Ashburton

Star Type (Recharge Time): F8V (179 hours)

Position in system: 3 of 7

Time to jump point: 12 days

Number of Satellites: 6 (Banyule, Boondarra, Manningham, Monash, Stonnington, Whitehorse)

Surface Gravity: 1.08 g

Atmospheric Pressure: Thin (Breathable)

Equatorial Temperature: 32 degrees (Tropical)

Surface Water: 50%

Highest Native Life: Birds

Recharge Station: Zenith

HPG Class: B (Inoperative)

Population (3145): 850,000,000

Socio-Industrial Levels: B-C-B-C-C

Landmasses (Capitol City): Glen Iris, Chadstone and Malvern (Batman)

Ashburton was first identified during the late 23rd century, with initial exploration suggesting that the world possessed a high degree of potential for colonisation. While thin, the atmosphere was still breathable at sea level without the need for life support or sophisticated terraforming. Divided into three continents by relatively small and shallow seas, much of the planet was dominated by open savannahs and dry deserts, tending towards tundra at the poles.

Another factor that drew the attention of colonists were the mountainous regions along the world's equator. Thrown up in the (geologically) relatively recent collision between two subcontinents, the atmosphere around the upper mountains was nominally too thin to support human life. On the other hand, surveys found that they were rich in valuable minerals including precious metals and radioactive. Additional exploration of the world's two largest moons also showed that they were rich in mineral resources, prompting development of lunar mining colonies.

Rather than the thin atmosphere, the greatest challenge that the initial colonisations faced came in the form of the world's native life forms. Several large species of aggressive bird like-predators, both airborne and flightless, existed, which quickly found that both the colonists and their transplanted livestock were easy prey. Creatures like the Direbeak (Superficially resembling a terran Allosaurus), the ominously named Death Razor or the bizarre four-winged Sky Shadow quickly became the bane of colonists, leading to organised hunts and culls. Today many of these species still survive, but their populations and movements are carefully watched.

Despite these setbacks, the colony continued to grow throughout the Age of War, where it was incorporated into the fledgling Free Worlds League. During the Star League, Ashburton's industry and economy grew, allowing it to export consumer goods and electronics to other nearby worlds. Some of it's native wildlife also became prized exports, with the so-called 'dino-birds' becoming star attractions at Zoos across the Inner Sphere. Despite this growth, the planet managed to remain agriculturally self-sufficient, a trait that would help it in the years to come.

The Succession Wars and their accompanying collapse of interstellar trade shattered Ashburton's economy, leading to mass unemployment across the planet. Efforts to retool much of its heavy manufacturing towards military production instead attracted deep raids form the Lyran Commonwealth.

The most disastrous of these came in 2815 when the Savage Horde Regiment, a Lyran employed mercenary command attacked the world. Facing only local militia troops, the Savage Horde ran wild, sacking several cities and destroying two with nuclear weapons while also levelling several weapons plants. Seemingly powerless to stop them, the Ashburton Militia received unexpected assistance when the Savage Horde encampment was over-run by a migratory Death Razor flock; the camp security had paid the creatures no heed, apparently unaware of just how dangerous the local life forms could be. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Ashburton Defence Force were able to move in and force the Savage Horde off-world.

The recovery of the Helm Memory core and the decoding of its secrets helped revitalise the world, especially following Captain-General Thomas Marik's agreement to supply weapons to the Federated Commonwealth. Ashburton found its industry revitalised as the Free Worlds economy surged, both with local manufacture and the export of raw materials. Under the second Star League, trade flourished which further spurred growth in both the military and civilian sectors.

Ashburton was not directly attacked during the Jihad, but did feel its effects. The Wainwright family, who had ruled the planet since the Second Succession War, openly supported the Word of Blake. As interstellar trade again collapsed, the planet's economy suffered as many of its booming industries suddenly collapsed. At the end of the Jihad with the collapse of the Free Worlds League, Ashburton was left as an independent world. The Wainwright family were deposed, with a democratic government installed in their place.

Unfortunately, efforts to revitalise the planet's flagging economy often met with defeat at the hands of that same democracy. With coalition governments being the norm, any attempt to pass a bill had to meet approval from the government’s parties before it could even go to a vote. For example, a bill to support the lucrative safari tourism market was killed by the Ecological Party following claims that Death Razors were actually sensitive creatures that were easily upset by sudden changes. The result was decades of economic stagnation crumbling infrastructure and struggling industries.

