Clan Jade Falcon IC Roleplaying Thread

[Dave Baughman]

Faction roleplaying thread

[Fatebringer]

From: saKhan Bryn Cooper
To: Khan (CDS, CHH, CIH, CJF, CSC, CSA, CSR, CW)
Subject: Naval Rebuild

Greetings and Salutations,

Sudeten has taken from us, and then taken some more. The Terran Fleet will return and return soon. Other ships have been sighted headed to the Pentagon Worlds and the Kerensky Cluster itself. When the fighting ended on sudeten, several Clans had need for facilities to rebuild with and select clans were chosen to hold these facilities in trust so that rebuilding would go faster.

Now, we need a status report of the Clan Fleet. We can not make plans without knowing the situation. Please report back to me aboard the CSRS Snow Raven with the status of your repairs and where you recieved this assistance. There is no time for delay.

Senior Star Admiral
saKhan Bryn Cooper
Clan Snow Raven

[Marlin]

The Votings had been short but interesting: Timur Malthus was easily elected as Khan, when Brian Pryde bowed out of it early.

SaKhanship however was much harder contested. Finally Anrea Pershaw came out head to head with Colbert Icaza. And in a short Trial, she came out on top, although Colbert was more unlucky than her dominant. She had the better start and went with it.

New Khan: Timur Malthus
new saKhan: Anrea Pershaw

[Marlin]

New Khan Timur Malthus had invited saKhan Bryn Cooper into the Headquarters of the Falcons.
He came straight to the point.

"It has been noted that you seek to move away from Sudeten as soon as you can, but this is a thing I would like to avoid. What is needed to keep you here?"

He answered plainly:
"The same thing we have said to every Khan that has offered us a backwater world. A place to set up a roost in the Inner Sphere, not in the Periphery but at least a few jumps from Terra so that we can hear them coming and prepare our own march."

"But where would you move anyway? To my knowledge there has no one offered you more than we did. I frankly cannot offer you Sudeten."

"Obviously not, and your invasion corridor is dwindling as if they have chosen to make you the new example as they did the Smoke Jaguars."

"They?"

"The denizens of the sphere. You know, the ones that have finally managed to pull their acts together using salvaged technology from our factories, and ancient tech from the leeches on Terra. What a shame they chose to rebuild under the banner of such a disgraceful heritage."

"They cannot and will not succeed! At least some Clans stand united!"
He went calmer after this:
"Now, what world I can give up would be close enough to Terra for you to inhabit?"

Bryn hid a smile, Timur was certain of it:
"Speaking frankly as we are, only one of the worlds we fought for in the Sudeten system will allow us to keep our Shipyards within reach and suffices all of the aforementioned conditions as well."

"Which one?" 'Hell, Raven, just tell me!'

"Blair Atholl would be prefered, if you are offering."

"I will have to talk to my Commanders.. but it sounds.. acceptable. If there are any Trials against this, we will have to wait until their conclusion. Other than that, welcome to Blair Atholl. May this System serve you and us well in our war." 'Finally they stay close.'

"Aff, it seems we will not have to move far to find that Roost we were looking for."

"May it prosper and serve your needs."

Afterwards the tension was moved away as a meal was presented to the Khans. Bryn was invited to take part and talk about his Warship experience.

[Daemonknight]

Low Orbit, Foster
Kerensky Cluster

Star Colonel Brian Pryde had voiced his concern earlier about the orders he had been given. He had no love for the Mandrill, but neither did he believe that simply killing all of them was the correct choice either. He again signaled the saKhan, this time from a mere 3 Mech berths away on the lead dropship, an Overlord-C carrying fully 3/4 of the Falcon Mechs heading to the planet.

"saKhan Pershaw, this is Star Colonel Brian Pryde. Are you sure it is wise to aggitate the Blood Spirits? If they offer the warriors of the Mandrill the ability to test into warrior positions within the Spirit touman, then it can only mean they are trust, and it behooves us to keep as many able-bodied warriors as possib-", he was abruptly cut off as the voice of saKhan Anrea Pershaw ripped across the com-link.

"Star Colonel, you know our missions here. The Mandrills aided the rouge scientist caste in STEALING OUR GENETIC LEGACIES. From Strana Mechty, no less! You would allow the honorless dogs to join another clan, without censure!? Or are you simply a scientist-sympathizer, covering for your traitorous brethren?" The anger in the saKhan's voice was unexpected, however, there could be only one outcome from such an insult.


