Lyran Alliance IC Roleplaying Thread

[Daemonknight]

Faction roleplaying thread(for reference, this is the new nation that has risen from being the CLP, RWR, LC, and CJF)

[Daemonknight]

2345, October 14th, 3090
Tharkad, Lyran Alliance Capital
Archon's private retreat


Robert was sitting in the chair of his study, looking out a window. It was his current retreat on Tharkad, the large compound spreading out below him as it was still partially under construction. It had taken 20 years to get to this point, and still the Alliance was not complete. Maybe it never would be a finished product. But for now, he had a few hours untill he needed to head to bed, and he had time to reminisce about his path to this point. He heard a knock and after the guest entered he smiled.

Reinhardt. Once the personal bondsman of ilKhan Diana Pryde, the man was now the Director of the Lyran Intelligence Watch, although in his past life, he was a state-sanctioned terrorist under Loki, followed by the Jade Falcon and Inter-Clan Watches. Some could make the case that he had taken the first steps on the path that eventually arrived at the now...

*************************************************************************
September 12th, 3070
Mission Time +02:13:46
Target: Council Room

Reinhardt checked his chronometer for what seemed like the 10th time in so many minutes. It was good to be working with his own again, though he noticed that Jervis kept giving him sidelong glances. He remembered the kid had family on Wroclaw. He made a mental note to speak to Daniel, the Watch operator on this one, and ensure he kept an eye. Daniel and Reinhardt had worked together before, and they had a mutual respect and dislike for each other. However, the mission came first, in that they were the same.

"Hotel-6, in position." There it was, the final check before it began. Reinhardt paused a moment, and looked around. He and his 10-man team were hunkered down in the back of a delivery truck, sitting in a dark alley behind Government Hall on Arc Royal. The CLP had caused quite the grass roots uprising within what remained of the Lyran Commonwealth. Archon Robert had taken the Falcon saKhan's advice and launched a two-pronged assault, physical and mental. Even now, Robert and his Falcon allies would be linking up with his loyalists at Freedom to prepare for their sweep-and-clear campaign through Skye-Donegal. However, this had to be done first, and he keyed his mic.

"Copy Hotel. All elements, this is Tango-Actual, Bagration. I say again, Bagration." After keying the micro-burst transmitter, Daniel took the butt of his rifle and smashed the little machine before nodding and waving the others to motion. As one, the 10 men rose in unison and silently leaped from the truck to the ground, and made their way to the secret emergency entrance. There was only 2 guards there, and neither looked very alert. Too easy, thought Reinhardt as he and Daniel took out their garrote wires and crept forward...

***

"...say again, Bagration." Master Sgt Van Singh nodded silently, and pulled the power core from the small transceiver that had captured the last go-word. No going back now, or ever again. He turned to his men, and made a fist, pumping it twice quickly in the air over his head. The 12 men of his team silently got up from their prone positions and made their way to the railing.

They were on the 3rd floor overlook of the Estates General of the CLP. Right now it was in full session, with the delegates from every CLP world, as well as a few from the various Skye-Donegal worlds looking for inclusion. Their presence made things difficult, but not possible. The delegates filled the ground floor, in a tiered amphitheater almost 3 stories tall, sunken into the floor. That effectively placed Singh's group 6 stories up, not an ideal height for what was coming. At least a company of street toughs who styled themselves soldiers ringed the 'ground' floor, another platoon on the actual ground level viewing seats. The 2nd above-ground floor was sparsely populated, as this was where people who had summons before the Estates General were sat. Only 4 men and 1 woman currently sat there, the woman and 3 men wearing CLP military uniforms. The last man was wearing expensive civvies.

He looked around again, seeing that the men had got nearly all of the rigs anchored and setup properly. He pointed his directional microphone once more, and the words of the current speaker were the same, droning about the legalities of withdrawing from the Commonwealth and whatnot. They had been hearing it for the past 15 minutes, and it had only served to steel their resolve. That anyone could talk about treason and secession so heartlessly was beyond his ability to comprehend.

After the rigs were set, Singh and the rest of his men hooked in their carabiners. Each man was wearing a drop harness over his normal uniform. These were hooked upto the now secured, powered ascent/descent rigs, which would allow them to traverse up and down the 6 stories of the building without taking their hands off their weapons. Each man had a brace of grenades, smoke and flash, to disorient the delegates and toughs together. He pulled took off his light cap, and instead pulled on the sealed helmet, and turned on his oxygen. Each man had about 20 minutes of air, and the helmet was sealed so the gas wouldn't affect them. The faceshield was polarized against the effects of flashbangs, and it even had limited optical zoom and thermal viewing modes. It was a massivly scaled down version of a battlearmor suit's electronic viewer suite, and it was a marvel that the Jade Falcons had been all to happy to share when they learned of the intended target. Now, they waited...

***

Reinhardt and his team had made it past the first guards without noticeable incident, leaving the two men nearly decapitated in a dumpster near their entry point. Now they had made it nearly to the actual meeting room, and security had picked up steadily. Jervis was shaky, but was doing his job, and that was all that could be asked of the boy for right now.

He tapped his throat mic twice in quick succession, and recieved a similar response a few moments later. Good, Singh's people were ready. It was too late for those inside, but the rest of the CLP would learn a valuable lesson from this. He raised his hand, extending 4 fingers, then slowly clenched them into a fist. When he lowered the last one, he punched the hand towards the door into the meeting chamber, and as Reinhardt kicked the door in, Daniel stepped to the threshold and depressed the trigger on the one-shot SRM launcher...

***

The amphitheatre errupted into chaos and flame. The unexpected entrance from the sidedoor caught the guardians off balance, and then the Inferno round detonated on the dias, incinerating 6 of the delegates and also the speaker, a wrinkled old man from Thuban. Singh and his soldiers lept over the short wall, their descent rigs allowing them 6 seconds of freefall(about 3 stories) before arresting their fall and lowering them at a slower pace. As soon as they were in the air, the men opened up with flash and smoke grenades, adding further chaos to the panic that had already engulfed the room. The smoke grenades were actually CS gas cannisters, and as they dropped among the pannicking people, many fell to their knees, their eyes watering from the painful flashes, their eardrums ruptured from the thunderously loud flashbangs, and unable to breathe from the vicious CS gas.

