Topic: The Outer Colonies Region (Read 33384 times)

Starbug · « **Reply #120 on:** July 24, 2011, 02:33:48 PM »

First draft of the Master Map.

Added a few extra worlds to fill in some blanks spots (some of you might recognise a couple of the names I used), but it's still open for revision if I add anything more.

Takiro · « **Reply #121 on:** July 24, 2011, 05:38:24 PM »

Is the grey line the InnerSphere-Periphery frontier Starbug?

Starbug · « **Reply #122 on:** July 24, 2011, 06:40:04 PM »

No, that's the seemingly impenetrable Obsidian Nebula.

Here's a map of the Outer Colonies in relation to the Inner Sphere (not necessarily to scale).

Starbug · « **Reply #123 on:** July 24, 2011, 06:55:38 PM »

SLS Daedalus
Uninhabited System
Deep Periphery
January 27th, 3066

As a child growing up on Rorke's Drift, Richard De L'Isle had been told his share of stories of his peoples history. How his ancestors had followed the great General Aleksandr Kerensky into exile to save the remains of the fallen Star League from the damage their weapons would have done. How they had followed him, loyally, across thousands of light years to the distant Pentagon Worlds. Then how the dream had almost died with the General, and the rise of his son Nicholas, who was not worth of his father's name. About how, mad with power, Nicholas had attempted to remould their civilisation in his own twisted image, how he had raised the warriors up above all others, forgetting that a soldier's first duty is to protect and serve, to oppress and rule. About how, Sarah McEvedy and Franklin Hallis had attempted to find a peaceful solution by removing their people from the other Clans, only to be betrayed by their former comrades, blamed for the crimes of others and hunted like wild animals.

So they had gathered together as many people and ships as they could and ran, Hallis and the troops under his command fighting a bitter rearguard action while McEvedy led those she could away from the madness and tyranny that had befallen the other Clans. And so they had fled, back along the path their forefathers had taken, to the already war-stricken Great Houses. There they had raided the Draconis Combine for much needed supplies, rescuing a number of innocents from a government re-education camp, before moving down the edge of the Inner Sphere. When it became clear that they were being followed, they managed to throw off their pursuers by cutting across the Inner Sphere, using seldom visited, uninhabited systems plotted by the Star League years before in case they ever needed to move against one or more of the House Lords. Thus they had managed to head back out into the Periphery a thousand light years from where anyone was expecting them.

With no safe haven in sight, they had consulted their star charts and found a reference to an SLDF outpost two years hard travel out, further even than the great General Aleksandr Kerensky had led his people in the Exodus. Hoping to find at least habitable worlds, they had turned their backs on the Inner Sphere and started the long trek. It was far from an easy journey; many died along the way, and more than one irreplaceable ship had to be abandoned when a key component broke beyond their ability to repair. But not once had they turned from their chosen path, spurned on by the memory of what had happened to them on Circe, the sacrifices of Hallis and his troops, as well as the hardships they had already endured in the depths of space. Providence had relayed their grim determination with salvation, as on July 14th, 2828 they jumped into the Rorke's Drift system and were immediately confronted by the SLS Jericho, a Texas class battleship formerly of the Star League, but under the control of the emerging Outer Colonies Defence Force. Several tense hours of back and forth radio chatter followed, until it became clear that both groups were truly descended from old Star League units and held the same values and beliefs. Quickly granted sanctuary on Rorke's Drift, the surviving descendants of the 331st Royal BattleMech Division and the people they had rescued from the Draconis Combine were at last able to lay their burdens down and settle on a world of their own, far from those that had sort to kill them.

De L'Isle could trace his lineage back to the 331st by way of his mother's side, who was a descendent of the Clemence bloodline, while his father's family had been living on Rorke's Drift since at least the time of the Star League, if not before. As such he was considered to be 'Of The Blood', someone who carried within them the legacy of McEvedy, Hallis, and all the others who had stood up against the madness and tyranny of Nicholas Kerensky. And, like all the others who shared that legacy, he knew that, should the Clans ever discover the truth, then war would descend upon his homeworld in a manor not seen since the Age of War. That was why, as a child, he had looked up at the star-filled night sky and felt the call to defend his people, his home, against any and all who would harm it. He had worked diligently at school, pushing himself to attain the grades he needed to apply for the Officer-Cadets program. He had joined the planetary militia as soon as he was of age, putting everything he had into his training. At first he had sort to be a pilot, but a broken leg resulting from a training accident put pay to that, so he instead took the tactical and navigation courses, setting his sites on crewing one of the warships that stood guard over the Outer Colonies. One of the proudest days of his life had been when he'd reported aboard the SLS Ivanhoe, the flagship of Sarah McEvedy had led her people from, as a newly commissioned Ensign.

He had worked hard, excepting assignments that would take his away from his wife and young daughter, if they helped advance his career. It had been no surprise when the divorce papers had arrived, and he signed them without protest; his first love would always be the service, and it had been cruel to pretend that his wife could have ever competed with it. The one bright light in that whole debacle had been his daughter, Amelia, and he had spent as much time with her as he could, writing her regular letters and making sure that a percentage of his pay was sent to her, regular as clockwork. He was far from the perfect father, but his ex-wife had remarried, to a school teacher this time, and Amelia had the stability she needed growing up.

With his personal life in ruins, De L'Isle had thrown himself even deeper into his career. Promotions and transfers had followed, including a stint at the Admiralty on Port Stanley. But the one position he'd always sort, that of a captaincy, always seemed just out of reach. He had been offered DropShips and JumpShips, sometimes even a space station, but the lure of commanding a warship had driven him to turn them all down. But there were less than fifty ships in service, and almost every captain and admiral in the service wanted one. Each year the chance that he would be selected to fill one of the rare open spots had become greater and greater, until De L'Isle was sure that his next tour would see him commanding a desk, and that would see him out of the military, meaning that all the sacrifices he had made would have been in vain.

