Audio Log File #75944-Rho

Nikola Kardos: So where do you want to start?

Velkon Dumeitscu: I would like to know how you knew about my men and I. We really did not expect to be rescued at all, or that anyone would even know about what was happening. I know that (Star Colonel) Tutola wanted to keep all that quiet as to not shatter the unit’s already fragile morale.

Kardos: We intercepted Wolf communications during a recon raid on a Wolf supply depot. It took us a bit to fish through the files, but once we found the message about you and your men, I figured that it would be worth out while to extract you.

Dumeitscu: And for that, I thank you. While i did not want to be locked up, the more I look at it, the more likely my being locked up was.

Kardos: So I’d like to know the string of events that led to you and your men being locked up.

Audio Log File #75921-Rho

Voice [Male, 40s, no discernible accent, likely native English speaker]: Thank you for making the time to meet me, Captain Dae-Hoon.

Jun Dae-Hoon: “Captain” is a bit of a cruel title. Right now I am simply an unemployed mercenary.

Voice: Which is why I am glad that you chose to meet me, as I’m hoping that I can rectify that situation. I’ve been looking at your career record and I think that you have a lot ot offer.

Dae-Hoon: Such as?

Voice: You’re an experienced soldier, for starters. You’re listed as an elite-rated artillery gunner with over twenty years battlefield experience with a variety of different weapons systems and platforms. That alone would be a desirable trait.

Dae-Hoon: What else do they say about me?

Audio Log File #75892-Rho

(Once again, I only got half the conversation. Right now, Sharkey's so on edge that he's not going to let anyone near his stuff, so I can't see that changing any time soon. I can only imagine what your boys are up to there. Whatever it is, though, they have him scared and angry - K)

(Understandable. I'm beginning to think that Sharkey has reached the end of his usable life anyway, however I will leave that to your discretion. In the meantime, thank you again for bringing this to me)

Sharkey: I've had another incident, and it was the same pair of fraggers as last time. I tell you, somebody is out to get me. No, I'm not being paranoid. I'll tell you what happened; they stole all the info from my computer and they used it to find my assets. And now they're moving in on me.

(Inaudible)

Sharkey: One of my men got a good look at them, and it was the same pair as last time. Yeah, the moustache guy and the Cappie criminal. No, I got no idea who they work for, as I've never heard of them before. I don’t think it's that bastard Kaine, though. If he wanted me out of the way, he'd have just marched his 'Mech up to my place and flattened it.

Audio Log File #75891-Rho

(A technical failure meant we only got half of this conversation. The lack of communications infrastructure on this miserable rock is to blame. I added a few annotations where needed - K)

(Thank you for this. It is relevant to our case no less. I’ve added a few notes of my own)

Sharkey: As near as I can tell, there were two of them. My men are still trying to figure out how they got into the mansion grounds, given that they didn’t actually cut through the fences or disable the cameras. When I find out what was the problem, I’m going to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.

(Inaudible)

Sharkey: You’re right there. Somebody’s going to get his hand fed to a dogodile over this, mark my words. (Dogodiles are a reptile native to Andiron that. They have a vicious bite, and can be tamed and used as guard animals - K)

Audio Log File #75887-Rho

Major Irisz Magyari: So tell me exactly what happened. Don't leave anything out.

Corporal Martin Levesque: I... I'm not in any trouble, am I?

Magyari: I just need to know what happened, that's all. These are my - our people we're talking about  here. I need to know as much as I can.

Levesque: Okay. [Deep breath] M... I was escorting Chief Technician Stanley and her crew back from the Union she was stripping down. My Centurion was leading the column, with her Savior right behind me and a couple more trucks behind that. They were all loaded down with parts taken from the ship.

Magyari: As was your assigned duty, yes.

Audio Log File #75819-Rho

Voice 1 [Female; 50s; accent suggests Capellan March or Taurian]: So following up from your last report, there's something that caught my eye, and I'd like to know more about it.

Voice 2 [Male; 40s; no discernable accent, native English speaker]: Go on.

Voice 1: You said that Magyari's date was from another Merc unit. I wanted to know more about that; who they were, who they're with and the like.

Voice 2: I figured you would, actually. I have a few things for already.

Voice 1: Such as?

Voice 2: As mentioned, the mystery date was Terry McKinnon, the possible heir to McKinnon's Marauders. It's complicated, but I can give you the short version of it.

Voice 1: I'm listening. Give me what you have, already

Mastrovika Interrogation Log 58391-45

Voice: This is the interrogation of Servitor Yee Kang regarding the disposition of Sang-Wei Lo Biao-McTavish. Servitor Kang was recovered from a Diolong SUV along with the body of San-ben-bing George Paulos near the ruins of a factory identified on historical records as HildCo Annex #3. [Pause] Servitor Kang, explain in your own words what happened.

