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The year is 3052. The location is Tukayyid. Two great juggernaughts are squaring up to do battle. The prize of this fight being the cradly of mankind - Terra itsself.

Two years prior, while the various powers of the Inner Sphere bickered amongst themselves, and faught wars over boarder worlds for their resources and technologies, a new foe emerged from the Uncharted Space, and cut a swath through Inner Sphere holdings belonging to both the federated Commonwealth, and the Draconis Combine - their target being Terra. At first, nobody knew who these invaders were, only that they piloted mechs that not only held a basis in old Star League machines, but were also dangerously effective as unit after unit fell to them, and world after world.

It was only after a good year of combat that the truth finally reached the ears of the mechwarriors - these invaders were known as the Clans, and they were the sons and daughters of the Star League Defence Force that had left the inner sphere centuries before, returned to reclaim and remould the Inner Sphere. However, the Com Guard managed to negotiate a deal with the Clans - they would meet with forces on Tukayyid and, in one campaign, decide who would have control of the cradle of mankind.

This is where you come in - as mercenaries contact by the Com Guard to boost their numbers, and hopefully give them an edge over the Clans

[May 30, 3052]

The war had not been going well for the Inner Sphere. The invaders, calling themselves "Clans", had been gaining victory after vicory against the forces of the Successor States. Some worlds had surrendered, others fought, and others still welcomed the invaders with open arms. However, on Tukayyid, the Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht had been preparing for war for two years. The Clans were coming his way, and he wanted to be ready.

Now, he sat in the command bunker, looking over strategic overlays of the planet's terrain. The world had been chosen as the ground for a batchall. The Clans and ComStar would fight a huge battle here, and the winner would go on to Terra. Anastasius wasn't going to let that happen. And so, against his orders, he had decided to hire a few mercanaries - not any of the big companies as they would cost too much and be too noticable. No, these would be those who wern't well known, and so might more easilly slip under the radar. After all, a relativly unknown mercenary would still have more combat experience than a ComStar mechwarrior who hasn't faced a true enemy - even if they have had two years of extra combat experience.

Now, he waited for the last of them to arrive. There was a thin point in the defences, and he needed warriors with experience to stand their ground

Viper arrives at the command bunker her helmet under her arm. As she entered she saluted Anastasius with her free hand. "Martial. Knight Viper reporting in." She addresses him by rank she may be here for the money but she was a soldier none the less and knew how to behave to those of rank. Besides it'd probably make dealing with him easier. She went at ease after saluting him taking a look around the command room. before addressing him again.

<Location: Mech Hangar>
Zandile walks his Styx into the hangar, positions it in its appropriate spot, and powers it down. He then exits the cockpit in whatever safe method is available, works his way down to ground level, and puts on his music player's ear-phones. Flipping through the device's memory, he finds a song he's in the mood for, and cues up: Trombe!

(yes, that's right; I just got my Super Robot Taisen in your MechWarrior, on my first post. )

Mel: [spoiler] The Precentor Marshall looks up and salutes back to Viper as she enters the room. "Knight Viper. Good to have you here. I hope the Clan ships en route here didn't give you any trouble? They're honourable, from what I hear, but you can never count on one of them not 'accidently' shooting down transports or dropships that are out of sensor range." He leaned back and crossed his arms. "I've got a plan for when those surrats get here, but I need good mercs to help make it work. Hopefully, we should be getting a few more in here soon, at which time I can outline my plan. In the meantime, do you have any questions?"

Viper nods once. "No trouble at all. Their honour will be their downfall in the end." She states calmly. After all it was the ones that were brave and the honourable that die in the end. "Questions Sir? I suppose. What's our first objective?"

Jason strode into the command bunker, a cocky grin on his face, "The artillery has arrived!" He boasted. "What can I do ya for, Marsh?" Jason asked loudly, giving the Marshall a very hard slap on the back.

Mel & Jay


Zender

Viper frowned at Jason. "Show some respect." She turned back to the Marshal and the tact map stepping closer to get a good view of the area she'll be defending. "Any intel on what mechs will be coming to our position?" She asks calmly as she views the map looking for hills, ambush positions and areas vulnerable to attack.

Mel & Jay

(You've already posted that it was the 30th of May so i'm guessing you meant June 1st)

"A full star? I'm sure we can handle it. Depending on the mechs the others process as well as the pilot's abilities." She grumbled looking at Jason judgementally. "What can you tell me of our position. Anything we can use to help us? Ammo dumps, fuel tanks anything like that? we lure them close enough to those we can maybe take them out without much trouble or at least soften them up." She shrugs a shoulder clanners weren't dumb so they'd need to be hidden somehow. Or forced close enough. both weren't easy and with the time they had not likely to get done. "Also what about terrain? Will they're be decent firing positions such as hills? for either side i want to know if we'll have to move up or stay put I don't want to get bombarded with missile fire before our long range mechs can even get into position.

Taking the mechanic's hint, Zandile puts away his music player, strolls over towards the door to the Marshall's room, and gives the mechanic some advice of his own as he walks by, pointing his thumb back at the Styx: "Be gentle with my babe, okay? She's a tad more delicate than she looks." With that said, he dusts off his clothes, straightens up his hair, and steps into the command bunker.

