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Another one slightly ahead but fun

Brotherhood Territory
Hope, Nova Cat’s Den
Periphery
8th February 3080

   Barely a week passed between the rebirth of the Brotherhood of Randis and the Nova Cat’s response.  During this week the various Galaxy Commanders bid for their right to join Khan Canin Rosse’s Watch Cluster in assaulting Hope.  After a week of bidding Galaxy Commander Sophie Rosse and Upsilon Galaxy were successful with a bid of three Clusters taken from her five remaining units it was poetic that the Galaxy that had been wronged would join their Khan.

   On the morning of the eighth the WarShips Severn Lervoux, Blood Oath and Vision Quest all entered the Hope system securing the Jump points within minutes.  With the Clan flagship and two Heavy Cruisers in the system the Brotherhood’s nearly exclusive ground forces had no chance of countering them.

   Burning to the planet the Watch Cluster landed on and around Castle Randis while Upsilon Galaxy landed in and around the capital.  “Watch Leader to all units.  Report status.”  Canin ordered as his Dragon Cat moved slowly through the almost deserted Castle which had obviously been on fire very recently.

   â€œMy Khan, we are encountering no resistance in the Castle what-so-ever.”  Star Commander Paul said he commanded the Khan’s Elemental security star attached directly to his Trinary.

   â€œJustice One, we are under heavy fire within the capital, count at least two Cluster of troops including armed industrial designs and previously unseen BattleMech designs.”  Galaxy Commander Sophie Rosse reported from her position, it appeared her Galaxy was taking the brunt of the damage.

   â€œWatch Lead, Justice One, we are on our way.  Hold them you are the anvil we are the hammer.”  Canin said switching to his unit’s command frequency “Watch Leader to Watch Cluster, abandon the castle.  Upsilon is under attack, change positions cut down all Brotherhood Mechs no quarter no chance.”  He ordered turning his Dragon Cat out of the facility charging down the hill towards the city, ahead he could see plenty of fighting.

   Deep within the City’s bounds Galaxy Commander Sophie Rosse gritted her teeth as her Dire Wolf Assault OmniMech took some armour damage.  Her one hundred ton monster was rare in the Nova Cat Touman, the Nova Cats unable to secure full manufacturing rights from Clan Wolf, and the configuration she preferred was probably unique.  Possibly the most expensive variant of the design, a variation of the Alternate C weapons load, it carried a pair of the largest Heavy Assault Gauss Rifles one taking up each arm, four Extended-Range Medium Lasers split between the two torso areas and a nine-tube Advanced Tactical Missile Launcher over the shoulder.

   Turning on the enemy Mech she saw it was a forty-five ton Shadow Cat OmniMech, a popular medium OmniMech within the Nova Cat Touman, Sophie almost snarled at the design a Clan OmniMech wearing Nova Cat colours and she was firing on it.  The Shadow Cat tried to run but Sophie was methodical launching a full attack on the Mech firing both her HAG Rifles scoring hits across the design.  The medium design lost more than two tons of armour in less than ten seconds, forcing the Mech out of control, the Mech staggered and fell smashing into the ground the pilot unable to counter Sophie‘s attack.  Stalking up to the downed OmniMech Sophie fired all four Medium lasers burning through the torso armour puncturing the engine shielding forcing the Mech into shutdown and forcing the pilot to eject.

   Across the city a pair of Nova Cat Pack Hunters were moving through the city searching for targets as they led their Star into a Brotherhood stronghold.  Ahead they saw a single BattleMech painted in browns and gold fighting against two other Mechs as they approached a lower-caste crèche facility.  As they closed the Mech lifted its left arm and fired a tightly packed flight of missiles past them, the pilots could tell the Mech had missed intentionally and instead of closing further began to pick at it with their over shoulder particle cannons.  Instead of engaging them the Mech instead turned and charged the Brotherhood Mechs firing its autocannon and inferno packing short range missiles as it went downing three Mechs in head induced shutdowns followed by precision Autocannon blasts to the head executing each of the downed warriors without mercy.  Knowing they could not hope to take down a proficient fighter alone they did something almost alien to other Clans but exactly what a scout needed to do they called in the enemy Mech’s position and moved to the next target knowing that returning Hope to Nova Cat control was more important in the long run than short term honour.

