Golden Lion AU Supplemental

Golden Lion AU Supplemental
Product information
Type	Sourcebook
Primary writing	AlphaMirage
Cover artwork	Unspecified
Publication information
Publisher	(Fan-made product)
First published	2022
Content
Content	Timeline Overview
Era	Alternate Succession Wars Era
Timeline	3015-3050
Series	Ian Davion, Golden Lion AU

Description[]

Golden Lion Supplement AU is a fan online reference sourcebook to stories written in the said Universe.

Currently this reference guide is overall history of the Golden Lion Alternate Universe.

Alternate Universe Origin[]

The primary story which defined the universe (Ian Davion, Golden Lion) features the son of Federated Suns of the First Prince Hanse Davion, Ian Davion. A son that shouldn't exist. In this version of this BattleTech universe, Dana Stephenson (Lover of Hanse Davion) survives Battle of Halstead Station in 3014 and marries Hanse, thus the universe is utterly changed.

The story origin came from a discussion of "What If" on the Battletech Official Forums. This lead to this fan story, which focus on Ian Davion and his siblings came into existence and changed the course of history.^[1]

Story was created and written by AlphaMirage, as a less Grimdarky and more snarky setting in comparison to his previous works in form of Katherine Chronicles.

The series' second entry was Hachiman, Hard Boiled which covers Kurita family drama and the criminal undertaking on the world of Hachiman in the Draconis Combine.

The series' third entry was Scars of Victoria which features Minoru Kurita, youngest son of Coordinator Theodore Kurita, as he embarks on a 'humanitarian mission' to aid the Capellan Confederation following its disastrous civil war along with Riva Allard, daughter of Quintus Allard, Hanse Davion's spymaster and architect of its near destruction. Additionally it covers the fallout following the Aurigan Coalition which is settled by the joint effort of rival Princes Hohiro Kurita of the Draconis Combine and Andrew Davion, Ian Davion's younger brother.

It's final entry (still in progress) is Hidden Hope which covers OPERATION:REVIVAL the return of the Clans of Kerensky who seek to dominate the Inner Sphere and restore their vision for a new Star League. Unfortunately their target, the Lyran Commonwealth, will not roll over easily.

Canonicity[]

All events prior to the late Third Succession War remain the same, but henseworth after slightly altered due to the Ian Davion being present in the universe

Timeline of Golden Lion AU[]

Historical Timeline and Detail for Golden Lion setting and characters

Third Succession War[]

2970 – Takashi Kurita is born
2972 – Miyamoto Kurita is born
2980 – Yorinaga Kurita and Ian Davion (the First) are born
2983 – Hanse Davion is born
2986 – Morgan Kell is born
2988 – Candace Liao and Patrick Kell are born
2992 – Romano Liao is born
2994 – Chandreskar Kurita is born
2996 – Isoroku Kurita and Tormano Liao are born
2997 – Theodore Kurita is born
3000 – Riva Allard, renowned NAIS Cyberneticist is born
3002 – Miyamoto Kurita dies in battle against the LCAF on Alexandria
3004 - Katrina Steiner, her husband Arthur Luvon, and Morgan Kell disappear after a failed assassination attempt by Archon Alessandro Steiner
3005 – Morgan Hasek-Davion is born
The Wolf's Dragoons arrive in the Inner Sphere and First Prince Ian Davion becomes their first employer
3007 - Katrina Steiner leads a bloodless coup against Archon Alessandro and is ratified the new Archon by the Estates General
3010 – Melissa Steiner is born and her father Arthur Luvon dies of cancer
The Wolf's Dragoons enter into the service of Chancellor Maximilian Liao
3013 – Ian Roger Davion (the First) dies in a rearguard duel against Yorinaga Kurita on Mallory’s World after Patrick Kell’s 2nd Battalion is unable to reinforce his position
A badly injured Hanse Davion marries an equally badly injured Dana Stephenson in the hospital after the Battle of Halstead Station.
3014 – Ian Renard Davion (the Second) and Photon Brett-Marik are born
The Marik Civil War begins after Anton Marik tries to overthrow Janos Marik. Joshua Wolf of the Wolf's Dragoons is killed during this conflict and 'The Black Widow' (aka Natasha Kerensky) is born.
3016 – The New Avalon Institute of Technology opens its doors
3019 – Tancred Sandoval and Toshi, the boy who would become Franklin Sakamoto, are born
The Wolf's Dragoons depart the Inner Sphere to parts unknown
3020 – Yvonne Elizabeth Davion (the Second, Ian’s sister) is born
The Wolf Dragoons return from their mysterious expedition and are hired by Archon Katrina Steiner
3023 – Corrine Marik, Hohiro Saito Kurita, and Andrew Dennis Davion are born
Kareena Kurita, mother to Isoroku Kurita, dies 'in her sleep'
The Wolf’s Dragoons begin training the Ryuken Regiments for the DCMS after being hired by Coordinator Takashi Kurita

Fourth Succession War[]

3025 – Candace Allard-Liao’s Duchy of St Ives announces succession from the Capellan Confederation.
Hanse Davion’s AFFS engage in Operation: MOUSETRAP aka the Victoria Offensive in support of the 'liberation' of the now St. Ives Compact.

3026 – Kanoka, the girl who would become Miya Kibo, is born.
DCMS forces invade the Draconis March forcing the redeployment of AFFS RCTs already engaged in the Capellan Theater. This prevents the SIMC from overmatching the CCAF, but dealing it a mortal wound from which it would never recover.

3027 – Yorinaga Kurita’s 1st Genyosha is added to the DCMS rolls to combat the Kell Hounds. Its first combat deployment is to Styx where they very nearly defeated Patrick Kell’s 2nd Battalion.
Omiko Kurita is born

3028 – The Helm Memory Core is recovered by the Grey Death Legion and The Red Duke, Hassid Ricol of the Draconis Combine. Grayson ‘Death’ Caryle, freely distributes it to everyone

The Warlord Greig Samsonov betrays and attempts to destroy the Wolf's Dragoons using the Ryuken units they had trained during the Battle of Misery

3029 - Treyhang Liao is born

3030 – The Andurian War of Succession begins with their invasion of the Capellan Confederation.
Kai (Liao-)Allard is born
The Wolf's Dragoons settle on the world of Outreach is granted to them by First Prince Hanse Davion.
Romano Liao murders her father, Chancellor Maximilian ‘El Diablo’ Liao, in a coup d’état with support from the Northwind Highlanders, loyalist Warrior Houses, and the Thuggees.

3031 – Minoru Kurita, Sun-Tzu, and Feng-Mian Liao are born
The Victoria Institute of Technology, sister school to NAIS, is founded. War demands halt construction, but not faculty recruiting at NAIS

3032 – Cassandra and Kuan-Yin Liao are born

3033 – Kali Liao is born

3034 – Isoroku Kurita’s White Tiger Battalion is added as an independent force in the DCMS. It’s first deployment occurs during the Ronin War following the Free Rasalhague Republic's founding.
Quintus Octavius Allard (the Second) is born

3035 – The Ronin War ends and the Free Rasalhague Republic is firmly recognized by all Inner Sphere powers as an independent nation

Reorganization Period[]

3036 – Chancellor Romano Liao escalates the war on her sister Candace's separatist St Ives Compact as soon as the CCAF, SIMC, and FWLM halt Andurian Allied forces.

3039 – The Andurian Crisis finally ends with Duchess Catherine Humphreys in prison
- The DCMS begins the War of 3039 by launching heavy raids on the Federated Suns’ Draconis March with new technology and a volume of SLDF mechs not seen in ages. The AFFS was not caught off-guard this time and puts up a firm defense and retaliates in kind.

3040 – Melissa Steiner marries Thomas Bradford, Katrina Steiner dies of cancer, Arthur Bradford is born to Melissa and Thomas
- Isoroku Kurita becomes Warlord of the Galedon Military District, the most important of the Combine’s posts. Rumors spread that this will serve as springboard to being declined heir.

3041 – Theodore Kurita massively expands his Ghost Regiment project. The DCMS offensive against the Federated Suns ebbs after a string of internal issues.

3042 – Jaime Wolf and The Wolf’s Dragoons move to Quentin at the invitation of First Prince Hanse Davion abandoning Outreach which had been under low level CCAF attack for several years.

3043 – Theodore Kurita is appointed Gunji-no-Kanrei and chosen heir to the Coordinatorship despite protests from conservative elements within the Combine who prefer his cousin Isoroku. He escalates DCMS involvement in the Capellan Confederation at the request of Chancellor Romano.

3044 – Candace Allard-Liao dies of cancer. The DCMS Ghost Regiments assigned to the Capellan Theater kill the House of Scions and conquer multiple worlds with the Confederation 'to establish order.
Tormano Liao ends the Capellan Civil War by raising an army with the assistance of the Lyran Commonwealth and Free World's League forcing Romano to surrender the Celestial Throne on Highspire. The St Ives Compact is formally dissolved and returned to the greater Confederation. Tormano Liao grants greater autonomy to the Capellan Confederation's worlds in exchange for a unity similar to the Free Worlds League. A new House of Scions is elected to replace the one killed by the DCMS.
- Ian Davion marries Countess Corrine Marik and ascends to First Price of the Federated Suns by year’s end
- Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht ‘retires’ and is not replaced by Primus Myndo Waterly

3045 – The Draconis Combine apparently falls into disfavor with COMSTAR. It begins to notably decline economically and militarily relative to the other Successor States from its former position of strength. Coordinator Takashi Kurita quietly demands the Imperial Treasury increase subsidies for state owned enterprises.

3046 – Unable to halt its decline internally the Draconis Combine attempts to negotiate trade deals with other powers. The only big deal to come out of these negotiations is with the Outworlds Alliance who want access to mothballed strategic Jumpship reserves to add to their fleet.
- Social discord grows, requiring a strong ISF response before it flares into open rebellion on Rift worlds and among the Azami. Coordinator Theodore Kurita and Chancellor Tormano Liao sign the Capella Accords which will return the Draconis Combine administered worlds to the Capellan Confederation at the Chancellor's request. This quiets the flames of rebellion on the occupied worlds freeing up the DCMS and ISF to handle internal troublemakers.
- Princess Sophia is born on New Avalon to Ian and Corrine Davion

Rebuilding Period[]

Emma Centrella ascends to Magestrix after a coup sees her mother Kyalla Centrella institutionalized

Duchess Catherine Humphreys, the Free World’s League’s “Rogue Duchess” dies in prison of a heart attack.

The Andurian-Magistracy invasion of Romano Liao’s Capellan Confederation ends after a counterattack by the CCAF and the loss of both ringleaders on the opposing side. A motion to continue attacks on the Capellan Confederation is defeated in the Atreus parliament after an impassioned speech delivered by Mandrinn Tormano Liao.

Corrine Marik begins training at the Allison Mechwarrior Institute on New Olympia. Her chosen Battlemech is a WVR-6M Wolverine named the “Troubadour” used by her Grand-Aunt Sylvia Marik in the Third Succession War.

The Capellan Confederation Civil War formally begins as Candace Liao’s SIMC with assistance from the Federated Suns fight against Romano’s CCAF, her TDF, and DCMS “allies.” Raids are common throughout the four contested commonalities (Sian, Capella, St Ives, and Victoria) as well as in the Capellan March on the Concordat Border.

The CCAF captures the industrial world of Detroit near the Magistracy of Canopus as well as the independent breadbasket worlds of Joppa and Herotitus giving the struggling Confederation a much-needed boost.

Raids from the Draconis Combine to the Federated Suns increase with newer and more numerous DCMS Battlemechs regularly making an appearance. Dozens of heavy raids and one invasion is repulsed on Quentin although the offensive almost leads to the capture of the Mech factories on planet which would have been a massive loss to the Federated Suns.

First Prince Hanse Davion’s investments in the AFFS continue to give the Federated Suns an edge but it becomes less of a sure thing in the wake of Theodore Kurita’s at times bloody reorganization of the DCMS. The Federated Suns and Draconis Combine begin to narrow the technological gap courtesy of the Halstead Station Library and Helm Data Core, sharing and industrial espionage on the part of other successor states begin to rapidly reverse the decline in technology that characterized the last century.

NAIS releases new advances in technology weekly although only some get press conferences. The Federated Suns Outback begins to feel some of the trickle-down effects of the technological renaissance that is beginning to fundamentally change the Inner Sphere.

Leftenant Yvonne Davion is reassigned to the 25th Lexington Reserve Group (a battalion-sized subcommand of the Kestral CrMM) based out of Fort Ballycastle on Lexington from the 11th Avalon Hussars on Kesai IV after she attracted undue attention by the DCMS. The Hussars repulse a trio of raids in force and executed two reprisal raids giving the woman invaluable combat experience, but several near misses force the First Prince’s hand. His daughter resents the coddling and acts out, much to the chagrin of her Commander.

Count Tancred Sandoval is assigned as the Intelligence Secretariat’s Liaison to Lieutenant General Viviane Petty of the Kestral CrMM. She coincidentally assigns him to the Lexington Station. Yvonne Davion’s behavior immediately improves, much to the relief of her Commander.

The ComGuards begin their rebuilding process as COMSTAR hires small mercenary units on long cadre contracts. The Titan Warship Yards around Saturn begin reactivating as the McKenna Yards around Kathil are being rebuilt by Hanse Davion. Primus Myndo Waterly urges greater COMSTAR “guidance” in the Inner Sphere as the Blessed Order’s long successful OP: HOLY SHROUD begins unraveling.

COMSTAR NEWS NETWORK UPDATE on the Capellan Civil War

June 3041: Capellan Confederation Chancellor Romano Liao completes moving the capital to Capella as the St Ives Confederation Armed Forces (SICAF pronounced Psy Caf) move within striking distance of Sian along the new Iss-Pallatine Battle Line in their ongoing Civil War.
Premier Candace Liao speaks out against the latest in a line of brutal combat actions that resulted in the death of her husband and Senior Colonel of the SICAF Justin Allard who was leading the St Ives Lancers against the fearsome Harloc Raiders promising blood for blood.
Romano's on again off again consort Tsen Shang was assassinated on Tikonov while on foreign assignment to Earthworks. While no parties take responsibility rumors fly placing blame with Justin Allard's father Quintus Allard, retired Minister of Intelligence to the Federated Suns. If true it would be a massive escalation with the already embattled Federated Suns.
Duke Tormano Liao arrives on Atreus to once more consult with the Free World’s League that is now facing an increasingly unstable border with the Capellan Confederation.
Dalma Humphries, the new Duchess of Andurian, demands that the League allow her to rebuild the Defenders of Andurian which were decommissioned in the wake of the Andurian Succession crisis resolved less than two years ago or failing that deploy Marik Militia to protect her domain.
Duke Andel Orloff whose worlds border the Confederation is increasingly outspoken in Parliament about the large quantities of Lyran Commonwealth and Free World's League flagged mercenaries flowing toward Westerhand. The mercenaries pursue lucrative contracts for the embattled Capellan states and have drawn high and low ranked units in equal measure. Andel is requesting approval to annex/conquer that world which has declared itself neutral. This is required to better control the flow of arms and men at arms that might become brigands when the bloody war eventually finishes.
COMSTAR contracted mercenaries and ComGuards have deployed to the Federated Suns occupied territories on the Rimward end of the Capellan Confederation. They are there to hold those worlds in trust to whichever side eventually wins the war in the wake of accusations against AFFS occupying forces. Accusations that the Martial General of the AFFS denies claiming pirates and rogue CCAF or TDF soldiers were responsible for the atrocities.

Romano Loyalist’s Capital – Capella
Candace's Reformist Capital – St Ives
Federated Suns Occupation Force HQ – Fort Lee, Victoria

3043 – The Capellan Civil War: St Ives Compact's Premier Candace Liao and Capellan Chancellor Romano Liao's Civil War continues to consume men and resources in the fires of war fueled by outside influence and their own hatred for one another. Their brother Mandrinn Tormano Liao's Free Capella, a ‘humanitarian’ non-profit dedicated to housing and caring for refugees and advocating for a swift end to the conflict, operates out of Solaris VII attracting funding through affiliation with the Federated Suns’ charismatic Prince Ian Davion and Lyran Commonwealth’s Archon Melissa Steiner's (self-interested) benevolence. In the Rimward Periphery the Taurian Concordat and Magistracy of Canopus have chosen opposite sides and a new low intensity front has opened in the Fronc Reaches and Aurigan Coalition between the two powers. Each seek to carve up (or be rewarded with) parts of the Rim-ward Confederation presently controlled by Candace Liao’s St Ives Compact.

Within the Draconis Combine Coordinator Takashi Kurita has handed over the role of Supreme Commander of the DCMS to his son, the brilliant heir-apparant Gunji-no-Kanrei Theodore Kurita. Free to focus on revitalizing his realm knowing its security is in good hands the Coordinator has focused on strengthening the Pillars of Gold, Teak, and Jade rooting out incompetent and corrupt officials with the aid of COMSTAR and in some case allowing the order to take over with tacit permission from Luthien. Theodore’s reforms of the DCMS have created a more effective military force that follows him as opposed to their regional Warlords. Additional recruiting from previously ‘undesirable’ (women, criminals, the poor, etc.…) populations have fostered greater dedication and appreciation of the DCMS throughout the Combine while only marginally affecting its superior quality. However, expansion of Ghost, Legion (Arkab or of Vega), and Ryuken formations has caused friction with the Provincial Regulars and elite Sword of Light.

First Prince Hanse Davion and Wolf Dragoons of Quentin are on a war footing, DCMS forces regularly raid border territories while both Liao sisters have struck supply depots within the Capellan March to ensure a steady supply of material for their own war machines. Taurian border territories have begun to heat up as Thomas Calderon’s revanchist Concordat once more try to reclaim territory that has been Federated Suns since the Reunification War. All while Outworlds Alliance privateers working with Candace operate all along the Draconis March to Sarna attacking Combine vessels but drawing pirate hunting DCMS forces into battle with AFFS garrisons in defiance of both their President and the First Prince.

On Atreus every faction is vying for the Free World’s League to pick a side tipping the balance of power in their favor. With its own internal divisions, the Parliament of Worlds finds itself pulled in many different directions and paralyzed with indecision. Having endured a recent Civil War, the FWLM has no appetite to occupy Capellan space whereas the AFFS and LCAF cannot as they face DCMS pressure on their own borders. Time is running out however as the refugee crisis and border raids continue to escalate in both intensity and scope. Mercenaries and pirates come from as far away as the Oberon Confederation and Hanseatic League to exact their pound of flesh from the carcass of a flailing, failed state. As the Capellan Confederation rots away it threatens to consume the whole Inner Sphere in its death throes.

Premier Candace Liao finds herself under greater pressure on her new temporary capital of Victoria as her sister Romano’s CCAF is aided directly and indirectly by the DCMS’ Genyosha, Ryuken-San and Roku, as well as 2 Ghost Regiments. Within her territory the COMGUARDs protect their own and she is left with merely superior covert forces from her father-in-law, a defensible line starting from Teng and Texlos, an abundance of supplies from Magestrix Centrella, and a Taurian Concordat under pressure from Duke Morgan Hasek-Davion’s New Syrtis Fusiliers. Without additional support from either New Avalon or Atreus what seemed like it would be a quick victory will turn into a long defeat.

