Castle Davion, New Avalon

Crucis March, Federated Suns

22. May 3033

"BBWWWHHHAAAAAA!"

"Congratulations, your Highness, my Prince, it is a healthy boy like his brother a few minutes ago. Would you like to hold them?"

Candace Liao was still exhausted from the birthing, but nodded. "Yes."

Nurses brought the two brothers over to the bed, where the Capellan Chancellor was resting after leaving the birthing couch, and laid the babies in her arms. The delight of the fresh mother was clearly to see for all.

Hanse Davion was sitting beside the bed. He was as happy as Candace to see his sons being healthy in her arms, but the part of him that was the First Prince could not stop thinking.

"This is not how Candace and I envisioned our marriage. It was supposed to be a temporary political instrument to weaken our common foes. Now I have to develop a new strategy to keep Janos truly involved in the Concord of Oriente.

Still, this is a day for happiness! Our children are here and Candace is well!"

After giving a kiss to both his sons and their mother, he turned to one of his aides. "George, you can tell the press that Victor and Kai Davion-Liao are born."

The Captain-General´s Summer Residence, Marik

Marik Commonwealth, Free Worlds League

23. May 3033

Janos Marik never had been one of the most even tempered persons. And there was a persistent itch to just shoot the man sitting on the other side his desk. The oldest of the living House Lords hated having to listen to a person who had an unbecoming similarity to an evil version of archaic comedian Louis de Funes.

But the situation made it a necessity to at least wait for the proposal. Yesterday the danger for the Free Worlds League had made a jump upward. With the birth of the Davion-Liao twins, Janos doubted that his realm would still be the number one ally of the Federated Suns. If his nation suddenly stood alone, the Lyrans and their Kurita allies would rip the League apart.

He should have known better than to trust the Fox, but Janos had to give honour where it was due. What a plan! Hanse Davion must have known that the League cannot afford to leave the Concord of Oriente, while courting Candace Liao. With the new Chancellor on his side, Davion covered a really long border with the CapCon as shield and made it possible to move some regiments to other locations. And Atreus could do nothing about the shifting of importance in the Concord.

Yes, Hanse had spoken with him about the positives of getting the Liaos into their alliance, but he must have been lying about the marriage being only political and temporary. Davion must have planned to make the League nothing but a deliverer of goods and junior partner from the start!

His anger had given way to wilfulness. Two could play this game. Janos had no intention to break the Concord apart just now, the danger of the Steiner-Kurita alliance was too big. But the League had to look out for their own advantage now.

So he had let the visitor in. Aldo Lestrade had for some time tried to get an audience with Janos Marik and was delighted to finally enter the office of the Captain-General.

And what Lestrade had to say did not taste better than the news of Davion´s treachery the day before.

"Janos, SAFE is in error if they believe that! I was there when Katrina told Selvin Kelswa about the cease-fire with the Kuritas in 3021. I don´t believe that we ... they were allied at that point, but the cease-fire had been already made in 3020.

Now Selvin and I are sure that Katrina sells out the Commonwealth to the Dracs and betrayed the old founding principles of Protectorate Donegal, Tamar Pact and Skye Federation. She concentrates more power into the Protectorate for some time and we have to react. I can assure you, Janos, that the next Steiner, the next Archon will be a much more comfortable neighbour than Katrina. If you help us overthrow her, that is."

"Somehow I heard something like that before..."

Lestrade lost a bit of the amiable facade, but continued. "Yes, I got overconfident. We got overconfident, because we agreed on the Invasion of Hesperus with that forces. But I have learned my lesson. And more, during the first try for the deserved Freedom of Skye, I was alone with my true people. Now, Selvin Kelswa has seen the danger for Skye, Tamar... the Commonwealth. We will be much better prepared for our second try, but we need outside help."

"I see the wisdom in helping friends. I will give you help. How about we talk more in, say, 3 days, the same hour? So we can think about some first steps of the liberation in between?"

"Sounds perfect. Good bye and have a good day!"

