Still working on mine and pushing on 9000 words lol. JackalBeast what have you done to me with this challenge?
Edited by Connor Davion, 18 May 2017 - 05:43 PM.
2
El Contesto
Started by Jackal Noble, May 09 2017 01:00 PM
61 replies to this topic
#41
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- Knight Errant
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- LocationSouth Carolina
Posted 18 May 2017 - 05:42 PM
Looking forward to all the entries for this. I loved all the battletech novels so reading these might at least scratch the itch for a new BT novel at least for awhile.
Still working on mine and pushing on 9000 words lol. JackalBeast what have you done to me with this challenge?
Still working on mine and pushing on 9000 words lol. JackalBeast what have you done to me with this challenge?
#42
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- The Blood-Eye
- 5,444 posts
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- LocationIn the mechbay, telling the techs to put extra LRM ammo on.
Posted 19 May 2017 - 01:07 AM
BUMP
#43
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- Leutnant
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Posted 19 May 2017 - 09:23 AM
Coming of the Beasts
(Periphery Action)
Hilton Head Complex
Terra, ComStar Protectorate
11 June 2959
Who are you? Adrienne asked though she knew the man perfectly well. It just could not be him. He was dead. He died almost 150 years ago. However that did not stop him the last time he spoke to her, either.
The ghostly presence smiled. My name is of no great consequence. It was a lie, but then the man was never comfortable about his role as mankind’s saviour, which he had adopted only because no one else would have done so. Adrienne respected the man’s modesty but she needed to know why he was talking to her.
As if he read her thoughts the Blessed Founder’s smile died. You are right, he said, you have to know. There is a danger looming in the deep Periphery, far beyond the known worlds. A map of the Inner Sphere and the Periphery appeared, and the man pointed at the empty space. Having discarded their humanity they became beasts. The map suddenly became engulfed in flames again. She had this vision before, or at least a very similar one. An emerald bird of death screamed tearing the flaming map apart, while a six-legged bear roared as it crushed a serpent. The last she saw was a wolf howling in Unity City. Then there was silence and blackness.
Why tell her? It was a new voice and Adrienne recognized the Founder’s pupil at once, but she could not see him well. Both men seemed to fade into the blackness.
That girl is our last hope.
No, there is another.
With a scream she awoke and immediately two ComGuards rushed into her room.
“Primus! What happened?”
________________________________________________________________
ComStar Compound 11b
Elissa IX, Elysian Fields
29 August 3049
Elissa was paradise and hell at the same time. Images of the lush tropical world could serve as stock footage for tourism ads. However no tourist would ever actually make the trip to this remote place at the edge of known space. The residents were largely peaceful and pleasant; however Elissa’s rich mineral deposits attracted aggressive miners as well as pirates. Although officially under the protection of Hendrik Grimm’s Oberon Confederation, Grimm and his cronies bullied and exploited Elissa just as much as the pirates.
But not anymore, not for some time at least, Desiderius thought as he moved his pristinely white Excalibur into the hangar. A priceless relic of the Star League, the arrival of this ComGuard war machine heralded the end to overt violence against the peasantry. ComStar’s military presence was minimal, but the Elissa Rangers, Grimm’s local militia, would not dare opposing them. As long as the ComGuards patrolled the streets, the people were reasonably safe.
When Desiderius dismounted he was greeted by the commander of the infantry, George Kryssing.
“Adept Keppler,” he said, “we got a visitor.”
“Yes, I saw the Dropship. It was in good shape, so it cannot be from the Confederation. Who is the poor soul they exiled?”
Kryssing suppressed a grin as he turned his head to the direction of a female Precentor, who approached them. Obviously he was amused because she was not. “Adept Keppler, your post here is not ‘exile’; this HPG and all its personnel are vital to operation of our Blessed Order in the Periphery. I am Precentor Hanna Mazuv and I am here to assess the efficiency of this HPG – including its military protection. So please try to act professional and cooperate.”
“Of course, Precentor. Do you wish a briefing?”
“Yes, meet me at the combat central, 1400 hours. You, too, Adept Kryssing. That would be all for now.”
The two men nodded and could not help but chuckle after the Precentor had turned. She immediately turned back with an angry stare, but just at that moment Desiderius regained his composure: “Peace of Blake be with you.”
Showered, shaved, and dressed in their best robes Keppler and Kryssing waited for the Precentor, who was probably late on purpose. Not that it mattered, combatting boredom was a common struggle on his world – and they were veterans after four months on Elissa.
“Peace of Blake be with you.” Mazuv said, her eyes firmly on Desiderius. “Please sit down and tell me about the military situation here.”
Back to basics. “This is a Class B compound, heavily fortified and capable of repelling most assaults if fully manned. It is nowhere near fully manned, of course. Despite our Level II-designation, the garrison is two Level-I units short, thereby lacking aerospace and conventional armour assets.”
“In easy terms, please.”
“We have two Mechs and 58 infantrymen with some armoured personnel carriers. Enough to maintain a presence and make Grimm nervous it seems.” Seeing the questioning eyes of the Precentor he continued: “The Confederation has increased its military force significantly. We count fourteen BattleMechs, at least 26 armoured fighting vehicles, and some 5000 motorized infantry.”
“Can they take the compound?”
Kryssing and Desiderius looked at each other. They had asked themselves the same question ever since the confederate reinforcements arrived. And they were sure about the answer: “Yes, they can. It will be a bloody affair, but in the end their numbers will decide the battle in their favour. We implemented a new emergency protocol, though. In case of an attack, we figured the enemy would strike swiftly and prevent us sending a message. It is very unlikely that an enemy could breach our defences in time, or use strong ECM – but it is not impossible.”
“Blitzkrieg.”
“Right. Standard procedure is to alarm the nearest Level III or Division Headquarter, in our case Rasalhague and the 278th Division. However, if someone has the will and the means to blitz us, it might well be a coordinated attack against the Order itself. Also, Rasalhague is not exactly around the corner, and help probably would not arrive in time anyway, so we prepared our HPG to send an emergency message to Terra, warning the Primus herself.”
“I cannot think of any scenario requiring you to inform the Primus” Mazuv replied, hardly hiding her contempt. She curled her lips as she finished her sentence, “...unless Sainted Sims’s visions come true and the beasts from beyond the known space come at us. But that’s rather unlikely, wouldn’t you agree?”
The two military men did not take offense. She was right, after all. Of course, the new protocol was born out of the boredom the garrison of Compound 11b faced on a daily basis. They just needed something to do. But this was not the answer the precentor wanted to hear. Kryssing finally nodded. “We absolutely agree. You just have to keep in mind it is our duty to be prepared. And relaying information under the gravest of circumstances is the very reason our Order exists. As Blessed Blake said, ‘Information waits for no one’”.
Jump Point
Elissa System, Elysian Fields
13 September 3049
Two aerospace fighters – all the Confederation had on Elissa – routinely patrolled the jump point of the system, expecting the usual: nothing. Much to their surprise, they registered the imminent incoming of ships but before they could react, the ships filled their windscreens. The pilots had never seen ships like those above them, and in a panic reaction they fired. It was like an ant punching an alligator. Their lasers did not even scratch the surface, although the pilots never found out as they were disintegrated a split-second after they had pulled the trigger.
In space the whole incident looked remarkably unspectacular, especially given the importance of the unfolding events, and all an observer could have seen were two little white dots blinking once in the darkness.
ComStar Compound 11b
Elissa IX, Elysian Fields
14 September 3049
The attacking fleet itself looked a lot more impressive on the screens of the combat central, thanks to the compounds advanced sensors. “Send for Adept Keppler and Precentor Loy”, Kryssing ordered.