AFFS Threat Assessment - 3046[]

Interlude – DCMS Threat Assessment 3046
Compiled by Tancred Sandoval, MI7
Fort Ballycastle, Lexington, Federated Suns
For reference to First Prince Ian Renard Davion

Prelude
Although I have remained as objective as possible while compiling this report from agencies and allies, I cannot stress enough that the biggest threat to the Federated Suns is also it oldest. This is not merely my father speaking but personal experience and the debriefing of AFFS and LCAF personnel who have engaged it lately. The Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery has only increased in threat while the Capellan Conflict rightfully drew on our attention and resources. While Theodore Kuritia may have stopped at Capella DCMS governors still control several important CC worlds. Tormano's military cannot, and the Atrean Parliament will not be enough to remove them. At the same time reaching out and striking them will invite a devastating counterattack of which we is still ill-prepisd to negate. Through Takashi and Theodore's reforms of government and Isoroku's experimentation and leadership on the battlefield we is over-matched in most every aspect, except allies, for now.

Key Personalities
Isoroku Kurita, Warlord of the Galedon Military District
We is truly unlucky to have two individuals that embody the Combine's ideals of a Samurai Warrior in our time. Isoroku Kurita and his White Tiger Battalion have served in every brigade within the DCMS across the entire realm. While his cousin redeemed the Legion of Vega from inside most of Isoroku's achievements have been externally facing. He has fought every possible enemy to the Combine from Ronin and Pirates to Skye and Robinson Rangers and the 10th Lyran and Assault Guards, serving both staff and combat command roles.

Each individual Mechwarrior and Pilot is selected from the cream of the crop of the Draconis Combine's reis born Kensai Kami (Sword Spirit) program, restarted by Isoroku himself from fragments of notes about the Draconis Warriors that beat SLDF Gunslingers during The Secret War. His Tigers serve as test pilots for units such as the Shinobi and Mauler. Despite this they show the kind of coordination between combat arms that even our Regimental Combat Teams envy.

Theodore Kurita, Gunji-no-Kanrei
The Deputy of Military Affairs' combat record has proven the inverse of his more threatening cousin. He is indeed perhaps the most dangerous one. According to our best sources he has only participated in several raids. His actions have been more internally facing and more impactful for it. Theodore has cracked the whip inside the DCMS' and Draconis Combine's various agencies shaking them up by either by cashiering out or granting 'The Honor of Wakizashi' to recalcitrant bureaucrats.It was his idea to offer the DCMS to Romano's forces preserving her realm until it finally fell under the weight of both Theodore's betrayal and Tormano's Jie Fang Legion. We is certain that COMSTAR had provided all the mechs for purchase, at a discount, to the Yakuza and other undesirables. They were then trained under Theodore's own reformed Legions of Vega until they were deployed to support the CCAF.
Now the Ghost Regiments is falling apart. That makes them more dangerous.
We must always remember that one cannot leash a snake.

Technological Limits and Adjustments to the Golden Lion AU[]

Individual Technological Differences[]

Double Heat Sinks don't and will never exists in any form, the closest you get is the laser insulator
(Clan Golden Century) Improved Weapons can be made by the Inner Sphere although they only become used outside of COMSTAR beginning in the 3040s
Triple Strength Myomer always functions as if it is the Industrial version yet does provide the same speed boost at higher heat
Clantech Endo-Steel and Ferro-Fibrous don't exist everyone uses the SLDF standard version (or its more crit hungry prototype)
CASE was never lost
Coolant Pods are Succession Wars tech but not widely deployed due to their explosive limitations
Medium Range Missile (launcher)s are Succession Wars tech but their high heat and shorter range limits them to niche applications
Thunderbolt missile launchers are also Succession Wars tech but can't compete with Autocannon's ammo selection
All Physical Weapons exist but are not widely deployed until after TSM becomes a thing
All Autocannon munitions are available in the Succession Wars giving them a useful niche while CASE is capable of protecting the mech from total destruction
Light Autocannons are introduced in the 3030s alongside the LBX types but before their Improved counterparts

Paradigm shifts in design due to these limits[]

Mechs and Aerospace fighters become lighter, faster, and more focused as a heat neutral ERPPC now weighs as much as an AC/10 and the crit hungry but lighter tech is more useful on lighter weight units.
PPC Capacitors become more common as they can provide a damage boost while still giving a mech time to cool down between shots

Missiles, Mortars, and Ballistics grow in importance as do the vehicles that carry them as everyone must use SHS. This fact encourages the Great Houses and COMSTAR to invest in combined arms

Inception and History of the Capellan Restoration Fund[]

(Background story this segment is featured in Scars of Victoria.)

While Chancellor Romano Liao surrendered to her brother and was exiled to Brazen Heart in 3044 it took until late 3045 for the fires of war to fully subside within the Capellan Confederation. Peacekeepers from the FWLM, MAF, and AFFS were deployed throughout border territories with the Chancellor’s permission. After two decades of war the treasury was empty, the CCAF dilapidated, and many worlds were in disarray or occupied by foreign powers.

The DCMS Ghost Regiment occupied Capellan Colonies near Terra, including Capella and Liao, were such places. Unfortunately for the DCMS these colonies proved ungovernable and accustomed to constant war even the DCMS’ notoriously heavy-handed approach to ‘control’ was insufficient to dissuade continued hostilities. When combined with the post-war economic collapse and demobilization of the Ghost Regiments these recalcitrant worlds proved an unsustainable drain on Luthien’s finances throughout 3046.

In early 3047 now Coordinator Theodore Kurita invited Chancellor Tormano Liao to Capella where they signed the Capella Accords on April 15th. These accords would make the DCMS the same as any other Peacekeepers in the Confederation’s territory, subject to leaving at the Chancellor’s request. Freed of administrative and policing duties the DCM set about handling rogue Ghost Regiment forces. Many of these forces escaping the DCMS headed toward to the Taurian Concordat, hunted down by other Peacekeepers, or were incorporated back into the Draconis Combine.

With the most organized resistance forces handled Theodore and Tormano met again on Liao, the new Capellan Capital, and inked more deals between their two realms. Tormano agreed to purchase large quantities of goods and material from a Draconis Combine suffering from a deep economic depression and overcapacity. Meanwhile Theodore offered a worker exchange that would see skilled workers from the Combine employed in Confederation industry (perilously weak after two decades of war) at a steep discount to the League and Federation professionals already in place. Under these terms the Capellan Confederation and Draconis Combine arrested their economic decline and are poised to see growth for the first time in years.

By late 3048 the Capellan Confederation had requested that all foreign Peacekeepers return to their home realms except when they were employed as security for minesweepers or engineering projects. Two decades of war had seen the massive use of mines and booby traps by all sides. These weapons continue to maim Capellan subjects and dealing with them is central to the largest package of foreign aid given to the Confederation by its neighbors.

Among the many programs the Capellan Restoration Trust supports is research into medical and mine clearing technology through the Victoria Institute of Technology, sister school to the New Avalon Institute of Technology and only research institute in the Capellan Confederation. VIT is staffed principally by Canopian, Capellan, and Federated Suns medical professionals, engineers, and scientists.

Completed in 3031 the VIT was originally used as a hospital by the St Ives military which is why its first class of graduates had to wait until 3047. Its hospital role is still central to VIT’s identity, and it serves as a hub for research into cybernetic prosthetics and bioengineering throughout the Inner Sphere. Its research labs are tasked with finding new electronic sensors, prosthetics, techniques, or technology to help heal the wounds of a lost generation of Capellans.

In 3048 the Draconis Combine contributed millions of Ryu to the Trust and was accepted (grudgingly by the Federated Suns) into the research programs at VIT. A contingent of Brotherhood of the Dragon physicians and engineers, including Prince Minoru Kurita, from Hachiman Technical Institute were sent all the way to Victoria.

The Sahara Reclamation Project DoME/#1[]

The Department of Mega-Engineering was founded in the mid-21st century from the remnants of the international ICARUS project that created the first commercially viable nuclear fusion reactor. Since this reactor ran on Deuterium (from heavy water) there was sudden requirement to increase the supply of this isotope. Terra’s oceans contain abundant supplies of the molecule, which meant there was a sudden demand to isolate it for power and utilize the energy of its paired nuclear fission reactor.

Now what to do with all the filtered water?

It could be pumped back into the ocean, but Director Dr. Darius Mostafa had a better plan. Use it to green the Saharan desert, finally unlocking the potential of Africa. This project, which would be conducted by a theoretical Department of Mega Engineering, would test techniques to terraform Mars in the process, something which could potentially be on the imminent horizon. To his surprise the endeavor was greenlit and given a budget of billions from a mixture of public-private partnerships and a tight timetable of merely 15 years to conduct phase 1.

Phase One started in 2068 with the first salt-cooled nuclear fission reactor coming online in 2077 located nearby the port city of Calabar in Southeastern Nigeria just in time for the completion of a 1500km long pipeline leading to Lake Chad. This reactor would distill seawater, pump the distillate inland, and provide reliable power for Nigeria.

The heavy water enrichment facility followed close behind in 2080 to stockpile deuterium fuel for the fusion reactor under construction. Once it became operational this facility would consume most of the fission reactor’s output until first ignition in 2082 just eking into the ambitious initial timeline while only just barely going overbudget. Once the Calabar Thermonuclear Reactor began operation the fission plant transferred its full output to the grid although it still cooled itself with seawater and provided distillate to the pipeline network. With a healthy surplus of freshwater secured and Lake Chad slowly expanding to its ancient boundaries South Sahara saw incredible growth in population and productivity for the continent’s booming population.

Initial success on the Sahara Reclamation Project’s ability to manage megaprojects saw the Department of Mega Engineering becoming an official division of the Terran Alliance. Project Lowell aka the Terraforming of Mars generated headlines throughout the early 22nd Century. Project: DEIMOS aka the development of the Kearny-Fuchida Drive was authorized in 2103 with the first tests in 2107 and 2108 saw the first travel to Tau Ceti by Norm McKenna and its first colonization in 2116 reduced the budgets for Terran projects in favor of New Earth settlement.

However, the Africans came to the project’s rescue with Phase 2 beginning in Tunisia with the less ambitious Inter-Chott’s Agricultural Canal program meant to connect a series of basins from Algeria to the Mediterranean with additional water taken via nuclear desalinations plants in Oran. These canals were dug, and tunnels bored beneath the Tell Atlas Mountains with robotic earthmovers powered by those same reactors.

Additional resources were also provided to add another Lake Chad pipeline running parallel to the original one, halving the refill time and increasing the availability of water for peripheral networks. By the 31st Century six pipelines ran from the Atlantic to that portion of Africa’s interior preserving the flow from the fully reborn Lake Chad through the Southern Sahara while still isolating heavy water for industrial purposes.

It wasn’t until the Age of War in the 24th Century that the Sahara Reclamation Project would see another large infusion of capital from Terran interests. Phase 3 started in Laayoune in Western Sahara with the aim of refilling the ancient Lake Ahmet basin in Southern Algeria providing water to the Hoggar Mountains and so it could serve as a ready reservoir for further projects like Lake Chad did in the southeast.

The Sahara Reclamation Project continued to grow in fits as ecology took over from engineering with the maintenance of Lake Chad and Ahmet consuming its scant budget. Larger projects consumed DoME’s attention for the intervening centuries. Due to its low profile and difficult geography the SRP managed to evade the Usurper’s reign of terror during the 28th Century.

In the 31st Century, the Sahara Reclamation Project is along with all DoME operations in the Sol system, under the purview of COMSTAR’s Chi Branch of Terran Affairs. After almost a millennium the Sahara was green in the winter although the installed flow rates could not keep up with evaporation during summer and periphery channels regularly ran dry.

This humidity stabilized the Sahel and Maghreb although large portions of the Sahara retained their aridity, and the water was of poor quality due to dissolved salts and minerals. Still, it was there so water treatment plants could handle human and livestock needs, and it was safe enough for agriculture. Through a series of locks and canals both Lake Chad and Ahmet can support waterborne trade through the Niger and Benue Rivers to the Atlantic Ocean.

Spotlight on The COMSTAR Protectorates[]

The COMSTAR Protectorates were originally formed in the wake of the Amaris Crisis by Jerome Blake, Minister of Communications to the Star League and first Primus of COMSTAR. These actions were meant to hold humanity’s home world in trust and preserve the last vestiges of the Star League. COMSTAR’s first moves were honored throughout the following Succession Wars for fear of the Blessed Order’s monopoly on HPG super-liminal communications.

We will first focus on the lesser of the star systems protected by the Blessed Order.
Tau Ceti IV named New Earth is humanity’s first interstellar colony world. Although heavily damaged during the Amaris Crisis it has been repaired over the centuries through generous investment of COMSTAR’s abundant capital. Memorials to the fallen dot Conseco honoring those that perished in the liberation of Terra from the Usurper.

As a garden world it serves as a premium assignment for members of the Order from outside the heavily restricted Solar System. A heavily industrialized world only equaled by Earth itself New Earth lacks for nothing but population with only a third of Earth’s ten billion inhabitants. New Earth houses Corporate Headquarters for many multi-planetary corporations with branches in multiple House Empires. These corporations appreciate the reduced HPG fees and use COMSTAR’s neutral status as a tax haven and to facilitate trade between the Successor States.

Tau Ceti II named Cabot after the first Planetary Governor of New Earth is a resource rich but uninhabitable world. This initially delayed its settlement until New Earthers exhausted their world’s easily acquired mineral resources. Unwilling to damage the colony’s ecosystem they instead built space stations above Cabot and developed mining outposts there. These gradually grew into cities and to this day Cabot continues to provide abundant minerals and many factories have relocated there to be closer to their raw materials.

Tau Ceti V named Zeus is a Jupiter like world settled by Belters exiled from Sol’s Jovian Empire in the 27th Century after a failed revolution against Emperor Henrico III. Further Belter Exiles and House Spacer Migrants have increased the population to tens of millions from less than a million, but it is still dwarfed by its Solar counterpart. A loose Confederation of Belters have sprung up on Zeus’ moons and Tau Ceti’s other Gas Giants but there is little order between them and much discord.

Within the Solar System, COMSTAR recognizes six districts all of whom are heavily industrialized and automated almost to the point that they have become post-scarcity civilizations. Only COMSTAR JumpShips are allowed to transit into the carefully monitored system with any Sol bound traffic from outside the Protectorate having to cross-load at New Earth.

The Proximal District consists of the planets Mercury and Venus, Mercury serves as a mining outpost with regular crew rotations to Venus where the Aphrodite Project continues its long-term terraforming operation of Earth’s sister world. Slightly more than three hundred million Venetians live on space stations orbiting their hellish world where they utilize CO2 harvested from its atmosphere and the increased solar radiation for agriculture while trading ices from beyond the Belt for foodstuffs and metals.

In addition to trading foodstuffs to Belters the Venetians have a robust tourism industry focused on leisure and agritourism. Imported soils grow fine wines that only rarely make it out of the Protectorate, fresh cut tropical flowers make trips to Terra, and hedonistic parties bring a new meaning to term VD.

Additionally, Aphrodite Station serves as the Merchant Marine and Naval Academy for COMSTAR’s fleets like Sandhurst does for its ground forces. Thousands of cadets from across the Inner Sphere graduate from it every year before going on to serve in vessels throughout the Inner Sphere and Periphery.

Ten Billion people live within The Home District spread out between Terra, Luna, and the associated orbital stations of trans-lunar space. Almost all the trans-lunar population are actually earthlings rotated through space stations that house a variety of industries. It would be difficult to describe just how prosperous The Home District is within this short form, but rest assured they want for nothing.

Beyond The Home District is The Martian Belt District which was expanded from its previous Mars only district during the Ceres Revolutions in the 28th Century to punish the rebellious Belters. As humanity’s first planetary colony (The moon doesn’t count) Mars grew rapidly under the Lowell Project and became a major industrial powerhouse. It remains so today but is under complete dominion of COMSTAR, unlike the others who are merely heavily influenced by the Order’s incredible political and economic might. Not much is known of what goes on beneath the Red Planet or within the confines of Ceres and it perhaps better that way.

The Jovian Empire serves as the central authority for Sol’s Belters consisting of thousands of small orbital and groundside stations. Its three billion inhabitants are major suppliers of raw materials, starship crews, and skilled labor throughout the Solar System. While they can stand on their own Emperor Baldric VI accepts that his people will do better by not antagonizing COMSTAR.

Beyond The Jovian Empire is The Rings District dominated by corporate subsidiaries of COMSTAR’S vast Titan Jump Yards. These yards produce 60% of COMSTAR’s Jumpships and all their Warships with the balance being divided between The Home and Martian Belt Districts who principally manufacture dropships. As such COMSTAR wields incredible influence among its sixty million permanent inhabitants typically live and work on Saturn’s lesser moons harvesting ice to be sent to The Proximal District when work at the Yards is slow.

Furthest from the sun is The Trans-Neptune Coalition whose fewer than three hundred million inhabitants (although the true number is unknown) choose to reject COMSTAR’s dominion over the Solar System. The largest colonies are on Oberon and Triton and are minor industrial powers that mostly survive by ice harvesting or making components for the Titan Yards when desperate enough. Many however live in secluded ‘homesteads’ or cultish ‘communes’ cut into icy trans-Neptunian bodies. It is widely believed that the Great Houses have attempted to infiltrate agents into these communities to spy on COMSTAR but ROM hasn’t provided any confirmation or denial as of publication.

Leader of the Pack, a TMA Inside Access Exclusive[]

A tan woman with blonde hair in a purple sarong sat across from a salt and pepper haired man in his late fifties wearing a brightly pattered linen shirt. The boat they were on rocked gently as palm trees waved outside. “Hello, everyone out there. I am Amber Wells and today on TMA’s Inside Access where we are live from the ‘Tempest’ berthed in beautiful Tropicana City with Colonel Patrick Kell, or do you prefer, Count Kell?”

“How about Patrick?” He winked at the camera, “Or…Playboy?”
Amber giggled softly, “Patrick it is then.”

“If you insist. I’m just here for the free drinks.”
“Isn’t this your yacht though?”
“Technically it is Morgan’s as far as the port authority is concerned. So, thanks bro.” Patrick held up a tumbler in his cybernetic hand filled with a clear liquid, muddled mint, and topped with a paper umbrella, “This one’s for you.”

“The Kell Hounds just finished their thirty-fifth anniversary and we just wanted to give you a chance to talk about your very interesting life and career on such an auspicious anniversary.”

“It is bittersweet really; we lost a lot of people along the way, but Arthur Luvon will always be the first. We hope that he would be proud to see what Morgan and I have accomplished with his gift. He and Katrina were taken far too soon for the Inner Sphere, and I think about them a lot. More so now that I’m older, but I guess that’s just the way of things.”

“Do you have any concerns about the future of the Inner Sphere?”
“I always worry about something, presently though we seem to be hitting a dry spell as far as war is concerned. It’s bad for business but I do hope that my son doesn’t have to live through such tumultuous times as I have. Dan and Akira are keeping a steady hand on the Hounds, and I think they will keep doing great work.”

