The BattleTech Dynasty: Chapt 3, Solaris VII, 3040-3042
 

Hello and welcome to the next chapter of my personal BattleTech Dynasty, the Solaris VII Years. This dynasty is a sequel to the 3039 dynasty, which is itself a sequel to the original BattleTech Dynasty thread.

During the previous ten years, Colonel Braham Essex has built his Kilts and Commandos mercenary command from a mixed reinforced company of mechs, infantry and tanks, and turned it into a regiment of mechs, plus some vehicles and infantry as support.

Although he is still missing pilots for a lot of mechs, many of his units are beginning missions. Instead of joining his men, he is relocating to Solaris VII in order to try his chance at fame and fortune in the mech fields.

One of the driving forces behind Braham is his significant desire for combat, and testing himself. After a crucible of war in 3039, his unit emerged strengthened and solidified. Instead of wanting a break, Essex wants more, and bored with the prospect of largely interchangeable contracts for largely interchangeable people, instead he will, for now, seek out the arenas of Solaris VII.

You can find info about Braham Essex, the people close to him, his home planet, his unit, and more in the previous threads. I am going to skip most of the introductory stuff.




The beginning and first almost decade:

The Battletech Dynasty - Front Office Football Central


The 3039 Wars are accounted for here:

The BattleTech Dynasty: 3039 - Front Office Football Central

Here is what Braham Essex is bringing with him:


Several techs
One negotiator and organizer

The following mechs:

Atlas
Jenner 7F variant
Orion
Hunchback


The following parts that can be used and scavenged for modifications to normal IS mechs.

2750 Champion RA, H, RL, LL, LT
2750 Sentinel RA, RT, H
Koschei LL
Katana RA, LL
LosTech Dragon 5N H, LL, RL, RA, LA, LT - just parts
I also bring two Medium Pulse Lasers

2 infantry platoons:

Foot Rifle Infantry
Motorized Rifle Infantry

Previously from Phaeton Company, and will help with security and such.

June 7, 3039 - We arrive on Solaris VII and we rest a small estate in the International District. I have our negotiator begin to try and find us our first fight. There are a lot of dispossessed mechwarriors here, but unlike them, I have my own mechs.

In the meantime, I begin my modifications. On the flight here, I had my techs whip up some modifications to one of my mechs:

Pull off both SRM4s and ammo and the AC10 and LRM15. I make some changes.


Orion ON1-Abe

4/6 movement
192 points of armor, and extra half ton from the original

Weapons:
2 Medium Lasers, in the CT
AC20 in the RT
LRM10, SRM6 in the LT along with four tons of ammo, 2 for the AC20, and 1 each for the LRM and SRM6
12 heat sinks
CASE in the LT, taken from the parts of one of the LosTech mechs.

June 17, 3039 - We get a light mech match in an outside venue. I grab my Jenner variant and head to the King of the Hill arena, a large hill used for mech combat outside the normal area.


June 18, 3039 - Battle day arrives. I randomly roll my foe and get…

A regular pilot in a Stinger. Easy play.

We have painted our mech in a Jolly Roger style paintjob.



Jenner vs Stinger






I don’t see him on the first turn, despite jumping up near to the top.

Two more turns pass and we can’t find each other yet. After a few more turns I find him.

I push him down into the water, and he falls and breaches. Dead mech. Never even hit me once.

This should be fun to follow. I'm here as always. Good luck!

Tell

Thanks!

July 12, 3039 - We get a medium mech battle in The Mud Pit, another arena outside the normal stuff.

My foe is a regular pilot in a Phoenix Hawk, and I am rocking the Hunchy.



Phoenix Hawk vs. Hunchback




Here we go:

After a turn of moving, I move myself 8 spaces away from their Phoenix Hawk in order to fire my weapons at it. My AC20 hits its LT. It hits me with its Large Laser in my CT.

The next turn, I move to stay 9 away from it. Again I hit it in the Left Torso, and it is destroyed, and the LA is on the floor.

We each miss each other.

My AC20 hits it in the RA and destroys it, and it falls down. With no weapons left it surrenders.

August 4, 3039 - We get another light mech match for The Arena, a cement laden area with a few destroyed buildings. I accept.

Our foe: veteran pilot in Valkyrie


Valkyrie vs. Jenner




On the first turn, with a torso twist, I manage to get in the Valkyrie’s rear angle and plug four medium lasers into it. Three hit its center torso, and it is dead in the first turn.

August 8, 3039 - With a 3-0 record, we are starting to get noticed. Let me tell you how Solaris VII works.

You can have one of three statuses. The first is independent, which I currently am. I have my own person sign up our matches, I own my own mechs, techs, security and more.

The second way is through a stable. The best and better mechwarriors are part of a stable. A stable owns mechs, pays you a salary to fight, has connections, training, and support. It takes a cut of your winnings. It can get you the bigger venues and the bigger action more quickly.

The third way is through a cooperative. These are a collection of mechwarriors who pool their mechs and money together and support each other.


Solaris VII has a rating of the top 20 mechwarriors, and they are all in various stables.

Cool idea, very Justin Zhang :P

Yeah, or even the next generation with Kai.

Now, we are not your normal independent. I have financial backing from my unit, multiple mechs that are mine, and everything I need to succeed. However, I would enjoy the contacts that stables have. All stables have affiliations with a Great House. Here are the ones I think I have an inroad with:


Fitzhugh Stables, this Marik affiliated stable is run by a guy from the Duchy of Andurien, and he has strong pro-Andurien sentiments. The current #5 MechWarrior is from their stable. Their standard contract is to take 20% of winnings. He is an okay taskmaster. He doesn’t like it when people break their contract, and he likes to develop close ties with his fighters. They have a rivalry with Bromley Stables.

White Hand Stables - Currently they have the #3 MechWarrior. This is the best Davion affiliated stable out there, it takes 20% cut typically, and it is rated among he highest stables of all. Their contracts tend to be long term and unbreakable. They are known to pamper successful mechwarriors. They have no rivalries.

Starlight Stables - Another Davion stable, this one has the #4 MechWarrior on its roster, as well as the best rating too. 20% is their standard contract, plus the stable master is known as the fairest and most honest of them all. He has a rivalry with Blackstar Stables.


Now, I could try for the others. Perhaps a Pro-Liao stable, or a Pro-Kurita or even a Pro-Steiner one would be okay.

However, of the lot, I think Starlight is my best chance for success.

I request a meet with Tran Ky Bo, stable master of Starlight Stables.

Aug 10, 3040 - Due to the unusual nature of my request, and with a 3-0 record, including two impressive kills under my belt, Tran agrees to see me. He has 19 mechwarriors and 21 mechs right now including #4, Bassem Dichari.

We discuss many things. There is no doubt that I am talented enough to be in his stable. I guarantee him that I am good enough to be in his 19. He accept the claim without question. Where the sticking ground remains is around the issue of mechs, support, salary and cut.

My arrangement is unusual. Usually, an independent is happy to surrender control of their mech to finally join a stable, since it is usually beaten down, half destroyed, and so forth. However, I have four of my own mechs plus my own techs and everything else. I don’t need as much from a stable. He recognizes this. However, he also has to consider his 19. To give me special treatment does not make sense, even though my circumstances are different.

Therefore, we agree to a temporary three month sponsorship. For three months, I am paid no salary and receive no benefits from Starlight, but they agree to get me into some bigger matches. We’ll see how the affiliation goes. And make decisions later.

Aug 21, 3040 - Our first match in a major arena arrives. This is a medium mech match. We will be one of three tickets today in The Factory, an old factory with a lot of junk throughout. Our opponent today will be:

Veteran in a…Centurion, which I actually like for Solaris VII games. Alright, here we go.






Hunchback vs. Centurion




The first couple of turns, I move up into the actual factory building.

We finally see our foe. We are on the upper floor of the factory, and the Centurion is on the ground. He hits me for 5 damage with a glancing blow from the AC10.

Everybody misses,

They hit my CT for 10 with the AC10 and an LRM pings me for 6. Then my AC20 hits its CT and goes internal. It falls down.

It stands up and tries to hide, but I move to the edge and find it. My AC20 hits its RT, ignites its ammo and it explodes.


Dead Centurion.


Winnings: 250,000


I am now elite again.

Woot, good showing!

Tell

Thanks!

Sept 13, 3040 - We get a heavy mech match with another opponent, and this one will be in The Coliseum. Each time you play in this, they lift up the pillars in different patterns, so the arena changes its configuration. We will be using the modified Orion.


They are elite and in a Warhammer. The battle value favors them. The Coliseum is laid out in an X with some huge pillars blocked off certain routes.











We run into each other immediately. I hit him with an AC20 in one of his legs. He hits me with both PPCs in the RT and CT.

My Ac20 hits his RT. A medium Laser and SRM6 both follow. He misses me.

I slip behind a wall and deheat.

I walk around the corner and almost run into him. I alpha strike him with everything but the LRM10. I hit his RT with my AC20 again, and it blows off, dropping his RA.

He moves first, and to somewhere I can’t see him. And I stand still in order to deheat.

I almost run into him again. I again alpha straike unload on him. A lot o fdamage is dealt. He hits me with a PPC, medium and small laser.

We lose each other for two turns over the wall before I come around a corner and find him. I hit his gyro twice and engine one, and he is now a dead mech, so he surrenders.


Victoire.




Winnings: 300,000

Oct 17, 3039 - We have our final bout, a light mech match in the Coliseum again.

There are only five major arenas, one for each house. The Factory, The Jungle, The Coliseum, Ishiyama and the Davion Holographic Arena.

My foe is an elite Spider pilot.




Jenner Spider







I manage to run my Jenner behind their Spider, but it jumped 7, so it will still be hard to hit. I go internal in the RT and hit two jump jets. I then kick it, go internal, and hit a hip actuator.

It jumps away and I can’t find it this turn.

After four turns of cat and mouse, I finally find it. I hit two more leg actuaords and it falls.

I Alpha strike it and destroys its right arm and two mor ejump jets.

I am massively overheat, so I just base it, ge hit byu both medium lasers, I trip it, but oit fails to fall. I destroys its LT, RA and it faills, and the pilot blacks out.


Victoire.



Winnings: 300,000

Oct 21, 3040 - I am now 6-0, with three wins in the major arenas. People want to see the guy who runs a mercenary regiment here, fighting for fun. After a long conversation with Tran, we sign the following contract.