“What about Precentor Mazuv?”
“That does not concern her.”
Kryssing still had trouble believing what he saw, even after he had the Acolyte triple check the sensor readings.
“What is it?” asked Desiderius, who entered the central together with Loy.
“If our readings are accurate,” said Kryssing, still in disbelieve, “a large fleet just entered the system and is heading directly towards Elissa IX. It includes vessels which ... must be WarShips.”
“Say again!”
“We identified a Black Lion-Class cruiser and a Lola III-class destroyer, plus several other large ships we could not get a good look at. It is an invasion fleet. Yes, it looks like they just launched DropShips.”
Loy put the ComGuards on alert but still confined them to the compound. Then a new voice was heart: “Inform the Rangers.” said Mazuv in a calm yet firm manner. How did she know?
The other precentor shook his head. “You have no authority here; that is my HPG station, and ComStar is neutral”.
“It is, but the Rangers really need to know what is going on. A threat of this magnitude probably concerns us too.”
I know what you are doing, thought Desiderius, If they are hostile the Rangers cannot stop them, but the longer they resist the more we find out about the invaders. Information is ammunition. “Precentor Mazuv’s suggestion seems valid. I would also suggest alarming the Rangers.” …and see how they deal with it.
Elissa Rangers HQ
Elissa IX, Elysian Fields
15 September 3049
He did not trust ComStar, of course, but his own radar stations confirmed the arrival of a fleet. Curiously the invaders had landed a mere handful Mechs to confront them, although they surely had more at their disposal. They even asked about his defending force, to which he replied that was none of their business. The Rangers marched to meet those strange people and they would crush those five Mechs. If they destroyed the advance party, maybe the main force would retreat.
Those thoughts were foolish, though, as was the belief that his troops could crush the enemy with ease. The Mechs had not come alone.
ComStar Compound 11b
Elissa IX, Elysian Fields
15 September 3049
They watched how those few Mechs easily dismembered the whole Ranger Mech-company within minutes. They also saw some insignia, most prominently a wolfs-head. Desiderius had little sense for sarcasm but he could not leave his thought unspoken: “’A howling wolf’. This is what Sainted Sims dreamed, is it not?” He looked at Mazuv who had mocked him just a few days ago referring to Sims’s visions.
But she noted something else. “Acolyte, zoom in on sector seven dash eight. ... Yes, there. Adept Kryssing, what is this?”
They looked at strange figures looking like mini-Mechs jumping at the Rangers’ tanks. Landing on top of them and ignoring the desperate machine gun fire, the assailants ripped open the hatches and killed the hapless crews.
“That is power-armoured infantry,” Kryssing explained, “but not like any power-armour I have ever seen. ROM has some, but they are made for infiltration – not open battlefield use. We have never even thought about using power-armour like this... Blake’s Blood!”
The commander of the infantry was visibly distressed when he witnessed one of the power-armoured attackers lifting a tanker by the throat. He held her up high with a mechanical claw and the Ranger was clearly in pain. Admirably, she pulled her sidearm and emptied the magazine at her captor point blank range, but it had no effect. Then the claw tightened, the woman screamed (though, thankfully, the compound’s cameras did not have directed microphones to pick up her screams) and her head was slowly severed from her body. It was lifted high and presented like a trophy.
There was no love lost between ComStar and the Confederate soldiers, but no one deserved such cruelty. Desiderius had enough. “I am going out there; tell Acolyte Heather to man her Mech.”
“Be reasonable!” Loy pleaded, “You cannot do much good, and we are neutral. We just sit this out.”
“The Mechs have taken notice of us. Blessed Blake! They are coming!” an Acolyte reported and you could hear his voice trembling in fear. A moment later, Loy, Kryssing and Keppler all burst into discussion but they were cut short by Precentor Mazuv. She fired a pistol. A pistol she should not have.
“I am Agent Mirrorshade, ROM. And no, before you ask, I have no idea what is going on. But I know we must inform the Primus. Precentor Loy, execute the new protocol so that I can send a message to Terra. Also execute evac-plan Bravo; all non-essential personnel have to go. Adept Keppler, Adept Kryssing, you have buy us time.” She hesitated for a moment. “I know what I am asking of you. …what I am ordering you to do. There is no other way. Can you do it?”
“In the name of the Holy Word of Blake, we can.”
A moment later, Desiderius was in his Mech. For the first time in his military life, he felt insecure. Even after the technological renaissance of the Inner Sphere, ComStar’s Mechs were the very best, unmatched. Now he squared off against new Mechs he had never seen. They were capable of hitting targets with amazing accuracy at impossible ranges. And they carried extremely hard hitting weapons.
But he served the wisdom of Blake and knew sacrifices had to be made. If Terra could be warned, they would find an answer.
His Excalibur stepped out the hangar and Heather’s Crab was with him. Their opponents had a tough fight ahead of them. They must have detected them, as they turned towards the two Mechs and tuned in on a broadband frequency: “I am Star Captain Edwin Gilmore and your comrades fought like bandits. But perhaps you wish to fight with honour.”
“I am Adept Desiderius Keppler, and the Rangers are not my comrades but I will avenge them and prevent you from entering our HPG. However, we are ComGuard and grant you one last chance for peace. Leave now.”
“Neg, Adept Desiderius Keppler, we will conquer the planet and all its installations. Do you bid both your Mechs for battle, or will be it be between you and me? I long for the challenge of single combat!”
It became increasingly irritating for the ComGuards, but this talking stalled the attack for valuable seconds. “Star Colonel, my Acolyte and I will face any force you send against us – together.”
Then two enemy Mechs stepped forward, and without further warning Desiderius fired his gauss rifle at the nearest Mech. In the Inner Sphere such a shot would have created panic as few if any Mechs could answer a gauss rifle. Desiderius’s enemies though returned fire, at least one of them did. The computer classed it as a Warhammer, although the weight was estimated to be five tons less. The other opponent, choosing to attack Heather, was even weirder as the computer suggested a Cicada but the visual ID did not match at all. If anything it looked like a smaller Crab.
“We stay at range.” he ordered, “They may hit us, but we are well disposed for long range combat, and I have no idea how well they fight up close.”
“Understood. Let us dispense some peace, Adept Keppler!”
Desiderius almost smiled but he was hit by a PPC strike that was far more powerful than a PPC should be. His reaction was launching 20 long range missiles at the Warhammer-light, spiralling towards the Mech but missing it. It certainly was no Warhammer, because it moved much faster. Heather was facing a similar problem, because her opponent was faster than most, if not all Mechs they had ever encountered making targeting it difficult.
But they were ComGuards, trained to perfection and inspired by the teachings of Blake. Trusting his abilities he fired the LRM again, this time scoring many hits, followed by a gauss slug smashing right into the torso. And he managed to keep his distance. But Heather was in trouble, for the strange Cicada-like Mech unleashed its lasers on her. Holy Word!
“Adept Keppler, those lasers must be large lasers. That power, that range! But that is impossible on a 40-tonner.”
“Very good transmission, Acolyte!” he responded with a compliment to calm her down, “Remember what Blake said: Information is ammunition. We will use your data and transmissions for our final victory. Now get closer and use your full arsenal.” He did not say that they would not see the final victory, though.
His own opponent relentlessly fired his dual PPCs to devastating effect. But Desiderius spotted additional short range missiles and lasers. He knew he had to stay away from this Mech as much as possible and turned hard right. Answering enemy fire with another shot from his gauss rifle, he hit the enemy leg so hard that he lost his balance for a second. Enough for all of his 20 LRM to blast away massive armour plating, leaving vulnerable internals open for attack. The damaged Mech retreated. He was out of range for Desiderius, but the Warhammer-light stopped firing as well, despite his weapons still functional. Even though his opponent’s weapons were formidable, they apparently did not outrange his gauss rifle and his LRM. Information is ammunition.