During the 3090s, rumours began to circulate that the world was home to fugitive Word of Blake forces. While no solid evidence was ever unearthed, this lead to several exploratory raids by RSMC forces. The Regulans achieved little but to turn over the rubble of ancient cities and damage already weakened industries. In a rare moment of unity, the Ashburton government called for support from the Marik Protectors, which served to discourage further Regulan adventurism.

In 3138, the Progress Party under Prime Minister Bruce McNally won a rare majority government and immediately set to work on a number of key reforms. Possibly the most important was their voting to join Jessica Marik's new Free Worlds League in 3139. This lead to an upturn in the previously moribund economy, and the first signs of real progress in decades. McNally was re-elected in 3142, and is expected to win a third term in 3146. While popular with the electorate, he has a lot of critics among the minor parties (Such as the Ecological Party and the ReMonarchists) who have seen their powerbase eroded.

At present, Ashburton is in an odd situation. It has a large population, a strong resource base and is located in the middle of a Successor State. It is also relatively undeveloped, due to decades of economic mismanagement However, given the precarious situation the Free Worlds League presently finds itself in, the planet's future as potentially bright as it is uncertain.

Magyari's Irregulars' leaders

Sel Magyari

2990-3085
Commander Magyari’s Irregulars 3012-3049

Much of Sel Magyri’s early career is shrouded in mystery, thanks in no part to her own tendency to exaggerate the truth. She somehow managed to become a trained MechWarrior while never attending any formal military schooling, and also having a minor career as a swimsuit model on her homeworld of Lesnovo. At some point she managed to acquire a Thunderbolt from a group of pirates, but her own story of how it happened is doubtless exaggerated.

Shasta

Star type (Recharge time): K3V

Position in system: 2 (of 9)

Number of satellites: 2 (Hestaby, Dunkelzhan)

Surface gravity: 1.02 g

Atmospheric Pressure: Standard (Breathable)

Equatorial Temperature: 40 (Tropical)

Surface water: 70 percent

Recharging station: Zenith

HPG Class: B (Inoperative)

Highest native life: Mammals

Population: 450,000,000 (3145)

Socio-Industrial levels: B-C-B-B-A

Landmasses (Capitol city): Kitanemuk, Miwok, Serrano (Redding),Timbisha,

Shasta was discovered early in the age of exploration, and almost immediately tagged as an ideal location for a colony. Orbiting a small, orange sun, the planet’s position sloe to the primary meant that it was blessed with Earth-like conditions and an abundance of native flora and fauna. Much of the planet’s four major continents were covered in thick forests, most notably the dense interior jungles. Save for the equatorial deserts of the largest continent (Later named Serrano), the world seemed ripe for human habitation.

The biggest obstacle to colonization was not a problem with the planet itself, but with its local life forms. Several aggressive species called Shasta home, most notably the Skatha Ape. While largely confined to the planet’s thick jungles, this six-armed primate monstrosity proved to be a hazard for early explorers. Even after several early programs to push them back, populations of Skatha Apes still dwell in the Mendoza Jungle Reserve, and are considered to be a hazard for the unwary traveler. Such hazards did, however, help slow development, leaving many of the planet’s forested areas still untouched.

Channel 9 Victoria Internal Memo

From: Roger Woodward

To: Frank J. Harris II (Programming Department)

I’ve reviewed the material that Randy R. Georges has been sending to us, both in the form of the raw footage and the edited episodes that he’s pout together. I admit Now that I’m in two minds about it.

On one hand, he’s done a fantastic job with it. He’s put together a strong narrative about this unit and its people and the way they operate. This is done on many levels; from the in the field, moment to moment decisions to the day to day operations and all the way up to the long term strategic operational planning. By picking a command with a long history, he also gives their actions some degree of weight, especially as he’s delved into that past.

Kessler’s Killers

MRBC Update 01-01-3145

History

Kessler’s Killers are in many was representative of the new generation of mercenary commands that sprang up in the aftermath of Grey Monday. The unit’s origins lie with Gregory Kessler, a MechWarrior in the Poznan planetary guard. One of the few MechWarriors in the command, Kessler was a part of those forces struggling to maintain order in the face of the crumbling Republic and rising factionalism and insurgency. With the Liao Incursion of 3134, Kessler decided that the situation was hopeless and opted to desert, taking with him a core of other like-minded soldiers.