“You are on the record as being outspoken against the Draconis Combine on multiple occasions. Do you think there is a chance they might allow peace to prevail?”
“God, I hope so. I’ve seen enough battle and so have they. I think the next Coordinator won’t be like the previous ones. Although I’m not putting Moonsilver in storage just yet on the blind hopes that he might.”

“One of the questions from our viewers concerns your Thunderbolt ‘Moonsilver’. Where did its name come from?”

“I see we are starting with some softball questions Amber.
Would you believe she was my favorite stripper?” Amber blushed as Patrick looked out toward the ocean, “I’m not going to besmirch Rewland College of Fine Arts, but some of their graduates lived up to their reputation.”

Amber looked toward the camera, “Steve, can we play that?”
A man's voice came from the other side, “It is live Amber. You asked the question.”

She sat up a little straighter as Patrick winked again at the camera, “Miss Wells, You are going to get nothing but the distilled me. As long as I’m drinking Morgan’s booze, I have no shame.”

“Speaking of your brother Morgan somehow you have managed to start less controversy then he has.”
“Not for a lack of trying. I can tell you some spicy stories, off-camera of course, with names changed to protect the not so innocent. If you know what I’m sayin’.”

“So, Patrick, the readers of ‘The Pack™’ have a couple of questions they posed to Inside Access that have thus far gone unanswered.”

“Love it, got subscription number one. Cannot read enough quarterly gossip about myself. I can’t guarantee answers though, my brother is a very private man.”

“The first of these questions is, who is the mysterious ‘Tempest,’ Megan Kell’s mother? And presumably namesake for this yacht.”

Patrick grinned, “I always love this one. First, I don’t really know, all of that happened while I was excelling at Nagelring.

I do love the theory that it was Kyalla Centrella though, maybe now that she is dead the truth might come out. From personal experience I can tell you that the Canopians are very hospitable to rich mercenaries wherever they can be found together, and Morgan was quite the hunk back then.

He’s still handsome but,” his smile gleamed under the lights, “I’m his competition and unlike him I’m single.
When it was rumored that it was Katrina,” Patrick shook his head, “I’ve never seen Morgan so angry. He almost ordered a regimental combat drop on Tharkad Media Associates. I talked him down to a Cease and Desist.”

“Which we are quite thankful for. Courting more controversary however, there are some that think that your nephew Phelan is Jaime Wolf’s son rather than your brother’s.”

“Well don’t go spreading that around very far, Morgan may be semi-retired, but he can still throw down with the best of them and the Kell Hounds have as top notch a legal department as our technical one.

I can assure you that if you knew Phelan and Morgan as well as I do you would recognize the heritage.

The fiercest competition I’ve seen Morgan and Jaime engage was an exhibition of chess boxing to see who would be known as the Inner Sphere’s best Archer pilot.”

“Is there video of that?”

“No cameras, only thousands of Wolf and Hound eyeballs.”
“What a pity! That would make for some great television.”

“It was intense. I can’t tell you who won right now though. You’ll have to buy my book when it’s done.”

Patrick stirred his nearly empty drink, “at some time in the hopefully not too distant future.”
“I didn’t know you were writing a book.”
“Consider this an exclusive announcement Miss Wells. My son, Christian, and I have only just started it.”

“Speaking of your son, Akira Brahe and he came into your life at the same time. How did this come to be?”

“It will be in the book. I’m not ready to tell you everything Miss Wells, but we can certainly keep going.” Patrick stared beyond the camera, “but someone needs to make more Mojitos.”

Draconis Diplomacy?[]

The Draconis Combine has been known for many things throughout its long history, among them are the Kentares Massacre, the Necess Kurita ‘incident,’ the Ronin War of 3034, War of 3039, Betrayal of Chancellor Romano Liao and occupation of her worlds, etc…

However, it has never been known for its…diplomacy.

In fact, the Draconis Combine has never sent an Ambassador to the other Great Houses in its entire history…because to do so would mean that it would consider them worthy of such an honor. An anonymous paraphrased quote from one of the Coordinators went, ‘one does not need diplomatic contact with ones claimed lands.’ Instead, all ‘diplomacy’ was conducted through the powerful Precentor Luthien who directly reported to Precentor Dieron.
The Draconis Combine’s manifold ministries only included two ‘outreach’ ones until 3048.
The Bureau of ‘Hospitality toward New Lands,’ responsible for appointing DCMS Military Governors for ‘liberated’ territories.
The Bureau of ‘Development of Untapped Lands,’ which accept emissaries from ‘lesser tributaries’ in this instance that term refers to the Periphery states which grew to include the ‘Free’ Rasalhague Republic when it ‘was graciously released.’

In the 3048, this was increased to three with the formation of the 'Bureau for Cultivating External Harmony,' covering the foreign missions to the Capellan Confederation and later the rest of the Inner Sphere.

Any non-COMSTAR related diplomacy was conducted indirectly through periphery cutouts operating from ‘temporary’ consulates, typically a dropship of some kind, and are subject to the whims of the Coordinator who is free to dismiss them for whatever transgression he believes.

‘Economic and Cultural Offices’ from other Successor States are ‘allowed’ in Azami sovereign territory where they often must pay tribute and be staffed with Muslim faithful for the ‘privilege.’ These ECOs interface with the Bureau of Interior Comfort and Concerns but are not officially diplomatic consulates. The largest of these is the Dar Es Salaam ECO representing Lyran interests on Rukbat with a matching Azami ECO on Dar Es Salaam reporting to the Commonwealth’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Through these ECOs the Azami have amassed a respectable amount of internal diplomatic clout that has along with their fanatic Arkab Legions ensured their autonomy from Luthien’s Coordinator for centuries.

After the ‘Free’ Rasalhague Republic came into and defended its independence it served as the principal conduit for the Draconis Combine’s concerns with Archon Melissa Steiner’s Lyran Commonwealth. For the most part the Outworld’s Alliance served a similar role with the Free World’s League, the Magistracy of Canopus with the Federated Suns although they often had little to discuss with their blood rival, and there was little interaction with the long suffering and pitifully weak Capellan Confederation except through COMSTAR. That is until Gunji-no-Kanrei Theodore Kurita’s and his Ghost Regiments were ‘invited’ by then Chancellor Romano Liao to solidify her tenuous position at the darkest points of the Capellan Civil War of the 3040s.

This deployment of DCMS forces in force to the League-Confederation border immediately set off alarm bells in Atreus and Tharkad who had long offered their tacit support to the exiled son of the prior Chancellor Maximilian Liao, Mandrinn Tormano Liao. With their full support Tormano Liao removed his sister from power but was unable to reclaim the Capellan worlds including his own title world and later capital, Capella, from the mighty DCMS.

However the late 3040s were a difficult time for the Draconis Combine, their Capellan colonies proved ruinously expensive to occupy, Ghost Regiments went rogue with their weapons, their former prefecture, the ‘Free’ Rasalhague Republic, edged closer to the Lyran Commonwealth growing wealthier with each passing year, Outworlds Alliance Privateers working for New Avalon had severely damaged their jump fleet during the 3039 Campaign, and the sudden withdrawal of the immense COMSTAR aid to the country dried up.

Then Coordinator Takashi Kurita had made reforms to the always weak Combine economy but it had proved insufficient and he had no solutions. State assets including mothballed jumpships, now underutilized and overleveraged factories, and inefficiently run mines were auctioned off to Outworlds, Rasalhague, and Azami interests. Unfortunately, there were few takers and the economy continued its death spiral until Takashi Kurita’s death in 3046.

Theodore Kurita embarked on a daring new campaign the like of which had never been tried by the Draconis Combine.

Diplomacy

Of course, he needed to shape the battlefield in his favor before trying this, an unusual number of high profile individuals connected to Draconis Combine State Owned enterprises…retired to the mountains…forever. Their vast fortunes graciously donated to the Kurita Family Trust, administered by Keeper of Family Honor Constance Kurita.

After this he signed a peace treaty with Chancellor Tormano Liao on conditions that were highly favorable to the Capellan Confederation. Tormano Liao would issue work visas to highly skilled workers from the Draconis Combine while compensating them fairly. Although ‘fairly’ was determined by the nearly bankrupt Confederation’s pay scales, still any work was better than none, and skilled human capital was utilized efficiently, rather than left to atrophy.

The Draconis Combine returned their occupied worlds to the Confederation and DCMS Occupiers became Peacekeepers with an open bounty on the rogue Ghosts still rampaging through the Confederation. Free and unhindered trade in goods, services, and currency exchange would be allowed between their Realms. Billions of c-bills were paid out from the Capellan Restoration Trust, the recovery fund contributed to by the other Successor States, to the Draconis Combine in exchange for discounted goods that kept enough factories open to avoid a total collapse of the economy.

Through skillful negotiation and use of her Family’s Trust KFH Constance and the Order of Five Pillars eked the Combine out of a near famine and breakout of disease on vulnerable worlds by paying Outworlds Free-Traders and Canopian relief workers, previously deployed in Confederation space, to pick up the slack from COMSTAR’s departure.

Following this unprecedented series of events, the Draconis Combine appointed its first Ambassador ever, to Capella and Tormano Liao’s Capellan Confederation. Ambassador Daguchi Yakobu previously military governor of Gei Fu during its occupation and widely regarded as a fair and just administrator. His deputy Chargé d'affaires Ogawa Hideji set up the furthest albeit ‘temporary’ consulate on the, formerly Federated Suns occupied, world of Victoria to support Princes Hohiro and Minoru on the Rim as well as Combine expats further afield than the centrally located Capella.

Given the unfamiliar mandate of Peacekeepers the DCMS and DCA were limited in their ability to conduct their normal offensive heavy operations instead relegated to ‘reserve’ behind the CCAF. This situation strengthened the hands of and enlarged the budgets of the Ministry of the Treasury’s expanded (with the removal of the CSE and DCPA from the Ministry of War) mostly civilian paramilitary forces including the Combine Support and Engineering Corps, Draconis Combine Port Authority, and newly formed Symbolic Assets Security Agency (S2A2) which would provide protection for foreign diplomatic missions and VIPs while not being 'military.'

The Four-Fold Fall – Coordinator Theodore Kurita’s Radical Reforms, A Historical[]

The Draconis Combine exists only for war and has since the era of the Star League. Just the threat of its MechWarrior Samurai challenging their officers inspired the Gunslinger program in the SLDF for meeting them in one to one combat. It has consistently proven itself a scrappy opponent and dire threat that haunts the dreams of the other four Great Houses and Periphery states.

Within the already vast Ministry of War, it is easy to lose track of the Internal Security Force which serves as a state unto itself, in fact it is older than the Draconis Combine and has several worlds under its complete dominion. A potent kingmaker and dire foe, the ISF’s exploits are legendary and infamous as should be expected for an institution with more skeletons in the closet than some major worlds have living bodies on theirs.

Entrusted with their own mandate of Draconis Combine exceptionalism the ISF is as often at odds with the Coordinator as they are on his side. The Director of the ISF wields incredible power within the government ministries as officials do not wish to be ground up (often literally) in its machinations with the Coordinator.

It is said, Coordinators are human and die, but the ISF is eternal and never forgets. The ISF ensures that its frightening reputation is constantly refreshed by making examples of those that displease it.

Thus, it was completely blindsided when Coordinator Theodore Kurita demanded the seppuku of ISF Director Subhash Indrahar and that of his son, Ninyu Kerai Indrahar at the Imperial Palace on Luthien in 3048 for an unspecified and because they refused and were shot dead by his Nambu moments later unrevealed reason.

This didn’t go over well with the ISF and their allies notably the 1st & 7th Sword of Light Regiments, who found themselves immediately fighting most of the Otomo, Oberon mercenaries under Captain Ella Grimm, battle hardened and well-equipped from their time in the Capellan Civil War, the 2nd Freemen of the FRR Kungsarme and both An Ting Legions, on-world for ‘training’ operations. Further aiding them were an unknown number of Azami Saurimat and Pillarine Adept assassins, Warriors of House Fujita, and former Death Commandoes or Jie Fang legionaries.

Meanwhile, on New Samarkand the Black Dojo and Internal Security College were on the wrong side of Warlord Isoroku, sworn brother (although they are cousins) to Theodore, commanding both Genyosha regiments, which had been rotated to face ‘the considerable Davion threat,’ his elite White Tiger Battalion, and the Sun Zhang Academy Training Cadre.

The sudden shock of these decapitation attacks and the resulting subordination and dismemberment of the ISF, now under the Ministry of Justice by imperial decree, set it against the powerful judiciary of the Draconis Combine. Unfortunately for the ISF, the newly strengthened (at the cost of the Ministry of War) Ministry of Treasury froze all ongoing contracts and budgets until they were audited as part of the ‘capital controls’ instituted by the Coordinator to help offset the Draconis Combine’s sudden economic downturn by removing ‘wasteful’ spending. This greatly hampered their ability to hide illicit assets and evade detection.

However, the opaque nature of their activities and sheer size of their infiltration into every aspect of Combine society slowed investigations, many DCMS soldiers were killed in duels or skirmishes within their units, at their own hands, and defections to ROM from ISF hard-liners increased throughout the Inner Sphere. It remains to be seen whether the adage of the ISF’s eternal nature holds true.

As another adage states.

‘Though you may sever the body of a burrowed tick, that doesn’t mean its rot won’t kill you anyway.’

ISF post-Reform (3054+)
Covert Ops Division – Now officially known as DEST reporting directly to DCMS High Command

Internal Security Division – Operatives now have judicial oversight but wide ranging law enforcement powers. Most of these are assigned to ‘handle’ big cases against recalcitrant nobles or organized crime. Often interface with the Assembly of the Inquisitor when military graft and corruption become intertwined with the civilian variant.

Propaganda Division – Split between the Bureau of Official Information (Propaganda), Confined Persuasion (Dissident Reeducation), General Indoctrination (Education), and DCMS Indoctrination (Military Education)

Intelligence Gathering and Analysis Division – Now under the Bureau for Cultivating External Harmony (for foreign intelligence), Combine Military Coordination Office (for military and naval intelligence), Committee of Planetary Unity (for domestic intelligence), and others.

A New Central Kingdom – Tormano Liao’s Reforms for a Stronger Confederation[]

Chancellor Tormano Liao after ascending to the Celestial Throne in 3044 was suddenly in charge of a diminished empire. The Capellan Confederation, already one of the smallest Successor States, was throughout most of the Succession Wars a battlefield of empires without many allies and constantly harried by the AFFS and FWLM. It managed to endue this through the CCAF’s fanatic defense of their motherland and by leveraging its central location and relative weakness between the Free World’s League whose militarism varied between Captain-Generals and the Confederation's bitter enemies, The Federated Suns.

However, there remained the largest lynchpin to their prosperity; trade to the Rimward Periphery and almost all trade between the Federated Suns, Free World’s League, and Lyran Commonwealth needed to pass through it or near it as the Draconis Combine didn’t allow any passage for foreign vessels. Tharkad thus couldn’t allow it to fall and regularly intervened to keep the League in check and diplomatically limit the Federated Sun’s expansionist tendencies to focus them on their blood rivals, the Draconis Combine instead.

This long-standing relationship is why Tharkad, and Archon Katrina Steiner were the first allies the disgraced Tormano sought out after being expelled from the Confederation in favor of his oldest sister Candace who later betrayed her father by succeeding the Duchy of St Ives and calling in the AFFS to back her. During his almost twenty years as an exile Tormano Liao showed himself to be a superb diplomat balancing his warring sister’s disparate needs with those of the Confederation. Free Cappella, his non-profit generously supported by a variety of external interests, supported educational, grant, and relief programs for refugees displaced due to the constant state of turmoil the Confederation experienced from the Fourth Succession until he deposed Romano Liao on Highspire.

Tomano’s ascension speech on St Ives called for the Confederation to be ‘A New Central Kingdom’ and ‘A battleground for ideas rather than armies.’ His actions as Chancellor for the first five years followed what he had learned in foreign capitals. The Troika between the Prefectorate, Chancellery, and House of Scions was reestablished as initially chartered by Franco Liao. Regional ministries reported to a seven member Prefectorate, domestic policy was set, and the judiciary reported to the rebuilt House of Scions, and the Chancellery was responsible for foreign policy and common defense.

Laws were enforced strictly, sometimes even heavy handedly, by planetary and Imperial authorities to preserve internal security. This was deemed a necessary measure by the population as it combated bandits, pirates, rebels, and other organized crime that might threaten their personal or economic security. After being at war for so long any sense of security was welcomed and the Confederation prospered as expat returned from abroad and rebuilt their homeworlds with their accumulated savings.

Economic controls were significantly reduced and movement of people and trade of goods and ideas between regions were allowed once more. Religious tolerance became law so missionaries, mostly refugees converted during their time away, and religiously associated relief organizations flooded the war-torn nation.

With the cessation of hostilities between the St Ives Compact and Capellan Confederation as well as the marriage of First Prince Ian Davion and Countess Corrine Marik new trade routes were established and Atreus, Tharkad, and New Avalon invested immense capital into the Capellan Confederation through the Capellan Restoration Trust plus local taxes and jump transit fees. While the DCMS still occupied a portion of the Confederation the expense of maintaining these colonies burdened Luthien until Theodore Kurita, as one of his major acts upon ascension of Coordinator following his father Takashi’s death, negotiated a trade compact and returned the occupied worlds including Capella to the Confederation.

Embracing the long-time menacem but presently suffering Draconis Combine was not widely accepted by the greater Inner Sphere and relations cooled between Capella and the other states. However, the events on Victoria in 3049….

Rearming during the Renaissance Period[]

The Inner Sphere post-Helm Core was rapidly evolving. From 3030 onward to almost 3050 there would be a complete transformation of the Inner Sphere. A shattered Capellan Confederation was becoming whole again under Tormano Liao’s New Central Kingdom (‘XZW’) initiatives and the Draconis Combine, while still suffering from systemic problems, seemed to be on the rebound under Coordinator Theodore Kurita.

A new crop of leaders appeared in the other three Successor States.

Ian Davion, the dynamic First Prince of the Federated Suns replaced his father whose reputation had suffered due to the Victoria War. His marriage to Corrine Marik and association with Tormano Liao during his travels ensured that the Federated Suns enjoyed favorable trade terms. Many of these however became suspect when Tormano upgraded his relations with the Draconis Combine. The potential for a Liao-Kurita superstate would have isolated the Federated Suns from its partners and no doubt would have led to war.

Long suffering due to a lack of JumpShips Federated-Boeing Interstellar, the Federated Suns State owned Aerospace Manufacturer, brought out the struggling Challenge Systems and its smaller competitor Dynamico Limited giving them a larger footprint on Galax, Delevan, and Panpour. Although funding has increased dramatically according to publicly available data and the company is always hiring there hasn’t been a noticeable increase in JumpShips delivered to the AFFS and FSN yet. According to their official schedules however both Hanse Davion, former FP-FS, and Jaime Wolf of the Wolf Dragoons have been frequent visitors to the Outback border world of Panpour since they stepped down from leadership positions.

