Union of Independent Worlds Faction RP thread

[Cannonshop]

Hotel site, Bravo Range, Camp Puller, Early evening...

Debbie Mac wasn't buzzed anymore, she perched herself on the half-overgrown hood of a car that had been abandoned here two years ago, indian-style.

"General-er, yeah, General..." she began, "Yo' a hero on Kowloon, one of my most experienced officahs, an..." she looked at the ground, "Ah cain' give ya a command commensurate with your rank."  she said. 

Mosovich blinked.  In spite of the extensive surgeries, she still lacked some expression.  "Nice way to say you don't trust my mental state, Archduchess." she said, "AND nice way to say you don't trust my leadership abilities after the mutiny."

Deb looked uncomfortable.  "I didn't want t' say it." she admitted, "Ah wa'n't shoah how y'all would react."

Evelyn nodded.  "Not the first time I have had to deal with that, Your Grace." she said, "They didn't want to bring me back after Tamar, either-I only got re-called back to active duty after the Rowe Conspiracy was uncovered, and they didn't have anyone with flag experience or equivalent to take the 416th."  she said, "Fact is, I would probably have stayed on the disabled list if Liz hadn't gotten them to waiver me...so, am I resigning for medical reasons, or for the good of the service?" she asked.

"Neithah." Debra said, "Unless y'all can't handle it ah NEED a senior officer for a sensitive post-an' believe it, it's a damn tetchy one... an' when you're done with the tour, we SHOULD have a Brigade ready fo' you to command-eithah in third or fourth division."

"Fourth division's not even got staff forming." Evelyn reminded her, "And we don't have gear for most of third."

"Ah know-Ah need you to work with our allies...they call it an 'ilChi', we call it 'Liason Officer', they'll be 'valuating you an' rating you on their standards, so it ain' no walk in the pahk...but you are senior enough to actually fill the role, an' at least ONE Galaxy Commandah thinks highly of you-which Ah can't get for any other likely candidate 'cept Commander Nguyen, who's going to be running a...different...mission on behalf of the nation, connected to our relations with the Clans in a few months."

"And you do not want me rotting in a Rear-Echelon job or on civilian reserve while you're...what, scrambling and dealing for equipment?" Mosovich asked.

"Exactly." Debra said, "They can keep you from gettin' rusty, at least until Ah have a Brigade to give you."

[Daemonknight]

saKhan Pryde spoke up at this point.

"General Mosovich, you would be attatched nominally to my direct command. However, you would be assigned either to one of the Galaxies currently assigned to garrison our holdings within the UIW, or else to a new Galaxy being formed nearer to the Falcon OZ. One allows you to stay within your home, although you will find it offers less chances to prove yourself worthy of command. The other offers you oportunities for frontline combat, although it will test you more frequently, and more thouroughly.

I leave it to you option.

[Cannonshop]

Evelyn paused for a moment, and looked at Debbie, who shrugged and spread her hands theatrically.

"I will have to...edeavour not to embarass my Duchess and my nation then." she said after some thought, "I take it, SaKhan, that you have a specific unit in the Oz that you feel could benefit from my experience, and to be honest, I think I have spent too much time fishing."

[Daemonknight]

The saKhan nodded.

"The Alpha Galaxy has just recently been activated, and issued it's first offical orders. It currently lacks a Galaxy Commander, but that will quickly be rectified before your arrival. You will be given a Clan-style Trial of Position to determine what rank you will hold within the Galaxy, although it will be modified: a single 'kill' will give you the rank of Star Captain, 3 'kills' gives you the rank of Star Colonel, and 5 'kills' will win you the rank of Galaxy Commander for a single engagement...after which you will return to being a  Star Colonel."

[Cannonshop]

she's fighting Nadia Binetti's Galaxy
Her sensors showed he was NOT banging with his sensors-no active probe on that configuration, apparently, she trotted northwest to a stand of trees behind the J-Mart gas-and-go, and the Cougar spotted her, pulling up to full-honk and racing down the street to close to a good range for his shot.

He tried to make a right turn on the pavement at a dead run, and sikidded into the remains of a Gieneh Heavy Equipment dealership, upending an empty parcel-truck and facing the wrong way.