Lestrade´s joy could be felt across the room. The little man shook Janos hand once more, then he went out. After the door was closed, Janos Marik shook his head. He did not like Katrina Steiner, but he pitied her for having such a backhanded, self-serving adversary. People like Lestrade were dirt and his hand felt unclean to the Captain-General now. But Lestrade was useful for the League, so he suffered his presence.

"That went rather well. Lestrade can succeed with Kelswa on his side. I will give him enough rope to either climb up or hang himself up with it."

Janos then looked at his watch and sighed happily. There was enough time for a tea and an ouzo before Romano Liao and Michael Hasek-Davion would arrive for a nice talk about the future of the Houses in the Concord. It was always good to have options, this Hanse Davion had taught him yesterday once again.

Testing Range of the Altenmarkt Militia, Altenmarkt

Draconis Combine, Rubigen Prefecture

28. May 3033

"Coordinator sama, Archon sama, Kanrei sama, Crown princess sama, this is the Panther-9SK, the first Mech in the Inner Sphere to use recovered Tech. The PPC in the right arm is an extended-range model with a third more range, while retaining weight, size and damage potential of the old. The only trade-off is a 50% higher heat development. It will be a bad surprise for the other Houses..."

"50% more heat does not sound so 'only' in my opinion. What had to be sacrificed to get enough cooling circuits on board? Armour? The SRM rack?" Takashi Kurita had seen his share of combat from a Mech cockpit and knew enough of the construction of one to see potential positives and drawbacks.

"Your Highness, nothing of that sort! The few remains of the double-strength heat sinks we saved from Hoff in 3022, the Helm Library and help from Tharkad University´s think-tank enabled us to recreate a more effective heat sink. It can vent twice the heat of the standard models and better, it does not weight more. The drawback is a far bulkier design, practically 3 times the size of a normal sink." Before the Coordinator could ask a question, the director of Gorton, Kinsley and Thorpe hastened his explanation to prevent the question forming.

"This is less negative than it sounds. First, the new sinks can up to a point be integrated into the reactor cooling circuit like the old ones without becoming problematic there. The reactor case is roomy enough for this. While there are some Mech designs which are filled to the brim and will need internal redesign, most of today's Mechs, especially in the lighter classes, have a lot of free room in comparison to the size of the inbuilt equipment, cargo space, so to speak.

Our new Panther version utilises the new heat sinks to great effect. It keeps the Mech cool even when firing it hotter weapon outload under hard manoeuvring. Nothing had to be sacrificed. Considering that our team designed the Mech with substantial Lyran help, we found it honourable to give this version the designation shorting SK . But let us see the demonstration first, before we talk more, your Highnesses."

The place for the demonstration had been well thought out. Altenmarkt was a system in the Rasalhague district. Before the alliance with the Lyrans, the creation of the Altenmarkt Militia was nothing but a propaganda move of Takashi Kurita to bring more quiet into the often unruly region.

Now the Rasalhagues, with their insight into the cultures of both partners, had gotten some importance as interpreters when dealings were made between systems unused to the others culture. So the Militia was still a propaganda tool, but for a different kind of show. A show of how well Steiners, Kuritas and Rasalhagues could work together.

After the demonstration, the mood was highly festive. The new Panther version would definitely going to be a hit. For the talks after the Test, representatives of other important military producers like Defiance Industries or Luthien Armor Works to name two of them, as well as the rulers of some worlds which could become sites of new factory construction, were invited.

It was the Archon herself, who opened up an important topic which had until been on the sideline.

"I have read the prelim reports and estimations about the recovered Tech to date before coming here. I know that research is going on in both our realms with high intensity. And the new Mech out there is as much a good example for the military applications as are the Black Boxes or the recovery of several important terraforming techniques for the civilian sector.

I know that firms redesign various products to take advantage of the new Tech like the Wolfhound with new heat sinks. Or they are designing completely new products. All good, but what are the estimates when we can mass-produce some goods or how is the availability right now?"