Unaffected by gas, smoke or flashes, Singh's people dropped to the ground floor, spraying their SMGs at the disoriented guards still standing. Singh barked an order, and each man tapped the mini-noteputer stiched into their forearm, and quickly located their target. He could hear explosions from the outer chamber as Reinhardt's team kept the other military men in the building from mounting any kind of effective response. It took all of 30 seconds from the time Daniel's missile had detonated untill Singh's people had gathered the last of the petitioning delegates(minus the old man from Thuban of course).

They gathered the coughing, disoriented delegates and triggered their rigs, now in ascent mode, which quickly zipped them back to the top floor. After disentangling their lines, they quickly made their way to the helipad on the roof. As soon as they stepped out, the cool night air greeted them. Singh hadn't realized how hot it had become inside untill now. It was already possible to see smoke rising, as the Inferno round had caused horrendous damage to the building, it's liquid fire igniting the whole room by now.

They saw the helos approaching, stealth jobs in all black, each mounting an ECM pod for this hop. The first chopper took the delegates and Singh's team, though he noticed that Ramierez and Phillips weren't among them. He hadn't known either man well, but he knew enough that they would be missed sorely.

Reinhardt and his crew, minus 4, burst onto the roof, a few still firing back down the stairwell they had come from. The other helo was just landing, and Singh climbed in as Reinhardt's rearguard fell from a solid round through the eye. Singh was muscled out of the way by the bird's crew chief, who spooled up the bulky Bearhunter and ripped explosive shells into the doorway of the stairwell. Reinhardt lifted each man into the bird, including one who had to be carried, a chunk of his right thigh missing from what looked like a laser burn. Reinhardt sat on the deck of the bird, adding his pulse rifle's fire to that of the bearhunter, keeping the CLP's goons from giving chace.

"Go!" The pilot didn't need to be told twice, and he jerked the collective hard as he twisted the bird away from the rooftop. Even as they lifted away, Singh and Reinhardt could see the flames licking up at the roof of what had been the seat of the CLP's power. A handful of guards tried firing from the roof, but the range was atleast 600m and opening fast, and their rounds were poorly aimed at best, and none came close enough to threaten.

***

It would only be hours untill it was discovered that Tanuyama had not been present during the raid that had effectivly decapitated the CLP's govornment. Other than him, not a single planetary delegate to the Estates General had lived. Along with a number of ministers and high-ranked govornment aides, the planetary garrison commander, 2 Generals, and 10 delegates from Lyran worlds looking to join the CLP had been declared dead or missing. The body of Gerald Gustavson from Thuban was found horribly burned, likly by a military-grade incindiary according to the coroner.

2 weeks later, Archon Robert appeared in an address broadcast across the Lyran state, and picked up and distributed across the Inner Sphere. In it, he declared the CLP as an illegal terrorist organization, guilty of High Treason against the Lyran State, and also that it's leaders were war criminals, guilty of crimes against humanity for their untold brutality and oppression. He declared that it would be his life's work to see every member of the Association of Tharkad Martyrs tried and convicted for whatever crimes they would have. However, he gave a one-time offer of amnesty- to those who would overthrow their CLP and Martyr masters, to return their worlds to the rightful rule of Lyran Commonwealth. Any person found to be harboring a member of the Tharkad Martyrs, and any world claiming loyalty to the CLP would be persecuted with extreme prejudice.

The end of the broadcast saw the delegates taken in the raid on Arc-Royal convicted of Conspiracy to commit Treason, and Dissemination of Sedition. They were then executed.

[Daemonknight]

1630, October 16th, 3090
Tharkad, Lyran Alliance Capital
Triad City, Gedenkstätte Regierung Mitte

Robert was sitting behind his desk in the study, reading another monotonous report of the progress of Mt Asgard's cleanup, and looked up when he heard a deflating sigh. The chess match was progressing badly for House Steiner, as David MacAuliffe continued his relentless assault.

"You know, you might aswell give up now. What is the record now, 18-1?" Robert couldn't suppress a chuckle as his distant nephew, Ivan Steiner-Brewster moved another piece.

"Huh, interesting choice." David said, and slid a pawn.  "Pawn takes queen." He studied the board a moment longer, addding,"checkmate in three moves." Ivan glared at the table, then at David before knocking down his king and sitting back, crossing his arms. Robert laughed again.

"You know, if you paid more attention in the Strategy and Tactics class, you might last longer." The younger Steiner looked over at his uncle.

"Don't you mean I might win?" Robert answered with only another smile and returned his attention to the report he had on his desk. David shrugged, "Defense is stronger, but rarely wins decisions...I was serious, though, Ivan, you could have had me in three moves."  he said lightly, "If you hadn't let me get into your head." Ivan's eyes widened and Robert's laughter drifted across the room once more. He'd seen the position of course, but had left it play out, as it usually did.

"Tất cả các trò chơi là tinh thần." David added, "First thing my first teacher told me-'all games are mental'.

The door opened, the usher announcing, "Her excellence, Arch-Duchess of the Union of Independant Worlds, Deborah MacAulliffe." Robert tossed his report down closed, and stood to receive his guest, the two Sanglamore students standing swiftly attention, both ensuring(needlessly) that their dress uniforms were immaculate.

Debra MacAulliffe had come a long way from the scruffy "Debbie Mac" Robert had met on Arluna twenty years ago-her dress was no longer the 'hillbilly fabulous' calico and dark brown wool, and she'd apparently found someone to do her hair in something OTHER than the single braid.  Unfortunately, while now more dignified, the strain of her role was more visible, too-hard lines scribed on a face aged beyond her forty years.  "Robert!" she said, greeting the Archon, "You're looking well."

Robert stepped forward and embraced her as the close friend she was. He stepped back and allowed the younger stateswoman to inspect her son. "Debbie, always a pleasure to see you. He still beats Ivan with mind games, but it does seem he's filled out, hasn't he?"

She looked over David, "Dafydd , fuest yn ymarweddu 'n ddrwg?" she asked in a mock-serious tone, he manfully replied, "Na, Fam ,fi ve been yn astudio 'n anawdd." switching to Viet, he added,   "Simeon gần như đã cho tôi, nhưng anh ta thiếu tự tin."

Ivan and Robert shared a glance, as both experienced the multi-lingual chats between mother and son before. They waited patiently as the two got swiftly reaccquatined. Robert watched with a smirk as Debbie half-grilled, half fawned over her son, and his mind wandered to the days of cooperation between him and the Union...