Then he had been contacted by a distant relative working in Naval Intelligence. De L'Isle had never sort to play to patronage game, even if, as being Of The Blood would make it easier to rise through the ranks, given the disproportionately large number of people from Rorke's Drift serving in the military, including the higher ranks. But while he had never sort to contact what family he had in the halls of power, they had been keeping an eye on him. Invited to a nondescript government building in McEvedy City, he had found himself sitting across a desk from a woman with no apparent rank, who did not give her name, but offered him the chance to serve his people in the manor he had always dreamed of. It was then that he learnt of the underground foundries and factories that had been working around the clock to build new weapons and equipment. Of the secret training facilities where a new army was taking shape, and of the ships that had been secretly recovered from the vast bone-yard that orbited the dead world of Hamunaptra. Refurbished in hidden shipyards, these ships were now ready to travel the stars once more. As an trained and seasoned officer Of The Blood, De L'Isle was being offered the once in a lifetime chance to command a warship of his own. He had accepted the offer at once, expecting at best a frigate or destroyer, but instead he had been handed a file detailing the Avatar class Heavy Cruiser SLS Daedalus, with orders to ship out immediately. The day he first stepped aboard ranked up with the first time he'd held Amelia as one of the greatest moments of his life.

He had expected to be undertaking war-games and other training exercises, before long patrols through the outer reaches of the home systems and other nearby stars, but instead he had been ordered to Nueva EspaÃ±a to collect the Grand-Duchess Gabriela de Mendosa, at eighteen standard years, the youngest child of Queen Annabel VI and the official royal envoy to the peace summit with the Reman Imperium on Shakespeare. He didn't mind the young noblewoman herself; he had been polite, thanking him for providing transportation, and apologised for taking his cabin from him. Unfortunately, while her highness was the personification of Noblesse Oblige, her advisers had proven to be far more disruptive and demanding guests, driving many of the crew to detraction. The tedium of long space voyages could be tiresome enough at the best of times, but trying to deal with a dozen pompous contours and diplomats was almost too much for even the most seasoned spacer to bare.

Still, it was only another ten weeks or so...

The End

Takiro · « **Reply #124 on:** July 24, 2011, 07:21:53 PM »

Ah very good, the deep Anti-Spinward region. So is your map of the OCR flipped on a 90 degree angle or is it below the Nebula?

Starbug · « **Reply #125 on:** July 24, 2011, 07:26:02 PM »

The map with the Inner Sphere on it shows the relative position of the Outer Colonies, not the other nearby systems and states. It was only ever intended as a rough guide rather than anything concrete.

Gabriel · « **Reply #126 on:** July 26, 2011, 01:34:26 AM »

Cool I always thought the Colonies were higher in reference to the I.S.

Starbug · « **Reply #127 on:** July 26, 2011, 08:01:54 PM »

                    AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Mandrake class Cruiser 
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 3067
Vessel Type:       WarShip
Rules:             Level 2, Custom design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              760,000 tons
Hull:              40X Templar
K-F Drive System:  KF King LX
Length:            720 meters
Sail Diameter:     800 meters
Power Plant:       4 Harlan B8-240's
Safe Thrust:       4
Maximum Thrust:    6
Armor Type:        Valiant Gauntlet
Armament:          
   22 Rand-10 Medium Naval Particle Projection Cannons
    6 Oriente-30 Series Naval Autocannons
   32 Pontiac 50 Autocannons
   32 RAMTech 1200X ER Large Lasers
   40 McArthur CIWS
   16 Holly LRM-20 with Artemis IV Fire Control
   28 Maelstrom AR-10 Missile Launchers
Manufacturer:   Star League Defence Force
  Location:     Unknown
Communications System:  KAT 701
Targeting & Tracking System:  ASTROC 4-b
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==Overview:==
     A prototype missile cruiser under development by the Star League before
the Amaris Coup, the Mandrake class was designed to act as a screening element
to battleship formations, while maintaining the ability to operate
independently. With this in mind much of its offensive fire-power is geared
towards long and medium ranges, with an emphasis on the ability to target and
destroy smaller targets, such as DropShip's and AeroSpace fighters.

==Capabilities:==
     Capable of reaching up to 3-G's of acceleration, the Mandrake was not the
fastest ship ever built, but it could out-run anything it couldn't out-gun,
and generous fuel bunkers gave it a greater range then most ships of the same
time. The armour belt is much thicker than would be normal for a ship its
size, mainly through the use of Ferro-carbide. For close range engagements,
the Mandrake was built with multiple Medium Naval Particle Projection Cannons
and Naval Autocannons, but its main punch comes from the multiple Maelstrom
AR-10 Missile Launchers, chosen over other designs due to their adaptability.
     For close in defence, the Mandrake had Pontiac 50 Autocannons, RAMTech
1200X ER Large Lasers and  Holly LRM-20 launchers with Artemis IV Fire Control
Systems. As a final line of defence, the Mandrake was equipped with multiple
independent McArthur close-in weapons systems with overlapping fields of fire.
There was also room for two squadrons of Aerospace fighters and four small
craft, normally including at least one assault shuttle for the integral marine
detachment.
     Two docking hard-points and Lithium Fusion batteries round out the
Mandrake's load.

==Variants:==
     None of the ships were fully completed at the time of launching, each
being at a different stage of completion, resulting in no two ships being
identical. It is believed that the Mandrake and Lothar were ready to being
trials, but given that their fate is unknown, this is impossible to prove.
     The Jedda Walker and the Richard Gordon had all their core systems,
including sub-light and hyperdrive engines installed and operational, but had
few of their weapons on-line and large gaps in their armour belt when they
arrived at Port Stanley. Records indicate that the Kshin and Hans Zarkov were
at an even early stage of construction, with only the most basic of life
support and control systems, and while their hyperdrives may have been
functional, they had been reliant on thrusters for sub-light manoeuvring,
which might explain how the New Americas were able to capture them.