I get paid no salary
I do not use Starlight Stables techs or equipment
They protect me from other stables and the mob
They use their contacts in order to get me matches
They get 10% of my winnings

If I need to use one of their mehcs for a reason (for example, if I am in a arena where my mechs suck) then we default to a different contract with 30% of winnings theirs, instead of the normal 20.

October 31, 3040 - The Hallows Eve Grand Melee is today. This is open to five mechwarriors from each stable, using any mech they want, in The Jungle. This is a dense jungle area. Starlight agrees to send me after I defeat two of their better MWs in simulations.

What happens is each stable’s five are entered into a random drawing. Then one random MechWarrior from each stable is pulled out for round one. Round one will see one random MechWarrior from each of the 12 major stables fight in a grand melee. Then Round two, three, four and five will put random pairings. At the end, the five winners will go into their own grand melee to determine an ultimate champion.

The prize is 5 million C-Bills.

The major Mechwarriors do not participate in this. If you are in the Top 20, or right behind it, you have nothing to gain by this, but a lot to lose.


Due to the denseness of the Jungle, I am considered about going with what people might expect, my Atlas. It’s LRM20 is useless here. But it has a lot of armor. It’s also slow. Still, other folks will be regularly taking the heavy stuff, and I‘m not going to be able to get away with my Jenner.

Good luck with the Melee!

Thanks! I actually started it last night and then suspended it until tonight because it was taking so long.

Here we go:


We are drawn as the Starlight rep in Round 1.



This is going to be awesome, I hope.

I don’t even know if this will work on MegaMek or not. Guess I’m about to find out.

Looks like the most # of teams I can have is five. Suck.

Alright, let me think of a new way to configure this.

All 12 are here, but instead of a Grand Melee a few are randomly assigned partners.

Wait, maybe I can assign them all no team. Perhaps that will work, let’s find out.


Here are our foes:

White Hand, elite, Awesome
Blacklight, elite, edge: 1, BattleMaster
Bromley, elite, Banshee
Delon, veteran, Atlas
Fitzhugh, elite, edge: 1, Stalker
Lion City, elite, Warhammer 6L
Oonthrax, veteran, Crusader
Overlord, elite, Goliath
Silver Dragon, elite, Daboku
Tandrek, elite, melee specialist, Quickdraw 5A
Zelazni, elite, BattlemASter



I like the Tandrek pilot’s Qucikdraw in theory, because it has a ton of medium lasers and an SRM and fast movement for the map, but it has uh light armor. Still, I respect someone trying to play the arena instead of playing the opponent.

We begin in the NW corner by the White Hand Awesome, both BattleMasters and the Quickdraw.

We will be going second to last in the turn order.


Here we go.

The other Atlas is out by itself, so they are not even distribution. We got the heavy end of the area. I actually like my Atlas where it is so I don’t move. I fire at the Awesome. Get this, my AC20 hit sthe Awesome in the head, but its just a glancing blow, but the critical hits is sensors.

Round two is here. We are moving third to last in this round - tactical genius here is brilliant. I use my stationary, hide behind trees again. Oh, by the way, this Jungle is not Double Blind, you know where everybody is at all times for the grand melee here. The Zelazni BattleMaster is getting savaged by the Blacklight Bm. Get this, I do 16 damage with my LRM 20 to the Awesome, and the final point of damage goes to the head, with just 2 points left in internal strucutre. That guys has survived twice due to luck. The Awesome pilot blocks out. Both the savaged Zelazni BM and the Awesome fall down.

I am moving 4th this turn, and I found the weakness of Tactical Genius. Then I roll a tie, we rell al of the tie,s and the game only allows me to reroll the tied reoll when that happens. I rolled a 4 and tied someone else, and then I rolled a 7. I can only reroll that 7, not my initial 4, but in real BattleTech I could do that. As such, I am going 4th. I hold my ground. Our rival, the Blacklight BM moves t wards me. The Quickdraw destroys the Zelazni’s Bms RL. I dice into the Blacklight BM and hit its PPC. The Awesome pilot wakes up, the Zelazni one stays sleeping.

I am in the middle of the pack this turn. The Awesome rises. The mor eI play on this map the more I like the Quickdraw choice. The Awesome and Blacklight BM keep bumping each other. More damage getting dealt. Zelazni pilot still asleep.

I am 3rd ot last this turn. The Zelazni BM loses its RT from the Awesome’s PPCs. The Awesome falls under the onslaught of the Blacklight BM. Zelazni pilot still out.

Middle of the pack this turn. I move into some woods. The Awesome rises I destroy the Blacklight’s RA. It destroys the Awesome’s CT. Their Goliaths hit’s the engine twice on the Zelazni BM who remains out.

3rd to last again. The Goliath destroys the Zelazni;s engine and gets that kill. My AC20 hits their BattleMaster in the CT.

Middle of the Pack. I take a bunch from their BM and I miss with my big weapons. Ammo is starting to become a concern. The Banshee falls.

4th to move this turn. I have to move up. I use another load of precious ammo and crack open the BM’s CT and hit its engine and gyro each once. It falls.

I get a move just after Blacklight. They either fail to stand or could not stand. I move to where I can kick it. I want to save my ammo and just use my med lasers and feet. The Goliath and Daboku are taking hsots at me this turn. Yuck. I kick it in the RT< it is destroyed, and then the damage goes to its CT and it is destroyed. I killed the Blacklight mech, our stable’s rival.

I move my Atlas back into trees. There is still, on thie field, an undamaged Atlas just firing LRMs at people. The Banshee hit’s the Stalkers engoine and gryo once each.

That Atlas fires its LRM20 on me after moving to get me in its sights. It misses. The Daboku hits the Crusader’s hip and the Crusader falls.

I move first this time - ugh. The following mechs are still pristine - Quickshot, Atlas, Daboku, Goliath. The Goliath and Daboku started in the same corner and have never attacked each other. Maybe they agreed to a temporary truce. Someone actually tacks the Qucikdraw this turn. The Warhammer and banshee hammer the Crusader and it falls again.

Their banshee is firing at me. It misses.

I start moving to a new location. The Banshee again fires at me. It hits me with a PPC.

I move into some woods. The Warhammer destroys the Crusade’s LL. The Daboku fires at me.

I move again, I am almost at my target. The Warhamer hit’s the Stalker in the head with its PPC but does not take it off.

I move and I am now, officially, in one of the few patches of heavy woods in my area. I am along side a stream. I think the Q Draw might jump and base me though, we’ll see. Their Banshee is still firing at me, and its pissing me off. Especially since the Daboku is firing at the Banshee with everything its got.

I move last this turn. I use one of my 5 loads of LRM 20 ammo on the Daboku. Someone;s got to take it down. I miss, rolling a 4. Grrr.

We move last. Let’s do an ammo check. 4 shots of AC20, 4 shots of LRM20, 7 of SRM6. I gotta hold onto it. How about others? The Daboku has 6 shots of LRM10 left, and is using them twice a turn. Three turns left. AC5 is out on the Banshee. Goliath has 2 rounds of LRM10 left, and those are both used this turn my guess is. Stalke rhas 5 loads left and two launchers too. That makes the opposing Atlas, Quickdraw and Warhammer the most dangerous mechs left. Stalker destroys the Banshee’s RA>

The opposing Atlas is now out of LRm20 ammo. The Banshee destroys the Crusader’s LL.

I try to set some forests on fire in front of me. Success.

Another round arrives. This is the 27th round. The Goliath and Atlas are still untouched. They are just standing there, and no one is challenging either one. Actually the Daboiku just used its awesome range to attack ther Atlas with its four AC2.

At round 30, the rule change to encourgae people to move it and attack, but for now, peopel are still playing cautious nancy.

The Goliath finally fired at the Daboku and hit it with a PPC.

Round 30 is here, at the end of this round, a slight rule change occurs. Another PPC hit by the Goliath.

The Banshee and Crusader are deemed defeated. The remaining mechs are moves to a short range map to duke it out. Armor is stapled onto the mechs , ammo is still depleted.

The last 7 are now fighting in a smaller section of the jungle. It’s a little mor eopen too.

Here we go.

Remmebr, a lot of mechs are missing ammo, but everyone is rearmored. This favors mechs like the Warhammer, Atlas, and Quickdraw. The Goliath gets a through armor critical on the Daboku;s empty LRM10 ammo slot. The DeLon Atlas charged into the middle and took a lot of damahge. I diced some lasers into the Quickdraw. The pilot goes unconscious.

The RL of the Quikcdraw is destroyed by the DeLon Atlas. Pilot still out.

I go 2nd to last. I send a couple of Mls the Atlas’s way. The Atlas destroys the Quickdraw’s RA. Quickdraw pilot awakens.

I run into the Atlas’s rear arc while it concentrates on the Quickdraw. I use a precious AC20 shot. Their Atlas destroys the Qucikshot. My AC20 hits their RT and hits its AC20, knocking it out. That;s some irony.

I move into the woods, still behind their Atlas. The Daboku hit’s the Goliaths head with its Large Laser and shears it off. Dead Goliath.

I move into the rear arc again. I miss three 6s

I still manage to move into its rear arc. I hits its SRM6.

It backs up against the area barrier and I cannot back attack it this round. The only weapons it has left are two medium lasers to the front and two to the back. The Warhammers hits the Daboku;s engine twice.

They have to move their Atlas, and again I walk behind. The Warhammer punches the Daboku in the head and it dies.

Mechsleft: Me, Delon Atlas, Stalker, Warhammer


Back arc again. I hit a Medium laser and the LRM20. I kick it and it takes 20 to its leg.

I move behind it again, but farther away, because I want to start getting close to the Stalker. That is the next natural target. I destroy the Atlas’s LA.

This time I go in front and above their Alas, since they have just one forward facing laser. Eveyrbody exchanges fire. Then I kick and kick the Atlas’s head, dealing 20 to hit. Dead Atlas, and dead MechWarrior. That’s going to piss off DeLon.

And then there were three.

I am in the Stalker’s rear arc. It fires at me, and I use some of my precious ammo on it. AC20 and LRM20 both miss, Argh.