"Your Highness," The director of Defiance Industries, Greydon Brewer, answered for the assembled Industry leaders. "an important question! And we have to admit that retooling or new construction of factories takes more time than we like. But it cannot be helped. We will send you new overviews in the next days. Can we take the two Recoveries we saw today in action for example, you Highnesses?"

The two state leader and their heirs nodded affirmatively.

"The ER-PPC has begun to be produced in the last weeks at two factories. The Lord´s Light 2 at Alshain Weapons on Tok Do and the Defiance 1001 on Hesperus. Momentary the production is good, but insufficient until more lines are retooled like those on Furillo or Nirasaki and new factories are build. We expect fully sufficient numbers for new production, repair and refit kits some time during 3034, especially when the new factories on New Wessex, Finsterwalde, Galedon and Melissia come online.

In the case of the heat sinks, it will take longer. At the moment, these new sinks are only produced at Defiance Industries on Hesperus and we ship part of the production to New Oslo for the new Panther. As you can imagine, this is hardly enough. We are busy spreading the basics out to all our fusion engine and Mech or Aerospace producers, so that in about 2 years the new cooling systems can be build there on site.

As for the Panther, GK&T and Alshain Weapons on New Oslo are now producing it slowly, until more new PPCs and heat sinks become available. The Commonwealth can buy a share of the production. Alshain and TharHes Industries are in negotiations over a licensing in exchange for a greater share of Wolfhound Mechs."

Castle Davion, New Avalon

Crucis March, Federated Suns

29. October 3033

The group meeting in the office of the First Prince were among the most important VIPs in the Concord of Oriente. Hanse Davion and Morgan Hasek-Davion were wearing AFFS duty uniforms, while Christopher Halas as the trusted "ear" for the absent Captain-General wore ducal robes befitting the leader of one of the top three member states inside the FWL. Candace Liao showed her weakness for leather in the choice of her dress´ accessories. Quintus Allard, the Spymaster of the Federated Suns, was, as nearly always, clothed in a fine, but understated business suit.

"Quintus, as you know, I called you for a special report on our enemies and our own progress in recovery of LosTech. What can you tell us?"

"Hanse, our own efforts at recovering LosTech have begun to take on more speed. Ever since we acquired a full copy of the elusive Helm Library two years ago new results stream in. Dr. Beltran from the NAIS told me that this library, even if we deciphered only parts for now, is like the last piece of a puzzle or mosaic. Many things our scientists laboured on without really knowing the basics, now make sense.

To believe that we lost 4 dozen operatives trying to liberate an example and finally got it by just going into another library, still boggels my mind."

"We got it from a normal library? I admit, it did not interest me much how we acquired it, but how on Earth happened this?"

Not only Hanse Davion was surprised, the Spymaster saw that Candace Liao was intrigued as well, even if she did not speak the question she had.

"Yes, we got the Helm Core or Library when one of our moles went to the University Library of Mizar as part of his cover as a student in summer 3031. He was stupefied once he stumbled over an excerpt from the Core sitting harmlessly in the branch Library of his study. It turned out the Steiners and the Kuritas spread copies and excerpts to all their research centres, universities and some public Libraries to get as much deciphered and in use as soon as possible. From there it was only searching by our operatives until we had a full copy, put together from the Libraries of 16 planets.

They did not advertise it, but I am sure somewhere in Kurita or Steiner Space sits a fully deciphered copy for use by the most secret installations only. We have a fully copy, but only parts are already deciphered, but even this is enough for our scientists to get results.

You know as well as I do about our hopes with the Research facility on Hoff to create better heat sinks, Hanse. And how it all came to nought by the raid on that planet in 3022, where we lost the prototypes.

But now the NAIS is sure that soon we will have such heat sinks. They already have new prototypes ready and if the coming tests are as good as the ones taken place, the AFFS will get them in a few years. If it goes well around 3036. And in cooperation with Bithinian Ballistics in the Confederation and Imperator Weaponry in the FWL, we are close to a breakthrough in Autocannon research, the recovery of the Ultra-AC."

"What about the Elsies and Dracs? How far are they?"