She locked the targeting pippers on his rear as he tried to correct for the unexpected facing change, and cut loose with only the six ER Medium Lasers on her KU's left arm.  While nowhere near as powerful as their Clan equivalents, against a light 'mech like the Cougar, it was sufficient-especially at this angle.  He managed a twist and got his own, heavier right-arm lasers to line up, she 'shimmied', holding her own shots on him while his scored the trees.

The young warrior managed to stand, displaying exposed actuators along his entire right flank, and levelled both arms.  Evelyn recognized what was coming next, and elected NOT to be in his gunsights.  She stomped the jump-pedals and did a piroouette, while he frantically tried to arrest his forward motion and rotate to track her leap.  She landed atop (Ironically) a Funeral home, and laid into him again, her own damage monitors showing heat-scoring and damage to her left torso.  At this distance, there was only one thing to do...
Firing from the left arm, she drove her right arm through his damaged right torso, destroying links, feeds, and his right arm.
"SAVASHRI!!" the young warrior cried out over the general channel.  Evelyn grimaced.

"Young man, the Jade Falcon touman has been in the Inner Sphere for twenty years at least, some of your warriors are quite good at meelee combat, if you want to live to achieve higher rank, you will LEARN how to defeat your enemy's common tactics."

With that, she fired her jump-jets again, tracking the second, Medium, omnimech on the threat board.  "For instance..." she landed near a Mama Josephine's drive-in restaraunt, "You have both a range, and speed advantage..."   The Cougar was...she could only call it 'huffing and limping' in pursuit, arriving at a point where he finally had a shot-but he was in her 'optimum' engagement distance.  She triggered both arms as his Large Lasers seared armour from her left leg and right shoulder.  "NEVER let them sucker youi into a knife-fight if you are not kitted to handle it." she continued, as her lasers sheared off his left leg entirely-chewing through actuator and 'bone' with repeated strikes.

The Black Lanner was almost upon her, just the other side of the Charleton Feed and Co-Op, as the Cougar Pilot announced his defeat-the fall had finished what she'd started in the parking-lot, cracking the torus of his engine and leaving his 'mech in shattered shambles.

Evelyn backed into the overgrown wood-patch that used to be Broward Park, and let her heat-sinks do their job as the second Warrior slipped through an alley, swift and sure of his prey, but not cocky like the light pilot had been.

She sidled to the edge of a hillock capped by an abandoned home, and lowered down to a squat behind a pair of overturned semis.

The Lanner was using his on-board milimeter-wave and active thermals, sweeping for her trail.
He found it, and she held position as the thermal guage dropped down into the green again.

He stopped, and waited for her.  "I am no Fledgeling to be lured into an ambush, Evelyn Mosovich."  She intoned on the common channel, "Come out and face your fate."

"Normally, I would bait you 'till you were in a froth." Evelyn replied, "Try to mess with your head..."  she stood her 'mech up, and walked out, "...but I SAW you fight-too cool for that..."

She stomped the jump-pedals and angled left and cockeyed, putting her landing in the overgrown front-yard area of a former apartment complex, close enough that the Clan pilot would have an easy shot as she crossed the street, torso facing right and raking with four Lasers from each arm.

Miraculously, the Lanner missed her shots-or so Evvy thought, until an alert light and burning smell told her she now had a jump-range only eighty percent what she'd had before.
The fight with the Cougar had been a classroom exercise, the fight with the Lanner was more of a frantic dance, terrain blurred and motions whirled, armour sheathed off in multiton chunks, damage alerts blinked and blazed and her cockpit filled with the stink of burning insulation and the waves of oppressive, confusing heat.
At some point, the Lanner pilot signalled defeat, but the dance continued as the third member of the point, in a fresh, undamaged 'mech, had homed in, ready to take it up.

This third warrior's battle was almost anticlimactic-Evelyn's depleted right-hand laser battery scored twice on his cockpit in the first go-and he signalled his defeat almost immediately-a move that probably saved his life.
She was tired, and the fury was upon her...she turned to seek out the next enemy without stopping, something was crackling on the radio...
"Cease FIRE CEASE FIRE GOD DAMMIT!!!"  Somehow, it sank in...

Evelyn stopped.