==Notable Vessels & Crews:==
Star League Defense Force:
SLS Mandrake (fate/location unknown)
SLS Lothar (fate/location unknown)
SLS Jedda Walker
SLS Richard Gordon
SLS Kshin
SLS Hans Zarkov

Outer Colonies Defence Force:
SLS Jedda Walker (mothballed)
SLS Richard Gordon (mothballed)

New America's Navy:
NAS Fortunate Son (formally SLS Kshin)
NAS Patriot (formally SLS Hans Zarkov)

==Deployment==
     Only six prototypes were ever built, none of which are known to have been
completed to operational levels. They did, however, have functioning
hyperspace engines, and they departed the top-secret location in the Deep
Periphery where they were being built. Two made it as far as the SLDF outpost
in the Port Stanley system, then on to the Hamunaptra, where they were
mothballed along with dozens of other warships until such time as they could
be completed.
     At first it assumed that the others were either lost or joined up with
some other Star League unit, but most recently evidence has come to light that
at least two were intercepted and captured by the New America's. Where they
were taken and what happened to them remains a mystery, as the Stone Harbour
shipyards are incapable of handling ships of the same size. What is known is
that internal records acquired by the Secret Intelligence Service list them as
inactive but maintained, which may indicate that at least some of the
scuttling charges may have been detonated.
     But the location of the remaining two, including the lead ship in the
class, remains unknown at this time. Debriefing of the engineers and
scientists that brought them to the Outer Colonies indicate that there had
been some experiments with advanced AI systems being undertaken at the same
secret base, tentatively identified as the lost outpost known only as Titans
Gate, and that the ships had been seconded by another department.
     Their ultimate fate remains a mystery, even now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Mandrake class Cruiser 
Mass:              760,000 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass  
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                      182,400.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 4
      Maximum Thrust: 6
Kearny-Fuchida Hyperdrive:  Compact (Integrity = 16)               343,900.00
Lithium Fusion Battery                                               7,600.00
Jump Sail (Detachable): (Integrity = 4)                                 68.00
Structural Integrity: 85                                            64,600.00
Total Heat Sinks:    2,400 Double                                    1,752.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                   7,905.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:              1,900.00
Fire Control Computers:                                              6,830.00
Food & Water:  (187 days supply)                                       346.00
Armor Type:  Ferro-carbide  (1,088 total armor pts)                  1,292.00
                           Capital Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                201
   Fore-Left/Right:                  181/181
   Aft-Left/Right:                   181/181
   Aft:                                 163

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  Fighters (12) with 6 doors                                1,800.00
           Small Craft (4) with 2 doors                                800.00
   Bay 2:  Cargo (1) with 2 doors                                   12,000.00

DropShip Capacity:  2 Docking Hardpoints                             2,000.00
Grav Decks #1 - 2:  (75-meter diameter)                                100.00
Life Boats:  20 (7 tons each)                                          140.00
Escape Pods:  20 (7 tons each)                                         140.00

Crew and Passengers:
     63 Officers (49 minimum)                                          630.00
    150 Crew (134 minimum)                                           1,050.00
     85 Gunners (76 minimum)                                           595.00
     28 Marines                                                        140.00
     44 Bay Personnel                                                     .00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Medium NPPC              Nose        18     18     18     18  270  3,600.00
2 NAC/30(60 rounds)        Nose        60     60     60     --  200  7,048.00
4 Autocannon/10(200 rounds)Nose     4(40)  4(40)     --     --   12     68.00
4 ER Large Laser           Nose     3(32)  3(32)  3(32)     --   48     20.00
5 AMS(996 rounds)          Nose        --     --     --     --    5     85.50
2 LRM 20+ArtIV(78 rounds)  Nose     3(32)  3(32)  3(32)     --   12     35.00
4 AR10 (40 KW, 40 WS, 40 B)Nose         *      *      *      *   80  5,800.00
2 Medium NPPC              FL/R        18     18     18     18  540  7,200.00
4 Autocannon/10(200 rounds)FL/R     4(40)  4(40)     --     --   24    136.00
4 ER Large Laser           FL/R     3(32)  3(32)  3(32)     --   96     40.00
5 AMS(996 rounds)          FL/R        --     --     --     --   10    171.00
2 LRM 20+ArtIV(78 rounds)  FL/R     3(32)  3(32)  3(32)     --   24     70.00
4 AR10 (40 KW, 40 WS, 40 B)FL/R         *      *      *      *  160 11,600.00
3 Medium NPPC              L/RBS       27     27     27     27  810 10,800.00
2 Medium NPPC              L/RBS       18     18     18     18  540  7,200.00
4 Autocannon/10(200 rounds)L/RBS    4(40)  4(40)     --     --   24    136.00
4 ER Large Laser           L/RBS    3(32)  3(32)  3(32)     --   96     40.00
5 AMS(996 rounds)          L/RBS       --     --     --     --   10    171.00
2 LRM 20+ArtIV(78 rounds)  L/RBS    3(32)  3(32)  3(32)     --   24     70.00
4 AR10 (40 KW, 40 WS, 40 B)L/RBS        *      *      *      *  160 11,600.00
3 Medium NPPC              AL/R        27     27     27     27  810 10,800.00
2 NAC/30(60 rounds)        AL/R        60     60     60     --  400 14,096.00
4 Autocannon/10(200 rounds)AL/R     4(40)  4(40)     --     --   24    136.00
4 ER Large Laser           AL/R     3(32)  3(32)  3(32)     --   96     40.00
5 AMS(996 rounds)          AL/R        --     --     --     --   10    171.00
2 LRM 20+ArtIV(78 rounds)  AL/R     3(32)  3(32)  3(32)     --   24     70.00
4 AR10 (40 KW, 40 WS, 40 B)AL/R         *      *      *      *  160 11,600.00
4 Autocannon/10(200 rounds)Aft      4(40)  4(40)     --     --   12     68.00
4 ER Large Laser           Aft      3(32)  3(32)  3(32)     --   48     20.00
5 AMS(996 rounds)          Aft         --     --     --     --    5     85.50
2 LRM 20+ArtIV(78 rounds)  Aft      3(32)  3(32)  3(32)     --   12     35.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (2.50%)                                           19,000.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                            Heat: 4,746     760,000.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        10,076,990,000 C-Bills
Battle Value:      165,379
Cost per BV:       60,932.71
Weapon Value:      89,760 (Ratio = .54)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 5,364;  MRV = 5,093;  LRV = 3,681;  ERV = 1,397
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 501,768
                   (72,392 Structure, 235,290 Life Support, 194,086 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 369,455  (74% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      Not applicable

Starbug · « **Reply #128 on:** August 08, 2011, 07:07:57 PM »

This isn't going to be a story in the traditional sence; more a series of interconnected shorts.