"To this day we cannot surely say when the Steiners stumbled over this treasure. From what we found out about the site the Library had been hidden, it was a secret even among the population of Helm beside some rumours. So it is unlikely that they found it early. It cannot be ruled out, but probability is against that. What we can assuredly say is that in 3029 the Elsies had found it. When the FWLM began to counterattack against the Kalidasa-Helm Salient, the Lyrans clung to Helm fiercely. Had they found and extracted the Core earlier, they would not have defended Helm as hard as far more valuable Kalidasa. So our experts have postulated that the Lyrans must have found the Helm Library shortly before the League´s attempt to recapture the Systems there."

"So they are 2 years ahead of us. Not good, but not too bad either. We might be able to shorten the lead since we have 3 Houses against their 2. Go on, please!"

"When it comes to civilian uses, which are less encrypted, as our experts told me, the Dracs and the Elsies are already advanced. Some of their new projects, especially in the Combine, are only possible with recovered Tech.

In military applications, I would say, we and they have to concentrate on some key techs, with the others still worked on, but not as much. Considering our sources in Combine and Commonwealth, it is good if we do that with the Autocannons. The Dracs and Elsies are in front of us and they, as far as we know, work on PPCs and Gauss Rifles. So we will not catch up there easily, especially since House Marik has not much in the case of PPC research at all."

"Yes, unfortunately the Succession Wars destroyed nearly everything the League had in the PPC area. And we are very thankful that we can lighten our PPC shortage due to new trade."

"Thank you, your Highness! Our experts find it essential that we concentrate on Autocannons, since we have more expertise there than any other Successor State and in combination with the CC and FWL, we should build up a lead for us soon."

"What about laser weaponry?" Came a question from the Capellan Chancellor.

"It might become a head-to-head since they have a lead, we are more."

"As interesting as this is and I am really happy that we will come out of the Scavenger Age with time, but why are the Steiners and Kuritas so silent? Even before we three were allied, when they had a big advantage in free regiments, they did not much compared to what they were able to."

"As far as we know, they build-"

"They build?"

"Yes, on a large scale. It seems to be a brainchild of the Steiners. The governments invest big into the infrastructure of both realms. And they integrate the factories they conquered into it. It was actually a clever chess move by them-"

"Yes, I have to agree. We saw too late that their offensives were aimed at getting potential- rich systems close to their borders. But we will push them back soon. A plan is already made for this."

Yamamoto-Isoroku-Hospital, Tok Do

Draconis Combine, Benjamin Prefecture

1. September 3033

Pain, pounding pain was what Leutnant-General Woodruff Patterson felt first, when he awoke with a sigh - somewhere.

"Can you understand me, Herr Generalleutnant?" broke a voice with japanese accent through the fog surrounding his mind.

"Ja(Yes)...Hai, wakarimasu..." Woodruff answered, while using one of the few Japanese phrases he knew, beginning to remember he was on Tok Do. "My comrades...what happened after my duel with the pirate Mech?"

He saw the sad, compassionate look of the doctor, at least he thought that person was one and steeled himself for the worst. Then the doctor began his tale and Patterson simply tried to understand how something beginning so innocent could become such a horror.

Woodruff and his 26th Lyran Guards had been on Tok Do for 3 days when everything turned to ash. "Steiner´s Boots" as the unit had been nicknamed, for they often were used for ending riots and uprisings, was one of the regiments which should get the new PPCs early, befitting the status of a veteran unit.

For security reasons and to hinder ER-PPCs being "lost" or "liberated" by foreign agents for now ER-PPCs were only sent under strictest safety regulations for repairs, so units getting outfitted or upgraded travelled to either Hesperus or Tok Do directly, since it was faster and easier. The distance from Port Moseby, where the 26th was stationed to Tok Do was less than to Hesperus II, so they jumped to the Jungle World in the Combine.

Tok Do, located relatively deep in the Combine interior, was a new experience for the Lyrans, seeing life under the Dragon unfiltered. Patterson and his men and women were sometimes amazed and sometimes bewildered, how different, yet the same as in the Commonwealth life could be.