"saKhan Anrea Pershaw, I, Star Colonel Brian Pryde, challenge you to a Circle of Equals. The orders you have given are not in keeping with the code of Zellbrigen; indeed, no batchall was given, nor bidding pronounced. At the same time, your insults to me are unnecessary and serve no purpose except to prove that in light of recent events, you are unfit to serve as theater commander in Foster. I challenge you to single battlemech combat, at the earliest possible location."

Anrea Pershaw could not quite believe what he was hearing. This dog had challenged him to an honor duel? Over honorless, dezgra, traitorous scum like the Mandrills? He would end this quickly...

"All Jade Falcon dropships currently inbound to Foster. Arrest your descents into holding patterns in orbit. My orders concerning the campaign here on Foster have been challenged by Star Colonel Pryde of the 77th Falcon Assault Cluster. Star Colonel Jenna Drake, of the 12th Talon Cluster has operational command. Star Colonel, you are to do what is necessary to preserve your command, and await further orders from either myself or Star Colonel Pryde. If the Hellions are able to establish a beachhead, you are authorized to land on it and provide security to the landing zone, but are under no circumstances to undertake offensive actions until this challenge is complete, quiaff?

"Aff saKhan, i shall do as you say."

"Star Colonel Pryde, if you would send a signal to the Blood Spirit enclave and inquire the Galaxy Commander about a suitible location within his realm to land the dropship so we may get this over with. I have a feeling he has no wish to speak with me at the moment." saKhan Anrea Pershaw began running final diagnostics on his battlemech, and was gratified to see green across the status boards of his Timber Wolf Prime. Despite being 5 tons lighter than the Star Colonel, he knew he was the more experianced of the two and was confident that he could take the newly Bloodnamed Star Colonel.

In his Warhammer IIC 3 berths over, Star Colonel Brian Pryde also noted the all-green status boards of his battlemech. He took a moment to collect his thoughts as he prepared to open a link to the Blood Spirit Galaxy Commander below...

[Daemonknight]

High Orbit, Planet Dompaire
Turkina's Pride, CJF Flagship

Khan Timur Malthus left the secure comm room next to his quarters. He could not believe the message he had recieved. A call for a vote to remove him as Khan? There were few that would dare. That upstart from Lambda, Galaxy Commander Joel Thastus...but he wouldnt have the support on his own to get it to pass, although he might follow another. Allison Sonoma? She wanted the Khanship, but she was too busy leading Delta Galaxy to have the time to gather support. That left only one person.

ilKhan Diana Pryde. That bitch! She would have the pull with the Clan Council, and the savvy to get enough votes to ensure the legitimacy of the vote. Could she muster the alliances needed to get rid of him though? He consulted the Pride's database: nearly 300 bloodnamed warriors had cast their votes so far, and he saw the alliance that could undue him. Pryde, Helmer, Anu, Sonoma and Thastus, representing the bulk of the higher ranking officers in the assault on Dompaire, had voted against him. Shi-Lu, his own Malthus, the saKhan's Pershaw and various low ranking officers and mechwarriors, more scattered, voted to keep him as Khan, mostly though, they were warriors who bordered on the fanatically Falcon-supremacist, the inner-Clan faction that believed the Falcons didnt need the other clans.

As the voting tally reach twords 475, he was at a distinct disadvantage. The majority of the 2 major factions had voted, and he saw that his own was more strongly opposed than he had originally thought. The balance of power within the clan had definetly shifted recently, most likly thanks to the events around Sudeten, and the Mandrill issue.

The final votes were tallied by the Loremaster: Khan Timur Malthus had been voted from the Office of Khan by the bloodnamed warriors of Clan Jade Falcon.

[Daemonknight]

A channel was opened between all WarShips, JumpShips, and Dropships of the Jade Falcons around Dompaire. The image of ex-Khan Timur Malthus appeared.

"I initiate a Trial of Refusal against the sucessful vote to unseat me as Khan. I bid a single star of Heavy mechs from the Turkina Keshik, including myself. Who will defend the vote against my batchall?"

