OBT Forum

One thing that i've just noticed, Rat's Battalion is down as being Shadow Hawks, Griffins & Ostsols.

There's one little problem with that the AFFS doesn't have factories building the Shad or the Ost at this time, they could have stockpiled the Shad's from the Free Worlds factory but the only Ost factory is in Terran space and they probably wouldn't be exporting them.

Would the Dervish & Enforcer be better choices?

While not listed in canon the FS must have a Shad plan somewhere hence the lame ass D version, I'm assuming the FS bought some of the Ost industries production.  As to the Enforcer?  To damn slow. If you notice that all the Devil Cats maneuver combat units have a minimum speed of 86 kph. Not counting Hussy and a few other units segregated into specific support units.  There's a reason for this...

General announcement for all fans of the series - the first three books of the Black Tiger Saga are now available for download on our main page. 

That is odd... I saw a similar post on CBT for the same problem. I just checked the homepage again and the link for Book 1 worked fine for me.

DB - Do you want me to email it to you while Knightmare checks it out?

Yeah, book 1 won't download for me either but books 2 & 3 did first time.

Browser wise I'm using I.E.8,

I'm OK with waiting untill the problem (? if any) is fixed Many Thanks for the offer to e-mail book 1 to me.

Best Wishes.

Dave.

Just tried it again and it worked, how strange 

Been away a bit but I managed to find both time (and an internet connection!)

Ducal Palace, Landing, Chesterton...

The scene was all too familiar, Sarah, dressed impeccably as usual straightened the collar of my dress uniform, and adjusted the gold sunburst vest that hung like an armored breastplate across the left side of my chest.  She chuckled at the look on my face.  I hate these things, at least the 90th’s Dress uniforms had been comfortable.  Still it’s not every day the Regent of the Terran Republic, the Last Cameron and the First Prince came to call on little old Chesterton.

“You have done this before you know…” she said grinning up at me.

“Never like this, hon, I mean we’re not their equals but this is our world.”

Sarah reached up and stroked my cheek.

“Just be yourself.”


At the same time, inbound...

Amanda Sinclair looked over at Ian as her husband fidgeted with his dress uniform.  Shaking her head she smiled.

“Relax you look fine.”  She said.

“It’s not that, these damn collars are too tight.”  He grinned ruefully.  Captain Maria MacRae chuckled in the back ground as she prepared the couple’s honor guard.

“It’s only for a little while, Ian.”  A rumbling from the access way ended as the hatch opened on a corridor to the spaceport.  At the other end stood an honor guard from the 90th Heavy Assault Regiment, led by Lieutenant Colonel Alex Winter.  Amanda grinned as she saw Sarah behind them.  After the short walk down the gangway the pair found themselves in a boarding lounge full of reporters.
Smiling and waving at the throng she checked her surprise as she took in Major no Colonel Gilmour in the dress uniform of an AFFS officer.  It seemed wrong somehow.  The posing for a photo op was blissfully brief and the group filled into a waiting limo.  BattleMechs and armored cars from both the Sinclair Fusiliers and Black Tigers paced the limo as they drove the short distance to Ducal Palace.
Both Ian and Bruce reached up almost in unison and opened the collars of their dress jackets.  Grinning at the younger man, Ian nodded at the Sunburst vest.

“That thing heavy, my Lord?”  He asked.  Bruce looked down at his uniform and shrugged.

“Not so much, and please Ian, my Lord?  Really?”

Chuckling Ian grinned raising his hands, “Hey didn’t want to cause an international incident here…”  He paused.  â€œYou look worn out, thought t’was the life of a country Baron for you…”

Alex laughed from his position by the door.  He’d seen Sarah’s grimace.

“His Devil Cats don’t give him much rest.”

“You’re still letting him play soldier, Sarah?”  Amanda laughed.

“Blame Uncle John,” Sarah said, “If I had my way…”  She smiled teasingly at her husband.  Ian had leaned forward interested in how the new unit was shaping up and Bruce obliged him.

“Some supply problems, and I have more MechJocks then ‘Mechs, but our conventional support is pretty good, no transport or aerospace assets yet…”  Sarah shook her head as she and Amanda traded looks.

We'll let the boys talk shop.  Amanda’s look said.

“So, is your tour going as planned?”   Sarah asked Amanda, the idea the Director-General had and Sarah herself had worked out some of the details of was now in full swing.

“Minoru pretends to listen, but he won’t deal, Kenyon’s reply was to offer to garrison the Hegemony for us…”  Sarah snorted, like that would ever happen.  â€œBut Jenny…Jennifer Steiner and I have gotten the ground work laid out, as have John and surprisingly Barbara Liao.”

“Her Divine Celestialness deigned to reply?”  Sarah was surprised.

“Oh I’m sure if the Republic looks weak, then then our dear friend Barbie will think nothing of…”  Amanda searched for the right words.

“Taking Terran worlds under the benign protection of herself.”

“Exactly.”

“…So TRAS?”  Amanda heard Bruce say.  â€œShould have gone with RAF.”

“It’s TRAS.”  Ian said. “Terran Republic Armed Services.”

“Just sayin’.”

“Nope.”

“Okay.”

Sarah and Amanda shared a look that said simply; Boys.

Off the south coast of Cavanaugh, Chesterton’s only continent, two continental plates which had been pressing against each other with unimaginable force suddenly slipped into a new alignment.  The earth shook.  Such things were rare but when they happened on a world with so much ocean…  The tidal wave when it hit land would be massive.  Under Lady Greene’s regime the sonar and radar net that had been set up to warn of such danger had suffered.  Sarah had instituted a plan to reconstruct the net, but progress was slow.   Too slow.