******************************************************

1700, March 2nd, 3071
Freedom, Lyran Commonwealth
LAAF Rallypoint, Robert's command bunker


Robert was standing with General Reinhardt Steiner of the 4th Donegal Guards, General von Klausen of the 1st Skye Jaegers, and Star Colonel Desmond Mattlov, a liasion sent by saKhan Pryde. They were awaiting the arrival of the commanders from the UIW contingent. Reinhardt was standing, his face twisted into a sullen grimace. He had expressed his unhappiness with having the UIW assisting in the campaign, noting that they had little thought for the well being of the Commonwealth, considering they broke away at the first oportunity aswell. Robert had politely explained to his cousin, that the difference was the UIW had peaceful intentions, and was no threat to the Lyrans. Besides, they'd have to cross clan space to get at them, making military intimidation mostly a joke.

Steiner had not been cowed by logic, and had stated that perhaps they demand 'something useful from those damn Clanners instead of their haughty damn attitudes'. In order to forestall Mattlov issuing a trial of Grievance, Robert had told the General that if he disagreed with Robert's choice of ally, he could be relieved of command and sent home. He had quieted down, but still grumbled to his own staff about the admittance of 'opportunistic bottom feeders'.

That had been 2 days ago, and now they waited for the 'bottom feeders' to arrive. Robert heard them challenged by the guards outside a moment before Harrison Frisch walked in with an aide.  The former commander of the 4th Skye Rangers had traded his blues for a dark-brown uniform.  His aide was in a blue-black Naval uniform with an unfamiliar unit tag and rank. The generals nodded to Frisch, von Klaussen quite warmly as the two men were friends. They mostly ignored the naval man, assuming he was Frisch's attache. Mattlov however, knew where the real authority lied. He acknowledged Frisch with a nod, then turned to the Lyran generals.

"Now that the Admiral is here, may we get on with it?" The others looked a bit surprised, and Robert hid his smiled. The 2 Lyran generals were trying to make hasty introductions to the Admiral, but all had noticed their immediate dismissal, something Mattlov and Robert both thought quite enjoyable. Admiral Tranh Cu'ong nodded to Mattlov, and then jumped into the discussion without preamble.

"First Fleet has moved into a ready position. We know where Invincible is hiding, and with it out of commission, the CLP will be unable to hold Tharkad against a concentrated strike." Robert nodded, and set down a star chart, centered on the Arc Royal region.

"I appreciate your swiftness in answering my request Admiral, but plans have changed. The Invincible has moved from her berthing at Tharkad, and is currently moving to take station at Solaris VII. However, thanks to some skillful saboteur work, we have forced them to make a stop to take on supplies in Thuban. It will no longer be with it's escort groups, and will be highly vulnerable to your 1st Fleet. It's escorts are already enroute to Solaris VII, and your other fleet elements will be in prime position to ambush them aswell. As for your Marines, they will be supporting the 4th Donegal Guards, 1st Skye Jaegers in their push to capture Arc Royal." Cu'ong looked over the map, and the status reports, and mentally matched them to what the OSS had to say regarding the enemy's dispositions.

"Hmmm...we've got a relief force headed for Solaris-this works."Mattlov interjected at this point, his main purpose here being his strategic expertise(many considered him as the obvious choice when the next Galaxy Commander position was vacated), and also to share the Clan's extensive intelligence gatherings. The Watch had been hugely successful in infiltrating the CLP's communications and logistical networks, allowing for nearly flawless and constant intelligence reports on their military disposition.

"The Watch have confirmed that atleast 50% of the CLP's escort forces, mostly based on Tramp-class jumpships, are present at Solaris. The Invincible has 4 escort groups, making her nearly defenseless outside of her own dropships and fighters. There are 8 escort groups at Solaris."

"Okay, Invincible is out of this fight." Cu'ong said, "I'll let Truk deal with her."  He gestured to the map, "We've got a contingency operation we've been staging for for the last six months-Force Recon will be hitting CLP worlds away from Arc Royal in a pattern timed to keep the Martyrs and their sponsors off-balance."

Robert nodded, and drew his finger across a stretch of worlds that encompassed Arc Royal, Atocongo, Santana, Cumbres and Hamilton.
"We're hitting the 4 border worlds all at once, using the other Jaegers and Rangers from Skye. 4th and 5th Royal Guards are taking Alma Alta, Upano, and Incukalns. Once the border is reeling, you boys will move in and overwhelm Arc Royal herself."

General Frisch added, "We also have Project Bravo's team moving to cut datalinks from Tharkad to Arc Royal-we were planning to black out the Tharkad system, but since the target IS Arc Royal, do you think you can use a special forces team on the ground for the landings?" Robert considered for a moment. He didn't want to cut the communications, as there would be no way of hiding what was going on, thus no reason to damage the infrastructure. However, having the team on Arc Royal could still be enormously valuable.

"If they're on Arc Royal, they could disrupt their local command and control networks. Radio towers, command bunkers. Even taking the new planetary govorner out. They've been in quite a mess since the raid we pulled on their Estates General a few months ago, so getting personnel on the planet should be somewhat simplified, although once down, it could be a very chancy mission." Cu'ong nodded assent, and centered their attention on the area of the CLP nearest his own realm.

"Force Recon will be hitting Brooloo, Gatineau, New Capetown, and Coast Guard will be blockading Knevci-that should draw them back toward our end-they'll have to lift that blockade at Knevci, we also have a couple of squadrons tasked with commerce raiding along that route." Cu'ong said, "I WOULD put 1st Battalion 2nd Force Recon on the burner, but they're already en-route to hit targets along the Hamilton-Cumbres-Donegal routes-nothing big, just panty raiding. And we can change Project Bravo's mission profile to military disruption on 'go-day'."

Robert stepped back and poured himself a small cup of tea, offering and passing out a cup to both Cu'ong and Montrose. He lifted the small cup in a small symbol of salute before draining it.

"It seems gentlemen, that we have our plans well in order. The CLP will fall, and they'll fall hard. With your help, Arc Royal will be free of the travesty that is their Estates General, pawns of the Tharkad Martyrs. I only wish that bastard Tanuyama was around to see his realm burn around him. This marks the first move at bringing down the tyranny that has infected the Lyran people. It will not be allowed to continue."