"I, Allison Sonoma, Galaxy Commander of Delta Galaxy, bid the Gyrfalcon Command, a star of Heavy mechs."

"I, Joel Thastus, Galaxy Commander of Lambda Galaxy, bid myself, unaugmented."

Warriors traded looks. It was definetly not an expected move on Thastus' part. Allison Sonoma's Gyrfalcon Command Star was, barring the Keshik, the best star of Jade Falcon mechwarriors in the system. In bidding himself unaugmented, Joel Thastus had gone under the cutdown of single mech combat, earning him many respectful comments, and serious considering. The voting had yet to begin for the next Khan, waiting instead for the inevitable Trial of Refusal. If Thastus defeated Malthus, it was not so cut and dry that Allison Sonoma would succeed him.

[Daemonknight]

High Orbit, Planet Dompaire
Turkina's Pride, CJF Flagship

On the grav deck, a circle of Bloodnamed warriors watched, awaiting the outcome of the Trial of Refusal started by Khan Malthus. Hopefully it ended quickly, as they had an invasion to begin. Their collective breath hissed in as the Khan landed a powerful right cross just above the eye of Galaxy Commander Joel Thastus.

As Thastus reeled backwards, the Khan surged forwards, hoping to capitalize and retain his rank. But Thastus charged, and smashed his shoulder into the Khan's stomach, driving him to the ground. He gripped his Khan's left wrist, and rolled onto his back, forcing the Khan to his knees. Wrapping his legs around the back of the Khan's neck, he extended his body, using his thighs to clamp onto the Khan's neck, he held the rigid pose for long enough to feel the Khan go limp, before releasing him. The Oathmaster checked the Khan's body, finding him unconscious.

Almost the moment that it was confirmed that Thastus had won the Trial(thus removing Malthus as Khan), the vote was opened to raise a new Khan. It was over shortly. While he had been fighting, Allison Sonoma had been gaining votes, and one promise had gained her huge support.

Loremaster Brian Pryde spoke:
"The votes are registered and counted. The Clan Council has raised Galaxy Commander Allison Sonoma to the position of Khan of Clan Jade Falcon. Also, i have been offered the saKhanship, and i fully intend to accept that position. Galaxy Commander Joel Thastus is hereby raised as Loremaster."

[Daemonknight]

Dompaire City
Jade Falcon Field Headquarters
Khan Allison Sonoma's Suite

The door opened so quietly that if she hadn't been expecting it, she would never have known anyone entered. She looked up from the last batch of dispatches(getting an army to move even a single jump had huge ammounts of paperwork, as she had recently found), and found standing there, a tall, well muscled man of no more than 30 standard years. If one wasnt used to seeing them, they would mistake him for an Elemental(in fact, some that were used to seeing them still did, such was his physique).

"You asked for me, my Khan. How can i be of service?"

Allison Sonoma was a strong woman. She prided herself on knowing her repuatation as a warrior could cow even many Clan mechwarriors. But this man, obviously not a mechwarrior, probably not an Elemental, seemed to barely notice her. She found it unnerving the way he spoke her name and rank, as if it were fleeting while he was eternal.

"I may have something that befits your talents. Of course, no one is to know the operational specifics...myself included. I shall tell you what is required of you, and then you will complete your mission. Your only contact with me will be once you have sucessfully completed your mission objectives. Understood?"

He tilted his head slightly, as if the Khan's instructions were anything less than the usual to him. "Of course my Khan. How much information can you give me? Do i get a list of targets?"

Allison smiled as she spoke, "Thats the beauty of it. Once you deploy on your mission, you, along with your staff, will be choosing your own targets. Within reason of course."

She was finally rewarded by seeing the tiniest flicker of confusion on his face. His ilk was not used to being suprised, as only very strict mission parameters usually required skills such as he possessed. But normally, the targets were determined by 'wiser heads' than his, as the saying went. He was curious about his mission, the first time in his relativly long career(one did not long survive a battlefield without borders or restraints).

"Very well my Khan, you have my attention. What sort of operation are we talking about?"

"One we cannot discuss here Star Colonel. When you return to the Spaceport, goto berth S12, there is a dropship awaiting you, along with a sealed set of orders, mission parameters and the required forces and equipment that you will be requiring. There are also a group of handpicked officers of various disciplines to assist you on your mission. The final orders i have for you, is to read the contents of the sealed orders to the officer core ONLY...and then incinerate them. As usual, there is no record of anything you are about to do. Understood?"