   As Khan Canin Rosse approached the location of the mysterious fighting BattleMech reported by his scouts he could see the battered Mech still standing guard over the crèche.  “This is Khan Canin Rosse to unidentified BattleMech, I have come to retake this planet for Clan Nova Cat.  If it is your choice to oppose me then your skill affords you a Circle of Equals defeat me and you will be allowed to live.”  he announced over an open communication frequency everyone had heard his challenge.

   â€œThis is Star Colonel Lucas Beckett, I defend this world in the name of the people of Hope.  If you threaten the people of this world then you threaten me.”  Came a reply a few moments later Canin was stunned of all the people he’d expected to fight today he’d found the one person he wanted to see.

   â€œWhat is the meaning of this Lucas?”  Canin asked dropping both the man’s former rank and Bloodname “why turn against Clan Nova Cat and then against your own people?”

   â€œI have turned against no-one my Khan, I protect the people of Hope native and Nova Cat-born, I do not know your intentions so I stand against you.  If you mean the people of this world harm then I will stand in your way.”

   â€œHow can this have happened?  How can your people have turned against the Nova Cat way?”

   â€œI do not know, I was following a vision when I returned here several months ago.  My people were on Nouveaux Paris, they have betrayed me as well as you.”  Canin’s head was swirling he’d known of the Oathmaster’s authorisation for Lucas Beckett to return to Hope to follow a vision but following the attempted coup on the world Canin had thought that the Star Colonel’s ‘vision’ had been a ploy.  Now he saw a warrior proud of his people and his Clan.

   â€œI do not mean you ill Lucas Beckett, nor the population of this world, will you join me in eradicating the remains of these Dezgra?”

   â€œIt would be an honour as long as this crèche is protected.”  Lucas Beckett said raising both of his Mech’s arms wide showing his Mech as a barrier against all fire.

   â€œIt shall be, come now we have work to do.”  Canin said turning his back on Lucas heading towards more enemy signals, if Beckett wanted to betray him he would shoot the Khan in the back and Canin knew his Keshik would destroy him but also that he had to show he trusted Becket with his back.  There was no fire against the Khan’s Mech only the strange Mech following the Dragon Cat.

   Over the course of the next three hours Canin, Lucas and the elements of Upsilon Galaxy re-secured Hope one city at a time destroying nearly three Clusters of Brotherhood troops on planet.  Among these rebel facilities the Nova Cats discovered nearly three companies worth of a BattleMech named the HawkWolf.  From Lucas Beckett’s knowledge the Mech was designed locally by the Brotherhood of Randis but had never reached production, now the Nova Cats could see the people of Hope had followed their own endeavours and created the Mech themselves no doubt using Nova Cat technology and resources to finish the work.

   During the course of the fighting the Khan learned that Lucas Beckett’s Mech was a Rampage 2G.  This Mech designed by and for the Rim Worlds Republic had been sold to one of the Periphery nations before the fall of the Star League to Amaris.  The Mech was old even by standards of the Rampage design one of the first to be produced, this particular model had been found by the Brotherhood of Randis years before the arrival of Clan Nova Cat and been stored at a secret location only the Grand Knight knew of.  When Lucas’ OmniMech had been destroyed he sought out the old cache and chose to take the Rampage to war once more.  How the more advanced Clan weaponry used by the majority of his opponents had not overwhelmed the Mech was a testament to Lucas Beckett’s skill.

   With the destruction of the last renegade Brotherhood Mechs the Nova Cats were able to piece together, from figures gathered of the units TO&E and from records of their arrival that a Trinary of Mechs was missing along with a single Union C-class DropShip.  None had disappeared during the fighting and the WarShips reported no out going traffic from the system, so they must have left before the arrival of the Nova Cat reinforcement.  From information provided by Lucas Beckett it became clear that Amy Frews had been a leading figure in the uprising and that she was still missing from the dead Brotherhood units, it appeared that at least some of the Brotherhood would live on at least until the Nova Cats found them.  Following the battle it was also confirmed that the Justice Keshik had been destroyed in the fighting along with Galaxy Commander Sophie Rosse, robbing Upsilon Galaxy of its commander, however that would be a fight for another day.