Kessler picked up more support from other disenfranchised Republic personnel in the aftermath of Fortress Republic, forming the core of a mercenary command. The formative years of Kessler’s Killers were spent in the Republic Territories, fighting brushfire wars and local conflicts, while doing their best to avoid battles with the encroaching great houses. The command grew primarily from the absorption of remnants of Republic Plenarary Guard units as well as members of failed mercenary commands and even some former pirates.

Cassidy's Crusaders

(From Bullets, Books and Bylines: a blog about mercenary literature; Galatea InfoWeb, 3144)

Cassidy's Crusaders (Volumes I-IV) by Cameron Kennedy et al. Red Tower Books, 3142. Fiction. Will punch you in the gut and make you cry.

Today we're going to be getting a little more visual then normal for something interesting form the fiction bin. Our subject for today is also rather extensive, so I'm not going to be breaking it down into as detailed a summary as I normally do. Or maybe I’m just going to encourage you to read the thing yourself to get all the juicy bits. As always, this is a bit spoiler-riffic, only of the board sweeping plot points. I'm not going to tell you who lives or dies, even if one of those did break my heart.

Okay, preamble aside, our review for today is Cassidy's Crusaders, volumes I-IV, released by the Red Tower Books It's written by Kennedy Cameron and drawn by a variety lfo luminaries including Carlos Espozito, Rick Wallach and the Flanenco brothers (Who may have been more than two and possibly not even brothers). Wait a moment, you say, drawn? What's this? Am I reviewing a comic book?

Andiron Spaceport

(Thought it would be useful to know what we're walking into - NK)

Andiron's first spaceport was built while the planet was a part of the Rim Worlds Republic, then known as Hellbrent. Dating back to the world's colonisation, the port grew slowly over time with the planetary population. It underwent a major expansion during the late 28th century to handle increased traffic by RWA forces, especially after elements of the 6th Republican Guards were stationed to the world. It’s also possible that the world was used as a staging ground for the discrete shuffling of Rim Worlds forces before the coup.

Following the collapse of the Republic, the spaceport fell into disuse and disrepair. Much of its remaining technology was scavenged by the locals to keep more vital life-support infrastructure operational. By the time Andiron was incorporated into the Circrinus Federation, little more than a few gutted buddings and cracked ferrocrete remained. The Federation did little but stabilise the structures, with the facility being used as an occasional staging ground for piracy.

777th Assault Regiment

(You look into one thing and you end up discovering so much more - Irisz)

The 777th Assault Regiment was formed in the aftermath of the Second Succession War, growing out of the shattered remnants of several different mercenary commands. Knowing that their battered units were no longer viable, the commanders of those units came together during a meeting on Galatea in 2865 to discuss their options. All of them agreed that another war was inevitable, and that in order to keep operating during the forthcoming conflict they would need to rebuild their shattered commands.

Those present decided to amalgamate the remnants of their own units into a single command. While the idea was agreed upon by those present, no consensus could be reached as to who should lead them. In the end, in order to break the impasse, command of the unit was determined through a poker game which was eventually won by Bedford O'Toole, formerly of the Kannon Rifles. Taking his luck as a good omen, and noting the generally heavier weight of the equipment he had inherited, O'Toole named the new unit the 777th Assault Regiment.

From the personal journal of Annika Magyari

A couple of ones from my Grandmother's journals that I found interesting, especially given all the edits to one of them - Irisz

3rd February, 3068

I really shouldn't be surprised at what we found. The identity of dad's killers revealed, and it was exactly who we should have expected from day one. If you ever wanted a good example of just how toxic the world of big egos and log memories that is Mercenary culture could be, this is the best proof you'll ever get.

The feud between the Irregulars and Raymond's Roughnecks never really ended. It just went away from time to time, flaring up on those occasions when our units were coincidentally in the same place at the same time. Be it on Galatea or Outreach, it would keep happening. Name calling, deliberate provocation, bar brawls... You name it. All so very petty and banal, but also very much key to the culture. Dad would try to discourage them, of course, but one way or another, these things kept on happening.