"Perfectly my Khan."

With that, the man left the Khan's suite and followed his orders, to the letter. As always, he never failed in his duty. Even if the orders were like nothing he had ever seen in his career before...

[Daemonknight]

Zenith Jump Point
Warship Name Classified
Shadow System
Bay Designation: CX-10

It had cost a small fortune and a burned out jump drive to get him this far in so short a time. However, his mission was more vital than even the invasion going on around him. In the red low-light of the bay, he and the other members of his team almost silently checked, rechecked and checked again their equipment. The quiet clicking of equipment was the sound of seasoned professionals preparing for a mission that could, and frequently was, their last. Only the knowledge that their death would ensure the continuity of their way of life brought men to this type of lifestyle.

Unusually for a group of elite Clan warriors, there was not a single Bloodnamed warrior in the bay. Nor were there any officers, mechwarriors or Techs. Only 4 of them were Elementals, however none of those 4 were trueborn into a normal Elemental Sibko. This team was also special, in that every single one of them from the same sibko, and the unit had no gained new members in its long and battle scarred career, working for the Jade Falcons, although it had taken many a loss since it was put into duty.

As he looked around at his small group of warriors, the stealthy man was reminded of his meeting with the Khan 2 weeks ago. He had done as ordered, and burned his orders. He had been silent as the Falcon Watch Officer had told the ship's Captain that he was to open the bay for use, an event the Captain had never remembered being asked to do before. He had opened it and left.

His focus snapping back to the present, he remebered to check his personal weapons again: an 'Avenger' auto-shotgun, a Gauss SMG(loaded with Drop/Jumpship safe AET rounds), a pulse laser pistol, and a Clan vibrosword. With similar weaponry being required for the first stage of their mission, their weapons for Phase 2 were stowed in a special drop-case: on a pre-coded command, it would be jettisoned from the bay and course correct twords a micro-burst beacon. It's outer shell was designed to survive re-entry, and still glide to wherever the beacon summoned it. It was one of 10 such capsules currently being loaded by other members of the team into what was essentially a torpedo tube for launching. It was no wired into the warship's firecontrol systems and it's computer was not linked to the main ship's computer. Only the correct codes to a secondary transciever could trigger the launch.

As he checked his chronometer, he noticed they had a little under an hour untill it was Go-Time. As if sensing his thoughts, the members trained as Elementals began suiting up in their modified suits. Although still techniclly Elemental Armor, the suits had been extensivly reworked by the team years ago. As each member was a certified Elemental Tech(and the non-Elemental trained were certified asTechs), they were fully capable of modifying the suits to their own needs. Years ago they had converted the suits to be fully modular, just like an omnimech. For Phase 1, the normal missile launchers and jump packs would be completly useless. Instead, 2 carrier ECM suites and support-grade pulse lasers.The other 2 were equiped with Bearhunter super heavy Autocannons, just in case something went sideways. All 4 of the Elemental suits were equiped with Vibro-claws, essentially the standard Elemental battle-claw upgraded with vibro technology. 4 of the 10 capsules carried extra equipment for the elemental suits, including the usual SRM packs with reloads... Phase 2 could require some very heavy firepower, especially if they had to fight their way out.

He suited up in his combat armor, and donned the Mag-Boots they'd been given. That would give them a distinct advantage in certin parts of their mission, and he fervently hopped they could quickly complete their mission. Time was their enemy on this, as much as others were their enemy. The long it took for them to complete their objective, the greater their chances of failure. And failure meant more of his Clansmen would fall to an unseen foe.

"10 minutes to final weapons, equipment and armor checks. Ensure all equipment capsules are locked and loaded, the guidance program is uploaded, and make sure the SatCom is secured. We can't afford to come back. Our drop gear is on the shuttle. Let us move."
The bay was suddenly filled with the sounds of final combat preparations, but without a single word spoken. The command had been given, and nothing else would need to be said untill their objective was completed...

