magna brand Engines
* Magna brand Lasers
* Magna brand PPCs
* Star League brand Interplanetary Drives
* Warrior brand Fusion Engines

Taurus Territorial Industries
- The Periphery
* Leopard Dropship
* THB-D36 Thunderbird
- TRO:3039
* WHM-6R Warhammer
- Objective Raids
* Leopard Dropship
* LTN-G15 Lightning
* MAD-3R Marauder
* WHM-6R Warhammer
* TDR-5S Thunderbolt
* LCT-1V Locust
* WSP-1A Wasp

Spoiler: Questionable/Unconfirmed

DC – Aix-la-Chapelle
* Diplan 'MechYards
DC – Altair
* Long Life Company – (Possible Product – M.A.S.H. Trucks)
DC – Alshain
* Alshain BattleWorx
* Alshain Naval Yards
* Bergan Industries – (Not until after 3040)
DC – Dieron
* Luthien Armor Works
* Terada Warship Yards
DC – Dover
* Dover Shipyards – (Possible Product – Invader Jumpship, Merchant Jumpship)
DC – Grumium
* Grumium Creations – (small company producing various military parts and sub-systems)
DC – Hun Ho
* LexaTech Industries – (Possible Product – Archer, Grasshopper)
DC – Irece
* LAW-Barcella – (Was this a LAW plant taken over by the Clans, or built after they arrived?)
DC – Kagoshima
* Nissan General Industries – (Possible Product – Fusion Engines)
DC – Kimball
* Ceres Metals Industries
DC – Luthien
* Defiance Motors – (Listed in Sarna.net's "Luthien" entry. Seems unlikely)
* Focke-Achgelis Motorworks
DC – Midway
* DeHuego & Freshet Warship Design
* Midway Shipyards
* Telfar BattleMechs
DC – New Oslo
* DeHuego & Freshet Warship Design
* Galileo Instruments – (According to HK/DC, they existed, but are they still a military provider?)
Notes - According to Dropships and Jumpships, Galileo Instruments builds dropships... Assumption would be that this is done on Schuyler (which is suggested by Objective Raids), so the New Oslo office appears to be Corporate Headquarters/Home Office and none military goods.
DC – New Samarkand
* Wakzashi Enterprise
* Luthien Armor Works
* DeHuego & Freshet Warship Design
DC – Nirasaki
* New Age Systems Incorporated – (Was Spad factory destroyed? shut down? Not exist until after 3025?)
DC – Nykvarn
* Luthien Armor Works
DC – Savinsville
* Luthien Armor Works
DC – Schuyler
* Galileo Instruments – (Seems to have been built post 3025)
Notes - Dropships and Jumpships suggest this existed and produced Achilles and Monarch Dropships. Moved to the confirmed section.
DC – Soul
* Blankenburg Technologies – (Possible Product – Crockett.. When was it built? Sarna.net entry states "During Independence Weaponry's revamp of the old Blankenburg facility on Soul", which should place revamp after 3040. But is it newly "old" or Star League "old"?
DC – Togura
* Togura Shipyards
DC – *Unknown*
* Unknown – (Possible Product – Deuce-and-a-Half knock-off)


FS – Augusta
* Corean Enterprises
FS – Benet III
* Johnston Industries
FS – Broken Wheel
* Quikscell
FS – Cahokia
* Achernar BattleMechs
FS – Caph
* Lang Industries Incorporated (Possible Product – Shadow Hawk)
FS – Carmacks
* Federated Industries – (Possible Product – Personal Body Armor)
FS – El Dorado
* General Motors
FS – Layover
* Kallon Industries
* Sacrado Industries – (Possible Product – Seeker Dropship, K-1 Dropshuttle, S-7A Bus)
FS – Macintosh
* Apple Computer Interstellar – (Unlikely. They only sell personal computers in 3025, not military)
FS – New Syrtis
* Johnston Industries – (Not until after 4th SW)
FS – Northwind
* Bulldog Enterprises – (Seems improbable)
* Cosara Weaponries – (Was anything left?)
FS – Novaya Zemlya
* Corean Enterprises
* Federated Industries – (Possible Product – Federated Autocannons and Missile Launchers)
FS – Panpour
* Joint Equipment Systems
FS – Talon
* Mercy Industries of Talon – (Possible Product – M.A.S.H. Trucks)
FS – Tancredi IV
* Precision Weaponry – (Lasers produced are LosTech, but did they produce standard?)
FS – Torrence
* Veridian Dynamics – (Possible Product – Tiger Medium Tank)
FS – *Unknown*
* Pintel Corporation – (They exist, but where?.. Manufacture Pintel Heavy Combat ATV)
* Unknown – (Possible Product - Deuce-and-a-Half)