I run up to their Stalker. We need to finish this. It hit it hard with AC20, SRM6, and medium lasers. I take out an SRM6. I take some serious damage back though. I kick it, dealing 20 to its RL.

I run behind its back. I kick it in the leg and it takes another 20.

I get behind it again. I am just firing lasers at it, saving my ammo for the Warhammer. I kick and destroys its RL.

The Stalker manages to stand back up. It alpha strikes me and does a ton of dmagae to me. It fall sback down under damage from me and the Warhammer though. I kick it and destroy its LA and LT.

I ignite the Stalker’s ammo and it explode.s Just me and the Warhammer left.

I fire at it, even with my AC20. It hit’s the mech;s CT and cracks it open. One each engine and a gyro hit. It falls.

It stands and I move closer. I fire my last round of AC20 ammo. It hit’s and destroys the LT.

The Warhammers runs to me, but I sidestep to its left side. We smash each othe rwith a lot of damage and both manage to stay standing. I kick and miss.

It tries to run through woods, and I follow as best I can. A medium laser of mine darts out, hit sits CT, and destroys the section. The Warhammer is toast, and I have win the first round.


I also gained Edge: 4.

The other winners are:

Overlord, elite, edge: 2, BattleMaster 1S
White Hand, elite, laser specialist, Warhammer 6D
Tandrek, elite, Atlas
Silver Dragon, elite, edge: 1, Awesome


All of our mechs have been repaired, rearmed and rearmored.

We are playing again on the smaller map.

Nice job, now to kick the rest of their asses!

Tell

Wow that was a long fight. Grats.

My longest ever, and I just finished the finals.

I begin in the same corner as before, the NW one. They start slugging each other but I am in thick woods where I started.

I begin to move out. I fire at their BattleMaster.

Their Atlas falls after taking a ton of damage.

I make a major move to get me in firing range, but also expose me. I need four 7s for AC20, SRM6 and two Mls and I miss every one. Their Awesome took the Warhammer ot the edge of the field, and then pushed it off. The Warhammer is out for going past the boundaries. Smart.

Their Atlas destroys the BM’s RA> Both myself and the BM open up on the Atlas. You’re going to love this. The Atlas punches the Battlemaster and hit’s its ammo, boom! Meanwhile, eh BM kicked the Atlas and hit two leg actuators, and it falls hard.

And then there were three.

I run over to the Atlas. It fails ot stand, falls and hits both its LRM20 and SRM6. AC20 destroys its LL.

It can’t stand, I destroys its LT. Then I kick it and destroys its CT.


Just me and the Awesome.

It hits me three times, and I miss with my LRM20. I need to close fast.

We miss each other.

We are behind ahill

Woods in the way.

I Alpha Strike it, even with m yLRM20, and destroys its RA after my AC20 softened it up and the LRM and Medium laser followed.

I hit a PPC in its left torso. That leaves it just one PPC and a small laser.

I tear into it again.

My AC20 hits its CT and it is destroyed. Dead Awesome/



Prize, 5,000,000 C Bills, 4,500,000 after cut is taken.


I gain a piloting skill. I am again at maximum. This is where I was at before the accident.

November 20, 3040 - After much celebration, I have my next match, a heavy mech fight in the Factory. I take my Orion.


My opponent is elite from Lion City, and is piloting a Marauder MAD-5R-2W rare variant. It pulls off most of the weaponry for three large lasers, 24 heat sinks to disperse them all, two mediums. No AC5 ammo issues, unlike many other MADs. In fact, no ammo issues at all.






Orion Marauder







My opponent is quite elite, with two edge and gunnery laser. After my win, the good pilots are gunning for me.

I spend 6 turns hunting for my foe before I find her,

My AC20 hits her head, but it is relolled with edge and hits her LL instead. I get hit with all three large lasers.

My AC20 cracks open its RT and hit’s a large laser.

AC20 to its LA. It hits me with every laser it has. It falls, I do not.

I alpha strike it,It hits me with every laser again. Nether of us fall. I kickjit for another r15, and it is still standing.

She tries to run but she is smart and keeps her back to the factory wall. I close. My LA is pened up and almost gone. I miss. I kick her and destroy her LL. She tumbles.

She gets up. I Alpha stike her an destroys her LA, RA and RT. She falls again.

Without any weapons, she signals her surrender before I get a chance to kick her.



I get 450,000 after take.

Nov 23, 3040 - I find out that the MechWarrior pilot in the Atlas whose head I decimated and killed was Jason Vinson. Why is that important? Because he was the son of Pada Vinson, CO of Vinson’s Vigilantes, a mercenary group we’ve had a few run ins with before. You might recall us kicking their ass once in Galaport, capital of Galatea. They also were one of the mercenary commands to take advantage of the Free Rasalhague Republic during its nascent stage, when we helped the Rasalhague people. Just recently, they complained because they were not given the prime salvage during the War of 3039 while operating of the allies in Drac territory, and they have sued the Federated Suns, Duke Sandoval, and a half dozen other people. Idiots. I don’t even know who would want to pay them anymore.

Anyway, Pada Vinson has just sent me a death threat. I laughed at it. If his ability to follow through on a threat is anything like his ability to command a mercenary unit…well, let‘s just say I have more to worry about from a diseased bum in the Solaris City streets than I do from Pada Vinson.

Dec 4, 3040 - We get a match with medium mechs in The Coliseum.


This is with a DeLon elite pilot with a modified Trebuchet 5S with two SRM6s, three medium lasers, and 18 heat sinks to fire them all. He has edge: 1.





Hunchback Trebuchet







Alright, here we go.


First two rounds, we don’t find each other.

We run into each other on the third after each of us goes around a giant column. I miss a 3 for the AC20, how dumb. I get hit with every weapon he has.

This time I hit and destroy his LA. I need a 3 to stay standing after taking a ton of damage, and I fail, falling down.

I get up and run around the column right in front of him. He destroys my RA and I destroys hits LT.

He hits my AC20 and I hit his hip actuator and he falls. I kick him and destroy his LL.

I order my AC20 ammo to be dumped and back up behind a pillar where I hope Mr Legless cannot follow.

I stand where I am as the ammo dumps.

The next turn I move to where he was, expecting to still see him there. I shoot him with the medium and small lasers that I have left and take the damage he deals back.

I hit his engine and gyro next turn. He hits my AC20 a few more times. He falls, and his CT is destroyed and the mech is down.


Victory, but expensive.


Wallet - 450,000 take home




Dec 18, 3040 - My people mourn the one year anniversary of the passing of the Duchy of Andurien.

Climbing the ranks is getting you some much tougher opponents, so far so good though!

Tell

Yup!

Dec 18, 3040 - My people mourn the one year anniversary of the passing of the Duchy of Andurien.


Dec 31, 3040 - The next Grand Melee is held, an end of year celebration in the Davion Stadium. This Stadium has the old Star League vintage tech holographic capability and can make any map they desire. The most popular is called the Boreal Reach in freezing cold and a chasm quite deep, but that will not be used today. Instead, this open tournament will be in a small quarters with the intention of being harsh, fast, and vicious.

They are playing today‘s event in the Sand Dunes, a recreation of a desert, with a few hills, but no foliage to speak of.

Because we won the last Grand Melee, there is no question that Starlight will sponsor us as one of the five in this one. The purse is 5,500,00 for the winner.


I will again be taking my Atlas.

Just like last time, random selection from the five entries, yadda yadda yadda.


Here they are:

DeLon - Atlas, elite, edge: 2
Blackstar - Banshee, elite, melee specialist
Bromley - Charger, elite, melee specialist
Fitzhugh - Awesome, elite
Silver Dragon - Charger 1A9, elite, edge: 2, tactical genius
Oonthrax - Zeus, elite
Lion City - Atlas, elite
Overlord - BattleMaster 1S, elite, edge: 1
Tandrek - Victor, elite
Zelazni - Cyclops 10Z, elite, edge:2
White Hand - Atlas, elite, edge:3


We are not playing Double Blind, which means no one can hide anywhere.

We are starting on the south edge. That Charger pilot looks good.


As you can see, there are four Atlas’s running around in a sea of 12 mechs. A popular choice for this.

There are 6 AC20s, so have of the crowd is rocking the biggest baddest gun on the planet.


Time to play.

Their Victor starts right beside me. Also nearby is the White Hand Atlas.

I make a risky move and charge into the middle of the area. The Lion City Atlas exposes its rear to me and I fire. My AC20 hits its LT and its LRM ammo ignites and I kill it on the first turn. The DeLon Atlas hit’s the Banshee in the head with an SRM6 missle, it is a through armor critical, and hit’s the cockpit, killing the MW inside. The Banshee falls to the ground. Two kills this turn. The Oonthrax Zeus gets knocked unconscious by a head hit and falls. The Cyclops punches the Bromley Charger in the head and destroys it. Dead MechWarrior. A lot of death this turn.

With a lot less mechs in the area all of the sudden, I feel more naked and back up. I fire my LRM 20 and the Cyclops. The Charger 1A9 hit’s the Zeus head with its Medium Laser, killing the mech and the pilot within.

I run to somewhere where I get partial cover. The White Hand Atlas destroys the Cyclops RA.

I don’t’ move, to give myself a chance of hitting the major threat still around, the untouched Awesome. I hit it with all 20 missles. The White Hand Atlas falls.

The White Hand Atlas destroys the Cyclops, and its engine overloads and goes. It rakes the Victor and Atlas for damage.

I decide to move in to the Awesome to take it out now. The DeLon Atlas hits me for some LRM damage. I hit the gyro and engine of the Awesome with my AC20. The Victor destroys the White Hand Atlas’s cockpit. Another dead mech and MechWarrior. This has been vicious. The White Hand Atlas returns the favor by blowing up the Victor’s AC20 ammo. Both mechs kill each other, boom. The Awesome falls.

Mechs left: DeLon Atlas, Charger 1A1, Awesome, Battlemaster, me.

I destroy the RT and a second engine hit on the Awesome. I take a few Lrms from the Charger. The battleMaster and DeLon Atlas unload into each other.

The Charger destroys the Awesoms CT which pisses me off because that should have been my kill. Just four left.

I move towards the Charger. We both unload into each other, hitting with every weapon. The Battlemaster falls.

The Charger retreats, and I begin to move around a sand dune to hit it. The Atlas destroys the BM’s LT, while the Charge manages to hit a pair of leg actuaotrs on the DeLon Atlas. The BattleMaster is destroyed by akick.