Archon Melissa Steiner and her husband Thomas Bradford set on a grand reorganization of every aspect of their realm capitalizing on the greater hopes for peace. The Lyran Commonwealth utilized its abundant soft power and capital on projects all the way to the Federation Outback. Due to their wealth and industrial might the Commonwealth began to upgrade its cageworks and cautiously extended loans to Rashpur-Owens around Capella (due to the large number of Draconis Combine expats working in the yards) in a bid for greater connectivity between Successor States, one of Tormano Liao’s ‘XZW’ initiatives. This started something of a tonnage race with the Free Worlds League, their largest competition for interstellar trading state who didn’t want to be outcompeted in their preferred domain. This competition was driven even further onward due to the historical animosity between the two realms.

Paul Marik replaced his older brother Thomas Marik as Captain-General who retired peacefully to rejoin COMSTAR. While he returned some power to the League’s member states Parliament retained the largest share of military power to protect the borders from raiders based along the Rim or within the Confederation, which was still too weak to handle every threat.

The LCCC started long duration research and design contracts with smaller firms, this ‘PROJECT: PHOENIX’ encouraged greater experimentation with newly recovered and improved military technologies offering large bounties on anything that could be brought to market. Its most successful project the Radical Cooling System equipped AWS-8I Awesome netted Technicron Manufacturing a hefty fortune. Most of this fortune was invested into expanding the groundside manufacturing footprint for their cageworks orbiting Tamarind.

With the end of the Capellan Civil War the Mercenary Market in the Inner Sphere has dramatically changed as well. While Jaime Wolf was given dominion over Quentin by Hanse Davion in the early 3040s the Wolf Dragoons had returned to Outreach in 3048 under the command of Jaime’s daughter Maeve and her brother MacKenzie.

Once back on Outreach, they founded the Allied Mercenary Command as a competitor to the Galatea based Mercenary Review Board with the assistance of other prestigious and deep pocketed mercs such as the Kell Hounds, Northwind Highlanders, and Eridani Light Horse among others. Mercenaries registered with the AMC would get exclusive access to gear from the Dragoon owned Blackwell Industries and Independence Weaponry as well as every type of training, education in all matters mercenary, and legal protections (eventually extending to the Draconis Combine in 3053). All registered members of the AMC were required to post a substantial bond and signed a pledge to abide by the Ares Conventions. Failure to abide by the Conventions would result in a command being registered as rogue and bounty hunters would be sent to bring them to justice.

The Mercenary Review Board did not take this competition lightly particularly after many mercenaries decamped and migrated to Outreach. Unfortunately, several high-profile incidents involving MRB contracted Mercs outed as pirates or other criminals using false names cratered their reputation with respectable worlds. Even COMSTAR’s Public Relations department struggled to contain the fallout after the Capellan Confederations SSB’s investigations into the former Pirate Queen and Rebel Leader Victoria Espinosa found most of her MechWarriors were recruited from mercenaries registered to MRB Westerhand with deeper records of war crimes committed all the way back to Anton’s Revolt and the Reach Wars between the Magistracy of Canopus and Taurian Concordat of the 3020s.

Handheld Weapons – Versatility at the tip of your fingers[]

While handheld weapons have been experimented with since the Star League it wasn’t until the Inner Sphere Renaissance and importantly the production of Battlemechs equipped with Triple Strength Myomer that they were seriously considered as a reasonable alternative. As more Battlemechs moved into the primary Anti-BattleMech role and away from multi-role combat their secondary weapons were scaled back to improve efficiency.

More widespread adoption of these handhelds to give particularly short-range designs, such as SecurityMechs, the Hunchback, and new Chargers with two hands, some long-range firepower with which to close with the enemy. This adoption also led to a previously unrealized potential of Blue Shot Weapon’s Thunderbolt Missile System. This unitary missile packed the same punch as an autocannon at a lesser weight and although its ammunition was limited in comparison to others that was seen as a positive in a handheld weapon as it would reduce the chance of the enemy turning it against your own forces.

Other missile systems such as Luthien Armor Work’s Medium Range Missile and cheap, retro, but effective Rocket Launchers were also widely utilized as handhelds. Rockets were highly favored for their ambush potential and one-shot nature. Once expended the launcher pod could be discarded with no fear of it being turned against you.

Battlemech designs which had transitioned to longer range weapons at the cost of their SRMs and/or Machine Guns such as modernized Orions, Thunderbolts, and Shadow Hawks could utilize a ‘sling’ loaded version for utility when needed for a mission. Carrying one of these would halve their speed and require the aid of another 'mech to ready. In some cases, though that SRM launcher was the determining factor in victory particularly in urban areas against infantry.

Anti-Infantry Weapons were the second largest class of handhelds, while SRMs were the preferred heavy weapon for handling infantry for larger Mechs machine guns and conventional flamers were used by lighter mechs tasked with that mission. By off-loading these weapons light mechs could focus their own SRMs on Anti-Mech and Vehicle payloads instead of Anti-Infantry ones.

Many handheld weapon pods were also utilized by SecurityMechs, industrial machines focused on securing industrial installations or policing cities such as Harlech, Solaris City, and Galatea City with large MechWarrior populations and easy access to BattleMechs.

Speaking of Solaris City, though handheld melee weapons had been used in its arenas since the Star League but there was a growing interest to apply these devastating weapons to the battlefield. Due to the growing use of Triple Strength Myomer in Battlemechs the power generated by them was dramatically increased and this could be pared with something more formidable than a Battlemech’s own limbs. These often saw use on longer ranged designs such as the AXM-2M Axman or the BLK-9 Black Knight. Shields to were sometimes used to provide protection to a design using an ER PPC and capacitor while their main weapon was recharging.

The sheer number of designs that were being experimented with during this time is unknown. However, any decent technical team could assemble a handheld weapon pod in a mech bay or reinforce a mech’s limb to take the force of a melee weapon a few times in combat given a few weeks.

COMSTAR Part 4, The Reorganization of 3048[]

Frustrated by constant strategic upsets with the COMGuards and ROM Primus Myndo Waterly proposed a reorganization of the Order’s security apparatus in 3048 which wasn’t implemented until 3049 or revealed until 3051.

Under these reforms three Senior Precentors would be selected to take command of and implement reforms in their associated organizations.

Precentor ROM Charles Seneca retained his already established role within the Order’s secretive ROM. Increased recruiting of ISF exiles bolstered the ranks of ROM and drew concerns from the rest of the Inner Sphere and condemnation from Luthien. Nevertheless, these individuals, while highly trained, posed their own issues and much of their trained synergy was intentionally broken to prevent cliques from forming and threatening the harmony of the Order.

Photon Brett, a politically reliable, and experienced FWLM MechWarrior prior to his service in ROM was promoted to Precentor Martial and put into command of the COMGuards. He immediately reorganized the command into something that more closely resembled his native FLWM rather than the MechWarrior centric command that his predecessor Anastasius Focht preferred.

Gregory Zwick, an ambitious graduate of Aphrodite Naval Academy (ANA) who along with his brother-in-law Alain Beresick did much of the work in writing the modern book on space combat through experimentation and training of new crews on the reactivated Dante frigates, was appointed COMSTAR’s first Precentor Naval and put in command of the new COMSTAR Space Command.

With knowledgeable people in command and the First Circuit’s meddling minimized the Three Wise Men could begin to implement their reforms. Recruitment and training were the principal concern for all three orders. ROM had preferential access to recruits from the Enclaves and Protectorate who were deemed more reliable and trustworthy. ANA was always filled with disaffected Belters, so Delta branch and COMSTAR Space Command had no shortage of recruits.

Unfortunately, that left the COMGuards in a difficult position as they were forced to compete with the Great Houses but without their advantage of patriotic fervor. Many members of the COMGuards had been drawn from the losers of the last war. This put them in competition with the mercenaries that they oversaw in the MRB but without the freedom and status that profession provided. The deactivation of the COMGuards after the Capellan Civil War and rise of the Allied Mercenary Command reduced their stream of recruits to a trickle.

With limited manpower Photon Brett’s COMGuards instead invested in combined arms, advanced technologies, and reconnaissance drones supporting Battlemech and Armored Vehicles with Artillery and Airpower. Roboticization of basic maintenance and repairs reduced their manpower demands but required upgrades and large capital investments. Precentor Martial Brett is trusting that his best efforts to improve the survivability of his command will be matched with COMSTAR mobilizing appropriate replacement equipment. Thus, he is willing to spend money but save lives and trust that the COMGuards could develop enough of a reputation to attract more recruits in the near future.

The Order’s organization of their units remains the same throughout the three branches.
Within the COMGuards a Level I or solitaire consists of a single large vehicle (whether it be Mech, fighter, or tank), SLDF infantry platoon, or battle armor fireteam. These are typically commanded by an Adept and include their associated support infrastructure.

The Level II or Demi-Company is composed of six Level Is and commanded by the unit’s Senior Adept.

A Level III or Battalion is composed of six Level IIs and commanded by a Demi-Precentor.
A Level IV or Division is composed of six Level IIIs and commanded by a Precentor.
Presently (in 3051) there is only one COMGuard Level V or six Level IVs and it is commanded by Precentor Martial Photon Brett.

COMSTAR Space Command follows a similar configuration with the same types of level Is.
Dropships are treated as their own Level II under the command of a Demi-Precentor with Adepts in command of their onboard departments. What few Titan or Vengeance carrier dropships the CSC has in service possess two Demi-Precentors on-board, one for the fighter group and one for the dropship itself and are treated as a level III.

Warships are treated as their own Level III but are commanded by a Precentor with Demi-Precentors in command of departments on-board a ship. Attached vessels come under the command of this Precentor.

While no COMSTAR Warships have been deployed as part of a task force in anything other than training a Precentor Commodore would command up to six ships and their attached units as if they were their own Level IV.

Thus far the only Precentor Commodores have been Alain Beresick and Gregory Zwick when they took eight Dantes against one another around Uranus’ moon Ariel during a Fleet Exercise in 3049. The winner of this exercise was Zwick, and he was appointed Precentor Naval shortly afterwards by Primus Waterly, his men also purchased a sequined mermaid tail for his wife (Beresick’s sister) although it isn’t known how she reacted.

Precentor Naval Gregory Zwick operates the CSC as his own Level V.

The Limits of Lyran Youth[]

For all its good traits there is something that the Lyran Commonwealth can never be, accommodating of iconoclasts and idealogues. The Commonwealth’s authoritarian political, legal, and corporate systems are as cold, callous, heavy, and eternal as a glacier. Like these glaciers they grind anything that rises above to dust and this has caused no end of civil strife. Strife which occasionally results in an Archon being overthrown with the latest being Katrina Steiner’s usurpation of her Uncle Alessandro only to have a coup attempted by her cousin Frederick who was later presumed killed by the DCMS during a raid on Dromini VI.

Although basic rights and equality are supposedly guaranteed by the Articles of Acceptance, this has never been universally applied to everyone as some people are just more equal than others. It wasn’t because they don’t share a border but more because they have common philosophies (and enemies) that for much of its history the Lyran Commonwealth’s best ally was the Capellan Confederation.

Since a military reflects its society, this applies to the LCAF as well, which manages to produce motivated if uninspired enlisted personnel. Promotion and status are, despite being said to be otherwise, linked to patronage far more than competence due to the aristocratic at times condescending nature of their officer corps. Lacking opportunity to advance many of them go freelance and become Mercenaries or Gladiators. This benefits the Lyrans as it allows a way for competent soldiers to stop being a tax and political liability and instead become an exportable product. Since they haven’t fought a major conflict since the Free Rasalhague Republic was founded in 3034 the actual LCAF under Archon Melissa Steiner is untested but their mercenaries have proven their competence time and again.

So, what happens to those that don’t want to follow but are lacking in martial prowess or political connections?

Many, particularly in the less developed Anti-Spinward provinces join COMSTAR. The Blessed Order somehow manages to be less oppressive than the Lyran state maintaining a meritocratic reputation, freer corporate structure, unlimited opportunity, and a chance for adventure with a side of theology and moral service. Surprisingly few of them are alarmed by the heavy presence of ROM within the Order as the LIC is equally zealous in enforcing order and just as notorious.

Those that can’t pass the Order’s tests look to other organizations through which they can express themselves and build a different system. This youth rebellion manifests in a steady succession of cults and either affiliation with or directly joining organized crime (individual crimes are harshly punished). Sometimes there is little difference, and they can be found together, if only for the tax benefits.

Organized crime operates through the ‘Free Zones’ that most Lyran worlds possess and have thoroughly colonized worlds such as Galatea, Sargasso, Reese Station, Blackjack, Dustball, and Kooken’s Pleasure Pit. Their immense resources give them a similar allure and comparable firepower to the Commonwealth’s legendary mercenaries to protect it. This release valve reduces the chance of rebellion and if troubles and vice remain contained within the ‘Free Zones’ planetary authorities will look the other way. However, the LCAF and LIC are regularly deployed to these areas to check organizations that might threaten stability.

An unending succession of cults or similar organizations find fertile ground in the puritanical and sometimes politically oppressive region of the Inner Sphere. Most of the time these are innocent enough with many neo-luddites, back to earth, satirists, hedonistic, pagan, or similar philosophies that intentionally subvert the corporate, particularly industrialist, and religious order. Provided they don’t interfere with business through monkeywrenching, investigative journalism, or labor activism these are allowed to exist but the decentralized and rebellious nature of them renders them unstable.

Among the most interesting of these is the One Star Faith (OSF) which despite languishing in obscurity since its founding in 2801 has rapidly expanded since their young and charismatic High Visionary Egan Telosa, started his ministry in 3032. Egan, linked to Archon Melissa Steiner and her friends, soon became a media sensation with staying power. His eyes were set on one target, the planet Elissa, in the Elysian fields, which he acquired security guarantees and settlement rights to from the Oberon Confederation for 100 million C-bills (with a third of it allegedly coming from Melissa herself although the Triad has never confirmed or denied it).

Many of the faithful immediately settled upon it to build a ‘utopia’ using their own private jumpship fleet and the wealth of their followers. Somehow the OSF convinced COMSTAR to establish a Class-B HPG on the formerly undeveloped world which was completed in 3046. Having access to an HPG and safe from prosecution by the authorities, the OSF grew immensely during the 3046-3052 period as it saturated every channel in the overgrown and well-developed Commonwealth media market. Having access to a private jumpship fleet expanded the OSF’s reach even further. These ships allowed it to reach and bring new followers (and supplies) in at an unprecedented rate to sustain their utopian plan.

The OSF has been accused of engaging in embezzlement, brainwashing, fraud, and other criminal activities. However, the social and legal backlash against the Lyran Lutheran Church and other Protestant factions was sharp and severe. The LLC and its affiliates have long levied similar criticisms and legal action against the Islamists of Dar Es Salaam, Buddhists of New Kyoto, and other religious minorities for common evangelization and their combined legal heft was enough to silence any further court action.

Scandal! The Anette and Somerset Steiner Story[]

To understand Anette Steiner, one needs to first understand the Somerset Borge-Steiners in general. Founded by Cohran Steiner, the son of Simon Borge-Steiner, this cadet line possesses an uneven past. Simon Borge-Steiner had in one of his most lucid moments stepped away from the Archonship in favor of his sister Tatyana because of his Dobrowski Depression A (DD-A). This genetic illness has haunted the Steiner bloodline since Katherine Steiner and Alistair Marsden causing carnage and creativity in equal measure among the Commonwealth’s ruling dynasty.

While never talked about openly Saint Dympha’s Asylum on Gallery is believed to have been the final residence for many of the Steiner line since the time of Margaret Olson. Unfortunately for Cohran’s granddaughter Carmilla this was not to be the case. Carmilla was as unlike from her brother Pete as one could be, he went to Somerset Military Academy to become a MechWarrior, while she attended Rewland College of Fine Arts on Tharkad.

A gifted artist, passionate poet, virtuoso musician, and beautiful woman Carmilla caused quite a stir among the stodgy, militant court of Alessandro Steiner. Her immense popularity ensured that she had abundant male and female attention with no shortage of insinuated or open scandalous arrangements. When her daughter Anette was born in 2995 no one was certain who the father was, perhaps including herself. Nevertheless, the little girl was brought up on Tharkad and along with her mother remained a popular fixture of Katrina Steiner’s court after she became Archon.

The final scandal was however when she was accused of leading her 16-year-old nephew Roman astray by her brother. Roman Steiner, then studying at The Nagelring on Tharkad, got a young baroness pregnant after a ball and was subsequently kicked out of the prestigious military academy for moral failings. Roman then had to marry the girl upsetting an already arranged match and the scandal put him in a difficult position. Suddenly Carmilla’s world collapsed around her as accusations flew from all angles and her scandalous history was dredged up. This along with undiagnosed DD-A was believed responsible for her suicide in 3015 and this in turn resulted in Pete's divorce from his wife, Estelle, in 3016.

To prevent a repeat incident her 20-year-old daughter Anette was convinced by Katrina to leave Rewland and go to Saint Dympha’s to process her mother’s suicide and seek treatment for her own DD-A. She returned and finished her studies in 3020 but rapidly fell into familiar patterns. Having known no other life Anette was a creature of the court and prisoner of her own passions like her mother often modulating between scandalous and self-destructive behaviors with the seasons.

The beginning of her fall came in 3022 after her first son Andrew was born, the father allegedly an already married man whom Anette had an ongoing affair with. Katrina Steiner was disheartened by this turn of events but sought to help the young girl and allowed her to remain on Tharkad.

Unfortunately, when she became pregnant with her second son, Adam in 3023, from the same man that was enough for the Archon. With her own daughter developing within the court Anette was banished to Somerset where she inherited her late Uncle’s title upon his death in 3024 at the hands of the DCMS in order remove her influence on the impressionable Melissa.

There are some that say that she might have been unsuccessful but that is a story for a different time.

Alessandro, the Godfather Archon[]

There are few more polarizing figures in recent politics than Alessandro Steiner, the 28th Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth. Coming into power in 2980 following the death of his father, Giovanni, a man with a keen head for numbers who had carefully shepherded the Commonwealth’s diminishing assets. Alessandro was equally keen to use those advantages and preserved forces to forward his military ambitions throwing the LCAF against the Draconis Combine and Free World’s League in equal measure with few astounding victories.

Unfortunately, his victories were few and the tides began to turn against the Archon in 3000. His expenditure of forces had left the Commonwealth’s borders poorly defended resulted in several raids against Hesperus II and its crucial industries during this time with little to show for it. To protect the borders Alessandro redeployed interior forces to the front but this left his interior open to further deep raids. League and Combine raids on interior worlds which had been stripped of their defenses increased. These raids eroded these crucial bulwarks of the Lyran war machine and further weakened its ability to resist.

The failure of CONCENTRATED WEAKNESS to protect the interior led to a sudden and drastic turn of events that culminated in a alleged but botched assassination attempt against his niece and commander of the 10th Lyran Guards, Katrina Steiner, in 3004. Katrina disappeared for a year before returning to Tharkad in 3006 after the FLWM had struck Coventry and Alessandro’s support was at its lowest. She quickly outmaneuvered her uncle by petitioning the Estates General to call for a no confidence vote on the Archon.