The Lords of Pain

The Lords of Pain are a typical example of the sort of small, fringe groups that exist on lawless Periphery worlds such as Andiron. The group has its origins in a chance meeting between two pirates, Wilhelm Paine and Jarred Payne. Wilhelm was a member of a small fringe band that controlled an oasis and the ruined town around it, while Jarred was a member of a failed mercenary unit (Moore's Monsters) that had washed up in the world. Neither of them were strangers to banditry; Wilhelm having grown up in the lifestyle and Jarred having fallen back on it in order to survive. Finally,  both were MechWarriors with access to their own BattleMechs. Finally, the pair if them both fund the coincidences of their names somewhat amusing.

Forging an alliance, Wilhelm and Jarred made their move and deposed the prior leader of Wilhelm's band. His seizure of command was backed up by Jarred, who bought several members of the Monsters with him. The pair of them renamed the band the Lords of Pain after themselves, becoming effective co-leaders of the group.

Maintaining control of a source of clean water, the Lords of Pain raid nearby communities, trade caravans and other desert fringe groups for parts, food and other supplies. However, they are not above also trading when desperate. The band boasts a lance of BattleMechs, most of which are in poor repair and often short of ammunition. These are backed up by a lance of medium vehicles and several platoons of foot infantry, mostly recruited form other desert fringers. A squad of Battle Armour, still a rarity in the periphery, gives them an unexpected sting.

-From The Modern Periphery at a Glance, Galatea Free Press, 3142

New Hades City

I'm trying to find out some more on Andiron and the local situation so we can hunt down the Reapers. It's becoming clear that they're a lot better dug in then we thought, and even locating them is not going to be easy. So every little scrap helps. This is a transcript of a discussion I had with Raoul Fassan, one of the Chasseur's hovertank commanders. He turned out to be very willing to talk and had a lot to say on the subject. I've annotated it where needed - NK

The city... Well crap, let me see. Been a while since I was there. Ray (Major Raymond Terrace - NK) wanted us to keep out of there after the mess we got into when we landed. A few of us headed for the city and that's when we had our first blow-up with the Reapers. Two of us ended up dead and another two were Shanghaied into their ranks. Never saw those poor bastards again either. It's also how they got onto us, and when they started 'suggesting' that we should join them 'for our own good'. Plus with how remote we were, sneaking off wasn't that viable an option. But I hear stories and had a few good leads that kept me in the loop. Helpful to know, 'cause I was hedging my bets against when everything fell apart. I mean, come on, look at us. You know it was inevitable. Only Ray kept saying we were going to get off-world somehow, but I don’t think anyone really believed him.

So there's not much to say about its past. What we've got here is the third version of the city, and it's by far and away the worst. The first version was when this hellhole was Hellbrent - yeah, I know, I figure Hellhole would have been a better name - and a part of the Rim Worlds Republic. The capitol was called Hellsgate because they had a pattern going and so sure, why not?

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.

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.

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.

Theta Galaxy, Wolf Empire

MRBC Report 01-06-3145

The original Wolf Clan Theta Galaxy was one of the casualties of the unknown conflict that cut the Clans off from their homeworlds. Of the Galaxy’s five clusters, all but one of them simply vanished from sight and were not seen after 3068. Their fates, like so many other matters regarding the Clan Homeworlds, remain a mystery to this day. A single cluster, the 13th Wolf Regulars, remained in the Inner Sphere, only to be mauled by the Hells Horses during their war with the Wolves. By 3085, that Cluster had been transferred to Alpha Galaxy (and since disbanded), effectively removing Theta from the Wolves’ rolls.

The new Theta Galaxy was formed in the aftermath of the rise of the Wolf Empire. While named for the older formation, while also keeping its insignia and colours for the sake of continuity, the new Theta was comprised almost entirely of recruits from the former Marik-Stewart Commonwealth . A mixture of civilians and recent recruits from military academies, with a few AMSC veterans among them as well, Theta quickly became the most successful of the newly-raised Wolf Galaxies.