Leaving DeLon Atlas, Silver Dragon Charger, and me.

They fire at each other. The Charger moves to the Atlas’s upper level and kicked. He destroys the Atlas’s ammo and it goes up. The Atlas pucnhes and destroyed the Chargers LT, LL and LA.

So it’s just me vs. a massively wounded Charger.,

I miss with Lrms

I hit with Lrms

My Lrms destroys its engine and it dies.

I gain Melee Specialist.


We win this round.

Holy damn that was one deadly fight!

Tell

Yeah, quite bloody. Probably the bloodiest I've seen.

Here are the other four winners:


White Hand, elite, Banshee 3S, which is really good, edge:3
DeLon, elite, Victor, edge: 2, maneuvering ace
Lion City, elite, Awesome, gunnery: laser, edge: 2, maneuvering ace
Tandrek, elite, Atlas, gunnery: ballistc

Here we go.

I manage to win the roll for delplyment and go last, whew. That’s good.

I go last. Three of us attack the Awesome.

I go last this time too. I get a shot at the Victor’s back and take it, but to no result.

The Awesome makes a move towards me so I reciprocate. My AC20 cracks open its LL and hits its hip actuator. The Tandrek Atlas hit’s the Awesome with an AC20 too. In its head. Dead Awesome and pilot. Several PPCs lance into me but I remain standing.

I get a chance at the Tandrek’s Atlas’s reaer with my LRM20. I miss with the 5 needed, and the 9s on the Mls and SRM6.

I get another rear shot as I win initiative. My AC20 hits its RTR but I miss a bunch of 5s neede for lasers and SRM.

After a turn where I lose iniatiave and hide, I come back the Tandrek Atlas. I miss three 6s and only manage and glacing blow with the AC20. ARGH. Would you hit please. Damn.

This time, it outflanks me when I lose initiative. I manage to hit it with everything, and noot only it, but the Banshee, also tack me. Their Atlas falls, I stand.

I run mine over to theirs. I hit a foot actuaor in its RL when my AC20 cracks it open. It hits my LL with its AC20, but I have 21 armor left there. I kick it and it takes 20 damage to its LL where it has tons of armor left. It punches me twice in the LT and opens up my armor there.

I destroy their Atlas’s RA.

It hits my LRM 20 and the Banshee hits its hip actuator while I hit it in the CT with my AC20 and it absorbs the damage. It falls and I kick it for 21 damage.

I order my LRM20 ammo to dump. I miss with my weapons but kick it for 21 damage.

My ammo dumps. He destroys my LT, and I hit his ammo and he ignites. Kill for me, but I am with an arm and torso.

The only weapons I have left are two shots of AC20 and a medium laser. I decid eto get near the wounded Victor, who has been hiding for a long time, the little wuss. The Banshee hits my engine and gyro but I remain standing.

I decide to eject.

Several rounds later, the Banshee moves into the Victor’s range. A few rou nds of exchnage later and the modified Banshee wins it.





For coming in third, I win 750,000, 675,000 after take home.


I spend a lot to fix my Atlas. I spend my winnings from the last several events (not the one with the 5 million check thought)

It's rare that I...lose. Yuck. Ah well, silly Grand Melees.

Jan 13, 3041 - We get a light mech mattle in Ishiyama. This is the Draconis Combine arena. It is a giant mountain, but the arena is below it in a bunch of tunnels. You have to hunt in this giant arena.


Our foe is a Lion City Javelin 10F, which is my favorite light mech. The pilot is elite.





Jenner Javelin








We each exchange Medium Lasers on the first turn in the caves. I manage to hit the Jav’s head once.

We exchange fire

We exchange fire. I have lost initiative every time, so I cannot run away and get deheated. That’s the only way I’m winning this, I have to win the initiatve.

Finally won it. We each hit each other with all four medium lasers. I kick it in the LT and it is destroyed.

I won this time only with Tactical Genius. A medoum laser hits its head and the mech falls silently to the round, the Lion City pilot killed.


Purse - 450k take home

Feb 6, 3041 - We get a heavy mech match in the Coliseum. I take the modified Orion. My foe.


Elite, edge: 1, our rival Blackstar, in the Davion arena - The Boreal Reach, this is the most popular of the maps available. He will be piloting a Thunderbolt.





Thunderbolt







Here we go.

We start near each other, and I open with an AC20 and LRM10. The AC20 hits, the LRM does not. I take a bunch of damage but manage to stay standing.

I charge near to him. I get another AC20 hit in its RL. I take a bunch again, neither of us falls.

I win initiative and run into his rear arc. AC20 to his LL, he does not fall. I punch his RA and it goes critical and gets a Limb Blown Off critical. Then I punch him in the head and take off all of the external armor.

Despite my abiliite,s I love init, and choose to stand still. He cannot get around me with his speed. He just spins so he can bear his weapons on me.

20 to his LT, a few SRMs. He hits me with every weapon he has left, which is almost everything. He kicks me and I stay standing. I punch him twice, and once of those hit’s a medium laser.

I lose initiatve and stay standing. He moves away so I cannot double punch again. So I go overheat and fire all non-LRM weapons. We destroys his LT. He hits two leg actuaotrs on my RL. I manage to stay standing.

I win, and move to his left side. L ead with everything and my AC20 hits hits LA, er, I mean LT, er I mean CT. Lasers follow and the mech dies.

Another kill.

Purse 540k take home

Keep up the wins!

March 18, 3041 - We get another heavy match at The Jungle. I take it. Here is our foe:

Zelazni, elite, edge: 2, melee specialist, Warhammer








Orion 'Hammer








Okay, here we go.


By the way, the BV favors our opponent.

We each run at each other. I hit him for 8 with an LRM10, and I take a PPC.

I win init. I get in a good place, miss with my AC20 and hit with the SRM6.

I lost initially, but won after rerolling. I hit its LL for 20.

I win init. I miss a 5 for my AC20 but hit an SRM6. I get nailed and almost fall. I kick him and he takes 16.

I lose init. Hmm, what to do. I back up by some trees, but not in them, and he turns and follows. AC 20 on his RA and then I miss a 3 on the SRM6.

I lose again, and back up again. AC20 on its CT,and the SRM destroys its RA. It nails with with an alpha strike and I miss a 3 and fall.

I win init. I stand up and run into some trees. My AC20 hits his LL. He uses the turn to heat down.

I win init. I run up next to him. I alpha strike him with everything but my LRM10. He hits my hip actuators. I dole out some serious hurt. Bastards kicks and destroys my RL. I punch his RT and hit a ML. I fall.

I win init. I hop up. Time to end this. I alpha sstrike him with everything, and my last weapon, an SRM6, destroys his CT> I win. Missin ga leg, but I win.


Purse: 540,000

I get Maneuvering Ace.

April 1, 3041 - We have an April Fool’s Day Grand Melee at The Coliseum, but I am held out, in preparation for a new match.


The winner comes from White Hand Stables.

April 12, 3041, after having gone undefeated in duels, and winning one of two Grand Melees, I am now ranked just below the Top 20. After some maneuvering, I am able to nab a matchup with the #20 MW on the list.


My foe:

Glenn Edenhoffer, from Oonthrax in a modified Stalker.

Elite+ (that means 2/2, like me instead of 2/3 like others)
Edge: 3
Maneuvering Ace
Pain Resistance
Stalker 3H with a bunch of LRMs, heat sinks, and more.







Atlas Stalker







I can play any mech I want, but I am taking the Atlas. We are playing in The Factory.

Double Blind is on.

Purse is 2 million for the winner.





For four turns, we maneuver around the Factory, hunting for a head.

I pop out from around a bend and there the Stalker is. I am able to close into 13 hexes this turn, and fire my LRM20. I miss him, and he hits with both of his LRM20s.

I win init. I get to 9 spaces away. I manage to nail him with an AC20 to the RT, plus my Lrm20 huts him too. He hits me with two LRM20s, SRM6 and ML, and we both stay standing.

I lose Init but charge him. He runs right next to me. AC20 to hoits LT, plus some other weapons, but I dodge some of his fire. We both kick each other, no one falls.

I lose Init and run backwards 3. He moves away too in order to LRM20 me. I AC20 him and hit his LRM ammo and he goes up. BOOM!

We win.


We nab 1,800,000 C Bills.

Was that MW able to eject or did he follow his Mech into death? Awesome fights you have going, that one wasn't looking great then bam, ammo up!

Tell

He ejected.

Thanks!

May 1, 3041 - The new rankings come out, and we move to #20.


Because we are now ranked, I am getting a lot of press coverage and more. I am no longer going to be fighting random folks, and all of my matches are big.

June 8, 3041 - We are matched against another up-and-comer who hasn’t been stopped by much either. This former Draconis Combine officer for Silver Dragon has a LosTech mech from the War of 3039 ad is ready to use it against us.


Meet elite+, edge:2, tactical genius
Hatamoto-Chi


We are fighting in The Stadium


I can take anything. I choose to grab my Atlas.







Atlas Hatamoto-Chi





My unit slew Dragons two years ago, can I do so now?

Here we go. He chose to start on top of a 10 level column, which I cannot get up too, so no physical combat in this match. Smart, it eliminates part of the weight advantage and my melee specialist.

I hit him with 20 missles and he hits me for a PPC.

On the next turn, I eat two PPCs. He eats an AC20 and LRM 20.

I move in. My LRM20 hits one of his PPCs. My AC20 opened up the RA that the Lrm exploited.

I hit the ammo in his RT and the CASE shunts it away, the mech does not die.

I stand completely still in order to increase my aim. I open up his CT with my AC20 like a can opener, and the SRM6 missles flit and and hit his engine three times and his mech shuts down.


Victoire.

900,000 C Bills

July 1, 3041 - The new ratings come out. We rose to #19 when the #19 lost to Glenn. Glenn moves back into #20.

There is another Grand melee this month, but we miss it.

August 14, 3041 - We get a matchup against #17.


Victor Vandergriff
Oonthrax
Modified Goliath 1E
Elite+
Edge: 3
Tactical Genius
Pain Resistance

Purse: 2.25 million.


We will be fighting in Ishiyama.


This Goliath has an AC10, Large Laser, 2 SRM4s, and a ton of armor, plus 14 heat sinks.