He almost believed they could win when a cry for help came in: “Adept, I cannot hold …”
Instead of finishing off the Warhammer-light, he chose to help his comrade. Her Crab’s armour was breaking and she was outmanoeuvred. “Blake, guide my shot.” With that he launched another gauss slug; he believed to see its silvery motion as it raced past by Heather before it crushed the back of the Cicada-like Mech. Although the enemies were still fit for combat, there was no doubt about the outcome after he saved the Acolyte.
As far as he was concerned, ComStar won the two-on-two combat which the invaders had wanted, since the other Mechs had not interfered so far. However, if they adhered to any code of honour it was beyond Desiderius’s understanding: now every other Mech opened fire. Heather fell almost immediately. He withstood the fire for some twenty seconds before his gyroscope failed. His Mech stumbled and crashed to the ground.
Desiderius survived, although not for long. The last thing he saw was the giant metal foot of a Mech coming down on his cockpit, and with his last breath he cursed his foe.
“How much longer, Precentor Loy?” Mirrorshade asked. Her voice was utterly toneless. She no longer pretended being Hanna Mazuv, an obnoxious clerk who enjoyed supervising others; she fulfilled a mission as an agent of ROM, even if her original mission had been quite different. She also had seen far more gruesome scenes than what they had just witnessed, and although she felt bad about the murder of two ComGuards, she still had a mission and kept calm.
Naturally Kryssing had a different reaction. He cocked his rifle and went down the hallway to meet the invaders. She had seen the look on his face a hundred times: Kryssing knew he was about to die but he would not go down without a fight.
Loy however was frozen, another reaction to such a situation she was familiar with. “Loy! Answer, in the name of the Primus, Toyama, and Blake himself!”
“Three minutes.” he finally managed. The combat central had to be defended for three long minutes, and that against mini-Mechs ripping open the compound’s blast doors and racing through the hallways.
They could see the one-sided struggle on the surveillance monitors: the ComGuard infantry were magnificent. Knowing their weapons could not penetrate the enemy’s armour, they would pray, possibly weep, and then put themselves on the line without fear or hesitation, only to perish soon after. Kryssing build a makeshift position with a field gun, but even that failed to kill an attacker. The infantry commander then stoically dropped a hand grenade into a nearby ammo bin, collapsing the hallway and buying Mirrorshade the time she needed.
“HGP almost ready, begin your message!”
Finally. She could hear more shots echo not too far away as she typed the message:
“Agent Mirrorshade reporting. Forces of unknown origin have landed on Elissa’s main continent. No strong resistance. The unknowns are using new technology and BattleMech designs. Weapons appear superior in manufacture. Repeat. New technology and weapons systems. We have also detected new armoured infantry troops, jump-capable, heavily armed, and with anti-Mech capabilities. Troops are marked with wolf’s-head insignia not found in our databases of mercenary or house units. Local garrisons have been unable to mount even minor defences. Unknowns send out challenges for personal combat, reasons unknown at this time. Unknowns are firing on our compound! Executing emergency evac plan Bravo. Request relief immed... EOM”
The door to the combat central was breached and giant figures entered the room. She pressed the SEND-button. Then, acting as Mazuv again, she raised her hands panicky and begged for mercy. Having butchered every last ComGuard the invaders accepted her surrender. She noted one of them carrying Kryssing’s badly damaged rifle, his armoured legs covered in a mixture of dirt, shredded uniform clothing, blood, and flesh.
________________________________________________________________
Bordeaux, Southern France
Terra, ComStar Protectorate
2 May 3050
Claude Loy was finally home. After months of interrogations and imprisonment by the Clans, he had almost believed never to return home. But ComStar made a pact with the Clans, and all civilian prisoners were released. No ComGuard has been taken alive, it seemed, and he understood why.
He often thought about the garrison of the Elissa compound. And about the ROM-agent who had vanished minutes after they were led out of the compound. It was for the best: Loy and the others, after having been subjected to drugs that bordered torture, revealed her true identity.
When he returned to his family’s house, he only wanted to go to bed. But he stopped – and, indeed, it felt as if his heart stopped too – seeing what was on his bed.
On his bed lay a heavily battered rifle and two identification tags. Of course he recognized them at once. A small handwritten note was with them: “memento”.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Notes:
The early meetings of ComStar and the Clans were all but peaceful. TRO:3050 (1990) directly informs us about skirmishes between ComStar and Clans before they made a pact. The reason is easy to imagine: in order to maintain the element of surprise, the Clans had to silence the HPGs which were under ComStar’s control. So the ComGuards stationed in the Periphery probably died defending their HPG compounds.
However, several ROM agents managed to get off some messages to Terra, and the message send by Mirrorshade is actually fully canonical and taken directly from the ComStar Sourcebook (1992). I took great liberties in that there is no report of Elementals storming the compound, or ComGuard Mechs battling Clan Mechs.
The story of Elissa during Operation Revival is a bit convoluted. The Invading Clans Sourcebook (1994) revealed that it was not Clan Wolf, but Ghost Bear conquering the planet. It states the ComStar agent simply mistook the insignia of the 312th Assault Trinary for a wolf. However in this version, the planet seems to have been conquered without a shot fired. What’s more, Clan Wolf indeed conquered the planet soon after.
It may seem contrived that Mirrorshade would avenge the ComGuards, especially after the pact. However we know that many if not most ComStar members felt very unhappy about this pact, especially in the armed branches. In the novel DRT we see ComGuards hoping the Clans would attack them, so they had a reason to legitimately fight them; in the short story Righteous Fury two Level II units (roughly a battalion) even went rogue and attacked the Clans.
If you are a fan of the Clans, I hope you do not take offense at the cruelty of the attackers. This is just what happened in the Periphery; the source books are very clear about this. And, actually, what I describe is rather tame compared to canon stories.
Lastly, the visions of Primus Adrienne Sims are canon, at least it is canon she claimed to have had these visions. And I thought it might be a nice idea to open with that.
Credits:
The cover image of the bear is taken from the Warden Clans Sourcebook (1998). That this bear pretty much looks like a wolf fits the story well. The logos of BattleTech and MechWarriors are official (in case of BT, it is the new one). The logo of ComStar, or rather this variant of it, is my own creation.
(Periphery Action)
Hilton Head Complex
Terra, ComStar Protectorate
11 June 2959
Who are you? Adrienne asked though she knew the man perfectly well. It just could not be him. He was dead. He died almost 150 years ago. However that did not stop him the last time he spoke to her, either.
The ghostly presence smiled. My name is of no great consequence. It was a lie, but then the man was never comfortable about his role as mankind’s saviour, which he had adopted only because no one else would have done so. Adrienne respected the man’s modesty but she needed to know why he was talking to her.
As if he read her thoughts the Blessed Founder’s smile died. You are right, he said, you have to know. There is a danger looming in the deep Periphery, far beyond the known worlds. A map of the Inner Sphere and the Periphery appeared, and the man pointed at the empty space. Having discarded their humanity they became beasts. The map suddenly became engulfed in flames again. She had this vision before, or at least a very similar one. An emerald bird of death screamed tearing the flaming map apart, while a six-legged bear roared as it crushed a serpent. The last she saw was a wolf howling in Unity City. Then there was silence and blackness.
Why tell her? It was a new voice and Adrienne recognized the Founder’s pupil at once, but she could not see him well. Both men seemed to fade into the blackness.
That girl is our last hope.