"Star Colonel Binetti wants a word with you, General, and Medical wants a look at that Lanner pilot-what in the fuck were you thinking?"
"Wha-?" she struggled the rage down.
"I want to face her...undamaged."  Binetti's voice echoed over the channel, "I also want to make sure this trial did not...exceed the parameters?"
Tech-Trucks rolled onto the field, along with a medevac bird, and Evelyn realized she needed to step out of the cockpit.
"Star Captain Alice Will recover." Brian Pryde was saying, as medtechs checked Evelyn over.
"Um...did I do that?" she asked, noting that the Lanner pilot was being loaded on a gurney.
"THAT is not the problem.  Did you bother to look at your cockpit?" Pryde asked.
Evelyn looked at Fugly, her 'mech.  The Windscreen was shattered, and she realized that it wasn't just sweat making her shorts wet. "I did not even notice." she said, wonderingly.
Nadia Binetti strode up with two medtechs in tow, "Are you fit?" she demanded-adding, "Are you Insane?  You should have called a stop six minutes ago!"
"I can pilot." Evelyn said, Adding, "I can fight."

"Aff, you can fight-but your 'mech is a wreck." Binetti said, "You have proven a Warrior, the Trial for your Rank-for command of Alpha Galaxy, can Wait until proper Clan Medical personnel have certified you fully fit, and a tech-team has...restored...your machine to some resemblance of working order."  she pointedly strode to Fugly's left foot, and kicked it with her boot, "To fight this...thing with any honour at all, I would have to inactivate most of my weapons systems, and cripple my OWN machine."

A sting announced the medtechs pulling pieces of ferroglas from her shoulders.  Evelyn realized it was just a sting. she felt slightly queasy, as they plinked the pieces of her cockpit into a tray.  "I think I need to sit down." she said quietly.

"I think that would be a superb idea." Binetti commented acidly, "Preferably before you fall down, from lost blood."

[Cannonshop]

Ellenberg's bar and grill, just outside Camp Pullman in Hempsted, Arluna...

"...so, let me get this straight-the whole reason behind Omnimechs, is to make the most efficient use of your logistical tail, right? Maximize the usefulness of every tonne of supplies, by having one machine that can be reconfigured to do many jobs-about right?"  Eddie Vanh had been at Camp Pullman for the last two months, and drinking with Lenora "Lenny" Chao for the last month and a half-two Kowloonese vets among a sea of 'round eye' recruits.

"Yeah, that's the theory, anyway-faster repair and refit with swappable pods, and fewer chassis types to customize for service." Lenny said.  She'd been with him on his CQB team in school, but she'd managed to get into a tech programme, while he'd gone leg-infantry instead.

"So...if it's so great, why all the chassis designs?" He asked, "Serious, Lenny-it'd be more efficient to settle into one omni chassis for each weight class or speed range, then work your field tactics around that, wouldn't it?"

Lenny shrugged, "Probably-I'm not officer material like you are, Ed-I figure they just came to the conclusion that it's better to solve tactical problems with new designs-most of the OC's you've told me about don't sound all that smart...maybe it's easier to teach physical operator skills, than tactical sense."

Eddie shrugged his own shoulders.  "Seems like the guys we took on the ground at K-Town swamp weren't that sharp, yeah-but..."

"But nothin'." Lenny said, "think about it.  It's what Sophie would call a split between hardware improvement, and software-it's actually EASIER to design custom hardware for some jobs, than to re-write an OS to deal with a new problem-or a rare one.  Maybe why the old Commonwealth fielded a couple hundered designs concurrently for every job...anyway, Check this out."

Lenny handed him an off-print.

"You...what??" he set the paper down, "Lenny, I thought you wanted to go to school, like your sis..."

"My aptitude's okay, but you know what?" Lenny set her cup down, "It is dead boring in a 'mech hangar, and the Egghead Dweebs I deal with treat me like I'm some kinda freak."

"You bench 230 Kilos, Lenny, you ARE a freak." He told her.

"Yeah, and I'm diagnosed dyslexic, so what?  I can do the numbers, I can do the jobs-and they're...like scared of me and shit." Lenny told him, "Doesn't help that I can probably snap AsTech Marten's spine one-handed, or that my PK skills are rated higher than the security element-you know what they had me doing last time we supported a field problem?"

He shook his head, "No."