Atlas Goliath










I am in my Atlas. Here we go.


Here we go.

After a few truns, we run into each other at a T intersection. I hit him with my AC20, SRM6, and two medium lasers. He gets unlucky and misses 4s for both his AC10 and large laser. Bad luck, friend.

I lose init so I back up and he does not follow.

I win init and run into him again. Once gain, I hit with ever weapon I fire, while he hits with every one he fires. We both make our rolls.

He wins init. I run up to him, but he backs away. I have damaged severely his left leg rear, so he favors it, exposing his right and front sides. We each fire a ton of waeaponsa the other and hit. The smoke clears, still no major damage.

I win init. He runs, I chase him and run up to him. We each unload weapons again, and again, no major damage. I kick him in his Front Left leg and it is destroyed. He kicked me in my LL but I am still standin gwhile he is on the ground.

He wins init, I stay standing. He stands. My AC20 destroys his LT. My Medium Lasers destroys his Rear Left Leg he was protecting. Despite taking every weapon he has at close range, I stay standing but he is down permanently.

With two legs and a torso gone, he is down and out, and radios his surrender.


I win 2 million.

Heh your Atlas is crushing pple!

AC20s rock in this format, where close and crush is often the key to victory.

Sept 1, 3041- We move to #18, the #18 person moves to #17 and Victor fell to #19.

Sept 25, 3041 - We give another hotshot a chance at a big name like me.


Meet Zelazni Stables newest star:

Elite
Edge:7
Victor
They call him Lucky. You can see why.

We are fighting in The Factory.


Against the mobility of the Victor, I take my Orion.

I only give up 5 tons on the 80 ton Victor, and I am more mobile, which is important against a mech with jump jets, and I have the same big gun it has.






Orion Victor






Purse is a cool million.


I am having difficulty finding him. I fear he jumped onto the factory roof and will hop down and get me.

Which just happened. Luckily, he is still far away from me. I hit him with an LRM10, everything else misses.

I lose init. I cannot charge him like I do others cause he can jump behind me, so I just walk 3 towards him. He reciprocates. My AC20 hits his RA and then my SRM follows up and this it several more times and destroys it. His AC20 hits my RT. He falls.

I win init. He stands back up. Please note, with his RA gone, he no longer has his AC20. I spend this turn mostly deheating. I laser him twice but that’s it. I punch him twice, and one punch gets his CT and hits his engine and gyro once each. He falls.

He manges to stand, and I run around behind him. I alpha strike hm, my AC20 crashes through his rear CT armor and hit’s the gyro twice. That’s a dead mech.


Victory. 900,000 C Bills are mine.

EVENT: Sept 30, 3041 - Our first born son, James Roderick Essex, is born.

Oct 1, 3041 - Unchanged on the ratings.


Oct 10, 3041 - We get a major match. This is virtually unprecedented. Our stable’s best MW is Bassem Dichari at #4. He was injured just before a huge matchup with our rival Blackstar‘s #3 Stacey Clayton. With that injury, he cannot play. Normally, the event would be cancelled, but thse are our rivals. This is a major match for a 10 million pot. For obvious reasons, neither stable wants to back out.

So, as the second best MW for Starlight, I am the obvious person to step in for Bassem. Normally, it takes long time and a lot of climbing before you can get a match with the #3 gal. However, I’ve become sort of the talk of the town since I have yet to lose a duel, and I’m a big bad mercenary regiment commander, etc. I’m the new thing, so I am hot, and our rival can’t stand it.

I will only be taking 80% if I win this one, since Starlight had already negotiated that with the arena for Bessem.


Here is my foe:

Stacey Clayton

Elite+
Edge: 4
Melee Specialist
Tactical Genius

Modified BattleMaster

This is a Blacklight special mech, that does not exist anywhere else.

The BLR-BL7


85 tons
3/5 movement
17 heat sinks
Maximum armor


ERPPC
AC10
3x SRM2 Streak
2x ML
Small Laser
Hatchet


This is actually a very powerful design. It is going to be tough to crack it, even with my Atlas. It’s no wonder she is #3, that is a great mech. Max armor? Hatchet + melee specialist? SRM2 streaks which help with overheating? AC10 which doesn’t make that much heat? ERPPC for sniping? Definitely a good mech.










AtlasBattleMaster











We are fighting in the Davion Arena since we are both Davion stables.

It is set up The Coast. We are fighting alongside the coast of a ocean.



I honestly think the only place I have this is at range for a few rounds at the beginning. We both have one weapon each, but mine can do more damage, although spread out.

She runs at me and I am already insside her AC10 range, so now I have to keep coming. I hit with my LRM20 and she takes 12. I take an ERPPC to my LT.

I lose Init. Nothing I can do, gotta charge. Unlike other foes, I do not want to engage, I want to stay away from that hatchet. AC20 to her LT. She takes a ML and SRM6 too. I takes various damage. She misses with AC10 though.

I lose init. I back up three because I do not want to be in hatchet range. My AC20 misses, and I hit with Lrms and Mls. I take a ton of damage and stay standing.

I win init. I charge to get close. I miss a bunch of 7s and hit only with my SRM6. I take a PPC.

I run behind its back after winning init again. I take an ERPPC from a torso twist while I deliver an AC20, two medium lasers and five SRMs.

I lose init. Damn. I back up. She follows and gets just two away from me. AC20 glancing blow to its RT> It nails me with everything but the PPC which it does not fire. I manage to stay standing.

As of right now, I am internal No where. She is not internal anywhere but her rear armor.

I lost init and back up another three. She just turns and does not close. I destroys her LT with my AC20 and then LRm20. She misses 3s on her AC10 and ERPPC. Sorry.

I lose init. The only weapons she has left are ERPPC, Small laser and AC10. That’s a good amount still, but no more worries about the hatchet. I close and base her, but she runs. AC20 tears through her RT and hits her AC10 twice. She goes internal on my LA and hit’s a shoulder actuator.

I lose init. I base her, she again runs. I hit her gyro and engine each once.,

I win init. At this point, she is obviously trying for an ERPPC head hit or something to give her the win out of luck. I base her. I hit her engine a second time. I kick her leg, hit an actuator, and she falls.

She falls while trying to stand and hits her engine a third time, it shuts down. Game over.



I win 8 million C Bills.

That is my 40th victory since creating the Kilts and Commandos.

I gain another edge.

Tough battle, Sweet victory.

Very sweet indeed!

Tell

Yeah, it was close until I hit well and she missed very unlucky numbers with her AC10 and ERPPC. That one turn changed it. Before then, who knows what would have happened.

Nov 1, 3041 - We jump up to #11 on the chart after defeating Stacey and she falls to #8.

Dec 15, 3041 - Our stable master gets a match offer from #13, in order to try and move up. We accept.



Ervin Rebelke
Lion City Stables
Modified Atlas AS7-S
Elite+
Melee Specialist
Pain Resistance
Edge: 3


The AS7-S has SRM2 Streak and the major thing he has is 15 double heat sinks. That will be a major advantage.








Atlas Atlas










We are playing in The Coliseum.



Here we go.


I win init. After running I find my foe. We both hit with the big weapons, but he hits better, hitting my LT and I just hit his RA.

I lose init and flee. No chase.

I win init, run it, and push my heat by firing everything.

I lose init, back up, but he follows. My AC20 hits his SRM2 streak ammo and he explodes. His AC20 hits my Right arm and destroys it.


Victoire. I think I got a little lucky with that one. He had already destroyed my RA.


Purse: 4,500,000 to us

Luck is all good, goes great with skill!

Tell

Yeah, I was expecting this epic Atlas v Atlas showdown and instead, boom.

Dec 18, 3041 - We mourn the second anniversary of the Fall of Andurien.


Jan 1, 3042 - We bump up to #10 while the #10 MW falls to #11 after they just barely beat an unranked foe, but I handled #13 really well.

January 10, 3042 - The Tournament of Champions begins. The winner of this event is declared the Champion of Solaris VII for the next year.

Here is how it works.

The top 12 MWs are in the Tournament. The first four have first round byes.

Then the opponents are seeded. Tournament then proceeds like you would expect.

Everybody ready? Here we go:


January 10,3042 - #5 defeats #12 in Ishiyama

January 11, 3042 - #6 defeats #11 in The Jungle

January 12, 3042 - We face #7 in the Davion Arena.

The Arena is set up with the The Sinkhole.

Here is our foe, again:

Stacey Clayton

Elite+
Edge: 4
Melee Specialist
Tactical Genius

Modified BattleMaster

This is a Blacklight special mech, that does not exist anywhere else.


She rose back up to #7 from #8 after a victory over a foe.


















Atlas












BattleMaster









Here we go.

I miss a bunch of stuff after closing. She hits with everything.

There is not a maneuvering room here. I do not have an opportunity like I normally do to outflank my foe.

I win init, close to 6 spaces, and unload everything, while I am hit just by an AC10 and Medium Laser.

I lose init. She outflanks me, and I can’t attack with much this turn.

I win init. We run up to each other, but separated by several levels as she is in the Sinkhole and I am above it. We each just pummel the other.

I win init barely. Finally I run into the sinkhole directly behind Stacey’s BM, in order to end this. I unload, but miss the torsos. I kick for 21 damage and get hatcheted on my LA and it is open and exposed now.

I lose init. I walk backwards up the hill but don’t fall. She moves away in the sinkhole. I drop everything, even my LRM. It all hits. I take every weapon she fires too, SRM2 streaks, lasers, and AC10.

I win init with Tactical Genius. I move to one level above her and adjacent, so I can punt her upper body. We each unload on each other, but I expose her LT and hit two heat sinks and an SRM2 streak. I get a hand actuator hit on my LA. I kick and she takes 21 to her RT and it is destroyed, and her RA falls to the ground. I take a hatchet on my LL and it shears away the remaining armor.

I win init barely. I destroy her LT and she falls. With no weapons left, she concedes.



Victory over #7.

Jan 13, 3042 - #9 upends #8.
That leaves 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10 on the board


1 vs. 10

4 vs. 5

3 vs. 6

2 vs. 9


We are all given one week to rearmor, rearm, repair and refit our mechs.