[Daemonknight]

Zenith Jump Point
Warship Name Classified
Shadow System
Warship CiC

Star Admiral Buhallin surveryed the crew from the armoured nacelle at the rear of the CIC(after the spectacular feat that had named the Miraborg dropship, the Falcons had taken to ensuring nothing like that ever happened to them), making sure his ship, and the other Falcon ships in the formation, were following the battle plan set down by the Ice Hellion Star Admiral. Satisfied that the fleet was indeed forming up correctly to face down the treacherous Mandrill fleet above Shadow, he allowed his eyes to drift to the one person on his bridge he could have done without.

His name was Darrel Pershaw, and like the most recent famous bearer of that Bloodname, Pershaw was an operative of the Jade Falcon Watch. Or so Buhallin surmised, having not been able to engage the man in any type of conversation. After entering his command override to the computer system, it seemed as if the phantom bay had disappeared from the computer's memory banks. The man that had accompanied Pershaw had almost certinly been an Elemental, but why an Elemental and a Watch Operative would have a secret compartment aboard his ship was beyond him. He had not the mind for subterfuge.


Less than 2 meters away, Darrel Pershaw glanced at the Star Admiral from the corner of his eye. He could tell the Admiral was perturbed about the bay he hadnt even known about, but the Watch seldom revealed it's assets to anyone that wasnt using them at the time. And the fascimile that the man had given him, then subsequently burned was quite extraordinary, and warranted such a sudden and abrupt entrance rather than fooling around with Naval etiquette. Pershaw mused that he never had been good at politics. The only reason he was in the Watch at all was because a lucky Lyran SRM had exploded against the cockpit armor of his Hellbringer, sending spears of armorglas into his left shoulder and nearly amputating him in his own cockpit. He might not be able-bodied enough for a Battlemech, but he had almost as keen a mind as his progenitor, the legendary Spymaster himself, Kael Pershaw.

He checked his chronometer, synched with those of the team far below. He knew that they would be doing their last preparations, before boarding thier craft. With any luck, they wouldnt be on the ship much beyond that, one way or another. If Phase 1 proved impractical, they would simply skip it and go directly to Phase 2. It would be unfortunate, but this was war, and as a great general had once said, "No plan survives first contact with the enemy." It was a lesson he knew all to well.

"Star Admiral Buhallin, it has been my honor to visit your bridge. However, I think it would be best if i leave before the battle begins. I would not want to be in the way once the fighting starts."

Buhallin frowned. Now what is the stravag up to, I wonder?
"Very well, er... Warrior Pershaw."

Darrel Pershaw left the bridge through the armored airlock door that was the only entrance. Once out in the passageway, he drifted along untill he came to a rather unremarkable hatch. The stenciled serial number noted it as a small storage bay for garbage from the Starboard-Fore section of the craft's main deck. However, once inside, Pershaw carefully placed his thumbprint on a relativly simple looking datapad on a shelf. The pad chirped quietly, and the back wall disolved as the portable holo-projector went into sleep mode. Pershaw floated into his small cubicle and remotely activated the holofield. It would keep most cursory inspections from ever finding his hidey hole, especially with the sonic disruptor blocking the humming noise of his gear.

His console was the only link to the secondary transciever that had been placed on the ship. It was in an armoured shutter on the outside, made to look like a pulse laser turret. However, it was actually a vital peice of the puzzle that made up the Watch operation that was taking place. His computer was getting live video feeds from each helmet in the strike team's group, including the Elementals. Along with their ECM suites, 2 Elementals also had integrated Active Probes, modified for multi-spectrum optical scans, radar, dopler, EM emissions and radio freq scanners. The armor didnt have the processing capacity to actually analyze the input, but Pershaw's console was purpose built for just such a mission. He would provide them with tactical intelligence in real-time, enhancing their chances of not only sucess, but survival.

[Daemonknight]

High Orbit, Planet Shadow
Warship Name Classified
Bay Designation: CX-10
Mission Clock: -0:02:00

All 10 resupply capsules were secured, loaded, and primed in their launch tubes. Signals analysis had already pinpointed their Phase 2 target coordinates, and Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary DZ and EZs had been established, along with potential emergency EZs. Every possible outcome of the mission had been gone over, in painstaking detail, and the men and women in bay CX-10 knew their objectives, locations, targets and every other piece of operational information by heart. This was what they did, and they were some of the best the Clans had to offer.