Bad Blood: The Roughneck Chronicles

(From Bullets, Books and Bylines: a blog about mercenary literature; Galatea InfoWeb, 3144)

Bad Blood: The Roughneck Chronicles, by Colin Raymond. Red Letter Press, 3108. 307 pages. Non-Fiction (allegedly)

Probably unsurprisingly, there's plenty of (more or less) autobiographical works by mercenaries who fought in the Jihad. With the near death of the industry in its aftermath, making the most of your experiences and trying to earn a few C-Bills off of it would seem to be a good idea. However, this stuff is almost entirely written from the perspective of those who fought against the Word of Blake and their allies. There's very little written from the other side, largely because those mercenaries in the Word's employ tended to end up dead.

So when I found today's book, I was intrigued. Bad Blood: The Roughneck Chronicles bills itself as 'one Mercenary's harrowing tale of the struggles of the Jihad' and 'offering a unique perspective of the conflict from the point of view of a mercenary employed by the Word of Blake." I must admit that I was immediately lured in by said blurb; the fact that I had never once heard of this book before also caught my attention. Oh, and I also fund it at a flea market in a 'three for a C-Bill' box, so if nothing else, it was cheap.

Barrett's Bushrangers

MRBC Update 01-01-3131

(After we hired Ransom, and with the information you gave me, I decided to do some poking around of my own. Let’s be honest; a well-equipped, long-lived, prestigious mercenary command simply vanishing is far from an everyday occurrence, especially when combined with the very conscious timing of that disappearance. In doing such, I found this file in the MRBC’s system which I wouldn’t have given much attention to if not for two things. The first is that it’s regarding another vanished mercenary command who also disappeared close to Grey Monday. The second is that, despite the file being nearly fifteen years old, somebody had recently accessed it and mode some clumsy efforts to alter it. That’s enough to get my attention in and of itself - NK)

History

The exact origins of Barrett’s Bushrangers are unclear. The unit first appeared on Herotitus in 3090 under the command of captain Bruce Barrett as an understrength company of battered BattleMechs with some infantry support. Attempts to investigate the unit's past reached no definitive conclusions, but some evidence suggested that they hailed from the former Circrinus Federation. The unit was almost immediately snapped up by the Taurian Concordat, hired to help bolster its shattered military and protect its worlds from predation.

Several early successful contracts allowed the unit to bring itself up to a modicum of strength and stability, even if its financial state remained precarious like so many other units. The Bushrangers roamed across the near periphery, working principally for various Periphery powers, although the unit also saw some action with the independent worlds of the former Free Worlds League. That aside, however, the Bushrangers generally avoided the Inner Sphere, and never worked out of any Inner Sphere hiring halls such as Galatea.

SIS File 54371a-3133-A (Appendix)

(I ‘borrowed’ this file from our MIIO friends. While it’s not exactly helpful, I think it might represent a small step towards cracking the greatest mystery of the age. And right now, we need all the help we can get)

As of June 3132, the 12th Highland Gryphons were considered to be a top-tier mercenary command. At the time, the unit consisted of a combined-arms regiment with a MRBC A rating. The unit was rated as Veteran, and had a long history of reliable service to its various employers. The unit was equipped with top of rhe line technology, including a not inconsiderable degree of Clantech. With a history going back to the SLDF, the unit had a long and storied history.

All of these factors make the unit's apparent disappearance or destruction during Grey Monday even more confusing. If the unit did desert, then it would be a considerable break of character for such a storied and trusted command. However, if it was destroyed, then this raises a lot more questions as to who were able to launch such an attack and take on such a capable command. A number of options present themselves, however, all of them seem to be rather improbable. Each of these will be discussed below

Fletcher Industriplex Beta

During the days of the Terran Hegemony, Fletcher had been something of an Industrial Powerhouse. After the fall of the Star Leauge, the ravages the Succession Wars had destroyed almost all of Fletcher’s heavy industry, especially its once-extensive military manufacturing.  By the end of the Jihad, Fletcher was seen as a dismal world with little to offer, its sole industry of note being funerals and internment of the dead.

The Republic’s resettlement programs in the aftermath of the Jihad helped turn the ailing world around, the new additions to its population bringing with them new opportunities. The resettlement of Clan Wolf civilians on Fletcher bought an influx of technology to the battered world, allowing its people a chance to rebuild much of what they had lost. The economic boom that came with the Republic’s Golden Age of peace aided in this rebuilding, helping to again change the face of the world.