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[Darrian Wolffe]

October 28th, 2768

General McEvedy finishes cleaning out the Castles on this date.


October 29th, 2768 - December 2nd 2768

Apollo is considered "pacified" on November 14th, though insurgent actions continue for some time.  Cleanup and rearming ensues from captured stock and repaired Mechs from other units.  Banzai is given a XXXXXXXXX, a machine from Hotel Company of the 741st whose pilot was killed by a sniper walking to the motor pool.  Most of this time is taken by paperwork and requests by command for after-action reports.  You are all interviewed in regards to each others actions in combat over the last few years.  

December 3rd, 2768

"Today", intoned General Alexander Kerensky, "we honor those heroes who rose above and beyond the call of duty in service to the Star League.  These men and women of the 741st Royal Striker Regiment, 17th Army, under the command of Captain Gerald Freund, have vastly exceeded the expectations anyone could have held of any member of the Star League Defense Force.  Among the accomplishments of Echo Company have been the following,"  the ballroom which formerly belonged to Apollo's Prime Minister Selim is absolutely silent but for the General's ringing voice.

"Echo Company served with distinction during the Taurian Campaign in 2766.  Their most notable action was the defense of Firebase Rorke against a Taurian force several times their size.  They shattered the assault with no losses among their own."

"Echo Company was instrumental in capturing Field Marshal Ney, of the Taurian Defense Force, mastermind of the defense of New Vandenburg.  If not for the heroic airdrop into Vandenburg City by this unit, Ney would have escaped to other worlds.  It is due to the actions of Echo Company that untold lives of SLDF soldiers and sailors were saved from future campaigns."

"In 2767, Echo Company found itself stranded on Terra itself during what we now know as the Amaris Coup.  Taken by surprise in a training exercise, they fought their way across Canada, destroying four times their number in enemy forces, and alone among ground units from Terra, escaped the system and returned to us."

"Members of Echo Company, 741st Royal Strikers, it is my pride and honor to award your unit with the SLDF Valorous Unit Citation, to be worn in perpetuity by members of your unit in recognition for the uncommon valor you have displayed in combat during the last two years.  The bravery and heroism you have demonstrated is an inspiration to all members of the Star League during these trying times.  You have my gratitude, and the gratitude of the entire SLDF."


SLDF Valorous Unit Citation Ribbon

General Kerensky pins the ribbon onto Captain Frend's dress sash, steps back, salutes you, and before you can return the gesture, begins clapping.  The entire hall bursts into applause a mere half-second behind him.  The sound fills and reverberates through the marble pillars, until you can hear nothing else.  Not even the sarcastic comment Marshall tries to interject to Orlov.  Eventually the Kerensky raises his hand for silence, and the sound fades away.

"it is one of the pleasures of my job to award not only entire units for actions above and beyond the call of duty," he continues, "but individuals as well.  As such I now present the following personnel of Echo Company, 741st Royal Strikers, with their individual commendations."

AWARD: Career/Soldier Roll, TN 10.  PROMOTION: Career/Soldier Roll, TN 12, CHA-linked check, +1 if on Terra, +1 if in Taurian campaign

CPT Freund, Gerald: Award (roll: 6, -1 CHA, + 2 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 9): None.  Promotion: (roll: 9:  -1 CHA. + 2 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 12): Promotion Granted

"Captain Gerald Freund is hereby promoted to Major, in light of his outstanding leadership of Task Force Echo during the unit's escape fro Terra and their return to the ranks of the SLDF.  I don't have a battalion for you right now, Major, so for the time being I'm sure you won't mind staying with Echo Company, am I right?"



LT Reed, Duncan: Award (roll: 7, + 1 Career/Soldier, +1 CHA, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 11, MoS 1): Award Granted.  Promotion (roll: 6, +1 CHA, +1 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 10): None.

"For his unwavering support of Task Force Echo and his bravery under fire, Lieutenant Duncan Reed is hereby awarded the Star League Commendation Medal.



WO Hawker, Rowan: Award (roll: 12:, + 2 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 16, MoS 6): Award Granted.  Promotion (roll: 8, +2 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 12): Promotion Granted.

"For his leadership and technical prowess under fire, and personal heroism during both the Taurian campaign and the escape from Terra, Warrant Officer Rowan Hawker is hereby awarded the Star League Medal of Valor.  With this award comes an automatic increase in rank of one grade to all awardees under the rank of Colonel.  Congratulations, Lieutenant Hawker.



WO Banzai, Jonathon: Award (roll: 7:, -1 CHA, + 1 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 9): None.  Promotion (roll: 7, -1 CHA, +1 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 9): None.