"Two minutes, final readiness checks." That meant checking their uplink to their private, secure comlink that had been setup on the hull of their carrier vessel. It also meant making a last check of all straps, zippers, and anything else that could be checked. There was no such thing as 100% ready for a mission like this, but there was also no such thing as to many reviews.

Now all they could do was wait. He checked his chronometer: the MC stood at -0:01:46..45...44..43...

If they were lucky, they'd get the word for Phase 1. If not so lucky, then Phase 2 would go into immediate effect.


Planet Shadow
Grid Location D5
Sub-Grid 34-T1
Mission Clock: -01:11:15

She giggled softly as her companion kissed her neck and ran her hand down her thigh. She always had had a thing for redheads, her own fiery locks coming down just below her shoulders in cascade of curls. The two well-built and very attractive women got alot of attention from the men on base, but most everyone knew they batted for the other team. It didnt stop them from trying of course. But on this evening, the 2 ladies had slipped out 'for dinner' from the compound and come to this slight depression about 1.5km away, far enough that the patrols wouldnt see them, and the dip provided cover from the high-gain IR and Night vision optics the base used for perimiter observation. Security was very tight considering the recently arrived Clan fleet in orbit, but they were confident they could deal the incoming Clans a sufficently bloody nose to send them scurrying back to Strana Mechty.

However, neither of the women currently rolling in the grass cared about the fighting for the moment. More pressing concerns filled their minds. It took little time for their activities to progress from simple kissing to other, more physical pursuits. A lust-filled 15 minutes passed, and both women were panting heavily, laying on their backs watching the dance of navies above them. They could make out high-intesnity laser fire, and see the small puffs of fireballs that signaled a Warship's death throes. It seemed the Clans that came to Shadow were inflicting massive damage on the Mandrill fleet. That meant, of course, it was time to return and prepare for the inevitable onslaught of mech warfare.

"Lisa, I'm scared. What happens if they get this far? What will happen to us?" They began dressing themselves, making sure to remove all traces of lipstick, rumpled hair, and sprayed fragrence to mask the smell of sweating bodies.

"It's alright Samantha. We'll be fine! You heard the transmission from the Falcon saKhan. I heard what happened on Foster. He actually allowed some of the Mandrill warriors there to escape destruction by integrating with the Blood Spirits. And he ordered no civilians like us be harmed. We'll be fine."

Lisa saw that Samantha might cry and took the slightly younger woman in her arms to comfort her. She felt Samantha put her arms around her, her warmth encircling her. She tried to speak soothing words, but found that she couldnt seem to say anything. A sharp pain spread across her lower back, and she had barely enough strength to push the younger woman away. She put her right hand to her back and was horrified to feel something protuding. She pulled it out and found herself holding a blood soaked, needle thin stilleto knife, hollowed to inject something into it's victim.

"Samantha...I...what..?" Samantha's face was impassive, watching her ex-lover slip into unconciousness as the neurotoxin quickly shut down her nervous system within seconds of entering her bloodstream. Sex was an excellent way to increase bloodflow, thereby increase the effectiveness of bloodborn toxins.

Samantha quickly went to her backpack and pulled out a sophisticated disguise kit. Placing it over Lisa's face and triggering it, the thin synthflesh backing moulded itself to Lisa's facial structure, perfectly copying it. The integrated computer compensated for facial hair, wrinkles, the mole over the right edge of her lips, and other imperfections to create a perfect facial copy. As the synthflesh mask cooled, Samantha quickly got to work doing the same thing for fingerprints, and got the retinal scanner ready.

It took about 20 minutes to complete, but once finished, Samantha had the face, fingerprints, hair and retinal biometrics of Lisa perfectly copied, and applied to her self. Her physique was nearly identical anyways, and her hair color was almost spot on to begin with. She straightened it out to match her mark's style, and quickly grabbed Lisa's access card and uniform insignias. Although both women worked on the base, Samantha worked in the archives, while Lisa was a tech for the bases' defense grid. And tonight, Lisa was supposed to be working, while Samantha wasnt, explaining why only one had returned.

The base guards had no idea that when they passed Lisa through the front gate, into the compound's Command Bunker and then into the bunker's CCC(Central Command Center) that they had let slip a Jade Falcon Watch operative. Her mission was one of subtle sabotage. And she was excellent at what she did.