****

On March 9th, the UIW's 1st Fleet engaged the CLPS Invincible. The Tharkad-class battlecruiser badly mauled the UIW's 1st Fleet. Miraculously, the Marine complement of the 1st Fleet was able to launch a successful boarding mission, and after taking equally grievous losses to their ships, the UIW's marines were able to take the command deck of the Invincible. Once the captain was killed in the fighting, many of the ship's ratings proclaimed their support for Robert, and began ratting out the true CLP sympathizers. Unfortunately, this began a witch hunt, as the UIW's soldiers had no love for the brutal tactics employed by the Martyrs.

After nearly a dozen 'spacings', the UIW's Admiral Cu'ong cracked down on his men's behavior. The files kept by the ship's political officer revealed that many of the ratings and section leaders were deemed 'politically unfit for service', and that once the crisis on Solaris was over, many of the ships crew would be purged. It also listed every informant and Martyr plant, allowing the UIW to present the Invincible to Robert Kelswa-Steiner, fresh from the recent conquest of Arc Royal and still wearing his Mechwarrior's outfit, with a ship that had been cleansed of it's brief tainted history.

March 14th saw the majority of the CLP's naval power reduced to scrap metal over the skies of Solaris VII as the UIW's 2nd Fleet was waiting for them as they jumped in system. Before they could even detach their dropships, the UIW's forces had launched the opening salvos of what remained a distinctly one-sided fight. It took only 8 minutes, and 85% casualties, before a broadcast message declared that the CLP Commodore had been relieved of duty, and that the CLP fleet surrendered. The Commodore was found in his stateroom with his revolver, his brains splattered across the bulkhead behind him.

[Daemonknight]

1850, October 19th, 3090
Tharkad, Lyran Alliance Capital,
Tharkad City, Gedenkstätte Regierung Mitte

These state dinners had become quite tiresome, but with all of the new positions to be filled, and so many egos to smooth, they were the quickest and most effective way to lay out the sweeping changes that were needed. Robert could already feel a headache coming on, and decided to fight it head on, downing the last of his wine, and calling a server over with a wave. The current topic, of course, was what to do along the Alliance's border with the various Clans. He had no wish to listen to the current Duke of Apollo, a man whom Robert personally despised. He was a xenophobic fool, and one that threatened the Alliance as a whole as he attempted to gain followers in his anti-Clan movement.

The serving woman arrived, but instead of the red wine he had been drinking, she held a bottle of vintage Skye Whiskey. She indicated the source of the drink, and he raised his newly filled glass, mirroring the gesture of General Otto von Klausen. The man and his Skye Jaegers had been one of his staunchest supporters, and without them, he likly never would have survived Arc Royal, let alone conquor the CLP. Sitting next to von Klausen was another recent addition to Robert's court, the returned leader of the Kell Hounds, Grand Duke Kai Allard-Liao.

He was extatic when the nephew of legendary Daniel Allard had agreed to return to Lyran space, bringing the Kell Hounds with them. It hadn't taken much beyond a simple request, but Robert had sweetened the pot. Once Kai returned to Lyran space, he'd participate in the reclamation of his family's landhold, based on Arc Royal. It had been a hard fight, one of the bloodiest of the entire campaign...

*********************************************

0200, March 12th, 3071
Arc Royal System, CLP Capital World
2 hours from planetary obit

Robert was standing on the bridge of his flagship, the LAS Reclaimed Glory(once the LAS Simon Marsden), a powerful Mjolnir-class battlecruiser. With the assistance of the UIW's fleet, the CLP had lost its only warship, the Tharkad-class LAS Invincible. The few remaining system defense ships of the CLP Navy were split between here and Tharkad, neither group strong enough to resist the growing force of the Loyalists.

Robert was currently standing at the Strategium, a pit-like depression in the middle of the bridge, where a holo-projector was displaying a 3-D image of the Lyran Commonwealth, excluding the lost regions to the galactic 'west' of Tharkad. Even now, over 13 systems were currently discolored a blinking red, indicating that they were still in the throes of the fighting. He had been dealing with dissention concerning the deployment of Clan Jade Falcon forces in what was viewed by many as the long overdue Lyran Civil War. Thus, he had deployed the forces granted him by saKhan Brian Pryde to garrison details along the Terran Hegemony border, freeing his own Loyalists for the War.

As he watched, another 3 systems began blinking between the dark blue of CLP rebels, and the angry red of open conflict. It would be a long time before the Lyran Commonwealth saw peace, but it would be well worth the effort. Even as he spoke, the captain of the ship, Fleet Admiral Adell McCray, began barking orders to her crew, calling the ship to battle stations as the small fleet of support ships with the 'Glory' came within maximum sensor range of the enemy defense ships.

Seeing as how there was nothing he could do, Robert nodded to Admiral McCray and made his way from the bridge, heading for the dropship that contained his mech. It would only be another few hours and they would be in a position to launch their invasion. It had taken a long time, but he would finally pay back the bastard who had rended his nation apart. He would weld it back together, and wash their stain from history...

**********

5 Hours later...

Robert checked the radar display again, ensuring the static had cleared. His mech lurched as he made a slight miscalculation, his mech's foot falling an extra 3" in the deep mud, as he took a wrong step. He righted himself quickly and continued on without a word. He heard a mirthless chuckle filter across the com channel, like Craig Gustavo, one of the other pilots. Craig was a combat veteran of over a dozen battles, and most of the other men in the 1st Skye Jaegers had become quite used to his crass jokes and gallows humor on missions. However, most missions didn't include having the damn Archon running alongside them.

"Gustavo, can that shit, now! Maybe if you got your head outa your ass, you'd have noticed the pitfall first!" First Leutenant Jameson Wight had been told, by the General himself no less, that the Archon's safety was his personal mission here on Arc Royal. Jameson was one of only a dozen men in the whole Jeagers who could claim over 30 kills, making him one of the regiment's top aces. He led B Company, 2nd Battalion of the 1st Skye Jaegers battlemech regiment. As the Battalion's Fire Support company, his unit was heavy on the firepower and armor, low on speed. Many men said he was just like the Atlas II he piloted: slow, but extremly dangerous. He had become tired of Gustavo's constant jokes and lack of respect, but the man was an excellent shot with missiles, and his Catapult held quite the kick in it's shoulder packs.