Alessandro was furious when they agreed and demanded that he step down. He plead for time to consider and looked to build support for a counterclaim during the three days allotted. He reluctantly but peacefully retired after 27 years as Archon on July 22, 3007 and Katrina was appointed his successor the following day.

Since he was not accused of any wrongdoing and had stepped down peacefully Katrina allowed him to transition to a private citizen, albeit one that moved into his most public mistress’, Baroness Eleanor von Silvon, mansion right next to the Triad. His proximity to the Triad allowed Katrina to keep an eye on him but it also kept him in the loop.

Alessandro may have faded into the background during his retirement, but he was still present in court and public life. He co-wrote several books with Telos Auburn and his daughters on the history of the Lyran Commonwealth. Regularly authored OpEds for newspapers on Tharkad and elsewhere. Published likely exaggerated ‘fiction’ about events that occurred during his time as Archon, several of which later became movies whose proceeds were left in a trust to his protege Ryan Steiner.

Although he never had any children of his own there are plenty of anecdotes of him taking his time to provide grandfatherly wisdom to Steiner youths, their Elders, or their friends if they came to him. He was also not shy and would be critical of them, both publicly and privately, when they misbehaved or fell short of his expectations.

While never put under formal house arrest Alessandro rarely ventured off Tharkad until his death in 3030 when his body was returned to Furillo and Lady von Silvon sold her mansion to the Federated Suns who turned into their embassy (after they debugged it, which took months). She retired to Elizabeth Island on Tharkad until her own death in 3035.

Raised by Wolves, Walter and The Somerset Steiner Boys[]

Almost as soon as she inherited her late Uncle’s titles Anette Steiner was besieged by potential suitors of every manner. Soldiers, mercenaries, businessmen, and even academics were regular guests to the humble Hollyfield estate on Somerset. While her cousin Lisa might have been closer to the throne and the Archon herself was on a whole other level the now Duchess was deemed more approachable due to the lack of a Nondi Steiner as a potential mother-in-law.

Anette’s exile from Tharkad and its vices, motherhood, and the rigors of her duty to the people of Somerset had apparently tamed her more impulsive nature. Most suitors were rejected outright and often quite forcefully by the young woman, much to their surprise given her reputation. Some lingered for a time providing a boost to the planet’s very small hospitality industry. Despite their rejection by the Duchess a few even made the planet their home finding its more placid surroundings a welcome relief from the more exhausting core.

That changed however when a former Rasalhague guerilla from Radstadt arrived in 3030. Walter Gustafsson had initially run afoul of the ISF in 3018 during a protest march and was imprisoned in the infamous Lotus Flower ‘Corrections’ Complex. He engineered an escape in 3020, joined the resistance, and worked with LCAF allied forces such as the Tyr Regiment to liberate the planet in 3029. Then he laid down his arms to take up the pen and brush again, becoming an advocate for Rasalhague independence within the Commonwealth. It was the pursuit of this goal that initially brought him to Somerset, but it would not be what kept him there for ten years.

What started as an innocent petition blossomed into a romance as the rebels found common cause and attraction in one another. While they never married for some reason, possibly related to the partners’ mutual independent streak, Walter remained on Somerset and in Andrew and Adam’s lives until he amicably departed in 3040. However, he would visit for extended periods whenever he wasn’t touring in support of the now Free Rasalhague Republic.

A memoir of his time in Lotus Flower Corrections Complex and as a Rasalhague resistance fighter, ‘Raised by Wolves,’ would become a best seller in 3044 but would be surpassed by 'The Song of Summer' a collection of poems and short stories that he and Anette wrote together during their time together in the 3030s but would only be published in 3046.

The Death of Natasha Kerensky[]

08/19/3048 | Remus Medical Center

Remus’ sparkled in Outreach’s sunlight as Jaime Wolf walked into the room with a bottle of Timbiqui Dark Special Reserve and pair of metal cups.

The MedTech stared at him then at the bottle, “She cannot have that.”

“Or what? It will make her terminal condition worse.

Can she even drink?”
“For now, but not for much longer, there are already signs of multiple system failure, but she is still cogent and aware for now.”

“Can I have the room then?”
“Of course, Colonel.”

“I am retired.”

She pointed toward the screened off section behind her, “So was Natasha.”
“Our histories have a way of catching up to us in the end.”

Jaime heard the door close and walked forward to put the bottle and cups on the end table. He pulled the screen closed and a chair to the bedside where Natasha Kerensky lay attached to multiple leads. The Black Widow’s once fierce looks had faded as the years increasingly took their toll and she lost interest in maintaining them. She had even stopped dyeing her hair red when she turned 70, which was also when the tremors started

“I heard you refused further treatment, Natasha.”

“I thought I should try fighting death unaugmented for once and not drag it out any longer.

Should I have called in my past bid?”

“Even our advanced medicine probably would not have helped your condition.

You should have hung up your neurohelmet sooner.”

“That is not the fate of a Trueborn of Clan Wolf and there was still so much work to be done preparing. I made my choice, and my only regret is that I will not be here when they arrive.”

Natasha reached out from beneath the blanket, “May I request something from you, Colonel?”

He grasped her bony hand which seemed so fragile for how much damage it had done over the years, “Do not mourn me. Just give those dezgra bastards hell when they arrive.

For me and everyone else we’ve lost.”

“You have my rede, Natasha Kerensky.

Would you do me a favor as well? Can you tell them I am sorry.”

“They will be waiting for you. You tell them yourself, do I look like a messenger girl?”

Timeline of the Clans[]

2823 - Wolverines Annihilated. Clan Snow Raven without a genetic repository after the destruction of Dehra Dun are Absorbed into Clan Ghost Bear.

2824 - Nicholas Kerensky and Jennifer Winson are assassinated by unknown agents, presumably stay behind Wolverine sympathizers. Steel Viper Khan Elle Kinnison commits suicide in her grief over the loss of the ilKhan when she took it upon herself to ensure his safety. No mention is made of Jennifer in her suicide note.

In retribution all Clans, except Clan Mongoose, forcibly sterilize or kill any Wolverines they had Absorbed.

2834 - Clan Widowmaker mostly Annihilated by Wolf and Goliath Scorpion after the murder of ilKhan Jerome Winson during a Trial. Some Bloodheritages are saved by Clan Wolf as trophies of the deed.

2752 - Clan Mongoose absorbs Clan Ice Hellion after the Hellion Civil War, Moore bloodhouse Annihilated.

2768 - Clan Blood Spirit is Annihilated by Clan Burrock for ‘failing to follow the way of the clans’ after a long campaign that saw the Blood Spirits arm their civilian castes during Burrock raids against York.

2868 - Clan Smoke Jaguar is Absorbed into Clan Mongoose after the Battle of Circe following Clan Star Adder attempts to disrupt their rivals’ growth. Support from several Clan Fire Mandrill Kindraa with their own ‘axe to grind with the Adders’ and rapid rearmament of Jaguar Warriors foil their ambitions.

2870 - Clans Nova Cat and Sea Fox join into Clan Nova Fox to protect themselves from predation.

2872 - Clan Fire Mandrill is Annihilated after decades of dishonorable conduct and infighting, Land and Legacies are split between Clan Hell’s Horses and Clan Coyote

2932 - Clan Burrock is Annihilated by Clan Star Adder and Jade Falcon after they discover the Burrocks had been using and making deals with the Tanites and Dark Caste for material gain. Clan Jade Falcon claims the Tanite worlds while Clan Star Adder receives the Burrock’s other enclaves.

2947 - Clan Cloud Cobra is Annihilated for their role in the assassination of ilKhan Tchernokov to replace him with a Cloud Cobra. Their legacies and enclaves are claimed by four other Clans (Goliath Scorpion, Nova Fox, Coyote, and Ghost Bear).

2950 - The Warden and Crusader ideologies begin to form in the minds of the Trueborn. The Loremaster of the Clans reinstates the INTELSTAR program to learn about the state of the Inner Sphere through deep periphery cutouts.

2967 - Clan Coyote is embroiled in The Blood conspiracy (caused by Star Adder) and Absorbed into Clan Wolf with many bloodhouses Reaved in the process.

2985 - Clan Goliath Scorpion Seekers accidentally bring samples of a virulent plague to Roche. The planet is sterilized on orders of ilKhan Thomas Moreau, a Scorpion himself, by Clan Warships including Kerensky’s Pride. All Goliath Scorpion enclaves go into quarantine to ensure they haven’t been accidentally exposed. With their homeworld lost Goliath Scorpion enclaves and legacies are Absorbed into each other Clan. The ilKhan resigns and walks into the deserts of Dagda never to be seen again.

3000 – Mongoose, Ghost Bear, and Jade Falcon seek to invade the Inner Sphere and bring about the return of the Star League by force. Wolf, Star Adder, and Steel Viper urge caution. With the recent Scorpion plague on everyone’s minds they see a return to the Inner Sphere as risky in body, mind, and spirit and seek to continue Kerensky’s grand experiment in isolation. Hell’s Horses and Nova Fox abstain, unable to come to a consensus among their bloodnamed.

A compromise is reached where Clan Wolf volunteers to create a mostly freeborn unit of Warriors to conduct a deep recon mission and determine the potential risks and rewards of a return to the Inner Sphere. Clan Steel Viper, not fully trusting the Wolf Khan but knowing he wouldn’t allow a Crusader Clan access, insist they be trained and assessed by their Heartvenom Cluster, inherited from the Goliath Scorpions which still practices the old SLDF methods.

3003 - The Wolf's Dragoons mission begins with their first employer being First Prince Ian Davion of the Federated Suns.

3019 – Sensing that the Crusader ideology would not wait much longer to invade ilKhan Kerlin Ward tells Colonel Jaime Wolf and Natasha Kerensky to cut off contact with the Homeworlds and prepare the Inner Sphere for their return. He is to check back a decade later.

3020 – Clan Mongoose undercovers the ilKhan’s treasonous dealings with the Dragoons. Ghost Bear Khan Winson, formerly a Wolf, and Khan Martingale are disgusted, and both call for the Annihilation of the Ward Bloodhouse for treason. This motion is unanimously approved to purge the Clans of treasonous elements by quoting Nicholas Kerensky.

3020-3030 – The Annihilation of the Ward bloodhouse precipitates a full-blown civil war among the eight remaining Clans. Clan Wolf is Absorbed into the Star Adders and Hell’s Horses while the Jade Falcons are split between Nova Fox and Steel Vipers.

3030-3048 – The Clans engage in an immense military buildup to prepare themselves for a return to the Inner Sphere before they can launch an attack on the Homeworlds. All Clans, except the Steel Vipers, lower the standards to pass advanced (MechWarrior, Aerospace Pilot, Warship, etc…) training while allowing freeborn to join infantry, armored units, and serve as ship’s crews to grow their toumans.

Industrial efforts are streamlined and accelerated by the lack of internal conflict resulting in the loss of many distinct designs and compromises on what remains. This Rearmament Project is not without difficulty however and the presently ilKhan-less Clans compete with one another to gain leadership in order to build consensus.

3035 – Mongoose Khan Leo Showers kills longtime political rival Star Adder Khan Kimball N’Buta in a Trial of Grievance that he spins into a Trial of Position to become IlKhan, ceding his Khanship to his saKhan Cassandra Martingale (Alpha Galaxy Commander Tensor Norizuchi becomes SaKhan afterward and the two vacillate between each other for the next fifteen years until Martingale's death). This political brinkmanship wins him the support of Nova Fox and Ghost Bear with grudging support by the Steel Vipers and Hell’s Horses.

3048 – The Outbound Light arrives in the Huntress system and its crew is interrogated by the Mongoose Watch. They say that COMSTAR knows where they are and will come and get them. Their tech is close enough to the Clan’s own to concern the Council. Nova Fox Expeditionary Missions are sent down the Exodus Road to secure the route and begin establishing forward supply caches.

3050 – The Clans launch their assaults on the Coreward Deep Periphery taking over the Hanseatic League, Chainelaine Isles, Umayyad Caliphate, and Nueva Castille. These areas along with the old SLDF and present Explorer Corps base on Columbus will serve as the staging grounds for an invasion of the Inner Sphere. However, Columbus is left abandoned with a satellite sensor to determine how and with how much force COMSTAR responds.

3051 - The Clans begin the first wave of REVIVAL.

Diary of Adam Steiner[]

Reflections of a Broken Mirror[]

From the Diary of Adam Steiner 10/24/3051

The Clanners think they are so smart. Yet Katya took my bait so willingly. Rhonda, Somerset’s INTER-LOGI representative has taken a liking to brandy and cognac which she enjoys while giving me very unguarded information while enjoying my humble abode. My biggest worry presently is that the Clans in their recklessness have damaged Weingarten’s vineyards because that would be a true tragedy to the Lyran Commonwealth and my potential grandson’s inheritance.

Observations and conversations with Katya and the others have given me a very curious theory on who the true father of the Clans is. In my opinion neither Nicholas Kerensky nor his father Aleksandr are their inspiration but Stefan Amaris or rather the original Katya’s interpretation of him which she told to her sons in whatever small cabin in Siberia they hid themselves away from him in during Terra’s occupation. I say this because I have read all 20 volumes of historical records concerning Aleksandr Kerensky and his thoughts on his duty to the Star League, imperfect as they might be.

My hope is that if Katya is a quick reader, she will learn the truth quickly and if we can expose the fact that their entire founding ideology is based on their version of Satan, and that the Inner Sphere haven’t been preparing for a genocidal war against them (to the best of my knowledge, god I do hope we haven’t) that it may halt them.

Maybe this makes them question everything they have ever learned and return to quarreling amongst themselves. It is only Leo Showers, their supreme ruler, and their fear of consequences that drives them forward into the Commonwealth. At least that is my hope because if I am wrong, they have been preparing for a multi-generation war and we have grown weary of them.

On the Organization of the Clans[]

From the Diary of Adam Steiner
10/24/3051

My further time with Rhonda has given me a very in depth view of the Clan’s organization which I am leveraging because they are without guile. Their civilian castes don’t have a Clan affiliation, they are effectively serfs within their Enclaves and can be bartered and sold like any other commodity via a Trial of Possession. Each of them is assigned a Grade, with 25 sub-divisions (marked by the edges on the Pentagons they wear like military rank badges) that are mostly for prestige and ‘Trust’ I suppose as their system is collectivist, mostly equal, and centrally controlled by computers and Khans. It is entirely cashless with ‘POGS’ (Purchase of Goods and Services) being mostly used for internal accounting rather than as a circulating currency.

Their Warriors find large rooms and luxuries strange and uncomfortable, accustomed apparently to spartan arrangements. If Rhonda is any indication, it seems that Merchants are likely the only ones with an appreciation for ‘finer’ things although I have yet to meet one of their Scientists, who supposedly occupy a higher Caste. Every Scientist I can think of is laser focused on their research to the detriment of their social graces or fashion sense.

There are some supposed Free Guilds, but these are mostly an easy way to integrate Hanseatic League colonists into the Clan Way. Forward operating bases and industrial facilities have been established within the region known as ‘The Chainelaine Islands’ formerly a pirate haven and apparently the Clans found their people ‘compliant’ and I suppose oppressive order is better than abusive, abject poverty and chaos. Patrolling Clan Warships between us and there means that it is unlikely that LCAF or the LCN could reach them with enough force to do anything to stop their resupply, but perhaps with assistance from the Rasalhague’s KF, the DCA or FLWN it could be done. My influence on Politics outside my world is absent however and that is frustrating.

For the most part the Star Adders have had a light touch on my people, but I hear stories about the brutality of Clan Mongoose and callous cold-heartedness of the Steel Vipers. For the most part it seems that the other three Clans, Ghost Bear, Hell’s Horses, and Nova Fox are fairly ‘understanding’ wishing to focus on winning the war rather than oppressing their occupied lands, that comes later if at all.

Most of these occupying units are headed by Freeborns rather than Trueborns, the ‘product’ of some ghastly eugenics project ‘decanted’ from ectogenic pods rather than born of women and forced into boot camp as soon as they leave diapers. If Katya Kerensky is any indication of the Clan Trueborn than that is perhaps for the best as she was utterly incapable of operating outside a combat environment and sought her own Glory to the detriment of their fellows.

Unfortunately, most of their Touman, as they call their army, are freeborn like Katya’s subordinate Commander Presley who seemed a quiet and thoughtful fellow with a strong sense of purpose and preference for duty to the Clan rather than his own Glory. These Freeborn include members from their conquered territories and are volunteers which means they are more motivated and group focused rather than the ruthless survivors that survive Trueborn training.

The Midnight Star[]

From the Diary of Adam Steiner
12/01/3051

Somerset played host to a remarkable event over the past week, an honest to god Potemkin, one of the original Exodus Fleet, SLS Midnight Star of Clan Star Adder appeared at our Zenith Point along with a flotilla of Jumpships to conduct a transshipment of personnel and materiel.

I, as the ranking Warrior on world asked permission to board the ship to pick up the equipment I had requisitioned through Interconnected Logistics (INTER-LOGI) on Somerset Stormer, the only large dropship still on world. This was agreed to as it would free up more cargo volume on the Beacon dropship that was conducting prisoner transfers to our welcoming ‘penal colony’ and supplying Somerset with Technicians capable of repairing telecommunications and upgrading transport on world.

When I received permission, it was conditional that I engage in three racquetball bouts against Admiral Nathan Topi, the Ship’s Captain. He handily beat me but still acknowledged that I was good for a Spheroid. My Strikers, all now loyal ‘Abtaka’ (Abduct-Taken? This Clan combination word still eludes me) Warriors were even allowed to join me to receive basic training on their first bit of Clan gear.

Upon this ship I encountered the first ‘Elemental’ I had seen. I am told that Star Adder Elementals are middling in size this man could barely fit into the Warship’s corridors, and it is a 1.5 megaton Potemkin. He must have been almost 230 centimeters and might have weighed 120-40 kilos. The fact that people can grow that large is astonishing and no doubt both a logistical burden and a point of pride to their Clans. They remind me of the Napoleonic Grenadiers of ancient Terra with uniforms to match.

Meanwhile, Nathan was more comparable to me but much older, he was ‘over the hill’ in Clan terms at 53, a veteran of the Wolf Wars and conquest of the Hanseatic League. While struggling against his masterful backhand I managed to get enough War Stories to know why he ended up in charge of his own Fleet in a Ship. Midnight Star carries a full Star of Noruff assault ships, the Clan equivalent of the Avenger, and Carriers with a hundred strong Air Wing. This seemed like a suitable severe escort for such a ship but with only 8 of them still in existence the loss of even one could be disastrous.

The other fifteen ships were various smaller transports both cargo and military. These transports I discovered were here to drop off severely damaged military gear for repair and receive replacements. This I learned is how such small Clan units like the Cluster that attacked Somerset could function as independent units while lacking enough Technicians capable of repairing or servicing their equipment in the field.

Additionally, I was introduced to Star Commodore Karrah, the Clan equivalent of a Staff Officer, known as a Coregn (presumable Co-Reign) responsible for all the things that Trueborn Commanding Officers are ‘ill equipped’ to handle, like logistics and people. We shared what I was told was a standard Clan meal of braised fish and vegetables served with a small beer.