 

[Imperator Pax]

Interlude 6
The Eridani Light Horse ... or their command staff, as they had actually brought a staff had come to New Avalon independent of the command. Of course the Former Star League turned mercenary unit had the advantage of multiple full birds and was on good relations with the Davions so that was probably less of an issue given the Davions still had good reason to be worried about the combine jumping the border first.

Had this been a raid, even a raid in force, they wouldn't have needed this many troops. It wasn't though. They weren't trying to do what the Galedon Regulars had presumably been up to, this wasn't jumping over the border to bushwhack combine positions... this was out and out planetary conquest. The Prince intended to actually effect a change in the border, and gain territory by military force at the combine's expense.

Strategic level concerns. "What's this?" Abner inquired looking over the noteputer.

"Something I don't have the resources to pursue." He replied. Gene had noticed it on Robinson, but there had been no way to address it with so many other more pressing issues. There were problems of course. The Catapult he had taken as bounty on Detroit had been rebuilt, it hadn't been that damaged anyway, so repaired really might have been more accurate. The Magna 260 at its center was the main object. "We fit the Comms suit, and targetting system of my catapult," Doctor Abner merely nodded, "With a Dalban Series K," That the Maguanacs had found, "And a Dalban Hirez," Like what his Marauder used for the targeting system, "The Thunderbolt runs off the same engine, and I would prefer to find out if we can refit a Thunderbolt with the same C3 & TTS," and the same armor and ideally as much of the same weapons manufacturer as possible. "But given the way that lot is arguing," He indicated in the general direction of the lawyers from GM and the manufacturers of the Marauder II, "I'm not thrilled at approaching either of them with this." Especially not with the Devestator's plans having been slapped on the table as well.

"I will make some inquiries, but I would recommend you send this to Mr Pasha, he should be capable of finding you a Thunderbolt, and putting together a prototype, which I will tell you will greatly simplify any matters of sourcing industrial assistance."

"Understood." He remarked. General Kerston was still talking, with presumably his Davion Liaison and staff.

"Are you thinking about your conversation with Tristan?"

... he hadn't confirmed it... but ... given Kerston's rank, and his specificity to it... he had a sneaking suspicion that 3rd​ RCT's credentials were in fact still legitimate. Kerston was using Brevet General because he was authenticated to that rank as an emergency, which meant they had valid authorization codes... He couldn't be for sure without a handshake, but that would have gone both ways. It was possible everyone in the Eridani were being issued valid SLDF credentials.

But they had barely talked to the man, other than the brief introduction, that would probably change later in the day, or tomorrow, but for now the center stage mess was the argument between GM and the new valencia firm.

... he thought about the other ... other mech in his stable. The mongoose he'd taken at Luxen. Its pilot had had the authenticated credentials of a SLDF officer. Bahar had a lieutenants credentials when they had met. The Magunacs... the Azami or some branch must have had some way to generate new credential codes... but he hadn't asked, only recognized that they were SLDF regular codes in the periphery expedition...

"With all due respect professor, so far as I'm concerned the Star League has been gone for 250 years."

"Two hundred and fifty one years come Christmas, since the coup you mean."

"Yes." The conversation paused as Kerston and his staff shuffled across the room, "You understand that given the combine's behavior there is a chance they'll escalate to canned sunshine right?"