[Daemonknight]

Mandrill Command Bunker Complex
Planet Shadow
Mission Clock: 00:47:06.5
Invasion Clock: T-2:00 to touchdown

"MOVE!" He yelled into the comlink. As his team back down the corridors to clear the space needed, he took stock of his team. 4 were down, 2 killed by the Maurader that was now a burning hulk, the retribution set down by the elite team devestating to behold. After mowing down 2 of his team(including one of the heavily modified Elementals), one of the Elementals had shouldered their ace-in-the-hole for just such an occasion. The capsule he'd been dragging behind him carried the heaviest weapon such a teach could potentially bring to bear: a single shot, BA-portable Arrow IV tube. It took 2 of the Elementals to shoulder and fire the massive artillery-grade missile, but the special warhead was more than enough to achieve their goal. The special Inferno Arrow IV hit the massive Marauder squarely in the chest, just below the cockpit armor. Immediatly, the ultra-combustable Inferno chemicals engulfed the entire mech in super-hot flames, skyrocketing the mech's internal temperature, and obscuring its ability to see anything.

The resulting autocannon blindfire killed another unarmored soldier, before the temperature finally cooked off the large store of ammunition and ripped the mech apart from the inside. Having little time to watch the mighty machine burn, the team made their best pace into the bunker, one of the Elementals ripping through the reinforced blast door with his vibro-claw. The elementals had switched to a heavy-assault load now that they had no constraints on weaponry like on the Warship. Likewise, the unarmored squadmembers were packing enough heat to take down a full company of infantry in no time flat. In addition to a melee weapon, personal sidearm and assault weapon of some kind, all but 3 carried heavy support weapons on special assault harnesses, allowing them to use them un-aided, and without the usual set-up break down time. The last 3 carried 'specials', 15Kg satchels of C-90 HE charges. Able to blast through the armor of a Mad Cat, the charges would be used in the event of a mission sucess, or in dire circumstances.

Rushing down the long corridors, he was trying to catch upto the front 4, one of his Elementals, 1 'Specalist' and 2 of his shooters attempting to force the Command Bunker's CIC. However, he found them pinned down by a crossfire at a 4-way intersection.

"Spec-1, come back."
"Read you Six."
"Sitrep."
"No go. Monkeys in 2 directions, most likly flanking to the 3rd. Advise counter-flank."
He thought for a moment, bringing the layout of the floor up on his faceplate's HUD. They still had to descend 3 Sub-Floors to get to the buried CIC. There was almost nothing that would reach so deep, considering each level's floor was in actuallity about 2meters of solid concrete.
"Toss me a 'special'. We'll show the Monkeys how we deal with traitors." The woman tossed one of her 3 packs twords 'Six', who quickly pulled the primer ring and waited. The 15 second fuse slowly burned down, and it almost seemed like he wasnt going to dispose of it. Once he had counted to 11 seconds, he griped a door frame and flung himself bodily around the corner of the intersection, his arm forcing his throwing arm to arc the satchel down the 20m corridor. He could feel the tendons of his left arm stretching and popping just before he let go of the heavy satchel.
"Fire in the hole!"
Funneled by the concrete and steel corridors, the shockwave buffeted the Falcons right off their feet, even staggering the heavy Elemental to a knee. When they looked back down the corridor, a shaft of light was shining down from the ground floor, a level above them, and a hole in the ground saw a bloody mess in the barracks where soldiers were still getting ready to try and repel the attackers.

"Go, GO! We dont have time!" He hurried, his smaller and smaller command(he noticed 3 more red blips on his HUD, indicating lost life-signs) hurridly droped down the hole in the floor/ceiling of Sub-Floor 3, and made their way around a right hand corner to an armoured shutter than protected an elevator shaft. Again, the vibro-claws of the Elemental pried open access, and he jumped down first. As the sound of the armored suit crashed through the elevator ceiling, the sounds of automatic gunfire and the sizzle of the Elemental's mech-grade Medium Pulse Laser could be heard coming from the floor below. Silence...
"Clear."