Mount Longdon
Port Stanley
Outer Colonies
Deep Periphery
February 9th, 3066

Burred some two kilometres below the surface, the Planetary Defence Command Centre was protected by the highly stable geology in the area, which allowed for such deep excavation without risking a major seismic incident, as well as interwoven layers of armour plate and shock absorbing voids. The original post-construction report by the Star League Corps. of Engineers claimed it was designed to withstand multiple hits in the 500 kiloton range, or sustained bombardment by an orbiting warship. Just why they felt a bunker complex so far away from the Inner Sphere needed that kind of protection was unknown, but then they were never known for doing anything by half measures. Made up of not one but two full Castles Brians, as well as a number of underground tunnels connecting it to the Port Howard space-port and a number of outlying defensive bunkers and weapons emplacements, including surface-to-orbit missile and laser batteries, Mount Longdon also served as the central command node for the entire Outer Colonies Defence Force.

But the history of the place was of no interest to Helena Stark as she strode purposefully into General Kravinoff's personal office overlooking the main control room, the smart-window connecting the two opaque to allow some privacy.

â€œViktor, if you're launching a military coup, then you can forget about that dinner party tomorrow night.â€ At a little under 160cm, she was a good head and shoulders below the General's solid two meters of hard muscle, a physique she knew damn well he worked hard to keep, even if he now drove a desk rather than a suit of battle armour.

â€œNo such luck, I am afraid.â€ Kravinoff chuckled at his old friends joke, â€œFor one thing, Lucy would kill me if I interfered in her social calendar for something as mundane as trying to grab power.â€

â€œWell, that's what you get for marring a Marine.â€ Stark sat in one of the almost painfully hard chairs normally reserved for junior officers who had upset the base commander in some way, â€œSo, why have you issued system-wide Code Ultraviolet?â€

Never issued in a training exercise, Code Ultraviolet was the all-points alert to a significant danger that had yet to be fully identified. It had only been issued twice in the previous fifty years; once when a civilian transport suffered a near catastrophic miss-jump and appeared in the middle of a restricted military zone, and once when a particularly brave pirate band had attempted to sneak in the back-door of the New Tasmania system by arriving high above the main orbital plane, unaware that every one of the Outer Colonies was surrounded by a network of automated sensor drones that had picked up their arrival and sounded the alarm. Stark could vaguely remember reading about the latter in a newspaper when she was in high school, which just went to prove how long ago it had been.

â€œFive hours ago we received an ENIGMA pulse from Fort Dixie indicating that an unknown arrival in the 350,000 tone range had been detected in the Nadia jump-point, and that they had dispatched the Albion and the Robert MacKenzie to investigate.â€ gone was the humour in the general's voice, replaced with the cool, calm professionalism that he had been known for through his years in uniform, â€œWe've received no further signals since, not even an all clear indicating that it was just a sensor ghost.â€ He pressed a button on his desk, and the smart window turned transparent to show the hive of activity that was the operations room, â€œAs per standing orders, I've placed all units on a higher state of alert and begun recalling off-duty personnel. If no word is received within the next two hours, I will start activating militia units and order all military bases to move to a war-ready status.â€

â€œWhat are the chances that it's something benign?â€ Stark asked, knowing that the old war-horse behind the desk wouldn't try and sugar-coated bad news, â€œHow are our defences?â€

â€œThe bulk of our forces are within standard oppositional parameters, but we do have a number of ships down for maintenance. Only a handful of our new-builds are on-line, with nothing in the yards we could feasibly push for fast deployment.â€ The large landscape painting behind the General vanished, replaced by a map of the Outer Colonies, complete with icons to indicate military units and their status, â€œOur ground forces are better off; we've not started the switch out yet, so no units are down for re-raining. On the down side, our militia and reserve units are still using equipment left here by the Star League.â€

â€œIt's been almost 250 years since the Wolverine's arrived, and we've never seen or heard hide nor hair of the other Clans: there's nothing to indicate that they even know we're out here, let alone that we took in the survivors of their attempted genocide.â€ Stark shook her head, â€œThe chances are they either forgot about us or figured that the chances of there being anything worth salvaging out here weren't worth the time and effort needed. In all the years since the fall of the Star League we've been visited by exactly two ships from the Inner Sphere, and both of them were Explorer Corps deep-range scouts. But something in the 350,000 tone range...â€ Her voice trailed off, â€œMaybe a Leviathan or a Monolith, or an extremely overladen Star Lord or Tramp, but anyone operating one of those legally would know that the Nadia jump-point is closed, and that even emergency traffic should try and make it to the old recharge station at the Zenith.â€

â€œWhich, as far as I can tell, leaves us with two possibilities; it's either someone trying to sneak by unseen, or it's someone who doesn't know the local shipping lines.â€ Kravinoff shrugged, â€œI'd say it might be the Wolverine's hiding something again, but if it was, why would General Hammerick issue the alert?â€

â€œThat's true; he's Of The Blood, so he'd know if there was anything clandestine going on in his system.â€ Stark nodded, remembering the one time she had met Lieutenant General Ivan Hammerick, the commanding officer of the recently unveiled Gamma Galaxy. While he had absolutely no sence of humour that she had been able to detect and all the charm of a dead fish, he was a brilliant tactician and not prone to panicking over sensor ghost: if he had issued a Code Ultraviolet, then he had to be sure that there was something going on to warranted it.