Kang: You have to understand, none of this is my fault. I was merely following Sang-Wei Baio-McTavish’s orders

Voice: Of course; he is one of the Barduc, and it is your duty to serve him. What I wish to know is what happened to him.

Kang: Very well. Some time after arriving on Fletcher, Sang-Wei Biao-McTavish discovered the presence of an illegal underground BattleMech dueling competition. He took it upon himself to enter this contest, apparently as a way of proving the superiority of the Cappellan Janishi over all others.

Voice: Of course.

Maskirovika Recording Log 58389-29

Voice 1: So explain to me what exactly happened last night.

Voice 2: We had two new recruits to the fight, for starters.

Voice 1: Explain in detail.

Voice 2: The first was a prospect that Ivar (Analysis: Ivar Wolf, former Steel Wolf member. File attached) had bought in; Casual Metworst. The guy checked out, and had ‘Mehc experience even if he had no ‘Mech of his own. Metworst also came in with an associate, Bruce Wolf who was another former Steel Wolf he identified as being Bruce Wolf. Only Metworst was entering as a competitor.

Voice 1: What was Bruce there for?

Voice 2: Bruce was apparently Metworst’s contact with Ivar, and his ‘in’

Voice 1: I see. And the other prospect?

Voice 2: Another one of Ivar’s finds. Haaki Aardvarkssen, a merc who had been stranded on planet when the Cappies took over. He had stashed his Axman some time back, but was short on funds to look after it. So Ivar offered him a way to use his ‘Mech as an incentive.

Voice 1: Do you think either of them were behind what happened?

Voice 2: Given that they were both occupied, I doubt it.

MI3 communications intercept FLETCHER-8543/21-K

To: Ying-zhang Leon Savage; 1st Liao Guards

From: Si-ben-bing Tu Xiasheng

Subject: Incident at Supply Depot 48-Bravo

I apologise in advance for the delay in presenting this report. As you will understand after reading it, there are reasons for this lack of punctuality.

At 0843 hours this morning, a lance of BattleMechs from an as yet unidentified force dropped onto Supply Depot 48-Bravo. While we had some warning from space traffic control, their use of a pirate jump point and the daring nature of their assault gave us little time to prepare. Rather, the enemy forces brazenly used the very depot we were tasked with defending against us, taking cover behind the buildings only to open fire on them when circumstances favored it.

Message Tap File #75298-Rho

Your timing is perfect. The target unit arrived back on world only a couple of days after you left, and they’ve since taken off again. I’m sending you this little message to let you know what happened while they were here.

First things first; they got back from their last contract with relatively light casualties. I did observe Primary Target in the hiring halls shopping around for new recruits. They did pick up one that I tailed a bit to get some info on, but they did seem rather elusive and, more to the point, sharp-eyed. I had to drop back for fear that they might have made me, but I will investigate further.

More importantly, Primary Target also went searching for contracts with very little downtime. They picked up one, which I was able to wrangle some information about. It’s a raiding contract for the AFFS, targeting Fletcher. Apparently, the goal is to get set-up on world and then go to ground, while doing their best to harass the CCAF forces on-world. They want to tie them down, keep them busy and prevent them from being able to attack the FedSuns some more.

Audio Log File #75267-Rho

Major Irisz Magyari: So they’re off?

Nikola Kardos: Apparently so. Air defence command tracked the launch of a single dropship from somewhere north of us, headed into space. While there was no solid ID on it, given the timing I think it’s safe to assume that was Carson.

Magyari: Agreed. It’s also what I would have done if I was in his position. He got to leave with most of his unit intact before he was at the devastating, unrecoverable losses stage. And I have no doubt that he pillaged as many of their supply caches as he could find before he left as well. Again, what I’d do.

Kardos: Speaking of, Stanley had a look at the cache we found his men at. It’s the same stuff; high-quality parts of standard manufacture. And while most of it was your normal, open-market stuff, there was a quantity of the mysterious ‘OB1/OB3’ stuff there as well.

Magyari: Interesting. We’ll have to look into that further, but for now I think we should focus on more pressing matters.

LIC Interogation Log 6442-8-A/Kamenez

Leftenant Sofia Cruz, LIC: Let’s be straight here. We both know why you're here, so let’s not mess around by pretending to be nice to each other and get straight to the point.

Lieutenant Bruno Kazan, Liberty City Royals: Fine by me, sweet cheeks. These things get boring fast anyway.