As the company moved from the dropzone to the rallypoint, Robert considered his options. They needed to move a ways away from the dropships, if only because more were still coming down. They had yet to make any contact with the enemy, but he suspected they would be hiding within the confines of the capital city. Already the 171st Volunteers had engaged enemy forces on the western outskirts, although Robert couldn't fathom why they'd leave the north exposed like this. He suspected foul play, and with only 2 hours more of daylight, wanted to make good time to setup a foreward command post.

Another hours walk through the deepending gloom and Robert called a halt. By now, the entire 1st Skye Jaegers had assembled on the planet's surface, the RCT being one of the major prongs that was going to hit the capital of the CLP. The 171st had been bloodied by the Tharkad Martyr regiments, and had withdrawn to about 4 kilometers beyond the city limits. The Jaegers were more than double that, the open plains between them and the city ensuring that no suprises would materialize before they launched their attack.

Robert left his mech with the RCT's techs to fix some minor electrical issues that the misstep had caused in the actuator, and made his way to the command bunker. When he arrived, he say Genera von Klausen, Star Colonel Mattlov, their Jade Falcon advisor, and the holo-image of Colonel Trac, CO of the 171st; General Montrose of the 4th Donegal Guards; and General Harrison Frisch of the former 4th Skye Rangers. Frisch's Marines were actually not assaulting Old Connaught itself, having been tasked with dealing with some Martyr facility near the planet's southern polar zone, thousands of miles from the nearest settlement.

With all the major commanders present, the tactical situation was laid out. 4th Donegal would be hitting from the southeast, 171st from the west, and the Jaegers from the northwest. The 3 pronged assault would hopefully force the CLP's forces to split up, and then they would be overwhelmed. It was unknown just how many units were present on planet, but the Falcons estimated no more than 3 RCTs' worth. If they were all in Old Connaught, this would be a hard fought and bloody battle. The discussion lasted long into the night, with the senior leaders finally breaking up at 2am local.

**********

As it turned out, there were elements from 6 different RCTs on Arc Royal, totaling about 4 RCTs worth of troops. The fighting would last the better part of a month, and the forces of the CLP would be shattered, although with nearly 60% casualties among the Loyalist forces. Fewer than 20% of the CLP's military forces survived, and most of those were previously injured or captured mechwarriors and vehicle crews, already in the custody of the loyalists. Many camps were found scattered throughout the hinterlands of Arc Royal, and it would takes weeks to find all of them.

The final battle for Arc Royal played out on April 2nd, 3071. Robert Kelswa-Steiner led elements of the 1st Skye Jeagers and 171st Volunteers into the heart of Old Connaught, using a dried river bed to disguise their approach. They used this ditch to arrive unseen at the city's primary thermonuclear electric plant, where they disabled the plant's distribution node(although they were careful not to damage the reactors or their coolant systems). After nearly a 3rd of the city went dark, including the majority of the CLP's remote sensor systems, the 171st Volunteers regiment, reduced to nearly 50% of its starting strength, launched a blistering raid against the entrenched CLP positions along the northern edge of the city. With their sensor nets down, they were barely able to respond in time, drawing up the majority of their reserves to push the Volunteers back. As the CLP gained the upper hand, they suddenly lost contact with their commanders, and all communications between them was lost.

All of the 171st's ECM equipped mechs had been part of Robert's strike team, and after disrupting the power plant, they made their way to the CLP command bunker. After digging out the bunker's roof using specialist engineering SRMs from the Engineer Corps, they turned the bunker into a funeral pyre for the planet, first blasting a hole in the reinforced ferrocrete using tandem-charge missiles, followed up by Inferno SRMs into the unprotected rooms. With upper command removed, they triggered their ECMs, cutting all CLP communications channels, and severely disrupting radar and active probes.

The death knell sounded when the 1st Skye Jeagers joined the fray, entering the city from the northeast and intercepting the CLP forces as they returned to their mechbays for rearmament and repairs. The mechs had depleted most of their missile and ballistic munitions fending off the 171st, and were unable to effecitvly engage the Jaegers, many mechs unable to even fire a weapon from combat damage. It was only minutes after the Jeagers engaged that the CLP forces signaled surrender, ending the weeks-long campaign to liberate Old Connaught and Arc Royal.

Miraculously, the old Kell Hounds complex remained intact. Unknown to Robert's forces untill later, the Kell Hounds had remained inside their complex, not allowing any CLP personnel inside, and not agitating them. Once Robert recieved the CLP surrender, the Kell Hounds signaled they were inside, short of food and water, and required medical assistance. They had been reciving and caring for people thought dead by many, including their own families. The Hounds had been operating a form of secret underground for persons declared 'politclly adverse to national security'. It was the first taste of the CLP's series of social reforms, and it would not be the last.

[Daemonknight]

2100, October 19th, 3090
Tharkad, Lyran Alliance Capital
Tharkad City, Archon's Private Residence

Robert was reading a book, relaxing as it were, when a soft knock came from the entrance to his study.

"Enter". He was somewhat surprised to see Caesar Steiner enter the room. The aging general was still shaking off the aftershocks of his ordeal on Arc Royal, and he was followed at a respectful distance by one of the nurses his son Reinhardt had hired on for him. She bowed her head respectfully to Robert, but he had gathered the women together(Reinhardt had a sense of humor to surround his aging father with attractive nurses at his age) and told them all that since they would be in his presence often, a simple nod or 'your grace' once a day was sufficient for protocol, unless they were at an official event.

Caesar was still using the cane, Robert noticed, but he had gained color and strength. He was surely not the man he had been before his incarceration, but he was getting stronger with each passing year. And yet, both knew it would only be a matter of time before he passed. His age was showing, and it was sad to see one who was once so strong, brought low by those so weak.

Robert sat Caesar down in front of the fireplace, and asked a servant to fetch 3 glasses and some ice water. Robert and Caesar discussed the rebuilding of the Lyran Regulars, but the Archon's mind was on different matters...

*************************************************

0920, April 22nd, 3071
Arc Royal Sector
Firebase Ia Thuc, 1st Battalion, 171st Volunteers

"...Ich möchte meinen Vater zu sehen!" The Hauptmann General standing on the pad looked sweaty and haggard.  Lance Corporal Minh  just stared at the man, and kept her rifle up.

