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We at the Luthien Star Journal strive to provide our readers with the most forthright and honest reporting in the Inner Sphere. We are dedicated to providing the peoples of the Draconis Combine with the news from the front, as it happens, when it happens, and as unbiased as possible. As loyal followers of House Kurita, we reserve the right to criticize our government and military’s actions, but always with the upmost respect and honor. That being said, thank you for your purchase of our first edition and we hope you enjoy the news!
A Brief Update on the Battlefield
Davion Front:
The DCMS is fighting for your lives, citizens. There are multiple hardened regiments spearheading a forward assault on various assault fronts. Lead by the Night’s Scorn regiment, the organized forces of the DCMS have just completed a multi-week assault against the forces of House Davion’s AFFS. This assault has culminated in the reclamation of the many worlds lost to the AFFS in the early days of battle. An unnamed source within the ISF has leaked that the DCMS High Council is in the process of implementing an unofficial trial armistice with Davion’s High Command to focus efforts on the Clan invasion. This trial armistice is currently viewed as “extremely shaky” by the High Command; too many warriors on both sides have lost friends and honor for peace to be easily negotiated. Organized units within the DCMS and AFFS have been observed pulling back from their assault footings and re-deploying to different fronts, so this armistice may indeed be working.
Marik Front:
The experiment known as the Marik Island or Wormhole has now been finished. Originally conceived as a way for the allied forces of House Marik to get closer to the Clan front, the wormhole would up being seen by the High Council as too dangerous to let continue. A source close to the High Council stated “They didn’t want it to keep going because of the uncontrollable mercenaries in the Marik forces at the time. We weren’t prepared to have another front open up in our belly as we fought the Clans and Davion.” The decision to terminate the wormhole was met with some resistance by Marik, and a brief, harsh war was fought to regain lost Combine worlds. While many in both the Combine and the Free Worlds League have been critical of each other in open discussions, the hope of continued good relations between the two fuels current diplomatic talks between leaders and diplomats.
Free Rasalhague Republic Front:
The ceasefire between the warriors of Rasalhague and the Combine has held steady for many weeks. Both sides of the ceasefire have more threatening enemies and fewer allies to help than they wish. While the forces of the “Red” and “Blue” Dragons have recent historic disagreements, the evils of the Clan invasion have united them together in spirit to fight for the Inner Sphere.
Steiner Front:
Neither House Kurita nor House Steiner militaries have forces to spare to fight each other. Both militaries are pressed for members on other fronts, so while there is no formal ceasefire between the two, there are also no real battles against one another.
Clan Front:
Both Clan Ghost Bear and Clan Smoke Jaguar have been pressing the DCMS to its limits. Clan Smoke Jaguar has isolated the Journal’s home planet, and Combine capitol, of Luthien. Recently the DCMS and allied mercenary forces have pushed back the Smoke Jaguars and given Luthien some breathing room, but this pocket is once again in danger of collapsing. The warriors of the DCMS have praised the fighting prowess and fair spirit of the Smoke Jaguar loyalist units, even in the face of their continued aggression towards our worlds.
The Ghost Bear forces, led by the MercStar alliance, have pushed further into the Draconis Combine than ever before. MS has caused chaos in both the Inner Sphere and the Clans; many instances of broken ceasefires can be traced back to these mercenaries. MS reps have simply stated that they are going to where the battles are, but their claims are viewed as dubious, if not outright false, by many in the Inner Sphere. Their actions will continue to be watched closely and their motives questioned often.
A Warrior’s Profile
The Warrior’s Profile will be a regular column in the Journal, as we have a brief showcase a great Mechwarrior of the DCMS.
This week- Reitmeier of the 11th Legion of Vega.
Reitmeier is a constant source of inspiration for the Arm of the Dragon. As both a Council Member of the DCMS High Council and one of the DCMS Ambassadors, Reitmeier is in a position of extreme responsibility that he carries with ease. Not only is Reitmeier a competent pilot and Drop Commander, but he is also a skillful negotiator and statesman. Reitmeier is the proof that a politician can be a fighter and has many victories under his belt in both arenas. The warriors of the 11th Legion of Vega are deemed very lucky to have such a great example of the samurai spirit within their ranks. Raise your glasses in a toast to this brave man!
Editorial Board’s Review
The Luthien Journal’s Editorial Board will regularly weigh in on the latest news and decisions of the DCMS.
The High Council this week declined to join the Marik-lead new Star League (nSL). The Editorial Board disagrees with this decision. The nSL decision has hurt House Kurita’s reputation, political situation, and defensive posture. The House Marik defense of the wormhole would not have been nearly as fierce if not for the High Council’s refusal; many within House Marik viewed the refusal as a spurning of Marik’s help and a deliberate provocation by the DCMS. The High Council should have been more open about both their nSL and wormhole decisions as confusion and anger grew exponentially as the cyber-warriors of NKVA and House Marik began a campaign of accusation and counter-accusation. Now the formerly strong bond between the Kapteyn Accord allies has become frayed and may not last longer.
This loss of an ally is a hard thing for House Kurita. We do not have enough warriors in our loyalist units to completely cover all of our fronts, causing the DCMS to hire out mercenary pilots and regiments to fill in the ranks and help with defending the Combine’s worlds. While there may have been good reasons to not join the nSL the reasons to join were greater.
Will this refusal to join the nSL result in a new war with Marik and its allied mercenaries? We may know soon, as the nSL is conducting its second meeting and will have the topic of House Kurita up for discussion. The nSL has to decide whether to simply ignore the High Council’s decision or to attack them for their temerity in forging a new path. The Star Journal’s Editorial Board wishes the nSL to consider that recent rumblings within the High Council point towards a renewed offensive against the Clans; attacking House Kurita could change this attitude and lead to a new round of Inner Sphere battles that distracts all factions from the deadly danger of Kerensky’s sons.
The Journal’s Editorial Board wishes the High Council well in its future decisions; may they be easier, less contentious, and fare better in the end than this one.
Edited by Luthien Press Staff, 21 February 2015 - 07:04 PM.