"They had me on fucking guard duty, sat my ass in a fighting position on the perimeter with the other grunts-if I'm not going to be using my MOS skills, maybe I should change MOS to one that they'll at least let me do the damn job."

"Transfer to OSS is a little nastier than just...doing a job, Lenny." he said seriously, "I mean, hell, I'd be GLAD to have you on a team with me-especially with your tech-aptitudes, but..."

"But nothin', Mouse, it's approved." Lenny told him, "I start Intel classes next week...by the way, how is Sophie doing?"

"Sophie's good-they got her doing NetTek support for Team One." He said, "Some kind of AI system or something, I think. She spends a lot of time in the Capital, I thought she was talking more to YOU...."

"Not a peep, Mouse." Sophie told him, "Weren't you two engaged or something?"

"Um..."

[Cannonshop]

Encampment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Marine Division, "The Pride of Neerabup"...

"General Coombs, the equipment is loaded, we're going to Howick?"  Colonel Sharon Reis asked.

"Not this time, Colonel."  Brigadier General Abby Coombs replied, "The target list has changed, I want all Regimental and below commands to conduct long-term shipboard PT, and supplements handed out to deal with Hodgeheffor's Fever and a scurvy prevention plan, also start feeding in Potassium supplements in the unit meals."

"Sounds like..." Reis started, but Abby held up her hand cautiously.

"Classified, I want those PT schedules set up for One point one two G's." she said, "We're going to a 'Heavy world'."

"But classified.  Aye Aye Ma'am."

[Cannonshop]

Assembly Building, Kowloon...

"So...why?"  Speaker Charles Vanh asked, "Hiring Mercenaries?"

Kelli White seemed to uncoil in the witness box.  "Because the Children's interests MUST be protected." she said simply, "The Constitution of the Union allows worlds to see to their own defense, and civilians to see to theirs, but you and I both know that emergency provisions have made local army recruitment a matter of waiting for terms to end in the Marines and Navy-our best people are in National service, there are foreign influences here in the Kowloon system, including Clan facilities with Clan garrisons, the Children are the Heirs of Elizabeth Ngo, Ngo Industries is part of that legacy.  I am damned if I will see their inheritence diminished before they have had a chance to know what that is...and they need more protection than the Coast Guard, competent as they are, can adequately provide."  she stood and leaned on the podium section, examining the rest of the Planetary Assembly, "Coast Guard is here for all the people, I feel, and the Board agrees with me, that Amanda and Joshua need dedicated protectors, and that the Public need not have their needs overlooked to provide it."

"They're Mercs, Kelli."  Lin Trau (Dong Ha 3rd District) commented, "Their loyalties can be bought."

"Indeed." Kelli said, "There is little more reliable than a man whose loyalty can be purchased for a set price in cold, hard cash."  she smiled, "Besides, these are Wolf's Dragoons-there is a blood tie, one that I, and the Corporate Board, feel may prove to be of significance."

[Cannonshop]

Boojum Belt, Kowloon system...

"...the physical structure's not that tough to work out-they had O'Neill cylinders in the Terran system before Kearney-Fuchida's invention opened the nearer stars."  Dr. Anh Trung Cu'ong noted,  "the structure itself won't be too tough to work out-the hard part, is going to be financing the imports to make it viable."

"Imports?"  Admiral Alicia Li looked doubtful,  "What are we talking about here?"

"well, these specs give us a central cylinder with one gee at 'ground' level. most of the food plants used in the smaller habs are adapted to lower gee or nullgee environments, not suited to growth in a full one gravity  environment, but we're going to NEED lots of green plants to scrub CO² and help with water and waste processing-that means imported seed stocks, processed soils because most of available stuff is not adapted to hydroponic systems, and probably some specialized rare earths and compounds that cost more to make, than to ship...and we're going to need fauna-forms as well as flora.  Insects, animals, fish-all of those shipped in live, unless someone has an 'iron womb' system for veterinary use."

Kelli Fitz, who'd been listening to the discussion in silence, spoke up, "Financing will be found, Doctor.  Just get the engineering done and work out your get-list."  she said,  "And do NOT forget the reason for this project.  The Hab must be capable of full self-sufficiency."

"What of defenses?" Li interrupted.