"Sir, I need you Identification.  This secure area."  Minh hoped like hell she was saying it right in English, and that the angry officer in front of her could speak English. So far, he was barking at her in German, and she'd failed the class. Reinhardt Steiner glared at the little female marine, her body armor was almost too big for her, and the brown uniform was baggy and somewhat unkempt.  Jesus, the little barb can't speak anything civilized and her English is almost impossible to understand! He realized it like a thunderbolt-the arm-patch insignia of a single chevron with crossed rifles...I'm being held up by a Private!  He drew in a deep breath, and shifted to English.

"I am Hauptmann General Reinhardt Steiner of the Fourth Donegal Guards, I was told my father, General Ceasar Steiner, was here-I want to see him." Minh sighed heavily, "When you climb the Apple Tree, what do you look for?" she recited the daily challenge. To Reinhardt, it was butchered and almost unintelligible-he thought carefully...and realized what she was asking.

"Snakes." he said. Minh lowered her weapon,  and saluted, "If the General will wait, I call the CP and let them know the General is here and needs an escort, Sir." A few minutes later, an officer (at least, He thought it was an officer), appeared with two Military police.  The officer inquired something in Vietnamese, and the girl answered quickly, to Steiner, it was all "clap-yap-clong-yap" noises, but the officer dismissed the little trooper with a gesture.

"Sir, I am Captain Truoc, your Father was severely injured during his captivity, we're getting ready to transfer him to the 558th Field Hospital, but I think we can find a spot for you on the gooney-bird." The Captain's speech was as cultured and smooth as the 'Private''s accent was stilted and awkward.

"Let's get on with it." Reinhardt said gruffly, and the Captain led him down into the encampment.

"Captain, you're educated." Reinhardt asked.

"Coventry Military Academy, Class of '61." Truoc said.

"You would be a Kommandant by now..." Reinhardt commented.

"No, Sir." Truoc said,  "if the Secession hadn't happened, I would be up on a conviction for insubordination and striking a superior officer."

"Did you do it?" Reinhardt asked.

"Fuckin-a I did, I was in the 416 on Barcelona,  I caught my Battalion Commander taking kickbacks from Rowe-McClaren."
the man's fist flexed unconsciously, "We lost that planet because of it."

"And they had you on Charges for that?" Reinhardt was surprised.

"Nosir, they had me on charges for beating the everliving shit out of Joachim von Glasser in a bar fight, sir... I no longer drink." Truoc said quietly, "but the assault charge stuck." Reinhardt shrugged indifferently, and the Captain noted that a small smile played across his features. It was not a friendly smile.

"Under normal circumstances I would request a different escort, but seeing as how the good von Glasser has yet to pay his poker debts,  I will happily share your company for a bit longer." They reached the aid-station, and Reinhardt could see dozens of skeletal bodies, most upright and walking, a few on stretchers, waiting to be processed out to the idling planet lifters on the airstrip.

"He's over here, sir."  Truoc said, "careful-these are mostly civilians." The way the Kowloonese officer said it, was with a deep respect, even a reverence-different from the usual attitude soldiers tend to show to non-combatants.

"How many?" Reinhardt asked.

"Our battalion found sixty being held in the lower level." Truoc said, "Forty or so were in one of the upper structures, where they were...chained.  Sir." The man's eyes seemed to flash at the last bit-suppressed fury. Reinhardt removed his officer's cap as he looked around. Truoc had to slow his pace as the General ran his gaze across the injured and the maimed. It made him wish the bastards hadn't given up once they realized it was hopeless. He made a note to call on his cousin and ensure that these people were treated, taken care of, and damn the costs. He'd pay for it himself if that's what it took. Humans simply didn't DO this to each other anymore. At least that's what he'd been brought up to believe.

Truoc lead Reinhardt over to a cot that held the dessicated form of Caesar Steiner, one of the most gifted strategists in the Commonwealth's history. Reduced to a skeletal husk of his former self by malnutrition and physical abused. Who knows what mental trauma the man had suffered, seeing the civilians treated so. Caesar, and his son after him, had dedicated their lives to protecting exactly the sorts of people that had been found in the camps. Caesar would be heartbroken to realize that he himself had been helpless to defend himself.

Reinhardt was without words. His father was asleep, an IV giving him nutrition and antibiotics as he fended off a staph infection that had been allowed to fester. He laid his hand on his father's arm, the skin barely giving off any warmth. It was more than Reinhardt could take. He stood swiftly and left the hospital, crushing the plastic rim of his cap in his anger. Truoc hurried to follow him out.

"Captain. I want everyone able to move to be transported to Connaught Central Hospital, my father included. I want every civilian doctor available, regardless of specialty, to attend to these people. I don't care what anyone else has planned, these people deserve the best care we can give them. And if some damned nobleman with a hangnail at the ER gives anyone trouble, they're to be arrested for treason under my authority, clear?" Truoc nodded assent, but Reinhardt was still storming away from the makeshift hospital.

"I'll cut orders for your temporary detachment to your CO. Report to me once the movement has begun. I'll meet you there." He finally turned to face the Captain, who stopped quickly before he ran into the fuming General.

"I'm the CO, Sir." Truoc said, "The Battalion Commander and most of the senior officers in the Regiment were relieved of duty and put under arrest...some of the troops..." he stopped, "You probably know already, right?  I kept Bravo Company out of the riot, but Alpha and Charlie lynched some of the guards-so I'm playing Battalion Commander here until the Relief shows up."

He looked back at the field hospital, "it was worse on the inside.  I wanted to Crucify the Martyrs, still do-but we fight by rules." Reinhardt gave the Captain an appraising look. The mans going to be a General himself someday.

"Very well Captain. Put someone you can trust on it, and have them let me know when my father arrives." Truoc looked uneasy.

"Excuse me General, but where will you be?" Reinhardt looked back twords Old Connaught, some 80km distant.

"I'm going to see my cousin. Robert needs to see this for himself."

"Aye Aye, sir." Truoc saluted, "I have work to do."

***************

1300 April 18th, 3071
Arc Royal, Former CLP Capital
Security Zone 'Foxtrot', Camp A4/cc


"Those documents called it a special Martyr facility, what do you mean-" Harrison Frisch stopped, and stared, slack-jawed. Colonel Nguyen Tran Trac kicked the Martyr officer on the ground in front of him.

"You can't shoot them-not until-" Frisch clamped his mouth shut, as the infantrymen cut the last locks off.

"Who said anything about shooting?" Colonel Trac asked, "We aren't going to shoot anyone."