MSGT Schwepps, Herman: Award (roll: 6:, -1 CHA, + 3 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 10, MoS 0): Award Granted.  Promotion (roll: 6, -1 CHA, +3 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 10): None.

"For his unwavering dedication to duty and steadfast service in the defense of his unit, Master Sergeant Herman Schwepps is hereby awarded the Star League Commendation Medal.



SGT Marshall, Todd:  Award (roll: 6:, -1 CHA, + 3 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 10, MoS 0): Award Granted.  Promotion (roll: 11, -1 CHA, +3 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 15): Promotion Granted.

For his inspirational and heroic actions upon suffering the loss of his Mech on New Vandenburg, continuing to fight when dismounted and eliminating irregular threats to his lancemates when most other soldiers would have retreated to friendly lines, Sergeant Todd Marie Marshall is hereby awarded the Star League Medal of Valor.  With this award comes an automatic increase in rank of one grade to all awardees under the rank of Colonel.  Congratulations, Master Sergeant Marshall.


 
SGT Callahan, Henrik: Award (roll: 9, -1 CHA, + 2 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 12, MoS 2): Award Granted.  Promotion: (roll: 3: , -1 CHA. + 2 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 6): None.

"In recognition of his commitment to his team and bravery under fire, Sergeant Henrik Callahan is hereby awarded the Hegemony Medal.



SGT Franklin, Xin: Award (roll: 6: + 2 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 10): Award Granted.  Promotion: (roll: 12: + 2 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 14): Promotion Granted.  UNLUCKY.  Reroll Promotion Award (roll: 12: + 2 Career/Soldier, +1 Terra, +1 Taurian = 14). Promotion Granted.

"In recognition for his persistent efforts both on and off the field of battle, Sergeant Franklin Xin is hereby awarded the Star League Commendation Medal.  Additionally, in light of his specialized training and commitment to the logistical support of Echo Company, Sergeant xin is hereby promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer.



SGT Orlov, Anatoly: Award (roll: 7, +1 Career/Soldier=8): None.  Promotion (roll: 5, +1 Career/Soldier = 6): None.

SGT Moon, Allan: Award (roll: 5, -1 CHA, +2 Career/Soldier = 6): None.  Promotion (roll: 6, -1 CHA, +2 Career/Soldier  = 7): None

SGT Smythe, Natalie: Award (roll: 5, -1 CHA, +3 Career/soldier = 7): None.  Promotion (roll: 9, -1 CHA, +3 Career/Soldier = 11): None

SGT El Amin, Joanna: is posthumously awarded the Hegemony Medal (roll: 8, +4 posthumous bonus, MoS 2) and is posthumously upgraded in rank to Warrant Officer (roll: 9, +4 posthumous bonus)



Awards
Star League Medal of Valor - the 2nd highest award given by the SLDF.  Awarded for extreme gallantry and professionalism in the face of overwhelming enemy forces and at great personal risk, but which does not meet the criteria for the Star League Medal of Honor.



Star League Distinguished Service Cross - Awarded to soldiers from the Terran Hegemony for exemplary conduct and gallantry in direct contact with an enemy to a degree equal to that of the Hegemony Medal, whilst undertaking a duty of a great responsibility.



Hegemony Medal Ribbon - Awarded to soldiers from the Terran Hegemony for exemplary conduct and bravery, either under fire or in non-combat situations, which does not reach the standards set out for the Star League Distinguished Service Cross.



Star League Commendation Medal Ribbon - Awarded to soldiers who undertake actions above and beyond the normal call of duty, of less significance than would warrant the Hegemony Medal.


OOC: The VERY rough guideline for those of us who know these things is the following:
SL Medal of Honor = US Medal of Honor
SL Medal of Valor = US Distinguished Service Cross
SL Distinguished Service Cross = US Distinguished Service Medal
SL Hegemony Medal = US Silver Star + Soldier's Medal
SL Order of the Sword = Legion of Merit (give or take)
SL Commendation Medal = US Bronze Star

[Darrian Wolffe]

December 4th, 2768-1 April, 2769

Politics are the bane of a solider.  Everyone expected the SLDF to wipe out opposition in the Rim Worlds Republic fairly quickly (though no one expected it to be as quick as it actually occurred), and then immediately turn around and launch a righteous assault on the usurper.  But Kerensky has taken the opposite approach.  He will take his time and attempt to encircle the Terran Hegemony - attacking from all five Successor States at once to spread out Amaris's defenses.  What that means, however, is months of negotiation and politics; the Lyrans and Davions quickly agreed to assist Kerensky, having already provided succor to escaping SLDF soldiers and a clear path for the SLDF to assault the Rim Worlds.  The Capellans and Free Worlds League are significantly more reticient, and the Draconis Combine is, for now, flatly refusing to meet with any representative from the SLDF at all.  It seems you will be going nowhere for some time.