Cruz: Kazan, we want to know why your unit turned on its employers. We want to know if you are in league with the rebels and, if so, how they made contact with you.

Kazan: Well let me see, babe. First up, I think it’s kind of obvious why we switched sides. We wanted to be onto a winning thing, and you Elises aren’t exactly it at the moment. You nearly lost Hesperus. You nearly lost Tharkad and you still have two clans in spitting distance of it.

Cruz: That's not exactly relevant

Kazan: Tell you what, why don't you move the capitol back to Arcturus? Oh wait, you lost that too.

LIC Communications Intercept 6439-3-B/Kamenez

WLF-2H Wolfhound, Carson's Carnivores

Carson: What the hell was that, Major?

Isling: That was a minor setback, admittedly. Things didn't go entirely to plan.

Carson: 'Minor setback' is a nice way of putting it. I lost another one of my already scarce supply of 'Mechs. You lost two tanks and your second. And we got nothing for it beyond beating up a couple of 'Mechs in reply. That's not a 'minor' setback. That's a grade A screw-up.

Isling: Captain Craswell's [EDITOR'S NOTE: Captain Marlene Craswell; see attached dossier] death was unfortunate, yes. However, at the same time, It would be easy to say that my men aren't to blame. Your 'Mechs didn't exactly put up much of a fight either.

Carson: I had a Recon Lance going up against an assault one. What were they meant to do? The heaviest of mine matched the lightest of theirs, and it's not like either of us could have matched that Akuma.

LIC Communications Intercept 6422-543-B/Kamenez

Voice 1 [Major Conner Carson, 98% match]: All units, pull back. We're abandoning the spaceport.

Voice 2 Colonel Helga Strakken, 93% match]: Nein, Major! I forbid you to abandon the port! It is vital to us!

Carson: Listen lady-

Strakken: Colonel!

Carson: Colonel lady, in case you didn't notice, we're getting hammered out there. My men are dying and so are yours. We've lost four 'Mechs and you're down at least a dozen tanks, if not more? We've hammered a few 'Mechs and have one of them down-

Communications Tap File #75228-Rho (extract)

Galatea City, Galatea; 1015 hr

Voice 1 [Male; 40s; no discernable accent, native English speaker]: I’m trailing the Snake [NOTE: Takahashi Oda] now.

Voice 2 [Female; 50s; accent suggests Capellan March or Taurian]: Well keep on him then. I want to know what they’re up to.

Voice 1: Find weaknesses, know your enemies and all that. I know. It’s what you pay me for.

Hamilton Planetary Guard prisoner interrogation log (extract)

Agent Kryztov Hussan (Hamilton Planetary Guard): Let’s be honest here, mister Nurzal. Those alarms? That was a group of your QLF ‘comrades’ trying to get in here to kill you. Not extract, kill.

Biebol Nurzal (QLF):  You’re bluffing.

Hussan: Am I? You’re a self-proclaimed cell leader, Biebol. You should know that you’re too valuable to be left in our custody. And you should know that it’s a lot easier to leave a dead body then to try to smuggle out a wounded man, especially in the middle of a gunfight.

[Pause]

Hussan: Now your associates weren’t very successful. Two of them are dead, and we have three more in custody. They might be willing to talk, especially as they saw one of theirs chopped in half with a Vibrokatana. That sort of thing can loosen a few tongues.

[Pause]

Hussan: And if they give us something useful, well, that means you’re less valuable to us. That mean we’ll downgrade your protection, which means that you’ll be more accessible to your QLF ‘friends’. Now as touching as a reunion might be, I suspect you don’t want that.

Audio Log File #75213-Rho

Major Irisz Magyari: I can guess why you asked to see me.

Commander Roxana Zaryos: I think we both can agree that we should be honest with each other here. After what’s happened in the last few days, I can’t see anything that will be gained by doing otherwise, and I certainly think that we both want the same things here.

Magyari: Given what my men discovered, I can agree entirely. Commander Zaryos, I’m not the sort of mercenary who’s going to rigidly stick to a contract and not deviate from it an inch, and I’m not going to sit idly by and do nothing because it’s not what I’m being paid for. What the QLF showed was a capacity to do a lot more than we had anticipated, and I want to prevent that from happening.

Zaryos: Understood and appreciated, Major. However, I would like a full accounting of exactly what happened today.

Magyari: As long as nothing I say goes beyond this room, and there are no repercussions on my men. I take full responsibility for their actions.

Zaryos: Entirely fair. Of course, right now, punishing them is the last thing on my mind. My people have been hamstrung by integration into the League, and SAFE oversight is strangling a lot of our efforts to infiltrate and gather information on the QLF. They achiever a massive breakthrough. I still need to know how they did it.