"What of them?" Kelli asked, "Castles, even in the sky, are a poor choice to protect anything but themselves-and even the strongest stations, Bastions, for instance, aren't defensible in the event of a dedicated seige with blockades and warships-the Hab's defense is obscurity, and the Belters...ask Colonel Pham about defenses."

"Colonel Pham?" Li turned to the Rockjack born Marine, floating inverted above the strapped-down flatlanders.

"Space is three dimensional." Giao Pham said, "Movement in space is three dimensional-until you get to seigeing a planet-the gravity well provides a 'floor' that allows the kind of two-dimensional thinking that prevails-review the engagements recently-fleets array as if they were fighter squadrons, they secure the jump-points as if they were doorways or hatches in a bubble, and they rely on very two-dimensional encirclements-like fighters flying in atmosphere.  Smugglers know it, that's how come we've been able to get word through from Ender's Cluster and NIOPS, it's how we've kept contact with rockjack warrens in Adderspace, and it is why the guests have been able to come un-hindered here with their offer."

she sighed, "to englobe-which is what an attacker seeking to take the station intact would have to do, they'd have to spread thin-to avoid spreading thin, they'll have to destroy the station's usefulness.  Boarding actions are still a problem, but they're not insurmountable-flatlander marines with enough training and proper equipment can do THAT job while the Rockjacks hammer at their ships from outside, or cut them off.  It's all-or-nothing with a Hab that big-you either commit everything you have to taking it, or you don't take it intact. It ain't intact, it ain't useful to take."

"Are you assigning Her to oversee the station's defense, then?" Kelli asked Li, pointedly.

"Nope." Giao interjected, "Not me.  I already have a job to do...out past the Edge, I'm just the consultant on this."

[Cannonshop]

MacAulliffe Farm...

"Oh, bloody, bloody hell." Gloria Amherst hadn't always been a secretary,  "You're not suffering food poisoning, you bloody wretch."  she carped, "And it is no snacks bloating your belly, either-you need to see a doctor."

Debbie lifted her face from the bowl of the toilet.  "What??"

"You're like t'be Pregnant, Your Grace."  Gloria told her, "Probably that Clanner you were snogging two months ago-and you know their ways as well as I...the only question is if you'll carry his unacknowledged bastard to term, or terminate the pregnancy before the crows in the press get ahold of it."

[Marlin]

15th July 3070
Arluna Zenith

Once more a JumpShip arrived, radiating the IFF of Clan Ice Hellion. Quite routinedly, the arrival of a new Transport was announced.

Four Dropships of various sizes moved down to their designated landing Zone, as was done several times now before. Onboard of one of them: Star Captain Charlotte. Her attractive features (for her age) now showed the remnants of a cut, hidden by a barely needed patch. In a few days even that would be gone. 'Right on time.', she thought. One of her subordinates had really had the nerve to challenge her authority. As a Warrior, only one answer could be given. He would now serve as Militia in the First Volunteers, when he was fully healed, that is. His stubbornness made some broken bones inevitable. And then he would serve within a unit comprised solely of Freebirths of the Inner Sphere. Charlotte grinned wildly at the thought.

But only for a short time. That was past. What she was looking forward to was to meet Ezra again. Somehow she felt attached to that old fellow, she could not help it.   

[Cannonshop]

Oxford Port, Everglades Continent, Arluna...

"...business first." Miranda Ortega said, "We're here to pick up indentures for the Decius plantations-standard five year contract, entry level for about ten percent.  I need anyone familiar with heavy ag equip or anyone with gardening skills for a five year contract."

Governor Laura Gaumond rolled her eyes, "Good luck with this lot-the Hellions are sending mostly city-folks." she nodded at the intake lists, "You've paid Reg bond on those?"

Miranda nodded, "I have-just let the sorting crew know I'm looking."

"Decius is a big operation." Laura noted.

[Cannonshop]

Sand Field, Neerabup...

Charles Vanh was Kowloonese, and had those values even when he had served the House of Steiner.  "Amaris and Kerensky both left a litter of castles in hopes of securing their gains." he said sourly, "you can find most of them-they're the lump of rock in the middle of radioactive wastes that were once fertile lands.  Most of them didn't survive being blown apart by one side, or the other.  Walls won't keep bandit raids out."