We are fighting the best MechWarrior of the day in one week, as our match opens up the second round

Jan 20, 3042 -


Our foe:

Amanda Hamilton


Atlas heavily modified

20 heat sinks
3/5 movement

Gauss Rifle
ER PPC
4 Medium Pulse Lasers
SRM6
Small Laser


We are playing in The Factory.


Edge: 5
Tactical Genius
Maneuvering Ace
Melee Specialist
Gunnery: Laser
Elite +



We are not favored and the story in the press is how Amanda is going to be the first one to win a duel against me. We’ll see.
















Atlas












Atlas









For three turns, we do not find each other.

I win init, turn a corner, find her, and run towards her, but we are still decently far away, so all I can fire is my LRm20. I take a Gauss to my LT and miss with my LRM20.

I win init. I move as close as I can. I take an ERPPC, she takes an LRM20.

I lose init. I run towards her and she maneuvers to be three away. If I were her, I’d stand four away to give me medium range on my AC20 and Mls and medium range on her MPLs. AC20 to her RA. I take a Guass to my RA.

I win init and maneuver behind her. I tear into her CT rear and hit her gyro and she falls. I take her ER PPC

I lose Init and back up. She stands. She unloads and her Gauss hits my head, hah ha, rerolled with edge, I mean hits my RT> I unload on her too. We both remain standing.

I lose init. I back up. This time I go overheat and fire everything. I destroy her LT> Her Gauss snaps into my RT and goes internal, hitting my AC20.

I lose init again. I stay standing, since I am against the edge of the Factory. She closes. I hit with a lot, she hits me with a Gauss to my CT>

I lose init yet again and stay where I am. I fire and hit her gyro a second time. I take her to the ground and make her immobile, normally a win, but her Gauss seeks out and finds my AC20 ammo and my Atlas explodes. Since we both technically won, there tiebreaker rules are applied, and she wins, because her mech is still around.

We recover only the Atlas RA, H, and LL

Ouch. My first official loss, and it was just, barely, a loss. Good job Amanda Hamilton.

You need a mech like she had, that was one serious sweet ride she had going there. Tough loss, but damn, was that mech nice!

Tell

How do you get a mech as sweet as the ones some of your opponents have?

Yeah, I know. It was a strong mech.

I do have a tricked out Orion. I have to acquire and find the parts and then build it myself modifiying my own. As you can see, the top MWs get a ton of money, and have a lot of connections. If your top MWs are from the Combine or the Confederation etc, it makes you look good, so there are reasons to make sure your stables get some good equipment for their best people

Jan 21, #2 beats #9.

Jan 22, #5 defeats #4.

Jan 23, our stablemate, Bassem, defeats #6.


Jan 27, Amanda defeats #5.

Jan 28, Bassem loses to #2.


Jan 31, 3042 - Amanda defeats her foe to win the Championship once again.

Feb 1, 3042 - We are at #8 after the new rankings come out. Although we may have lost to Amanda Hamilton, it was very close.

We lost a mech, and it’s the one I’ve been using the most recently. I start to make contacts to try and find a replacement.

Feb 15, 3042 - Our contact on Outreach gets a contract offer, and this one interests me enough that I jump to Outreach to talk with the potential employer. However, in order to know what to do with this offer, I need to know where and what my other units have been doing. Thus….






MEANWHILE

April 1, 3040 - We begin to get some contracts for my units. Here are my new units:



Defender Company:

This consists of all of the ex-Defenders that joined us, led my Lt. Matthew Humphries. They will remain on Epsilon Eridani until Oct 1, when they will begin taking contracts. All elite. For the record, here is the new organization:


Lt. Matthew Humphreys, Archer
Haisha Slater, Orion
Gia Alletelli, Hunchback
Bryson Abasi, Grasshopper


Maureen O’Brien, BattleMaster
Charles Wangai, Whitworth
Michael Henry, Stalker
Madison Tolteca, Warhammer
Marcus Jackson, Griffin


A.J. Hussein, Phoenix Hawk
Indervir Multani, Stinger
Jesus Hernandez, Javelin
Sun Chen, Locust
Orlof Magnusson, Firestarter
Jussi Johanssen, Hermes II




Phaeton Company:

It’s infantry have accompanied Braham Essex to Solaris VII and are removed permanently from it.

Without the green infantry, Phaeton Company is upgraded to elite overall, which increases its Dragoon Rating to B.


Trinity Company:

Lt. Jason Thomas, field promoted to Lt, retains his position and command but is transferred to the now fixed Atlas. A new recruit, Ikh Zanabazar, it assigned to the Ostsol. Thad Karamanlis, of the Trebuchet, is promoted to Sgt. Ikh is veteran.


Trinity is ranked as elite and B.



Delta Company:

We pull the Charger 1A1 for a Dragon.


Delta Company is listed as B with an Elite ranking too.



Cinq Company:

We are not touching anything with Cinq Company. They are veteran and rated C

Hex Company:

Deborah Kreiner is promoted to Sergeant. We assign a salvaged BattleMaster to the unit to replace Ted’s Stalker. The unit has an empty BattleMaster, empty Orion, and no Lieutenant.

New recruit, Angel Herrera is assigned to the Orion. She is veteran. Veteran Mwai Kibaki is assigned to the BattleMaster. Tanya Meekins, in the Grand Dragon is double promoted to Lieutenant, which doesn’t happen that often.


Vehicle Company:

The Demolisher replaces the destroyed tank.



Aleph Company:


Grant Hollis is promoted to Sergeant, and Rafael Gomez Lt to run the company in my absence. Veteran MW Rachel Dawson is running my Battlemaster in my absence.

We have the following mechs in storage or in the garrison at Epsilon Eridani:


Stalker - Ted’s mech
BattleMaster 2C
Marauder
Shadow Hawk
Awesome x2
Griffin
Wolverine
Locust x2
Javelin
Wasp x2
Hermes II
Grasshopper
Charger 1A1
Charger 1A9
Ostscout
2750 Lancelot x2
2750 Exterminator
Talon 5W
2750 Highlander
2750 Flashman
Excalibur B2
2750 Mongoose
2750 Hermes
Phoenix Hawk 1K x2
Lowtech Mongoose
Awesome 8T
Grand Dragon
Merlin
Warhammer
Ostroc
Phoenix Hawk
Striker
Jenner x2



That’s 39 mechs, and I haven’t even assigned the LosTech yet.

The first class of graduates will graduate in December, 3041. 5 MechWarriors. The second class is 6 in Dec 3042. It should get bigger as the school gets established and we should probably get some benefit from the BattleMaster 2C being here too.

Oh, the following books have been used for this dynasty, so far:

Brush Wars
War of 3039
Solaris VII boxed Set
Solaris VII BattleTech Mappack
Mercenary Handbook
Mercenaries Supplemental
Mercenaries Supplemental II
BattleTech Compendium
Technical Readout: 3025
TRO: 3026
TRO: 2750
TRO: 3050
TRO: 3058
TRO: 3075
Maximum Tech
House Davion Field Manual
House Steiner Field Manual
House Kurita Field Manual
House Liao Field Manual
House Marik Field Manual (These five books from the 80’s are now available for free as downloads)

Our Vehicle Company takes a garrison contract on Terra Firma, a nearby planet controlled by the Fed Suns with several industrial concerns, and we are hired to guard one of those concerns.

Delta Company rejects some offers

Cinq Company does likewise.

Hex Company is offered an Extraction Raid by St. Ives vs. Capella. This one interests us.


We would be striking the planet of Minnacora. Our goal would be to capture one of the Raven prototypes that are using a bunch of the new LosTech electronics. Minnacora is not on the border, but two jumps in, so it is not guarded that much, and yet, for some reason really suspicious, there are supposedly high tech prototypes there. That doesn’t make any sense. Why would a world supposedly vacant of industrial concerns or major political or military concerns have a protoypes of a new mech on its face? No clue, but that contract smells, so instead of the company St. Ives is looking for, we offer a full mech battalion for the contract, with an appropriate upgrade in pay. They refuse, which strikes me as quite suspicious so I decline.

April 28, 3040 - Because of our proximity, Vehicle Company is there and has begun their contract.


May 1, 3040 - We solicit some new contracts.

Aleph Company is offered Pirate Hunting by Periphery and Security by Davion. No thanks.

Phaeton Company is offered Objective Raid. Interesting. What and where. Steiner. Where? Against Marik. Interesting.

We are charged with heading to the planet of Alkes. Alkes is one of the planets that was raped after the Succession Wars destroyed the infrastructure on many worlds. The machinery that allowed it to feed its people was destroyed, and yet many people stayed. Today, many people still live on Alkes, but the Free Worlds League has to direct a lot of food to Alkes. However they have invested some research and money into rebuilding the old machinery that can, again, allow the natives to become self sufficient from a food standpoint. Steiner wants this destroyed because then the FWL can continue to invest a lot of resources into keeping Alkes alive. So my charge is to destroy the central processing units that can feed a lot of people. And folks wonder why there are a large contingent of people who think of the Inner Sphere as corrupt.

This stuff is so stupid.

I say no thanks.

Delta Company - Riot Duty for the periphery. No thanks.

Cinq - Garrison for ComStar, Objective Raid for Caps

Okay Caps, talk to me.

They want us to hit Fletcher, a world owned by the Federated Suns. This was a Capellan Confederation world lost in the 4th Succession War, and although it doesn’t have a lot of value from some vantage points, it was the burial place for a lot of former Chancellors of the Capellan Confederation. This contract is to arrive on world and remind the locals to have more respect for the tombs by hitting the local forces.

Many of the older tombs are near a military outpost for the Governor of Fletcher‘s troops. Recently, they have been using the outside of the tombs as target practice, defacing the monuments and such. They just recently went into a tomb and raided the stuff there. The Capellans want us to take it down. I argue to get this bumped up to battalion level, and they agree.

Now, we have been warned off hitting Davion worlds, but on this one, I have to agree with the Capellans. This is just disrespectful. There is a difference between battle and war on one side, and thuggery on the other.

After consideration, we decide to take:

Phaeton Company
Cinq Company
Hex Company



Fletcher is one jump away, so we can get there quickly.

In order to not pin this on us or the Capellan Confederation, I order all paint schemes to be camouflage, with the Capellan Confederation symbol painted on them. Since Fletcher is three jumps away from the closest Cappellan Confederation world, the idea that Caps would jump through three jumps just for pride into enemy territory is silly, and it will make it look like someone is trying to pin it on them. Only, someone will be trying to do it - us.