No, there is another.
With a scream she awoke and immediately two ComGuards rushed into her room.
“Primus! What happened?”
________________________________________________________________
ComStar Compound 11b
Elissa IX, Elysian Fields
29 August 3049
Elissa was paradise and hell at the same time. Images of the lush tropical world could serve as stock footage for tourism ads. However no tourist would ever actually make the trip to this remote place at the edge of known space. The residents were largely peaceful and pleasant; however Elissa’s rich mineral deposits attracted aggressive miners as well as pirates. Although officially under the protection of Hendrik Grimm’s Oberon Confederation, Grimm and his cronies bullied and exploited Elissa just as much as the pirates.
But not anymore, not for some time at least, Desiderius thought as he moved his pristinely white Excalibur into the hangar. A priceless relic of the Star League, the arrival of this ComGuard war machine heralded the end to overt violence against the peasantry. ComStar’s military presence was minimal, but the Elissa Rangers, Grimm’s local militia, would not dare opposing them. As long as the ComGuards patrolled the streets, the people were reasonably safe.
When Desiderius dismounted he was greeted by the commander of the infantry, George Kryssing.
“Adept Keppler,” he said, “we got a visitor.”
“Yes, I saw the Dropship. It was in good shape, so it cannot be from the Confederation. Who is the poor soul they exiled?”
Kryssing suppressed a grin as he turned his head to the direction of a female Precentor, who approached them. Obviously he was amused because she was not. “Adept Keppler, your post here is not ‘exile’; this HPG and all its personnel are vital to operation of our Blessed Order in the Periphery. I am Precentor Hanna Mazuv and I am here to assess the efficiency of this HPG – including its military protection. So please try to act professional and cooperate.”
“Of course, Precentor. Do you wish a briefing?”
“Yes, meet me at the combat central, 1400 hours. You, too, Adept Kryssing. That would be all for now.”
The two men nodded and could not help but chuckle after the Precentor had turned. She immediately turned back with an angry stare, but just at that moment Desiderius regained his composure: “Peace of Blake be with you.”
Showered, shaved, and dressed in their best robes Keppler and Kryssing waited for the Precentor, who was probably late on purpose. Not that it mattered, combatting boredom was a common struggle on his world – and they were veterans after four months on Elissa.
“Peace of Blake be with you.” Mazuv said, her eyes firmly on Desiderius. “Please sit down and tell me about the military situation here.”
Back to basics. “This is a Class B compound, heavily fortified and capable of repelling most assaults if fully manned. It is nowhere near fully manned, of course. Despite our Level II-designation, the garrison is two Level-I units short, thereby lacking aerospace and conventional armour assets.”
“In easy terms, please.”
“We have two Mechs and 58 infantrymen with some armoured personnel carriers. Enough to maintain a presence and make Grimm nervous it seems.” Seeing the questioning eyes of the Precentor he continued: “The Confederation has increased its military force significantly. We count fourteen BattleMechs, at least 26 armoured fighting vehicles, and some 5000 motorized infantry.”
“Can they take the compound?”
Kryssing and Desiderius looked at each other. They had asked themselves the same question ever since the confederate reinforcements arrived. And they were sure about the answer: “Yes, they can. It will be a bloody affair, but in the end their numbers will decide the battle in their favour. We implemented a new emergency protocol, though. In case of an attack, we figured the enemy would strike swiftly and prevent us sending a message. It is very unlikely that an enemy could breach our defences in time, or use strong ECM – but it is not impossible.”
“Blitzkrieg.”
“Right. Standard procedure is to alarm the nearest Level III or Division Headquarter, in our case Rasalhague and the 278th Division. However, if someone has the will and the means to blitz us, it might well be a coordinated attack against the Order itself. Also, Rasalhague is not exactly around the corner, and help probably would not arrive in time anyway, so we prepared our HPG to send an emergency message to Terra, warning the Primus herself.”
“I cannot think of any scenario requiring you to inform the Primus” Mazuv replied, hardly hiding her contempt. She curled her lips as she finished her sentence, “...unless Sainted Sims’s visions come true and the beasts from beyond the known space come at us. But that’s rather unlikely, wouldn’t you agree?”
The two military men did not take offense. She was right, after all. Of course, the new protocol was born out of the boredom the garrison of Compound 11b faced on a daily basis. They just needed something to do. But this was not the answer the precentor wanted to hear. Kryssing finally nodded. “We absolutely agree. You just have to keep in mind it is our duty to be prepared. And relaying information under the gravest of circumstances is the very reason our Order exists. As Blessed Blake said, ‘Information waits for no one’”.
Jump Point
Elissa System, Elysian Fields
13 September 3049
Two aerospace fighters – all the Confederation had on Elissa – routinely patrolled the jump point of the system, expecting the usual: nothing. Much to their surprise, they registered the imminent incoming of ships but before they could react, the ships filled their windscreens. The pilots had never seen ships like those above them, and in a panic reaction they fired. It was like an ant punching an alligator. Their lasers did not even scratch the surface, although the pilots never found out as they were disintegrated a split-second after they had pulled the trigger.
In space the whole incident looked remarkably unspectacular, especially given the importance of the unfolding events, and all an observer could have seen were two little white dots blinking once in the darkness.
ComStar Compound 11b
Elissa IX, Elysian Fields
14 September 3049
The attacking fleet itself looked a lot more impressive on the screens of the combat central, thanks to the compounds advanced sensors. “Send for Adept Keppler and Precentor Loy”, Kryssing ordered.
“What about Precentor Mazuv?”
“That does not concern her.”
Kryssing still had trouble believing what he saw, even after he had the Acolyte triple check the sensor readings.
“What is it?” asked Desiderius, who entered the central together with Loy.
“If our readings are accurate,” said Kryssing, still in disbelieve, “a large fleet just entered the system and is heading directly towards Elissa IX. It includes vessels which ... must be WarShips.”
“Say again!”
“We identified a Black Lion-Class cruiser and a Lola III-class destroyer, plus several other large ships we could not get a good look at. It is an invasion fleet. Yes, it looks like they just launched DropShips.”
Loy put the ComGuards on alert but still confined them to the compound. Then a new voice was heart: “Inform the Rangers.” said Mazuv in a calm yet firm manner. How did she know?
The other precentor shook his head. “You have no authority here; that is my HPG station, and ComStar is neutral”.
“It is, but the Rangers really need to know what is going on. A threat of this magnitude probably concerns us too.”
I know what you are doing, thought Desiderius, If they are hostile the Rangers cannot stop them, but the longer they resist the more we find out about the invaders. Information is ammunition. “Precentor Mazuv’s suggestion seems valid. I would also suggest alarming the Rangers.” …and see how they deal with it.
Elissa Rangers HQ
Elissa IX, Elysian Fields
15 September 3049
He did not trust ComStar, of course, but his own radar stations confirmed the arrival of a fleet. Curiously the invaders had landed a mere handful Mechs to confront them, although they surely had more at their disposal. They even asked about his defending force, to which he replied that was none of their business. The Rangers marched to meet those strange people and they would crush those five Mechs. If they destroyed the advance party, maybe the main force would retreat.
Those thoughts were foolish, though, as was the belief that his troops could crush the enemy with ease. The Mechs had not come alone.
ComStar Compound 11b
Elissa IX, Elysian Fields
15 September 3049
They watched how those few Mechs easily dismembered the whole Ranger Mech-company within minutes. They also saw some insignia, most prominently a wolfs-head. Desiderius had little sense for sarcasm but he could not leave his thought unspoken: “’A howling wolf’. This is what Sainted Sims dreamed, is it not?” He looked at Mazuv who had mocked him just a few days ago referring to Sims’s visions.