I was informed that the Upper Castes dislike bread or other cereal grains while they are staples for the Lower Castes along with yeast and preserves. Since most protein and fat are in the form of fish or shrimp we also started with something between miso soup and gumbo before the meal ended with fruit for dessert. She informed Rachel and I that our food was too sweet, and that Quillar and Cheeses were unpalatable to them. I am also pretty sure she was hitting on Rachel.

Following that I sought out the Scientists that ran the factory space within the Morning Star. Oddly as I approached their section the Technicians and Laborers that worked with me changed. When I inquired about why this was our guide, Axel, a young able Spaceman from the Hanseatic League told me that there are three cliques within Clan Society.

Merchants do much of the work running the Enclaves and oversee civilian Infrastructure under Patrol’s (Clan Military Police) aegis. Most of these folks seem to be easy going if odd and living in uninspired but material and space efficient housing. Inputs are transformed into Outputs and for the most part the Technicians and Laborers treat it like any other job. There is supposedly an Artisan Caste, but they seem to busy themselves with propaganda murals and statutes dedicated to heroes in the Remembrance.

Scientists are sequestered in research cities or groups within a larger enclave, this reminds me of Academia, where they pursue their research objectives. They are also responsible for the Clan Eugenic’s breeding project, overseeing the Iron Wombs, and ‘Creche’ infant phase of a trueborn’s training where the individual will be tested and educated in the ways of The Clan. Supposedly they are also responsible for the health, physical and genetic of all the castes, and sign off on all family units.

Axel also told me that the Clan’s Male Trueborn are given a vasectomy as issuing birth control to the women affects their physical performance and biochemistry reducing their health and fitness for combat. It is also a reasonable common procedure for the Freeborn, but not universal or mandated but is available on the individuals Codex for prospective coupling partners. Also, many children are conceived via IVF rather than the old fashioned way.

The Warrior Caste supported by Merchant Quartermasters, Repair Technicians, and Miscellaneous Laborers populated by ‘test-downs’ that dropped out of training operate on the battlefield or within a naval ship’s crew. Also, there is something called the Watch which is described to me as a vicious intelligence and special forces command that is not limited by things like honor or rules. To me that sounds like a dangerous combination within this society, but I suppose that is apt for a Warrior centric society.

Diary of Meto, Chainelaine Islander, Clan Soldier[]

The Sky-Clan[]

I was born on Corell in what I now know as 3025. My planet is a small, cold, and cruel world but it is habitable and beautiful in its own way. Our ways are difficult, but we are hardy folk. We herd sheep, grow grains, gather berries, fish freezing seas, and trap stoat or rabbit among the conifers. Our most dangerous predators are Lynx and Wolverines, more for their insatiable appetites for our stores than claws and teeth.

The Sky Clans arrived in the Chaine Cluster during my 24th Winter. Our people are not accustomed to visitors so the whole tribe turned out into the snow to see the fiery sphere they arrived in. We thought they were the White Robes that once sought to convert us to following the ways of their wise ancestor Jerome Blake and brought a gift of smokeless heat and fireless light to our chief’s tent.

These we not those men however, their clothes were brightly colored, vivid oranges and reds slick to the touch. The smallest of them, a woman, stood a head taller than our strongest hunter, each wielded lances of heat and light. Though our hunters had assembled in force the Sky-Clan was not intimidated by our bone and stone tipped darts. They offered our chief a richly decorated metal sword, beads of colored crystal, and a horde of gold rings and bracelets.

As was our custom the chief invited them to the longhouses we had erected alongside the banks of a frozen sea. The heater was unnecessary for we all gathered to hear the Sky-Clan’s emissaries. They identified themselves as descendants of the Star League, the same one spoken of in legend that could tame vast rivers and travel across the stars in great ships without equal.

Travelers from Paran had told us that the Star League had never fallen but it had not touched our tiny world during its time, so it mattered not. Now they had returned and were asking us to join them. Our Chief explained that we were simple folk with little to offer a great interstellar empire.

Their emissary this ‘Steel Viper’ woman spoke as our Shamans do, in rhyme, myth, and story explained that the Clans only sought what we were willing to offer. They in turn could offer the same to any who wished it provided the Chief approved. They promised those who joined them in their revival of this empire would return as heroes greatly rewarded for their service and as gifts for their community.

This appealed to many of our young hunters without wives like me that craved adventure in exotic lands. I joined and left my thumb print and name on their ‘silicon tablet’ receiving a metal armlet in return engraved with my name, my Codex. They distributed copies of their ‘Remembrance’ in our letters for us to read for we would be tested on it upon their return in the summer.

Many dark nights were spent memorizing the epic that demonstrated the way and legend of the Clans through the virtue and vice of its heroes, the Bloodnamed, Trueborn of no woman, whose existence was solely to serve the Clan of their birth or adoption. Discussions among ourselves concerned what might be or if we would be ready when they returned to take us with them.

When they returned the Shaman and a monstrous Warrior, an Elemental one of whom we had only read about in the Remembrance, tested us in body, mind, and spirit dismissing those without vigor in all things. With our Chief’s permission and gifts from our kin we departed into the sky, each of us terrified but entranced as we lifted off into the stars, toward adventure and our destiny.

A Reincarnation of Empire[]

The SLS Sarrak, a Seeker Class Dropship, was our vessel off-world leaving behind a small contingent of Scientists and Technicians within the ruins of Antok. The Waking City was where our Ancestors were abandoned by a forgotten Empire before forming the eight Tribes, it remained a taboo place for evil machines dwelled there. It was odd to see other tribes, rivals and allies both near and far, wearing our same issued uniforms. There was yet enough difference in hair, jewelry, and tattoos that we could recognize one another but they like I stayed silent about it in front of our Clan Trainers. Others joined us from other worlds as the Sarrak ventured throughout the Chaine Cluster attached to a Hunter Jumpship from Clan Ghost Bear.

Along the way we were introduced and put under the supervision of our instructors, the Paranese Free Compact Cadre. As fellow descendants of the Star League they had accepted the return of Kerensky’s Exiles and put themselves to the task of training and integrating the Chainelaine Islands into their empire. They spoke a dialect of ours and taught us Standard as the Clans speak it among other things.

Our wonder at the Clan’s machines only grew as the PF2C explained how they worked. That the Clans could harness the power of stars, speak with distant worlds as one could those beside themselves, and thrive in the empty void of interstellar space was as astonishing as if they told us they were gods themselves. Such power could only be entrusted with the most virtuous of Chiefs, and ilKhan Leo Showers could not be anything but that in our eyes.

From the first moment on Paran I was awestruck, vast orchards of fruit bearing trees, endless fields of golden grain, and lakes so full of fish they leapt for space. Surely this was paradise. Our training grounds were located beside a vast lake that echoed with thunder from the cannons and from which giant machines walked as easily as a man across a field. The PF2C operated under the supervision of representatives from each of the six Clans of Kerensky who inspected us closely.

More people had joined those aboard the Sarrak from across the Chainelaine Islands until the ‘Class’ exceeded ten hundred. We were told that only two hundred would be accepted in the Touman, but the others would find their purpose elsewhere in service to the Clans. I was selected as a Decad leader by my peers. This was an unexpected and burdensome honor as I not only needed to excel at the individual challenges our trainers chose but be responsible for the others.

My first challenge was from a Rondanian, their people had long predated upon Corell and the other Cluster worlds. They called us primitives and the brute that formed their Decad leader, Brice, was wont to pummel my men in isolation and his own men.

On the eve before one of the primary selection trials I challenged him to a Trial of Grievance before the Oathmaster. While he was not bound to accept my challenge the fact that I had done so before an Elder and his own arrogance in his skills meant he accepted. I broke his arm in three places and leg in one within the Pankration Pit that served as our Circle of Equals. He sought but was denied a delay in the following day’s Trial.

The wise elder left him with a proverb, “On the battlefield, one does not receive second chances. You will compete in the Trial tomorrow, or you will fail to advance.”

His Decad dropped out for without their leader they were nothing. My Decad placed Prime although I was injured from the bout with Brice. They were willing to extend themselves knowing that I had done the same for them. We would leave our Training Grounds months later after learning all we could. It would not prepare us for what we saw on the battleground.

Training and Condition of the Chainelaine Population[]

======================================================================================================

From Merchant ovFactor Kadriye
To ilKhan Leo Showers and the Council of Khans

While the Nova Fox’s subordination of the Hanseatic League netted us a large and reliable workforce the conquest of the Chainelaines has given us a wider range of peoples than we have organized before. The Merchant Caste has found the local governments of the sixteen worlds that compose the Islands less than cooperative or organized unlike the Trade Houses of the Hansa. This has complicated our efforts to quantify their capabilities and resources although with some assistance from local collaborators such as the Free Guild AgriCorp and Paranse Civil Defense Compact we are making progress.

As requested, we are sending out emissaries to the local populations to recruit and incorporate them into our growing empire. Some of these emissaries have required their Wardens engage local vigilance groups or protect them from roaming Dark Caste. Our occupation forces have been unable to halt an ongoing insurgency, but Patrol (Law Enforcement), Wardens (Bodyguards), and Rangers (Wilderness Bandit Hunters) contain the damage as best they can.

These recruits are gathered on Paran to undergo the intake process we have communicated to the Paranese Free Compact Cadre. Out of each thousand candidates, two hundred are selected to undergo Warrior training, the rest are given a secondary test, assigned a caste, and transferred to an appropriate training facility. The standard cut is 1000-500-400-250-200 to give the best candidates the greatest chance of completing their Warrior training.

From each cohort of 200 we expect perhaps 5 will prove eligible to undergo advanced training as a MechWarrior or Pilot with the remainder filling out lesser but still crucial roles. Unfortunately, the nature of our REVIVAL timetable has these individuals completing their training after the Lyran Commonwealth has been conquered but it is your grand vision to achieve more, and we seek to realize it. Most of these individuals will become infantry, technical, or armor crews freeing up more of our own Clansmen to conduct offensive actions more quickly than more engrossing roles.

It is great wisdom to assign Elemental Phenotype Officers to the Occupation Clusters, the Chainelaine Islanders rightfully respect and fear our Armored Infantry. Those that have been selected are tough, experienced, veterans that shall inspire and train the next generation of Touman Officers while freeing their brethren to undertake the arduous task of clashing with the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces and Lucrewarriors they employ such as the Kell Hounds.

Elsewhere our representatives, INTER-LOGI, and military governors such as the Star Colonel Nekane Hazen (the Pirate Queen of Ingvolstand) have coopted local industries to support our own factory ships. The workforce lacks our skills but with time they shall improve. Our most important asset however is manpower and that is something that the Chainelaines and our other colonies have given us. It is also why we should endeavor to win over the peoples of the Lyran Commonwealth where their own rulers have failed them.

Una Sumus Invicta
======================================================================================================

Criminal Injustice
- The Commonwealth’s Free Zones -[]

The Free Zones have been around since the earliest years of the proto-states that eventually became the Lyran Commonwealth. Feudal lords and corporate boards found some portions of their lands or complete worlds ‘untamable’ or ‘uneconomical to colonize.’ Rather than expand their militarizes to patrol these regions as the Federated Suns does or make large infrastructure investments, they simply denoted them as ‘Free.’ This was done with great consideration however as once these zones are ‘Free’ the Commonwealth nobility lose all claim to them.

Free Zones are not subject to the local nobles’ power and are treated like a foreign enclave on the planet. This separation is a double-edged sword: While people born or living full time within a ‘Free Zone’ may not have to pay taxes or register for conscription. They also have no Commonwealth citizenship or rights that entail them to protection from Local Lords or Courts. These lawless zones initially drew numerous entrepreneurs and farmers seeking to liberate themselves from oppressive police, the burden of onerous regulations, and competition with much larger corporations.

This rush was short lived however as well-armed bandits and pirates, mostly veterans of the Amaris Crisis, or First and Second Succession Wars, became a major concern within the Free Zones. Without access to the protection of a local lord or money to hire enough Mercenaries the disorganized populations of these Free Zones reached out to the well-moneyed and connected organized crime families. These mafia states quickly organized into cohesive city-states that could stand against the bandits. This relationship crystallized during the Third Succession War as the criminal smuggling ships were the only ones that would visit these remote and difficult places.

While the growth of the Mafia City-States within the Free Zones was somewhat concerning to the Lyran Nobility it kept banditry low and crime away from their subjects. These states stayed small enough that they could not pose a threat to a planetary noble’s house troops, and paid customs dues for anything imported or exported off their world. Only foolish nobles asked to see the mob’s books to ensure they weren’t cheating rather than ‘cash the check and buy something nice with it.’

During the desperate days of the 30th Century a new dimension was introduced. Free Zones had matured to be a minority component of the Commonwealth’s GDP as factories, plantations, and mines could be established that didn’t need to follow worker safety or environmental regulations. This made their goods cost competitive and voluminous enough to supply on world or ship on the growing Lyran Merchant Fleet while freeing up citizens to do more skilled, value-added work. However, the Free Zones had many fatalities from accidents, crime, and pollution thus they needed a consistent supply of new population.

Always looking for an opportunity to implement a new security and save ongoing expenses banks and other institutions began lobbying for convicted prisoners to serve out their sentence in a Free Zone rather than prison. This was approved during the reign of Archon Eric Steiner who also massively expanded Free Zones to free up garrison troops to send to the Combine theater, pay for the war effort, and increase the production of various commodities.

To this day convicted criminals are given three options, a variable fine depending on the severity of the crime which settles the judgement, or a term of service, either in the military equal to half their sentence if they meet the requirements, or indentured servitude as prisons were deemed uneconomically to the utilitarian Lyrans and thus do not exist (although there are private prisons that acquire LoIs).

Letters of Indenture (LoI) are traded like any other security on the market, auctioned off with the baseline bid chosen based on the criminal’s skills and capabilities as well as their term (anywhere from 3 months to 25 years) and conditions (they are still technically Commonwealth subjects and thus have some rights). The Free Zones thus act as vulture funds sweeping up many ‘low value’ individuals to employ in their company towns as they see fit. If the indentured is convicted of more criminal behavior, they don’t get a new auction the Free Zones sweep in and buy out their Letter on the cheap. This encourages good behavior among the fortunate ones acquired by more respectable organizations or people while discouraging activist acquisition of those that are ‘undeserving.’

This barbarous trade has been criticized on multiple occasions by popular movements and religious organizations. However, it does not move the Estates General to change it. They say these groups are free to pay the fines of or acquire the LoIs of convicted criminals if they wish and free them. Such organizations typically lack the funds or willingness to do so at scale and often warrant further ‘investigation’ into their activities.

Criminal Injustice
- From the Diary of Lieutenant Rachel Spector, Lyran Commonwealth Military Intelligence -[]

I feel as though I should be offended by how unguarded the Clanners were with me compared to Adam, but I accept it because its easier. While he entertained Admiral Topi and I weathered the aggressive flirtations of his Coregn Commodore Karrah I was putting those degrees in Psychology and Computer Science to use (go ahead call me a nerd Lea, but unlike you I’m the one sleeping with one of Duchess Steiner’s sons).

Karrah proved an interesting case, based on what data I was able to scrape together the Clans have an interesting take on gender equality. Their Trueborn Sibkos are composed of an equal number of male and female cadets who must meet the same physical and mental performance metrics to progress. Due to this limit female (MechWarrior and Elemental) cadets struggle to achieve the final Trial of Position. Many of them drop out early, reassigned to less physically strenuous roles within their Touman or society while it seems men that drop out do so due to a physical weakness, injury, or a lack of aggression. Apparently Aerospace has an 80-20 split though for their Espatier (mostly male) and Pilot (mostly female) Corps where normal sexual dimorphism is more apparent among that phenotype for whatever reason. (I recognized this as some of the Midnight Star Espatiers were tall and handsome with just enough muscle while the females were petite and pretty with a stomach I'd kill for. At least I have a better rack though nothing compared to Kareah and some of the other female Elementals that didn't 'fit' into their suits and had to drop out of training.)

Out of 100 MechWarrior Sibko Cadets perhaps 5 will succeed (almost 20 for Elementals which makes sense as they are more likely to die) and apparently there are good odds some of these will be a woman. These woman not only need to be a very impressive physical specimen but must make up for a lack of physical strength with aggression, motivation, and a significant increase in sociopathy. This combination of traits right out of Sibko mean that many female Warriors peak early, failing to progress beyond Star Captain (beyond a few exceptions of those that are both savvy or sociopathic enough) as they are competing with more numerous and experienced men coming into their physical and mental prime around their mid-20s (Something I am still waiting for Adam to do). These traits help me understand why Katya Kerensky’s behavior was so erratic and Karrah’s so forward.

Disturbingly I have also found that a number of the final female candidates are specifically recruited by the Scientist Caste particularly among the Genetics branch. This seems to be a purposeful choice among the Scientists because it seems preserved based on what data I was able to discern. When I scraped their HPG linked Chatterweb many handles tagged as Genetics Scientists were linked to women’s names. This is mildly distressing to my inner feminist as even in this twistedly equal society our roles still intricately tie to reproduction although at least here the Genetics branch is the most prestigious. Whether the ectogenic Iron Wombs are a plus or minus to women I can only speculate, but avoiding pregnancy does sound rather progressive. Many of these women do go on to have freeborn children though as only the Warrior cadet males are sterilized upon maturity, and birth control is seen as Chalcas (Challenging Caste, I believe this is used for something they see as heretical).

I can understand that starting as they did with the small population of the Exodus Fleet. Every member of the Clans seems to be trained in surprisingly advanced medical skills and there is easy and open access to life-saving equipment. This seems to be dedicated to ensuring the casualties in their historical wars or on the difficult planets they settled are limited. Their Warriors are willing to fight to their last breath augmented with a variety of combat drugs and high tech weapons and armor in the protection of their civilian castes which is surprisingly noble. More than I can say about some of the LCAF soldiers I have associated with during the years.

I don’t know what these Scientists are planning but my concern grew as I witnessed the semi-automated factories built into the Midnight Star, intercepted testing data on autonomous robotic combat units on Wotan and Sudeten, the physically imposing but well-educated Elementals, fierce and highly skilled MechWarriors and conventional Warriors, and lithe, deadly swift Aerospace phenotypes.

All of these give me cause for concern.

I’m not sure we can beat them, but I know Adam almost did, so I trust that it is possible.

SXR-Design Evolution
- Joint Report to Armaments Director Conner -[]

We have compiled the joint reports on the SXR series autonomous Battlemechs sent to us by Coordinators Clarus and Calliope aboard the SLS Mekong and SLS Brahmaputra. In both instances the SXR series performed well with minimal erraticism. New behaviors have emerged which the working groups are still in the midst of quantifying and explaining. The embodied AI agents are learning quickly and there is a curious synergy between the Storm and Shatter type units reported by both teams who believe it is linked to the Nova CEWS co-processing system both platforms share.

However, it has also come to our attention that the SXR-22 Shatter platforms are proving to vulnerable to damage while fighting on the line beside the larger, sturdier SXR-18 Savage platforms. Apparently, the inclusion of a Gauss Rifle on a turret while logical in the initial design is proving a liability under fire. They are going to experiment with some of the damaged ones that need to be rebuilt anyway.

