Part 354: Combat Theater Vote 13 Results

Combat Theater Vote 14 Results

Duncan Marik’s Knights of the Inner Sphere prepare to engage in Hastilude with Clan forces! (40 votes)
Operation: Malvoisine has begun! (27 votes)
The Bounty Hunter and his Schlangenjäger were not able to take a Clan `Mech intact. He’ll have to make another attempt soon! (12 votes)
The Sirdar DMS crack Under Pressure. Do the scattered survivors even have a chance? (7 votes)



“I must say I approve of your choice in battlefields, but tell me Captain-General Duncan Marik: what is the meaning of this? Your forces are not the ones we agreed upon.”

Duncan’s gold-armored Grand Titan, a machine so new it was still designated “????” by even Dr. Sequord’s battle computer, strode boldly towards the Clan line. She admired his confidence, advancing alone under the guns of five enemy `Mechs was risky business, even if they weren’t likely to attack.

“I am here as an observer only and will withdraw before the fighting begins. I merely wished to explain in person: our Awesome’s computer systems suffered a cascade failure. My technicians assure me it will be repaired within the hour, and will be joining us within the hour. There is no deception at all.”

“I’m afraid that is not true, my liege,” A sharply angled BattleMech rose from a low defile, hidden by the dense stone and iron-rich soil around the ancient impact crater Duncan had chosen to be the battlefield. It was the perfect site for a battle, the local electromagnetic fields would render magnetic resonance virtually useless. Unfortunately, that also made it very easy to hide a BattleMech.

“With any luck, my Awesome will not be joining us at all.”

“Explain this, Varas,” Duncan growled. Even distorted by the radio Fatima could hear the anger in the Captain-General’s voice.

“Of course, my liege; and I apologize for this difficulty. And to our guests: I wish to assure you that the Captain General had no prior knowledge as to what I am about to say.” Varas’s sharply angular `Mech took another few steps forward to rejoin the line of assembled Knights. He began to explain without a moment’s hesitation, “Knights, you know my origin—but our esteemed guests from the Clans do not.”

“The right arm of my `Mech is branded with the colors and symbols of the land of my origin: the Rim Worlds Republic.” Varas raised the `Mech’s right hand, three-fingers flexing to show off the blue coloration. A single talon extended, tapping the shark-like symbol on the `Mech’s right shoulder in a display of flexibility nearly unheard of in a BattleMech. The Clan `Mechs twisted, looking almost discomforted by this revelation—or perhaps they were simply debating an immediate attack.

Varas ignored their reaction and continued, “Duncan Marik is my liege now, and I stand ready to fight and die at his command until I meet my fate in battle or he releases me from service—”

The Grand Titan turned menacingly towards its recalcitrant subordinate. “Which I may do right this instant if you don’t explain yourself to my satisfaction!”

“Of course, my liege. Before I was permitted to leave the Republic, President Amaris himself came to me,” Varas paused for a brief moment. “He told me: Colonel Varas, we have heard rumors of Kerensky’s return. If this is true, they will come here. With luck, by the time they reach us I will have our new capitol on Andurien prepared for the assault—but we know nothing of these “Clans” and I must know how their technology compares to ours. I know your honor has called you to serve in Duncan Marik’s Knights—”

“If he will have me, I interrupted; but Stefan Amaris is not a man to be deterred once he’s set his mind to something. He pressed on: The Clans must cross the League to reach us and that puts our friend Duncan in an unenviable position. This is why I launched such a treacherous a surprise attack against him: to break our bonds of friendship that he will not feel pressured to get his people killed on our behalf. But Duncan Marik is a noble man and I fear nothing will dissuade him from a fight. Colonel Varas, you and those who go with you will likely face these Clans far sooner than any of my own men; and so I will gift you and your people with state-of-the-art BattleMechs. In exchange, you must swear to me upon your honor that: should the opportunity arise, you will face the Clans in a machine of our design.”

“I am no oathbreaker,” The Rim World Knight’s `Mech turned to face Duncan Marik’s Grand Titan, “and I stand ready to face punishment for my deception. This is the most powerful BattleMech at my disposal but the design is unique: the first of its design to leave the Rim Worlds’ production lines. I have no mirror to offer my counterpart.” Varas pointed at the distant, blue-armored Awesome that he was to have faced with an Awesome of his own. “Even if I did, I would prefer to face a machine of Clan design.”

The Republic machine knelt low, its left-arm pulled tight across the chest, the talons of the right hand scraping the ground. It was the very image of Knightly contrition and a position that should have been impossible for a BattleMech to replicate. “I request that my opponent face me in the Clan machine of his choice but, if this is unacceptable to either our Clan guests or to you, my liege, my subordinate Sir Reynolds stands ready in the Awesome that mirrors that of our enemy. Due to a prior oath, my honor will not allow me to face these Clan warriors with anything less than the best machine available to me.”

The Grand Titan shifted uncomfortably, “That doesn’t excuse this, Kemper. You should have discussed this with me.”

“Negotiations would have been complicated. I feared that you would not allow me to fight these Clanners at all,” Kemper’s `Mech stood, its head turning as though regarding the distant Clan `Mechs with the cycloptic medium laser mounted there. “And I wish to face them! I must be allowed to face them!”

“It seems your subordinate warriors are as arrogant as our own,” The Clan `Mechs stood immobile for a few moments, presenting a unified front. With a slow dignity, the blue Clan Awesome strode forward to meet Varas’s demand. “I am Star Captain Torg of Clan Ghost Bear. I was not looking forward to waging battle in this ponderous relic. Your machine is—seventy tons?”

“Yes,” Varas admitted. “You have a good eye.”

“If your Captain-General Duncan Marik permits, I will engage you with my Grizzly.”

“You do not object?” Duncan seemed surprised. Fatima suspected a scathing admonition had been on the tip of his tongue.

Torg laughed, and the other Clanners with him. “For an opportunity to be the first to kill a Rim Worlder in three hundred years? Not at all.”








Unit List




Mechwarriors:
Innerguard
Wales Grey
Raised by Hamsters
SUPER NEAT TOY
Talmonis

Alternates
Arraxis
Fightest
The Gate
Gay Abortions