Attatching descent rigs from their harnesses, the team quickly repelled down the inside of the shaft, and arrived to see a scene of carnage. The floor was littered with the dead bodies of atleast 4 techs, 3 officers and 8 soldiers. The Elemental was holding his laser up, and the heat rising off it's length was clearly visible for inches around the barrel. The scorch marks around the small reception room almost masked the sign reading "Combat Information Center", but it was legible enough for the team. Calling up the schematics, the door was quite a problem. A door designed to defeat most any assault, and at 6" of Ferro-Fibrous armor thick, it was very good at it's job.

"Entry ideas? The Vibro-claw cant get through that. The blast from a special could kill those inside, and we need them alive."
A staticy report from topside came down, forcing his hand,
"We are pushed back to the 2nd Sub-Floor, they have taken the upper floors. If we lose the external access door here, we are trapped."

Thinking quickly, 'Six' grabbed a satchel and removed all but 3Kg of the C-90, hoping it would be enough without being too much.
"Breach and Clear. Get ready..." he lit the fuse, and the team moved to take cover from the blast. 15 seconds, an eternity, passed slowly. Finally, the resounding 'BAAM' of the high explosives slammed them, but the Elemental lost no time, charging the door and barreling through it into the CIC. 8 technicians were still half dazed from the explosion, along with 2 low-ranking officers. The other side of the door revealed the only officer of note, but even he was simply a Star Captain. The two Star Commanders were defiant, and were both shot. There wasnt time to interrogate them, and it was unlikly they knew much of use anyways.

"Start the download. The files might have something." 'Six' left the room as his team began copying over all tactical and strategic files their hacker programs could find. "30 seconds."
"20 seconds...
...10...
5...
Alright, lets go. Drop a satchel, we wont let them have it".

His team, using the descent rigs as ascent rigs now, climbed back to the 2nd Sub-Floor, and followed the surviving members(now reduced to 3 Elementals and 20 operatives, including 'Six') out through an emergency access-way. But not before leaving behind a small black box, barely smaller than an assault rifle's magazine.

*********************
1km Outside the Mandrill Command Bunker Complex
Planet Shadow

By this point, the multi-Clan task force under saKhan Brian Pryde was crashing through the atmosphere. 'Six' had transmitted the data to the fleet in orbit, and recieved orders about a target of oportunity only 6km distant. It was imperitive they get there, and quickly, before the target could be moved, or worse- used against the attacking ground forces of his Clan. However, he had one last mission requirement to complete.

Triggering his burst transmitter, a single phrase was coded and beamed to a special Jade Falcon reciever, on a specific ship in orbit. It didnt go through the regular comm channel, but went to a specific computer terminal in a cramped, hidden compartment.

It simply said, "No Dawn".

High Orbit, Planet Shadow

The CJF Bunker Hill and Janice Hazen, both Aegis-class Heavy Cruisers broke their orbital formation on the urgent orders of an unknown source, even to the other ships in their respective flotillas, who were told by the 2 ship's Star Admirals(both ships were their respective Star's flagship) to remain on station. They moved away from the interdiction above their ground forces and moved towards the northern region, and took up a geosynchronous orbit. It was clear to all what their intent was, once their ASF CAP was suddenly devoid of planet side patrols. It was clear to all the other ship's captains that the two Jade Falcon warships were preparing to unleash an orbital bombardment on a surface target nobody else was even aware of.

[tassa_kay]

CBSS Morrigan
Nadir Jump Point, Shadow
Kerensky Cluster

The Invader-class JumpShip Morrigan arrived in a burst of energy in the Shadow system, once the exclusive stronghold of Clan Fire Mandrill... and now, a world taken by the coalition of Jade Falcons and Ice Hellions as they brought Annihilation to the Clan that had betrayed them all.  Even now, the coalition's forces still solidified their grip on the planet, as they brought justice and order to the beleaguered masses.

A signal was sent out from the Morrigan as it stabilized and entered into a holding pattern at the jump point, a signal bound for the planet itself... a signal that called for the direct attention of the Falcons' new saKhan, Brian Pryde.  The message, which originated from one Star Captain Emma Schmitt, was tagged at the highest priority level, and for the saKhan's eyes only.   The urgency was implicit.

[Daemonknight]

saKhan Pryde walked into the communications bunker, wonder what could be so important to call him from sleep at 0300. On seeing the request, he ordered the Comtechs to setup the communications channel and then leave the room.

"Welcome to Shadow Star Captain. What is it that requires my attention so urgently?"