But she noted something else. “Acolyte, zoom in on sector seven dash eight. ... Yes, there. Adept Kryssing, what is this?”
They looked at strange figures looking like mini-Mechs jumping at the Rangers’ tanks. Landing on top of them and ignoring the desperate machine gun fire, the assailants ripped open the hatches and killed the hapless crews.
“That is power-armoured infantry,” Kryssing explained, “but not like any power-armour I have ever seen. ROM has some, but they are made for infiltration – not open battlefield use. We have never even thought about using power-armour like this... Blake’s Blood!”
The commander of the infantry was visibly distressed when he witnessed one of the power-armoured attackers lifting a tanker by the throat. He held her up high with a mechanical claw and the Ranger was clearly in pain. Admirably, she pulled her sidearm and emptied the magazine at her captor point blank range, but it had no effect. Then the claw tightened, the woman screamed (though, thankfully, the compound’s cameras did not have directed microphones to pick up her screams) and her head was slowly severed from her body. It was lifted high and presented like a trophy.
There was no love lost between ComStar and the Confederate soldiers, but no one deserved such cruelty. Desiderius had enough. “I am going out there; tell Acolyte Heather to man her Mech.”
“Be reasonable!” Loy pleaded, “You cannot do much good, and we are neutral. We just sit this out.”
“The Mechs have taken notice of us. Blessed Blake! They are coming!” an Acolyte reported and you could hear his voice trembling in fear. A moment later, Loy, Kryssing and Keppler all burst into discussion but they were cut short by Precentor Mazuv. She fired a pistol. A pistol she should not have.
“I am Agent Mirrorshade, ROM. And no, before you ask, I have no idea what is going on. But I know we must inform the Primus. Precentor Loy, execute the new protocol so that I can send a message to Terra. Also execute evac-plan Bravo; all non-essential personnel have to go. Adept Keppler, Adept Kryssing, you have buy us time.” She hesitated for a moment. “I know what I am asking of you. …what I am ordering you to do. There is no other way. Can you do it?”
“In the name of the Holy Word of Blake, we can.”
A moment later, Desiderius was in his Mech. For the first time in his military life, he felt insecure. Even after the technological renaissance of the Inner Sphere, ComStar’s Mechs were the very best, unmatched. Now he squared off against new Mechs he had never seen. They were capable of hitting targets with amazing accuracy at impossible ranges. And they carried extremely hard hitting weapons.
But he served the wisdom of Blake and knew sacrifices had to be made. If Terra could be warned, they would find an answer.
His Excalibur stepped out the hangar and Heather’s Crab was with him. Their opponents had a tough fight ahead of them. They must have detected them, as they turned towards the two Mechs and tuned in on a broadband frequency: “I am Star Captain Edwin Gilmore and your comrades fought like bandits. But perhaps you wish to fight with honour.”
“I am Adept Desiderius Keppler, and the Rangers are not my comrades but I will avenge them and prevent you from entering our HPG. However, we are ComGuard and grant you one last chance for peace. Leave now.”
“Neg, Adept Desiderius Keppler, we will conquer the planet and all its installations. Do you bid both your Mechs for battle, or will be it be between you and me? I long for the challenge of single combat!”
It became increasingly irritating for the ComGuards, but this talking stalled the attack for valuable seconds. “Star Colonel, my Acolyte and I will face any force you send against us – together.”
Then two enemy Mechs stepped forward, and without further warning Desiderius fired his gauss rifle at the nearest Mech. In the Inner Sphere such a shot would have created panic as few if any Mechs could answer a gauss rifle. Desiderius’s enemies though returned fire, at least one of them did. The computer classed it as a Warhammer, although the weight was estimated to be five tons less. The other opponent, choosing to attack Heather, was even weirder as the computer suggested a Cicada but the visual ID did not match at all. If anything it looked like a smaller Crab.
“We stay at range.” he ordered, “They may hit us, but we are well disposed for long range combat, and I have no idea how well they fight up close.”
“Understood. Let us dispense some peace, Adept Keppler!”
Desiderius almost smiled but he was hit by a PPC strike that was far more powerful than a PPC should be. His reaction was launching 20 long range missiles at the Warhammer-light, spiralling towards the Mech but missing it. It certainly was no Warhammer, because it moved much faster. Heather was facing a similar problem, because her opponent was faster than most, if not all Mechs they had ever encountered making targeting it difficult.
But they were ComGuards, trained to perfection and inspired by the teachings of Blake. Trusting his abilities he fired the LRM again, this time scoring many hits, followed by a gauss slug smashing right into the torso. And he managed to keep his distance. But Heather was in trouble, for the strange Cicada-like Mech unleashed its lasers on her. Holy Word!
“Adept Keppler, those lasers must be large lasers. That power, that range! But that is impossible on a 40-tonner.”
“Very good transmission, Acolyte!” he responded with a compliment to calm her down, “Remember what Blake said: Information is ammunition. We will use your data and transmissions for our final victory. Now get closer and use your full arsenal.” He did not say that they would not see the final victory, though.
His own opponent relentlessly fired his dual PPCs to devastating effect. But Desiderius spotted additional short range missiles and lasers. He knew he had to stay away from this Mech as much as possible and turned hard right. Answering enemy fire with another shot from his gauss rifle, he hit the enemy leg so hard that he lost his balance for a second. Enough for all of his 20 LRM to blast away massive armour plating, leaving vulnerable internals open for attack. The damaged Mech retreated. He was out of range for Desiderius, but the Warhammer-light stopped firing as well, despite his weapons still functional. Even though his opponent’s weapons were formidable, they apparently did not outrange his gauss rifle and his LRM. Information is ammunition.
He almost believed they could win when a cry for help came in: “Adept, I cannot hold …”
Instead of finishing off the Warhammer-light, he chose to help his comrade. Her Crab’s armour was breaking and she was outmanoeuvred. “Blake, guide my shot.” With that he launched another gauss slug; he believed to see its silvery motion as it raced past by Heather before it crushed the back of the Cicada-like Mech. Although the enemies were still fit for combat, there was no doubt about the outcome after he saved the Acolyte.
As far as he was concerned, ComStar won the two-on-two combat which the invaders had wanted, since the other Mechs had not interfered so far. However, if they adhered to any code of honour it was beyond Desiderius’s understanding: now every other Mech opened fire. Heather fell almost immediately. He withstood the fire for some twenty seconds before his gyroscope failed. His Mech stumbled and crashed to the ground.
Desiderius survived, although not for long. The last thing he saw was the giant metal foot of a Mech coming down on his cockpit, and with his last breath he cursed his foe.
“How much longer, Precentor Loy?” Mirrorshade asked. Her voice was utterly toneless. She no longer pretended being Hanna Mazuv, an obnoxious clerk who enjoyed supervising others; she fulfilled a mission as an agent of ROM, even if her original mission had been quite different. She also had seen far more gruesome scenes than what they had just witnessed, and although she felt bad about the murder of two ComGuards, she still had a mission and kept calm.
Naturally Kryssing had a different reaction. He cocked his rifle and went down the hallway to meet the invaders. She had seen the look on his face a hundred times: Kryssing knew he was about to die but he would not go down without a fight.
Loy however was frozen, another reaction to such a situation she was familiar with. “Loy! Answer, in the name of the Primus, Toyama, and Blake himself!”
“Three minutes.” he finally managed. The combat central had to be defended for three long minutes, and that against mini-Mechs ripping open the compound’s blast doors and racing through the hallways.
