OBT Forum

I am working on breaking down each faction's overall loyalty (Terran or Five House) but I am also gonna look at the intelligence branch for a third leader.

Alright folks we are back thanks to Ice Hellion's Doctrine for the Clans (link below) this alternate could gain some real steam.

https://www.ourbattletech.com/forum/index.php?topic=3725.msg47176#msg47176

First as I was asking Bradshaw for some other notable characters from canon and aside from Admiral Janos Grec and General Ethan Moreau we don't really have anyone else. But this is where BTSD comes in and I was thinking that without the Last Cameron these characters of mine depart on the Exodus instead of staying in the InnerSphere.

General Ian Sinclair and General Arnold Collins
It would be a fun little aside I was thinking to have these two division commanders as two more petty Warlords of the Pentagon Worlds. Perhaps on Eden duking it out as rival Terran-Davion factions but lets say one survives (probably thinking Sinclair of course) and joins the two canon figures as the founders of a new order. I will come back to this seed a bit later. Could be fun and a nice hook for this alternate but their could be a more important character from BTSD who while lesser before may see their role increase here.

Vice Admiral Fatima Varha-Kahdem
In FM Terran Republic this enigmatic veteran of  the SLDF becomes the commander of the Surveillance Fleet and here her role could be much the same. As a career Bug Eye officer her intelligence gathering abilities could come in handy to Grec as he moves to secure the Pentagon Worlds following Nicholas' departure. Using the ultra sophisticated Bug-Eyes to gather info prior to this is sort of a no brainer. One has to think that these surveillance vessels would have been increasingly reactivated to spy on denizens of the Pentagon following the increase of civil unrest. Also I was thinking before hand of their role in putting down the Prinze Eugen revolt and perhaps keeping order afterwards. Even these spy vessels are only really useful in space it would give Grec's faction a potential hold over the Spacefarers.

The Value of Intelligence
I always get more of the military intelligence feel from the SLDF rather than a true civilian intel service if you know what I mean here but it always amazed me how little play it got. For example with the demobilization of the SLDF there seems to have been little though given to the establishment of a security service. I suppose that is a leftover of the Amaris Coup and the espirit de corps of the force which bought down the Usurper. No matter how distasteful once civil disorder begins it is only natural to see an increasing role for counterinsurgency in the Star League in Exile. This is where the third arm of this story comes into play with a dark figure who was Kerensky's spymaster becoming the third member of the Triumvirate. This shadowy character would most likely be located somewhere on Eden as it was the capital of the Star League in Exile. Who knows who this person is (man or woman) but they would no doubt be hated by the populace. Not saying they wouldn't be capable but perhaps survival in the new administration really isn't any option so perhaps it is Sinclair who picks up this role? Not that he has an intelligence background but maybe he gains the keys to the kingdom after Nicholas leaves given his location or perhaps that is what he and Collins are fighting over.

HPGs
Communications would obviously be another key thing to control in the Pentagon but that would be very tough to accomplish at first. Several mobile devices likely exist and other ground based sites just make controlling the HPG network difficult as I see it. Plus the Pentagon is not a big area and there are plenty of Jumpships (yes Warships too) that can facilitate rapid communications without HPG so establishing control would seem difficult and not be as valuable here as it would in the InnerSphere. However this might make listening into communications easier especially if everyone uses the same gear regardless of codes there could be ways of exploiting advantages here. Again this is where Fatima Varha-Kahdem could come into our story prominently.

What shall come to pass?
Well the big alternate I would think is Grec is not killed in the titanic naval struggle for Dagda in late 2802 (see page 16-17 of Liberation of Terra II) which interestingly enough is home to the SLDF Navy (see page 45 of Operation Klondike). The system was the home of the SLDF-in-Exile one naval shipyard and could be the key to everything. Control over this yard and its associated naval cache might set Grec's faction on the road to victory at least it space. Especially with Varha-Kahdem or our yet unnamed intel spymaster at his side perhaps key information enables him to win control. With this facility and the Bug-Eyes behind him I could really see him secure the Spacefarers as his faction truly making them the Overseers of the Pentagon.

While this group grows different factions on the Pentagon struggle for control setting up our precursor to their InnerSphere conquest. With faction leaders from the Star League like Tiberius Reed (Arcadia), Ethan Moreau (Babylon), Michael Guillory (Crice) and Ian Sinclair (Eden) present there could be footholds gained. Evacautions could begin to more secure sites (Fasa perhaps?) as battles rage for control of the Pentagon but the Overseers eventually come out ahead leaving them to face off against the Clans.

Thoughts??