I also have my men jump into a Pirate point. I have never authorized this before, but I don’t want to it be obvious that at the same second a JumpShip leaves Epsilon Eridani, another appears in Fletcher. This way, we can disguise our arrival time.

Time to kick some ass, battalion style!

Tell

Our contract:


Salvage - Full
Command - Independent
Transport - 50%
Remuneration yes
Length of service: 3 months
Salary - x3.7, multiplier, x1.2 for Caps, 1.6 for Obj Raid
Support - 68% Straight Support


We get started.

The Fletcher Contract:


We arrive in the Fletcher system on May 15, 3040, and land uncontested on May 22, 3040. If you don’t mention that you are an army, you usually don’t get asked a lot of questions.

With that, we disembark our people. Fletcher is two jumps away from Quentin and Fomalhaut, just captured by the Dracs ,but that is it. Davion has yet to realign defense based on that, and perhaps Fletcher will never get front line units. Everything within a jump is in the Suns.


Fletcher has second line militia, plus a regular regiment of mechs.

The area that we want to hit is in the southern continent. There, just a battalion of the regiment on planet guard the entire continent that includes the burial areas of previous Chancellors of the Caps.

We landed in the only starport in the continent, a old mining town that has lost a lot of business since many of the mines went dry long ago. The rest of the area is agricultural, with many AgroMechs, harvesters, and more in the area.

We manage to find the area where the one tomb has been attacked regularly. A monument and tomb were erected in a suburb of this city long ago. As we arrive, we see that the monument to the Chancellor has been destroyed by gunfire.

Here is why this sickens me. Here is one of the reasons why I chose this mission despite Davion warnings to the contrary. The Chancellor is question is Aliesha Liao. She was the first to be buried here. She was the one who pushed for, and then wrote, the Ares Convention. Now a monument to a woman who wanted to make sure that war followed certain rules of behavior in order to keep citizens safe is being desecrated by Davion soldiers.

I’m totally okay with kicking their ass. I don’t care what Hanse has to say about it. The message will be sent if mysterious mechs wearing Confederation colors smacks the local mechs while they are using it for target practice.

We manage to sneak a lot of mechs into the local area at night, under the disguise of agricultural machines on beds of covered trucks. The mechs are placed in various buildings. I also make sure that there are numerous cameras video taping this. This is my ace in the hole. If Davion finds out it is us, and they protest too much, I can use this to show what we were doing.

Early in the morning, a scout lance comes by while scouting. They stop and look around. The only sensors that can detect mechs that are not warmed up are mag sensors, but those are generally useless in a city environment. They move towards the monument and before long, our cameras catch some machine guns lancing into the remains of the monument.

Imagine their surprise when they notice 24 heat signatures suddenly flare up as one on their monitors. Phaeton and Hex companies are here, and they are ready to attack. With a few rounds, the scouts have figured out what is happening, and are moving away. We get a couple of mechs warm up quickly enough to harass them with long range PPCs, but none hit.

I don’t want to fight here, so we move into a local park. Eventually, those scouts are going to bring friends.

And….they do. An hour later, we see a full battalion of mechs bearing down on our position. They begin to near us, and slow down. We have split our forces into two sides of the park, and they approach with caution. If they come at us in one group, they will be caught in the middle. Before they decide what to do, heat signatures warm up to their rear. Cinq Company warms up at the edge of the suburb they recently passed.

Understanding that they have been caught in our trap, they oblige us by splitting their forces into three companies and send one at each of us, just as we planned all along.


Our goal here is to make a lesson, not to destroy them as a fighting force. They do not know why we are here, or what we want, nor will we tell them.

The first company approaches Phaeton.

They have:

Atlas
Griffin
Javelin
Enforcer
Longbow
Warhammer
Vulcan 5T
Rifleman
Commando
Stalker
Archer
Shadow Hawk

That is a powerful randomly rolled list of mechs. I still think we’ll take it out, but I respect it. These folks are regular.


Here is Bryant McKinnon;s Panther. It is a special 35 ton light mech of the Draconis Combine, as slow as a heavy mech, but it features a PPC and SRM4, giving it the ability to really contribute to your offense.

We are on the outer area of a park, so a few trees, lots of greenery, no hills.

We are not in this to kill them, and we suspect they will flee after moderate resistance. Anyway, here we are.

Just target of opportunities, but we hit their Archer a few times with PPCs.

We concentrate a lot of fire at their Archer on the second turn. Our Panther hits its engine with the PPC.

We win init this turn. I manage to get our P Hawk behind their ‘Hammer. Our Rifleman hit’s a couple of leg actuators in their Warhammer. It falls to the ground.

I win init again. Our Awesome has had some serious armor stripped from his torsos. I again get our P Hawk behind the ‘Hammer. Our Awesome destroys the Archer’s CT. Their Warhammer and Vulcan fall. Our Griffin is punched in the head and the pilot is now blacked out.

I move a lot of my mechs by the Griffin in order to support it. I hop a Flacon next to it and run a Dervish next to it, now a Javelin next to it, they move over a Rifleman. I manage to get our Thunderbolt in their Atlas arc when it moves to get close to our Griffin. Their Vulcan stands. Our Thunderbolt’s LL hits their Atlas’s H, and decapitates them. Our Hermes II destroys the Warhammers LA. Our P Hawk hits its gyro. Our Griffin falls. Our Griffin just took all of the Weapons their Rifleman, Vulcan 5T (which is the good one, Atlas including the AC20, Javelin 10N and Stalker they could dish out, then it took two kicks from their Vulcan and Rifleman, and yet, no criticals, no missing limbs, nothing. When you are immobile, you can almost auto hit it, and we took everything + the damage from the fall, and yet, Griffin is still fine. There is a reason I play these Griffins in my companies. The only place it is internal is its CT R.

Our Griffin pilot wakes up.


With two mechs dead, they choose to retreat. We allow that.




Salvage:

Atlas missing H
Archer RA, LA, RT, LT, H, LL, RL


About 25 tons to repair.


End of Fletcher Mission 1.

The second company of Davion mechs approached Cinq Company in their rear. Let’s do it!


Here they are:


Warhammer 6D
Blackjack
Assassin
Javelin 10F
Wasp
Griffin
Locust 1M the dumb variant
Stalker
Cyclops
Longbow
JagerMech JM6-S
Enforcer


Now this looks like a Davion company. Sucky mechs. The JagerMech and Blackjack both suck, but later versions of the BJ are good. This one is rocking two AC2s, which are the weapon with the longest range in the game, but they do the same damage as a small laser, machine gun, one SRM missile or flamer. They also weigh at lot. Now, they are good at VTOLs, perhaps at Aerospace Fighters I don’t know, and tanks that are easy to damage. However, every weapon is good against them. They suck. The JagerMech has two as well as two AC5s. The Locust 1M is sucky. This is a crappy company, even with my rolls of triple Assault mechs all in a row. The Wasp blows, the Stalker has design flaws, the Cyclops is underwhelming but okay, and the Longbow rocks. The only good mechs here are the Warhammer, Griffin, Javelin 10F and Longbow, with the Enforcer and Cyclops okay. The rest are missing weapons to make them threatening, or have design flaws.

Here is Sgt. Ian Hall’s Vulcan 5T. This 40 ton mech is a variant of a mech that sucks, but this one is pretty good. It rocks 6/9/6 movement, 12 heat sinks, 4 Medium lasers, MG, flamer, and 7 tons of armor, which is not bad for a 40 tons mech. If I were to perfect the design, I’d yank the MG and Flamer and ammo and add a ton of armor and a 5th M Laser for Alpha Strike purposes.

Alright, here we go.

We win init. Just exchange of targets of opportunity.

We win again. We focus a lot of weapons on their Stalker. I am moving a hexagon of mechs down the east flank, Hunchback, Crusader, Zeus, Awesome, BattleMaster and Wolverine. I am keeping my Griffin and Archer in a fire support role and hopping my Thunder Lance around to distract the west flank, where most of their mechs are, while my hexagon of power focuses on their west most mech, the Stalker. Our Zeus hits am SRM6 on their Stalker.

We win init yet again. I hop Ian’s Vulcan near and beside their Jagermech. I hop our Spide rbehind their Stalker, but mainly as a distraction, not in order to get a kill. Our BattleMaster hit’s the SRM ammo in the Stalker’s LT and it explodes. Our Zeus takes a lot of fire. Ian kicks the JagerMech but it, barely, manages to stay standing.

We lose init. I move my big guys forward into the trees. Our Griffin destroys the RL and RT of their Locust 1M. Otherwise, I need to move my guys out, because they are still in some serious woodage in the south central area of this park.

I win init again. Four outta five, that’s just unfair. Our Wolverine hit’s the Locusts CT and destroys it. Ian Hall’s Vulcan hits and ignites the JagerMech’s AC5 ammo and it explode.s

With three mechs down, they decide and retreat and again, we allow it.



Salvage:

Stalker LA, RA
Locust RA, LL, RL, LT, LA, H
JagerMech LA, RT, RA


About 20 tons of armor needed.


End of Fletcher Mission 2.

Their final company is trying to hit Hex Company.

Here are our foes:

Wasp 1D
Enforcer
Rifleman
Marauder 3D
Stinger
Commando
Centurion
Firestarter
Shadow hawk
BattleMaster 1D
Griffin
Merlin


Just one Assault and three heavies.


Here is Hex Company’s Marsha Fehr and her 40 ton medium mech Whitworth. The Whitworth is, in my opinion, the lightest fire support mech that is good, and it has a pair of LRM10s, several lasers, 4/6/4 movement, and solid armor. It is a good mech, and one I am happy to have in my Regiment.

Here we go!

We lose init. Like before, I am creating a wedge of heavier units to move down the center of the field, and drive into their defenses. Just some long range sniping at their Marauder.

We lose init again. After some positioning, our Banshee hits their Marauder’s hip actuators and it falls.

We lose init. Their Marauder fails to stand. Their Rifleman hit’s the head of our Banshee with a through armor critical and hits the cockpit. Dead MechWarrior. So long Sgt. Deborah Kreiner. DO you know how hard a TAC is on a head? You have to roll a 2 on 2d6 to get a TAC, then you roll location, and you have to gets 12 on 2d6 to hit the head, so it’s 1 in 36 and 1 in 36. Amazingly rare. Then you have to roll an 8 or higher on 2d6 to get a critical. Then you have to roll 1d6 and hit the only slot with the cockpit. It is a ome in a million shot.