Still, the very real if unlikely threat of an incursion by Clan forces hung over the heads of every citizen of the Outer Colonies. Even ignoring those who were in any way descended from the Wolverines, the very origin and nature of the Outer Colonies would most likely be anathema to the followers of Nicholas Kerensky's twisted vision of humanity. Stark was wise enough to realise that her people views of the Clans was somewhat tainted by the stories passed on by the surviving Wolverines, but what little information had made it out all the way from the Inner Sphere since their grand invasion did little to stem those fears. If anything, the modern Clans were worse than they had been under the leadership of Nicholas: they had become an insatiable hunger that could only be sated by blood and conquest. Long gone were the noble ideals of the Star League, replaced by a perverted warriors code that held martial prowess above all else. They spoke of the honour of single combat while they crushed innocent civilians under their boots, of high ideals while their warships rained down fire upon defenceless worlds.

By contrast, the Outer Colonies stood as a beacon of law and justice in the dark night, a place where the strong defended the weak, where a soldier knew that their first duty was to protect, not rule. They were a nation with an army, not a hoard of barbaric killers ruling over their surfs like at best slaves, and at worst cattle. While the Colonies were far from perfect, they at least held to the idea that all were equal, with inalienable right and the freedom to chose their own path in life. Ideals that Stark was sure had been held by Aleksandr Kerensky, a man who's name was still considered near sacred by many, despite what his son had done.

Maybe if Andery had survived...

The intercom built into the desk bleep, ending Stark's philosophical meandering, and Kravinoff pressed the revive command, â€œYes?â€

â€œSorry to disturb you, Sir, but we're reviving a Priority A hyper-pulse transmission from Rorke's Drift.â€ The young captain serving as his aide-de-camp reported, â€œIt's from saKahn Mroczkiewicz: she says she needs to talk to you.â€

â€œWhy am I not surprised that Hammerick would report to her before you?â€ Stark asked dryly.

â€œPut her through.â€ The general ignored the jib.

The screen behind his desk switched to a spinning Cameron Star insignia for a moment, then was replaced by a field of static while the decryption software synced with the incoming transmission, a sign that it was more that just a social call. When it finally cleared, Mary Mroczkiewicz, leader of the planet Rorke's Drift and Sectary of Defence for the entire Outer Colonies appeared before them. Her now honorary uniform was slightly ruffled and a faintly haunted look in her eyes indicating that it had been a while since she'd last slept, yet she still radiated the same professionalism that had marked her military service before she had entered politics.

â€œAh, I'm glad you're there Helena; that's one less call I have to make.â€ She managed a faint smile, â€œI've just finished speaking to General Hammerick: we can stand down from Code Ultraviolet.â€

â€œAnother sensor ghost?â€ Kravinoff asked, â€œI've been pushing for the money to update that system for years.â€

â€œNo, there was an incursion, but it doesn't sound like it's something we have to worry about just yet.â€ Mroczkiewicz composed herself, â€œThere was some confusion at first: the ship that arrived is a previously unknown design, which worried the officers on scene. However, they saw the logic in surrendering to a Cruiser and a Frigate, and our marines boarded in full battle armour, just in case. They were able to ascertain that the ship is an Odyssey class transport originally built and operated by Clan Smoke Jaguar.â€ There was no hiding the anger in her words there, â€œBut it was captured when this second Star League the Inner Sphere put together ripped through them like a fright train, and had since become the property of an independent commercial operation called Interstellar Expeditions, who renamed her the Far Horizon. They apparently contract to people like the Explorer Corps to conduct deep-range exploration and to seek out lost outposts.â€

â€œWell, they certainly found that.â€ Stark snorted, at least a little amused, â€œAny indication that they weren't alone?â€

â€œNo, they seem to have been operating independently.â€ Mroczkiewicz shook her head, â€œWe also captured her DropShip's: a pair of Mules, a battered Union and a equally aged Leopard. But the main prize the Horizon herself; she's a little over a hundred years old, and as such represents a key insight into Clan technological development since my ancestors were forced to flee. I know our own newer weapons are at least a step up from what the Star League had, but there's always the possibility that those bastards came up with something we missed.â€

â€œYou have a point.â€ Kravinoff nodded, â€œStill, we need to handle this carefully: the last thing we want is people panicking in the streets across more than a dozen worlds.â€

â€œIndeed, that would be less than optimal, but if we're going to take that ship apart to find out what makes it tick, we'll need to get it to a shipyard.â€ Stark looked up at Mroczkiewicz, â€œThink you can sneak one more ship into the yard of yours while we round up the brain trust?â€

â€œI think we can manage that.â€ Mroczkiewicz nodded with a coy smile, â€œAnd I have to admit to a certain degree of pleasure at the idea of ripping something those fools built apart so I can use their own advances against them.â€

â€œTake it down to the keel, then melt that down and run it through a spectral analyser for all I care.â€ Stark nodded in agreement, â€œLet's get it done quickly and we might be able to use anything we learn in the upgrade program.â€

The End

Shadow_Wraith · « **Reply #129 on:** August 08, 2011, 09:47:45 PM »

Nice update!

Gabriel · « **Reply #130 on:** August 09, 2011, 01:30:28 AM »

Really Good

Starbug · « **Reply #131 on:** August 13, 2011, 05:43:17 PM »

                    AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Newcastle class DropShip 
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 3067
Vessel Type:       Spheroid DropShip
Rules:             Level 2, Custom design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              10,000 tons
Hull:              Saroyan Cavalier
Length:            112 meters
Power Plant:       AeroFord Standard
Safe Thrust:       3
Maximum Thrust:    5
Armor Type:        ArmorAlpha Compound Plate Ferro-aluminum
Armament:          
    4 Lord's Light 2 ER PPC
    8 Dragon's Fire Gauss Rifle
    4 Victory Drumbeat Large Pulse Laser
    4 Holly LRM 15+ArtIV
Manufacturer:   Vosper Thonycroft
  Location:     Malloy's World
Communications System:  Sipher Security Plus
Targeting & Tracking System:  Cat's Eyes 5 w. Artemis IV System
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==Overview:==
     Primary Mech-hauler of the OCDF, the Newcastle class DropShip is designed
to deliver a battalion of Mechs, often through hostile space.