"It isn't about Walls, Minister."  Wilson Oates highlit the map, "It's about Ports.  It's about jumping-off points for extending trade beyond our borders, and it's about living space-every year, the damage from the Plague grows smaller, and the population's going to rise-everywhere, especially now that we're not paying crushing tribute to Steiner-Davions, while being ground under their arbitrary laws and having our best and brightest funnelled away from us."

Oates was new to the job-Sanborn Cristoph, Duke of Neerabup, had died childless and without heir, the locals had taken that as a sign to raise a man in his stead...an engineer, instead of a warrior, who'd managed to feed his people while his Lord huddled in a well-appointed hospital, fretting over infections of the imagination.

"I don't know, Wil, the Congress has to decide to allocate the funding." Charles said, "and Archduchess Debra has to approve it....and that's assuming we have the technologies available to build it."

"the tech is old, hell, most of it is so old the patents lapsed even out in the deep periph, you're more worried about whether it will draw from the Arms budgets-the Factories and Yards we need to make this plan a reality will provide all the Bonds you need for the Arms budgets, PLUS more."  Wilson said, "People need work." he added.

"That they do." Charles nodded, "I'll take it before the Congress, and I'll sponsor it to Debra Myself."

"She listens to you-that's good." Wilson said.

"Maybe not so good, if she likes it, she might hand it over to her pet bird." Charles said, "Then we'll be paying them for the Phones, AND for your...tower."

Wilson shook his head, "You know better than that, Chuck-Falconbank wouldn't turn loose with those funds unless they saw an overwhelming advantage for their Warrior Caste in it."

[Cannonshop]

Corporate Offices, Weyland-Yutani Group, Queensland-on-the-Rio, Australia, UIW

"...as you can see, business is rapidly returning to profitablility, Our firm is different from most-we present new investors with a range of services, including primary resource exploration, heavy logistics, and brokered security services to meet needs both large, and small..."  the vid ran on for a while, and then the lights came up in the room.

"So, what do you think?" Gwynn Weyland asked, as the gathered businessmen blinked in the light, "A good pitch?"

"I'm interested in the choice of a second name-what does Yutani mean?"  Alice Lourde asked, "i seem to recall something about a 'yutani' corporation in a holovid-was it 'Planet of the Dead Part Four'?"

Gwynn laughed and nodded, "It is-I thought tying to a fictional entity might help with name recognition, especially as we're a brokerage for high-risk, low-margin operations like interstellar exploration, long-range trade missions, and, of course, brokering security contracts as a provider-we've got the Supply contract for the Inarcs Jaegers' mission on Solaris."

"Won't that cause copyright infringement problems?" Derrik Forza (Ambion Manufacturing) asked.

"Unlikely-the Lyran Commonwealth is a dead entity, and we're a live company rather than a fictional construct-I doubt Preston Distributing or Donegal Pictures LLC are going to file a suit when they're getting free advert from our just being here." Gwynn told them.

[Cannonshop]

Gravesite 415, Winter...

The sound of the earth-movers shook frigid air in the pre-dawn light of winter's weak, faded white-dwarf sun. Nguoc Iris tugged at her gloves, and put Slugger Two in motion, pushing frozen, stone-like permafrost earth away from the burn pit, while the trucks waited.

If Arluna's experience had been savage, at least the climate had enough activity for the environment to consume the corpses.

The comms channel crackled, Winter's peculiar atmospherics made even two-cell short wave comms into DX'ing rigs.
"Coast Guard Fifteen Slugger, this is Meatrack, how long are you guys going to take on this?"   the voice belonged to a bored Norton Baelsh, owner of Winter's largest trucking firm.

"It will take as long as it takes." she snapped back, "Your men are paid by the HOUR, not the load, I don't see your hurry, after all, your passengers sure as fuck aren't in any condition to bitch about the wait."

The permafrost rumbled against the dozer blades, breaking in huge blocks against the advanced cutting edge and heated surface.

She knew what the hurry was, with the reopening of the Tannerdale Mineral Processors, every day that Norton and his men spent hauling bodies out of empty arcologies was another day they COULD have spent doing lucrative work for the massive ore-processing plants...at nearly twice the take.

Not even crows... she mused.  Winter's ice-age, unlike Tharkad's, would never end.  This world's sun was fading...someday, it won't even be habitable near the core here.