Abner remained silent for a telling moment, "I would like to think that it won't come to that, that, after the horrors of the first and second that we have moved beyond that."

Gene had pulled the Volgadon library's data on how the Terran Alliance had started.

How the soviet union had fell, and korea unified. What had happened between India and Pakistan. Nukes. There had been a lull of course, from 45 through most of the cold war. The soviets had ossified and eventually the soviet army had failed to either be able to keep its client states inline with conventional force, and had resorted to escalation to nuclear weapons against a Western Alliance experimenting with early fusion reactors while the Soviets had still been relying on an extractive economy. Without Soviet support to prop them up the koreas had found themselves in a continuation that had resulted in nuclear weapons used against the ultimately victorious south... and well India and Pakistan had thrown nukes for reasons really only understood by nationalists.

That had been a thousand years ago now.

History long forgotten by most of humanity.

"The Taurians rejected the Ares conventions, and the Capellans claimed that they didn't apply to non signatories." He remarked a heat mounting somewhere in his stomach, "And of course the Taurians always had a nuclear first strike doctrine." Which to be honest Gene might have assumed was based on the French... if France hadn't been subsumed into the greater cultural mélange of the anglo dominated Western Alliance by the end of the 21st​ century. "Those same conventions were repudiated by the successor states. I think if the Combine thinks they can get away with it, if they think escalating to deescalate will work they'll do it... and even if they don't use nuclear weapons, I'm still expecting a smorgasbord of atrocities given what I've heard is going on already over there..."
--
They had broken for lunch... though breaking for lunch was really they moved to another room in the palace in order to be fed by more men in victorian jackets and gloves. All it really did was shuffle around who all was sitting where, and force them to carefully measure their movements to avoid breaching etiquette. "So what do you know about the DVS 1"

"Boondoggle replacement, two ppcs, gauss rifles in the arms. Suite of meds supporting, DHS 300XL to make space for all of that. Another of Kerensky's having too much time for things other than his actual job." He muttered a little more harshly than he had intended.... "I saw the file for them dated 2765," None had actually been shipped to Tristan's snake eaters. "Leaving politics aside, it should have been an excellent long range combatant." But that XL engine meant it would have the same vulnerabilities to to side torso damage blowing through armor as Sutton's Dervish Md. "I assume there had to be some kind of hang up, because the Nightstar superseded it in production..." the truth was Gene had no idea how Gauss rifles had become lostech it made no sense given how venerable the Alacorn Mk VI design was.

"We found the completed plans for them you know. The original project material, and a couple of prototypes, included a completed on."

"Really?"

"Mr Ford neglected to inform me that the computer of that one is locked."

"You can't override it."

Abner shook his head. "It was on a flatbed for transport when my protégé found it and they moved into storage, and then it was only when we got here did we realize we couldn't use it... that's why we didn't show it off yesterday. Its here."

He nodded again, but he was hoping that Abner wasn't depending heavily on the machine as the lynchpin of their strategy... but he doubted it. Ford's detour had struck him as last minute, and that Abner hadn't been aware of it, and that he'd been banking on the Bristol find... those Furys as well as whatever else had been dug up there. The lyran professor had shown him the faciity documents, and castle Brian in size was not an exaggeration... the facility was cavernous in the extreme. It seemed as if that a combination of factors had resulted in only a fraction of that spacce being occupied... but fraction of that much real estate was still a lot.

It was a contribution of equipment that could be used to bolster Davion forces, and would require more spacelift capacity. House Davion would be moving a lot of league era equipment to major combatants and attacking to hit the Combine hard sometime in the spring of the new year, in combination with using 'major' mercenary commands to support them.

"So why does Field Marshal Davion look like the cat who caught the canary?"
--
Gene settled into the harness, and adjusted the retention. The Devastator was a conventional bipedal humanoid shape. It lacked the leg structure and ability to get as hull down as Marauder style frames, but that wasn't a big deal to him.

He started the pairing sequence with the neurohelmet, placing his id chit in the receptacle, and initiated reactor start up. The machine started to hum. Holographic projections appeared identifying the machine as a prototype DVS 01, and a list of participants as his handshake completed.