==Capabilities:==
     Three Mech bays, each capable of carrying an entire company of Mech, make
up the bulk of the ship's cargo mass. Bay 4 can hold up to 800-ton's of
cargo.
     The Newcastle is quite well armed, with multiple banks of Pulse-Lasers,
ER-PPC's, Gauss Rifles and Missile Launchers protruding from its hull. It also
has a relatively thick skin: 53-tons of Ferro-aluminium armour make it a hard
ship to kill. Although the Newcastle is not necessarily fast, it is highly
manoeuvrable, although its mass tends to make it unwieldy, and must be
carefully disrupted to avoid shifting loads and to maintain stability during
atmospheric flight.

==Battle History:==
     Various; mainly against pirates.

==Variants:==
     There is a civilian variant of the Newcastle, a heavy cargo-huller called
the Sunderland, but this design is rare due to its high purchase price and
running costs.

==Deployment==
     As stated, the Newcastle is the prime Mech-hauler in the Outer Colonies,
and is a common sight at military spaceports. Most OCDF units use the
Newcastle, but some specialist unit's prefer bulkier Dunkirk class aerodyne
DropShip.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Newcastle class DropShip 
Mass:              10,000 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass  
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                        1,950.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 3
      Maximum Thrust: 5
Structural Integrity: 15                                               300.00
Total Heat Sinks:    115 Double                                           .00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                     306.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:                 75.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                   .00
Food & Water:  (83 days supply)                                         60.00
Armor Type:  Ferro-aluminum  (1,010 total armor pts)                    53.00
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                289
   Left/Right Sides:                 252/252
   Aft:                                 217

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  BattleMechs (12) with 4 doors                             1,800.00
   Bay 2:  BattleMechs (12) with 4 doors                             1,800.00
   Bay 3:  BattleMechs (12) with 4 doors                             1,800.00
   Bay 4:  Cargo (1)                                                   800.00

Life Boats:  10 (7 tons each)                                           70.00
Escape Pods:  10 (7 tons each)                                          70.00

Crew and Passengers:
      8 Officers (7 minimum)                                            80.00
     30 Crew (0 minimum)                                               210.00
      6 Gunners (4 minimum)                                             42.00
     28 Steerage Passengers                                            140.00
     72 Bay Personnel                                                     .00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 ER PPC                   Nose     2(20)  2(20)  2(20)     --   30     14.00
2 Gauss Rifle(48 rounds)   Nose     3(30)  3(30)  3(30)     --    2     36.00
1 Gauss Rifle(32 rounds)   FL/R     2(15)  2(15)  2(15)     --    2     38.00
1 Large Pulse Laser        FL/R      1(9)   1(9)     --     --   20     14.00
1 LRM 15+ArtIV(16 rounds)  FL/R     1(12)  1(12)  1(12)     --   10     20.00
1 Gauss Rifle(32 rounds)   AL/R     2(15)  2(15)  2(15)     --    2     38.00
1 Large Pulse Laser        AL/R      1(9)   1(9)     --     --   20     14.00
1 LRM 15+ArtIV(16 rounds)  AL/R     1(12)  1(12)  1(12)     --   10     20.00
2 ER PPC                   Aft      2(20)  2(20)  2(20)     --   30     14.00
2 Gauss Rifle(48 rounds)   Aft      3(30)  3(30)  3(30)     --    2     36.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (2.00%)                                              200.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                              Heat: 128      10,000.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        399,817,600 C-Bills
Battle Value:      6,751
Cost per BV:       59,223.46
Weapon Value:      7,742 (Ratio = 1.15)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 227;  MRV = 183;  LRV = 58;  ERV = 0
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 57,343
                   (36,211 Structure, 16,950 Life Support, 4,182 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 51,768  (90% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      MP: 3,  Armor/Structure: 17 / 17
                   Damage PB/M/L: 7/7/5,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: DL;  Point Value: 68
                   Specials: sph

Starbug · « **Reply #132 on:** August 19, 2011, 07:33:07 PM »

Hark Family Estate
New Tasmania
Outer Colonies
Deep Periphery
February 10th, 3066

Anna Hark looked out across the crystal clear water of the lake that her family home sat on the shores of, the forested mountains on the far bank a tranquil backdrop for what was supposed to be a family getaway. She had planned it as the perfect time to inform her new husband that she had missed her last period by two weeks and was most likely pregnant with their first child, but work, as ever, had a way of rearing its ugly head. Turning her back on the view from the sun-deck she made her way back through the spacious lounge area, her bare feet making no sound on the thick carpet. The villa was one of the few places she wasn't followed everywhere by at least two members of her personal protection detail, a hard fought for concession by the head of corporate security, a distant cousin who she had grown up calling Uncle Barney. The solid marble steps leading down to the lower levels were cold against her skin, but it was a welcome change to the heat outside.

The building had been carefully designed to maintain a comfortable ambient temperature, and had the kind of climate control systems normally seen in a biological research lab. It also had military grade defences, both active and passive, allowing the entire compound to be turned into a fortified bunker with the flip of a switch, but thankfully those precautions were carefully hidden from view. This allowed the house to maintain its open, tranquil feel, while still affording its owners the protection the family had occasionally needed down the years. Reaching the ground floor, Hark paused for one last moment of peace before she crossed the hallway and entered her private office. The thick, metal reinforced oak doors closed and locked behind her as the bleeding-edge anti-surveillance devices came on line, throwing up a field of static and interference that could defeat any known bugging device. Sitting behind her antique mahogany desk, she activated her personal server and brought up the communications system.