"That's ILLEGAL, Trac.  Jesus, do you WANT a court-martial for war crimes?" Frisch growled,  "You'll hold them until Robert's people have had a chance to deal with 'em..." The Kowloonese took off his helmet.  "Look at them, Harry."  he said, as the prisoners started filtering out, blinking at the unaccustomed light of the sun.

"Control your men, Colonel." Frisch glared,  "In the meantime, I have to make a call..."

***


0945, April 22nd, 3071
Arc Royal, former CLP Capital World
Lyran Base Alpha, Robert's Command Center

"...found about a hundred people still alive-the mass graves we found, well..." Admiral Cu'ong looked at Robert, and Debra MacAulliffe, "it's about four layers deep, most of the bodies were burned, so we're bringing in forensics guys from OCB to identify the...remains-the Martyrs started with Nobles, and have been working down from there for months.  The prisoners liberated at [insert location] were only taken a few weeks ago-at least, the living ones.  So far we've identified people from all over the former commonwealth."

"Where is Colonel Trac?" She asked.

"He's still under arrest, Your Grace." Cu'ong said.

"The charge?" she asked.

"Violated lawful orders, he let second battalion loose on the Martyr prisoners, they lynched about fifty of them before they were stopped." Cu'ong said, "not that I blame him, but order must be maintained."

"Whah?" Debbie asked, "They strung up murderers-"

"Because, Your Grace. They did not obey the order to HOLD the captured Martyrs until they could be properly questioned." Cu'ong said coldly-"The bastards didn't keep good records, the only REAL way we have to account for who, and how many, they killed, is interviews and forensic evidence."

'This war is no longah Optional." Deb said, "Adm'ral, you are to release Colonel Trac immediately, and reinstate him t'command, on mah authority as the Archduchess." She tossed the holos back onto the desk. Robert looked at Debbie with a raised eyebrow.

"I agree we need capable commanders, but not ones who allow their commands to break the very rules they persecute the CLP for. They might very well be inhuman butchers, but they are still citizens of the Lyran Commonwealth, and subject to our laws. If Trac is to be released from custody, it will not be to a command on Lyran soil."

Deb frowned, but Robert was implacable.  "Admiral..." she said carefully, "What is th' status of First Brigade, Third Division?"

"Still in workups at Camp Puller." Cu'ong said, "Their CO is having problems getting the units to work together-why?"

"Deploy Colonel Trac to Camp Puller on Staff Duty, His instructions are to get First of the Third through their collective training and into the field inside six months."  she said, adding, "After they're ready to deploy, he is to start working up Second and Third Brigades as equipment and manpower become available-after which, he will be detailed to staff headquarters, Third Division in a role appropriate to his skills."  and looked to Robert Kelswa Steiner, "Will that satisfy your conditions, Archon?" Robert nodded, and punched a button. Debbie and the Admiral turned and saw Desmond Mattlov enter the room, in his mechwarrior's uniform.

"I assume you remember Star Colonel Desmond Mattlov, of the Jade Falcons. He will be taking direct command of the 171st, atleast temporarily to ensure that no more issues arrise during the remainder of the campaign against the CLP." Mattlov didn't look particularly excited about leading an Inner Sphere force into battle, but anything was better than sitting around as an advisor.

"Star Colonel." Cu'ong greeted Mattlov with a nod, "I take it you have been able to listen?" Mattlov nodded silently. He wondered about the irony of the situation. He remembered his history, noting that the 171st was similarly embarrassed by it's own actions on Elbar, under Kerensky. It would be amusing to see if any of the current soldiery understood the irony of placing a Clanner in charge of shaping them up.

Debbie looked at Cu'ong, "You were in on it." she said, "You asked me about the treaty when ah got here." Cu'ong shrugged, "It seemed logical-Archon Robert Can't trust Major Ben Gurion after the incident-he would want someone he can trust in charge of the 171st, and there are precious few available and viable officers to take the post."

"The Star Colonel was a logical alternative, especially given the Mosovich Precedent." Debbie pursed her lips, and said,

"Okay, Ah'll buy off on that."

At that point, one of the Corporals on duty at the guard post outside the bunker poked his head in.

"Excuse me Archon. But your cousin Reinhardt is here. He says it is an urgent matter, and he needs to show you something at one of the UIW fire bases..." Robert raised his eyebrow, and gestured for Mattlov to follow him to see what Reinhardt could have found...

******************************

All in all, over 3 dozen concentration camps were discovered on Arc Royal. Nearly a dozen more were scattered throughout the CLP. Almost all of the persons incarcerated were members of the minor nobility, previous government, or news agencies, although there were plenty of regular people as well. All were persons who did not willingly submit to the Tharkad Martyrs' overthrow of the Commonwealth's rule. Many of the senior noble families were destroyed, the men executed, the women raped first, some to be taken as 'servants' to many of the less scrupulous new regime.

The camps, once liberated, held thousands of dead, in excess of 300,000 on Arc Royal alone. Almost that many again would die in the months following the liberation, from various diseases and lack of available medical care.

The UIW's 171st Volunteers Infantry Regiment was at the center of a swirling controversy, as a whole battalions went berserk on captured CLP and Martyr personnel, killing dozens in brutal executions, before order was finally restored. 85% of the regiment's senior officers were arrested and convicted of war crimes by Robert, although in the interest of politics, many were released back to the UIW, on the condition that they never again would hold an active combat command on Lyran soil.

Star Colonel Desmond Mattlov promoted a Captain Truoc to Colonel, to act as regimental XO(and to revert to CO once the unit left active duty under the Archon's authority). After Truoc was promoted, Mattlov embarked on an extended disciplinary course, consisting of lengthy PT duty. It came as no surprise that weeks later, when the 171st Infantry left Arc Royal, they were among the best drilled infantry units in the UIW's TO&E(Robert had wisely remained silent on the fact that Mattlov had once been a Falconer Commander for the Jade Falcons on Ironhold).

[Daemonknight]

October 27th, 3090
Sudeten, Jade Falcon Capital
CJFS Jade Aerie, High Orbit

Brian Pryde looked out the view port in his small room aboard the Aerie. The small blue-white marble below him spun gracefully, the terminator line clearly visible over the massive military-industrial complex that sprawled kilometeres out from Patterson City partially obscured by the passing of one of Sudeten's massive orbital defense stations. Aside from the fleet at anchor near Sudeten's moon, the Sudeten Orbital Defense Network protected the jewel of the Jade Falcon OZ. He smiled ruefully as he thought of the 'old' name of the territory he was responsible for.