These SXR-23 Shatter modifications will enclose the Rifle into the torso instead of a turret which will be moved over to the opposite shoulder to mount the flamers and LAMS. Some of the mass lost from the turret mechanism will be used to add external applique armor to the vulnerable torso while reducing some of the leg armor which will provide enough free mass for the core. This will reduce their mobility slightly but not below the Savage platforms they operate beside.

In the meantime we will continue to work with ‘Queen’ Nekane Hazen on Ingvolstand and our Laborers and Technicians on Barcella to increase production of these assets for ‘further experimentation.’

Wolf Dragoons Timeline (Golden Lion AU Timeline[]

2973 – Natasha is born to a Wolf Sibko on Strana Mechty
2980 – Jaime Wolf is born to the Merchant Brigid
2981 – Joshua Wolf is born to the Merchant Brigid
3000 – The Dragoon Compromise is voted upon by the Clans, to gather information for an eventual return to the Inner Sphere
3001-3003 – As part of the Dragoon Compromise Natasha, Jaime, and Joshua test into command of the expedition. They train alongside the former Goliath Scorpion Heartvenom Cluster in SLDF drill and prepare.
3004 – The Dragoon’s leave the Clan Homeworlds down the Exodus Road.
3005 – The Dragoons arrive around Delos IV in the Federated Suns and enter the employ of First Prince Ian Davion (the First)
3006 – Mackenzie Wolf is born to Jaime Wolf and his wife Ellen, the leading edge of the First Gens

3007 – Joshua Wolf signs an exclusive service contract with a very small company named Blackwell Industries of New Valencia. The exact reason for this is unknown but there is some suspicion that it involves an affair between him and the company’s VP of Sales.

3010-12 – The Wolf’s Dragoons enter the employ of Chancellor Maximillian Liao
3013 – Maeve Wolf is decanted aboard Hephaestus Station as part of the Dragoon’s Iron Womb ‘benchmarking’ process.

Duchess Candace Liao attempts to seduce Jaime Wolf rather than be married off to Duke Anton Marik. She is rejected but attempts to seduce Joshua, is rejected again, then tries other Dragoon regimental commanders who also reject her. There are at least two attempts on Jaime and Joshua’s lives following these events and a sudden degradation in their relationship with the Strategios.

3014 – Maximillian Liao exchanges the Wolf’s Dragoons contract with Anton Marik, the Dragoons find themselves embroiled in the latest Marik Civil War and serve admirably.

3015 – Joshua Wolf is killed along with many of the Dragoon civilians (including Ellen and Mack’s younger siblings) by Anton Marik on New Delos after the Dragoons refused to break themselves down into smaller units that would be sent against Janos Marik’s loyalists.

Natasha Kerensky completes the revenge against Anton Marik and adopts the persona of ‘The Black Widow.’ Wolf’s Dragoons enter the employ of Captain-General Janos Marik.

Ranna Kerensky’s zygote is fertilized but remains in cryo-storage on Hephaestus Station.

3019 – The Wolf’s Dragoons participate in the 13th Battle of Hesperus II and are narrowly defeated by Lyran reinforcements of elite mercenary commands to protect the planet. This battle leaves them depleted and forces a resupply run to their caches along the Exodus Road.

While at their waystation ilKhan Kerlin Ward tells the Wolf’s Dragoons to prepare for the arrival of the Clans and requests they wait a decade before attempting a return voyage.

3020-23 – Wolf’s Dragoons enter the employ of Archon Katrina Steiner with a shorter retainer than their traditional 5-year contacts.

3023-27 – Wolf’s Dragoons enter the employ of Coordinator Takashi Kurita. Their most noteworthy actions during this period are the training of the Ryuken Regiments which were trained in Dragoon tactics.

Political entanglements with regional overlord’s power struggles as well as the Draconis Combine’s attempt to ‘company store’ them degrade their working relationship with the DCMS.

Mid-3027 – Hephaestus Station is seized by the DCA under false flags while orbiting An Ting, as retribution for supposed ‘breaches of contract.’ COMSTAR also declares the unit ‘outlaw’ and freezes their assets while forbidding them to transmit HPG messages.

3028 – Dragoon 7th Kommando SpecOps executes a mission against An Ting’s HPG complex to send a coded message to the scattered Dragoons. ‘Join us in Misery.’

In the confusion they also interdict Hephaestus Station and execute its ‘scram’ orders deorbiting it into the largest DCMS base on world at Boupeig. The noncombatants on board are shuttled toward the Federated Suns border in disguise while the Warriors draw DCMS attention.

The Battle of Misery happens and the Dragoons and Ryuken are bled white from the ensuing combat forcing major consolidation on both sides. The Dragoons however have an ace in the hole, or so they thought.

3029 – The depleted Wolf’s Dragoons are ambushed along the Exodus Road by Clan Mongoose. They escape but take additional losses, effectively rendering them unable to conduct operations.

3030 – Wolf’s Dragoons are granted a landhold on Outreach by First Prince Hanse Davion at their request. Natasha Kerensky and her Black Widow Battalion take the lead and establish the Dragoon Training Cadre at Tetsuhara Proving Grounds.

Ranna Kerensky is born to Maeve Wolf, as the first child to be born on Outreach.

3031 – Jaime Wolf, 51, marries Marisha Dandridge, 24, This causes more drama with Mack, 25, who grows increasingly distant with his father, threatens to quit the Dragoons, and goes AWOL for most of the year. Maeve, 18, has more pressing concerns and appreciates the help.

3032 – Wolf’s Dragoons open a hiring hall within Harlech on Outreach. Challenging Galatea and the COMSTAR backed MRB to be the ‘Mercenary Star’ in the increasingly unsettled Inner Sphere

3033 – Rachel Wolf is born to Marisha and Jaime

3035 – Joshua Wolf (The Second) is born to Marisha and Jaime

3036 – The first stages of the Capellan Civil War begin between Candace and Romano Liao.

3037 – Outreach’s Hiring Hall exceeds Galatea in the number of and value for contacts signed for the first time in history due to its proximity to the Capellan Confederation and its ongoing instability.

3039 – Prince Ian Davion (The Second) trains with the Wolf’s Dragoons as part of his Grand Tour around the Inner Sphere.

3041 – Jaime Wolf reveals the Dragoons origins to First Prince Hanse Davion and becomes the Duke of Quentin, in charge of Independence Weaponry, in addition to the Dragoon’s landhold on Outreach.

MacKenzie Wolf is put in charge of the Wolfsbane Company of the Wolf’s Dragoons, which begins operations in the Magistracy of Canopus. He marries Katarina (Kat) while drunk and ‘marriage’ is quite binding under Canopian law. Fortunately, they like each other’s sober selves as much as their drunken ones did.

3043 – Jaime Wolf steps aside from command of the Wolf’s Dragoons to personally oversee his Duchy on Quentin.

3044 – Hanse Davion retires and elevates his son Ian Davion (the Second) to First Prince.
Alpin Wolf is born to Mack and Kat.

3045 – Blackwell Heavy Industries opens a brand new factory complex on Outreach for the personal use of Wolf’s Dragoons.

3048 – Natasha Kerensky dies of natural causes on Outreach
3049 – The Allied Mercenary Command is founded as a joint association of The Kell Hounds, Wolf’s Dragoons, Eridani Light Horse, and Northwind Highlanders.
3050 – Shauna Wolf is born to Mack and Kat
3051 – The Clans finally invade, striking first at the Lyran Commonwealth.
3052 – Wolf’s Dragoons and their Allies fight the war they have been preparing for almost a decade to win.

Profile of Dana Pryde[]

Codex

Diana Pryde (Golden Lion AU Character Picture)

Clan - Steel Viper
Given Name - Diana
Birthday - April 8, 3030 (Terran Harmonized Time)
Present Age - 21 TSYv
Birthmother - Scientist (Biologics Branch) Peri, then age 19 TSY
Genefather - MechWarrior Aidan, formerly of Clan Jade Falcon, deceased 3027
Homeworld - Tokasha, Kerensky Cluster
Service Occupation - Watch Officer
Warrior Skills - MechWarrrior (one kill ToP, trained in Hellbringer, Thresher, Conjurer, Goshawk, and Incubus), PA(L) Infantry (Nighthawk XXXII, General Small Arms/Combatives, Demolitions, Marksmanship/Archery), Watch Officer (87/100 Mental Skills Assessment, high Biology, low Engineering, 92/100 Practical, high Alertness/Tracking, low Technology)

Life Summary
Scientist Peri was assigned to a remote wilderness station within the hostile jungles of Tokasha when she gave birth to Diana. Her daughter trained early in wilderness and survival skills from the local Ranger detachment when possible. Due to the remoteness of this facility they rarely received visitors and Peri refused to rotate out of it and onto a different station. Enduring this difficult environment and training alongside her mother and the Rangers during her youth prepared Diana for Freeborn Sibko 527 on Ironhold starting in 3038.

On Ironhold she performed admirably as part of an experimental all-female MechWarrior cadet pool that consisted of the freeborn daughters of the Scientist Caste (copying the more common single sex Pilot/Espatier Trueborn Creche). This experiment was short lived due to inter-personal issues from such diverging life experiences and capabilities that escalated into larger, and more frequent fights then normal among cadets, and eight unfortunate 'accidents' that resulted in the death of a Cadet (and shame on their Trainer by the Cadet's parents). The remaining 40 cadets were merged with an already existing co-ed sibko that had just seen its original female cadets fail to place in an intermediate Trial of Position. Within the more 'normal' Sibko environment a higher than average number of them (4) were given the right to undertake a Trial of Position in Clan Steel Viper.

Diana executed a single kill within her Trial of Position and had most of a second one before her gyro suffered critical damage immobilizing her mech. She was fast-tracked into the Clan Steel Viper Watch after achieving this due to her freeborn status as well as scores on other assessments that might be more useful in that role, such as small arms and wilderness skills. While on New Kent Diana was certified on additional Battlemechs and trained in Special skills by the Heartvenom Cluster. With her brief Watch training complete she embarked on the Volga SLS Ganges where she was kept up to date on the occupation of the Hanseatic League and Chainelaine Islands through INTELSTAR and certified with Nighthawk XXXII PA(L) suits. Landing in Ingvolstand she was assigned her team and given a month to practice with them before being shipped out to Elissa as part of 165th Phalanx, Psi Galaxy, Clan Steel Viper.

REVIVAL Logistics[]

Prepared by INTER-LOGI for ilKhan Lincoln Osis, The Clan’s Oathmasters, and Council of Khans

ilKhan and others as requested our Quartermasters and Technical staff have prepared a representative report on what will be required to prosecute REVIVAL battleplans from us. Based on our current disposition this should provide additional guidance to our esteemed Galaxy and Cluster Commanders.

As per tradition the Galaxy is comprised of 5 Clusters with additional supporting assets at our depot locations on onboard the factory ships and combat transports we are currently outfitting. To ensure our Warriors perform at their highest potential spare battle machines (roughly a third more) are available that can be utilized depending on mission objectives or while Technicians are servicing battle damage or during general maintenance. Their Omnipods, if undamaged, can be moved rapidly to a new machine and the Warrior returned to battle after a short respite while limiting the need for replacement weaponry.

To format our Composite Galaxy we weighted roughly 50% of the Touman be set aside for occupation duties, 10% will be in the Heavy Cluster format, and the remaining 40% in our standard configuration. It is likely that Galaxy Commanders and Clan Touman Leadership will reallocate personnel and equipment where it is required for mission or supply purposes. We are bulking out and deploying our supply chains with enough flexibility but require a model to emulate for planning purposes.

Our standard Mechs selected are the 60-ton chassis (Mad Dog/Hellbringer/Hellfire/Thresher) as they sit at the median mass. Visigoth and Goth Aerospace fighters as our multirole fighters were selected for Aerospace baseline. As our C-class AFVs, supporting Infantry, the SRX robots, and supply chain will be the largest draw on manpower and ammunition we intend for supply depots to be deployed principally to support conventional forces. These depots will be ‘pushed’ to as needed to other combat arms to ‘pull’ from.

Omni-pods, spare weapons, and other supplies will be stocked at the Binary/Trinary level with the Star Commander/Captain and their Coregn responsible for ensuring their force remains supplied through via the ‘pull’ mechanism.

Star Colonels and their Coregn will be responsible for depot level maintenance and collating supply or personnel requisitions for INTER-LOGI to fulfill for their whole Cluster. Additionally, they will act as Administration officials for conquered territories until relieved by designated replacements before being allowed to continue their principal mission.

Galaxy Commanders are responsible for interfacing with Fleet and other Touman Leadership as well as planning and execution of strategic operations as dictated by their Khans. Each Galaxy Commander is assigned a large staff and command vessel equipped with an HPG to better coordinate activities among Clan, Caste, Unit (Galaxy, Fleet Reserve, Watch), and Organizational (INTELSTAR, INTER-LOGI) lines.

Composite Galaxy (with spares) 25 Battlemechs, 20 Aerospace/Conventional Fighters, 50 Armored Fighting Vehicles, 12 VTOLs, 60 Technical Support Vehicles (TSV, Heavy Repair/Recovery Vehicles, 10 and 30 ton GP Trucks, Ambulances), 30 Non-Combat Exoskeletons, 136 Elemental Suits, 91 Elementals, 19 MechWarriors, 15 Aerospace Pilots, 55 AFV Crew, 18 VTOL Crew, 470 Infantry {60% (282) Mechanized, 10% (47) Jump, 30% (141) Motorized}, 270 Technicians, 150 Miscellaneous Support (Artisan, Merchant, Scientist, Laborer)

Combined Mass without Passengers– 8,702 Total Passenger Burden (Standard 5-Cube Quarters) – 5,440 Combat Operator Burden (S5CQ) – 3,340 tons borne by Combat Dropship Corps. Technical/Support Burden (S5CQ) – 2,100 tons borne by Warship Fleets/Depot Corps.

HRLF (Hydrogen Rich Liquid Fuel, Ammonia or Methanol) Fuel Required to Fill All Tanks – 850Kg per M-Class Drone, 10 Tons per Fighter and the HRRV TSV, 250Kg per 10 Infantry Decad (per operation) to fill Jump Packs and Vehicle Tanks Other technical vehicles operate on battery power and recharged via idling fusion machines or generator sets when those are unavailable.

Ammunition Baseline – 80 tons for Gauss Rifle, 30 tons for Arrow IV TacMissiles, 120 tons for LRM, 60 tons for Sniper Artillery, 30 tons for Thumper Artillery, 60 tons for SRM, 30 tons for Anti-Missile System, 60 tons for Ultra Autocannon, 30 tons for both Cluster and Solid LBX AC, 30 tons for other Autocannons, 5 tons for Vehicular Grenades, 5 tons for Infantry Grenades

Daily Sustainment Requirements – 6 Tons of Sundries {3% clothing replacement, food rations, health and hygiene supplies} plus 11 tons of Water for all uses when local water cannot be cleaned and used. If possible, water is to be cleaned and recycled to reduce cargo burden.

Recharging kits are included at Decad/Fire Team level for power cells and linked to vehicle, local, or Cluster base infrastructure.

INTER-LOGI Meal-Ready-to-Eat Options – Served in one large bag containing the chemical heater, entrée retort pouch, smaller rice or similar carb ration (like a kanpan cracker) pouch, utensils, soup or supplemental shake mix, dried fruit, and tea, instant coffee, or juice powder. Heavy citrus presence prevents scurvy while underway and has been found to maintain morale.

Male Elementals are issued 5 MREs, Female Elementals 4, Baseline Male is 3, Most Females typically eat only 2 although they are issued 3 in the field.

(AA-YY) Lemon Herb Salmon, Kung Pao Prawn, Garlic Shrimp over Pasta, Teriyaki Glazed Skewers, Shrimp Risotto, Shrimp Jjigae, Quinoa and Chicken Bowl, Lime Salmon Tacos with Corn Tortilla, Blackened Catfish over Pasta, Jumpin’ Jambalaya (JJ), Goliath Gumbo (GG), Ginger Teriyaki Whitefish, Lemon Dill Fish with Couscous, Spiced Lentil Stew, Spicy Vegetable Bowl, Basil Chili Lime Stir-Fry Fish, or Shrimp with Lo Mein noodles, Pepper Lime Salmon Bowl, Fish Karahi, Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lo Mein, Shrimp and Rice Bowl, Orzo and Prawns, Prawn Pad Thai, Power Veggie Bowl, Spicy Sesame Tuna

Ration ZZ – Fortified Chocolate Emergency Ration

The Clan Merchant Caste – Wielder of the Carrot…and Stick[]

Two-hundred years of Kerensky’s Clan history were marked by major epoch shaping events and each time the Merchant Caste has been there to restore an uneasy equilibrium. What is lost on the common outside observer is that the Clans are the Warrior Caste and to a lesser extent the Scientists that make them, while everyone else is part of The Clans.

Clan Enclaves are ‘controlled’ by the Warrior Caste in a modern form of medieval serfdom, but they are run by the Merchant Caste ‘under supervision’ of these Warriors. A Clan Khan (or more typically the Loremaster or saKhan) is given constant updates on what their territory ‘can’ make, and it is up to the Merchants to make what the Clan leadership ‘wants.’ They can even ‘recommend’ targets for Warriors to initiate Trials of Possession against to hasten the process, a mutually beneficial cycle.

When there are no easy Trials of Possession or Warriors had other ambitions, the Merchants were given a wide breadth to accomplish what the Clan Leadership expected of them. Failure to do so will result in at least a demotion if not some more severe punishment depending on the Clan and conditions. They had three means to accomplish this, automation, coercion, or artificial competition.

Automation is widely used in Clan Enclaves, dumb free-standing, or roving robots and cybernetic (in the original sense) systems are regular tools for Merchants as they free up limited human resources for other needs. Each Enclave collects import and export data, ensures standards and measures are accurate, then reports it to planetary Merchant SaFactors and ultimately to the Clan Council. Using these tools Merchants can fully realize their supply chain or resource risks, minimize deficits, and exploit surplus for trade with other Clans and manage investment and human resources for optimal ROI. Workers are regularly monitored while on the job and these measurements used for ergonomic, productivity, or corrective reasons.

If administrative corrective measures (mostly collective punishment and social control) failed or civilians misbehave Enclave leadership activated ‘Alternative Measures.’ The most coercive of these are The Patrol, a Warrior subcaste outside the Touman reporting to a Sheriff, composed entirely of freeborns, and with the mission of policing civilians. Patrol Officers were normally The Shield of an Enclave protecting it from Dark Caste, responding to disasters, or defending valuable or sensitive infrastructure and facilities.

They were also The Stick, a lesser of three evils, authorized to use violence on an unruly Enclave for their own good. If the Sheriff failed to handle the problem a local Touman Commander would send in the Tanks and Battlemechs for a show of force and possibly many civilians could die in the process. That was still preferable to The Watch deploying Agents into an Enclave who could enact a very visible and painful or a silent but terrifying ‘remediation.’