They could see the one-sided struggle on the surveillance monitors: the ComGuard infantry were magnificent. Knowing their weapons could not penetrate the enemy’s armour, they would pray, possibly weep, and then put themselves on the line without fear or hesitation, only to perish soon after. Kryssing build a makeshift position with a field gun, but even that failed to kill an attacker. The infantry commander then stoically dropped a hand grenade into a nearby ammo bin, collapsing the hallway and buying Mirrorshade the time she needed.
“HGP almost ready, begin your message!”
Finally. She could hear more shots echo not too far away as she typed the message:
“Agent Mirrorshade reporting. Forces of unknown origin have landed on Elissa’s main continent. No strong resistance. The unknowns are using new technology and BattleMech designs. Weapons appear superior in manufacture. Repeat. New technology and weapons systems. We have also detected new armoured infantry troops, jump-capable, heavily armed, and with anti-Mech capabilities. Troops are marked with wolf’s-head insignia not found in our databases of mercenary or house units. Local garrisons have been unable to mount even minor defences. Unknowns send out challenges for personal combat, reasons unknown at this time. Unknowns are firing on our compound! Executing emergency evac plan Bravo. Request relief immed... EOM”
The door to the combat central was breached and giant figures entered the room. She pressed the SEND-button. Then, acting as Mazuv again, she raised her hands panicky and begged for mercy. Having butchered every last ComGuard the invaders accepted her surrender. She noted one of them carrying Kryssing’s badly damaged rifle, his armoured legs covered in a mixture of dirt, shredded uniform clothing, blood, and flesh.
________________________________________________________________
Bordeaux, Southern France
Terra, ComStar Protectorate
2 May 3050
Claude Loy was finally home. After months of interrogations and imprisonment by the Clans, he had almost believed never to return home. But ComStar made a pact with the Clans, and all civilian prisoners were released. No ComGuard has been taken alive, it seemed, and he understood why.
He often thought about the garrison of the Elissa compound. And about the ROM-agent who had vanished minutes after they were led out of the compound. It was for the best: Loy and the others, after having been subjected to drugs that bordered torture, revealed her true identity.
When he returned to his family’s house, he only wanted to go to bed. But he stopped – and, indeed, it felt as if his heart stopped too – seeing what was on his bed.
On his bed lay a heavily battered rifle and two identification tags. Of course he recognized them at once. A small handwritten note was with them: “memento”.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Notes:
The early meetings of ComStar and the Clans were all but peaceful. TRO:3050 (1990) directly informs us about skirmishes between ComStar and Clans before they made a pact. The reason is easy to imagine: in order to maintain the element of surprise, the Clans had to silence the HPGs which were under ComStar’s control. So the ComGuards stationed in the Periphery probably died defending their HPG compounds.
However, several ROM agents managed to get off some messages to Terra, and the message send by Mirrorshade is actually fully canonical and taken directly from the ComStar Sourcebook (1992). I took great liberties in that there is no report of Elementals storming the compound, or ComGuard Mechs battling Clan Mechs.
The story of Elissa during Operation Revival is a bit convoluted. The Invading Clans Sourcebook (1994) revealed that it was not Clan Wolf, but Ghost Bear conquering the planet. It states the ComStar agent simply mistook the insignia of the 312th Assault Trinary for a wolf. However in this version, the planet seems to have been conquered without a shot fired. What’s more, Clan Wolf indeed conquered the planet soon after.
It may seem contrived that Mirrorshade would avenge the ComGuards, especially after the pact. However we know that many if not most ComStar members felt very unhappy about this pact, especially in the armed branches. In the novel DRT we see ComGuards hoping the Clans would attack them, so they had a reason to legitimately fight them; in the short story Righteous Fury two Level II units (roughly a battalion) even went rogue and attacked the Clans.
If you are a fan of the Clans, I hope you do not take offense at the cruelty of the attackers. This is just what happened in the Periphery; the source books are very clear about this. And, actually, what I describe is rather tame compared to canon stories.
Lastly, the visions of Primus Adrienne Sims are canon, at least it is canon she claimed to have had these visions. And I thought it might be a nice idea to open with that.
Credits:
The cover image of the bear is taken from the Warden Clans Sourcebook (1998). That this bear pretty much looks like a wolf fits the story well. The logos of BattleTech and MechWarriors are official (in case of BT, it is the new one). The logo of ComStar, or rather this variant of it, is my own creation.
Edited by FLG 01, 20 May 2017 - 06:51 AM.
#44
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- Knight Errant
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Posted 19 May 2017 - 04:14 PM
Good story really enjoyed the ComStar view point
#45
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- Survivor
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Posted 20 May 2017 - 06:25 AM
How long does this run for? When I can shift gears after I finish this last chapter, I might give this a go, though embarrassingly my Battletech knowledge outside of MechWarrior is limited. I'll probably end up making some stuff up. Can I take liberties? Can I veer into a completely different topic, yet absolutely Battletech related? I think I have an amusing idea.
Edited by Mister Blastman, 20 May 2017 - 06:29 AM.
#46
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- Knight Errant
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Posted 20 May 2017 - 03:42 PM
Mister Blastman, on 20 May 2017 - 06:25 AM, said:
How long does this run for? When I can shift gears after I finish this last chapter, I might give this a go, though embarrassingly my Battletech knowledge outside of MechWarrior is limited. I'll probably end up making some stuff up. Can I take liberties? Can I veer into a completely different topic, yet absolutely Battletech related? I think I have an amusing idea.
I believe the OP set the date as the 24th.
#47
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- Leutnant
- 2,646 posts
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Posted 20 May 2017 - 06:20 PM
Connor Davion, on 19 May 2017 - 04:14 PM, said:
Good story really enjoyed the ComStar view point
Thank you!
I know ComStar vs. Clan is not what you typically have in mind when it comes to the early Operation Revival actions, but I like the concept. The ComGuards are among the very best of the Inner Sphere and they have definitely the best Mechs. Now they are confronted with superior machines. This must come as an even greater surprise to them, but obviously they provide a tougher opponent to the Clans since the disparity in technology is smaller and since the ComGuard's training is superb.
They were just isolated Level Is and perhaps IIs on bigger stations, but it is a good set-up and contrast to the worn down Periphery forces.
In my story, the ComGuards came very, very close to winning, ...had it not been for Desiderius Keppler's violation of the Clan code of honour (which he could not know, much less understand). But this 'dishonourable' behaviour is what allowed the Clans yet another easy victory, so they did not learn from it.
From ComStar's perspective, the Clanners are easily the bad guys: brutal and merciless. However, the beauty of BattleTech is that evil and good really depend on your perspective. If I would write the story from the Clan's point of view, the ComGuards would appear no better than the bandits and obviously deserve their fate. Coming to think about it, I should write that...
Mister Blastman, on 20 May 2017 - 06:25 AM, said:
How long does this run for? When I can shift gears after I finish this last chapter, I might give this a go, though embarrassingly my Battletech knowledge outside of MechWarrior is limited. I'll probably end up making some stuff up. Can I take liberties? Can I veer into a completely different topic, yet absolutely Battletech related? I think I have an amusing idea.
See here:
https://mwomercs.com...ost__p__5731588
#48
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- Knight Errant
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- LocationSouth Carolina
Posted 21 May 2017 - 06:22 PM
OK here we go. Please be gentle I am noob at fiction writing. Sorry in advance for any typos I missed on my 3 read throughs my eyes are old and tired. 
I tried to be canon as much as possible with real BT equipment, places, dates etc.
This story is set during the Clan invasion of the Periphery from a pirate's point of view.
I am posting the intro here please go to the linked dropbox document for the full story and much easier reading. I have never used dropbox before so also please let me know if you can't get to the link.