He immediately stands at attention, giving the Com Guard-standard salute he's worked so hard to memorize. "Zandile Sichel, reporting for duty, sir!" He speaks with notable enthusiasm, but maintains his good manners. Much of what the Clans taught him was self-righteous bullshit, but respecting his superiors is something they actually have a valid point with.

Duo walked into the room "so this is were everyone is suppose to meet eh?" he said looking around at all the other pilots and staff. "im the mercenary you hired"

The Precentor Marshall looks up from the tac display as Zandille and Duo walked into the room. He wasn't showing much emotions right now. "Good. Glad you could make it here. Enough for a full lance. Not bad, but I may have to see about getting a support 'mech your way. Now, if you'd all kindly gather around, this is the plan". He looked back down at the tac display and pointed to a specific area covered in wide, rolling hills with interdispersed clumps of woodland. From the looks of it, there was a good highground hill near the centre of the map, and a hill just to the nrth and east of it with plenty of obscuring woodland. Furthur to the west, the woods were more scattered, and a wide flat hill sat just to the west of centre.

"This is the area you will be fighting over. Intel says that the Clan star will be moving in from the west, so deploying in and around the eastern hills would be the best idea. The treelines are prety thick, so while scanners may be able to pick you up, the direct visual will be hard. Try using it to your advantage. Like I said before, we don't know what the star will have in it, but this isn't cityfight terrain, so expect long range mechs, maybe with a few fast movers. We need you to hold the line against the Clan Smoke Jaguar forces and not let any of them through"

Stranding back up, he moved his hands behind his back. "Now, as you're all mercs, I'll extend the standard package to you - first pick of salvage, and a C-bill bounty for each enemy mech destroyed. Any rifits and repairs at one of our facilities will have to be paid for, as will heavy lift gear to extract captured or disabled mechs. Are these terms acceptible?"

Viper looks over the map. "Hm. Smoke Jaguar?" She gives a nod. "Pretty sure I work for house Steiner. But sure sounds good." She hadn't even looked at the new comers busy focusing on the map. "Hold the line nothing gets through. Most likely long distant mechs. And we have four of us." she glances around for the first time nodding to the pilots that will be working with her.

After duo listened to the marshall talk he had a question "whats the best vantage point for snipers. i use a long range mech so vantage is key for me. also would it be possible to send these maps to our mechs as well. and any knowledge of what mechs they are using" Duo said wanting some sort of strategy before they headed out

Jason took a mock offended step back after the Marshall's and Viper's comments. "Sorry 'bout that Marsh -Can I call you Marsh?- I'm just so God Dammed excited to start shootin'! He then turned and checked Viper out. "And you just worry 'bout your own hide there little lady. 'Course you don't need to worry, I always make sure to protect the pretty ladies" He added with a wink. He then turned back to the Marshall. "Those terms sound mighty nice Marsh, thank you kindly."

The Precentor Mashal scowled at Jason at his comment. "I understand you're anxious to get into battle, but please refrain from calling me 'marsh'. Would you call a duke 'duk'? Would you call an archon 'arch'? I think not. It's my title, so please respect it". He then turned his attention back to Duo. "I would leave the neuances of tactical manuvering on the battlefield up to you. But, if it were me, I'm say a good sniping spot would be here". He pointed to a high eastern hill, behind the central hill and below the forrested hill. "It's got a good arc of fire leading up to the western hills, and some woods that can be retrated into for cover. It can't hit everything, but any Clan mechs that reach the north half of those central hills will be in plain view. And yes, my tactical staff will make sure this data is transmitte to each of your mechs"

Jason looked disappointed, even if just for a moment. "I'd probably call a Duke duk..."

Scanning over the map, Zandile can see a number of good spots for the Styx to gain tactical advantage. The most obvious ones to him are the woods in the north and east areas, and he has an idea regarding the former. If the more long-range-capable 'mechs hold the line at the eastern woodland, he can provide support fire from the northern forests. It will divide the enemy's attention, even if only by a small degree, and he might even be able to lure some enemies into his section of the woods, where his hatchet can smash 'em up with a little lumber-work.

The next thing on his mind is the Clan forces they're up against: the Smoke Jaguars. He knows all too well about those hard-asses...easily the most ferocious and violent of the Clans' fighters, with a considerable degree of strategy to back that up. Holding the lines against them won't be easy, especially not if he's forced to engage at long range. The Styx is built for combat at close quarters, and there's only so much he can do at medium range...given the layout of the area, he might be better off as a decoy unit in the eastern forest, where he can use the trees as both cover, and as blunt force against those who venture into his domain. Besides, Duo could use someone to help keep his position secure.

"Acceptable indeed, sir. I've been waiting for a chance like this for years. Me and my Styx will take great pleasure in handing out their tickets to Hell. They don't call me the 'Reaper's Chauffeur' for nothing." He answers, then pounds his left fist and right palm together, with a half-grinning smile that hints at his personal opposition to the Clans. If the Jaguars like aggression and killing intent, then they're going to either love him, or (preferably) fear him.