The Falcons' holdings were only ever refered to the OZ by the other Clans, the ones too short-sighted to realize what they had accomplished. The Ghost Bears and Snow Ravens never called it the Falcon OZ anymore either. But of course they didn't- they understood. They shared a common purpose, if not a common goal or methodology. The Hellions and Adders had expressed displeausre at this move by the Falcons, but it hardly mattered. The Hellions had turned their backs on the Founder by removing a whole caste, and as such had no standing to question the moves of any other, unless they wished to open themselves to be attacked. The Adders had recently shamed themselves by first being defeated by the FWLM, and then by fleeing, running away, tail between their legs. Granted there was no point in dying senselessly, they had barely tried. They left even before the Sphereoid's reinforcements had arrived in-system.

His gaze was brought back to Sudeten by a flicker of light, the reflection off a silvered shuttle, leaving the largest of the defense stations, itself dwarfing the other defense platforms, and the forms of ships under construction could be seen from the gargantuan station. It was a marvel it had been constructed, and it alone ensured that no defender would ever take Sudeten without suffering the gravest of losses. However, the shuttle was of far more interest to Brian. The Loremaster was needed at Brian's side when it became official.

Decades of work, strengthening the Falcons, ensuring things went just so. It had taken all his skills, both as a warrior and as a politician and leader, to ensure events had followed the correct course to arrive at this very moment. His rueful smile became a predatory grin.

They'd never know what hit them...

*****************

1032, August 18th, 3072
Sudeten, Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
Outside Patterson City, Sudeten Capital

The warrior fell to the ground, his face and upper torso a mass of bruises and shallow cuts. He attempted to rise, but fell back to the ground, unable to force his muscles to work for him. Another warrior, a Star Captain stepped foreward and declared that saKhan Brian Pryde was again victorious. Pryde wiped sweat from his brow, a small pool of blood forming in his hand before he flung his hand to dry it. It had been the 3rd Trial he had faced within the past 6 months, many warriors seeing him as the cause of their current inaction. Despite his assurances that it was part of some plan by the Khan, he bore the brunt of it, because of his association with both Robert Kelswa-Steiner, and Deborah MacAullife.

Despite his words, he had little faith in Khan Sonoma anymore. She had been enraged when she learned that Brian had allowed Clan warriors to defend Lyran worlds along the Lyran/Terran border. She had claimed this was the perfect opportunity to strike at the Terrans and end them. It had taken him nearly an hour to list the various reasons why such a plan was ill-advised(he had to catch himself from saying 'monstrously stupid), especially as the majority of their forces remained at Sudeten, or were recovering from the battle of Orestes. She had finally calmed, but he could sense that she was plotting some foolhardy push for Terra, knowing that such a move would be disastrous, if not fatal for the Clan.

It was why he had slowly begun transferring veterans from Orestes, especially those from Alpha Galaxy, down to the units along the Terran border. Alpha Galaxy itself was technically still on Sudeten, but he wanted 'fresh warriors' from semi-inactive galaxies aswell as newbloods to mix with the veterans. Atleast, that was his excuse. Anyone smart enough to look closely would notice that the majority of Alpha's ranking warriors were being sent to the units along the border, while the best unranked, or unBlooded warriors he kept in Alpha. It was a shrewd move he knew few among the current high command would even bother to think about, believing that one warrior was the same as any other, if similarly skilled.

Brian was not so blind. He knew that there were plenty of Falcon warriors who, if it came to it, would throw away everything on the off chance they would be among the first to land on Terra. Brian wasn't delusional- he knew that no assault on Terra would be forthcoming anytime soon. Even if they somehow made it there, their fleet would be in tatters, their ground forces near to breaking, and they would still need to survive the most impregnable, high-tech fortress in the history of mankind. It was not a task to be undertaken lightly.

Instead, he would ensure the survival of his Clan another way, assuming some fool idiot didn't get in the way. He grabbed a towel and began to clean himself of sweat and his opponent's blood. This trial had been more visceral than the previous two, both fought in Mechs. Seeing that he had bested many previously undefeated mechwarriors, Star Commander Jonah had challeneged him to unaugmented combat. Jonah stood fully 8cm taller, and weighed atleast 15 kilos more than Brian, but the saKhan was like quicksilver, and he flowed around every attack Jonah threw, and broke through every defense.

Brian was walking towards the command center, where his temporary billet was, when a blinding flash greeted him. He got up unsteadily, greeted with blazing fires, the acrid stink of smoke, and feeling as if he'd just been body punched by an Atlas. The warriors who viewed the fight between him and Jonah ran past, many of them sporting minor cuts and abrasions from being similarly felled. A medtech came up to him, but it was only once he looked down and saw the jagged piece of metal in his left arm, that he felt the pain. He allowed the medic to treat the wound, vaugely hearing the medic tell him that he couldn't remove the shrapnel without potentially costing Brian his arm, and he needed a surgical team. The whole command post, including the Falcon's primary medical facilities however, had been reduced to a burning husk of ferrocrete and metal. 3 Galaxy Commanders, 7 Star Colonels and the Khan herself had all been present on planet, most of them inside the now destroyed complex.

****************

It was later discovered that the explosion had actually been the breaching of the independent fission reactor that powered the base complex. Sabotuers had snuck explosives in and destroyed several key failsafes, resulting in the catastrophic explosion that incinerated about 20% of the Falcon's warriors above Star Captain on planet(4 Galaxies were currently present).

The source of this attack took almost a year to trace, and it led back to the Lyran Commonwealth's Loki teams. However, Brian Pryde was able to forestall military action(through careful manipulation of troop movements and filling in gaps in the Touman) to allow both the Jade Falcon and Inter Clan Watch to find the true culprit as RWR special ops, formerly Loki agents.

The Falcons were almost unanimous in raising Brian Pryde to the position of Khan, and the rank of saKhan was bestowed to Star Colonel Jeremiah Icaza. Soon after the Warrior Council raised the two to their new ranks, all Jade Falcon forces were pulled back to the worlds surrounding Sudeten for the first meeting of the whole Jade Falcon IS touman since the 2nd Battle of Sudeten. Shortly thereafter, the full might of the Falcons was unleashed on the Rim Worlds Republic.