Newcastle Chasseurs

MRBC Update 01-01-3138

Background

The Newcastle Chasseurs were originally a private unit in the service of the Dijeh family, hereditary nobles from the Free Worlds League world of Newcastle. Largely a ceremonial command, the force had seen very little actual combat for much of its existence. It was only during the Jihad that the Chasseurs were actually called upon to defend the Dijeh family's lands against raids by forces opposed to the pro-Word of Blake FLW government.

When the Principality of Regulus 'liberated' Newcastle from Word control near the end of the Jihad, the Dijeh family chose to stay out of the fighting. While this spared their lands and forces from destruction at the hands of Regulan troops (and the WMDs they liberally employed during their invasion), the family found themselves at odds with the new order. Tried as Word collaborators, the family was stripped of its title and lands.

From the personal journal of Irisz Magyari

When we took the contract with the FWLM to wipe out the Sanguine Reapers, I was hoping for a quick and easy job. In an ideal world, we'd be able to hit Andiron, eliminate the Reapers on the ground and then be off in a day or two. Clearly I was being incredible naive.

Getting out here was easy enough, and we made planetfall without opposition. Our forward base is inside an abandoned industrial complex, which provides both a solid landing field for our dropships as well as allowing us to fortify the remaining buildings to add an extra layer of protection. That much went well, but it would be about the only thing that actually wound up going to plan.

Once we were down, our recon forces worked with the intel provided to us by the Eagles as well as Nikola's own research to scope out several locations where we believed the Reapers were based. From that, we found two probable locations based on both their location and some activity that we were able to discretely observe.

Suspected pirate hideouts - Perdition Sea

I found a bit on one of the Sanguine Reapers' suspected hideouts. It may not be much, and it's more then a decade out of date, but it's still better than nothing. Every little bit helps, after all.

The Perdition Sea was a large inland sea located in Andiron’s northern hemisphere. Like much of the planet's water, it was heavy with minerals and other contaminants, and was only suitable for human consumption with purification and treatment. During the Star League era, this was done with extensive purification facilities, but those quickly succumbed following the fall of the League.

Conversely, the fish and other sea life found within it were actually suited to human consumption, even if they usually had a bitter, salty taste to them. Fish farming became a major source of protein for the planet's population, especially after the fall of the League and the world’s abandonment by the Lyrans left it cut off. Extensive fisheries grew up around the Perdition seas' shores, enabling the planet's diminished population some degree of sustainability.

From Randy's production notes

Things we know about the mysterious "Ronnie"

• Early-mid 20s
• We have seen him in Tharonja's twice
• First time he was arguing with a red-haired woman. She left and he had a sulk
• Second time was when he was trying to recruit Ivar (of all people). Ransom headhunted Ivar out from under him and he had a sulk
• Comes in to Tharonja's either with others (his lance/other members of his unit) or to try and recruit people

Sanguine Reapers

RAF Update 01-01-3145

Background

Once a part of the now-defunct Circrinus Federation, Andiron was apparently attacked by the Word of Blake, supposedly their allies, at the end of the Jihad. The attacks shattered the world's infrastructure, leading to a collapse of its central government. Combined with the destruction of the Federation, Andiron collapsed into a near-lawless state, becoming a haven for pirates and other outlaws.

The Sanguine Reapers are one such group, albeit one of the larger and better-armed ones. Born out of a mixture of natives, failed mercenaries, renegades and other such groups, the Reapers have been a constant threat to nearby worlds for over fifteen years now. Equipped with a mixture of BattleMechs and conventional vehicles, many of which are salvaged from the ruined Federation or possibly even Blakeist stockpiles, the Reapers are a constant threat.

Andiron (A brief history)

From Periphery Atlas, 3140 Edition; Galatea Free Press

Helbrent was first colonised during the Age of War, and became a part of the Rim Worlds Republic's Timbuktu Province, at the outer reaches of that nation. A hot, dry world, the planet was dominated by a single supercontinent separated by a number of large, shallow seas. Much of its water supply was tainted, containing trace elements or high salinity that made it unfit for human consumption, forcing the world to rely on both Water Purifiers and supplies imported from nearby worlds.

In spite of this, the planet flourished, possibly due to its strategic position at the outer reaches of the Republic close to both the Free Worlds League and Lyran Commonwealth. During the Reunification war, the World was one of those that was loyal to the Amaris family, but no less was subject to pacification by the Star League Defense Forces as a part of their campaign to restore the government. Despite this, the damage to the world itself was minimal, and it was restored to the Republic following the war's end.