"Everything all right in there?"

"Yeah, you know General Motors was a contractor on this program?" He asked.

"Oh dear you don't say." Abner probably had known, given the way GM was acting... well for the moment they didn't know. "Hows it going?"

"I"m in safe boot, its authenticating." Indicator lights turned greened, "Engine is good, I have motive power. Standby." He clicked off and extended his consciousness tentatively through the mind machine interface as the machine's last posting appeared as an emblem.

No real surprise from that it had been posted to a Hegemony Command unit... and it wasn't a surprise that the assigned pilot was an ACMS Project course graduate. The computer core logged his credentials, and authenticated his user data letting him remove the chit.

"Anything?"

"To be honest I think its taking a mental engram," A common enough security measure, hell there were machines that were literally biometrically locked behind gene keys, but that had actually fallen out of preference in the Star League day even with Royal command, in favor of other security precautions. The screen changed, and he sighed. "Standby, bringing the reactor to active." With everything looking good, he looked at main display as the words formed, "For he on honey hath fed and drunk the milk of paradise." For the first time in centuries within the Inner Sphere a Devastator Assault Mech stood up, and took a step forward. "All systems read green."

Another step forward. He ran the mech's diagnostics, and checked fire control, weapons. There was a rear mounted medium laser. Program file designated it was an infantry deterrent... by why a medium, why not a small laser, or even a small pulse laser. SPLs had been in production since the early 27th​ century. "I read what Tristan had on the Titan."

"I did to, Kressly, on Eridani."

"Do you think, if this survived on Hoff it would be there?"

"I have no idea, doc." The access, mech scale, door opened. "Are we checking the Gauss rifles?"

"Yes, I'm indicating the weapons bay on your navigation." The Devastator accepted the navigation package from the control tower.

Sixteen rounds.

The thought illuminated the weapons in the holographic image and projected a chart. Relatively speaking the 300mm inert projectile were less powerful than saying 185mm ChemJet Assault Auto Cannon but velocity at the muzzle insured it remained accurate at significantly longer ranges than that class of weapon did... on the other hand the computer warned him that the that the capacitors were a potential vulnerability.

The assault mech moved forward, and Gene was aware of the observation deck's occupants following the machine. The AMA static range was functionally identical to Robinson with an area of known and unknown distance targets, with the place for a mech to stand on a thirty meter ferrocrete hex that was slightly built up relative to the main slab.

Another commline hand shook, "Alright colonel, you're weapons free." The mustachioed man on the other end remarked.

"Initiating, weapons test, medium lasers, left and right torso." He intoned. They worked, so did the inline center mount laser, and he turned the mech around to confirm the rear weapon from behind... even if that process prompted a quirk. The machine settled back on target, "Moving to second range targets, and PPCs." Gene clarified to the control tower, while he went about flipping arms switches on the dash. Left and Right torso mounted weapons, confirmed. Then, "Gauss Rifles, long range." Then as a precaution after he started the master weapons diagnostic. "Everything looks fine on my end doc. " All systems read nominal
--
Notes: So that schedule plan for the month is working... really well... not. Ok, it is possible that for this month, I really would prefer to keep GWW on Sunday but that the rest of the interludes could potentially end up as running during hte week.

 

[Sogen]

So now he has a Devastator to add to the party, if they don't choose to take it apart to try and figure out how all the Lostech works..

 

[Ryven Razgriz]

Hm? IIRC though Gauss Guns are still being manufactured in both Davion and Commonwealth worlds albeit at an extremely low rate... or was it a fanfic lore not canon lore? I don't remember...

Also, no reactions of ELH to SI being an actual still-living Star League officer?

 

[Imperator Pax]

So now he has a Devastator to add to the party, if they don't choose to take it apart to try and figure out how all the Lostech works..

Click to shrink...

Hm? IIRC though Gauss Guns are still being manufactured in both Davion and Commonwealth worlds albeit at an extremely low rate... or was it a fanfic lore not canon lore? I don't remember...