But there is hope on the horizon.  As long as he is unable to mount an assault on the Hegemony directly, Kerensky is dispatching several dozen regimental teams to perform reconnaissance raids on the outer Terran planets.  Naturally, planets with a working defense grid will be off-limits, but finding information regarding the disposition and morale of the occupying forces will be critically important once the real war begins.

Given your work on Apollo, General McEvedy has requested that the 741st be attached to the 331st Division during this period.  For the duration of the reconnaissance phase of the campaign, the 331st will be hunting down resistance forces throughout the Rim Worlds Republic to ensure they don't compromise the military buidup for the invasion of the Hegemony.

[Darrian Wolffe]

9 April, 2769-17 September, 2769

That didn't last long.  You had barely started developing a doctrine when a call came down from V Corps command that the one of the task groups intended to reconniter the Capellan region of the Hegemony border had run into a technical issue; their assigned WarShip developed a fault in its K-F drive during the power buildup for the jump out of Rim Worlds space.  Given that elements of the 331st are already geared up for deployment, command has decided that two regiments of the 331st will swap themselves for the recon task group and assume their mission, with anti-insurgent duty being picked up by other local units.  Shaking your heads at the inanity of military orders, you board your DropShips, savoring the taste of fresh air while you can.  It'll be almost exactly a 5-month trip to your target.  


Your target world will be Bordon.  This world is a Terran Hegemony world, the singular planet in the system.  The world is approximately 65% water, with a trio of large oceans, and most of the remainder of the planet is Terra-like wilderness.  The world had a population of about 145 million, clustered in about two dozen cities around the equator (+/- ten degrees latitude north or south) - as one approaches the poles of the world, the ozone layer gets thinner and thinner.  This interacts with trace heavy metals in the atmosphere to produce intermittent spikes of EM radiation that interfere with electrical systems and make permanent settlements economically non-viable.  Bordon isn't known for serious heavy industry, but they are known for their aggressive journalists (Bordon is a representative democracy, with each city and surrounding zone being considered a separate "state").  Not as publicly known are the extensive storage and testing labs for Allied Areospace (based on Pollux) about located about 30 degrees south of the equator; the EM radiation makes for excellent testing conditions to simulate space-borne operations, and provides some level of defense for the facility.

You will drop as part of a 2-battalion combat group near Starfall, a southernly city-state that is known to be a militia headquarters.  1 Battalion will engage the militia in a running battle to the southeast, while 2 Battalion will split up.  2 companies will separate into component lances and attempt to acquire human intelligence from any journalists they can contact, while your company will use the diversion provided by 1 Battalion and move southwest to the Allied Areospace testing complex.  Once there, you will scan for and retrieve a computer core which contains information SLDF agents within Allied Areospace have been collecting for the last year.  You will then exfiltrate the area and await instructions for pickup via DropShip.  The WarShips Harrington (Luxor-class) and Theisman (Luxor-class) will provide transport and ensure the skies are clear.  They will not, however, provide orbital fire support; these are still Terran Hegemony worlds, and the SLDF is duty-bound to protect them...not reduce them to ash from space.  The landing is scheduled for September 15th.


ALL PLAYERS EDGE REFRESHES TO THEIR ATTRIBUTE VALUE BEFORE THIS SCENARIO

SCENARIO: Poking Around

Finally, *something* has gone right.  This is the fabled "plan that survives contact with the enemy"; Colonel Boyle took First Battalion and dropped them about a half-klick outside the primary militia HQ, shot up the place, put an 8cm laser straight through the middle of the Rim Worlds flag flying above the barracks, and hightailed it out of there while the militia powered up their equipment.  There's evidently more of them that you were led to believe; two battalions of Rim Worlds troops - both from the same regiment - and a short battalion of militia in mixed tanks and light-to-medium Mechs.  Still, even though there's a few more than you were expecting, they very obediently followed Colonel Boyle off to the southeast and our of your hair.  Two days of overland travel later, and you're almost on top of the Allied Areospace facility.  It's just a matter of finding that core, ripping it out of the building, and heading for the pickup.  How hard can it be?