While there were still a handful of working HyperPulse Generators so far from Terra, they were few and far between, and only the Outer Colonies were known to have the ability to build new units, rather than simply repair the old ones. That was not to say that they were cheep, but thankfully they were not the only form of FTL communications available. The older Data-Box system could send text and basic images, but it was omnidirectional and far slower, limiting its use to that of a universal media distributor, with news stories from across the Outer Colonies passing from world to world in a constant stream, much like the ancient telex system. Fortunately it had limited range without signal boosters, so there wasn't too much of a risk that someone might stumble upon the transmissions and back-track them. The military had a much more advanced and versatile system code-named ENIGMA II that could be fitted to something as small as a Mobile HQ vehicle, but that was subject to the most stringent controls, with each unit programmed to self-destruct if the incorrect operates code was entered. They also tended to take issue with a civilian using such a system, so Hark relied on the portable HPG transmitter that had been built into a nearby mountaintop, a relic that one of her ancestors had brought with them from the long-gone Terran Hegemony.

It took a moment for even the powerful server buried another two floors down to run the full security and encryption program, then acquire an definitive lock on one of the Hark Corporations own dedicated HPG arrays on Port Stanley A wall of alphanumeric text scrolled down the large monitor on the desk, and Hark took a moment to look at her own reflection; while it had been watered down a little over the centuries, there were still hints of her families Asian heritage around her eyes and nose, and her shoulder length hair was jet-black, something she had actually inherited from her mother's side of the family, rather than her father's unruly flaming red main. But she did have her father's jade-green eyes with just a few specks of grey. The faint traces of a scar ran just above the bridge of nose, officially the result of a horse riding accident while she was still young, but actually the result of a close call from an assassins blade.

No one had ever been able to conform just who had sent the young, hard-eyed woman to kill her; she had opted to take her own life rather than be captured. It was well within the means of medical technology to completely remove the scar, but Hark had insisted on keeping it as a reminder of what happened when you let your guard down, even for a moment. Even there, in her private officer, surrounded by the most advanced security system her people had been able to put together, and a small army of security, including two Battle Armour squads housed in one of the old stable-blocks, she was still keenly aware of her surroundings. The only place she had ever felt secure in letting her guard down had been in the arms of her now husband, but he was still asleep in their bed upstairs, where she would have been given the choice.

The computer bleeped, bring her back to reality and confronting her with the reason she was not laying in the arms of the man she loved.

â€œI'm sorry to interrupt your little getaway.â€ David Wolfsbane, director of the Ministry of Intelligence, was sat in his San Carlos office, as ever a wolf in sheep's clothing. As head of the almost legendary 'All-Seeing Eye', all the plots and counter-plots, all the words whispered and knives in the dark were his to unravel and employ. He was remarkably good at his job, making him one of the most powerful and feared men in all the Outer Colonies: even members of the Council of Eleven lived in dread of waking up one day surrounded by his nameless inspectors.

â€œNeeds must when the Devil drives.â€ Hark waved her hand to one side, having long grown accustom to the fact that managing an interstellar corporation with the net income of a small world was a 27/7 job at the best of times, â€œYour message said it was important, so here I am.â€

â€œMy people have picked up some chatter between the New Americas and the Reman Imperium that I thought you might find interesting.â€ a predatory smile played across Wolfsbane's thin lips, and Hark was reminded that while she respected the man and his abilities, she would never like him, â€œWe've finally identified the wet-works team behind the Amber Cloud attack.â€

Hark jerked suddenly, as if someone had stabbed her through the heart with a dagger. The destruction of the Monarch class DropShip Amber Cloud as it entered the atmosphere of New Jamaica had killed hundreds, both on the passenger liner and the planet below where debris had impacted. Among those killed had been her parents; Mackenzie and Jade Hark. Publicly it had been put down to mechanical failure, but the truth was that it had been a carefully orchestrated attack that had struck the ship at its most vulnerable, when there was no hope of survival. Hark had been made aware of the truth as soon as it had been uncovered, and she had dedicated a significant amount of time and money into finding out who was behind it. The New Americas and the Reman Imperium had always been the most likely targets, given her family and companies strong ties to the Alianza EspaÃ±ola, but like the attempt on her own life just a few short years before, there had never been any proof as to just who had given the order.

â€œYou have names?â€ She asked, her mouth dry, voice shaky.

â€œWe have code-names and a location where we believe the team is hold up.â€ The Director responded, â€œI've already given the order to launch a snatch-and-grab raid to pick them up and bring them in for questioning.â€

â€œI want to be kept advised of any developments.â€ Hark responded resolutely, â€œYou still have to play by the rules; I don't. Just get me the name of the person who gave the order to have my parents killed and I will take care of the rest.â€

â€œI do have to play by the rules.â€ Wolfsbane nodded, â€œAnd that's why I can't give you that information; I can not be party to an illegal operation.â€ His face softened, â€œEnjoy the rest of your holiday; I'll let you know if we find anything else.â€ With that he cut the link.

Hark sat her desk for a moment, then pulled a small communications device from a hidden compartment under the desk. Turning it on she typed out a short message.

TO: Phoenix

Wolfsbane has identified the team responsible for death of Eagle and Dove, and is planning an operation to capture them. Suggest Falcon or Hawk get to them first. Also possibility that position has been compromised. Will go off-net until nature and depth of breach can be identified. Request that Kestrel triple checks all communications protocols.

Will report back in when safe,
Lark

Shutting it down, she put the palm-sized device back in the same hiding place she had found it when she had inherited the desk from her father. The shock that her parents had been part of the almost mythical Deep Midnights Voice had stunned her, almost as much as the surprise when they offered her a place in the same organisation. She had never met any of the people who's identities were hidden behind the code-names, or if she had, they had never said anything to give themselves away. All she knew was that, for generations, her family had been using their business to conduct off the books research and development for several agencies within the Outer Colonies, while their extensive network of contacts both at home and abroad made them a natural intelligence gathering tool that could go places and do things that no government agency could risk getting caught at.