The attack came out of the Blue, helped by Tok Do´s close orbit to it´s K-class sun. Even under normal circumstances it was only 5 days to the zenith jump point and with the pirates coming out at the L1 pirate point, they were practically overhead.

But this was not the only surprise, the size and equipment of the pirates was extraordinary. Roughly the equivalent of 3 regiments and of Star League vintage, they advanced nearly unhindered. And during that advance the most horrific thing became known, the brutality of the unknown invaders. They cut down everything in their way, no survivors, settlements plundered and pillaged, either military or civilian. Their dropships sealed off Tok Do in Space, with the target of the ground troops becoming obvious soon, the Alshain Weapons Factory and the surrounding city. Outside help was weeks away at best, since rumours said the Comstar compound had been overwhelmed, before being able to send a SOS.

The Militias had been destroyed, the only unit still standing were the 26th Lyran Guards, since they were for obvious reasons at the Factory complex and running out into the jungles to help the Kurita defenders without area knowledge a recipe for disaster.

The last of the planetary DCMS command under a Chu-i Clement Khan now had a hard decision to make. The Guards with their Dropships had a slight chance to break through the blockade and get help, but would have to abandon the world to it´s fate. Without help, the losses on Tok Do would become higher, since for now the pirates advanced on rather narrow corridors, but no one knew what would happen after they had taken the world. Considering the total disregard for life shown by the pirates, it was not a pretty forecast, so getting help ASAP was of paramount importance.

Staying against 3:1 more numerous sadistic troops without any sort of honour would be suicide for "Steiner´s Boots". And saving military power against the Concord of Oriente was important as well, something the planetary command knew, too. With the other Houses united against Houses Steiner and Kurita, no matter how loosely, every regiment counted. And Khan finally told the Guards via verigraphed orders to abandon Tok Do and get help. Factories, even such important ones, could be rebuild, widespread carnage, what a long stay of the marauders would mean, not so well, he reasoned. And a voice in the back of his head said that "the 26th are Lyrans, think about the political situation."

In the Guards, the discussion what to do, was raging as well. Despite the alliance and now fast recovering relations, there was more than one warrior who was no fan of the "Dracs". They were a small minority, but all for letting the Kuritas deal with it and fly home, considering what happened on Tok Do karmic payback for all the atrocities the DCMS had committed over time.

Others were appalled by this callousness, but considered the orders of the legal local command to be valid, if unlucky, so they wavered somewhere in the middle.

The majority of the 26th on the other hand knew that staying would most probably be their death, but abandoning their allies and innocent civilians to such barbarians, how could they do that? The Lyrans had no Bushido to follow, but honour and helping allies mattered for the LCAF too.

It was the 26th Lyran Guards second in command, Oberst Ariane Florbach, who solved that problem by talking to the unit.

"Listen, comrades! I know all the pros and cons about just hopping in our Droppers, burn to the Jump point and gather help. And local command will give us, if rumours are correct, the order to do exactly that. But that is a treacherous hope. We, the General and I, talked with our Dropship captains. They consider our chances to break through this gottverdammte (cursed by god) blockade by around 30% as long as the numbers in the sky stay as they are.

The general and I will never rebuke anybody who wants to try it and the "Rauchwolke" is ready for them to board. Good Luck and bring us something to rip those Frakkers a new one!

The General and I will stay here with anybody who volunteers. If there would be a chance to better the situation of all by retreating from Tok Do, I would not hesitate to do so. Abandoning the poor civilians would be hell on my psyche, but if truly necessary I would.

But here it is just how we go down. As cowards trying to flee or heroes defending those who cannot do it themselves. And trying to burn to safety, we could do nothing to defend ourselves. Here on Tok Do, we can. I intend fully to beat the odds, we are the Lyran Guards, the Iron Fist of the Commonwealth!