I present in all its 14,427 word glory (LOL) "A Pirate's Tale"
https://www.dropbox....0Story.doc?dl=0
Introduction
Sisyphus’s Lament – The Periphery – August 17th 3049 0723 Local Time
Private Jocelyn Ramirez throttled down her Wasp WSP-1A as she reached the crest of the ridge line. The black and red humanoid BattleMech slowed and finally lurched to a stop, it’s fusion engine idling at a low hum. The hum was peaceful to her, even relaxing, yet deceptive, as a ‘Mech was 31st century man’s pinnacle war machine. She sat above a steed that was twenty tons of circuitry, steel and myomer. A million parts meshed together to be death and destruction incarnate.
As she looked towards the far horizon the view of the sunrise was spectacular, especially considering that otherwise this frozen rock known as Sisyphus’s Lament was so desolate it made her former home world of Pacida in The Oberon Confederation seem like a virtual paradise. There was an atmosphere here of sorts, just enough oxygen to rust all the iron heavy rocks and outcroppings, which only added another shade of brown to the dismal visage lying underneath the bright rising sun on the horizon.
She adjusted her neuro-helmet and brushed a stray strand of dirty blonde hair away from her eyes. A drop of sweat dripped from her nose onto her bare leg below. Her distinctive features clearly spoke of her mixed Anglo/Spanish heritage. Her build was athletic and she was attractive, however, outside a few in her own profession not many were beating down her door to get to know her. Most were intimidated by her chosen line of work.
As was usual for Mechwarriors she wore little more than shorts, t-shirt, and boots. Besides of course the potentially life saving cooling vest that was currently plugged into her Wasp’s cooling system. This system would help her body temperature stay regulated in the oven that the cockpit of a ‘Mech could become during battle. The only other piece of gear on her person was the ever present Hawk Eagle Auto-pistol strapped to her right thigh that she carried both inside and outside the cockpit at all times.
“Damn,” she thought to herself “this bucket is running hot today and I have barely put her through her paces.”
Needless to say out here in the Periphery equipment was not maintained to Inner Sphere standards, lack of parts, lack qualified techs, and just a general lack of everything surely contributed to the centuries old ‘Mech she rode running a little hot.
“Well old girl if that is the worst hiccup we have today I guess it’s not too bad a day.” she murmured to herself through a slight smile.
Not that there had been much to smile about since she had arrived on Sisyphus’s Lament about two months ago. Things with Ryan’s Rebels were not at all what she had expected. As she began her sensor and visual sweep of the valley below she thought back to the journey that had lead her to this time and place.
For more please see the dropbox link earlier in the post
I tried to be canon as much as possible with real BT equipment, places, dates etc.
This story is set during the Clan invasion of the Periphery from a pirate's point of view.
I am posting the intro here please go to the linked dropbox document for the full story and much easier reading. I have never used dropbox before so also please let me know if you can't get to the link.
I present in all its 14,427 word glory (LOL) "A Pirate's Tale"
https://www.dropbox....0Story.doc?dl=0
A Pirate’s Tale
Introduction
Sisyphus’s Lament – The Periphery – August 17th 3049 0723 Local Time
Private Jocelyn Ramirez throttled down her Wasp WSP-1A as she reached the crest of the ridge line. The black and red humanoid BattleMech slowed and finally lurched to a stop, it’s fusion engine idling at a low hum. The hum was peaceful to her, even relaxing, yet deceptive, as a ‘Mech was 31st century man’s pinnacle war machine. She sat above a steed that was twenty tons of circuitry, steel and myomer. A million parts meshed together to be death and destruction incarnate.
As she looked towards the far horizon the view of the sunrise was spectacular, especially considering that otherwise this frozen rock known as Sisyphus’s Lament was so desolate it made her former home world of Pacida in The Oberon Confederation seem like a virtual paradise. There was an atmosphere here of sorts, just enough oxygen to rust all the iron heavy rocks and outcroppings, which only added another shade of brown to the dismal visage lying underneath the bright rising sun on the horizon.
She adjusted her neuro-helmet and brushed a stray strand of dirty blonde hair away from her eyes. A drop of sweat dripped from her nose onto her bare leg below. Her distinctive features clearly spoke of her mixed Anglo/Spanish heritage. Her build was athletic and she was attractive, however, outside a few in her own profession not many were beating down her door to get to know her. Most were intimidated by her chosen line of work.
As was usual for Mechwarriors she wore little more than shorts, t-shirt, and boots. Besides of course the potentially life saving cooling vest that was currently plugged into her Wasp’s cooling system. This system would help her body temperature stay regulated in the oven that the cockpit of a ‘Mech could become during battle. The only other piece of gear on her person was the ever present Hawk Eagle Auto-pistol strapped to her right thigh that she carried both inside and outside the cockpit at all times.
“Damn,” she thought to herself “this bucket is running hot today and I have barely put her through her paces.”
Needless to say out here in the Periphery equipment was not maintained to Inner Sphere standards, lack of parts, lack qualified techs, and just a general lack of everything surely contributed to the centuries old ‘Mech she rode running a little hot.
“Well old girl if that is the worst hiccup we have today I guess it’s not too bad a day.” she murmured to herself through a slight smile.
Not that there had been much to smile about since she had arrived on Sisyphus’s Lament about two months ago. Things with Ryan’s Rebels were not at all what she had expected. As she began her sensor and visual sweep of the valley below she thought back to the journey that had lead her to this time and place.
For more please see the dropbox link earlier in the post
Edited by Connor Davion, 22 May 2017 - 01:37 PM.
#49
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Posted 22 May 2017 - 09:58 AM
Holy good god man! you weren't kidding! that is long. awesome sauce.
#50
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- Knight Errant
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Posted 22 May 2017 - 12:01 PM
JackalBeast, on 22 May 2017 - 09:58 AM, said:
Holy good god man! you weren't kidding! that is long. awesome sauce.
Guess I got a little carried away. It was fun though.
Hope it didn't take away too much from anyone's cockpit time
#51
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- Liquid Metal
- 5,230 posts
Member
Posted 24 May 2017 - 11:00 AM
Well i got chapter one done.. Running out of time thought it was friday for some reason.. whoops lol..
Edited by JC Daxion, 24 May 2017 - 11:12 AM.
#52
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- Liquid Metal
- 5,230 posts
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Posted 24 May 2017 - 07:15 PM
This story takes place just before the clan invasion. I am not a big lore guy, so i was kind of vague on things, but i still hope you enjoy it. I had to cut it a little short due to time constraints, but hey if people enjoy where it is going, i'll finish it with chap 3, DLC! (i joke) Don't worry, it does complete itself, just leaves a bit of mystery, hopefully wanting more! (this version ended up about 20 pages)
Please let me know if you have any issues with the link or reading it. I can try another format. I tired an old .Doc form but it screwed up all the formatting, Not sure what else to use to convert with. At any rate, i had no time to bug my friend to edit, so i hope my limited skills don't kill it. I never wrote a mech warrior story, but have dabbled into fantasy and other areas in the past. This was fun though.
PS i look forward to reading the other stories, but i skipped them for the time being, didn't want to cloud my own.
So here i present to you..
*edit, I changed the link to one you can just read online. (let me know if there is an issue)
https://www.dropbox....%20doc.doc?dl=0
A clip, aka Page one.
“Raven Rose”
A light rain fell from the sky landing on the pavement still warm from the brutal heat of the day. It had not rained in weeks so even just the drizzle was a welcome sight. Sadly it was far less than needed to wash away the stench of the ally. The narrow ally, off the beaten path in the manufacturing district, had its share of over flowing trash bins. Smaller heaps lined the sides. The dime light bleeding in from the main street a block over left more than enough shadows of mystery to keep the mind occupied, and marching down the center of the street for fear of what could be lurking just beyond sight. Shallow puddles collected the rain were just deep enough to splash through as the two girls meandered toward their destination. One of them stopped to sniff the air, as her eyes darted around with excitement. “Can you smell it,” she blurted out.