In return, a blind eye was tuned to some of the more legally questionable avenues of research the company had looked into over the years, including their completely clandestine advances in genetic engineering that were the result of a close working relationship with the Wolverines. While the same basic genetic enhancement package was available to anyone, screening out most of the less desirable genetic conditions, while boosting the reflexes and scenes, there had been a more extensive project that had born some fruit. The untimely death of the project director it what was still being called a 'tragic accident' had ended that line of enquiry before it had reached its conclusion, and of that Hark was happy; while she was a strong supporter into advances in life sciences, even she felt unhappy with the idea of playing god.

The End

Starbug · « **Reply #133 on:** August 30, 2011, 07:38:09 PM »

Clan Wolverine Touman
(3065)

Commander-In-Chief: saKahn* Mary Mroczkiewicz

*Since the death of Sarah McEvedy, the Wolverines have retired the rank of Kahn out of respect for the leader who led them safely from Clan space to their new home. The ceremonial robes she wore to the Grand Council chambers on the 8th of October 2823 are held in the Hall of Remembrance, their chamber seen as almost a shrine to the Wolverines.

Ground Forces

Support elements, such as artillery, logistics and organic fighter-support are controlled at the Galaxy command level, but normally detached to individual Clusters for operational purposes. While most units are made up purely of BattleMech's, there are also a number of armour an infantry formations among their number.

Alpha Galaxy (McEvedy's Pride)
Commanding Officer: General Bartholomew Robertson
1st Wolverine Guards (McEvedy's Own)
2nd Wolverine Guards (The Lone Hunters)
38th Assault Cluster (True Vision)
9th Strike Cluster (The Blood Pack)
64th Wolverine Guards (The Night Stalkers)

The elite of the elite, Alpha Galaxy contains some of the best troops the Outer Colonies have to offer, as well as some of their most advanced weapons and designs. Their commanding officer is also the senior field commander of all Wolverine Forces, something the entire Galaxy takes great pride in. their battle honours include the Pentagon campaign and Operation Dynamo, the retreat from the Kerensky Cluster that eventually led them to the Outer Colonies.

Delta Galaxy (Kerensky's Lamont)
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant-General Omar Kharlan
163rd Battle Cluster (Safe Haven)
124th Battle Cluster (The Cowboys)
189th Strike Cluster (McEvedy's Fusiliers)
89th Strike Cluster (Always Faithful)
73rd Wolverine Dragoons (The Pale Riders)

Second only to Alpha Galaxy, Delta has a fierce rivalry with their comrades, dating back to when they were formed in secret. Formed from whole cloth rather than from veterans drawn from the 331st Royal BattleMech Division, they consider it a mater of pride to earn their own battle honours, and in their few engagements to date. One of their most prominent members is Captain Deunan Knute, Bravo Trianry, 124th Battle Cluster. The only child of Colonel Carl Knute, who famously gave his life to save civilians on Redemption, she achieved one of the highest ever scores during her final exams at the War Collage on New Jersey, graduating at the top of her class. Many suspects that she will surpass her father and reach the rank of General one day, and indeed there are those who now refer to Colonel Carl Knute as Deunan's father, rather than her as his daughter.

Gamma Galaxy (The Rabid Wolverines)
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant-General Ivan Hammerick
106th Battle Cluster (The Dark Hunters)
137th Battle Cluster (Amazing Grace)
138th Battle Cluster (Blood of the Wolverine)
103rd Strike Cluster (The Unseen Enemy)
104th Assault Cluster (Law of the Wild)

Currently assigned to the outer defensive line, based out of Fort Dixie, Gamma Galaxy is the thin, red line that stands between the Outer Colonies and any potential incursion from the Inner Sphere along the line of the now defunct HPG relay stations. As such their have undertaken additional training in defensive and anti-invasion tactics, as well as gorilla tactics and asymmetrical warfare. This has lead to them becoming the equivalent of a special operations brigade, and they have been known to cross-train with similar units. Of all the Wolverine Galaxies, they have the lowest number of BattleMech's, but a disproportionately high number of infantry and battle armour.

Epsilon Galaxy (The Shadow Hunters)
Commanding Officer: Major-General Lucian Xi
197th Battle Cluster (Full Moon Rising)
103rd Battle Cluster (The Fighting Irish)
24th Battle Cluster (Lone Stars)
205th Striker Cluster (The Rangers)
88th Assault Cluster (The Crazy 88)

Kept at a relatively high state of alert, Epsilon is often seen as a force-in-readiness, and they have their own dedicated fleet of DropShips and JumpShips should they ever need to deploy quickly away from their main base on Foster's World. They are known for being aggressive in combat, often testing their metal against the more defensively minded Gamma Galaxy. This has lead to a light-hearted rivalry between the two sides that should not be mistaken for genuine aggression, as they have a deep respect for each other's skills and duties. It is expected that they will swap duties with Gamma Galaxy to allow their troops to gain a better understanding of both sides of war.

Epsilon Galaxy prefers lighter, faster moving units armed with projectile weapons, and has been the most vocal advocate of the development of modular Omni-technology.

Rho Garrison Galaxy (The Watchman on the Walls)
Commanding Officer: Major-General Monica Benedict
203rd Garrison Cluster (The Yeoman)
44th Garrison Cluster (Night Watch)
91st Garrison Cluster (Sky Watch)
87th Garrison Cluster (The Praetorians)
12th Garrison Cluster (The Spartans)

Created as a training unit, Rho Galaxy has the duel duties of helping to form the new planetary defence forces for Foster's World and Redemption and provide field experience for recruits destined for the other Galaxies. This regular influx of green troops and loss of more experienced members has hampered their efficiency rating. Despite this, they are a key element to the Wolverine military strategy, as they allow veteran officers and NCO's to pass on hard eared experience to the next generation. They have also served as an aggressor force to train planetary militias across the Outer Colonies, and often host visiting militia personnel who have chosen to pursue military service full-time, and need to finish their training.

Rho Galaxy is neither expected or intended to see front-line combat, but is ready to face any unexpected attacks.

Naval assets to follow.

Gabriel · « **Reply #134 on:** August 31, 2011, 12:02:48 AM »

Cool Very well thought out

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