We win init. I run the Grand Dragon up to their downed Marauder. Our Enforcer destroys the LA of their Commando and our Spider its LL. Our Commando destroys its LT>

We win init again. Their Merlin gets two engines and a gyro hit on our Kintaro with a TAC. Our Spider destroys their Commando’s CT. Our Battle Master falls, as does their Rifleman and Merlin. Ou rP Hawk and Kintaro combine to kick off the LL, LT of their Stinge.r

We lose init. We stand up our BM and walk it backwards into some light woods. Their Marauder fails to stand. Despite sending several of my mechs overheat, we don’t manage to further damage any of their mechs except we knock their Rifleman back over. Our Grand Dragon hit’s the Marauder’s engine twice with a kick.

I win init. Their Rifleman stands back up and I get the Orion behind their Centurian’s back. Our Grand Dragon destroys their R Mans RA. Our Orion goes into in the previously untouched Centuion;s rear torso and hits its LRM ammo and it explode.s That’s our new MW Angel Herrara’s first action with us, and first kill with us too. Our P Hawk destroys their Stinger’s CT section. Our Thorn destroys the LT of their Rifleman. Then our BattleMaster hit’s the Rifleman’s ammo and it ‘splodes. This is the first mission for Mwai Kabaki and he also got a kill for us. Our Commando tears off the RT of their Rifleman. Our rgand Dragon kicks and destroys the RT of their Marauder.

With multiple mechs dead, they retreat, and we allow them to leave.

We need 35 tons of armor, this one was tougher. The quick kill of my Banshee, which I normally use as a shield, forced me to expose other mechs sooner than normal.





Salvage:

Commando H, RT, RA, RL
Stinger LA, H,RT, RA, RL
Centurion RA, LA
Rifleman LA
Marauder RA


End of Fletcher Mission 3.


With them leaving the park, we laser beam a copy of the video tape at just the beginning, where the Davion forces were destroying the monument, in order for them to get the point. We send it to every retreating mech.

May 25, 3040 - We blast off from Fletcher, contract complete.

June 14, 3040 - We land back at Epsilon Eridani. We jumped through two systems in order to through off any would be intel folks.

End of contract:



Salvage - Full
Command - Independent
Transport - 50%
Remuneration yes
Length of service: 3 months
Salary - x3.7, multiplier, x1.2 for Caps, 1.6 for Obj Raid
Support - 68% Straight Support


We paid:

Transport - 150k + 100K pirate point use. 250k total
246,000 - Salary for several months
800k - 80 tons of armor
775k - ammo


Total paid: 2,071,000

Compensation:

125k transport
322,400, salary
32k remuneration
20k support


Total made: 499,400


Total Loss:

1.5 million approx

I take it out of our account. Here is the real goal of the mission.

Total Salvage:


Archer RA, LA, RT, LT, H, LL, RL
Commando H, RT, RA, RL
Stinger LA, H,RT, RA, RL
Centurion RA, LA
Rifleman LA
Marauder RA
Stalker LA, RA
Locust RA, LL, RL, LT, LA, H
JagerMech LA, RT, RA


We only salvaged one mech, and a lot of parts. We can easily get our loss here plus some.

I also spend some money to get that Atlas up and running for the garrison. I give the spare parts to Hex Company, who did not have any extras.

We bring in a new pilot from Outreach, veteran, Jose Cortez, for the Banshee.

New contract began to appear on June 1, and I want to see if any other companies left Epsilon Eridani.


Aleph - Planetary Assault by the Caps on a periphery world. No thanks. Cadre offer by ComStar. Hmm.

Cadre contracts involve training people. Aleph Company is being asked by ComStar to train some of its people and militia, which seems perfectly reasonable. It’s light duty, because sometimes it comes with a garrison contract, but this one does not. Just go, do some training, and return, with no fighting. Aleph Company is not doing anything else, just sitting around, and cadre contracts are usually much shorter than garrison ones.

Where?

Somewhere in the FWL. Okay, where. Get this, I’m rolling to fid out where, and every world is available. Where do I roll? No kidding, where do I roll?

Sadurni.

What is so special about that? It’s one of the worlds in the Duchy of Andurien.

So ComStar wants us to return to the Duchy to train ComStar. Who would be the likely aggressors against ComStar there? Probably the Free Worlds League. So, we are being asked to train in the Duchy to help ComStar against aggression from Marik? I’m in!

Contract:

Length of Service: 6 months
Salvage: Full
Transport: 50% = 600,000
Remuneration: Yes = 52,000
Support: Straight: 70% = 95,410
Command: House
Salary: x1.3 ComStar x0.75 cadre x3.7 Salary is: 1,040,900
25% bonus to salary: 260,000



Total Paid:

1,200,000 transport
778,875 salary and upkeep

1,978,875 total


Received:

Total: 2,048,310

We just broke even


We arrive there, do our contract, and leave, and arrive back on May 14, 3041. This contract gets us an A Dragoon Rating.

Back to June 1, 3040, and look for more contracts.

Trinity and Delta companies are still on planet, plus Defender Company which is not taking contracts yet.

Trinity:

Cadre for Lyran Commonwealth
Garrison for Free Worlds League
Relief Duty for Fed Suns

I don’t want to garrison. I don’t want another Cadre, well, let’s see where it is before rejecting it. Some could be close. Nah, it’s way too far away. What about Relief Duty for the Suns? Where is it? Way out by the Periphery. No way.


Delta:

Security for Corporation in Lyran Space
Objective Raid for a Periphery Power

I’m not spending half a year or more to get to and from a contract that’s silly. Usually. Security is not too bad, where?

How about five jumps away at Algorab? Not bad.

The Governor here is having some problems with the locals and he suspects the local militia might be compromised so he wants to bring in some mercenaries quick to basically bodyguard him until more reliable forces from the Lyran Commonwealth arrive. Now that’s fair enough.


Contract details:

Salary: x3.7, x1.4 Lyran, x1.3 Security
Salvage: Shared
Command: House
Transport: 50%
Remuneration: No
Support: Battle-Loss: 50%
Length: 3 mths
17% Bonus



Delta Company leaves Epsilon Eridani.

August 6, 3040 - Delta Company arrives at Algorab. We take up our place in the Imperial Palace. No one gets access through the Governor except through us.

November 6, 3040 - The Emergency Powers Clause in our contract is invoked when our replacement forces from the Commonwealth are delayed for a month.

November 12, 3040 - A small uprising in the capital city has begun, and the Governor sends the militia out to handle it, while we continue to protect him.

November 15, 3040 - The uprising grows in strength, and several militia units have disappeared. We have been placed on full alert, and our mechs are ready to go anytime, anywhere.

November 19, 3040 - The uprising is beginning to be curbed by conventional forces when a few lances of militia mechs that had gone missing arrive and begin to attack the conventional forces. We are ordered by the Governor to warm up and ride in there and sweep the militia mechs away.


We arrive and find 11 mechs attacking conventional forces who have suffered a lot of damage and flee behind us. This should be easy money.


The Militia:


Valkyrie
Ostsol
Shadow Hawk
Ostscout
Wolfhound
Griffin
Zeus
Clint
Centurion
Marauder
Goliath


Remember, Delta Company is our heavy company with three assaults and five heavies. This should be a cakewalk. We have more than double their Battle Value.

Oh, and these guys are some regular, and some green, but the Zeus pilot is a vet.

From a rarer mech standpoint, I’d love to snatch an Ostsol or Ostscout, the Valkyrie is fine, the Wolfhound is great. I’d love to acquire one of the lighter mechs here. Remember that I am on a Shared salvage contract, so if I killed and acquired a Zeus and several lights, I could probably walk away with the lights.


This is their Clint. It is a pretty uncommon medium mech at 40 tons with very little armor, 6/9/6 movement, an AC5 and two medium lasers. It’s not good, but its uncommon status is nice.

Always liked the Wolfhound, good luck!

We win init. I created three prongs down three streets, each behind an assault mech. Their Clint jumps on a building and it falls out from underneath him. Our Catapult destroys the LA of their Clint.

We lose init. I move our forces forward quickly. No sense dancing. Their Clint stands up, and we move some mechs near to it. Our BattleMaster destroys their Valkyrie’s RT and CT. Their Goliath kicks and destroys the LL of our Spider and it falls.

We win init. I get our BattleMaster behind their Marauder. I move our Catapult and Grand Dragon right up to their crappy Shadow Hawk. We leave our Spider on the ground rather than risk a 9 to stand up. Our Awesome destroys the LT and RA of their Clint. Our Cat hit’s a LL actuator on the Centurion. Our BattleMaster hits two leg actuaotrs on their Marauder and our Black Knight hit’s a PPC on it. It falls and destroys its RA. Our BattleMaster kicks and destroys the RT of their Marauder.

We win init. I risk landing our Javelin on a building gwhen their Griffin hops behind a level 1 building, so I can try and punt his head. This time, BattleMaster in the Zeus’s rear arc. I am surrounding them so they have to expose their rear arcs to me regularly. Their marauder fails to stand. Our ’Hammer kicks and destroys the LA of their Marauder. Their Centurion kicks and hits an actuator on my Cat’s LL. Our Grand Dragon kicks and destroys the building their Ostscout is on, it tumbles, and the Ostscout takes a bunch of damage from the fall.

We win init. Their Marauder fails to stand up, falls, and destrosy its LT and CT. Our banshee hit’s the engine of their Centurion twice. Our Banshee punches and destroys the Centurion’s CT> Their Zeus falls after being double kicked by the Battlemaster and Warhammer. Our Awesome destroys the Clint’s Head, after all of that.

And with that, they begin to leave, but I send out a general radio signal and move to block them. Nope. They can surrender, or keep fighting, but retreat will not be an option this day. They choose to surrender and we turn them back over to the Governor.


Salvage:

Valkyrie H, LT, RA, LL, RL
Marauder H, LL, RL
Centurion H, LL, RL, RT, LT, LA, RA
Clint, missing H, LA, RA, LT


Repair:

Spider LL
Catapult Actuator