Since the early days of the Clans and their near-complete abolition of circulating money (internal accounting is different) the Merchants struggled with finding ways to improve ‘productivity.’ A civilian in the Clans has a Grade in one of 25 levels, each of these Grades has the same pay in POGS (Purchase of Goods and Services). Even the lowest grade civilian is allotted two meals from work canteens, a small provision of essential goods, and a place to stay in the dormitory as long as they report to work. Increasing Grades allow for a wider range of privileges, superior living conditions, and goods to be purchased from the published Merchant Catalog and delivered to their residence.

However, there were only a limited number of slots for each Grade within a Clan and competition was tanking their birthrate as population grew. Even though Iron Wombs existed they were resource intensive and the provision of the Scientist Caste who were not willing to compromise their ongoing research project (Trueborn Warriors) for common workers. Scientist-Generals told the Merchant Factors they were lucky to even get their rejects who were preferentially reassigned to Scientist run closed Enclaves that like Touman garrisons a drain on economic activity.

Merchants therefore had to find a way to expand the population and economy, a particularly important need in preparation for REVIVAL which occurred after the almost apocalyptic destruction of the Wolf War. The consolidation and expansion of their factories and population in the post War period and during this time was heavily reliant on Automation, and the Artisan Caste.

While a long time subcaste within the Merchants the Artisan Caste rose to prominence during this time. The Artisan’s Limited List, formerly a secret known only to high ranking Merchant, was first published at the end of every regular Merchant Catalog of Goods during this period. The subcaste rapidly expanded as demand soared in the peaceful aftermath of the Wolf War. This was due to a strange correlation of factors, factories needed to be rebuilt and expanded while inter-Clan competition (and thus waste) was at a record low as the Toumans were rebuilt. This short period of time generated a massive excess of materials that could be quickly turned into other goods than military equipment.

This List was dangled in front of workers like a Carrot, driving them to record levels of output for a chance of reward, and as an incentive for women to have kids as she was rewarded for each child born. In a war-torn world with less than seven clothing color options (right after the War it was only one, gray) and little ornamentation those with something from ‘The List’ stood out even more prominently. ‘The List’ constantly changed as small production runs were completed using whatever material was at hand and requests came in through the ChatterWeb. Prestige pieces were traded for a static Grade and some regular workers even turned down promotions for a chance to pick from the options despite that not making economic sense.

The Clan Scientist Caste, closed to all but possibilities[]

Within the ‘restricted’ archives of the Clan Scientist Caste there are many books on religion. A notable absence however is the Book of Genesis because they refuse to acknowledge that mankind’s original sin might have been caused by eating the fruit of the tree of wisdom. They don’t read these to learn lessons on humility or morality however, but as Inspiration.

Clan Scientists can heal almost any disease, achieve medical miracles, create life within their Iron Wombs, terraform a dead world into a utopia, channel the power of stars, and even rip reality itself apart. Nature itself submits to their will.

Like the Gods themselves!

Only they can be trusted with the most capital and technologically intensive projects within Clan society that enable the entire thing to exist. Cageworks, HPGs, satellites, medicine, semiconductors, and nuclear power plants of all shapes and sizes are all oversee by them or Technicians which they educate. Trueborn Warriors might see themselves as the leaders of the Clans, but the Scientists created them, raised them, oversee their pedigrees, and selected them for traits that would allow them to succeed in Warrior training.

Nearly half of every creche of Trueborn are found unworthy and removed from the selection process prior to their sixth year. The Scientist Caste is thus self-perpetuating, repurposing those unfit for Warrior service elsewhere to form a complete parallel society complete with the unofficial but acknowledged distribution of Labnames. Although possessing many groundside facilities most of their orbital facilities are closed enclaves.

This choice of orbital habitats was pragmatic as asteroid mining is mostly an automated affair and since Scientists require many exotic and mundane minerals of a specific purity that cannot be trusted to Merchants. They are however also easy to ‘isolate’ protecting the secrets within and dangers that might escape, a particularly keen worry after the Scorpion Plague. This has lead to an uncomfortable number of covert Watch actions resulting from ‘unforeseen consequences’ generated by their experiments where ‘compromised’ habitat were pushed into the atmosphere of a gas giant or starward to contain a hazard.

The Watch was originally a means of controlling the Scientists but considering many of their number originated from within that Caste that mission has changed. During REVIVAL preparations Watch Agents morphed into Special Forces operators and masters of irregular warfare, roving troubleshooters handling delicate work where a well placed knife or bullet was needed rather than a Battlemech. They are the best equipped, trained, and most augmented Warriors of The Clans, highly adaptable and authorized to draw from prototype or unusual equipment made by Scientist Workshops. Their reputation is such that there are many ChatterWeb stories regarding their supposed superhuman capabilities, or speculating on what manner of gear the Scientists have stockpiled in their workshops.

What is publicly known is that only the Armaments Branch can deploy The Clan’s nuclear arsenal as such weapons require constant maintenance and higher authorization than almost any other. There are also mutterings that they possess a weapon named Astradhari capable of killing everything on a planet. Also an unconfirmed story testifies that the Scientists destroyed a planet, for science, and have in their possession mass drivers capable of subliminal acceleration or lasers that can vaporize an atmosphere powered by stars themselves. Less groundshattering was the revelation of the SXR robotic battlemechs which while fighting alongside the Touman are still technically classified as prototypes and thus within the Scientist’s purview.

More important but less flashy is the Genetics branch, whose purview includes the Iron Wombs and Genebanks related to them along with most of the biological or medical research conducted by the Clans, even those unrelated to Genetics. They have overseen a complete transformation of the Medical System since the Wolf War. Once uncommon MedTechs and advanced medical gadgets such as robotic surgeons have became almost expected. This sudden expansion of medical care improved life expectancy and general quality of life throughout civilian society and within the Touman which combined with other upgrades led to record levels of productivity and high morale.

Vaccinations capability was also expanded as biologics teams gathered samples from COMSTAR and Colonial isorla. Doses were dispensed protecting against ‘exotic’ diseases from the Inner Sphere while reducing the chance of pestilence spreading in the colonies. While the Touman might have dealt with any organized resistance to their rule MedTechs and systematic upgrades in health and hygiene within the colonies eased the occupation of primitive worlds.

Space Branch is responsible for all manners space, forging germanium and other exotic minerals into KF-cores for War and Jumpships, manufacturing Hyperpulse Generator components, dropships, space stations, and other void constructs, while overseeing the robotic gathering of resources from moons and asteroids. They are also responsible for the fields of science related to space. These include exploring new systems and surveying them and other inhabited planets for minerals or unusual phenomena. Space Branch and the Merchant Caste have a cordial relationship with one another regularly trading survey data of planetary mineral resources for the goods required for Closed Enclaves on behalf of the Scientist Caste.

Conventional Sciences branch oversee semiconductor fabs, robotics facilities, chemical plants, telecommunication systems or other megaprojects, and construct nuclear power plants along with other precision crafted artifacts, such as Gyros beside highly trained and well-compensated Technicians. Within this umbrella is most of the basic and mostly safe research conducted by the Scientists. These Scientists are more likely to live within their own sections of 'open' enclaves containing regular civilians than their counterparts within Armaments, Space, or Genetics. They are, like the Humanities, more likely to be drawn from particularly astute freeborns than more prestigious or restrictive branches.

Of a lesser status but no less important is the Humanities branch which runs the Census, approves breeding/marriage requests, incorporates colonial territory, and runs every school and training camp within Clan territory. They are the most common type of Scientist to interact with the other Castes as there is much overlap in responsibility between them. During the preparation for REVIVAL the Humanities were expanded along with everything else. This unfortunately led to a reduction in quality and standards. Any shortfalls were forecast to be solved either by Darwinism or later remedial instruction just as long as the Khans got the troops they wanted when they needed them.

Survey of Clan Soldiery at Somerport
Composed by Lieutenant Rachel Specter, LCAF MI[]

Personal Notes I continues to hurt my heart that I had to leave Adam, but I cannot do what I must if I am always under the eyes of Merchant Factor Rhonda.
Stay strong Adam, I believe in you even if I must overtly distance myself from you.

Observations Working my job behind Liz’s bar near the Somerport starport I have made many observations in both permitted and prohibited areas gathering information that might be useful when the opportunity presents itself. To them I am just a random civilian but that doesn’t mean my friends don’t pass messages along. It was a risk to place myself so close to the Military Academy but as it attracted a wide variety of Clan Soldiers that risk has paid off. I have even managed to get some hefty tips from the Scientist types.

Liz gets them from the Warriors, but I can’t pull that off again, I think I used up my luck with Adam. Any inquiry on Andrew’s fate following his secret mission leads to a promise ‘to look into it’ that likely is a polite dismissal as they would rather get me in bed than answer questions. Apparently, I’m just their type, the joy, must be the glasses.

One of my most recurring observations is that it is easy to tell which branch a Clan Warrior is from by what type of sidearm they have been issued. The Clans use 4 types of pistols and while there is some interchange based on personal and mission circumstances, they seem well-conserved in my observation.

One of these is a six plus one 7.65mm concealable pistol issued to Watch Operatives acting undercover, I secured one from the armory before I left and keep it ‘in a safe place’ just in case. The most common type of sidearm I see is the 10mm Single-Stack Pistol which has 9 plus 1 rounds issued to support personnel and warship crews (even non-Warriors) in combat zones, MechWarriors, Combat Engineers, the Somerset Constabulary Brigades, and other Patrol units.

A higher capacity 16 plus 1 Double-Stack 10mm pistol is commonly carried by vehicle crews rather than a rifle and by regular infantry as a backup. This heavier offensive pistol can also be converted to a carbine with a folding stock, sights, and lights while feeding from an even higher capacity 30 round drum magazine. I really want one but can’t hide it effectively.

The even larger standard Sub-Machine Guns and bullpup Defensive Pistol Carbines, both mostly used by Patrol-adjacent and Watch units, has all the same fittings in a more ergonomic form factor. The SMG accepts a 30 round box magazine or an even higher cap 60 round drum magazine although they say it throws the weight off. However, the 25 round bullpup magazine is considered more reliable and accurate which means that it sees more use in bodyguard and Watch duty.

Finally, there is a 12mm magnum five shot revolver that seems more like a status piece than anything else with many of them being gilded or adorned with ornate scales. Commonly carried by the Clans’ Espatiers, Rangers, and Elemental Officers this gun was apparently developed for the Rangers (Clan Wilderness Patrol) as standard 10mm lacked sufficient stopping power for Dark Caste Elementals and beasts they might encounter in the wilds. Considering some of the Elementals I have seen I think that sounds reasonable. There is a reason an Elemental Constable is stationed at Liz’s bar. It would take at least four men to control an enraged or stimmed one and a high caliber round to kill one quickly.

Although the Clans have substantially numbers of Mauser 960 and Mauser IIC rifles in their inventory they are mostly reserved for commandoes and premier units due to many of the components requiring an Armaments Technician or Advanced Training. For the most part the Clans have ‘slicked’ these down to basics with many of them lacking survival kits, grenade launchers, and bayonets unless wielded by Elementals or PA(L) equipped Commandos more capable of handling the weapon’s heavy mass.

Due to the large number of infantry and vehicle crews that have been added to the Touman personal ballistic weapons have made a comeback to arm the masses inexpensively. Clan Toumans issue four types of Omni personal ballistic weapons, an assault carbine, squad automatic weapon, battle rifle, and marksman rifle that have more ‘forgiving’ components. All of these use a 6.8mm round and differ mostly in fire selector and scope options, magazine type, and barrel length or composition, and are completely modular with only a few components requiring Armament Technicians to install. This modular design allows for a wide range of adaptation to the local environment and user preference.

Assault Carbine Collapsible (Paratrooper) Stock, Foregrip or Underbarrel Shotgun/Grenade Launcher, 30 round box magazines, 4x Scope, Offset Irons, Full Auto, Laser Sight, 40cm Barrel, 330 round combat load.

Squad Automatic Weapon Fixed Stock, Bipod, 80 round box magazines (belt-fed) in personal weapon configuration, 200 round drum magazines in Battle Armor/Pintel/Coax/Gun Carriage anti-personnel configurations, 4x Scope (or none in Battle Armor), Full Auto, 51cm Heavy Quick-Change Barrel, 400 round combat load.

Battle Rifle Fixed Stock, Foregrip, 20 round box magazine, 8x Scope, Offset Irons, Semi-Auto, 51cm Heavy Barrel, 200 round combat load.

Marksman Rifle Fixed Stock, Bipod, 10 round box magazine, 12x Scope, Semi-Auto, 61cm Heavy Barrel, 60 round combat load.

These omni-components are also utilized for similar weapons with the most common I’ve seen being the Avenger Automatic Shotgun which has a similar profile as the Battle Rifle. I have seen a larger number of the under-barrel grenade launcher and smaller shotguns, often amongst the Espatiers. Heavier 25mm Anti-Materiel Rifles supposedly exist but are uncommon among the units I’ve seen as they aren’t something you’d carry into town unlike your small arms and a wide range of melee weapons.

Barbara I’ll keep looking for the signs and gathering intel and allies here. I hope this message finds you and the militia well. Don’t lose hope in Adam, I know he’s still on the side of the people of Somerset even if he has to act the part of the Commandant for us all.

He’d better not be screwing that blonde floozy of a 'personal assistant' though, or I'll kill him.

I’ve had some good offers myself from some handsome men that I was heavily tempted to indulge in.

Love,
Rach

Naval Disposition 3052[]

Clans Naval Touman[]

ilKhan's Flag Star
McKenna Battleship - SLS McKenna’s Pride, Hellgate Battlecruiser - SLS Gunslinger, Pride Destroyers - SLS Spite, SLS Regret, SLS Dismay

Star Adder Battle Group Typhon Battleship - SLS Astarte, Quasar (York) Carrier - SLS Quasar, Pride Destroyers - SLS Melancholy, SLS Envy, SLS Anticipation

Nova Fox Battle Group
Anne Rosse (Conqueror) Carrier - SLS Anne Rosse, Hellgate Battlecruiser - SLS Goliath, Pride Destroyers - SLS Panic, SLS Worry, SLS Serenity

Steel Viper Battle Group
Typhon Class Battleship - SLS Typhon, Quasar (York) Class Carrier - SLS Pit Viper, Pride Class Destroyers - SLS Avarice, SLS Arrogance, SLS Audacity

Hell’s Horses Battle Group (Chainelaine Security Group)
Anne Rosse (Conqueror) Carrier - SLS Purgatory, Hellgate Battlecruiser - SLS Hellgate, Pride Destroyers - SLS Pride, SLS Ambition, SLS Hunger

Ghost Bear Battle Group
Typhon Class Battleship - SLS Ursus Major, Quasar (York) Carrier - SLS Ursus Minor, Pride Destroyers - SLS Melancholy, SLS Mirth, SLS Malice

Mongoose Battle Group
Anne Rosse Class (Conqueror) Carrier - SLS Quicksilver, Hellgate Class Battlecruiser - SLS Fossa, Pride Destroyers - SLS Guilt, SLS Worry, SLS Rage

Volga II Class Factory Ships | SLS Blue Nile, SLS Mekong, SLS Brahmaputra, SLS White Nile, SLS Amazon, SLS Yellow River, SLS Yangtze, SLS Danube, SLS Seine, SLS Colorado, SLS Rio Negra, SLS Congo

Carrack Class Armored Freighters x20 (Bloodname Founders)

Coriolis Class Corvettes | SLS Coriolis, SLS Lorentz, SLS Mossbauer, SLS Askaryan, SLS Weissenberg, SLS Venturi, SLS Voight, SLS Hall, SLS Sharnhorst, SLS Nernst

Potemkin Class Heavy Transports | SLS Great Bear, SLS Leviathan, SLS Serpentes, SLS Atlantean, SLS Midnight Star, SLS Morning Star, SLS Ophidian, SLS Martingale’s Gambit

Home-worlds Ships Under Construction[]

Anne Rosse Class-Carrier - SLS Arc Royal (for Nova Fox), Coriolis Class Corvette - SLS Rayleigh, Carrack Class-Armored Freighter - x3, Hellgate Battlecruiser - SLS Eden (for Ghost Bear), Typhon Class Battleship - SLS Painkiller (for Steel Viper), Quasar Class Carrier - SLS Vagrant (for Hell's Horses), Pride Class Destroyer - SLS Amity (for Nova Fox), SLS Mania (for Ghost Bear), SLS Vengeance (for Steel Viper), SLS Courage (for ilKhan Flag Star)

Inner Sphere Naval Assets[]

Wolf’s Dragoons
Aegis Class Battlecruiser | SLS Alexander Nevsky (The Prince)
Congress Class Frigate | SLS Ieyasu Tokugawa (The Shogun)
Lola III Class Destroyer | SLS Turrene (The Marshal), SLS Horatio Nelson (The Admiral)
Sovetskii Soyuz Destroyer Leader | SLS Charlemagne (The King)
Vincent Mk.42 Corvette | SLS Saladin (The Vizier)

COMSTAR
Enterprise-class Super-Battlecarrier | CS The Word of Blake
Dante Frigate | CS Acheron, CS Akrasia, CS Cerberus, CS Cocytus, CS Dante, CS Discord, CS Geryon, CS Limbo, CS Minos, CS Revelation, CS Styx, CS Virgil
Saint Barnard Expeditionary Support Ship | CS Saint Bernard of Bowang, CS Saint Balthazar of Lyons, CS Saint Prudence of Rakjot, CS Saint Tatanka of Wasat, CS Saint Aston of Krin, CS Saint Martin of Turin
Faslane Yardship | CS Terra, CS Sian, CS New Avalon, CS Atreus, CS Tharkad, CS Dieron
Carrack Armored Freighters x16 (Leading Precentors)

Ship Losses in Planetary Battles[]

Atocongo – SLS Anne Rosse, crippled but jump capable, returned to Camelot Station for deep repair

Odessa
Clans - SLS Astarte, SLS Typhon, SLS Ursus Major, SLS Arrogance, SLS Anticipation, SLS Melancholy, SLS Envy, SLS Mirth, SLS Avarice
COMSTAR - CS Word of Blake, CS Akrasia, CS Minos, CS Geryon, CS Cerberus, CS Styx
KF-Disabled/Kept as Gabriel Station Guards – CS Revelation, CS Dante, CS Cocytus

Pandora/La Grave
Clans – SLS Malice, SLS Pit Viper
COMSTAR – CS Limbo, CS Saint Barnard, CS Saint Aston

Sudeten/Blair Atoll
Clans – SLS Serenity, SLS Fossa, SLS Worry
COMSTAR – CS Virgil, CS Saint Tatanka, CS Saint Martin

Twycross
Clans – SLS Quasar, SLS Regret, SLS Rage
Wolf’s Dragoons – SLS Saladin, SLS Turrene, SLS Tokugawas

External Links[]

Golden Lion Supplemental on Bg.Battletech.com's forums.

↑ Dana Stephenson, Hanse Davion's first love

[1] Dana Stephenson, Hanse Davion's first love

[1]

Golden Lion AU Supplemental
Product information
Type	Sourcebook
Primary writing	AlphaMirage
Cover artwork	Unspecified
Publication information
Publisher	(Fan-made product)
First published	2022
Content
Content	Timeline Overview
Era	Alternate Succession Wars Era
Timeline	3015-3050
Series	Ian Davion, Golden Lion AU