Those parasites want to destroy the PPC-Factory, plunder and murder Aichiyama. They have Star League Mechs and are more than we are. But they have to come into the city. A city they do not know. We already gathered some civilians who volunteered to play guides for us and will travel in our cockpits on the foldout-seats, giving us an advantage.

We are the only ones standing between the destruction of a very important factory and millions of dead innocents. The last wall against the darkness of Barbary. Luck is with the diligent and together I know we can beat them!"

The discussion turned after that. In the end, all warriors decided to stay and fight.

Patterson and Ariane Florbach knew as soon as Khan gave them the orders that he was too low in rank to know about the Black Boxes. Under the circumstances it was not possible to verify if the Tok Do Black box still existed somewhere, but the 26th had her own Black Box and actually already used it to call for help.

After talking to the Chu-i about the Black box, they told him that he had made a good reasoning of his order, but the Guards would not stand at the sidelines if the lives of innocents were in danger, be it Steiners or Kuritas.

Khan was shocked and happy at the same time that he would not be alone with the last rest of the surviving militia against this foe. Despite the Steiners being painted in a new light for years by the voice of the Dragon, old biases were hard to offset. A Steiner unit staying in face of rather certain death, when given the chance to escape, turned the worldview of the old Chu-i onto the head.

In the morning hours of the 31. August, the Battle of Aichiyama began. Steiner´s Boots fought and died in a horrific battle against the maradeurs without an ounce of mercy. But they bought time for the fleeing and evacuating civilians. And more, as Woodruff Patterson and Ariane Florbach predicted, the pirates had only a general layout of the city. Knowing the main target, the 26th and the last militia soldiers ambushed the attackers relentlessly, the superior Mechs losing some of their edges in the city.

The battle became a sort of unending duels between both sides, with only a rudimentary overview possible. Patterson himself fell out in the early morning hours of the 1. September during a duel with a Highlander and one of the command Mechs of the enemy forces. His Zeus had already been battered before, but the General had been victorious in the previous fights. Finally the two Mechs fought in melee, when a hit by the pirate shut down the life sustainment of the Lyran Mech. Already fading from depletion and the worsening conditions in the cockpit, Patterson ended the fight with a last gamble. Hotloading his last LRM flight, he fired it at the head of the Highlander before falling unconscious. He did not even see this desperate gamble work.

When the doctor had told the Leutnant-General what happened in the meantime before he woke up, Patterson wanted to cry. Florbach had been right, that the city conditions, the Steiner-typical numerous heavy and assault Mech outload of the Guards and the pirates overconfidence after their easy advance played into the defenders hands. The pirates had been destroyed, Aichiyama and the Alshain Weapons factory saved, but the price was high, very high. 60% of the 26th warriors were dead, all others wounded to differing degrees. Florbach survived as well, but she would be out of the cockpit for a year or more, recovering from her injuries. Others had survived too, but many of those would never pilot a Mech in battle again. The marauders had done their outmost to be as destructive as they could be, the factory taking a few hits late in the battle, but the damage was only superficial.

Militarily speaking, the 26th Lyran Guards had to be re-raised with a very small basis of survivors at the core. Very bad, but considering the lull in the fighting all over the Inner Sphere bearable, if just so. Politically speaking, the "Boots" had netted a winning goal with their blood. gaining House Steiner a respect in the Bushido-driven Combine years of propaganda could not.

But despite the victory on Tok Do, the Great Houses began to suffer further attacks from this mysterious group, to differing degrees, over the next years.

On all planets in the Inner Sphere with a HPG

3. September 3033

The esteemed Council of the Honorius Order of Comstar announces:

The tragic events on Tok Do by a heinous pirate attack led not only to suffering for the populace, but Comstar, openly dedicated to peace, lost many deeply missed brothers and sisters in the brutal attack. Since there are forces at work who disregard the pacifistic nature of our Order, threatening us with cold murder, Comstar, as distasteful we find the need to, has to defend itself. From now on, Mercenary units will keep station at our Order´s compounds. This is just a logical security measure, nothing else and Comstar will lend this security to the surrounding vicinity of our Order´s installations as well.