From the Campaign Journal of Major Jospeh Petrie

Following the unexpectedly heavy resistance encountered to our initial landings, Major Irisz Magyari opted to conduct further investigations of the disposition of the CCAF forces on Fletcher. Her agents were able to infiltrate Royce and uncover a number of leads as to what exactly was going on with the Capellan forces. Their discoveries confirmed our suspicions that the 1^st Liao Guard had dug in on-world and assumed an entirely defensive stance.

While there were no known CCAF movements, the mercenaries did make one curious discovery. The Capellans had been importing large amounts of heavy machinery onto the world, and then distributing it to different places without actually using it, and rather stockpiling it for unknown reasons. Several locations were identified as destinations for this equipment; among them was Fenris Keep, a former Wolf Clan (and later Steel Wolf) enclave on the world. Another location identified was a shipping facility on the shores of the Arevass River.

Underground Dueling on Fletcher (part 1)

(From Off the Circuit - Illegal BattleMech Duels, Free Galatea Press)

The first incarnation of Fletcher's BattleMech dueling circuit has its origins in the collapse of the world's central government in the early 3060s. Coinciding with the world's rise as a hiring hall for less than reputable mercenaries amid the ongoing wars between its city stares, many of the early duels were far from organised affairs. Rather, they often resulted from disagreements between mercenaries, both units and at the individual level. The combination of an abundance of military grade hardware and a lack of central authority (the Fletcher hiring hall was largely self-regulated) often made violence the first option for resolving such clashes.

Within a few years a somewhat organised competition had grown up, populated mostly by mercenaries that had been drawn to the local trade. While not officially sanctioned by any of the City States, at the same time the competition proved profitable through betting and associated side businesses. For the most part, the City States themselves stayed out of the competition proper, but supplies destined for their militaries often wound up finding their way into the hands of competitors instead.

SIS File 54371a-3133-A

I know this is a bit old and not exactly informative, but I felt that it would be useful to our ‘Lion hunting’ files. It was ‘borrowed’ from our friends at MIIO; after reviewing the contents, you can understand why they were reluctant to share.

As one of the worlds captured from the Taurian Concordat during Operation MATADOR, Norman’s World had faced a series of raids from TDF forces in the subsequent decades. As an effort both to discourage raiding while also providing a stabilizing force along the border, the 12^th Highland Gryphons, a mercenary unit with a long history of service to the Federated Suns, were assigned to the world. Acting as both a garrison and a ready response force, they had served as an effective deterrent to Taurian adventurism.

This only makes what happened to them even more inexplicable.

From the personal journal of Irisz Magyari

All things considered, today didn’t go that badly. If you wanted to be generous, then you could call our first day of operations on Fletcher a success. (My great-grandmother unquestionably would have, but that’s her for you)

AFFS intel had put two main units on Fletcher; the now-Cappelanised Planetary Guard, and the 1^st Liao Guards. The latter had been using the world as a staging ground for attacks into the FedSuns’ Terran corridor, which had left the Fletcher PG shouldering most of the ‘heavy lifting’ of defending the world and the assets we were targeting. As such, we were largely expecting to be facing a mix of vehicles and Battle Armour, with some second-rate ‘Mechs as support.

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.

Major Joseph Peitre, AFFS Quatermaster Command

(After the mess that was Kamenez, I thought it would be wise to know a little more about our liaison officer and where all the loot will be going. The AFFS tends to be good to their mercs, but with the situation they’re in, it’s still wise to be careful – Nikola)

Joseph Peitre

Age: 37 (born 3108)

Homeworld: Exeter

Position/Rank: Major; AFFS Quartermaster Command

Joseph Peitre’s family had served the AFFS for generations, even down to his two older siblings. Despite a childhood of ill health and poor eyesight, he was determined to follow in their footsteps. A keen analytical and a skill for numbers mind aided him, Joseph was able to find a place serving in the AFFS’ quartermaster corps. While not the most glamorous of assignments, Joseph well understood the need for strong logistics chain and enjoyed the challenge of his work.

The Blackout and its aftermath presented its own unique set of challenges as the AFFS was forced to hurriedly rearm. Years of peace and easy relations with the Republic had worn down its preparedness, and skilled men like Joseph were needed in order to help bring the military back into order. The challenge was considerable, but Joseph seemed to thrive on it.

Unfortunately, Caleb Davion’s mismanagement of the AFFS and the Combine invasion of the Federated Suns saw much of that work undone. With the AFFS gutted, the Draconis March all but destroyed and both Robinson and New Sytris fallen, an air of desperation has set in. In response, members of the Quartermaster Command such as Peitre have begun searching for options that could turn the situation around, or, at the very least, slow the enemy. This has seen him take to the field, even if in an advisory or administrative role, looking for anything that could be used against the enemy.

Peitre is no combatant, and he knows it. He has enough training to competently operate an armoured vehicle, but that is less a combat skill and more an option of last resort. However, he is also adept at locating resources and finding ways to use them, be they weapons, ammunition or other less tangible assets. In the field, he best serves as an advisor or administrator, aiding a combat command rather then actually participating in the fighting.

Fletcher Planetary Guard

AFFS Force Brief 01-01-3145

History
Like many other Republic Planetary Militias, the Fletcher Planetary Guard was hard hit by the events of the Blackout and its aftermath. Like many of the Planetary Guard units, its strength and preparedness had waned over the long decades of peace. Located deep in Prefecture III, the world was far from any hostile border and, as such, was lacking in any immediate threat to serve as a motivation. Much of its equipment was mothballed or transferred elsewhere, while the amount of training time dropped considerably.

However, other forces made the situation even worse. Much of the guard’s strength actually came from the Bright Fang Militia Cluster, one raised from the planet’s large Wolf Clan population. With the formation of the Steel Wolves following the Blackout, the cluster simply defected wholesale to the newly formed pseudo-Clan, immediately gutting the Planetary Militia’s strength. To make matters worse, the Wolves then began seizing equipment from the militia, be it by Clan trials or simple assault. When the Wolves left Fletcher for their assaults on Northwind and then Terra, they took that strength with them.