Scenario Rules

1) EM interference: Bordon undergoes periodic Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) spikes the further you get from the equator.  You're not far south enough for them to be constant or dangerous, but they can sure be annoying.  At the beginning of each turn, roll 1d6; a result of 1 means the EMI is high enough to degrade battlefield performance.  Add a +2 penalty to all ranged attack rolls, and a -2 modifier on the Missile Hits Table for that turn.  In addition, any active probles are effectively disabled for that turn, and all ECM has its effective range doubled.  Militia units are partially hardened against this, and only suffer a +1 or -1 penalty to attacks or on the Missile Hits table (respectively).  The facility does not suffer these penalties at all.

2) Allied Areospace Facility: This consists of 4 Level 1 buildings, each with a "heavy"-grade CF (somewhere between 60-100).  To ID which one contains the computer core, a unit must stand adjacent to the building for 1 full turn and remain stationary without firing weapons or making melee attacks.  An active probe (which is working) allows that unit to make weapon or melee attacks, but the scanning unit must remain stationary.

3) Removing the Computer Core: Once the core has been ID'd, it must be separated from its home.  The building containing the core must be reduced to no more than 30 (and more than 0) CF.  Once this is done, a BattleMech unit with two functioning hand actuators must spend four stationary turns adjacent to the building.  Successful relevant skill checks may reduce this time (Tech/Electronics will have the lowest TN, something like Security Systems or Demolitions would have a higher TN, something like the Computers skill would have a very high TN, and something like Acting isn't relevant, couldn't be used at all, and deserves a Gibbs slap).  Once the core is removed, the BattleMech unit may no longer make weapon or melee attacks involving its arms (it may still fire torso weapons).  Whenever damage is dealt to the BattleMechs arm locations, roll 2d6.  On a 9+, the damage is dealt instead to the core, which can take 25 points of damage before it is destroyed.  If the carrying unit falls into, make a ATOW Piloting skill roll (TN 14 if falling to the front, TN 11 if falling to the sides, TN 8 if falling backward).  If the roll fails, 1/10th of the carrying units mass (rounded up) is dealt directly to the core as damage.

4) Testing Ground: There are several units on the battlefield that are there for testing, and thus have no pilot and little security.  An ejected or dismounted pilot (remember, it takes 1 full turn to dismount) may attempt to commandeer one of these units.  It will take 1 full turn to climb into the cockpit, and then will require three successive ATOW skill checks (Technician/Mech @ TN 8, Computers @ TN 8, Security Systems @ TN 10; other skills may be substituted at higher TNs, but no skill be be used to substitute more than once).  Remember than 2 ATOW skill checks can be made per BattleTech turn.  

Objectives
1) Retrieve The Computer Core: get the core out of the target building and off your home edge)
2) Destroy The Facilities: it's nothing personal against Allied Areospace, but having their testing facilities available for use by the Rim Worlders is asking for trouble).  You may want to fulfill this mission objective after finding and retrieving the computer core.
3) Do Some Damage: destroy or disable at least 75% of the Rim Worlds unis which start the game on the table

[agustaaquila]

[GM request: skill check tech/mech to see if in the 5 months I can do something to prepare my mech against random fluctuation in EM fields

Do I need to roll a skill roll to see what standard medium mechs of the RWR are?]

[Darrian Wolffe]

Re: EMI resistance: not without living on the planet for a while.  They're using a computer program that uses 300 years of colonization records to make a prediction about what the EMI is going to be based on what it is *now*, so their diagnostic computers are sort of seeing into the future to tell the rest of their systems how far "off" stuff is going to be (since it's Star Wars day today, think of it like BattleMech Jedi Precognition).  Given a sample of the program, access to those records, and a week onplanet, you could probably do it.  Given that you have none of those...

Do I need to roll a skill roll to see what standard medium mechs of the RWR are?]

Career/Soldier Roll: 6+2 (skill rank) vs TN 6.  MoS: 2.  

Yes, you succeed.  Unfortunately, the Rim Worlds faction information hasn't been published by FASA, FanPro, or CGL.  So your guess is as good as mine.  Think units from the Peter laCasse "Periphery General" faction list, plus a smattering of Lyran and Free Worlds League stuff.  Plus, of course, whatever thes guys have captured or produced from Terran Hegemony companies and stockpiles.  