“Um the smell of despair” the other questioned in a sarcastic tone. “Are you sure we are going the right way? This place does not look like any place I’d ever want to eat.” The girl in dark jeans, and work boots she certainly looked like the average worker in the manufacturing district but at the same time was in unfamiliar territory.
“No,” she said as she sniffed again, “We’re getting close, Come on!” The girl clad in leather boots, pants and jacket reached out and grabbed her friend by the wrist and started to run pulling her along. “This way,” she said as she ducked of to the side, finally losing her grip as she squeezed her way between two buildings to get to the main street a block over.
“Wait up, I can’t see ****,” the other said stumbling over a torn cardboard box in the barely passable crack between the two large brick buildings. “Rose slow down, I’m not in the mood to run,” her friend pleaded.
“Don’t worry, we are here,” she replied. “Look,” as she pointed across the street at a small hole in the wall eatery as her friend emerged from behind her.
The main street was not much cleaner than the ally they had just been in. It was lined with small shops of sorts and apartment if you can call um that, more flop houses than anything. At this time of night though most were closed down and only stragglers were moving about. This was not the safest place in the city, but there were others that were far worse. There was nothing here your average person that did not live in the district, or worked there would have any reason to visit unless of course they were in the know. The two made their way across the street and towards the darkened doorway. It was next to a window that had a neon sign with the letters “BQ” glowing. The first B was out with the Q flickering as if it was not long for the world. The nondescript building looked more like a hole in the wall that one would avoid, rather than to enter voluntarily.
(this version ended up about 20 pages)Please let me know if you have any issues with the link or reading it. I can try another format. I tired an old .Doc form but it screwed up all the formatting, Not sure what else to use to convert with. At any rate, i had no time to bug my friend to edit, so i hope my limited skills don't kill it. I never wrote a mech warrior story, but have dabbled into fantasy and other areas in the past. This was fun though.
PS i look forward to reading the other stories, but i skipped them for the time being, didn't want to cloud my own.
So here i present to you..
*edit, I changed the link to one you can just read online. (let me know if there is an issue)
https://www.dropbox....%20doc.doc?dl=0
A clip, aka Page one.
“Raven Rose”
A light rain fell from the sky landing on the pavement still warm from the brutal heat of the day. It had not rained in weeks so even just the drizzle was a welcome sight. Sadly it was far less than needed to wash away the stench of the ally. The narrow ally, off the beaten path in the manufacturing district, had its share of over flowing trash bins. Smaller heaps lined the sides. The dime light bleeding in from the main street a block over left more than enough shadows of mystery to keep the mind occupied, and marching down the center of the street for fear of what could be lurking just beyond sight. Shallow puddles collected the rain were just deep enough to splash through as the two girls meandered toward their destination. One of them stopped to sniff the air, as her eyes darted around with excitement. “Can you smell it,” she blurted out.
“Um the smell of despair” the other questioned in a sarcastic tone. “Are you sure we are going the right way? This place does not look like any place I’d ever want to eat.” The girl in dark jeans, and work boots she certainly looked like the average worker in the manufacturing district but at the same time was in unfamiliar territory.
“No,” she said as she sniffed again, “We’re getting close, Come on!” The girl clad in leather boots, pants and jacket reached out and grabbed her friend by the wrist and started to run pulling her along. “This way,” she said as she ducked of to the side, finally losing her grip as she squeezed her way between two buildings to get to the main street a block over.
“Wait up, I can’t see ****,” the other said stumbling over a torn cardboard box in the barely passable crack between the two large brick buildings. “Rose slow down, I’m not in the mood to run,” her friend pleaded.
“Don’t worry, we are here,” she replied. “Look,” as she pointed across the street at a small hole in the wall eatery as her friend emerged from behind her.
The main street was not much cleaner than the ally they had just been in. It was lined with small shops of sorts and apartment if you can call um that, more flop houses than anything. At this time of night though most were closed down and only stragglers were moving about. This was not the safest place in the city, but there were others that were far worse. There was nothing here your average person that did not live in the district, or worked there would have any reason to visit unless of course they were in the know. The two made their way across the street and towards the darkened doorway. It was next to a window that had a neon sign with the letters “BQ” glowing. The first B was out with the Q flickering as if it was not long for the world. The nondescript building looked more like a hole in the wall that one would avoid, rather than to enter voluntarily.
Edited by JC Daxion, 25 May 2017 - 04:17 PM.
#53
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- The Blood-Eye
- 5,444 posts
Member
- LocationIn the mechbay, telling the techs to put extra LRM ammo on.
Posted 24 May 2017 - 11:48 PM
Congrats to all who participated..
Some awesome stories here..
Can't wait to see who wins!
Some awesome stories here..
Can't wait to see who wins!
#54
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- Knight Errant
- 115 posts
Member
- LocationSouth Carolina
Posted 25 May 2017 - 09:07 AM
JC Daxion great intro. Can't wait to read the rest. Unfortunately Dropbox isn't working on my phone so it will have to wait until I get home tonight.
#55
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- Liquid Metal
- 5,230 posts
Member
Posted 25 May 2017 - 01:01 PM
Connor Davion, on 25 May 2017 - 09:07 AM, said:
JC Daxion great intro. Can't wait to read the rest. Unfortunately Dropbox isn't working on my phone so it will have to wait until I get home tonight.
Let me know if the format is ok.. I wasn't sure if people would have issues with it.
#56
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- Knight Errant
- 115 posts
Member
- LocationSouth Carolina
Posted 25 May 2017 - 01:38 PM
JC Daxion, on 25 May 2017 - 01:01 PM, said:
Let me know if the format is ok.. I wasn't sure if people would have issues with it.
Not sure if it's just me, but I am not able to open, download this or preview it in Dropbox. Tells me wpd. files cannot be previewed.
Edited by Connor Davion, 25 May 2017 - 01:38 PM.
#57
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- 4,863 posts
Member
- LocationTerra
Posted 25 May 2017 - 02:15 PM
Kk the winners are FLG01, Connor Davion and JC Daxion won this round. It was a hard call, and the other submissions were pretty awesome.
Get a hold of me via PM.
If there's enough interest I will likely hold another similar contest, before the heroes release.
Thank you all for participating.
Get a hold of me via PM.
If there's enough interest I will likely hold another similar contest, before the heroes release.
Thank you all for participating.
#58
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- Knight Errant
- 115 posts
Member
- LocationSouth Carolina
Posted 25 May 2017 - 02:33 PM
Thanks again JackalBeast. It was fun and I definitely enjoyed the experience.
I also appreciate the effort put in by everyone. Good stuff.
Congrats to the other winners
I also appreciate the effort put in by everyone. Good stuff.
Congrats to the other winners
#59
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- Liquid Metal
- 5,230 posts
Member
Posted 25 May 2017 - 03:49 PM
Connor Davion, on 25 May 2017 - 02:33 PM, said:
Thanks again JackalBeast. It was fun and I definitely enjoyed the experience. I also appreciate the effort put in by everyone. Good stuff. Congrats to the other winners
I agree..
Thanks Jackal for putting this together.
#60
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- Liquid Metal
- 5,230 posts
Member
Posted 25 May 2017 - 04:02 PM
I updated the link, this format should be-able to read just by clicking. I hope. :check original post::
Edited by JC Daxion, 25 May 2017 - 04:18 PM.
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