Also, no reactions of ELH to SI being an actual still-living Star League officer?

Click to shrink...

To be fair thats a facet of just how little exposure they have between like two days of meeting each other, and one of the other versions to that conversation starting was having to deal with SLDF automated defenses in a similar manner to the periphery expedition chapter. But Gene's being a little to indiscrete for that to be how we're moving forward.


--
As for Gauss rifles, to the best of my knowledge, despite again having been in service for centuries before Amaris's coup somehow Gauss rifles and DHS go extinct in 2865... somehow. Like DHS okay I kind of get that. Gauss rifle ammo though is really easy to still manufacture being for all intents and purposes a thirty centimeter dowel pin.

As far as lostech goes the big hurdle is DHS and XL engines, and more so the latter. Gauss rifles will with the finds on Hoff, and Bristol as well as to a lesser extent on Robinson i.e.. those Alacorns, be making their return. ER PPCs because they were very late will take a while to come back but they're not a priority either compared to some other stuff.

 

[Silverbullet]

Guass Rifles, even downgraded heavier versions, should never have been losttech. It's using magnets to launch hyper sonic metal. IRL our impediment is in powering the magnets and not stripping the barrels. Problems the BT verse solved centuries ago. Someone made rules for primitive throwaway guass rifles I just can't remember who or on what forum.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Guass Rifles, even downgraded heavier versions, should never have been losttech. It's using magnets to launch hyper sonic metal. IRL our impediment is in powering the magnets and not stripping the barrels. Problems the BT verse solved centuries ago. Someone made rules for primitive throwaway guass rifles I just can't remember who or on what forum.

Click to shrink...

Yeah the irony is that they actually nerfed Gauss rifles they originally got ten shots a mag instead of eight, which is a minor nerf true, but I mean IRL our actual 'gauss rifles' are actually pretty heat intensive in terms of the electronics, which I suppose you could interpret that as oh your capacitor explodes rather than it generates heat conventionally, but its funny (and relevant here) that SLDF gauss rifles are like no heat, so a dug in tank company is basically undetectable on thermals compared to say Shreks.

...

and of course that makes me want to deal with the range abstraction issue... I'm tempted to go to the Mechwarrior 5 range table rather than table top, but thats a whole otehr issue.

And on MW5, some material, and reference to that will be made, I still haven't played much of it, but since it seeems to have been pseudo canonized, at least it has novels to go with I maybe using some of it, though MW5s plot would have already started.

 

[Doomsought]

Its probably a matter of that while they understand the technology itself, they have lost the technology used to bring it to mass production. So you could have a college professor build one with a team of artisans, but they are doing half the work be hand so you are only going to get one Gauss Riffle out of it.. and that college professor would be more useful teaching than building a gauss riffle.

 

[Imperator Pax]

Its probably a matter of that while they understand the technology itself, they have lost the technology used to bring it to mass production. So you could have a college professor build one with a team of artisans, but they are doing half the work be hand so you are only going to get one Gauss Riffle out of it.. and that college professor would be more useful teaching than building a gauss riffle.

Click to shrink...

This is honestly my preferred explanation. I've actually referenced this with speciality ammunition in story with Yvonne talking about outback already.

 

[Silverbullet]

Its probably a matter of that while they understand the technology itself, they have lost the technology used to bring it to mass production. So you could have a college professor build one with a team of artisans, but they are doing half the work be hand so you are only going to get one Gauss Riffle out of it.. and that college professor would be more useful teaching than building a gauss riffle.

Click to shrink...

Which brings us to the setting issue of their should be a lot custom machinists and armorers selling artisan master crafted stiff since factories keep getting blown up. Like families working out of converted dropships turned machine shop stopping on worlds to sell custom made stuff to militias, mercenaries, and pirates. It'd be a neat little thing that wouldn't really break the setting given these people can't and in some cases wouldn't go for mass production so you're still scrabbling for good enough in quantity but if you want to spend some cash Lord whosit of whatsville can fight in a mech really damn close to a Royal.