EDIT: Actually, I'll go an extra mile for you, since yall helped with the babysitting.  Here's the "Periphery: Other" (that is, not the MoC, OA, Taurians, or Pirates) cross-referenced with the "Periphery:Marians" (since they share planets with what used to be the RWR) faction listing of medium Mechs from the Demo Team's MUL for the year 2750:

Shadow Hawk SHD-2H
Griffin GRF-1N
Dervish DV-6M
Trebuchet TBT-5N
Hunchback HBK-4G
Chameleon CLN-7V
Blackjack BJ-1
Phoenix Hawk PXH-1
Whitworth WTH-1
Vulcan VL-2T
Assassin ASN-21

[serrate]

/ooc

There was a very nice RWR MUL that someone put together on the boards, which I integrated into my BT spreadsheet some time ago.  I'd link the source, but I don't have it; although a search on the boards in the Periphery section should work. Anyway, here are the medium mechs from that list. It mostly matches what Rob has above, with some additions (also, not including the Assassin, since it's intro date is still 45 years in the future):


40            Clint          CLNT-2-3T        Andoran Industries     Bell              2700?
40            Whitworth      WTH-0            Whitworth Company      ?                 2610
40            Whitworth      WTH-1            Whitworth Company      Dieron            2610
45            Blackjack      BJ-1             General Motors         Kathill           2570?
45            Kyudo          KY2-D-01         Martinson Armaments    Terra             2441
45            Kyudo          KY2-D-02         Martinson Armaments    Terra             2766
45            Phoenix Hawk   PHX-1            Earthwerks, Inc        Talon             2608
45            Quasit         QUA-51T          Concordat Telecom      N.Vandenburg      2400?
45            Wyvern         WVE-5N           Maltex Corporation     Erral             2755
50            Chameleon      CLN-7V           J.B. BattleMechs       Storfors          ?
50            Crab           CRB-27           Cosara Weaponries      ?                 2755
50            Hunchback      HBK-4G           KaliYama Weapons       Kalidasa          2572
50            Hunchback      HBK-4P           KaliYama Weapons       Kalidasa          2572
50            Phoenix        PX-1R            Krauss-Liemann, Inc    Wotan             2488?
50            Phoenix        PX-3R            Krauss-Liemann, Inc    Wotan             2488?
50            Phoenix        PX-4R            Krauss-Liemann, Inc    Wotan             2488?
55            Dervish        DV-6M            Archernar BattleMechs  New Avalon        2520
55            Griffin        GRF-1N           Earthwerks, Inc        Talon             2608
55            Kintaro        KTO-19           General Mechanics      ?                 2755
55            Shadow Hawk    SHD-2H           Earthwerks, Inc        Calloway VI       2608
55            Wolverine      WVR-6R           Kallon Industries      Thermpolis        2608
55            Wolverine      WVR-6M           Kallon Industries      Thermpolis        2608

Looking for a new ride? 

[Black Omega]

Back on board Echo Company's dropship, Banzai knocks on Major Freund's cabin door.  "Major, may I come in?"

A muffled "aff" is all Banzai could hear through the door as the dropship fires it's maneuvering thrusters to dock with the SLS Harrington.

"Major, how is Orlov Doing?  I didn't mean to grab him that hard, but I couldn't see any other way to get him out of there.  On a related note, are we heading back to Apollo?  I could really use some time with that new toy to see what makes it tick."

Later..

Assuming that Banzai has the time...he crawls all over the new LAM inspecting everything.  Operations checks include how long to transform between all modes, weapons systems, fighter flight characteristics [space (and atmosphere when available)], top speed, stall speed, cooling properties, targeting system, power fluxuations, eggs poached or fried, the whole schmere.  

[agustaaquila]

Xin sat in the hanger pf the dropship near an intake valve he knew went to an air scrubber, enjoying a last cigarette before he got to paperwork.  The promotion to WO had been nice, but it also came with some costs.  The added paperwork was one of them.

Xin sighed as he saw Banzai walk into the hanger and go to his new LAM.  He had heard some rumors that someone had done something with a Shadowhawk LAM back when he was in quartermaster division (Roll:Career/Soldier  roll 7 +2 total 9) but didn't remember all the details.

What was it with people wanting to take all this experminatal equipment onto the battlefield anyway?  He had done fine in a stock standard Chameleon of all things, the one mech that any member of the SLDF trained in piloting Mechs could tell stories about.  He had upgraded to the nicer Exterminator, but it was still a standard mech.  When something broke, you went and got form 9-G7432 to get a standard replacement part.  With something nonstandard, you had to know the connection type that held the part on, and the Supply Corporal always gave you a dirty look and called over the Sarge when you handed them a 10-G7432 (a) through (f).  It just made his life harder.

At least he had the poor SOBs who followed that mustached fool Armaris to take out his anger on.

Sighing for a final time, WO Franklin took the top sheet of the paperwork.  Perfect, just perfect, SPC-12-678 "Report on all non-standard configuration and Royal Configuration Machines."  ....